Gods exist for a multitude of reasons. As agents of creation and destruction, they serve as the reason for everything that ever was and everything that ever will be. As the ideals of morality, they serve as the ultimate dichotomy of what is morally good and evil. But they are inherently vague and inherently beyond human understanding. Such is the nature of gods; they are beings of absolutism. Absolute power. Absolute knowledge. Absolute authority.
It is by their authority that there is a sense of order in the infinite chaos of the cosmos. The skies above that separates the worlds and its people from the vast oceans of space. The eternally burning furnaces of flames contained in lamps that decorated the dark canvas of an otherwise empty reality. The insignificant specs that roam the worlds that they have created could not hope to match the power and grandeur that the gods possessed at what humans would call fingertips.
As such, everything that the gods dictate become truth. What they say is the revelation of the universe itself. Nothing could go against their words less they allow it. It is only by their law and authority that the universe has any order to it. There they rest in a plane of existence that could never be reached by humanity, a place beyond the confines of the universe for the gods roam this plane and they alone. No mortal—nay—not one other than the gods are permitted to traverse in this higher place of being. For only those deemed perfect could walk here, and who else could be perfect if not the gods?
Their word is law. Their word is absolute. Their word could never be broken. Yet, the two have felt it. A disturbance in their creation. One of their laws had been broken. Impossible. The law that had been broken was that of immortality. Both Light and Dark knew where it had come from, Remnant. One of its people, Salem, had been lifted from her immortality. Impossible. That sinner was to be cursed to walk on Remnant until she had learned the value of life and death. Neither of the gods had observed that she had learned its value. She should have been reformed, unable to die until she had learned that which she had been burdened with. Could their word have been broken, somehow?
Anger. Unacceptable. Their word is absolute. To have it be broken meant that their word was less than perfect. Unacceptable. Impossible. Heresy. The gods would correct it but to correct it meant that there was a mistake. The gods are perfect incapable of mistakes. The fault does not lie in them but in that which they have created. But would that not mean that the gods are imperfect if they were unable to create perfect beings? No. Unthinkable. Their creations are the ones at fault; it was never theirs. It could never be theirs.
They could not allow it to continue further. The sinner that has broken their sacred and perfect law must be punished. They must descend on Remnant and remind them of their place in the universe. Yes. It is perfect. Humanity will bow at their feet and beg for mercy. The gods will ensure that their faulty creations will be as they intended them to be. Thusly, they have moved from their plane of existence and proceeded to descend onto Remnant.
There was another disturbance in their creation. How? No one was permitted to traverse here. No one could traverse here. Focusing. Their sinner had come to them? How? The sinner is imperfect. Only those of perfection could come here. Only the gods could come here.
With a voice befitting their stature, the voices of the gods called out like a choir, "what has brought thee here, child? Doth thou cometh for mercy?" The sinner looked at them. He did not bow in humility and stared at them defiantly. That which humanity calls a sword was drawn from the back of the sinner.
"No," said the sinner. "Just doing my job. I sensed a danger to my Master's Dust shop and found that the source came from here."
/-/
It wasn't the first time that Kojirou had fought a god. The last time had been a god of the sea. Much like that time however, the battle proved itself to be a difficult one. The fact that he was dealing with two of them at once certainly made him sweat. The two gods before him had transformed into dragons when the snapping of their fingers did nothing to him. Was it a terrible thing that he smiled? He had slain dragons before too. Convenient then that he was quite experienced with the kinds of opponents that he faced now. Dragon and divine? It was like he was made for this.
But he could not get too cocky. The light conjured thunder and lighting while the dark breathed a deathly flame. He had to move as swift as his form allowed. If Kojirou were honest, as he is now, as an Assassin, to deal with two gods might be slightly above his capacity. There is no guarantee that he would be able to win on his own like this. But for his Master, he must do what he can.
His sword deflected one the gods' blasts as he neared closer to one of them. Kojirou angled the blade straight. If he could not win against them on his own, then he will have to rely on others. First step, swifter than sound. The god of darkness missed Kojirou as the draconic claw flew ever so slightly past him that it was as though the claw itself avoided him. Kojirou drew his sword back, ready to swing. Second step, infinite suffering. Kojirou pushed his blade forward as the blade thrusted thrice simultaneously that it was impossible for most to defend against. As the god of darkness reeled back in audible pain, it would seem that it too was no exception. Third step, the absolute sword. Mumyou, Sandanzuki.
When Kojirou had finished executing the technique. He turned to see the shocked expressions of the gods. It did show on their faces for they had none but it showed in their bodily posture. The were frozen in place with the god of darkness mimicking the human motion of panting. Kojirou's eyes moved to the side. With him was an apparition in the shape of the Shinsengumi swordsman from which the technique had come from. Okita Souji then faded away, her role here was done.
Not willing to accept the fact they could be hurt, the god of light attacked Kojirou to avenge its still living brother. Was it typical of the gods or was he just unlucky in that he only ever meets the arrogant ones? Those who think of themselves too perfect that they have no need to improve or to better themselves? Perfection? Such a thing could never exist for the concept of it would need something else to be imperfect. How else would one know if it was perfect if they are ignorant of imperfection?
The god of light overwhelmed Kojirou on all sides. Lightning and thunder came for him. This time, he had to play defensively. However, each block was also a cut. Breaking his rhythm and steps, Kojirou made himself as formless as the waters. The apparition of Saito Hajime appeared with him. Like a storm that is approaching, Kojirou easily dispelled the drizzle of the god of light. Unique steps that have been improved over years of practice had allowed this Saber to freestyle his way yet possess a technical knowledge of swordsmanship that is impressive to most.
Light drew back but Kojirou wasn't about to let it happen. Why limit himself to Sabers? The god of light may have created uneven terrain and flooded the place to drown him. A mistake for if there was even the slightest foothold, Kojirou would be able to leap over them like boats. The figure of Ushiwakamaru appeared with him as he did so. The god of light, seeing its mistake but still unable to accept it as such, sent forth beams of lightning but Kojirou had great speeds that he could create afterimages as he went in for yet another cut.
The plane of existence that they were began to even out. The waters dried and the land became even. Kojirou's shoulders was visibly rising and falling. To use the techniques of others was taking its toll on him. The strain they were having on his current form was the fault of the confines of his class. He wished that he was never confined by the limitations of the class.
"Enough!" said the god of light. Kojirou was sent flying backwards. This plane of existence was endless and had no wall. As such, he would eventually fall back down as though there was ground beneath his feet. "Thy blade is broken," the god of light commanded.
Much as it was decreed, Kojirou's sword had been broken into pieces. They also vanished into nothingness. He was now bereft of a weapon.
"We see now," said both light and dark in perfect unison. "Thy world is sinful and flawed. Thy world has strayed from the path that we intended. Thy world has made themselves imperfect."
Kojirou tried to fight back. It didn't matter to him if Remnant was as imperfect as the gods claimed. His Master lives there and he his duty to protect his Master and the Dust shop. He also had a duty to protect the customers of the Dust shop. The regulars and newcomers, he must protect them all.
"We shall rebuild thy world," the gods continued. "A new humanity. One that would not fail us. Nay. We shall not let them fail us. We shall return to Remnant and remake it as it should be. Perfect and free of all faults. We shall ensure that the new humanity shall only ever be a humanity that we shall approve. In servitude only to us, as they should have been. Only then will they as we: perfect."
Suddenly, there was another disturbance in existence. Behind Kojirou a golden ripple had appeared. It was a gate. From it came a handle of a sword. When Kojirou had pulled it out, he marveled at the fine quality that it had been made. If he was being honest, it was the finest quality that had ever been made. A treasure of the highest kind for swordsmen like him. Another gate had opened and with it, another sword of an equally fine quality.
"How?" the brother gods could not believe it. "Our words are law. Thy has broken the rules that we have laid down!"
Kojirou laughed. "It has nothing to do with me." He readied a stance as his blades were in the position that he was familiar with. It wasn't his but he Kojirou knew enough of it just as he had the others that he had used thus far. "I think that a certain someone would say that he is the rules." Kojirou never anticipated that he would have an audience. Perhaps it was the gods' declaration of taking over humanity that had caused that arrogant king to act. Well, it is only right then that the he should give a show most entertaining.
The gods clashed with Kojirou once more. It didn't matter if the gods could break the weapons that he had. There was always another, an infinite supply as the treasury of human history and fantasy is perpetually endless. The most powerful and the original copies of those dreams were in his hands. The finest quality of metal touched his hands. It was to be only a momentary occasion, only for this moment as Kojirou battled not just for his Master but for Remnant's humanity. He was representing the humanity of his world as well and so needed to perform twice as well. With each successive blade, apparitions of other Heroic Spirits came to him as he recreated their techniques. An ever-growing figure, Kojirou battled against these gods of light and dark just as he had the depths of the ocean that other time. Much like that time, he used the techniques of those he had come across. Here, he used such techniques and Noble Phantasms built upon possibilities. Alternate realities where he had fought against them or with them, they are all coalescing and amalgamating to bring forth a change that could never before be seen.
"Impossible!" the gods cried out. "You are imperfect! You are flawed!"
That is the funny thing about imperfection. Much like how a loser would always have something to learn, the imperfect always had something to improve on. They always have a higher place that only the flawed could ever reach. For Sasaki Kojirou, that came when he had broken free from the confines of his class.
He stood before the gods. He stood above them as a Grand, befitting his truest status. Whether that is as a Saber or as Assassin, he himself wasn't sure. Perhaps it was neither, maybe both and more.
Kojirou went for the god of darkness. A Niou appeared behind him. Considering the next technique he had, he wasn't surprised. Breaking against fate itself, Kojirou began swinging his blades. The figure of Miyamoto Musashi appeared with him and moved along with him in perfect sync as Kojirou recreated the technique of his rival.
With a final slash, the god of darkness was no more. Kojirou had slain another god and another dragon. That only left the god of light. Shocked by the sight of its brother's death, the god of light acted in anger as massive waves of energy came for Kojirou on all sides.
One sword vanished from his hand as he held the remaining one with both. He raised the blade high above him. The sword itself was ordinary and yet all of that energy was repelled. Musashi's form had followed suit on one side while a certain King of Knights appeared next to him, mirroring the same pose that he had. Rather, he mimicked her pose as this was because of her. Neither he nor the King of Knights were alone for behind them appeared the apparitions all other heroic spirits, regardless of class. The collective strength of humanity, their dreams and ambitions, myths and fantasies, their cries and their prayers, all went in the blade that Sasaki Kojirou held in his hands. While the blade may not have the breath of the planet, it most certainly had the breath of the indomitable spirit of the hero.
The god of light, unable to comprehend it, went for Sasaki Kojirou. As both a god and dragon, Kojirou knew just what to do. The blade fell and the god of light was no more.
Kojirou fell backwards. He had achieved what was impossible. No. He only did what he had to do: he protected his Master and the Dust shop. His hands had begun to glow. He had pushed himself beyond his limits and his form is now breaking apart. The borrowed swords returned to where they belonged as everyone else returned to the Throne. Sasaki Kojirou then closed his eyes.
/-/
"…sei! Sensei!" the voice of Adam of Taurus called out to him, bringing him back from his meditative state. "I have painted the fences just as you asked."
Kojirou did what he could to mask his exhaustion. One does not perform a projection of their form so easily, even during meditation. He asked cooly, "really?" He looked at the fences. Indeed, the side he had seen had been painted. "Both sides?"
Adam Taurus bowed in the affirmative. "Yes, I have done both sides."
"Good, you have learned." Kojirou then stood up. "Take up your blade then, let us test what you have learned."
"Yes, sensei!" Adam Taurus said, obediently.
Kojirou breathed as well as he could. He may have exhausted himself but he was still capable. It may be his day-off but he that feeling he had could not be shaken off. For as long as he is bound to his Master, Sasaki Kojirou is still the security guard of From Dust Till Dawn.
AN: On one hand, I probably broke a number of rules lore-wise. On the other, the image of Kojirou actually doing all that is too good for me to ignore.
One more chapter to go but that is more of an epilogue thing really.
