No matter how much time has passed, this world still remembers.
Waves ebb; winds blow; reeds sway.
A bright halo stretched across the horizon as Shirou stood with Durendal pointed towards the clouds. Cracks were forming beneath his feet, webbing out into tiny hairlines that disappeared into gravel. Pebbles were shaking over the earth, a deluge of magical energy charging the atmosphere with a torrent that reached towards the heavens.
From the verdant green hills, to the towering mountains, and distant archipelagoes… a faint nostalgia lingers carved deep within the planet.
Light from light; the presence of a single sword acting as a catalyst became a key to bridge the glories of the past with the destitute reality of the present. Bright mots of energy released from the earth itself hovered in the air all throughout Mt. Glenn.
At this moment and in this area, an anchor was connected to reveal a forgotten remnant.
Veins popped over Shirou's skin, blood trickling down his arms and legs while his knees wobbled from strain. In his hands and contained within the steel of a single peerless blade, was the weight of an era forcibly ended at the transgressions of the few vying for release.
Through suffering, man is tempered.
His grip tightened around a pommel, his muscles bulging as he gnashed his teeth and roared his defiance. His feet planted firmly onto the ground, digging large grooves at his heels.
Through perseverance, an indomitable will is invoked.
He was a Heroic Spirit, a guardian of humanity in this world or the next. For too long the people of Remnant have lived in the shadow of the Grimm, many of its own heroes fabricated out of necessity to ward away negativity.
It all led to a bleak reality: In this world, no one truly believed in heroes any longer aside from naïve children.
…And then on this day, a hero came.
Look up and never forget.
-Thunder claps; winds intensify; and a warm radiance begins to permeate.
In this once vibrant world left abandoned and forgotten even by their progenitor Gods…
"Unleash your light."
The breadth of the stars still shines!
Ripples of energy and magic pulsed into a towering pillar of light raining down mots of golden energy like snowflakes. They danced from up high and descended upon Remnant's soil and people, melding with the surroundings and drawing forth the energy of life and soul.
The grass began to shimmer, the rocks began to glint, yet most noticeable were the auras surrounding the inhabitants of Mt. Glenn.
Qrow Branwen opened and closed his palms amidst a shower of golden light that seeped into him and drew forth a dark coloured vapour. It danced around him freely under his will, its mere presence causing Grimm and those near him to spontaneously trip or misfire in a show of sudden misfortune. His mouth opened then closed in muted shock.
Nearby, Summer was enveloped in ephemeral white rose petals while in the distance, Ruby was enveloped in rich red of the same variety.
All around, strange and mysterious individual properties left buried and sealed within people were unleashed one by one. The semblances of what they once were in an era of magic and mystery directly drew them from dormancy.
All these subtle things occurred from behind Shirou's broad back, and yet he saw none of it as he focused only on what was ahead of him, his mantle whipping violently in the gales.
The Grimm shrunk back as if in instinctive reaction to Durendal's light. This light was a light granted by God and powered through the world of Remnant. If the Grimm were truly as ancient as their origins seemed to depict, then they would know of this light.
They would know of whom had once wielded it.
"O, holy sword born from miracles; the stage has been set," Shirou didn't care about history. What's passed was past. What mattered was the present and those that cried out for change.
Durendal released a low keening hum as its blade began to vibrate in his palms.
Perhaps it could sense the deep sea of negativity surrounding Remnant, but power swelled through its unbreaking steel in unending torrents drawn from forgotten leylines.
It had always been a sword meant to protect the weak. Meaning that it would always be at its strongest when shielding those who can't defend themselves from the forces of evil.
It truly was the sword of a Paladin, they who fought with sword in one hand and faith in another.
So long as there was injustice or oppression, this sword would heed its calling by the virtues of the order of Paladins.
"The enemy stands before you! By the grace of mercy, show this remnant world salvation!"
Just as the Lord of its faith would never abandon lost lambs, this sword would be the guiding shepherd in the wading dark.
"Holy sword, Durendal."
Its vibrations stopped; the overwhelming energy coursing through it swelling in agitation as its desire aligned with his own. Unbeknownst to him, but the vestiges of divinity he'd garnered in his time from Remnant seeped into Durendal's steel.
"Banish the wicked."
'-May they know the Lord's fury.'
The blade was swung; its sword of light that reached past even the clouds parting them at its descent as the sound barrier broke. It was as if the world was falling. The closer the sword reached upon Remnant's surface, the hotter and brighter it became to its enemies. No shadow could escape its glow.
As if to show the frustration, anger, and indignation of mankind throughout an uncountable number of years, this strike brought about an unholy annihilation. Heat and steam exploded from the point of impact, Durendal's light superheating the ground and creating showers of molten magma before a single shift in grip saw the blade of light swinging horizontal.
For as far as the eye could see, entire landscapes were abruptly flattened, distant peaks of sand and rubble heated into a fine glass all the way to even Vacuo.
From behind Shirou, all he could hear from Mt. Glenn's general direction was utter silence.
Sweat trickled down his brow, his complexion paling as his fingers trembled from just gripping his hands.
Without control, this very sword who alone had the ability to channel Remnant's dormant magical energy, could spell the end of any civilization on the planet. It was far too much power to wield even for him who was a Heroic Spirit which was why he couldn't move from the spot where he stood.
The moment he left the leyline, all power to Durendal would be cut off aside from whatever energy Durendal could store within its blade to be released later like a battery. Regardless, it wasn't as if he needed to remain in this spot anymore.
The dust produced from his one strike began to settle, and all that was left to be seen was a new flatland to be added to Remnant's geography. Any and all Grimm that had been to the north of him was annihilated in a single stroke.
The remaining Grimm that lingered in the remaining cardinal directions suddenly froze in place as if their chain of command had received an unprecedented shock.
Durendal's light gradually receded back into its blade. He couldn't risk using such a large attack anymore now that he witnessed how destructive it could be. The remaining Grimm were too close to Mt. Glenn for him to even consider doing so.
A pregnant silence lingered, but rather than stay frozen, the remaining Grimm were drawn towards Durendal's familiar energy and chose to attack him.
His eyes darted left and right, assessing his number of adversaries.
He'd cleared all the Grimm in the north, but the remaining creatures of dark were quickly filling in the vacancy he'd created with his first strike while many others continued attacking Mt. Glenn.
He scoffed. The majority of the Grimm were making the same mistake… they were crowding again.
The Grimm really were mindless.
He grunted, grasping tight onto Durendal's hilt. He'd yet to step away from the leyline, and that meant he still had full access to the breadth of the planet.
"Durendal," he intoned again, much to the disbelief of all spectators who assumed that he couldn't launch the same attack consecutively. I-It was overwhelming for the common individual, but a growing sense of anticipation welled within the hearts of the Huntsmen and Huntresses.
For all the strength of the Huntsmen and Huntresses, it was always defending, defending, and defending. Just this once, what they were seeing was the possibility of 'attack,' and for certain individuals, this revelation was terrifying due to the nature of the power displayed.
As Shirou channeled his concentration into his blade, the unexpected occurred as he moved by instinct at the last moment.
It was something that he, nor anyone else would have ever have had been able to account for especially considering the situation. No; it was more accurate to say that no one even considered it in all the chaos.
A distinct bang echoed through the air from behind him, followed by the sizzling sound of burning flesh.
Blood spluttered from his mouth as a horrid high-pitched scream reverberated through the air which he distinctly realized was the sound of his Master wailing in denial.
He looked down at his chest as he momentarily staggered, Durendal coming down to stab into the ground as a crutch to keep him standing.
There was a hole through his abdomen nearly the size of a soccer ball, blood seeping from it profusely. Every organ and structure int eh diameter of the hole was singed and burnt black such that most of the bleeding was cauterized. Ahead of him, and cratered deep into the ground was a high calibre dust round still releasing fumes of fire Dust.
He'd been shot from his unguarded back.
It may look bad, fatal even, but he was a Heroic Spirit and not a normal human.
If not for his Eye of the Mind skill shifting his body at the last moment, that bullet would have struck his heart and impacted his Spirit Origin which was what really mattered. Yet, did anyone else know that?
"Bastard! Who did it! Who fucking shot my alpha I'll murder you!"
A pale faced Cinder retreated into the crowd, the gun she'd pilfered left behind as she shivered at the fact that he was still alive.
The defenders of Mt. Glenn grew riled. The cameramen and show hosts caught in Mt. Glenn before the Vale tunnel collapse zoomed their cameras on his form while screaming furiously for the culprit to reveal themself.
At this point, one thing was abundantly clear to everyone, he'd been shot by one of the very people he'd been defending.
"Traitor! Who Goddamn dares!"
Shirou bit down on his lips, filtering out the commotion behind him. There was a mole mixed in with the crowd. Perhaps this person may as well be the one commanding the Grimm as it would make sense with no presence of Elder Grimm in the vicinity.
He didn't get hurt out of carelessness, he got hurt out callousness. He'd thought that the only enemy in Remnant were the Grimm; that even thieves or crooks in Mt. Glenn would still band together in a time of crisis, but he'd never thought someone would choose to ally with Grimm.
This was his mistake. It wasn't naivety, but bias that led to his current situation.
Shuddering, he once more lifted Durendal's blade under the watch of the bickering crowd.
Even if his Spirit Origin wasn't hit, this was still going to take a while to heal, and worst of all, he'd placed himself at the center of all Grimm.
Injured as he was, there was no way he'd be able to direct Durendal's towering sword of light. His body would break before he could even swing the sword as it was taking all his strength just to keep himself standing. His vision was blurring and even if his Spirit Origin was intact, it didn't mean that the damage wouldn't hinder him. One wrong move and he could very well die.
He glanced towards the direction of his Master still screaming in disbelief. He could see Ruby's eyes starting to water. Even from where he stood the sizable hole straight through his stomach was impossible for anyone to miss let alone her who shared a connection with him.
She was thrashing against Ector who'd grappled her to the ground after she'd attempted to leap off the wall towards him and directly into the Grimm infested battlefield.
"We need to help him!" Shirou heard his Master's anxious yells through his connection with her, but Ector, stone faced, merely tightened his hold on her.
"Are you crazy!" Ector's patience finally snapped at Ruby's continued struggle, the two rolling on the towers floor as Ruby vied to free herself.
Finally, when Ruby realized she wouldn't be able to escape Ector's firm hold, her eyes shifted to the red marks on her right hand.
Ruby was looking at her two remaining Command Seals, hesitation quickly leaving her eyes. She could summon him to her side in an instant, but he couldn't let her do that. Not only were Commands Spell's too important to just waste, but he couldn't leave the people of Mt. Glenn with the image of a hero falling to the machinations of a villain.
For the sake of those that believed in him, he had to create the appearance of an undefeatable hero.
"Durendal!"
It was surprising how just the invocation of a name could draw the attention of all. Ruby paused in her thrashing and the bickering on the walls ceased. The only constant was the fast-approaching tide of Grimm seeking to slaughter him.
A flash of movement; a horizontal slash, and an entire section of Grimm was once again wiped out of existence.
Shirou breathed hoarsely, broad back still standing strong. He didn't have to keep fighting, but instead just had to make sure that hope wouldn't die.
"Believe in this sword!" He yelled out. "Believe in it's miracle!"
Mots of golden light began to shimmer from him as he slowly began to dematerialize. It was the best option he had given his situation. Although his Spirit Origin wasn't hit, his body was still damaged and he required time to heal rather than fight Grimm. His material form would only worsen the extent of his injury over time and therefore, his body was forcibly dematerializing as a safeguard.
He made eye contact with Summer in the distance, and with a single heft of his body, he hurled Durendal in her direction. Summer must have been able to understand his intentions because she readied herself to catch the sword. Even if it was no longer connected to Remnant's leyline Durendal still held a substantial amount of power within its blade.
Aura would be the key to activate the power within, yet as if to slight him, a random Nevermore accidently flew into the trajectory of his throw and altered it. The arc once aimed to land in front of Summer now shifted Durendal to lodge itself on Mt. Glenn's cliff face far out of reach for anyone.
His mouth closed shut in muted disbelief.
Was there never going to be a time where his luck wouldn't work against him?
Regardless of his thoughts, his words had the desired effect as the defenders of Mt. Glenn all stared at Durendal.
'Hope and victory exists within that sword.'
This was the one thought that he wished to convey. Although the remaining number of Grimm was high, the power of Remnant's leyline stored within Durendal would be more than sufficient to ward the Grimm away long enough until he could recover.
Until then, there was one place he needed to be in order to recuperate.
In a single instant, his body faded into mots of gold light before the eyes of all, proving to many that he must have been some sort of divine entity as he disappeared rather than died.
"NOOOOOO!"
His Master's scream echoed. That's right. He'd never really explained to her about certain properties of Heroic Spirits. Still, their connection was strong. He shut his eyes in spirit form, doing his best to convey that it was alright to his Master who was clearly in too much of a state of agitation to respond positively. Regardless, he'd just have to keep trying until he got through to her while moving towards a specific direction.
In spirit form, there were no obstacles that could impede him, and soon enough, he entered a secluded location and donned his guise as 'Archer.' He couldn't risk associating weakness with the Huntsman of Red. Breathing hoarsely, he soon limped into the light of Jeanne's flag.
Yes, if it was here, he could heal the quickest.
He collapsed in front of other people who grew alarmed with all the blood seeping from his clothes. Panicked, they brought him closer to Jaune who was holding the Saint's war banner in the front lines after sneaking out from confinement.
Even as Shirou got closer to Jaune, all his attention was focused on the Saint's war banner billowing in the wind.
Earlier Shirou had intended to rely on a gamble should the Grimm bypass him and overwhelm Mt. Glenn's defences, but now it was different with him right next to Jaune.
The Saint's flag relied on the devotion of its wielder and the will of its God of another world. Yet in this one, the Gods were absent…save for one.
Through his strength of will, Shirou focused the power of his divinity upon the saint's flag. He may not be an actual God or wish to really use the title, but as worship of him intensified, there was no denying that for many, he really was their God.
If so, then this must work. He'd invoke the properties of the flag, and all it would need from there was a little push that he believed Jaune was fully capable of.
Heart, right? That was all that mattered, so believe and call out for the salvation of the God that stands beside you in this time of crisis.
Luminosité Eternelle.
Until then… just for a little while he'd rest.
His eyes wearily shut closed as a memory played in his head.
[You know what your problem is Emiya? You always try to do everything on your own, and in the end, you ultimately fail on your own! You should believe in others more.]
He almost snorted from the familiar nagging.
Surely everything would be alright? He'd be up as soon as he was healed, yet he couldn't help but feel as if he was forgetting about something as his mind lulled into a state of unconsciousness.
Someone shot him. Someone shot him!
He needs help. He won't respond! W-Where is he? What happened?!
"LET GO OF ME!" Ruby thrashed harder.
"No, you're being stupid!"
Thanks for reading! And thanks to my newest patrons: Superpie, August M, Dale, and Alejandro J!
Oh God I'm exhausted. I've just been through two finals and a final project all due yesterday and today the last of which I finished at 11:47am today. That being said, I ended up writing this chapter from scratch from there so it ended up shorter than planned since I normally don't write everything in a day, but I did so today since I delayed updates in order to study for said exams. I said I'd get an update out today, and I got one out today though i apologize again for how short it is even for me. I should have more time from now on to work properly since my last two exams are actually spread out with enough time to work with so things should be back to normal from this point on.
Next updates:
-Beyond the gate
-Birth of a Legend rewrite (One of the first stories I started on this site when my writing wasn't as up to par so I want reboot it.)
P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious
Fiction Press: Survivor's Log: Reflections (New novel coming out near December)
Book link: Fatedlegacydark. ca