The sounds of battle filled the air.
Shirou could feel the heat radiating through his chest as he dashed forward. His blades glistened in the faint light of the moon. It shone brighter than ever before as he reinforced them.
Atalanta moved swiftly in front of him, deflecting each incoming blow with her bow. As she drew it, a bright light enveloped the area around them, leaving a trail of green light behind.
Bakuya flew forward, slamming into the vampires in its path with incredible speed. A deafening crash erupted among the vampires. One vampire, an individual almost as powerful as an elder, was sent flying. His wings were mangled beyond recognition.
Shirou struck down another one that attempted to flank him, taking him out with ease. With a ferocious speed, Shirou turned his attention towards the vampires attempting to surround him, the blades in his hands gleaming menacingly as he swung them about.
He took down four opponents by mere inches. Blood splattered across the ground and stained his clothes, but he barely seemed bothered by it.
Shirou leaped to a nearby horde, thirty of them, and struck, cutting their throats open with his blade as they screamed.
He deals with the rest of them in quick succession. Their bodies fell to the ground without a sound. He landed gracefully on top of their forms and continued on his way. Blood coated his hands as he continued fighting. The married blades are slick.
The next wave of enemies approached him from different directions. He deflected their claws and spells from the right and left while avoiding the ones from behind. They would cut him if they got past all the obstacles between him and their target.
Another slash and another body tumbled to the ground. His head whipped to the other side where another vampire was charging. His jaws gaped wide. A cry cut through the night, loud and piercing. Another vampire lunged at Shirou.
He jumped backward and landed with both feet planted firmly on a broken bench, his arms moving fast and fluidly as he raised the curved blades. The tip met the vampire's neck with a sickening thud, not missing his jugular. Blood spilled over the ground below him, staining them red. The vampire gurgled and collapsed onto the ground beside Shirou, twitching.
He turned to find Atalanta engaged in combat against three more similar groups. Her arrows sliced the air as if it weighed nothing, and blood spurted from the puncture wounds in the vamps' bodies. The creatures howled at her with bared fangs. Atalanta whirled about, releasing another arrow as she did so.
She missed her target, but instead hit an unfortunate foe on the shoulder. The vampire cried out in pain as Atalanta responded with a kick to the one that evaded.
Arrows flew through the air marking fifty more vampires dead. She drew her bow again and again, arrows rapidly firing like a Gatling gun.
She quickly dispatched two more vampires that came at her. With one sweep of her bow, the vampires were struck with a bone pop. Two vampires went limp and fell limply to the ground.
A sigh escaped Atalanta's lips as her shoulders slouched forward in determination. She didn't look exhausted. Blood dripped down her face, soaking through the green dress. Ears twitching. Her long hair flowed down her back, shimmering in the moonlight. Her skin was pale and flawless, like porcelain. She looked positively beautiful in the silver moonlight.
Atalanta spun back around, her eyes locking with Shirou.
He averted his eyes as his neck flushed.
There was no moment to hesitate. His body moved on its own accord, swinging his blades wildly. His blades were swift, precise, and deadly. Blood flowed everywhere, and he got a kick out of the feeling.
Barks filled the air. Meanwhile, the phantasmal-turned-wolves pounced at the unfortunate vampires that went too close to the ground. The night was dark and cold. They're fierce fighters, using their speed, strength, and agility to tear through the vampire ranks.
A canine charged forward, shrugging off the spells that whizzed past him. It leaped over the ground and landed on a vampire, sinking its teeth into his neck. It felt the warm blood gush into its mouth, and spat it out in disgust. Tainted and bitter.
Another wolf tossed a corpse aside and lunged at another vampire, who slashed at it with a blade. It dodged the blade and bit his arm, snapping the bone. The vampire screamed in pain, but it did not care. No mercy for these monsters.
A swipe of its claws finished him, then looked around for its next target. It looked up. It spotted its prey.
A vampire stood on a nearby rooftop, watching the carnage below. It seemed like he had been observing this war from afar, as far from battle as possible. His arms, hands, and face were covered with wounds. Blood splattered on his white shirt, red staining it further. The vampire's eyes glowed crimson as it watched the mayhem, looking infuriated and mad.
This creature was different. Even though it appeared so weak and pathetic, the wolf could sense that something was going on inside his mind. Perhaps something good or bad. The wolf didn't know what to make of it. But it couldn't afford to waste time figuring out anything about the unknown being. Instead, it stalked toward the vampire while its kin killed more. It could see how easily the other was outnumbered.
It was a simple matter of killing this enemy before the enemy had a chance to fight back. After all, they were the ones fighting for their survival here, weren't they? Not the other way around.
There was no point in fighting if you can avoid it.
As soon as the wolf approached the vampire, the latter's eyes turned back to normal. And when he saw the beast coming, he immediately leaped down. With a snap of his fingers, the ground underneath the wolf cracked open and swallowed it whole.
The wind picked up and began making itself present on the rooftop, making the entire area shake. A gust blew the vampire's blonde hair back as he grinned wide. "Come closer, little wolf. I promise you'll love what I do next."
Amid the commotion, the wolf tried to get up. Every inch of the ground seemed to shake violently under its weight, threatening to send the wolf back to wherever it came from.
However, that didn't stop the wolf. The only thing stopping it was hunger and thirst for its enemy's flesh. That was one problem it didn't have. At least not yet.
When the wolf found a solid footing again and started charging toward the vampire once more, dodging a few spells, just in time. Its jaws snapped shut mere millimeters to his throat. The vampire's body trembled at the impact, sending him flying backward until he crashed onto the pavement hard. Before he could even think of escaping, his legs were pulled out from underneath him by an unseen force, making him collapse to the floor.
He heard a brief growl and then he fell into complete silence. The wolf stared at its victim, jaws bloodied. It was dead. Not different than others then. Shaking its body, it turned to pounce another one.
More wolves tore more vampires apart. Wings ripped, head disemboweled, flesh taken.
Teeth and fangs bared against each other.
Daggers and sword slashes slice through the army.
After killing a few more vampires, he turned his gaze to the one in noble clothing. The leading monarch of the vampires. Shirou decided to abandon fighting the lesser ones and headed straight to him.
The vampires he fought were easy for him to kill. The nobility, however, was a problem.
One of the vampires tried to stab Shirou from behind, but he easily parried it with ease. An invisible barrier held back the attacking vampire's attack. Shirou's sword struck the vampire's sword wrist at force, forcing the arm back. The sword dropped to the ground. Shirou caught it easily and brought it up in time to block the vampire's second attack.
The leader stood tall, eyes burning red as he faced down the horde. He stared at the war with intense, fiery eyes.
It wasn't long until he noticed someone approaching him. The vampire glanced over his shoulder and immediately scowled when he caught sight of Shirou. Shirou's eyes narrowed and didn't stop moving.
What would happen when someone like this met someone's eyes? Shirou understands why, the thought can make that someone shudder. This is a vampire as powerful as a Servant. Shirou closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them again, he was looking straight up at another vampire. A sharp movement from his body as he lifted his swords and attacked, slicing through a vampire who blocked him in front of the leader.
The monarch turned away from him, dismissing him. His henchmen drove to Shirou to deal with him.
Their movements quickened as they fired their spells. Shirou raised his blades and blocked every single attack that came at him. With every step he took, he was able to counterattack. It was an advantage that he could hold his own against so many opponents. He kept moving without stopping, making an effort to keep up with their attacks.
He leaped, bringing both swords around with a spin motion, slashing a group of them down in a row. The vampires fell on the ground screaming as they died from the excruciating pain.
Blood seeped from their wounds, dripping along the floor. Each drop of crimson was as vivid as a ruby. Their blood oozed across the concrete, flowing into the drains beneath. But Shirou didn't pay any attention to their plight, his concentration solely fixed on one particular person.
With the help of his reinforcement, Shirou pushed himself faster on the ground, hastily dashing towards the aged man.
His steps were light as a feather, his limbs supple and agile. Before he could reach the elder vampire, a powerful force slammed into his body, knocking him backward. The force sent him tumbling into one of the piles of rubble.
The monarch lifted a finger and fired two small sequent energy orbs. Shirou sliced one yet couldn't evade the other one hit the chest.
Pain erupted from his body. Sharp pains shot through his body. They made his breathing erratic. Glancing down, he didn't find any damage on his chest shirt. He leaped towards the monarch again, more quickly this time. His form blasted from the ground, blurring in front of his foe.
The monarch's eyes widened slightly, as he brought his arm into the open. Kanshou and Bakuya sliced down and stopped in a spark like metal against iron. The vampire's arms were hard and durable, but blood gashed. The married blade's Anti-Monster properties work in effect as Shirou puts more pressure.
The monarch's eyes narrowed as he took notice of this. Great as he was, he is still an undead being. A monster in the eyes of mortals.
Kanshou broke and Shirou dodged a vampiric spike from the ground. Bakuya cut it in half, and the monarch released a small burst of magical energy.
It was enough to throw Shirou backward several feet. As the vampire faced him, Shirou jumped up and traced a swift-type sword like a bullet in the stomach. Sparks flew and the vampire staggered back a few feet. He recovered swiftly and launched another round of magic attacks.
Shirou dodged left and right, jumping from one pile of rubble to another. A barrage exploded around him, and when he turned to look over, he felt the monarch's presence that managed to get behind him forcing Shirou to roll, avoid a slash, and jump back to his feet. He swung his swords in rapid succession, taking care to avoid being impaled.
Both combatants jumped high in the air. The vampire jumped up and landed first, his body turning into a flash of white light. As his body disappeared, he threw a deadly ball of black mist toward Shirou.
In response, the young archer summoned a flaming buster sword to protect him. The flames burned the magic away like paper.
Another volley of magecraft followed, forcing Shirou away. He barely evaded the first, but the third was too fast. Shirou rolled across the street and jumped up, ready for another assault.
A powerful wave of magical energy smashed Shirou to the side, breaking several nearby buildings. The vampire chuckled loudly. Then he moved swiftly toward Shirou and delivered three rapid slashes at him. His arms flashed with lightning-like and malevolent bolts as he aimed for Shirou. But then he changed his trajectory and used his reinforced feet to propel himself over to the right of the vampire. He slashed at the monarch, hitting his left shoulder. The vampire roared angrily and spun around.
"Irritating mortal shouldn't stand a chance against myself," The vampire snarled, launching himself at Shirou again.
Shirou blocked and countered the monarch's attacks with ease. Each strike he blocked made his blood flow quicker and stronger. His muscles tightened and burned. Energy surged through his veins. He pushed forward, driving himself to the limits of his abilities. Sweat beaded his brow as he continued his onslaught and eventually, the vampire was forced back by his constant efforts. The monarch lowered his weapon, breathing and glaring at Shirou, who continued his relentless barrage.
Finally, after several minutes, the vampire stepped backward to regain his breathing. He shook his head and sighed heavily. "You are not a simple opponent, boy. You've done well for yourself...but not enough. I have enough of playing lightly!"
With those words, the monarch, and before Shirou could react, the vampire raised a hand and slammed his palm to the ground.
Immediately, a giant pillar emerged from the ground, extending in all directions. Within seconds, the pillars surrounded him. Shirou tried running, but every move he attempted resulted in getting closer to the pillar. He had no choice, there was no way for him to go any further than where the pillars led.
This was his chance. He had to take it now before the pillar crushed him. His hands curled together and from blue, a red aura covered them as he raised his katana and charged directly toward the pillar with great speed. The moment his sword met the pillar, he went through and the pillar was cleanly cut. He skidded across the surface of the concrete before slamming feet first into the ground, creating cracks and crumbling the ground under him.
That vampire is more than strong. If he was this powerful during the battle, what else would he be capable of? Shirou thought back to how he dealt with vampires before him, trying to find answers on what would make such a mighty figure lose.
Two vampiric swords materialized in Shirou's sight, courtesy of the monarch. He watched as the swords charged forward, aiming towards his sides, arms, and shoulders. But instead of blocking them all, he swung his own swords in tandem after creating another copy.
His swords crossed each other like a bridge of steel, creating a giant shield in front of him. His swords struck the swords and caused sparks to fly. Shirou felt himself slowly getting thrown back a couple of meters with each swing. The swords were still swinging as the ground cracked, splitting the street apart.
"Tsk." The monarch scoffed and pointed one hand upward, summoning another set of dark wings. An orb of purple smoke appeared above their heads. A tornado formed rapidly and gathered around Shirou and the monarch. The air thickened and filled Shirou's lungs, choking him.
A pair of wings flapped slowly behind the monarch's back, lifting him into the air. A strong gust of wind rushed down upon Shirou and the surrounding area, sending the debris flying in all directions. Dust and rocks showered all around, covering the entire area and burying Shirou under a layer of dirt.
When the dust settled, it revealed a small crater that extended far into the distance. Large chunks of rock and earth had come loose from the ground, crashing down like meteors.
He sneered down at Shirou, and suddenly the dust and stones flew away, revealing the redhead's face. His lips were set into a grimace as he looked up. The vampire stared at Shirou with pure contempt, as if Shirou wasn't worthy of even being in his eyes.
Shirou stood back on his feet and started charging again, raising his arms and tracing a circular, Norse shield.
The monarch's face became twisted in anger and a stream of dark clouds formed above Shirou's head. His fists clenched tightly while the dark clouds gathered around them, swirling around in an intense mass.
As soon as it appeared, it split apart and crashed down onto the mortal like lightning bolts.
Cracks formed along the barrier that the bolts created, which began to crack as a result. Shirou grimaced and grunted in surprise.
But the monarch wasn't finished. He pulled out a long chain from around his arm, pulling it tight like a snake until the end of the chain reached lengthy to the shield. With a flick of his wrist, the chain broke, throwing the whole shield aside.
The chains wrapped themselves around Shirou's legs and held him down. The chains pulled him back, forcing him backward until he was trapped between the columns of the building.
The ground rumbled and shook violently as the chains constricted Shirou from within. He struggled to get free. Sweat trickled down his face as he was unable to move. He's trapped now. The chains are being empowered by a vampiric energy that sucks off his prana every time he moves.
This almost feels like the Chains of Enkidu.
The higher the quantity of the target, the more the restraint increases.
Suddenly, a series of explosions rocked the city, causing Shirou to glance skyward and gape in shock. A massive sphere of darkness descended into the ground and began to grow larger and larger.
The monarch raised both his hands once again, and the sphere grew to nearly twice its former size. All the clouds of dust in the air vanished as they were swallowed up in the orb of blackness. The sphere began to glow and expand.
"Infernivore."
The sphere exploded, releasing an immense amount of energy and power that completely enveloped the entire area. At the same time, the moon itself began shining brightly in the sky with blinding brightness. It was so bright that Shirou found it difficult to see anything, as everything glowed a brilliant bluish color. He couldn't tell if the moon itself or the orb was emitting such light.
Shirou closed his eyes against the sudden change and felt his skin heat up from the intensity of the light.
He felt the pressure growing, pressing down on him, pushing him down to the point where his limbs were almost numb and tiring. If he was just a human, he would be vaporized. If he were just a normal Magus, his throat would constrict and suffocate. His vision gradually blurred everything around him turned blurry as well. He heard noises like people screaming, but they were muted somehow. And it was hard to concentrate because everything just hurt.
He needs to put up a fight against this!
His mouth opened, "...I am..."
Gears began rotating.
The graveyard of swords waited for their master.
A Work or an Oath?
"I am the bone of my sword."
To defeat a stronger enemy, imagine, and be the tool that makes up his core.
The ethereal words echoed throughout the realms and a profound resonance reverberated across the beginning and end of the world. The ambient mana, normally tranquil, began to stir and dance in response to the chant.
In the distant corners of the globe, powerful beings attuned to the magical currents felt a sudden shift in the metaphysical energies.
Magi in their secluded buildings, ancient dragons in their lairs, gods in their domains, and even other spirits perked up, resonated with a force that seemed to transcend the boundaries of their own existence.
The magical essence within their very cores responded, echoing the connection that Shirou's chant invoked. It was as if an unseen current of power flowed through the collective consciousness of the entities, awakening a dormant awareness of a profound truth – the forging of blades, the determination to endure, and the limitless potential of creation.
For a brief moment, the barriers between domains seemed to thin, and the magical entities found themselves connected by an intangible thread of understanding, all inspired by the declaration of a young magus forging his destiny.
When the first line of the chant was uttered, a subtle tremor ripped through the air. Magical power bursts from him with a wind that cuts like blades.
The pressure instantly ceased as the giant black orb in the sky shattered. Out came a blinding sword of pure energy.
The monarch's eyes widened at the light from the sword, bringing his arms to defend his eyes yet the light burned away his skin. Charring his arms and slowly scorching away.
Shirou held a hollow blade with sharp edges and bathed in flames as hot as a meteor that dripped down the ground, melting it.
In retaliation, the vampire summoned his weapon and unleashed a barrage of black fireballs at the human. They burst against the flames from a distance, but none of them managed to reach Shirou. The flames were sliced mere centimeters from the human.
The sword in Shioru's hands self-pointed at the monarch.
The sovereign vampire is evaluated as evil.
In reaction, the sword burns brighter.
Beside Shirou, a pair of sharp blades manifested and sped through the sky, breaking the energy shield utilized by the vampire, and cutting through his skin.
The monarch roared in rage as he threw another set of attacks at the approaching human, not allowing him to flee. The projectiles shot past the boy's body, hitting some of the ground behind him.
Reinforcing again, Shirou bolted from the ground and flew, dodging and cleaving the miniature black meteors, guided by the sword in his hand. The air sizzled past his face nearing his enemy.
The distance is close. Shirou could sense the elevating fear from the vampire.
Burn more.
Shirou held the sword tightly now, the energy building up in making it ready to fire a single but potent shot. The flames hissed in ascending, searing the wind in a harsh steam.
A turquoise light of morality took form from the sword, its only purpose is to eradicate evil.
Empowered by Righteousness and adding Shirou Emiya to the sole number, the sword felt pleased since its creation at the side of the Himalayas.
The very wind howled, the earth shook, and the atmosphere burned.
With the power to restore the Dharma, Shirou declared,
"Asi!"
A primordial power combusted in a fiery burst from the first weapon, blazing energy surged forward, exploding outward.
Divine and magical waves radiated across in every direction, engulfing everything around and surrounding it. The flames were so large they spread through the entire battlefield. They burnt every terror to nothing. No matter where they went, no matter where they hid, the flames consumed them, saving the vampires from the wraths of Atalanta and her wolves.
If it wasn't a hollow and degraded version, the whole city would've been reduced to not even ashes.
It was as if the sky and land themselves changed at that instant, the world transforming into a sea of blaze that spread far beyond the horizon. The air was thick with energy, the winds whistling loudly, blowing away any signs of vegetation. The moon was swallowed up and the stars themselves disappeared.
An eruption filled the space before Shirou.
The ground shook violently.
And just like that, the monarch incinerated without retort, ending the main leader of the Zegrath Clan.
Somewhere, a few countries away from France, a conglomerate of the Trimurti, Devas, and Asuras are in a mess of hysteria from the conceded energy they felt across the continent.
The darkness around Shirou dissipated with the death of the sovereign, and the surroundings steadily returned to normal. The storm that had been brewing in the skies finally died down, leaving everything silent.
Shirou stood in midair, the light radiating brightly from his sword brightening down gradually.
He breathed in deeply and exhaled heavily, relaxing his tensed body. Once Asi disappeared in blue motes, he fell to the ground and stood there in exhaustion. The adrenaline rush from earlier faded, leaving him subtly exhausted. After taking stock of himself, he looked at his right hand to notice blood dripping from his fingers.
After wiping the blood away with his sleeve, he examined his body for injuries and found none other than numerous cuts and bruises. The future material made from his chest cloth had shielded him. He sighed and stretched out his muscles.
More wings fluttered in the distance. Asi's primordial flames had scorched all that are deemed black-hearted, but the distance is limited to the ones close to the user.
Only a few are alive near Atalanta's location.
He glanced up at the clouds in the opposite direction, the moon continued to rise.
The sky was still dark, but traces of small sunlight peeked out over the horizon. One could see the outline of mountains to the west.
With the dawning of the day, this place will start to heal. There is hope.
Skrrk!
Ching!
A Zegrath general vampire's head fell to the ground, followed by his body.
The night was dark and full of blood. The horde of vampires went from seeking to feast on the living to retreating with their tails between their legs.
Sasaki Koujirou, the master swordsman of Japan, and others did not intend to let a single one out of the battle. The Zegrath general, who had the strength of thirty men and the speed faster than a bullet fell before Sasaki after lunging at him, hoping to rip his throat out. Sasaki was faster. He ended his foe with an instant slash.
Sasaki did not waste time. He moved on to the next target, cutting down any vampire that crossed his path. He was like a whirlwind of steel, leaving a trail of corpses behind him.
Chevalier d'Eon was also busy slaying the undead. Her rapier-like sword was both with grace and skill, finishing them off with a stab.
Cracks boomed as the floor broke down from the strongest gladiator's crash to the ground from bursting the vampires that attempted to escape. Red blood rained down from the outcome and slid on the muscles that bulged under his skin. Spartacus swung his iron sword with reckless abandon.
The vampires are tyrants who preyed on the weak in his eyes. That is oppression and injustice. He fought with a fierce passion, shouting slogans of freedom and rebellion.
Stab and slash. With knives in each hand, Jack surges and kills with surgical precision vampires after vampires. She enjoyed killing and took pleasure in the pain and fear of her victims. She was glad to show them what a psychopath truly is.
The vampires felt it. They sensed the loss of their leader, and their morale crumbled. Losing their will to fight, they began to flee and ran away from the city, only to be prevented by the Servants.
The city was like a maze of streets and buildings for those who managed to escape, and the vampires were cornered. They had nowhere to go.
The Servants didn't have much trouble finding them though. With their empowered already superhuman bodies, It wasn't hard to detect the obvious dots of life among the darkness, moving quickly along with the fleeing horde.
One of the figures jumped onto the ground, drawing his weapons and leaping towards the fleeing enemy.
Lifting a foot, a faithful, golden-eyed woman kicked a member of the legion, sending him sliding across the ground. A group of vampires rushed towards her from behind.
Her pale face behind the veil turns to them leisurely. She pulled out a weapon and stabbed them through their hearts. Her black robe befitting for stealth quavered from the night wind. An assassin of the Hashshashin.
She did not feel any remorse for being so cruel. It did not stop her from fighting on, nor did she care. Killing them, they were just another obstacle to remove.
Sasaki stared straight ahead, watching in silence while the other members of the group continued to slaughter all who bypassed them. A tranquil smile spread across his lips, and his eyes gleamed as he stared unblinkingly into the crowd of vampires.
His left hand grasped hold of his sword, and he slashed with it, sending streams of mirages flying in all directions. The vampires tried to protect themselves with magic and physical weapons, but they lacked strength compared to him.
The explosion that tore apart the atmosphere earlier had brightened up the evening sky like morning it was a miracle no civilian had noticed it. When the ray of light subsided, there was nothing there but dust particles floating in the air.
A gust of wind passed over them, carrying the scent of smoke and burning flesh. The smoky aroma permeates the air as the smell of flesh lingers in the air.
Bodies scattered everywhere, blood splattered across the ground. Many corpses lay lifeless on the ground, their throats cut open or sliced apart, their limbs torn off or ripped into pieces.
Most were decapitated. Some were thrown away, some turned inside out, and most were burned. There were more than ten thousand dead bodies laid there. More than a hundred corpses piled together. They had killed countless, many more than undead they were.
The sun has risen, giving it a warm yellow hue. It shined down upon the pile of bodies that were once people. It shone onto the blood that stained the ground. The light shimmered over the faces of those who lost their lives. The smell of death surrounded the area, but it did not bother them.
They had come here willingly. This was what they wanted. Their purpose is to hunt demons and vampires; to slay anything that threatens their existence. To live free.
To live forever free.
Free... From the shackles that bound them, free from the chains that bind them to inferiority. For the last two years, they have endured and survived, doing whatever they can to kill or take. They have slaughtered supernatural people today until there wasn't enough left of them until all that remains of them now is a corpse, broken into pieces, lying amid their own gore.
It doesn't matter how many times they died; it was all futile.
There was never going to come a point when they'd give in. In this life, they won't ever break or concede their way out.
They had survived the night of the vampires.
Today, the Servants will cease their anonymity and expose themselves fully. They reveal that humanity should not be underestimated.