A/N Sorry for the late update. Exams + found a job so a bit of a delay. The next update should be longer.
King of Heroes - Chapter 8/City of Heroes
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The spring break has begun. A whole twelve days free from school. Shirou initially planned to use that time to patrol the city better and maybe bring the gangs down a peg but he was outvoted and grounded by Sakura, Rin, and Taiga. Tohsaka even argued that if he started to be more active during the spring break, it could reveal that he was a student.
He wasn't happy, but he couldn't deny the logic. Granted, it wasn't all bad. Sakura decided that they would cook together every day. She got a cookbook from Taiga and was determined to try every recipe. Rin mostly locked herself in the workshop to figure out the vial, so it was up to Shirou to drag her out and stop her from overworking.
As it was, that day Shirou got sent to the market to get some extra ingredients for his and Sakura's latest recipe. The people were walking around, getting their groceries. There was a feeling of tension in the air.
'Even in broad daylight, everyone's worried. The fighting was mostly contained to some brawls and forays into each other's territory but even civilians know that something is boiling.' Shirou thought as he tried to pick between two pomegranates. There was markedly less chatter everywhere around him. Finally, he paid for both fruits and stashed them into his 'bag'. In reality, as soon as they were out of sight, both items ended up in the [Gate of Babylon]. Safe and secure.
He was about done for the day and even began walking home when an explosion shook the ground. A truck burst from behind the corner and turned into the market. People dashed away to hide and make space for the road pirate.
Police sirens sounded in the distance.
Without a second thought, Shirou dropped his bag and dashed forward. In the chaos, he just had to hope that no one paid him much attention as a flash of light transformed his daily clothes into the Kingsblade armor.
The truck was barreling down the road right at the group of shoppers who had nowhere to run.
A single bright flash of light and a spear pierced right through the car's engine and pinned it to the concrete. It was deep enough that the car was all but sheared in half as it crashed into the weapon. In an instant, Shirou was by the car's side and ripping the doors off. Inside the cabin, there were two guys. At first, they aimed guns at him as soon as he came into view, but a raised eyebrow (and a glowing golden portal behind him) made them just throw the weapons down and raise their hands in a universal surrender motion.
Just then, the back of the truck exploded and a monster burst out. It had the body of a lion and a pair of wings, with a human head to complete the image. The woman let out an inhuman roar before turning to look at Shirou. She snarled and launched herself at him with animalistic fury. Her claws flashed in the sunlight as she slashed down on him. Her body was twice as tall as the boy and longer than the truck.
How did they even fit her inside? Shirou thought as two swords materialized in a golden flash. He deflected the claws and stabbed at the sphinx. Despite the wounds he inflicted, the beast just pushed on. As soon as he dodged another attack, he tried a slash of his own. Some stray strands of hair fell to the ground, but the monster was unharmed. The Sphinx was capable of at least some learning.
"Shit! No, fuck that!" One of the guys in the cabin undid his belt and jumped out. He rushed away, with the second joining him a second later.
"Screw this! You deal with this mess, you redhead bastard!" The other one called, ostensibly throwing the car keys at the hero.
The instant Shirou was distracted by the two men, the monster pounced again. This time, the cat-like beast tackled him down. Its weight caused him to stumble and fall to the ground. It slashed at his armor, causing the metal to screech under the onslaught but ultimately it served its purpose. He wasn't hurt… for now.
"Trace. On!" Magical energy filled every inch of his body. Something deep inside him began to push out more and more power as his skin lit with light-blue lines. With a herculean effort, he threw the lion woman off him. She snarled as he aimed his sword at her.
A golden ripple appeared behind him. Frantically, he searched his treasures to find something to help him subdue the monster.
The sphinx spread the wings behind her. With a single flap, she sent strong wind his way. Nonetheless, the hero stood unperturbed. With another pounce and more wing movement, the beast flew into the air.
Golden ripple flickered momentarily before a shining rope shot out and slammed into the monster. Instead of simply dropping, it then began wrapping around the Sphinx.
The beast didn't just remain static. When the rope reached for her, she slashed at it. When it didn't break, the monster frantically began to shake and struggle to get away. With each second, the strength visibly left her. First, her wings slowed until she was brought to the ground. Then her struggle turned into just light tugging until she sat down. Her eyes now had a distant look. She was unfocused.
Shirou watched as the rope turned into a sort of primitive bridle. He could have used her as a mount if he was so inclined. He approached the monster, measuring each step. The tail swung from side to side, making him jump back. The Sphinx remained stationary. She just kept waiting.
The hero walked closer again. The treasure somehow calmed the monster to the point she was docile.
"That shouldn't have worked…" He murmured. The treasure was a powerful taming tool, but it was limited to beasts, not humans. Shirou shivered as the knowledge of how Gilgamesh learned it didn't work on humans entered his mind while he stroked the rope. It held the Sphinx in place perfectly and the magical effect took hold.
In the corner of his eye, Shirou saw a flash of light. The sound of metal hitting metal resounded on the street as his sword came up with a swish as a giant shield slammed into him, pushing him at the monster.
It bounced back and was caught by a newcomer to the scene. A girl in a black and red bodysuit landed with a loud thud. The shield slammed into the ground, cracking the asphalt.
"You… protected the beast." The girl looked at him from under her black hair.
"Hey! Why are you attacking me?" While he directed the words to the newcomer, his entire focus was on the shield in her hands.
"You stand in the way. My lord demanded the beast to be slain."
"Your… lord?" He knew the name of that shield. He knew the name of that Noble Phantasm the girl was using.
"Indeed. You stand in my way." The girl picked her shield up. "Prepare to die."
Shirou had only seconds to bring his sword up and block as she dashed at him. The shield slammed into the sword. The Hero struggled under the force before being sent flying back again. This time away from the beast he was protecting.
"Why do you oppose my quest to slay the foul monster?"
"I kill when I have to. She has been defeated already. She poses no threat." He wanted to be better than Kiritsugu. To fulfill his father's dream.
"My Lord's orders are clear. The beast is to be slain." The girl ran at the beast, shield low to the ground as she prepared to deliver a powerful strike. Shirou could visualize exactly how she would attack.
She was already almost by the Sphinx (still unmoving and docile) when something grabbed the shield. Despite the girl's resistance, she was lifted up and thrown away.
The girl looked nothing like the young man that the treasure belonged to in life. Through [Gate of Babylon], Shirou knew who inherited the treasures that Gilgamesh handed out. But even if she looked nothing alike, he knew who stood against him.
The hero's eyes narrowed. "Galahad…" He whispered the name.
Her face twisted into a snarl. "Don't call me that!" With renewed strength, she charged Shirou. The beast was forgotten as she slammed into him. This time, the boy was ready. His sword came up and deflected the shield.
Not so the fist that followed. For someone rather thin, the girl packed some serious punch.
Shirou felt his feet leave the ground as the strike knocked him back. He felt tears gather in his eyes. As far as he could tell, his nose was broken. A small streak of blood flowed down his face.
"You're a Heretic God!" He realized.
In lieu of answering, the Girl simply tried to slam her shield into him. When he dodged, she leaped into the air and then brought the shield down with a spin.
Shirou jumped back in time to watch her slam into the road. The shield left an imprint in the asphalt and cracks spread out. A small cloud of dust lifted in the air.
"A Treasury of the World. The ultimate insignia of a King's might. Gathered through challenges insurmountable and stored behind Cedar Doors. By Royal Decree, come forth. [Gate of Babylon: Open]!" Dozens of golden ripples appeared all around Shirou. His treasures began firing at the knight, but they merely bounced from the shield.
The girl dashed side to side. With each move, she got closer to him.
More and more ripples formed in the air. Now the sheer number was enough to pin her in place but none were able to pierce the shield that carried within it the very concept of Round Table.
Shirou considered offering a surrender, but in the end, he merely redoubled his efforts. From what he learned (and his own experience thus far), the Heretic Gods were not willing to negotiate and Galahad was not doing much to change that impression.
An arrow through from somewhere behind the Heretic God, slamming into her back. While it failed to so much as scratch her, the distraction was exactly what Shirou needed.
More gates opened in the sky. Some began firing at an angle. Others aimed around Galahad. Another arrow bounced off of the Heretic's armor.
The girl growled. She spat some curses in Shirou's direction and then leaped back. She took cover in a nearby alley, from where Shirou heard her call out.
"I know you. You will not try to attack me here or you risk wounding those precious people you tried to save moments ago." She accused. "You crave to save them. Ironic."
Shirou grabbed his sword and rushed toward the alley, allowing the treasures to vanish and return to the Gate.
The Heretic God was gone.
A glimmer in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Far in the distance, on the rooftop of one of the apartment houses, he saw someone. They were dressed in mostly street clothes. A pair of jeans and a white hooded jacket. Under the hood, he saw a simple red bandana tied around their mouth. They had a bow that was aimed at him for a moment, but then the archer also ran away.
While he wanted to chase them, a whine from the lion reminded him what the fight was about in the first place. And it looked like the bindings might be losing their grip since the Sphinx was starting to shift impatiently. For a moment, his gaze fell on the destroyed truck.
"Right… I need to transport her somehow."
At first, he tried to search the gate for something that would allow him to transport the massive beast, but there was nothing immediately apparent. Sure, there were some treasures that could work but they all stood out too much. He needed something subtle.
In frustration, he just tossed his hands out. A senseless gesture of frustration over not being able to transport the Sphinx.
To his shock, the beast vanished inside a golden ripple and he became aware of it inside the Gate. He suddenly knew that the [Gate of Babylon] could store living beings. It wasn't comfortable and not a good long-term solution, but for transportation it was tolerable.
With that problem done, he pulled out his phone and selected the number.
"Hello? Yeah, it's me. Look, we've got a problem on our hands and I thought I should just tell you. A Heretic God is loose in Fuyuki…"
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"That is not a Heretic God." Lord El-Melloi declared. He arrived in Fuyuki in record time after the phone call.
"Sounded exactly like one to me…" Rin muttered. When she noticed everyone was staring at her, she added. "Well, sans the destruction of the city… for now."
"Given how it spoke about their Lord, it might be a Subordinate God to a different Heretic."
"While a decent theory, what you encountered was neither a Subordinate God, nor a Heretic God."
"Then what was it?!" Rin demanded. "She managed to hurt Shi… Emiya-kun."
"The closest term you would be familiar with would be a Divine Ancestor." The teacher then shook his head. "Though the circumstances here are different. Divine Ancestors appear naturally whereas what you've encountered was created by someone."
"Why do you say that?" Luvia leaned forward in her armchair.
"It's… because I felt it…" Gray mumbled over her cranberry scone. Sakura pushed the entire plate to her with a gentle smile.
"Gray's magecraft is uniquely attuned to dealing with the undead and the spirits. As a side effect, she is sensitive to various matters dealing with Heretic Gods." Lord El-Melloi came to explain as his student distracted herself with all the different scones. Currently, she was eating the one with peach filling. Sakura went to grab the second batch.
"So… someone figured out a method for making fake Divine Ancestors?" Shirou looked at the professor, who nodded.
"I don't believe they discovered the method as much as stumbled upon it doing some related research."
"Why is that?" Taiga's head popped from behind the couch, right next to Waver.
"Gaah!" The magus jumped in his seat. "When did you get there!?"
"I heard about the fight downtown and came to check on Shirou." She pouted. "Why wasn't I invited to the big debate?"
"There, there." Sakura patted Taiga's head. "I'm sure you have a lot to say about the intricacies of the higher beings interacting with our world through corrupted avatars possessing teenage girls."
"Mou. No need to twist that knife." She then looked at lord El-Melloi. "Wait, haven't I seen you before?" Waver's eyes widened as she said that. "Yeah! You were that scrawny kid who helped me look for the missing wine. I didn't expect you to be a magus of all things. Shirou! Did I use the right word?"
"Surprisingly, yes." Lord El-Melloi nodded. "Though I believe we have more pressing matters."
"The Heretic God." Shirou nodded. "Galahad."
Lord El-Melloi and Gray both stiffened. "What?" The elder finally asked.
"While fighting, I recognized the shield she was using. My authority grants me instant knowledge of any of my treasures once I see them."
"I don't get it. Why would a knight of the Round Table manifest in Japan of all places? Wouldn't someone like Yamato Takeru or Yamata-No-Orochi make more sense?"
"Not if the mysterious 'Lord' based his research on a specific ritual."
"Instead of the how, shouldn't we focus on the why?" Luvia smirked. "After all, that's what you taught us."
"Indeed." When everyone focused back on Lord El-Melloi, the blonde winked at Gray who was trying to hide in her cloak. "The Heretic Gods, just like Campione, carry within them the mysteries from the Age of Gods. Something that many Magi chase relentlessly."
"Most of the experiments directly on the Heretic Gods have been banned though." Luvia pointed out.
"Have you tried then?" Rin hid her remark with a fake cough, but the blonde still glared at her.
"So are the ones on Dead Apostles." Lord El-Melloi shook his head. "Recently a member of the Zoology department was arrested for trying to draw power from Zeus. He hoped to use the power to reach the Root."
"But… isn't she usually keeping a close eye on things like that?" Rin's eyes jumped from Luvia to Lord El-Melloi.
"Yes, but she can't be everywhere. The last she was seen in South America, dealing with Anansi trying to mess with an archeologist in the middle of nowhere."
"Aren't Heretic Gods supposed to appear in the regions they are strongly tied with?" Luvia asked
"Yes." The teacher nodded. "Though there have been cases of Heretics traveling long distances to get something or someone they wanted."
"We've gotten off topic here." Shirou interrupted before a new lecture could get started. "What can we do about the girl then?"
"Despite not being a Heretic God, her power is close to it. Probably less destructive than one, but you shouldn't underestimate her." Waver warned.
"I will keep that in mind."
"She hates you," Gray spoke up. If anyone was to describe her voice in that moment, it was ethereal. "Something inside her burns against you."
"Well, duh." Rin was the first to break the silence. "She is a Heretic God. They all hate Campione."
"No…" Sakura stared at Gray. "It's something personal, right?"
"Yes." The young girl bowed her head, allowing her hood to hide her face from the stares.
"Eh? Why would she hate Shirou?" Taiga scratched her head.
"I… uh… don't know," Gray admitted.
"Neither do I…" Shirou said, standing up. "But I can't let her run around unchecked. I won't let another Gilgamesh bring so much destruction to Fuyuki again."
"That reminds me!" Taiga beamed, breaking the somber atmosphere with a metaphorical sledgehammer. "Gramps said to tell you to visit him soon. There have been some developments with those other groups."
"I'll be sure to visit him tomorrow."
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