9/13/23 Edit: Fixed grammar mistakes and restructured sentences to make them more cohesive.
~X~
Ritsuka Tohsaka
"You can't fight Archer," declared the voice of Caster.
"I can and I will," Yuki-san heatedly answered back.
"No, you can't. You're in no condition to be fighting anyone," Caster shot back.
A few meters away were me, Kana, and Mash. All of us are still on our way to where the Grail is.
"Are they still going at each other?" I tiredly asked.
"Yeah… seriously, this is getting annoying," Kana was also tired of this.
Halfway to the Grail, Yuki-san suddenly declared that she was going to fight Archer, even though all of us had already agreed that Caster would fight him.
Flashback:
"I'm fighting Archer," Yuki declared.
"Woah, hold on missy. I thought we agreed that I would fight him," Caster spoke up. "I still need to settle my business with him."
"That was then, this is now," Yuki is scowling at Caster. "Besides, my business with Archer is more important than your feud."
"What business is that?" Caster asked with an annoyed look on his face.
"That's between myself and Archer."
The argument went on for several minutes as the other, and I were a little distance away from them in the back. Saber was leading from a ways ahead, and Mash was with her.
"Uh? What's going on?" Kana asked.
"Emiya suddenly declared her desire to fight Archer," The Director answered, crossing her arms.
"Why?" Kana can't help but be curious.
"I don't know, but it seems rather stupid," The Director scoffed at Yuki-san's perceived recklessness.
"Maybe she has a plan?" I offered. "It was her idea that allowed us to beat Berserker."
"She may have been a big part in defeating Berserker, but that doesn't mean she can be reckless and go off to fight every Servant we encounter," the Director is annoyed. "Especially since Caster is more than capable of fighting Archer."
"But we don't know who Archer is. So, how can you be sure Caster can beat him?" Kana pointed out.
"Caster has assured us he can. Besides, we need all the help we can get when fighting the Saber of this Singularity. That means we need Emiya's planning skills," the Director stated.
"You didn't mention her fighting skills. Those can help as well," I mentioned.
"Does she look like she's in any condition to fight?" The Director was looking at me as if I was stupid.
"She looks fine, all things considered," I said.
"That's because she's doing a great job at hiding it, but the truth is, Emiya is barely holding herself together. Her constant injuries since arriving here are working against her. She's using a lot of her energy just walking to the Grail,"
"How do you know all of that?" I was dumbfounded that she did.
"It was when I used Structural Analysis on her while we were fighting Berserker," That's right. I remember that. It was when Yuki failed whatever spell she was using and depleted all of her mana.
"So, you saw all of her old injuries she got while in this place?" Kana asked.
"Yes," the Director confirmed. "She was injured badly by Assassin and used a lot of energy. On top of the injuries when fighting Berserker, her body has taken a lot of punishment in a short time, and she is incredibly exhausted."
"And she still wants to fight Archer!?" I asked incredulously.
The Director scoffed. "Like I said, she's acting stupid."
Flashback End.
It's been one hour since this argument started, and we're about five minutes from the Grail Chamber. This needs to end now.
"Alright, enough, you two. This has gone on long enough," Kana physically got in between the two. "We're almost at the Grail Chamber. Hurry up and decide who's fighting Archer."
"I am!" they both declared at the same time, then went to glaring at each other.
"Great! So, they both are fighting him together," Kana cheered in faux happiness.
"What!?" they both stared at her.
"It's simple. Neither of you can decide who will fight him. Instead, the both of you will. Call it a compromise," Kana said in a tone that put an end to the argument. Caster was about to say something…
"Enough, Caster. Deal with it because we are already here," Saber beat him to it.
Sure enough, she's right. We're already here at the entrance.
"Tch," Caster was annoyed but accepted the circumstances.
However, I can see Yuki's mouth slightly twitching upwards into a smirk. She looks as if everything went according to one of her plans. Was she expecting to fight Archer with Caster in the end? Is that what she wanted? I didn't get to think about that, as everyone else wanted to move forward.
"This is where the Grail is?" Mash peered into the dark cave. "It looks like a natural cave, but has it always been in the town of Fuyuki?"
"It's half-natural, half-artificial. A mage spent many years expanding his underground workshop," the Director commented.
I saw Kana grab Yuki-san by the hand and pull her closer to us, away from the others. "Hey, Yuki?"
"Hm?" Yuki answered with a hum.
"Why do you want to fight Archer so badly?" Kana questioned. I was curious as well.
Yuki-san was quiet for a minute, debating what to say before she answered. "You'll know why when you see it," we both gave her a questioning look. "Haah, trust me. When you get a good look at his face, you'll understand. Just… when he does show up, Caster and I are fighting him. You two will go into the cave and deal with Saber Alter."
"Saber Alter?" we both asked at the same time. What kind of name was that?
"Hah, you'll see why that name fits when you meet her," Yuki smirked. I think she's trying to lighten the situation a bit.
It didn't last long as we heard Fou growling. Turning around, we saw Archer up on a cliff.
"Well, speak of the devil, and he arrives," Caster said. I heard Yuki give a snort of amusement at that, though I don't know why. Not that I care about that right now. Kana and I were too busy gaping at Archer.
"The Archer Servant?" the Director stated the obvious.
Archer is a man about 187cm tall. He has white hair, grey eyes, and tanned skin. He's wearing this sleeveless black body armor with silver accents, black trousers, black metal-plated shoes, and a red open skirt.., thing. Lastly, there were red veins on his left arm and the left side of his face.
…So, this is what Yuki-san meant by "we'll know it when we see it." He may be taller, and his hair, eyes, and skin may be a different color, but that face…
Kana and I would never mistake that face because the face that was staring at us with apathy and indifference was our dad's face. Part of me didn't want to believe it. That our dad could look so cold, but what Yuki-san said next forced me to believe this.
"Shirou Emiya…" she muttered while fixing a glare at the now-named Archer.
I swallowed hard when I heard that, and I heard Kana let out a shaky breath. What happened to him? Why does he look and act like that? Why doesn't he recognize us? Maybe… he's Dad. but from an alternate timeline. A timeline where he didn't have any kids. With everything that's happened to us so far, that idea isn't so farfetched. Do we have to fight him?
…No, Yuki-san and Caster are going to fight him. Wait… did Yuki-san already know that Archer is Shirou Emiya? She did imply that it would be best if Kana and I didn't fight him. Does she know that he's my and Kana's dad? But that still doesn't explain why Yuki-san wants to fight him so much.
"-aka!"
Huh? What was that?
"Tohsaka! Snap out of it! This is no time to zone out," the Director yelled at me.
I blinked a couple of times. I guess I'll have to ask my questions about Yuki-san's increasing mysteries when we finally get the time to have a sit-down. I looked back towards Archer, who had just shot an arrow at us. Damn it, Dad… no, Archer means business. The arrow quickly zoomed towards us, but before it could reach…
"Eihwaz…" I heard Yuki say, and the arrow burned up in fire. That was Rune Magic. When did she learn that, or has she always known that?
"Huh, you learn quick, missy," Caster commented. "Well then, I guess it's my turn!"
Caster waved a hand, and several runes appeared in the air. Each one quickly shot some fireballs toward Archer, who jumped out of the way.
"Get moving. Saber Alter is right in there," Yuki-san said to us. I'd rather she come with us, but there is no way that's happening.
"Yuki-" Saber started to say, but she was interrupted.
"Saber, they're going to need your help. I will be fine. I have Caster to watch my back. Now, go," Yuki ordered.
Saber frowned but nodded, accepting the order.
"Let's go," the Director declared, and she, Saber, Mash, Kana, and I all took off into the cave.
You better not die, Yuki-san.
~X~
We ran for a few minutes before we entered this extremely large cavern. In front of us was this huge slope that led to somewhere. Behind it was something giving off an eerie purple light.
"What is this?" I asked, stunned by the dark feeling I was getting from the light.
"An exclusive Magecraft reactor core?" The Director was also stunned. "Is this the Holy Grail?"
"Hoh?" A voice echoed from all around. "Those are quite the interesting Servants you have there."
We all looked at where the voice was coming from, and I couldn't believe my eyes. The Director froze, Kana and I gasped, Mash tensed up, and Saber glared at the figure with a frown.
At the top of the slope was someone who looked exactly like Saber, though slightly different. Those differences are that Saber Alter has pale skin, pale hair, and yellow eyes, and her armor is jet black. She looks like an evil version of our Saber.
"That's Saber Alter?" I couldn't help but question out loud. I can see why the name Yuki-san gave her fits.
"Hey, Saber," the Director got the attention of our Saber. "Can you defeat her?"
"…I will fight to the best of my ability," Saber released Invisible Air and readied Excalibur.
"That's great, but that doesn't answer my question."
Saber remained silent and focused all of her attention on her counterpart. Mash readied her shield.
Saber Alter narrowed her eyes at Mash and then glared at Saber in disgust. "Prepare yourself, my counterpart. With this sword, I shall eradicate you!" she declared as she pointed her blade toward us.
~X~
Yuki Emiya
Falling from the sky was quite the rush. Our fight very quickly relocated from the entrance of the Grail Cavern to Ryuudou Temple.
My health looked pretty good, but my stamina was not holding up well. I've barely done anything, and it's already low. Ugh, curse this damn Debuff I have. If Caster wasn't here, I would've had a very bad time.
"See? Aren't you glad that I managed to talk you out of facing Archer alone and fighting with my counterpart?" gloated Setanta, a younger version of Cu Chulainn before he trained with Scathach.
"Please, you just wanted to see him in action again," Inugami called him out.
"Of course!" Setanta shamelessly admitted.
"Will you two please be quiet? Yuki is in a life-or-death battle, and she needs to concentrate," Kaguya, the Princess of the Moon, tried to help me out, but her reprimand fell on deaf ears.
"She wouldn't have to be in this kind of dangerous battle if she had just listened to my advice," grumbled Suzaku, the Vermillion Bird of the South. Who knew he was a complainer?
"Bah! There was a battle right in front of her. I'm glad the brat didn't run from it like a coward," complimented Ares, the Greek God of War.
"Avoiding a fight is not cowardice but being smart, about picking and choosing the right battles to fight," countered Izanagi, the Shinto creator deity.
"WILL YOU ALL SHUT UP!? I can't fight straight if you keep arguing in my head!"I finally had enough.
"I'll cut the auditory connection," Merlin said, and I was grateful for that.
There was now sweet, blessed silence.
…That was until Archer ruined it when he appeared from above and launched an arrow down at me and Caster. Caster slammed his staff into the ground, and tree roots grew all around us, protecting us from the resulting explosion. When the dust cleared, Archer was crouched on top of the temple roof, aiming a certain spiral sword at us.
"Tch, Caladbolg," I identified the sword. I would have been worried about having that shot at me, but I knew Caster had a plan. He was prepared for it.
"Below you!" I heard Yaksini shout.
I wasted no time thinking and jumped back a couple of meters. A drill-tipped arrow came up from underground, where I was standing. That definitely would have hit me if not for Yaksini's warning.
"I thought you cut the connection?" I questioned Merlin.
"Just from the loud ones. Others are still open in case we need to communicate with you," Merlin responded.
Caster wasn't so lucky. He didn't get the same warning I did. The arrow came up in front of him and hit him square on the chest, blasting him back tens of meters. At the same time, Archer released Caladbolg, and… it was heading straight for me!?
"Yuki! Use that first rune spell from that book!"I heard Loki, the Norse God of Tricksters, shout.
Tch, I got no choice. I slammed my hand onto the ground and shouted the spell.
"Ath nGabla!"
Several giant runic circles appeared, illuminated the ground, and surrounded me and Archer. The arrow he shot burned away. Archer tried to escape through the air by jumping over them, but there were runes in the air to act as a ceiling. He crashed into it and was launched straight into the ground, creating a small crater.
"You created runes in the air, too?" Archer's bow disappeared as his body was straining to get up.
"Damn it, this is not good for you, missy… I didn't think you already knew that rune spell," Caster whispered to himself, but it was loud enough for me to hear him. "You better win, brat."
In hindsight, that was not my best idea, but it was the only option I had if I wanted to not get hit with Caladbolg.
Ath nGabla is a rune spell that creates a small arena and a curse that forces a one-on-one death match. My target was forced to accept the match, and neither of us was allowed to leave the arena until one of us was dead. Also, the runes block any form of outside interference.
I guess I got what I wanted in the end. I get to fight Archer by myself. I used my Mystic Eyes to see his stats.
.
Name: EMIYA
Class: Dark Archer
Alignment: True Neutral
Level: 50
HP: 12764/15000
MP: 7455/10000
STR: D (200)
END: C (300)
AGL: C (300)
Mana: B (400)
LUK: E (100)
NP: ?
.
Name: Yuki Emiya
Class: Faker
Alignment: Neutral Good
Level: 23
HP: 2765/2800 [Regen: 5.6/min]
MP: 6425/6984 [Regen: 13.96/min]
Stamina: 52% [Regen: 2%/min]
STR: 75
END: 62 (-10%): 56
DEX: 106 (+15%): 122
INT: 82 (+25%): 102
WIS: 60 (+10%): 66
LUK: 80 (+10%): 88
Stat Points: 40
.
Jeez, I have quite a disadvantage. I think I should use my skill points, but for which skill? I think I'll bring one of my stats to 100.
Hmm, let's bring STR to 100 and put the rest into END
[STR: 75 - 100]
[END: 62 - 77]
[Due to your base STR reaching 100, you have gained a new Perk.]
Perk Acquired.
[Peak Strength]
- Increase physical damage dealt by 20%.
.
Well, I guess that will help in this fight to hit harder. In the meantime, Archer got to his feet.
"You're going to fight me in close quarters?" he scoffed as he Traced Kanshou and Bakuya. "As if a normal human can beat a Servant."
"I didn't take you for a person that falls into overconfidence, EMIYA," Archer narrowed his eyes when I called him that. They then started twitching when I Traced Elucidator and Dark Repulser.
I smirked when I saw I unnerved him a bit, but I had no time to waste. I need to defeat him as quickly and efficiently as I can, as my body won't be able to last a prolonged fight. I reinforced my body and swords and charged at him. Archer responded by bringing up his swords as I swung mine, and the blades clashed.
~X~
Ritsuka Tohsaka (General POV)
Things are not going in the favor of the Chaldeans. Off in the distance Saber and Mash are trying but failing to defeat Saber Alter. It's not like the two were bad. Saber and Mash were fighting in perfect synchronization with each other. Mash focused on defending, while Saber focused on attacking. You would think with the 2v1 and their perfect teamwork, they would be winning, but Saber Alter is being empowered by the Grail. This increase in power allows her to easily deal with Saber and Mash.
Saber Alter smashed her sword against Mash's shield, sending her flying through the air, losing her grip on her shield, and crashing onto the ground. Her shield landed next to her. She would have pursued, but Saber cut her off and slashed Excalibur downward at her. Saber Alter attacked, and the blades met in the middle. The two Saber-Class Servants are now locking blades while openly glaring at each other.
Those glares said a lot about what they think of each other. While they may be the same person at their base, sharing the same ideals, how they went about reaching those ideals was how they differed.
Saber is the protector. She tried to protect her kingdom and, in this fight, was trying to protect those around her. But mainly, she wants to protect her Master. It's why she was summoned.
Alter is someone who thinks she couldn't protect her kingdom and she couldn't protect her Master in this Grail War from being killed. She's now been inversed, turned into believing that a tyrannical rule is necessary for the sake of her ideals.
They could argue with each other, but at this point, words are meaningless. They shall simply let their swords do the talking.
Saber Alter used her enhanced strength to break the stalemate by powering through Saber's guard. Saber was knocked off balance, and Alter took the opportunity by swinging an upward slash. Saber had managed to block in time, but the blow had enough strength to launch Saber backward, landing on her feet just behind Mash, who had managed to slowly get up and was breathing heavily while using her shield to help her stand.
~X~
Yuki Emiya
The sound of metal clashing against each other rang on the temple grounds. I was trying as best I could to deal some blow on Archer. But his style is based on counterattacking, and his speed is about three times more than mine. That means I haven't gotten a solid hit. Sure, I've had some glancing and grazing hits, but nothing clean.
At the same time, Archer was trying to kill me, but he too, was having a hard time. My very little knowledge of Rune Magic was working for me, but not by much. The only spells I know with runes are Ath nGabla and some heavy use of Ansuz and Sowilo for fire. I was also able to catch him off guard a few times using Hellish Rebuke against him. Apparently, pointing at him with my sword counts toward activating the spell. But I couldn't capitalize on his surprise because of my lack of speed and his experience, and now he's ready for it.
[Name: EMIYA]
[HP: 9391/15000]
[MP: 7041/10000]
.
[Name: Yuki Emiya]
[HP: 1952/3500]
[MP: 2775/6984]
[Stamina: 27%]
.
His health may be down to 60%, but it was at 80% when we started our fight, but my stamina dropped from 52% to 27% just to get rid of that. Even I had to pull off completely new things I'd never done before. Things I have no experience in. At the rate we're going, I'm going to exhaust myself before I can defeat him.
Archer moved forward, twirling Kanshou in his hand before coming for a stab from above. I deflected it with Dark Repulser, took a step, and thrust Elucidator forward for my own stab aimed at his left. He spun to his right and, using the momentum, slashed with both Kanshou and Bakuya together. I twirled to the left, right under it, those dancing skills really helping with my footwork, and swung a horizontal slash aimed at his neck. He ducked that and then stepped into my guard, my swords' longer reach now being a detriment.
He crouched down and was going for a sweep, but before it could land, an overcharged Sowilo rune glowed beneath his feet before exploding, blasting him back and crashing across the ground. Archer rolled along with it until he slowed and rolled onto his feet. He was breathing a bit rougher, and his body and armor showed some scrapes and burns. He was also bleeding from a cut on the side of his forehead.
Honestly, I'm surprised I'm doing as well as I am against him. All of his stats are higher than mine. All except LUK are at least twice as much more than mine. I'm surprised he hasn't killed me quickly. He's holding back, but I don't know why.
Taking a look at him, I can see he has a small scowl on his face, and he keeps taking glances at Caster, who is watching from outside the runic arena. What is he upset about?
"Hn, I need to end this now…" he muttered. Why did he need to kill me fast?
"Trace On."
I can hear Caster swearing in Old Irish because of the weapon that appeared. In Archer's hands is a blood-red spear that is releasing bloodlust. A spear that was owned by Caster and was given to him by his teacher. A spear that helped defend Ireland.
"Tch, you have got to be kidding me…" I muttered in annoyance.
Archer got into a wide stance with the spear pointed downward. The bloodlust of the spear started increasing even more. We stood still for a good minute, Archer charging his attack, while I tried to figure out a way out of this. Archer jumped forward, the spear exuding a tremendous amount of bloodlust.
"Gae…"
…I can't think of anything!
"Bolg!"
The spear was thrust, and this red energy line zigzagged through the air until eventually…
"GHH!"
A pained sound escaped my mouth as I coughed up blood. I felt an incredible stabbing pain when my heart was pierced as I was being suspended in the air by the spear. The one on the other end holding it is, of course, Archer, with an indifferent look.
Blood seeped through the wound and onto my already bloodstained clothes. My swords fizzled out of existence as I felt the spear being swiftly removed, and I fell face forward toward the ground, my vision starting to blackout. I was barely able to read a screen that popped up before I passed out.
[HP: 0/3500]
~X~
Ritsuka Tohsaka
Alter sent out an energy slash that flew toward the two. Mash tried to block it but faltered because of all the damage she had taken. Her shield was knocked to the side, and the energy was about to hit her, but Saber came in swinging her sword down and cutting right through it.
Seeing the disadvantage the two Servants seemed to be in, Ritsuka and Kana couldn't help but have a pained look on their faces with their fists clenched. They wanted to jump in and help, but they knew with how weak they were they would only get in the way. All they can do is watch the battle and believe that the two Servants can win.
An aura of dark energy slowly took shape around Saber Alter and slowly grew in power. Alter then raised her sword, and a dark light engulfed it.
"Mash, get ready," Saber ordered. "She is going to use her Noble Phantasm. I will start charging my own, but I will not be able to charge it in time to counter hers. I need you to hold firm against this until I am ready."
"Yes, Saber," Mash responded in a tired voice.
Saber Alter was done charging her Noble Phantasm.
"Interesting eyes, little Shielder," Alter commented. "I shall respond to those eyes and your heart." Alter began to swing her sword down.
"Excalibur Morgan!"
A wave of dark energy raced across the ground toward Saber and Mash. Mash was able to plant her shield and hold on against the attack, but she was getting tired. The dark energy was hitting with full force against the shield, the energy was being deflected and flying around it. And behind Mash was Saber, holding Excalibur that was glowing brighter and brighter in this warm light.
"Mash!" the Director shouted in worry.
Kana and Ritsuka glanced at one another, and they had a silent conversation.
"She's tired; she won't be able to last!" Kana's eyes screamed at her brother.
"I know! I'm going to help her!" Ritsuka's eyes said in return. Her eyes widened when he took off running towards them.
"Hey! Tohsaka!" the Director called out at the sight of his reckless actions.
"Wha-!? Tch, make sure you don't get yourself killed, stupid!" Kana yelled.
He needed to make it to Mash in time.
~X~
~ ? – ? ~
Yuki Emiya
It felt like I was dreaming again, like that time I met Heracles. This time, I was in a place I had never seen before. I was on a hill on this grassy island about a kilometer in diameter. At the top of this hill was a Sakura tree in full bloom, like it was the middle of spring. It looks like it and smells like it too. The sky is a bright blue, and the sun is off to the left side, making me think it is around the afternoon. Also, despite being daytime, I can see a full moon in the sky. Around the base of the grassy hill is a huge amount of different flowers, making a small field.
Except for this dirt path that leads from the top of the hill I am on to this huge tower floating in the sky out in the distance. If I didn't know any better, I would say that it was Merlin's tower in Avalon.
"That's because it is," came a female voice off to my side. I wasn't expecting it so I jumped a bit and turned to see who it was.
"…Merlin?" Sure enough, it is Merlin, my Persona, looking as she always does.
"That's right," Merlin took off her hood and gave me a soft smile.
I blinked a couple of times at her appearance. "Am I dead? Is this the afterlife?"
Merlin shook her head. "No, not yet. We are in your soul."
I took a second look around the place. A grassy island, always in the season of Spring surrounded by an ocean? I was expecting… Actually, I'm not sure what I was expecting.
"The water surrounding the island is the Sea of Souls," Merlin explained. Ah, that makes sense. This is my soul and is connected to the Sea, after all.
"What am I doing here, Merlin?" I decided to find out.
"Right now, in the outside world, you are on the brink of death," I flinched a little. "I called you here to hopefully bring you away from that."
"How?" I asked.
"Turn around and look at the base of the Sakura tree," I did so, and made a small gasp at what I saw.
At the base of the tree is a small stone platform. And on that platform, stabbed right into it, is a sword that I have only seen in different types of media in my previous life. A sword that I never thought I would see with my own eyes, at least not here.
….
Caliburn.
I took a few steps closer to get a better look. For some reason, I'm getting déjà vu, like seeing the way this is all set up is like when Link finds the Master Sword in the Zelda games. Looking even closer, I saw an inscription on it.
Whosoe'er pulleth out this sword of this stone is rightwise King of all England
I stared for a few minutes until my brain finally rebooted. "You want me to pull out Caliburn? How did it even get in my soul?" I asked incredulously.
"I would like for you to try. But it is ultimately up to you," Merlin replied. I stared at her a few seconds longer before she spoke again. "A warning, though. The moment you pull out that sword, you will never be able to lead a normal life."
Never be able to have a normal life…
…
"Merlin, what life have you been watching?
You were there when my soul was floating in the Dimensional Gap, and I made a deal with a being that gave me a second life.
You were there, in Kamoshida's Castle, when I made my vow to my Shadow to carve my own fate.
You were here when I was dragged to this alternate world and have been walking so close to death the entire time I've been here. Even now, I'm at death's door.
What made you think… that I ever had the option to live a normal life before this moment?"
Merlin simply smiled in return.
"The moment I accepted that deal was the moment I gave up any normal life."
I walked up to Caliburn and gripped the hilt with both hands. The wind picked up all around, the grass and flowers were waving around, and Sakura petals were blowing off the tree and circling me.
I pulled on the sword, and for a split second, I was worried as it didn't budge, but then it felt like Caliburn sent some energy into me, and something clicked into place. The sword jerked a bit as I felt it release from the stone it was embedded in.
I slowly pulled the sword that was glowing a soft white light and raised it high. That glow intensified until the surrounding area was bathed in the light. It was as if Caliburn was letting everyone know (or at least those in my soul) that its chosen king had arrived. Eventually, the light died down to its soft glow, and I lowered the sword and held it in my right hand.
I turned around and made my way off the platform. I had just stepped off and was making my way to Merlin when I heard a cracking sound behind me. I turned around and saw that the stone platform was breaking apart, and a bright light shined through the cracks. Eventually, the whole thing burst, and blinding light engulfed the area once again, which then died down, allowing me to see.
"You have got to be kidding me," I said in disbelief at what was in front of me.
Floating in front of me, giving off a soft light very similar to Caliburn, is a sheath made of gold and decorated with a blue enamel. There's an inscription in a language I don't understand but can easily deduce given that I know what this sheathe is.
This is Avalon, the sheathe of Excalibur.
"As I thought," I heard Merlin speak from behind me. "I had felt it dormant inside you. I had called Caliburn into your soul in the belief that you would be able to draw it and that when it bonded with your soul, it would awaken Avalon from its sleep."
"And you were right," I was still staring at Avalon.
"Be aware that Avalon is not at full power. I believe for that to happen, you will need to reunite the sheath with Excalibur," Merlin explained. "Also, Artoria's Excalibur will not work. I am talking about the Excalibur of your world."
"Excalibur is destroyed in my world," DxD is a part of my world, so I'm stuck with the broken Excalibur.
"Ah, yes, I have heard of the so-called 'Excalibur' fragments," Merlin had a hint of disdain in her voice when she mentioned the shards. "I will say this. Excalibur is a sword forged in the Breath of the Planet, and it holds the hopes and dreams of humanity. There is no possible way it can be broken like a common sword.
"Are you saying the shards are fake?" I asked.
"Of course they are. Those pieces of trash do not deserve to have the name, Excalibur," Merlin now showed more open hostility to the 'Excalibur' swords.
Frankly, I hate those swords as well. How Excalibur was portrayed was one of my biggest annoyances in the DxD world, that a sword like Excalibur could be broken so easily. Not to mention that, for some reason, the church can lay claim to the shards just because they're classified as holy swords. Excalibur was forged by the Fae. So, I'm surprised they didn't argue for it when the church stole it.
Although, if it was a fake, it made sense why they didn't really fight for it.
"We are getting off track. You still have business to take care of," Merlin reminded me. "Take hold of Avalon. Use its power and Caliburn's to attain victory and escape this nightmare."
"Right," I made my way to Avalon and took it with both hands. The sheath shined bright, and I exited my soul.
~X~
General POV
"It seems you were correct, Lady Merlin," a voice said from behind the Mage of Flowers.
Behind her is a tall man with wavy blonde hair and aqua-colored eyes. He is wearing silver armor with black and dark blue overalls, and a dark blue cape with gold trim and fur outlining the collar.
"It seems that I was, Sir Gawain," Merlin was still staring where Yuki grabbed Avalon, then made her way to the Sakura tree and leaned against it. "Will the Knights follow her?
"When the Princess calls, we will stand by her side," the Knight of the Sun stated with conviction.
"I am glad. She will need all the help she can get."
Gawain nodded as he disappeared into a ball of light and returned to the Sea of Souls. Merlin stayed on the island, looking out into the Sea, thinking about the past.
~X~
Yuki Emiya
When the light was down, I was standing back at Ryuudou Temple. I feel… great right now. Like I had the best rest I ever had in my life. I took a look at my body, and all my wounds were completely healed. There weren't even any scars. Caliburn was resting in my hand.
I can feel something strange with my body. For some reason, I feel much stronger. It was then that some screens popped up and showed me why.
.
[Caliburn: Golden Sword of the Victorious]
Rank: B (Conditionally A+)
The Sword of Selection that is the symbol of the King. It was originally drawn by Arthur Pendragon and was passed down through Vortigern's line.
They were never able to unlock its full power as they were not chosen. This sword has chosen Yuki as its next wielder.
- ATK: 350
.
[Avalon: The Everdistant Utopia]
Rank: EX
The scabbard of Excalibur. The embodiment of the ideal utopia King Arthur seeks. Made by a Divine Mystery known only to fairies. It gave King Arthur limited immortality through constant regeneration, as well as preventing physical deterioration caused by aging.
Avalon is currently not at full power. You will need to reconnect Avalon with Excalibur to unlock its full strength.
- If equipped, increase HP regeneration by 100%.
- Active Effect: Completely restore HP, MP, and Stamina. Remove all debuff and status effects. Quadruples all stats for 15 minutes. Once used, this effect has a 30-day cooldown.
.
[Caliburn has been added to ?.]
.
HP: 16800/16800 [Regen: 50.4/min]
MP: 29376/29376 [Regen: 88.1/min]
Stamina: 100% [Regen: 2%/min]
STR: 100 (+20%) (x4): 480
END: 77 (+10%) (x4): 336
DEX: 106 (+35%) (x4): 572
INT: 82 (+25%) (x4): 408
WIS: 60 (+10%) (x4): 264
LUK: 80 (+10%) (x4): 352
.
So, my stats were quadrupled with Avalon. Taking a look at them… Damn, I'm pretty much stronger than Archer. I can definitely beat him on my own now.
"What the hell? How the hell are you alive?" Caster was in complete disbelief.
"How do you have that sword?" Archer demanded with a twitch in his eyes, knowing that the Caliburn in front of him was the real deal and not a copy.
"None of your business," I snapped back at him.
Tracing a Nihil Sword into my other hand, I charged toward Archer as he got back into his stance. With my increased stats, Archer had a harder time fighting me.
He had to keep up with me instead of the other way around. Although, he's doing pretty good because his sword style was invented so he could fight opponents who are stronger than him.
I just got an idea. A sword combination that I witnessed when I saw the history of Elucidator and Dark Repulser. Reinforcing my body, I deflected Archer's attack and dashed in. Archer was quick enough to put up his guard, but that won't last long through this.
Starting with a horizontal slash from left to right with Caliburn, into an uppercut slash with my Nihil Sword. Then a full circle jump spin slash with both swords, followed by a full circle spin slash on the ground. Then swing both swords down in an x-slash, then back up in an inverse x-slash.
Once hit with the inverse x-slash, Archer couldn't keep up his defense. I broke through his guard and managed to hit him with two diagonal slashes. With that down, he was stunned and forced to take the rest.
I continued on with the rest of the combo, and EMIYA could only stand there, getting sliced to ribbons, because I was going too fast for him.
"Haaahhh!" I ended it on the 15th strike with a thrust through his heart with Caliburn. He stood still for a moment before his swords fizzled out when he dropped his arms.
"Haah, this is rather ironic, to lose to you of all people," he let out a chuckle.
"What are you talking about?" I narrowed my eyes at him.
"You don't know," he realized. "It's probably for the best. You don't want to end up like him."
With those words said Archer fizzled out of existence.
.
[Due to certain actions, you have acquired a new skill.]
Skill Acquired.
[Starburst Stream] Level: 5 [0%]
A 16-hit combo of high-speed slashes. This skill was originally a skill from the Dual Blades Category used in the game, Sword Art Online.
- Damage: 75% of STR and AGL per hit.
- Increase attack speed by 100%.
.
[You have defeated Servant Archer (EMIYA)]
Rewards: 40,000 EXP, Kanshou and Bakuya, Rho Aias, EMIYA's Bow.
.
[Kanshou and Bakuya have been added to ?.]
[Rho Aias has been added to ?.]
[EMIYA's Bow has been added to ?.]
.
So, I got his swords, his conceptual shield, and his bow.
The runes surrounding me had disappeared, and Caster came up to me.
"That was really something, missy," he had a smirk on his face. "You always going to keep surprising me like this?"
I glanced at him and then at the bright lights of Excalibur and Excalibur Morgan in the distance. "Come on. We need to head back to the others. I'll let you fight Saber Alter. I can't be the one to do all the work here," I smirked his way.
"Very funny, missy," he bopped me in the head with his staff.
We both knew full well he couldn't do anything because of Ath nGabla. We took off back towards the Grail Chamber.
~X~
General POV
"Mash!" Ritsuka screamed out while rushing toward her.
She was barely holding up her shield against Saber Alter's Noble Phantasm. Ritsuka was able to get to her and placed a hand on hers that was holding the shield.
"Senpai…?" Mash said. She was surprised but happy to see him here.
"I believe in you," he told her. His Command Seal glowed, giving her more mana to, hopefully, release her Noble Phantasm.
Mash glowed for a second before her face was filled with determination. She poured all of her mana into the shield, and it started glowing brightly. A barrier came forth, and what looked like part of a castle wall was transparently materialized in front of us. Saber Alter's attack was blown back towards her, kicking up a dirt cloud.
When it cleared, Saber Alter appeared with some injuries on her.
"Mash!" Ritsuka had just managed to hold on to Mash, who passed out for a second. She came to and held onto the shield to help her stand.
"I'm fine. It's not over yet," Mash managed to get out. She does not look fine at all.
Saber Alter raised her sword once more, and her sword charged up again with black and purple energy.
"Ritsuka! Mash! Time to move out of the way!" Saber shouted from behind them.
They wasted no time. Saber had Excalibur raised, and the blade was glowing brightly. Her eyes were focused on her counterpart. The two Sabers narrowed their eyes at each other in a silent challenge.
Then they both swung their swords.
"Excalibur Morgan!"
"Excalibur!"
The two Excaliblasts of light and darkness collided and struggled against each other when they met in the middle. It looked like neither one was gaining an advantage.
"Jeez, I kind of expected you guys to have defeated her by the time we got here," a voice echoed in the chamber.
Ritsuka looked to his side to see it was Yuki, who looked like she got into another life-or-death fight. There is a hole through her clothes, right where her heart is. The implications of such a wound are not lost on me.
…It was a good thing that she wrapped it in bandages, or that part of her chest would be showing.
Yuki dashed forward to Saber's side, holding in her hands a glowing sword that looked similar to Excalibur. Based on the look on Saber's face, she recognizes the sword. Yuki-san raised her sword and started gathering mana in it. The sword was giving off a light that made the comparison to Excalibur even stronger.
"This is the sword that will light the way on my journey!"
"Caliburn!"
Yuki swung Caliburn and another wave light came to meet up with the one created by Excalibur. Their combined power was able to overpower the other attack and make its way to hit Saber Alter. An explosion of light kicked off on impact that reached toward the sky.
It was at this moment Caster showed up.
"Oi, Brat! You said I get to be the one to fight!" he yelled in annoyance.
"Yeah, well, you took too long. You should've run faster," Yuki responded.
"Damn it, I barely did anything against Archer… I didn't get to fight Saber…" Caster grumbled to himself.
The light show died down, and Saber Alter was just standing there as if she wasn't hit. But she soon started slowly disappearing into gold dust.
"Hmph, no matter how Fate changes, I face the same end when I'm alone," Saber Alter was looking at her counterpart and Yuki-san when she said that.
"What do you mean by that?" Caster questioned. "Do you know something?"
"Eventually, you'll come to know as well," Saber Alter answered while slowly disappearing. "Grand Order… and the battle for the Holy Grail has just begun."
"Hey, what do you-?" Caster didn't get to finish as Saber Alter completely disappeared, and he started disappearing into gold dust as well. He sighed, not having gotten his answer. He turned toward the others and rested his staff on his shoulders. "Boyo, missy, I'll leave the rest to you. If you summon me, make sure it's as a Lancer," With that said, Caster returned to the Throne.
~X~
Ophis Interlude – The Mysterious Anomaly Strikes Again.
Ophis.
She is a dragon born from the nothingness of the Dimensional Gap. Technically, Ophis is genderless as she can shapeshift into any form she wants, but right now, she has taken a female form. So, from this point forward, she will be referred to as a "she."
For as long as she can remember, the Void is the only place she has ever known, the only place she needed to know. That is until an extremely loud dragon barged into her home and disrupted her silence. It would not stop his nonsense, always trying to talk to her, bothering her, doing flips in the air, basically taking away her silence.
She had decided to name this annoying dragon "Baka-Red."
While Ophis may be powerful, so was Baka-Red. She, by herself, could not remove it from her home. At some point, she became the leader of the Khaos Brigade. This organization is made up of many different species. From humans to fallen angels, devils, and even a few angels.
She was going to use this group to, hopefully, build enough power to kick Baka-Red out of her home and regain her silence. Right now, they were nowhere near close enough to take on the True Dragon God, even with the Infinite Dragon's help. So, they were finding ways to make the group stronger.
Unfortunately, these kinds of things take a lot of time. This means that Ophis has a lot of time on her hands. Which means she gets bored very easily.
One of the ways to pass the time is that she goes to the Dimensional Gap to try and convince (read: threaten) Baka-Red to leave. As expected, this never works, and the loud dragon always finds ways to annoy her.
After another failed attempt, she felt something… strange… There was something in the Void that… was out of place. Something that didn't belong but also felt very familiar. It was weird and abnormal.
It was an anomaly.
It was interesting.
She needed to investigate. She had the time to do it.
It took a while, but she found the anomaly, and it turned out to be a soul. And to her great surprise, she can feel the infinite, untapped power of this soul. She can feel the Void in the Gap perfectly synchronizing with this soul.
But the most surprising thing… was that this soul…
Felt just like herself.
For a split second, she felt like this soul was just a piece of her power. That thought was immediately discarded when she found that this soul was distinctly a human soul.
A human soul that felt exactly like herself? It felt like the Void, and she liked the Void. Therefore, she immediately liked this soul.
She had tried talking to the soul in the hope of getting some answers, but the soul left right away. At least she was able to give the soul her blessing, the first time she'd ever done so. Ophis had given power before. She gave some people in the Khaos Brigade power in the form of one of her snakes to boost their power, as it was enough incentive to get them to join.
But she has never given a blessing before. This soul was the first time she had done so. Why would she do this? Well, the reason is twofold.
First, the blessing acts as a sort of beacon. No matter where the anomaly was, she will always know.
And second, the blessing will help keep this anomaly alive. After all, this is the most interesting thing she has ever found in… ever.
She had easily found the anomaly. She was in the body of this blonde girl, and the anomaly could move in and out of a separate dimension.
Ophis did not know how she did this, but it was interesting. What was also interesting was that the anomaly had awakened to magic, and she seemed to be getting stronger at a rate unheard of. Even prodigies do not improve as fast as the anomaly has
Maybe she can recruit the girl to defeat Baka-Red. Not yet though. She still needs to watch the human who feels so much like herself.
A month went by, and Ophis continued to watch the anomaly go through normal life. It was interesting to watch her balance her regular life with her adventures in this other dimension. But in one day, it all went strange.
She was in a meeting with all the leaders of the different factions of the Khaos Brigade. She was barely paying attention as it was the same as usual and boring. It was then she felt it.
Someone had torn open a hole in the Dimensional Gap. She had felt the anomaly being forced through and flung to a different world. Although she did not show it on the outside, on the inside, Ophis was panicking.
She was about to open a portal to go bring the anomaly back, but she remembered that Baka-Red was waiting for her. It would find her in an instant, and she did not need that.
She needed to send someone else. Maybe Vali? He was the White Dragon Emperor, and his team was reliable. Unfortunately, she can't meet them yet as she needs to stay at this meeting. About two hours later, she felt another portal to the Gap open up in a familiar place. She will need to ask about that when she meets with the Vali Team.
Another hour later, the meeting was finished. Ophis immediately grabbed hold of Vali and teleported off to the Pendragon's house in Tokyo. Arthur and Le Fay Pendragon were members of Vali's team, and the rest of the team used that place as a base. It was also a comfortable and quiet place. She can gather the team and relax at the same time. Kill two birds with one stone.
Not to mention, she just felt another portal to Gap open up here and felt something go through it. She wanted to ask about that.
They all had gathered in the living room (because it had the best couches to sleep on, in Ophis' opinion). Kuroka and Le Fay were sitting on the couch, Vali was sitting on the arm of it, Bikou was on the ottoman, Arthur sat on the other sofa, and Ophis sat in the armchair.
"Okay, we're all here," Vali started.
"What are we meeting for, nya?" asked Kuroka.
"Ophis wants to speak to us," Vali answered.
"What for?" asked Bikou.
They all turned to the Dragon God in question.
"Arthur," the name caught his attention, "Earlier, I felt a portal to the Dimensional Gap open in this place, and something went through it. Explain."
Arthur looked away with a frown on his face. Le Fay was fidgeting in her seat.
"You will not?" Ophis asked in monotone but it was clear from her tone she was not happy.
"My apologies, Ophis-sama. It's just hard to bring up," Arthur explained. Ophis stared at him, and he moved on to explain more. But what he said surprised everyone in the room. "I have lost Caliburn."
Everyone showed a surprised expression. Except for Le Fay, who already knew, and Ophis, who was always expressionless. How does one lose the most powerful holy sword?
"What do you mean you lost it!?" Bikou asked incredulously.
"…I suppose it is more accurate to say the sword left me," Arthur said.
"Left you, nya?" Kuroka asked.
"I don't know how to explain it, but that's how it felt," Arthur tried but was lost.
"I understand now," Ophis spoke up. "Caliburn has gone to the anomaly."
"Anomaly?" Vali and everyone else was confused.
"What I wanted to speak with you about," Ophis answered. "I have been watching a human for almost a month now."
"This someone you looking to recruit?" asked Bikou, who was interested in the prospect of Ophis personally scouting a new member. Vali was interested as well. Someone who got Ophis' attention has to be strong.
"Not at the moment," Ophis shook her head. "I felt her being forced into another world and wanted to get her out, but Baka-Red is in the way," Ophis was still monotone, but you could hear the annoyance.
"Her?" Vali picked up on that particular word.
"Are we going on a rescue mission?" Bikou asked excitedly. It wasn't every day you got to travel to another world.
"No," Ophis instantly said, and Bikou slumped his shoulders. "Originally, I was going to, but I can sense Caliburn is with her. She will be fine."
"What makes you so sure?" Arthur raised an eyebrow.
Ophis did not know the answer to that. It was just a feeling she had, that this anomaly who felt so much like herself would be fine.
Everyone sweatdropped at Ophis' lack of an answer.
"So… is there anything else to talk about?" Bikou asked to break out of the awkward silence.
"No," Ophis stood up and went upstairs. "I am going to sleep."
"Uh, right. Well, I need to get back to Kyoto, so, I'll see you guys later," Bikou teleported out of there.
"Nyaaa, I'm going out," Kuroka teleported out as well.
"Hm, I'll see you two later," it was now Vali's turn to leave.
This just left the two siblings in the living room.
"Nii-sama, are you okay?" Le Fay asked, knowing how much it meant to her brother to be able to wield Caliburn.
"…I am fine."
Arthur says that, but they both know he's not fine. He must get Caliburn back from this mysterious person. It will not be easy as this person caught Ophis' attention, and he did not want to draw her ire by doing something wrong to this mystery person.
He must know. Why did Caliburn leave him? And why did it go to this person?
Unfortunately for Arthur, this is just the start of the waves that change his world.
~X~
Social Links:
0 – Fool (Igor) – Rank 2
I – Magician (Morgana) – Rank 2
V – Hierophant (Sojiro Sakura) – Rank 3
VI – Lovers (Ann Takamaki) – Rank 1
VII – Chariot (Ryuji Sakamoto) – Rank 4
XIV – Temperance (Artoria Pendragon) – Rank 1
XVII – Star (Issei Hyoudou) – Rank 3
Author's Note:
Chapter 9 is done. The finale and epilogue of the Singularity F Arc are next.
As always, constructive criticism is appreciated.
(Preview)
"We created this group…
…To Rebel."
(x)
"Where am I…?"
"Oh! Yuki! You woke up!"
"Nice to see you too, Morgana. But back to my question."
"Well, we're in the house of someone named Rin Tohsaka."
(x)
"I'm sorry, miss!" she apologized in English.
I took a good look at the little girl who bumped into me. The first thing I noticed was that she was dressed in clothes too big for her. She had dark red hair that reached past her shoulders and bright green eyes. What really stood out the most was the lightning bolt-shaped scar on her forehead, just off-center.