Fate/Bonds Beyond Humanity

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41- The King's Sword: True Self

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Detective Kazuma Shinsuke took a deep breath as he studied the crime scene before him. 'I have no idea how we are going to cover this up.' The aging detective had a frown on his face as he looked around the art gallery and saw the bodies thrown around, blood turning most of the white floor red. "Gods, what a mess." Despite him saying that the man knew that no god was involved in the confusion.

It was the work of devils or those associated with them. Like the detective himself.

He still remembered the day that an elegant man approached him with an offer of help when the detective was in one of the darkest periods of his life, he had just been diagnosed with lung cancer at an advanced stage and given only a few months of life.

For years his wife had warned him to stop smoking but ever since he was a young adult that was a habit that Shinsuke never learned to let go. He made sure to at least only smoke only at work to not botter his children but that only delayed the inevitable. Years of the habit while sitting down behind a desk finally caught up with him and there was nothing he could do.

His doctor explained as gently as he could that there was nothing that could be done but offered the detective, the lead detective of Fuyuki's police force, a small piece of paper with a strange circle in it and said "Ask and they may be able to help you."

At that point it sounded like religious nonsense but Shinsuke was desperate, he didn't want to die as his children needed him. So he locked himself in the office and studied the circle for over an hour trying to figure out if there was a number of some kind for him to call.

He was surprised when it suddenly let out a glow and a redhead man with the most crystal blue eyes he had ever seen had stepped off a bigger one that showed up on his floor. "You must be someone important and in need of help."

That was when Shinsuke made his pact with a devil and had his cancer cured. The devil explained that Fuyuki was his city for a few months at that point and that he had received a magic circle from one of his clients, a special one reserved for those in positions of importance.

The devil, Zeoticus, offered to get rid of the lung cancer in return for loyalty and information. The detective asked some questions to make sure he wouldn't have to do anything bad before accepting the deal but his instincts told him the devil wasn't lying when he said he wanted the best for Fuyuki.

At least as much as a normal detective like him could read from a devil. He still tried out of stubborness and personal pride but the handsome face made it hard to catch any lies.

Fortunately for the detective, his kind of disease was one the devils knew how to heal but the treatment was expensive and would last hours. Zeoticus offered to pay all the expenses after he signed a contract.

The detective jokingly asked if should sign with blood. "Not for this one." He then understood the devil wasn't kidding nor lying.

'Painful' didn't describe the process properly as it was a type of magical surgery that literally involved cleaning his lungs. He had been asleep throughout the whole thing but when he woke up he could feel a phantom pain for days and breathing was harder than ever for a month.

For a whole month he felt that pain coming and going but once it was gone Kazuma felt like a young man again and immediately got back to work. Just in time to help cover up some gang war happening in Fuyuki while making sure one of the sides won.

Truly he had sold his soul to a devil and he had already come to collect in the name of his own children.

It has been ten years since then and after the birth of his first grandchild the old man couldn't say he regretted his decision. 'Wonder who my replacement is going to be? Were they already brought into the fold?' The aging detective wondered as his age was catching up to him. 'Even with the spell to keep me going Zeoticus' daughter warned me that I need to retire soon anyway.'

Shinsuke already knew that the mess in the gallery would probably be his last case, and cover up, for the devils. In his sixties and with no real magic power of his own the man just kept working anymore without giving up his humanity but that wasn't offered. The reality was that he was mostly a normal human that was useful because of his profession, nothing else.

Which was a job he didn't mind doing as he studied the area carefully and took the bodies into account, both the living and the dead. Medical crews and firefighters were still running around to try and save those who could be saved, which were a considerable number much to the detective's surprise.

There were still plenty that were going to the morgue and the way they died could raise anyone's suspicion. If Shinsuke didn't know about magic and hadn't received a warning from his superiors about magic swords he wondered what he would deduct from the scene he walked in.

Some people turned to give him looks that the detective recognized very well; those were the looks of men who knew the secret and that knew things were more than they seemed. Not everyone in the gallery had that look but Kazuma recognized enough of them as they all were in the same boat and worked together more than once.

'But never to the scale of tonight.' Shinsuke thought with a chuckle as he stepped up close to a young officer in the center of the gallery. "What do you have to report, officer?"

"Sir." The salute and clean uniform told the detective this young man was recently out of the academy. His bright eyes showed a curiosity that was somewhat shaken but some of the gruesome sights inside the art gallery. "So far we have accounted for forty armored and armed men inside the premises. Some of them confirmed that they invaded the place but nothing else."

The frown from the officer was something that the detective noticed. "What do you mean by 'nothing else'?" The younger man looked nervous and the older one paid close attention to any reactions. "Speak your mind, officer. We are all friends here."

With permission from his superior the man relaxed a bit. "They refused to tell us anything else but protested when some of my colleagues called them thieves or invaders. Not only that but their armor… even if I never saw European armor before I can recognize quality and those ones aren't just props." He looked to the sides, obviously feeling nervous but the aging detective said nothing. "Some of my colleagues agree with me but when we brought it to the captain he told me to drop it."

'Of course he did. This is supposed to be something simple, forgettable, and a conspiracy of any kind will attract anyone curious enough.' Which meant those people would disappear and that may include the young officer before him. Since he showed some potential, the detective knew exactly how to distract the young man. "Say, would you like to make a couple of rounds with me?"

"Sir?" The young officer sounded shocked by the offer.

"You have a sharp mind and good eyes. I fear that at my age I may miss something and you could help catch them." He could see the eagerness of youth and to prove himself. "So you come with me and we do some rounds, see what we can find while the first responders work and before the crime scene is closed off. Never know what can happen with that many people running around."

The officer knew the aging detective was right as there were many needing medical attention and it would take a while for them all to be taken to a hospital. "Yes sir!"

The young man blushed at how loud his voice got but the man shook his head and smiled. "Lets go around… what is your name, officer?"

"Raito, sir. Yagami Raito." The name surprised the detective and the young man noticed. "Yes, my father is Yagami Soichiro."

"What the- Why is the son of the Chief of police of all Japan doing around Fuyuki? As just an officer nonetheless."

"It was partially on my insistence and part because my father wanted me to 'cut my teeth' while going up into the ranks." Raito replied with a casual smile.

For a second the detective was about to ask more questions before remembering something. "You helped Tokyo's police with a case, right? Did an interview or something as well saying you wanted to be a detective."

It was Raito's turn to be surprised. "I am surprised you remember that, sir. It was years ago."

"Just five and I am not that old to forget when a highschooler outsmarts us in the force." Still Shinsuke remembered that the article spoke of how brilliant young Raito was. "Why a detective though? With your smarts you could be making a fortune in other areas."

Suddenly his smile gained melancholy that the man found even more surprising. "Because that would be boring and there are many mysteries that I want to investigate." The way he looked around the gallery, studying it with clear interest, showed the old man that Raito was very invested in this case already.

"'Mysteries', huh?" Shinsuke wondered if he should say something else but just began to walk. "Then you better focus on this one. Come on now and… I hope your stomach is ready or that you didn't have dinner."

They did find some gruesome sights while exploring the art gallery, the older man asking the younger for his opinions; they saw bodies burned to a crisp, body parts without their owners and people imprinted on the floor by a lot of force.

Most of those were focused in a single area and the detective already knew one type of person capable of doing that much damage by themselves.

The officer on the other hand deduced that it was a number of people working together or the result of an all out brawl. It was a fair assumption to make as breaking concrete wasn't easy for a normal person.

But what fascinated the younger man the most was the fact so many of the people around were still alive. "What do you think, sir? They were spared for some kind of statement?" He asked as they watched some people being carried off in stretchers. "Most of them seemed to have been tased by a high voltage weapon. Like someone brought a gun to a sword fight."

Shinsuke knew Raito deduced that because of some twitching from the victims presented but it was easy to debunk. "A modified weapon is a possibility but while the armors will need to be examined there are no taser marks from what I can see."

The young man nodded as the detective pointed to someone moaning from pain. "At least they are alive to tell us what happened."

"Hmm." The detective pretended to agree but knew it wasn't going to happen that easily. Screams of pain cut the conversation a little and he noticed how Raito's face remained calm despite his age and the suffering around them. "Do you need a break?"

Raito scoffed at the notion before smiling. "No offense sir but I wouldn't stop even if you ordered me." He kept watching over the living soldiers with interest, almost as if he was trying to piece what happened from their pain alone.

'This world is mad. Wonderful and mad.' The detective thought to himself as he watched the officer keep a mostly impartial face and take note of every detail with cold detachment. "Come on boy. We have a few more places to explore."

"The second floor?" Raito asked. Shaking his head, Shinsuke stepped forward to the back of the gallery where there was a hole to the outside. "Wasn't this an entry point?"

"The entry points were the places with tire marks. This was an exit." The detective stepped out and both saw a group of paramedics working into taking off a single man's armor. Shinsuke noticed a familiar face and called "Considering this is the outside I thought you would already have finished, Takenouchi."

A woman with long strawberry white hair in a ponytail turned to glare at the detective. "Kazuma, you old bastard." There was a smile on her face that had the detective smiling too.

"You are as old as I am." The two policemen stopped at a safe distance as the woman gave some orders to her people to take off as much armor as they could before moving away from the body.

"No, you are two years older than me." She turned to Raito with a frown. "Training your replacement already?"

The old man shrugged. "Getting to the age, yeah. Say hello to Takenouchi, Raito. Mother of my daughter in law."

"Ma'am." The officer offered his hand respectfully and the paramedic took off a blooded glove before shaking it. "Are you helping move the bodies?"

"No dead here, kiddo. That one is still alive." The three turned to look as a team of four paramedics made an effort to remove all the man's armor as slowly as they could.

"I didn't think anyone alive could bend their arms like that." Raito commented, for the first time feeling unnerved by the state of one of the perpetrators of the night's events. He gulped loudly before speaking again. "How isn't there more blood? Some of the armor looks to be sunken in and should have pierced the skin."

Both elders look at each other, the lead paramedic with her eyebrows raised. The detective shook his head away from Raito's field of vision and she knew that she needed an excuse.

"Whoever did this wasn't trying to kill him." Takenouchi ended up saying out loud. It was the truth anyway but one that surprised Raito. "I know, right? Most people with their arms and legs bent that way may even die from shock but the guy there was awake when we got here."

"He was?!" Raito couldn't hold back his voice and even the detective looked impressed.

"Yeah, we had to knock him out with some medicine and only after we assured him that we wouldn't take off his cape first." A meaningful glance was trade between the two professionals.

Both of them were aware about the moonlit world and the potential that a piece of clothing may have. "We will sort that into evidence after you make sure he won't die." Shinsuke made it sound like he was doing her a favor but it wasn't the case. "I will file it myself." It was both their jobs to make sure no one would look too deep.

Obviously the cape would be cataloged then replaced by a normal one if necessary once the real power of the town took a look.

"Still, I may have to amend my previous deduction. That was too systematic." Raito commented in deep thought.

Takenouchi gave him a look before turning to Shinsuke. "What do you mean, Raito?"

"Taking into account what Takenouchi-san said it is clear that the person responsible for all that wanted his victims to suffer as much as possible." A look of contempt crossed Raito's face for just a moment. "The way most of them are alive and in pain indicates a truly evil person that showed he could kill everyone to then start torturing them until he grew bored and left."

"Or finished the job after a show of force." Shinsuke interrupted the young man who looked at the detective in shock as the elder shook his head. "You are letting your biases color the world, kid. Never do that, especially in our line of work." He pointed back to the gallery. "From the tire marks and the leftovers of a car we can deduce that at least two people got in separately from different directions. That speaks more about two groups crashing the party of a third one. You agree with that?"

"Or a group in two cars." The officer still nodded in agreement. "And the only ones we found were people in armor. That reinforces the idea that the invading group got their wounded in the second car and left."

Shinsuke could have agreed with that if he wasn't as experienced as he was. "Two distincts methodologies." Raito's eyes grew wide. "One group was ruthless, they cut heads and blew off people without hesitation. They were fighting to kill." He raised a hand to count to two. "The other group was more direct on their methods; neutralize at all costs and those 'knights' barely saw them coming." The detective chuckled. "There is no indication they got a single blow in."

"It still leaves two groups that are allies." Amending his deductions again, Raito revealed his thoughts. "One brutal that weakened the knights and the other methodical that came for the finishing blow." He looked at the broken man before him with pity. "Or just as brutal but of a different kind. I doubt this man can ever walk again."

"Actually he just might, after some therapy." The paramedic commented, surprising them both as the detective didn't expect any admission of recovery from what he deduced were impossible wounds. Yet the woman spoke in front of the officer which indicated that it had nothing to do with the moonlit world.. "Both of you are right, his bones were broken methodically, perfectly even."

"How do you break a bone perfectly?" Shinsuke was shocked.

The paramedic wasn't surprised, she didn't know that was possible until that day either. "By holding them down and hitting precisely where they needed to break the strongest bones evenly." She turned to the man without armor now being lifted into a stretcher. "Also no damage to the spine or cranium, just arms and legs. The guy can recover with time and therapy but the point is that he will recover."

"That…" Raito didn't know what to say.

But Takenouchi understood regardless. "I know." She was avoiding telling them how the body would be a bloody mess anyway because of the method but the man had no wounds besides his bones.

She didn't need to, the detective got the message as his friend kept looking at him. "Then the third group had someone extremely skilled. Potentially bigger than the victim considering that brute force was required."

After a second, Raito asked "What kind of man could do something like that?"

"Be-" A soft whisper escaped the blond man's lips and the paramedics called their superior for permission to administer more drugs. The policemen followed and as the woman was about to give the order the man spoke again. "Beee…" All came closer to hear what the man was saying and the one once known as Sir Gawain finally spoke clearly. "Beast…"

None of the present could understand what he was really saying as Gawain lost his consciousness due to the drugs and pain.

His last thought was about the redhead who broke him completely, both in body and spirit.

Shirou approached his friends slowly with Muramasa relaxed to his side. While his eyes were mostly focused on Freed he still gave some of his attention to the fallen angel with Akeno in his arms.

"Are you all alright?" That was the magus main priority as he felt the energy around the area and saw how Medusa was struggling to protect the devils.

Thanks to the information he got from the Fused Fragments he knew about Sanctuary but had no idea how Medusa was protecting the others or how efficient the method was. Mostly he could see how much effort the goddess was putting into her red barrier and knew that it wouldn't last forever.

"They are safe, my protector. Though it seems you are doing a sloppy job." Medusa commented with sweat pouring from her forehead. "To leave your charge to do such a heavy lifting job…"

"Sorry." Shirou apologized sincerely. "But don't worry, I promise to finish this soon." He was about to step inside the barrier to help his friends but Medusa stopped him.

"You can't. It is already taking everything I have to keep this up. If you or anyone else enters..."

"Then Blood Fort Andromeda falls and us with it." Rias commented with a bitter chuckle. "We can't use mana either or have Ise Boost us without risking that too… It seems we can't help." She hated that kind of situation but got as close as she could to Shirou. "You will have to do this alone."

"Right. Don't worry. I will beat up the guy who was bullying you all." Shirou commented with a chuckle.

"'Bullying' he says." Saji commented and some chuckle as the Sitri group began to argue if Shirou could do it or not.

None of the Gremory doubted him even if Kiba gave him a sad look as while the redhead magus didn't know it yet the Knight had failed in controlling his emotions.

That didn't matter to Xenovia who took advantage of Shirou's arrival to try and stab Freed on the back with Durandal. The man moved the Fused Fragments to redirect the impact and took his distance to try and bait the blue haired woman again with her partner only to see that she was also carrying Irina with one arm.

"Damn, if it's two against one that won't be easy." Freed retreated more and more as Xenovia moved to deposit Irina closer to Blood Fort Andromeda.

Meanwhile all that was happening, Kokabiel observed Shirou carefully, paying close attention to the sword he was using. 'A Noble Phantasm?'

Shirou noticed the small skirmish happening on the side but didn't react much, his hand going for his pocket. After talking with some of his friends he called for Koneko to come closer.

"You aren't hurt, right?" He asked the small devil who shook her head. "Good, she would be really upset if you were." Shirou placed something on the floor close to the barrier and Koneko looked at it curiously. "When Sanctuary is gone, give her a call. I am sure she will come running."

Koneko looked at the redhead in the eyes. "You think you can't win." That surprised some but Shirou nodded. "Why?"

"I can't fly for starters." Shirou said with a chuckle before his glare turned to steel. "And the smell coming from that guy… it reminds me of…" He paused and looked at Medusa before looking back at the fallen angel. 'His power is as great as Medusa's was that day…'

But it wasn't just a matter of power alone, during his adventure on the Shapeless Island the Gorgon he faced was a berserk creature with little thought. A strong foe that fought without reason, strategy or even properly understanding her power. That was how Shirou survived her and as strong as he had become after that adventure he knew that Kokabiel would be a different class of opponent.

It was the look that the Cadre had; the sharpness of a warrior that knew his way around a fight and paid attention to every element around him.

Taking everything in Shirou knew that if the Medusa he faced on that island had used her power better she would be the stronger of the two even if not the most capable. That would still be Kokabiel and once the Fused Sword was destroyed Shirou doubted he would just give up and leave.

And that wasn't even counting the sword itself. Despite being newly forged and a mess of metal that Shirou refused to acknowledge as a true sword there was no denying its power.

So Shirou was going to play things carefully and prepare because once the Fragments were out of the picture they all would have a far stronger adversary to deal with, a man who relished fighting and had the power to enjoy it to the fullest.

They all turned to Kokabiel and the fallen angel chuckled. "A new actor joined our play. Part of me didn't expect that. However I shouldn't be surprised since you were part of the hunt."

"It was really you on the phone." Shirou commented, surprising some as they didn't know they talked.

"Indeed it was I. Did you like playing in my little treasure hunt for the Excaliburs? You aren't upset, are you? I gave you a fair chance to be part of the play and here you are, right on time too, I suppose." At Shirou's lack of response, black wings moved as they made it look like he was shrugging. "Well, you can't please them all. Improvising never was my forte either so that may have been a mistake."

Once Shirou recognized the voice properly he began to glare at the ten winged angel with fury. "What happened to them?" The rage surprised Kokabiel who expected the magus to be a little more intimidated by his power. "What happened to all those people?"

Understanding dawn on the Cadre and he smiled. "Oh~ Who are you asking about?" Kokabiel teased. "Kukuku. You mean the heiresses' bodyguards that were watching over Fuyuki?"

Both Rias and Sona flinched but stayed quiet. They knew their siblings had people protecting them but the confirmation still stung and it was worse because they died. Preparations would have to be done and their names offered after everything was done but that was for later. If there was a 'later'.

For now the redhead devil threw a glance at the back of her lover's head but she knew this wasn't the time for that kind of conversation, especially when she saw how Shirou's hand was trembling in rage.

Kokabiel chuckled, fixing his grip on Akeno. "Forgive me but as the director of our little play I couldn't allow for uninvited actors to be part of it." His red eyes were fixed on Shirou with some irritation but he chuckled again. "However, I can make an exception. This wouldn't be a good production if we couldn't deal with the unexpected and improvise when necessary."

"'Production'? You killed people and put lives in danger… For a play?" Shirou could feel his blood boiling but didn't dare to attack as his eyes were still locked on an angry Freed.

"The 'play' is just a prelude for what is to come. The end of the world as you know it." Kokabiel extended his wings slightly to make himself look better while holding his power back. "That is what I, Kokabiel the Angel of the Stars, have decided. Fate may have abandoned us but if it won't intervene then I shall."

All that were already used to Kokabiel's displays of power knew that if it wasn't by Sanctuary and Akeno he would be throwing it around for effect. But since he couldn't affect those on the ground, the fallen angel opened his wings until they fully covered the sky to show how great he really was.

"Isn't this quite the perfect tale to be the prelude of the Great War? A tragedy that shall be recorded in the history books!" Then Kokabiel's wings returned to their normal size and he smiled gently. "And I, Kokabiel, am the playwright of this tragedy. Let them all know that the Great War isn't over and it will only end with the Grigori on top!"

Some looked bothered by the speech of restarting the Great War but Shirou was more angry than before. "All that for some stupid war?" Gritting his teeth he kept glaring at Kokabiel. "I won't let that happen!" The fallen angel looked back at his challenger with amusement. "Did you hear me, Angel of the Stars! I will stop you, even if it is the last thing that I do!"

"Hahaha! Then face your opponent; Freed!" The fallen angel called for the white haired man who didn't stop from glaring at Shirou since he retreated. "I can see you hate this man for some reason."

"He keeps cockblocking me!" Freed complained.

Kokabiel chuckled again. "Then kill him. Wouldn't that be a nice ribbon to close our little play?" He made sure to fly between the two sides. "Humans shall decide the fate of the Great War! Father always favored you so let you both decide who it shall begin!" Opening his wings just enough for them to act like hands, Kokabiel 'pointed' to the combatants. "Here and now, the winner gets 'Excalibur'!" Freed raised his sword but Shirou didn't move and the Cadre noticed that. "What are you waiting for? Begin already!"

"Sorry but if I am going to fight it will be at my own pace." Shirou replied carefully as he traded glances with Xenovia who had got Irina behind him and close to Medusa's barrier. "How is she?"

"Wounded but I will be okay." Irina said with a smile but she looked exhausted and even with some of her cape torn down to cover some of the wounds, the white turning red showed how much blood she lost. "Just let me take a breath and I will be ready to go again."

Xenovia frowned but helped her partner to sit down. "Irina!" Ise approached to check his friend but stopped short as he was just about to step outside the barrier. "Are you okay? Can we get her inside?"

"Not without hurting you all." Medusa informed but the chestnut haired Exorcist shook her head. She was confident she could reform Blood Fort Andromeda but some devils would suffer for it. "She doesn't need my protection anyway."

"Don't worry, Ise. This heals really quickly, after a minute I will get back there and-"

"She is out of the fight." Xenovia informed with a glare at Freed while cutting Irina from pretending she could keep going. While her partner looked sad Xenovia didn't focus on that and instead turned to Shirou, her new ally in this fight. "His sword-"

"I already got the information." Shirou's interruption surprised Xenovia but she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Same way I knew about your swords… or the painting."

Irina blushed at the remainder but Xenovia just nodded. "I see. That is good so we can skip straight to making a plan."

"You want to fight with me?" Shirou could see the state that Xenovia was in and while she was better than Irina there was no denying she also was exhausted and hurt. The blue haired Exorcist's wounds were smaller than her friend's but were far more numerous with scraps on her legs and arms to go with the rest. "Take care of yourself first. You are barely standing as well."

Not being offended but still annoyed by Shirou's dismissal, Xenovia raised her sword and placed it on her shoulder. "If you think that your sword can face Excalibur then you are deluding yourself. It is almost as strong as my own blade."

Then the Exorcist let out some of her sword aura to show Shirou the power of a Holy Sword which was far beyond an Excalibur Fragment. The redhead magus wasn't really impressed.

For the first time since he arrived Shirou's attention left Freed as he turned to Xenovia. "I know my sword may not look like much but-"

It was a sword made of pure bronze as were many weapons of the time. A fine weapon that found few contestants despite its lack of divine blessings or protections. It was also wielded by a fine man who cared for his kingdom and was a good swordsman who respected his weapon deeply.

But the man, a prince, feared that it wouldn't be a proper weapon to face the enemy he feared would come. It was a possibility that haunted the young man because war was on the horizon and after studying his enemy he knew that a sword wasn't a proper weapon to face them.

He believed he needed a spear but wanted a spear as good as his sword so every time a spear was brought to him he would test its mettle against his blade.

Many spears broke against its edge, repetidaly, thoroughly and the prince of his nation knew he would never find a spear as fine as his sword.

So he turned the sword into a spear.

The prince wasn't disappointed with his weapon, it was a fitting one for a commander and perfect to counter his enemy's strategy.

A weapon that could help the young prince defend his country.

Time passed and it seemed the war wouldn't come, the spear was still used for combat and skirmishes as the prince practiced with it just as much as he studied strategy.

Then the war came and together with its prince the weapon grew into a legend of its own. Guided by its owner's hand it took down many men who were heroes in their own right, pierced the best shields and defeated the thoughts of armors made by man.

Unfortunately for the prince the armor that ended up defeating the spear was made by a god.

It wasn't just the armor either for in every aspect of skill, technique, speed and brutality the young prince saw himself surpassed by his opponent.

A warrior without equal and peerless during his time, the strongest of Greeks, Achilles The Swift, Son of Peleus.

So died Hector, Prince of Troy. His spear and armor were taken by the victor together with his body to satiate the demigod's thirst for revenge.

In his hands that spear could have been even greater but Achilles, the Warrior of Rage and Terror of Troy, soon felt remorse by how he killed the prince.

No longer consumed by fury, the Son of Peleus returned the spear to the father of its owner for the funeral rites where it would rest at his side for all eternity.

But it wasn't meant to be and a few years later Troy was sacked and the spear stolen and taken as a trophy once again.

No longer it found itself in combat, no longer it could slay its owner's enemies, it was just a trophy, a powerful trophy but a trophy nonetheless.

Then Fate turned again and the descendents of Troy found the spear once more.

They no longer were Trojans or followed the same gods but they still admired the same heroes and Hector was an idol to many still.

Time had passed and the magic on the spear hadn't grown weaker but wasn't recognized by the new owners.

They didn't understand it and saw it as a relic of its time, a weapon that lost its luster as stronger metals took the place of its bronze.

However that wasn't to be for long as there were many who wanted to see it shine again.

New beliefs gave birth to new possibilities and soon a journey had begun to gather artifacts with the powers of those called Saints and a Holy Mother.

All for a spear that was once a sword from a hero long gone.

But while the gods those people believed had changed the same couldn't be said about heroes for the prince and his rival both were remembered and honored in one way or another.

So the spear, Durandina, which was once a sword became a sword again.

This time it wasn't made with the intention of being fully a weapon of war but a symbol to carry the power of miracle workers.

In shape it became less an instrument of death than a weapon to be admired and recognized by all with the intent of inspiring while also delivering Justice and Smiting the corrupt.

Gone was the outer shell of bronze and instead it became a blade of steel and gold.

Many would claim that before it was the sword of a warrior and then became a proper sword for a king.

But it was the sword of a warrior still, a sword far more powerful than it ever was, far surpassing the power of its previous forms, its existence being filled by Holy Artifacts which made it a weapon without equal.

A Peerless Sword.

A Sword of Miracles.

Unlike when it was a bronze sword where it was a gladius, this one was slightly bigger but still ideal for someone to use it with one hand. The bronze wasn't fully gone, it was turned into a core for the steel as it and the handle carried the Holy Relics that gave the blade unfathomable power.

A colorless gem at the back of the handle was a distinguished feature that shone every time someone tried to use its power.

For many had tried and as many had failed.

It was too much power for the common man to bear, wild, untamed and great beyond all measure.

With its edge that blade could cut the heavens, with a strike it was possible to open chasms in the earth and its very presence could bring armies and beasts to heel.

Such was the power of that sword, so great that it needed a proper vessel, a proper wielder, or else its very existence may put the whole world at risk.

An angel descended from Heaven to collect it, admiring its making before flying to someone who could name a champion to own the blade.

A king received it and immediately recognized the prize Heaven was offering him.

Power that he knew that he shouldn't have for as a king he already had plenty and people would fear him if he had anymore.

Instead he gave the sword to a young man who was one of his knights, one of his Paladins.

His name was Roland and he would never reject a gift from his king.

When he held the sword in his hands he swore oaths of loyalty once again for deep was his gratitude for the gift and the faith his king had in him.

And the faith wasn't misplaced for Roland was perfect for the wild sword he received as his body was as tough as a diamond and he could keep up with his weapon until he eventually learned to control the wild nature of it.

With that weapon Roland was unstoppable, his skill and body making them the perfect pair and soon the wild sword was tamed.

Together they were invincible, facing every challenge head first despite the Paladin having some issues with romance that landed them in more than one bad situation. But he used the sword well regardless.

For the sword became perfect for him, one of its miracles making its weight just right for Roland who could use it expertidly with one hand while using the other to deal with other enemies, only using both to unleash its full power.

But Roland realized that the sword was too powerful and began to fear it, fearing the day he wouldn't be there to keep control over it or worse; that someone with evil intentions somehow would manage to gain control over his sword.

Fear consumed the young Paladin, a fear that gripped his heart harder than the love he chased whenever could.

Fear so great he tried to destroy the sword despite how much it mattered to him.

Again and again with hundreds of tools all backed by his inhuman strength, Roland tried to break the Peerless Blade only to fail.

In the end it was because of another miracle born of his own desire, in his hands that sword had become truly indestructible, just like he wanted once.

Roland's last deed with the blade was stabbed in a huge stone to try and break it all the while praying and hoping that no one unworthy would get their hands on it.

Another miracle and so it was, the sword wouldn't budge for those unworthy anymore and despite Roland still being worthy he didn't want it.

He left the sword there for others to pick up, the first miracle always making the sword change to match its owner, sometimes in small ways little by little while always keeping its height even if the weight always matched the owner's preferences.

Every single user after Roland was worthy in a way or another as his prayers hopped them to be but none of them was Roland.

None was as strong as Roland, the Paladin of Charlemagne.

None who could tame the power of the Peerless Sword.

Many came close, some more than others like a king who was shy and a great admirer of Hector, making promises to own every weapon and armor his idol had.

He succeeded and while he was worthy of the legacy of the Prince of Troy he wasn't up to pair with Roland or his sword for that sword had already outgrew his original owner by leaps and bounds.

There was no comparison anymore for even the original owner wouldn't be able to control that sword anymore, it had changed too much, grown too much.

However it found many worthy users, not strong ones, or fully capable for that matter, but nevertheless worthy.

Warriors with strong will, spirit and determination that shone as much as Roland's even if their bodies couldn't keep up with the sword itself.

Years upon years passed and the indestructible sword changed more with each owner to fit them all but still never being enough for none of them could keep up with it.

At that point the sword was completely different as it once was, having changed its shape fully and acquired a new color because one of its previous wielders found the steel color dull and hopeless.

However it didn't matter how much it had changed on the outside to fit with those worthy of it, the sword was still too powerful and wild to all of them.

Until a new owner came and he was unlike any other.

Roland was strong because of his blessings and constitution but the one that came closest to him was simply strong by nature.

A mass of muscle, faith and loyalty that was worthy of the sword showed up, a gentle giant whose only desire was to serve his Lord, much like a certain Paladin long ago.

They fit perfectly, not like Roland but close enough that they would be evenly matched in a fair fight and for years the sword found home with a good man that only wanted to do right by his Lord and the right thing.

His name was Vasco Strada, blessed with a body stronger than most since his youth he had no desire for violence but when the Church needed swords he didn't hesitate and was considered worthy of the greatest one they had.

For decades they had many adventures, always in defense of the innocents and punishing the wicked.

While sometimes the man had some doubts he was lucky to be born in a time where he had a clear enemy.

The fallen angel Kokabiel tried to mess with the affairs of Humanity and Vasco Strada was there to stop him in a fight that had the Cadre brought low.

Kokabiel survived that day by retreating, not the first time he had ever ran from a human but the first time in the modern era that someone could claim such a feat.

Vasco Strada's name was immortalized by his allies. Many times he ended up fighting alone but never complaining or retreating.

Year after year he fought for the sake of his beliefs and to protect the innocent, the body growing stronger and mastering the sword more and more.

By the end of it all Vasco Strada could truly be called Roland's equal and with the sword's miracles he could keep growing forever if he so desired.

But his wish was to die a human death, to one day lay down his arms and rest.

The sword may be wild to those who failed to tame it, could be powerful beyond belief, however it was always just a sword that needed someone to wield it so despite having the power to starve off age it didn't do it for that wasn't its owner's desire.

Time began to catch up to the legend, his body stopped growing stronger and the decline began.

Vasco Strada never wished to be a warrior and for the sword that was a flaw that it never could correct.

But someone else needed to hold the sword, that was a difference between Vasco and Roland that prompted the man not to try and destroy or hide it but to look for a successor.

He took the role of a mentor and began to make preparations to pass down the sword before his body aged too much, hoping to teach the next generation as best as he could even if he knew the possibility of that happening was low.

Usually it could take decades, up to a century, for a new owner of the sword to be found and Vasco Strada's desire meant he refused anything that could sustain him for that long.

Part of him seemed to expect that it would be one of his students who would pass down his lessons and he would have to hope that one day his successor would learn from them.

Was it a miracle then that just when he began looking he found a young girl with blue hair, the same color as the sword, with a great affinity for blades?

She was tested and found worthy by the sword itself, while not as strong as her predecessor she proved herself strong in other ways but still needed to fight tooth and nail to control it.

Xenovia Quarta was wild and didn't back down into learning how to control the sword but it always pushed back and she wasn't strong enough for it. At least not yet.

But no one doubted that one day she would succeed for her talent with swordplay was only comparable with her devotion for it and the hours upon hours of training she invested into the art.

Her hands hurt, even bled, and many times a woman's voice had to pull Xenovia off her training.

Exhausted swings were part of its story and the girl added to it many times more.

For that sword was worth that effort, the strongest sword the Church had left, the legacy she inherited from many heroes of ages past.

One of the strongest Holy Swords whose indestructibility was part of its legend.

Its name was-

"Durandal." Took him a second to process all the sword history but he understood how powerful the weapon in Xenovia's hand was. 'Where did all that come from?'

The information, unlike many other times, was given freely. Practically jumping to his mind without much of his input or effort.

It was almost like Durandal was anxious to introduce itself.

A heartbeat later his eyes were back on Freed who looked ready to attack but didn't move as he knew Shirou and Xenovia were ready. Had the redhead been distracted for one more second the Mad Exorcist would have attacked but with him and the Durandal owner together he knew it would be useless without some kind of opening.

"Then you know my sword is the only one able to compete against that monstrosity." Xenovia reiterated by taking a swing to the side and letting some power out. "If we work together-"

"We would only get into each other's way." Shirou noticed how stiff the Exorcist became at his words. "Teamwork is something that needs time to develop. You know that." Even if he knew what Xenovia could do thanks to Durandal she knew little to nothing about him. "Besides… you can't control Durandal yet."

Stiffening again and not being able to disagree with Shirou's observation, Xenovia still felt confident he needed her. "But your sword isn't strong enough anyway. At least not enough to break the Fused Excalibur."

Hearing the name bothered Shirou but he refused to let it show. "I don't need to break it, just kill that coward."

"You are still upset that he hurt Luvia." Xenovia pointed out and Shirou nodded.

"That kind of wound… was to make her suffer as much as possible." Even if his friend lived because of that, the fact she was hurt in the first place made Shirou upset. The fact that she was suffering made him furious. "Doesn't change the fact that we will only get into each other's way." He saw Xenovia was about to protest again. "And someone needs to stay back and stop him from using the others as hostages."

Remembering how Freed used Irina to force Xenovia where he wanted made her frown. "You're right. He already did that today." She moved a hand to hold a wound on her shoulder in frustration. "But you can protect them and let me go."

"If you were 100% I wouldn't mind." She easily could tell it was a lie, Shirou wanted that fight. "Can you use mana?"

"Feh. An Exorcist may take the training for that if they want even if we don't practice magic but… I never had the talent for it."

He chuckled at noticing how Xenovia was easy to read out of a fight. "So that is how it feels huh?" She turned to him just enough to raise an eyebrow. "You are lying."

"So were you." Xenovia said back petulantly and he nodded in agreement.

"True, but someone needs to stay behind and your sword is the better counter for that thing by your own admittance. You are better on the defensive in this case." By the twitch of Xenovia's arm he could see she didn't like that. "Look at it this way, you need to protect the others but nothing is stopping you from paying attention to any openings and attacking if the opportunity presents itself."

That argument actually helped Xenovia make a decision. "Fine but if I see an opportunity I will jump right in."

Shirou nodded in agreement and presented her with a Traced EM. "Ask Rias how it works. It will help." He wasn't sure if any of the Exorcists could use it but it didn't hurt to give them a choice. 'Technically Holy Energy is also mana but it is too different from the usual and EM wasn't made to absorb it. Giving it doesn't hurt if any of the two can use the mana in the air but I can't focus on them right now.' Not with Freed watching them like a shark waiting for blood.

Still wanting to protest, Xenovia took a step closer and whispered. "Don't think Freed is going to be the same as before. The Fused Excalibur power is greater than the sum of its parts and he is getting used to it faster than it should be possible." Sanctuary was proof enough of that.

"Anything else you can tell me?" He offered EM carefully.

"He can now use multiple abilities at once even if he still hasn't figured out how just yet." It was a thing Shirou got from the Fused Fragments too but Xenovia's eyes held a deeper message.

'She is telling me to be mindful of all the Fragments' abilities because she doesn't know about Structural Analysis or at least not my level of it.' Still he appreciated the warning "Thanks for the heads up." She nodded back.

Xenovia took the scalpel and slowly took a few steps back while keeping her eyes on their enemy, making it clear that Shirou would take over the fight much to the fallen angel's amusement.

Kokabiel was sure that Xenovia would be the one to still fight, having Durandal was a real advantage even if she was wounded. However he was also curious about Shirou's presence since there were many things bothering him about the redhead.

'That Noble Phantasm was an arrow before and I am sure something like that doesn't exist.' Having lived for as long as he did Kokabiel knew he would have heard of a weapon like that. 'There was also that moment when he looked at Durandal… I am sure I saw something change in him.'

As an angel Kokabiel had seen many human interactions during his life but how Shirou's whole demeanor changed because of a glance towards Durandal was too fast for it to be nothing.

Sure the blade was powerful, even without letting any of its aura out Xenovia wasn't skilled enough to hold back its very presence, but there wasn't enough for him to consider it anything other than a powerful Holy Sword.

By reading lips to keep up with the conversation and watching Shirou's demeanor closely, Kokabiel was sure there was a shift in his attitude the moment his eyes laid on Durandal and that itself was odd.

Durandal was a Noble Phantasm with many miracles like changing to suit better the owner's style, not completely but enough that its actual appearance was completely different from those in the most recent books as the last big change was with Vasco Strada and the Church always kept the records of it to themselves when possible.

The actual Durandal was a sword that Kokabiel knew, a little different in some places and a darker shade of blue that his eyes could notice but most humans couldn't. Compared to its original and more known form of a classic European sword, Durandal was practically a different blade altogether except for those familiar with its power.

'He whispered the name after just a glance… that should be impossible.' Something was fishy for Kokabiel and that intrigued him so much he was willing to give the redhead time to prepare. 'After all it would be impolite to rush the fight which will define the Fate of the world.'

Once that Shirou was done and began to approach the battlefield alone, Kokabiel fixed his grip on Akeno for more comfort and lowered himself just enough to try and take a closer look at the magus.

"Finally done wasting our time, Red?" Freed couldn't hold back the contempt on his voice.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting." Sarcasm rolled off Shirou's tongue and Kokabiel chuckled at how Freed looked upset. "I had to deal with some things, you know. Like not giving you the chance to get a drop on us or anything."

Swing the Fused Sword to the side to then hold them with his two hands, Freed looked annoyed. "I barely know you but you are always ruining my parade."

Spreading his feet apart with his right foot on the front, Shirou held his sword high with one hand in the blade and another closer to the tip aiming for Freed's heart. "And I will do it again, this time for good."

"Party pooper." Freed said with a glare.

"I will gladly be one when your party is about killing people." Shirou looked calm but Freed could tell he was upset as well.

"Is this still about that blonde chick? Get over it already man… I was her first but she is still around." The white haired man taunted with a smile to push Shirou to attack.

The magus didn't fall for the bait and slowly mana began to cover Muramasa. "You must be really desperate to force a woman like that."

"Bah, I just hate blondes." Freed started with a glare. "Starting to hate redheads too. I-"

"Hatred from someone like you is a compliment." Shirou spoke quickly to interrupt Freed and frustrate him and while it worked the Mad Exorcist kept his cool as well.

"Keh. Are you sure you can waste your time like this, young man?" Valper asked with a grandfatherly smile. "You may not have realized it yet but your time is running out. In twenty minutes the magic circle connected to Excalibur will start a chain reaction that will destroy your precious town." He then chuckled. "Not that you can do much to stop it."

"Valper Galilei, I presume." Without taking his eyes off Freed, Shirou spoke with scorn while the old man just smiled. "You not only used the ley line to fuse the Fragments but also kept them connected to make it easier for them to affect the area."

"Quite ingenious, don't you think? Since reforging the original sword was impossible, using alchemy and a proper magic circle was the way to move forward. If only those fools could see it now, Excalibur has revived and will soon be complete." His eyes landed in the sword at Irina's side, greed without measure shining behind them. "Of course a huge quantity of mana was necessary to compensate for the missing Fragments but the ritual went on perfectly and as a bonus we now control this area completely."

If Shirou wasn't sure he hated the Archbishop of Genocide before he was certain now. Not only his actions were beyond unforgivable but Valper's words disgusted the magus without end to the point he wanted to stab the old man.

Also that the old man loved the sound of his own voice didn't help matters. "Connecting it with the ley line may have a side effect right now but it was said that Excalibur powered Camelot itself. It isn't a stretch to believe that once the sword is completed a length ritual will be unnecessary for it to dominate a terrain." Valper felt his mouth water with the possibilities that a complete Excalibur could open to him. "Yes, this was the ideal way of reviving Excalibur and the best thing I ever did in my life, a true work of art. Even missing parts of its power it can already properly execute all of its functions. Unsurprisingly since Mimic also helped in its rebirth, almost as if Excalibur itself wanted to be reforged this way."

Those actually made Shirou chuckle. "You put a punch of different pieces together and stick them with glue and call that a 'good job'. Talk about an amateur."

Out of the reverie of his success, a shocked Valper glared at Shirou. "What did you say?"

"You heard me, that sword is a shod job at best, an abomination at worst." The smile on the redhead irritated the excommunicated priest but he wasn't done. "Calling it a 'work of art' is not only an exaggeration but the worst lie I ever heard in my life."

"Who do you think you are, brat? Who are you to criticize my work? I, who succeeded where those fools from the Church failed despite having the means for years, all because they refused to make the proper sacrifices-"

"The fact that you needed to make sacrifices in the first place shows how much of a poor smith you are, especially since the sacrifices are not your own." Shirou cut Valper off so fast that the old man looked shocked. "You speak about sacrifices but in reality you sacrificed nothing of your own and just took a shortcut for the path of less resistance by instead of risking yourself risking a whole town in your place."

"It was the only way! A sacrifice was required!" Valper looked ready to explode before clearing his throat and glare at Shirou. "My research was flawless, every possible avenue for the revival of Excalibur was thoroughly explored and by starting with the accumulation of Light and its use." He turned to look at Irina. "In the end that only worked to bring about Holy Sword users but neither truly came close to the real thing," he turned to Xenovia, "a failure in every sense for not even the Light of hundreds of billions of humans would be enough to reforge Excalibur. Not that there were ever enough people with it in the first place."

The old man looked at his hands with pride and some mania before raising them to the skies. Everyone except Shirou and Freed saw the expression on Valper's face and Kiba wished he could kill the man with a look.

"Excalibur was a sword empowered by God so a similar power was needed! Only the strongest ley lines could do it but only under my control and my guidance! No one else could do it! ONLY I WHO REACHED THE REALM OF GOD!"

Silence descended on the area besides whispers inside Blood Fort Andromeda where Rias and Asia worked to calm Kiba down. Besides the barrier Xenovia and Irina glared at Valper for his blasphemy.

"Tsk." Shirou tried to hold himself back but he almost cracked. 'I need to be careful. Freed almost jumped at me there.'

But that small snicker was enough for Valper. "Did you just laugh at me? The man who reached the realm of God?!"

Since he asked, Shirou was happy to reply. "You really think too much about yourself for someone who barely got the job done."

"You…" Valper's tone carried a hatred he didn't know he had. Not even when he was excommunicated and his research stolen did the man feel so much of that emotion in his being. "A little brat barely out of his diapers. What do you know about my research or Excalibur?"

"A little bit of this, a little bit of that." Shirou replied with a chuckle before his face turned serious. "What I know for sure is that your work is a failure because you don't understand Excalibur."

"I don't understand Excalibur? I?" Valper questioned in disbelief, anger mostly forgotten. "Just a child pretending to be an adult."

"Better than an old man who thinks he got close to God only to butcher the work." Shirou wanted his next words to hurt. "After all, it wasn't like God needed a ley line or a half baked ritual to make the sword in the first place."

"'Half baked'-"

"That is all this is. A half baked spell that puts a whole town at risk just because of the ambitions of a lazy old man."

"Lazy-!"

"Because instead of doing the work and trying to find a proper solution he had gone straight to killing children and risking the lives of anyone else but himself." Shirou was loving the fury on Valper's face as every insult was as sharp as his sword. "Only to end with a half cooked product that doesn't even come close to the original."

"Shut up! My Excalibur is as great as the original! No! Greater for it will keep growing in power! Especially when we add the last two Excaliburs!" Valper was starting to lose himself in anger. "Freed! Kill this vermin!"

But Freed remained calm and controlled, something that impressed Shirou about someone who was supposedly a Mad Exorcist. He decided to keep up the pressure. "I bet that was the only way you actually found to make the spell work, by sticking it into the ley line like the wrong kind of bolt."

"It was a necessity! The only way for the spell to work!" Valper unleashed his anger and frustration out. "Holy Energy isn't like pure mana but mana was the only energy I had! This was the only way! A way for me to reach God!"

"The moment that you considered a method like that, you had already failed." Shirou said dismissively like if Valper was an insect bothering his sight. "Want to know what I think? I think you figured out there was no way for someone like you to truly fix the sword legitimately and took the easiest solution possible to pretend that you fixed it."

"Excalibur is fixed!"

"A lump of malformed metal can't be Excalibur." Shirou chuckled with amusement at how offended the Archbishop of Genocide looked. He moved his head towards Kokabiel and he was sure Freed moved a little in his direction. "Then Kokabiel came and your little ritual fell perfectly with his scheme; a destructive ritual to revive a sword that never would be even half as good as the original. Not a threat either since he didn't mind giving it away. I bet without the connection to the ley line it will be impossible for it to ever make a Sanctuary again once this one ends."

'Right on the mark!' Kokabiel knew no one was looking at him but made sure his face was stoic and not showing his excitement.

Valper was getting more and more furious. "Hey, Xenovia, is he right?" And it got worse when Irina asked the question.

"How am I supposed to know?" The bluehead Exorcist asked back.

"You are the one who owns a Holy Sword?" Ise offered with a shrug.

"QUESTIONED BY CHILDREN! HOW ANY OF YOU DARE TO CHALLENGE MY WORK!" Valper finally lost his patience. "FREED! KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!" The white haired man doesn't move from his posture but what everyone except Valper could see was that he had a smile on his face.

'Valper is truly a fool.' Kokabiel thought with amusement as he watched the old man rage. 'Both are trying to provoke the other into committing first or making a mistake and Freed isn't going to listen to Valper in this case.'

Freed may be known as the Mad Exorcist but his instincts as a warrior were sharp and thanks to his previous skirmish with Shirou he knew that the redhead was dangerous. The extra time also helped Freed get acquiesced with the Fused Sword power as he felt the Holy Aura in every pore of his body.

That was why Shirou wasn't attacking just yet, he could tell that Freed was ready for anything and needed a distraction to try and finish the fight before the Mad Exorcist grew too used to the power.

If the Fused Sword didn't have Mimic then Shirou was sure he could have attacked already but with it then he knew that until he covered all the distance between then he was the one open.

'I could also try and destroy it. A shot from Caladbolg could get the job done easily.' But the smell of the Sanctuary's mana gave him pause. 'The problem is that if I just break it then the mana flowing to the sword is going to need to go somewhere. The best option I have is to get the sword and undo the magic circle… somehow.'

"KILL HIM! ARE YOU HEARING ME FREED! I GAVE YOU EXCALIBUR AND I DEMAND YOU TO KILL HIM!"

"Of course I can hear ya! I'm not deaf!" Freed promptly shouted back, his own patience also on its limit. "Now shut up and let me do my thing!" Despite that he didn't move but he noticed that Shirou had advanced a single step in his direction. "Shit."

That was the stalemate between the two swordsmen, both knowing that their weapons were too dangerous to allow any unnecessary moves. They waited for an opening, a chance to kill their opponent.

For both of them the silence that followed felt like an eternity in just a couple of seconds but Shirou remained calm and Freed kept working on figuring Excalibur's aura out. They knew that Shirou was most likely the one who needed to make the first move, time was running out and Fuyuki had only twenty minutes before catastrophe befell the city.

While watching two warriors studying each other was an art in and of itself Kokabiel wanted more from this confrontation. The fallen angel was enjoying the show and while he needed the town destroyed he also wanted to see a fight, a proper fight to mark the end of an Age and the beginning of a war.

'It would be boring if the war started because time ran out.' Kokabiel made his decision to intervene. "How do you two know each other again?" He turned to Shirou. "Freed seems to have an unhealthy deal of hatred for you."

"Because he keeps cockblocking me from getting chicks!" Freed complained. "Fucking Red and his fucking arriving at the last second."

"You were the one that wanted to make Luvia suffer." Shirou spoke with murder but Kokabiel was focused in something else.

"Wait a moment; Freed, it cannot be that you don't know the name of your opponent." The fallen angel glared at his subordinate. "Do you?"

Despite having the Fused Fragments, the Sanctuary and feeling more powerful than ever before, Freed still felt a great dose of fear. "Ehh… Red?"

"No, my name is not 'Red'." Shirou wanted to try and play Kokabiel against his men but with Sanctuary active the magus knew it was useless.

"Then that needs to be corrected. Immediately." Kokabiel ordered but neither moved.

"Do you expect me to shake hands with him or something?" Shirou asked as seriously as he could.

After scoffing, Kokabiel replied. "Of course not. There is too much bad blood between you two already and even a blind man can see it." He still wanted something to give more value to the occasion. "Your names will suffice. After all, actors on the show should know each other for the sake of the production. Introduce yourselves."

"This bastard… he really sees all of this as a game." Rias spoke between gritted teeth.

"Not a game, a play." Sona corrected. "Kokabiel wants to continue the Great War but he wants it to end not only with the Grigori's victory but also that it can be told as a heroic tale with us as the protagonists."

Ryuudou Issei felt sick after hearing the explanation. "That is… disgusting. He doesn't even care how many will die."

"If his plan works then most likely everyone else but the fallen angels will suffer devastating losses." Rias hated that Shirou was outside fighting alone but while Blessing was influencing the terrain there was nothing they could do.

"So we are just props?" Momo asked, devoid of hope and both Kings didn't know how to respond without making things worse.

"We are 'actors'." Irina commented. She was using EM to heal herself but it was slow as she had little practice with mana. "All because a megalomaniac wants his war to finish his way."

Rias found it an apt metaphor. "We can only count on Shiro to win this."

"But time is running out." Xenovia admitted as her eyes were glued on the 'fight' as she waited for a chance to strike. 'Emiya is patient but Freed isn't going to give an opening. He needs to make one.'

Even though Kokabiel wanted a show it was clear that Freed didn't want to indulge him, the Exorcist too focused on Shirou and the Fused Sword. The redhead could see that while the Mad Exorcist had the advantage of waiting and could play defensive he clearly didn't have the discipline for it.

Shirou saw an opportunity there, a chance to have Freed drop his guard even if just for a moment. "Him first." All he had to do was make sure things swing in his favor.

"You know my name already!" Freed complained again. He just wanted Shirou dead but the magus was being too careful for his tastes.

"Freed, play nice and introduce yourself." Kokabiel was just happy that Shirou was willing to play the part. "You both are about to partake in the last fight of an Age. It is only polite if you two know each other or the story will lose its meaning."

"Tch." Freed was aware that without Sanctuary, Kokabiel could burn him alive faster than he could beg for mercy. He would live while the ley line held but that wouldn't be for long. "Fine. I'm Freed Sellzan-sama and you better be ready to die."

"You really wanted to do more there, didn't you?" Shirou asked with a small smile that had Kokabiel laughing.

Freed wasn't going to fall for the bait. "So what?" He then offered Shirou a savage grin. "Can't do that with someone looking ready to turn me into minced meat, can I?"

"No, go ahead. I promise to wait for your performance."

"Ha! That is a lie and a half right there." Freed almost really laughed and broke his guard. Almost. "Not with that much bloodlust in your eyes. Still mad about the blonde?"

"Absolutely livid." Shirou admitted but didn't advance. He was losing his chance to catch Freed off guard and will need to start attacking soon if something doesn't change.

Kokabiel controlled his laugh and interrupted again. "Then introduce yourself, Magician of Gremory." He spoke with the same tone he used on the phone call.

"Emiya Shirou." He began to prepare for his charge despite not finding any openings.

But then Freed surprised him. "Emiya? Anything to do with the Magus Killer?"

Admiration, that was the first time Shirou heard it in Freed's tone. That was his last chance. "Emiya Kiritsugu is my father."

Surprise, disbelief and shock flew by the man's face. "What?!" But Freed believed him and the lapse on his defenses was real.

There was no time to think for Shirou, he just leaped at his target with all the mana and Touki he could muster. Muramasa was still pointing at the Mad Exorcist's heart and Shirou was sure he was moving too fast for any human to react, enhanced or not.

Gold met steel as the redhead found himself in a struggle against Freed, his attack having failed. "For real? You aren't pulling my leg, are you?"

"I am not." Shirou pushed with his sword to try and cut Freed's side but Holy Aura covered the older man and he forced the magus back. Recovering his footing, Shirou strikes again, fully committing to the offensive.

Multiple stabs flew at Freed's chest but he moved just as fast as Shirou and blocked them all. Worse for the redhead, the Mad Exorcist was faster than he expected and he felt Muramasa shake in an uncomfortable way.

After a couple more strikes Shirou aimed for a swing on Freed's left and the white haired man moved to defend. However instead of parrying the blow away they ended up locked into another struggle as Freed kept up with his rhythm.

"Are you sure you are the Magus Killer's son? You fight nothing like him." The Aura finally diminished and Freed jumped back as Shirou became the stronger of the two.

Before the redhead could pursue the golden sword grew in size and he had to block another hit. Distance meant nothing for Freed who had Mimic's power to fall back on and the sword shrunk just enough to disengage from Muramasa and aim for Shirou's leg.

It was fast but not as fast when the aura was around and Shirou managed to block the strike and keep the blade down as he charged with Muramasa. He wasn't surprised when the Fused Sword shrunk again just in time to block a strike at Freed's neck. Then the golden aura returned way faster than he expected.

Backed by the sword's power, Freed counter attacked three times before pushing Muramasa down. 'He is faster than when he was fighting Xenovia.' The information he got from the sword didn't match but Shirou kept up with the Mad Exorcist, adapting to his new power.

"Really, nothing like him at all." Freed commented as he kept the swords against each other and forced Shirou to take a step back. "But your style of clothing matches his a little."

That comment was unexpected. "You know my father?" Shirou thought that if Kiritsugu ever met Freed the stray priest would be five feet underground in less than a minute.

"Oh no. That would be an honor… Even if one of us wouldn't leave the place alive." Despite holding Shirou back, Freed seemed nonchalant more than anything. "I'm his biggest fan!"

At the last word more aura poured from the Fused Fragments and Muramasa broke in an explosion of metal.

None of the fighters let the destruction of the blade distract them as Freed moved to cut Shirou's torso and the redhead jumped back. "Hey! Maybe he will come to kill me after I kill you!" Freed chased to thrust into Shirou's chest but Emiya dodged to the side and made another sword to block the follow up strike. It wasn't a Noble Phantasm and broke upon contact. "Maybe I can get an autograph before that fight!"

Using what was left of Muramasa's handle, Shirou began to create a new blade as he dodged another blow that still brushed his arm for a small cut. 'The aura is lasting longer.' He thought while ducking into another swipe to stab Freed with what was left of his katana but the Mad Exorcist moved back and tried to cut his head. Fortunately for Shirou he was ready. "Wyvern Muramasa."

A pure white katana stopped the golden sword and Freed frowned as the golden aura disappeared. "Not like him at all."

"I am adopted." Shirou joked as he pushed back against Freed again and aimed for the white haired man's legs before the stray Exorcist got away. "Trace on."

A few swords showed up above Freed. "This again?" And the man banished them all away easily with his own before his hand moved to his back to pull out a gun and open fire. Shirou brought his sword back and blocked them all with Muramasa before trying to counter, only for another shot to almost land in his eye. "Nice." Nevertheless Freed was impressed.

He kept shooting and Shirou kept blocking and cutting the bullets until Freed ran out of ammo and threw the gun at the magus only for it to be cut in half. It was a distraction, another second that Shirou couldn't use. Enough time for the aura to come back and the Fused Fragments extend to hit Muramasa and push the magus even further back.

For a second Shirou thought that the Noble Phantasm would break again but it held on even as the Fused Sword began to bend like a whip. Another strike came for his head but when the magus blocked it he felt himself pushed forward as the blade moved to stab his back in an impossible maneuver for any other sword.

However, while the shroud failed to protect him the same couldn't be said by his armor as Shirou took a step forward because of the impact but it didn't touch his skin. Instead of being wounded, Shirou used the change of momentum to charge at Freed again.

'I can't give him time to figure out anything else about that thing.' Shirou recognized that the safe approach was a mistake. Freed was too talented and was figuring out the ins and outs of his sword faster than the redhead could keep up.

So he changed from 'trying to find an opening' to 'force an opening and finish the fast as quickly as possible'.

But he couldn't reach Freed who was keeping his distance and using his malleable sword to make a wave of metal to push him back before using it like Irina and have the tip grow and shrink to keep the magus at bay.

Shirou blocked every attack that came his way while noting that the aura was still going even after a full minute. Skipping to the side before charging again he counted on Freed aiming for his upper body and used Muramasa to protect his head as he knew his armor could survive a couple of hits.

He didn't expect to lose his balance and be thrown back one a fast stab hit his chest but recovered quickly. Ignoring the pain he kept moving as the aura finally left Freed, using Touki to accelerate even more and reaching the Mad Exorcist. This time the older man failed to react to the sudden change of Shirou's speed and Muramasa took a bite on his shoulder.

It was a superficial wound and they both knew it as the Fused Sword pushed the magus back again. This time however Shirou was more prepared as knives were already Traced on his left hand. He threw them and Freed moved to cut them mid air only for them to suddenly catch fire and blow up at touching his sword.

"Argh!" Freed's whole body caught fire and the man began to swing his sword around in fury. "You bastard!" Shirou said nothing as the man kept burning as a funeral pyre, the flames growing more intense as the fire fed from his body and clothes. "I will- I will-"

It looked like Freed was about to give in.

"Just kidding~" Faster than Shirou could react, the golden sword grew and stabbed him in the midriff.

His armor was barely enough to hold the blow off but Shirou still flew back as he felt blood from the small wound. "Shit." He looked back at the flames just in time to block another blow as he noticed it had no smell. "An illusion."

"Nightmare~ Hahahaha!" The fire disappeared and Freed looked no worse for wear with the Holy Aura covering his body. "Nice trick with the fire but you need a stronger one!"

Several blows were thrown in Shirou's direction but he paired all of them, paying more attention to the tip of the golden sword. Then things got more complicated when he saw two weapons and found no choice but to roll to the side as one sword made a hole on the ground while the other did nothing.

Another illusion that showed to all that Freed was getting better at using the Fused Sword but he gave no time for Shirou to process it. He just charged again against the magus and Muramasa once again deflected a distant blow as the sword grew in length to attack the redhead consecutively.

With the fight properly going Freed didn't want it to stop, his bloodlust was in full display as the golden aura kept going for longer than before. There was no way for Shirou to properly time it anymore as it wasn't about the weapon itself but Freed's maestry and the man was growing more used to it by the second.

Then he vanished and Shirou immediately knew why. "Transparency." Getting up, the magus began to look around for any trace of the Mad Exorcist and found none.

"Where did he go?" Saji asked in a panic and Xenovia grit her teeth hard.

So hard that Irina managed to reply before her, looking quite upset. "He is using Excalibur Transparency power to stay invisible."

"You guys had one of those?" Ise was panicking a little.

Rias didn't blame him. "Usually it would be one of the weakest but now…" Combined with the other Fragments and with far more power than before, Transparency grew from a minor threat to a huge one. "You need to help him."

Xenovia agreed but didn't move. "Freed may be coming in this direction." Durandal stood ready and, much like Shirou, she was looking for any signs that the man was coming her way.

Rias wanted to complain more but Sona stopped her. "She is right, Rias." She was managing to keep her calm as she tended to Tsubaki. "At this point we can just…"

"I know…" Neither pureblood liked their present situation.

Reinforcing his ears Shirou tried to listen to any signs of Freed but besides a few gusts of wind he couldn't get anything. Not even his nose could detect the man as the whole air was saturated with the Fused Fragments' mana because of Sanctuary. Then he suddenly turned back to take a swing as he was sure Freed was there.

"I am here~" Only for Freed's voice to come from the other side but instead of turning Shirou leaped away and saw something stab the ground where he was. "At least you seem competent enough to be the Magus Killer's son."

"You said you were a fan, right?" Shirou tried to keep the Mad Exorcist talking to give him his location. "Why? He usually kills people like you." Mana flowed into Muramasa as Shirou began to work on changing it.

"I know but I can't help it." The voice was on another side allready and Shirou noticed that there was no attempt to extend the sword since Freed turned invisible. "It was during my days in the Church, I walked into a scene that your father worked on and I have to say; that man is an artist." He whistled to show his appreciation. "Thirty and five people dead as they could be, no windows or entrances besides a single door in an underground bunker. There was a lot of blood and bullets but signs pointed that no one had even time to react so every shot was only from the Magus Killer himself. Do you know what that means?"

Shirou knew what he meant but he hated how the man laughed, enjoying telling the story he was so fond of.

"It means your old man walked in, killed everyone before they could barely register he was there and then walked out. All without a scratch. And that place was not even that riddled with bullets, just enough to take everybody down." The Mad Exorcist giggled as he voice kept moving around. "Just enough to neutralize the more annoying ones and take them all at his convenience. There was only one entrance and the hallway had cameras, cameras that never caught him getting in. How did he do that?"

By the excitement in Freed's tone he was really a fan of Kiritsugu's work. It was like the man wasn't talking about a murder scene but instead about a canvas painted by a master.

"He probably was already there waiting and created an emergency to force everybody in the bunker." There was a shift on the ground in the area Shirou was looking at, like someone had made a sudden stop from pacing and left a footprint on the earth.

"What?" The voice sounded fearful.

"Yeah, kinda his MO really; attract the target to a previously prepared or known location or be waiting where they will show up for a reason or another." Shirou shrugged his shoulders but most of his focus was on the sword in his hand. Muramasa was now light green. "Considering the setting I would say he made preparations for a distraction on one side and sat down and waited on the bunker on the opposite one. If everyone went inside in a hurry then they would barely notice he was there."

For a second Freed didn't say anything. "Did you- did you just ruin that for me?" Above them, Kokabiel began to laugh out loud." You son of a bitch!"

Shirou was sure Freed was attacking when he shouted. "Wind Muramasa!"

The invisible man reacted by stopping his rush and raising his sword defensively. By the name of the sword he expected a mighty gust of wind.

It was a strong one but nothing really impressive since that was Shirou's first time creating a Muramasa of that element. He barely felt it messing with his coat and his glare returned, not that anyone could see it, to Shirou as he charged again.

Freed was going for an overhead strike to cut Shirou's head off but found himself surprised at Muramasa which was aiming for his chest. He still had Rapidly's base speed and managed to avoid the blow but not without the sword cutting his chest a little.

"Got you!" Shirou announced as he turned his sword in the direction he saw Freed was moving to, much to the white haired man's surprise as the Fused Fragments clashed with Muramasa again.

Now that he was certain of Freed's location Shirou restarted his offensive as more wind was kicked around them. Five fast slashes were thrown in Freed's general direction as Shirou still couldn't see the man but he needed to keep pressing. He threw two stabs, one that was blocked by the golden sword as he heard the sound of metal colliding and another which took some more blood as Muramasa's tip grew red.

Freed was still invisible and the only way Shirou could stay alive was throwing his defense away completely to not give the Mad Exorcist a chance of counter attack. Even if he did, Shirou trusted his armor to keep him alive, an advantage that Freed didn't have as he was forced more and more on the defensive.

What really gave Shirou a huge advantage was that Freed was confused by how the redhead was finding him. Suspecting some kind of foul play he retreated as fast as he could, hoping it was something to do with the area and not the man himself.

Shirou surprised him and everyone watching by following right behind as his sword clashed with the Fused Fragments again. Not knowing where he was aiming, Shirou began to swing in that general direction again and again, as fast as he could. His eyes were not paying attention to Freed but the area around them.

Took a few seconds for Freed to figure that Shirou wasn't really looking at him. "Motherfucker!" He cursed as Transparency ability fell and he became visible again. Golden aura covered him as he took a swing at Shirou's eyes. "Die!"

But Shirou ignored the sword as dust passed right through it and instead he took a swing to the side and felt Muramasa hit something.

Transparency truly fell as Freed was revealed with a wound to his side as Muramasa was deep on the man's body, just shy of cutting his spine. The illusion disappeared and a real golden aura surrounded the man as he took his own swing at Shirou's head.

Ducking under the attack, Shirou tried to keep pushing but then Freed proved himself worthy of his moniker of Mad Exorcist as he jumped back with the sword still on his gut. The man let the weapon out from the same way it had gone inside but the damage was already done, several of his organs were cut apart and his body looked to barely be holding itself.

Had Muramasa been in its normal state or even made of bone then he would have fully cleaved the man in half. The attack would even be fatal if Shirou had used any other element he was more used to. However, that was his first time using a wind element version of the katana and he failed to compensate for the new edge during its creation.

That didn't stop Shirou from charging again to finish the fight. "Freed, use Blessing's power! Don't let him get one over you!"

"I know that old man!" Freed replied with fury as the golden sword grew towards Shirou but he just dodged to the side, knowing that with a wound like that his opponent wouldn't be able to react.

He underestimated Freed's imagination as the sword bent itself on his way and grew taller like a wall.

Before he could collide with the sudden obstacle, Shirou used Muramasa's wind to slow down before stopping himself with his foot as the wall moved and transformed again. He saw how it turned back into a sword and did a backflip to avoid it from cutting his legs.

All the while golden aura surrounded Freed and unlike before he looked calm as the Holy Energy entered his wound. In a second the blood began to slow down, organs reformed and flesh grew back as he was fully restored by the sword's power.

In the time that took for Shirou to land from his dodge, Freed was once again unharmed and began to giggle as he touched the area of the cut once was. The wound was gone and now there was just dry blood on his clothes and unblemished skin.

"Like a baby's~ Hahahaha!"

"See?! Do you see my genius, you worm?!" By the way Valper was laughing it was like he was the one who was healed from a fatal wound by a magic sword. "High speed regeneration, an ability that Humanity shouldn't have. But now that Excalibur is reborn through my genius we can have access to it, all thanks to my research! Excalibur, the perfect sword!" He laughed more and raised his arms above his head. "It is all thanks to my research! With it Excalibur became greater than it ever was! No longer Avalon is needed to heal the user of the sword, Excalibur can keep them alive on its own-"

'Can't this guy shut up?' Shirou gritted his teeth and focused on tuning Valper out as he tried to piece the facts together. 'That was… actually the most natural thing that sword ever did since it was remade.' Which admittedly confused the magus.

Others in the area formed their own conclusions. "He is using the ley line and the sword as a filter." Rias commented between gritted teeth. "That is the only explanation."

"Couldn't Excalibur Blessing naturally heal wounds?" Kiba asked with a frown but Irina shook her head.

"It wasn't strong enough to do it and lacked focus. Add that too much Holy Energy was considered toxic in the first place." She glanced at Asia shily before looking at EM. "That is why Twilight Healing was always so prized."

"That is not just some Holy Energy." Medusa commented as none could feel the powers in the area as she could. "There is something wrong with it. Something out of place… Like food that wasn't well preserved or something."

"Rooten?" Ruruko offered and the goddess nodded.

Ise shook his head. "Freed doesn't look like he is going to be sick any time soon."

"But she is right." Xenovia commented, Durandal was still ready as eyes never left Shirou and Freed. "Compared to all other Holy Swords there is something right and wrong with that… thing Valper is calling Excalibur."

She hated that she couldn't piece together what but when comparing with Durandal, Xenovia was sure that whatever Valper had done couldn't be good.

But it was Sona who delivered the worst news. "It doesn't matter what you guys are feeling, the fact is that he is using Fuyuki's ley line to heal himself, do you understand what that means?" Most did, some didn't "While not something impossible as both Rias and I are usually slightly connected to the ley line, because of the ritual Freed's connection is running much deeper which is giving him access to all the mana of the city. Usually those without training or proper preparations end up turning into monsters or blobs of flesh because of the power intake."

Rias remembered the only devil she saw that suffered from that condition; the Hamelin's Flutist. "Only those really prepared or with Senjutsu training, in a proper location to both, should have access to this type of power."

"As a human, Freed should be blowing up because of how much mana he is taking in, especially a quantity that can just heal an otherwise fatal wound in seconds." Sona was sure the Mad Exorcist wasn't taking in the power directly, the sword was and it was the only thing keeping him going. Didn't change the whole equation considering how much power the weapon was helping its owner and sustaining the Sanctuary. "That means that he can practically heal forever with the mana he has at his disposition and if Excalibur makes that free of consequence-"

"Shiro will win." Rias didn't allow Sona to say otherwise and the short haired pureblood just nodded in agreement even if her eyes were full of doubt. The redhead ignored her friend, eyes focused on her lover as he began to move. "It doesn't matter that Freed has all the mana of Fuyuki itself, Shiro will win."

Back on the battlefield Shirou didn't wait for Freed to focus back on him. 'He isn't an abomination so his brain is still in his head. Since he can heal I need to cut it off… or his hand.' Obviously it was the sword that was healing Freed so if Shirou could separate him from it then victory would be his.

Only that Freed's grip on his sword was tighter than ever and he was paying enough attention to Shirou to see when the redhead began to move again. The white haired man was far more confident than before and moved to meet him directly as Shirou traced three of his knives and threw them at Freed.

Not that the man reacted, he let the knives hit his shoulder and chest without putting a defense. More blood began to seep out on his clothes but the golden aura covered him again and the knives were crushed into just mana before Shirou's eyes.

The redhead saw Freed's excitement and suddenly skipped to the side as the Fused Fragments moved to cut him in half.

Seeing an opening Shirou moved to cut Freed's neck but the older man didn't care, he moved his neck just enough for Muramasa to cut his Adam's apple but the edge was on the wrong side and the magus was open when the Fused Excalibur hit his abdomen.

"Die!" Freed laughed more as the golden sword extended and Shirou was pushed back as the blade tried and little by little began to pierce the black armor mid air.

The redhead didn't try to stop his momentum immediately, that would have made things worse and easier for the sword to skew him alive. Instead he allowed himself to fly a couple of meters before kicking the ground with a single foot and separated himself from the sword with a spin.

Sliding a couple of feet because of how fast the sword pushed him, the redhead needed a moment to balance himself. Structural Analysis told Shirou that his armor was slightly damaged but was already fixing itself as well, a safety layer he was grateful to have as he would already be dead without it.

Unfortunately for Shirou he had little time to recover as he ducked when the Fused Excalibur made a pass to hit him again before completely returning to an amused Freed who had a hand on his neck for an instant before taking it out to show more of the sword's aura going into it.

Already Freed's neck had healed, barely any blood left him and the Mad Exorcist looked thrilled. "I am immortal, motherfucker!" The sword extended again in Shirou's direction but the redhead was prepared and jumped to the side to let it pass safely.

'Faster than Irina's but the speed doesn't change.' Shirou was already learning the limits of the sword as he realized how to dodge the blade, not needing to parry it anymore.

He dodged six more times as he made his bow on his left hand and as he landed after the last dodge he positioned himself from a crouch as Wind Muramasa was altered into an arrow and let loose, aiming for Freed's head.

Already the effects of the sword showed themselves as there was no wind resistance, Shirou's shot becoming twice as fast than the usual. Freed still noticed the shot and moved his sword to take a swing at the arrow mid air, trying to do a similar feat Shirou did with the bullets.

However Wind Muramasa wasn't a simple bullet, it was a Noble Phantasm that Shirou overcharged with mana and when it hit the sword it exploded.

'Destroying that sword is a bad idea but I doubt that it will break that easily.' Through Shirou as he prepared another sword.

Already the golden sword was extending out of the smoke in his direction and Shirou dodged it again as he shot his next arrow. This time Freed, who was covered with aura and whose clothes were slightly burnt because of the explosion, didn't challenge it. He began to run to the left and rolled when the sword blew up behind him but the golden sword wasn't bothered by the moves of its owner.

The Mad Exorcist wasn't even allowing the aura to go away anymore as it kept going constantly without diminishing. In his mind he needed not to fear exhaustion or consequence as his weapon could heal him from anything.

Flawlessly the sword kept pursuing Shirou, this time not even retreating and chasing after him while the magus shot more arrows in Freed's direction. He shot three more times but Freed was having an easier time to dodge as the arrows had a bigger distance to cover while his sword kept aiming for Shirou's head.

It was a bizarre thing for all watching as it looked like Shirou was being chased by a flying gold snake. It was making all kinds of maneuvers to keep up with him but the redhead didn't turn back or give it any more attention. He focused on running from the sword he knew it was after him and in shooting Freed who also kept dodging any of the redhead's shots.

'Freed's Exorcist training really is helping him out there.' Kokabiel mused as he held Akeno with one hand. While she wasn't as comfortable as she would be if he used his two hands, he was feeling uncomfortable after holding her for some time. 'He knows that most who regenerate weakness is the head so he is protecting his perfectly.'

And every shot Shirou was making was fatal, the swords not only were extremely sharp but also exploded either by impact or command, the fallen angel wasn't sure which.

But Kokabiel noted they were mostly all the same sword, the same Noble Phantasm. "A sword like that…" He watched as Shirou made another one and shot it in a hurry. He was sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. "He is creating Noble Phantasms out of his own mana?"

While Kokabiel tried to piece together what Shirou was, two minutes had passed since the ranged fight began and it was only a matter of time before one of them made a mistake.

Because of their weapons Freed had the advantage; his sword barely needed any input and it was constantly pursuing Shirou whose rate of fire couldn't compete with a relentless hunter.

There was also the terrain which was damaged because of the constant fights. It was now too uneven and full of holes that Shirou also had to maneuver while dodging the gold sword. He did his best and paid attention to his surroundings but because he couldn't stop attacking and make things easier for Freed he ended up taking a misstep into a small hole.

Barely having time to think, Shirou stopped tracing another sword to use his free hand to push himself to the side and avoid the Fused Fragments. He couldn't let the stumble slow him down but it was inevitable as he couldn't just keep the rhythm going with just a hand.

He couldn't fly and because of that the golden sword pierced his left arm right through the biceps as Shirou at least managed to save his head.

Rolling around, Shirou pulled the sword off his arm but couldn't hold his bow anymore. He ignored the shouts of his friends or Xenovia who raced in his direction as he had a huge problem as the Fused Fragments bent and turned again, aiming for his head.

There was no time to blink, no time to think. Shirou had to move fast, he needed a sword that could survive the golden weapon but knew Muramasa wouldn't do it.

In desperation he still called for a sword, any sword, barely forming an image on his mind. It would be a Muramasa again but there was the basic one, a weapon that while exceptional already broke under his enemy.

Then the image changed, not out of his own volition as suddenly Shirou's mind focused not on a sword but an animal; a pegasus.

There was no conscious thought process or anything similar, the image appeared, his circuits reacted and the process of Tracing began. Instinctively Shirou took a swing with a new sword that began to form and it successfully bashed away the Fused Fragments without breaking.

Shirou was still in danger as Freed was free to focus on him more, Mimic's power making the sword curve easily and extend itself more to take Shirou's neck.

But this time something was different as the sword on Shirou's hand began to react with his armor and a white glow began to emanate from him. 'I feel so light.'

Shirou felt the exhaustion of the day leave him as his body grew energized. He looked at the tip of the Fused Fragments and for the first time he felt he had time to study it.

To really react to it.

In a moment he was still crouched on the ground but in the next he had stood up and dodged the attack completely, much to everyone's shock as he moved much faster than before.

Still not understanding what was happening the magus easily dodged to the side as the sword tried to pierce him again, the light around him becoming a full fledged aura of power.

Then the white aura emanating from his armor began to take a shape as Shirou held Bakuya firmly in his hand. Freed even retreated his sword and watched in shock as a creature appeared to emerge from what it felt was a white fire covering his opponent.

"Another Noble Phantasm?!" Kokabiel was in shock, wonder and disbelief.

Many were in similar states, trying to decipher where the power and creature from it came from. With the exception of one.

The small goddess smile was gentle and proud. "You are still here, helping your hero when he needs it most."

For the aura emanating from Shirou was a proud pegasus displaying its fiery wings in all its glory. Beautiful and powerful, it shone like a beacon of light and hope before disappearing back into Shirou who seemed to be surrounded by its power even if the aura was gone.

Despite not seeing the aura himself, Shirou felt the changes within him, taking notice how his body felt much better than before and as the damages to his shroud and armor fixed themselves there was a reassurance that something, someone, was backing him up.

'This feeling…' He relished in it as it seemed to pulse with the beat of his heart.

Trying to make sense of what was happening, Shirou looked at the sword in his hand and admired the Noble Phantasm for a single second, still not understanding what was going on as it had no power to do what was doing.

But when the image of the pegasus returned to the forefront of his mind and he knew it was responsable in some way. "Heh, thanks for the rescue." He felt his armor pulse and realized that never before had he traced Bakuya with it. Touching the gem in its center, it seemed to pulse with the beat of his heart. "Looks like I still have a lot to learn about this. But now is not the time."

And Freed seemed to agree as the Fused Fragments grew in his direction again, tip aimed at his eye.

Before Shirou would have to rush to dodge but this time the golden sword was slower than before and he felt there was plenty of time for him to move. It didn't even take much, a single side step and the sword passed harmlessly by him.

He looked at Freed and saw the white haired man reacting at how Shirou moved and the redhead realized 'Ah, he didn't get slower, I got faster.' A smile made its way to the magus' lips and he leaped at Freed once again.

Immediately the Mad Exorcist commanded his weapon back in time to block the attack but this time Shirou was just a hair away from gutting him like a fish. Bakuya was stopped by the golden sword and Shirou took the offensive by pushing them to the side in a position to cut Freed's head off.

The white haired man jumped away as the hit landed on his shoulder, the Mad Exorcist looked surprised as he raised his weapon to defend himself on Bakuya's return, still aiming for his neck.

Sparks flew as Freed had to hold his sword firmly, struggling to keep it between Bakuya and himself. He tried to push back to get some space but Shirou's sword was already going for him again and the Mad Exorcist was forced to block.

Again, again, again and again Freed tried to disengage only for Shirou to still be attacking. 'Fast! Fast! Fast!' He began to step back, to retreat as fast as he could only to be pursued as Emiya wasn't giving him any breaks. 'So fast!'

Despite having the golden aura Freed couldn't get away as Shirou kept attacking but he didn't give up and kept retreating, always with Bakuya just a step away from taking his life.

Both began to move in a circle as the cat and mouse game kept going before the eyes of their audience, most barely keeping up with the fight. "Can any of you see anything?" Ise asked in disbelief only for his namesake to shake his head.

"That is just… too fast."

Tomoe, Sona's Knight, forced her sight. "I can barely keep up. Hey, Kiba-" She turned to Kiba but found that the blond was completely entranced in the fight.

"Shiro is winning." Rias commented with a smile.

No devil could understand what was happening until the fight slowed down when Shirou deflected the Fused Fragments to the side and punched Freed on the face. Both became blurs again but it lasted only a few seconds before Shirou delivered a knee to Freed's stomach, golden sword successfully pushing the white one away for a moment.

The moment didn't hold for long as Shirou had the advantage and moved it over to cut Freed's face only for the white haired man to panic and jump back. Changing his tactics the Mad Exorcist made his sword grow slightly, just enough to save himself Shirou as he moved for a stab. It saved Freed's life and allowed him to escape but only barely as he ran away in fear.

Shirou didn't waste time and began to pursue Freed who was trying to get as much distance as possible before turning around and commanding his sword to extend. That didn't phase the magus and he took a small step to the left before continuing to run towards his opponent.

The whole process between seconds and the Fused Fragments was already returning to its master at full speed. At that point Freed was beginning to realize that Mimic's power was slower than himself and tried to meet Shirou in the middle to cut the redhead down with his longer sword.

Both blades met and despite Shirou only using one hand while Freed was using both of his the redhead easily bashed the Fused Fragments up for an opening. With the sword out of its way for milliseconds Bakuya managed to connect on Freed's body close to his heart. Then Shirou pushed it up, not intending to risk if Freed could survive just having his heart stabbed.

His caution was proven correct as showed himself worthy of his moniker again by throwing his body to the side with the blade still inside him so it could exit by his shoulder. More blood and screams escaped the man and this time Shirou couldn't capitalize it as Bakuya was needed to defend against the descending golden sword.

It fell like a hammer but Bakuya didn't break and Shirou didn't retreat either, he could see the pain and rage on Freed's face and jumped inside his guard with every intention of thrusting Bakuya down the man's throat.

Only for Freed to suddenly become invisible and while Shirou felt his sword sliding from the golden one's body he missed his slash as the white haired man escaped.

Quickly the redhead assumed a defensive stance and looked for signs of his opponent. 'He may be getting better at using that thing but he just can't use all the Fragments' power at once. I am sure of it.' Shirou tried to detect Freed by smell again but with Sanctuary he couldn't feel the mana and his senses weren't good enough to separate his blood's smell from his opponent. 'Transparency but no Mimic, Rapidly with Mimic but it had slowed down when he added Nightmare. It has limits.'

Shirou smirked at the conclusion but it quickly disappeared as he failed to find Freed. The knowledge he had that the Mad Exorcist couldn't use all the powers was worthless if he could use it wisely.

Turning around after hearing something, Shirou paid attention to any blood spots on the ground. Even if Freed could heal he needed time and blood would be pouring during that time.

He found a small trail and leaped in that direction, Bakuya descending and opening another crater on Kuoh's grounds as he failed to find his target. Taking advantage of the dust around him, Shirou looked around for any disturbances close to himself while also checking on his friends.

After seeing the devils still safe behind the boundary field he also saw that Xenovia was a few steps closer to the fight, Durandal still ready on her hands. Her posture was far more aggressive than before and the meaning was clear; she is waiting for that opening.

Shirou will do his best to give her one. "You know I am starting to hate invisibility." He stood in the middle of the field looking far more relaxed even as his eyes kept going around. There was no reply. "What is wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Once again Freed said nothing and Shirou took another swing with Bakuya to kick up more dust. "You are way less chatty than before." He offered the most arrogant smirk that he could. "Are you afraid?"

Reinforcement allowed his ears to pick up a shift on the earth to his left and Shirou slowly turned to that side. He made some calculations in his head about where the noise had come from and realized that he couldn't kick enough dust to reach that area with just Bakuya.

Finding another solution, Shirou forced his vision to around that area where he saw footprints, recent ones that confirmed Freed either was there or at least had been.

'Transparency is too much of a problem. If every time I have him on the ropes he can just turn invisible then...'

Examining Bakuya from the corner of his eye, Shirou made a decision and charged it with mana. The pegasus was telling him there was more that the sword can do, its red eyes indicated that it was waiting for him to do something.

However Shirou didn't know what neither believed he had the time to figure it out, he was on a timer and he needed to finish Freed off.

So when he felt Bakuya at the point of breaking Shirou pulled his arm back and threw it at Freed's estimated location with all his strength. The aura around Bakuya made the sword twice as tall as it should be and it flew faster than anything Shirou had thrown anything on his life.

But he also felt extremely tired as the protection Bakuya was offering before had abandoned him the moment the sword left his hand. Suddenly the exhaustion of the day was back, his arm was in pain even if the wound was still closed and there was the addition that his circuits felt incredibly hot.

Shirou looked exhausted and that was what he wanted Freed to see. "Got you!" The Mad Exorcist jumped over Bakuya and it exploded right behind him.

The Noble Phantasm's explosion hurt Freed and even if his back was hurting he didn't let that stop him and instead used the explosion to run straight to Shirou. As he was faster than his sword and he was tired of the redhead's tricks, the older man planned to cut Shirou in half with his golden sword.

Only that Shirou was already making another Bakuya, hoping that the power the pegasus gave him wasn't a one time thing.

And it wasn't as Shirou felt rejuvenated and he charged back at a panicking Freed who realized he fell into a trap. There was no time for him to react, Bakuya cut the man from shoulder to waist.

That felt wrong for Shirou who realized that the cut was too clean, Bakuya was powerful but Freed was surrounded by Holy Aura. He expected some resistance and to find none sounded the alarms on his head.

Not thinking, just moving, Shirou rolled to the side as Freed showed up from nowhere with a smile and no wounds. He wasn't only fully healed but the man clearly wasn't in the area where Bakuya exploded.

"Going somewhere?" Freed had the advantage once more as Shirou was crouched again and he was right on the redhead's face. He moved for an overhead strike and Shirou moved to defend with Bakuya again only for it to pass through.

Again there was no thought, just reaction as Shirou jumped back as another Freed's sword slammed where he was, the man laughing out loud. "Who is afraid now?"

"Oh, oh. I know. It's him." The previous Freed pointed at Shirou with his sword and the two moved to become one before they separated, a third one with them.

As one they spoke """Weren't you a little more chatty? Hahahaha!"""

"Nightmare." Shirou prepared himself for the onslaught to come. 'Only one is real.'

The problem was that he didn't know which one when the trio of Freed's was the real and with them charging together at the exact same pace he had to figure that out fast.

Their movements were perfectly mirrored as all their versions of the Fused Excalibur moved together to stab Shirou but the redhead didn't retreat, instead he charged slightly to the right with Bakuya aiming for the other sword.

As the faster one in the battle Shirou cut the distance between him and right Freed easily, his moves already planned out in case that was the correct one and in case it was just an illusion but the redhead needed to leverage his speed to win.

All movements were equal until Freed noticed that Shirou was coming, the target moved for a stab while the others took swings in Shirou's general direction.

None of that told Shirou who was the original Freed but he knew he got the wrong one on his first try when the blades passed through each other. The millisecond that he failed into making contact the redhead threw a kick to the second closest white haired man's side to throw him away, if he was the real one then that would be enough to disrupt the attack.

The combat was so fast that Shirou had no opportunity to curse his lack of luck as the kick hit nothing and his leg was exposed to the third one's strike. He had already taken into account that possibility and his mana was already focused on his feet, tracing a huge anvil that Shirou used to kick his leg away to safety as Freed's sword hit the huge piece of metal.

He felt Bakuya was protesting the use of other weapons even if an anvil shouldn't count as such as it was just a support. Shirou ignored the lapse of power he had as it came back the moment his feet left the anvil.

Evading the strike successfully, Shirou used the power of the pegasus once again as Bakuya was the only weapon he needed when he saw Freed turn his blade for an upper swing in at his face.

Bakuya turned around on Shirou's fingers, its blade now protecting the arm as he descended the legendary weapon to stop Freed's strike and he prepared for the clash of metal that never came as he found himself open and falling to the earth, back exposed as the last Freed echoed behind him to reveal the real Mad Exorcist in perfect position to cut off his head.

None of the three Freeds were real, the whole thing was a distraction from the beginning and this time Shirou had no escape.

"Durandal!" Fortunately he had someone to save him as a huge wave of energy hit the Mad Exorcist from the side and pushed him away. The man screamed as his skin was cut and burned but Xenovia didn't care and pushed more energy out to erase Freed's existence.

Golden aura pushed back and soon a badly burned Freed was running away from the fight, Shirou got ready to chase again but felt something was wrong. The use of the anvil cost him more than expected as the pegasus' power seemed to fluctuate again now he was out of danger. The legendary mount gave the impression the sword and itself were upset and that made his body sluggish.

"Are you alright?" Xenovia noticed that her ally looked weaker and slower for the moment and positioned herself to protect him both.

"Just have a stubborn horse." Her look of confusion made him chuckle. "Thanks for the save but you should have killed him." Shirou recognized with a nod and while he was grateful his life wasn't as important in his opinion.

Xenovia chuckled in amusement before replying. "I don't want the Heiress of Gremory, a Clan known for their 'love' to hunt me down for the rest of my life, thank you very much." She was confident that they could defeat Freed anyway so saving her ally sounded like the right call. "We still have time-"

"Bravo! Bravo!" Kokabiel's voice interrupted the Exorcist as the man gained everyone's attention again. Everybody quickly noticed that Akeno was nowhere to be seen and started to look around. "What a magnificent rescue! My hat is off to you Xenovia Quarta, you managed to time the attack just right! Was that planned?"

Both traded glances before glaring back at the fallen angel. "Where is Akeno?"

"Oh, over there." Kokabiel pointed to the university in the distance. "I was getting tired of holding her so I took her to that rooftop to keep her away from the Sanctuary." He also placed a minor spell to keep her asleep for a few hours but that wasn't relevant. "Now, I answered your question, answer mine; was that planned?"

It wasn't, Xenovia saw an opening and took it but didn't care to tell him that. Kokabiel could do nothing with Sanctuary active and they both knew it. When she looked at Freed and saw that he was mostly healed, she knew they lost their window to finish the fight.

"Come on… Tell me." The fallen angel insisted and while Shirou was busy focusing between trying to find Akeno from a bad angle and watching Freed, his attention was mostly in Xenovia. "I mean, you two met today and had, what? A few minutes to plan without signals or words…"

Kokabiel insisted with a playful air that had Xenovia losing her patience. "Do you really think your plan is going to work?" With an ally at her side and the Cadre unable to attack her, the Exorcist felt much more confident in talking back.

"Why yes, of course I do." Kokabiel remained playful which just annoyed Xenovia more.

"You can't actually believe that God will allow the war to restart with false pretenses! That is as insane as it is stupid!" Without the threat of death Xenovia spoke her mind without a filter. She wasn't even afraid of insulting Kokabiel who kept looking at her with a smile. "There is no possible way it will work because God will see your little trap," his smile grew wilder, "and won't allow things to escalate once again. Even if He has to descend from Heaven," his shoulder began to shake as Xenovia kept talking, "I'm sure that God won't allow your plan to work- Why are you laughing?!" She glared harder when Kokabiel closed his mouth with his hand.

"Pft-fufufufu, sorry. It is just so funny that you think Father is around to do anything." Kokabiel replied with gusto which only made Xenovia more frustrated. "Oh don't be like that. It isn't like He has been around for the last few hundred years. Why else do you think He doesn't show Himself to His followers anymore?"

"Obviously he is busy in Heaven-"

"Please don't tell me you actually believe that drivel." Kokaibel cut Xenovia immediately with a shake of his head. "There are dozens of gods that still pop up to fool around with humans. Father wasn't any different when He was still around." He began to fly around like he was pacing, talking to the Exorcist as he would a small child. "It was his favorite thing to do, to show up like a tree on fire or maybe a flower or apparition just to have a conversation with someone or another."

"Xenovia, don't listen to him." Shirou didn't like where this was going and feared that Freed would attack while the Exorcist was distracted. He shouldn't be bothered as the older man was watching all in glee. 'He wants to see her suffer.'

Unfortunately with Kokabiel being the one talking there was little Shirou could do at the moment. "Of course I won't believe him. He is the enemy." Xenovia stated proudly, her faith unshaken.

That only made Kokabiel laugh more. "Well, it is supposed to be a great secret afterall. A pity since 'The Death of God' sounds like an excellent name for a play. Hmm, was there a play like that? Would never be as spectacular as the real thing was." The fallen angel commented with a grin. "It was such a great day. We were all there in a free for all with the leaders of the Three Factions taking charge of the battlefield. It had so many of us there and it was absolutely pure chaos! I remember having stabbed another angel right through the stomach before being buried into a pile of bodies I had to struggle to escape."

For a day that obviously took many lives, including from his side, Kokabiel sounded delighted at reminiscing it. His eyes and posture screamed how happy he was at the memory, like a father being told their child was born healthy.

It was disturbing to almost everyone watching but Freed who began to crackle.

But there was no stopping the Cadre as he reminisced. "After my escape I charged at Heaven's lines again, behind me was Baraqiel and we were destroying that side! Azazel was in the center leading most of our forces and the devils had a veritable rain of Light pouring on them from all the celestials on the battlefield. They refused to retreat, or better yet, dear old Lucifer refused to retreat as they charged up and met us in the sky!"

His smile was pure maniacal and those with more experience felt he was there on that battlefield again, cutting and killing all on his path. There was also a bestiality on Kokabiel's demeanor that wasn't present on the wannabe director before in a manner that had shivers run down some spines.

All together the fallen angel's behavior was giving him a credibility born of how truthful his expressions were. His words carried a certainty that were present either in madman or those that could only be telling the absolute truth.

"When Father eventually showed up, late for a reason or another, He was diminished. Extremely diminished, almost like He was missing part of Himself. It was at that moment that I knew that was to be the definitive battle of the Great War." His smile grew bigger in a proportion that shouldn't be possible and his angelic face looked demonic. "And what a battle it was! The blood flowed into earth and flooded the city we were fighting above! There were dead left and right or someone to kill at every second! It was the best time of my life!"

Theatrically Kokabiel raised his arms, glorifying that day even more.

"Despite how reduced He was, Father was still Father and His power was no joke. He may never have been the most powerful god but His skill was without peer." He waved his left hand to the side. "With a wave of his hand He resurrected all dead humans on His side." Then waved to his right. "And with another He brought down the fury of the Heavens, beams of Light that could cut even continents if He wasn't careful. That was the might of God!"

Kokabiel's hands dropped to his sides almost like they lacked strength but the smile on his face said otherwise.

"That wasn't enough, not against Lucifer. If there is something I could always give to my older brother it was how persistent he was." There was more fondness when talking about his brother when he talked about his father. "Instead of retreating or giving up, he seized the opportunity as Father was really weakened and it showed. Gathering the other Maous, Lucifer charged straight towards Father to 'seize the throne of Heaven as it was his right' as he used to say. Damn I wish I had a clear view of that fight." He chuckled. "After a huge flash that blinded everyone there was this explosion so big that part of the world literally became smoke. A whole chunk of the planet was gone and a lot of maps needed to be adapted."

Then the fallen angel shrugged.

"And so Father was dead, so was Lucifer and his main lieutenants. The leadership of Heaven and the Underworld, all gutted in a single moment."

"You are lying!" Irina shouted from the side and Kokabiel turned to regard her before replying. "God wouldn't- He can't die."

After laughing a little, Kokabiel added. "Oh but I have proof."

"Any proof from you is going to be fake." Xenovia prepared Durandal to attack the fallen angel, completely forgetting about the Fused Fragments. "All you can do is lie."

Shaking his head with a smile, Kokabiel pointed down to the ground. "Even if the proof is right under your feet?" The stunned look on Xenovia's face showed her undesired curiosity, exactly what Kokabiel wanted. "Come now, don't be shy and look down."

That she did but then scoffed. "There is nothing there."

"Oh but there is. You just can't see it."

"Stop wasting time." Durandal's energy began to pulse and she threw it in a swing that Kokabiel dodged.

"Do you want a tip?" He offered with a chuckle.

It was clear that the fallen angel was going to be teasing Xenovia until she figured it out and that Freed was happy to let his boss talk, maybe even run around to distract himself while Kokabiel talked with the Exorcist. Making matters worse was the fact that time was short and someone had to say or do something.

A lot of suffering could come of this but the magus saw no other choice. "He is talking about the Sanctuary." Shirou stopped the blue haired girl and she turned to him, rage giving way to shock. "Isn't that right?" He needed to force Kokabiel to order Freed to attack and that meant letting the man talk.

Shirou felt that Kokabeil gaze was studying him with far more curiosity than he had before. "Indeed."

"What does that have to do with God?" Xenovia turned back to the fallen angel, enraged. "This unholy field may be an offense to God but that is it, nothing else."

"Feh, that shows how immature you are. Durandal truly chose poorly." Valper commented and Xenovia's glare turned to him. "This 'unholy field', as you called it, is the greatest concentration of Holy Energy on the planet right now. I have little doubt that if God was really around He wouldn't be able to sense the energy." He fixed his glasses to give her a mean look. "And yet there are no heavenly hosts, no angels, to try and stop us. Not that was unexpected since they are close to extinction."

"Hahahahahahaha! That is right, Valper, you figured it out! As expected of the man who swore to reforge Excalibur!" The older looking man gives a small bow to thank the praise but Kokabiel's attention was already back on Xenovia. "Let me ask you something; you really think that Father, the god who hated when other Factions got involved in his business, would really let one of his creations go rampant in Japan?"

It was Irina who replied with barely a whisper. "He wouldn't invade another's territory."

Yet Kokabiel heard it. "For the Origin's sake, Christianity started in the Roman Empire you fool. You know, the place the Greeks made their home after their believers were assimilated?" The girl looked properly chastised and fearful, something the fallen angel liked. "He was always a hypocrite like that, never liking the Pantheons to get involved in His business but always messing with everyone else's."

"The ceasefire. He wouldn't because of the ceasefire." Xenovia felt dread supplementing her faith as uncomfortable truths began to be whispered on the back of her mind.

For a moment Kokabiel looked at Xenovia like she was an idiot before shrugging. "Very well, let us say that is a fair point for the sake of the conversation. So tell me this, why Heaven would accept any ceasefire dictated by Azazel of all people?" His brother's name was said with some frustration as the fallen angel looked irritated by just talking about it.

But the face that Xenovia was making, the face of someone close to an uncomfortable truth that would shatter her world, kept him going.

"I will tell you why; It is because when the dust settled down and we fished most of our men from the ocean, Azazel was the only real leader remaining for the Three Factions." Kokabiel chuckled bitterly. "Unlike Heaven that lost its leadership or the Underworld who lost that and their main fighters, we still had everything!" The last part was a shout of rage, all joy the man had gone to give space to a bitter poison. "And what does our 'righteous' leader do? He stops everything and says 'fight is over, let's go home'." Kokabiel spits to the side in distast. "We won. We won and he threw our victory away!"

After a few seconds the fallen angel calmed down and turned to look at Xenovia again. He could see she was believing him, logic wearing down the barriers of her faith.

"Ask yourself this; why wasn't Father the one who declared the ceasefire? Why aren't there more angels flying around like in the old days? Because Father isn't around to make more." Kokabiel could tell that Xenovia hadn't met many angels in her life, at least not those with white wings. Then he pointed at Freed, more precisely, the sword on the Mad Exorcist's hands. "Or why when Azazel declared it and many of the weapons of the Great War were decommissioned, 'Excalibur' Fragments remained divided?"

This was a tale that Xenovia heard more than one time, read about a dozen and her guardian repeated once she received her present mission. "Because humans were supposed to restore it… Because until then it should be used to protect us… Because… " But for the first time she saw the flaws in the story she was told.

"The ceasefire wouldn't permit it, after all it is a sword poisonous for both us and devils." Kokabiel wasn't giving her any new information, just helping her connect the dots. And that was worse because with her eyes open, Xenovia couldn't find room to disagree. "Had Father still been around and the peace was real instead of this farce of a ceasefire then the sword would be whole again, as a show of good faith."

"But you are still dangerous-"

"We had already won." Kokabiel cut Xenovia off again."I am alive, Azazel is alive, Baraqiel, Penume and many others! We had the number, the power and all other advantages you could think of." Opening his wings proudly, Kokabiel declared loudly "We fallen angels are the true winners of the Great War! The only reason why any of you are still alive is because of our mercy! A mistake that I shall soon rectify!" Disbelief and doubt still plagued the blue haired Exorcist so Kokabiel dropped the last nail in the coffin. "Michael is your god, Xenovia Quarta. He has been occupying the Throne of Heaven and playing pretend over the last century. That is why there are no more new angels and no more miracles. And the best part? He even ordered the excommunication and death of everyone that could prove otherwise. Executors and Exorcists, like yourself, killing them in droves." He pointed at Asia who had a look of utter despair on her face. "Like the former nun overthere."

Xenovia felt her knees grow weak as she fell, the realization of the truth making her sick. 'All those people that I- Why, why didn't Griselda tell me?' She wasn't the only one facing an existential crisis as Irina dropped her sword and also fell to her knees. 'Was it all… for a lie?'

"Asia, Asia!" Ise and other devils called the former nun but the Bishop was unresponsive due to shock.

She realized that she wasn't banished from the Church due to a mistake but to perpetuate a lie. Suddenly Asia saw all her suffering and how it was unnecessary but recovered quickly. "I am… I am fine, Issei-san."

Rias' hand touched her Bishop's shoulder gently and shook her head. Every member of the ORC saw through the lie but when Asia turned to look at Irina, everyone followed her gaze and saw how the Exorcist's reaction was much worse.

The chestnut haired girl was in tears, her hands supporting her but she just wanted to lie down and forget about the world. She also looked sick and ready to puke at any second, practically begging the earth to open and swallow her whole.

Ise saw his childhood friend's state and tried to leave Medusa's boundary field only for his body to burn before he jumped back. Sanctuary stopped him from giving her any solace.

Xenovia was no different as the weight of all her actions, the actions she saw before as being made in the name of God, suddenly fell on her shoulders.

'A lie… it was all a lie.' Xenovia wanted to cry and fall dead as every action she made, every decision that she took since young was because of her love for God, a duty she took with gusto with the thought that she was making His work easier with all her sacrifices.

All the hours of training, every battle, every action that she took since she became a teenager was for Him. She grew up to fight for Him and every time she prayed in thanks she sincerely felt He was there hearing her. Even if she never met him or if His angels never paid a visit, she never lost her faith.

Perhaps that was what made things worse as her faith turned to doubt as fact after fact hit her and even if some parts of Kokabiel story didn't add up there was enough there to show he was right.

'God is dead. He has been dead since before I was born.' Xenovia now knew all her prayers were never heard.

"Where did you say you guys fought again?" Shirou suddenly asked, stepping in front of Xenovia to take Kokabiel's attention away while protecting her from Freed. "You never gave it a name."

Once more Kokabiel looked at Shirou curiously. "A town of no importance. Not that it matters as that section of the continent doesn't exist anymore."

"So it was a minor town, without any real strategic value?" That was doubtful to Shirou considering how big the battle was.

"The town itself was unimportant. The land however was another case." Kokabiel stopped for a moment to think as it was a subject he hadn't thought about for centuries. "There was a tomb there that housed, or was supposed to house, a Holy Relic of extreme power. Certainly enough that there was an alarm around the place. The town was only a casualty."

Despite how much he didn't want to, Shirou directed his full attention towards Kokabiel, hoping that the fallen angel's interest would hold Freed back. "Let me get this straight, the town was never a target and just got into the middle of the crossfire? And God still decided to show up?" That question caught some people's attention. "Aren't you trying to mislead us here?"

"I haven't lied once today." Kokabiel sounded offended and amused at once. "That town was not important and even if it was, the facts won't change. Father showed up and died-"

"In defense of a town? Was He one to drop around every battlefield He could?" Kokabiel didn't reply immediately. "I take that as a yes."

"What difference does it make if the town was irrelevant?"

Shirou chuckled, feeling like he could understand God a little. "Military it was irrelevant, but its people weren't." That silenced the fallen angel. "So despite being as weakened as He was for whatever reason, God still decided to fight and died defending an unimportant town."

"What is this, are you a believer as a magus?" Kokabiel's curiosity was reaching its peak. Then he chuckled. "Or did you just become one after realizing he died a worthless death defending people that died anyway?"

"Heh, those that have seen hell can never pray to any gods." Shirou commented and Kokabiel suddenly felt something on the young man. The redhead was telling him the honest truth, a truth that had scarred his soul. "At least not for real anyway. Hard to believe in something like that once you see hell."

A glance at Xenovia told Shirou that while the girl looked defeated she was listening to the conversation. There was no strength or fire in her eyes and he was sure if she was attacked now she wouldn't defend herself but there was some spirit still there, still willing to listen to what was being said.

Still searching for some sort of hope and to that end Shirou turned to Kokabiel once again. "God is dead but that doesn't mean that He is gone. While there are those who remember Him and hold His beliefs then He isn't truly dead."

"But now it is all based on a lie." Kokabiel said nothing else, wishing to see Shirou's point.

"True, a lie now but it wasn't always. At some point in the past all that was true, all that meant something to someone. It certainly did to God." Shirou gave Kokabiel a smug grin. "Or you are going to tell us now He never practiced what He preached?" Upset red eyes showed annoyance, what Shirou wanted to see. "Who is the hypocrite now? At least God died for something, you are just trying to start a war… Why again?"

Kokabiel waved him off. "He is dead. That is what matters. Every time a god dies their followers lose their protection and their power wane and fades. Soon the only fate left to these gods is to be forgotten for they aren't gods anymore. After all, gods aren't supposed to die!" The fallen angel glared at Shirou, daring him to refute his statement.

"There were plenty of stories that speak of the end of times and gods dying but I see your point. None of those happened yet as far as I know and after most of those there were new gods, usually." Shirou admitted it easily, thinking about some like the Ragnarok. "But I wasn't treating God like, well, a god anyway. I was treating him more like a hero."

"'A hero?'" That hit Kokabiel on the gut. "An uncaring god that stands above the clouds-"

"A god that when the moment came didn't run, despite how reduced He was." Shirou pointed Bakuya at the fallen angel and the older man felt nervous for some reason. "You said it yourself that He arrived on the battlefield like that, I doubt you were the only one to sense it. Yet He still fought."

Shirou could glanced back at Xenovia and saw some life back in her eyes.

"I doubt He knew He would die."

He turned back to Kokabiel who looked to be in denial.

"Or maybe He did and still decided to fight anyway. Who can tell? I certainly can't." Shirou could see the fallen angel was confused. "But hey, you were there. What do you think?"

"I think for someone that doesn't pray you are caring too much about Father's death." Kokabiel was still annoyed, trying to figure out the puzzle that was Emiya Shirou. "What is it up to you? Even if you aren't devoted you defend Him like you were."

Shirou chuckled. "Sorry but I don't care about any god that isn't the one that I am guarding." He tilted his head to show Medusa, still keeping her boundary field up. "But I don't like people who disrespect others just because they can't defend themselves."

"Nothing I said was a lie."

"And we should believe your word? Just like that?" Shirou challenged the Cadre.

It wasn't well received. "I gave up plenty of evidence."

"Of God's death and I don't disagree. I disagree however on your perspective of how he died." Shirou liked the shocked expression the fallen angel gave him. "But hey, I suppose that is one of those 'only God knows' situations."

Seeing the confidence that Shirou was projecting, Kokabiel relaxed, even more curious than before. "You know your time is running out and here you are wasting it on a debate."

"Just trying to understand why a son hates his father so much." Shirou replied with a chuckle. "Believe it or not I have some experience. Hearing that my old man was a killer was quite the shock."

"That isn't the only reason." Kokabiel could tell and everyone else could too.

With a shrug Shiro saw no choice but to admit that much. "This is more for Asia, Xenovia and Irina's benefit, not mine." Again he turned to look at the blue haired girl and offered her a smile. "Even if He is dead, He is not gone. Maybe we can't call Him God anymore but there is nothing wrong in calling Him a hero."

"Except He failed." Valper replied with a chuckle. "He failed and died."

Without even glancing at the old man, Shirou replied. "Did anyone call you in the conversation? I certainly did not." The Archbishop's teeth almost broke from being dismissed. "Besides, even in failure, a hero's story can mean something." He kept looking at Xenovia before looking back at Kokabiel. "I have never prayed to God and won't start now, but that won't stop me from respecting Him and the sacrifice He made." Shirou smiled at the fallen who looked pensive. "For when things looked bleak, He didn't retreat. Instead He went down swinging, taking with Him most of the main actors of the war. Doesn't that sound like a better story?"

"Yes it does." And Kokabiel hated to admit it but he couldn't help himself as he saw what the redhead was doing. He forced a change of perspective for those who listened to the story, a tale of sacrifice instead of the useless death Kokabiel wanted to portray.

Shirou managed to relate the story of the Death of God with heroism and made it brighter for those that were broken by his departure, even if the event happened over a century ago. Kokabiel watched as Xenovia stood up, her gaze had more life and she wasn't the only one as Irina dired her tears with the Red Dragon Emperor gauntlet helping her stand up.

Even Asia looked more optimist and Kokabiel found himself hating that. 'Shouldn't all devils hate God? Shouldn't she be shouting curses at Him and Michael for her fate.' Shaking his head the fallen angel noticed he was now wasting time. "Very well, if you want to be a hero-"

"What? No! I am not a-"

"-the you shall learn the most painful lesson; how they fall." Kokabiel was officially done with the whole thing, his curiosity forgotten. "Freed, finish this. We must erase all traces of our presence and leave before the earthquake hits. Fuyuki will die and the war will begin anew!"

Freed began to laugh in excitement and Shirou's attention was back at the man only to notice more versions of the Mad Exorcist showing up around him. "Shit."

By trying to help those hurt by Kokabiel's words the magus made the mistake of giving Freed even more time to grow used to the Fused Excalibur. Instead of just two or three Freeds now there were at least six, all looking identical and posing with their swords for the world to see.

"You can-"

"Count on-"

"Us boss." The Freeds spoke one after the other.

"We will kill them-"

"In a jiffy. Hahahahaha!" All of them began to laugh and ideas began to run around Shirou's mind on how to find the real one.

'If he is even between them.' The redhead magus looked at Bakuya, feeling the pegasus gaze on him. The legendary mount was telling Shirou that it could do more, to push further to help him win. 'But how?' Shirou knew the pegasus heard the question and felt that it didn't know the answer. "This is new for both you and me, huh?"

"Don't worry, I'll help." The redhead turned to see the bluehead Exorcist stepping closer to him.

"You are in no condition to fight." Was the immediate reply;

"Maybe but I refuse to let them win." Xenovia held her sword tightly as Freed began to dance with his clones. "Do you know which one is the real one?"

"I have no idea…" Shirou admitted as he looked at Bakuya again. 'Once I let it go I doubt I will have enough in me to call it again.' At least that was the impression he got from the pegasus who realized his idea and feared for him. "But I have a way to find out."

Then Bakuya began to disappear in motes of mana much to Xenovia and Kokabiel's surprise. The sword's power quickly left Shirou and without his support the redhead was about to fall down until the Exorcist caught him.

All Freeds turned to look and laugh as Xenovia shouted. "Did you run out of mana?!" She knew that without him her odds of victory were close to none, at least not in time to save Fuyuki.

Shirou accepted when Xenovia helped him stand up, a good thing too because he felt his body was on its limit. "Not really, just needed to get another sword."

"Then why undo that one? Couldn't you use both?" Xenovia asked as Shirou raised his left hand and Traced his bow.

"That isn't how Bakuya works. It can only be used with its twin… Even using it with an anvil forced a rejection." And he didn't even really use it as a weapon, just for footing. Shirou suspected that the pegasus' power amplified the negative consequences of using Bakuya as well. "As a sword that has a pair, Bakuya refuses to be used with any other."

He took a single step forward and looked ready to fall until Xenovia held him by the shoulder. "You aren't planning to fight like this, are you?"

"No, I plan to finish the fight." Shirou nodded in thanks before taking another step forward. "Besides, we would still get in each other's way."

Xenovia couldn't help herself and pouted a little. "No, I will be watching your back." He looked back to see she was determined. "If you are going at range then I will stop him from getting you."

"Lets hope you won't need to." Shirou admitted as he saw all Freed's charge in their direction at different speeds and spaced between each other. Raising his right hand above his bow, he chanted. "I am the bone of my sword."

Kokabiel's curiosity was back as he saw how a considerable quantity of mana made its way from Shirou's fingers to the bow to create a construct that looked like a sword. 'Another one of that Noble Phantasm?' A black blade began to form before its shape began to change, surprising the Cadre.

Running as fast as Freed was he gave Shirou just a few seconds to react. The redhead knew that if he fought with Bakuya against illusions he could end up failing for a trap again or Xenovia could die. If either of them fell, the others still protected by Medusa were doomed too.

So Shirou decided to gamble everything on the few seconds it would take Freed to get to him to Trace a sword capable of ignoring the illusion and take the Mad Exorcist down. As he never expected to be in this kind of situation, the son of the Emiya household never tried to create anything that could deal with that.

But he had one blade in his mind that could, it was one weapon that he barely used but was ideal for this situation and even if his body was reaching its limits then as an arrow he knew that the sword could do a lot of damage.

From his mind to reality the blade took shape in milliseconds before becoming an arrow that Shirou filled with more mana. The weapon was changing its color and it was pulsing and trembling like a hunting dog demanding to be let loose and chase its prey.

Something that Shirou was happy to oblige with a roar of the Noble Phantasm's name. "Hrunting!"

A red flash flew out of Shirou's bow at the direction of the Freed he suspected was the real one, the man's eyes widening in panic before he laughed as the sword passed by him harmlessly.

"You missed~" Freed mocked as the other versions of himself kept charging. For a moment Shirou lost all hope before he noticed something with a smile.

"Did I?"

Sanctuary warned its creator that something was coming in his direction and fast which baffled Freed who was invisible and approaching his enemies behind all his illusions. After his experiences today the man learned to listen to his sword and quickly jumped to the side as the red light passed by faster than when Shirou shot it.

What really scared the man, enough so that all his illusions disappeared, was that the arrow turned around and to try and hit again out of nowhere. All Freed could do was run, even dropping the invisibility to throw all the sword's power into speed as he evaded the arrow.

Freed didn't know what was going on or how Shirou targeted him but even when he threw another ilusion and tried to hide only for the arrow to keep its chase. He ran around all the battlefield in a circle as fast as he could and the arrow was always not far behind.

At that point the arrow was so close that Freed couldn't turn around to take a swing at it anymore as he remembered the explosions from the previous ones. Worst for the white haired man the arrow seemed to go as fast as him, getting ever closer the more they continued the chase.

'How? He didn't see me, he shot an illusion! How is this arrow on me?!' Nothing came to Freed's mind as he kept running around the area in panic. He looked at Shirou and Xenovia, the former following the arrow calmly with his eyes while the latter looked stunned, and an idea popped into his mind.

Making a sharp turn, one which the arrow had no problems keeping up, Freed began to race towards the pair. Xenovia, empowered by Durandal, noticed first and reacted by standing in front of Shirou but the redhead placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't move."

In disbelief at such words, especially with a madman running at them with a mass of power right behind in hot pursuit, Xenovia was about to scream at Shirou only to notice how his eyes showed no doubt or fear.

She still held Durandal firmly and prepared enough power to protect them both but she wasn't going to move, if Shirou wasn't going to show fear then she would trust his courage.

"Let's see if you like that!" Freed announced as he came as close as he could to Durandal's tip before taking an extremely sharp turn to the left.

The Mad Exorcist expected to hear an explosion but Hrunting wouldn't miss its prey so easily. Its movements matched the stray Exorcist perfectly and turned just before touching Durandal, exactly like its prey had.

When Sanctuary warned him that he was still being chased Freed knew true fear. He thought he had got rid of the emotion when he left the Church but it was back and stronger than before.

Looking to his back, the white haired man couldn't believe the sword turned arrow was still after him. It was gaining on him little by little, the Fused Excalibur speed not enough to save him from his hunter.

Seconds passed as Freed turned to run towards the school before thinking better of it. Since his trick to have the arrow hit his opponents failed then there would be nothing in that school able to help him. Something else needed to be used, something stronger and that would be his sword.

It was the only way and for that Freed kept advancing towards the school while making his sword into a hybrid of it and a shield. Previous experience made him estimate how big the explosion would be but every instinct he had told the Mad Exorcist that this blast would be bigger.

He would need time to recover so he made sure to get some distance between him and Durandal to get that time.

All that happened in a couple of seconds that everyone noted Freed used to get close to one of the school walls and turn the Fused Excalibur into a shield while surrounding himself with all the power the weapon could muster.

The explosion that resulted was greater than all the other weapons that Shirou shot in his life save Caladbolg. "I hope that didn't destroy the sword."

"Why are you trying to save that thing?" Xenovia saw it as an abomination and she was sure Shirou saw it as the same.

"Destroying the epicenter of a ritual spell that is affecting the whole city is too risky." His priority was Fuyuki and the Exorcist couldn't disagree as they watched the dust settle. "He is still alive."

But his eyes weren't lying as the golden aura revealed an extremely burned and wounded but living Freed Sellzen. The Mad Priest looked like between life and death as bone and muscle were exposed to the air. Pain and blood gave him a demonic look of madness as the golden aura tried to regenerate his body.

"Kiiiilll yoouhh!" He was missing half of his jaw, one eye and one ear and still took a step foward, begining a long and painful march towards Shirou with murder in his eye. "Kiiiill yooouuuhh."

"That is impossible! Impossible! Excalibur cannot lose!" Valper spoke in denial. The damage Freed took was something that shouldn't have happened. "My method was perfect and the mana in the area is still feeding it! The blade is still intact! How could it lose?!"

Indeed the Fused Fragments was without a scratch and even Freed's hands remained in perfect condition. Despite the power of the explosion from Shirou's arrow the weapon didn't break even if its aura did.

"Freed must have made a mistake! That must be it!" Valper spoke in realization, glaring at the Mad Exorcist. "And the sword didn't lose yet! Freed, focus on recovering first you fool!"

"Is he for real?" Xenovia asked in shock before shaking her head. "Of course he is. He is a lunatic." She watched the former white haired man, as there wasn't a single strand of hair on his head anymore, kept walking, half dead. "I don't think he will recover from that."

Shirou gave her a nod but said nothing else. Away from them, Valper wasn't the only one trying to understand what was going on.

"But why isn't Freed regenerating?" Behind Medusa's protection, Kiba asked in a shock equal to Valper's. The idea that Excalibur failed was contradictory to everything he believed and it was affirmed by how strong the sword still felt. "Excalibur isn't broken, Sanctuary is still going, why is Freed like that?"

"Because his body finally hit its limit." Rias replied with a chuckle that had her Knight looking at her in disbelief. "What? Don't you remember our fight against Riser? It is a similar situation."

"Similar only on the surface." Sona commented while fixing her glasses, relief pouring from her as the Excalibur Holder was defeated.

Issei also fixed his own pair. "Can you clarify, Kaichou?"

"Unlike the Phenex Clan whose regeneration is natural and consumes stamina, Freed's was depending on the ley line with the sword compensating. However his body wasn't properly prepared to absorb that much power." Sona could see the confusion on the devils but noted that Medusa understood. "Then he took that much damage all at once after failing to raise a proper defense. His body is now literally beyond help." She looked at Asia who watched the Mad Exorcist with horror before looking back. "Maybe Twilight Healing could fix that but he alone is just pushing for nothing."

"It doesn't help that the filter was faulty~" Rias was enjoying the moment of Shirou's triumph. Freed's march towards him was more of a last ditch effort that had no hope of paying off. "Couldn't you feel it from the beginning? How this Holy Energy never felt right? Maybe if he had slayed a dragon he would have a better chance of controlling it~" She laughed a little at her own joke and Irina shivered.

The twin tailed Exorcist understood Rias' implication about the project that gave life to Freed but said nothing. It was the devil's magician who won the fight so she saw nothing wrong in letting her brag.

"Should we kill him?" Xenovia asked Shirou, his eyes stuck on Freed's stumbling form. The man wasn't falling per say but it was a close thing. "Not that he doesn't deserve this fate but…"

Taking another step forward, Shirou motioned for Xenovia to step back which she had no troubles doing since the most pressing threat was neutralized. There were no comments from the redhead as he waited for Freed to get closer. His step slowed as more blood poured from him, the sword failed to heal his wounds.

The gold mana was trying but Freed had no knowledge how to do it properly and the sword's automatic reaction had no means to know what to fix first or what the owner needed. Even if it did, Shirou could tell that Freed was beyond salvation as the sword wasn't strong enough to fix everything, including the missing eye and whatever internal damage Freed suffered.

Still saying nothing the redhead waited for his opponent to reach him, promising death in slurs that Shirou couldn't comprehend. When he finally was close enough, Freed raised his sword from a strike.

Only for his legs to give out as raising the sword above his head was too much for Freed. He began to fall down on his back, golden sword still tight in his hand but it couldn't help him. There were only moans and whimpers from Freed as he still tried to get up but the fight was over.

Both Shirou and Xenovia felt a great deal of relief, "You have a Reality Marble." Only for Kokabiel to remind them that he existed and his words shook Shirou to his core.

"What are you talking about?" Xenovia asked but then noticed he wasn't talking to her. Turning to Shirou she asked, "What is a Reality Marble?"

"I don't have one." It wasn't that Shirou wanted to ignore the blue haired Exorcist but he wanted to deny that accusation quickly.

"But you do. Don't lie to me." Then the fallen angel frowned. "Wait, you aren't lying… That is interesting~ Hahahaha!" Everyone was now paying attention to Kokabiel as he laughed out loud.

"My lord… a Reality Marble is something impossible." Valper stated while glaring at Shirou. Excalibur's defeat made him desire the redhead's death more than before.

"But he does have one and he doesn't even notice… Or he doesn't want to notice. That is funny!" Kokabiel controlled himself once again while Shirou shook his head in denial.

"I can't have one." A blue sky and a pegasus running freely in a field of swords came to mind but Shirou crushed the thought.

Xenovia saw that Shirou was nervous but asked anyway. "What is a Reality Marble?"

Shirou tried to think of a way to explain it but it wasn't easy. Kokaibel on the other hand found it simple. "It is a spell that manifests another world in the real one through a boundary field! It could be called the ultimate boundary field magic!" He paid close attention to Shirou during the explanation, curiosity back at full force. "It was a theoretical procedure that was forbidden from being researched because its very nature could be destabilizing. Those that tried were hunted down by all pantheons as that much power could truly unbalance the world."

Shirou felt the guilt begin to consume him. "It was his theory, the idea that he could create a Reality Marble and keep the time there under control while letting the rest of the world pass by him until eventually the user of the spell would reach the end of the universe and the Root."

That conversation with his father played in his mind dozens of times when he studied during their trip and after. The idea of a Reality Marble never left his mind, especially after the dreams he had.

'This is so cruel.' Shirou thought as he didn't want that to be the truth, not only it would place him and the people he loved in dange but it would also mean that while he rejected his father's dream, he reached Emiya Norikata's dream instead. "For a person to reach a Reality Marble it would take decades, even centuries."

"And yet you have one! Don't try to deny it! How else can you explain the multiple Noble Phantasms you used?" Kokabiel saw Shirou shiver but pressed on. "Or how you managed to manifest Beowulf's sword as an arrow? I recognized the name boy and I can see it clearly as day!" He wished that Sanctuary wasn't active so he could grab Shirou by his shoulders and shake them from excitement. "You have a Reality Marble, one connected with swords if I can take a guess! Oh, I wonder how many Gods of War would fight to have such a territory."

That was another fear Shirou had and one of the reasons that he feared realizing he had one. If a Reality Marble owner allied with the proper god then the latter would always have the field advantage at hand and that by itself would break the delicate balance of the world.

"But not only that it is one connected to your soul! A true Reality Marble that represents yourself, your essence! Such a thing can only be called something beyond a miracle! A power beyond Humanity and even the gods!" Kokabield calmed down once he saw Shirou's confusion. "Tell me I am wrong, Emiya Shirou. Lie to me, to yourself as much as you want but that is reality. You have a Reality Marble. You are a human with a Reality Marble. Someone with the power to challenge the gods themselves."

But once Kokabiel revealed the truth to him, Shirou couldn't deny it and when he blinked he was back at the field of swords. The pegasus looked at him and Shirou looked back before.

Just that place told him all that he needed to know and his fear melted away.

When he opened his eyes again he was back to reality but his posture had changed. His fear was and confidence brimmed as Shirou felt calm and serene.

For a year he had denied a truth he already knew, ignoring it with all his strength. With his resolution and force of will it wasn't a problem even if it limited him.

He who had rejected his father's dream didn't want to bring the man any more pain and he knew that the subject of Reality Marbles, of his father's father research, was something that bothered the man immensely.

For that reason alone Shirou buried that part of himself, ignoring the signs and just accepting things as they were even if intellectually and spiritually he knew there was more to explore. He still avoided it, contrary to his usual method of facing things he tried to ignore it for the sake of those closest to him.

For his father to not give the man nightmares, for his family who was already divided but he loved them all despite it, for his friends who he didn't want to trouble with a potential crisis.

For his lover who he knew would accept it regardless despite the troubles it would give them both. He buried it as deep as he could. For them all.

But now he could no longer run from it, the truth had finally come to confront him and Shirou wasn't the kind of person to surrender when things got tough. He pushed forward and the world opened itself to him.

The blue sky with its clouds felt the same even as the world let out a gentle breeze as Shirou was there again. This time he was there more as Shirou felt like every sword existed there was a part of him.

Every weapon he ever saw was there, every single one. But swords felt more true, genuine. 'Alive.' Each and every single one of them had its distinct flavor in a way that almost overwhelmed him until it didn't.

This was his world, all of that was him and Shirou couldn't help but be proud of its beauty.

However he had someone else with him, someone that had followed him for a while now and while not a part of himself it was an inhabitant of his world nonetheless.

The pegasus was still looking at him, waiting and Shirou knew what to do.

It was his Reality Marble, his world. With a single step he began to walk towards the pegasus in the sky. This was his reality, a world unlike the real one but truly real for him where he was in control.

Finally he reached the pegasus, a journey that lasted moments even if it felt like he was walking ever since he first met the creature which inhabited his soul. Shirou extended a hand and the pegasus accepted his touch, the majestic creature felt warm and he felt truly at peace.

"You are right." Shirou's statement surprised everyone. Rias looked nervously at her lover as Sona finished explaining to the others what a Reality Marble was. "You are right. I have a Reality Marble."

"Oh~ Magnificent. I never met a human who had one." Kokabiel looked happy at the news. "What made you change your mind?"

"I just denied it for as long as I could… But I can't deny it anymore." There are going to be consequences but Shirou felt something shift inside him as a gear that was missing fell into place. "It always explained everything but it was also a topic that brought my father much pain. Damn, I am going to have to explain that to him. Wonder if he will be upset."

Just by accepting reality it had Shirou more relaxed as a weight that was in his shoulder for over a year was missing. Despite his exhaustion and lack of mana he felt lighter than before the fight started as the stress of the day seemed to wash away.

"A Reality Marble? This brat? I don't believe it!" Valper declared and Xenovia glared at him.

"You should remember you don't have your protector anymore." And Xenovia looked ready to kill him. "Undo the ritual and you may leave here alive." She didn't care about Reality Marbles or stuff she didn't understand. The situation was still a bad one and the solution was the man who started it all in the first place.

Now that he had accepted the truth it was easy for Shirou to return to his Reality, like he had a foot on the real world and the other on his own. When he descended again he felt something; a call.

"Foolish girl. Do you think it would be that easy?" Valper laughed at Xenovia's face even as she approached and placed Durandal right below his neck. He then looked nervous and while he laughed his laugh was subdued. "I can't do anything about the ritual, the spell will be in play while Excalibur exists and lord Kokabiel ordered me to make sure that the only way to undo it was by destroying the sword or breaking the magic circle."

It was Durandal, the sword whose information he gained with barely any effort from his part. It was calling him and he soon found himself in front of it.

"A magic circle that is empowered by the mana of Fuyuki. Even with the swords you have none of you can break it." It was a measure that the fallen angel never expected to have to rely on but it was there and he was confident in it. "Once time is up, Sanctuary will fall and Fuyuki will take all the mana at once. That is unavoidable unless you follow my demands."

Everyone could pretty much see what the man wanted and most of them glared at Kokabiel with rage.

"Which brings me to offer you a proposition, one of which anyone that can use a Holy Sword can accept." Kokabiel talked again, his eyes still on Shirou. "But I want you, Emiya Shirou, who has a Reality Marble connected to swords, clearly more than capable of using Excalibur as well, to take my deal." The redhead didn't like where that was going. "Use it to kill the devils and I shall spare Fuyuki."

"What?" Xenovia was the one who asked and Kokabiel turned to regard her after taking a deep breath.

"As I said you can take the deal as well if you desire, in fact, I will spare whoever does it and any other humans in the area if that is what they want." While he made his pich, Kokabiel watched as Shirou moved closer to Freed. "I never needed the complete sword in the first place, I just needed the swords of the Church to kill the Heiresses. Do so and you can take your place at my side when the war starts."

'I can't use it. Don't think I could even if I had all my mana and was in better-' Then he noticed the swords around Durandal and smiled. 'Ah, I see. You weren't introducing yourself for me to be used but to guide me. A miracle?'

Shirou saw six swords and immediately their names jumped to his mind. All the Excalibur Fragments were reunited in front of him unlike they ever had in real life. Inside the circle where the swords were there was another sword, more beautiful than them all.

Then Shirou saw the truth and realized what needed to be done.

Gritting her teeth, Xenovia felt Durandal's power flare in response. "I would never do something like that!" She threw a swing at the fallen angel who just bashed it aside. "You want us to betray everything we believe in to start a war? You are really scum, Kokabiel!"

"Even though your god is dead and you have lived on a lie?" That made the girl hesitate for a moment but he turned to Irina to see a similar reaction. "You can take this deal too. I don't care who does it."

"And if we don't?" Irina asked with some trepidation.

"Then the city will die and I am going to kill you all and stab the devils with the swords anyway." The Cadre replied easily. "While it is true that I can't use them, a little movement here and there and I can set the scene perfectly." His smile had returned, a cruel one that showed he wasn't bluffing. "Even the Fused Fragments can be used as a normal weapon if I am careful enough." He turned back to Xenovia. "Same can't be said about Durandal but if you use it then my war will be assured. I will even reward you handsomely since that would certainly bury any hope Michael could have of avoiding it." His offer just made Xenovia's fury grow. "Decide now or die later, the choice is yours!" He then looked at his wrist where there was no watch. "You all have five minutes left, give or take."

The Mad Exorcist was still on his back when Shirou stepped forward to crouch close to him. "Even in the end you still only want my death." The amount of hatred and murder on Freed's last remaining eye was stagering but Shirou wasn't surprised.

With that last comment the magus began to pry Freed's hand open to collect the sword. It was the only thing keeping Freed alive in his living dead state so he knew once he took it off his hands the stray Exorcist would die.

There was no fight left in him either, he tried to keep his hand closed or attack despite his condition but could do nothing when his fingers gave out. Life began to leave the man's eye as Shirou took the sword. With his wounds and without its support Freed didn't resist and died wishing Shirou's death.

Pity filled Shirou's chest but he didn't forget what Freed did and instead of leaning in the new emotion he decided to ignore the dead body and raise to his full height.

When Shirou held the blade he felt the power entering him and it was much different from Bakuya's pegasus. The legendary mount's power was gentle, peaceful, warm and gave Shirou a sensation of security like he could travel anywhere.

The golden sword was totally different and almost felt like poison in comparacion. Sure he felt better as his fatigue was gone and his mana reserves were refiled but it also felt awful in ways he couldn't explain.

"What do you say, Emiya Shirou?" Kokabiel directed himself to the redhead again. If there was one person he wanted to take the deal with it was the magus and when he picked up the sword the fallen angel saw it as a good sign. "You can still be the hero of the tragedy, the last survivor if you desire."

"Aren't you worried I will tell everyone about your plan?" Shirou asked offhandedly as he walked towards the devils' location.

Kokabiel frowned at the attitude. He expected some indecision or rejection. "You obviously will have to sign a geas. Nothing much." At seeing the redhead walk calmly towards the devils he decided to add. "I shall also spare your goddess, obviously and if you wish I can even spare the Exorcists."

"Sorry but I won't be taking that deal either way." Shirou's reply earned him a glare from the fallen angel but he ignored it in favor of Irina. "Could you please give me Destruction?"

As an Exorcist trained since young, Irina quickly thought of a proper response. "Huh?" In her defense the sudden request was surprising.

"Shiro, you aren't about to do something stupid, are you?" Rias asked with a frown but her lover avoided looking at her. "Damned Shiro!"

"You know I can't lie." Shirou gave Rias his best smile. "And probably it is something stupid… On a lot of levels."

Before the banter between the redheads could continue, Sona intervened. "Do you really have one?" Both turned to look at her, Shirou with curiosity and Rias with a judging glare. "A Reality Marble, do you really have one?"

Blinking to recover from his surprise, Shirou smiled. "Does it change anything?"

'Realistically? Everything.' Yet Sona knew that wasn't what Shirou was asking. "No. I won't tell a soul if we, somehow, get out of this mess." She was still Rias' oldest friend and she wouldn't betray her trust by divulging that her magician had something worldshatering on his sleeve. However she still has obligations. "You realize we are going to have to tell our siblings, don't you?" She immediately retracted as it felt wrong to lie to this man.

"They, I don't mind." Shirou replied with a chuckle before turning to Irina again who was frowning. "So may I have the sword now?"

Looking at Xenovia who was approaching, Irina saw a silent nod before letting out a sigh and offering Excalibur Destruction to Shirou. "What are you planning?"

"Breaking the ritual by altering its center." He raised the golden weapon. "Best solution that doesn't blow us all to kingdom come? Fixing the sword." Immediately Kiba was on his feet and at the border of the boundary field.

"Shirou you can't-"

"I can and I will. That is our best chance to save Fuyuki." Shirou glared at his friend and the blond winced. "You lost to yourself again." Shame eclipsed all the Knight's emotions but Shirou wasn't impressed.

Instead of saying anything the redhead began to walk back to the middle of the field. "Don't die!" Rias demanded and Shirou stopped.

"Going to do my best." Was all he could say as he passed Xenovia.

"Can Excalibur defeat Kokabiel?" After hearing about the death of God she was doubting everything. "It's still missing a piece and it is weaker than Durandal right now." Not to mention that she didn't even know if it was possible in the short time they had.

Shirou didn't stop walking but offered her another smile. "Excalibur would be strong enough to defeat him. Unfortunately we are going to have to go another route because this is just to save Fuyuki."

The fallen angel watched as Shirou came to the middle of the battlefield and examined both swords. "So this is it? A last attempt to stop me? Are you going to sacrifice your town?" Kokabiel found the situation amusing. "Maybe you aren't a hero, after all. Just suicidal."

"That is my father's dream, something I rejected for seeing myself as too selfish." Shirou replied with an amusing smile of his own as the swords resonate in his hands and the mana in the area began to move. "I thought that someone like me was always more suited to be a villain but it seems you took that role. If so then I will be the hero just this once." He glared at the Cadre. "By ruining your plans and forcing you to face reality."

The magic circle close to Valper began to disappear as it broke apart in mottes of light that moved towards Shirou's direction. "This is impossible…" Valper watched the event in bewilderment. "The ritual… it isn't supposed to work like that."

Unlike Valper who only dedicated himself to a single sword, Shirou had the experience of having forged hundreds of them. Not only that but he had studied the rituals and methods that gave birth to many great swords, including some Noble Phantasms.

In a more calm setting where he would have time to work and prepare he wouldn't mind fixing the Fragments in his workshop with the proper tools and resources.

But the time was short and now he had the Fragments in his hands he could feel it running out. Like the grains of sand falling on an hourglass it ticked down slowly but surely. Fuyuki's ley line was too unstable to wait for him to get into the club, get the tools and do things correctly.

Already Shirou felt the mana on his body leaving him again only to be refilled by the ley line in a acid like manner that harmed his circuits but the magus wasn't stopping.

Instead he was still smiling. "I never called myself a hero but to save my friends and my town I will gladly take that mantle!" It was faster now as Shirou skipped all the steps Valper used for safety and went straight to work.

Both blades floated in the air as the mana circulated between Shirou and them. Feeling the weight of the town's mana without proper protection almost made the magus fall down but he steadied his feet and raised his hands towards the Fragments.

Taking hold of the mana with both hands, Shirou began to push into the swords as the magic circle around them was formed, covering the whole extension of Kouh. Sanctuary began to grow smaller and weaker as the mana was completely redirected to the huge magic circle.

Only then it began to shrink faster than it had shown up until it was only beneath Shirou and the swords. At that point Medusa fell down and had to be caught by Koneko as the goddess smiled. "He did it."

However it wasn't over yet even if Sanctuary had fallen. That only meant that the mana was focused into a single point and Shirou was taking all the blunt of the mana that could destroy Fuyuki on his body.

It was too much for a human to bear and soon a vein popped in his forehead, blood covering his eye as he focused on the swords.

"Shiro!" Rias shouted in a panic to try to approach and stop her lover but Sona stopped her.

"If you stop him now, us and the whole town are going to be obliterated." She felt the mana, more powerful than before. 'Maybe even the whole of Japan! How much mana is going into this?!'

Even Kokabiel, who was now free to interfere, didn't dare to try and stop Shirou. He knew very well that amount of power could kill him accidentally. 'Is this the power you feared, Father? The power of a Reality Marble?'

Blood began to fall from Shirou's nose as the pressure of that much power threatened to crush him. He pushed more mana into the swords and they broke apart into two spheres of light that he began to move with his hands. Without his tools he had to improvise and thanks to the ritual he had mana to spare.

Too much mana even but for the sword he was planning to reforge that was just enough. "Steel is my body… and fire is my blood." Now that he was fully aware of his Reality Marble he felt his world pulse at his words. 'Ah, so that is what my aria means?' He didn't understand fully but it was enough to reassure him.

Enough to help him redirect the mana as it was too much.

"I have created… thousands of blades!" And so it was as swords came to existence, first in pairs than more. Much more.

Soon everyone present was admiring a forest of swords covering all the school's terrain and even going towards the university buildings. Many swords of all kinds of types, classic katanas, two handed bastards, one handed short ones, scimitars and all other types ever created by man.

Then the spears came after, naginatas first and then others as the forest added many other weapons.

But the most prevalent ones were the swords which didn't stop coming.

"Those are Shiro's works." Rias recognized in wonder as she saw many of her lover's creations surrounding her and the others.

"All of them?" Tomoe couldn't believe that someone could work with so many different weapons.

It surprised all from the Student Council when Asia replied "For the most part." She worked with Shirou on EM and saw many of his pieces almost daily.

Kiba then pointed to the side. "Those are mine."

Indeed to the left of the group were many of the weapons made by Sword Birth, all sorted together and waiting.

Issei, who between all present knew Shirou the longest, took his glasses out in admiration and fear. 'To think you had so much in you.' He barely understood what a Reality Marble was but he understood enough. "Are we seeing a reflection of his world?"

Meanwhile all admired his efforts Shirou could tell it wasn't enough. He had managed to break the swords into mana and revert the Sanctuary, none of which was a small feat, but he could tell that the weapons weren't being properly connected.

And it was Valper's fault. The way he made the swords, the purpose he gave by making it as a center to a spell which would kill innocents, contracted everything from the original.

It had lost its name, its purpose and thanks to the Archbishop of Genocide its very self. They didn't know what the original sword was anymore.

But Shirou did, inside his world he saw the true history of the weapon clear as the day was bright. How far they were from their original intent already as Fragments barred them from becoming Noble Phantasms but not from revealing their real origin.

Making matters worse once he undid the Fused Sword, the step needed to break Sanctuary and truly reforge the weapon, the sword stopped to work as a filter and the mana of Fuyuki began to invade his body in its most raw form.

He just had to help them remember. 'Push!' Shirou ordered himself and more mana passed through his body, gathering everyone's attention. 'Push!' More mana rushed to the swords and his circuits protested as they began to glow beneath his skin. Every single one of them. 'Push!'

"Shiro stop! You are killing yourself!" Rias tried to advance but a sword stabbed itself on her way. "Shiro! This is enough! The ritual won't destroy the city anymore!" It was a lie for she was unsure but a risk that she was willing to take to see Shirou live.

The magus kept pushing, his insides feeling like they were on fire. Despite being used to the flames the fact he noticed made him chuckle before vertigo began to take hold. His body was exhausted, burning from the inside and the excess of mana threatened to blow him up.

As he fell to one knee, the weight of the mana began to crush his organs, Shirou feared for those around him. The ritual wasn't done and stopping in the middle would just undo all his work, potentially killing everyone in a thousand mile ratio if he botched it hard enough.

So he got up at the shouts of panic from his friends, ignoring them all as he kept pushing only to cough blood from his mouth. 'Is this… my limit?' Gritting his teeth and ignoring the taste of iron, Shirou pushed even more mana against the swords. 'Then I will go beyond that!'

More and more weapons surged around Kouh, covering the rooftops and the insides of the school property and some of the facilities. Valper barely dodged when a sword almost stabbed him between the legs but none came even close to touching the magus' friends.

All the while Kokabiel watched with a smile. "He is going to fail." Pleased with himself, the man relaxed and laughed. "So it ends the life of another with the potential to realize a Reality Marble, this time in a struggle to save everyone only to save none. What a great finale! Hahahahaha!" He was having too much fun to care about his life or anyone else's.

Inside Shirou's Reality Marble the world trembled and a huge influx of mana covered even his soul. Swords shook everywhere and the wind, usually a calm breeze, gave way to a chaotic storm that threatened to rend it asunder.

Looking around the pegasus felt panic at the state of its home and moved to try and fix things, its aura helping Shirou as its power helped him channel more swords out to get rid of the mana.

But it wasn't enough as everything the pegasus did was more instinctive than anything and it didn't know what needed to be done. It could make it easier for Shirou to use the mana and give his world some direction but unless Shirou was using Bakuya the pegasus felt its presence in reality was limited.

The legendary mount knew another thing in fact, that the sun was helping in some way, working diligently to keep the most harmful effects at bay from Shirou but its influence was limited.

The same, however, couldn't be said by the presences deep beneath the earth. They who woke up thanks to the power of a devil began to stir as more and more mana was pushed inside their host body.

"Error! Error!" A booming voice echoed in the shadows of the underworld inside the Reality Marble. Red eyes opened and looked around before repeating. "Error! Error!"

"Error! Error! Fae presence still detected! Host body is not ready!"

"Failure in contacting the main structure! Emergencial procedures initiated!"

"Unable to terminate operation! Host body exciting safety parameters!"

They weren't one, they weren't all but they were guided by the same intelligence and soon more red eyes opened and the darkness gave way to many red lights from many eyes.

"Control invalid! Fae Artifact still interfering!"

"Counter measures required! Self destruction is imminent!"

"Access to the main server accepted. Looking for a solution."

"Solution found. Adjusting the type of mana for a more stable output."

"Surge under control. Circuits output optimized."

"Initiating adjustments. Error! Damage to the host."

"Repairs in motion. Error due to Artifact."

As one their intelligence worked together with minimal resources. They had no freedom with the sun outside forcing them down but they had the will to survive.

Despite their limitations they could still help Shirou. It was their prime directive and also for their own sake they worked tirelessly and in unison as the mana inside the Reality Marble began to stabilize.

They shall live for the day an opportunity presents itself.

Until they can join together with their lost brethren.

Until their spell can be completed once more.

Suddenly Shirou wasn't feeling himself burning away anymore as something changed. For a moment he wondered if it was due to his Reality Marble but ignored that as the mana of Fuyuki felt much like his own. It was still too much but was all under his control.

When he blinked he found himself surprised to not be inside his Reality Marble but in the skies of Fuyuki itself. He could see every building, the temples, the mall, the apartments, the houses, including his own, every street and every person that lives in the city was there and nothing obstructed his view even as he saw everything.

Logic dictated that he shouldn't be able to perceive all that from his position in the sky but he could which baffled his mind.

Shirou was sure he was feeling every life inside of Fuyuki, every man, woman, child and animal to the oldest man to the smallest insect. Thinking of a name he found himself in front of Rias but she was frozen in time, looking at someone with what he could see and feel was concern and fear for that person.

Walking around between his friends he saw they were all worried. Even the exhausted Medusa, who felt like she was flickering like a candle against the wind, looked fearful.

Turning around, Shirou saw himself on a knee, a hand up trying to forge the sword while the other helped him stay stable. They were afraid for him, he realized, and a pang of guilt shot through his heart.

Looking outside of his body was a completely new experience that the redhead never expected to have. He tried to compare it like seeing a picture but knew it was wrong as the image was too vivid and too real. He supposed it looked real because it was real and he was looking at himself in a state completely beyond his understanding.

When he looked up to Kokabiel, Shirou soon found himself face to face against the man. He tried to Trace a sword to try and attack him or something but it was in vain as he didn't couldn't feel his magic circuits.

Taking the opportunity he tried to punch the fallen angel but that also failed. If anything Shirou felt Kokabiel's power hidden behind his facet of humanity and noticed that the Cadre was much stronger than he realized.

Which wasn't surprising but he already suspected as much. It also seemed there was little he could do in the state he found himself in.

However he remembered someone, someone that had worried him since he arrived in Kuoh and with a thought he found himself in front of her.

Akeno was lying on the rooftop of the most distant building of the university, safe from any peril that befell the city. There was a barrier protecting her and a spell to keep her asleep but it was light and he could almost see himself breaking it.

He tried to touch her but that also failed and when he failed in finding a way to help her Shirou was sure the state he found himself in wasn't a blessing but a curse.

Emiya Shirou now could watch all over Fuyuki but could do nothing for it.

'I need to go back.'

Giving Akeno one last look he tried to think of a way to return to his body. He knew that he couldn't panic and something told him that he was still alive. All Shirou needed to do was find a way back.

Then he blinked and was once again working on the swords but the pain was gone. 'Was that real? Yes, it was.' Deep down he knew that was the truth and as he stood once more he felt how the mana seemed to obey him easily. 'Don't know what is going on,' he admitted before focusing back on his work, 'but I can do it.'

With a wave of his hands the swords shifted and joined together, their cores now one once more after lifetimes apart. They were still missing one part but Shirou knew he could compensate, he had the original blueprints on his soul and so he began to work to give the sword shape.

A hammer, his hammer, showed up on his hand and Shirou hit the orb of mana, forcing it to change as the metal in it returned to its form. Yet the orb didn't move as it transformed, the magic circle working as both the anvil and the fire for his forging.

He hammered it away using his technique to banish the impurities as the metal began to mold. There was a lot of impurity, too much corruption and not only from Freed and Valper, they were just the last in the line of arrogant people who thought they knew better about this sword.

There were so many unnecessary things on it, put there both accidentally and purposefully. It was the means that many used to hold the weapon, it was the means it stopped being what it once was. So much dirt and stains that corrupted a magnificent sword and stole its luster.

Not anymore, Shirou wouldn't allow it.

All would be washed as the mana around him stopped being gold and became as blue as the sky of the morning.

The hammer now was truly hitting metal as the sword took its true shape once more after millenia. Its missing piece being inserted via Shirou's hammer strokes as the image of his mind of the complete weapon gave him the opportunity to gaze on its true core.

Shirou knew exactly what was missing and he was using the mana of Fuyuki to complete it. The vessel would be full once again.

Those watching stood admiring the diligent work as the redhead looked bloodied and battered but his spine stood straight and the work seemed to make the world more bright.

Xenovia felt Durandal pulse on her hand and looked at it. 'This…' She looked back at Shirou working and at his creation. "Holy Energy? No, it goes beyond that."

"But it's similar." Irina commented as they all felt the teal mana wash over them.

"It doesn't hurt." Asia admired the sensation.

"How is he doing this?" Sona asked no one.

Maybe out of pride or as a joke, Rias answered. "He is Shiro and he has a Reality Marble." None knew if that was the truth but they couldn't deny that it was a job no one else on the planet could do.

Kiba tried to step forward but Ise and Saji held him back. He looked at them and saw they weren't going to give him any chance of approaching. But there was no anger in him anymore. 'Why is that power… that sword… making me feel regret?'

As the sword took shape Kokabiel also felt familiarity from many points in his life and that gave way to hatred. His nostrils flared and he was tempted to throw a spear of Light at Shirou, consequences be damned.

Only with a final strike of Shirou's hammer the magic circle began to disappear and the darkness of the night returned to the area with the exception of the light that emanated from the complete work made by the magus' hands.

It was a sword completely different from any of its fragments, slightly smaller than Destruction but taller than Rapidly, the decorations from its parts disappeared to give it a more simple form but its elegance made clear that it wasn't a weapon for a warrior.

Fit for a king in all its aspects, its handle was a mixture of blue and gold until the guard which was appropriated for to deflect other weapons but not necessarily lock them in place.

The blade was a marvelous thing that even those that didn't understand weapons could see its decorated beauty but the words written in them confused some. They were written in old English but they were known for those who knew its legend like Shirou and Kokabiel.

For engraved in the hilt was 'Whosoe'er pulleth out this sword of this stone is rightwise king of all England.'

Descending slowly towards the earth it gently stabbed itself on the ground but stood straighter than any other sword Shirou produced. It was good for him since he needed its support to stay standing as his body gave out and he almost fell.

None could move and the redhead magus took his time to admire a job well done as his smile said it all. "Success." He whispered faintly as he body felt ready to fall but by holding the sword he felt better.

It wasn't healing him because it wasn't recognizing him as its owner but Shirou was fine with that. Being the owner of that sword was a fate he wasn't ready for; it meant abandoning everyone than he loved for an ideal not his own.

'Not much different from a hero, isn't it old man?' At least Shirou knew he would have a good story to tell his father that may soften the blow of him having a Reality Marble.

"That is not… Excalibur… it can't be. That is not! That is not it!" Valper denied with fervor. "You ruined my work!"

Shirou chuckled at the old man. "It never was Excalibur and its fragments shouldn't have been called as such. Excalibur is more than this weapon could ever be but this one is already plenty and worthy to be called a legend."

The sword supporting him wasn't just a sword anymore or a powerful Artifact, it had reached the realm it always deserved to be in.

"You never understood, despite the research you claim to be so proud of." Shirou mocked but the old man didn't react, his eyes and ears refusing to leave the blade. "They never understood that by changing its name they stole it of what could truly do and should rightfully be. By giving the name of a better weapon but pilling unnecessary powers in it you all stopped it from being what always was. A sword fit for a king and a promise to do all for the kingdom!"

The sword reacted to Shirou's words, it heard the call and wanted to introduce itself with its proper name for the first time ever since it broke on that tragic day.

"It isn't the sword of the Lady of The Lake but a gift for Uther Pendragon, father of a king and a witch. Because of God's desire he called upon Merlin to bring it to him and instructed the wizard to bathe it in the flames of a dragon to raise its edge to the limit." The sword wasn't fixing the damage it did on Shirou while he worked on it but it gave the redhead strength.

As a king gave their authority for their heralds, the blade gave Shirou enough to call its name and establish its status once for all.

"Blessed by God, tied to a prophecy to bring about a new great king after the death of its owner and queel the chaos that came after his departure. It waited in the stone to be pulled for the one who was worthy!" All the information he gazed upon in his world. All the sword's story was for Shirou to tell. "For this is not a sword made by faires but one born by the hands of man, elevated by the blessings of God and completed by the flames of the Red Dragon Emperor himself!"

No one commented at the mention of Ddraig, entranced like hypnotized by the tale and the sword presence.

"However there was a heavy price, a price the wizard told any and all worthy of retrieving the blade. 'To be no longer human' was the condition for the blessings of God would make them a ruler par with Himself only. None took the challenge until the daughter of Uther came across the stone!" The mention of a daughter brought to mind the wrong one to many. "She was raised by the wizard and an old knight with whom she learned about Honor, Duty and Valor! For the Realm and for Justice!"

That last part came partially from Shirou's own knowledge about the legend but he felt that the sword approved of the choice and he continued.

"When the warning was given she still didn't hesitate and pulled the sword. From that point forward, time stopped for her. An eternal king that could reign forever young, powerful and noble; that was God's wish but it failed for neither could understand Humanity and the sword broke when it showed its ugly side."

"No, no it can't be!" Valper realized what the sword was, the only one that it could be and it was not the one from his dreams. He looked at Kokabiel who just watched Shirou with hatred.

"But it is! Given a false name under false pretenses, the sword lost its identity and was given power it never needed to be used for those less worthy. They tried to replicate the power of God, tried to realize the power the king possessed, never understanding that while the sword was great, its true owner was greater!"

Another pulse watched over everyone, an aura of gold more pure than the one Freed was using. The sword introduced itself to all and now all knew its name for there it was the one who held the authority of a king.

"Her name was Arturia Pendragon, youngest child of Uther and the true king of England."

"That is a woman's name." Valper was grasping for straws but he couldn't deny the truth for long.

"So it was and so the girl disguised herself as a man and proved herself a great warrior ten times over." Shirou saw many battles before the sword broke and until it did there was never any real defeat. "She was loyal, pure and strong. An ideal king where it counted but made the mistake of resembling too much to a god and failed to understand her subjects. She never prayed for Him, she never loved Him, but both shared the same dream of an Utopia."

Admiration poured from Shirou's being as he spoke of a person he never met as foundly as it was possible.

'A beautiful dream.' Shirou wished he could see it. But it was not to be. "Now it has returned and shall bear its name once more! For King Arthur, Artoria Pendragon! It is the Sword in the Stone! The One Who Judge Kings! The Golden Sword of the Victorious!"

The energy grew into a crescendo until it shot up to the sky in a pillar of golden light that turned the night into day.

"It is the King's Sword, Caliburn!"

Then it was all gone and a hue of power remained around it as Shirou let it go. It was the most powerful sword he had ever forged, a work of art in all aspects. Its power was immense and a part of him felt sad that it would never be fit for him.

Despite his best efforts most of the swords Shirou forged were instruments of combat and destruction. He was too much of a pragmatist to work on decorations like Caliburn was supposed to be or not really inclined to forge a blade as defensive as it was.

For that was the truth about Calibur; it was and always would be a symbol of authority as much as defense. Sure it could be used offensively but only in the hands of someone really skilled like Artoria Pendragon.

But reforging it wasn't free and mana wasn't the only cost as his body was reminding him.

Part of it felt like the stress of the day had finally caught up with him as his muscles hurt like he had trained for days straight before taking a run around the city, fought against Rias, then Freed, then the rest of Rias' peerage in a roll. Shirou was also sure that by the way his circuits were there was no hope of him using mana anytime soon as they still felt extremely overheated.

For those looking at him he looked mostly tired and like he had a high fever with one odd difference; a small tuffle of his hair had turned white, just above his forehead.

There was no time to Shirou ponder any further as a shadow descended amongst the swords and he turned to see red eyes full of hatred. "I should applaud you, Emiya Shirou."

Contrary to his words the tone the fallen was using and the power he was letting out made clear that he was too far from even mocking Shirou with that. 'Oh yeah, he is pissed off.'

"You managed to restore a weapon that should be impossible to be restored, its name was taken from it and even the most devoted had forgotten about it. Yet here it is." Saying that Kokabiel was furious would be an understatement. "You also managed to ruin my carefully crafted play and make the situation many times more difficult for myself."

The air around the area became suffocating by Kokabiel's presence which seemed determined to crush everyone else in the area with the man just standing there. A fury that the fallen angel himself forgot he was capable of burned inside him in a way that he would freely admit was an unexpected, unpleasant, surprise.

But Kokabiel couldn't help himself as a hand went down to touch Caliburn and while he managed to grab the sword he knew already that he couldn't pull it off. "The blessings are all back." It wasn't a question.

"They are, together with their restrictions." Shirou replied anyway. "Only someone worthy can pull out Caliburn now and we both know you aren't."

While Kokabiel had one of the conditions, the predisposition to kill for his people, the sword was made by God and that was always the last of the requirements, never the first. Just the fact of enacting his plan made Kokabiel unworthy and he knew it.

"And I suppose you aren't going to fall along?" Already knowing the answer didn't stop the Cadre from asking anyway.

"No-" A hand grabbed Shirou's neck and he struggled as the fallen angel began to lift him off the ground.

"Born To Be-" "Duran-"

"Begone!"

Fighting against the fallen angel's massive power, some jumped to try and save Shirou but it was for nothing as the black wings were enough to throw everybody off their feets. They flew around and felt just that as Kokabiel remained standing with Shirou close to his eye level.

Mostly they were lucky as the swords around them also flew and Koneko managed to stay in her feet as she was guarding Medusa. "He gave you… his phone." The devil needed nothing else as she rushed to unlock it.

"What do you expect to happen now, Hero?" The title was given with a toxic mockery that exposed how much Kokabiel hated Shirou at that moment. "Do you expect me to stop because you made things harder? To quit because there is no Holy Sword that I can use to pin down the guilt of everything on the Church?"

"That… would be nice…" He felt the hand grow tighter on his neck.

"Well then you are wrong! You are still the hero of tragedy and I shall have my war!" His hand was about to break the redhead's neck but Kokabiel wanted to enjoy the magus' suffering a little more. "All that you did was make sure more young fallen angels will die with your actions! For the war shall come! I shall make sure of it!"

Feeling his neck about to break, Shirou managed to gather enough air to make a sound. There were no words but it was enough to get the fallen angel's attention and he allowed Shirou to talk. "You could… just stop…" 'Need to buy time.'

"Stop? After all this? There is no stopping now!" Kokabiel had a plan for this eventuality but that meant the Grigori would join the war early and victory wouldn't be as easy. But he was so sure of his victory, so certain, that he had only one course of action. "I will kill everyone here and then destroy this blasted town. I will make sure everyone knows that it was an angel but not me! War will happen and the Grigori shall take part! For that I should thank you and I shall! With a painful death!"

Holding back many snide remarks and rude comments Shirou managed to ask "Why are you… doing all this?" Once again the grip relaxed just enough to allow him to talk freely but he was still stuck. "What is the point? It can't be just because you want to finish the Great War. You must want something more." Time to improvise. "Maybe you want to create a state of conflict where war is constant and soldiers always have a place of importance? Be the hero of your own story?"

Kokabiel was baffled. "Where did that come from?"

'Plot about one character from a game franchise that rubs your ego and buys me time.' Shirou smiled. "Just thinking that maybe you don't want to be a director for a tragedy… but a thespian looking for a proper end to his tale."

In the town a phone began to ring.

Kokabiel began to laugh out loud. "That was the funniest thing I heard today! Hahahaha! Makes me almost not want to kill you! Almost." His face turned serious as the fury returned.

The phone rang again.

"What I want is the victory that was supposed to be ours! What I want is fallen angels above all else."

It rang again.

"And I shall have it! We shall fight and we shall triumph! All you did was make things a little harder."

It rang once more.

"But you don't want to know that…" Kokabiel realized as Shirou focused on keeping himself stable. "You don't care."

It rang one last time before someone picked it up.

"You are stalling."

"HELP! ONEE-CHAN!" Koneko's voice was so loud that it echoed both in the area and on the phone.

In less than a second Kokabiel noticed that the little devil had a cellphone in her hand and Shirou had a smile on his face. He realized he had been played and prepared to kill them both in that second.

A kick straight on his face stopped the fallen angel and his lousy grip let Shirou go as someone caught him mid air and held him gently.

The second passed with Kokabiel flying in the air until he hit a building in the distance as Shirou smiled at his savior. "Rip that smug smile out of your face. You should have called me sooner." Shihoin Yoruichi had arrived in her full glory and she could tell that Shirou was suffering. She turned to where she kicked Kokabiel and glared. "At least I know who did it."

"In my defense there was a boundary-" he felt them move and suddenly he was being gently laid down close to Medusa "-field that could harm you."

"I don't know, did it have one of those around here, Rias?"

"Oh yeah, there was one." Rias was already at Shirou's side to check his wounds with everyone else moving to either help or to give him space. Only Sona didn't move, her mouth opening and closing like a fish's at Yoruichi's presence. "But Shiro here solved that… in a way."

"Hey, it worked."

"Hush dear, you girls are talking." Yoruichi chuckled at Rias' joke and noticed how everyone was looking at her in astoundment, confusion or even with lust on one or two cases.

"Who are you?" Tsubasa asked and Yoruichi smiled.

"The woman that will kick that prick's ass." She then turned to Koneko and approached her. "Thanks for calling," Her smile turned mischievous, "Koneko-chan~"

The little devil blushed and looked to the side. "It escaped." But the nekomata didn't care and rushed for a hug which she reciprocated. "I was scared."

"Don't worry imouto, your onee-chan is going to take care of everything." How happy Yoruichi was that Koneko recognized her as someone so important, how the former nekomata opened herself for her.

"Rias… care to explain?" Sona finally managed to ask.

"Hmm~ Oh, my Shiro's food is that good." Was the only reply she was willing to give before her eyes turned serious. "Can you… forget about this as well, Sona?"

The Sitri Heiress blinked slowly before turning to the nekomatas and noticing the cute eyes both were giving her. "Fine. Fine! I don't care what you want or don't want to say in the report about today! Just make sure that all of us survive this."

"Good enough for me." A last embrace on Koneko later and a quick kiss on Shirou's cheek and Yoruichi was marching ahead. "Don't worry! Boss Yoruichi will clean the mess up!"

"Hold on, 'Yoruichi' as in the cat?" Ise asked after being too stunned to talk. "Was she always a hot woman?" In that case he felt really sad that she never sat on his lap.

"And she just gave Emiya a peck on the cheek! Wasn't he dating Buchou already?" Sona facepalmed at her own Pawn's words as Rias just smiled in her direction.

"Ise…" "Issei-san." Both Irina and Asia didn't like Ise's reaction or how he watched Yoruichi walking into the battlefield with a sway of her hips.

Xenovia relaxed her sword arm, walked until she was beside Shirou and asked him with a look. "Why is one of the Kings of Kyoto here?"

"To help us?" Shirou replied nervously.

"All can be explained later." Rias decided to act but Xenovia didn't disagree.

She was tired, hurt, hungry and sat down beside Shirou without much prompting. "Cadres, Reality Marbles and Yokai Kings. We came here just to get a couple of swords." Xenovia could have mentioned God's death but she didn't want to think about it.

After shaking his head a little, Kokabiel cleaned something from his nose where the kick had hit him. There was blood and it was from a wound that he never saw coming. "That brat!" He wanted to kill Shirou and wanted to do it now but someone walked through the forest of swords and she demanded all his attention.

"You hurt my friends," Yoruichi began, cracking her fists, "you touched my man," the joviality was gone from her face and in its place was the severe attitude of a warrior, ready to kill, "and you made my little sister cry." Yellow aura poured from her as she glared at the fallen angel. "I'm going to break you in half."

Far away from the events of Fuyuki there was a girl practicing under the morning sun. She had silver, green eyes and a petite figure that was starting to show the signs of growing up from a child into a proper woman even expecting a growth spurt sometime in the future.

None of that took away her natural beauty as her hair could be compared to the moon or the stars, held into a small pony or her green eyes that could compete with the most precious gemstones.

Dressed in a yellow and green school uniform with a purple tie, she practiced with the two handed sword in her hands. The weapon had a big gold square guard and red on its hilt with its length being close to the girl's height.

Yet she moved the sword in such a controlled manner that showed she was comfortable with it. Hours of practice made the size irrelevant even if it was still a factor and many times she thought about getting a slightly smaller sword. Only the fact she wouldn't find a sword as good as this one was what stopped her.

"Sister! Found youuuuuuu!" Called a more childish voice of a younger girl that was slightly younger than the first one.

Letting out a sigh the young woman stopped her practice and turned to her younger sibling. "Le Fay, not so loud. Someone might hear you." There was no real chastising on her voice and the smile she offered was to show it was less of a reprimand and more of a suggestion.

"Right, sorry Ria." The girl landed on the rooftop her sister was in from a flying broom. Besides the same type of school uniform they were using and the fact that the younger's hair was loose, Le Fay also had a cape on her back and what could only be described as a tall witch's hat on her head. "Sorry but our brother has returned and you said you wanted to talk to him."

"Yes, right. Thanks, Fay." She placed a hand on her sibling's shoulder. The sword disappeared from her hand in a golden light.

Ria was slightly taller than Le Fay but besides that and the clothes they wore, the two had exactly the same face and eyes but the witch's hair was blonde and seemed to have gold dust by how it shined. Another difference was when they were to leave the top of the huge house, a dormitory for their school, one jumped from it while the other used magic and her broom to go down.

The silver haired one was clearly the elder of the pair but it was just slightly as the younger one was only one year removed from them being twins. Ria also walked with elegance and a proud posture accentuated by how her head was held high while Le Fay looked around shyly before making her broom shrink to walk behind her sister.

Until the older sibling placed a hand on the younger's back, nodded and had them walk side by side which made the younger's smile more radiant.

They left the premises of their dormitory and came closer to another similar building with four floors to wait outside. That was the men's dorm and where their other sibling resided and to make sure he knew she wanted to talk with him, Ria let out an invisible presence that intimidated those that looked in her direction even if they saw nothing other than the almost identical siblings waiting for their elder.

Said elder left the building with a shake of his head and a smile. "You couldn't wait until after lunch for us to talk, Ria?" Much like his siblings the man had green eyes, his hair was also long in a ponytail and the color was shared with his younger sibling. He was also considerably taller than both girls, his face mirrored theirs but with a more masculine structure. "Usually you don't want to have this kind of conversation before eating."

"Today I felt some… unrest earlier." Ria had been feeling it since the previous night and had not slept well because of it. "And your friend sounded urgent when he called you."

A metallic voice seemingly spoke out of nowhere. "Still a stretch to think he has something to do with what is bothering you, Lion." Ria glared at a necklace on her brother's neck that looked like a cube but the man raised a hand and tapped its top before she did anything.

"You two shoudln't have this conversation here where prying ears can hear, Add." The small cube, smaller than a nail, began to shake and grow a little before a mouth and eyes revealed themselves and it spoke again.

"I would care if the younger one hadn't already raised a boundary field for no one to hear." Both siblings looked to the younger who had a magic wand out and was giving them a nervous smile. "Still sharp, Morgan, as always."

The man flicked the cube with his finger, an upset look on his face. "Her name is Le Fay. Call her properly."

"Oh, come on. It's just a nickname. You never complained about 'Lion'."

"That is because she eats like one."

"Arthur!" The middle child glared at her elder but he just smiled and both turned to see Le Fay snickering. "Not you too, Fay. With siblings like this…"

"Kakakaka! The best kinds of siblings are the ones you can play with!" Add, the cube, commented before Arthur let him go.

"Regardless, people can still see us. So if you please…"

"Yeah, yeah." The cube closed its eyes and its mouth disappeared before it got smaller.

Noticing the silence, Arthur turned to his sister. "Altria, regardless of Add's words… you were right. Something happened with the Church's Excaliburs." It bothered him that his sister's instinct was correct but she was the one who had Excalibur Ruler, a gift from him since she was the better one with the sword. "They were stolen but details are still uncertain at the moment." Besides, he had his own weapon.

Altria nodded her head, dread running through her veins. "Do they have a suspect?"

"Azazel does. It was why I was talking with Vali for so long. He was asking about our contacts and if our family tried to call us about it. Potentially to collect Ruler since they know we still come to this school." Arthur felt some bitterness at the last line and Le Fay shivered.

"They wouldn't. Not after we left. If anything they would try to steal it from us." Le Fay looked at Altria who looked unfazed and even had a small smile.

"They could try."

Any animosity left Arthur in that instant. "You two can still return."

"Not without you, brother." Altria was quick to reply and her face suddenly looked calm while Le Fay nodded in agreement. And they knew their older brother wouldn't go back any time soon. "So Vali is going after them?"

"He just got around with Bikou and they just finished checking China. At Azazel's request it seems Vali will go to Japan next since that is where the next potential danger should be."

"I see." Altria nodded before turning around. "We should go eat."

Arthur and Le Fay blinked in surprise before looking at each other. The brother of the trio looked at his sister with a frown. "While your appetite isn't a surprise-

"Understatement of the century." Add couldn't help but chip in.

"-I thought you would want to teleport there to take a look for yourself." He certainly wanted to. As the descendent of King Arthur, he felt he had an obligation to check the situation.

"Earlier today, I would." Altria replied, a hand moving to her chest as she closed her eyes. "But that uneasiness that I felt… it is gone." She didn't know how to explain it but the urgency and panic she was feeling since the previous day had vanished without trace.

"That is… good I suppose." Arthur admitted after some thought. "Vali will still be checking around Japan later. At least until Azazel calls him back… He shouldn't have told me this but the suspect the Crow has in mind is apparently Kokabiel."

"The Fallen of The Stars himself? Talk about an annoying prick." Add laughed at a distant memory he shouldn't have and the trio looked at him.

"Did you… I mean, do you know him?" Arthur asked delicately.

"Artoria spared his life once. That wimp ended up running away only to come back a few months after demanding a rematch… Several times, Kakakaka!"

Altria had a distant look on her face, something Le Fay noticed. The younger sister began to push her elder towards the lunchroom. "If you are feeling better than we should, eat, eat, eat." She turned to Arthur. "And you too. I can't believe both of you skipped breakfast."

"Altria did too?" With a blush, his sister refused to look at him. "Must be the end of the world."

"Sure looks like it. You must be starving." Add was concerned for the girl.

"I will be-" The roar of a lion stopped her and she looked down in shame. Her face was a deep crimson.

"You're saying something? Kakaka." Add couldn't help but tease.

"Shut up, Add." Altria began to walk away and her siblings followed her, Le Fay keeping up the pace while Arthur remained a little distance. "But you are right, we shouldn't have neglected the most important meal of the day."

"All meals are the most important of the day for you." Commented Add with fondness.

Altria looked at her brother and smiled. "Of course they are. Hunger is the enemy."

…..

Told you guys she wouldn't show up like any of you expected. The number of comments on just how she would pop up and save the day… Nope, not this time. Instead another King who was set up way before to come save the day dropped.

One thing about Sanctuary just in case if it wasn't clear, if even Sirzechs tried to fight there he would fail for even if Caliburn was deformed it still could neutralize him and anyone weaker by default.

Inside the Sanctuary only angels and humans can move freely. And those in between of course.

Regardless, let's talk about the chapter shall we? First about the title True Self, usually when I place a title for the chapter I like to add some meaning to it even if I don't speak much about them.

Here the title is referring to two people and two weapons, symmetry, in Durandal first, Kokabiel second, Shirou third and Caliburn in the end as the most obvious one. I shall explain them all somewhat.

Durandal kinda already had most of its story presented but its miracles are another story. Instead of something explosive and capable of solving every problem, Durandal's miracles are subtle and almost imperceptible in most cases. It can't solve all the world's problems but it does a lot that people don't see.

Kokabiel, as stated in another AN is an example of insanity and here he finally reveals his true self as an warmonger that has a fake air of benevolence. Similar to cannon he wants a fight but his true nature is buried beneath age and experience and only when his plans are ruined and he loses every once of his patience is that he shows the monster beneath the man.

Shirou finally realizes he has a Reality Marble or to be more precise he accepted he had one because that isn't the kind of thing he wanted. As someone that doesn't chase power for power's sake, a Reality Marble can be a deep pit of troubles that he doesn't want nor need. However here there is a contrast between his and Akeno's actions as Akeno has real hatred about her issues while Shirou is mostly indifferent and usually accepting of a new situation.

Don't dismiss Akeno for how she isn't dealing with her problem, unlike Shirou she has a deep trauma with the thing she rejects while Shirou just didn't want it but once the truth was out he just accepted it.

Doesn't mean he can already manifest his Reality Marble either, as the best and most pure example of Shirou in Archer took decades before being able to do it. However that isn't the only advantage that a Reality Marble can provide which will be explored little by little.

Long story short, the potential of a Reality Marble without the immediate inferences from a future version of himself combined with the many magical systems that exist here give Shirou a lot of potential development by other avenues… Also the Reality Marble itself has other powers that shall be explored.

Another thing little explored is Kiritsugu's feelings about the subject concerning his father but that is another thing entirely. Sure he won't hate his son but Shirou is considerate like that and tries to not give the man any more grief. Unfortunately he was just delaying the inevitable as if it wasn't Kokabiel it would be another thing.

His strength of will can only go so far when his opponent is himself (heh).

Finally we come to the Sword of the Stone, Caliburn. Yes, a lot of you deduced it was it and not Excalibur that were made into the Fragments but now we also must talk about the concept of names and the power in them, some of which can also be applied to Durandal.

Pretty much you can summarize like this; when a Noble Phantasm becomes something else, the closer it is from its original identity the better save some exceptions.

Neither sword really just had its name changed of course, there were lots of other transformations but Calburn was broken on a spiritual level when its concepts were rejected and placed in unworthy vessels while Durandal had new powers added to it which made it greater than Durandina.

One clearly had a better treatment than the other as Durandal also retained its original functions in a sense, a weapon made to protect a people even if the people had changed, the gods had changed and the weapon itself had changed. The idea remained.

Caliburn went from a sword to lead and guide to a weapon of death in the hands of those it would never consider before, Freed just being the worst of the bunch. Indeed it is worse when you consider only King Arthur is supposed to hold the thing and instead anyone could transport it while a lot of people could use it. That literally killed the meaning of the weapon in the first place.

Not only that but much like a cell phone with too many apps open, Caliburn's power was distributed between its Fragments and each was being forced to use functions it wasn't built for because people believed that the sword did everything for King Arthur, not considering that he either had other weapons or was as fast or strong as she actually was.

That was why Blessing was made the weakest blade with the strongest ability, not only it was seen as the weakest power when actually it was its original function in the first place, to bless an individual and make them equal to God.

Funnily enough since Excalibur was a sword representing the concept of Dream of Humanity then it is possible to argue that if one person is worthy to use Caliburn they are unable to use Excalibur because humans are flawed. When Caliburn broke and Artoria was confronted with her failure she was both strong enough and worthy of using Excalibur.

But that is just speculation from my part, no bearing on the story whatsoever.

Also I should add that a lot of Caliburn's true power comes from Artoria Lily on Fate GO with the caveat that she didn't master the sword yet and it potentially broke before she reached her full potential. If it ever happens let me just say that a broken Artoria would be the one with Saber's experience but Lily's sword, she obviously would have less offensive power but more support power.

And she is called Castoria but had her healing removed for super invincibility. Yes, I am joking but not joking at the same time here because to be fair just give her a heal and she would have Caliburn's full kit. But she is already the best Arts support so… Fate GO memes, I need to let it go.

Changing the subject a bit to Freed he actually gets a better death than in cannon; here he gives his all with a powerful weapon and ends up dying because Shirou had an option to counter him.

There were ways for Shirou and Xenovia to win the fight if they worked together except that Fuyuki didn't have that much time and once it was destroyed then Kokabiel could step in and it was absolutely game over. The only certain means of victory was by surpassing Nightmare and breaking its illusions which the Hunting Dog was fully capable of doing.

Which also brings Shirou to another lesson about his Reality Marble; check what you have when your opponent starts using tricks. But his lack of options also came from the fact that Shirou was still blocking his Reality Marble and not using it properly, he was still using his head but not using his instincts.

Or the natural instinct of someone with a world of swords at the very least.

Okay this AN is already too big and I didn't even talk about how when I spoke of respecting Saber's sword I was also talking about Caliburn and how its resurrection shouldn't be easy either because while not as strong as Excalibur it is a great sword in its own right.

If you can please consider supporting me so I can continue to deliver this story in an expedient manner.

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Until next time.