Song: Kakusei [Awakening]
"KYAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"A monster! A monster!"
A young couple, along with a few other bystanders, would run away as the Smilodon Undead had stopped after jumping and running faster. It didn't lose the Kamen Riders of course, They had a similar equalizing speed. He eyed at the running humans. He was almost reminded of the more ancient of days, back when all of humanity were literal warriors that had to fight for their lives - especially in critical moments such as the Flood and the Tower of Babel, not complacent and weakling cowards who couldn't even fight back. It was insulting to him.
It's such a shame. The Smilodon Undead had seen humanity's rise in ancient times, in a time that was once known as the Age of the Gods.
The Kamen Riders were quite reminiscent of those ancient days; making the Undead feeling nostalgic for it in some capacity. The thrill of battle was nevertheless present in all of the Undead, regardless of stature.
...Though, he noted that the Riders weren't alone. He could just sense the mana signatures behind him. No one can truthfully hide from an Undead. He'd recognize a Berserker Class Servant most of all. He was a threat that he can genuinely respect at least. The Undead could feel its' raw genuine power amidst all of that growling pain and utter madness.
Heracles, is it? The Smilodon Undead smirked underneath. I knew the actual Heracles (*1) from the time of the Age of the Gods. This one however is quite a temporal oddity, as are the rest of those who are called "Servants". I wonder if he is as powerful as the genuine article.
His eyes spot the Kamen Riders on flight, as they would dive in and drop down; smart enough to not charge against the Undead head-on. The Undead smirked. Smart young warriors... The Undead thought. ...And yet, I sense something quite interesting about them. Something... complexingly timing.
The Undead would multiply into multiple versions of itself, making the Riders form a stand-by battle stance; Blade draws his sword while Garren draws his gun, that now sported a sharp-edged blade. They were surrounded from all sides. Nowhere to run or duck. Especially when the monster, or monsters, can teleport.
The Riders needed to think on their feet, carefully analyzed the situation. A bright emerald flash was seen in Garren's eyes. His Mystic Eyes would help him, as he can see all of the lines that lay ahead. He can't use his eyes against the Undead, there's no end-point to them. The Smilodon Undead was the only one in the vicinity with no actual lines to see.
But the environment? He can see. He just needed to find the right angle. He once recalled that time he tried cutting the steel of the hospital bed and the nurse screamed in terror. Not that he could blame her then. It was quite terrifying to see a mere child breaking a bed with nothing but a cutter. And... he did somehow broke an entire cement wall, which by all rights should be impossible.
Shiki can cut anything down, and thus, he did, by using the blade of his weapon - fast as he could - cutting pieces of the floor - and kicking it continuously.
"Duck!" He said to his partner, who complied, before he did such an act.
He threw the large concrete straight at several of the Undead copies, who each were knocked down and dissipated rapidly. What remained of the floor were open craters, as if hacked by some saw.
"KAAAAAK!"
Both Blade and Garren were sent flying across the floor, as the Undead suddenly appeared in-between them and used its claws to send them flying. Their wings however made them capable of stopping themselves uncontrollably and made them hover through the skies.
ARCHER!
With multiple swords and arrows, that materialized in a circumferential pattern, that had gold patten lines, with ancient symbols and dead languages etched into their blades, they were fired against the Undead. The latter's silver eyes brightened, as with quick-paced speed, he dodges all of them with ease, which is exactly what the Riders were hoping to exploit.
A dodge can either be a great weakness, or a great strength, for both opponent and ally. And that also depends on how you hit. It would do you no good to try to exploit a dodge without knowing its mechanics.
At least, that's what their Monster Undead-sensei used to say.
SLASH! THUNDER! SABER!
Using a combination of a Saber Class Card and two Undead Rouzer Cards, Blade's sword would emanate a kind of divine light of sorts. A fraction of thunder burst forth, as if it were the divine powers of Thor's Hammer.
SLASH! FIRE! GEMINI! CASTER!
Using a combination of a Caster Class Card and three Undead Rouzer Cards, dark purplish flames would materialize from various directions as if in the form of a cross, all straightforwardly firing at a straight angle towards the Undead.
Blade would take flight while Garren would hover around from the left side, at quick pace. As Blade flipped through the air, he his thunderous glowing blade to make a powerful, large yellowish sharp slash; Garren would fire countless times while purplish orbs would materialize around him, firing as well. His blade was also emanating a large yellow scythe-like appearance. Him, along with a clone projection of Garren, did the same attack position, further boxing the Undead.
All of these attacks and more were headed straight for the Undead. He couldn't take flight just like the Kamen Riders as he lacked the wings compared to many of his brethren, but he can dodge them with swift speed and teleportation, common to all Undead. But of course, he tried to do just that, only to get swept away by some of the flames, which burned him, and various projectiles fired against him. And he got slashed and electrocuted by the various slashes.
"KRRRAAAHH-GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
The Undead screamed in defiance, was caught in a large explosion that he could not escape, as the two Kamen Riders turned their backs away from it when they landed, before they glanced forward. Out of the explosive ashes... there was the Smilodon Undead.
It was still standing, albeit only recently as it was bending its knee on the ground due to its grievous wounds, with flashes of its silver eyes. Green acid blood sprayed across the very ground. The Riders turned towards it, with grim expressions.
Of course they weren't surprised. It would take more than just flashy attacks to dent this one. After all, the Smilodon Undead represented, not only saber-toothed predators, but also... an icy and forgotten age.
"As expected of you, Kamen Riders," The Undead spoke regally as its wounds fully healed, as if they were never scarred. No longer having the growl of a predatorial cat, but the respectable tone of a hardened warrior. "Adam and Lilith have trained you both well. However..." His eyes flashed. "...You have yet to face me in my own territorial domain."
All of a sudden, something of a circular sphere engulfed the entire atmosphere, moving across the Kamen Riders as they now enter into the devil's lair.
Song: Silence · nano
"What?!"
Illyasviel muttered in as her eyes widened. A Noble Phantasm?! Or at least, something very extremely close like it, but also different within its textual and outlying surface. What she sense and felt... was an entirely other world.
What she could see from the vast horizon was that the ground was covered in various clawed spikes. The cold temperature of the atmosphere denoted a colder winter, even more so than normal December winters found in Japan. A kind of cold that entered, even deep into one's soul. She could see what appeared to be tigers with saber-tooth faces, on the prowl through the snowy plains. The moonlight no longer seem to be there. Instead, replaced by a fog that covered even in the heavens.
It wasn't merely a mere close space. It was... everything. Everywhere. The entire planet. Or rather, another planet within a planet. A world within a world. A layer within a layer. A dimension within a dimension.
What was... she dealing with here? Illyasviel thought very carefully.
Not just anyone can do this type of magic. Of such perfect caliber that could invoke the mere concept of creation itself. A mere blueprint. A... blueprint?!
She realized something. Something... dangerously terrible to describe. Her eyes look anew upon the terrible beast that had shook her because of its familiar signature that almost resembled the Holy Grail. The point of power was utterly meaningless. Berserker could crush this monster, that was true. But... this was merely an individual that was a part of a collective whole. An implied factor, that formed the foundations of creation. Like a bunch of clocks working non-stop.
Like ticking clocks.
"Grrrr."
Illyasviel would note the reaction of these sabertooth predators that lurked under the snow. The moment her beloved servant made a landing - they would glare at them as intruders.
She clicked her tongue. She did not have time to deal with the fodder. She needed to deal with the main course.
"Berserker," She muttered softly. "Get rid of the rabble for me so that I can attend to my idiot little brother."
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" Berserker's eyes flashed, as... with quick-speed, as the large hulking titan of pure rage races through the snowy terrain. The predators never stood a chance. Less of a chance even, as they were hacked into pieces, as their crimson blood sprayed the clear and pure snowy grounds.
Crimson blood... just like the eyes of a White-Haired Daughter With A Hell Hath No Furious Scorn.
"...Welcome, Kamen Riders, to my domain [Universe]," The Smilodon Undead would smirk as he drew his claws. The Riders responded as they perform their own stances in battle; Blade placing his blade forward with proper footing, while Garren placed his gun close to his own chest. "Let our precious battle com-Hmm?"
The Undead raised an eyebrow as he casually dodges a wide open kick from a crimson-haired young woman, who was kicked by the Undead for good measure, across the solar plexus, sending her crashing to the snowy floor, blood dripping out of her stomach, as she lands perfectly near Shiki's feet.
Both the Riders eyes' widened, but none more so than Garren, as it only took a few moments to realize whose body was right in front of him.
"Akiha!" Garren exclaimed with an anxious tone. Despite the crimson hair, he'd recognize his sister from anyway. He would grab hold of her body, as she was coughing her own blood just a little.
Blade narrowed his eyes. "You'll regret that," He muttered, as he removed the card from his Rouse Absorber and insert another.
ABSORB QUEEN! FUSION ARCHER!
His armor's color would change as an Archer Card would materialize in hologram form and enter within the Blade armor; as traces of scarlet robes that were reminiscent of a priest became seeable. A priest collar wrapped around Blade's neck. Black garbs and designs that accentuate and compliment the armored pieces of his gear.
When he donned it, Blade... or Shirou Emiya rather, couldn't help but recall a flash in his memory. That tends to happen more than a few times.
"If you don't summon a servant, you will die, onii-chan."
...A strange flash of memory. Something within his heart that told him; that something had happened. Long ago. He could not tell. Flashes of other worlds - these dreams were flashes without context. The one he saw, it seem, made him grew sad. Why? It felt like he was missing something.
...This wasn't unique to him. Shiki was also experience this oftentimes. There was something strangely off - which he began to feel, sometime around middle school. It was... deja vu.
The flash of memory. She saw a woman smiling at him.
"It's the duty of an older sibling, to protect a younger sibling."
"GRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
"?!"
Both Blade and the Undead would look; their eyes would see what almost seem like an oncoming train. At least, to describe the very action. Despite how fast the monstrous thing was - and Blade would, upon using the lenses of his Rider helmet, would notice the strange existence. A Servant?! Now?! But... the Holy Grail War hasn't even started yet?!
...Wait?
Shirou noticed someone behind the beast's shoulder. As the beast stopped from his tracks; carrying the blood and skulls of countless predators that lay on the polluted snowy plains.
A white haired little girl.
It almost felt like time somewhat stopped for Shirou. Why? Something felt very wrong - closely tight to his chest. The breeze would blew towards the both of them; her dark violet aristocratic clothing which blew along with her hair.
K̶̛̦͜͝s̷̨̐š̵ͅs̴̲͋s̸̪̽s̸̟̉s̷͙̱̕͝s̵̢̾ṣ̷̫̚̕s̸̢̘̄s̴̲͇̄̐s̵̳̰̓ș̵̹̽̓s̶̘̯̚s̵̮̳͂̿š̷̨͜h̵͔͎̊̚h̵̝̊ḩ̷͍͋̈́h̵̡͖͋ḧ̵̡ͅh̶̘̐̈h̵̖̕h̵̫͌͋h̸̖̀h̴̪̭̕hh̶̦̮̄h̷̯͖̋̀h̷̺́̈ḣ̸̢̧h̸̬̔̂ȟ̴̩h̴̻̎̅͜h̷̗̥́͠ḧ̵̥ĥ̵͜͠h̶̡̫͋h̵̦̀͒ḧ̸̬̣́ḧ̸̖́ȟ̶̙͓h̵̫͋͝h̷̳͕̔
A flash of memory. A sad smile. It almost felt like it was saying something. Everything was going to be okay. Don't worry. But Blade - Shirou Emiya, could not help but shed a tear underneath his helmet.
...Il
He couldn't help but incompletely mutter the name of the girl in his thoughts. He knew this girl. From some other lifetime. What was it that Kiristugu said to him then? Both of them. Him and Shirou. They were the same. They slowly started to remember something. Though, it was mostly incomplete fragments. Like, they were slideshows. They couldn't make up the context.
These strange memories. It had started to slowly come pricking into their minds when they decided to take the belts on. When they decided to become Kamen Riders. Kiritsugu was the first to experience it, and he started to recall something odd - and found something quite wrong with his own life. But he couldn't for the life of him making any lick of sense to this.
Sometime later, in the year 2001, when Shirou became the tester for the new Rouzer Gear. Before that, Shirou had taken an on-the-job training of sorts, a family secret between himself, Kiritsugu, and Shirley, an on-the-job training with BOARD, the organization where he and Kiritsugu got the Rouzers, that could allow them to transform into Kamen Riders.
...A smile from another lifetime.
But that young girl. That young woman. Whose life, fate seem to have dealt a bad hand with. The woman that both Kiritsugu Emiya and Shirou Emiya were close with. In one lifetime... too many...
The little snow white jumped down from the tall titan figure. Intimidating doesn't even begin to describe him. A walking pile of rage, who only seem to be at an inch of tearing everything apart, held only by a mere thread.
The little girl stood there. Her face was a little serious. Normally, she would be playful. But she can't help but take this creature in front of her a little seriously.
A life, broken. A family, broken. How many lives have you lived?
A question, that haunted him. Something that Shirou, as well as Kiritsugu, and Shik, had to wrestled since he became a Kamen Rider.
The Undead looked curious, eyeing at the little girl in front of him. A still yet uncomfortable silence reigned.
"...To think," The Undead muttered, with a tone of inquiry and epiphany. "I'd meet something of your kind, in the last ten thousand years, ever since I've been sealed. You must be the latest in line of your generation, of the many that had been produced, for the war that lay ahead."
"And you're quite an oddity," Illyasviel narrowed her eyes at the strange being in front of her. "You're no Servant, or a Vampire like that woman over there." She noted Akiha, who was bleeding a bit, while Garren was attending to her, concerned for his sister as his face turned grim.
"No, far from it, young one," The Undead spoke formally. "My kind preceded them by mere thousands of generations; in fact, our kind of conflict is far older than your Grail Wars."
"Interesting," Illyasviel smirked a little. "Then, you wouldn't mind if you tell me properly and explain?"
"I could, but... that would be half of the fun," The Undead released his claws, and whose physical appearance now had sharp edged blades all found within it's own hardened armored skin. "I still have prior business with the Kamen Riders, but I won't stop you or your Servant from joining in the battle. I always wondered what it would be like to face a Servant such as... well, such divine grandeur." He would say.
The Undead had the capacity to know the true names of individuals. It's well within their nature. Servants' names were known to them. Of course, they aren't crass enough to reveal those kinds of secrets out of the open, not even when they are inside their very own domain. Never let be said that the Undead are not without honor for the natural laws. This was no different.
"A pity," Illyasviel spoke with a boastful smile of confidence, as she raised her arm, and blew her hair away, which the wind also complimented. "And here I thought we could settle this quietly. Berseker, deal with the pest."
"Grrrrrraaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
"Hehehahahahaha!" The Undead simply laughed in good cheer. "I do love you fighting spirit, young one. Let's go."
Then, a blur. Two forces of nature would strike back. The Servant known as Berserker, despite his size, was quick to his feet. He dodges what appeared to be a growing set of spikes that occur from the very earth itself. He used that large weapon of his to break the steel knives and send it in various directions with each jump-kick.
Like a pouncing master of skill, the Smilodon Undead would use his claws to spin around; while he unleash a barrage of steel all across a completed circumferential angle. These blades of steel, which all seem to reflect back around Berserker, who blocks and dodges them with casual ease. With his large sword, Berseker plunges it with a fiery wrath and force as he would try to tag the teleporting Undead, who swiftly evades, but would always need to be mindful of transporting himself away less he get's hit by the large broadsword of black-edged steel.
Blade would look at the battle that took place, which reaches further away from every step the titan takes, which was now going on the offensive, while the Smilodon Undead was trying to dodge every attack that the former could muster. As he jumped higher, the countless blades burst forth against Berserker, who roared in defiance.
"Grrrrr..."
Blade and Illyasviel both noticed that strange humanoid creatures that resembled the Smilodon Undead would materialize. Illyasviel didn't seem surprised by these turn of events. She wasn't stupid enough to leave the castle without a few things prepared.
But just as she tried to draw her tools...
A slash occurs, like a blur.
Illyasviel noticed. The saber tooth humanoids perished, with a quick-paced slash, as Blade was now standing in-between her and these predatorial beasts.
"...Illya."
Ilyasviel raised her eyebrows. Something about the way he said her name made her paid close attention.
"...I will. ...I will protect you this time," Blade would declare. He didn't turn around. He didn't want her to see him. Even with his helmet in front to cover his face, he did not want to risk it. His eyes underneath, in tears that flowed under his cheeks, in silence. The snowy winds blew his crimson and black priestly cloak.
...A flash. A memory. Of losing a loved one. Of an older sister.
He can't let that happened again.
"[Trace On]" Blade muttered. In addition to his blade, another blade came forth as bluish sparkes materialized from his other hand, forming a sharp-edged steel blade, as strong as it should, able to cut everything in his path. It was reminiscent of a strange warrior who had lived the ideal of a "hero". His armor's clothing resembled that strange warrior.
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"
These saber-toothed humanoids would charge, with quick-paced speed, heading towards Blade, who... simply sliced them all down. With each slice. Up. Down. Left. Right. All the while... as he recalled that sad, yet happy smile, of a white-haired girl.
"It's the duty of an older sibling, to protect a younger sibling."
Blade, somewhere deep in his heart, would trust Illya's servant to handle the Undead. He in turn would defend the latter's master. His older sister.
Illyasviel, as she looked at her brother, felt this odd sensation. A deja vu of sorts. A troublesome feeling. As she sees the armored hero in front of her, slicing down the monsters that dare try to come close. Determination, yet a hint of somewhat desperation. An odd feeling. Why was this making her mind itch?
Whatever the case... she can take care of herself just fine. She can deal with it later. As the palm of her hands raised itself, bluish paper mache birds materialized, and scatter forward. It passed by Blade, who just finished gutting the latest saber-tooth beast. He noticed these bluish sparks that would eventually engulf all of the beasts in a kind of explosion, leaving nothing left.
"...I appreciate the help, onii-chan," She muttered with a confident smirk, hiding her own feelings on the matter, as she materialized more of her precious blue papers that float in geometric patterns. "But I can take care of myself just fine."
Blade only glanced at her. She couldn't see the sadness in his face. Blade didn't intend to. He didn't want her to.
He only glared at those monstrous saber-tooth humanoids and animals that all gathered together.
BURST! FIRE!
Garren fired his gun, causing a burst of energy that appeared throughout the skies, causing fireworks to appear, and hit the various beasts that would explode into ashes.
"Garren," Blade exclaims as he looks at him. "Take care of Illya for me. I'm going to end this, now!"
Garren nodded.
"Wha, hold on-"
But Illyasviel didn't even get the second word, as Blade suddenly went faster, as he tried to catch up with the battle, with his wings spread across the skies. She looked back towards Garren, who was still attending to his sister, who was feeling a little better.
"Umm... Uh, hey," Garren awkwardly said, raising his left hand.
"...Hey," Garren looks at Akiha, who muttered with a glare. "You've... You've got a lot of explaining to do, nii-san."
"Umm, yeah, uhh... maybe later," Garren looked ahead as he noticed the saber tooth creatures that would gather and lie in wait.
In response, he would slowly help Akiha stand up, as he readies his gun. Illyasviel, for the time being, would stand beside these two. She had too many questions and concerns right now. Perhaps she could learn something from at least one other person here.
And of course...
She plans to let loose a little, since she has plenty of target practice to spare, as she readied her paper mache birds again.
Trivia Section:
(*1) - Heracles Panhellenios (Earth-M616 Prime) was the son of Zeus (Earth-M616 Prime) and Alcmene (Earth-M616 Prime). A long-time best friend of Norse God Thor Odinson (Earth-M616 Prime), whom he had fought side by side with on many ancient battles.