EDIT: Small change to the conversation between the 'Quarter Enforcement' and Shirou.
Howdy and welcome back to The Fallen! This chapter was a little difficult to write as I kept feeling as if I was writing Shirou wrong in some ways so I kept retrying but eventually decided it was just me being my overly critical self and just pushed on. If you see any issues please point them out and I hope you enjoy.
-OtherwiseR00K
He'd made a mistake.
Shirou had made a mistake, he'd slipped again. He'd fallen back into that mindset again. That Mind of Steel that had torn him apart and fractured his heart of glass. He hadn't thought of anything else but the mission but hadn't he promised himself that he'd think back without the steel's interference? When was the last time he'd allowed himself to let it drop from his mind?
He already knew that answer.
Shirou hadn't let himself think since his time in Hoana Lu. Nearly a year ago now. That was another thing, he'd been on Remnant for close to a year dealing with the Cult of the Grimm Goddess sect in Anima. Wasn't this supposed to be his redemption? His penance for what he'd done?
Shirou had used children. Children. For a purpose and hadn't even bothered thinking of them as he should have. The Spiders were going to become a problem, he knew that on a fundamental level, but he could not kill Lil' Miss Malachite even if that would nip the problem in the bud.
Her death would have consequences, the crime families of Mistral would have warred for the women's assets and the people just living day by day would be put in the crossfire. Shirou wouldn't let that happen so he'd warned her of following him by using those children who'd been following him to track her down without thinking of the consequences.
It shamed him to admit that he would have left the boy in the alley if his words hadn't pierced through one of the cracks within the steel. The very word sister had gotten to him through it all. If he hadn't said that he would have forgotten them as nothing more than a means to an end.
What would Rin have said?
What would Sakura have said?
What would Illya have said?
What would Taiga have said?
Shirou wasn't sure. He hadn't thought about them since Hoana Lu and that-cutting off that line of thought,
Shirou didn't have the time currently, he had to make this right.
"Where would they have taken her?" Shirou repeated the boy-Roman was still staring at him in surprise. The cane, Melodic Codgel, wasn't a blade but it was a weapon close enough to one for him to have an incomplete copy of it within his inner world. It was also a gun apparently.
Its history was exposed to him and the name of the man who made it and the one who currently wielded it was given to him. Roman Torchwick, an orphan after his father was killed. His sibling, Neo as he'd learned, was adopted but they cared for each other more than anything else.
Roman finally snapped out of his stupor and stammered for a moment, "A-ah, t-thank you! Uhm, I don't know who the woman was, never heard of her before but if the amount of lien Lil' Miss claimed was right then the Noble Quarter would be our best bet."
The Noble Quarter? Most likely a place filled with the rich of Mistral, seemed they kept themselves sequestered away from everyone else. It made sense, typically those in the higher classes felt superior to those in the lower ones. Some didn't even consider those beneath them worthy to breathe in their presence.
It was certainly that way in the Clocktower and Magi society in general.
"I don't know where that is," Shirou admitted, having not read up on the locations within Mistral.
"I-its right above us," Roman pointed up and Shirou looked up as well. Above them, and higher up the mountain Mistral was built on and around, was a large platform built into the rockface that spiraled up the side. Lights streamed from the sides and spilled over, lighting up the night above them and even illuminating some of the quarter they were currently in.
"How do we get up there?"
"The steps, they lead to every quarter."
"Do they? Hmm, then lead on then since you know the way," Shirou said, gesturing for Roman to get moving. Roman got the idea and began moving at a quick pace out of the alley and toward the mountain face. Shirou followed him, his mind still going over what he'd done.
One thing was for certain though. Shirou would help Roman get his sister back.
-Warehouse Quarter-
Unknown to Shirou an unusual-looking bullhead was currently pulling into an illegal hangar based in the warehouse of a Mistralian crime family. The hangar had been paid for in advance by Arthur Watts so he could enter Mistral without having to be tagged in the CCT systems as most entering a Kingdom's airspace would be. It also helped that he'd modified the bullhead to not be picked up on radar.
Of course, it was a bit of a rush job as he'd only had a few days to do it but the only thing that took away from it was the aesthetic with large wires anchored to the sides of the black bullhead. It was rather ugly but the bullhead served its purpose and did it well that was all Arthur needed at the moment.
The bullhead shuttered as it finally touched down on the warehouse floor, Arthur quickly checked a few things and then allowed himself to smirk. It seemed his genius had once again shone through.
Arthur shut the bullhead down and stood from his seat, placing the pilot helmet on the hook on his way out of the cockpit. He strode out to meet the only passenger of the bullhead, a boy no older than 17 was sitting. His face was pale with scars decorating it as if it were a patchwork set and his hair was buzzed showing off the scars across his entire head. His clothes consisted of a black leather jerkin that reached his knees with Salem's symbol embroidered over his left breast, a thick gray shirt that covered the skin under the jerkin, two sets of black gauntlets with separated plates, baggy pants with greeves over his boots.
The boy was leaning forward, a hand holding onto a longsword's crossguard. He was staring forward, seemingly unaware of having landed. Arthur cleared his throat and the boy turned to look at Arthur, "We have arrived in Mistral."
The boy nodded and stood up, shifting his hand to hold the handle of the longsword and bring up his other arm. Through the gaps in the metal black liquid bubbled from the gauntlet, going up in a defiance of gravity as it spread apart in a skeletal structure. Soon the liquid began pooling into the structure and sealing itself until the liquid stopped in the shape of a small Nevermore perched on the boy's gauntlet.
Arthur looked on, fascinated by the process. It had always fascinated him that Salem was capable of such things and the abilities she could impart to her followers. Though Arthur was fully aware of how these abilities came to be and he had no intention of going through that procedure. He was fine being a normal human, if smarter than average.
The Nevermore's beady orange and red eyes peered at the boy, whose eyes momentarily flashed the same colors, "You know what to look for," the boy said, the first words the boy had spoken since they departed Evernight Castle, "find the Black Swordsman and lead me to him."
The Nevermore simply turned, ready to depart. The boy sheathed the longsword on his back, moved forward, and grabbed the handle to the sliding door of the bullhead before pulling it open and allowing the Nevermore to dart into the sky. The boy turned his head toward Arthur and nodded before following the Grimm.
Arthur watched as the boy left the warehouse for the mission Salem had appointed them and mentally wished them luck. Arthur had read up on this Black Swordsman, a very tacky name, and he'd been surprised at the lack of information on the Kingdom's CCT. Even some of his own criminal contacts couldn't tell him anything.
That was fine though, his mission here wasn't to learn. It was to sow discord after all.
Arthur closed the bullhead door and walked over to where another door would typically be but instead, a computer setup had been installed. With the flick of his finger, the setup lit up in neon blue, at the behest of his own rings. He sat down at the chair and popped his knuckles.
First, he'd create a fake CCT account, an easy process for someone who'd worked with them before.
Second, he'd download all of the data on the Black Swordsman's attacks and create a file that seems as if an amateur created it.
Third, he'd post it on a public message board that he knew the Mistral Times frequented so it could be found quickly.
Fourth, he'd sit back with a cup of tea and a sandwich to watch as the Mistral Council came under fire from the upset populous who had been lied to.
Arthur smirked as he envisioned the unrest that would come from his little escapade.
-Noble Quarter-
The Noble Quarter was very different from the Faunus Quarter. For one the dilapidated worn buildings of the Faunus Quarter held no chance with the elegant mansions and bright lights of the Noble Quarter. Lights crisscrossed above the road wrapped around decorated poles that shone with the lights giving the whole place a beautiful look.
"Well, we're here," Roman mutters beside Shirou.
"It's bright," Shirou comments, not sure what to say.
"Yeah, it's to blind those who want to look close. Come on," Roman began moving forward, Melodic Codgel gripped tightly in his hands. It was obvious to Shirou that Roman was not comfortable being here and after passing a few groups of people it wasn't hard to figure out why.
The men and women of higher standing made no attempt at hiding their disdain toward both Shirou and Roman. Some openly sneered at them as they passed as well, most just gave looks of disgust or thinly veiled hatred.
It was far more than Shirou was expecting, as if these people saw them as less than human. Even those at the Clocktower rarely despise someone so openly but then again the Clocktower was a den of vipers simply waiting for a chance to strike. Shirou wasn't so sure how it worked in the Noble Quarter.
As if sensing his questions Roman spoke up, "The Noble Quarter is different from the other quarters of Mistral. It's controlled by the rich and powerful, most being the heads of the crime families while others are just the typical pompous kind. They have their own law enforcement officers as well. Most people don't come here because they're worried the powerful will see them as objects to be used. Faunus avoid this place because of the rumors surrounding what happens to them here. Faunus get the worst of it in Mistral, even Mantel isn't as bad with some of this as at least there they can get a job mining out the big ass hole Atlas rose out from."
Atlas. Shirou had heard of the Kingdom that had ascended into the sky. The journals had mentioned it alongside Mantel but hadn't mentioned if anyone had infiltrated the floating Kingdom itself. Mantel was the one he had an idea about and it was his next stop but for now, he had to keep his mind on the situation at hand.
"Do you know where we're going?" Shirou asked, having a feeling he already knew the answer.
Roman stopped, his shoulders dropping before he turned around, "No, I don't. I've always avoided this place so I don't even know my way around the same as I do the rest of Mistral."
Shirou hummed as he looked around, ignoring the looks he and Roman continued to garner. Most of the manors shared the same aesthetic with only a modicum of designs specific to the manor making it difficult to tell them apart. They'd need to ask someone about the woman, who Shirou just realized he had no name for.
"What was her name?" Shirou asks.
"Who?"
"The woman who took your sister."
Roman's eyes narrowed at the reminder, "Lil' miss referred to her as Lemon but I've never heard of her."
Lemon. Shirou turned his head down thinking on the name, it hadn't popped up in any of the cultist's journals he'd stashed in his gun case so he could cross having to deal with the cult along with saving Roman's sister off his list of problems. However, that also meant he had no idea of the defenses she would have nor if she was capable of defending herself.
Something he could pin down was her unimportance. If Roman hadn't heard of her it was unlikely killing her would cause the same problem Lil' Miss' death would cause so he didn't have to be so accommodating.
Shirou glanced right to see a group in his peripheral vision. They'd been following him and Roman a little bit after entering the quarter, they weren't Spiders, the outfits were typical two-piece suits black gloves along with small bulges on their sides indicative of a shoulder holster. Shirou had an idea of who they were though.
"Roman," Shirou said getting the boy's attention, "Do you know what this quarter's law enforcement looks like?"
"Uh, vaguely, they just wear suits," Roman responded, looking around at the manors most likely trying to figure out which one held his sister.
"Like that?" Shirou pointed at the group, Roman turned and looked on edge. More than he already was at least.
It seemed the group had finally noticed the duo staring at them as they finally stopped simply following and began marching. They'd look formidable to anyone else and most would probably be correct to be wary but Shirou was not everybody and he doubted even typical huntsmen would have trouble with them.
Roman was tense, Shirou less so.
The group walked up to them and stopped a few feet away from them. Those around them looked on in apathy or satisfaction, most likely believing they'd be forced out of the quarter.
"What is your business here?" The leader asked, his voice gravelly.
"We're looking for someone," Shirou responded, Roman was too emotionally charged and may have issues talking to these people.
"Yeah? Well, you're looking in the wrong place."
"Then maybe you could point us in the right direction-"
"The right direction is back to the trash hole you and the gutter trash came from. Now, your gonna turn around, walk out of the Quarter or we're going to have problems."
Well, it seemed diplomacy was not going to win this day. So Shirou decided to fall back on his go-to. Mocking.
"Gutter trash, huh? If gutter trash isn't supposed to be here then what are you doing here?" Shirou responded, a smirk splitting his lips.
"Excuse me?" the leader asked, "I must not have heard you correctly."
"Oh, no you heard me. It's a simple question to answer, it's fairly obvious you aren't from this quarter. I highly doubt anyone here would get their hands as dirty as we lowly gutter trash after all."
"Ha! You got some balls on you," the leader growled at the end, pulling out his handgun and flashing a small dagger in his coat, "Especially for someone who could disappear and no one would care."
"Is that so? Is suppose that also applies to you as well considering I'm sure you've assisted in some of these disappearances. I wonder how your families would feel knowing you've been doing this to people of similar stature."
The leader growled, the others behind him pulling their own weapons out, "It seems you have a death wish don't you?"
"Hmph, better a death wish than allow someone to use you as their toy."
This got the leader to actually freeze up for a second, "What did you say?"
"Are you deaf? This is the second time you're asking me to repeat myself."
"What the fuck did just say," the man growled.
"You already know what I'm talking about, Pet."
"You're dead! You're fuckin' dead!" The man howled before aiming the gun and the others behind him aimed forward as well.
Shirou's smirk left his face as he traced Bakuya and slashed up as the first bullet came, the bullet hit the flat of the blade but Shirou had made sure to hit it in such a way that it would ricochet. The bullet was deflected right back at the leader who was hit square in the head.
The man stumbled back, his aura having saved him from his death. Shirou would give no quarter however and rushed forward. His first victim was the man who shot first, he kicked him hard in the stomach and his aura shattered. The man fell down and Shirou traced a Black Key above his shoulder before shooting it directly into the shadow, trapping the man.
Next, he slashed at the next closest one and cut directly into the man's side. It seemed he didn't have the luxury of aura. Shirou tore Bakuya out of the screaming man and deflected a flimsy strike from another one. Shirou pushed forward and slashed Bakuya through the man's throat deep enough to nearly decapitate the man. This one didn't have aura either.
Finally, Shirou turned and threw Bakuya like a buzzsaw at the final man who had attempted to run. The saw cut into his spine and burst through his chest, the man stopped in his tracks and looked down just as Bakuya was dismissed and he fell to the ground to bleed out. They didn't have aura either.
The small massacre had lasted less than thirty seconds but everyone around them had already run off their horrified screams echoing through the quarter as they ran away. Shirou looked back to the man he left alive, his terrified eyes meeting Shirou's apathetic gold eyes.
"Now, I have a question and you will answer. Do you know a woman by the name of Lemon?" Shirou asks, his voice dead as he towers over the man.
The man shakes in fear, "I-i uh Lemon? S-she lives in the manor down the street, the manor has a golden gate with a l-lemon sigil on the front."
Shirou looks down the street and reinforces his eyes to see the gates better and a moment later he spots a golden gate with a lemon-esque symbol on the gate. The manor is otherwise unremarkable and similar to the many others surrounding it.
"S-so that it right?" Shirou looks back at the man as he speaks, "That's all you wanted-"
Shirou pulls out his gun and fires. The bullet buried itself into the man's head and cut off any words that would be said. Shirou holsters the gun and turns to Roman who was staring with his eyes wide and jaw slackened.
"We know where to go now, pick your jaw up and come on," Shirou says as he walks toward the manor. He listened to the footsteps rushing after him and in a moment Roman appeared in his peripheral vision with a steeled expression.
That was good. Shirou had wondered for a moment if he had scared the boy with that display on the guards but it seemed he hadn't. That meant he didn't have to hold back to simply shield the boy from the carnage he wrought.
The two walked on toward the manor, each step a gunshot on the empty street. The people of the quarter had run for the safety of their manors most likely believing they were next, they weren't as one of them wouldn't survive the night.
Shirou's eyes scanned the manor as he and Roman got closer. High stone walls with iron rods on the top and a gate with gilded gold and the same lemon-eusqe symbol he'd spotted from afar. The main thing was the guard's presence which wasn't much.
Shirou wasn't sure what to expect with Lemon's guards, if they were trained, had aura, or were auraless. He didn't know so unlike with the cult, which he knew the ranks had theirs unlocked, he wouldn't use Gae Dearg until he could confirm it.
Shirou watched as the gates opened and several guards wearing black suits and yellow ties and bow ties came out armed with weapons. A few had mecha-shift weapons so it seemed Lemon did have Huntsmen trained guards. Gae Dearg would do well then.
"Halt!" a woman shouted, walking a little ahead of the crowd of guards before stopping, "You will not pass this point-"
Shirou ignored the woman as her rant continued. He scanned the other guards, seven in total, most had automatic rifles in their hands which would be a problem for Roman who was in the line of fire. Shirou was aware of Roman having aura but he wasn't huntsmen trained nor did he have any real experience fighting them.
He'd have to deal with them quickly and make sure they don't fire off a single shot.
Shirou could do that.
He readied the blueprint of two particular weapons and then moved.
Shirou traced four Black Keys over his shoulders and quickly shot them off at four of the guard's shadows while tracing Gae Dearg into his ready hands. Blitzing forward he twirled the blood red spear and slashed up the woman's chest and to her chin bypassing her aura and silencing her rant. After, he moved past the falling corpse and stabbed through the heart of one, spun on his heel to cut the throats of two others thanks to the reach of the spear. Then he turned to the ones trapped and hurled the spear like a javelin. The force of the throw in tandem with the noble Phantasm's passive effect and the fact they were lined up allowed it to pierce the last four's sides easily. Gae Dearg stabbed into the concrete with three corpses still on the shaft while the fourth one fell to the ground.
Shirou huffed and dismissed the traced weapons. He quickly glanced at Roman who was simply staring again but shook his head and moved toward him. Shirou nodded, at least Roman was getting used to this.
Shirou turned and grabbed the gate, heaving it open and revealing the courtyard to the duo. A fountain with a statue of a Nevermore with it's wings folded in the middle of the yard with a stone path leading up to the steps to the manor doors. Shirou strode forward, with Roman on his heels.
Shirou went past the statue and up to the steps before stopping and putting up his hand to stop Roman as well. He crouches down and touches the steps of the building and closes his eyes.
Trace on
Suddenly he could see the manor, its blueprint within his mind but he was more focused on the people within. He 'looked' at the main room just on the other side of these doors and counted at least fifteen. He then 'glanced' around the building eventually looking down and seeing two other individuals.
Shirou assumed those two were Lemon and Neo.
"Stay here," Shirou says to Roman, "I'll clear them out and open the door when it's all clear."
"Wait, but-" Roman attempted to say but Shirou was already moving.
Shirou jumped back at the statue and then reinforced his legs to jump off the stone and soared through the air aimed directly at the window above the door. He traced Kanshou and the nail chain before he crashed through the window and immediately struck out with the nail. The chain nail sped toward its target and wrapped around their throat before pulling them off the balcony and into the firing line of those at the stairs. The bullets riddled the man without aura and Shirou wrapped the chain around his arm, twisting his body and bringing the corpse around before twisting again, quickly tracing Bakuya and stabbing it into the corpse then unwrapped the body from its chains as it was slung at the guards.
Shirou landed just as the body crashed into the group of guards and his circuits lit up as the Bakuya copy exploded killing a few of the guards on the steps and ruining the woodwork. The remaining ones on the balcony gaped at the scene. Shirou quickly traced Bakuya in his other hand and threw the married blades at the balcony, the two spun like buzzsaws at the stupified targets, and before they could react they were hit. One of them was decapitated instantly while the others aura saved him making Kanshou fall but Bakuya continued on and curved back toward its other half and into the back of the man making him stumble forward and off the railing.
The man's aura broke as he landed and Shirou traced a nameless dagger while dismissing the married swords. He quickly threw the dagger which pierced the man's throat, before running forward and jumping up to the last two guards, having survived the explosion, and traced Gae Dearg. Shirou landed spear first and impaled one man to the steps but had to let go of the spear as one of them slashed at him with a two-handed chainsaw axe.
Shirou ducked back and traced Kanshou, bringing it up to block another slash then pushed the blade up, forcing the man off balance. Shirou struck out with his leg and hit the man in his stomach forcing him back. Shirou then moved forward dismissing Kanshou and tearing Gae Dearg out of its previous victim and introducing it to the newest one. Gae Dearg pierced the man's heart and the lights of his eyes faded quickly after.
Shirou let the body drop as he tore Gae Dearg out and looked around at the death he'd wrought. He made sure no one was left mentally counting those he killed and then dismissed Gae Dearg before vaulting over the banister and moving toward the door. Reaching them he pulled them open revealing Roman.
Roman quickly moved past him and looked around frantically. Shirou already knew what he was looking for and before Roman could move any further Shirou stopped him.
"The basement," Shirou said, "Your sister's being held in the basement."
Roman looked back, seemingly confused, "How do you know that?"
Shirou walked past him, toward a hall leading further into the manor. Roman followed but Shirou could tell he was confused and a little miffed at Shirou's silence. The two walked through the lavish halls, Shirou leading Roman as if he'd been walking these halls his whole life. Structural Analysis was useful like that.
The two continued on until they finally reached what looked to be a study. Roman looked around at the walls and the bookshelves lining those halls but his eyes landed on the portrait of the same woman who put a collar on his sister. His eyes narrowed at the portrait but he turned at the sound of something snapping.
Shirou pulled at the bookcase, tearing the secret door off its hinges with a metallic snap before shoving it aside revealing the passageway down. Roman looked down at the dimly lit stairwell and a feeling of familiarity and dread pooled at the similarity to what caused this in the first place. He glanced at Shirou who was already walking down the steps and followed.
Shirou pulled out his gun and pointed it down as he and Roman made their way down. He was sure that Lemon was down here with Neo so he was ready to fire the moment he saw her. The two finally reached the bottom but there was no sign of Lemon. Instead, the only thing in the room was a little girl strapped to a chair with tears in her clothes and angry marks marring her face.
"NEO!" Roman yelled as he sprinted for his sister, uncaring of anything else. He immediately tore the restraints off and the collar forced on her before cupping her face in his hands and moving it to look at him. Heterochromia eyes look into Roman's own green ones and fresh tears spilled from them.
Shirou stood away from the sibling reunion and instead stared at the small passageway tucked away in the corner of the relatively barren basement. He tightened his fists as he realized he'd missed it in getting the Structural Analysis done quickly. He reviewed the blueprint in his mind and found the passage led out to the courtyard fountain.
Shirou would have destroyed it had he known.
Shirou would've given chase but, he quickly looked back at the siblings embracing each other and crying together, he couldn't leave them alone. Neo and Roman needed Shirou's help so for now he'd stay his hand.
That didn't mean he'd leave Mistral without dealing with Lemon, however.
-Lemon-
"Gods dammit!" Lemon slammed her palm against the stone as she continued fiddling with the door control.
Everything had been going so well. She'd finally gotten a hold of Malachite and finally got her lead on that illusion semblance she'd been hearing whispers about, even better it was one of the Miss' Spiders and an unruly one at that. It had been perfect, Lemon paid Malachite her few million, and in walked the girl Lemon had wanted practically gift-wrapped.
The only problem was the girl's brother who was brought to the ground so Lemon could take the girl and she'd been told he wouldn't be able to do anything as he'd be killed after she left. Yeah right! Malachite hadn't killed the boy and now he was here, if it was just him her security would've killed him and tossed him off the quarter but it wasn't just him.
That man. Oh, she had a good idea who it was thanks to overhearing that boy explain what he saw to Malachite. The Black Swordsman. Lemon was utterly confused when she first saw him on the monitors but that confusion turned to horror when she saw him cut through her guards as if most of them didn't have aura! She'd admit to not knowing as much as a Huntsman or Huntress but she was aware it couldn't be just pierced through!
That spear he used! It had to be special, some kind of production method that could pierce aura. If she could get her hands on it-
Lemon shook her head, it didn't matter at the moment. She had to focus on leaving and regrouping with some of her people, then mount an attack on the rats now in her manor. She smiled just thinking about it.
Click
"Finally!" Lemon looked at the steps leading to nowhere and soon the ceiling shifted backward enough for the moonlight to leak through. Lemon climbed the steps and found herself in her courtyard, she looked back at the manor and sneered at the damage to the window.
She'd get payback for that.
Lemon turned toward the gate and paused in surprise at the sight that greeted her. It wasn't the bodies right at the gate that surprised her but the man in leather armor standing at the gate, with a bird on his gauntlet. A huntsman?
Lemon was surprised someone from the quarter actually called one. The rich typically dealt with their problems themselves, by hiring guards or Haven dropouts. This man looked much more impressive than them.
Lemon smiled, this was perfect. She could point them in the right direction and use this as a distraction, maybe even kill the Black Swordsman.
"Hello!" Lemon yelled as she speed-walked toward the huntsman, "You took your time! That man is inside my manor and killing my men please-"
Slash!
Huh? Why was she suddenly flying?
She felt the concrete meet her head as she rolled to a stop. In her sight, she could see the huntsman walking toward the manor doors and sheathing his bloodied sword.
But why was it bloody?
Then Lemon's world went black.
-Roman-
Roman winced as he adjusted his grip on Neo. It wasn't because she was heavy but because she was in pain and he was trying to hold her gently even if all he wanted to do was squeeze her into his chest for the next few days and not let go. Roman moved into the manor halls with the Black Swordsman trailing behind him.
Roman mentally reminded himself to ask for the man's name when they got Neo to a safer location.
Roman glanced back at the man, seeing the way he was looking as if he was prepared for something to happen. To defend them if needed not that Roman thought they would. He'd seen the aftermath of the man's massacre through the manor and while the man's abilities raised many questions in his mind he ignored them in favor of focusing on getting Neo.
Now those questions were running around his mind in a loop.
What were those weird swords that froze people?
What was that spear? How could it pierce aura?
How did he summon weapons like that? A semblance?
How did that gun of his work? How could it break through aura in one shot? Did it only work on weaker auras? Would a fully trained huntsman be capable of tanking them?
On and on these questions looped with no answer to appease them.
Roman shook his head, he'd get those answers soon. He had a feeling he'd be sticking with the Swordsman for a while so he and Neo could stay safe from any attack sent on them by Malachite once she heard about this if she hadn't already. It'd be safer to leave Mistral behind and put as much distance between here and them as possible-
Whoosh!
Slam!
Crack!
Roman blinked as one moment he'd been carrying Neo out into the manor's main hall and the next he was soaring through the air with Neo still in his arms before landing on the other side of the hall near the door. It took Roman a second but he realized what had happened.
The Black Swordsman had grabbed the two and got them to safety.
Safety?
Roman's eyes bugged at the image where they had previously been.
A large sword had slammed down on the same spot he and Neo had been only a moment before. A sword large enough to have sliced the siblings in half and he'd never have known it as he'd have died the moment his brain would be in two. The thought terrified him and he unconsciously held Neo a little tighter.
The Black Swordsman stood in front of them, shielding them from the man now staring in their direction.
"Ah, seems you are rather fast for a heretic," the man-no boy frowned. Now that Roman really looked at him he could tell the guy couldn't be much older than Roman if not the same age.
The Swordsman spoke up, "And who are you supposed to be, a boy playing dress up?"
"I am but a servant of the Goddess hoping to be a Knight," The boy replied with a reverent tone, "And you are the Interloper within my Goddess' plan."
Goddess? Plan? These were the questions now running through Roman's mind as the boy turned the blade to them all.
"You will die for your transgressions and your soul purged from this plane."
"Hmph, you aren't the first looking to purge me. The two behind me aren't deserving of it, however-"
"Wrong, they are just as guilty having shared any space with you," the boy's 'mask' broke as a sneer encompassed his face, "You have humiliated my Goddess. You have made a mockery of the Church itself. For that, your very presence stains all with your sins."
Silence ensnared the hall as Roman looked on terrified by the convictions in the boy's voice. He'd kill Roman and Neo for simply breathing in the presence of the Black Swordsman? What the hell did the Swordsman do to this guy's church!?
"Is that so," The Black Swordsman murmured, "Then that simply means I have to deal with you."
Roman watched as the Swordsman pulled the pistol from his coat and the white short sword appeared in his right hand and flipped it into a reverse grip while aiming the gun forward. The boy moved into a stance as well and the two stared each other down.
Neither said a word as their body language was loud enough.
The boy would not let any of them leave alive.
The Black Swordsman would protect those behind him, whatever the cost.
There we go so what do you think? The goal of this chapter was to show how ruthless this Shirou actually is which we hadn't seen in the previous chapters besides that time he buried an entire town, he is straight to the point and doesn't really leave anyone alive. Lil' Miss Malachite was thought through, her death would cause an upheaval in Mistral's criminal underworld so Shirou thought it was better to leave her alive even with the high possibility it'll come back to bite him.
Then we get to Watts and the Squire. Watts does his typical shtick which I hope I portrayed well and we get an idea of what someone going into the Knights is like, as well as their abilities which you got a hint of here. The outfit is simple and looking up what a Jerkin is you'll get an idea of what the Squire is wearing. The thing I'm somewhat worried about is people thinking Lemon got off light, I mean she was killed yeah but I'm sure some of you wanted blood and gore for her actions last chapter, and the condition Neo was in only an hour or so later.
On a final note, I hope the chapter was enjoyable to all of you as I'll admit I'm unsure of a few things but I'm pushing it forward as it is what I want to do. Anyway, I'll see ya when I see you and hope you have a month.
-OtherwiseR00K