Shirou left his room feeling tired and stiff as he slipped on his slippers and walked over to the kitchen. As he opened the door to the refrigerator he groaned for the hundredth time. He would have to go grocery shopping, one of his least favorite things to do.
This was ironic given that when he was younger, particularly when he was in the Emiya residence in Fuyuki, he enjoyed such a hobby.
Luckily, he had just enough to make enough for him and Lou. As he started making breakfast, his daughter stepped out of her room ready and her backpack on her back.
"Morning Lou, come sit down, breakfast is ready." Shirou told his daughter as he grabbed a plate and put her portion on the table. She removed her backpack and put it on the couch then went to eat.
"So, dad, what's the plan today?" Lou asked as she stabbed an egg.
"The plan?" Shirou questioned with a quirked eyebrow.
"Yeah. What are we going to do today?"
"The plan." Shirou emphasized the latter word. "Is for you to go to school and for me to go to work."
"Dad… I don't think that school is for me. The people there are mean to me and I can barely read, as the words keep scrambling around!" His daughter whined. Shirou knew though that while she was being childish, she wasn't wrong about it being difficult.
Hecate had told him when she was born that demigods are born with ADHD because they are tunes for battle and Dyslexia because they are hardwired for the Greek language.
Thus, demigods of the modern area are notorious for being trouble-makers who aren't good at school and usually have to switch from school to school because of their antics and impatience. Lou is only six so, he hasn't had to switch schools for her yet—and hopefully never will— so that was good.
Sometimes, Shirou wondered if Lou was a blessing or a curse. Her birth was…unusual so to speak.
Six years ago, when he had first arrived at this world—as he had figured out long ago wasn't his—he ran into Hecate after saving a demigod and bringing her to Camp Half-Blood, a safe-haven for demigods. She had been observing him and his abilities and offered him something; he would tell her about his magic and in return, she would provide him with a home, an identity in this world and any way to get home that she could find.
The fact that he was still here spoke loudly for her results in the latter.
As a final gift for him, one day she showed up at his house with a bundle. More specifically, a child which was his and Hecate's.
They never copulated or even hugged or kissed for that matter, yet Lou was created all the same. She said when she arrived with her that she was born from her magic. Shirou had no idea that was even impossible or even what she had taken from him to create her but she was created.
Hecate of course, didn't do it out of kindness though, she did it because of what the child would have.
Magic circuits. A lot of them, in fact. Shirou counted over a hundred magic circuits of amazing quality. That was more than even Luvia had and that's without any tampering or special abilities.
If the people of the Clocktower were to discover that fact… he shuddered even thinking what they would do. Not like he would allow them of course. Shirou would sooner die than let any harm come to his daughter.
Speaking of intentions, Shirou had no idea what Hecate's intentions were with Lou anyways. She never took any action towards Lou and had barely come by to even check on her.
Shirou put that thought and replied back to Lou.
"I know. I get it, trust me, but all that I ask is that you try and make it work, that's all I ask."
"Okay…"
Shirou could tell that she wasn't satisfied with her answer based on her pursed lip. Especially when she would find out that she would have ADHD and Dyslexia for life. It was a hard life for demigods in the modern age it seemed.
"I'm going to go get ready, you can watch Tv or play on the tablet until I'm ready." Normally, demigods using any type of electronic device would spell trouble as monsters can track demigods a lot easier when they are using an electronic device as it sends out a sort of radar effect. Hecate was able to nullify the effects as she was the goddess of mist and magic, plus the one who had cast the spell was her own child, Lamia.
Shirou went back to his room and opened up his closet to reveal his work clothes which were just a blue button-up and blue cargo pants. He put his clothes on as he brushed his teeth and tried to make something of his unruly hair.
After a little bit more preparing, they were out the door and in the car. And if there was one thing Shirou hated, it was a car. Traffic was unruly in Manhattan, and the smell of oil and gas got on his nerves and messed up his senses. He much preferred walking or using a bike but couldn't as he had a child.
They drove, and made it to Lou's elementary school. He dropped her off, giving her a kiss and saying he loved her then drove off to his job.
His working was optional as Hecate practically paid for everything and a large sum of money would mysteriously be found on his dresser, every so often.
It just goes to show how much she cares… about magic.
Shirou deadpanned at the thought. It likely wasn't him but Lou she cared about but the research and potential that the two had.
It made him slightly resentful. But more for Lou than for himself. She had only asked once about her mother, but he was sure she yearned for a bond with her.
And he couldn't do anything about it. It made him feel mad at himself and her.
Still, she was useful for the well-being of their child. He didn't want to rely on her though, as he got a bad vibe from her sometimes.
He tried not to focus on all of that, right now.
So work he did.
As he arrived at his workshop which was a mechanic store. As he walked in and to the employee room to clock-in, the employee's stared at him before breaking out into a grin.
"Look who it is, our hero!" One of them, a man of thirty said.
"Jason, hey." Shirou greeted, dryly.
"A buzzkill as always, huh, Shirou? You need to come out with us for some drinks during lunch. Maybe, you'll even pick up a lil, somethin' somethin'." Another one cackled.
His name was Carlos, a Mexican with black hair in a buzzcut and a thick mustache. He was the party-animal of the work group. Nobody could deny his talents though.
"No chance. I have to get my daughter, Carlos. I can't do that if I'm not sober enough to drive." Shirou replied as he set down his toolkit.
"Fine, suit yourself."
"Alright, everyone, gear up. We have a lot to do today. We're going to be fixing a large pallet jack at a warehouse today, so gear up." said a voice. A huge burly man easily over six feet. Despite that though, he walked with a limp from an accident he said he suffered years ago. Shirou wasn't fooled though. He packed a huge amount of power and wasn't the type of boss to watch others work and do nothing himself which gained Shirou's respect.
Everyone groaned, knowing that it was going to be a long day.
"Well, it's a good thing, Shirou—our hero— is working today." Carlos said.
When he was interviewing for the job, as an example of his skills he had to fix something. They had multiple tiers of stuff he could fix and he chose a car, the hardest one.
He did it in under an hour. The other employees watched in shock as he missed not a step and did it with such surgical precision that they couldn't help but be impressed. After that, he got the job easily enough and was now an employee for over a year.
The other employees tended to use him to finish whatever projects they are working on and Shirou being who he is can't refuse them. He never could even in highschool.
"Absolutely not." His boss shut down his employees' thoughts. "Everyone will be lifting their own weight. You guys are here to work, so deal with it." The boss said.
That got a chorus of complaints from the other employees but they knew they couldn't disobey the boss, so let it go.
Everybody loaded up into a large van to fit the five of them and shortly after started to drive to the warehouse.
It took them about thirty minutes mostly because of traffic, but they made it at around ten o' clock. When they arrived, the boss made sure they got straight to work. They incorporated teamwork like never before, each putting in their own part.
Shirou, for his case, technically cheated as he used structural analysis and his other magic abilities to determine the problem and fix them. That was how he was able to get a leg up on his fellow coworkers even though many of them had been in the electrical business for years.
Soon enough since they were working constantly, the time flew by and it was 2 o'clock, meaning it was lunch time.
"Yo, Shirou." His coworker, Jason called out to him, walking over. Shirou stopped and turned to face him. "Where do you always go at lunch time man, you always miss our pizza days."
"I'm lactose intolerant, I'm afraid. It's fine, I'm just going to go get something to eat."
"Alright man, suit yourself. More pizza for us."
As Shirou walked outside he saw his boss already out there smoking a cigarette.
His boss took the cigarette out of his mouth and regarded him "Mmn, Shirou. I wanted to talk to you."
"Is everything okay?" Shirou asked.
"Yeah. Yeah, I just wanted to talk to you about your performance. You've been doing great, the best among the employees so I wanted to offer you something. I know a buddy of mine who owns a big company and is looking for people. If you'd like, I could put in a good word for you."
Shirou was shocked. He never would have expected to be offered a promotion. He'd work just to be able to say he was doing something productive but it turned out to have its benefits.
"Uh… s-sure. Thank you." Shirou stammered. He mentally slapped himself.
His boss just chuckled. No problem. I figured a man of your talents would want something like that. These guys here like to munch off other people. I have half a mind to lower their pay!"
"I'm used to people mooching off me. It's not a problem for me."
"Yeah, you did say so, right? You used to fix air conditioners at your school."
"Yeah." Shirou confirmed. "I fixed an air-conditioner once when my friend, the school president, broke his one and the other members of the council saw it and asked for help fixing their own ones and eventually it spread. They even named me the school janitor."
"That's how it all starts." His boss laughed. "You start small and make your way up. I have always found a talent in anything creating and fixing, from cars, computers, dead batteries and even city wires."
"I think you can make it big in this industry." He continued. I'll let you know when my friend contacts me. Go out there now lad, enjoy your lunch."
The two separated with his boss going back into the warehouse and Shirou to his car.
He started it up and made his way to the city. It took only ten minutes and eventually he found a parking spot in the abysmal city. Getting out of his car, he stopped at a tall building. It was currently going through reconstruction so it was abandoned at this time. Looking around, he saw nobody so he quickly cut through the locks with a basic sword and entered.
He walked up a dozen or so flights and was greeted to the roof. The wind blew hard so high up, which made his face quite cold but he didn't stop until he reached the edge.
He peered down at the city of bustling lights, cars and of course, the famous traffic. Everyone was busy.
And so too were the monsters.
Tracing his black bow, he scanned the entire city from his high up position.. His reinforced eyes could see from almost across the entire city with perfect clarity. So, it was no trouble spotting a monster currently lurking about. Especially with its terrifying features.
I still can't believe these things exist… but that's all the more reason to get rid of them.
It seemed to be stalking a young man of about fifteen wearing a purple shirt that said "SQPR" with normal jeans. What stood out to him that the young man was not normal was his armor. It wasn't a full set but was just the chestplate, greaves and a helmet. He could spot a sword on him as well. A gladius. He couldn't trace the weapon from this distance, but he could tell based on his extensive knowledge of swords.
A gladius is a Roman weapon isn't it? He's clearly a demigod so why would he have it if he's a Greek demigod. But maybe he's not. They all wear that orange shirt. His is purple.
Information about the person, Bryce Jennings. The son of a popular book author, Carla Jennings.
He didn't have time to sort through all of the information but what he could discern was that Bryre was the son of Apollo.
Except, not the Greek Apollo.
No, the Roman Apollo apparently. They lived in California and even had their own camp called "Camp Jupiter." After the Roman aspect of Zeus.
He focused back on the ground.
The monster, an empousa, lunged at the demigod, trying to kill it swiftly with its sharp claws. The demigod seemed to have a good degree of skill as he held up his shield.
The monster's jaws clamped onto it greedily and they started to wrestle for control. For his efforts he received several scratches but none landed anywhere that was not his armor. He finally was able to get his Gladius out and slashed her against the chest, fending her back.
That was not an easy task apparently.
His breathing was heavy and even from a kilometer away Shirou could see his fear. Which meant the empousa could, which was why it was still attacking. It would only be a matter of time at any rate until he messed up.
So, Shirou quickly stepped in. When the empousa was charging at the demigod once more and fully given into their bloodlust, Shirou struck.
He traced a sword. The sword of a Roman soldier who rose through the ranks during the height of Rome, the Imperial Periods.
It was a blade of protection and security and protected the Legionnaires against all who would go against them. In other words, a fitting sword to slay the monster and save a Roman soldier. He reinforced its shape and structure so that it was thin and yet it lost none of its power and if anything, could truly shine.
Once it was on the string of his bow and drawn back, Shirou released his arrow which shot through the sky like a star in a blue light and In a mere second it pierced through the monster's neck, sending it flying into a nearby wall where it was embedded along with the monster like a dart.
The empousa craned the remainder of its neck his way and he could tell that it could see him if only briefly before it vanished.
The demigod on the other hand panicked and quickly turned his way. Of course, he couldn't see him from so far away but was just looking in his general direction.
Shirou turned around and dissolved his bow. Every time he went on lunch he would go up to this roof and try to spot monsters that were around. Shirou did it mainly to protect the demigods that were just trying to live their life in peace but for a much more selfish reason—and the main reason—was for himself. Saving Claire brought him joy he'd never experienced before. He got to be a hero and save people, without having to sacrifice himself.
That was the compromise he found. And he got to prove that bastard Archer wrong. He was sure by now, his total count of monster kills had to be in its high double digits. They never were able to get to him, and the ones that could see that far and made their way to him were swiftly shot down.
He performed a few more kills from monsters he happened to spot—and yes they came in droves—then made his way to the car. He had a job to get back to.
Break.
In a place not so far from Shirou but unimaginable magnitudes higher, a meeting was going on. Twelve people were having a meeting in a grand building lined with gold and extravagant to the point it would make the greatest artist cry.
This was Olympus, the palace of the gods and the focal point of their mythology.
Men and women sat on thrones that were giant and designed especially for them. At the middle sat Zeus, the King of the Gods and Lord of the Sky. He had shoulder-length black hair, and a beard that was a mix of black and gray by choice. His eyes were a bright electric blue which complimented his blue pinstripe suit.
He was currently holding a meeting where all the members of the council barring Poseidon were there which was rarely done unless it was the winter solstice. They were holding this meeting to discuss minor things such as the minor gods under the individual Olympians rule and how they were managing them good or bad.
"—And so, I believe, that it is paramount that Aphrodite's son, Eros, should be monitored closely to ensure the peace be kept and his infamous "love arrows." don't start a war." Athena said. Since she was the one speaking, she was not in her throne but in the middle of the palace in her smaller form,
Not like that mattered in any case. Her fellow Olympians hardly heard her testimony, as most of them had separated from their current form and were out there in the world doing something. Specifically, Hephaestus and Hermes.
"My, my, I never realized you cared so much about my son, Athena." Aphrodite said in her usual husky tone that would make most people men and women drool but merely got Athena's glare. "But I'm afraid, nothing my son did went against any laws in Olympus. Isn't that right, Ares."
"Mm." Said god replied, idly cutting his nails with a large butcher knife.
"She made Erochthonius and a sea god, fall in love!"
"It was overdo, if you ask me." Aphrodite replied back with hardly a blink.
The two bickered on and on, something that wasn't exactly uncommon between them, until someone finally stopped them. But it wasn't Zeus.
"There it is again." Artemis spoke, getting everyone's attention.
"Hm?" Zeus questioned.
"Did you feel it? I felt someone shoot a bow across the sky?"
Zeus merely quirked an eyebrow. "And? I don't understand how that is any cause for concern."
"I felt it too, little sis. Every day without fail, I always feel an arrow shoot out. That isn't the weird part, dad, it's the fact that this arrow is killing monsters from over a kilometer away. That should not be possible for anyone to do besides myself and Artemis."
That got everyone's attention as they all began to speak. Specifically, Athena.
"I did hear about such a thing. The monster population has gone down dramatically in the past four years. I would estimate about three-fourths of all the monsters in the city have been eliminated now." Athena reported to the shock of everyone.
"How is that possible?" Hera said.
"There is no damn way, someone could do that!" Ares exclaimed.
"What are we dealing with?" Hermes wondered.
"That's a shame. That explains why more brats are at the camp." Dionysus sighed.
"I want to meet him!" Aphrodite giggled.
"If it wasn't either of you, then the only one who could make such a shot is…" Hephaestus trailed off.
Artemis and Apollo's demeanors darkened, reflected in their forms flickering like a light switch. They didn't even want to think about the possibility of Him being alive.
"Do not speak that name." Zeus warned his son, causing him to stop his train of thought. "We shall not manifest these fools anymore than we have these past centuries! They are cast in the deepest darkest pit for all of eternity. I refuse to breathe further life into such folly."
"It is not them, brother. The person who is shooting the bow is human." Demeter commented, getting everyone to look at her in surprise. Demeter was rarely one to talk during the meetings and was one of the most detached gods next to Dionysus.
"How did you come across this information, sister?" Hera questioned, looking at her with mild curiosity.
Demeter looked around the room. She didn't like the attention and preferred to mostly keep to herself. The deed was done though, and she did want to meet the man in person.
She sighed.
"Four years ago, he had saved one of my daughters and escorted her to Camp Half-Blood. I was, of course, watching out for my daughter, so that is how I had spotted him. When I saw him, he was almost a man-grown with red hair and auburn eyes. He had some sort of magic that allowed him to conjure swords that looked to be made of high-quality."
"Why hadn't you reported this sooner?" Hera asked her, staring at her intently.
"There was no reason to." Demeter shot back. "He wasn't a threat and I did owe him for saving my daughter."
This got Hephaestus' interest. "Perhaps, a meeting is in order for this human."
"You just want to meet the man to discuss his weapons!" Hermes laughed.
Hephaestus shrugged his burly body but didn't deny it.
"Red hair? Maybe the runt is Artemis' brat." Ares remarked, getting a glare from said goddess which went ignored.
"Silence yourself, Ares! Or I will bury you into the ground to rot." Was Artemis' reply.
"So this human is what, one of Circe's magicians?" Hermes questioned.
"No. Circe's magic is powerful, but creating swords strong enough to defeat powerful monsters and launching them from a bow is not her area." Hephaestus replied. Nobody knew weapons like he did, besides Athena and Ares.
"Nor would she do so. She acts mainly in her own interests on her island." Athena added.
Circe was very secluded and mainly spent her days cooped up in her island with her attendants. She kept a low radar as she knew that she wasn't invincible.
"Everything there is to know about this person will be found out. This person could be a threat to Olympus. We know not of his intentions, origins or powers. That needs to be rectified." Hera told everyone.
"I think he could be an asset." Aphrodite commented, offhandedly, getting looks from everyone. "What? I mean it seriously. It's been quite a while since we had a human hero. It's all just demigods, this, demigods that."
"I agree as well. We should find out his intentions and origins and if he is not a threat to Olympus then having him as an ally could only help us." Athena agreed. It hurt her to have to agree with Aphrodite of all people, but she brought up a good point.
"Of course, you would want that." Aphrodite snickered. "We all remember how much you favored Odysseus. You treated him with more gifts than any other."
Athena didn't reply. She knew that Aphrodite was merely trying to goad her. She always liked doing that to her and Artemis. They saw it better of them to not rise up to her remarks.
"I'm not too sure he's on our side." Apollo spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "When I try to gaze at him 'cuz you know I am the sun god, something obstructs my view, making it hard to decipher where exactly he is. He must be protected by someone powerful. Like a god."
"Who would dare?!" Zeus boomed.
"Someone foolish." Hera sniffed distastefully. "I wouldn't put it past one of those minor gods. Always trying to step out of line."
"Then it is clear what must be done." Zeus said, finally. "We must find out who this human is and discern his intentions. If he is an asset then we mag invite him to Olympus and proceed from there. If he is an enemy…"
Lightning crackled in his eyes, lighting them up and creating a powerful visage.
Zeus turned towards Athena."Daughter. Work your way through all of the minor gods and goddesses' I want to know who's hiding this human and why. When you find out, bring them to me. Apollo, Artemis, he uses a bow, you said. Finding him when he is using your domain should be childsplay. Station your hunters on high vantage points across the city if you must, Artemis."
The said god and goddesses nodded.
"Then the Council shall be adjorned. When you come up with information, summon us immediately." Zeus flashed away in a bolt of lightning with Hera in tow.
Aphrodite soon followed with Ares, Demeter absently dissolved into wheat grains, Hephaestus turned into fire until it was just Athena, Artemis and Apollo.
They had shrunken down to normal size and were walking out of the palace.
"Oh man, can you believe it, little sis, we have ourselves a rival! And, they apparently look like you!" Apollo said, excitedly.
"I'm older Apollo, for the last time, I helped deliver you. And the human having the same shade of hair doesn't mean he has any affiliation with me. It's just a coincidence." Artemis replied curtly.
"I'm the god of prophecies, Arty. There is no such thing as coincidences. Everything happens for a reason. Me and you both know as fellow gods of archery that hitting a target from a kilometer away is impossible."
"—Well, at least for a normal human." Apollo added.
"He speaks the truth, Artemis." Athena commented. "The only way that it's possible is that perhaps he was blessed. But clearly he was not, given you two have no idea who he is. That leaves me to believe this may be something else entirely. Perhaps not even related to us."
"You mean…" Artemis trailed off. She didn't like where this was going.
"Yes, it could be. Could not be. No pantheon would be stupid enough to intrude into the heart of our domain and deal with our monsters. If it were just someone passing by, they would not want to bring attention to themselves. To me, it seems like this human simply does not care. His reasons for killing those monsters though, remain unknown."
"Maybe he did it because it was the right thing to do. Or maybe even he is comrades with one of our sons and daughters." Apollo suggested. Athena merely scoffed.
"Not likely. Everyone does an action with the intention of gaining something. He wants something. What that something is that he wants is what has me curious."
"You're excited to solve it, aren't you?" Apollo teased.
Athena didn't rise to his bait. She never did. She was far too mature for that. Luckily, that is why he had his twin to mess with. He could always rile her up.
Nevertheless, Apollo was also curious as to the intentions of this person.
They were a human who seemed to be eliminating monsters. That lowered the threat that demigods often faced. But the thing was, what did he gain from it?
Maybe he has or had someone that was eaten by a monster like a brother and so he made it his life's mission to slaughter them all.
Or maybe he had seen a little bit too much movies.
As they walked out of the large throne room, he spotted Hestia by the hearth as always. He gave her a little wave.
He saw her wave back briefly.
That made him smile.
"He wants what all men want." Artemis cut in ruthlessly. "Money, power and respect. Most likely this is an attempt to get our attention. He knows very well this is our territory."
Apollo rolled his eyes.
"Whatever you say, little sis. Whatever the reason he has, we need to find him. So since we are all kinda working on the same thing, we should team up."
"You have a lead?" Athena questioned. In her hand she had a list of all of the minor goddesses and she was going through the list as she walked.
"Maybe. I think that we should go to the crime scene and investigate. He must have left behind clues, somewhere."
"Since when did you get so smart?"
"I've always been smart."
"Lead the way." The war goddess said, always eager to solve a mystery.
The three of them teleported away from Mount Olympus.
Break.
They appeared in a street that was empty of people—the mist doing its job—save a demigod who was keeled over in shock. At the sound of them teleporting, he looked up and his eyes widened in shock.
"Lady Minerva, Lady Diana and Lord father, Apollo." The demigod said as his posture straightened. As he addressed the god and goddess, their forms shifted into their respective Roman aspects.
"At ease, Legionnaire." Minerva said. Her eyes, cooly analyzed him, making him shiver involuntarily. "What happened?"
"I-I was out on a leave of absence—to visit my mother, who is sick in this city. Of course, as I was in dangerous territory, I armed myself as best as I could—as good as it did me—but encountered that empousa who had me on the b-backfoot. But then an arrow came and shot the monster dead."
"And where is this weapon?" Diana asked.
The legionnaire pointed to the ground a few meters from him and when they followed his eyes they could see a sword on the floor. Minerva walked over and kneeled to inspect the weapon.
It was a Roman weapon— a Gladius to be more specific—but was not made from Imperial Gold, no. It was a normal weapon made from human materials.
That should mean that it was unremarkable and unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but that wasn't what her instincts told her and she was rarely wrong, Intuition wise.
The blade feels magical in nature but no, that's more of the aftereffect. There is something else that I am missing. This is just a piece of the puzzle.
Athena got up and looked at the twins. Except that was incorrect. Apollo was not there but she could sense him nearby.
"Where is Apollo?"
"The boy is one of his." Artemis said distastefully. "He went to talk with him and give us some room to investigate."
Aka, Apollo was using that as an excuse to see his son. Athena couldn't say anything about that, when she regularly checked up on one of her daughters that recently caught her interests.
"Did you find any clues about what happened here?" Artemis asked. She had reverted back to Artemis unconsciously. Diana rarely took over and was more of a minor change for her.
"Not anymore than I had before." Athena admitted, holding the blade sideways as if to gleam more information. "This weapon is strange. It carries something that distinguishes it from normal weapons. Not to mention it reeks of magical energy."
"He shot that sword, from a bow?" Artemis asked in disbelief. She'd heard of all manners of using a bow, from Asian to African, yet launching swords from a bow! That was just too unbelievable and defied lots of rules.
"It looks that way. This sword has been modified—likely to fit on the bow—through unknown means, likely another form of magic. Whoever this man is—there is no doubt that he is a threat if left unchecked."
"The bow must also be special to hold this type of weapon." Artemis added. The thought of the man roaming around when her Hunt was present was unsettling to the goddess now.
While clearly, abilities of this level were nowhere near enough to threaten them, the fact remained that he had abilities that should frankly be impossible for a mortal, nonetheless an ordinary human. What if there was an army of said mortal magicians running around.
She went through the names she had listed on her clipboard. Two were left.
Circe.
They had already dismissed her being the culprit however, given how adept the witch was in her craft—and famous—it would not be a surprise if she had an idea as to who it was they were dealing with.
Her thoughts were confirmed when before her very eyes, the sword she had in her hands dissolved into blue lights.
'A weapon built from magic. I was right. It wasn't a real weapon—more akin to a copy—but a very powerful copy.'
"I must admit, I find myself very curious now as to the origins of this boy." Artemis commented.
Athena looked at her from the corner of her eye. Her fellow maiden goddess hardly took interest in any matter that wasn't related to her hunters so it was a bit of a surprise to hear her utter that. She would be lying though, if she said she wasn't either though. The idea of mystery that needs to be solved sent her heart racing. It had been a while since she had gotten the chance to do something so interesting.
"I'm going to go speak with Hecate, then Circe. One of them has to know what's going on. In fact, one of them is protecting this mysterious human." Athena stated. Artemis' eyes widened considerably as she thought about it.
"How do you know? Didn't you say prior that this magician could be from another pantheon." Lightning flashed in the sky but both of them ignored it. Zeus wasn't very happy whenever the topic of other pantheons were brought up. Especially since there were a few pantheons stronger than their own.
"Let me rephrase what I had said. I believe that this human is from outside our pantheon but when he found his way to the city by whatever means, he caught the interest of them. I'd wager it would be Hecate as Circe rarely leaves her spa resort but its best to question them both. What one of them knows, its likely the other does as well."
"It is possible…" Artemis mused. "However, you will have trouble finding Hecate these days. It seems like. I am not one for gossip but I did hear that she hasn't been attending any small council meetings these past few years—not to mention, have you noticed, the mist has been getting weaker these days?"
"I never took you as one for dramatics, Artemis." Someone who was not them, said. The pair looked towards the side as mist swirled and formed the raven-haired goddess wearing her usual heavy and baggy robes.
"Hecate." Athena greeted. "You saved me the time of looking for you."
The goddess of the mist rolled her eyes. "You knew well that invoking my name would reach my ears."
Athena said nothing, much to Hecate's ire. The Olympians always acted so entitled! They may great and powerful gods with powerful domains to boot, but her's was just as important if not more so. She was quite literally the bridge between the mortal world and the world of the gods. In fact, she was performing her duties as they spoke, by clearing the area.
"You know something about this human." Athena stated, not as a question but a fact.
"And if I do?"
"Zeus wants information on this human and wants us to assess him to gauge his intentions." Artemis replied, calmly.
"You can tell Zeus that he is not a threat unless provoked." Hecate emphasized on the last word to get her point across. "And, by all means, he falls under my jurisdiction as the goddess of magic."
"Does he? Since when were you and your daughter teaching humans how to shoot swords from a bow a kilometer away? Since when did you two obtain high-class weapons like the sword used to strike the empousa? As far as I know, your students haven't… shown capabilities such as that before."
Hecate eyes narrowed dangerously. The air got thicker and mist slowly started to crawl forward from all around.
Athena wasn't affected and continued on. "Want to know what I think? I think that you found him by the same means that we are trying to, took him in—and are now trying to learn his foreign magic. That would explain why his exact location is obstructed from even Apollo and Artemis."
The tension was so high now, that it would have been impossible for a mortal to even breathe. Yet Athena remained calm with Artemis at her side.
Hecate had no delusions in her head that she could beat two Olympians at the same time or even one.
At least right now, that is. If her project turned out well, then it would be an entirely different story. But that was years in the future and not prepared for now.
"You are indeed the goddess of wisdom." Hecate said. "You're right, I do know where he is as I have been obstructing him."
"So you'll take us to him?" Artemis questioned.
"Yes. However, I will need your word that you will not harm him or try to use him for your own purposes."
"Like you're doing?" Artemis shot back.
Athena held up a hand to stop Artemis from going any further.
"I cannot make any promises as to whether or not he will remain safe. Father told us to observe him and gauge his intentions. I can tell you that I don't intend to harm him unless my father gives me the word. On this I swear on the River Styx."
Thunder rumbled, sealing the promise. Hecate turned towards the moon goddess. "Your turn."
"I swear on the River Styx, to do no harm to the human you're hiding." Artemis practically spat the last word out. Hecate just looked amused though and had already turned around.
"Then let's go. Follow my presence when I flash away." Hecate soon after saying that disappeared. Athena followed her a short second later after locking onto Hecate's presence.
"Apollo. We're leaving." Artemis called out to her brother. There was a moment or two of no response before her voice could be heard from a good distance away.
"Alright! I'll be there in a bit, I'm—more my counterpart—am catching up with my son. Go on without me, little sis!"
Artemis merely rolled her eyes before leaving.
Break.
The first thing Artemis felt when she teleported to the house Hecate and Athena did were at was a barrier.
Strangely, it didn't do anything when she arrived, it just released a pulse that Artemis could discern would send itself to the boy.
A magic user…
She couldn't quite keep the sneer off her face as she thought about her memories with those particular people.
When she finally looked around she could see that the place looked quite ordinary, or at least to the naked eye.
It was well furnished and clean almost obsessively and decently sized.
When she passed by the kitchen she could see the variety of appliances some of which even she could discern.
She saw no sign of the two goddesses so she continued on and—
Crunch!
She looked down and saw her foot stepped on a doll. She recognized the popular brand as a "Barbie Doll" of course.
Her eyes widened as she picked up the toy.
.
A doll. Don't tell me she…
Artemis looked around for the two goddesses but didn't see them on the first floor. She could hear movement upstairs though. Quickly— after settling the doll back down— she made her way upstairs.
She heard the two goddesses before she saw them and made her way to the voices. There Hecate and Athena were standing in what she could tell was the master bedroom.
"Where is the boy?" Artemis questioned, as she looked around. Clearly, he wasn't here.
"That's what I'm trying to find out." Hecate said curtly. Artemis could almost believe she sounde… panicked. She'd never heard her sound like that. Usually she was as stoic as a doll and as gloomy as the night
What exactly is their relationship?
"You lost him?" Athena asked, her voice dry and devoid of amusement.
"Shirou should have been here by now." Artemis took a mental note of the name. "He has a job I helped him get from one of my connections, but he should have been back by now." Was Hecate's reply as she gained a distant look again. Artemis knew that her essence was split up, looking for him.
Hecate's eyes widened before her expression changed just as quickly to anger. "Someone has killed my familiar!"
"Then that means someone likely has him or he's dead. Perhaps the monsters finally caught up to him?" Athena hypothesized. Hecate shook her head.
"No monster is stupid enough to kill my familiar. They wouldn't risk angering me. This is something else. No mere monster can defeat Shirou."
"You speak highly of this human, Shirou. I can only wonder why? Is he special?" Athena questioned. Hecate almost scowled at her question.
"If he wasn't, I would have never paid him any mind. I've dedicated a considerable amount of time to him, after all."
"I can see that." Artemis interjected. "You sired a child from him."
"I did. But I don't see how that is any of your concern, huntress."
"You openly sheltered a person who could be a threat to Olympus without informing anyone. Some could take that as treason." If there was one thing about Hecate that Artemis knew, it was that she served her interests first and foremost. Who that allegiance belonged to, was about as much of a mystery as her full capabilities, so Artemis had always been wary of her.
She also wasn't blind to the fact that out of all of the minor gods who were dissatisfied with their status at camp and on Olympus, she was ranked at the top of the totem pole.
"I will not go back and forth with you on this, I have something far more important on my hands now."
"She's right, Artemis. Her case will be brought to our father and the council together will decide if she is guilty." Athena said. "For now though, we will find this Shirou. I refuse to go back to father empty-handed. Apollo, get over here."
A few seconds later, flash of light appeared and Apollo was there. "Hey, good timing, I was just—"
His eyes widened as he also felt the barrier in place.
"…Coming over. What the heck is that?!"
"The bounded field that was erected in this house. Do not worry, it merely alerts the user about anyone who steps foot in the place. I always did tell him to make it more lethal, but he never did listen…"
"Ohhhh~~kayyy, that's pretty cool, I guess. I can't wait to meet him even more now. Maybe me and Arty can share some archery tips with him and he could teach us something. And then—"
Apollo was as talkative and annoying as ever. Artemis knew this was his default self, not even a front which made it even worse.
"There is no time for jokes, Apollo. We need you to find this human if he is under the sun, you remember how he was described; red hair, lighter than the normal shade that people commonly have and amber eyes. He may be carrying a bow." Athena spoke, plainly.
"Ahh, man we're still finding this guy?" Apollo complained, but threw his hands up in the air at his sister and Athena's look. "I'll find him. If I can."
He went into deep concentration which Artemis knew meant he was focusing on his aspect of the sun god to gaze down at everything that touched the sunlight.
While Apollo did that, Artemis noticed that Hecate had been strangely quiet. The goddess cast a look at Athena, and the goddess of wisdom shot her a look that said they would worry about it later. That did nothing to unsettle Artemis' worries though.
Like Athena, Hecate was a careful planner and one who struck decisively. Something was going on behind the scenes.
Hecate never breathed a word about the child! A child of an unknown magic user and Hecate could spell extremely dangerous.
A greedy part of Artemis thought about what she could offer that child though, would things get bad. She had a habit of picking up young maidens who didn't belong and offering them a purpose and protection. She would definitely welcome someone like that into her hunt. Especially if she had inherited her father's abilities in archery.
Zoë had been apprehensive lately, and had begun to question her self-worth to the hunt, which made Artemis fear for her best friend. Whenever people got feelings that something was going to happen to them, they likely did. That was why Artemis had decided to leave Zoë out of New York with the hunt around the edge of Philadelphia.
She feared she may have to call her hunt here though, if Apollo's searches prove unfounded.
Just in cue, Apollo focused back to his current body.
"Okay, I have good news and bad news. Which one do you guys want to hear first?"
"I want to hear where he is!" Hecate said impatiently, shooting the sun god a glare. Apollo held his hands up.
"Woah, there's no need to get all feisty now, just tryna lower the tension. I'm sure Hephaestus' forge is less hot than the temperature in this room right now."
"What is the news Apollo?" Athena questioned, which got the god to business, thankfully.
"Okay good news first. I found him. He is alive."
"And the bad news?" Artemis followed up.
"Well, he was captured."
Apollo's declaration had them all worried.
"By what?" Hecate looked very dangerous right now. Artemis could hear her muttering some curses right now. She was probably getting her magic spells ready to fire at someone.
"And what exactly, captured him. I know of none that would bother to do so unless you have acquired an enemy, Hecate." Athena said, shooting her a look.
"I have acquired many enemies, it comes with being a goddess as I'm sure you can relate." She said, getting a glare from Athena. "But, none of them would go so far as to take what is mine if they value their lives. Alas, it seems as though they do not."
"When she's ten, but she's possessive over you!" Apollo laughed.
"Apollo."
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
"Alright, it's just a joke." Apollo said, once he saw her look. "Okay, half of it was a joke."
"But, anyways, I have worse news. I got a look at the people who captured this human. They were leaving New York with this human you guys, described. He was unconscious, and the only reason I even noticed them was they were flying close to the sun as it was setting."
"Flying." Athena frowned, mirrored by Hecate.
"Yes." Apollo said, his voice grave and serious. This worried Artemis as Apollo was rarely as ever that serious.
"The person I saw looked to be a male in some sort of heavy-looking golden armor. And he had wings on his back and a golden ethereal quality to him."
Artemis, Hecate and Athena were shocked as they all pieced it together.
"The Fae." Athena spoke, and thunder crashed down heavily. Their father wasn't pleased. Not at all at the mention of them.
"We need to go to Olympus." Athena stated and Artemis agreed quickly. This was now more serious than ever thought before."And you will be coming with us."
Hecate grit her teeth but nodded. She was up to something for sure, Artemis thought. But she couldn't do anything right now. They had a meeting to get to.
And it was not going to be fun, a feeling in Artemis' stomach said.
Break.
After hunting down a monster trying to eat a demigod, life surprisingly went back to its normal state.
Work went on, they finished their work a little earlier than usual and was allowed to leave which Shirou gladly took. Without too much conversation with his coworkers, he made his way to the parking lot where his car was stationed, slightly sore from shooting the arrow earlier on top of the manual labor he had done.
He was ready now to simply go home, enjoy his one hour before he had to pick up his daughter and proceed from there.
That was not going to happen today.
When he arrived at the floor his car was in, he stopped abruptly and noticed that something was wrong.
The parking lot that usually had the busy commotion of New York City and its honking and shouting was entirely silent. Not only that, but there was not a person in sight.
Someone from the Supernatural world is around. A monster? But Hecate never told me about them manipulating the mist, only it working to conceal them.
He could see nobody in his immediate sight when he scanned around but that didn't mean much of anything. There were plenty of cars around for someone to hide behind or even under. Not to mention, monsters could assume human disguises.
The best thing I can do right now is just feign ignorance until I can figure out what I'm dealing with.
He walked through the various cars, keeping his head intentionally set forward. He didn't want to make himself look nervous, only stupid.
He even whistled a happy tune.
That was only on the outside though. Mentally, he had his projections ready and on standby. Kanshou and Byakuya for his hands and various blades around him.
His car wasn't too far from the entrance. It was a sleek black Toyota that was quit expensive and a "gift" from the mother of his child.
He remembered the conversation well.
"Shirou Emiya."
Shirou opened his eyes from his meditative position in his room. It had been a year since he had arrived at this strange new world and it was a… experience so to speak.
He was given this house by Hecate who had said that she was doing this as an "investment" of sorts.
Now, she dropped by whenever she felt like it unfrequently and without any shame.
"Hecate." Shirou said, dismissing any honorific after a whole year of knowing her.
She merely raised an eyebrow at that but didn't comment on it.
"Has this place been treating you well?" She looked around. "This place still looks as if its enhabited by a ghost…"
"Yeah, well enough. I've got everything I need here. But that's what worries me. What exactly is your plan with me that you're giving me all of this?" Shirou asked her with narrowed eyes.
"Who can say? I am a goddess who does things spontaneously and for my own amusement and interests. Do not worry, I will not ask you to do anything obscene or against your absurd ideals."
Shirou's eye twitched at the insult. She said things like that so casually, one would think it was out of naïveté but he knew better.
He already got enough of a lashing from Rin and a sword through the stomach from Archer about it, so he didn't need anyone else to judge him.
"…Just so you know, it will be impossible for you to mimic magic circuits, or at least to the degree the people in my world can. I won't participate in anything that has to do with that."
Instead of looking dejected or even angry, Hecate merely gave a small smile.
"I am aware. Such magic, while unique and interesting, is ultimately useless to me. Although giving my neice's and other daughters them doesn't sound too bad…"
"Can you please get to the point, please?"
"Relax. I am not here for anything serious. You mentioned wanting something to do, right? Well, I've procured you something to help achieve it."
Now that had Shirou semi-interested. This whole year he had mainly focused on familiarizing himself with this new world and practicing on his magecraft.
Later on, once he had worked on a solid-foundation and better control of his abilities he planned on going out in the city and do what he did best.
Saving people.
Claire had been on his mind occasionally and he worried for her safety. He didn't have the chance to meet up with her as Hecate had found him and he was busy getting a fake identity to live in the new world.
"I've gotten you a specially made car." She announced. "Come outside."
She vanished from the room.
"There is a door right there." He muttered to himself but got up anyways and went over to the garage.
Standing with her hands folded behind her back and next to the car was Hecate. Her face was as always, stony and Shirou was convinced that the only thing she was capable of was dry humor.
"Here it is. Your new car for the foreseeable future." Hecate said.
"That looks expensive, how much did it cost?" Shirou asked, instantly.
"None of your concern. It's a gift, like I said." Hecate waved away his question.
As if!
Shirou thought.
"So it's a normal car?"
Hecate scoffed and almost looked insulted. "Of course not, its equipped with a multitude of feautures which you will find out later."
"And you think I need all of that?" Shirou said with crossed arms.
"Of course." She said instantly. "One of your debts that you owe me will require you to have a car, so if you must, think of it as something we both benefit from."
"Is that so…"
"One last thing too." Her face suddenly turned even more serious somehow. "This took a considerable amount of resources, not just in this countries money. I had my dear neice and her school of magicans working hard on this. And so…"
Don't wreck it.
He remembered her saying.
As he recalled the distant memory, his senses suddenly went haywire and he dropped to the floor.
Boom!
Just in time as a car launched itself where his head was just a moment ago.
The remnants of the car hit another and created a huge amount of debris.
So this is something or someone with superhuman strength.
Shirou noted as he got up. There was no point in feigning innocence and he traced his signature twin blades.
"It seems you were able to dodge that, huh?"
Shirou's head swiveled around to the voice but saw no one. Just more cars.
"Not that way."
He swung his blades vertically. His blades cut fast and deadly.
"Not there either."
His blades only met air.
"Are you going to keep running around or are you going to show yourself?" Shirou asked as his eyes scanned the area warily.
"I will. Just not yet. I need to see if you're the one they are after."
As the voice said that, a dozen or so soldiers manifested from somewhere in the shadows.
They reminded him of paladins with medieval dark armor and grey blades.
When he tried casting Structural Analysis on them, he came back with nothing.
"If I can't tell what it is then that must mean its made of something that's beyond human comprehension. Just who are they?"
The paladins— as he had dubbed them— gave off a familiar feeling to him but he couldn't tell why.
He had no time to mull over it though, as they all came charging at him with their swords drawn.
They struck and he managed to block all of their attacks with his swords crossed. His hands trembled as he tried to hold back their blades
"Oh, so you're quite strong, huh?"
The paladins withdrew thankfully, letting Shirou gain some distance and hopefully shoot them down.
They seemed to notice his ploy as they had all started running around him. His eyes tracked them all until thy surrounded him completely, leaving no openings.
"Is there… something I did to earn you guys ire?" He questioned.
"'You' haven't done anything to us. It's what you have that poses a threat to us and could even turn the tides of the war in either favor."
"I'm not sure what you think I have, but I'm not from around here so I could not possibly have taken anything. I am just another person." Shirou replied.
"A person who can use magic that I have never heard of, a person who is able to fight my Saxon corrupted knights. And lastly, an archer who goes around slaying monsters and saving Greek Demigods. It sounds like you are working for the pantheon."
He knows a lot about me. Has he been spying on me or something?
Anger filled his chest as the first thing that worried him the most was one of the few things he cherished in this life, his daughter.
He knew if they witnessed him from hours ago—killing the Lamia—it wasn't that far of a reach to assume that they observed his weaknesses and planned accordingly.
If that was the case, Shirou had to get out of here and fast.
He let Kanshou and Byakuya dissolve into molts of light. He had a plan that was hopefully going to end this in one fell swoop.
"Trace On."
The bow he and Archer shared materialized in his hand.
"Oh? You've switched to a bow, now? But how will that help you when you're surrounded!"
The knights—paladins wasn't a correct term anymore apparently— had moved as soon as the voice had stopped talking.
To their credit they moved perfectly in synch from their very steps to when they drew back their swords.
Unfortunately for them, he was ready this time.
When the four in his vision slashed at his body with their swords, his bow met it in a loud clang. With his free hand he traced four arrows onto the bow and loosed it. From such close range it was impossible to miss.
And miss it didn't.
The arrows pierced the four of them through their helmets, sending them spraying backwards.
As for the ones behind him…
He saw their bodies drop to the floor as swords pierced through the minute gaps between their armor.
In a matter of seconds, it was over.
"Bravo, bravo. That was a well done counterattack. I don't think I have seen such a unique fighting style in my entire life, never mind the magic."
Arrows shot towards a car and exploded.
"I'm not there, unfortunately for you."
"Are you just going to hide away, now? Aren't you supposed to be a knight? I've met a true knight before, and she would never reduce herself to hiding in the shadows."
His taunt had a positive effect as he could hear the deep growl in the person's voice, allowing him to identify them as a male.
He heard the clanking of heavy armor and turned around. From between a set of cars stood a giant of a man. About six feet six perhaps, full decked out in a knights set. His helmet covered the entirety of his face but he could see red eyes looking at him with sheer hatred.
Shirou had no clue how the man had been able to hide with such a loud presence.
Attached to his back was a large broadsword that he also couldn't get any information about.
What stood out to him was the fact that he just casually had two sets of golden wings across his back.
"A true knight you say? You are looking at one, right here! I usually detest showing myself to that which I once was, however, you had made a great mistake; insulting a knight's honor. And so, I will personally kill you."
Shirou gave the man a tired smile.
"Shouldn't you introduce yourself as a knight? Wasn't that a code of yours?"
The man hmphed but drew his sword and stabbed into the ground and put his hands on the pommel. "I have no identity anymore but I was once known as Agravain of the Round Table."
Shirou's eyes widened. Wasn't that the knight who betrayed Artoria and led to her downfall? He didn't even know they existed here, still. He had introduced himself as a Fae as well and had wings when the Agravain he had heard about was undoubtedly a human.
This was truly a man who was now someone different.
But now, he could gleam a pretty good guess as to what they were after.
Avalon.
The Sheathe to the legendary Excalibur.
Even despite this being a totally different universe, they were able to tell the signature of Avalon and probably assumed he was associated with King Arthur.
Which technically, he was, but not the one here who may not have even been secretly a female.
All of this could be a concern later down the line and could put his child in danger. So now, he had a new plan. Beat Agravain—he wasn't even sure if he could—, hopefully keep him alive long enough to ask questions and come to some sort of agreement on the matter of Avalon.
With that said…
"I am Shirou."
Was all he said.
There was silence after his words.
There was no sign to start or any indicator.
There was no language they communicated to the other.
There was no intervention from anyone.
They just moved.
Agravain moved first, his large broadsword already drawn back and launching towards him, dangerously.
Shirou meanwhile, was keeping his distance. There was no shot he was going to go up against a knight of the Round Table in hand to hand combat. Ok He was sure that in a fair fight, even the weakest of them could easily sweep him off his feet.
Luckily, this was not a fair fight.
He jumped backwards, gaining distance and using the cars as footholds to propellers to increase his mobility.
While in the air, he had already traced several arrows charged with a fair amount of mana and sent them at the knight.
The man hardly flinched and in a single swipe had knocked them to the side while still moving. That was fine for Shirou. He hadn't expected it to do anything. He had shot them to judge his reaction time and determine his swinging speed.
He had already had his next blades nocked and ready to fire.
Agravain was running towards him at surprisingly fast speeds and closed the distance quite fast. Shirou wasn't worried however and launched his next projectile.
The next blade was actually a mystic code, one he had saw at the Clock Tower. This was a wind sword given to a Professor's familiar to wield in conjunction with their own fire attacks. It was a straightforward item but was quite useful.
When the blade made contact with the man's sword, it exploded in a flurry of wind that sent the man crashing backwards in a torrent of wind and launching straight into a row of cars which exploded.
"Wait, that's…!"
The precious car Hecate had gotten was in that direction and had exploded on contact with the man's heavy body.
"She's not going to be happy about that…"
He wasn't looking forward to that conversation even more than he wanted to fight this opponent. Unfortunately, misfortune followed him everywhere like a charm.
Which was made evidently clear when Agravain got up from the ruins of the car after brushing off dust and stray metal that was on him, looking no worse for wear.
"I do hope that is not your all."
"Not even close!" Shirou replied as he traced a new weapon. This weapon was a long pitch-black with its metal edges sticking out and receding downward. The weapon was leaking magical energy out of its pores as Shirou had nocked it onto his bow.
Agravain for the first time during the entire fight, looked alarmed as he wearily examined the blade. His guard was up and his intentions were clear for Shirou to see.
He was going to try and block it.
I wish him the best of luck with that.
Shirou thought as he let go of the sword.
"Hrunting!"
A ring of mana was released from the force of the weapon as it immediately beelined towards the one living target that was present currently. In an instant the weapon was on him like lightning and the knight's eyes widened as he began finally using his wings to try and create some modicum of distance.
This turned out to be entirely useless when Hrunting's path curved before it could hit a car and explode as it darted towards the knight.
When the blade came in range, Agravain struck.
He hit Hrunting so hard that the entire building shook. The blade was sent flying to the other side of the building.
"What a strange blade that is… I have never heard of such a blade with such persistence and bloodlust. But you have seen the results of what hap—"
Whatever he was about to say was cut out when the sound of metal tearing was heard.
Shirou didn't need to look to see what it was but Agravain did, which probably is what saved him.
Hrunting was back and in an instant posed at his heart. The fae knight was barely able to angle his body to the side and make the fatal wound a simple graze to the side as its sharp edges bit straight through the armor.
"This armor is enchanted by mother several times over…! How is this possible?!" Agravain exclaimed in shock as he held a hand up to the wound and felt cool blood.
He had no more time to process the thought as the blade that struck him was back and ready to try and kill him again.
Agravain took off.
The best part about them being in the parking garage was that the spacing was extremely narrow and it wouldn't be easy in the slightest to fully avoid a large-scaled attack.
Of course, the knight could always exit the parking space and gain distance from there but to do so would be to leave him to his own devices.
That was exactly what Shirou wanted. If the opportunity were to arise, Shirou would certainly take it. The problem was that his only means of transportation was currently in flames.
Shirou looked over at it in frustration. Only for his eyes to widen.
"Wha…"
The car, the one he previously thought was damaged beyond repair several times over was perfectly fine.
There was not even a scratch on it and it shone in the dim lighting of the atmosphere.
Shirou looked to his enemy and saw him preoccupied dealing with Hrunting still, so Shirou made a beeline towards the car.
In a perfect world, he would go unnoticed and possibly be able to make it to the car.
This wasn't that world.
Agravain looked towards him in the singular moment that it was free from its pursuit from Hrunting.
The fairy looked at him with burning eyes of rage and annoyance. He could see that evidently and it showed in the way that he flew towards him, rapidly.
Hrunting was once again on its tail. He didn't stop or try to redirect it this time. No, he kept coming towards him.
Is he going to try and have it attack me instead? He must not realize that Hrunting has its blood and his core essence. Once it has sight of that, it won't let him go.
He watched as Agravain had his blade ready in his hands. Except, instead of having it ready to slice him, he had it towards himself?
He had no time to prepare for what he was about to do. When he reached near him, he had stabbed the blade into his own chest. The action made Shirou pause.
That was what Agravain was waiting for. He continued stabbing it in deep until he had a considerable hole in his body. Reaching in he grabbed an organ. It pulsed and was covered in blood.
In a blink of an eye, the fairy knight flicked it towards him. Shirou never saw what it was that he had thrown so instinctively he caught it.
As soon as he did, he realized he fell into a trap.
When Agravain neared he moved upwards. Hrunting didn't follow.
It went to him.
Fear struck Shirou for a moment. He regained himself as he remembered something.
He was in control.
With a thought, Hrunting vanished where it came from
Shirou breathed a sigh of relief.
Hrunting was a mere meter away.
That sigh was quite literally sucked back into his body when he felt something seize him by the throat. Shirou's trained instincts had him summon Kanshou and he stabbed towards his chest.
It hit him and he felt it burrow deep inside.
"That won't work. Fairies can survive without their major organs. We regenerate. We are eternal and shall always be as such." Agravain stated. Using his free hand, he wrapped it around his waist, giving him a bear hug.
"Guhh, arghhh! Ahhh!"
Shirou felt the bone-crushing power of the large fairy.
No matter how much he twisted and turned inside Agravain's body he didn't budge.
He was like a wall.
Within minutes he felt his body begin to shut down. It couldn't support having his bones crushed and his oxygen depleted. His vision started to go black.
Shit… I'm sor—
Wow!
11k words people! I didn't even think I could write this much! But I did. And this took longer then people would realize. But hey, it's done, right? That's all that matters.
I jampacked a lot of content and I think everyone will be eating good with this chapter.
We see some father, daughter moments, a little bit of exposition as to how Shirou got into this position, his bad bad habits, Olympus' response, goddess' interests, etc etc.
And we begin our exploration into Pj arthurian mythology. Most of it is gonna be by yours truly as well, so see how that turns out.
Let me know what you think. And do y'all like these longer chapters?