ANNOUNCEMENT:
Volume 22 - The Fate Borrower - has ended at Chapter 932 and is now fully available in Glitch Plus Ultra Tier, in case someone would like to read it in one go.
I hope a few of you would consider supporting the work and author during the Christmas-New Year Sale [Flat 30% Discount]. Enjoy!
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Lancer's laugh echoed across the Limitless Blood Firmament.
"Hero?!" he asked, laughing and squinting his red pupils. "Hero?!! The only thing remotely heroic about you is that you, unfortunately, are also called a Heroic Spirit."
Kai didn't mind the jape. He noticed his Luck dropping to 0 and the little smile on his face flickered, becoming a touch wider.
Soon… Kai thought, pouring another glass for himself. Then… I wouldn't need Lancer to balance my misfortune.
Battling a Heroic Spirit with a single digit in his Luck was committing suicide.
Even the likes of Kai and Black would ultimately die — their existences getting erased by unforeseen circumstances.
However, Lancer… especially this one… was unluckier than even him.
It was a well-known fact among the Contestants of the Primordial Tower, despite Lancer's unquantifiable Luck.
Of course, being an unlucky Heroic Spirit didn't mean Lancer was weak.
Unlucky — just meant Unlucky.
There was a reason why Kai kept chatting with Lancer in the Reality Marble, ignoring the monstrous risk and consumption of Mana and Breath.
First, this was the only place where existences like The Shadow and Zelretch couldn't eavesdrop on him. At least, not without him knowing about it.
Second, it was, of course, Luck.
Despite being separated by Reality Marble, Kai and Black possessed the same Luck. So, if Kai's Luck was influenced by something within the Limitless Blood Firmament, it should affect Black's Luck in the same way… theoretically.
This was what the Ad Infinitum and Lucky Intuitions had theorized after observing Assassin and Kai's experience with Jack Sparrow over a thousand years ago.
At that time, because of the sheer difference between their Luck, odd, unfortunate things had kept happening to Kai. Even if his Luck had been low then, it hadn't been low enough to justify the events — like slipping comically and falling over!
Kai distinctively remembered even now that he had felt as if his Luck wasn't positive, but had gone negative.
Combined with his years of contemplation, and seeing how Assassin's status as Holy Grail's beloved affected real-time events, Kai had concluded two things —
— as long as Lancer was around him… even if his Luck went to negative, it wouldn't matter.
— as long as Lancer was around him… he could still keep acting as if his Luck hadn't lost a single value.
Because Lancer was cursed to have the lowest Luck of all Characters.
Suddenly, a new notification appeared in front of Kai's eyes, making his brows jump.
The Master Manipulator Ability had just risen by 1%!
One little conversation with Zelretch pushed my Ability to 90%… Kai wondered, letting out a breath. Now… after all this… only 1%?!
Kai looked at Lancer, disappointed. "… You are weak."
The statement came out of nowhere, shocking Lancer. "… Are you mocking me?!" he asked, Mana rippling around him in waves.
"No, no," Kai chuckled, sipping the wine. "Please, don't get me wrong. I just meant it as a fact."
That… didn't make it sound any better…
…
Time had slowed down as if someone had poured hot, viscous lava, binding everyone.
Swords… Shirou's brain processed the word, swimming against the river of time. Black needed swords… not Sword… Swords!
He hated Black.
He hated everything that Black stood for.
He hated that Black was strong… stronger than him…
But Shirou's eyes only reflected a golden radiance at this moment, about to impale the girl he had cared about for years. The girl who had lost everything to demons like Matous. The girl, who had cared for him, asking nothing in return.
Sakura Matou would die… Shirou knew.
He begged his body to move, but the golden halo surrounding him burned hot like lava, literally, making even blinking impossible.
If it wasn't because of his newfound powers, then it would have incinerated him on the spot.
How to save her, then?!
How to reach out to her and take that blow himself?!
How to make sure that he lived to look at himself in the mirror, once all this was over?!!
Swords…
Shirou couldn't look at anything but Sakura, but he sensed it.
It was a red mist, taking the shape of a Demon. No. Not a Demon, but an Emperor. No. Not Emperor, but a Fiend…
Curved horns…
Three heads and six arms…
A mass of fuming, pulsating red mist…
No. It was not even a Fiend, Shirou realized.
Words oozed out from Shirou's very Origin as he named it — A Storm was coming… and it needed Swords.
He needed not just Swords, but the best Swords.
He needed Shirou's everything — only then did he stand a chance to save Sakura.
Trace On —
Shirou could see a swordsmith crafting swords, just for the sake of crafting, without any meaning behind it.
Swords created without vanity and a sense of purpose.
Swords that contained no fighting spirit nor a competitive spirit, and contained neither the desire to be famous nor the faith to accomplish great deeds.
Yes.
These were the Swords he desired — because only they suited the Storm with an overwhelming Will of its own.
He would never be able to create them as good as Archer, Shirou knew.
But he must try his best to make them better than he had ever before.
And, in between tracing the myth of those Swords, Shirou found himself thinking of Archer. The way he wielded them… The way he fought with them… The way he — used them.
No.
These Swords were unsuited for the Storm.
He needed to modify them, make them… longer.
Cyan colored lightning rumbled, ignoring the hold of Jeanne's golden brilliance, making even Enkidu narrow his eyes.
Crack-kkkkkkkkk!
The corners of Shirou's eyes bled, but a small smile was blooming on his face.
— Trigger Off!
The Storm arrived — snatched the Swords midair — and blurred, hacking off Jeanne's right arm.
[
Congratulations Contestant Kai D. Stormborn
You have obtained an Item
…
Item: Kanshou and Bakuya Overedge
Grade: Heroic
…
]
…
Kai smiled as he saw the notification. "Don't you want to know how I survived your Noble Phantasm?" he asked, looking at Lancer.
Cú Chulainn felt an oddness right away, the back of his neck prickling as if evil itself was eying him greedily.
Kai didn't wait for an answer, emptying the wine. "It's my nature…" he said, a blackness appearing on his skin. "Once I survive a Noble Phantasm…
"… I can make it mine by killing the Myth behind it…"
Boooooooooooooooooooom!!!
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