There was a reason not anyone could become an executor of the Church, regardless of the world. Regardless of her inheritance, trying to force an innocent into that kind of role…
Michael and Gabriel seriously needed to do some cleanup if they really wanted him to consider them allies once the matter of the "Khaos Brigade" was dealt with.
"What about you, Sir Shirou, Lady Xenovia? Why did you choose to become heroes?"
"Don't call me 'Lady'. I might not be a part of the Church anymore but having the descendant of the Maiden of Orleans addressing me like that would make me die from embarrassment."
That was Xenovia's attempt of lightening the mood, but it only worked for Jeanne who stopped being tense. Regardless of the different attitudes of the men accompanying them, the scene wasn't that different from a Mexican standoff with everyone pointing their guns at everyone.
"In my case though, after learning that the Lord was gone, I felt like I couldn't just return to my regular life. I think I felt the same as you. However, Shirou's words inspired me to move past it, and I think I have finally found my reason to keep moving forward. I'll still follow the Lord's teachings, but my holy sword is now on humanity's side."
All eyes then moved to the red knight, who evaluated how much information he should give them.
"I decided that I would become a hero to prevent the same tragedy that took everything from me from happening again. I hero that can save everyone."
He kept things short, but that was enough to catch some reactions. Heracles seemed disappointed, most likely having expected something more grandiose, and Siegfried snorted, no doubt thinking of his dream as naïve. That caused Xenovia to join the staring contest going between them.
But on the other side of the spectrum, Cao Cao remained thoughtful, and Jeanne's seeming admiration for him increased judging by the look she was now giving him.
"Sometimes, the simplest of reasons can drive humans to do great things. Your beliefs must be really strong to rebel against the supernatural on your own." That was the conclusion their leader arrived at as they finally reached the end of the labyrinth of dark corridors. "We're here."
After walking through a door, they found themselves in what seemed to be a large hangar. The place was filled with people of diverse ascendence, most of them sparring among each other with their sacred gears, while others were just chatting and chilling. By eye, Shirou counted more than thirty people.
And all of them stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the group the moment they entered the place. Due to his signature combat suit, most of them recognized the red knight and immediately widened their eyes with excitement and started to whisper among themselves.
"This isn't the full extent of our manpower, but I think this should suffice to get an idea of what 'The Hero Faction' stands for."
After saying that, the Chinese warrior raised his hand and all the murmurs ceased in order to pay attention to him.
"As you can see, my fellow heroes, the man who challenged even the Gods and his partner, the wielder of Durandal, have decided to give our faction a chance. It is then that I must request you to show him your determination. To show him that we, too, have accepted the blessings bestowed upon us in the form of powers that can be used to exterminate the supernatural creatures preying on humanity, and the responsibility that comes with it. That is, to become a hero!"
His words definitely seemed to inspire all the people in the room. All of them raised their voice and fists to answer, to show their resolution regardless of their motives. Shirou and Xenovia already suspected it, but now it became obvious that they were using some sort of spell to ignore the barrier of language.
But that wasn't their main concern…
"It was an honor to be scouted by Cao Cao-sama, and now we'll get to work with Emiya-sama!"
"As humans with sacred gears, it is our duty to annihilate the supernatural! And now that Shirou Emiya is with us, victory is assured!"
"After we destroy the Gods, we'll certainly be heroes!"
Putting aside what most of them were shouting… not all of them seemed to be really fired up. As a former member of the Church, Xenovia could tell when someone's emotions were genuine, or they were just following commands. And some of them seemed to be acting more like puppets…
She immediately started to slowly reach for the black keys she brought with herself knowing that Shirou would certainly notice that too.
"So, what do you think after seeing this, Emiya Shirou?"
Everyone turned to look at the red knight's reaction… and to the surprise of some of them, he was still keeping his neutral expression.
"So, this is your business, huh? Now I've seen it " He started with a plain tone, but his real emotions started to bleed into it. He was completely livid. "You are just a sect of terrorists!"
His outburst left the entire room in silence as almost everyone looked at him in utter shock. The only exceptions were Cao Cao, Georg, and Siegfried.
"Huh!? Why would you think that, Sir Shirou!?" Jeanne asked innocently, but that did little to appease him.
"Aside from Vali, a member of the Khaos Brigade, knowing about your existence, did you really think I wouldn't be able to sense the snakes inside some of the people here after having already cut one! And what's that twisted speech!? Do you really think a hero is just some indiscriminate murderer!? If that's the case, then you aren't any better than those supernatural creatures!"
He and Xenovia took the opportunity left by the shocked Jeanne to take some distance from the hero descendants, seeing how their leader didn't even try to deny his words and just smiled.
"Heh, so this little façade was destined to fail. Yeah, you are right, Emiya Shirou. We are part of the Khaos Brigade. However, we are just taking advantage of them to further our own interests in exchange for helping our little mistress to return to her home. And with your alliance with the three factions, we could do the same with them. Don't you see the potential?"
"What potential is to be seen in helping some weirdos that want to destroy the world? And what did you get from them? An inhuman power that can easily destroy one's body to bust a gift from a dead God? I really should have expected a bunch of people claiming to be heroes just because their lineage and powers to be up to no good…"
"Yeah, I expected as much from Chaos Edge Siegfried… but I thought for a moment that they couldn't be that bad if Jeanne joined. Guess she too was coerced or outright brainwashed…"
"Huh? Wait, no! I didn't know anything about this organization being a part of that 'Khaos Brigade' band either! B-but we can talk things out! Violence isn't an answer-"
"Yeah, that's right. Violence isn't an answer. It is a question, and the answer is yes! Besides, are you even aware that you also have one of those serpents inside your body?"
"Huh? Wha- no that can't be… I… Ugh-" The blonde maiden seemed to be on the verge of a mental breakdown right there and then, but she was suddenly stopped when their leader's hand landed on her shoulder.
"I guess the plan of having a beautiful girl of your age begging you to join us is a bust, too. But that was already within my expectations. If you two weren't this perceptive, it wouldn't even be worth expending so many resources on you."
His eyes looked right into the girl's eyes then, and a sweet, yet disturbing smile spread across his face.
"Sorry, Jeanne, but I'll have to turn on again the little spell we implanted on you. Now, you should return to your duties as an executive."
"Huh, wha-" The moment those words entered her ears, her eyes lost their light and an equally disturbing smile spread on her face as she turned to look at them again.
The innocent girl that wanted to be friends with them due to their shared ideals was gone, replaced by a doll that just resembled her with a preprogrammed personality that would follow his orders.
That seemed to be the truth of this group of so-called 'heroes'. Those who like them didn't agree with receiving aid from terrorists despite the coercive techniques would be forced to obey them as convenient tools.
And that just made the red knight's blood boil even more.
"Would you be a dear and "convince" Xenovia over there to join us while we convince your idol?"
"Yes, Cao Cao-sama! Let's see if she can endure my… Balance Breaker!"
The inheritor of Jeanne d'Arc's spirit unsheathed her rapier and stabbed it into the ground. No special sword was created like Kiba's holy-demonic sword Balance Breaker. Instead, countless holy words sprouted from the concrete and started to knit together in an easily recognizable form.
"ROOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRR!"
A massive roar prompted everyone in the room aside from Shirou and Xenovia to step away from the soon-to-be battlefield. The roar of a massive beast, but at the same time, it sounded more as if someone started to scrape metal really loudly.
An imitation of the pinnacle of phantasmal beasts. A miniature dragon made out of sheer steel towered over the brainwashed saint, its hostility completely focused on the ex-member of the Church.
"That Balance Breaker certainly isn't recorded in the Church's database… Very well then, I guess it's time to see the result of this month's worth of training, Shirou!" Xenovia immediately pulled out Durandal from her pocket dimension and got ready to face Jeanne.
"You certainly need to control that sword's output if you don't want to blow up this place. If things look dire, just stall her. I can get rid of the compulsion after I'm done with them."
"I'll keep that in mind!"
They couldn't exchange more words as the fake dragon immediately dived to tear her apart, forcing them to jump in opposite ways.
Putting his trust in her, Shirou turned to look at the other four commanders. Cao Cao seemed to be willing to leave the fighting to Siegfried and Heracles, the two men stepping forward while craning their necks and cracking their knuckles respectively. And Georg seemed to be readying a number of spells at the rearguard.
"So no more sectarian tricks, huh?"
"I know from the reports on your fight with the White Dragon Emperor that you have some sort of innate magic resistance, so we'll have to use less conventional means. Besides…"
"Yeah, let's see if you can back up your big talk in front of a great hero and not some old hag of an angel or some kid with the power of a dragon!"
"Hmph. I told you we should have gone with this from the start. He stroke me just as that Arthur traitor and her sister."
A yellowish aura shrouded Heracles' bulky body, no doubt the effect of his explosive sacred gear. On the other hand, Siegfried pulled out two swords from his cloak, and a third arm covered in scales that grew from her arm pulled out another sword.
Judging by how his ominous aura seemed to be literally doubled, that had to be the sacred gear called 'Twice Critical'. However, instead of a gauntlet like Issei's boosted gear, it seemed to be an independent arm. But what really caught his attention were the swords he wielded and their story.
Those were all big names that carved their names in history through Northern myths… but he couldn't help but feel disappointed once again. Comparing them to the swords in his reality marble that shared their names would be even unfair. The only one that could actually live up to its legend was…
"Gram, Balmung, and Dainsleif. Quite the collection of demonic swords you have there. Are you sure you want to wield three swords famed for bringing ruin to their wielders?"
"It seems you do have a kin eye for swords. Let's see if you're half the swordsman Arthur was!"
There was quite a lot of resentment in his voice. Shirou didn't know who that Arthur guy was, but he couldn't blame him for ditching these guys.
The amount of rage Shirou felt made it hard to shift to his cold mask as he projected Kanshou and Bakuya. If anything, he was going to literally beat those absurd beliefs out of their minds.
Just as their battle lust and rage reached their limit, so did the red knight's. But that isn't the only thing that could be felt from him. Something more was there. Something that managed to stop the "heroes" regardless of their hostility.
The presence of the boy in front of them stopped being human… but that couldn't be right. His presence wasn't wicked like a devil or a vampire, nor was it divine like an angel or a God, but at the same time, it was something superior.
Curiosity filled their minds, especially Cao Cao's. If there was a way to describe it, what his instinct told him, was that…
It was the pinnacle of humanity's power.
"Ready or not, here I come!" The contemplative silence was blown away by Heracles' roaring voice. He jumped at the red knight, trying to crush him with his bare fist just like in their first meeting.
A predictable attack that was easily avoided by jumping aside, just right out of the radius of the resulting explosion. However, it still served as a curtain-raiser, pulling out his comrades from their trances.
"Take this!" With just a command, all the spells Georg had been preparing were fired at him.
The magic practiced by the humans of this world was said to be an imitation of the powers wielded by devils, but that wasn't entirely true. Magicians couldn't just pull out a mystery just using their imagination and a magic circle inherited from a long, ancient lineage.
Those who didn't rely on external help, namely blessing from Gods or higher beings, had to instead use complex magic formulas to compensate for their deficiency. The forms varied from there. Magic circles from central Europe, runes from the Northern lands, senjutsu, and onmyudou from the Eastern countries.
In essence, they weren't that different from the magecraft of his world. The only major differences were that they didn't have magical circuits to generate magical energy with their own life force, making them overly reliant on the mana in the atmosphere, and the lack of a "Root" to draw from the mysteries.
But the magician opposing the red knight just fired spells of all kinds without as if that were the easiest thing in the world. As expected of the descendant of the man who forged a contract with the ancient devil currently presiding over the magician association.
The Yin Yang swords were swung in tandem to cut through all the spells. A burst of fire, raging winds, thunders of retribution, bullets made from the concrete below them, icicles created by condensing the humidity in the atmosphere.
All of them were crushed under his high magic resistance. His experience fighting and destroying magi had all those pretty much covered.
But among those came an attack that he was forced to block. A clanging sound filled the place as Gram's edge crashed against Bakuya's. Sparks flew away as Kanshou deflected Balmung, and he had to quickly tilt his head to about Dainsleif's blade piercing it.
The attacks from the Northern knight were relentless. Even if they were skilled and experienced, they seemed more like attacks from a ravaging beast. The title of "Chaos Edge Siegfried" really suited him.
Just a few exchanges were enough to confirm it. This man nothing like the dragon-slayer knights that wielded the swords reproduced in Shirou's reality marble. Not only in the skill department. This man was clearly a murderer. There was no trace of the nobility and knighthood that defined Siegfried of the "Nibelungenlied" or Sigurd of the "Volsunga Saga".
"Don't forget about me!" And to top things off, Heracles rejoined the bout.
His punches and kicks might seem random at first glance, but there was technique behind them. There were some movements Shirou recognized from the oldest mixed-martial art, Pankration. A style mastered by the centaur sage Chiron, who later taught it to most of the heroes under his wing, including the original Heracles.
Such an onslaught would be impossible to defend against. Most fighters wouldn't be able to follow so many simultaneous attacks of such magnitude.
But the red knight sailed through them with astounding ease. It wasn't a matter of godly reflexes or skill. Compared to being on the receiving end of the Gate of Babylon, this situation was hardly concerning. But what really made the difference… was the lack of teamwork and synchronization on their part.
"Hnn!" With a precise movement, Kanshou deflected Gram and drove its wicked blade in the way of Heracles' fist.
The explosion caused both of them to be repelled. A massive fireball slipped right between them, coming right at the red knight to cover the magician's comrades.
But it did more harm than good for them as Shirou hit it with the blunt side of his black twin sword. Instead of cutting it or deflecting it, he batted it in Siegfried's direction. The man in church clothes was forced to block it with his other two swords, but his already ruined balance caused him to be sent sliding several meters.
The red knight didn't stop there and immediately threw his swords at his other opponent. Kanshou and Bakuya drew a perfect arc before targeting Heracles' neck from both sides. A simultaneous attack that not many would be able to fend off, and definitely not someone with one of their arms knocked back.
However, once again, the sacred gear from the magician pulled the man away from the attack. That was actually the real reason for the stalemate. Their not-so-good teamwork left plenty of openings for Shirou to capitalize, but that convenient sacred gear would save the two "heroes" at the last second.
The red knight's eyes turned to look at the magician. Despite Georg not being able to deal any damage, everyone knew he was the only peace holding together the team as he was the only one who seemed to have experience in fighting in a team and acting as a support.
"Balmung, Dainsleif!" And that was precisely why Siegfried and Heracles were always attacking to keep Shirou's attention from the magician.
A fierce whirlwind and a freezing blizzard came his way. Those attacks were certainly more dangerous than Georg's spells or Heracles' sacred gear, but they couldn't be compared to the release of a noble phantasm's true name.
"Camael: Megiddo!" A red katana was immediately in his hands. The scorching flames released from its blades crushed the attacks from the demonic swords and continued their way unhindered toward the artificial human.
"Kuh… Gram!" Without no other option, he released the power of the greatest demonic sword to stop the flames.
A big explosion shocked the entire place, bigger than the ones caused by the clash between Xenovia's Durandal and Jeanne's Balance Breaker, causing some pieces of the ceiling to fall around. Some of the people around observing the fight had to be forcibly evacuated through Georg's Dimension Lost.
At least they weren't letting their subordinates to their deaths…
Shirou's eyes narrowed as he observed Siegfried's figure among the flames. He was hiding it well, but the moment he released Gram's power his expression became twisted in pain.
That seemed to be the result of using a sword famed for slaying a dragon while covered in a draconic aura. No wonder he had yet to use Gram properly throughout the fight. His powers were backfiring quite hard… as ridiculous as it was.
"Dimension Create!" Not that he had time to dwell on it as the purple mist surrounded him.
Unlike the other times in which the magician tried to use his sacred gear and failed to Shirou's magic resistance, the figure of the red knight disappeared once the haze became a boundary for a barrier.
"Oi, Georg! Don't rain on our parade! Where did you send him!? I was starting to get fired up!"
"And I would thank you if you stopped playing around and used your Balance Breaker already!" The magician retorted at the Greek man, seemingly starting to lose his cool. "Look, now that he's trapped in a barrier, I'll send you two inside to coordinate a surprise attack-"
His hurried voice was interrupted by the sound of a blade carving through something. In front of their astonished eyes, the barrier formed by his balance breaker was perfectly bisected by a pristine edge and the red knight emerged from it unscathed.
"How-"
"You surely heard of me cutting a devil's fate, is it that surprising that I have a sword that can cut through space itself?" Shirou's voice was still filled with anger, but a tinge of teasing could be easily sensed.
"Let's see then if that katana can cut my fists, unlike those flimsy blades!"
Once again, Heracles hurdled at him with renovated excitement, and Sandalphon Muramasa was swung to meet his explosive fists. The attacks gradually increased in speed, throwing away any resemblance of a martial style and becoming a plain barrage of fists. A barrage that entailed an explosion each time an attack landed firmly.
The sheer intensity of the consecutive explosion became blinding and deafening, yet the red knight still stood strong, deflecting them with his masterpiece. The Muramasa in his hands didn't have as much as a scathe after a hundred explosions.
Frustration became to spread on Heracles' face. Now that Siegfried and Georg decided to leave him to fight on his own unhindered, he had yet to make the red knight take things seriously. Regardless of how he pushed his sacred gear to its limits, there wasn't even a dent on that sword. In fact, it was like its blade was cutting through the explosions on a conceptual level, causing the shock waves to disperse in other directions and leaving Shirou in a safe vacuum.
"Heh, why aren't you pulling out any of the weapons you used against Kokabiel or the White Dragon Emperor!? Are you afraid they won't have any effect on the heir of the mighty Heracles!?"
The giant man's taunt was met with a smirk. "I could say the same to you. Why aren't you using your Balance Breaker? Or more importantly, why aren't you using Nine Lives?"
"Huh?" Those last words gave him a pause. That question was asked as if that were just common knowledge… but he had never heard a technique, weapon, or sacred gear named like that…
"Really? You go around saying heir of Heracles this and greatest hero that, but you don't know about the technique he came up to the hundred heads of the hydra in one blow?"
The scorning smile was quickly replaced by a cold frown. The red knight wasn't attacking with his sword, but the words he spoke were driven through the giant's chest like knives.
"No, you call yourself a 'hero' when you are siding with terrorists that want to destroy the world and relying on the gift of a meddlesome God instead of your own power! If the real Heracles were to see you, he would be certainly disappointed! You're nothing but a fake!"
For the first time, Heracles dropped his smile and a vein popped on his temple. That certainly hit close to home, his pride specifically.
"What do you know about the expectations placed upon the great Heracles' heir!? What was to form part of that clan completely submitted to the Greek Gods! No more playing around then! I'll show you who's the real hero here!"
The barrage of punches stopped, and the two opponents jumped back to put some distance between them.
"Balance Breaker: Detonation Mighty Comet!" After that roar, the yellowish aura surrounding the bulky man started to condense, and some kind of missile-like objects started to protrude from his body before being fired at the red knight.
"Yeah, I think a demonstration will be more convincing." On the other hand, Sandalphon Muramasa faded away as the red knight raised his left hand.
The weapon of his choice this time was a massive stone axe-sword that didn't give off any special aura. For all intents and purposes, that was just a slab of rock that should be impossible to wield properly for someone with his frame.
BABUMP!
But at that moment, a chill ran down Heracles' spine. Staring at those golden eyes, the figure of the red knight was suddenly replaced by that of an unyielding giant. A man whose sole presence conveyed the concept of 'power', and whose gaze would never waver regardless of what kind of challenges lay ahead.
"Set, Nine Lives Blade Works."
The legendary technique was unleashed, and the red knight disappeared from sight. Everything happened so quickly that no one would be able to tell what exactly caused all the missiles to be torn apart, or how was Heracles blown away like a rag doll.
A thunderous crash was followed by the sound of the giant's battered and bloody form hitting the concrete wall and causing a sizable crater. And Shirou stood where he had been just an instant before, with his arms stretched as if he just swung that massive sword.
The room was then plunged into a dead silence. Regardless of if they were brainwashed or not, everyone stared in shock at the scene. It wasn't just a matter of them being unable to believe that one of their leaders was defeated just like that, but the gap between the moment Heracles unleashed his Balance Breaker and the moment he had been already defeated.
Even Cao Cao seemed surprised, but in his case, it didn't last long as the smile returned to his face.
"I see… No wonder the original Heracles destroyed the immortal hydra in one blow with such a fearsome technique…"
Time seemed to resume the moment he spoke. At least for everyone aside from Xenovia, who couldn't afford to get distracted as Jeanne's dragon continued to attack even if her master wasn't paying attention to the battle.
"Don't worry. I hit him with the back of the sword, so you can still save his life. Now, was that enough to make my point clear, or do I have to continue with the demonstration?" Shirou spoke up to Cao Cao as he let the stone sword fade away.
The absolute confidence everyone had in their leaders to prove the red knight's claims wrong crumbled into dust. Even Georg and Siegfried were now hesitant to engage in battle. But their leader was as calm and collected as always.
"You certainly demonstrated a fraction of the might of the original Heracles, a true legend in human history. But if you called our Heracles a faker for not leaving to those expectations, what does that make you, the one who is just copying other heroes?"
"That is the point, Cao Cao." For the first time since he got there, a confident smile made its way to Shirou's lips. "What you have standing in front of you is a real imitation of a hero, unlike you guys. You can call me… the King of Fakers."
"So you too are the descendant of a hero after all… something to look up to another time. Now…" Cao Cao's eyes drifted to his still conscious executives. "Georg, go treat Heracles. It's clear that he isn't an opponent you should go up against. Siegfried, do you think you can take him?"
"Balance Breaker." In response to his leader's question, the coldblooded man unleashed his own balance breaker while the magician rushed at Heracles to pour on him a Phoenix Tear.
Another three draconic arms sprouted from Siegfried's back and reached inside his cloak to pull out another two demonic swords, Nothung and Tyrfing, and one of those mass-produced light swords from the church.
A twisted smile spread on his face and bloodlust started to fill the place. "Heracles there was all muscle and no brain. Now that he won't be getting in the way, we can begin the real business. As someone who received directly the genes from the original Siegfried, I'm gonna show what's the real deal!"
The red knight frowned at the approaching six-armed man and projected Kanshou and Bakuya again to meet him head-on.
If Heracles' attack was a barrage, then Siegfried was a raging storm. The six swords attacked ruthlessly, covering every possible angle, capitalizing on every opening that appeared. And unlike Georg's magic, those attacks couldn't be shrugged off.
He really seemed an Asura. It was impossible to defend against so many attacks simultaneous attacks. Even if one were able to see them coming, their body wouldn't be able to respond to all of them…
Or that's how things should have gone on paper.
There was a reason why even the most skilled swordsmen chose to master the path of wielding one sword instead of two. The level of concentration one needed to know at all times where was each sword while you are fighting someone is something most cannot achieve.
And in Siegfried's case, you had to multiply it 2 times more. He was certainly the best swordsman Shirou had met since he arrived in this world, but he wasn't near the knights or swordsmen he had met.
And so, even if the place was filled with sparks and crashing sounds, most of them were actually produced by Siegfried's swords clashing amongst them. The human brain wasn't prepared to control six arms and two legs at the same time, even if he was an executor trained by the Church and cloned directly from the Northern knight said to be equal to the King of Knights.
A six-sword style might've been able to overwhelm the average swordsman, but the red knight could easily see all the incoming attacks with his enhanced eyes, predict their trajectories, and redirect them so they would intercept each other.
The only reason Shirou was able to pull that off safely was that Kanshou and Bakuya were able to withstand the hits from those demonic swords and that he wasn't using the swords properly. He couldn't use the special power of more than two of his swords at the same time, and he couldn't use Gram at all without self-destructing.
In essence, it was a really degraded version of Shirou's Triple-Linked Crane Wings and without being omnidirectional.
However, despite having his "Chaos Edge Asura Ravage" style countered, Siegfried still didn't lose his cool. It was true that the red knight was able to defend against the whirlwind of destruction, but in the long term, it was obvious that he would be the one to tire out first. One mistake would spell Shirou's doom.
Therefore, the red knight proceeded to step up the game just like he did with Heracles.
"You said you're the real deal, but why aren't you using Gram properly? Even if you're covered in a draconic aura due to your sacred gear, I remember the original Siegfried obtained an invincible body after bathing in Fafnir's blood. And he could wield his dragon-slayer sword without problem even after that…"
Judging by the way his eyebrows twitched, that hit the spot. But he still needed another push. It seemed that his words didn't hit his pride like in Heracles' case, but another sensitive spot.
"I would recommend you drop this sacred gear nonsense and fight me using Gram properly. You would have more chances like that. Or is it…" Shirou mirrored the wicked grin on the face of the man in cloth before delivering the final blow. "Don't tell me… you don't know how to use it properly? Drawing it and wielding it are two separate things after all. And the way you can't use those other swords either… it seems to me you're more of an owner than a wielder. In other words, a one-trick pony!"
"Tch, you little!" Now that managed to make him lose his cool if just a little.
Regardless of the reason, the fact that he lost his concentration for a moment made a huge difference in this battle. Up until now, Shirou wasn't allowed to counterattack, but now he saw an opening.
"Hnn!"
"Wha-"
For the first time, Siegfried's eyes widened as Bakuya slipped through his attacks and sunk into the draconic arm holding Tirfyng. And the red knight didn't stop there.
"Kuh!"
Before the chopped arm hit the ground, Shirou stepped forward and swung Kanshou at his chest with confidence.
The delicate balance Siegfried kept while using the six swords was destroyed when one of the arms was removed, leaving him unable to block the sword properly. Despite bringing Balmung in time, he was knocked off his feet and sent rolling through the concrete.
"Balmung!" He was able to cover his back unleashing another whirlwind, but that only got him back to square 1.
No, it was worse. He was one arm and sword down, and it would take him some time to adjust to the difference in weight between his two sides, while his enemy hasn't consumed that much energy.
Things didn't look so good for him, but something told him that Cao Cao was already expecting this outcome. That cunning man…
"Do you want to continue with this farce?"
The man in cloth answered the red knight with a bittersweet smile. "I do know what we are doing isn't exactly the definition of 'heroism', but it is because of humanity's dire situation that we have to resort to things like this… Besides, I'd make a fool of myself if I ran now, wouldn't I?"
He stabbed Balmung in the concrete and reached into his pocket. Shirou's golden eyes widened when he pulled out what looked like a sting full of a red liquid. He didn't know what was that, but the feeling he got from it wasn't definitely good news.
"Wait, don't-"
He was too late. Siegfried didn't hesitate in the least to inject that thing into his bloodstream.
The effect began to manifest quickly. His arms, whether human or draconic, started to grow and his hands and finger started to twist and fuse with the handles of his swords. His own body started to grow and bulge as well. By the end of it, he no longer seemed an assure, but some kind of nightmarish, spider monster.
And his aura now was completely inhuman, somewhat akin to a powerful devil's.
"Chaos Break. This is the result of our investigation on what would happen if we gave a sacred gear wielder a dose of the blood of a descendant of the true maous. We obtained it from one of the geezers of the "Old Satan Faction". Although it's still a prototype." Cao Cao explained calmly as if his comrade hadn't just become a monstrosity.
No, he definitely was planning this from the very start. A "demonstration" of what they achieved by taking advantage of their alliance with the terrorists.
"Huh? Sieg-kun!?" Seeing the monster managed to get Jeanne out of her induced trance. Just for a moment though before the spell enhanced by the snake in her body overtook her again.
Something that most overlooked, but not Xenovia. That moment in which her opponent managed to fight back also caused her artificial dragon to stop. In other words, she just needed to wait until another opening showed.
"Hehehe… Now that I don't have to care about Gram destroying my own body, I'll show you how well I can wield it." Even Siegfried's voice had turned hoarse and unpleasant to hear.
In response to the monster's creepy aura, a wave of killing intent filled the place. The golden eyes staring back at him were no longer filled with ire. Now it really seemed he was looking at a target to exterminate.
"I could have let your business with the terrorists and the brainwashing pass if you dropped it and agreed to start anew, but now you've done it. If you can throw away your humanity that easily, then there was no point in trying to change your mind."
The twin swords were replaced by a European sword with a golden guard that exuded a vast amount of power. The red knight poured magical energy into it, causing the blade to be shrouded in golden light.
"I was already an artificial human, to begin with. The only purpose of my creation was to draw this accursed blade and become the perfect knight for the Church. and I pretty much accomplished those the moment I was born. This new purpose Cao Cao gave me… if I have to become a monster to destroy all the other monsters preying on humanity then so be it!"
In response, all his demonic swords started to shine as the abomination got ready to charge.
"Hmph. Do you really think you can save something by becoming that? The original Siegfried became stopped being a mortal after slaying Fafnir, but he still stayed true to himself. On the other hand, you got swayed into this nonsense with just some sweet-talking, without realizing the only thing that has changed is the one holding your collar!"
Both the red knight and the abomination rushed at each other with a roar. The five swords now attached to the monster's body were swung at Shirou from each possible angle, unleashing their powers at the same time.
"Huh!" However, the moments his opponent swung his sword at him, he realized the outcome of the battle was already decided. It wasn't something instinctual. It was…
"I guy like you would never make Brynhildr or Kriemhildr fall in love!"
CRACK!
The moment the light that burned everything it touched collided with the demonic swords, the resulting explosion and flash of light blinded everyone. But the sounds of steel shattering and something massive hitting the wall made what happened obvious.
However, the sight now was… way more gruesome. The fragments of Balmung, Dainsleif, Nothung, and the light sword lay around bloodied abomination. The only sword that survived the clash was Gram, but the sword in turn seemed to have burned out the arm holding it.
"Aah…" As for the monster… he couldn't even breathe anymore. There was a clean cut going from his right shoulder to his waist. His corrupted flesh had been peeled off and burned, and most of his internal organs had been destroyed.
In his last moments, the monster could only move his eyes from the red knight to his sword and snort internally.
It didn't take a genius to figure out the name of the sword. Childs can't beat their parents. As the model of all swords that select the king, Gram didn't stand a chance. Let alone if the sword ended up rejecting him before the clash.
Becoming a monster caused him to be unworthy of the Demonic Emperor Sword, or perhaps, the sword deemed worthier than the red knight. Something that didn't happen even when he spared against Arthur, another man chosen by a king selecting sword.
The monster exhaled his last breath with the bittersweet smile still on his face as his body crumbled into dust. The greatest achievement of the Sirgurd Institute… what a joke. He might have been able to draw Gram due to his genes, but he was never able to accomplish something as grand as the original hero.
Perhaps, the red knight was right. This was the result of his accumulated karma after constantly wielding five demonic swords said to bring ruin to their owner.
"Aren't you going to at least try to save him?" The red knight spoke up as his golden eyes pierced Cao Cao.
The man answered with a smile still on his face. "Phoenix tears didn't seem to work in any of the test subjects for the Chaos Break, so it's better to not waste resources. And he provided some useful data on the current limits of the Chaos Break as well as a comparison between the strongest Demonic sword and the strongest sword you showed up to date. Now, I believe you still have energies for the main event."
The Chinese warrior summoned his weapon in preparation. A silvery, ornate spear with a blue rod longer than the average, and a pair of golden arrows spiraling around it in a double helix pattern.
The moment Shirou's reality marble reproduced it, he couldn't hold back a snort.
"The Biblical God surely had a twisted sense of humor. To think he would take the spear that dealt the finishing blow to his son and turn it into a sacred gear…"
"I have to agree with you. I don't know what he was thinking when he conceptualized a renowned weapon for killing a God, but thanks to having been bathed in Christ's blood and receiving his blessing, this spear now is basically the ultimate weapon to fight the supernatural. And the fact that you were able to tell its true name with just a glance… does that mean you were able to copy it?"
The red knight didn't answer his question, but it made no difference. It might have a divine blessing, but its mundane origin made it possible to reproduce it. And it was certainly not the first weapon of its kind to be recorded in his reality marble.
Instead, he dismissed the Original Sin and projected the Yin Yang swords again.
And that got Cao Cao raising an eyebrow. "With all the incredible weapons at your disposal, why do you favor those blades? I can recognize their peerless craftsmanship. A pair of swords that symbolize Yin Yang… if I had to guess, I would say those are Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, the blades that reached the heavens through a human sacrifice. They don't seem to have outstanding powers, but I guess they don't take that much energy to recreate."
"You sure like to talk."
The red knight rushed at the Chinese spearman without much ceremony. The tension in the room reached its peak as their blades clashed. With two of their leaders defeated, it was up to Cao Cao to "defend their honor".
That man was held in the highest regard for all the present, at least the ones that weren't fully brainwashed, but the red knight's display of strength and conviction made some of them start to rethink a lot of things. But regardless of their thoughts, the battle they were now witnessing was breathtaking.
Unlike the previous fights that could be called "rough", this was a deadly dance. The blades clashed in balance, every movement was precise and calculated.
The red knight swung his twin swords like a clear stream, constantly attacking and defending at the same time. But the spearman didn't fall short. Thrusts, sweeps, swings, he didn't hesitate to wield his god-slaying spear in any kind of movement. A self-taught style that mirrored Shirou's.
To put it into perspective, it was like watching a high-speed chess match. Both opponents were trying to predict each other movements, read ten steps ahead, and find a fatal opening. Fighting styles born from accumulated experience but used for different purposes.
Logic dictated that, in a fight between a spear and a pair of shortswords, the former should have a huge advantage. Aside from the great difference in reach between the weapons, there was no effective way of parrying a lance with a sword. A strong rebuff only results in a stronger counterattack, and a weak rebuff doesn't create any openings.
But that was just what the textbook said. In a battle of styles based purely on combat experience, the fighter that has entered more battlefields would be the one holding a real advantage. The one with the superior Mind's Eye would outperform the other and find the opening faster.
And so, the outcome of the fight became clear…
CRASH!
"Oh?" Cao Cao let out a surprised voice when the blade of his Holy Spear sunk into the concrete right beside the steel-tipped boot of the red knight.
But even then, the Chinese warrior made it seem as if he were completely calm. His blue eyes stared at his spear as if he was staring at an abnormality. This was perhaps the first time things didn't go as he calculated.
But that hardly mattered. His spear was no regular weapon, so it could easily tear through the concrete and be swung at the red knight's chest-
That option was completely cut off the moment Shirou planted his foot firmly on the rod of the spear. Whatever method he was using to strengthen himself, Cao Cao found himself outmatched in a contest of strength, even after going through hell itself to break human limits.
"Hnn!"
"Guh!"
The Chinese warrior didn't have time to think to dwell on it as the other leg of the red knight came flying at his head.
Cao Cao immediately let go of his right hand from the spear's shaft and raised it to block the attack. He made it in time, but he couldn't suppress his voice as pain ran through his body. His arm became numb, but just before that, he was able to get a feeling on the attacking limb. It didn't feel like flesh at all, but steel.
The blow caused him to stumble to his other side. His balance was destroyed, so the only thing he was able to do to defend himself from the red knight's follow-up was thrust his lance at an awkward angle at the expense of falling to the ground.
The red knight only had to jump over it and finish the fight quickly, and he did just that-
CLANG!
However, his golden eyes widened when the spear suddenly doubled its length. He quickly crossed his married blades to deflect it, but that instant he wasted was enough for Cao Cao to roll his body and get back on his feet.
The fight was paused as each knight reevaluated their options, and everyone else aside from Jeanne and Xenovia held their breath.
"Interesting." Cao Cao was the one to break the silence, not caring that he was voicing his thoughts in front of his enemy. "I'm pretty sure I'm older than you, but it seems you have more battle experience than me. Are you concealing your true age? No, you aren't that proficient at magic… Then you must have inherited more than just the powers of this 'King of Fakers'… I wonder… whose experiment did result in you…"
"Fate tents to work in such convoluted ways. Just like you obtained that bug in the system created by the Biblical God, you could say I myself I'm a bug. Now, are you getting cold feet after just that?"
After delivering an answer that was just as confusing as the question, Shirou taunted his enemy. But the answer he got was a chuckle.
"Of course not. If anything, I'm excited. I'm finally able to fight a fellow human that has reached the same highs as me. We could even fight the Gods together. But since I can tell not even weakening you will make Georg's magic work on you, I guess I'll really have to make you submit. If I can't defeat you with my skills and technique, then I'll have to defeat you with talent."
The Chinese warrior held his holy spear in front of him and hit the ground with its back.
"Balance… Breaker."
Unlike all the other Balance Breakers Shirou had seen, this one didn't involve unleashing an absurd amount of power. The god-slaying spear emitted a quiet, white shine before seven orbs manifested around its wielder, forming a makeshift halo.
That Balance Breaker wasn't the one predetermined for that sacred gear, that much Shirou could tell after reproducing it. It was a variant like the ones shown by Jeanne, Heracles, and Siegfried. As formless chunks of energy, now the Chinese warrior was the one holding the surprise factor.
"Let's see if you…"
"Huh!?"
There was no warning. One of the orbs fused with Cao Cao's body, and in the next instant, he disappeared from his vision.
No, he didn't disappear. The bloodlust Shirou felt at his left told him what truly happened. The man teleported to his side just like, without the necessity of an aria or charging energy.
"… survive this!"
Time seemed to resume as the man thrust the lance promising death to any kind of being. The red knight already reacted when he felt the bloodlust, tilting his body and avoiding the spear by the skin of his teeth.
"Kuh!" However, the awkward position in which he ended up didn't allow him to dodge the next attack in the form of a roundhouse kick that landed right on his side.
Even with his reinforced body, that still felt like a speeding truck hitting him, and his ruined balance caused him to be sent rolling through the concrete.
"That was the horse treasure, Atsusa Ratana. It has the ability to teleport the person it touches." The Chinese declared smugly without pursuing the red knight. No, the one pursuing was another of his orbs of light. "And this is the Kahabatei Ratana, the ability to summon warriors!"
The moment Shirou was up on his feet again, he saw himself surrounded by several golem-like familiars. "Warriors" was a good way to describe them since they were clad in Chinese armor and carried different kinds of weapons.
"Trace, on!" Shirou didn't take any risks. All his magic circuits lit as he immediately projected several swords above him and fired them at the familiars.
Those things didn't seem to have skills anywhere near to their master. Some of them managed to block one or two swords, but they were inevitably overwhelmed by the rain of steel.
The explosions offered a handy cover for Cao Cao to rush at the red knight again. It seemed that he couldn't just spam the teleportation thing. And that made things easier for Shirou, as he kept some swords in the chamber for him.
"Mala Ratana, the treasure that redirects attacks!" But before the "arrows" skewered him, another of his orbs floated in front of him and caused a distortion in space very similar to Michael's power.
Just as he declared, the swords were swallowed and fired back. But to the red knight's surprise, he wasn't the target. It was Xenovia.
"Wha-" The girl's heart skipped a beat when the swords suddenly appeared in front of her, but with a mental command, all of them fell apart before piercing her skin.
The red knight didn't even have to look in that direction and prepared to meet Cao Cao's attack. It seemed that one of his orbs had fused with his god-slaying spear, but the attack was so straightforward that it was going to be really easy to just redirect it and close in to deal the final blow.
However…
CRACK!
"Wha-" Shirou stared at his destroyed swords bewildered. The spear pierced through his steel as if it were glass instead.
That shouldn't be possible… The True Longinus might be a top-tier weapon and the strongest sacred gear, but Kanshou and Bakuya were blades that could withstand several blows from the strongest illusion forged in the inner sea of the planet.
And it wasn't the same case as Vali's Divine Dividing. The moment the aura of the "treasure" touched the blades, they fell apart just like that.
Now, even if he saw the attack coming, it was too late. He managed to twist his body as much as he could, but the only thing Shirou managed was to avoid having his chest pierced, but the holy lance still stabbed his abdomen mercilessly.
"GAAH!"
The blessed steel didn't just pierce his armor and body like nothing, but it fired a beam of holy light right through him.
The red knight's figure flew through the battlefield, leaving a trail of blood and filling the place with his pained voice. But even when he fell to the ground like a thrown rag doll, the remaining people in the room didn't dare to get near him.
""Shirou/Sir Shirou!"" A pair of concerned voices followed.
Xenovia's heart skipped a beat seeing Shirou's abated form. It wasn't the first time he saw him in a similar condition, but she couldn't help but be worried. Asia wasn't around to heal their wounds… and she didn't know if those regenerative powers he showed before could heal something so grave.
"Guh… Don't worry about me- *cough*! Focus on… your fight!" The red knight started to stand up slowly.
The former exorcist had to repress a retort. There was no way he could keep fighting, but he was right. In fact, it was a miracle the artificial dragon didn't tear her apart the moment she averted her eyes from it.
Lucky for her, the shock of her "idol" being gravely injured managed to bring her back from the trance for a moment again.
"Show that thing your light, Durandal!" She immediately reacted on instinct and attacked the unmoving dragon with everything.
She was just a moment late due to her own shock. The dragon managed to dodge to the side, but the massive wave of light released by her holy sword still vaporized one of its claws and wings before continuing and punching a massive hole in the ceiling.
Even if she missed this chance, now that the mobility of that thing was severely damaged waiting for the next one would be much easier. Jeanne stopped being a problem long ago. Now that she was fighting back the brainwashing spell, she had barely any energy to spare.
And regarding her partner…
The man with a hole in his torso was ignoring it to face his enemy again. It was a sight that sent chills down the spines of the witnesses. He was bleeding severely and coughing even more blood, but for some reason, his bowels weren't spilling all over.
A gruesome sigh that put off even Cao Cao. Swords sprung from Shirou's body to sew his wound and keep his body together. And to make things even more confusing, flames erupted from inside the wound and started to heal it at a considerable speed.
"The reports said you recovered rather quickly from your battles against Kokabiel and Vali, but now I see that was an understatement."
Cao Cao commented as he watched Shirou with analytic eyes. Instead of attacking and finishing the red knight, he stopped to discern what was happening.
"The swords mitigate the blood loss while the flames do the healing, working in perfect tandem… No that's not exactly it. Those flames… Those are the same as the flaming katana you showed earlier. So those swords are the same you conjure… It doesn't seem to be as effective as the Phenex Clan's immortality or the Phoenix Tears though. It takes some time, and I assume the more severe the injury is, the more energy it takes to heal it judging by the way you still avoid getting hurt instead of fighting recklessly."
"You should have kept that to yourself and just attacked me. But I guess I should thank you for letting me recover."
"It doesn't matter. Chatsuka Ratana, the Wheel treasure, has the ability to break every weapon. Someone who is so dependent on the weapons he conjures stands no chance against me. And even if you're healed, you are clearly weakened compared to before."
"Heh." The red knight snorted at the Chinese warrior and spat the remaining blood in his throat. "You say you want to see humanity's full potential, but it seems you don't even know the basic stuff."
His body was finally back in shape, and he stopped the trembling of his legs to finally stand up. Despite being in such an unfavorable situation, he gave the spearman a confident smirk.
"It is when you're cornered and about to run out of energy that the real fight begins. Besides, you really haven't been to that many battlefields, have ya? Going around explaining your powers to your enemies is the mother of all mistakes. Now, I can easily go around that."
Just as he said that the red knight fell into an absurd stance. He took a step forward with his right foot and slightly crossed his arms with the palm of his right hand ending up above the back of his left one.
Calling that stance would be generous. He was ready to grab a projected sword at any moment, but that was all there was to it.
Cao Cao raised an eyebrow at him, but took his own stance, nonetheless. The moment a lone piece of rubble from the destroyed ceiling fell to the ground, both knights sprung to action.
"ORRRAAAAA!" The red knight projected a simple katana on his hands to attack.
It was a Muramasa sword, but its presence was nowhere near to Camael or Sandalphon. And the swing didn't have any technique like before. It seemed more like an old man waving a can.
Maybe the blood loss made him delirious? Cao Cao thought that could hardly be the case, but he still felt disappointed at the "plan" Shirou opted to execute in order to turn the tables.
Once again, the first orb fused with his holy lance to deal a finishing blow. But this time, he aimed for the heart, to make sure he wouldn't be able to stand up again even if he could regenerate the wound.
Spear and katana moved like flashes of silvery light, and just like before, the sword fell apart.
"Wha-"
However, the sword wasn't destroyed due to the clash against the True Longinus' balance breaker. The blade literally exploded due to the extreme speed and strength behind the swing.
The holy lance was repelled, and Cao Cao felt several shards of the blade gracing his body. And before he could regain his balance, Shirou was already swinging another katana at him.
"Kuh!" The Chinese warrior found himself on the defensive, his muscles screaming in pain with each explosion he blocked.
It was an unbelievable technique. The red knight swung his blades like a madman, but that was just on the surface. He didn't abandon his technique. He just forfeited the notion of blocking since it would be meaningless.
In each swing, he would draw the full potential of the blade, to the point that it would self-destruct midswing. The attacks were ruthless, yet precise despite their appearance. It was as if he were fighting a swordsmith instead of a swordsman, but still conserving traces of Shirou's original style.
"Atsusa Ratana!" Caught in the red knight's pace, the Chinese retreated using his teleporting orb.
No. That wasn't a withdrawal. He didn't teleport away, but right behind the red knight. Without hesitation, the holy lance was swung widely to destroy his spine.
"Metatron!" But this time, Shirou was ready for that.
The moment a golden katana appeared on his hands, his body literally faded away in specs of light just before the holy lance skewered him.
"Huh!?"
"You're not the only one who can teleport!"
The Chinese warrior immediately turned around upon hearing Shirou's voice behind him, already spinning his spear to block the incoming attack. A pair of black and white katana was swung at him in a cross slash, and the resultant explosion knocked him back and ruined his posture.
But Shirou was now unarmed, and he wasn't preparing already another attack. In the brief moment that would take him to project the next weapon, he would be able to pull himself together for the next attack-
However, the red knight wouldn't need to project another. The golden katana that had been used to avoid the surprise attack was now falling slowly in the space between them, and Shirou was already pulling back his fist.
"Mala Ratana!"
The Chinese warrior immediately moved the fourth orb in an attempt to redirect the attack, but it was useless. Unlike Michael Muramasa, that power needed to meet certain conditions to warp away an attack, and this attack didn't meet the.
"HAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
The fist connected with the hilt of the sword and smashed it instead of throwing it or firing a massive golden beam. The sword literally exploded on Cao Cao's face, but the effect was more akin to taking a shotgun shot at point-blank.
"AARRGH!" It wasn't only the light that burned his armor and body, the shrapnel of the destroyed blade. And of the shards flew right into his right eye, damaging it gravely.
"Damn it! This isn't over, Emiya Shirou!" But the Chinese warrior still didn't give up, and his calm façade seemed to have finally fallen apart.
He planted his feet firmly on the ground, tightened his grip on his holy lance, and thrust it at the red knight with all his might disregarding any notion of balance or defense.
"Chatsuka Ratana! Balinayaka Ratana!" The first and seventh "treasures" were fused onto his spear for the final thrust.
The energy Shirou felt from him now was on the level of a noble phantasm with its true name summoned. The beam of light that thing was going to fire would definitely destroy everything on its path, and it couldn't be blocked with anything that fell in the category of "weapon".
In response, a sword with a black, cross-shaped guard and an orange blade appeared on the red knight's hands, and he immediately swung it at Cao Cao with all his might.
"Blow 'em all, Durindana!"
The ultimate unbroken sword wrapped in light pierced through the light of the holy lance with some difficulty, but in the end, it obliterated Cao Cao's attack and went for his arm holding the spear.
"Huh-GAHH!" The Chinese warrior's eyes widened as the sword ignored the power of his first orb and chopped his arm mercilessly.
This time, Cao Cao was the one being flung away like a rag doll, his arm still attached to the holy lance falling some meters away from him.
The fight was finally over, with the red knight being the victor. He had to use the sword in his hands as a crutch as he regained his breath, rendering him unable to stop the magician from approaching the downed enemy.
"Cao Cao! Hold in there!" Georg immediately pulled out a Phoenix tear from one of Cao Cao's pockets and poured its contents on him. As his body was healed by the miraculous item, the magician brought the severed arm with his sacred gear and reattached it.
But even if the man was back in one peace just like Shirou, his sacred gear lost its Balance Breaker state, and he was out of energy as well.
"A weapon that is indestructible at a conceptual level… Now I see…" Cao Cao spoke with some effort as he stood up again with Georg's aid. "Everyone was wrong. Your specialty isn't fighting monsters or magicians... Your real specialty is defeating stronger opponents thanks to your wide experience and versatility… Making the impossible possible in a sense…"
"So you have finally got it…" Despite his battered state, the red knight showed a dazzling smile. "That's what a hero really is. A hero isn't just someone with a power capable to killing monsters. That would make them no different than your average murderer. A hero is someone who takes action when no one does! A hero is someone that brings hope when humanity is facing adversity! A hero… is someone that can defy fate itself!"
Words filled with conviction. An unwavering gaze ready to face anything. A firm back that could shoulder the weight of the world, with his red cloak dancing along the wind entering through the holes in the walls and ceiling.
Seeing such an image, what could one do but be moved? Some would even dare to say that the word would be "charmed". The few recruits that hadn't been warped away by Georg's sacred gear could only stare at him in a daze.
"Aah…" Even Jeanne stopped completely to look at the red knight awestruck. Her cheeks took a reddish tone, and her artificial dragon once again stopped on its tracks.
"Now! Durandal!" Xenovia didn't hesitate a second before driving her holy sword into the steel dragon's chest, finally tearing it apart.
"Aah… AAAARRGH!" At the same moment, its master fell to the ground convulsing. It seemed that she finally managed to break free from the mind-tampering spell, but in consequence, the serpent inside her body went on a rampage.
"I suggest we retreat, Cao Cao. We already lost Siegfried, Jeanne will have her insides ripped apart in no time, this base is in ruins, and you can barely stand up. Continuing this will only make things worse."
"I figured as much… I could use the Truth Idea, but that would be a reckless gamble… Everything went wrong today, but we can use this pain as a lesson."
The magician took that as a confirmation and quickly spread his purple mist throughout the place.
"We will meet again, Emiya Shirou!"
Leaving those last words behind, all the members of the "Hero Faction" disappeared inside the mist. The only ones left in the place were Shirou, Xenovia, and the maiden on the verge of death.
"Tsk." The red knight clicked his tongue. He could have tried to pursue them but doing so would have taken the last bits of energy he had on him, something he couldn't afford now.
No, that cunning man left Jeanne behind on purpose. He knew Shirou would choose to save her instead of forcing another fight.
"Trace, on." Durindana in his hands was replaced by Michael Muramasa. His last projection using the energy he spared.
"Shirou, what do we do with Jeanne!? She's going to-" The former exorcist was starting to panic seeing how her fellow was agonizing, but Shirou stopped her with a calm voice.
"Xenovia, get ready to slash at your right. This will take a second."
She widened her eyes when he stabbed the blade into Jeanne's chest, but the lack of blood reassured her so she readied Durandal. The red knight carefully moved the conceptualized blade until he finally found what he was searching for.
"Michael: Rataibu!"
Without any kind of warning, a "gate" opened in the space beside Xenovia, and a rampaging serpent emerged from it. With a precise swing, Durandal's light sent the ominous creature back to hell, and the two were finally able to relax.
Their breath was ragged, and they took their time to rest and build up some strength. Seeing that Jeanne was no longer convulsing but was still breathing, there was no sense of urgency.
"She's out cold… Well, I guess we will no longer be the only ones at the Emiya residence…"
"Yeah… she's basically in the same situation as I now… But how are we going to get back?"
"That's the very reason I chose this katana… I just need to get a grasp on where in the world we are and guess the direction in which Japan is… But first…" The red knight's tone got really serious suddenly as his golden eyes darted to the side. "At your left. Attached to the tubes on the wall."
"Hnn!" Xenovia didn't think twice seeing how serious he was. One of her black keys slid into her hand, and in less than a second, she drew its blade and threw it in the direction Shirou pointed her.
With a loud thud, the rapier-like weapon pierced what seemed like a small bat, killing it instantly.
"That's… a magician's familiar?"
"Yes… I couldn't notice it before due to all the ruckus… but I would say that has been there since the beginning of the fight. This "Khaos Brigade" is literally a nest of snakes, huh?"
With that taken care of, Xenovia picked up the unconscious Jeanne, Shirou retrieved the demonic swords, or what was left of them, and the two walked out of the hangar. The snowy forest awaiting them and the still-rising sun were already telling, but the USSR logo just confirmed it.
"An abandoned military base in Russia of all places…"
Deciding to put that aside, Shirou closed his eyes in concentration to visualize the place he wanted to reach. After some seconds, he finally cut the space in front of him, and to their relief, the intact living room of the Emiya residence was waiting for them on the other side.
The pair almost stumbled crossing to the other side, and Shirou quickly closed the "gate" behind them so as to prevent the freezing, Russian winds from entering the house.
"Let's leave her in Irina's room for the moment… You can take the bath. I'll go straight to the futon… And forget about today's plan…" Shirou spoke tiredly, all the fatigue already catching up to him now that the adrenaline left his system.
"No… I have the same idea in mind…"
"Hello, Shirou-kun, Xenovia-chan!" A sudden familiar voice almost "I'm here to deliver the Excalibur fragments as Azazel-kun requested! Do I come in a… bad moment…"
The gorgeous archangel that barged into their house as if she owned the place froze the moment she got a better look at the scene. Despite being healed and having his armor repaired, Shirou was still covered in blood, Xenovia had her fair share of wounds, and they were carrying an unconscious girl the archangel recognized.
"What in the world happened here!? Are you two alright!?" And she started to panic the moment her brain processed everything.
"Things happened." That was the eloquent answer Shirou came up with, and Xenovia nodded as if that explained everything.
Meanwhile…
"Tsk. That bunch of old geezers… laughing at my poor So-tan's dream… I'm going to make them regret they were even born!"
A certain twin-tailed maou was literally fuming while she walked around her former room back at the Sitri manor. Even having been around her… pretty much all her life, Sona was having trouble brushing of the massive murderous aura her big sister was giving off.
"Please, calm down, Onee-sama. You know how those… old farts work, better than I do. Things worked out better than I expected if you ask me. We have the chance to prove that we're serious about our dream by defeating Rias and her peerage."
Her attempt at calming Serafall had little to no effect. "That's good and all, but that bastard Sirzech went and haired Azazel to train his little sister and her group! That's completely unfair!"
"Well, he said that he would share his knowledge about sacred gears with all the young devils…"
"There's a whole rift between that and having him planning an entire training schedule for the next month! I need to find a good coach for you ASAP! But I still have to go pick up…"
Serafall's rant ended abruptly to Sona's surprise. The way her widened eyes turned into a mischievous smile set off all the alarms in the head of the teenager devil.
The current Leviathan only made that kind of expression when she was up to no good.
"I already have the man for the job~"
Sona swallowed loudly before daring to ask. "Can I know who it is at least?"
"Is someone you know pretty well. The ruler of Grigori might have helped the White Dragon Emperor to become that strong, but he turned someone that was pretty much just a civilian into a decent fighter that beat the crap out of Riser-kun in less than a week."
"Wait…" She easily connected the dots and started to sweat. "Please don't tell me you're just going to drag Shirou-kun into this just like that."
"Of course, it won't be "just like that". He was already coming for diplomatic reasons, so I don't think he will mind coming a little earlier to take a part-time job."
"Hold up a moment, I didn't even give my-"
"I'll see you tomorrow, So-tan! I have to start making the arrangements and plan my spectacular entrance to convince him! Ciaossu!"
"…consent…" Sona couldn't only pinch the bridge of her nose as she saw her sister teleport away with her own magic circle. "I can only pray for you, Emiya-kun… Onee-sama seems to have taken a liking to you…"
In the ruined base that should have been devoid of life after the last humans returned to their home warping space, the sounds of footsteps echoed through the place.
"Well, for a bunch of humans, that was a decent spectacle."
A young man that looked to be in his twenties walked through the battlefield with a stoic face. His beautiful face, silver hair braided sideways, and conspicuous clothes made him seem really out of place there, but the way he walked without hesitation said otherwise.
His eyes then darted to the dead familiar lying in the corner of the room. "For once, I must thank the Lord's grandson. The familiar of that little witch acted as a distraction just enough so that boy didn't notice me instead. It would have been troublesome having to kill him prematurely."
The steady steps stopped when the devil finally got near to the only thing interesting left on the battlefield. A pool of blood formed where the red knight landed after getting a hole in his abdomen.
"The notion of a human almost killing Vali managed to pick his interest for a flashing moment, but I didn't expect to find something so… promising."
A magic circle appeared on his opened palm, and he pulled out a test tube before kneeling to retrieve a considerable sample of blood.
If someone were there, someone with at least some knowledge of the supernatural world, they would have instantly recognized that magic circle. After all, it had the same crest as the famous "Ultimate Queen".
"'Emiya Shirou', huh? If you say you're a real hero, then perhaps you can be the one to finally cause Lord Rizevim to act as the villain in your story. But for now, deciphering this 'bug' in our reality could make for good entertainment for the Lord."