Yoruichi had realized what the fallen angel intended to say and the information was really something capable of starting a war. For the people she cared about, the nekomata couldn't allow that to happen. Ki was already prepared and she waited for an opening from the Heavenly Dragon before attacking.
Sure she would take some flak and have to explain her presence in Fuyuki, something that with the White Dragon Emperor's presence she would have to anyway. What she couldn't allow was for the fallen angel to keep talking or he could give the fresh power fighter a reason to really fight.
With all that in mind and her instincts still mostly in charge, Yoruichi attacked with the intent of silencing the fallen angel forever.
The claw of lightning made contact and an explosion of light shook Kuoh once again, this time expelling out a massive shockwave that the boundary field almost couldn't hold. If there were any windows still standing after the events of the day then now they were destroyed as those away from the center of impact flew from their feet once more.
When the light disappeared a wide eyed Yoruichi couldn't believe that anyone could manage to intercept her attack at full speed. [One of my hosts once heard about the Kings of Japan, now Kyoto. How they were able to fight on par with the gods.] The crystal wings had struggled to hold the claw back even as the nekomata kept trying to reach a smug looking Kokabiel. [You will soon learn that a god can't compete with a Heavenly Dragon.]
Instinct took hold once again as the nekomata hissed at her challenger. She pushed the wing to the side and threw another attack at Kokabiel only for a magic circle, blue and almost white, to stop her.
Logic and instinct met as Yoruichi turned to the Vanishing Dragon. The magic circle had no indication he had made it but she knew it was his.
The armored figure was still silent but there was an aura of excitement around him. [You could speak now instead of letting me do the talking.] Albion commented out loud and that was all he had time to say before his partner was punched in the face.
The Scaled Mail, Albion's balance breaker, was as strong as the real White Dragon Emperor's scales and she knew it would take too much to break past it. Even her instincts knew it would be a waste of energy to use her claws in this fight. Maybe she could break it but as a sacred gear it could regenerate and she had no guarantees of a quick victory.
But the flesh beneath it was still weaker and by using Senjutsu she could bypass most of Scaled Mail's defenses. And she also added lightning for good measure
Her fist didn't sink in the armor, didn't even make a dent, but the holder felt it and the magic circle fell apart. Immediately Yoruichi prepared another punch with as much power as the last and threw it at Kokabiel. The Cadre still couldn't move and believed he was a goner only to have his life extended again when the Vanishing Dragon pulled him out of the way.
[You are so lucky Azazel wants you alive.] Albion repeated as his host threw the fallen angel back. He raised an arm to stop another punch and his mana flowed to fight back against Yoruichi's Ki.
More lightning spilled out as Yoruichi punched the armor again, easily the guard and connecting with the Vanishing Dragon's face.
Since the White Dragon Emperor was going to protect Kokabiel, Yoruichi threw another punch. And another. And another. Soon she was blitzing him with a rain of punches each charged with gold lightning before then going for a kick to keep the Heavenly Dragon's host unbalanced.
He was pushed back, raising his arm to block another punch faster than the eye could see. His reaction speed was slower than Yoruichi's but unlike Kokabiel he was able to block some of the strikes either with his arms or with magic circles. Those were much smaller than the normal ones, the size of a child's hand, but were efficiently blocking the nekomata's attacks.
Still Yoruichi was much faster than the sacred gear user and a lot of her punches and kicks were connecting. Even the white armor began to crack at the power blows from the nekomata and the Vanishing Dragon made another big magic circle to push her back.
Instead of retreating, Yoruichi dodged the blast of white magic and connected another punch on the armored warrior's head. A surge of lightning escaped the fist and the White Dragon Emperor found himself flying towards the school building. Their whole combat lasted only an instant and Kokabiel was open once again.
Before Yoruichi could reach the fallen angel her instincts warned her of something dangerous coming. "You are pretty good."
Finally the holder of the Divine Dividing talked to reveal a voice which indicated he was a young man of some sort. It was the sort of voice that revealed determination, strong will and a degree of enjoyment that made it seem like he was having fun.
Yoruichi didn't know what her instincts were warning her off. She was stronger, faster and had more power than the White Dragon Emperor. She kept moving towards Kokabiel knowing that she was too fast for the armored warrior to stop her.
"But I am better."
[Divide]
Then she wasn't as fast anymore as Yoruichi felt the moment her energy seemed to abandon her. From feeling all powerful to feeling much less, the nekomata kept going and threw a Lightning Claw in the Cadre's direction only for blue crystal wings to stop her once again.
Yoruichi finally realized how slow she was as her mind returned to her. Her Kii and mana were all less than they should have been but she knew she shouldn't be surprised considering who she was facing.
[Weren't you planning to let me take care of talking because of-]
"She is worth that much, at the very least." There was some struggle despite Yoruichi being much weaker. Wings and fists kept pushing each other back which pleased the Vanishing Dragon. "Fighting like this means she wants to protect whatever Kokabiel has to say desperately." He took a step forward and Yoruichi was forced to step back. "Must be some interesting secret."
Yoruichi glared as Kokabiel laughed. "That is right! The truth is-"
In the interval between the words Yoruichi was already moving again. One benefit for the reduction of her power was that she could execute some more elaborate maneuvers to compensate for the lack of power.
There was only one energy that she could use to its maximum efficiency and so the Vanishing Dragon found himself being kicked by a Senjutsu powered leg. Yoruichi kicked the man again four times in quick succession, explosions of lightning escaping their point of contact as she dashed towards Kokabiel.
The nekomata was sure she was still fast enough to reach the Cadre-
[Divide]
-until she felt more of her power leave her.
It was worse than before as the fur covering most of her body receded to reveal her skin and her eyes returned to a more human-like state. Only the cat ears and the two tails still revealed her real heritage but Yoruichi felt more sluggish and tired than she ever felt before in her life.
The only time she felt something similar was years before when she began training to become one of the Four Kings. After she learned how to use Senjutsu she never really felt exhausted again. Once she mastered the art it got even better as her body felt light as a feather most of the time.
Now her senses were numb as she didn't have the same awareness she should, even her connection with Ki was weaker. She was surprised when a hand grabbed her shoulder, the shock from being powerful to weak completely messing her head as she almost forgot where she was.
It was the Vanishing Dragon who reminded her that she was in a fight when he pulled her back and slammed her down.
[Divide]
More power was lost as blood left Yoruichi's mouth. She focused Ki on her feet and used it to kick the armored warrior and the man grunted at the hit.
Despite having lost most of her power, Senjutsu wasn't something that could be neutralized that easily as it dealt with the energies of the surroundings and the combatants. Upon making contact, by using her Ki, Yoruichi managed to turn some of her enemy's life energy against him.
"Impressive." The white armored warrior recognized. "You are a little better than her."
[Hard to judge when we already Divided this one so much.] Albion added with an amusement that pissed Yoruichi off as she did a flip to stand on her feet and prepared to keep fighting. [Still can keep going?]
"Must be a really dangerous secret." He sounded even more excited at the prospect. 'Things are starting to get interesting.'
Raising a hand, the armored form gems began to glow in the same ethereal light as its wings. [Divide] And Yoruichi felt herself grow weaker once more. [Divide] And again. [Divide] And again before the Vanished Dragon started making a magic circle.
The nekomata saw the build up of mana and surrounded her body with Senjutsu to dodge the blast. Her moviment was better than before thanks to Ki but she knew her speed was leaving a lot to be desired.
On the other hand her opponent created another three magic circles at the same time and shot from them all at once. It was an attack which would usually be slow for Yoruichi but in her actual condition it was faster than her and she got hit by all three beams.
Rolling back, Yoruichi used a hand to stop herself as she prepared more Ki. There was plenty she could take from the area thanks to the events that happened earlier. The ley line may be damaged but she just needed to avoid taking enough to not make the situation worse. Every little bit of it helped her keep going-
[Divide]
-and by not absorbing it directly she also avoided the power of the Divine Dividing.
With a smile that told the Vanishing Dragon she was prepared, Yoruichi moved her hands in a motion to charge more energy before throwing a sphere of Ki towards the armored figure. The attack was fast and she doubted he would dodge in time.
He didn't even bother to move and when the ball connected it exploded. His lack of an attempt to move worried Yoruichi and she quickly began to concentrate more Ki on her right hand while surrounding her body with as much as she could to disguise.
Her concern was warranted as the White Dragon Emperor flew out of the smoke at high speeds. He didn't bother trying to Divide her power anymore since she had almost none to spare.
No, what the nekomata had was just her Ki and whatever scraps she could get from the area, not something Divine Dividing was affecting.
Taking aim he unleashed three magic circles once again and all of Yoruichi's focus was on dodging. This time she had a few more instants and managed to avoid them all while keeping the power on her hand hidden.
Another barrage of white light was unleashed, a little faster than before and the nekomata had a distinct feeling that the Vanishing Dragon wasn't really trying to hit her. Either way she couldn't risk it as the power of those blasts could still kill her.
Yoruichi jumped back as far as she could but it wasn't very far at all and explosions followed her for a few seconds. Her muscles were losing strength, most of the energy within her was gone and she saw how the wings were letting out particles of blue energy with a signature similar to hers.
She realized it was the excess of her energy, she was stronger than the host of the Vanishing Dragon and he had to discard most of the energy he took from her. But not without using a great deal of it for himself as he seemed stronger and faster than when he first arrived. She had heard about Divine Dividing powers but didn't expect it to drain her so fast
'Must be the Balance Breaker. Otherwise it would have the same rule as Boosted Gear and activate every ten seconds.' It was the only explanation she could think about much to her frustration. 'I practically lost the fight the moment I touched his wings.' Gritting her teeth, Yoruichi knew there was little she could do about that fact. If she paid attention she could tell there was a connection between her and the Vanishing Dragon but could do nothing to break it. "Heh, what an annoying ability you have there."
"In a battlefield the word 'annoying' means that the opponent can't figure out a counter to it." The host replied while crossing his arms. "But your use of Senjutsu is interesting. You are using it to compensate for the power I already took and in creative ways. Even managing to bypass my armor's defense."
[She is more skilled than the other black cat.] Albion added with a chuckle.
"'Other black cat'? Do you know any nekomatas?"
"Yes, I do. Although she is more of a practitioner of Youjutsu." He commented while cracking his neck. "Well, time is up. Have you prepared your trump card?"
"You noticed?" Yoruichi's right hand began to glow with a strong lightning that seemed as intense as the ones she used when transformed.
The Vanishing Dragon shoulders trembled as he held back his laughter. "Hide your energy as much as you like, I am quite good at detecting Ki thanks to my friend." He chuckled. "Had to learn how since she has a penchant for pranking anyone too unaware to detect her."
"Nyahaha. Looks like someone I would like to meet." She hid her nerves with a smile. 'Low energy, Senjutsu is almost neutralized and my opponent can fly.' He wasn't doing it much, floating just above the ground, but that was something that never escaped her mind.
While Yoruichi prepared some more, the Vanishing Dragon glanced at the immovable Kokabiel. It was clear that the fallen angel couldn't escape and was counting on him to finish everything.
[You know that by killing her you may be walking right into his plan.] Albion commented on his partner's mind but there was no reaction.
Instead there was a reply. 'Let him hope. I have no intention of killing one of the Kings of Kyoto… not when we caught her by surprise and already weak.'
[I agree with you but we still don't know what she is protecting.]
The armored head turned to the other side to see people approaching. 'I believe we will know soon enough.'
The nekomata saw that the White Emperor wasn't looking her way and began to advance, "Yoruichi stop!" Only to do just that and hold herself back at a familiar voice.
"Goddamned Shirou! He was open!" Noticing those approaching, Yoruichi let go of her Ki.
"No, he wasn't." The magus replied as his lover had a hand on his back to stop him from falling as Shirou was walking with some difficulty. 'The fact she didn't notice us getting closer shows how out of it she is.'
Because Shirou wasn't getting close to the battlefield alone; not only Rias was right behind him, ready to catch her lover if his body gave out, Xenovia and Sona were also with them, the Exorcist walking closer to the pair with Durandal at ready while the Sitri King looked frustrated but resolute.
Behind them the other devils kept their distance with Koneko and Kiba standing in front of Ise to block his Destined Rival's view. Not only the members of the ORC were working to keep the Red Dragon Emperor out of view but the Student Council, under orders of their King, also took up the job.
Most of them just made sure he was one with their group and that he would advance while Saji stayed in front of him with his sacred gear visible and also tied at Kiba's hand. The Knight insisted that precaution was unnecessary but after some of his stunts no one was trusting him to keep a cool head.
Things would certainly be easier if Ise could make the Boosted Gear disappear but Ddraig was being stubborn. 'Come on man. You said so yourself; I ain't ready for this fight.'
[Where is your pride as my host? Even if you are going to die doesn't mean you should hide!] Ddraig tried to voice his thoughts through their gem but Ise managed to keep him quiet on the outside. [Since when have you been able to silence me?]
'News for me too but I can't really make you shut up.' Ise figured out that it was mostly a matter of desire and will to keep Ddraig's voice just inside his head. Unfortunately for him so far he failed to find a way from isolating Ddraig for good even if just for a few minutes. 'Stop complaining! I'm not ready to die.' That left him with an ancient dragon who refused to stop complaining.
The dragon roared and the Student Council saw Ise wince. [I refuse to be considered a coward in the presence of the White One. Go there and introduce yourself at least!] The roar grew louder and Ddraig tried to unleash his power forcefully.
Surprising himself, the Pawn managed to hold the power back. 'What was that about not being ruled by your anger again?' Ise hoped Ddraig would listen to reason.
Obviously by the loud roars and the power threatening to spill out, he didn't. [This isn't about anger! It is about pride! Where is yours?!] Ise almost let the power escape which showed how furious Ddraig was. [You are my partner! The Red Dragon Emperor! Show some spine!]
Ise was getting upset with his said partner because of how hard it was to keep him quiet. 'I hope Shirou's idea works because I don't think I can stop this overgrown lizard for long.'
[I heard that!]
'Good!'
Unaware of the battle inside the Red Dragon Emperor, Shirou took another cautious step towards the White Dragon Emperor only for Rias to pull him back. Both could see each other's intentions and it was clear for Shirou to see that she didn't like the risk he was about to take.
Even Sona's presence failed to stop Rias from trying to stop Shirou despite the Sitri Heiress agreeing he was the one with the best chance of ending everything without further violence. There was logic in his plan and before the Gremory Heiress had agreed as well only to hesitate at the last second.
It all hinged on Shirou because they all knew he was the one with the secret that could bring out a war. A secret that practically wasn't a secret anymore with how many knew about it but the potential was still there. For those reasons he felt responsible and had an idea of what to say to stop the Vanishing Dragon from harming anyone else.
What went unsaid and what Shirou accepted but Rias refused to was that anyone else would be mostly safe but him. The best idea he had would still leave him at the mercy of the armored figure and that was a risk he would have to take.
But that would only work if Shirou was right and Rias didn't like to take such a risk with his life. It was her eyes that made her lover stop for a moment before he touched her hand and took it off his arm. She didn't want to let him go but knew that holding him back would only make things worse.
So she let Shirou go but stayed close while he advanced towards the White Dragon Emperor. With the helmet on it was hard to tell what the person was thinking but his head remained fixed in Shirou's direction which told the magus he had his attention.
Then Xenovia stepped besides Shirou and he couldn't help but ask. "What are you doing?"
"If you are going to fight I'm here to offer some support." Rias raised an eyebrow at the bluehead's words but Shirou didn't react much.
He still said "Neither of us is in any condition to fight anymore. Besides, no one else needs to risk their necks either."
"Maybe. But that doesn't sit well with me." Xenovia stabbed Durandal on the ground, her eyes locked in the white armor. "If you fight, I will watch your back."
Rias smiled at Xenovia's words, pretty much forgiving the girl of any misgivings in that moment. Shirou for his part just nodded and took another step closer to the White Dragon Emperor.
Despite the constant support from Rias or Xenovia's words, Shirou doubted he had much to give if there was a fight. 'We are all exhausted even though we are mostly healed. I must avoid fighting anymore at any cost.' And he meant any cost.
"So, are you going to tell me a secret?" Asked the Vanishing Dragon, his voice revealing the amusement hidden behind his helmet. "I hope it is a good one. The suspense is killing me."
"I have a Reality Marble." The silence that followed Shirou's declaration was music to his ears. He couldn't help but turn to look at Kokabiel who seemed to have swallowed a sour lemon. "I am sorry, did I ruin your grand reveal?" Despite how messed up the fallen angel's face was the magus could see the realization followed by frustration in it.
Both of them know that by just spouting out the existence of his Reality Marble, Shirou had directed any potential aggression just to him. His life may be important to the people who cared about him but not enough to start a war between the Three Factions. Just by revealing that Shirou had taken away Kokabiel's power in the situation.
And given it to the new arrival. "Reeeeeeeaaaaaaaaally?" The Vanishing Dragon sounded even more pleased than before. "I suppose that is a secret worth killing." He glanced at Yoruichi, who glared at him, and the devils, where Rias was also glaring at him, before looking back at Shirou. "You repaired Caliburn."
"Guilty as charged." He made a show of bowing like a show man which made the White Dragon Emperor laugh and applaud. "Thank you, thank you. You are too kind."
If anything, the attitude just raised the White Dragon Emperor's interest more. [Much like Kokabiel, his body was pushed to its limits and clearly can barely stand.] The dragon also showed interest inside his host's mind. [Both are beaten and bruised but this one isn't broken.] He hummed with approval.
The armored man stopped applauding with a chuckle. "I don't know if that is true yet but from what I can see," he looked around for the first time paying attention to the hundreds of different weapons in the area, "I can believe it." His shoulder shook and the man laughed again. "Hahaha! A Reality Marble! You don't hear about that every day!"
[Even I, despite my age, never met someone with a Reality Marble.] Albion was as amused as his host.
"And you did all this?" The White Dragon Emperor waves around them for the field of swords that all could see.
"The ritual they used was a… the best description I can give you is 'a mess' made to force the Fragments together without a care." Shirou noticed that the armored posture grew rigid but that could either be good or bad. "The whole thing was an attempt to fix the sword by mashing the parts together while using the mana of the town to keep it… I wanted to say 'stable' but that is too generous. Because of how it was made the sword was also unstable and the spell was still active to turn Fuyuki's mana against itself."
"Therefore destroying the city." Shirou nodded at the Vanishing Dragon's deduction and a hand moved to the armored man's chin. "Continue."
"A characteristic that I have is that I never forget a sword and that I can learn all its history by just… glancing at it?" Shirou shrugged. "Sorry but having a Reality Marble is technically still new to me. I always could learn a weapon's history by touching them but today I learned that I only need to look properly and my mind can process all the information by itself."
It was something he always could technically do but once he accepted he had a Reality Marble, Shirou found the whole process much easier. Without the awareness of it he always had to sort the information by himself and while he still needed to do it to an extent after he accepted he had a Reality Marble his own soul seemed to help him or to be better directed by his mind.
Those were things he still was unsure but he would meditate on later. "With my Reality Marble I was capable of diving in the whole history of the Fragments. Thanks to it I discovered they were not Excalibur but in fact Caliburn and I learned how it was forged." Shirou could see the Vanishing Dragon was leaning in to show his curiosity. "However since there was a Fragment missing and with a spell threatening to destroy the city I took some shortcuts."
"'Some'?" It was Yoruichi who asked with a deadpan stare.
After sighing, Shirou recognized "Fine, a lot of shortcuts."
"You use the mana of the area, by yourself, without proper preparation?" Nobody could tell if the Vanishing Dragon was dumbfounded or impressed. "How are you still alive?"
"Reality Marble?" Shirou sounded uncertain and shrugged at the thought. "Thanks to it I managed to produce a lot of swords to redirect some of the mana but…"
"But you exhausted yourself on every level." The White Dragon Emperor concluded with a nod before laughing. "And let me guess, Kokabiel's plan was to have the sword blow up, killing the heiresses and restarting the war."
"From Kokabiel's own words he planned to have a human kill us with it to turn the Underworld against the Church and Heaven." Sona tried to take over the conversation if only to take Shirou off the limelight but it was in vain as the man didn't take his eyes of Shirou. She tried again. "He described everything to us and I am willing to sign any contract to prove my words."
"That won't be necessary. I believe you." The White Dragon Emperor turned to Kokabiel, half expecting a complaint.
The fallen angel barely reacted with anything other than a glare as he tried to get up. "Listen here-"
"No."
[Divide]
The same power that had defeated Yoruichi crushed the remnants of Kokabiel strength and the Cadre fell down before spitting more blood. He had been using whatever energy he had left to keep himself conscious but the Vanishing Dragon just cut his reserves by half.
"Whatever you have to say is mostly irrelevant now and you know it." The Vanishing Dragon informed with distaste. "Starting a war by attacking someone weaker and threatening a town to keep them around until the sword was ready. Such a cowardly act." He still looked at Shirou who nodded to show his deductions were mostly correct. "Before Azazel was just going to have words with you but after all this I doubt even he will let you out without a severe punishment."
"Doesn't… matter." Kokabiel managed to say after lifting his face just enough to glare at the White Dragon Emperor and Shirou. "He has a… Reality Marble…" The fallen angel felt his power come back with his rage. "His very existence… is a threat to the status quo."
Turning back to Shirou the armored man added "He does have a point."
"That he does." And everyone knew that and Shirou couldn't deny it. Rias began to prepare for a fight and Xenovia charged Durandal's aura to support her before Emiya raised a hand. "Except that the Underworld, the devils, have no gods to take advantage of my power."
"But a Reality Marble is still something that can shake the balance of the world!" Kokabiel raised a counterpoint but this time no one looked at him. "The gods will hunt him once the information is know-"
"If it is known." Shirou interrupted the fallen angel. "The only people that know about my little dirty secret are here."
"And you want me to keep it as well." The White Dragon Emperor sounded even more amused than before. "That is bold, really bold. Especially when I have no reason to do it."
They had nothing on the White Dragon Emperor, they didn't even know his name and Kokabiel began to smile again because by the way things were going Shirou would have to die to stop a war or Rias would intervene and possibly die as well.
Best case scenario for the fallen angel included Sona dying as well, his message delivered and the devils looking worse by the fact he had someone with a Reality Marble around. Worse case for him was just Shirou dying but that was fine with him at this point. One way or the other Kokabiel would get some revenge and maybe even his goal.
Which Shirou had no intention to allow. 'Time to see if I was right.' Not that he had many other alternatives that didn't involve dying and while he was fine with it for himself he had people who cared for him and so he would fight to the end. "You like fighting, don't you?" A tilt of the head was the reply he received. "I could tell by how you are giving Yoruichi too many openings."
A chuckle escaped the white armor. "Elaborate, please." He liked where this was going.
"When you arrived you could have grabbed Kokabiel and left. None of our fliers are in any condition to follow you and Yoruichi can't fly, something you noticed earlier when the fight began." The Vanishing Dragon nodded in confirmation. "You weren't toying with her, if you were you would do what Kokabiel did earlier during their fight, fly around to keep your distance while forcing her to find ways to reach you."
"That would be no fun." The White Dragon Emperor crossed his arms and relaxed. "Not when there was such an… intriguing opponent to deal with. Never saw anyone overcharge themselves with Ki to the point of becoming more animalistic. I was curious."
"Thanks for the compliment." Yoruichi commented sarcastically.
"It is deserved. You were… almost as strong as the strongest Senjutsu practitioner I have ever met." That made Yoruichi blink in surprise together with many others. "And no, I am not talking about my nekomata friend. Although she will be happy to know I met you." He chuckled again. "But I am rambling. Please continue, Reality Marble owner. How do you plan to convince me to keep your secret?"
Before doing just that, the magus couldn't help but be polite. "My name is Emiya Shirou, nice to meet you." He even offered his hand for a shake, surprising the White Dragon Emperor and those watching.
Rias tried to stop him. "Shiro, don't-"
"You do realize that if I tough you my sacred gear will form a connection with you until I let it go, right?" The Vanishing Dragon sounded amused once again. "If you are planning some kind of last stand, that is the worst idea possible."
"If you wanted to kill us, you would have done so already." Shirou kept his hand up. "I understand that you may change that because of my Reality Marble but every single one of us is low on energy or, like in my case, dead on our feet." The armored man was taken back by the admission. "But if I could have my way I would prefer if no one else died today."
Apparently the sacred gear owner found that attitude so funny that he couldn't hold back and began to laugh out loud. "Hahahaha! I heard that Reality Marbles seemed to consume the sanity of their owners but I always thought that was some god's propaganda! Hahahaha!" The White Dragon Emperor laughed for a few more seconds before controlling himself. "But fine, since you are being polite."
Just like that the armor disappeared to reveal a young man, not much older if not the same age as all the students present. He had light silver hair and eyes that fit with his handsome face. Dressed in a V-neck shirt with a leather jacket his build was lean and seemed unable to fill the bulky armor he was using before but was attletic with a strong posture.
He was also wearing burgundy jeans with a silver chain drooping down over them and black leather chaps with three bands encircling his right calf, and black shoes with black buckles but the majority was paying attention to what was on his back.
Even if the armor was gone there were still wings behind the young man, the pair still flowing with power. It showed that even without most of his protection the silver haired man was still prepared for a fight or to respond to any kinds of tricks. Still the air around him didn't speak of caution but confidence that he could take down everyone else without trouble.
All together it passed the image of a bad boy, his confident and arrogant smile seemed to support this but when he extended his hand and shook Shirou's he spoke respiectifully. "You can call me Vali, the White Dragon Emperor." They shook hands for a moment. "Nice to meet you too."
"Vali, huh? No last name?" Shirou asked with a chuckle as they separated as the newly introduced Vali scoffed.
"Not one I am willing to say at the moment." There was no bitterness in his voice even if his words said otherwise. "And this is my partner." He motioned to his wings giving the dragon inside them his cue.
[I am Albion, the Original White Dragon Emperor. A treat to meet someone with a Reality Marble.] The ancient dragon chuckled. [Truly these are interesting times, Vali.]
"Indeed they are, indeed they are." The white haired man agreed before looking to the side with a frown and getting close to Shirou to whisper "I had a better plan to introduce myself to my Destined Rival." The redhead couldn't hide his surprise that Vali knew about Ise already. "Tell me, is he strong?"
"He only awoke his sacred gear this year." He noticed Vali's frown but it was the truth. "You look disappointed."
"For more than one reason." Vali stepped back and turned with a shrug. "Now that we have formally introduced ourselves, go on. Continue to explain why you think I like fighting?"
"Do I need to?" Not only Vali asked about his Rival's strength but his whole demeanor carried an air of someone waiting for a fight to happen at any time.
While Shirou found it unnecessary to continue his observations, Vali just smiled with his head turned and sharp eyes looking into the magus. "Humor me."
Again Shirou didn't have much choice. "When Yoruichi made contact with your wing, you already had a connection. If you wished you could have Divided her power from the very beginning."
Vali turned back to Shirou. "Maybe I was just being cautious."
That made no sense to the magus. "Have you ever met someone who was immune to your power?"
"Actually yes, I have." Vali took pleasure in seeing the audience's eyes grow wide. "The world is a big place. Full of mystery. Thinking that sacred gears are infallible is a childish, naive, fantasy."
Still Shirou didn't buy that explanation. "Even if that is true there was no reason for you to not immediately try to use it instead of letting her hit you as much as she did." Vali chuckled at that as he couldn't disagree. "I will repeat that you could have just flown up to avoid her, stay safe and bombard her with magic which is your speciality-"
"Why do you say that?" Vali interrupted.
"Your control of magic circles is… one of the best I have ever seen. I think only Rias' method can be called more advanced." Both Rias and Vali traded looks and the white haired man looked impressed despite the Gremory glare. Shirou took a step closer to Rias to calm her down before continuing. "Not only you avoided using your sacred gear but when it came to use your magic offensively you were clearly holding back. Also supporting the fact that you are more magically oriented you barely threw a punch, focusing on defending with your arms instead of countering even when Yoruichi was open."
Vali nodded a couple of times. "Fine, I will admit I am more focused on magic. I can give you that." Shirou nodded as well, accepting the information. "But I also had to try to protect Kokabiel."
"Don't make me repeat myself, you could just have taken him and left."
"Without even examining the situation?"
"You came to collect him, whatever else came after you could have asked later."
"That implies I trust him."
"So if I had shut up and not admitted I had a Reality Marble you would write it off?"
"No. Caliburn being restored and these many weapons around are suspicious by itself." Vali's line implied that he knew more about the sword than he was letting on but Shirou couldn't focus on that.
"But you agree your first mission was to rescue him?"
"That is right… Ah, I see what you did there." The Vanishing Dragon mused with a smile. "There is no argument for me staying since I should have just picked the weak and defeated Kokabiel and left. Is that what you are getting at?" Shirou nodded and Vali was pleased. "I still want to hear your logic for me to like fighting. I could have stayed out of pure curiosity, after all."
'Why is he making this so difficult?' Shirou suspected Vali was amused by his attempts since he wasn't bothering to deny his taste for combat. "After you Divided her power once, you only did it a couple of times after because you noticed that she is better with Ki. Did you deduce that she would fight better without her youki on the way?"
"The grandfather of a friend, the best Ki user I ever met, is a little like her." Vali commented offhandedly. "When using everything he has he can be a little savage, not as much as she was, mind you, and when I noticed her Ki and youki actually working together to give her power but take away her mind I thought that maybe I could take the mana out of the equation."
"Is that why you didn't Divide the Ki completely?" Many looked at Vali surprised but Shirou's question earned him a smile from the White Dragon Emperor.
"What gave it away?" It was Vali's turn to ask.
"Divine Dividing can Divide the very soul of a person and yet you chose to leave her only with her Ki, indirect as it was." Shirou smiled as well. "Also you just admitted that you let Yoruichi fight mostly unimpeded on purpose."
Sighing a little, Vali shook his head with a smile still in place. "Damn, I thought I could play with you a little more." He shrugged. "But it seems like I slipped."
"So you admit you like fighting."
"Love it." Vali replied with a huge smile. "I love testing my strength against others, adore how my heart pumps against a strong opponent and the thrill of combat." The man seemed really content talking about it. "To me there are few things better than a good fight; the trading of blows, the revelation of secret weapons, the tests of skill, might and intellect."
Then Vali made a show of looking around, taking into account every sword and weapon spread around the Kuoh's property.
He counted many weapons of great power, some Noble Phantasms and even those that made a shill run down his spine. Vali smiled in excitement as he turned to Shirou. "And I have to say that by what I am seeing here, maybe I lost the main part of this fight." Before the redhead was a dragon in human form. "Don't you agree?"
"Maybe for today but there is always the chance for another fight." Shirou spoke vaguely but didn't allow himself to be intimidated.
Which pleased Vali more. "Good. It would be boring if this was just a one time thing."
'Is he some kind of battle manic?' Ise couldn't help but think and that gave Ddraig the opening he needed.
[Hey, White One! Are you going to ignore me?]
"For fuck's sake!" Rias swore then and there to find a way to shut up Ddraig on command.
Under Vali's sharp gaze everyone automatically stepped aside to give him a clear view of Ise. [Kukukuku. What is wrong, Ddraig? Your host is so weak that I almost haven't noticed you.]
Shirou and Rias both noticed Vali's eyebrow twitch as he glared at Ise for a moment before interrupting Albion. "You know… I had this whole introducion that I wanted to do and was even willing to ignore you until a proper time." Ise gulped hard but the white haired young man just smiled. "Don't worry, I won't kill you… today, that is. Can't be killing my recently awake Rival before he can be able to give me a proper fight."
Taking that as his cue, Shirou moved to stand between Vali and Ise. "Good, then you can focus on dealing with me first."
[Don't you dare to interrupt my meeting with my Rival, boy.] Albion grunted in a tone of warning.]
[That is right! Even if we aren't fighting today-]
"Then you can cut off the posturing." Shirou interrupted Ddraig with a glare at the gauntlet. "If Vali was a more unstable individual you would have thrown away Ise's life." With that the Welsh Dragon actually fell silent while the magus turned to a surprised Vali. "Where were we?"
Chuckling again, Vail decided to cut all charades. "I believe you were about to offer me a fight… right?"
"Not going to lie; I just accepted that I had a Reality Marble a few minutes ago. Before that I was a little in denial because of the problems the whole thing could bring to everyone." Shirou's confession surprised almost everyone who understood what Shirou had done, even Vali, Kokabiel and the dragons listening.
But not Rias. 'With something like a Reality Marble it is possible to reach the same levels of the gods. Just the idea of having a power like that and not using it…' She looked at a shocked Sona and a confused Vali with a smile. 'They can't process why someone would give up their potential like that. But Shirou would… for our sake.' Which concerned her without end.
"Well, I suppose you are right. I suspected there would be no more fighting today, pity." Vali shrugged nonchalantly, apparently dropping his guard and relaxing.
Things seemed to be going as Shirou planned but the redhead didn't look pleased. "Why play twenty questions?"
"Haven't you figured that out? Maybe I was giving you a little too much credit." Vali replied playfully.
It was Sona who realized the truth. "He was testing you." They all turned to look at the Sitri Heiress who fixed her glasses out of habit. "All this conversation was to judge your skills with observation in a fight… He never planned to kill any of us from the beginning."
While everyone was surprised by the revelation, none was more so than Kokabiel. "What?" He whispered weakly as his last play, and his plans, fell apart before his eyes.
Vali laughed a little. "That is right. It would be a botter to mark a fight with someone and they are not worth the effort. Especially when you present me with a scenario like this." He waved to the destroyed battlefield, dozens of weapons and the promise of a war born from one man. His smile turned feral. "Glad to see that someone with a Reality Marble is also a capable fighter or else our future match would end too fast."
"That is it?" Shirou asked incredulously.
"Do you really think I will throw away the chance of fighting someone with a Reality Marble? Do you even understand what you have?" The Vanishing Dragon asked with some wonder. "They are the taboo the gods fear and hate, the power to change the world."
[You just want to fight something no one else has ever fought against before.] Having recovered from Shirou's challenge to his authority, Albion commented. [Not that I can blame you. I am curious about such a spell myself. I wonder what a Divided Reality Marble looks like.]
Vali didn't disagree with his partner. "It is a unique opportunity and if it really is something worth fearing by the gods then I must fight it." He pointed at Shirou. "So you are lucky that I am the one finding out you have a Reality Marble because there is no way I am telling anyone else until we have a proper fight."
"And by that point Shiro will have enough power to keep even the gods at bay." Now that Vali wasn't a threat to her lover anymore, Rias was more relaxed. "But I hope it won't be a fight to the death or I will join it."
"Rias…"
"The more the merrier but that will depend on the fight itself." Vali interrupted Shirou with an anxious smile. "I just can't wait."
"You do realize I am working blind with it, right?" Shirou could already see the expectations that Vali was placing on their future fight and was starting to get nervous. "I don't even know how I am going to make it work."
That sobered up Vali a little. "How long do you think it would take for you to master your Reality Marble?"
"No idea."
"That is… disappointing to say the least." Vali looked frustrated again and Shirou feared he may change his mind.
So he threw in another offer. "But I can promise you a fight you won't ever forget."
"Really?" Vali studied Shirou for a moment. "Huh, possible. You did survive having all the mana of a town shoving into you." His smile returned.
There was something about Vali's smile that carried a childlike innocence while at the same time having the bloodthirst of a veteran who could only live through combat. The contrast was something that put some off but others could understand that it was more honest and kind than the ones Kokabiel or Freed had.
It brought relief to many, including Shirou who didn't mind the potential future fight. "So it is over? We aren't fighting today, right?"
"You only collect the fruit once it is ripe and ready so yes, I suppose you guys are done for the night." It showed how many were revived by the idea of not having to fight anymore when most devils and Irina fell from their feet. "Congratulations, you stopped a war. This time."
"No! I won't accept that!" Kokabiel protested, new strength helping him stand up with some herculean effort. His body was still breaking apart and he had lost too much blood but the fury inside the fallen angel had him on his feet again. "I won't have it! Even if Vali won't tell anyone I will-"
[Balance Breaker! Scale Mail!]
Albion's voice announced and in a second Vali was covered in his armor again before disappearing only to reappear before Kokabiel and slam the fallen angel down.
"Now listen here, I don't like your methods or your attitude. The fact that you just threatened to steal a future fight from me just makes me very upset." Vali began to crush Kokabiel's skull on the ground to many's horror as they watched their former enemy suffer. "Know this, Fallen of the Stars, the only reason you are still breathing is because Azazel would be upset if you died." He slowly lets go of Kokabiel's head to allow the man to breathe freely. "So count your blessings."
Now that all had seen Vali without the armor they could tell how intense the Balance Breaker was and how powerful it made its owner. The very presence of armor brought out an intensity that many failed to describe.
To those weaker it was really like a dragon was watching them, waiting for any provocation before devouring everyone.
"I… *cough* will still… tell… someone." Kokabiel managed to say and everyone grew nervous at his words. It was impressive he could still speak despite the mighty form above him.
However the Vanishing Dragon didn't sound concerned when he talked. "The only person you are talking to after this is Azazel. I am taking you directly to him." Vali turned to Shirou. "Don't worry about that guy starting a war. If anything he will just want to meet you." He chuckled. "Probably run some experiments as well." Rias stood in front of Shirou protectively but that only made the Vanishing Dragon laugh a little.
"That is…" Kokabiel tried to speak but failed and Vali turned back to him.
"You know that he wouldn't start anything. Azazel hates war, ironically enough." He saw despair starting to settle in the fallen angel's red eyes. "Do you understand? You lost and your cowardly acts were for nothing. When Azazel hears all you did and the devils ask for compensation they will hear that you were punished and that will be the end of the whole thing." Amused, Vali got closer. "All you did was give the Grigori some headache. There will be no war, or at least not one because of you."
"That is impossible." Denial came easily. "I have followers… allies. They will continue my work." Bargaining came next. "You won't-"
Vali hit the man down again, not patient enough to have to deal with anger. "You seem to forget something, most of your people love Azazel." He wouldn't deny he found pleasure in seeing Kokabiel's desperate look. "Despite how ecentric he is, most of your people jump when he tells them to jump, without fail. Only a couple of them, mostly the other Cadres, are the exception."
Vali leaned in closer to the fallen angel's ear.
"Can you see any of them starting a war in your place?" Even the whisper reverberated with power.
It took a second, just a second for the despear to fully set in Kokabiel's face but the fallen angel couldn't stop it. "No." All watched as the Angel of the Stars, one of the names in the scriptures and one of the oldest beings in the world, broke.
"Then it is settled." Vali standed up straight again, his hand creating a magic circle. "Now you are going to take a nap and when you wake up Azazel will be there and you can direct all your grievances to him. Sounds fair?" There was no reply. "Sounds fair."
Without fighting, Kokabiel finally gave out and fell unconscious. There was nothing else for him to fight. His plans were ruined, his power broken and his goals impossible.
In the end the Fallen of the Stars realized that the White Dragon Emperor was right; no one else would fight as hard as he did in the Grigori, he was the only one that sincerely wanted a war that would do something about it and the moment he lost, the moment Vali showed up, all he did was for nothing.
Kokabiel fell and had nothing to show for it.
[A job well done, partner.] Albion praised.
"Well, I should get going." Vali lifted Kokabiel and placed the fallen on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He spared Ise a glance before commenting. "You know, I had a lot of things that I wanted to say to my Destined Rival." The Red Dragon Emperor flinched but the White Dragon Emperor shook his head. "But you still need some time to mature. In that case I will depart with this." He pointed at his Rival. "Grow strong or else I may decide to kill you just so I can try the next one later."
"That isn't going to happen." Rias challenged but Vali didn't bother with her.
His eyes were still firmly in Ise when his partner talked. [You better prepare, Red One. Because next time we meet we may end up killing before things get going.]
[Just make sure to wash your neck for us, will you? This kid may not be much now… but he has potential.] Ddraig words sounded reassuring but Ise couldn't shake the feeling of dread.
"For now you better train to give me a challenge later." Vali turned to Shirou. "Same to you. I will remember your promise."
"Even if I can't master my Reality Marble I swear that when we fight it is going to be one fight you will never forget." Shirou didn't flinch when Vali kept looking at him for a few seconds before chuckling.
"I sure hope not." The White Dragon Emperor looked around to everyone else but felt nothing from them besides Yoruichi who he saved for last. "And you better learn to control that form. You fight better when you have your wits."
"Like I haven't been trying for the last few years? Since when I stumbled on it when I was barely a teenager?" The nekomata asked with a mix of rhetorical and sarcastic. "Sure, easy peasy."
Vali wasn't impressed by the attempt of giving him cheek. "Then dedicate yourself properly to your power. While you may have responsibilities as one of the Kings of Kyoto, that is no excuse." He began to float as Yoruichi glared at him. "Speaking of which, the whole country and some of the continent felt Kokabiel's last burst of power. I am sure that some also saw me coming here."
In other words they couldn't use Vali as an excuse to why Kokabiel sent out the equivalent of an SOS to most of this side of the globe. It was a disappointing notion for both Shirou and Rias who looked at Yoruichi with some sadness but the woman made her cat ears and tails disappear while waving him off.
"Yeah, yeah. I got it. Political consequences and all that. I knew the risks." She still felt disappointed with herself but hid it better than her friends. 'Looks like my easy time in Fuyuki is coming to an end.'
It wasn't like anyone else could be considered responsible since she was the only powerhouse around. Shirou was the only one they may pin as someone capable of forcing Kokabiel to call for help but Yoruichi knew that if people looked too deep they would figure out he had a Reality Marble like the fallen angel did.
If it was to choose between spending less time with her friends and newly acquired little sister or risking Shirou's life, Yoruichi already knew what she would choose.
But the plight of the nekomata wasn't the Vanishing Dragon's business, he just wanted a good fight. So he turned away from her ready to depart since if she listened to him that would be excellent in his opinion and if not there was little he would be willing to do.
For the moment at least. "With all said and done, we shall see each other again." His eyes were fixed in Ise. "Count on it."
With his piece said and his mission accomplished, the White Dragon Emperor took flight and disappeared in the night sky.
For a few seconds everyone looked around, nervous and on guard. "Are there any more surprises today?" Sona was tired of everything. "No Seraph trying to start something? Maybe a God of War wishing to claim the apparent Reality Marble that has been in town for at least a decade now?"
"Now, now Sona. Calm down a little."
"Don't even start, Rias. Don't even." Sona pointed at Yoruichi who waved in her direction. "I don't even know where to begin with you. A King of Kyoto running our town and I wasn't aware of it?"
"To be fair I gave you some hints." Sona began to fume as Yoruichi chuckled only to notice Koneko running in her direction and preparing herself for a tackle. "Hey Koneko-chan… How are you?"
Koneko hugged the holder woman with all her strength. "Thanks for coming."
Yoruichi smiled softly. "Sure. I will always be there for my siblings. Even when I shouldn't." Koneko's hug grew tighter and Sona felt her anger melt away.
Taking a deep breath, the leader of Sitri in the region began to feel every bit of the exhaustion she accumulated through the day. "Are you alright, Kaichou?"
Looking at her Queen, Sona let out a sigh. "Just… thinking about the work we are going to have to fix all this."
"We can leave that for tomorrow." Rias informed her friend as she returned to her peerage with Shirou, Koneko and Yoruichi in tow. "For today we should rest."
"I couldn't agree more." Xenovia admitted as she sat down on the ground.
"This mission was a disaster." Irina felt awful and irritated but found some relief on Ise who got close and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you alright?"
Giggling, Irina asked back "Are you? I wasn't the one who got a guy declaring he wanted to fight me." She giggled again at Ise's face.
"I prefer to ignore that."
[That is the spirit partner. Ignore the problems until they become bigger problems.]
"We are in this mess because of you, you overgrown lizard!" Ise complained to his dragon and everyone laughed at the back and forth that followed. Asia tried to calm the Pawn down but the Welsh Dragon began to talk about pride and the thing devolved into a shouting match.
"Hahaha! Kinda glad my dragon can't talk." Saji commented before laughing a little more with everyone.
Only Kiba wasn't smiling, still dealing with his own emotions but no one noticed as they all were too relieved and happy to pay attention to him. They had just survived the toughest ordeal of their lives and the Knight, while partaking in the same relief, had his mind elsewhere.
Even Xenovia couldn't help but chuckle a little herself before looking at Durandal, still at her side. She shook her head upon realizing she still had a long way to go with the sword.
And that she also had no place to put it. "Can any of you spare me a mantle or something?" She pointed to her weapon with a blush. "I kinda… can't put it back where it was."
"Why? Can't you access the pocket dimension you used before?" Rias kept a considerable distance between her and the sword, a Holy Weapon like that could annihilate her even by accident if she wasn't careful.
"No, unfortunately I needed some priests' help to access it in the first place." Xenovia couldn't tie Durandal in chains, summon the magic circle and then place it there by herself. "It doesn't need to hold Durandal, just to hide it while we… go to a hotel… Which we have no money for…"
"We forgot about booking a hotel!" Irina realized in horror.
"We didn't forget about booking a hotel! You spent all our money!"
"I am sorryyyy!"
Seeing the Exorcists' plight, Shirou turned to Rias with a simple look that had her raise an eyebrow in question. He pointed at them with his head and she got the message, letting out a sigh of exasperation mixed with resignation. She wasn't surprised by what Shirou was proposing and waved at him to go ahead.
"You two can stay in my house for the time being." Both Exorcists stopped screaming and everyone turned to him. "We have a couple extra rooms you can use."
"Still picking up strays, huh." Yoruichi commented while using Ki to help recover her strength.
"You tell me." Shirou replied with a chuckle before turning to Koneko. "Speaking of strays, can you carry Medusa? I don't think she will wake up any time soon."
"Aren't we going to intrude?" Irina asked delicadely. "Isn't a magus' home their safe place or something."
"Doesn't matter. He is offering and I'm taking it." Xenovia replied bluntly. She could see her partner was nervous about the idea but the bluehead found herself trusting in Shirou. "Besides, maybe he can give me some advice about my sword. He seems to know more about it than the Church anyway."
"Reality Marble."
"I still have no idea what that means." Most of the explanation flew over her head. "Don't bother explaining either. Give me something to eat, some rest and then you can try explaining."
Rias nodded in acceptance of Xenovia's stance on the matter, finding cute how Shirou was utterly baffled by her not caring about something that was so important. "Anyway we need to find Akeno to make sure she is safe."
"Oh she is up there on that roof." Shirou pointed to the precise building she was in despite the distance between them, much to the confusion of many.
After a second Ise was the first to ask. "Okay, how do you know that? I'm pretty sure you were too busy when that bastard took senpai somewhere."
"I saw her when I was connected to Fuyuki's ley line."
In an instant Yoruichi was grabbing Shirou's coat and making sure they were face to face. "Are you telling me that you had an out of body experience while connected to a ley line?" He nodded slowly, much to her disbelief. "How are you still alive?!"
"Reality Marble?"
A pause later, Yoruichi let Shirou go with a sigh. "Sad thing is that there is no way to know if that is a fact or not. Hell, what can a Reality Marble really do anyway?"
"Ultimate taboo and all that aside, it must be feared for a reason." Sona commented with a wary glance at Shirou. "You are telling our siblings, right?"
"I-"
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" A scream of effort caught everyone's attention and they turned to look at someone they forgot about.
"Valper." Kiba spoke bitterly but Ise and Saji were quick to move to his side and hold his shoulders. "Let me go!"
"Oh no, not this time." Ise and Saji trade glances.
"You can let go if you want." Rias commented with a glance to Xenovia who was quick to nod.
"The Church gave all authority to punish Valper to the Devil Faction-"
"UUUUUUUaaaaaaaaaHHHHHHHHHH!" Valper interrupted again with screams of effort as he kept trying to pull something from the ground.
"But Kiba-kun wants to kill him…" Tomoe pointed out and the blond didn't even turn to acknowledge she was talking about him. "I mean, should we let him do that?"
"That is right, regardless of Valper's crimes he deserves a trial." Issei fixed his glasses before looking at his King for clarification but Sona disappointed him by shaking her head.
"That isn't how things work for a criminal like him."
Rias saw how some of the reincarnated devils seemed to react negatively at Sona's statement with a roll of her eyes. "You want a trial? Fine. As future Head of Gremory and Second Owner of Fuyuki my word is law and I call him guilty for the murder of children, conspiracy to start a war and many other crimes I can't bother to remember right now. Need evidence? Everything that happened today is more than enough" She looked at Issei and her friend's Pawn seemed to retreat at her glare. "Does the defense want to add anything?"
When the Pawn shook his head Rias began to look at everyone else in the area with a raised eyebrow.
"Anyone else?"
"Stop bullying my peerage, Rias." Sona massaged her temples to call down. "Ryuudou, what Valper did was criminal beyond redemption. Not only that but we have a victim of said crime here." They turned to Kiba, ignoring how the old man was still shouting to try and pull something from the ground. "Since the Church gave us the authority to punish him, Rias will demand that Kiba get some satisfaction-"
"You got that right."
"-and I have no intention to stop either of them." Sona could see many still didn't like it. But as a devil and a person, she believed that Kiba had a right for revenge. So with a heavy heart she stayed faithful to her principles. "He is all yours if you want."
Before Kiba could say anything, Valper turned to them. "You! Heathen!" He pointed towards Shirou with a glare full of hatred and disgust. "Undo the spell!"
Since nobody said anything, Shirou decided to ask "What spell?"
"The one you placed in Excalibur!" The Archbishop moved to reveal what he was trying to pull out and it was Caliburn itself, still stuck where Shirou left it. "You think you can fool me?! You can't! I won't fall for your illusions!" He tried to pull the sword again to no avail. "I was so close! So goddamn close! I won't let a brat ruin my plans!"
Curious, Yoruichi turned to Shirou. "Mind filling me in now that there isn't a fallen angel trying to start doomsday?"
"The fragments were actually from Caliburn." Valper screamed again while pulling harder than he did before. Shirou ignored him. "His plan was to reforge the sword with brute force but it ended up a monstrosity." The old man wasn't giving up. "So I fixed it."
Both Yoruichi's eyebrows were raised at the implications. "Reality Marble, right?"
"Right."
"Great… Good to see you kept that promise." The nekomata concluded.
"That is it?" Sona couldn't help but ask, her composure already shot. "He reforged a legendary sword and that is how you react."
Shirou and Yoruichi traded looks before she replied. "Pretty much."
Rias giggled at her friend's face. "You are really done with this, aren't you?"
"Absolutely!" WIth an exasperated sigh, Sona turned to her Pawn. "Let Kiba go. If he wants to kill that old man, let him do it so I can go to bed." Just thinking about the work she was going to have the next day was close to giving her an aneurism.
Saji obeyed but Ise refrained despite Rias giving him a look. "I don't think he is in the right condition to do it." Before anyone could protest he added "Not that the guy doesn't deserve it but Kiba is just…"
"Kiba-san is too angry right now." Asia spoke in support.
"I am fine!"
"No you aren't." Ise surprised himself by how calm he sounded. "Dude, all this run we had today was just-"
"Give me the sword!" Valper shouted out loud before his hands gave in and he fell on his back. Faster than someone his age should be able to, Valper grasped the weapon with his shoulder and began to push. "Let it go! MAGUS! UNDO THE SPELL!"
Shirou shook his head before starting to walk towards Valper. "Where do you think you are going?" Rias' concern was visible but she didn't move. "You are exhausted. If you are thinking about using magic, forget it."
"I agree with her." And Yoruichi's opinion was heavier since she could feel his Ki and how much damage Shirou's body took.
"Just going to finish what I started. No magecraft, I promise." Both Rias and Yoruichi studied him.
"Tsk. Fine." Rias gave in first. "But if you use mana I will make sure you live to regret it."
"Thanks." Shirou had to walk slowly because of his condition but no one tried to stop him. Instead he stopped himself, close to the Gremory Knight. "Kiba, before you do anything, just give me a minute."
Ise saw the look Shirou was giving him and let his friend go, much to Kiba's surprise. The blond looked at the redhead and considered the request, his rage was still strong and he wanted Valper's head. However he didn't forget what happened when he lost himself neither early in the day nor a few minutes ago.
"Fine, one minute." Shirou nodded in appreciation and Kiba looked around before picking up one of the traced swords in the area.
Calmly, or as calm as he could in the condition his body was in, Shirou approached the still struggling Valper. "It isn't going to budge."
"That is why I need you to undo whatever spell you placed on Excalibur!" Even with his shoulder on the blade, Valper wasn't being cut. The old man didn't realize that and while some noticed once they were paying attention, Shirou knew he wouldn't be harmed. "So stop stalling and undo it!"
"That isn't Excalibur."
"Of course it is!" Valper kept pulling and failing. "I studied its fragments my whole life! I know how they work better than anyone! If you hadn't ruined my work… If I had the last Fragment, Excalibur would already be resurrected!"
"If Excalibur is so great… how did it break?" For the first time Valper looked at Shirou, his eyes filled with horror. "Well… I am waiting."
The old man turned to try and push the sword off the ground again. "It doesn't matter! I shall reforge Excalibur!" But it was still useless, the sword wasn't moving. "All I need… Is the last Fragment… and a better ley line! And to get this sword out of here!"
Shirou was willing to let the man struggle for nothing but that wouldn't be satisfactory for Kiba. "It won't move and I think you know why."
"Shut up!"
"You recognized the weapon, you know it isn't Excalibur."
"I said shut up!"
"If you have studied Excalibur, King Arthur, as much as you claim, you know why you can't pull it off."
"Because of you!" Valper turned to Shirou again, this time looking desperate. "You put a spell in the sword-"
"It is a Noble Phantasm and it has one of the highest grades of Noble Phantasm that I have ever seen with a long legend and empowered by God." Shirou took a step to the side that was slow for him but it was still faster than Valper who tripped and fell. "You know the legend the same way you know Excalibur's. When Artoria drew it, she stopped being human."
"I refuse to believe it! This is Excalibur! The Holiest of Holy Swords!" The Archbishop dragged himself back to the sword and began to push it again. Only this time he was embracing it more than actively trying to dislodge the weapon. "I will bring it back! I am the only one who can!"
"It isn't just a Holy Sword anymore. It is a Noble Phantasm now, with all the benefits and burdens that come with it. Now that it was returned to its original state and recovered its name, Caliburn isn't limited to what you all tried to force it to be." Shirou explained but the man didn't want to hear. Valper just shook his head and kept embracing the sword. "You know why you can't pull it out."
"Shut up, this sword is too inferior to Excalibur. It can't be a Noble Phantasm." Valper sounded meek. "You robbed it of its Holy Aura and true power. No longer it can be called the Ultimate Holy Sword because of you!"
Ignoring the accusation, Shirou watched the man grow older by the minute. "It never needed all that and it was never part of it or the original Excalibur. Most of the other attributes you all placed on Caliburn belonged to other weapons, weapons that like it also are part of King Arthur's legend and must be Noble Phantasms of their own."
Even if he had never saw one, Shirou was sure that many of Artoria's weapons could be elevated to Noble Phantasms without a shadow of a doubt. In his mind he saw that young girl who looked like a fairy ready to take up a fate full of suffering and isolation. Looking at Valper grabbing her sword felt wrong and infuriating but he held that in.
"As a Noble Phantasm, Caliburn now is deeply connected to its origin and legend. You know that, don't bother to deny it." Valper just hugged Caliburn even more tightly. "Before you, before her, hundreds tried to pull off the Sword in the Stone. Nobles, knights, wannabe kings and every manner of man and woman who thought themselves great. Morgan le Fay herself tried and failed." Shirou got closer to the sword, standing with it between him and Valper. "Its function was always to choose a proper King and to protect them. Someone deserving of the ideal that God envisioned."
Valper stayed motionless, just embracing the sword.
"There is no spell." Shirou said definitively and Valper knew it was the truth. "There was never a spell. This is just Calibur's function, finally active as it has recovered its name and real power… But you already knew that."
The old man still refused to move.
"Because it can't be anything else, despite not having the last fragment I managed to repair the sword and you know that, because you dedicated your whole life to it. And now, on the final stretch, on the final moment of your long journey you know the truth."
"You are lying." It was weak as the old man began to shake and tears began to form in his eyes.
Yet there was no pity in Shirou's heart, not for this man. "After all those you killed, all the suffering you inflicted, this is all you have left." For the man before him was a monster. "That all you did was for nothing and you have no one else to blame. This sword will never, ever, accept you."
Valper couldn't take it anymore and began to really cry.
Shirou, knowing his work was done, began to step away from the sword and the man whose obsession led him to ruin. There was nothing else that needed to be said between them and the redhead knew his mission was accomplished with Caliburn restored and the threats dealt with.
And for all his evil, Valper Galilei was no threat. "He is all yours." However there was another reason why Shirou did all that, to give Kiba some degree of satisfaction. 'Any idiot can kill but killing alone is never enough.'
The blond Knight looked between Shirou and Valper with shock. 'He isn't going to try to stop me?' That was what really was messing him up, he expected to argue with Shirou or something and yet the magus just walked past him.
Tightening his grip on his sword, kIba remembered that it wasn't one of his before marching towards Valper. The old hatred was there, burning brightly and threatening to consume him if something didn't happen and the target of most of it was right there, alone, kneeling before a sword and completely exposed.
'This is for everyone.' Kiba told himself. 'For all he killed, for all he tortured in his sick experiements.' Every step felt like he was climbing a mountain and he couldn't stop shaking. 'Finally I am going to finish this… Finally the nightmares are going to stop.'
When he reached Valper, Kiba felt the weight of every decision he ever made in his life until he was back there on the day it all started. He hadn't seen the man that day, just a few times before it when he claimed that the experiments were almost over and all of the children had done wonderfully.
Remembering that grandfatherly smile and how well he seemed to treat his family had Kiba close to puking. Instead he focused on his rage. "Valper." The name was whispered with as much poison as he could but the old man didn't react. "Look at me." Still no reaction. "I said look at me!"
After some sobbing, the Archbishop of Genocide turned to Kiba and the Knigh almost winced at the sight.
Gone was the grandfatherly smile or maniacal attitude, gone was the pride in his projects and gone was the joy he had on them. Everything was gone but a deep sadness and desolation marked by tear tracks that sickened Kiba.
'This coward.' For the first time Kiba knew he was seeing the real Valper, not the proud priest or the mad scientist "You are pathetic." Of all things the Knight thought he would say or do, there was nothing left, only rage.
He raised his sword above his head, his eyes locked on Valper's as he brought the weapon down with all the strength of his arms.
Only to stop short just before cutting the old man's head in half. "You aren't afraid of dying?" Valper didn't reply and Kiba felt his fury swell. "Answer ME!" The bloodshot eyes just looked at him with deep despair. 'I still want to kill him.'
A fact that Kiba could easily accept as after everything Valper had done that remained in him, the anger demanding to be used and the thirst for vergence giving it a target. However he knew that if Valper wasn't afraid, wasn't feeling anything, he knew that his revenge would end unfulfilled.
'Killing him now would be a favor.' A moment of clarity came. The rage had not subsided but the nightmares wouldn't stop if he killed Valper now.
Retreating the sword, Kiba noticed how some life had returned to Valper at that point. He expected to die and some life returned to him almost to beg for death.
'This would be mercy.' Not in a million years Kiba would see himself in this position, sparing someone's life out of hatred. "You aren't worth it."
With those words Kiba saw for the second time how Valper bowed to the sword and began to cry out loud. His rage was still there but his revenge felt fulfilled even if incomplete.
All the Knight did was turn around to the witnesses of his actions, most almost jumping in shock when he threw the sword to the side and declared. "I am done."