Quick note before you start: This chapter is a rewrite of the previous version. The original was around 3,000 words, but I've gone back, reworked it, and added a lot more content. The new version is over 7,700 words, so there's quite a bit more to read this time around. Hope you enjoy it!
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X--X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
"So you have finally arrived, interloper." Saber turned, facing him fully. "I expected you to come with the others—the so-called defenders of Humanity. Yet here you stand. Alone."
"I expected more from your lot. But then again, expecting anything from common rabble was my mistake."
"I could say the same," Sukuna replied, earning a raised eyebrow from Saber. "I expected more from the so-called King of Knights, wielder of the greatest weapon of mankind. Instead, I find myself staring at a little girl wielding a sword too big for her."
A grin appeared on his face. "But like you said, I was expecting a bit too much."
Silence…
For the first time in what seemed forever, had someone disrespected her to such a degree that she was left speechless.
Sukuna tilted his head. "What? Nothing to say, oh King of Camelot?"
Saber's lips curved into a smirk but the twitch of her eyes betrayed her composed look, turning Sukuna's grin even wider.
"Come, Find out." Saber commanded, as red swirls of mana surrounded her form, lighting up the corrupted holy blade.
Shadows coiled around Sukuna's feet as crimson cursed energy surrounded his form. A silver bandaged-blade formed atop his right hand as the wheel of adaptation emerged atop his head.
At the slightest change in his cursed energy, both combatants moved.
The Sword of Extermination met Excalibur in a thunderous crash as the cavern shook.
Sparks erupted from the collision and from the exact moments they clashed, Sukuna knew he was on the backfoot. Steam erupted from his hand as positive energy circulated through them to combat the holy mana of the corrupted blade.
For a moment, it seemed as though they were equal.
Then Saber pushed.
Sukuna's eyes widened yet his grin never dropped. He brought up his left hand to reinforce his right and it seemed to have put them back in a deadlock, yet it was for naught. With but the slightest grunt from Saber, he was pushed back again.
Nue's lightning gathered towards the blade with the intent to stunlock his opponent, as he leaned his weight back, trying to make Saber overcommit the push.
It didn't work.
With the slightest effort, Saber anchored herself, driving her blade down harder. Having all but ignored the purple lightning, she pushed harder, and under the force of her blade, the Sword of Extermination groaned.
CRACK
Splinters appeared atop the blade but that wasn't what pulled Sukuna's attention, it was the red mana pooling on her blade that made his eyes widen.
Ahh, Hell Nah! I am not taking an Excali-Blast to the face.
Pouring his maximum output of Cursed Energy into his blade, Sukuna blew up the sword of extermination, and the ground near them.
Saber jumped back towards even ground. Her eyes widened ever so slightly as Sukuna's fist shot through the dust and debris.
Saber shifted her head a fraction of an inch, dodging his fist by a hair's width, noting the metal shards of his blade stuck on his body.
In the same motion, Saber thrusted her blade. Aiming for his heart.
Sukuna's eyes narrowed as the wheel above his head turned black, a silver veil coating his entire body as he brought his left hand forward, striking the blade by the slightest of margins.
The blade veered of its course, sinking into his chest, going straight through his body.
Unbothered by the pain, Sukuna brought up his knee in a counter yet Saaber was faster, her boot burying itself into his ribs. Launching him backwards.
Steam rose from his chest as Sukuna flipped in the air, the wheel of adaptation turned golden as the veil of Domain Amplification vanished from his form. Just as Sukuna landed in a low crouch Saber moved.
Sukuna slammed his palms on the ground in haste, turning the ground between them into liquid shadows only for Saber to leap sideways, kicking off the cavern walls to redirect herself toward him like a ricocheting bullet.
Only for her sword to slash empty air, Sukuna having dipped into the inky abyss.
Twenty feet away, darkness pooled as Sukuna stepped out of it, his right hand gripping Kamutoke.
She is stronger than me physically, speed is near equal but if I remember it correctly, she has mana burst. With nigh infinite mana… Yeah, I can't brute force this like I did with Berserker.
CLINK!
The wheel above him turned its first spin as Sukuna moved. Swinging his cursed vajra to intercept her backswing.
CLANG!
A wall of lightning formed in front of him just as the wheel of adaptation vanished from his form. He jumped backwards, dodging Excalibur as it pierced through the lightning, aiming for his direction.
He landed in a crouching stance, mimicking a quick draw with his Vajra.
New Shadow Style: Simple Domain
A blue circle formed around him before expanding 10m—20m—25—NO 30—50 meters in length.
Sukuna smiled, having pulled off the Simple domain of Kusakabe. Rather than just expand the simple domain, he followed Kusakabe's to a tee, programming the domain to automatically target, intercept, and strike towards his opponent, should they enter his range.
Just as Saber was about to move in his direction, he palmed the small blade of Kamutoke, and as he extended his hand, so did a blade construct of cursed energy followed it, transforming his Vajra into a single handed Tsurumaru Kuninaga.
New Shadow Style: Hazy Moon
Saber closed the gap between them, ignoring the simple domain, and just as she reached his striking zone—having brought her blade in a downward motion, his body moved.
His form shifted into Migi-Gedan-no-Kamae, a fluid, low-grounded trick he had seen Samurai use in his own era to deflect mounted cavalry strikes. Rather than blocking the blow directly, he imitated the style perfectly, angling the ridge of his blade to let her overwhelming power slide harmlessly into the dirt.
Excalibur slides down the angled ridge, burying itself into the cavern floor—Just as he had expected.
Using the opening made from this, Sukuna channeled cursed energy Kamutoke pushing it through the Hazy Moon. Green lightning shot up the length of Excalibur, arcing into her hands. The sudden shock locked her muscles, giving the split second he wanted.
The blue ring of Simple Domain vanished as Sukuna stepped into her guard, slamming his left hand into her stomach.
"Cleave."
An intersecting grid of cuts carved into her breast plate before piercing the steel, slashing right into her stomach.
Ignoring the injury, Saber pushed through the stun-lock, swinging her blade in a single handed strike.
Having not redrawn the Hazy Moon blade, Sukuna slammed his hands into the flat side of the blade, pushing it back to the ground, only for Saber's free hand to catch his right.
Sukuna moved his left in a hasty move only for Saber to drop Excalibur and parry the hit, Sukuna having expected a counter made sure that his pinky touched her brace ever so slightly and channeled a Cleave into it.
The attack cracked the arm brace yet it didn't matter. Saber crushed Sukuna's right hand and pulled.
'FUCKKK!!!!!'
Gritting his teeth Sukuna did the only logical move he could think of.
DISMANTLE!
A line appeared on his right arm as Sukuna jumped back, having cut off his own arm before it ripped off its socket.
Saber stood there, holding his severed hand. "Your regeneration is impressive," she stated, crushing the dismembered limb into pulp before tossing it aside. "But it only prolongs your suffering."
"So you say, oh King of Knights, but the fact of the matter is—"
Steam erupted from Sukuna's bleeding stump. In a blink, bone and flesh exploded outward and knit together. A fresh hand flexed its fingers.
"—Here I stand with no visible wounds while you have that huge cut in your stomach."
A small smirk adorned Saber's face making Sukuna raise a brow, and then red-ish black sludge appeared from within her body, covering the wound and forming a breastplate made of Angra Mainyu's sludge.
'Of course she can regenerate. Cause why the fuck not.'
Kamutoke, which he had dropped, sank into the shadow beneath him. He brought his hands together in a clap, aiming forward.
"Piercing Water."
Boiling water jetted from between his palms, imitating a piercing blood.
Saber tilted her head, the beam having torn through the air where her skull had been a second ago, severing a few strands of her golden hair.
Kicking her sword into her hands, she charged straight for Sukuna.
Only for Sukuna's hand to form a rabbit Silhouette.
"Rabbit Escape."
The cavern filled with white fur as hundreds of rabbits flooded the space, obscuring Sukuna and much of the area around him.
Excalibur blurred through the fluff, turning the horde into red mist and fading ink, but for a moment, Saber lost sight of the Cursed King.
Zip-Zip-Zip!
Thin, straw-sized bullets of purple liquid whistled through the air. Sukuna, hidden in the fluff, fired compressed Orochi Venom from his fingertips.
Saber ducked and weaved through the barrage but the volume was too high. Leading to a few drops splashing against her cheek.
Hiss.
Her skin steamed, the cursed venom melting through her flesh only for the black mud to pour out of the injury, wiping it away like nothing happened.
Saber burst through the last of the dissolving rabbits, slashing right at him
Mahoraga's Sword of Extermination materialised in his hand as he swung at her.
KLANG!
The clash shook the cavers as they stalemated, both pushing their blades, standing face to face.
Sukuna pursed his lips and spat. A glob of the Cursed venom heading straight for the King only for her visor to materialise, the glob splashing harmlessly against it.
Her visor dematerialised as she shoved her blade upward, slowly overpowering his stance.
Gritting his teeth, shadows pooled around Sukuna's left sleeve, a miniature Orochi shooting out, its jaws unhinged, aiming straight for her throat.
Saber, having noted the shadows, pushed her blade upwards, knocking Sukuna's blade back, shifting her sword to strike the snake.
Only for the snake to dissolve into shadows, making her realise it was a bluff.
The world distorted at Sukuna's feet as it crashed into her abdomen. Black lightning poured out of the strike as a—Black Flash—sent her flying through the air.
Saber flipped backwards, crashing her boots into the ground, grooving the floor to halt her movement.
This is Bullshit! The only thing that has worked so far was Cleave but even a direct hit didn't pierce right through, plus the fucking mud is regenrating it.
Taking a deep breath, Sukuna relaxed his body.
Saber, noting the movement, brought her sword in front of her, shifting into her own stance.
Maybe my domain can kill her, but I don't want it to be another Gojo scenario where her regeneration can actually keep up with the slashes. And she also has Manaburst to escape an open one. Push comes to shove, she can just blast her way through a closed one with a Excali-blast.
The Dharma wheel above his head vanished a second time as the Sword of Extermination vanished into motes of shadows.
With a flick of his wrist, Sukuna sent a singular Dismantle through the air.
Saber's head tilted ever so slightly as she snapped her sword up, parrying the slash.
Sukuna's eyes widened as a grin formed on his face. She can see it. She can see my cursed technique.
Saber moved in his direction as Sukuna released a barrage of slashes. She parried some, weaved through the others and just let a few hit her.
Sukuna noted that base dismantles did actually hurt her but the mud took care of any injury that followed. That and the fact that dismantles barely cut into her.
Saber raised her sword high, slashing it down onto him.
Rather than dodging, Sukuna brought his hands into an X-shape right into the path of the blade.
Saber's eyes narrowed as she slashed downward. The blade striking right in his forearms.
CLANG—SKRRRRRT!
The Sword of Promised Victory struck his forearm only for it to pause, rather than cut through Sukuna's arms, the blade hit a barrier.
Thousands of miniature dismantles fired right through his forearms, creating a chainsaw-barrier of repulsive force. The air screamed as the noble phantasm chewed through the technique.
It was holding—barely. The blade inching ever so close to his skin.
Sukuna twisted his hips, torquing his arms to the right to redirect the blade. Saber, adjusting instantly, threw a left kick right at his exposed ribs.
Thud!
Sukuna checked it with his knee, the bone-on-armour impact rattling them both.
He releases his right hand from the block, leaving only his left to hold back the Holy Sword. The blade instantly sank right into his forearm, blood spraying the floor.
Saber, having seen the opening, let go of her own left hand, reaching out to crush his throat.
Then, her Instinct screamed.
DANGER!
She tried to retract her hand but it was too late. Sukuna's hand lunged, his palm smacked her gauntlet.
"Cleave."
Sukuna poured everything into the contact, hitting her with a maximum output cleave.
CRUNCH-SPLAT!
The spiderweb of slashes pushed right past her armour's durability, tearing through her gauntlet, her skin, biting deep into her bone.
Black mud rushed towards the wound, but just as it reached her skin, Sukuna's palm made another contact.
A whitish-transparent glow flowed through his hand straight into her hand and the mud boiled.
Sabers eyes went wide as pain shot through her body, spasming her entire being for a split second.
Sukuna laughed at the reaction, having pulled his regenerating right hand back. The space around the two warped for a second time.
"BLACK-FLASH!"
His fist smashed into sabers chin, red and black lightning distorting the entire cave.
BOOM!
Saber was blasted backward, as her body halted spasming, she rag-dolled through the cave before stabbing her sword in the ground, halting her momentum.
Saber tried pushing herself up, only for her to fall to her knee. She stared at her right hand, her flesh laid open right through the bone.
It hurt. For the first time in this battle, something actually hurt.
Sukuna straightened up, a low mocking laugh bubbling in his chest.
And then he noticed something.
Something huge.
One of Saber's eyes had shifted colour—going from dirty gold to light green.
'Holy Shit! I thought the positive energy would only halt her healing yet it's pushing deeper. Fuckkk, I should have just held her down and drowned her in it. Still, it's a win-con eh.'
The eye flashed, going back to its golden shade as mud surged through her body. Her arm snapped back into its place yet it didn't heal. The mud coated the injury, making a second skin to stop the bleeding.
Then the mud spread across her body, forming a skin-tight layer beneath her armour. The plates reformed over it, though one of her arm braces was still missing.
Her visor settled into place. Red light shone through its eye slits.
"I was wrong to underestimate you," Saber said. And Sukuna's eyes widened, as he noted a secondary voice echoing with Saber's own. "You are strong."
Sukuna grinned, still a bit wary of the second presence. "I am Honored, princess."
"Therefore," she continued, "I will no longer hold back."
ZZZ-THROOM!
The air in the cavern grew heavy. The hair on Sukuna's arms turning on end.
Red lightning exploded around Saber. A violent, swirling vortex of Crimson Mana coating her form. The ground cracking just from exposure.
Sukuna's grin faltered. He dropped into a defensive stance as his senses screamed at him
BAD. THIS IS FUCKING BAD!
Then, abruptly, all four of Sukuna's eyes widened as—
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With a heavy sigh, Archer kicked off the ground, moving laterally across the monastery staircase.
Ushiwakamaru's blade came slamming down where he had been standing a monet ago. She adjusted her grip as he moved, turning the descending strike into a horizontal cut aimed at his side.
Archer brought up his own traced blades, Kanshou and Bakuya.
CLANG!
He grunted as he felt the impact travel through his arms. Twisting his wrists, he tried to turn her blade aside and use her momentum against her, but Ushiwakamaru pulled back before he could follow through.
He caught a glint of red right at the end of his vision as a red spearhead came for his ribs.
Archer turned his body in a hasty dodge. Gae Bolg passed close enough to tear through his coat, its edge grazing his oblique before Cu pulled it back.
His eyes flicked towards the tear in his coat.
The wound wasn't healing.
Ah… Shit.
He had no time to examine the wound as Ushiwakamaru was already coming at him, her katana cutting towards his neck. Archer caught the strike with Kanshou, brought Bakuya around to force her back, and stepped away before Cu could thrust again.
The Caster had barely moved from his position further down the staircase. Not needing to move as the spear's reach covered the space Archer would have to cross to reach him.
And Ushiwakamaru was making sure he couldn't simply run past her.
Archer retreated down the steps as Ushiwakamaru followed, closing the distance enough to threaten him with her katana. Cu moved along the lower staircase, adjusting his position whenever Archer tried to find a way around her.
They were working together rather well.
Of course they are.
His Mind's Eye screamed at him to—DODGE!.
He threw himself backwards. Having barely missed Gae Bolg shooting through the space where he had been, its tip missing him by inches. His boots struck the stone steps, and he slid down several of them before catching his balance.
He needed to separate them. Even a few seconds without one of them interfering would help.
His blades disappeared as he traced his bow. He drew three arrows, aiming them at different points around the staircase.
Twang. Twang. Twang.
The first struck the stone steps ahead of him. The second hit the gate, and the third buried itself in the wall beside it.
BOOM!
The broken phantasms exploded, shaking the staircase. Stone broke apart as dust spread across the path. The damage wasn't enough to bring the whole structure down, but it had made the route considerably less convenient.
Archer lowered his bow and moved.
He didn't expect the dust to hide him from their senses. He only needed them to lose sight of his exact position for a moment.
A shadow moved above him.
Ushiwakamaru had taken the higher route, leaping across the damaged section rather than following the staircase. Her katana was already drawn back.
Persistent, aren't you?
Archer dismissed the bow and projected a heavy broad-sword. He brought it up just as her blade came down.
CLANG!
The heavier weapon caught her katana and pushed it off course. Archer turned with the impact, forcing Ushiwakamaru to adjust her footing as she landed on the steps beside him.
He tried to follow with a swing.
She was already out of reach.
A red blur emerged from the dust.
Archer barely managed to bring his sword around before Gae Bolg struck its edge.
CLANG!
The impact jolted his arms. The broad blade was heavy, but Cu's thrust carried enough force to make Archer's grip slip.
He dismissed the weapon before the Caster could exploit the opening, Kanshou and Bakuya returning to his hands.
Cu pulled Gae Bolg back as Ushiwakamaru recovered her footing.
Archer glanced between them. The dust was beginning to settle, and neither Servant looked particularly inconvenienced.
Well, that didn't last long.
He tightened his grip on his swords as his mind raced to find a semblance of a plan.
Cu's reach is a fucking problem, and the two on one isn't helping as the swordswoman keeps making sure I can't make use of distance. Wait… The swordswoman. That's it!
Ushiwakamaru moved first, her katana cutting towards his shoulder. Archer met the strike with Kanshou, Bakuya following a moment later as he stepped into her guard.
She twisted her blade, deflecting his attack, and moved to his side. Archer turned with her, narrowly catching the next strike before it reached his neck.
Her next cut came from the same stance as the previous one, but Archer was watching her feet this time. The shift in her weight came just before the blade moved.
Kanshou and Bakuya vanished.
A katana appeared in his hand.
Ushiwakamaru's eyes widened slightly at both the weapon and the new stance Archer had adopted.
His first cut followed the same angle she had used moments earlier. Ushiwakamaru blocked it, only for Archer to turn his wrist and follow with a second strike. The movement was familiar. Too familiar.
For a few exchanges, she was forced onto the defensive. Archer matched her footwork, using the same transitions between attacks and the same changes in distance. He even anticipated her next cut, slipping past it and bringing his blade towards her side.
Ushiwakamaru twisted away. The edge caught her armour instead of her flesh.
Got you.
Archer pressed forward, but Ushi's next movement was different. Rather than retreating along the same line, she stepped towards him, shortening the distance and forcing him to adjust his swing.
Her katana struck his blade.
CLANG!
Archer blocked, but the follow-up came from an angle he hadn't expected. He barely managed to turn his weapon in time.
She had changed her rhythm.
Of course. He could copy her movements, but that didn't mean he had spent years fighting with them.
Ushiwakamaru continued her assault, deliberately changing the timing of her strikes. Archer found himself falling behind, his copied Further down the staircase, Cu adjusted his position. He was looking for a line to thrust through without putting Ushiwakamaru in its path.
Archer caught the movement.
And there he goes.
He had to keep one eye on the Caster. The moment he committed too heavily to Ushiwakamaru, Gae Bolg would be coming for him.
Ushiwakamaru pressed him again, forcing him to turn his attention back to her. Archer barely managed to parry her next strike before a red spearhead entered his peripheral vision.
He abandoned the katana and brought Kanshou and Bakuya back into his hands, crossing them just in time to deflect Gae Bolg.
The impact forced him back a step, giving Ushiwakamaru the room to move to his other side.
They had him cornered between them for a second time, neither seemed particularly interested in giving him room to breathe.
This is getting annoying.
He shifted his footing, keeping both Servants in sight. Cu raised Gae Bolg, but Archer didn't wait for the thrust. His left hand moved, and a sword appeared in it.
Hrunting.
He sent it hurtling towards Cu.
The Caster shifted his stance, bringing Gae Bolg around to intercept the incoming weapon. The moment the two met, Archer detonated the Broken Phantasm.
BOOM!
The explosion forced Cu back, scattering dust and fragments across the staircase.
Archer turned towards Ushiwakamaru, but she was already moving. Her katana came towards his side.
Having anticipated this, a petal of Rho Aias appeared behind him.
CLANG!
Her blade struck the shield, giving Archer enough time to turn and bring Kanshou across her path. Ushiwakamaru pulled back before the sword could reach her.
Archer pressed forward, trying to keep her occupied while Cu recovered. Their blades met twice, then a third time. Ushiwakamru changed the angle of her next strike, forcing Archer to retreat rather than continue his attack.
A second weapon appeared in Archer's free hand which he immediately hurled towards the ground between them.
Ushiwakamaru recognised the incoming projection and moved away, but Archer detonated it before she could fully clear the area.
BOOM!
The explosion broke apart the stone beneath her feet. She leapt backwards, landing several steps away.
Archer used the opening to move along the staircase.
A red spearhead cut through the dust.
He crossed Kanshou and Bakuya just in time to catch Gae Bolg. The impact rattled his arms, but he held his ground. Rather than retreat down the steps again, he shifted sideways, keeping both Servants in front of him.
Cu raised Gae Bolg, its tip pointing towards Archer.
Here we go again.
The Caster lunged.
Archer brought Bakuya across the spear's path, striking the shaft and forcing its tip downwards. The impact sent a jolt through his wrist, but he used the opening to release Kanshou from his other hand.
His fingers brushed against the red shaft.
The familiar shape of Gae Bolg was there, along with the weird energy running through it. But it was only a surface. Beneath it sat another weapon entirely, its structure finally coming into focus.
Found you.
Hiten.
The name surfaced alongside the weapon's construction. Then came fragments of something else.
Four arms gripping the weapon. Air bending around its blade. Flashes of battles, opponents falling, and a sense of satisfaction that affected even his emotions.
Archer's expression tightened.
What the hell is wrong with this guy?
There wasn't time to make sense of it.
A shadow fell over him as Ushiwakamaru closed the distance. Her katana in a downward motion.
Archer kicked backwards, the blade passing in front of his face. His boots left the staircase, and he jumped upwards, putting distance between himself and the two Servants. His hand reached out, and the weapon he'd just traced appeared in his grasp.
Hiten.
Then he swung it.
The air moved with the weapon.
A powerful blast tore down the staircase. Dust and loose stone scattered across the steps, the pressure catching both Servants before they could follow. Cu planted his feet, Gae Bolg held across his body, while Ushiwakamaru abandoned her jump and landed further down the staircase.
Neither was sent flying, but the force was enough to stop them from immediately pursuing him.
He turned Hiten beneath his feet. The air compressed, pushing back against his descent until a surface began to form beneath his boots. It wavered, threatening to give way, but held long enough for him to settle onto it.
The surface dipped beneath one boot.
Archer adjusted his balance. It worked.
Archer looked down at Hiten, then at the two Servants below. A grin slowly spread across his face.
Now this is something I can work with.
A thin line of compressed air snapped towards Ushiwakamaru.
She ducked. The slash passed right over her head and carved into the stone behind her.
Archer sent another across her path. This one forced her to abandon her approach and cut sideways instead.
Gae Bolg came for him while his attention was on her.
He swept Hiten across his body. The air compressed in front of him, knocking the spearhead away from his chest. His counterattack followed immediately, an air slash cutting towards Cu.
The Caster leaned aside. Stone split behind him.
Archer flicked Hiten towards Ushiwakamaru again. Several narrow bands of air cut across her path, forcing her to change direction before she could leap towards him. Cu tried to use that moment to advance, but a heavier blast struck the steps in front of him, breaking apart the stone and forcing him to check his approach.
For the first time since the fight began, Archer had control.
Cu watched him for a moment, dodging compressed blasts of air before he changed his grip on Gae Bolg and drove its tip into the staircase.
A rune appeared beneath the spearhead.
Archer's eyes narrowed.
This can't be any good.
The next instant, the staircase exploded.
Chunks of stairs shot upwards, scattering beneath Archer. One struck the edge of his platform, sending the unstable surface buckling beneath his boots.
What the—
While he was distracted, Ushiwakamaru moved.
Her sandals struck one of the larger fragments. She pushed off, landing on another before it could fall, then launched herself towards the next. Each piece of debris carried her higher, her movements quick enough that Archer barely had time to adjust his aim.
He swept Hiten towards her.
An air slash cut across her path.
Ushiwakamaru twisted in mid-air. The attack passed close enough to tear at her clothing, but she landed on the next fragment and continued upwards.
Another slash followed. She ducked beneath it, using the momentum of her landing to propel herself towards Archer.
That's your plan? What a dumbass.
An air whip cracked across her path. Ushiwakamaru's katana caught it, the force twisting her blade aside, but she used the opening to launch herself towards him.
She was close.
Her katana came around in a sharp diagonal cut.
Archer brought Hiten down.
The spearhead passed close to her blade. The air between them collapsed into a tight vacuum, then burst as the surrounding atmosphere rushed to fill it.
The burst caught Ushiwakamaru at close range. Her body was thrown backwards, the force carrying her down towards the shattered staircase.
Archer wasn't spared either.
The blast caught him from beneath—and while the memories of its usage showed no problem, he wasn't the original user.
The blast caught him from beneath. Sukuna's memories hadn't shown any difficulty controlling the technique, but Archer wasn't Sukuna.
He turned Hiten, trying to gather the surrounding air beneath himself.
THUD!
His body stopped.
No, not stopped.
He had hit something.
Archer looked up, confusion quickly turning to alarm.
A massive rune formation stretched across the space above him. Its markings covered the air like an enormous ceiling.
Shit.
The formation flashed.
Archer shut his eyes, raising an arm over his face. The light still pierced through, leaving white spots dancing across his vision.
Then something pressed down on him.
An immense force drove him towards the ground. He twisted in mid-air, bringing Hiten beneath himself as he gathered the air around his body. The pressure slowed his fall, but he still hit the staircase hard enough to crack the stone beneath his boots.
He dropped to one knee, one hand braced against the ground.
For a moment, he did nothing but catch his breath.
Then he tried to lift himself again.
A weak current gathered around Hiten, but the air beyond it barely responded.
Archer looked up.
The rune formation was still there.
So that's what you were doing.
He could still manipulate the air around the weapon, but the wider currents were beyond his reach.
Archer tightened his grip on Hiten.
Fine. Close quarters it is.
Cu's spear came down towards his shoulder.
Archer caught it with Hiten. The impact drove his arms down, forcing one knee to bend before he managed to push the weapon aside.
Gae Bolg came again.
He slipped past the thrust and found Cu's side exposed. Hiten was already turning towards it when Ushiwakamaru's katana cut between them.
Archer pulled back. Her blade passed close enough to catch his coat.
Cu was attacking with far less concern for his own defence. His thrusts left openings that Archer could see, but every time he tried to take one, Ushiwakamaru was there to stop him.
Another thrust came for his chest. Archer knocked it aside, only to have Cu's spear sweep low while Ushiwakamaru closed from the other direction.
He jumped the sweep. His boots barely cleared the spearhead before he had to turn Hiten against her katana.
They're covering each other too well.
He couldn't keep this up.
Cu's next attack carried him forward, Gae Bolg thrusting towards Archer's stomach. This time, Archer didn't retreat.
He turned Hiten sideways.
Hiten's prongs caught the shaft just behind Gae Bolg's head. Archer twisted the weapon across his body, turning Cu's forward momentum downwards. The spear struck the staircase, its shaft trapped beneath Hiten.
Cu's hands tightened around his weapon.
Archer's other hand was already moving.
Kanshou and Bakuya appeared.
Ushiwakamaru came at him from the side, her katana aimed at his neck. Archer caught her blade with Kanshou, the impact turning his shoulder away from her. Bakuya was already pointed towards Cu.
The Caster's free hand opened.
A wooden staff appeared between them.
Bakuya struck it, the tip biting into the wood before Cu could pull away.
For an instant, they were locked together.
Then Archer reinforced Bakuya, altering its structure as he pushed more energy into the projection.
The blade extended.
The wooden staff split apart, but Bakuya kept going, punching through the remains and into Cu's chest.
The Caster's mouth fell open.
Archer smirked.
Got you, you bastard.
He released Bakuya and reached for Hiten, still pinning Gae Bolg against the staircase.
He poured his remaining energy into the projection.
BOOM!
The explosion tore through the stone. Debris swallowed the staircase, and the blast threw Ushiwakamaru away from him.
Archer backed off, keeping his eyes on the spot where Cu had stood. The Caster's body was still there, though most of the area around it had disappeared beneath the smoke and broken stone.
One down.
He turned towards Ushiwakamaru.
Something pierced his back.
His eyes widened.
A red spearhead protruded from his chest.
Gae Bolg.
...What?
His gaze shifted towards the Caster.
Cu was still standing where Bakuya had pierced him. Or what remained of him. His chest had been torn open, with chunks missing from the explosion, but there was no blood spilling from the wound.
No flesh.
Only woven branches and charred wood.
Archer stared at the exposed branches.
A wooden replica.
You clever dick—
He barely managed the thought before Gae Bolg moved.
Cu dragged the spear upwards. Its point tore through Archer's chest and shoulder, ripping through him as his body jerked around the weapon.
His fingers loosened around his weapons.
Kanshou and Bakuya flickered before breaking apart into motes of light.
His knees buckled.
Somewhere behind him, he heard Ushiwakamaru shout.
"Master!"
Her footsteps hurried away across the broken staircase.
Archer barely registered her leaving. His attention remained on Cu, who stood behind him with Gae Bolg still in hand.
The Caster withdrew the spear.
Archer dropped to his knees, blood spilling from his mouth.
"So this is it, huh..." He coughed, struggling to keep his head raised. "Hiten, that interloper's weapon."
"Interloper?" Cu questioned.
"Sukuna, he..." Archer coughed again. "He is not supposed to be here... At least, that's what t-that green guy said."
"Who!?" Cu demanded.
"I—I can't say h-his name..."
Cu looked at him for a moment, then shifted his gaze towards the cavern above.
"I see. I understand."
Archer's body began to glow. Golden motes drifted from his arms as his red coat and white hair began to dissolve.
"R-Remember. Su-Sukuna..." He struggled to finish the sentence. "He is—no hero."
Cu paused.
He had already turned towards the direction Ushiwakamaru had gone, towards the others waiting further down the mountain.
"I know. But it doesn't matter."
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X--X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
All four of Sukuna's eyes widened as Saber crossed the distance so quickly that she seemed to appear directly in front of him.
Sukuna threw up his arms. Thousands of miniature Dismantles formed across his guard, meeting Excalibur's descending blade.
Slash-CRACK!
The blade sheared through the resistance like it was cobweb, his arm shattering into pieces as he barely twisted the blade from its cutting edge to its flat side.
The now flat side smashed into him, sending him hurling hundreds of meters back, his body skipping across the floor before slamming into the cavern wall, cratering it.
Sukuna pushed away from the wall. His arms regenerated as he dropped, broken ribs knitting back together before his feet touched the ground.
As Saber stepped her foot forward ready to move, Sukuna slammed his hand into the ground.
"Cleave."
A spiderweb of slashes appeared on the entire floor of the cavern, turning the floor into chunks of falling rocks.
Saber moved as though she had been made for this, jumping from one falling chunk to another without losing her footing.
Sukuna ripped a slab of stone from the collapsing floor and hurled it at her. Before it reached her, he sliced it apart, turning the rock into dust.
It didn't work, Saber tore through the Smoke without hesitation, indicating whatever the mud did to her, made her far more aggressive.
A red blur slammed into him. Steel rang against his cursed energy reinforcement.
They clashed mid-fall, and Sukuna immediately found himself on the defensive.
He turned aside a thrust aimed at his heart, but Excalibur caught his shoulder instead. The blade sank deep. Saber twisted the hilt, wrenching the wound wider.
Sukuna drove his knee towards her face. She checked it with her shin and smashed the hilt of her sword into his jaw.
Sukuna spun away through the air, landing hard on a falling stalactite.
Useless.
He flicked his fingers. Countless Dismantles whined through the air, striking her armor. They bounced the reinforced suit off like raindrops.
Dismantle won't do shit. Cleave might work, but getting close enough to use it is a gamble. A Domain could finish her, assuming she doesn't blast her way out before it closes.
Divine Flame? Not without the Domain.
The World Cutting Slash, though... Maybe.
Shadows wrapped around him as the Sword of Extermination reappeared, just in time to clash against Excalibur.
The impact launched him backward and Saber followed.
Shadows flooded the space between them.
Saber raised her blade. Black-red light poured from Excalibur, vaporising the incoming mass.
Sukuna emerged behind her, using the brief obstruction to close in with his sword.
Saber turned and knocked his strike aside with the back of her blade, shattering his sword. Her next thrust pierced his stomach. She wrenched Excalibur upwards, throwing him into the air.
She raised her blade to meet his falling body.
Sukuna kicked off the air, changing his trajectory and shooting higher. His feet struck the cavern ceiling, sinking into the shadows that spread across its surface as RCT began repairing the hole in his stomach.
He dangled upside down, staring at the falling form of the King of Knights.
CLINK!
Mahoraga's wheel turned as Sukuna smirked, an idea forming in his mind.
He ripped off his tattered black jacket, letting it fall towards the ground.
Two spins. All I need is three more and it's over.
Smirking, he dismissed the shadows at his feet.
Saber jumped up as Sukuna fell.
As they fell towards each other, the King of Curses formed two Binding Vows.
The furnace will not open inside this Cavern, in exchange the durability of the sword of extermination will be increased as long as it is in this Cavern.
Malevolent Shrine will not open in this Cavern, in exchange his Cursed Energy Reinforcement will be boosted to 150% as long as it is in this Cavern.
Cursed Energy flooded his form like never before.
He kicked off the air, accelerating downwards as a laugh escaped his lips. The Sword of Extermination reforming on his hand.
Excalibur swung up as the Sword of Extermination slashed down—
KLANG!
This time, the sword didn't break.
And this time, Sukuna didn't budge.
Wings burst from his back—Partial Summon: Nue—and he surged downward, forcing the deadlock to an end.
Saber moved sideways, parrying his blade only for him to spin with her momentum, delivering a roundhouse kick that she caught with her elbow.
Purple lightning sparked up his left hand as the chirping of a thousand birds filled the cavern. Sukuna's arm turned into a blade of lightning as he thrust it—Chidori—towards the Servant.
She twisted, her armor screeching as she evaded by millimeters and kicked him off.
They broke apart, landing twenty meters away from each other on a flat slab of bedrock.
CLINK!
Mahoraga's wheel turned. Two.
Saber narrowed her crimson eyes. He's stronger—
—Yet she's still a tad bit faster. But the gap's been closed. Sukuna straightened, cracking his neck.
They met again, blade to blade.
The clash was a frenzy of sparks and shockwaves. Slash. Parry. Punch. Block. Knee. Deflect.
Sukuna backflipped, clapping his hands together. A concentrated beam of pressurized water—charged with purple lightning—shot from his palms. It grazed Saber's cheek, drawing a thin line before the mud sealed it.
CLINK!
Saber snarled. Her Mana Burst roared, red lightning intensifying. She disappeared.
Sukuna kicked off the air, dodging blindly to the side. He pushed out a palm to blast her back, but she was already under his guard.
She slashed. He barely brought the Sword of Extermination up in time.
Parrying the blow, his hands formed into a familiar shape before another slash could reach him.
"Max Elephant."
The shikigami dropped from above them. Tons of water and flesh crashed down, shattering the rock beneath their feet and sending the cavern floor collapsing even further.
Sukuna jumped back as he vanished into the fallen debris. Saber gave chase only for Rabbit Escape to flood the area between them.
Having had enough, Saber swung her blade.
"EXCALIBUR MORAGAN."
The beam erased the rabbits, save for the original that had clung to his hair. Sukuna dodged out of the blast only for his arm to vanish as the energy grazed his form.
Only for his positive energy to flood it back.
CLICK!
The wheel completed its final spin.
The Sword of Extermination pulsed in Sukuna's hand, its metallic surface darkening to a deep blue.
Sukuna lunged.
He abandoned his usual caution, pressing into Saber's guard with a series of aggressive strikes. His defence was full of gaps, but he wasn't trying to protect himself. He wanted her to take one.
Gotcha!
He dipped his shoulder, taking a strike of her blade directly on it, trapping the blade for a split second.
With her sword locked into his flesh, he slashed at her, his blade making a shallow cut across her disengaging form.
A kick landed in his sternum sending him back only for Saber to halt her counter.
She felt it.
The cut wasn't healing.
The Grail's mud crept towards the wound, only to sizzle and evaporate before it could close the gap.
And then she felt something worse.
The flow of mana from the Grail faltered.
"What's wrong, Princess?" Sukuna said, an amused smile on his face. "Having performance issues? It's not uncommon, one out of five—"
Saber charged at his form in reckless abandon. He raised his sword to intercept only for—
CLINK!
The wheel spun again.
A faint glow spread across the deep blue surface of the Sword of Extermination.
Saber had had enough.
She abandoned swordplay and raised Excalibur, gathering mana around its blade.
Sukuna, noting the charge, started darting around the cave, jumping midair, going from side to side as Excalibur blasted into his direction.
As the beam grew closer, Sukuna dismissed the partial Summon's of Nue and Mahoraga.
He stopped moving.
A Binding Vow formed in his mind.
I sacrifice the use of all Shikigami—except Nue and Max Elephant, base shadow manipulation, shadow inventory and the use of Kamutoke in THIS BATTLE. In exchange the output of Domain Amplification is multiplied.
"Scale of the Dragon. Recoil. Twin Meteors."
He stopped dodging, slashing his hand at the coming beam WORLD CUTTING SLASH.
Five barriers manifested in front of him as he crossed his arms. Domain amplification condensed around him like a second skin.
BOOM!
The Dark-Light beam slammed into the barrier, tearing through them like paper before slamming into him.
Smoke filled the cavern as Saber dropped the sword of extermination, a slash having formed through her body. The wcs mimicking the same energy of the adapted Sword of Extermination, killing her regen.
A hand swept through the air, clearing the smoke.
Sukuna stood.
Barely.
His body was in ruins. Both arms were gone at the shoulders. Parts of his legs had been stripped down to bone, the flesh having disintegrated. His chest was exposed, ribs and lungs visible through the damage. Half his face was gone, leaving part of his skull exposed.
But he was still standing—Laughing.
RCT crawled through his body, rebuilding him at a sluggish pace.
Across from him, Saber picked up her weapon. Cut off from the Grail's mana, she had barely enough energy left for one final blast.
I sacrifice the World Cutting Slash for THIS BATTLE. In exchange: Maximize RCT Output.
Steam burst from his body. Flesh spread over bone, slowly rebuilding what had been lost.
Saber panicked. The beam wasn't ready. She lunged, turning the charge into a thrust aimed at his heart.
He didn't parry. He stepped into it.
Thump.
Excalibur pierced his heart. It exited his back.
He coughed blood, grinning right in her face.
"Checkmate."
He drove his hand through the wound left by the World Cutting Slash.
It passed straight through her.
Saber froze. She felt the positive energy flooding her form. The mud inside her body screaming as the last of its dregs were being flushed out.
Sukuna ripped the sword free and kicked her away.
She hit the ground hard. She knew it was over.
But a King does not die quietly.
She gripped Excalibur, pouring the last dregs of her life force into the blade. One final strike.
Sukuna didn't let her.
He cupped his hands at his side.
Cursed Energy gathered. Nue's purple lightning wrapped around it. Max Elephant's water compressed it.
He grinned.
"Storm Style: KA–ME–HA–ME–HA."
The beam fired.
It didn't target her body. It struck her Spirit Origin.
The core cracked. Then Shattered.
Excalibur clattered to the floor. Saber fell to one knee, her head bowing.
Sukuna stood there, panting. One eye still regenerating. His skin was a patchwork of burn scars.
He looked down at the King of Knights dissolving into gold.
He threw his head back and laughed.
The King of Knights had fallen.
The King of Curses reigned supreme.
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X--X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X- -X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
Author's Note:
Yo, how's it going, guys? Good? Neat.
So, I said I'd have this chapter up on Sunday. My bad. Something came up, and I was only finally free today. I sat down, opened the previous version of this chapter, and... holy shit, it was horrendous.
Only 3k words, and that too with some pretty questionable writing? The Saber fight was still good, but I really dropped the ball on the Archer fight.
For those who don't follow me on Patreon, I also put up a one-shot recently. You can find it either as a separate story on my account or over on my Snippets page. Do give it a read if you haven't already!
Now, onto this chapter.
I originally wanted to write a fight of around 3,500–4,500 words. Somehow, I ended up with over 7,600 words of nothing but fighting. Does it drag in a few places? A little, probably. But honestly, I still think this is my second-best work so far, just behind the Dabura SI in Worm one-shot. Go check that out if you haven't!
Now, I'm no professional writer, so don't expect perfection, but I think this turned out pretty well.
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter. What worked? What didn't? Was the fight enjoyable? Let me know!
Also, Pat - reon uploads are going to increase quite a bit from here on, so if you want to read ahead, feel free to check it out:
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Ciao!