Chapter 14: Chapter 14
His back seemed to encompass all, able to shoulder the heaviest of burdens much like another.
A man who had once waged war for the sake of others.
Kind.
Compassionate.
He who only cared about the protection and livelihood of all beings in creation. An individual who would have had simply preferred to dote on his children over anything else.
Unfortunately, that man would soon disappear from the world, and with it, hostilities would only intensify.
Rage.
Anger.
And Resentment.
War begets hate.
Hate brings about animosity.
Yet the man had donned the crown of brittle thorns, and bore it all.
The man knew what his death would entail as he had lay battered, bruised, and dying. He did not fear death, nor did he resent the enemies that brought him to such a stage; rather, at that moment, he was bitterly tired and depressed.
For all the enemies he had slain.
For all the blood that been shed.
And even the tenuous balance he had created to limit casualties.
It was all for nothing as it would fade away with his departure knowing the grief his sons and daughters would suffer as a result.
He couldn't just die.
He couldn't just leave the war as it was.
And so, he would take a gamble with the only object that manifested as a result of his earlier confrontation.
He wished upon a Grail.
The Catalyst of undoing.
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Shirou's steps echoed out into the ears of those before him who stood still, and were seemingly in a state of shock. Pale faced, and cheeks sunken, even she could hear the sound of their hearts pounding madly within their chests as they backed away at his advance.
Irina, and Asia were no different from them, rooted in place; but the expressions on their faces stood in contrast to the rest.
Flushed, and filled with reverence.
Although, she supposed that she was the same.
"In God we pray," she and Irina lowered their heads and knelt.
The Holy Cross, the Battle Standard of the Holy Faction of the Great War. It was a standard reserved only for the elite of Heaven's forces led by God himself; for it was the same cross in which Jesus took up the sins of the world.
None should be able to employ it but God for it was an item that spoke of the ideology he carried in the War. He who would suffer the burdens of the world for the sake of all.
The significance of that alone was not something that could be acknowledged by a mere prayer. Hell, she even considered putting everything else aside and bowing on her knees in a show of piety. As far as she was concerned, it would be an honour her peers could never hope to achieve. For the emergence of the Holy Cross was just that rare as God was never one to actively participate in battle.
Despite the situation she was in, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of amusement when she noticed the seriousness in Shirou's complexion slacken with just her and Irina's actions. She could already picture the awkwardness should she have had actually bowed on her knees like she could tell Irina was actually contemplating of doing; Irina's eyes glancing demurely at her for confirmation.
She would save Shirou that trouble. As although there was a portion of herself that wished to see what kind of a reaction he would make, she knew that this wasn't the time or place.
Kokabiel was still rooted from the shock of it all. After all, the Holy Cross had never known defeat on the battlefield, becoming a legend that sent dread into the hearts of the Fallen Angels and Devils alike. However, she could tell that it wouldn't be long before this leader of the Fallen Angels would compose himself. Things were different from then and now.
From what her mother told her, it wasn't just the Devils and Fallen Angels that suffered greatly in the Great War between the Factions. The Angels had too.
Glancing up at that image of the legendary Battle Standard, she once again became lost in it. Not only did it not disappear, but its presence only became more prominent. In which case, the only thing that troubled her was the obliviousness of the oaf who was displaying it. Such an honourable and envious position of bearing the cross was being completely disregarded.
"Xenovia, Irina?" Shirou tried again, seemingly trying his best to maintain his patience with their behaviour.
Her brows twitched, and a strained smile appeared over her lips as an absent thought of beating down this heathen appeared in her mind, but it was quickly dismissed.
The seriousness in Shirou's eyes finally knocking everyone out of their stupor.
"Mr. Emiya," Sona was the first to speak out using the limited time she had before Kokabiel collected himself. "How confident are you of winning?"
This was the question that everyone wanted the answer to.
With the entrance Shirou had made, from the way everyone now looked at him, he had become the defacto leader. The one everyone relied on; and based on the resoluteness on Shirou's face, he knew it too.
Shirou was silent. The Holy Cross on his back began to creak and buckle as divine light began to shower down upon the Fallen Angels and throughout the entirety of Kuoh.
A stellar world of brilliance.
"I don't know for sure," Shirou spoke as he began walking towards the enemy. "But I can promise that none of you shall die here today. And you,"
Shirou's gaze landed on Kokabiel whose hand was outstretched with a mass of light energy in his palms.
No words were spoken further as the attack large enough to wipe out the entirety of Kuoh blasted towards him; shockwaves left behind in its wake. Metal bent and shattered, assailed by a searing force equivalent to the sun that seared the ground, causing it to bubble and sizzle. Glass melted into opaque pools of liquid, trickling down and further heating the air.
Kokabiel, Fallen Angel and the Morning Star of Heaven.
With his will, the world burned.
With his thought, armies of the strongest of Kings perished.
The original vanguard of the Heavens, the first to engage the enemy before the arrival of the Angel of War.
Eyes narrowing, Shirou outstretched a hand.
Ravager of armies.
And he whose power could render the earth into a sea of searing light.
None able to avoid its heat.
Yet mighty angel,
The mountain of Sinai has never burned.
And this Divine Sword will not either.
Bridge a path to a new dawn.
A ray of hope.
"IG ALIMA!" A hand clenched as it dropped forward in a swinging motion.
Holy and Magical power exploded from Shirou in a violent storm.
The emergence of a gigantic shadow nearly stopping the hearts of those present; some even gawking in sheer amazement or horror.
Ig Alima.
A construct of the of Gods. The Mountain Felling blade said to have cut through the fabled thousand mountains. For its size alone enabled it to. Layers upon layers of thick steel piled upon each other such that a human standing upon it would be nothing more than an ant. The base and pommel were crafted upon with jagged black stone, an inscription of an ancient language undistinguishable.
His clothes fluttered up, the attractive force generated from Ig Alima's massive size effecting the gravity of the space itself.
Like fire to a steel plate, the fiery ball of light was smothered by the sword's fall. Blackish burns marred its surface, small wisps of steam crawling out from the sides.
The Fallen Angels that were unlucky enough to be caught beneath it were flattened till the point that even the blood disintegrated from the impact. The Fallen Angels that had once been numerous had already been reduced to nearly half, the lost half crushed by the mountain felling sword.
A path had been opened. Like the parting of the Red Sea, Fallen Angels stood rooted in place on either side, and at the forefront was Kokabiel whose features had become incredibly strained. Out of everyone present, it appeared that only Shirou could contend with the Fallen Angel Leader.
"Wait here," Shirou spoke as he moved forward atop Ig Alima step by step.
Off to the side near Kiba, gravel and dirt erupted into a plume of dust as a streak of sword light appeared barreling across the sky.
Shirou raised a hand, a blade's pommel landing within it.
The Sword of Promised Victory.
The pieces of Excalibur that had been stolen by Valper ended up in Shirou's possession. Soon after, Valper stared vacantly as those pieces melted into liquid and melded over a sword and sheath strapped to Shirou's side.
Six more seals appeared over that sheathed blade, and the Holy Aura of it increased exponentially.
Doves seemed to come to life over the Holy Cross still floating over Shirou's back. Perching atop the jutting ends, they seemed to sing for a bright tomorrow.
And with that, Shirou gave a nod before disappearing in a sudden burst of speed down Ig Alima's length, kicking up a storm of debris and leaving everyone else behind.
"D-Divine construct," Valper babbled in disbelief after his eyes could no longer see the sword sheathed on Shirou's side, and then once again stared at this monstrosity of a sword. "What kind of human is that?"
Valper backed away from his position on the ground.
No one stopped him.
She herself was still caught in a stupor like everybody else.
"'He doesn't know if he can win,' he said, are you fucking kidding me!" Issei yelled incredulously. "He pulls out a god-damn skyscraper of a sword, defeats over half of them alone, and he still says he can't win?!"
Indeed.
Even now she could still recall his last image before he took off.
He who stood alone bearing the cross with the Sword of Promised Victory by his side. He appeared to be an unbeatable warrior whose defeat seemed impossible.
It was times like now where she wondered if she'd ever catch up to him even with the Holy Swords by her side.
There was a silence as everyone unknowingly stared into each others shell-shocked expressions.
Rias cleared her throat to quiet Issei down, but it was hardly convincing as the display just now only solidified the unfathomable feeling she felt about Shirou.
It was Sona who ended up getting things together first.
"Regardless of what kind of human he is, do you think he'd accept peera-" Sona coughed into her hands as she noticed the glares she was receiving, and wisely decided to put the matter down for the moment. "Regardless of what Shirou has said about obtaining victory, I've already sent word to my sister and lord Lucifer," Sona adjusted her glasses with a finger.
"More importantly though, I'm going to have to trouble you with a favour Rias," Sona continued. "The barrier around Kuoh Academy, it won't last long with the amount of energy being outputted from within even with my added intervention. I already have Saji and the rest of my peerage fortifying it, but I'm afraid it still won't hold. Needless to say, the outcome of the barrier falling will not bode well for the humans living outside."
"You can feel it can't you?" Sona continued. "The pressure being emitted from this Divine Construct, Ig Alima," Sona's expression turned curious when she spoke the name of the Divine Construct, but she was a prudent woman and hid her interests well. "Not only that, but if Shirou battles with Kokabiel, then there's even more reason to fortify it now before it's too late."
Rias nodded. "We can't allow this battle to spread across our territory and hurt the innocents, Akeno."
"I'm on it, President," Akeno said before moving by Sona's side.
"I'd come myself, but I'm worried about certain things and need to remain," Rias apologized.
Sona conceded as she cast a discrete glance towards Kiba. Even with Shirou's incredible display, Kiba had barely been fazed; still in a daze from when that child-like specter had appeared before him.
"Akeno should be enough."
Sona was decisive, taking Akeno and hurrying towards the spell formation of the barrier around Kuoh.
"What should we do?" Irina asked her as soon as Sona left.
She didn't really have much of an answer to that really as she stared forth at Shirou who had become the focal point of attack for all of the Fallen Angels. Bouts of light and energy continually spiralled outward, ending in explosions that echoed out in the distance.
To be honest with herself. What she really wanted to do was help Shirou, but she knew that doing so may hinder him in that crowd of enemies.
She glanced at Ig Alima, imagining herself running down its length to reach directly towards Kokabiel and the other Fallen.
Unexpectedly though, it was because of this action that she noticed a regiment of Fallen Angels coming towards them.
"Enemies!" She warned Rias and the rest before gripping her swords.
Rias and the others tensed visibly, but what she focused more on was the fact that Kiba hadn't reacted. It would seem that whatever had affected him before was still affecting him now. Thinking back to how Kiba had worked with her for a time, she couldn't just abandon a comrade, even if that comradery was only temporary.
"Irina," she motioned towards her partner, and the two of them quickly stood defensively with Rias, Asia, and Koneko in front of Kiba.
"You two?" Rias muttered.
She felt weird helping a Devil, but perhaps this situation called for it. Things had already escalated from just infringing on the borders of Devil territory to conduct a search, to a potential outbreak of a new war. Like it our not, Rias had to be defended, but at least among Devils Rias was descent.
"Tch," she grunted. "We'll handle the ones at the front."
"And I'll heal the injured," Asia said.
Irina showed her acknowledgment by readying her own blade.
"Then we'll provide support," Rias said before nodding at Koneko to help engage the enemies.
Meanwhile Valper had taken the opportunity to run towards the coming Fallen Angels, taking shelter there.
Those Fallen Angels gave Valper a glance, but other than that, their main target seemed to lock onto her and Irina.
"You two are coming with us," one of the Fallen Angels spoke in a gruff tone. Thereafter, another Fallen Angel stared at Rias and her group. "And them two," the Fallen Angels added on.
Her eyes widened as she soon realized the enemy's intentions. Just based solely on the number of Fallen Angels Shirou was defeating, even she could feel the Fallen Angels concern. In which case, why would they suddenly drag Irina, herself, and Rias and the others into the conflict?
It was surely to use against Shirou.
"Over my dead body," Xenovia said clearly, squaring her shoulders to place more strength in her arms.
"Then so be it," the Fallen Angel spoke appearing by her side.
This Fallen Angel was obviously the strongest of the group as she possessed four pairs of wings, making her an eight-winged Fallen.
Experience born from the Dimensional Cross jogged her instincts; her hands swiftly stabbing forward with Durandal even as she tipped her body back to dodge.
Durandal met the Fallen Angel's sword of light and lodged itself into it, forcing the Fallen to dismiss it as the Fallen then blasted out with a light beam.
Unfortunately, Durandal X would foil the Fallen Angel's plans. Even more so when it was accompanied by a tiny fist wearing paw-printed fighting gloves.
Paying more attention to Durandal X's approach, the Fallen Angel was immediately caught off guard as the force of that tiny fist propelled her back several meters tumbling against the ground.
"Hmph," Koneko snorted while pretending to brush the dirt off her hands. Meanwhile Issei who wasn't far off was trying to brush a foot mark off of his face as he spluttered in indignation.
Infuriated, the eight-winged Fallen Angel was just about to attack again, only to feel a searing pain on her side from a ball of destruction which ate away at one of her wings.
"You bitch!" She cursed at Rias.
Soon after, the Fallen Angel floated back with the rest of the Fallen Angels she had brought along with her having embarrassed herself enough.
"Attack together," the Fallen Angel ordered.
Simply nodding, all of the Fallen Angels attacked at once.
Spears of light pelted the ground like arrows. Dirt and grime exploding everywhere and leaving behind only cracked ground.
Yet on this cracked ground, Xenovia, Irina, and Koneko coordinated together to dodge or parry while Issei moved by Rias's side to impart his skill of 'Gift.' An ability that allowed Issei to transfer his boosted power.
"This is getting us nowhere," Xenovia complained.
"Then attack," Koneko spoke calmly while dodging left.
"And how do you suppose we do that?" Irina asked, but she felt a sense of dread when Koneko's eyes landed on her. Therefore, she ended up hiding behind Xenovia.
"?" Xenovia stared back at Koneko, and in the next moment, she was soaring across the sky while Irina stared blankly before swallowing.
"I'm fine with defending," Irina immediately voiced before Koneko could get her hands on her.
As for Xenovia, although she was surprised at first, she still managed to use the opportunity.
Sword light appeared over both Durandal and Durandal X; expanding the reach of the swords by several times as she swung out in arcs that injured many Fallen Angels. The power of Durandal was such that it could cleave through the weapons of even six-winged Angels let alone the numerous four-winged Fallen Angels she was currently attacking.
When the eight-winged Fallen Angel saw this, the Fallen Angel became thoroughly incensed. Even more so when she could still feel the pain of losing a wing.
The eight-winged Fallen Angel turned her gaze towards her comrades and came to an agreement.
Angered by the resistance and death of their own, the Fallen Angels seemed to come to a consensus as their auras shone with a vengeful gleam.
"Die!" They all yelled.
Xenovia smirked dismissively.
The arrows of light the Fallen Angels had aimed at her, Irina, Issei, and Koneko were nowhere near close enough to hit. Though admittedly, they were just off by a couple inches.
However, she, Irina, Issei, and Koneko would only realize their mistake when Rias shouted from behind them.
"Kiba!" Rias yelled in panic, but there was nothing she could do as the arrows of light quickly sailed on a collision course towards Kiba.
Having been angered, the Fallen Angels had decided to vent their frustration by killing the stationary knight. After all, the Fallen Angels didn't necessarily need all of the people present to act as hostages.
However, the panic in Rias's voice was enough to knock some sense back into Kiba.
Finally, out of his stupor, it was only to see the combined attack of the Fallen Angels converging on him.
Time seemed to slow down, the seconds passing away like minutes, but even as Kiba's mind raced, there was barely anything he could do. His strongest strength had always been his speed, but currently, even that would amount to nothing when the attack was already before him.
He should have had acted sooner, yet every time Kiba closed his eyes, he could picture the image of the little girl. She had been the youngest out of all of them in the Holy Sword Project, and in the end, she was still the one who had endured the most for their sake.
Smiling at the pits of despair.
A rose in a wasteland.
And even in death, it had been her to once again appear in his moment of weakness.
It was as she had always done.
After every tortures experiment, it had always been her to greet him and the rest with a tenderness and maturity that should not have appeared in a girl of her age. Yet she died, unknowingly poisoned to death where she and the others had waited for the friend who would never return. The only one to live.
Damn it.
The guilt was eating away at him even now.
Yet when he looked up. He saw it once again just past the incoming attack.
The Holy Cross, tall and unbending, the symbol he had once prayed to numerous times. The one thing that was constant within his and everyone else's life within that cruel project. But their prayers were never answered even till the end.
Staring at it now, moisture accumulated in his eyes as he bowed his head in resignation.
"Lord why have you forsaken me?"
The sound of Rias's and Koneko's shouts.
The sound of everything seemed to grow deaf as the Fallen Angels attacks were mere inches away from striking him.
"…?!"
It was a shield of glimmering stars bound together by a shared will to protect.
We are friends, brothers and sisters.
Ethereal figures appeared one by one, hands clasped and fingers intertwined.
You have suffered for our sake.
The power of the Fallen Angels attack dwindled; the strength of its light transferring into a steady flow of energy that coalesced into a clear orb that faded into Kiba's body.
And for that, we can only offer our thanks.
But do not suffer for our sake any longer.
One wobbly step, then another, Kiba's shoulders seemed to sag as he wept. Devil or Human, it didn't matter what Kiba was. At the moment, all that could be seen was an individual steepled in regret and misgivings.
That cry baby of back then was never meant to become the man you are now.
You have done enough already.
Courage.
Heart.
And Hope.
The emotions which allowed one to persevere against all odds, now seemed to shine at their brightest; captured within the earnest desire of those who had simply sought out for a better life.
From this day on, it's our turn to fight for you.
Reach out from the hate.
The hands that were held tight together, opened.
Our light in the dark.
Those swords gripped in Kiba's hands fell and clattered against the ground; left forgotten as another began to manifest, clasped within trembling hands.
"K-Kiba you?!"
The words Rias was about to say got caught in her throat, her eyes widening from what she was feeling.
Holy Attribute.
The energy of the Heavens.
Smiling for the last time, the specters gathered together around Kiba; bodies fading away into the ether; a trail of stardust swirling up into a storm that dissipated within Kiba's chest.
BOOM!
A pillar of Holy Energy tinted with traces of dark stretched towards the sky, generating winds that forced back enemy and ally alike.
"Geh," Rias winced as she rose an arm to shield her eyes.
She herself was no better, rooting herself in place by using her swords as leverage against the ground much like Irina. Hands trembling from exhaustion, she nearly lost his grip when a second shockwave of wind erupted out from Kiba's direction.
Eyes bleary, she could just barely make out Rias's figure as she was blown back, having had nothing to support her.
Luckily, she was caught by Koneko who had been standing near Rias since the start should anything go wrong.
When the winds died down, and the world grew still, arcs of purple tinted energy struck at the ground in lightning like tendrils that proliferated into the air. The nearest Fallen Angles fell to the ground in droves, bodies still spasming from whatever attack had affected them.
However, it was hard to pay attention to that when compared to the shock of seeing what was firmly grasped in Kiba's hands,
A sword of Holy and Demonic attribute.
Sleek, obsidian, and tinted with gleaming ivory coloured steel, it stood in contrast to the opposing elements.
A Holy-Demonic sword had been created.
"T-That's not possible!" Valper exclaimed, voicing the thoughts of everyone present. "Unless…"
Two opposing powers should not mix. The most basic example being fire and water. When one mixed with the other, the only result should inevitably be mutual destruction. Fire can not exist in the presence of water as light can not mix with demonic properties.
It was based on the laws of the world. The same rules that applied to all fundamental properties of matter and thought. Something that could never be violated to maintain order. It was a balancer. A term necessary to describe the volatile nature of keeping the two opposing attributes separated.
Humans called it physics and the sciences, but the supernatural referred to it as God's system.
For the fusion of two opposing elements lead to exponential increase in instability and explosive power. Yet, if the two elements were to somehow hold stable, then its strength and durability would be something unimaginable.
And right now, before her very eyes, there it was.
Opposing elements of Holy and Demonic held in stability.
This was wrong.
Already she felt that something was off when the light that entered Kiba's body didn't harm him despite his Devil's constitution, but now, the evidence seemed to point to only a single conclusion.
"The Four Great Satans had perished, and even God himself was no better."
The words she had adamantly thought spoken in jest suddenly surfaced to plague her mind, her confidence in her own beliefs waning.
Before when this matter was brought up, Shirou had arrived bearing the Holy Cross, so it completely slipped her mind. Now though? It was hard not to think about it when it involved her reason for fighting.
Suddenly a laughter filled the area.
"Of course! That's it, that explains it!" Valper spoke in hysterics. "God's system was created in conjunction with the rules of creation. A limiter to balance the scales and reduce conflict and death."
Valper swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing up and down as he perspired.
"Yet such a system that spans the entirety of the very world is not so easily maintained, yet regardless can still function under the control of another. But a sword of Holy and Demonic attribute has been created. Which means to say that the efficiency of the system has decreased. This should be impossible as the creator would have a complete understanding of the system created. Therefore,"
The user is not the original.
This line of thought was the most striking, simply because of the single question, 'who was the original?'
It was no one else but God himself. In which case, that would mean that,
God was dead.
Her legs began to shake as she nearly lost her footing. It was like a sword had pierced directly through her chest, causing her to eventually fall into despair. For what did she fight for? For whom did she dedicate her devotion and servitude towards? It was for the creator of miracles, the one who would lead the people to salvation.
And now, understanding that this man may no longer have had even existed in the entirety of her lifetime, it was a blow she could hardly take. Stronger than the most devastating of attacks. This was a strike on her beliefs and ideals that completely shattered them. After all, it would mean that everything she had done and sought after was just a lie.
She felt hollow, and at the lowest point in her life.
Even the warmth coming from Durandal could hardly placate her, and in the end, she could only stare vacantly as Valper laughed madly.
If not for Irina making her way to support her, then it was likely that she would have been skewered by a sword of light coming from a Fallen Angel.
"Xenovia!" Irina shook her shoulders. "I-It's a mistake, it can't be right; so, snap out of it," she urged.
However, she herself was not stupid. Valper's theory was solid. There were no errors in it. Thus, there was a high probability in its credibility.
She turned towards Irina, her eyes downcast.
"Irina, for what did we fight for?" Her hair shadowed her eyes, her shoulders hunched as a shudder travelled throughout her body.
"…" Irina couldn't answer.
The grip Xenovia had on her swords slackened. At this point, she really didn't know what her answer would be if she was offered peerage by any Devil. At least they remained true to their cause and desires. Yet, at this moment, a hand clasped her own.
It was Asia Argento, the Holy Maiden she loathed for abandoning the principles of the church. Yet looking at it now, it was a contempt born of her own ignorance.
"You?" She questioned the Holy Maiden's intentions.
"Belief is our strength," Asia spoke solemnly. "If you abandon it, then what do we have left? The Church was founded by him, the teachings a direct relationship to his ideals. Is that not enough?"
Hearing Asia's words, she was left at a loss.
"Do to others as you would have them do to you."
"To live by the cross," Irina muttered upon hearing Asia's words. "Do not be blinded by the views of others. For blessed are those who believe."
This? They had a point that couldn't be dismissed. Her mother had raised her upon those principles, and she had not once doubted them, for they were right and just.
Still, it was true in that what she had been fighting for was a lie.
Her features once again dimmed. No matter how sugar coated or comforting words were, it can't change reality.
She brushed off Asia's hands, and stared hard at the reflection of herself from Durandal's blade. It was the reflection of any other girl, young and vibrant, yet she could see the blankness of her eyes.
Still and lifeless.
In those eyes, she saw a woman who no longer knew her purpose.
A steady wind that came from above, zephyrs that heralded the coming of change.
She stumbled on her feet, shielding her face by instinct from the sudden onslaught.
There, still in the middle of the Fallen Angels, was the man who had once come to her aid.
Tall, and imposing, possessing a back that seemed to ward away all evils. There was a certain fortitude that exuded from him in waves. The kind that seemed to banish away all her doubts; reminding her that in the end, it was her own choice to live by her own principles.
This was the man she now truly felt that she should remain with. A steady mountain to support her against the waves of the world. The very same man who would sacrifice himself to save her without any regard for his own life. Memories of that time in the Dimensional Cross surfaced in her mind. The foolish friend that she had first made, to the place that figure now occupied within her.
A Holy Man.
A Saint that stood alone in the world.
The shining beacon that she could draw faith from.
And now, surrounded by Fallen Angels, that mountain still stood rooted in the face of it all.
The immovable,
And yet, something seemed off at this moment.
The faces of the Fallen Angels surrounding Shirou were strange. Some pale and contorted, while others just screamed of their disbelief. This sudden development only became more apparent when Kokabiel who had neglected to act at any point since the beginning suddenly stiffened, fear in his eyes.
Not only were the Fallen Angels not attacking, but some were even attempting to flee, yet were blocked by the many other frozen bodies of their Fallen Angel comrades.
When the lost sheep strays from its flock and ventures forth into the darkness,
W-What was going on? What did they see that she couldn't?
Know that the Good Shepherd will wander across the open country until he finds it.
-Kirik!
Hair raising, she soon stiffly turned her head to stare with widened eyes at the Holy-Demonic sword in Kiba's hands.
For it had shattered into tiny fragments that formed a crystal on Kiba's chest.
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He had felt exhausted battling it out while surrounded at all sides. In the first place, his magical reserves were inadequate due to the atrophy his twenty-seven magic circuits had underwent in his youth. Firing off Hrunting and Ig Alima alone had already made a considerable dip in his reserves, but how could he allow that to show in his appearance?
He had felt it from the moment that he had made his entrance.
He was the center of his sides defending force.
To show weakness was to discourage those he was protecting behind him. And for their sake, he would remain strong even though the pain had become unbearable after unleashing his previous Noble Phantasms.
The use of Ig Alima had served two purposes, namely intimidation, and culling the enemy's numbers. Frankly, it had worked, as none dared to approach him until he reached within fifty meters of Kokabiel who instigated the rest into action. Because of this action, Kokabiel's weariness had become clear.
Kokabiel did not wish to face him without understanding his capabilities.
This was for the best as his body was calling for an energy he simply didn't possess. If not for the steady supply of it that he could feel originating from the necklace around his neck, then he surely would have had collapsed by now. At least by facing the rest of the Fallen Angels he cold conserve part of his strength to last his longest.
From what he had heard Rias and Sona discussing about with his enhanced hearing after he left, help was sure to be on the way if only he could hold out long enough.
Eyes shifting across the battle field, he made a decision as he crossed the swords in his hands into a firm guard.
Yet, just as he resolved himself to trace out another Noble Phantasm, a sudden thrum originated from one of his pockets which distracted him.
Brows furrowing, he watched silently as the crystal he had discovered in the warehouse prior rocketed towards where Kiba, Xenovia, and the rest were fighting. It was like a comet only he could see streaking across the atmosphere and glowing with a dull luster.
"Tch," he groaned as he parried away an arrow of light, the enemies around him capitalizing on his moment of distraction.
Shifting his weight on the ground, he tore a gash into his attacker with a quick stab. However, before he could execute another counter, he was forced to retreat as more and more strikes converged on him.
Clicking his tongue, he let go of Kanshou and used another Fallen Angel as a shield while slowly trying to gain a semblance of calm within the rapid flurry of strikes.
Understanding the concepts of creation.
"Agh!" He shouted out while head butting the nearest enemy.
Light is a fundamental weapon of Fallen Angels and Angels alike. The innate gift granted to them upon their birth and maintained even in their fall.
He needed a weapon to counter it. Something that banished the principle of magic and returned the world into a more primitive time.
His hands let go of Kanshou and Bakuya, the married swords fading away into particles of prana as he sidestepped past a beam of energy.
The hero of the spear.
A weapon he had seen upon peering into the vastness of the Gate of Babylon.
The bane of all magic and the supernatural.
"Trace, on!"
Blood-shot eyes narrowing, he grasped out at the air, veins bulging and mind racing. This was the moment he had been waiting for.
Empty handed, and seemingly in a desperate situation, the enemies should not be able to resist converging on him in this state of weakness.
A gift from the druid Aengus Óg.
A red spear that severs all ties with magical energy. Sing for the legend of a Knight of Fianna.
"Drill! Gáe Dearg!"
His shout echoed out within the encirclement; showers of blood raining across the ground as the weapons of light held in the hands of the Fallen Angels were completely bypassed.
The shock on their faces was apparent as they died in a heap around him, unable to block a single swipe of the spear.
An ominous cloud of red seemed to form, a mist created from the shower of life fluid.
Gáe Dearg: Crimson Rose of Exorcism.
A two-meter scarlet spear with a slightly double-curved blade.
It was the spear of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, the first Knight of the Knight's of Fianna, and the son of Donn, god of the dead and ancestor of the Gaels.
Almost immediately as he spoke out the Noble Phantasm's name, Kokabiel's expression once again shifted. Already Kokabiel had seen him pull out a legendary weapon, yet this was the first time that the man had been within hearing distance; the other time being drowned out by the violence.
What he himself didn't know that Kokabiel did though, was that in this world, the Factions were not the only powers in existence. The Norse, Celtic, Greek, and other pantheons existed as well. His continued use of lost 'Weapons of Legend' would enter the view of these pantheons sooner or later.
But it was not something he would concern himself with even knowing that.
Expelling a breath, his eyes set on Kokabiel while he pointed Gáe Dearg forward with one hand in a provocative gesture.
Wearing out his stamina fighting these Fallen Angels would leave him nowhere but an eventual defeat. In which case, targeting the head was his only other option as his sole advantage lay in his attack power and the element of surprise. That, and the energy the necklace was supplying him to maintain his expenditures. It was only the strain on his body that was now the problem.
Yet at this moment, said energy suddenly began to over flow.
"!?"
His mind went blank as Xenovia's voice somehow entered his ears.
"Irina, for what did we fight for?"
Gáe Dearg faded away in his hands, his gaze shifting in her direction. What he saw left him stunned.
The girl he met by the Church Creak, although somewhat distant and could be described as cold at least still possessed a fire within her. The one that entered his gaze now was almost completely different. Her gaze was vacant and seemingly at a loss; the strength she possessed before having disappeared despite the power of the Durandals in her hands.
He didn't like it.
This wasn't her.
Unknowingly, the energy within the necklace continued to overflow until a state where it had become a raging flame that forced the Fallen Angels to distance themselves.
But what had caused such a change in her?
In any case, there was only a single thought in his mind.
To help her.
And it was the emergence of this thought that brought him to a place different from the battlefield.
He blinked his eyes once, then twice, yet still the scenery around him did not change. Walls of rough stone that encircled a chamber of some sort within a cave.
The only light came from the sword by his side: The merged pieces of Excalibur that he had been unable to draw from its sheath.
This had been apparent to him when the seals around the sheath were still locked.
Raising it up like a torch to bath the room in its light, he made his way towards the only path leading out of the chamber. At this point, it was his only option as he knew that he needed to return to help Xenovia and the rest. He didn't have the time to just sit idle.
Walking forward through the tiny passage, the light from the merged pieces of Excalibur begun to dim little by little until the point it was barely brighter than a match's glow.
Creasing his brows, he didn't have the patience to worry about it and proceeded on towards the flickering light he could see ahead.
What appeared before him, in this world that solely encompassed this dim-lit cave,
Was a burning bush.
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The Holy-Demonic Sword had shattered before her eyes.
I-It shattered?
Her mind blanked as it processed this fact and the significance it held.
She closed her eyes before she let out a breath. When she opened them, there was a new-found determination that caused her to grasp her blades with a renewed vigor.
"Irina," she called. "I-"
"I know, you don't have to say it," Irina's expression was beaming.
It was the same for Asia Argento who secretly let out a breath in relief, but she didn't notice such a thing as she was too busy glaring at Valper.
She was angry that she had allowed herself to be so swayed by this man's words, no matter how logical they were. As a devote, logic should have had played no part in her belief. Instead, she should have had been like Asia Argento, the Holy Maiden. Despite becoming a Devil, Asia's virtue had never changed; it was just she who had been blinded by her own ignorance that couldn't see it.
Thinking back to her past actions towards the particular girl, regret was beginning to form. However, it wasn't something that she could readily amend, not with her character. Instead, she decided she'd make up for it somehow, or some way.
"It's over, Valper," Irina spoke after making sure that no more Fallen Angels were attacking.
For one reason or another, all of them had just stopped, providing a temporary respite. Using this time, Irina positioned herself next to Valper to apprehend the ex-priest.
Kiba was the next to follow, but his gaze seemed lost as he palmed the crystal that had formed on his chest, in his hand.
"What is this?" Kiba demanded of Valper, pulling him up by the scruff of his neck.
Valper met Kiba's gaze before clicking his tongue and gazing to the side.
At this time, she along with Asia, Rias, Issei, and Koneko moved in to join by Kiba's side.
"Answer me!" Kiba screamed, tossing Valper to the ground before forming a sword.
However, it wasn't Valper who answered. Instead, it was Irina who stood rigid as her eyes carefully observed the crystal in Kiba's hands.
"T-That looks like the crystal my Pastor used on me just before the Holy Sword Trials," Irina muttered.
Valper stared at Irina before grunting. "Hypocrites is what they are. Banish me for creating it, yet coveting it themselves," Valper scoffed before staring straight at Kiba. "Fine then, let me tell you. That crystal container in your hands contains the holy properties of a person born within their souls. Allowing one without sufficient light to be capable of wielding even the strongest Holy Swords in existence."
Irina's face paled while a murderous light appeared within Kiba's eyes.
"The Holy properties within a soul…Then you?!"
"Indeed. To be frank, the process tore the very souls from their bodies, much like the Heavenly Dragons before God stored them within Sacred Gears. From there, the Holy attribute was harnessed," Valper spoke clearly. "The culmination of my life's work and dream."
This was who Valper was, a man who had become fascinated with the tales of Holy Swords since childhood only to be disappointed with his own lack of talent. Even still, that did not stop the man from fulfilling his dream through sheer persistence. Just that fact alone would have had made him admirable if not for his loss of morality.
She turned away as she could already picture the result. There was no way Kiba would just let this go.
As expected, the sound of clattering steel entered her ears followed by a dull thud. Her brows furrowed though. This wasn't the exact sound that she was expecting.
The sound of steel through flesh was closer to tearing than a thud. Glancing with her eyes, she saw that Valper was knocked out by the flat of Irina's blade while Kiba's had been parried to the side.
Soft hearted girl.
She could understand what Irina intended. She would let Valper be judged by the Vatican.
Grunting, she fingered the hilts of her swords as she decided that she couldn't remain and do nothing. After all, since the very start of this ordeal, it had been Shirou protecting them. And now that the Fallen Angels were in a stupor, this was an ideal chance that allowed her to lighten the pressure.
Staring coldly, she began the necessary preparations.
Durandal the Peerless.
Holy Sword of the Paladin, Roland of Charlemagne.
Its power alone could cleave the very mountains and split the waters of the rising tide.
Sword grant me strength.
Closing her eyes, she took the time to focus and gather the abundant Holy Energies in the two swords.
Now that she wasn't constantly under attack, she could unleash the strongest power of her swords.
Her arms came together, Durandal and Durandal X pressed by the flat of their blades.
A dim glow encompassed the both of them, growing in radiance by the second as the crackle of sparks began to reverberate. The asphalt beneath her feet began to crack and rive, the aura of the swords releasing itself in alternating waves.
Ever since Shirou had given her Durandal X, it was like she had suddenly grown wings. The unstable power of her Durandal was now maintained by evening the distribution of energies between two mediums, halving the difficulty.
Rias and the others backed away as the light energy produced was beginning to effect them.
A tremor ran through her arms as pulses of energy bathed her body in mots of glowing light. Her hair soon began to sway up from the force, seeming to float in the air as she finally opened her eyes and rose her arms over her head to strike.
However,
Her eyes quickly widened, and in the next moment, her body froze; the energy gathered for Durandal's attack fading away and leaving behind only a gentle hum.
"Xenovia?" Irina called out in alarm.
She didn't respond, instead, swallowing down the bout of nervousness that was beginning to bubble from within her.
"Ms. Quarta?" Rias too inquired.
After all, she had been just about to unleash a mighty attack on the enemies but halted for no reason whatsoever.
Instead of explaining, all she did was point out.
She had taken her eyes off of him from the sheer shock of seeing the Holy-Demonic sword shatter, and now that she had turned back to strike at his enemies, she could barely comprehend what was in front of her.
In the direction she was facing was Shirou, but more importantly, it was also the direction in which all Fallen Angels were facing.
There was something about him at the moment that caused shivers to run down her back.
"Shirou?" She called out to him in concern.
The flutter of wings,
And a divine chorus that boomed from above.
When the noise entered her ears, it was if lightning had struck her, causing the questions she was about to ask to come up in a garbled mess. Her face flushed as a result, but she completely disregarded the raising heat on her cheeks when Shirou's gaze turned to her.
It was like he was an entirely different person. Those eyes seemed bottomless and all knowing; seeming to look right through her in her past moment of doubt and dismay.
Oddly enough, when that gaze landed on Irina and Asia, Shirou gave a nod before his attention focused back on her once more.
A smile appeared on that familiar face, but even though it was comforting, an even bigger part of her was beginning to panic as her unease sky rocketed. This wasn't the Shirou that she knew. T-Then what had happened to him?
But perhaps, even more than her, there was one person who was even more pressed to receive an answer.
"Y-You, who are you?!" Kokabiel stuttered, feigning calm by crossing his arms and glaring.
"Who am I?" The voice that came out of Shirou's mouth was different compared with the friend she knew. It was deep, yet gentle and soothing.
A voice which soon quelled the panic in her heart despite the oddity of the situation.
Yet to Kokabiel, the voice was anything but.
"Kokabiel, the Morning Star of the Kingdom in the Sky, have you truly forgotten?" A blaze of Holy Aura erupted around Shirou, shrouding him in a pale mist.
From the Heaven's expanse, seven pillars of resplendent light pierced through the void between dimensions; autonomous bodies of steel striking down against the earth like mighty hammers that produced a rain of fiery sparks.
The earth trembled, fissures forming on the ground from the sheer impact that caused Rias and the rest to stumble on their feet; tiny fragments of debris pelting against them and creating minor bruises and cuts. Yet none of them dared to even mutter a squeak.
Twelve Winged Sentinels. Relics of the Great War made in the fashion of the Steel Angel,
The voice of God.
Metatron.
They stood with wings opened, explosive lances held at attention as they positioned themselves on either side of Shirou.
"I-Impossible!" Kokabiel could no longer hold his composure, his arms dropping to his side.
Winged-Sentinels would only obey the directive of one.
Staring at the light that enveloped Shirou, Kokabiel could only open his mouth blankly.
No more words were needed to be said.
After all.
"When the clouds part, and heavenly light shines upon the world, all will know his name."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone