Beta read by Shigiya, Fluffy Slayer, Paragon of Awesomeness and DOOMRAIDER.
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-Ansur-
Never had Klaus felt so nervous in his life, the last time he had so many goosebumps all over his skin was probably back when he first met Claudia. He initially thought it would turn into a disaster, instead it became one of his most beloved memories.
There was a lot he desired to accomplish in his life. First and foremost was to live up to his father's — Grave Levantine — expectations. The famous war hero and military genius was well renowned throughout the land, having bested even Claudia in close quarters combat through pure skills alone. For an elderly man to beat a Princess Knight was nothing short of a miracle. Even with such big shoes to fill, Klaus still tried to make his father proud, yet failed miserably whenever it concerned combat or military jargon. Let alone using a sword, he was even incapable of running short distances without his heart giving up halfway. His frail constitution being the underlying reason behind his failures. Another primordial factor was his phobia for blood, where the mere sight of a drop would make him nauseous. That in addition to his other flaw, burned any chances of a life in the military.
Klaus knew that his abilities would be better suited behind a desk, preferring the "pen is mightier than the sword" outlook. — so he tried to impress his father in his own way.
"Haa…" the man sighed, walking down the empty corridor filled with ornate decorations and paintings of his father. "No matter what accomplishments I may hold, it wouldn't amount to anything in his eyes."
He couldn't even remember the last time his father smiled at him — probably a midsummer night's dream given how big of a disappointment he was in the man's eyes. But things turned for the worse when it was discovered that he was incapable of conceiving a child with his dear Claudia — And that reality was the final nail in the coffin, sealing their relationship forever. Eyes that once looked at him with disdain soon turned into pure hatred… so much so that Klaus was certain that it was only a matter of time before he'd get disowned.
Recently, Claudia gave him the courage he needed to confront his father on a matter that had plagued his mind for years: Adopting a child.
'She always wanted to raise her own kids…' For all the toughness she displayed, his wife was a big softy when it came to children. He'd seen her gaze longingly at the kids that were playing on the streets whenever they rode by on their horses, a detail that made him curse himself for his impotence. By his own will or not, he felt he'd robbed the chance for her to ever be a mother.
So it came to no surprise when she suggested taking in an orphaned boy or girl and raising them as the next heir to the Levantine name. Claudia promised she would teach them everything she knew and would even ask the Goddess Reborn herself to provide a blessing if they got a girl.
"Surely Father will like that; he values strength above all else and having a child blessed by the Goddess and taught by Claudia herself would satisfy him." Truth be told, the chances of a positive outcome was practically rock-bottom, he knew that better than anyone else. "But if he doesn't accept… then I'll relinquish my titles and leave this place with Claudia."
His knees shook when the familiar giant black doors leading to Grave's personal study came into view. With his heart pounding and sweat rapidly building up inside his palms, Klaus was quite nervous to say the least.
"…This is it," he said to himself, taking a series of deep breaths as he brought his hand up and knocked three times.
"Enter." With the sound of papers being shuffled, Grave's commanding voice exuded out like a judge in court, enlightening Klaus to the fact that his father was deep in administrative affairs. Without wasting any more time, he pushed the door open and entered the room.
The office was as grand as he remembered, walls adorned with weapons of war his father had used on the battlefields. There were medals and trophies as well, honoring his many achievements during the years in service. At the very end of the room was a large portrait of Grave in his younger years wearing full metal armor, and beneath that was the man himself scribbling on some document
Klaus gulped. A tidal wave of pressure and nervousness washed over him as he stood in his father's presence. Even his shadow made him feel like an ant facing a ferocious lion, a beast that could kill him with a single stomp, provided it could even be bothered to notice something as pathetic as him.
"G-Good morning, Father." Klaus cursed himself for the stutter, a habit he knew Grave despised tremendously, viewing it as yet another sign of weakness.
"…" His father never acknowledged nor returned his greeting, continuing to focus on his work instead. A reaction Klaus had grown all too used to by this point.
"C-Claudia left a few days ago to Celestine-sama's palace and encountered some issues with matters concerning Alicia-sama. Her latest letter mentioned she would be returning in a week or two from now, and has given me the responsibility to oversee the kingdom for a bit…" Just for once, even if it were empty words, Klaus wanted to hear his father compliment his effort. Handling the role as a treasurer on top of his other duties was not easy to say the least.
With the death of Lord Blueborn and the revelation of his underground slave market, rumors started circulating about whether or not such illegal criminal organizations were prevalent in Ansur as well. He'd spent countless sleepless days and nights visiting the noble houses within the kingdom, making sure to have their entire estates checked for similar misdeeds. On top of that, he was managing the trade of commodities such as gold, salt, food and weapons for the general population, including the Knights. All of this was just a fraction of the duties he had done but Klaus did wonder how his body hadn't crumbled due to exhaustion by now.
He hoped… he wished for Grave to have noticed his recent efforts at the very least.
"Get to the point." Those words cut right through the atmosphere like a sharp knife. It was clear that Grave did not want to entertain this any longer than what was necessary, a realization that only made his son sigh in his heart.
Clenching his hands, Klaus gathered the embers of his courage and uttered the following words; "Claudia and I are thinking of adopting a child."
Hearing those words Grave froze, engulfing the room in a suffocating silence that made Klaus shudder in fear. As to not have his father misunderstand any further, he continued with his speech.
"We have been contemplating this idea for the last few months now. As you know I have done everything in my power to resolve this issue. I have consulted with the best healers in the Alliance and even asked Celestine-sama for personal assistance — unfortunately it was all to no avail. I want to be a father as much as Claudia wants to be a mother, and we also realize how much you wanted a… suitable heir to the family." Even if he had long since accepted the fact, it still wasn't so easy to admit it.
"Claudia swore on her role as a Princess Knight that she would do her best to teach the child everything she knows about military skills and tactics. If we get a girl then the Goddess could even bless her with both strength and speed beyond that of any other warrior. I have agreed to similarly impart everything I know as well. I'm sure you would be far happier with such an heir instead of me." Being the worrywart that he is, he reprimanded himself for walking into the lion's den naked instead of writing a letter beforehand. At least then he wouldn't have to face this untenable silence…
Hearing the sound of the wooden chair scraping against the floor, Klaus caught sight of his father rising from his seat. Steadfast yet tainted with a sense of dread, wearing a poker face that made it impossible to gauge his emotions. As he placed his hands behind his back, Grave walked undauntedly toward Klaus. The sound of his boots echoed throughout the room, increasing in magnitude until the man himself stood in front of his son. A thought bloomed in Klaus' head, the realization that he was in the midst of a man who had more accomplishments than any princess Knight under his belt... One of the few icons of the past who still instilled fear and respect throughout Eostia. From the Dark Queen of the Barren lands to even the neighboring elf kingdom, as well as the beastmen tribes and surrounding human nations.
"Have I ever told you how the Levantine family ascended to this level of power and prestige?" Grave said calmly, his deep voice echoing across the room.
"Y-Yes you have, Fa-Father…" of course he knew the details, having studied every single piece of literature inside the Levantine library. From their humble beginnings when his father came from basically nothing and signed up to be a frontline soldier. How he survived countless battles against the demons and lived to tell the tale. Rising to the rank of a minor noble as a reward for his unparalleled valor in battle, but hindered by the nest of snakes in the court who have always tried to undermine him. Klaus knew every single detail of his father's history, for that was the reason why he admired and feared the man before him, even if the latter was well into his elder years.
"The Levantine family existed for far longer than many of the current noble houses — centuries of history one can even say. We never held any true power or influence over any of the kingdoms, and just like many, we were weakened even further by the forces of Olga Discordia. If it weren't for my predecessors sacrificing their lives to buy more time, then I would never have succeeded in elevating the family's status to the position it holds today." Looking towards the fireplace, he gazed at the hung art piece representing his family's emblem. "For many years I stood at the very top, expecting the Levantine household to prosper further under my guidance, until the day when I would pass the mantle to a worthy heir… but then you were born."
Even though he had heard it many times in the past, those words still cut deeper than any blade ever could. Klaus couldn't help but feel a part of him die whenever he heard those words.
"A spineless weak coward, possessing not even an iota of the Levantine's warrior might. I had even considered the notion that you were the result of an affair between your mother and a peasant. Had it not been for the mages confirming your bloodline, then she would have been hanged at the gallows as I drowned you in the nearest river." The cold and uncaring tone that came from his voice sent a chill down Klaus' spine. There was not a trace of love or care for anyone. "Every single day, I begged the gods for it to be true. At least then, I wouldn't have had to suffer the humiliation and mockery from my fellow peers, let alone the shame of knowing that my own seed was capable of being so utterly pathetic. Surprising me still is the fact that I can no longer bring myself to be disappointed by your feebleness."
"…"
"On top of being unable to contend against the most inept of conscripts, you have tarnished my name yet again with your inability to create a child with one of the most perfect women in all of the land. A fucking impotent who shares my blood as a Levantine! Humph, they called me a tiger who got a crippled mutt as an heir! In all of my worst nightmares, I hear these words! Again and again!" Grave did not hold back his words, his one calm tone growing louder and louder till he was shouting at the now kneeling Klaus.
"I… I tried my be—Argh!" Klaus had the air forced out of his lungs by a metal boot striking his stomach. The man fell on the floor, coughing up saliva with his glasses falling off of his face as well.
"Best? What best!? You never even tried surpassing your limits!" Grave hit his son once again. "You barely trained with the sword for a few days before giving up and breaking down crying in front of my most respected generals!"
A crunching sound came as the glasses were crushed into hundreds of shards.
"You humiliated yourself and ME in front of the entire Alliance! You couldn't even set foot on the battlefield without running away to find some place to hide like a coward! That's what you are, a fucking coward who cries and flees at the slightest hint of danger! A wimp who can only complain and cry out for help in order to be saved! You are no warrior! You are unworthy of the Levantine name!"
"S-Stop! P-Please! Argh! F-Father!" Klaus pleaded, hiding his head beneath his arms. Tears streamed down his cheeks as blood smeared his face.
"YOU'RE NOT MY SON!" Grave exclaimed loudly, his face red with fury. "No son of mine would have ever entertained the notion of adopting a worthless peasant brat, let alone say as much to my own face! What you've suggested is no different than just ending our bloodline for good, killing everything I and my forefathers worked so hard for! What we struggled, fought, killed and died for!" As he said those words, the old man stomped on his son several more times before stepping back and closing his eyes, followed by him taking a deep breath.
He walked back to his desk, ignoring the whimpering Klaus behind him. Grabbing a bottle of wine, he broke the top off before chugging the entire thing in one go. "…Vault was right." He whispered to himself, the memory of their past conversation at the banquet coming back to him.
"What a joke," this wasn't the first time he heard about their little idea of adopting a peasant child given how he overheard their conversation not too long ago. But to think that Klaus would have the audacity to say it to his face, Grave could only tolerate so much before his anger exploded.
"Fine, I'll do it myself." Grave turned back around to face Klaus, the latter flinching backwards from fear. "Since you can't have an heir with Claudia, then I'll take that duty upon myself."
"W-What?" Still in pain, it took a few seconds for those words to register within Klaus' mind. His eyes widened in disbelief as he was convinced that he must have heard wrong. "Y-You don—"
"—Silence!" He got cut off. "You heard me correctly. You may be pathetic in every physical aspect, but your hearing should still be working."
A smirk formed on Grave's face, shaking Klaus to his core.
"Despite my age, my own body is still robust and more than capable of siring an heir with any fertile maiden. I could sleep with ten whores in a day if I wanted to, yet I never took another wife, for I made the horrible mistake of believing in you. Now I don't want a grandchild from Claudia," Grave came closer, his face right in front of Klaus as he whispered silently. "I'll make her bear my child. A true powerful Levantine heir will be born from our union."
Klaus' eyes were filled with horror. He knew what kind of person his father was, harsh, cold and distant. But this… this betrayal was so outlandish that he momentarily blacked out from the shock.
"N-no… you're crazy… you're crazy! Claudia and Celestine-sama will never allow this! You will be captured and held in pr—Wah!" Klaus was stopped mid-sentenced again by a sword that was quickly drawn by his father, and the weapon's cold steel pressed against his throat.
At this point, even the anger in Grave's eyes vanished. Leaving nothing but pure disappointment and disgust.
"Even now, you can't even muster the courage to face me. Not even willing to stand up for your own wife, you prefer to use her name and that of the Goddess Reborn as a way of threatening me? You're even more pathetic than I imagined. Maybe watching your wife get fucked by me will finally show you just what kind of man you should have been aspiring to be all these years."
Watching the fear and despair rising in Klaus' face made the old man smirk. "You think I won't succeed? Watch me. The Goddess won't be a problem for much longer after Vault returns, and I can go about taking Claudia in one of two ways. Slowly in front of your eyes, as I grow closer to her and entice her to my bedchamber. Or, I could just force my way inside her. She's still a virgin I'd imagine, it will be quite the fun experience either way."
"You… m-madman! Y-You can't do this! I… I'll tell her ev-everything you've just said!" As Klaus tried to scurry away, the doors burst open with two of Grave's bodyguards coming forward to block the path outside.
"Detain him." With a simple order, both men obeyed and detained Klaus before he could escape
With the sunlight glinting against his father's blade still pressed to his flesh, Klaus couldn't help but start fearing for his life — something which Grave noticed immediately.
"Humph, don't flatter yourself. This blade was forged to kill warriors, not cut through garbage. Which is why I'm not going to kill you. As for you telling Claudia or anyone else of our conversation, go ahead, tell her. Reveal to your wife that the honorable general who taught her basically everything in battle and knighthood since she was a child would ever do such a thing. Mark my words, her answer will be but a smile on her face as she looks at you in pity and regret, for you will turn into nothing but a hopeless bumbling fool. While I will always be present by her side to keep her company… It's time for the Seven Shields Alliance to burn at the hands of the Kuroinu, and for something better, stronger, to rise from the ashes. A true empire. 'Cuntry' I believe was what Vault came up with if you're curious about an actual name."
This… this was basically admitting to treason as well!
"You're a madman!"
Having lost all interest in Klaus, Grave gave his men the following order. "Drop him outside in some alleyway, and pay off the local bandits to rough him up a bit more. Keep him locked up somewhere until Claudia comes back. Make sure they feed him whatever drugs or potions that will muddle his mind. See to it that the Princess Knight finds out about them. Once enough time has passed, I'll send up a search party to find this so-called son of mine, just enough to put on a good show for her." At least with this, Klaus' claims would be ridiculed and attributed to delusions brought on by his trauma and supposed drug usage — something that will bolster his relationship with Claudia.
He grabbed another bottle of wine, ignoring the desperate screams and pleas for mercy coming from the background as Klaus was dragged outside his office towards his horrid future.
Honestly, this step wasn't even needed in the first place. Claudia trusted him as much as she did Klaus. They shared a sacred mentor and disciple relationship spanning over a decade. Even if Klaus told her everything while in a clear state of mind, it wasn't like she would blindly believe him.
"Now, Vault had better be quick. I will not sit idly by for too long."
He hoped things went smoothly with the invasion of Olga's castle. By now they must have won the battle and secured a victory for sure.
Soon, everything would change, and it would be for the better.
{Break}
-Dark Lands-
She honestly never believed that someone would come to her rescue. Not that she ever needed any help to begin with; her powers were more than enough to kill Vault — but it was the notion that she had to resort to her own hands to eliminate this disgusting human that had left her so irresolute.
Of all things, being saved by a human was the least of her expectations. Something her past self would have found completely absurd beyond measure. Yet here she was along with Chloe, held by the man she initially believed to be an assassin sent out to kill her. As they escaped the raging fire engulfing the throne room, she felt the heat of the flame lick her skin as she heard the faint shouts belonging to none other than Vault and his men who all couldn't escape in time.
The next thing she knew, they were high up in the air, a few hundred meters between them and the ground. The dread of being so high up without her staff made Olga's heart stop. She hated being so high up, but to avoid revealing this weakness to her enemies, she always made sure to convey the complete opposite idea to them. Only Celestine knew about this, but that woman wouldn't tell a soul. Even after centuries her loyalty to their past friendship caused that fool more trouble than anything else.
'We're going to die.' She thought to herself, having no idea how this man was supposed to survive such a long fall without having them all splatter onto the ground. Good thing Chloe was unconscious, or else she would have seen her Queen's tearful eyes riddled with fear.
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Bam!
Her entire body shook, the wind that blew against her face stopped for a moment until it picked up again.
"Eh?" Olga was surprised when she opened her eyes and found out that they hadn't died from the fall. "I'm… alive…"
"You don't sound so certain about that." The man spoke, seconds before she and Chloe were dropped to the ground near a dead tree.
'Such insolence!' Anger momentarily flared inside her mind before she forced it down, this wasn't the time nor the place. She gazed at her 'savior', his body covered with a white cloak, but she was close enough to see the red clothing underneath.
…It was the same description of the man who had slaughtered her armies a few weeks back when she tried to take out a small village. Not to mention the incident at the valley; what connection he had with the entity who dropped the monstrosity of a sword was still unknown.
"Who are you…" She asked warily, distrust plainly evident in her voice. He must have an agenda, a ploy to use her and Chloe for his own nefarious plans as the rest of the humans. "Do you work for Celestine?"
He gave her a side glance and said, "No, I'm not associated with that stalker," before vanishing in a flash towards her castle.
"Wait, you can't just— " she tried to follow him, but stopped dead in her tracks. "By the gods…"
Where once stood her grand castle was now nothing more than a pile of rubble and fire. Nothing remained, everything was gone. For the first time in her life, Olga was grief-stricken, unable to process the reality before her. So she just stood there, her back leaning against the dried out husk of a tree before she slowly slid down to the ground.
She was devastated and lost.
Olga lingered in that state for a bit till an overwintering sense of danger washed over her and for a split second, the whole world turned red.
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In a land far away from Eostia, there existed an enormous lake lying beneath an underground cave system. Hidden from sight and nonexistent to humans, it was a location known only by Celestine and two other individuals.
Existing in an environment with plentiful Mana, the area was so incredibly dense that it made anything outside feel nonexistent in comparison. A place where normal humans would have died immediately from being overwhelmed by the sheer power manifesting there.
In the middle of this lake, a single giant leaf construct floated silently with a person sleeping peacefully on it. A young woman with beauty rivaling that of Celestine and Olga, wearing nothing but a gold chain that didn't even hide her intimate parts. Long wavy blonde hair that reached her heels, and beautiful pink lips.
(img: This part was supposed to have an image but can't add one in Webnovel. Fortunately you can see it on Wattpad in the same chapter.)
Out of nowhere, the lake rippled.
"—?"
The maiden opened her blue eyes, having the same pale skin color as Celestine. She awoke from her centuries-long sleep, alarmed by the presence of a source of power she could not recognise. But one thing was certain…
"Intruders."
Maybe it was time for her to reunite with her Sister. She was probably aware of whatever was going on.
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At the same time, a certain Goddess Reborn had already organized a garrison leaving the kingdom of Thorne. Her hands were clutching a letter sent to her from Claudia, recounting the rough portrait of a certain white-haired man she'd previously only ever seen in her dreams. Wanting to take fate into her own hands for once, she vowed to find him… no matter the cost.
And by all the gods, she would stop at nothing to save him! That horrifying future she foresaw… the hanging of a man who did no wrong will not come to pass!
Yet at that same moment, the same foreign energy washed over her, an energy she found hauntingly familiar.
"There… It's coming from the northwest. Olga's land?"
She raised her hand where a beautiful moth came to rest on her finger.
"Tell Kaguya that I need her help, quickly." The insect flew away, heading straight for Kaguya's Kingdom. In a stunning feat of magic, the moth disappeared in a flash.
Not wanting to waste another moment, Celestine commanded her knights to move as quickly as possible to reach Claudia. Something major had struck the barren lands, and she didn't like how even her renowned powers of divination had failed to warn her of or even react to such a thing.
{Break}
-Remnants of Castle Discordia-
"So we finally meet. I do believe though that this will be our first and last encounter with one another, Vault." Archer said dryly, gazing at the pitiful sight in front of him of the man who was frankly a dead man walking, yet who was too disillusioned to realize it. Looking over, much of his body was missing, probably crushed or vaporized from the intense heat. The little that remained though, were mostly charred down to the bone.
"Y-You!" Vault was seething in hate, showing an unending amount of madness in his lone eye towards Archer.
"Careful there, you might lose your tongue, literally. It's barely hanging on." Looking around, Kin's corpse had already stopped bleeding with Gae Dearg still sticking out of his chest. "You know, I've heard about you quite a bit from various sources. Some see you as some kind of hero or messiah, brought here to save all of Eostia from the clutches of evil. Others see the Kuroinu as nothing but a parasite that needs to be exterminated once it's served its purpose. But now I'm certain of what you are: A conniving opportunist who wanted to usurp Olga's forces in order to seize control of Eostia."
"…M-My… Sex Em-Empire… "
The moment Archer heard those words, his eyes twitched.
"A sex empire… never in all my time doing this have I heard of something like that." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm not even going to question that." From the name alone it was obvious what he had in mind. "Were you planning on turning the seven kingdoms of the Alliance into a massive brothel? Have all the men be free to rape any women they desired without repercussions?" Emiya ended up questioning it anyways, given how absurdly idiotic this entire concept sounded.
Seeing Vault's expression, the answer was clear to see. "You can't be serious…" Was there something wrong with the people in this world? For Vault to have come so far, he must have had allies and supporters who knew about this plan and still went along with it.
"Y-You'll… p-pay f-for this… bast…ard!"
Of course, people still saw him as a hero who came here to finally destroy the Dark Queen and save the world. Archer realized that killing Vault would only paint the man as a martyr, as no one was aware of his true motive and ambition. In turn Archer would be the villain who murdered him.
The bowman shrugged, "Most likely they'll send armies after my head, that is if they know I'm the one who killed everyone here. Or maybe they already know it through some of this world's magic."
He nearly chuckled when he saw Vault's grin, the man probably assumed he would suffer the consequences and be on the run or something.
"T-They w-will h-hunt you… down. You'll… g-get torn apart, piece… by… p-piece. Sh-She'll never…let you… live in peace."
A certain person came to his head, "Are you referring to Maia perchance?" The moment he mentioned her name, Vault was caught by surprise and looked at him with shock.
"You—"
"Know her? You can say that, she's quite clingy and a pain to handle in all honesty." A gentle smile appeared on his face. "Though her stubborn nature and rather energetic demeanor will be difficult to forget. Plus she can be rather endearing once you get to know her. We had a good time together. It really is a shame that she'll probably hate me in the future."
Vault shook with fury as he understood the meaning behind his words, starting to rave like a deranged lunatic as Archer found he no longer desired to speak with him.
It was time, Archer was not one to talk with his targets in the first place. This usually only happened when he found himself facing a certain infuriating red-headed stubborn boy who never failed to make his anger flare up with his idiocy.
But before he could deal the killing blow, a single question began festering in his mind.
"Tell me one last thing, Vault; what were your plans regarding Maia?" He asked while leaning in toward the dying Kuroinu leader. "You must have known about her feelings for you. What were you planning on doing to her if she disagreed with your plans?" Gray eyes glared sharply at the wreck of a man before him.
"…F-Fuck you! S-She's n-nothing but… a wh-whore… like all… the rest… She would have… en-enjoyed su…ch a life! I would have… thrown her to the orcs… and let them fuck the brains out of h—hmmf!" Vault wasn't allowed to finish his speech as a steel-toed boot slammed down upon his mostly burned head.
"I've heard enough." Archer whispered silently, Kanshou and Bakuya already dismissed from his hands, they were not needed anymore. He usually wouldn't go to such lengths, it wasn't worth the effort to dirty his clothes nor his time. But now — given these were his last moments in this world — he didn't care.
Slowly he increased the force, shoving his shoe deeper into the Kuroinu leader's head.
"Hhmmmfffff!?!?!?" Vault let out a muffled scream. Powerless to stop Archer, he was forced to bear the immense pressure pulverizing his skull as the gravel beneath dug further into his skin.
Vault's skull cracked, his remaining eyeball popped out of its socket as his face deformed even further.
With a last push… crackle! Archer's Reinforced leg crushed Vault's head, splattering his brain matter and blood all over the ground including his shoes.
Just like Kin not so long before him, the leader of the Kuroinu had died by his hands.
Vault was no more.
"Good riddance." He said, watching the body twitch a couple of times before going still forever.
Emiya sighed, emotionlessly looking towards the sky. His long mission was over, and it was now only a matter of time before Alaya came forth and whisked him away. He sat on a boulder a short distance away from the corpses of Vault and Kin, feeling a sense of exhaustion wash over his body. This would always happen at the end of his missions, just something he had grown used to.
As he waited, he soon experienced the familiar sensation of time dilation. He knew that it wasn't the world's space or its time that was affected, but rather just his own perspective.
A single dot appeared in the air before expanding into a ball of light surrounded by two consecutive rings spinning around it. Blue smoke-like fire spread around him, unaffecting anything.
"So, I guess my 'vacation' has finally come to an end." Staring at the entity he made a contract with, Emiya assumed it came forth to bring him back.
[World class danger sector K-7498N7… Vault. Eliminated successfully.]
"Right, honestly I still don't understand how his idea of a sex empire would have even worked. Oh well, not like there is a need to ever find out." He gestured towards the area where she left Olga. "Are you sure she is not more dangerous?"
[Negative. Entity: Olga Discordia (Pure Dark Elf) has posed no danger of which humanity cannot eliminate on their own. Counter Force deployment: Unnecessary.]
Emiya wondered how the woman would react knowing that someone like Vault with his ridiculous idea of a sex empire posed a bigger threat and danger to humanity than her own goals despite having waged a thousand-year war against the human nations. How she was probably too weak compared to a regular human. He didn't know her personally, but something told him that she was an extremely proud and even haughty woman, and would have probably been very offended.
"I guess it's time for me to leave this place. I won't lie, I did have some fun while it lasted, so I am somewhat thankful for that." He closed his eyes, waiting to wake up back in the familiar barren wasteland surrounded by countless swords and giant cogs riddling the sky above.
[Counter Guardian EMIYA has not completed the mission. Request for retrieval denied.]
"…What?" Emiya was caught by surprise by this claim, almost believing that he didn't hear Alaya properly. "I think you're mistaken. As you can see, Vault is dead, and so are all of the Kuroinu's commanders."
[Affirmative. Primary target Vault has been successfully eliminated, completing the first objective of the deployment.]
"First?"
Seeing his confusion, Alaya repeated the mission,
[Primary mission objective: Hunt down and eliminate target Vault before it is too late — Completed. Secondary mission objective: Hunt down targets critical to Humanity's ruin — In Progress. Time limit for this objective is removed. Upon completion, retrieval of spirit will be decided by Counter Guardian EMIYA.]
"This mission makes less sense the more I hear about it. I just asked you if Olga was a danger to humanity and you said no. Do you want me to kill her as well after all?" Unfortunately for him, that was not the case as Alaya invalidated his words.
[Negative. Olga Discordia has not been deemed a threat to humanity large enough to warrant Counter Force intervention. Calculating the closest target's location… twenty meters.]
So close? Wait… wasn't that where the corpses of Vault and Kin are?
[Target Status: Severely weakened shard, awakening.]
"…What?" A bad feeling arose in his guts.
[Threat Level: High. Until the target has been eliminated or banished by Counter Guardian EMIYA, protocol 435483—VA—L cannot be performed.]
[Target has begun to move. Good luck, EMIYA.]
"W-wait!"
Before Emiya could even react, Alaya disappeared before him. The world that seemed to have come to a halt now returned to normal. Or rather, time was always in motion but it was just him that was the exception during his conversation with Alaya.
Yet that was not what preoccupied his mind. Rather, a sense of horror dawned upon him as he noticed a shift in the atmosphere. The hairs on his arm rising, the ominous sensation of something watching him from behind. He slowly turned his head, and saw a red light coming from Kin's corpse. A small jewel rose from his pockets and hovered in the air.
The stench of smoke and burned debris was quickly replaced by the smell of iron.
"What the…"
Hundreds, if not thousands of tiny blood red tendrils came out of the red jewel, separating into five parts that slowly started to resemble a humanoid of some sort.
In all his time as a Counter Guardian, he never recalled seeing such an entity in his life.
It looked like a puppet made from loose strings of blood, somehow able to keep itself standing. Unable to identify its face or if it even was a person. He felt its gaze upon him, and heard the following words spoken in a heavily distorted voice.
"Oh, a Counter Guardian? Very interesting indeed."
"—!?"
If it knew what he was, then this thing was most likely from his world! That idea put him more on edge than assuming this abomination originating from this world.
"It's unfortunate how they both died, I had so much planned for them. You could have at least waited until I was fully fed before killing them!" One of the tendrils lifted Kin's corpse, with more of them digging into his skin and spreading quickly. A hand going over his cheeks. "Now I'm forced to use up my remaining stored energy to survive." The entity crossed its string-like arms, turning its face away from Archer in anger.
A dark omen.
Archer quickly Traced his bow and fired an arrow at whatever this thing was. He didn't like this, it gave a terrible premonition and he knew that he needed to kill it as soon as possible!
Clang!
His projectile slammed uselessly against a red shield similar to the one Kin had used to survive the destruction of the fortress. This further seemed to annoy the entity.
"So rude. Not only did you dare refuse to kneel before me, but you even have the gall to attack me? It would seem that a punishment is in order here." More tendrils appeared on one side of the body to form a full hand. It pointed a finger at him, before a small red dot appeared at the tip of the digit. A dense amalgamation of Magical Energy formed into a single point, ready to be unleashed at any moment.
At that moment, a memory surfaced in Archer's foggy mindscape.
He and -in, –bushed by -lack t-ndrils.
She almost — if he h–n't –shed her -way-
Corrup— mud wh-ch – fe– in.
T-e —ck sh–ow thr—ed with mali-e, its killing intent so—-g once again. The M—--l –ergy it was ab-—ing from the su—-nding –owly caused –rything around it to die.
A single red dot that was aimed straight for them!
This wasn't the same entity, it was another being entirely, only far worse. Yet what it was about to do was all too familiar to him.
Archer moved, his bow discarded as he brought his hand in front of him.
It happened in a split second.
His vision was filled with red as he came to face a torrent of destructive energy being fired at him like a roaring tsunami threatening to kill him in a split second.
Summoning every ounce of power available to him, he muttered.
"I am the bone of my sword."
Then, seven beautiful flashes of light filled the area.
"Rho, Aias!"
Both the ruins of the Castle and Archer himself were engulfed in a large explosion of red energy that rocked the landscape, swallowing everything in its passage and turning every single bit of matter into dust.
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.