Pulling myself from the rubble I stretched an arm. The pain was lingering slightly. Having taken a direct hit from a stray bullet threw me into the wall.
Yuji was continuing to dodge as he moved around the subway. Then Mahito got an idea in his head the flood the subway with a flesh wall. As It closed in on our side of the subway Mahito himself burst through the flesh wall.
He was in the center of mine an Yuji's path to reconnect. A look into the eyes of Yuji told me of his concentration. The focused look as he walked to Mahito in his sight.
Running in their direction My danger intuition triggered. Blades slashed out from the wall. Ducking and sliding past them I made my way behind Mahito.
Eyes opened on the neck of the freak, he then held a hand out towards me. It shifted into a cannon like appearance.
When It fired I moved out of it's path. Using a spark of Spirituality I ignited the fire from his weapon to engulf him. As he screamed, stunned from the pain Yuji was upon him. Cursed energy as a bluish green flame alight on his hand as it connected.
Mahito was blasted through the fleshy wall. Blood rained as the wall fell apart.
Mahito after rolling a little past his initial landing stood once more. A manic smile adorned his face.
"hehhhehe, Yuuuuujiiii, Who's your new friend? hehhhehe, Seems a little Dangerous to have someone like him around you. Just like all your other friends, Is he going to go away too?"
With anger Yuji gritted his teeth. In the lull of the battlefield he shouted, "Why, WHY! What the Hell Are YOU!?
"heheh, No need to shout. I'm right hear after all. To answer your question..." He tilted his head as his stare bore into Yuji, "I'm just like you!"
I had been quiet for too long. My eyes glowed purple as the newly enhanced Spirit Vision bore sight to the monstrosity before us.
As Yuji's muscles tensed, my own shifted. Density and mass tripled. My weight having grown exponentially in a split second.
"No. What you are is a bastardized ideal of envy. Wanting and playing at trying to be human." A step brought my weight to reality as the ground caved as I dug my foot in. A cantrip of Fog spread from my foot to cover the action.
"So let me tell you something, Mahito. You will die today. You will join the millions of souls I saw wailing in the winds of destruction. So I declare, in My Name."
I felt a change. The world, This fucked up crazy world, heard me. It wanted to give me something in exchange for this "Vow". My existence bore into reality at the assumption I needed It's help.
The look on Mahito's face when I released to the world just WHAT I am, brought fear to his face. Then we moved. My shroud changing into a clawed hand with the shadows around me. Yuji moving so fast he was by his side just as fast as my skip.
My right foot planted into the ground as I turned with My clawed hand reaching out to grasp his shoulder. Yuji's right foot planted as he brought up his left leg in a roundhouse.
My claw reached first as I tore into the flesh of Mahito's shoulder. Then came Yuji's kick right into Mahito's stomach. Just as he was about to fly off from the impact I dragged him back down to the ground. My grip firm as I expanded the claw that dug through him. Spikes of Shadow erupted from him.
In his screams of pain he separated into multiple parts. Exploding from the flesh and blood of the attack. Darting here and there. My senses allowed me to track them as the disgusting creatures ran.
Myself and Yuji moved to chase them.
We found they moved through cracks in the celling and moved to intercept. Yuji took an elevator while I lit a fire with a cantrip through a crack to Flame Blink. As the fire died away I saw civilians. Only my mystical senses told me otherwise.
My weight reduced as I bolted forward. Ignoring the turned humans in my sight. A pit in my stomach formed as my teeth gritted as I saw what they truly became under the skin of a human. Yuji came out of an elevator and was warning two of them to run away. Only to be attacked, he distance away from me.
As he was blown away I intercepted another before it could attack. destroying the creature with a cursed energy enhanced attack. Mostly copying Yuji for my usage of Cursed energy.
Defending myself from a horde of the transfigured humans I looked to Yuji as he was trying to move one of the few remaining humans in this area. Only I saw what still remained in the head of the man. As It exploded in a shower of blood Mahito came swinging around a pillar with a mace for a hand.
Only just as he was about to strike, Spikes once more erupted from his chest. He was left coughing up blood while mid air.
"Kugisaki?"
With realization on his face he recognized an opportunity, one Yuji didn't squander.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{Slightly Before/ Above Ground}
[POV Nobara Kugisaki]
Running around dodging attacks was all I could do for now. As Mahito attempted to strike down with a mace on his hand I jumped once more out of the way.
With Nails in my hand I hit them with my hammer towards him. As he ducked the attack I was left with running once more to escape. Fleshy arms erupted from him as he continued to chase me. The ground broke into debris as he followed me.
Leading him in circles as more Nails began to accumulate in the same area, I saw it was time. Jumping high onto a nearby catwalk Mahito was left on the ground. The creepy smile on his face as he looked at me.
Tossing a nail as I ran on the catwalk towards him below I snapped my finger. My technique shot into the ground as the scattered nails popped up. With another snap they shot out like fragments of a grenade. Stunning Mahito.
I jumped landing on his chest and bringing him to the ground. My hammer struck his face as I brought it up. A nail dropped from just the right height to line up with his forehead as he brought his face back down.
I screamed and infused as much cursed energy into my technique. "TOMONARI!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{Subway system}
Yuji on his feet took his stance. No hesitation as he attacked. He continued to barrage Mahito With attacks. Eventually he was put against a pillar as he continued to pummel him. tossing him from pillar to pillar of the underground subway. In the meantime I prepped.
Feeling the Cursed Energy I wanted to give it some kind of direction. Something to give an edge to not waste so Magicka and Spirituality. Mahito still had a lot to give, I could feel it.
The next best option was to infuse it into something. So I channeled it into the shroud. Immediately I could feel a change in the artifact. The raw emotional energy coursed into the cloth as It burned with a black fire.
Channeling this into my clawed hand I stabbed into the shadow of a pillar next to me as Mahito separated once more and tried to escape. The shadow burning with Black Fire stabbed into one of the mini Mahito clones while Yuji exploded another.
We chased after the final few as they reconstituted into Mahito. We were Just behind as It continued to run.
Rounding a corner we saw the sight of two Mahito. High Fiving as they passed one another. Yuji's eyes dilated as he Screamed.
"Run! Kugisaki!"
My Vision changed as I saw her coming down the stairs at the end of the hallway.
'No... Not again. This time, THIS TIME! I Will Make It!'
My vision was swarmed by the presence of souls in agony. But my sight was straight forward. My left hand went to the small of my back. Griping the Dragon bone handle.
All three energies coursed through me. My purple circuits decorated my arm. Cursed Energy draped as a flame danced around my arm next. Then Spirituality as Purple particles forming as strings emerged and joined the dance.
I drew my weapon. My blade. And for the first time all of my energies were in harmony. They didn't fight as my blade was drawn in a reverse grip. As I came out of traveling I was face to face with Mahito's arm in my sight.
Dragging the blade in an uppercut through the air I made contact and sliced. Never had my strike been so smooth, so clean. Then, Chaos, as my energies aimed at my target. The one who drew my Ire.
The stunned woman was next to me. Mahito was screaming bloody murder as my energies invoked havoc on him. Eating at his arm, until he was forced to cut it.
Tension left me as I turned to her panting and saw she wasn't affected. There were no marks on her soul from Mahito. A sigh left me in relief.
Yuji was next to us in a moment's notice and said, "Kugisaki, are you alright?"
"Yeah, Itadori, who is this?"
"A friend! His name is Emiya Azarius" Yuji said.
"A pleasure!" a genuine smile on my face. Even as I felt drained from the attack.
"Kugisaki Nobara"
Unfortunately our introductions were cut off. Mahito had just cut off his arm that was still burning with those energies until it disappeared. Then his clone was reabsorbed into him.
"YOU, You keep getting in the WAY! MY FUN! MY PLAYTHINGS! UGHHHHAAAAA"
Putting my right hand into my trench coat I laid a hand on Amentia as he charged us. I still felt weak from using, whatever attack that was.
Yuji charged to meet Mahito head on as Kugisaki tossed a nail and snapped. The nail draped in cursed energy shot out like a bullet towards Mahito. The nail traveled over Yuji's shoulder but missed as Mahito dodged.
Amentia was drawn and I tried to feel for my divinations to determine the shot. But I was cut off. The ability wouldn't activate. Standing by, I stabilized my right arm with my left arm. My blade acting as a guard as in my stable position.
I spoke to Kugisaki next with Yuji nearby he could hear my words, "Whatever I did before, it took a lot out of me. Most of my abilities are sealed for some reason. This weapon fires random spells, from fire balls to buffs or heals like in a game."
The response she gave was a grunt and sending another attack Mahito's way as he traded blows with Yuji.
This created an opening for Yuji as Mahito had to dodge once more. Yuji took this and struck with a haymaker that sent him through the wall. Back into the Prior battlefield.
We ran after him. The three of us trailed in behind as he stood once more. Arms sprouted and hovered around him as he chuckled.
"Hehehe. Itadori Yuji! Nobara Kugisaki! And... Emiya Azarius. I'm going to enjoy this. Enjoy... Killing You!"
Yuji took a deep breath as he got into his stance. Pushing myself to run towards the side I aimed Amentia.
With the tell tell sign of a golden light erupting from it, I shifted my aim to Yuji and the Golden bullet slammed into him. He didn't acknowledge it in his focused state but the slight wounds and exhaustion from the earlier fights were visibly healed.
Mahito was stunned at the sight as Yuji rocketed forwards with renewed vigor. Within a second he was upon Mahito. As he connected, "Black Flash!" were the words that came from him.
I became witness to a stunning spectacle of black cursed energy surrounded by a red aura. Even my own being shuddered in the presence of that attack.
Mahito was once more sent flying but recovered himself as he rolled off the momentum. Sliding with his hands on the ground arms sprouted once more from his back towards us. Screaming his head off.
Only instead of us he targeted Kugisaki. I was too far away this time with my abilities sealed. So I shot another spell from Amentia which became a Shockbolt. She herself was ready as well. Cursed nails flew from her grasp into the air. With a snap they intercepted the arms coming her way. Except one.
Just as the clenched fist would reach her a new sound reached our ears.
A Clap.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For the Glory of Battle,
For the Gore of War.
Applause from the Cattle,
As we march on for more!
AN:// Going to be honest, this whole as ark will have many cliffhangers. But I hope that they live up to their hype they inspire. I will say Sunday there will be the second edition of Adventures of a sword. I will include Shirou's status there. Reason being is slight procrastination on my part. Also it makes more sense to put it there.
For this chapter and the subsequent ones I want to truly stretch and change where I can due to Azarius' inclusion. Canon will be truly fucked by the end, but it takes a few flaps to get there. Such as Kugisaki's perceived death and instead the changes her survival brings to the fight.
Understand that Mahito Is STRONG. He is truly an endgame lv boss and is acknowledged even by Sukuna, AND he is only his first phase of the fight.
For the reason Azarius doesn't use a few of the abilities listed before, for example Marionet strings, They are very new. So as he was trained, if you can't use something effectively don't use it. Or they are kept as Trump Cards, Such as I came, I saw, I record.
Love you guys, Keep up the good work with the stones.
Happy to hear your thoughts as Always!
Peace.