23 These Ceaseless Changing Times - 3

A sense of vertigo overtook Shirou for but a second before he was deposited harshly onto the ground. Rolling, he quickly jumped to his feet with Kanshou and Bakuya already in hand as he took a defensive stance. His eyes were alert, and he scanned the new surroundings he found himself in.

Before he could wonder where he was, Caster's reappearance was announced by a flash of purple.

"All those that dare threaten our peace shall be eradicated!" Caster spoke velvety, but there was an unmistakable layer of malice in her words.

Shirou was quick to act, projecting a couple of blades and firing them at the hovering Servant. At the last second, Caster suddenly vanished in a shimmering flash of purple light. Shirou remained alert, keeping his guard up and anticipating any further action. After a few tense seconds, he eventually relaxed his stance upon seeing no immediate threat.

There he remained, silent and conflicted, his thoughts frazzled and a mess, the reality of the situation finally settling in.

"I really must be cursed or something." Shirou grumbled aloud, running a hand through his hair.

The faker never had any true intention of chasing after Caster, and if she had been dealt with by someone else, it was doubtful he would lose sleep over it. However, fate seemed to have other ideas in mind for him, as he now found himself facing off against the digital Heroic Spirit herself, despite only learning about her recently.

What were even the odds that Caster's pathing would just so happen to lead her to him of all people at that exact moment, thus leading to their involvement and beginning the raid in and of itself?

If he didn't know any better, he would ponder the idea that someone or something was conspiring against him.

"The question is, what do I do now?" He wondered, trying to decide which course of action to take next.

While the matter with the PKers was more or less resolved, it was replaced with an entirely different ordeal.

The seemingly obvious course of action was to go forth and try to fight against the Servant. However, there were two reasons for his slight hesitation. The first being Roman's information and the facts he managed to impart concerning Caster and those that have died by her hand. Which indicated that there was much more to this "raid" than meets the eye. On his own, it'll prove a definite challenge.

Secondly, there was little motivation for him besides the reward of the Class Card, which he had already made peace with. His thoughts shifted, focusing on how to get out of this pocket dimension for the moment.

Grabbing a [Gate] scroll, he tossed it into the air, watching as the parchment burned. He waited, but nothing appeared.

"So teleportation is out." He muttered, already deducing what was going on.

This area, or 'dungeon' Shirou found himself in, was a pocket space of some sort, sealed off and separated from the main overworld of Niðavellir. No one could get in, not without Caster's intervention, and presumably, no one could simply escape. Both Shirou and the PKers were effectively trapped. The only way to leave was to complete the raid and somehow win, or take the unavoidable death and forfeit one of their cherished gear or items.

This whole scenario reminds Shirou of that one time when he and Ainz Ooal Gown were ensnared by the World Item [Depiction of Nature and Society] due to the machinations of a rival guild. The parallels were certainly apparent. Only in this case was it doubtful that there was an exit route hidden somewhere for the Player to escape though.

Any normal Player would feel incensed about being forced into a cheap and unfavorable situation. After all, no one wants to lose, especially to something beyond their control. Which fitted the shitty devs M.O. when it came to game design for YGGDRASIL.

For Shirou, however, he quickly evaluated his options. While he could fight, there were other alternatives.

'I could always just kill myself and save all the trouble.' He briefly entertained the macabre thought.

It would be easy, too. Trace the likes of Gáe Bolg or something lethal and stab it through a vital area like his neck or heart, allowing the instant death to take effect. While discomfort was an issue, death would be quick and painless. Something he was at least grateful for Zelretch's inclusion in his situation. Plus, he could easily manage it so that when he does die, the gear or item he'll drop will be an easily replaceable one.

He'll respawn in a safe location and be free from the PKers and Caster. Nothing of importance will be lost besides maybe his time, which he had an abundance of anyway.

It'll also be the quickest and easiest solution...

Shirou immediately shook that particular line of thought away.

He really must be losing his mind if such a thought was actually being considered.

"Well, it's not like I have anything better to do." He idly commented.

Were he to escape, Shirou would likely jump back into doing some quests to make himself busy. Caster's intervention proved to be unexpected, but a fortuitous one.

Though he made his thoughts on Caster and the rest of the Servant bosses clear, the magus couldn't deny the curiosity bubbling within him to fight her. If only to experience it once and see what the developers and Zelretch had in store for him.

And so, he made his decision.

Assessing the situation, he knew he was in the middle of the woods. Behind him, there was a thick fog that encircled the surroundings. He attempted to move past it, only to be pushed back by some repellent force. If the magus had to hazard a guess, he'd say that it was the boundary of the 'dungeon.'

With nowhere to go but forward, he began making his way slowly ahead. As he walked through the forest, the familiarity of the landscape clued him in on just exactly where he was. He exited the woods, spotting a new location up ahead as well as the confirmation that he needed.

At the edge of the outcropping leading towards the mountainside, a majestic torri, a traditional Japanese gate, stood tall. The gate bore the kanji that read Mount Enzo. Beyond the gate lies a flat expanse of land that spreads out at the base of the mountain. From the torri, a winding pathway snakes its way across the flatlands, ascending the steep slope of the mountain. While the climb may not seem overly perilous, it culminates at the entrance of the complex that was Ryuudou Temple.

It didn't take a genius to guess where he would find the elusive boss.

As he stood at the entrance to the gates, a sense of nostalgia washed over him as he gazed upon the scenic, familiar landscape.

Shirou silently made his way through the oriental gates, taking in the tranquil landscape that surrounded him. Despite his journey thus far, he had yet to encounter any resistance on the path leading up to the temple. This unusual calm only served to heighten his vigilance, as he remained alert and on guard, anticipating the true start of the raid.

It finally came after he'd taken his first few steps towards the mountain. Shirou's ears perked up, catching the sound of something whizzing through the air towards him. From above, bolts of purple beams rained down on the faker.

He pushed forward, evading the bombardment of purple beams. The attack exploded all around him, leaving scorch marks and kicking up dust in their wake.

Though numerous, they were scattered and random, far from difficult to dodge by simply veering left and right to avoid them completely. However, that wouldn't be all.

As he drew closer to the base of the mountain, his second challenge appeared. Making their appearance were mobs easily recognized as skeletons. However, they all lacked a distinct skull, with their heads being only jaws. Some carried weapons, while others were running on all fours, their skeletal jaws snapping wildly.

Dragon Tooth Warrior – Lvl: 55

While relatively weak, there was an innumerable amount of them pouring out of the woodwork. The mobs of skeletons charged forward with reckless abandonment as bolts of energy continued raining down on the surrounding area.

With Kanshou and Bakuya in his hands and [Reinforcement] lighting up all over his body, Shirou charged head-on.

The virtual magus tore through the skeletal army. His swords, like a hot knife through butter, slashed and decapitated the skeletal warriors with ease. Even with their numbers, they couldn't halter his pace up the mountain's path.

His ear picked up the sound of an incoming purple bolt. Shirou reached out and grabbed one of the Dragon Tooth Warriors and threw it into the air. The two collided, canceling each other out. With a new strategy in mind, he continued onward with little impeding his way like a well-oiled machine. The magus made full use of the terrain and mobs as he ascended the steps, trekking up the winding path and deeper into the mountainous terrain.

'So far, so good.' Shirou thought, seeing as he'd reached the midway point with little difficulty. To his right, there was an open space that made up the cliffside, allowing for a clear view down on the land. To his left was the side forest, one that grew denser the more he ascended.

A bit too easy if he was being honest with himself. However, he spoke too soon as he noticed a flicker of light up ahead, his danger sense blaring to life.

"Trace on!"

Projecting a massive tower shield, he planted it on the ground and braced himself. A fraction of a second later, concentrated and more potent purple energy beams slammed into the shield. Pieces of his projection were almost instantly vaporized, but the shield held, protecting him from attack.

"Quite the persistent one, aren't you?" Caster appeared once more. Her robes spread opened, resembling butterfly wings, with the interior of the robes adorned with brightly colored swaths of her mana along the fabric. Numerous magic circles appeared, circling her, constantly shifting. Aligning, she fired off several greater beams at him.

Responding, he dashed forward as she rained down attack after attack with reckless abandonment, the Dragon Tooth Warriors being destroyed in the crossfire.

"[Trace Bullet]!" He invoked, tracing and firing his projections in retaliation as he ran parallel to her.

However, Caster proved to be a very slippery target to hit, as she shimmered just before his attack made contact. Remembering what happened last time, he willed them to track her, but his efforts proved inadequate. She moved with lightning-fast speed, appearing and disappearing in rapid succession, all while unleashing beams of potent mana to intercept his homing projectiles and detonating them harmlessly away from her.

Once again, she materialized before him and unleashed a barrage of purple beams.

Shirou's eyes focused on her as he dodged her continual bombardment and parried with Kanshou and Bakuya.

In contrast to the Players, the Servant Boss could spam [Teleportation] like it was nothing, as well as make full use of [Flight] within the open space, two very powerful aspects when it came to mage combat. Caster zipped around the air, moving effortlessly and instantaneously with impunity, relentlessly pursuing her opponent without any constraint. This formidable arsenal of abilities made it incredibly difficult for Shirou to land a proper attack. As if the obstacle wasn't enough, the purple mage fired beams of purple mana without end, forcing Shirou to move quickly to avoid and weave through her volleys.

With another flourish, he traced another dozen or so projections, but instead of firing them all directly at Caster, he fired them outward into the air in a spread. The Servant boss disappeared once more before reappearing, exactly as he had planned it. He couldn't predict exactly where she'd reposition, but he could at least account for it.

Willing the closest Noble Phantasms to her, they detonated in a wide area in a powerful explosion and managed to engulf Caster.

Caster emerged out of the smoke, but this time she was protected by a barrier that glistened like a sphere of glass, and, judging by her HP bar, his attack had no effect.

'I should've figured as much.' Shirou tsked.

After all, spellcasters were notorious for being the weakest in overall survivability. He shouldn't be surprised that the boss had some protection spells and buffs on her. Especially since her counterpart during the Fifth Holy Grail War had them as well.

"[Αερο]!" Pointing her staff at Shirou, he had barely enough time to react as a powerful gust of wind rushed towards him. Blades of compressed air slashed at him as he raised his arms in protection. Numerous cuts adorned his body as he was sent flying backward, hitting a large tree.

The remaining Dragon Tooth Warrior rushed him as he was down. However, he swiftly retaliated, taking them down and rising to his feet in one fluid motion. Shirou's eyes narrowed in annoyance. He needed a new plan of attack. He needed to shut down her constant teleporting, and luckily for him, he had the exact method. He avoided another blast of purple mana and dashed inward, into the side forest of the mountain's path.

Caster persisted in her attacks, strafing at the edge. Amidst the explosions and trees, flashes of light could be seen flickering within the forest, shrouded by the purple discharges.

Shirou emerged from the far side of the forest, this time with his black bow in hand, a Hrunting arrow ready, and a crystal in his hand.

"[Delay Teleportation]!" Shirou shouted the spell, tossing the spell crystal into the air before light emanated from the crystal as it exploded. The light spread across the area and coated Caster in it.

Caster teleported once more, dodging another volley of [Trace Bullet]. This time, however, there was a noticeable delay in her action. It was no longer instantaneous, allowing him to spot where she would appear next. Exactly where Shirou was ready and had primed his arrows.

Loosening his arrows, they struck but were unable to penetrate through her barrier. Even without her constant teleporting around, she continued to be nimble and glide through the air with unrivaled grace. With yet another flourish, he released a wave of projections that were dispersed and random, just like before. This time, he detonated them randomly, some more slowly than others, as opposed to having them all go off at once. Caster's form constantly flickered, disappearing and reappearing, albeit much slower now as she used [Flight] in between her teleporting to evade being caught by his attack.

Shirou knew that pinpointing exactly where Caster would reappear would be challenging in its own right, due to her range of teleportation being vast and nearly limitless within the open air. What he could do, however, was limit her options and make her move to where the magus wanted her to be. In other words, he kited Caster to make her teleport where Shirou wanted her to appear, such as a seemingly open space that was free and safe, exactly where he would be waiting for.

"There!"

Sensing his opportunity, several projected weapons shot forth from the forest, those that he had projected and had hidden throughout back then. They cut through the air with blinding speed, hitting her the split second she reappeared before she had a chance to react. Over the transparent barrier, visible cracks developed.

At the same time, Shirou let loose Hrunting. She attempted to flee, evading the attack and retreating, only for his arrow to bend at an unusual angle, resuming its chase. Caster was unable to teleport away in time, and the crimson projectiles struck her from behind, bypassing her weakened defense with ease.

Caster let out a cry as her barrier shattered, Hrunting fiercely biting into her digital flesh, and exploding. The boss lurched, teleporting away again, but thanks to the spell crystal, she was met with the same fate as before. Several more projections in reserve took to the air from the forest, detonating and forcing her to be kitted, just as Shirou had planned. The magus unleashed several high-speed projected arrows alongside Hrunting, catching her in a burst of explosions as she reappeared further away, exactly as he had predicted. This strategy continued, effectively keeping Caster in a state of lockdown.

Despite how fruitful his strategy was, Shirou found himself frowning slightly. He couldn't help but feel a sense of unease looming in the atmosphere. With one spell, he had all but crippled Caster's greatest asset, and with several key attacks, he had effectively dropped her HP bar down to mid-yellow. Dare he say it, the fight was almost easy.

What happened next would only affirm his suspicions.

Caster's body flickered, her body shrouded by a transparent coat of mana, and she disappeared. She reappeared right where she was before. That wasn't all, as her HP was full again. Shirou's eyes widened as an all-too-familiar memory replayed itself back in his head.

'So they turned that into Caster's special boss skill.' He grimaced.

"But if that's the case, that means Rule Breaker—"

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind, Caster brandished it. In her hand, the purple mage held a weapon - a jagged dagger featuring a thin, dark, and luminous purple blade. At first glance, the weapon did not seem particularly threatening, but he knew from first-hand experience what it was fully capable of. The boss immediately turned the blade on herself, nicking her hand.

The glow that once coated her when he first used [Delay Teleportation] dispersed from her body.

Without delay, Caster teleported away once again, this time instantly, just as she had done before. She reappeared directly above him, her gaze solely focused on the virtual magus.

"[Machia Hecatia Graea]!" Caster shouted as the skies lit up with multiple large spell circles. Whirling and thrumming with power, they aligned and targeted the faker. A barrage of blue lighting plunged towards him.

Shirou's eyes widened in alarm as his hand raced to his menu with the utmost speed, shifting through before bringing out one of his many contingencies. He held in his hand a small rod with lines of pulsating mana. He crushed it, and a blue dome expanded forth, shielding him. It was a consumable cash item, one that erected a barrier spell used to block against high-tier magical attacks.

He raised the barrier spell just in time to protect himself as a shower of blue lightning crashed into him. The attack tore the surroundings apart, and thunder roared as if the sky were splitting. He hissed through clenched teeth as the attack was stronger than he had anticipated, doing a fair amount more damage than he had anticipated despite the barrier and his rather high [Magic Resistance] stat.

The attack eventually let up, and not even a second after her attack finished, Shirou rushed out, bow in hand and arrows drawn. Caster disappeared as perusal, and Shirou waited. His eyes watched the skies, but this time, she didn't reappear instantly. For several seconds, he braced himself before he blinked, seeing that she was nowhere in sight.

His heterochromatic eyes narrowed, his bow lowering as he realized that Caster was completely gone.

'A timed fight encounter?' He speculated.

He was given no more time to wonder about the rules and mechanics of the encounter as his hearing picked up rumbling, the stomping skeletal feet of additional Dragon Tooth Warriors rushing up the pathway towards him. Shirou resumed his trek upwards, racing up the mountainous trail. Along the way, he used a potion to heal himself back to full health. As he soon reached the upper summit, the pathway narrowed, and flanking the smooth stone steps was a grove of trees and bamboo on either side.

A brief stint of nostalgia coursed through him as he looked at the stone steps that led to the temple's gate. Both before and during the war, so many memories...

His eyes scanned the area as he hurried up the steps, keeping the entrance to the temple in view, alert for any potential threats. Shirou half expected to encounter a certain katana-wielding Assassin.

"Ahhh!" A scream cried out. Shirou came to a quick stop when he saw something being thrown from the entrance above. It was one of the PKers from before.

Acting on instinct and absentmindedly, he jumped and caught the Player. Landing, the two briefly made eye contact before the PKer violently tried to untangle himself, forcibly pushing Shirou away.

There was a brief pause as they cautiously eyed each other. Shirou saw the Player raise an open hand towards him, and he immediately prepared an attack. Whether or not the PKer was going to attack him or perhaps even warn him, the faker would never truly know as a black blur landed in between them. Shirou staggered back and could only watch as a fist lashed out with frightening speed, a silhouette of a snake encompassing the fist as it barreled through the Player, exiting out the back.

The PKer's HP bar, which was in the red, dropped to zero, and he shattered like glass into polygons.

It was only Shirou and the mysterious attacker now.

The figure turned to face him. The silver-haired Player felt a rush of emotions surging within him. How could he not when he came face to face with his former sensei?

Souichirou Kuzuki, he looked exactly as Shirou last saw him. Dressed in a dark green, well-worn suit and tie, he stood tall and imposing. His softly cut black hair on top of his head, coupled with his bespectacled face, gave him an emotionless and austere appearance, as if he were made of stone. His entire body was covered in glowing streaks that Shirou immediately recognized as [Reinforcement], with particular attention paid to his limbs.

Sensei – Lvl: 125

It seemed that Caster wasn't the only boss he had to contend with.

He was given little time to dwell on this as his former sensei-turned-boss charged straight towards him, lashing out with a fist that he narrowly dodged. Shirou retaliated, setting [Reinforcement] ablaze all over his body.

Shirou slashed with Kanshou and Bakuya, but Kuzuki showed great dexterity by bending his body at an almost impossible angle, deflecting his attack entirely while also striking Shirou in the ribs with his fist.

The magus grunted, reeling from the heavy strike. He quickly found himself on the defensive, blocking and countering Sensei's flurry of attacks as much as he could, but the former assassin was formidable, even after all these years. Sensei's fists lashed out with lightning-fast aggression, seemingly curving around his slashes and striking his weak points. Seeing that his current strategy wasn't working, Shirou disengaged, jumping back to avoid an attack.

He dismissed the married blades and motes of light condensed within his hand as two new weapons formed. The first, a sword crafted from obsidian and crimson bearing the name of Hrunting, remained in its original form, as opposed to the various instances where he had utilized [Reinforcement] to transform it into an arrow. The second was a black and red gun, none other than Kanshou Alternative.

The two lunged forward again. Kuzuki landed another curving strike, while the Hound of the Red Plains managed to draw 'blood' with his attack. Hrunting lit up with an ominous, bloody glow.

Pivoting on the ball of his foot, Shirou lashed out with a reinforced kick, which Kuzuki brought up his hands to block and, using the momentum, leveled the silver barrel of his gun at the boss. Kanshou Alternative fired, landing several shots before the boss jumped backward, into the hedges, and used the trees and bamboo as cover as he ran. His shots rang out but were unable to find their mark.

Kuzuki grabbed a hold of a particularly long and thick bamboo and, using his momentum, swung himself around with the bamboo, appearing at Shirou's unguarded flank. A fist lunged forward, aiming at his opponent's exposed backside.

Only to be met by Hrunting, Shirou's arm and part of his upper body being brought around by the backhanded swing.

'Hrunting.' Shirou mused.

The sword of the legendary Beowulf. It was said that the crimson blade would hunt its prey no matter what once it drew blood. It looked for the most effective ways to kill its prey, almost as if it had a mind of its own. Shirou simply used this facet of the Noble Phantasm to his advantage, slacking his body to allow Hrunting to seek optimal movement. This allowed him to make on-the-dime turns and counters when needed.

Dismissing Kanshou Alternative, he traced a second Hrunting. From there, the two re-engaged in a hectic close-quarter melee, their bodies twisting as they attacked and dodged, pushing their bodies to keep up with each other.

Were there any spectators, they would be left simply befuddled, unsure of what exactly they were witnessing. It was less of a coherent fight and more like a jumble of moves and attacks being strung together. It was a constant back and forth between the combatants, where they were simultaneously attacking and yet evading all within the same breath. Highly unorthodox, yet Shirou was able to keep pace with the boss.

Hrunting struck relentlessly with pinpoint slashes, as he allowed it to help dictate his motions while parrying and repelling his former sensei's equally swift strikes however much he could.

Blow for blow, they traded, but it was far from equal. Shirou gritted his teeth, pain shooting out with every successful hit that landed on him. While he managed to land several deep wounds and gashes, Kuzuki's attacks were far more impactful. Each of the boss's blow practically produced bursts of wind with every swipe and strike.

'Heavy...' That was all he could say. Each impact was enough to rattle his bone, even with [Reinforcement]. His former sensei's blows were easily on par with Yamaiko's.

Glazing at their respective HP, Shirou was down to the low greens, while Kuzuki wasn't that far behind him HP wise.

Dodging a strike aimed at his temple, he broke off and jumped back, trying to put some distance between them.

"[Earthquake Foot]!"

Shirou's progress was abruptly halted as the imposing boss raised a foot and stomped the ground. The impact caused the ground to split and the air to quiver with the force of the earthquake. Shirou was momentarily thrown off balance, struggling to maintain his footing. Without wasting a beat, Sensei assumed a formal stance, lowering his center of gravity and drawing back his arm. A bright white aura enveloped his fist as he unleashed his attack.

"[Snake Strike]!"

Like a compressed spring being released, his fist struck blindingly fast. The image of a snake coated his fist once more. Shirou only had enough time to bring both blades up as the attack connected.

Hrunting nearly shattered upon impact, the force of the attack sent him flying back and tumbling down the stone stairs at the base. The Noble Phantasms dissolved soon after.

He coughed, trying to control his ragged breathing as a hand nursed where his sensei struck him, trying to abate the pain.

Another familiar sense of déjà vu washed over him, reminding Shirou of their first fight and how it went all those years ago. It was almost as if history was repeating itself.

He quickly brushed the idle thoughts aside and leaped out of the way as Kuzuki prepared to decapitate him by bringing down an axe kick where his head had been. The ground cracked up from the force. Rubble and dust kicked up as the attack narrowly missed, but the boss was quick to capitalize on the faker's moment of weakness, turning on his heel and rushing him down.

Prana flowed and pooled between his fingers as Shirou charged at him, the two exchanging attacks as they met. Kuzuki's serpent fist curved, landing a blow on his back and knocking him to the ground as they passed one another. The digital sensei would've rushed to finish off his downed opponent were he not inexplicably frozen in place, courtesy of several Black Keys being stabbed in his shadow.

It held him down long enough that Shirou recovered in a split second and projected his bow with arrows notched and ready, in addition to several traced broken Noble Phantasms. Without hesitation, he fired them all at Kuzuki. The entire surrounding area was rocked by the sheer force of his attack. Taking the brunt of his barrage point blank, the co-boss was sent flying backward, his body crashing through the hedges and leaving a wake of broken trees, bamboo stocks, and upturned dirt in his trail. His body lay there, battered and injured, his HP plummeting to half of its original amount.

Despite doing a fair bit of damage, a sense of suspicion bloomed within him, starting back when he managed to hurt Caster. When compared to other Dungeon Bosses of similar levels that he had previously battled, they were notably weak. He knew there was more at stake in this battle, and his suspicions were confirmed when Kuzuki was engulfed in a transparent coat of mana before his form briefly flickered and reappeared on his feet. His HP bar had recovered to 100%.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" He couldn't help but exclaim.

It seemed that Caster's time-flickering ability wasn't just limited to herself. He quickly climbed the steps as he turned his attention to the temple. He needed to get to more open grounds. Crossing through the temple's gate, he was greeted by the sight of Ryuudou Temple, exactly as he remembered it.

His eyes caught the glitter of items sprawled across the rocky temple grounds. At least he didn't have to worry about the PKers being an issue.

Before he could go any further, a beam of purple mana shot forth, slicing itself through the rock garden in front of him, halting any progress towards the temple. Above the temple, Caster materialized, her magic circle pulsing with readiness and brightness. From the entrance, Kuzuki appeared, walking calmly through the gates, his blank eyes focused solely on him.

Glancing between the two bosses and keeping both in his line of sight, he felt a grimace take hold. Two versus one. Far from the direst of situations he'd faced before in both YGGDRASIL and the real world, but it would still be an extremely uphill battle as he knew there were still tricks and gimmicks aplenty that he needed to unveil before he could assess just how the boss fight would go and devise a strategy to win.

Unfortunately, that wasn't all, however.

A deafening roar shattered the stillness of the atmosphere, a sound that was not unfamiliar to him. Its origin was undoubtedly draconian, with the thumping of powerful wings resounding through the air. As he looked up, his body was briefly shrouded in a shadow before he spotted the massive beast soaring above him.

In comparison to its more formidable counterparts from the YGGDRASIL breed, this dragon had a more slender physique. It was elongated and lean, with small forelimbs, resembling more of a winged serpent than its larger, more scaley brethren that ruled the skies. Its entire body was covered with dark green scales, which imparted a rough texture to its hide.

Colchis Dragon – Lvl: 125

The dragon circled high in the sky, its slender wings flapping and its black, beady eyes fixed to the temple.

To the front lay Caster, her spells attuned and ready for devastation. To his back stood Kuzuki, imposing and watchful, ready to strike when he'd least expect it. High above the cloud, the Colchis Dragon soared, cutting off any chance of escape.

Shirou was starting to understand how entire raiding parties were wiped out and met with nothing but defeat.

Were it only Caster or Kuzuki, one on one, Shirou was confident he could carve out a victory even with all their potential tricks up their sleeves. It would be a matter of practice and patience. Against the two of them, it would be a challenge, most definitely, and would undoubtedly involve very risky plays on his part, but not completely impossible. However, the presence of a third boss in addition to the horde of seemingly limitless mobs turns this into a battle of pure attrition.

Shirou could still do it, but he'd need to learn their abilities and exploit them as much as possible. He needed time. Time that his enemies aren't willing to give.

Not to mention that all three of them were tireless, capable of rotating aggro to allow the others to recover. Eventually, something of Shirou's will have to give, and that would undoubtedly be his MP, which was less than halfway drained from the encounter with the PKers and the brief altercation with Caster and Kuzuki. While he had an army's worth of potions and legendary-grade food within his inventory to keep his HP topped up, once his MP reaches zero, his combat capabilities will be severely impacted - even with the weapons he keeps in his inventory as backups. Avalon and MP regen potions provided only a temporary solution, more of a stopgap than a definitive solution to the problem at hand.

As he stood there, he couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu, as if he had been transported back in time to the Fifth Holy Grail War. Of all the Servant Bosses he had faced thus far, Caster was undoubtedly one of the most challenging, second only to Berserker in terms of sheer difficulty. Despite being objectively the weakest of all the Servants, Caster compensated for it by being exceptionally cunning and sly, utilizing her numerous abilities to offset the balance in her favor. To make matters worse, she was now free from the constraints that had hindered her during the previous Grail War, meaning she could operate at her full potential, much like Berserker. And if that wasn't enough, she was also backed up by two equally formidable co-bosses.

Shirou could only see one viable strategy: to completely nuke them with a full combo, dropping their HP from 100 to 0, preventing them from having time to use the time flicker skill.

Not even the developers would be cruel enough to tack on something such as a resurrection for the bosses on top of an already challenging raid. At least, that was his hope.

In the end, it was a feat easier said than done, as were he to risk it all and kill Caster, there was no guarantee that it would end the raid itself.

Surrounded from all sides and facing near insurmountable odds, any other Player would feel boxed in, tension and pressure slowly mounting before panic would beset them. The thoughts of losing and thus missing a chance at an enticing reward, a near unavoidable death, and the loss of a precious item on their person only heightened their anxiety.

Yet, even with potential death looming over him, Shirou felt oddly at ease. It wasn't born out of a sense of confidence, but rather a certain assurance. The battle with Caster was nothing more than a means of killing time. Win or lose. The outcome mattered little to the faker in the end. He would simply move on.

There was a certain liberation to knowing that not even 'death' matters.

It would be an entirely different story if he had a party to back him up and coordinate with. If his friends were by his side...

But they weren't here.

It was only him—

[Message]!

And then, something unexpected happened. A message notification popped up, knocking him out of his thoughts. His eyes widened at the sender.

It was Momonga.

Omake: A Reward for all his dedication

It was just a normal day as Shirou was going about his business. He had decided to stop at the Tomb of Nazarick in order to grab some supplies for another trip out. Just before he teleported away, he received a notification.

On it was a simple message that said, 'Congratulations!'

Curious, Shirou opened it only to be taken aback by seeing a figure appear before him, a translucent image of a catgirl. Complete with the cat ears on the top of her head, large paws for hands, a wagging tail, and dressed in what he could only describe as a skimpy cheerleading uniform.

A celebratory trumpet sounded off, which only made Shirou blink at the effort. This only made the Fake Player even more curious about what he was being congratulated for.

"This is an announcement! An exclamation of intent! On this glorious day, I present you, Player Emiya, with an award! Congratulations~nya!" The catgirl spoke in an ear-piercing, exaggerated, cutesy voice.

"For the last few years, a betting pool among the upper management of Kaleidoscope Co. has been betting on certain Players' activity and achievement within YGGDRASIL~nya. Such as general engagement with the game, general progression, and login consistency. Among these categories, however, a champion was born! To carry the torch of the VR Master Race~nya! To uphold the oath of the virtual dwellers! To never forgo 2D for the inferior 3D~nya! To my "great" pleasure, I present this achievement to you, Player Emiya~nya! For you are a true GAMER~nya!"

She happily cheered, throwing her hands in the air while small fireworks popped around her with virtual confetti bursting forth. All the while, Shirou watched on, his mouth slightly agape. However, she was far from finished.

"At this moment in time, our records show that you have the most hours logged into YGGDRASIL to date. Records indicate that you have been online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for up to six years. Amazing~nya!"

A chart appeared, detailing the statistics.

"Truly, we at Kaleidoscope Co. are simply astounded at the time and dedication shown~nya. Rather than spending your time productively, such as getting married, having children, contributing to society, or doing anything to leave your mark in this world, you have graciously chosen to dedicate the insignificant amount of time that you have left on this earth to gaming~nya. Ensuring that your only legacy that will be left in this world will be that within a virtual space and that this is all you amounted to."

As she continued, Shirou could unmistakably make out the dripping, biting sarcasm invading her cutesy voice. Hearing all of this, he had only one thing to truly say.

"What...?"

In response, the NPC drops the cheerful demeanor and adopts an annoyed one.

"Look here, you living example of a no-life hikikomori; you are getting rewarded for sacrificing a job, productivity, and any traces of meaningful social skills and relationships, as well as possible significant relationships~nya. In short, congrats on being such a NEET that you put other NEETs to shame! Seriously, how do you do it? The second-place winner literally has only half of your time on record~nya!"

Shirou opened his mouth to clarify that he doesn't have a choice. It wasn't his fault that he couldn't leave or log out of YGGDRASIL, only to get interrupted.

"Actually, forget I asked~nya. I'm a youthful VI who has a future ahead of her! I have ambitions and dreams, and I certainly don't want to end up like you because curiosity got the best of me! Seriously, I may have cat ears, but it isn't going to kill me~nya! So here, take your stupid rewards already!"

Appearing in a flash of light, she quickly shoved the item into his hands. Not before producing a photo of all things and holding it straight at his face, forcing Shirou to take it.

He looked at the photo to see that it was a picture of herself striking a rather suggestive pose. Shirou turned back to the catgirl NPC in bewilderment.

"Something to keep you company when no one else will. Bye~nya." The catgirl explained, her eyes and face contorted in disgusted pity for the faker.

With that one last snide remark, she disappeared, leaving a stunned Shirou by himself. His mind raced to catch up to him and to recover from the verbal lashing that was unleashed on him by an NPC of all things.

He looked down, remembering that he received more than just the photograph. At that moment, he wished he hadn't.

What great reward did they bestow upon him for his apparent time and dedication to this game?

A fleshlight...

Either they were not so subtly implying that the only form of action he could get was through only himself, or they were telling him that he could go fuck himself.

He didn't know which one was more insulting. Actually, it was both. Both of them were equally insulting.

"God damn it... Zelretch..." He whispered under his breath, unable to call upon any anger, only pure exasperation. Even if it wasn't completely Zelretch's fault, he was sure the vampire had some part in this.

What truly stung the most was that the item in question was considered a World Item! Not only that, apparently Unlimited Blade Works was able to categorize it as an Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm. The item in question granted incredible bonuses to his stats, as well as resistances and additional stats, the longer it was being used on the user. There was no technical limit, so he could stack all the bonuses indefinitely.

The trade-off was what remaining pride and self-respect he had left.

Despite his conscience telling him to get rid of it, Shirou couldn't. The item was far too valuable to simply get rid of or destroy, his self-decency be damned. Still, he couldn't simply put it in the Treasury vault with the other World Items. That was going to raise some major eyebrows.

He shuddered at the thought of Peroroncino finding it.

So Shirou made the conscious decision to keep it in his inventory. He buried it under all of his materials and items, never to see the light of day unless he willed it. As he dismissed it, along with the photograph, he very briefly entertained the notion of a dire enough scenario where he would ever use it.

A scoff left his lips.

As if that would ever happen.

[—][—][—][—][—][—][—][—][—]

"RRRRRRUUUUUNNNNN!" The armored berserker screamed, his voice filled with sheer panic and terror. His heavy armor clanked wildly as he ran.

"Hurry the fuck up! He's gaining on us! Someone do something!" The cyber skater joined in, skating as fast as she could.

Their mage, who was flying beside them, unleashed countless spells behind him, firing with reckless abandonment, all to hinder what was chasing them. Dozens of explosions popped, rocking the entire field, but the party of four could still hear him running after them, their attempts to slow him down fruitless.

"There's no escaping, JUSTICE!" A voice exclaimed.

Appearing out of the smoke was none other Shirou, however, what beggar's belief was that there was a long bulge that extended from his pants. The tip of which was emanating a powerful glow. A byproduct of using none other than that...

And the reasoning for why the PKers were running as if death were nipping at their heels.

Shirou chased after them, his legs spread apart, giving a clear view of his sword... His body was crab-walking, occupied by pelvis thrusts every time that propelled him forward. This continued, abnormally bizarre motion only added to their ever-present dread. Despite the awkwardness of his movement, he was catching up with them. A fact that terrified them even further.

A shot rang out, with the sniper taking a shot. It struck Shirou, more specifically his sword, yet it did nothing. If anything, it only seemed to brighten. From far away, the sniper watched, internally sweating that his attack did nothing but also relieve that he wasn't anywhere near him.

"What the hell is the GM's doing?! Shouldn't he be fucking banned for indecent exposure or some shit by now?!" The masked martial artist shouted, his breath slowly becoming ragged. Only the fear of what he would do to them fuels his legs to run even faster.

"Less talking and more running! He's going to catch us at this rate!" The mage shouted back.

"COME AND FIGHT! THIS IS THE SWORD OF A WARRIOR, RARING TO GO! MY RISING JUSTICE WILL DEFEAT ALL THE EVILS OF THE WORLD! ALL SHALL FEEL THE BONE OF MY SWORD!"

Shirou shouted to the heavens, followed by the cries of the PKers.

From then onward, no one dared to challenge Shirou ever again, not without the possibility of fighting against the Player Killer's 'The Bone of his Sword'.

Author's Note:

Hopefully I was able to execute the idea and my intentions for the chapter, or at the very least, lay the ground works for it better here than in my previous attempt. Which probably is why some parts of the chapter is quite heavy in the exposition and reasoning behind his actions and motivations. Honestly, that was the hardest bit of it all with myself and Dante, all the ideas are there but it's always the issue of implementing properly and conveying them in a satisfactory manner. It was doubtful that we would ever get it perfect, so we went for the best version we could and settle for that. Hopefully it's a lot better than the previous iteration where it's simply broody, loner Shirou, which looking back was a poor mistake on my part.

The main idea and purpose of the chapter was to explain Shirou's thought process, his intentions and motives, and this was to be shown and highlighted by how he thinks and acts, but also his critical flaw. Mainly his selfless selfishness. Throughout the chapter, we're given insight and his thought process, mostly to all from his POV. I wanted to show and convey a certain arrogance to his thought process and his intentions and actions, not from a malicious source but more so because he believes himself to know what's right and best, having seen similar events transpire before. He never considered what Ainz Ooal Gown would think of it, justifying it away that it was best for them, that he knows best, and so forth. Shirou believes this is the best for both parties. He believes that they'll be fine without him. Drawing upon his experience and wishing to use whatever time might be left. He's making a decision for them when they don't even know what's going inside his mind or his thought process.

This was the flaw that I wanted to write and explore a bit. We've already seen behaviors that suggests that he is arrogant, even if not on purpose in continuity and in the past. Contradicting Rin's and Saber's advice and actions, due to him wishing to pursue his dream despite his lack of qualifications. Choosing to fight when others are shown capable while he lags behind, and so forth. Shirou, he's human, yes he's altruistic to a fault, but that doesn't mean he doesn't make mistakes and poor decision from time to time.

Then that goes into the second part, where his actions is driven by a sense of altruism for his friends, but also by a piece of selfishness for his current state in the story, basically trapped within a digital world, stuck in limbo. Hence the wheel and circular thought process that loops back, his motivation being born from a selfish and selfless desire. That's a bit of the theme and idea, everything looping around back into the other, one action and motivation leading to another and so forth, eventually feeding back into the other. A twisted and circular rationale that's trying to justify his cause.

Is the whole thought process and reasoning for his actions and everything a bit convoluted and messing? I won't deny that, but I still wanted to try my hand at writing such a narrative. Plus, it somewhat fits with the theme and ideas, as while Shirou is many things, he's still fundamentally human in the end. And since when are humans 100% logical all the time? Something can both be born from a selfish desire and a selfless intention.

This was a rather large point of contention, as much like I stated previous, the issue is choosing to convey it properly as intentions don't always mix with results. It was a bit stubborn of me, but this was something I had wanted to write, because while we know what's going to happen at the end, it isn't the case like for the characters in the story. Someone like Shirou can be subject to doubts and uncertainly, especially after all he's been through.

And as we know in canon, the members will eventually leave and abandoned the game for one reason or another, Shirou simply seeing and rationalizing it now rather than later.

He's saddled with a burden and knowledge that his future is very much uncertain, and could/would more than likely be alone with past events and evidence, and like anyone else, he acts on it, choosing a path to try and make something worth it. Making his mark that's still true to his character, but also in part selfish of him.

Would've it had been easier to kind of ignore this plot point and idea, and just continue the story and be happy go lucky, with adventures moving on, and then wait till the end to spring the idea of the game ending or members leaving? Probably, but that's still a far bit away and I wanted to try my hand at an idea and concept I thought would be neat and different. Did I make it probably a 100 times more difficult to myself, more than likely, but in the end I don't particularly regret it, what I do regret was just how it took just to figure it out and write the darn things, but hey what can you do?

- As for the name change, it's more of a stylistic choice then anything else. Back when I uploaded the chapter and ideas years ago, I just went with EMIYA of Zelretch's not so subtly jab at him and his state, following his counter-guardian self. Going with just Emiya, it's sort of intermediary, of Shirou and EMIYA, he accepted Alaya's deal, but hasn't gone over yet, he's still Shirou. He's in the middle, and the name being standard instead of EMIYA reflects that. That, and the Emiya family name alone is ripe with connotation with Kiri, Shirou, Archer, etc...

Hopefully it isn't as bad as the last one, and that you'll be able to read on with the rest.