10 Chapter 10 - Hearth of Fire

"When I was little, I wanted to be a hero of justice."

"Wanted? Did you give up?"

"Un. It's unfortunate, but…"

He stands there, screaming, wailing for this hellish dream to end, as he watches the sky tear open, and the corrupted river of heaven flow down upon the earth, ravaging the world beneath in a twisted recreation of Noah's Arc. The city burned around him, and he's there, alone, his hoarse voice reaching no one.

"Being a hero is a limited offer. When you grow up, it gets hard to call yourself one."

................

His eyes snap open.

He remains there, stuck, his mind frozen by the horrid scene he'd seen in his dreams. Then his body wakes, and his arms whip to the left, taking hold of the Mystic Code he'd relied on for years and standing. Cold sweat pools in his arms as he maintains his aim at the wall, before he pulls his gun down to his side.

He looks around at the room he's in, taking in the peach, unfeeling wall, the still running TV, the small ray of afternoon sunlight peeking through the closed window blinds, and the small suitcase he'd brought in to this hotel.

Right…The hotel…

He takes a deep breath, then another, then he places down the [Thompson Contender] on the bedside cabinet.

He remembered now. He'd flown to Fuyuki to scout the area, jotting down vantage points and possible location of the other masters. He'd rented this hotel room for…two days? Three? He couldn't quite remember, but that doesn't matter.

What was that?

Where was he in that dream? Who was that kid next to him? What was that fire? Why was there a hole in the sky? What was that black mud? Where is Iri? Maiya? Saber? Did he lose? Did he win? Why was he there?

What was that endless, choking feeling of anguish and regret?

Kiritsugu pushes those thoughts away. There are more pressing matters at hand, and he can't spend the night distracted.

He takes his favored Mystic code and hides it under his black coat. Heart and mind set in tired determination, he exits the room.

............

"You're definitely getting better."

"Really?" Shirou barely manages to keep the sass in his mouth from dripping out, but the effort seems to be naught as Yorrmir laughs, probably with an annoying grin to boot. "At least you're not being flipped into the lava now?" He adds, and he can't quite keep a tired sigh from leaking out. That brought on more annoying laughter from the titan.

Because it would've been fine if Yorrmir asked him to just battle some dragon-corrupted monsters. Hell, he would've been fine if he asked him to fight him bare-handed.

But no~, the titan asked him to wrestle them down and snap their neck.

Wrestle them!

Wrestle dragons!

Well, he couldn't argue with the results though. He started from being thrown around like a ragdoll by the dragon-like monsters (that were twice his size!), to being able to fight them to a standstill without using [Reinforcement], granted, it took nearly 2 days with only 4 hours of sleep, but he'd say it was worth it.

The rate of improvement is…strange, but Yorrmir only laughed when he asked about it, saying something about how 'his blood is being passed on'.

(Being punished by Hanami with those [Prana Bullets] was not fun though)

That all aside, he's currently inside one of the many branching caves inside the large mountain where Daedron died, and it is not a fun place. Unlike the zombie-filled world Hanami had taken them into once, this one is hellish. The heart of the dead dragon had crystalized into a core deep inside the mountain, and its energy is corrupting the elements around it, turning the rocks and ores into monsters.

And despite all that, there are still people living and building in this mountain. It's…inspiring, really.

Now, they are here for two separate reasons. Hanami, after conversing with the locals, decided to reach for the core and mine it to use for her weapons. The dragons are quite tough to take down however, so she's secluded herself…somewhere to create a weapon to help her battle. He did offer to help, but she's also looking to improve herself.

Of course, him being him, he was worried she'd get hurt training alone, but she was stubborn, and it took all of his will and energy to finally convince her to create a new weapon to help her fight.

As for him, he's here to improve his natural capabilities. He has their knowledge, yes, but while Okita and Sasaki's fighting style and Noble Phantasm require speed and finesse, Yorrmir's requires strength. He has [Reinforcement] to boost his strength, but his prana is finite, and he can't rely on it the entire time he spends wielding [Uriel].

But while he spends training his bodily strength in his wake, he doesn't allow himself to rest even in his sleep, instead spending the time sparring with Okita and Sasaki using their respective Noble Phantasms.

4 days soon pass, with both Hanami and Shirou separated and doing their own thing, and the word 'sleep' being burnt out of their minds.

"I suggest you rest, master."

"Hua? Sorry, did you say something, Yorrmir?"

"I'm Sasaki, master." Shirou blanks out at that, before laughing awkwardly. "Uh…sorry."

"That aside, I truly suggest you rest, master." He begins to open his mouth, a retort ready to be said, but he suddenly bangs his head against the rocky wall and falls flat on his back. His mind is spinning, but he's pretty sure he heard a small sigh before Sasaki's voice sounds in his mind again. "Please rest, master. You can't even walk or stand straight."

"The city's still so far away…" He slurs out, his eyes drooping close despite all his effort in trying to stay awake. Sasaki speaks again, saying something about 'protecting him', but his sleep-deprived mind didn't quite catch that, and he finds the rest of his body finally shut down, as his fatigue lulls him to sleep.

..............

"You've returned."

And promptly finds himself laying down on a white floor, with his head resting on something warm and soft and-

…wait.

"…I'm on your lap, aren't I?" The woman with white hair giggles, a small smile on her face. "Do you enjoy it?" He says nothing to that, instead raising his hand and giving her a pat on her head. "…How much willpower do you have?" She asks with a pout, voice tinged with amused frustration.

"Just enough." He says back, before smiling. "I hope you haven't been lonely."

She giggles. "With you here, that seems quite impossible."

He barely manages to keep himself from breaking into a grin, keeping the relief and happiness stowing gently inside his heart. The first time he truly saw her, she'd smiled at him, but that smile was empty, tired, more of a courtesy than an actual smile. It…hurt, because it reminded him of the smile Kiritsugu used to wear when he'd first taken him in.

And to see her now, though still tired, but much livelier, pleases him immensely.

"Anyway, you haven't answered my question."

"Oh?"

"Why are you female?" The white-haired woman simply smiles, before tracing a gentle finger down his cheek. "Oh? Why do you ask? Are you unsatisfied? Or are you perhaps…"

"No, I'm just curious." He quickly says before she can continue, and she laughs softly.

He really is just curious though. After all, the woman is the all fabled Merlin, the Magus of Flowers, and trusted court mage of King Arthur.

Though, that description isn't all that correct, for she is not just Merlin, but all Merlins who has existed, and will come to exist.

Simply put, Merlin never truly dies, instead having been trapped in [Avalon]. She's the culmination of the existence known as [Merlin], created due to the fact that she cannot and will never be able to ascend into the [Throne of Heroes]. Normally, no being, living or dead should be able to see her,

Normally. But Shirou is an exception.

There was more to it, but he couldn't quite remember (mostly because all he can remember after that initial explanation was being…played around with).

(His mind's blocked out the memory, but he still feels a deep chill when he tries to remember)

"It's a matter of preference mostly." She says with a shrug. Hearing no further comments, he considered the conversation over and went silent, simply letting his mind rest from the near-constant training he'd forced himself into.

Also, it took him a while to realize that he'd unconsciously patted the Magus, and pulled his hand away in slight embarrassment.

"Did you get tired of me, Shirou?" She grins at him.

"N-No. I…sorry, I wasn't planning to do that?"

She grins just a bit wider. "Oh? Does that mean comforting someone has become a habit? An…after-thought?"

"…does it bother you?"

"No, no it does not." She smiles, as she runs a gentle hand through his auburn hair. "To comfort a hurt soul is never wrong. After all, that is your own way of being a hero, is it not? Though your heart and mind know that your dream is nigh impossible, you still attempt to reach for it, do you not?" Her smile grows melancholic, tinged with wistful remembrance. "It's perhaps why [Avalon] has deemed you worthy to enter."

Shirou doesn't say anything to that. He doesn't need to respond anyway.

So they remain like that, basking in the tranquil silence. The breeze blows gently around them, carrying with them fallen petals of the flowers below and carrying them up into the cloudless skies above.

But, soon, Shirou begins to feel his consciousness slip away, pulled back up into the real world above. He gives the magus one last smile, before his eyes droop close, and his body fades away in warm sprites of gold.

"Do come back soon, Shirou." And with that, Merlin lays down and closes her eyes.

...................

[You have rested in a bed. HP, MP, and stamina fully recovered!]

Ah, god…damn, my back feels sore as hell. The hell did I do-

Oh, right! 3 days of constant forging and crafting, with no sleep! God, what an amazing idea that was!

No, but seriously, that was awesome. Yeah, I feel like I've just woken up from a coma, but remembering the many hours I spent on forging and perfecting the items I wanted makes me happy. Well, that, and seeing my [Blacksmithing] and [Alteration] level up like crazy was quite fun.

Anyways! It's time to view the spoils of my hard work!

Pushing myself up from the small comfortable bed, I sit by the bedside and pull out a water bottle from my inventory and proceeded to chug all the liquid inside. My throat refreshed, I put away the empty bottle and bring up the descriptions of all the new items I spent my time forging, moving each panel into a neat line for me to read.

Now, time for an item showcase!

[Torn Rose of Mortal Exorcism]

Rank B-

A strange, twin-sided broadsword; one a deep yellow, and the other a crimson red. Crafted and altered from the broken remains of the spears of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, it holds both of his spears' capabilities. One side severs all magical ties it touches, and the other inflicts wounds that can never be healed. Due to the heavy modifications done to both broken weapons however, the true history of the weapons is lost.

-Requires 60 Strength and 80 Dexterity to wield-

+60 Strength and Dexterity when wielded

+30 Intelligence when wielded

+15 Wisdom when wielded

+10 Luck when wielded

The red side of the blade severs all magical energy Rank C+ or below

Cuts dealt by the yellow side applies a curse on the injury, disabling any magical or natural regeneration, lest the curse is removed by a spell Rank B- or above

A deceptively simple-looking weapon. While it's basically a sword with both Diarmuid's spears forged into it, it makes for some interesting problems I'll have to face when using it in battle. Namely, the need to switch which side of the blade I'll use depending on the situation. Well, even discounting the special effects it gives, the stat boost the broadsword grants me when I'm using it is already quite enough!

Next!

[Desdomona: Shattered Light]

Rank C++

A large longbow, forged from the scales of dragons and reborn in the flames of its accursed blood. Its dark ebony surface seems to gleam in the dark, and the shadows coil around it. A strange pulse can be felt from the center of the bow, yet it seems to fade away the longer it is held.

-Requires 40 Strength and 75 Intelligence to wield-

+55 Strength and Intelligence when wielded

+35 Wisdom and Dexterity when wielded

+15 Luck when wielded

?

-The longer one wields it, the more the bow seems to seep into one's soul-

-Can be [Soul Bound]-

Surprisingly, this one didn't use any of the unique materials in my inventory, instead only using the scales of the dragons I managed to kill and their blood. That unknown line of text down there worries me a bit, but what can I do?

Anyways, I made this to practice and improve my [Archery] skill. I do have range attacks in the form of my magic attacks, but what if my MP runs out? What if, maybe, I'm fighting someone who's capable of negating my magic?

(I don't need to imagine it actually. One of the dragons I fought was impervious to magic attacks. I couldn't do anything to it, and it took Shirou splitting its head open to kill it)

Alright, enough of that. Next one!

[Unglaus: Gunfire]

Rank C

A ring crafted and forged by Tsunaka Hanami, from the bones of slain dragons, with a stone of draconic blood crystallized by its creator's prana sitting atop it. The stone glows a gentle, sky blue hue, the corruption of the blood purified by the prana used to crystallize it.

It is a Mystic Code, a specialized item used by most magi for many different purposes. This one was made and created with [Gunfire] as its concept, allowing its wearer to fire hails of prana bullets at the intended target.

-Requires 40 Intelligence and Wisdom to use-

+40 Intelligence and Wisdom when used

+20 Luck when used

Allows it's wearer to fire bullets made of prana

Costs 40 MP every bullet fired

The bullets fired can be changed and resized, but increases the MP cost

-Can be [Soul Bound]-

This one's more of an experiment than anything really. Aside from it being my test to increase my new [Mystic Code Crafting] skill, it's mostly to prove something I've had brewing in the back of my mind for a while now.

So, I have a [Skill], yeah? They can level up and increase in strength and capabilities, no?

Then what if I have a piece of equipment that does the same thing as my skill? Will it reduce the cost of my skill? Would it make the casting process faster? Would it do nothing at all?

What if I channeled my skill through the gear before firing? Would both powers combine? Would my skill overpower the equipment, or the other way around? Would both counter one another and cause it to fail?

After doing some tests, the answer's a bit…ambiguous. I created the bullets slightly faster, but I didn't feel any particular increase in the bullets' strength. The MP cost's slightly lower, but other than that, nothing.

A bit unsatisfying, but moving on!

[Alsama']

Rank B

"Alpha and Omega. Beginning and End. Land and the Sky. Part the clouds, and I shall come."

-Requires 100 Intelligence and 80 Wisdom to wield-

+75 Intelligence and Wisdom when wielded

+40 Agility when wielded

+25 Luck when wielded

Any magical spells cast with this staff is increased by a [Rank]

Casts a passive dome of light around the wielder. Barrier strength depends on the wielder's Intelligence

Any fire-based and wind-based magical spells cast with this staff is strengthened by +100%

-Strange. It still seems incomplete. Perhaps it can still be upgraded further?-

-Can be [Soul Bound]-

And this! This one right here's the magnum opus of my entire forging session. A literal day went into the creation of this staff, and the results are clear, baby!

It doesn't look super impressive from a glance. Its design is quite average, with a body of [Thorium] covered with a thin layer of reinforced obsidian, giving it a nice clean black polish, and a diamond-shaped maroon red gem sitting atop it. Look a bit further though, and you'll see that the inner part of the staff is made from the same material as the giant sword standing outside the mountain, and the crystal is a frozen and condensed combination of buckets upon buckets of dragon blood.

Now, I did mention my worry of enemies with magical resistance, but I couldn't quite hold back the curious daydream of pushing my magic even further beyond. And, hoo boy~, combining all the stat buffs from [Unglaus] and this, and even my normal [Prana Bullet] fires like a ballistic sniper.

And for those wondering why there are only 4 items on this list: No, I did not just craft four items in my 3 long days of sweat and heat. There's just an uncountable pile of weak and broken prototypes hanging out in the [Junk] section of my inventory, and I don't think anyone wants to see that, right?

Anyways, enough item narrating, a new day (night?) has come, and it's time to venture out!

After clothing myself with some comfortable wears, I make my exit out of the quaint little cave house the dragoons managed to provide me.

And out I come into a large opening within the mountain's center, carved and mined out the generations of dragoons that came before. It is a testament to the spirit of survival, the strength to carve out a life even in the harshest of places.

Most of the buildings are cuboids, either carved out from or built from the stone, but they are all decorated by countless different trinkets, displaying the culture they hold and giving the cavern a comfy feeling of life. Strange, palm-like trees are dotted around the large city, and pear-like fruits can be seen dangling from them.

Dragoons, humanoid people with dragon features, roam the many streets, chatting about, doing their jobs, and just having a good time. Despite the constant threat of corrupted dragons rushing into their city from the four main gates, the hustle and bustle remain, and the air is cheerful, hopeful.

I can feel my lips tugging into a smile, and I don't do anything to remove that. Seeing these new races from a TV screen is one thing, but having talked with them, laughed with them, ate with them, it just…gives them more life, you know?

"Ah! Good morning, honored priestess!"

Blinking back to reality, I spot a girl rushing towards me, her dragon wings flapping as she soars through the air. With a flap to slow her down and a gentle descent, she lands right before me, a bright smile on her face.

"Mm. Good morning, Amarilla." Her smile brightens impossibly, and her dragon tail swishes around.

It looks god damn adorable!

…Anyways! This dragoon girl is Amarilla, a priestess-in-training and my guide. She looks almost like a cuter Artoria, if her blonde hair isn't tied into a bun and her eyes are deep blue instead of green.

And she has dragon features as well!

Basically, when Shirou and I first entered this city, we were greeted rather…not violently, per se, but…warily? The dragoons seem to understand that we mean no harm, but we're an anomaly in their world filled with dragons, so their caution of understandable.

Then, one of the bigger and more powerful dragons busted right through the northern gate and I went to fight it with Shirou, both of us showing our capability to use magic.

And from that point on, we were regarded as sacred people, and I'm now called a [Priestess], while Shirou's a [Guardian].

Oh, and I got this as well.

[Quest: Reach the Core]

[Pramantha], the world where a titan and an evil dragon once fought to their demise. A mountain is left behind, and life sprouted from its fiery depths. But the curse of the evil dragon still remains, pulsing inside the core of the mountain deep within. Dragons corrupted by its crystallized blood roam the many caverns, and the dragoon live day by day with the threat of dragons looming just out of their city.

Now, what will you do, [Gamer]?

Choice Alpha: Aid the dragoons and destroy the corrupted core

Reward Alpha: Dragoons become your ally, Gain unique skill [Blessed by Dragons], Gain [Mal'Sara]

Choice Beta: Destroy all dragons; both dragoons and the corrupted dragons

Reward Beta: The emptied city becomes a customizable [Hub], Gain unique skill [Dragon Slayer], Gain 2.500.000 Exp

Choice Gamma: Impose your rule over the dragoons

Reward Gamma: Dragoons become your ally, gain unique skill [Ruler of Dragons], Gain 2.500.000 Exp

Extra Mission Alpha: Purify the corrupted core

Extra Reward Alpha: ?

Extra Mission Beta: Slay the 3 Great Dragons within the mountain

Extra Reward Beta: ?

Yeah. It's one odd quest, ain't it?

There are 3 ways I can complete it, each with their own rewards, there are two extra missions for me to complete, and there isn't even a [Failure]!

Though the one I'll obviously be striving for is the [Choice Alpha], since it's essentially the 'Good' ending, it coincides with the two extra missions, and I don't think Shirou would enjoy doing the Beta and Gamma ones. And I don't think I can lay any attacks on the dragoons, especially if someone like Amarilla is living among them.

But I can't help but imagine a universe where I chose the other two choices, and the story that led me to do so. Hey! Maybe I'll even get to visit those universes when I get my hands on good ol' [Kaleidoscope]!

Anyways, after some quick pleasantries, we both take off into the skies, her with her wings and me using my [Prana Jet Propulsions] to maintain air as we make our way towards the city's church. We meet other dragoons along the way and cheerful chatter fills the underground, though I can't help but remain silent when they begin their praises on my 'divine prowess' and 'mastery over the arcane arts'.

Because, seriously, all I did was shoot out a large beam of holy prana to kill that corrupted dragon. Nothing too impressive. Besides! Their personal brand of magecraft is way more interesting!

Well, it's a matter of perspective, I suppose.

After a nice quick flight over most of the western side of the city, we land and enter a rather large cuboidal building, its outer walls decorated with many strange objects, all dangled on a thick line of coiled string. This, right here, is what the dragoons call the [Church], their secluded location to train new priestesses to combat the corrupted dragons deeper into the mountain.

And,

"""Good morning, honored priestess!"""

This is partially why I don't come here often despite their requests. The, uh…'adoration' is quite stifling, especially knowing that I didn't put in as much effort as them to get as strong as I currently am. Not to dismiss their or my efforts of course! But, I kinda just…don't feel that their feelings are worthy for me.

That, and some of their stares are scaring me.

"…Good morning." All the priestess, which are adorable young girls like Amarilla, immediately rush up to me, giddy smiles on their faces. Thankfully, an older female dragoon comes up to me and disperses the group, sending them back to their training with a stern glare. A chorus of reluctant sighs sounds, and I can't help but smile wryly as I watch them pout and continue what they were previously doing.

I give a quick sigh of relief, as I send a grateful glance at the woman before me.

This is Calla, the current head priestess of the church and one of the [Honored Priestesses] in this city. With her alluring body and luscious purple hair, she'd make one hell of a model, and probably break the hearts of many men.

"It's good to have you back, Hanami." The woman says with a gentle smile.

"Mm. Sorry for my disappearance. Had some stuff to do." Calla raises an eyebrow. "Like?"

"Oh, you know, spending 3 sleepless nights hammering away at a sweltering forge. Nothing too strange." I say, before adding, "Oh, and watching my money burn in the fire."

She giggles. "Well, I say no amount of money is useless in the face of progress. Don't you agree?" I sigh and nod in agreement. Because, well, she is right about that, but watching pretty much 30 million Yen flush out of my bank account is quite painful to see. The fact that most of that money was used for experimentation doesn't help ease my pain either!

Curse you failed trash that only sells for 100 ¥!

"So, what brings you here today?" She finally asks, and at that, my lips curve to a grin. "Wanna watch me test out my new gear?"

She goes silent for a moment, turning back to see the other priestesses-in-training doing their own things, before she smiles and walks over to a large wooden staff hanged on the wall. Pulling the staff down, she makes her way to the northern wall of the church, and with a wave of her wooden staff, the door creaks open, letting the heavy air from within flow in.

"Carna! Lead them while I'm gone!"

"Yes, honored priestess!" With that said, Amarilla and I join up with the older priestess, and with both my new ring and staff equipped and held, we venture into the dark caverns.

The door closes behind us, and darkness settles, though not for long as Calla creates a small orb of light to guide the way. Slowly, we descend deeper into the mountain, passing through the jagged caverns. The surrounding darkness lessens as crystals begin to appear around us; a sign that we've entered the deeper areas of the mountain.

Lesser dragons begin to appear, most of which we left to Amarilla to take care of as a substitute to her priestess training while I spent my time watching her and occasionally going around and harvesting some of the crystals for future projects and stuff.

Soon, the darkness disappears completely, instead lit by a warm orange glow from the surrounding magma. With the light orb's purpose now obsolete, Calla dispels it and casts a translucent barrier around us to ward off the searing heat.

We've now entered the [Deep Caverns], an area where the tougher and more powerful dragons live, and also where I believe Shirou's been training these several days. The stuff here's the real deal, ya know?

Now, let's hunt some dragons, shall we?

...............

Sometimes, Shirou can't help but wonder what his life would be like if Hanami hadn't visited him that night. What would have happened if the exuberant girl hadn't barged her way into his life?

Would he have been forced to fight in a war with no experience? Would he stumble around like a bumbling fool? Would he have continued his training to [Trace] and object?

Would he still be following that flawed, beautiful dream?

Honestly, he'd like to see that version of himself someday. If Archer is anything to go by, alternate universes are very much real, and any possibilities he might have is an actual living universe out there.

Now, would he or that Shirou be stronger?

But I bet he won't have these abs~

Shirou gives himself a quick smack on the head. Yorrmir's love of flexing is starting to get into him, and he can't do anything but cringe and take it all in with a sigh. Okita's chesire laugh and Sasaki's silent smugness over it all isn't helping him feel better either.

Well, at least these muscles aren't for show.

His eyes snap to the right, spotting a large snake-like dragon slithering toward him with great speed. It bares its fangs, sharp ebony black. The toughness of its scales as hard as diamond.

And he sends a swift knuckle into its approaching head, cracking the thing and sending it plowing into the rock below, blackened blood seeping out of its now-deceased body. 'Still…' He frowns, deactivating the reinforcement he applied on his arms. Even with all his strength training, he still needed a major boost to smash that, huh?

"Do not get too impatient, young one. The strength heroes of old was not built in a single week."

Of course he knows that, but he can almost feel the Fourth Holy Grail War approaching. The feeling sends shivers down his spine, a nauseating pull on the back of his mind. He won against that strange altered Medusa because he'd been faster than her, moved to kill before she could fully petrify him, and even then, he was left immobile for several minutes after that.

What if another servant was faster? Tougher? Smarter?

"But, even then, to have built up so much in so little time…You truly are special."

No normal human being would be able to generate such strength in such a short amount of time. Yorrmir theorized it is because of his own origins as a titan affecting him and Avalon's passive effect of constantly healing him, allowing his bones and muscles to quickly heal and strengthen after breaking apart. The whole technicality of it is lost on him though.

Nevertheless, the light yet durable muscle mass Shirou has formed through his training is nothing to scoff at. Steel swords only create a small scratch on his skin, the heat from the surrounding lava feels like a warm breeze, and he can wrestle monster dragons roughly thrice his size.

"Now, shall we test your newfound strength?"

Shirou nods and takes a slow step forward. A wave of sickly fear thrums in his mind as he sees a gigantic dragon sleeping at the center of the large opening he stepped into, the area surrounded by volatile magma and white crystals. Its scales are dark, a shiny obsidian black, and it seems to gleam in the lukewarm light.

Its corruption could contest the darkness of the corrupted mud of the grail.

But he pushes the feeling away and brings [Uriel] into his hands, feeling the comfortable grip on the large bronze sword. Just like Yorrmir said, the encumbering mass he felt when he first held the sword is now gone, replaced by a small weight on the back of his palm.

He takes a step forward, then another, before he swiftly applies reinforcement on his entire body and charges forward. The dragon's eyes open, its color a deep dim yellow, just in time for it to see a red-haired human charge past it, before a sharp burst of pain fully knocks it out of its stupor. In long forgotten shock, it turns to see its right-wing sliced off completely, removing its ability to fly.

Angered, it roars, the shockwaves it sent cracking and crumbling the rocky walls around it, but the Shirou's eyes remain calm, focused. He lands behind it and slides to a quick stop, before leaping forward once again. He delivers another cut to its remaining wind, and though it doesn't fully sever it from the dragon, it can flap no longer.

The dragon quickly reacts, whipping its tail at the human. The tail digs deep into the rocks, but Shirou'd already jumped above, his sword now aimed in a downward thrust.

But the dragon's scales suddenly shudders, before they all burst away from the dragon and flies upwards, their sharp end pointed at him. Shirou quickly shifts his sword back to defend, but he can only block so much before his arm is knocked away, and the scales begin to cut into his skin.

He soon lands, hundreds of small cuts spread across his body, his shirt now turned into useless rags. Shirou narrows his eyes, knowing that he can't just rush at it now, not with the scales that flew off now orbiting around the dragon, forming a spherical swarm of black scales. The dragon's eyes lock with his, and he can see the burning anger hidden within.

It doesn't faze him, and the dragon's anger soon turns to surprise when a wave of golden light begins to surround him, beginning to heal his cuts, and slowly stripping away the corruption it gave him. The surprise returns to anger, and the orbiting scales all burst forward, fully intent on stabbing into the shirtless boy.

But Shirou smiles, knowing that those scales won't reach him.

For its glory shines through all eternity.

"[Avalon]!" The shape of the golden scabbard appears for a moment, before it morphs into a large barrier, defending him against the rush of sharp scales. However, and much to the dragon's growing horror, the control over each scale is weakening, getting sloppier, and it soon realizes that the golden barrier is purifying the corruption on the scales, loosening their ties to it.

It quickly pulls all the scales back, but by the time it did the damage can be seen. The density of scales orbiting around it has lessened, and some of them can barely move correctly, their black skin partially turned grey. It growls, before opening its mouth and gathering the energy given by its corrupted blood into a single point.

And let it fire!

Shirou's instinct booms, seeing the large black beam approaching him. 'Can't let that hit me!' He jumps away, and the beam soars past, crashing and melting through the rocky walls, leaving behind a long hole of black melted stone. The power of that beam was incredible, and he can almost feel the corruption on it despite not being hit.

But, right now, he can see an opening, and he's fully intent on taking it.

His large sword disappears, replaced by a thin katana. He takes a step back, bends his knees, and leaps forward at incredible speeds. He reaches the sound barrier, then shatters it as he takes another leap from the air. He slips past the moving scales, and now within its guard, he rears back his arm. "[Mumyou-"

The dragon quickly opens its mouth to maul him, but just as fast, the katana is replaced by [Uriel], and with the combined power of his strength and accumulated speed, he swings the large bronze sword right onto the dragon's head.

"-Ryusei]!" A resounding crack sounds as his sword digs into its head, carving right through the outer scales and digging into its skull.

But it isn't dead just yet, and it aims its opened mouth at the redhead. It's then to his horror to see a sphere of dark energy spiraling within its jaws, and he can only twirl his body so much to let the beam it fired hit the left side of his body, burning it and sending him crashing into the wall. Shirou groans painfully, but the burns in his body ceased his movement, and the corruption it applied slowed down [Avalon]'s healing.

He's immobilized once again.

He grit his teeth, straining and failing to push himself back up to fight. The dragon creates an odd rumbling sound, most likely its version of a laugh, as it begins to crawl towards him, each step dramatically slow as the earth rumbled beneath its feet. It begins to extend its head, its jaws open and its teeth ready to bite into him.

The next thing it knew, it has a large bronze sword sticking right through its lower jaw and up into its lower skull. From under it, Shirou smirks, before changing his grip and twisting the offending forged piece of metal, digging even further into its skull.

A snap sounds, and he knows he's pierced through the skull.

Before he can do anything however, the dragon smashes his head down onto him, caving him into and through the floor. He lands in another, much smaller opening, his skin bruised and burned, and the golden light still shining from his body, clearing away the last bits of corruption within him.

The rest of the ceiling shatters, and the dragon lands down, its head profusely bleeding black. One of its eyes is closed, no longer functioning after the impalement punctured a part of its brain. Its shield of scales is still there, but they no longer maintain a perfect spherical shape, instead orbiting it in a wobbly ellipse.

They are both heavily injured, both having landed fatal hits on one another.

But the dragon still moves, and Shirou can only curse his immobility as he watches the dragon begin to crawl to him, its pierced jaw fixed to a tight scowl.

Its jaw may no longer move, but it still has the rest of his body, and with the fixed scowl growing, it brings up its large claw. The black scales on it begin to vibrate, glowing an ominous black. Shirou's face is carefully blank as he watches, and that seems to infuriate the dragon further. It gathers even more taint into its claws, and the glow grows.

Then Shirou smirks, and the dragon finds itself blinded.

"[Starfall]!" A pillar of white light smashes down onto the dragon's already injured head, turning the scales a lifeless grey before beginning to burn through. The dragon swiftly rolls to the left, and instead of finding a moment of respite, it finds itself under a barrage of gunfire, each enchanted with holy energy. It roars, turning around in fury to see a human girl floating in the air with narrowed eyes. She nods, and the rest of the dragon's world goes dark, as a large bronze sword pierces through its remaining eye, and right into the dragon's brain.

Shirou chuckles slightly, before feeling the rest of his consciousness fade away. Idly, he notices a teary Hanami rushing towards him, and he can only mutter a small apology before he blacks out.

Overall, for someone who's trained for about a week or so, defeating a [Great Dragon] is quite the feat, no?

...............

"Yes, it is quite the feat, but please do not do something like that ever again."

He can only awkwardly smile as he looks up to the flower magus, his situation not helped by the fact that he was still laying his head on her comfortable lap. "…sorry?" Merlin stares blankly at the lackluster apology, before she sighs. "I know that you cannot stop it, but please do not let yourself be taken by that titan's personality. You may be much more powerful now, but do not let that get into your head."

"Countless heroes have fallen that way."

He internally winces. The way she said it made it sound light, but he knows she's lived for far too long, and witnessed one too many things in the world, things no normal living being should be able to withstand for long; her being a powerful magus notwithstanding.

So he pats her, and ruffles her hair. She blinks, then smiles, sighing in amusement. "Is this going to become a routine?"

"I believe so."

They soon fall into a comfortable silence, enjoying the tranquility of the ever distant utopia.

.................

Fuyuki.

3 Holy Grail Wars had occurred here, each ending with no true victor in light. 3 wars had the wish-granting device went unsued. 3 wars had seven different embodiments of heroes of old fought upon this evolving cityscape. 3 wars had gone, and now the fourth war is nigh to begin.

Tokiomi silently watches the city sleep before him, the usually calm city even quieter in the dead of night. Strangely enough, he misses the calm and simplicity the city gives, much unlike the other magi that'd ever come here, but that is a thought for another day. He takes a deep breath, feeling the magic circuits coiling and whirring under his skin.

Midnight has come; the time when his prana would be at its prime.

He turns and walks to the strange white circle drawn in the center of the room. Intricate carvings can be seen, each a letter from a long-forgotten language. At the center lies a small patch of shredded white cloth, and though unassuming in its initial look, its quality hadn't degraded, not since the age of gods ended.

His family, the generations before him had all led to this moment.

For that cloth can summon two individuals, both contesting the powers of ancient gods.

"Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone."

He begins his chant, the od within him seeping out and into the circle. The ancient letters begin to come to life as the circle glows a deep fluorescent red.

"The ancestor is my great master Schweinorg."

Wind bellows from the circle, blowing away all that stands around it. Furniture and trinkets and blown away, some even clattering and crumbling away, yet the white cloth remains, untouched by all the winds. Tokiomi grits his teeth, leaning forwards as he maintains his ground, making sure not to be swept away like the rest.

"The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown."

Images begin to pass through his mind, each coming and fading too fast for his mind to comprehend. The records of milleniums flip through his mind as the magic spell reaches deep towards the well of existence.

"The three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulates."

His hearing weakens and his body goes numb. His eyes blur and time seems to slow. A chilling numbness spreads all across his body, and ineligible mutterings sound in the back of his mind.

"Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill)."

Existence crumbles away, and in that vast emptiness, a single light sparks, spreading all across the blank dark canvas. His mind shatters, all the knowledge he'd gathered, every memory he'd stored broke and fell away into the bright white.

"Repeat every five times. Simply shatter once filled."

He's no longer in control. Tokiomi witnesses the birth of everything, its humble beginnings, the evolution of life, and the growth of time. Statis fills his every being, threatening to tear his real self apart, but he cast away that feeling, walled his mind and soul away from those foul and dark words and let his od flare.

"I announce! Your self is under me! Your fate is in your sword!"

He withstands the searing pain as he feels his soul return, tearing away from the grail. A horrific shriek sounds throughout the dark room, but Tokiomi grits his teeth and stifles the pained groan building in the back of his throat.

"In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer!"

His senses return to him, his knowledge and memories shuffle back into his mind. Images of his wife and his daughter surfaces, of Aoi's gentle and Rin's excited smile, and he reaches out his hand, the command seals at the back of it glowing a crimson red.

"Here is my oath! I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead! I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead!"

One last image appears, one of a lively kingdom, where two stands atop them all, one a gentle green and the other a conquering gold.

"You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance!"

Power cascades out, and he's finally flung out from the summoning circle, landing painfully on his back and kicking out all the air in his lungs. He wheezes slightly, holding a hand over his pained chest, but in his effort to do so he looks up and finds the rest of his remaining breath stolen away.

There, sitting on a lavish chair he doesn't remember he has, is a woman, her hair a long golden blonde and her eyes a piercing red. Her body is covered by a golden armor, its design simple yet beautiful. Countless rings and bracelets adorn her arms, and he can see a thin magical white cloth tied on her left shoulder.

"Have you finished gazing, human?" Tokiomi slowly stands, taking a deep breath to recover from the surprisingly violent summoning he'd gone through. "…Forgive me. I was simply surprised by your beauty, my king." He says slowly, keeping an eye on any sudden shifts in expression.

He'd read the tales of Gilgamesh, acknowledged and understood his personality and what he's gone through as the first hero ever in existence. But though the woman before him is Gilgamesh, he can only be so sure that he is the same one as the one recorded in the texts of history.

Then, after a bout of unmoving silence, she smiles. "Flattery will not get you anywhere, human." She says…with pleasant amusement? Of all outcomes he'd thought of, he wasn't expecting this. She sounds prideful, but not arrogant. Amused, yet not with mockery or pity. Just simple, honest, amusement.

"Now, what do you wish for?" The question made him pause. All magi wish to reach the root, the well of all existence, and it is the ultimate goal of all the research and learning they've done. But what is his reason? For what reason does he want to reach that dream? For what reason does he walk the path of death?

Then he remembers Rin and her penchant for learning, and Aoi and her love of reading, and he remembers. Slowly, with a small smile, he says his answer with confidence.

"To reach the root. To reach for knowledge." The words of his old grandfather echo in his mind, and he adds, "And to better myself."

Gilgamesh's smile grows to a grin, and she stands, her crimson eyes glowing in the dark. "Very well! From this very moment, I name you my citizen, my people! Walk with me,"

"And I will make sure victory is ours!" She extends her hand, and at that moment, Tokiomi knows of only one thing to do.

And takes her hand.