23 - A Cool Forge

"I said to NOT give her a heart attack."

"…I think I went a little too far."

"You think?!"

"That's sarcasm, right? I couldn't tell before."

"Do the two of you know why Cassie is unconscious?"

Shirou robotically turned his head when he heard that familiar voice. It seems that his archenemy has arrived.

"Well, well, well. It seems that a certain Night from Nightingale has arrived."

"…Why do I feel as if I'm in danger."

"Perfect. I'll just have to prepare a coffin. Do you have anything like that, Sunny?"

Sunny did not know what was going on with Shirou, but shook his head anyways.

"Well that's a shame, but I suppose he'll just be dug directly in the dirt. Where scum like him belong."

Shirou laughed darkly. Kai started to sweat slightly.

"Uh… could you tell me what your issue with me is?"

"Hm? Don't you know Night? Young girls are quite the big fans of your content."

"Y-yes, I know. Where are you going with this?"

"Of course, your music and looks attract girls of all ages. Have you ever thought about how others feel when their loved one gets stolen by somebody they haven't even met?"

"…What?"

"My own little sister. She wasn't even in middle school. She was seduced by someone who she had only seen through a screen. Don't you understand? You're a sister stealer!"

"…Huh?!"

Sunny started to pay attention to what Shirou was saying.

"He seduces little sisters, you say?"

"Of course, Sunny! Especially those who are at the cusp of puberty!"

Sunny's eyes snapped towards Kai. He felt like the shadows had grown somewhat darker.

"Kai… as my pal, why haven't you informed me of this?"

"…I don't even associate with little girls…"

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Although it took a while, Kai had managed to convince Shirou and Sunny that he had no interest in young girls.

Soldiers from the castle approached the cohort, and accused Effie of having killed someone. Nephis decided to challenge the king due to these false charges.

…Well, that escalated fast.

Shirou was watching as Nephis and Gunlaug dueled against each other. Gunlaug has a Transcendent echo serving as his armor, and was able to manipulate it's shape to serve his needs. Of course, this meant that he couldn't be harmed, nor could he be defended against.

Gunlaug was still a sleeper however, and his Aspect was not suited for land battles.

Due to this, Nephis was able to kill him.

Immediately, chaos ensued. Shirou decided to try and kill as many soldiers as possible. It would lessen the risk of them attempting to kill a non-combatant after all.

[You have defeated a dormant human…]

[You have defeated…]

[You have defeated…]

He felt the pain of each individual he killed. He understood that he was simply doing what was necessary to save others. He parried, dodged, and sometimes completely received the attacks.

If only I had the [War Medallion].

Shirou would have been able to make himself a large target. Even if there were so many individuals, it would have been quite effective due to use an Ascended Memory on this many Sleepers.

Unfortunately, he had lost it when he distracted the tentacle Nightmare Creature in the dark sea. He would not be able to serve as a shield for the people here.

He can serve as a sword though.

He would keep swinging the [Gargoyle's Blackblade] against any enemy in his sight. No matter how much pain he felt from both enemies, and allies alike, his [Mind of Steel] will never break.

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Shirou can be seen standing in front of a pile of bodies. He summoned the [Gandiva], and fired an arrow at a body near the bottom. It had been set aflame, and slowly spread to the other bodies.

The smell was quite horrible.

The corpses consisted of soldiers from both Gunlaug, and Nephis's sides. Shirou had brought them to the street in order to send them off. He was attacked a few times by Gunlaug's soldiers, but he merely added them to the pile.

Once they were all lit, Shirou decided to check his runes.

Name: Shirou

True Name: Forged In Hell

Rank: Dreamer

Class: Monster

Forge Core: [2/7]

Sword Fragments: [1988/2000].

Attributes: [Spark Of Divinity], [Master Of Swords], [Mind Of Steel], [Anomaly], [Karmic Eye].

Memories: [Washing Pole], [Rebellion], [Shroud of Justice], [Gandiva], [Ghost Consumer], [Gargoyle's Blackblade], [Bubble Pendant].

Echoes: —

Aspect: [Sword Incarnation]

Aspect Rank: [Divine]

Aspect Description: [You are a sword who was forged in the depths of hell and quenched with the divine blood of the War Goddess. You were the greatest creation greatest blacksmith of them all, which makes you a sword above all the rest. All types of weapons recognize you as their master. The blacksmith created you in his own image, and left behind one simple, yet daunting task. Destroy Fate.]

Innate Ability: [Bloodstained]

Ability Description: [The blood of the War Goddess does not flow through you, as swords are not alive. When stained with the blood of the War Goddess, you are able to perform at your fullest potential.]

Aspect Abilities: [Living Sword]

Aspect Legacy: [Fleshforge]

Fleshforge Description: [The War Goddess accepted an offering of humanity from the heroic Forged In Hell. In respect of his sense of Justice, and value of life, she bestowed upon him the ability to truly become the sword itself. This was only possible due to his ability to abandon his humanity for the sake of others.]

Legacy Relics:

First Relic: [Claimed]

Second Relic: [Ready to Claim]

Third Relic: [Locked]

Fourth Relic: [Locked]

Fifth Relic: [Locked]

Sixth Relic: [Locked]

Seventh Relic: [Locked]

Blades: [Ingvild of the Storm].

Name: Ingvild of the Storm

True Name: —

Rank: Awakened

Class: Monster

Soul Core: [2/7]

Soul Shards: [1267/2000].

Aspect: [Storm Priestess].

Aspect Rank: [Divine].

Aspect Description: [There was once a priestess who carried the blood of the Storm God. Wherever she walks, the sea parts and storms disperse. She had achieved a higher level of divinity after offering herself to a Divine Sword. THE WORLD SHALL WITNESS THE REBIRTH OF THE SEA SERPENT.]

Attributes: [Mark of Divinity], [Undrowning], [Child of Storms], [Reforged].

Aspect Abilities: [Galebreathe], [Sea-Sunk], [Vorpal Blade].

Noble Phantasms: [Storm Ruler].

Shirou was surprised to see that he had reached the second step of [Fleshforge]. He thought about how it was possible before figuring out.

For the first step, he seemed to need to "identify" as a sword. He had to become the blade itself, and understand that.

The second step probably did not need him to obtain [Karmic Eye]. It seemed that he just needed a more in-depth understanding about how to use [Fleshforge], and grafting the eyes onto himself helped him achieve it.

He claimed the Legacy Relic, and waited for the runes to appear.

[You have received a Memory: Daemonic Forge.]

Memory Name: [Daemonic Forge]

Memory Rank: Divine

Memory Tier: VII

Memory Description: [Uncountable years of toil to reach this place. To create a barrow of blades, to sever karma with my very being. The sword of Senji is made of such layered steel. Now, free your spirit and reach enlightenment!]

Memory Enchantments: [Territory Creation], [Bound Blades], [Sword Trial].

[Territory Creation]

Enchantment Description: [Place the forge within any enclosed space. As long as you are within that area, you may fight as if you are one rank stronger.]

[Bound Blades]

Enchantment Description: [You can control the weapons created from this forge as an extension of your soul.]

[Sword Trial]

Enchantment Description: [Weapons created with this forge can be used for a final explosive attack. However, the weapon will be destroyed immediately.]

Shirou gaped at how useful this was. He would be able to be stronger in any indoor area he places the forge, and he will be able to create weapons from it.

…Wait, I'll need soul essence for the last two enchantments.

Shirou sighed. It seems that he won't be able to shoot swords around any time soon. He was still a Sleeper after all.

He wanted to test out the actual forging though. He then realized that he would never find any forging materials in the Forgotten Shore of all places.

Damnation! …Wait, I shouldn't act like Sunny.

Shirou went home to despair over the currently unusable Legacy Relic.

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Once he had arrived, Shirou summoned the forge to at least see what it looked like. It was probably the most basic anvil he had ever seen. It had no special design, no special features, or anything of the sort!

…So lame.

That's what he thought until he heard a sound. A dark flame had ignited in the center of the anvil. Shirou felt a flame ignite within him as well, and stumbled slightly. He gripped the bar of the prison cell, and felt it bend in his hand.

…Nevermind, this is actually pretty cool.

[Territory Creation] had caused him to reach the levels of an awakened. Quite the powerful one as well due to his two Forge Cores. He felt a flame move through his body, and widened his eyes as he realized that he could sense his soul essence.

He tried to control it, but it seems that he did not have a grasp of his soul yet.

Shirou did not have much time to master control over soul essence, so he decided to at least be able to control it at a basic level.

After a few hours, he was able to cause it to flow to a specific part of his body, such as his arms or legs. It turned out that he didn't truly have soul essence, as it was more like a raging flame than a flowing water.

He wouldn't know since he had never experienced it, but that was how Awakened had described it.

He decided to call it forge essence, as the source of it was his Forge Cores after all.

It seemed that Ingvild had went to sleep awhile ago. She had interrogated him earlier about why he was an Awakened, and he had simply told her that it was a Memory Enchantment.

She mentally mumbled about cheaters, and had went to sleep.

She didn't even try to help me!

Shirou got up and laid down on the bed next to her. He had gotten quite exhausted after learning about how to control his essence. It wasn't going to be useful often unless he was fighting in an enclosed area, but he felt that it may be important one day.

He closed his eyes and had a dreamless sleep.