CHAPTER 4.5 - DEMI-SERVANTS

At the base operation of the servants, fondly called Heroes Order HQ by Da Vinci, chaos reigned. Just moments ago, they all felt their connection with Shirou abruptly cut off. Every attempt at reconnecting was futile; even when they managed it, the connection remained weak.

To worsen matters, their magic energy supply, which used to be sufficient, was now scarce. Only a trickle of energy was being supplied by Shirou through the weak connection. This forced the majority of the servants to stop whatever they were doing and enter Astral Form to conserve their meager magic energy. A few who stayed were those who could tap into another source of magic energy, such as the Casters and those with the Independent Action skill, like the Archers.

Alarms blared in the main hub of Heroes Order HQ as Da Vinci stood in front of one of the computers, looking grim.

"How much time do we have?" Da Vinci asked urgently.

With so many Servants dependent on Shirou's constant energy supply, it would only be a matter of time until all of them perished if he couldn't sustain them any longer. Their enemies had managed to strike at their master right under their noses, and in a single move, had crippled them to this extent.

"Two to three hours until we exhaust everything we have," a long-haired man, said to be a modern Prometheus, Nikola Tesla, answered.

"No, an hour at most!" A lionman who boasted the title of King of Inventors, Thomas Alva Edison, argued. "We have one Archer currently fighting, and he isn't holding back."

"We have already tapped into the city Leylines for support," Medea remarked. "But the process is too slow, and it only provides a brief respite."

Beside Medea stood a petite, pink-haired girl with pointed ears. The Falcon Witch, Circe, added, "Almost all servants, except for a few, are effectively rendered unavailable until this issue is resolved."

They were stuck, with no idea of what to do. The kidnapping of their master had happened out of nowhere and caught them completely off guard. They had been too complacent, thinking the city was secure and safe. It was a blunder on their part.

Familiars were sent out, scouring the whole city and beyond, but they still couldn't find a trace of their master. They even tried to desummon themselves to Shirou's inner world and resummon near him, but something blocked them from doing so. It was as if he had been taken away from this world. Some casters speculated he might have been transported to the Reverse Side of the World, a dire predicament if true.

All hope seemed lost until a lone man walked in. He wore a finely woven robe, pulling the hood up to cover his face. His long hair appeared white at first glance, but upon closer inspection, seemed to gleam with rainbow colors. He wore a reassuring smile on his face, and every step he took left a path of blooming flowers.

He was the self-proclaimed Caster-class servant of Shirou, even though he didn't have a proper master-servant contract with him. He appeared by his own volition to guide the young boy, the man who proclaimed he would always be here until the end of time.

Merlin, the Magus of Flowers.

"Perhaps, I could help find our master," he stated.

Every servant's attention in the main hub turned to him.

He continued, "But I need the help of a certain man to do it."

Not far from the main hub of Heroes Order, in a pub built just for the servants to relax, a white-haired man was polishing a glass mug before sneezing. His eyes twitched for some reason.

Why did he suddenly feel annoyed?

...

Every person was unique, from their DNA, the very genetic code that defined them, to their fingerprints, retinas, and physical appearances. Even twins, who were considered the closest in similarity, still had distinct differences that set them apart.

Likewise, the soul of every individual was a unique essence that defined what made them a living being. To put it bluntly, the soul was the raw data that brought life to an entity. No two souls were alike; there was no similarity between them, much like DNA. Each soul was truly one of a kind.

Yet, what if, by some extraordinary chance, there were two souls that shared every single characteristic? Would they not be virtually the same?

Such a hypothetical situation shouldn't even be possible. But yet...

"I am the bone of my sword."

Against all odds, it happened regardless.

As Shirou uttered the lines, he felt a strange yet familiar sensation coursing through his very being. Torrents of blurry knowledge flooded his mind, but surprisingly, he embraced it with only slight discomfort.

Golden motes of light momentarily veiled him before gracefully dissipating into the air.

His once casual shopping clothes had transformed. Adorning his form was a sleeveless black body armor adorned with shimmering silver streaks. Long black pants hugged his legs, accentuated by two straps around his thighs and complemented by black metal-plated shoes. A half-red coat draped like a regal skirt around his waist. A red bandana-like cloth was tied around his forehead, while another enfolded his left arm like a battle-hardened bandage.

Shirou's once-golden eyes now bore a striking silver metallic hue, radiating an aura of power that caught Sakura and the dark-red monster by surprise.

The servant bestowed upon him a fraction of their power. Projection, Alteration, Reinforcement, and countless blueprints for various weapons. A hero who utilized Projection? How intriguing. Shirou pondered the identity of this servant, as his name was one of many things he intentionally kept from him.

'Don't push your luck, kid,' the servant muttered.

Well, finding out this jerk's name could wait.

"Sakura, stay here," his voice carried a more serious, cold tone.

Snapping out of her shock, Sakura nodded slowly, entrusting herself to Shirou's newfound power.

He opened his palms, channeling his magical energy.

"Trace On!"

In a dazzling display, two magnificently crafted oriental swords materialized in his hands. One was a beautiful white sword, epitomizing purity and righteousness, while the other was dark as night, exuding an intimidating aura. They complemented each other perfectly, the yin to the other's yang, destined to unite as one.

Kanshou and Bakuya.

The union of monster slayer trait and swords that had transcended the realm of mortals.

"Come..."

Shirou's eyes blazed with determination as he unleashed Kanshou towards the oncoming horde of monsters. Kanshou sliced through the monstrous ranks like a scorching knife through butter, leaving a trail of defeated foes in their wake. With lightning speed, he bent his knees and propelled himself into the midst of the swarming creatures.

A crimson streak of motion surged through the monsters, as Shirou effortlessly danced from one to another, dispatching them with lethal precision. His free arms extended, and from a distance, Kanshou spun through the air, hurtling towards him like a deadly boomerang, carving through anything that dared stand in its path.

Suddenly, a hulking humanoid monster emerged from the ground right in front of him. Undeterred, Shirou leaped forward, catching Kanshou as it finally arrived in his hands. In one seamless motion, he crossed both blades and unleashed a devastating cross slash, cutting the monster open before it even had a chance to strike. With a thud, the lifeless creature fell back into the mud below.

'You need to finish this fight fast, kid!' a voice echoed in Shirou's ears.

"Easy for you to say!" Shirou shouted as he lunged forward, slashing through another unfortunate monster in his path. "These monsters just keep appearing!"

His eyes locked onto Sakura, who was surrounded by approaching monsters. His Magic Circuits hummed with power. "Trace on," he whispered. In an instant, numerous nameless swords materialized from the air behind him. Though simple in appearance, they were of excellent quality. "Continuous Fire!"

The swords launched themselves with breakneck speed, skewering through the bodies of the monsters one after another. As one sword was thrown, another replaced it, forming an unending barrage of deadly steel. With Sakura now safe, Shirou landed beside her, summoning a row of floating swords that encircled her. The sharp edges of the blades aimed menacingly at the monsters, ready to slaughter any that dared approach.

'Must be nice, having those absurd amounts of magical energy laying around in your body. Let's make full use of it.'

Shirou nodded, his magical energy surging through his body. Ten, hundreds, thousands of swords continued to materialize around him. "Swords Barrage, Continuous Fire!" he roared.

A rain of steel descended from the sky, obliterating everything in its path. The monsters howled in agony, unable to withstand the onslaught of flying swords. With each swing of his arm, the barrage intensified, leaving no monster standing. Swords scattered all over the sickening battlefield, marking the carnage left in their wake.

Breathing heavily, Shirou realized he had never unleashed such a torrent of magical energy before. "Is it finally over?" he questioned, hoping for some respite.

'You idiot, you just jinxed yourself.'

Confused, Shirou felt the ground tremble violently beneath him. A muffled scream filled the air, and then it came into view—a giant grotesque snake-like abomination rising from the ground. Its howl was eerily reminiscent of a human scream, sending chills down their spines.

'...great job. It's nice knowing you, kid,' the servant responded sarcastically.

"Shut up,"

...

Sakura hated how useless and powerless she felt. Her senpai was trying his best in their current situation, yet the only thing she could do was be a burden to him. After he suddenly changed into this new form, he singlehandedly slayed every single monster around them.

At first, it was a breathtaking scene as she saw how her senpai systematically moved like an experienced warrior of red. But the feeling of being a burden soon caught on her, and she bit her lower lip, frustrated with her weakness.

And now, a giant monster, easily towering over them and the monster from before, appeared. The realization that her senpai was the only one who would fight it dawned upon her in horror. No, she didn't want this.

'Do you seek more power?' a sudden voice echoed in her mind.

"W-Who?" Sakura jolted in shock.

'Don't be scared. I'm a... friend of the red-haired boy. It seems that he managed to forge back enough connection to the outside world for me to be able to talk to you.'

Sakura remained skeptical. "What do you want?"

'Nothing much, I just want to... spice things up,' the voice playfully said. 'To see how this world fares under its... unfortunate circumstances, its miserable fate,' the voice giggled.

"I... I don't trust you," Sakura hesitated.

'And I don't care,' the voice retorted.

Both of them fell silent for a moment before the voice audibly sighed. 'Look, you want power, and I want my share of watching people suffer. You lend me your body, and I'll give you the power you need. Sounds good?'

The thought of the voice taking control of her body made Sakura wary, "I still don't trust you."

'And again, I don't really care. Look at the boy,' the voice urged.

Sakura glanced at Shirou, horrified to see him rushing at the giant monster with all his power. Then the sight of the monster easily swatting him aside convinced Sakura that she needed more power to protect him. "Fine, let's do it!"

'Finally' the voice exclaimed.

A surge of magical energy enveloped Sakura. 'I am the one who calls upon you. I am the one who will stand at the bridge of chaos and reach for love. I shall carry your burden under my own free will. The pact of the sworn words was made. From this moment, I hereby declare: I am thou, thou art I!'

Just like Shirou before, golden motes of light materialized around her, enveloping her body before gently fading away. Her hair transformed into a pristine white, and she donned a stylish short purple dress with sleeves detached around her arms. Completing her new look, she wore long thigh-high purplish stockings and intricately designed sandals on her feet.

A name echoed through her head. Kamadeva, the God of Love, had descended. A sugarcane bow and five arrows of flowers materialized in her hands.

...

"▃▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▂▂▃▃▅▅▃▃▃▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ーーー!" The Beast howled as its gigantic body lunged at Shirou.

"Nothing's working!" Shirou grunted as he was forced to dodge. He tried launching volleys of swords at The Beast, but they were easily deflected without a care. Kanshou and Bakuya were barely able to leave marks on its scales.

'Make some distance, kid. Time to bring out the big gun,' the servant's voice advised.

The Beast rushed towards Shirou, but he swiftly moved aside. Then, using its body as a platform, Shirou leaped onto The Beast's back and ran along it before jumping high into the air. The servant provided him with the blueprints needed for projection.

"Trace on!"

Sparks of blue light appeared, materializing into a big black bow. The size of the bow easily matched, if not surpassed, Shirou's own height. Simultaneously, a drill-like sword materialized beside him, transforming into a leaner, more aerodynamic shape.

Caladbolg, the sword of Fergus Mac Roich. The hill destroyer, the spiraling rainbow sword.

Using alteration, Shirou changed the once gigantic, bulky drill sword, and attached it to the black bow. However, Shirou's arms were too short to pull the bow to its full length. So, he used his right leg to hold the bow and pulled the string with his hands, effectively using his whole body to draw the bowstring.

Reinforcement, a magecraft used to strengthen the target's traits, was used on his body to enable him to pull the strings back.

"My core is twisted in madness!" Shirou chanted as he glared at The Beast below him. "Soar! Caladbolg II!"

Releasing the strings, Caladbolg II was unleashed—a sonic boom followed by a streak of spiraling light that tore through the space around it. In a fraction of a second, Caladbolg II collided with The Beast head-on.

A crackling sound followed by a bright dome of explosion engulfed The Beast's entire body. The aftershock was so powerful that it threw Shirou a good hundred meters away. After being thrown for a couple of seconds, Shirou managed to land on his feet, skidding back a bit.

"That should work, right?"

'...no.'

The dome of light dissipated, revealing The Beast still alive and barely looking hurt. Shirou widened his eyes as The Beast opened its jaw wide, and a dark red light glowed within its mouth.

"...?!"

Then a blaze of dark red beam shot out of The Beast's mouth. Shirou gritted his teeth and extended his arms forward.

"O Seven rings that protected the fiery heavens!" he quickly chanted. "Rho Aias!"

A conceptualized shield of a seven-petal flower bloomed in front of him. However, the red beam crashed into Rho Aias, instantly breaking through four petals at once. Shirou felt his body breaking down as the petals shattered—his ribs cracked, one lung collapsed, arms broken, and internal bleeding in various organs.

The beam stopped, leaving a cracked three-petal shield in front of Shirou.

'You look like shit, kid.'

Shirou panted, the pain was too intense and made him not notice the servant talking to him. To his horror, The Beast didn't let him take a break; it immediately rushed its gigantic body toward Shirou.

"Stay away from him!" he heard someone shout.

Turning, he saw Sakura... sliding? on the ground. Her appearance had changed, and she now held a bow and arrow in her hands. She took aim at The Beast.

Purple streaks of arrows were released, bombarding The Beast. The beast noticed her approach and turned its attention toward her. Not showing any fear, Sakura faced this monstrous being, even giving it a smirk.

"The sugarcane bow and the arrow with flowers," Sakura chanted, and suddenly many copies of her appeared, sliding and encircling The Beast.

"I won't let you hurt him again," all the Sakuras said, their voices echoing.

Below The Beast, a large flower-like pattern appeared, rotating and glowing with a bright purple light.

"Kama Sammohana."

The Sakuras then shot their arrows. Blinding lights of purple rocketed towards The Beast, swallowing its whole body under the relentless assault.

Shirou's jaw dropped.

W-What happened to Sakura?!

'No time to be confused, idiot! She is buying us time; we need to use it, or we'll just waste her effort!'

The servant's voice snapped him back to reality. "Right, what should I do?"

'We're going to summon your inner world here; we don't have much time.'

Shirou was confused, but the urgency behind the servant's voice silenced him. Explanations could wait; he and Sakura needed to get out of there first.

'I don't know if this will work, but we're going to try it.'

Shirou nodded. "Right."

'I'll allow you to access more of my abilities; worst case scenario, it won't work, best case scenario, you'll be dead.'

...Shirou's mind stopped, and he frowned. "...what?!"

'Don't worry about it; here we go.'

Another torrent of strange knowledge was forcibly crammed into Shirou's head. He grunted as the process happened. Innate bounded field... World Egg... Self Egg... Reality Marble.

Under normal circumstances, what Shirou would do wasn't supposed to be possible in such a short period. It should take years upon years of practice and research before he could utilize it. But the meddling of the servant inside his head, coupled with their exceptional soul similarity, changed everything.

The process rushed, forcing years of knowledge into Shirou's head.

Gritting his teeth while holding the splitting pain in his head, he stood straight and took a deep breath before chanting:

"A radiant light embraces my soul,..."

His magical energy hummed, countless Magic Circuits in his body sparked in activation.

"Crystallized legends from worlds untold,

The oldest, the greatest, the mightiest,

The time of peril has arrived,

The wheel of fate has decided,

Thus, I do hereby ask...

Save this world, O legends of old!

Throne of Heroes!"

In a burst of flame, two worlds collided. A cursed world with a dark sky and muddy ground met a world of grassy plains with a clear, sunny sky. One tried to devour the other, and a stalemate was achieved with a crackling rumble resonating at the border.

Shirou felt his body becoming weak. He fell backward, but someone caught him before he hit the ground. Weakly, he stared at the person who caught him.

Tamamo looked back at him with relief. "You made us worried, young master."

Shirou wryly smiled. "...sorry."

Behind them, countless figures walked forward. An army of legends. A united front under a single master. The servants were here.