A SWORD AWAKEN

His left arm was burning. Head throbbed as a devil were hammering it with a relentless drive. 

Someone was calling him.

"-er!... der!... p… e…"

"… Cardia- … rrest!"

He was in an ocean of darkness. A light above him. He was adrift, an unknown force was slowly pulling him down, drowning him to the abyss.

He can only see the glimmer above. A hand dived and extended to him.

Where? His thought shimmered between the line of the living and the death.

"-lear!"

Once the hand reached him, he immediately grasped for breath. 

A heavy thud fell on him.

The sun was glaring high above and his lung greedily relishing in the fresh air.

"Commander! Commander! You're alright!"

Huh? He opened his eyes, head swiveled to the voice.

!!

There's a clear sign of relief in her face. Her smiles were briefly superseded with an image of a girl with purple hair.

"Sakura?"

His mouth followed the state of his mind.

The girl quietly tilted her head in confusion. Then there's a spark of understanding that passed through her.

"My apology. I'm not this Sakura person. My name is Marian. Are you sure you're alright, commander?"

Commander? What did she mean even? 

He is Emiya Shirou. A student. Certainly not someone that was given the authority to command a group of people. 

"Visual and Auditory perception is clear! Commander, can you tell me which section you're from?"

A rush of memories, garbled and murky, came to him. His mouth speaks as if he had practiced it for a million of times.

"Central Government. Nikke Management Department."

The piece stuck on his mind but refuses to elaborate further. What Central Government? Nikke? There's too many unknowns happening to him and none of the time to process.

Putting aside that, he looked past behind the girl. The scenery.

Fallen ruin and skyscraper. All around him were remnant of civilization overrun by the greeneries. All that left is rubble and memories.

Suddenly it had become clear of what is becoming to him.

Right. He'd killed Sakura. It was too late. His foolish idiot-self. 

He seethed. What is a world without her? 

He should have known the sign. 

'Some Hero you were'

A rough voice echoed in the back of his mind.

"Commander, we should press on. It's too dangerous to stand in wide open field." The girl, Marian, suggested to him.

He nodded.

"Good then, raise your arm. I'll help you stand." 

His knees wobbled weakly and Marian was quick to support him.

The burning wreckage they were surrounded with had made him wary enough.

For now, he followed obediently.

Wherever he found himself, it bore no resemblance to the Japan he had come to know. It felt alien, a place that might not even be Earth.

Marian guided him toward one of the derelicts, her eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly, as though anticipating an imminent threat. Shirou couldn't help but notice the bulky firearm slung across her shoulder. Whoever she was, it was evident she possessed military training or affiliation.

"We were attacked en-route to our destination. The transport ship is down," she spoke, her voice laced with growing caution. "Any Rapture within a hundred miles must have heard the explosion."

Shirou understood that, for now, it was wise to stay close until he could comprehend the overall situation he found himself in. He speculated about the Grail being the cause of his awakening here—a rough hunch based on his limited background.

As they walked, upturned cars, overtaken by the relentless forces of nature, and the remains of a once-civilized landscape surrounded them. The burning wreckage added to the surreal image of destruction.

"Commander, do you remember me?" Marian inquired, her eyes momentarily flicking behind her. She tightened her grip around the gun, ready to assist him if he fell behind.

After a brief pause, Shirou replied, "No. I'm sorry."

She shook her head, wearing a wry, helpless smile. "Then it's fine. I'm Marian."

"Shirou Emiya," he introduced himself. He briefly considered the wisdom of revealing his name, but Marian seemed to harbor a degree of familiarity with him—or whoever he was before his unsettling awakening.

Shirou cradled his left arm, seemingly normal outwardly, though dark splotches peeked through torn fabric. Pain coursed through him, yet he concealed it, not wanting to burden Marian further. Their situation demanded her focus elsewhere, away from his deteriorating condition at least.

"What's the enemy?" Shirou asked as they navigated through the rubble and overgrown buildings. The auburn-haired youth could easily imagine a scene of rows after rows of working cubicles, buzzing like a bee's colony in the morning, now obscured by the destroyed walls of the building.

Marian skillfully guided them away from open fields and streets, avoiding easy visibility. Against what, Shirou didn't know.

Marian came to a stop, prompting a raised eyebrow from Shirou. She pointed outside the window, saying, "That. It's a Rapture. Do you truly not remember anything, Commander?"

"It's… hazy," Shirou replied, a half-lie attempting to mask the urge to turn his head away. Lying wasn't his forte.

His eyes focused on the creature Marian indicated—a crab-like machine with rough edges, painted in silver. It was roughly the size of an adult, large enough to crush a car beneath it as it skittered around the street. They were scouring the wreckage of the fallen transport plane, searching for survivors or clues.

"Be that as it may. Permission to engage, Commander?" Marian sought approval.

Not well-versed in military jargon, Shirou hesitated, gripping his left arm. He couldn't resist the request when she mentioned the possibility of survivors. Damn his idiotic self.

"Fine... Permission to engage," Shirou reluctantly agreed. It wasn't like him to be this afraid.

Marian took cover behind a thick, jutting rebar, aimed, and unleashed a barrage of bullets onto the Rapture. Her barrel heated up, but she continued firing until the mechanical creature stood no chance against their impromptu ambush.

"We better hurry. It must have alerted Raptures in the nearby area," Marian warned.

Shirou nodded and followed behind her, passing Rapture corpses which strewn around the crashed plane, along with the unfortunate crew. Marian checked the bodies only to shake her head. 

Their heads had been crushed—an odd phenomenon to Shirou. What was the aim of these creatures? Did they consume brains, like in those Western movies Fuji-nee often forced him to watch?

"I've retrieved their tags. I don't think we can recover them, Commander," Marian said, glancing at the corpses.

"Recover?" Shirou inquired.

Marian tilted her head, then remembered his condition. "Ah, we, Nikke, could live as long as our heads are still intact. These Raptures didn't show mercy and crushed whatever remains of the survivors here."

Ah, so that was it—the source of his fear. They were too late.

Too late.

He didn't want to know. Couldn't accept that. A tinge of pain, then a swallow. At least Marian was here, and that was what mattered.

"If they were out here, in the thick of danger, with enemies—Raptures on all sides—there must be a reason," he thought.

"What's the mission?" he asked her.

"We were to rendezvous at the given coordinates."

"Then that's where we must go. There could be another group waiting."

"Roger!"

Before departing, Shirou scavenged whatever supplies survived the crash. Overall, he found a box of medkits, a handful of rations, two vials of water, and whatever ammunition Marian would need.

.

The sun began its descent.

"Flyer 2 o'clock! Firing!"

Sparks of light echoed around the empty street corridor, dancing to the tune of a loud firearm. The pair sought cover behind an overturned taxi, its bright yellow color providing an easy target for the relentless Rapture. So far, Marian had proven to be quite the fighter. Shirou remained vigilant, ready to activate his circuits if the girl protecting him became overwhelmed.

"Marian, I see a horde of crawlers!" Shirou exclaimed, feeling the ground beneath them rumble from the approaching menace. It had been hours of constant pursuit, and no matter how many Raptures they took down, the relentless creatures showed no signs of relenting.

He had heard that machines were supposed to be efficient and precise, but it seemed these Raptures defied that logic. Even Marian was uncertain of their origin.

"Commander, your course?" Marian inquired.

Shirou looked around, spotting something at the edge of his vision, almost hidden by the rubble.

"We can run?"

Marian briefly glanced at him and nodded her head. "Roger. I'll provide covering fire. Commander, you can throw a smoke grenade at them, and then we run."

Following her instructions, Shirou grabbed a silver-colored canister from Marian's belt and tossed it toward the approaching machine horde.

"Commander!"

The pair dashed away, with Marian providing covering fire. Shirou kept a watchful eye on their destination and the gun-wielding girl.

She seemed tired; her gait limped, indicating injuries sustained during their engagements with the Raptures.

Not wanting to see her struggle, green lines snaked through Shirou's arm and feet. Surprising Marian, he effortlessly hoisted her over in a princess carry, making a mad dash to escape the massive yet confused horde.

"C-Commander!" She blushed but was more bewildered by her apparently human commander's ability to carry several hundred kilos so effortlessly.

Raptures crawled fast behind them, claws jittering to tear flesh apart. Shirou slid beneath rubble, and both of them toppled from the stairwell of the metro. Dim light shone through as they fell, and the entrance quickly became blocked by the Rapture horde. 

One managed to slip through, but Marian swiftly dispatched it with her secondary arm, the monocle eye glowed dimly before the light went out.

Sweat glistened on their skin as they caught their breath, adrenaline pumping through their veins.

"That was a close one," Shirou commented.

"Hahaha..." Marian laughed, and he followed suit. "Hahahaha..."

"I'm glad to have you as my commander."

He nodded in response to her praise. "Although, what was that?" she asked.

Shirou shook his head, pondering how to reveal his secret. He wasn't good at lying.

"It's... I don't know," he replied, struggling with the truth.

"Alright, I won't pry," she conceded with a smile, a smile that felt oddly nostalgic to him.

He met her gaze. "Thank you."

.

Their exchange was cut short as Marian winced in pain. "Ow!" She had been injured earlier, and Shirou quickly retrieved a first aid medkit, intending to bandage her wound. However, the sight of her injury gave him pause.

He looked below and noticed that her right leg was somewhat torn, revealing a piece of synthetic machinery beneath. It became clear that she wasn't entirely human, especially considering the references to 'Nikke' he occasionally heard from her.

The subway fell into an eerie silence, with barely an echo in the dark tunnels. Marian expressed her pain and shame. It was apparent that she feared either failing him or thinking herself beneath human. Shirou recognized those eyes; he had seen them before.

"Senp—" "Commander?"

That image flashed in his mind again, and he shook his head. "I'm sorry. Can I inspect it?"

Having tinkered with computers before, he thought it might not be too difficult to fix her, perhaps with a bit of tracing to identify the issue.

"Trace... on," he commanded. His circuit gently thrummed, and a soft green light illuminated her face and the dim metro. The only sounds were their breathing and Marian's bated gaze as Shirou, her commander, worked his magic on her.

She felt warmth emanating from him. He perked up, scanning their surroundings before settling on the fallen Rapture. Since the revelation had occurred, he didn't hesitate to trace a knife and cut a few parts from its innards. A thin metal plate of unknown origin appeared in his hand, and he placed it on Marian's wound.

"Commander, what are you doing?" Marian asked, confused about his intentions.

"Trust me," he urged, and she wilted under his gaze.

"Y-yes..."

The plate liquefied under his touch, changing shape, and then... her wound disappeared. She inspected it carefully, still in disbelief. But as she saw his waiting gaze, it became clear that it was real.

"You did this, Commander?"

"I did," he confirmed.

"But how?"

"Magic?" he suggested, his answer tinged with doubt. He tilted his head slightly, unsure if what he had done could truly be labeled as such.

She found the gesture somewhat amusing. "Then I'm glad to trust you. But do you know that's a Rapture you're using?"

He shook his head more firmly this time. "It's practically compatible with my eyes."

The implication made her uncomfortable, but she decided not to dwell on it. Even so, she was sure her commander would be there if she needed help again.

"Should we move on?" Shirou asked.

"Aren't you tired, Commander?" Marian inquired.

"No, not really. Besides, I don't want whoever is waiting for us to wait. Not in this kind of place," he replied, silently adding, 'And being too late again.' He'd had enough.

Standing upright, Marian exclaimed with a smile on her face, "Then let's go, Commander!" She extended her helping hand to him.

Shirou took it. "Let's go."

It was warm. Both of them thought so as they continued their journey together.

.

The subway station was eerily quiet, a rare haven not yet overrun by the relentless Raptures. However, Shirou knew better than to tempt fate, considering Archer's luck parameter.

"In here, Commander!" Marian's flashlight bobbed as she pointed to a steel framework door—a maintenance hatch, perhaps. "This should take us above the ground." True to her words, after some reinforcement and her superhuman strength, the old rusted door groaned under their combined force, revealing a staircase extending above.

Emerging into another station, they were relieved to find the entrance unblocked. Marian's ears perked up as they ascended the stairs, and Shirou soon heard it too—a fight.

Flashlights illuminated the street, gunfire casting shadows on encroaching Raptures. The battle grew fiercer as the pair quickly approached.

"Permission to engage fire and help potential allies!" Marian requested.

"Where are we?" Shirou asked.

"This should be the rendezvous point, Commander."

"Then, engage," he nodded. Friendly or not, anyone fighting against the mindless machines was worth supporting.

The Raptures advanced toward the unknown gunfire, and Marian and Shirou crept behind them. She raised her bulky firearm, checking the remaining ammunition before taking aim.

"Firing."

Shirou admired the occasional flash of light from the muzzle that illuminated her determined face. Waves of Raptures fell before her onslaught, their shrieks the only protest before meeting their demise.

Relying on quantity and overwhelming force, the machines were a formidable foe. The woman before him proved strong enough to hold her own, and Shirou intervened only when it seemed too much for her.

As the self-proclaimed commander, a title both foreign and familiar on his tongue, he pointed to where her bullets should fly. "Marian, enemy reinforcement to your right!"

"Roger!"

Dumping a spent magazine and inserting a fresh one with methodical experience, her body swiveled to brace for recoil before pulling the trigger once again.

The relentless machines swarmed like minions of an old man he'd rather forget. As soon as one fell, two more took its place, and slowly but surely, they were getting overwhelmed.

The nikke gun's barrel glowed red from the constant barrage. When it failed to spit out more bullets, Shirou was ready to intervene. Before he could, something whizzed past them, narrowly missing the closing Raptures.

The pair glanced behind.

"Hey, who are you!" one of them shouted.

"There's no time. Clear the area first," the other one hushed her comrade.

The reprieve gave Marian a bit of time to reload her gun before she rejoined the cacophony once again. Shirou wasn't sure how many cycles passed before the number of Raptures started to dwindle.

"That's the last one," he declared, feeling no imminent threat in the immediate vicinity.

"It's odd. From our way, we encountered nothing but these hordes of crawlers and the occasional flyer and sentry who watched over them," Marian muttered.

"Is it that odd?" Shirou asked.

"Usually, it's only a handful, for sure. But no, not this many," Marian commented.

Hopefully, it wasn't because of him. Yeah, right, he drawled.

"Raise your arm!" Their little conversation was interrupted by additional reinforcements.

At the start, Shirou wondered about Marian's attire, but perhaps Nikke didn't have a dress code or anything resembling a uniform. Their outfits always bordered on the middle line of skimpy and conservative (relatively) enough to cover their feminine assets. He didn't dwell on it longer—an oddity of this world, for sure, following the fall of humanity to unknown machines.

"Don't shoot! We're allies. This is Marian of the silver gun. Are you the team we're supposed to meet?"

"Yeah, at least what's left of it," the one with yellow attire commented, while her comrade simply closed her eyes and sighed.

"Identity confirmed, and who is your companion?" The red one sharpened her gaze at Shirou.

Before he could say anything, Maria stood protectively in front of him. "This is the commander I was under, Shirou Emiya of the Central Government."

There was a pause, and then, "Identity confirmed. My apology, Commander."

"It's... fine?" Shirou wasn't sure what to say, and from the implication of Marian's stance, she was trying to hide his lack of knowledge about his background.

She nodded before briefly glancing at Marian. She stepped aside, and the girl in red stood in front of him, eyes straight.

She saluted, "Recognition code accessed. Requesting transfer of command authority to squad 04-F!"

"Request accepted," he spoke.

"From now on, you're in command! No formal procedures were necessary as the previous commander was unable to issue orders at the present."

"Oi, Rapi, how could you so recklessly transfer the command to some unknown human!" the one called Anis protested.

"Marian vouched for him. Besides, a Nikke squad cannot operate with no commander without given permission. Do you remember, Anis?" The now identified Rapi said.

"Right..." She drawled before looking at him as if trying to examine his worth.

He simply smiled and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, which seemed to further worsen her opinion of Shirou as she sighed.

Marian smiled from the side before settling it and turned her head.

.

"What happened to your previous commander?" Marian asked.

"He died—with a gun and a word of vengeance, he marched to the mouth of the beast!" Rapi sighed as her words were cut off once again. "Pathetically!"

The girl in red still persistent, finished her sentence, "He perished when we tried to protect him."

"You mean you let your commander die?" It was the first time Shirou had seen Marian with such powerful emotion.

"Hey, you know it's hard to keep someone who wants to be dead from dying," Anis fought back.

"We tried. He just jumped out of the cover before shooting and yelling at the Rapture. We were a tad bit too slow to grab him back." Rapi finished, though there was no hint of remorse from either of them, making Shirou wonder if the previous commander was rather reckless and stubborn.

At that word, Shirou simply played innocent.

Marian shook her head, "I'm not sure if I can hand my commander's safety to yours. In any case, we should finish our mission." Whatever emotion she had, the girl stamped it out.

"Are you still hanging on that?! We don't even know the coordinates to this supposed last sighting of the lost squad!"

Rapi turned to Shirou, "The commander should have been given the coordinates."

Anis looked suspiciously before she brought some sort of screen device out of her satchel.

"I don't know," Shirou stated.

"Thought so. He's a complete newbie. Fresh from the academy yesterday! What the heck is even central government thinking!" Anis exclaimed, showing the result of the device to Rapi.

"It's clear they didn't trust him enough to hand him the coordinates. A rookie, huh." Rapi finished, her eyes tightening on him.

Marian's eyes sharpened, "I know where it is."

"Huh?"

"You knew, Marian?" Shirou asked.

"I overheard it accidentally. I can lead the way."

"Won't it be dangerous?" There were a few crashed airplanes on their travel, and based on that, the size of the force the Rapture in the area must be considerably dangerous enough to warrant such a response.

Though it struck them as odd for a simple lost Nikke squad to have such a large search operation. From what he understood of the implication, it wasn't the usual central government motives unless there's some sort of hidden goal. Judging from the party size of the Rapture that had been attacking them, perhaps there was some truth to it.

"We'll scout, determine their condition, and if it becomes too much, then we leave and inform the central government," Rapi concluded.

"That sounds fair."

"I'm sure whatever it was already had a whiff from the smoke of our failures." Anis brought her argument.

"Even so, we should try. We can't go back empty-handed." Rapi countered.

"Then let's go," Shirou said, wrapping up the convoy as it was clear the sun was going down soon.

.

He turned his head to Marian, who was about to open her mouth, her eyes sharp on the pair of Nikke.

"But before that, Rapi, Anis…" Her voice was commanding in contrast to her usual gentle demeanor, catching their attention.

"I want to make this clear. Shirou Emiya is our commander. I don't want a repeat of the previous accident with your commander. Do not question his command when required. He's putting his life on the line the same way we do, at least I want you to consider that."

Both of them were silent.

"Am I understood?"

"Right…" He was sure Anis was simply saying yes, so she wouldn't hear anything again.

"Yes, I'll keep that in mind," and Rapi dismissed it.

Marian sighed as they started to march, vigilant on his side, clearly unable to trust the pair of Nikke since they had compromised their previous commander.

"You don't have to go that far, Marian."

"Even so, it was the least I could try, commander."

"I've been a rather poor commander anyway," Shirou admitted. Through the thick of battle, he remembered how Marian could handle herself well. He didn't do much, that he knew.

"Now it's your turn to mock yourself, commander?" Her voice was sweet but reminded him of how Saku- nevermind.

He recalled what Illya had taught him, that pseudo-sister of his, "Thank you," he said, "For speaking like that."

Marian was surprised, though her smile made him ache. "Hehe, you're welcome, commander."

From behind, Anis and Rapi had been watching their interaction. "Hey, isn't this just a couple skit?" spoke Anis in a hushed whisper.

"They are oddly close for a commander and Nikke, is what I'm seeing, yes," Rapi replied back.

"I never seen a commander like that, and he's a newbie. I know how every newbie commander typically acted!"

"Abnormal," Rapi said.

"Yeah… maybe we're wrong about him?"

"Maybe." She simply stated, though her eyes never left the pair in front of her.

.

.

The journey seemed ordinary, and they intended to keep it that way. The four of them stuck to the alleys instead of the main road for obvious reasons.

"Huh?" Rapi halted midway.

"What's the matter?" Shirou inquired.

"The Alva particles in this place must be particularly low. I'm receiving communication from HQ. Projecting now," she explained.

Shirou, cognizant of the fact that Nikke were not entirely human, observed a bluish light emitting from Rapi's eye, gradually forming into a humanoid shape.

"C- come in! Squad 04-F, come in! Does anyone read me, repeat over!"

Once again, another girl, dressed in tight-fitting attire, materialized. Shirou couldn't help but notice a pattern. Unlike her companions so far, she possessed a lithe build, her hair a bright light blue.

"Rapi? Is that you? This is Shifty. Can you read over?"

"This is Rapi, loud and clear over."

"Oh, thank God," she sighed in relief. "We thought we had lost you there."

"There's a Rapture attack, and we had to relocate along the way. What's the mission parameter, over?"

"Hmm, wait a minute." The girl turned around, searching until her eyes landed on him. "Oh, is that you, the commander? Shirou Emiya… I'm surprised you survived the crash. We can work with this, I think," she muttered before continuing, "The mission still remains. This is what the HQ declared."

Anis couldn't help but palm her face. "Seriously, what are they thinking? Everything went FUBAR as soon as our reinforcements were flying straight into the enemy camp. It's a miracle we have survivors here. Shifty, do you think it's high time we bail out with tails tucked between our legs and call it a day now?"

"I'm afraid not," the girl with the white headband said, closing her eyes as if to dismiss the blond girl further.

"This sounds suspicious," Rapi declared.

"Right?"

"But an order is an order," Marian chimed in. "Let's get this over with."

"Yes, yes, I hope my death is a swift one. I've seen a bigger flag from miles away."

Shifty then addressed Shirou, "In any case, I hope we can work together, commander. I'm Shifty of the Ark Intelligence Department. Just ask me if there's anything you need on the mission."

"Okay," he simply nodded as Shifty disappeared, and Rapi's projection ceased.

"Here." She handed him a piece of metal.

"Hmm?"

"It's a com bead, from the previous commander. I figured you wouldn't have one," Rapi explained.

"Thank you," he said, fitting the small piece around his ear. "Is there something wrong?" Shirou asked as Rapi stood still.

Then she shook her head, having emerged from her momentary daze. "No, it's nothing. You're welcome."

"Also, commander, my apologies for my rude behavior before." Shirou wasn't sure what he did or why she had acted so, but apparently, it had been resolved on its own?

"It's alright; I don't mind. Let's go."

"Ehm," she nodded.

.

As they walked along, Anis intruded with a mischievous smile. "Hey, what's your relationship?"

"He saved my life." "She saved my life." They looked at each other, and Anis's smile grew wider.

"That's not true, Marian." "That's not true, Commander!" They both clamped their mouths shut, blushing, and refused to dig any deeper.

"You know, illicit affairs between commanders and Nikke aren't exactly forbidden," Anis explained.

"I-is that so?" Marian grew hopeful, feigning indifference but failing, as her face betrayed.

"Yep, though not many commanders, let alone people, see us in that kind of light, though."

"What do you mean?" Shirou asked.

"Commander, are you dense?" Anis countered, "We're not exactly human…"

"I know," he said, "But why?" He couldn't comprehend her statement. To his eyes, they were familiar enough to be called human. He had seen the depth of depravity to the point where humans couldn't be called human anymore, at least the Grail War attested to that.

In comparison, Nikke seemed the most human beings he had encountered so far. And they were attractive… too. Then he tried to banish his thoughts.

"I'm not sure, but there was a time when we were greeted as heroes. At some point, the sentiment fell off, and they simply see us as machines no better than Raptures. Do you think there's a conspiracy here, Rapi?" Anis asked her comrade for support.

"No comment," she stated.

Anis looked at him with apparent confusion painted on his face. She shook her head and smiled helplessly. "Well, I guess it's true you're just an abnormal commander, a natural-born knucklehead, I think."

Or maybe the plane crash did wonders for him, Anis thought but chose not to voice it out.

"Even so, you're human in my eyes," Shirou said. "Let me borrow your hand."

"Eh, what are you doing, commander?" Anis was befuddled by his action. His large calloused hand grabbed hers. It didn't feel bad, she thought.

Then he smiled. "See, it's warmer than mine."

Then she laughed. "Pffffttt- what's with the corny line. You're one odd commander. Hahaha, not that I didn't like it, though."

Marian smiled at the side with wistful thoughts passing through her.

.

"Co- mm… r- p- t com- t… or!" A buzz emanated from his com bead. "Shifty? Come in!"

Rapi readied her firearm, and the other Nikkes followed suit, but the communication wasn't going through.

"Come in!" He repeated, reinforcing the device, but all he got was more static. He grew more alert as his ears picked up on the dozen presences nearby.

"Rapture spotted, permission to engage." In fact, it was the machine that spotted them.

"Granted," Shirou commanded, his eyes briefly falling to a building, a hall or perhaps what used to be a governance building. "We'll fall back and pick our ground."

"Roger!" Marian shouted. Flashing gunfire erupted as they slowly retreated. The stairs to the building provided high ground for them to regroup, the concrete fence offering cover, at least until they were pushed back.

Shirou had to duck beneath as he felt a stray shot coming his way. Peeking out, he saw a different kind of Rapture this time – not the usual crawler with melee weapons, but one that shot some sort of laser from spherical red glows, functionally their eyes.

"Sentry-subclass Raptures," Rapi commented, peeking out to line her barrel. Her rifle was hot with bullets.

"Be careful, Commander. This time there's a lot of them," Marian warned.

"I know." Though deadlier than their crawler counterparts in ranged combat, their numbers weren't as numerous, at least not this time. He dared not hope.

"Ey!" A small blast tore through the Rapture trying to flank their right; Anis made quick work of them.

"On top of the building! Be careful," Shirou warned. He wished he could trace his bow right now.

The girl was proving far more capable than he thought. He continued adopting his non-interference approach, at least until...

"Hya-!" "Marian!"

The one on the building had nasty firepower, and her cover toppled under the relentless barrage from the Rapture. He saw red droplets on the concrete flooring.

"Marian, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just a scratch." She said, though she didn't show him her face. It was clear the odds weren't in their favor. He had stayed his hand for far too long.

"I'm joining in," he announced, chanting, "Trace on…" There was a surge of pain from his left arm, the dark coloration growing faster. Unfortunately, the shroud of Martin wasn't transferred when he had faded away. It was the prime reason he hesitated to fight early on.

Archer's bow was now in his hand, something too unwieldy for him to carry around, though it would do.

"C-commander, what are you doing?" The trio looked behind, pausing when he announced so. Rapi and Anis were worried he might jump out like the previous commander.

"Focus! I'll take care of the one on the roof."

"But-"

"No buts!" He scowled, having no argument in the heat of battle, especially after seeing the state Marian was in. They glared at him before falling in.

Then, within a heartbeat, dozens of nameless swords pounded through the Rapture line. His hand worked almost in a blur, familiarizing himself with Archer's late memories, or rather his own.

Rapi couldn't help but gawk at the sight. Her eyes were fast enough to see what was being propelled. She wished to turn her back and see whatever was going on behind, but her hands were tied.

"Damn!" Anis cursed.

"Commander, you're doing great!" Marian chimed in, particularly aware of his odd ability, if this was indeed one of them.

One particular flier grew bolder, attempting to swoop him down, but Marian quickly noticed and blasted the thing away mid-air.

"Fall back to the building. There's a lot of presence mid-air."

The fliers were particularly tricky targets for them. In a swarm, they could overwhelm the group if combined with ground troops, forcing them to split their target focus.

"Roger, Commander."

.

He dissolved Archer's bow before tracing a few oddly shaped swords mid-air. He stabbed them into the ground as they retreated. It was a mystic code from Archer's vast collection. Near the enemies' proximity, it would trigger the mystery inside before engulfing them in fire. In short, a mine.

"What was that, Commander?" 

"Mind explaining."

 He knew he would get this kind of question. "It's… complicated." 

"Oh great, so now you're a mysterious wizard?" Anis drawled. 

"Focus, both of you!" Marian shielded him. "You'll have an answer later, but for now, we're not out of danger yet." 

"Marian is right," Rapi agreed before meeting Shirou's eye. "I'm counting on you, Commander," she said before passing him by and going further inside the building. Anis took a glance at him for a moment and followed her.

"I'm sorry, Commander," Marian crestfallenly said. "Don't be. It's within their curiosity."

He grabbed her arm as she started to walk away. "Huh?" 

"Your wound…" Shirou pointed. He had traced Marian, but even then, he could only get so much information from it as she was the most complex thing he had ever scanned. 

It's not like he automatically understood everything he traced, as long as it's not a sword, that is.

There's a nasty hole on the right side of her head, a few millimeters from leading straight to her brain. Her right eye had stopped functioning as her charming lavender orb didn't glow as brightly as it used to be.

He perused his scavenged satchel, but Shirou then remembered he didn't have any Rapture material with him.

"It's alright, Commander. I'll be fine."

The last time someone said that to him, they were not, in fact, as she stated, 'fine'.

He firmly said, "No, you're not."

Shirou then opened the lid of the medkit, and Marian's brow furrowed at the sight.

"You know bandages won't work on us, right, Commander?"

"It's the thought that counts?" He cocked his head again; an act Marian still found amusing as she giggled.

"At least until we find the part you need," Shirou elaborated.

"Okay." She nodded, all too agreeing and still stifling her giggle.

The predominantly blue Nikke stood still, her eyes closed as she waited. There were a few rustles, but then she felt it again. His warm hand. It gently wrapped around her. She found her eye opened for a bit, and his face was, in fact, a tad bit too close, though the earnest expression on his face made her heart flutter.

If only this would last for eternity.

Good things have to end, though she may as well be extended for a little bit as he grabbed his fading hands and palmed it around her cheek.

"Your hand is warm… Commander."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, it is."

A flash of an image passed through him again, and he couldn't hide it this time.

"You're making that kind of face again, Commander." She'd seen it before, just when he woke up, or whenever he saw her smile, or when she was about to call him out. He tried to hide it well, but the Nikke was particularly perceptive.

She let go of his hand. "I'm sorry. You just reminded me."

"Lover of yours, family?" She prodded.

There was a hint of self-ridicule in his voice, "If only."

"I see, I'm sorry to ask." Her head lowered, but before raising it again, "Am I a replacement?"

She wondered where the thought came from. It came to her for a moment before she blurted the thought out. "I'm so sorry; I shouldn't have said that." Stupid her, they weren't even a thing.

"Marian." He leveled his eyes at her, his golden orbs boring into her, and continued his speech rather firmly, "No, you're not a replacement."

"I see. Thank you, Commander." She felt glad, though it must have hurt her commander. 

"Now, let's move on."

"Roger."

She's a bad girl, after all.

.

"Have you got through?"

"It's useless. The Alva particles concentration must be high in this area. We should move on," she spoke.

"Marian, can you take the lead?" Shirou relied on the girl who had been guiding him this time.

"Roger, Commander," she nodded. "It should be close in here."

The dark hallway was bereft of any presence, save for furniture succumbing to the rough elements and cobwebs.

He saw a few skeletons around, but most of them would crumble at the slightest touch. He wondered how long it had been since the Rapture drove away humanity.

At least there's a safe bastion in here they called the Ark. The only known place to be safe from the Rapture threat.

They weren't exterminated but merely driven away, though teetering on the line of extinction if it's any condition.

"People in the Ark tend to forget that after all," Anis commented. It seems she had taken it upon herself to be his guide in terms of this world's knowledge. "Once you step inside there, I'm sure you would understand, Commander."

"I see."

From Archer's experience, people tend to look away and run from problems if only it could make them feel comfortable and not be driven to the edge of insanity. He knew it himself, years being at her side, he'd overlook the most telltale signs of her behavior.

In a way, he thought, they were strong enough to still stand, enduring if only battered. There's nothing wrong with that.

Though he wished if his own power could save them.

"Ehm?" Rapi perked up.

"I got communication through," she informed, "It's rather muddy though."

"Shifty? Come in, Shifty?"

"S-wy… or- er!" Again, with the garbled static. Every time the device chimed, something for worse would rear its ugly head.

Then Rapi looked at Marian and Shirou, "We should hurry. The jamming should lessen if we keep going forward."

They all nodded.

The situation was tense and uncomfortable. The exit was just within their sight. Anis anxiously hovering on the trigger of her grenade launcher, as Marian vigilantly eyed their surroundings.

Though the latter abruptly stood still. Her grip went slack.

"We're here."

Shirou, noticing the oddity, turned to Marian, who simply walked forward ahead of them.

"Marian?"

"We're here."

"What do you mean, there's nothing here!" Anis exclaimed.

"Commander, I'm getting communication through!" Rapi informed, her eyes went wide before unslinging her rifle. He stared in confusion; the muzzle was pointing towards Marian.

Just then his com bead abuzzed with life, "Commander, this is Shifty. Get away from Marian! She's compromised and is the one who responsible for blowing up the transport planes. I repeat, get away from her!"

"Eh, what do you mean?" He tried to close the gap to the girl in question.

"Commander, I'm warning you, get away from her!" Rapi commanded.

"This can't be real… for what purpose…" Anis still reeling in shock.

"Marian, stop!" He shouted.

"We're here." She repeated.

.

"Give me the order, Commander!" Rapi called, though he wasn't having any of that.

"Marian, I said stop!" He finally caught up to her.

"Firewall offline. Detecting Rapture breach on Marian's system. She's been taken contro-"

"We're here. We're here. We Are Here. We Are Here—"

Her nonfunctional eye flashed red; the bandage wrapping her wound had fallen off from his rough handling as Shirou tried to break through to her.

Rapi gritted her teeth, her finger hovering dangerously over the trigger, and the Commander blocked her line of fire.

"LORD-CLASS SIGNATURE DETECTED. GET AWAY FROM THERE," Shifty shouted in distress.

Just then, something burst through the wall. Tendrils of black and red smashed into the Commander and Nikke pair. Shirou was too late to notice the incoming presence, distracted by Marian's condition.

His body went slack as it slumped, falling through the street. Though he quickly stood up, perhaps through sheer will or dumb luck, as he noticed Marian was not with him.

Instead, he saw the large Rapture entangling its writhing limbs around her. Her crimson eye moved around erratically before settling on him.

"We ARE Here." She repeated before disappearing inside the waiting maw of the Rapture.

Having grabbed its target, the Lord-class Rapture jumped backward, putting a distance from the confused Nikke squad.

It was about to run, but something collided right through its face.

"MARIAN!" Shirou seethed. Kanshou and Bakuya were each wielded in his hands, green lines bathing his whole body.

Not again.

This is just a repeat of the last time.

What a twisted dream.

He is going to lose her.

He is NOT going to lose her.

Lethal arsenal such as Hrunting is out of the question. Kanshou and Bakuya, Archer's favorites, would do, but it was too slow; he needed to tap into Archer's inner knowledge.

It was terribly reckless.

"Shifty, what's the information on the Lord-class?" Rapi asked as she saw the superhuman feat she'd just witnessed.

Her rifle hot as the Lord-class Rapture wasn't alone in its ambush. The two of them tried to keep away the smaller Rapture from overwhelming them, and the Commander's safety was at risk.

It's clear his mind was in jeopardy after losing Marian. In any other occasion, she would commend the action for treasuring Nikke so, but he was being foolish about it.

"I hate this!" Anis exclaimed as a group of Rapture evaporated into thin mist before her.

"Designation Blacksmith. It looks like the Rapture is the true target for this operation. They want it since it has the ability to absorb Nikke, and to what end, we don't know. Some theorized from recorded information it could heal and produce Rapture from captured Nikke."

"I see. Do you think it has the capability to corrupt Nikke?"

Shifty shook her head, "We don't know."

"Where's the Commander? I tried to contact him before."

At that, Rapi simply shifted her gaze to Shifty, "That's… impossible."

"We know. We can ask him until it's over."

"Roger that. Good luck to all of you."

.

The Commander let out an almost animalistic howl; the Blacksmith Rapture looked so pitiable under his relentless onslaught. Almost.

Just then, the air shifted. Another feat of miracle from the rookie Commander, and Rapi saw something that had bound the Lord-class Rapture to the earth itself. 

It tried to break free, but no rope held it; it struggled, but a greater force of unknown kept the behemoth down. She saw some sort of bladed object embedded not in the Rapture, but in its shadow.

He then jumped backward, putting a little bit of distance. He crossed the twin swords just atop his chest, forming an X.

"Spirit and technique, flawless and firm."

The Raptures around oddly stopped attacking once he uttered something. Words of power. It scared the minion-sized Rapture. Anis looked back at the form of the Commander.

He threw the pair of swords; both blades met the eyes of the Lord-class. It shrieked in pain, calling out to nearby Rapture, but none answered it.

Just then.

"Our strength rips the mountains."

Another pair manifested out of thin air in his hands, clearly the same one as before. Rapi saw it clearly; the previous pair was still deeply embedded in the Blacksmith.

"Our swords split the water."

He threw them again in quick succession, though not aimed towards the Lord-class. Instead, the pair of ornate blades curved gracefully, as guided by some force. It then returned, but this time it dug deep on each side of the Rapture's enlarged shoulder carapace.

"Our names reach the imperial villa."

Another pair was in his hand, though Shirou closed in for a killing blow.

In a heartbeat, the ornate blade changed; it morphed into something greater. She felt awe upon witnessing it. An untold amount of power was contained inside each of the blades. No longer did it resemble a blade, but more of a wing. A beautiful one.

"The two of us cannot hold the heavens together."

He jumped.

His blades high before being brought low to the Lord-class Rapture.

"Trace overedge: Triple-Linked Crane Wings!"

The Lord-class Rapture shrieked in pain; its strength was rendered useless, its cunning intelligence had proven to be its failing. Before the unknown Commander, the rookie she chided before, had made it feel so powerless. 

She had never seen a Rapture groveling on the ground, bleeding and dying, as the cries resembled as it was begging for mercy.

The Commander's eye showed none. The serrated blade dug through its synthetic flesh, spurts of blood painted the ground, and the blades didn't meet a hint of resistance as they almost split the fallen Lord apart, like ripened wheat before a scythe.

It was clear that whatever the Commander was doing to the pair of swords was beginning to strain, as she witnessed a flash of light. Then, the Lord shrieked for the last time. The blade had broken, but before it released the overwhelming force inside it, it was torn from the inside out.

She thought it was raining but only to find a taste of steel and gore falling out. For the first time, she saw rapture fleeing in droves and the cause was the presence of the unknown commander before her.

In the aftermath, he stood still, his mind still reeling before snapping up to the source of his distress.

"Commander!" They approached, though he didn't respond to their voices.

"We're… here…"

It was Marian, and it was not a sight she, nor Anis, let alone the commander, wished to see. She leaned on the remains of the Rapture. Gone was her graceful form. Her limbs were torn apart, her legs shattered from her thighs down, clothing barely holding on, and her arm limped to her side.

She stared at them with the lifeless husk of her corrupted right eye, her mouth moved, but only garbled sounds came out, "We… are… here…"

Shirou hardened his eyes; thoughts swirled inside his head. Too late. Again, he was too late.

"I… am here…" The fallen Nikke stared at him, "…Commander…"

"She is corrupted. Protocol dictated she was to be terminated on the spot." It was Shifty; her voice emitted from behind.

"Is there a way?"

"No, there's no precedent record of a Nikke having her corruption purged. For all purposes, she's terminally dead."

"Can we bring her back?"

"I'm afraid not…" Shifty's voice grew lower.

 Just then, he felt something nudged at him, "Only the commander has the authority to terminate Nikke."

Rapi handed him a handgun, the weight incomparable even to Berserker's sword-ax on his palm. His determination wavered; it was the most bitter thing to swallow. He felt the tremor on the handgun's grip as his hand shook.

For once, he wished to see her smile once again.

"Comm- Sen- mander -pai…"

There he stood, in that billowing fire; it was through the combined force of Rider, Tohsaka, and Illya that he made it here. There he witnessed the lifeless body of Sakura Matou, his sword soaked in blood. The one he failed to save. What is a hero if he can't even save the one closest to him.

Shoot her.

Stab her.

Kill her.

Only you can do it, commander.

Only you can do it, senpai.

Treacherous thoughts flooded his mind. 

It was for the world. 

She's been corrupted. 

There's no other way. 

It's the only way.

Slowly, the handgun's muzzle inched forward to her temple. He felt a gentle hand guiding it, "Like this…" It was pointed straight to her, and amidst Marian's fading mind, she smiled, "Thank… you… commander, for your mira... cle… and the bandage… heh..e..he…"

The grip on the handgun tightened, but he found his hand trembling.

"I am… saved…" Beads of tears freely flowed through her broken socket. She had resigned to her fate.

He inched closer to the trigger. Just then, another voice whispered. A very sweet voice he had once heard.

'Isn't it natural to protect the one you love, right? Even I know that.'

.

Ah, that's right, Illya. He was foolish to not heed her words.

As realization came through him. He replied rather firmly, as if chiding her to do something wrong, "No, you're not. Not yet."

If being a hero means to see the death of his loved one, then he'd rather not be a hero. All he wished was to smile like his father once did. Shirou had never felt such clarity in his entire life. 

He felt sane than ever.

"Commander, what's the meaning of this?"

"What are you doing?"

Anis and Rapi were bewildered. It's clear the commander wasn't in any state of mind. She should have handled the termination instead. 

"I know what I am doing." He declared with such strong newfound conviction painted on his face. Whatever he did, he was determined to see it through. 

The barrel was pointed no longer to Marian but in their direction. It was the sight of a man who had just found his purpose.

"And I'll save her."

After all. It was never too late.