Chapter 11.2 - Beginnings of Another Fate [2]

"Why?" She asked out, barely keeping her voice from raising into a desperate shout. "Why do you continue to fight?"

The three women looked to her, holding the determination that she never thought humans would ever hold. "We live day by day to survive. Countless die out in the wild, and countless more will follow if the beasts continue to come." The woman in the center looks to her, her eyes a brilliant electric green. "If we become content with who we are now, we will never improve, and stagnation will only bring destruction."

Those words ran against all that she lived for. She was the perfect mix of humanity and godhood, of power and wisdom, of knowledge and treasures, of pride and beauty. She was the key between their bond, the bridge that kept the gods' keystones.

And these women, who were by no means weak or unintelligent, nor ugly or without spirit, continue to fight, placing their lives on the line for their king.

It was absurd.

And so she laughed, but not with pity or pride, but of simple amusement and understanding. She cradled her head in her hands, hiding the smile on her face. Slowly, she stands from her golden throne, and she looks down towards the three women. "Tell me, will you continue to stand, even as the gods rain down their wrath from their unsightly thrones?"

A moment of confusion passes between the three, but they soon turn to her and nod. This time, she smiles, not hiding it, and golden portals shimmer into existence behind her, the gates to her treasury opened.

"Bring all our soldiers here! I shall gift them the strength I have stored, the treasures I have gathered!" The three stand in awe, and she narrows her eyes at the skies above. "The gods have abandoned us, but I will not!"

"And I will make their heaven come crashing down."

~~~

"Ah, those truly were golden days." Gilgamesh laughs at the memory. It was the moment she changed her own fate, so to say, and she will forever hold it as her proudest of days. To witness the growth and fall of humanity is her one and true task as the keystone of the gods. Humanity itself is her children, her citizens that she must lead 'til their very end.

Truly, it saddens her to see just how different her people have become. Hate and self-doubt gnaw at their hearts, and the pressures of society stifle growth. It is much like a tyrant, forcing its grasp down upon those beneath it.

She despises it.

But all that aside, the improvements are incredible. Dirt paths are now roads of concrete, walls of stone are now made of steel and glass, and strange mystical technologies are now widespread all across the earth. The blessings of the age of gods are no more, but that hardly stifled humanity's growth, and they instead turned to manipulating the world around them.

'Astounding.'

"Is something on your mind, my king?"

Ah, right. She'd forgotten that the man is standing by her side. Tohsaka Tokiomi, the head of the Tohsaka family and a genius magus. His powers leaves many to be desired, but that is understandable. The ending of the age of gods has not been kind on magi, and it's a feat of perseverance for magecraft to still exist in this age.

He's a skillful, exemplary man. A powerful and respected magus in his community, holding a well of knowledge and experience in his road towards the root, and a husband with a loving wife and a daughter. Idly, she can see his eyes gazing out towards the sky, staring into the distance, wishing to see something far beyond the horizon.

An excellent man and master, and seeing fumble around with general household items is quite amusing to watch.

(It does grate her to see him fail to use the stove however.)

"Indeed there is." She says, gazing up high into the starry sky above. "Has the grail chosen its last master?"

The man nods. "Yes." He says simply, his face set to a slight frown. "Yes it has."

"And what might be bothering you, Tokiomi?" His frown deepens, and his brows furrow in frustrated confusion. "The circumstances are simply…strange." She raises an eyebrow, and he elaborates. "From what the church has gathered, the last master is a young girl. She currently rents a hotel room in the city of Miki with a friend."

"Is something strange about young masters? Is the master of Rider not a young boy as well?"

"It's not her age, it's her lack of…identity. She lacks any surname, was found bloody and injured on the road and nursed in a hospital, and has been identified as a magus, one with far more power than one her age should ever have."

"The male companion is no different. His name is Shirou, no surname, was found unconscious and soon woke after a week or so. His movements are trained, experienced, and he managed to drag him and Hanami away from the church's prying eyes, though the girl seems unaware of this."

"And lastly, father Risei mentioned that the two felt eerily similar to a servant."

"A servant?" The implications are not lost on her. A mage and a warrior with a presence similar to that of a servant. Their identities are sparse, and both are talented and powerful.

'And most of all…' [Sha Naqba Imuru] activates, and the universe unveils within her mind, her soul reaching towards the well of all existence. The records of Akasha unfold, and the tales of the world shines upon its pages. Futures of mankind open one by one, the limitless possibilities of humanity shown upon it. And yet,

Their futures are not set.

[Fate has no hold over them]

Laughter erupts from her, shocking the man who anchors her to this world, but she cares not! Those two are existences that defy the truth, their souls untrapped by the chains of the world. "Interesting…" Two people who fate cannot hold. "Interesting…!" Humans that have surpassed their limits, their beings expanding beyond [Truth]!

Such incredibility! Her heart roars in simple excitement to meet them!

"Tokiomi." She turns to the man, her lips curled to a smile. "Let's watch this unfold, shall we?"

The man's eyes widen, and he soon smiles back. "Very well, my king."

~~~

[Quest: [Reach the Core] has been completed]

[Dragoons have become your ally!]

[You gained the unique skill [Blessed by Dragons]!]

[You have gained [Mal'Sara]!]

[Extra Mission Alpha has been completed]

[You have gained [Hakurei Amulet]!]

[Extra Mission Beta has been completed]

[You gained the unique [Umbrana]!]

Phew~, that's one hell of a long notification list! I kinda want to just put it away for later (I'm still tired!) and continue resting in this wonderfully comfy hotel bed, but I'll probably forget, so I'll just read them all now and get it over with.

[Blessed By Dragons Lv Max]

You are a hero amongst their kind, a beacon that pushed away the gnawing corruption. Now, their fears have been put to rest, and the world can begin to regrow anew, the cracked earth slowly healing from time. It is all due to you, and they give you their blessings, their wishes on your safe travels.

Thank you, [Gamer].

All dragons are relatively peaceful with you

All Dragon-based attacks are strengthened by +100%

Damage from all Dragon-based attacks are reduced by 25%

…Damn, that fuses really well with the skill I recently got. Dude~, just thinking of how much damage potential this thing has is making me so giddy! God, I would've liked to test it right now, but the weakness from purifying the core's still weighing down on me, and it's only been two days, so I still need to rest.

(And Akari, who became a frequent visitor after getting an idea on what I did, proceeded to slap be back down onto the bed when I tried to go out)

[Mal'Sara]

Rank B

"Alpha and Omega. Beginning and End. Land and the Sky. Part the earth, and I shall rise."

-Requires 100 Intelligence and 80 Wisdom to wield-

+65 Intelligence, Wisdom, and Agility when wielded

+35 Luck when wielded

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

Casts a passive dome of warmth, slowly healing anyone who is inside. Range and speed of the healing depends on the wielder's [Intelligence]

Any earth-based and water-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]-

This one's pretty damn nice as well, with its white body and green crescent-shaped gem on top. But, hey, it's almost like my [Alsama']'s complete opposite! Heck, even some of the stuff it does is a complete contrast to mine!

And just like my staff, it has that line of text just above from the bottom. Does that mean the two can be upgraded together, or maybe fused? I don't quite feel confident enough to attempt a fusion of the two powerful staves and proceed to break the two, so I think I'll leave that possibility for the future.

Next!

[Hakurei Amulet]

It's a amulet. With a Ying-Yang orb. Strange.

Hmm…this one doesn't have much description on it, so…I guess I'll have to find out some time later then.

Last one!

[Umbrana]

Rank B

"Gathering and refraction. Sky and Earth. Sea and fire. Call upon me, and the sky shall tear."

-Requires 100 Strength and Dexterity to use-

+70 Strength and Agility when wielded

+20 Luck when wielded

+10 Intelligence and Wisdom when wielded

-30 Vitality when wielded

Fires arrows made from the wielder's prana

Fired arrows are not affected by gravity

Once it strikes, the arrows will detonate

Arrows fired at flying or airborne enemies deal 100% more damage

Hey, it's the first weapon I haven't been able to wield! Or see! It's kinda annoying really, since it sounds pretty damn cool, but the bows currently greyed out right now, so I'll need to get my Strength up to 100 to see it. Other than that, the bow sounds…fairly average, but that's only words, right? I'll need to test out its uses later!

Now, with all the items reviewed-

"[ID:Create]!"

The world around me twists slightly and I jump away, just in time as the wall behind me shatters. Green lightning dances across the hotel room, but I've already jumped off, using [Prana Propulsions] on each leg to slow my fall. As I descend, I watch the green lightning arc all across the hotel,

And the tall building explodes, the large construct barely holding up against it.

"I should've known…" I mutter as I glance at the back of my left hand, seeing a familiar red mark glowing on it. I haven't quite told anyone about it, but I feel like Akari already knows about it. Still, with this, I'm officially considered a master of Fourth Holy Grail War, and I'll need to summon a servant soon.

I suppose it's understandable why someone would eliminate me now…I guess.

Still, how this unknown master managed to find me confuses me.

'I'll think about it later.'

For now, the girl who'd just landed across from me is far more important. Her pink hair and wedding dress doesn't quite match with the mechanical horn on her forehead and the weird steampunk-esque hammer/mallet thing she's holding, but it does give her a recognizable look, one I easily remember from a certain Fate spinoff.

'The creation of Frankenstein.'

[Fran Lv 135]

HP: 57.661/60.000

MP: ?/?

Stamina: -%

The monster created by Dr. Frankenstein, a doctor from a famous story of the same name. In the path to create the ultimate life-form, and to bring back life from the dead, Fran was born, but the Dr. saw her as a scourge and threw her away, causing her to kill her own creator in an act of desperation, before she leaves to wonder the lands, hoping to find what she feels she lacks in her heart.

And now she stands before you, her weapon poised and her goals set.

Of course, I immediately notice the decreasing health pool she has, but I had to stop my pondering and focus on dodging. Because, seriously, for someone who looks like that and wears a wedding dress, she moves real freakin' fast. Like, I can barely keep my eyes on her, even with my Mystic Eyes active. It's crazy!

Ultimately, it's with the combined efforts my Mystic Eyes and me wielding my two staves that I'm able to fight on somewhat even ground with the servant.

Also, any normal magic attacks gets absorbed and turned into that green lightning dancing all around her. I…don't quite remember the name of the skill, but it basically turns any magic she has into that lightning, and with that mace thingy of her being able to absorb prana, the synergy they bring makes her even stronger than she already is.

And that is why this battle became my first test on using the [Attribute Enchant: Dragon] skill, since it makes my magic projectiles harder to absorb (maybe because it damages her more?).

Now,

With a shout, I slam both my staves onto the asphalt. Green lines of draconic prana stretch far across the roads, reaching onto the buildings. "[Gehen]!" The lines cackles, before everything around me shatters. Roads and walls shatter to dust, and Fran's uncovered feet jerk violently, blood leaking from the opened wounds my wide-spread [Gehen] caused.

It doesn't stop her from leaping towards me, but barrier [Alsama'] passively casts around me gives me a moment quickly jump away before it shatters from the force of Fran's mace. The two gems on my staves blink, and a dome of draconic bullets surrounds the servant.

It isn't enough, and the girl's lightning easily breaks apart the approaching bullets, but it does give me enough time to charge a superpowered draconic bullet. The bullet spins, gathering the air around it and twisting it, forming a spear of wind over it, and I fire it. The superpowered bullet flies, and Fran doesn't quite have enough time to spin her mace around to hit and absorb some of the blow. The bullet strikes her shoulder, and the twisting projectile pierces right through her right shoulder, bursting out in a splash of blood.

"GrrrRRRR…" Green lightning arcs around the berserker, and her HP decreases even faster. Instincts blare, and I ready both my staves, prepared to counter the Noble Phantasm.

And then it stops, and Fran loosens. She gives me one last gaze, before she fades, ending the battle.

I let out a sigh, before plopping my tired ass down on the asphalt.

'I…think I'll stay here, just for a bit.'

~~~

In the end, I didn't tell Shirou or Akari. I didn't really have a reason to, you see? But, with Fran's recent attack on my healing self, I think it's about prime time for Shirou and I to depart for Fuyuki. Akari's not joining us, mostly because she's still busy playing nurse and she doesn't want to involve herself in the Grail War.

(She also seems fairly familiar with the Grail. Something to ask later I guess)

So, after a bit of packing and inventory stuffing, Akari bid us goodbye as we vanished into an [Empty ID], and, now that I have enough time to be smart about things, used the faux reality to make our way to Fuyuki with our max speed, bypassing both the sound barrier and local authorities. I mean, I could've just taken the train there, but that'll take too long. That, and having the wind blow by is much more fun!

And I've been way too still lately. Haven't had a good fight before the one with Fran.

"Even the readers are annoyed…" I sigh. Honestly, I'm itching for some action after the one week resting period I suffered under. Of course, I'm not stupid enough to go looking for trouble, especially with the plot of Fate/Zero beginning to kick up, but damn it I'm probably going to grow senile from boredom and die if I don't do something.

That aside though, I…have several things to do upon our arrival, like setting up a base for us to stay in, a summoning circle for me to use,

Oh, and to kill that psychopathic prick.

I actually quite like him as a character. He's an interesting breath of fresh air compared to the other, much more grim and cynical characters in the series (excluding young Waver), but like hell I'll ever meet the dude.

Yeah, he's a cool character, but not a human being I'd like to interact with.

Anyways! After about an hour of flying, we both make it to Fuyuki, and…damn if it doesn't look familiar. Some things are slightly different here and there, and several stores from the future haven't opened yet, but dang this entire place makes me feel homesick. Shirou's the same, though he's a bit distracted at the moment, probably because his adoptive dad will be here, fighting in the war their previous world had been destroyed by.

A bit of sightseeing later, I rented a hotel room for the month we're staying here and left Shirou to relax. I make it down, exit the hotel, and placing a hand over my eyes and subtly using my Mystic Eyes, I skim through the history of this place to find where Uryuu Ryuunosuke currently is, and…

Oh, he's chilling at his house. How convenient.

I quickly phase into an [Empty ID] and fly my way to his house. The house itself was surprisingly normal for a guy as twisted as him, but the aura it held, and the echoes of the children and women he'd tortured and killed swiftly broke any illusions the place held. This was a place of death and blood, so much so that the plot of land the house is on had become corrupted.

I enter, and inside, I phase back to reality. Hearing the sounds of a TV and a lazy grumbling further down the house, I slowly make my way towards the living room.

And there, lazily sits Uryuu Ryuunosuke, chilling at his couch and stifling a yawn.

And that's the last yawn you'll ever have.

A loud wet splat sounds, and slowly, in disbelief, Ryuunosuke looks down at the gaping hole on his chest, right where his heart used to be. His eyes then moved to me and the [Thunderer] in my hands, and he laughs. "Du…de…so…uncool…" And he flops back, dead, warm blood trailing down his drilled torso.

'He's not a master, huh.' Oh well, it's not like I'll change my decision if he's a master. The man's better dead anyways.

"I wonder if that curry place is open…" And so, I leave the house behind.