Ch. 2.5 These Tragic Souls and a Sword Reborn in an Intergalactic Space Opera (Patreon)

Book 1 The Empty Twin - Ch 2.5 Fray into The Planet Dungeon

Disclaimer: Graphic depiction of gore. So far all characters depicted in this story are adults. The youngest character in this story is Gabrielle and she's 20 y.o.

“Well this looks hopeless.” I sarcastically whispered to myself.

“Ryuu, take the brownies and leave.” I shouted as the Rho Aias broke for the 6th time now. 

“Shirou NO!!!!!” Ryuu suddenly shouts as she most likely sees my body breaking.

“Quadruple Accel.”

“Trace On.” Taking advantage of the Quadruple Accel for me to process thousands of swords in a second. Raining them at the horde now charging at us in all directions while I re-summon the 7 layered barrier.

“Rho Aias!

The backlash of Rho Aias breaking for the 6th time reflects on my now battered body, as the overclocking of the Emiya Crest heats everything up as if my body is cooking from the inside out. 

“No, I’m staying, we are getting out of this together.” Ryuu declares. “Tripsey, call for back-up! Volkey do you have any healing salves that can help Shirou”

You can hear the panic in her voice as another layer shatters. I have been too focused on the enemy to look at the state of my body but right now I can feel every gashing of wounds, breaking of the bones, exposure of my organs, and every blood spilt.

For some reason I can feel hot air flowing within my body, I then mistakenly looked down at my body to my dismay. A large chunk of my left side has been blown off. 

I can see my heart dangling from a bit of pericardium  as its beats are drowned by the sound of sword upon sword, blade upon blade, metal upon metal, grinding as microscopic blades replace flesh, damaging everything that surrounds it. Which then are re-knit by a mesh of metal, once everything is whole again, replaced by the self-harming mesh of tiny blades, it is then slowly replaced by flesh restoring it to what once was.

Another layer shattered, I can feel some of my guts spill onto the pool of blood at my feet.

“Mistress Ryuu, I be not knowing what to give Missers Shirou. He be healing quickly but healing is also be harming.” 

I tried stopping Volkey as I could hear the panic from Volkey’s voice as she tried to lift my intestines, probably planning on pushing it back into my body. 

“Argh!” Volkey suddenly screams in pain. 

Peaking at the brownie holding her hand now bleeding, probably from one of the blades that are replacing my flesh.

“Mistress Ryuu, Tripsey be splinching, he cannot be apparating outside of room he be saying.” Mipsy calls out as she, too, is panicking right now. 

“Argh,” Grunting in frustration, “Volkey, don’t touch any part of my body right your current priority should be helping Ryuu.”

Quickly surveying my surroundings as the perfect scene of bleakness presents itself.

“Fuck it! Volkey, I rescind all orders regarding the limitation of your use of magic. Go all out and support Ryuu as much as you can; destroy all our enemies.”

“Yes, master Shirou.” I smiled a bit as I heard the seriousness in Volkey’s acknowledgement.

“Mipsy, quickly fix Tripsey up . Once you guys are done, group up with Ryuu with the same orders as Volkey.” 

“Yes, master Shirou.” 

“Everyone, operate behind the sword I’m about to summon, and take note when it’s about to break.” Prompting my circuits as I’m about to push them further. “Oh, yeah I’ll count down from 5 once it reaches 1, Polkey, teleport Ryuu towards the guard of the sword. All other brownies should follow. There will be an explosion that’ll probably affect the stage for a bit.”

Not waiting for them to acknowledge me. I brace myself as I grabbed the shaft of Gae Bolg, still standing upright where I stabbed it awhile ago. 

“Trace ON!”

“5.” 

“Luminous wind.” I hear Ryuu releasing another blast of her bright orbs of destruction. 

“4!” 

I hear the brownies uttering a battlecry as I hear distinct pops, pops that signifies the use of apparition, as each pop is followed by explosive noises.

“3!”

“We be escaping this!” I hear Volksey declare.

“2!” 

“Mipsy and Tripsey be joining the fight!”

Just as my countdown reached two I traced one of the largest things in my reality marble. This too was one of the things I acquired from Gate of Babylon, but I didn’t see this one the first time round. 

A few months before our last mission, the one where we became victims of ORT, there was a magus from America who copied the Fuyuki grail system. Lord El-Melloi, previously known as Waver Velvet, organized his whole classroom to be a collective master in this Holy Grail War. They were able to wrestle control of Rider from its “True” master after Rin beat her in a duel.

Anyway, I wasn’t part of the collective master but still accompanied both Rin and Illya on their mission. Much to Rin and Illya’s dismay in one of the skirmishes between servants was a fight between two juggernauts and I, admittedly in hindsight, was stupidly rushing towards the direction of uncontested violence. 

Both Enkidu and Gilgamesh were summoned and were duking it out in the Nevada desert. As the class were observing the spectacle of thousands upon thousands of chained spears and blades clashing upon each other, I already rushed towards the fight chanting my aria.

I truly was thankful that Gilgamesh never took me seriously in our first bout as I wouldn’t be even able to deploy my reality marble if Gilgamesh fully opened his gate. As I demonstrated, for the second time around, why my reality marble, once deployed, is truly the ultimate counter to Gilgamesh’s gate. 

There are only two ways for Gilgamesh to beat me. First, would be to fully unleash the Gate of Babylon before I complete my aria, and two is for him to pre-emptively blast Enuma Elish just as I deploy Unlimited Blade Works.

Thankfully this Gilgamesh isn’t the same Gilgamesh back in Fuyuki, as the grail system takes a copy of someone from the throne of heroes and places that copy into a vessel. Saber was the only exception to that rule as she was directly plucked by the grail just before she died. 

Immediately cutting that fleeting thought as I still am currently in Time Accel with my thoughts accelerated. 

“1! Teleport!” A gigantic sword, with the height and width of an average thirty storey building, fell from the space above us. Ig Alima, the cleaving mountain sword; normally, this sword would be large enough to cut mountains, but I had to heavily modify it, as this copy of Ig Alima can be described as almost a hollow version of its legend.

Canceling what remains of my Rho Aias, I performed a leaping backflip towards the flat side of the titanic sword. Calling out the name of the spear in my left hand I threw Gae Bolg at the Weapon. 

Just as the destruction brought forth by Gae Bolg reaches the weapon. A large kinetic explosion rocked the whole stadium. Even though this version of Ig Alima is a hollowed miniaturised version of its original it still had several tonnes of mass.

The action of just dropping this from a considerable height would produce enough kinetic energy to mimic a large bomb. 

The combination of the kinetic blast from Ig Alima and me throwing Gae Bolg has decimated the remaining horde of monsters.

Shockingly the stadium still remains intact, only the upper crust was turned to rubble. Dark rocks which seem to absorb light litters our surroundings. Leaping towards the base of Ig Alima, I extend my left hand to catch the returning Gae Bolg.

You might ask why I haven’t dispelled the spear or at the very least, why haven’t I turned Gae Bolg into a broken phantasm? The reason is due to one of the spear’s properties as wounds dealt by Gae Bolg cannot be healed even if it is exacerbated by other factors for as long as it still exists. So dispelling the Noble Phantasm would obviously be problematic for us.

The Weapon’s body is now riddled with large gashes. The Weapon who stabbed its sword towards the stadium to prevent it from being flung into the pit by the kinetic blast is now flat on its belly visibly struggling in pain. 

Using its sword as leverage it slowly tries to stand up, as it growls every time it slips. 

“Everyone, it's time to finish this.” 

Shouts of acknowledgement followed my rush towards Weapon. Seeing my fast approach it raised its focus trying to restart the stalemate we experienced a while ago.

“Oh no you don’t! Enkidu!”  Golden chains tipped with the head of a spear started wrapping the Weapon. I directed the chains to wrap it in such a way that the maw of the beast part of the Weapon is sealed shut, forcing both of its arms towards its side. 

Ryuu, with the help of Polkey, resumed her assault upon the weapon. 

Stopping right in front of the beast, I opened my right palm towards the ceiling at the same time further reinforcing my strength. 

“Trace on.” A large slab of stone in the shape of a jagged single edged axe-sword was summoned. This weapon which was previously wielded by Berserker Heracles, a demi-god of significant size and strength was able to swing this unwieldy rock-turned weapon with much ease.

This weapon which previously dwarfed me in size can now be easily used with a simple application of reinforcement.  

“Get behind me.”

“Trigger. Off.”

Ryuu doing one final slash as she severs the monster’s tail and one of its hind legs. Mipsy and Tripsey cast a torrent of flame cauterising the severed stump as Volkey screaming its lungs off as he electricity springs forth from its fingers towards the trapped weapon.

“Set.” The four of them suddenly vanished, seeing this as my cue. “Nine Lives Blade Works.”

Upper arm. Collarbone. Throat. Temple. Diaphragm. Ribcage. The beast’s Maw. The Forearm’s Large Muscle. Finally, a lancing stab towards the chest of the Weapon. 

8 quick and debilitating strikes and a lancing stab through the chest, all within a single breath, all practically simultaneously. 

I visibly relax as I hear the brownies behind me cheer. The weapon now body’s limp as if it was connected to a puppeteer’s strings now severed. As I slowly remove the sword-axe from the weapon’s chest, it further splits open its body as it exposes a cavity just above the lower beast part’s face.

A large magicite.

A large magicite that’s still brightly glowing instead of turning into a duller colour. In fact the magicite not only is glowing but is now emitting light wildly.

‘This was a mistake.’ 

I preempted my companions' safety, “Apparate towards the guard of the large sword!”. This too was a mistake. I should have finished my chant instead.

“So as I pray.”

The weapon stiffened as it howled wildly.

M̸̡̡̪̼̝̲̫̖̟̻̟͙̖͍̦͕̞̹̟͉̲̭̟̘̘͇̦̄͂̈́̑̋̃̾̎̔̊͂̆́̾͋̎́͆̍͊͋̎̉͐̓͂̿̌͂́̾̓͘͘͜͝ȩ̸̢̧̨̡͕͕̩̖͎̻̖̪̬͉̻͔̝̼̮͔̤̣̭͍̣͇̣̗͍́̄̈́̈́̐̔̌̌͌̈́̔̃̈́̅͊͗̿̌͐͗͒̍̆̎͐͘͘̚͝͝ǵ̵̨̡̡̧̛̘̯̥͓͎̜̰̬̫̺̟̥̮̞͉̙͎̻̠̩̞̤̩̤͚̣͇̩̖̖͇͎̽͑́̃́̇͆̽͆̔́̈́͐̉͑̀̂̍̅̾̾̎͑̀͑͛͊́̉̕͘̕͜͜͠͠͝i̵̧͚̥̯͈̬̣̜̮̖̳̻̟̮͓̰̮͍̳̲̹̬̮̣̟͔̱̯̠͕̯͕̩͋͜͜d̶̛̗͉̠̜̙̰̟̒͊͛̍̏̐̓̾͒̽̈́̑̌̑̐̈́d̴̡̢̧̯̥̜̱̖̟͍̩̥̤̭̭̯̻̟̞͈̩̩̣̲̠̤̥͔̪̣̥̺͉̦̘͎͈̂ŏ̵̧͇̰̲̬͕̩̼͈̘͙͕̭̻͓͚̳͖͚̪̠̣̘̗͎̓̽̐͘͝͝͝͠ ̸̡̟̬̦̼̹̳̯̺̠͓̮̬̞͖̦͎͙̦̯̣͈̰̳͍̮́̚͜͜ͅͅͅF̵̧̧̧̲̯̼͍̯̮̳̙̜̹̲͕͈̙̰̘͓̖͓̯͎̭̙̞̌̑̉̌̃̿̓̐͋̓̏̓̎̅̂̌͐̄̕̕͘͜͝l̵̨̧̩̮̞̼̜̩̟̺͓̤͚̰͎̬̅͊̔͊́͂̂̀̚̕͜͝ą̴̨̧̙̯̖̖̞̪͈̹̠̜̗̗̱̖͓͙̭̮̜͈̮͙̻̻͚̫̝͎͓̃͊͆̒̑̓̄́̊͌͂̆͊͒̃̀̀̾̓̽̇̄͑̎̇̄̌͘̕͝͝͠͠ͅͅm̴̨̧̧̧̡̯͔̜̠̪̦̝̥̫͔̠̗̳̝͖͚̠̼̯͖͇̹̟̙͚̬̆̄̈́̆̐̄̓̓̌͊̀̒̿́̈̃͆͆̇̅́̀̌͒͐͋͜͠͝ẻ̸̲͙̣̹̔̀̈́̋̀̅̍̓̏̇̓̒̈́͛̽̑̋̓̿̓̾̑̈̈́̈́͘͘̕̚͝͠s̵̡̗̤̩̞̝͉͕̣̺͈̣̳͚̽͛͑̂̃̀͋̇̎̎̀͑̐̈́̄͋̐̉͛͆̋͑̀͂̃̈̌͆̎̏͘͝

“Unlimited…” I heard an inhuman voice utter something which was then followed by pain unlike anything I have felt before. This was coming from the one who, a few minutes ago, was just shrugging off his organs being splayed out in the open.

I screamed, screamed, and screamed as I just saw red all around me. 

And then darkness.

“Wake-up…… Færing.”

“Battle Continuation (Sannr)”

Those were the glowing glyphs embossed on Shirou’s back, as another barrier shatters. 

“Shirou NO!!!!!” I blurted out as more gashes appeared on his body. For a second the beam the lower half of the weapon kept spamming was able to punch through the barrier and removed a chunk of flesh from Shirou’s left torso.

This traumatizing sight would probably never leave my memory as I can see Shirou’s organs spilling out of him. Part of his stomach leaks acids onto his open wounds as his intestines are now splayed onto the pool of blood around his feet. Despite this his wounds still reknit themselves as organs are replaced by steel reforms. and his still beating heart dangling from where it is normally attached.

I forced myself not to hurl as I dodged a strike coming from one of the monsters that are swarming us.

“Rho Aias. Ryuu, take the brownies and leave.” Just before he says this a hail of swords assaulted a horde of monsters.

While temporary reprieve has given me a chance to catch my breath, the dread and hopelessness I’m currently feeling perfectly mirrors the night Juggernaut slaughtered my familia. 

“No, I’m staying, we are getting out of this together.” I declared. “Tripsey, call for back-up! Volkey do you have any healing salves that can help Shirou”

Everything just gets bleaker and bleaker as more negative thoughts poison my mind. The brownies are unable to exit the room and seek help and the fact that Shirou is trapped in this stalemate, slowly dying by a thousand cuts.

Despite our predicament Shirou continues to provide us hope as the brownies have now joined the fray, alleviating the pressure from the large group of monsters, seemingly endless in its pursuit to end us.

More hope, as the titanic sword came crashing towards the stage, effectively annihilating the horde.

More hope, as more damage is done by the bloodthirsty looking spear Shirou seems to prefer.

More hope, as the tables have now turned and we currently are on the offensive while the Weapon is now caught flat footed against the combination our assault continues to stagger the Weapon.

More hope, as the Weapon is now immobile, held in golden chains by Shirou.

More hope, as the brownies and I continued to punish the Weapon, amputating one of its limbs and its tail.

More hope, as the brownies cauterize the severed stumps of flesh effectively cutting any future avenue of regeneration.

And finally relief, as Shirou delivered the finishing blow, nine debilitating simultaneous strikes which concluded with the unwieldy sword thrust through the chest of the weapon.

I felt suddenly weightless as my legs gave way to my body’s weight. Exhaling all that pent up stress, sitting all splayed out with the gigantic sword Shirou summoned supporting my back, at the same time the brownies were cheering and dancing at our triumphant victory.

…

…

…

 The brownies and I felt it before Shirou barked orders. You can feel the sudden heaviness of your surroundings as energy is charged up in the space around us.

“Apparate towards the guard of the large sword!”

My brain couldn’t process what I’m witnessing, one moment we were celebrating our victory and the next Shirou was screaming hoarse as beams of concentrated plasma erupted from a gaping void underneath Shirou. 

This beam of concentrated plasma coalesces into a blob of burning magma encasing Shirou. 

Even from this distance, our vantage point on the guard of the sword Shirou summoned,  you can hear Shirou’s muted will shattering screams coming from the ball of cruelty entrapping Shirou. 

…

…

Silence

Shirou’s muted screams suddenly stop.

Hopelessness resumes, and it has returned with vengeance. 

Just before bleakness and hopelessness settles and poison my mind, something in me shifts. Something within me whispers hope, something else within me whispers wrath, and something within me snaps.

“ArgGHHhhhhhhhhh.” A battle cry filled with all my emotions escaped my mouth as I resumed my battle enchantment, Agaris Alvesynth, a powerful enchantment I’ve inherited from my cherished friend.

What once was flames radiant, dazzling, and bright; a perfect representation of Alize’s justice, is now darkened and corrupted by my wrath.

“Mistress, no!” Mipsy and Volkey holding on to the part of my legs that aren’t covered in blackened flames. 

Growling at the brownies as I violently shrugged them off, I charged towards the Weapon. I quickly swiped my hands into the blob of magma encasing Shirou, as the leidenfrost effect prevents me from getting burned, grabbing the barbed demonic looking spear.

Unfortunately, the leidenfrost effect does not prevent me from getting burned by the red hot spear now being seared into the flesh of my hands. Ignoring this as I continue my advance, the Weapon, still riddled with its previous injuries, has gained a second wind.

Just before I reached the monster, it raised its large sword and proceeded to hack away into its body. The sickening sound of its self mutilation does not deter me as I preemptively barrage the Weapon with my luminous orbs.

When the dust cleared I took a moment to look at the weapon. With its body now severed flank to back loin, it now stands taller, now a biped, three of the 5 horns on its head now broken, several of the jaws from its maw now missing, the face on its groin visibly grotesque and damaged, what remains of its wings is now just a single boney stump on its back, a large cut on its thigh oozes purple and black liquid, and finally the large gaping hole on its chest with an equally large gash which travels from chest towards just above its lower face.

On top of the large gash sits a large magicite violently glowing. The monster pumps itself up with a battlecry of its own as another beam from its lower face instantly flashes towards me. 

Dodging to my right I leapt and glided towards the Weapon, Gae Bolg now bathed in the dark flames of my enchantment gleams as if eager for the violence to come. 

I am not an expert in using a spear so I wielded the barbed red embodiment of violence as if I was holding a particularly long sword. Despite not having a blade the shaft of the spear is still riddled with sharp barbs plus the length gives me a lot of leverage.  

A largely telegraphed vertical slash was blocked by the weapon’s sword, I screamed at the monster as the flames of my enchantment travelled down the monster's arm burning the mangled limb but still able to function properly without problem. 

The beast stamped its right foot on the ground, using all of the momentum and energy transfer to lift me up while my spear was still locked with the monster’s weapon. 

I felt a moment of weightlessness as the monster withdrew its lock on my spear. To my horror it then reared back as if preparing to punch me with its left hand. The left hand which holds its magic focus.

For a second I thought it was going to bathe me in flames just like what it did with Shirou, but I was mistaken as I didn’t register the punch which threw me across the stadium.

Wrath. Wrath. Hope. Wrath. Wrath. Wrath. Wrath. Hope.

I growled in frustration as I stomped my feet on the ground three times, holding the spear with both hands over my right shoulder. Fully squatting down I tilt my body towards the general direction of the Weapon. 

This was rendered half moot as the Weapon leaped from its position and immediately charged. I smiled a feral smile, not really understanding what’s happening to my body. Right now all I see is the Weapon the symbol of my current wrath and the magicite my symbol of hope. 

My tunnel vision put a fog in my mind as I attacked the monster with reckless abandon. Skirmish after skirmish, attack after attack, steels clashed, blood sprayed, sweat turning into fumes as I ignore all body injury; only charging forward, my vision stained red as blood flows freely into my eyes, ignoring the stinging sensation as I got lucky and managed to disarm the monster.

Hyperfocusing on the magicite I didn’t see the knee with its broken horn digging into my torso as the Weapon grabs my body and slams me onto the ground. Air escapes my lungs as the Weapon proceeds to continuously stomp on my body, not giving me any leeway to get up.

“Mistress Ryuu!” The brownies whom I assumed were standing aside fearing that they might get caught between the violent exchanges, now fraught with worry as they charged the Weapon, blasting it with a myriad colours of magic. 

“You must not harm Mistress Ryuu!” 

My vision now begins to blur as the Weapon, despite the sudden barrage of magic from the brownies, ignores everything as it relentlessly stomps on my body. 

Casting my eyes downwards as I can still see the ball of magma encasing Shirou, the Weapon probably not taking any chances doesn’t dispel the burning ball of plasma.

‘Figure, that’s probably why he isn’t using the orb.’ My thoughts get distracted as I desperately try to breathe in air between foot stomps. A brownie trying to apparate me between stomps was flung across the stadium. 

I could feel everything now, the pain of my wounds, my broken bones, and every painful gasp of breath. Reaching out a hand in the direction of Shirou.

‘I’ll join you in a bit.’ 

‘Oh my, those fiends don’t have any staying power at all.’ A foreign melodious voice echoes in my conscience.

‘Yes, just because the whole of Sloan isn’t embroiled in a never ending war doesn’t mean they can just drop any potential follower willy-nilly.’  Another melodious voice, this one a lot warmer than the previous, also echoes in my conscience.

‘How disappointing, we even stepped aside as I acknowledge that some of my justice falls under your purview of violence.’

‘True even home and hospitality falls under your purview of hope, but not so much change.’

‘Anyway, BEGONE!’ 

Their combined voices reverberated powerfully within my psyche as the feeling of wrath and hope exited my conscience.

Clap

The next thing I know I was back in that place in between where it all began, but instead of the self-proclaimed evil god I was greeted by two giantesses of otherworldly beauty. No, giantesses would be a discourteous description of their size. They stand taller than any mountain, far taller than any width of a planet, far taller than any star, probably far taller than any celestial body found in this universe.

“Welcome starchild, child of the hearth and home, child of family, child of innocence and purity, and finally child of justice.”

“I am the Goddess Astraea.”

“I am the Goddess Hestia.”

Both goddesses introduced themselves at the same time. My face probably gave away my skepticism.

“I see your mistrust, but you can feel the truth in our declaration, can’t you?” 

She’s correct unlike mortals when higher beings like gods and goddess perform a declaration the truth shall reverberate with it. Gods and Goddesses can lie and obfuscate the truth, but a simple statement like this can’t be contested.

At the same time I can also feel the familiarity from their aura, though it is a lot more colder or detached compared to the warmth from my previous goddesses.

Both goddesses began to speak in unison, “We are here as a favor to our counterpart.”

“We are here to renew your vows to the stars and justice and grant upon you our blessing.”

“We are here to renew your vows to the hearth and home and grant upon you our blessing.”

“Do you accept?”

“How about Shirou, will you be able to save him?” 

The Goddess Hestia shook her head. “The hearth and home doesn’t have claim over his lost and tragic soul. He has shed his home once, and the home he has gained has perverted his ideals. So no, I have no blessings to give the Færing.”

While the Goddess Astraea gave a haunting smile. “Ah, yes the son who has inherited the hopes and dreams of the father and the spirit, yet in the end he walks his own path. Only once the Færing has regained his justice shall I provide my blessings upon him. In the meantime he shall serve as entertainment.” 

“I can sense your frustration, fear not for the Færing too has benefactors.” Hestia assured me.

“Now do you accept?”

As I have no choice, but the implications brought forth has steeled my resolved.

“I accept.”

“Ryuu, daughter of the stars and justice shall wield its stellar splendor.”

“Ryuu, daughter of home and family shall become the standard bearer of the hearth. I shall grant you a boon from your previous familia as my blessing does no benefits upon your current situation.”

clap

The jarring sensation of floating in the vast emptiness of space and suddenly being back at your previous situation. 

Clang

The Weapon pauses its stomp midway as it pivots its attention towards the ball of plasma encasing Shirou.

Clang

Taking advantage of the lull, I proceeded to recast my enchantment, bodily throwing myself into any direction, just before it realizes that I’m no longer trapped in its assault.

Clang

I backtracked, inserting myself in between Shirou and the Weapon, taunting it as I know it probably wants to remove the main problematic factor it was experiencing a while ago.

Clang

“Mipsy, Tripsey, Volkey, and Polkey, I’m sorry for what happened a while ago I didn’t know what came to me.”

“It’s okay, Mistress Ryuu. Glad Mistress Ryuu be not angry and crazy.” Polkey aparating beside me as she hands me my sword. 

Clang

Clang

“Everyone, let's finish this. Focus on its flank as I’ll take point.”

A reverberating, “Yes, Mistress Ryuu.”, was the echoing reply.

Clang

I started accumulating my luminous orbs again, at the same time I’m doing what Illya advised us not to do, processing the information on stellar magic midfight, provided by my goddess’ analog.

The weapon, not missing a beat, charged at me. I parried that diagonal slash, as I blared my enchantment. 

“Irivute” I threw flames at the monster’s magicite, trying to divert its priorities. 

Clang

The brownies continue to circle the Weapon as they barrage it with a myriad of spells.

Clang

The Weapon now frustrated, tried swinging its blade wildly, forcing us to retreat for a bit. 

“Luminous Wind” Deploying all my orbs as I charge my magic. The brownies, now being creative with their magic, are now using the surroundings.

Entrapping the Weapon’s limbs with earth, peppering it with the debris it surrounds it, while two of them gathers dirt into a large boulder and is now currently bashing the Weapon with reckless abandon. 

Clang

Clang

“Ventus Stellar” A new variation of my Luminous Wind where tiny bright celestial bodies assault the beast, overwhelming it.

Clang

Ignoring all the damage being done the magicite begins to glow again.

As this is nothing new, I concentrate trying to recall the timing.

“Will-o-wisp” The backlash of having its magic being interrupted has staggered the weapon. Not missing our chance we continue our punishment upon the monster.

Will-o-wisp, this probably was the boon the analog of my Goddess Hestia has gifted me. This was one of our familia’s, Welf Crozzo, anti-magic attack. For as long as you time it right an Ignis Fatuus would occur. 

An Ignis Fatuus is just basically the blow back you experience when magic isn’t processed correctly. 

Clang

The air suddenly shifts as the molten ball of plasma is suddenly dispelled. What remained was Shirou holding a sword resplendent in its simplicity and beauty. 

I blushed and averted my gaze as I realized Shirou was naked. 

Probably not realising his current predicament he holds the sword above its head, gathering motes of light, as the blade becomes brighter and brighter.

No words were exchanged as our team already knows what's to come. We continued our own assault as Shirou charged the blade. 

“Sword of selection,” That was our cue to retreat as our surroundings are bathed in dazzling light, comforting, and warm.

With a downward swing culminating into a thrust, “Caliburn”. The beam of pure energy bursts forth from the tip of the sword targeting the Weapon’s magicite.

‘It should have dodged.’ Was my thought as it tried blocking the beam of light with its sword.

The whole body of the Weapon was encased in a flash of dazzling radiance– then silence. 

No longer assuming whether or not the attack was effective, everyone rushed towards the seemingly downed monster as we wrestle the magicite away from its body.

The sword in Shirou’s hand shatters into pieces as you can see Shirou visibly relaxes.

Finally!!!! Everyone cheered as Shirou, now realising his nakedness, projected some clothes to cover himself.

Still amped up in adrenaline, I called out to Tripsey. “Check if you can now exit this area, please call a large group of our extractors so we can harvest the boost and the monsters surrounding it.”

“Let’s prevent the dungeon from absorbing this.” The brownies, understand what I have implied, started lifting all the monsters off the ground as one of them laid down sheets of tarpaulin this is to prevent direct contact between the dungeon and the monsters.

“Looks like everything is done.” Shirou exhaled loudly as he just lay down on the ground. “Everyone, let's just rest for a bit.”

Acquiescing to Shirou’s request, I approached Shirou as I laid down beside him.

“I should probably dispel that.” Shirou, directing my attention towards the titanic sword he summoned. 

And with a snap of his finger the sword burst into motes of light, which then was absorbed by Shirou.

“Master Shirou, Mipsy be asking a question.”

“Sure Mipsy.”

“Why did master Shirou not be using gigantic sword to crush the Weapon.” 

That sudden question threw me off guard as I see Shirou pinch the bridge of his nose.

“Mipsy,”

“Yes, master Shirou?

“Let’s not talk about that topic–- ever.