Chapter 52: 51 - Mirror Buddy
Shirou glanced around, seeing the endless desert stretch into the horizon. He had somehow found himself in the Nightmare Desert, due to the interference of the Nightmare Gates.
He couldn't see anyone nearby, but he guessed that the others were also in the area. The issue was that he didn't know where they were.
The winds around him started to pick up, as [Galebreathe] started to cool him down. The heat in this area would have been deadly to an Awakened or Sleeper, so he should take some precautions.
He held the [Storm Ruler] in his hand, as he summoned Lumen Draconis. He rode atop the wyvern, as they flew up into the sky, dust clouds forming when his wings flapped.
This seemed to be a mistake however, as a large shadow appeared in the sky. He looked up, eyes widening as he felt the strength of the Nightmare Creature.
Shirou guessed that it was a Great Demon at least, which meant that he stood no chance on his own. He commanded Draconis to move away, as the shadow started to get closer. They flew away as fast as possible, but the shadow was much faster.
"You seem to be having some trouble there."
Shirou blinked, looking around to figure out where the voice came from. It came from an external source, which confused him since there shouldn't be anyone nearby.
"Look at your sword."
Shirou looked at the [Storm Ruler], seeing Mordret in it's reflection. He had a devious grin on his face, before falling away when Shirou didn't react.
Mordret sighed, "You need to get away, right? Sunless and I agreed to challenge the Third Nightmare together, so I need to make sure you stay alive as well."
Shirou blinked, before finding himself in a completely different location. He looked up, seeing clouds obscure some… soul cores? He looked around before seeing Mordret standing in front of him.
The Prince of Nothing grinned, "Welcome to my mirror realm, Forged In Hell. As you can see, you're not in the outside world anymore, so you can wait it out until that Nightmare Creature leaves."
Shirou scratched the back of his head, "You said that Sunny agreed to go into the Third Nightmare with you, right? Is there no citadels nearby?"
Mordret shook his head, "There is, but it's been infested with Skinwalkers. They're Great Beasts that take over the body of humans."
…That's just great.
Shirou sighed, "Well, I guess I'll be going with you then."
Mordret blinked, "…Well, aren't you quick to trust?"
Shirou tilted his head, "It doesn't really matter if I trust you or not. In the end, it's not like you can do much against me. Jump into my soul, get devoured by darkness, probably."
"I see. You must be another Divine Aspect user, yes? I never thought I would meet three others. From the same cohort, no less."
Shirou nodded, "I know right? It's almost like they hand those out to anyone nowadays. Besides you, I know three others."
Mordret was confused, "Three? Who's the third one?"
"My echo."
Mordret was baffled, "Anyways, I must ask of you…"
His eyes glinted with bloodlust, "…Do you pledge yourself to Valor?"
Shirou shook his head, "Once I'm a Saint, I'll probably end up disappearing. I've got some things I need to do, and it would be difficult to do so when I'm stuck to a clan. After that… taking down the sovereigns would be an option."
If Shirou wanted to have the power to save others, he'd need to be at the top of the world. There was also the issue of a Domain, which would only be easy to build if he inherited the Sword Domain. However, Shirou had the feeling that his Domain wouldn't need influence over people.
Shirou might have been using the clan, but the clan would also be using him. He had joined out of an impulse, and although it wasn't a mistake, it was something that couldn't go on.
His power belonged to the people that needed help, not those who simply desire it.
Mordret seemed curious by his answer, "Oh? And why exactly would you like to kill the Sovereigns?"
Shirou smirked, "Taking down the tyrants of humanity would be important for one who follows the path of a Hero of Justice."
Mordret deadpanned, "…That's interesting, I suppose."
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While they waited for the Nightmare Creature to leave, Shirou and Mordret somehow established a firm friendship. It was quite strange, considering Mordret was more of an enemy than an ally, but it seemed that their insanity allowed them to establish a bond.
…Isn't he kind of my brother-in-law?
Not for long, considering what Shirou would do if they beat the Third Nightmare.
Mordret looked into the distance, "It's safe to leave now. You need to go towards a black pyramid, since that is where the Nightmare Seed is."
Shirou nodded, before being ejected out of the mirror realm. He looked around for a moment, before hearing one last message from Mordret.
"It should be north from here, but if you encounter any citadels, make sure that you avoid it. Those Skinwalkers are truly a pain."
With a nod, Shirou set off to the north. He saw a large skull in the distance, but stayed away from it. It was one of the citadels of the Valor Clan, but he listened to Mordret's advice, and kept a large distance.
After around two days of walking, without any encounters with Nightmare Creatures, Shirou caught sight of the black pyramid. He looked at the structure, slowly approaching it. He saw around seven figures near the entrance.
Once he got closer, he saw the entire cohort, along with Jet and Mordret. They seemed to be in a rush for some reason, as Mordret called over to Shirou.
"Run! The Skinwalker is almost here!"
Huh?!
Shirou sprinted, not wanting to get his body taken over by a Nightmare Creature. The rest of the group ran into the pyramid, Shirou attempting to catch up.
Once he was inside, he didn't check his surroundings as he immediately ran towards the black stone which was the Seed of Nightmare.
They all stared at a black stone, as Shirou dismissed the [Storm Ruler] to his soul sea.
Sunny scowled at Mordret, telling him to not try anything funny within the Nightmare. Shirou glanced around, looking at this ragtag lineup of Masters.
A treacherous shadow, a star of ruin, a blind oracle, a barbaric brute, a celebrity, a literal undead(according to Sunny), a mirror maniac, and two actual swords.
…We're all going to die, aren't we?
Despite those thoughts, a grin split apart Shirou's face. His only thoughts were about crazy battles, and acts of heroism. At this point, he might as well be a battle freak.
Screw politics! I'd rather fight an Unholy Titan than go through that again!
Shirou looked towards Sunny, who had an awkward smile on his face. Shirou knew him well enough to figure that he was actually just as excited as him. Sparks of white flame danced in Neph's eyes, while Cassie was pale, yet full of unbreakable resolve. Kai was looking at the black stone with resigned trepidation, while Effie had an uncharacteristic from look on her face. Jet and Mordret were grinning as well, which brought Shirou to believe that this group was more insane than not.
They stepped forward to the black stone, as boundless darkness appeared.
[Ascended! Prepare for your Third Trial!]
[Thirteen million, seven hundred thousand, and seventy seven brave ones… welcome to the Nightmare!]
Shirou blinked.
Did we bring in some germs with us this time?
[End of volume three: Swords and Politics.]
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Type_Sword
Type_Sword I might have to take a break for a day or two, since I need to really think about where to send Shirou to.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone