บท 4: Chapter 4 - Against Fate
Shinji's an absolute asshole.
No more words are needed. He's the standard, garbage, asshole, one this world will definitely benefit for his disappearance from the mortal plane. Just seeing him berate Sakura for her 'failures' was almost enough to make me spam a volley of prana bullets up his useless ass. Ugh, and that smug smile he has is just…ugh…
[Can't you just blow him up?]
I deadpan at the message. "And get Zouken trailing on me? Yeah, no thanks."
[Well…can't you kill Zouken as well?]
"What? No! Of course I can't! He's like, ancient by this point, and he has bugs all around the city anyways! I can't just go and 'kill' him-…actually…Would that be so hard? I have a holy weapon, and Zouken's definitely an undead, so…"
[Mhm! It's a win-win! You get some nice Exp, and the world has one less jerk to deal with!]
"And Sakura will be safe as well."
[That too!]
Still…It's not like I can just bust in to the Matou Mansion and just go and 'kill' Zouken. The guy was damn cockroach. Not only that, his worms, which are all him, are encroaching inside the body of a certain purple-haired girl.
Zouken needed to die. Shinji needed to die.
But I just can't. Not yet. I'm still not strong enough.
I sigh tiredly, messaging my forehead, waiting for the traffic lights to turn green.
[Tired?]
"Mhm." I grunt and cross the road, continuing my way to my apartment. "Can't wait to drop on my bed." I smile lightly, before it falls from my face at the reminder of my chemistry homework. Another sigh leaves my lips. System falls silent, and I continue my way to my apartment complex, the afternoon wind blowing against me.
It doesn't take long for me to reach my apartment room, unlock the door, drop my bag down on my desk and drop onto the bed.
[Have a nice sleep, Hanami-chan!] A muffled groan is my reply as I close my eyes.
It's strange really.
By day, I'm a normal student living out my life in Homurahara Academy, listening to lectures, answering questions, and spending my break time alone in the library. I occasionally come across Shirou, usually carrying some broken equipment or with tools in hand, and we exchange short words with each other before parting.
After school passes however, I become a [Gamer], going into [Empty ID]s to train and level my skills, and drop into other IDs to garner more Exp.
When night comes, I become a magus, training my skills and furthering my magecraft with Shirou. His blunt tenacity makes him a great student, though his stubbornness does lead him to try and brute force a problem he doesn't understand.
Like how he tried to activate his true circuits by making more nerve circuits. The idiot.
That aside, it's been nearly an entire month since I first came to this world, and the results show, don't they?
Name: Tsunaka Hanami
Age: 17
Sex: Female ; Human
Class: -
Level: 22 Exp: 2.111/200.000
HP: 7700/7700 (770HP/hour)
MP: 20.680/20.680 (1.903MP/hour)
Stamina: 82% (35%/hour)
Strength: 49 (+15)
Vitality: 35
Dexterity: 66 (+25)
Intelligence: 117,75 (+67,75)
Wisdom: 86,5 (+46,5)
Luck: 21
Stat Points: 20
Money: 12.390.764 ¥
[Skills]: [Sprint Lv 21 – 11%], [ID:Create Lv 9 – 12%], [ID:Escape Lv 9 – 12%], [Reinforcement Lv 19 – 03%], [Mystic Eyes of Myriad Perception Lv 32 – 09%], [Spinning Prana Bullet Lv 29 – 17%], [Od Manipulation Lv 32 – 21%], [Prana Grenade Lv 16 – 42%], [Spinning Prana Rocket Lv 12 – 06%], [Prana Burst Lv 2 – 29%], [Gehen Lv 3 – 10%], [Prana Construct Lv17 – 02%], [Sense Presence (Hearing) Lv 6 – 53%], [Sword Mastery Lv 29 – 15%], [Intimidation Lv 3 – 11%]
Yep. Look at them stats, boi!
Still, despite this, it still feels…lacking? I'm not weak, not by a longshot, but for what I feel is to come soon, this level of strength just feels inadequate. The most obvious question would then be: Will I be strong enough to combat a servant and win? Maybe against some of the weaker ones, but the old and powerful ones?
I'm pretty damn sure I'd be returned to the ether if I get [Enuma Elish] on my face.
But, I don't have time.
[Quest: Incarnation of the Sword; Emiya Shirou]
Emiya Shirou, an orphan of the Fourth Holy Grail War, saved by the Magus Killer, Emiya Kiritsugu. Holding to the false dream of a hero of justice, he has become a sword. In most realities, he'd be dragged into the Fifth War untrained, and survive it as a new man. He'll further train his magecraft to protect the people, and unlock his [Reality Marble]. He'll be chased by the Clocktower, die branded as a criminal, and ascend to the throne of heroes.
Such is his fate, but is it truly set in stone? What will your presence in this world do? What change can you bring to the incarnation of the sword?
Requirements: Change his fate and make him different from the countless other Shirou in the multiverse.
Extra Mission: Grant a new power for Shirou to use aside from his [Reality Marble]
Reward: Exp; Doubles all [Natural] attributes; Allows one [Race] change; Allows two [Class] Change; Opens one more [Class] to use; [[Kaleidoscope] Skill Book]
Extra Reward: Exp; Two random Rank A+ – EX items
Failure: Shirou's death, Your death
A day ago, this quest popped up in the middle of math class, and I almost destroyed the school building from shock if I hadn't managed to hold back my prana. The rewards were sweet, and holy hell does that [Kaleidoscope] skill book reward make me drool in wonder. But, for this to appear now, what does that imply?
It was obvious. The main plot will start.
And this time, she'd be in for the ride!
It makes her somewhat giddy actually. Casting aside all the nervousness from the possibility of death and being swallowed under the tainted mud, I'm about to enter a secret war of magi, conducted with 7 heroic spirits, beings from legends holding mystical powers, fighting to claim the (tainted) Holy Grail to make a wish.
Ooh~, just thinking about it makes me all tingly inside!
"Uh…Tsunaka-san? Are you okay?" I blink, snapping out my thoughts to turn towards my fellow training partner, who's staring at me worriedly. Strange. Was I spacing out or something? "I'm fine~. Thanks for worrying though!" I flash him a grin and a thumbs up, and he smiles, before he turns back to the kitchen and continues on with his cooking.
Sakura can't come this evening, and Taiga has some things to finish with her father, which leaves me and Shirou as the current occupants of the residence.
Which makes this night a perfect moment to further explore Shirou's capabilities as an incarnation. He'd already shown an uncanny skill in anything related to blades, and he's even adopted the personality of Okita from using the [Kojiki Kiyomitsu] for too long.
Tonight, I want to try giving him other Rank C Noble Phantasms to use (the items in the shop only reach up to Rank C+ stuff for some reason, and even then there seems to be a limited amount of stuff the shop sells), both to improve his tracing and help develop his Reality Marble (and also to embarrass him further, huhu~).
Ah, that also brings me to the next thing that came up!
[The system has fully been finalized. [Gamer Ver.1.0] has been implemented. All previous stats and items have been transferred over]
[New changes include: [Special 'Unique' Skills!], [Full Armour and Weapon Set Bonuses!], [Map and Minimap!], [Clock!], [Inventory Filters!], ['Normal' Skill Books No Longer Sold in Shop], [Unique Monster Drops!], ['Special' IDs Are Now Sold in Shop], [Optimized Menus!], [Fatal and Critical Hits now Available!]]
[Note: Further updates will be implemented if issues are discovered]
[Good Luck, [Gamer]]
Yeah, the system just got updated! It happened right about when Shirou's Quest appeared, so I didn't get too much time to check all the new stuff, but from what I've seen, it's great! Still haven't figures out what Unique skills might be, but I suppose I'll find out soon enough. The special IDs in the shops are…diverse, to put it lightly. Some are IDs referencing other popular media, and some other are games and worlds from certain offbrand items on the internet.
I doubt I'll be visiting those any time soon.
Haven't tested the rest, but overall, it's a good update, and-, ah, no, whatever I wanted to say can wait, 'cause Shirou's food is here~! Ah, I can smell it allm the way from the table!
"Please get off the table, Tsunaka-san."
I blink, realizing I had climbed the table with my hand reaching out for the tray of food the redhead is carrying. "…Ah, sorry."
......
Far away, in the silence of the night, deep within the caves of Mount Enzo, a malformed darkness throbs. It rumbles violently, agitated. Its unshaped surface ripples, and a deep laughter echoes through the shadows.
Hidden inside, a being smiles, its mouth red and deformed.
In a snowy castle, where warmth is missing, a child stares out the window, her eyes red, flashing with anger and intent.
In a shack at the far north of Fuyuki, a neatly-clothed woman smiles at her blue haired partner, her smile feral, just as his was.
Inside an unfeeling basement, a girl with empty eyes stares into the ceiling, worms of uncounted numbers crawling in and out of her.
At a tall skyscraper of white, the silent screams of children echoes in the heart of a fragile woman, as she limps away from the flame that engulfs them all.
Inside a lonely manor, a girl works furiously, her desk filled with notes and dust. A red ruby attached to a pendant lies by her side.
Deep inside the heart of a sword, a golden sheath gleams ever brighter.
With this, the flag of the Holy Grail War has been raised.
......
"Shirou-kun?" I ask worriedly, and he doesn't answer, only staring emptily into thin air. I first thought that he was lost in his thoughts or something, but that was two minutes ago, and now I'm really worried. Like, I don't think his eyes have the power to shift between gold, silver, and blue.
I'm really contemplating on just knocking him out with a [Prana Gunkshot], but I don't think that'll be good for the guy.
Back on track! I checked with my Mystic Eyes but I didn't see anything weird, though there is a faint trace of mystical energy, one that belongs to the golden sheath that currently resides inside him. Now, all I can do is examine any further changes in Shirou's prana levels, looking out for any strange anomalies that might appear.
Then, everything happened.
Not quite sure what happened, but the [Empty ID] I placed ourselves in shattered, a deadly amount of prana saturated the air, brilliant auroras of green and blue stretched across the night sky, and Shirou's eyes returned gold, before a bright light filled the area.
I find myself blinded, yet not at the same time, as I come to realize that the world around me has faded, and all that remains is white. Shirou, his house, the sky, they're all gone, replaced by this seemingly endless plain white. My pair of Mystic Eyes flare to life, my green eyes shifting to a cascade of blue and purple, as I look around.
[ ]
To find nothing. Nothing! Not even question marks!
Before I can freak out even more, a notification pops up.
[Something strange has occurred. The course of fate has shifted. The future has become muddled in uncertainty. You are the cause, and the world has decided to rid of you]
[Quest: Against Fate]
The world follows a determined path. Anomalies are to be rid off. It just so happens that you are one of these anomalies, a dangerous threat to the world. But! You are the [Gamer], and you're not you if you just accept this! The world may be fighting you, Fate might be a jerk against you, but like hell you'll take it staying down!
Requirements: Get out
Extra Mission: Find out information about [ ]
Reward: ?
Extra Reward: ?
Failure: Your eternal imprisonment
Wow, okay, damn. So I'm basically trapped here in infinite nothingness because I'm an 'anomaly' in the Fate timeline!? Okay, yeah! I agree with my quest, that's just utter bullshit!
But, then again, what am I supposed to do? I'm stuck in basically what amounts to the void, with no information on what this place might be, and I doubt most of my skills can do anything to help me escape. Heck, I can't even use [ID:Escape].
Even then, I'll do anything!
And with that mindset, 20 uneventful minutes flies by.
"Ugh…something…just…please…happen!" I say in between my stabbings, striking my sword against the 'floor' of the void to try and quell my accumulated boredom. Sadly, it didn't help much, and I'm left to sit here, all alone. It's kind of disheartening actually, but! I will not fall that easily!
Another 20 minutes passes by.
After seeing that the void wasn't going to be destroyed any time soon, I just decided to maximize the time I have here by leveling up my skills. It mainly consists of me swinging my sword around with my [Mystic Eyes of Myriad Perception] constantly active, both to level my skill and to detect any imperfections I might spot in my swordsmanship.
[Mystic Eyes of Myriad Perception Lv 33 – 12%]
A pair of [Mystic Eyes] capable of viewing and analyzing anything you see at a glance. This allows you to see things normal people, and even magus, cannot see. Has the combined effect of both [Observe] and [Structural Analysis]
Allows you to see the description of objects you glance at
Allows you to analyze things you see at a glance
At higher levels, capable of viewing the objects history, from its creation to present time
Using this on an object too high-leveled will hurt you
Allows you to see through darkness and illusions
?
Which then got me wondering about what that last unknown line might be. If you think about it, it can basically do anything, so what else might it have?
The thought caused a downward spiral.
As I train both my Mystic Eyes and my Swordsmanship, I got thinking, speculating about the possible answer to those question marks. At first I thought about [Clairvoyance] or something like it, but it didn't seem to fit, since these Mystic Eyes are a combination of my [Observe] and [Structural Analysis] skills.
Then I thought about [Farsight] or anything similar, but again, it just didn't fit with the skills that were used to make it. I moved on to something along the lines of [Thought Acceleration], but that wasn't right either, and my eyes ain't a pair of [Sharingan], sadly.
My eyes are to [Analyze], to figure out [Facts].
Then, it all clicks. My Eyes are a composite of the skills [Observe] and [Structural Analysis], both used to find the details, facts if you will, about the object it's being used on.
And why do we search for facts?
'To learn the truth!'
[From your wisdom, you have realized the true meaning of your [Mystic Eyes of Myriad Perception]! Its description has been updated and altered]
Hehe~! I guess all my gathered wisdom finally came into play here! Have to say, I'm pretty damn proud of myself!
[Mystic Eyes of Myriad Perception Lv 33 – 12%]
A pair of eyes granted to those who have awakened to their connections to the root, the well of all existence. A fragment of its infinity now resides in you, manifesting as a pair of eyes, a bright swirling blue. Through it, every and all things shall be open to you, and will understand any and all existence.
Allows you to see the description of objects you glance at
Allows you to analyze things you see at a glance
Capable of viewing the history of any object, from its creation to the present
Using this on an object too high-leveled will hurt you
Allows you to see through darkness and illusions
Your eyes will always perceive the truth, no matter what
…Woah, that's one cool skill description it changed to.
Casting the thought aside, I've finally got my way of seeing what this place is. So, closing my eyes, I feel a spark course through my mind, the silent clap of thunder, and my eyes burst open, shifted into a swirling myriad of blue. The white around me fizzles, unable to hide itself any longer, before it seemingly shatters, like glass, falling apart into many pieces.
I find myself surrounded by grey walls of stone bricks, lit dimly by a sparse row of torches hung on the walls. The way behind me is short, a dead end, while the corridor before me seems to stretch infinitely, fading into blackness, one that I can't seem to see through despite my Mystic Eyes being able to see through darkness.
Not that I really noticed, since I'm too focused gaping at the blue panel floating in front of me.
[Cage of Alaya]
A prison made by the will of humanity, Alaya, to imprison any and all threats that might endager the stability and survival of mankind; be they humans, beasts, or gods. It floats in nothingness, surrounded by a void of none-existence, and guarded by legendary souls recorded in the [Throne of Heroes]. Anyone and anything that attempts to escape will be shut down by these guardians.
…yep. That's right. I'm in a prison made by Alaya. Alaya! And I have Heroic Spirits as my wardens as well! Frickin' hell, I know I was expecting to meet several Heroic Spirits, but not this soon damn it!
'Hah…Oh well.' After a minute of venting (slashing my sword on the annoyingly sturdy walls), I let my sword fizzle back into my inventory and begin my walk down the dim corridor, occasionally turning my head to see the dead end behind me fade into darkness as I move away. And soon enough, I find myself in a dim corridor, with darkness stretching before and behind me.
I'm guessing it's supposed to be quite unnerving, but I'm a bit too occupied surfing through the [Store] to care about that. But, well, seeing most of the cooler stuff being hidden behind huge paywalls and material requirements is quite saddening. Pretty sure some of those needed materials frop from some Level 250 monster or something.
Hah…such is the life of a gamer.
'…Anyways, uh, how long is this thing?' This damned corridor seems to go on forever. I've been walking for, like, half an hour now and still nothing.
And of course, the moment I thought that, the scenery around me shifts, and everything seems to flip. Stone shatters, light pierces the darkness, the torches vanish, the flames extinguish, and warmth fades, all replaced by a white void. This time, cracks run along it, like shattered glass stitched together by glue.
[You have entered the last stage, the-
I don't have enough time to entertain the notification as I barely manage to tilt my head aside. Three bullets fly right over my shoulder, and I can feel something wet flowing down my left arm. 'Too close…!' I can't help but grimly wonder on what would happen if I hadn't moved my head in time. Would my head have blown up like a prized piñata?
Nope. Don't think about it.
My attacker stands idly, a hand holding ready the trigger of a revolver, and another hand hovering above its smoking muzzle. He's young, dressed neatly as a cowbow, a red sash around his neck and a cowbow's hat tipped on his blonde hair. His lips are stretched to a wide smile, though it seems lifeless, frozen, like his unblinking dim blue eyes.
[Billy the Kid Lv 35]
HP: 55000/55000
MP: ?
Stamina: -%
A western outlaw, charged with countless crimes under his belt. His smile is frozen, a mechanism to hide away from trouble, though many have since found it difficult to differenciate whether his smile is true or not.
To that, I say only one word.
"Damn."
I jump away, bullets whizzing right past me. My Mystic Eyes flare to life, and my focus sharpens. Bullets of prana form behind my back, and spinning them, I let them fly, guided by the tracking of my eyes. They easily land, tearing through his clothes, but not quite injuring him. My eyes narrow, and my Mystic Eyes shine brightly.
'Armour?' A layer of carbon steel lays underneath his clothing, softening the blows from my sharpened prana bullets. Seems like Alaya knows not to treat me lightly. Should I be honored or annoyed I wonder?
"[Fate, Clear My Path]!" My sword appears in my hands and I swing. A crescent arc of holy light flows out and crashes onto Billy's Abdomen. The armour underneath cracks and a deep gash is formed just under his chest. His smile remains unfazed as his arms snap forward, and the trigger is pulled. Three bullets fire out simultaneously, breaking past the sound barrier. Though, 'Slow.' Such motion is trackable by my eyes, and I deploy a wall of prana before me. The bullets make impact, and the shield shatters, though enough time is given for me to move out of the way.
I throw my sword forward and he parries it away with his revolver. I charge forward, forcing him to block a volley of incoming bullets with his unloaded firearm, and my right hand reaches forward, grasping around his neck. My od flares, lines of magical energy shine along my arm, and with a squeeze, my prana invades his neck. I close my eyes. "[Gehen]" Lines of prana appear on his neck, and it lights up, before it explodes, his neck along with it.
[Fatal hit!]
His bodiless head is flung into the air and rolls along the cracked void, his eternal smile still etched on his lifeless head.
[You have killed Billy the Kid. Gained 27500 Exp!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have gained 3x [Void's Dust], 4x [Meteor Horshoes], [Torn Red Sash], [Broken Revolver]!]
I breathe out slowly, letting the adrenaline filter through my system. I look over my notifications, wondering what these new materials might be for, but then it hit me.
I just killed somebody.
My breath hitches, my body spasms, as if each of the cells in my body just gave out. My knees lost its strength and I drop down, clutching a hand over my mouth. I just killed somebody. I just killed somebody.
I feel something wet on my cheeks. Am I crying perhaps? I don't know, and don't bother to know, as I slowly push myself back up, swallowing the bile that was rising in my throat, and sigh. I chant to myself, saying 'This will be normal soon' and 'I need to do this to live' and other things along those lines, but the horror stays, and the icky feeling on the palm of my hands doesn't fade.
I can still feel the vibration, as the bones on his neck gave out, and the skin and muscles of his neck ruptures, splashing out in a violent geyser of blood, the icky congulated feeling of blood on my palm.
I slap my cheeks, and clarity shines through for a moment, enough for to notice a red spear coming straight my way. I jump to the left, swinging a prana sword I made upwards and crashing straight against the spear's red handle. A pulse of wind forms under me as my attacker is sent into the air. No shock can be seen on his emotionless face, even as I plunge my blade into his heart, before lines stretch across his body, and he explodes.
[Fatal Hit!]
[You have killed Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. Gained 29500 Exp!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have gained 4x [Void's Dust], 2x [Arrow Heads of Attonement], [Shattered Red Spear], [Shattered Yellow Spear]!]
Not even a second later an arrow is launched, and it stabs right under my chest. I would've been dead if I didn't apply [Reinforcement] quickly enough, and even then a quarter of my HP is sliced off. Gulping, I pull the black arrow out and cast it aside, moving my eyes towards my attacker.
[Atalanta Lv 60]
HP: 60000/60000
MP: ?
Stamina: -%
A huntress of the Argonauts. A tragic child abandoned, she grew under the blessings of Artemis, and her arrows soar high into the skies, shining and raining down upon the earth like the dawn of twilight.
A difference of 40 levels…how am I supposed to live I wonder…?
The green haired lioness draws her bow, her eyes narrowing minutely. A moment passes, and the string is let go, and the arrow flies. 'I won't be able to defend.' The arrows are flying to fast, they are simply too strong for my prana to hold back. I duck right under the arrow and roll away, before breaking into a run as a rain of arrows trail behind my back.
'Not enough.' The sharpened prana bullets I fire as I run could only cause minor damage. 'Not enough.' Prana missiles and grenades explode around her, and she comes out unschathed. 'Not enough.' Atalanta fires a pair of arrows into the sky, and following a glimmer of countless lights above, a rainbow of magical arrows rain down. My body is reinforced immediatel, and then covered with a thin layer of prana, and shielded by a thick block of prana over me, Still, I cough violently, as arrows plunge into my body, one after another, down my chest and up my legs.
'NOT ENOUGH.'
[Through constant pain and grit, a flame is lit in your soul, burning brighter than the sun itself. Your body may fail, but your heart with persevere evermore]
[You have gained the skill [Battle Continuation]!]
Everything hurt. But, for now, all I can feel is a tingling numbness, echoing like a bell in a cave. I breathe slowly, nearly choking as my blood filled throat struggled to make way for the air I inhale, as I lower myself. I bend my knees, feeling my bones crack as the arrows dig deeper into my flesh, and I spring forward with speeds I probably would've been shocked at if I was sober.
Atalanta seems shocked, even if her face broke no emotions, but she recovers quickly and parries away the prana sword in my hand with her bow. She goes on the defensive, deflecting and parrying my sword strikes with her bow, most likely attempting to get far enough to riddle my body with arrows.
She draws her bow and leaps back, and I follow, thrusting my sword forwards. My attack was clearly out of range, and her arrow was primed, glistening green with energy. A wisp of a victorious smile appears on her face, before it morphs into a thin frown, as a blade of prana stabs right through her heart.
She seems to have forgotten that I can manipulate prana at will, and that my sword was made of prana.
Oh well, her fault.
"[Gehen]" Lines of prana shines across her chest, and she manages to shoot one final arrow through my chest before my magecraft launches, and her body explodes in a wide bloody spark.
[Fatal Hit!]
[You have killed Atalanta. Gained 36500 Exp!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have gained 6x [Void's Dust], 7x [Arrow Heads of Attonement], [Broken Shards of Ebony], [Tattered Purple Pelt]!]
The notifications go unnoticed by me, as I begin to pump od into the many wounds on my body. Slowly, I altered the blood, freezing them and clogging up the holes from leaking any more HP I received from my recent Level Up.
[You have gained the skill [Alteration]!]
…Huh, I'm surprised I haven't gotten that yet…Meh, better late than never.
That aside, now that I'm conscious (mostly), this…is quite bad. Nay, even saying 'bad' is a huge understatement. I'm surviving on a slither of health, my MP's under 10% (my usage of [Battle Continuation] not helping), I'm trapped with no way out, and I'm pretty damn sure Herculer will sooner or later appear and woop my ass.
This truly is the darkest timeline.
"nnggrrrraaaAAAAAAAHHHH!"
I metallic roar sounds from the distance, coming from a knight suited in black armour, wisps of darkness swirling around him. Ominous red lines stretch across its body, extending down and out across his blackened sword. The visor of its helmet glowed a bright red, glinting menacingly.
[Lancelot Lv 85]
HP: 62500/62500
MP: ?
Stamina: -%
A knight of the Round Table, whose guilt and anger upon betraying his lord had transformed him, morphed him into a being past reason. His maddened gaze forever shines in the dark, and his mind is reduced to that of a beast. Despite that, its skill from when it was a knight has not lessened, for it waits for the judgement his king will surely rain upon him.
To that, I only have one word.
Fuck.
It leaps forward, charging at speeds far surpassing the sonic barrier. In less than a second, the distance between us is closed, and his sword is swung upwards, fully aimed and intented to slice my neck apart. 'So fast…' I had only a moment to appreciate such high speeds before I feel the blackened blade reach my neck.
'Ah, damn it.' I close my eyes, resigned and accepting.
The last thing I noticed is the warmth of my blood before my consciousness fades.
......
[Psst]
…
[Pssst]
…
[Hello~? Anyone still there? Is this soul still inhabited?]
…
[Muah~…so she really is dead?]
…
[Huh, I guess this was how it's supposed to go? I don't quite remember…]
[Meh, alright then, [Heaven's Feel]!]
…Huh? Where is…
[Hello again, Hanami-chan? Just died, huh?]
S-System? How am I…aren't I supposed to be dead-, ah…Is this heaven then? Or hell?
[Nah~, nothing so happy or glum. This is the void, or the root, or akasha, or whatever. Since, ya know, souls that just died retur-]
THE ROOT!?
[Youch! Don't scream!]
Do I even have a mouth for that?
[Nope, but your thoughts still hurt, so keep it down!]
…Sorry.
[Anyways, as I was saying, all souls that just died return to the root, yeah? You should've gone and melded back with the root, but~, well, I don't think any of us wants that outcome, no? Would be a pretty short and boring ending for a [Gamer]]
Well, yeah, but I'm dead? Game over, you know? How am I supposed to go back there anyways? Unless you can bring me back to life and stuff.
[Well…]
…Wait, seriously?
[It's possible. I brought you into Fate after your first death, so why not again? It's not like the Third Magic has finite uses or something]
Ah, so that's how I got reincarnated here.
[Mhm! So, how about it? Fancy having a [Continue]?]
Ha! The answer's obvious!
[You'll be facing Lancelot after this, you know?]
…crap, forgot about him. Mind doing something about the guy?
[I'll try my best, but I'll be fighting off Alaya, so it might take a while, but definitely possible]
Sweet! Will my health and magic go back to full too?
[Yep, yep. Now, wait a second, let me get your warp drive ready…and…done!]
[Alright, then, good luck, Hanami-chan! And don't die again! I can only bring your soul back so many times!]
A light numbness overtakes my soul, and my consciousness wanes.
......
The enemy falls onto the ground, head not quite severed, but barely hanging onto the sliced neck. Blood trails out in waves, painting the void around her a deep crimson red. Lancelot silently stares, emotionless and thoughtless, waiting for any further moves its master will issue.
And so it waits. Minutes pass by, and no movement is made. Alaya deems to potential magician dead, and begins tow warp this fragment of Lancelot back into the Throne of Heroes.
Until, suddenly, the girl wasn't quite dead.
His transportation stops, and he regains corporeal form. He watches as the girl rises, arms lanky and without strength, yet still rising, like a puppet reattached to its strings. Her eyes, before dull green, now shines a bright green as life surges back into the body. She gasps, and then coughs, loud and pained at first, but as the many injuries she suffered glowed green and healed, her coughs turn to small chuckles. With one final sigh, the glow vanishes and Tsunaka Hanami stands, uninjured.
"Hah…that was cool." She says, swinging and twirling her arms around. Her eyes flicker for a moment, before a smirk makes its way onto her, and she huffs in amusement. "5 minutes, huh?" She seemed to want to continue, but she swiftly places a hand over her mouth, before then muttering something about 'not wanting to jinx herself'.
"Well, I'll deal with it." Those words seemed to be her incantation, as she swiftly bursts forward.
......
I charge forward, a prana sword held tightly in my hands. Lancelot growls and swings his sword. Our two swords meet, and my prana construct easily shatters upon impact, but I ducked under the swing and continue forward. With one final burst of prana, I leap forward, grasping the hilt of the [Sword of The Heir] and turning, skidding across the ground to a stop. I hold my sword straight towards the Berserker, feeling more confident with the increase of stats the weapon gave.
Ah, how I love how equipment works in this [Gamer] system.
We both charge, and our blades clash once again, this time mine holding out against his. We remain locked for a moment, his strength as a Berserker battling against my equipment-boosted strength, before his blade starts to slowly inch towards me, and my arms and legs start to buckle from all the strength in his sword. He wins our contest and he drives his sword down, stabbing my sword into the white void.
I swiftly jump back to avoid a swing, though I made sure to yank the rope of prana I tied around my sword, flinging it back into my grasp (not letting this thing go anytime soon). The battle falls into a lull for a moment, with Lancelot just standing there, staring at me.
It gives me a moment to think though. I'm clearly outmatched here. His strength is higher, and he being a Berserker doesn't help weaken said strength. His armour is powerful and I doubt even my sword's holy blast can take it apart. Worst of all, his life as a knight has clearly granted him some skills, and even as a Berserker he refuses to let go of that.
How the hell am I supposed to last 2 minutes fighting this guy?
I snap out of my thoughts just fast enough to block an incoming sword strike, my sword screeching as his sword slid down mine, before he broke away and strikes from above. I hold my sword above to block it, and I manage to do so painfully, feeling my body ache in agony as the impact coursed through my muscles.
Tilting my hand, I let Lancelot's blade slide harmlessly off my sword and jump up, filling my sword with prana and swinging down a blast of holy energy. Lancelot stands and tanks the hit, taking only mild damage from my attack. He roars and jumps to me, his sword meeting mine, before taking the chance to kick me down.
I land with a back roll and jump back again to avoid his downward stab. Getting up on my two feet, my hand swiftly moves my sword to block and parry the flurry of incoming blows, aching and surely tearing my muscles had I not reinforced them.
[MP: 9.695/17.860]
But I won't last forever like this!
Suddenly, Lancelot steps forward, knocking his knee against my leg and knocking me down, before delivering a dangerous blow to my chest. It would've been fatal had I not reinforced my body and twisted it enough to miss my heart, but holy hell does it hurt! With a shout, and release a burst of holy energy onto him and knock him up, before creating a spinning sphere of prana sniper bullets around the Berserker. With a deep breath, I willed the bullets to move, sending them crashing against his armour and slowly chipping away his HP.
[Hang on a little more Hanami-chan! 30 more seconds till warp shift!]
It's only a stopgap however, as he lands back down after the hail fire with only around 5000 HP missing. He charges forward, and I jump up. He stops and follows me up, and I leap off a platform of prana I make under my feet and dive back down. I land with a roll and jump to my left to avoid the sword he threw, then ducking and rolling away from Lancelot's punch.
It became a game of cat and mouse after that, with me jumping and leaping across the void with the Berserker hot on my trail, scoring some dangerous hits with his superior speed and strength.
But!
[Warp's ready! Hold on tight!]
My salvation arrives, and even as Lancelot delivers a powerful kick to my waist, I can't help but laugh as I'm sent flying away, crashing and drifting across the invisible floor. My body begins to fade away, turning into motes of blue light. Lancelot roars and charges to attack, but by the time he reaches his destination, I'm already gone.
......
"Gah!?" And of course, the moment I'm back in my body, I just crashed into the side of a stone wall, before finally (and painfully) sliding down and leaving behind a trail of blood.
Now, first off, ouch, that hurt. Second, isn't this the stone corridors from before?
[Yep, yep!]
I had a retort readied, but the corridors suddenly shake and bits of stone begin crumbling and falling down. The flames on the torches flicker weakly before extinguishing, leaving me in darkness. "Uh…"
[Oooh, Alaya's pissed~. Better be quick and follow the light, Hanami-chan! She's gonna start collapsing the entire place!]
"W-What!?" System disappears, before a bright line appears across the dark and crumbling corridor. Deciding that I didn't want to die, I quickly break into a run, following the glowing line along the endless hallway. Unlike last time however, the dark hallway isn't so endless. I can see a bright light shining at the end!
"RRRAAAAAAAGGGHH!"
But of course, that metallic screech just sounded, which means that Lancelot's hot on my tail, again. Frickin' hell! Give up dude!
[Sprint] activates, [Reinforcement] is applied on my legs, and I burst forward. Faster and faster I run. Closer and closer the end of the tunnel comes. And, of course, the louder and louder Lancelot screams behind me. My magical hearing senses tingle, meaning that he's close (just how fast is that guy!?), but I'm barely a meter away from the end of the tunnel now!
And then, a black sword is impaled through my right leg, and pain bursts through my nerves. But, no matter, as I trip on my run and fly forward, right into the light. Lancelot's metallic screams grow distant as I sink into the light. A fuzzy warmth courses around me, wrapping around me like a blanket in the midnight cold.
I sigh contently.
Before having my face planted right on the dirt, in the middle of the backyard of the Emiya Estate. I pull my face out with a gasp, swiftly brushing away any traces of dirt on my face with disgust and looking around, seeing it just like it'd been before I got sucked into Alaya's prison.
Well, without Shirou that is.
[Ah, don't worry, Hanami-chan~! Shirou's out cold right now, so I warped him to the futon in his room. He'll be fully awake tomorrow, so no need to worry!]
I see…well, thanks.
[Hehe~, no probs! Now, I guess I'll rest for a bit. See ya later, Hanami-chan!]
"…fuh." With System gone, I release a tired sigh and attempt to move back to the house, before remembering that my leg is still bleeding and stuff. 'Uu…my pants are all soaked…' I quickly buy a couple rolls of bandages, using up a good 1.000 ¥, and stifling a pained groan, I wrap them around my injured leg and chest. There's also a bunch of bruises around my body, courtesy of Lancelot's painful punches and kicks, but they'll heal with a good sleep, so I let them be.
[Quest: [Against Fate] has been completed!]
[Main Mission has been accomplished!]
[You have gained [[Voltaic Charge] Skill Book], [[Natural Body] Skill Book], [Blade of Anarchy]!]
[You have gained access to the [Tool Station]! Can be accessed through [ID:Create!]]
[Extra Mission has been accomplished!]
[You have gained [Reaver Helm], [Reaver Scale Male], [Reaver Greaves], [Reaver Boots]!]
[You have gained access to the [Reave Jungles]! Can be accessed through [ID:Create!]]
Huh…No Exp from the quest then. Ma~, whatever. These new items look cool though, and those new IDs look interesting, but I'll check them out later. My HP and MP's low, my stamina's under a quarter of its maximum, and I'll probably faint the moment I hit the futon.
So, while enduring the pain, I make my way to the room Shirou's prepared for me, and promptly fall face-first onto my futon. I sigh, feeling the warmth of the futon sink into me, and before long I fall asleep.
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