บท 10: A strole in the Land of Shadows
"I just can't shake the feeling that something's off!" I muttered.
Just minutes ago, I'd flown through a gigantic, ominous-looking Gate of Skye that had appeared right in the middle of the sky. Trying to shake off my nerves, I even joked, "It's really a gate in the sky." Good thing I didn't attempt this back home; instead, I chose a dense forest outside New York. I didn't dawdle, quickly flying in—after all, what if whatever was behind that gate suddenly came out?
And now, here I was, in the Land of Shadows. The moment I opened my eyes, a chilly, frigid breeze hit me, and I shivered involuntarily. Within that cold wind, it wasn't just decay; I could feel a dense aura of death. I took a deep breath, working my somewhat stiff body as I surveyed my surroundings. Gradually, the scene around me became clearer—a familiar yet unfamiliar dim world. There was no lively soil, no green vegetation, no sign of life. Shadows and death engulfed everything.
My gaze wandered over the distant, gloomy landscape as I equipped Kanshou and Bakuya, wearing the female version of EMIYA's outfit, crafted entirely from mithril. The material, resembling liquid metal, hugged my body and accentuated my curves in all the right places. If it weren't for the tense situation, I might've paused to admire how sexy I looked in this outfit. But my attention remained focused on the surroundings. "This is the outer realm of FATE Earth, the magical realm known as the Land of Shadows. And, of course, no yellow sun."
The realm of shadows stretched endlessly in every direction—a place where sunlight never penetrated, a true realm of death.
Well, that seemed normal enough. The Land of Shadows was, after all, a death realm, meant to embrace the deceased and lost souls. Luxuries like sunlight and vitality were probably scarce commodities here. If they were easily found, it would be like angels behaving like demons while demons acted unusually virtuous. In essence, it was utterly baffling.
The Land of Shadows might have been meant for the dead, and the living should avoid it, but I didn't particularly feel affected. Leaving aside that I'd already gained Scáthach's approval long ago, which allowed me to move freely here.
"Was Titania right after all? Is everything interconnected? If so, this is also the outer realm of the Marvel Earth? Seems a bit farfetched, but I guess the Ancient One would know more about that! Note to self: ask her."
Lost in thought, I closed my eyes slowly, and memories rushed in—a series of fragmented, fleeting memories left behind by Scáthach. They hinted at the means of reaching the Land of Shadows, sharing a similarity to my own experience. But these fragments were remnants of relentless combat—an unending cycle of fights and killings. Whether the opponents were humans, undead, or even gods, the memories revealed a ceaseless onslaught, where martial prowess extinguished countless lives.
A shiver ran down my spine. Just glimpsing these fragments, these incomplete glimpses into Scáthach's experiences, stirred something deep within me. How close was I to embodying the title of "God Slayer"? Not that I was arrogant enough to think I could kill a god, but I had once forced the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, to his knees. Back when I was Illyasviel, though I had a weak body, my foreknowledge of events allowed me to strategize, not to mention my magical energy and my weapons. While not noble phantasms, they certainly would rank high. My Iustizia could be considered a god construct, possessing the conceptual abilities 'Pierce All' and 'Sever Any Energy Form.' I still fondly remember cutting that beam Artoria Alter fired at me in two when she released her Noble Phantasm. The next part, not so much—I couldn't stop the kinetic energy behind it and was slammed into a rocky wall, almost dying as a consequence. "Ouch," I mused, still feeling the pain. And let's not forget my twin hammers, which could deliver blows exceeding Heracles' by increasing their weight yet still feel light as a feather in my hands.
And then there was Okita, my partner in the Fifth Grail War. She trusted me enough to allow me to use my Soul Magic and Soul Synchronization to analyze her soul while in a trance. During that time, I analyzed her soul and Saint Graph, and I mastered Okita's sword skills, which gave me an additional edge in the Holy Grail War.
Right now, though, I didn't have the confidence to challenge gods to that extent. My encounter with Freya in DanMachi had already given me a glimpse of the strength that gods possessed. Besides, most deities had already left for the mortal realm in this era. Pursuing dreams of godslaying seemed increasingly futile. Instead, I directed my focus to the apprenticeship Scáthach was about to offer.
Under the gray sky, a desolate aura filled the air. Stepping upon jagged rocks, I propelled myself forward, guided by intuition. While Scáthach held the title of the Land of Shadows' queen, my prior interactions with her had shown that she rarely assumed an air of superiority. Still, the legends were clear: Scáthach's apprentices had to undergo trials before being accepted. I wondered what kind of challenges she might have in store for me.
Ahead stretched an unfamiliar, shadowy forest, and I arched an eyebrow. Scáthach possessed extraordinary clairvoyance, and even without it, her immense knowledge of the demon realm would make her a formidable opponent.
Before I could decide on my next move, a thunderous roar echoed through the skies. Watching as a hurricane-like force swept through the eerie forest, trees tumbled, and a colossal shadow cast itself over me—a dragon, tens of meters long. Its scales glinted with an unusual sheen, and with every powerful flap of its wings, cyclonic winds spiraled outward.
"Phantasmal Species!" I muttered.
No! This giant dragon carried a weight much heavier than the oppressive aura I'd felt from Martha when she used her Noble Phantasm, Tarasque. This wasn't just any fantasy species; it was a unique giant dragon of the Land of Shadows. Its very breath reeked of death.
"I'll be a dragon knight too!" I declared, a radiant aura enveloping my hands as the golden Bow of Hydra materialized once again. The misty, dark golden tones illuminated my eyes, and I focused on channeling my Magical Energy into the arrow. The vast energy surged until the projected Noble Phantasm began to tremble, no longer able to contain it. The arrows transformed into meteoric projectiles, tearing through the sky.
"Broken Phantasm!"
The arrow exploded violently, and the dragon let out an astonishing roar. Earth and sky quaked, hot blood spraying through the air; scales as sharp as knives sliced outward like shrapnel, as if a meteorite had struck. The huge dragon fell.
"Finally, I can go all out with no restrictions!" I cheered, thinking back to those times I'd been forced to hold back.
With Iustizia appearing in my grasp, I fixed my gaze on the descending dragon. A fierce fighting spirit ignited within me, spreading like wildfire. A network of redlines appeared all over my body, as my magic circuits started generating torrents of Magical Energy. In a hushed tone, I whispered, "Soul Synchronization, Okita!"
As soon as I spoke, the fierce fighting spirit within me turned ice-cold. My face shifted, no longer ablaze with intensity but calm and focused, like a detached executioner. The effect of Soul Synchronization took over.
"Let's see if you can handle this! Focus... Reinforce!" I murmured.
"Swiftened form…"
"Steel within…"
"Reduced Earth—Nine-Headed Dragon Flash!"
In an instant, a technique that altered the blade's angle caused a gleam of light to cut through the sky. Nine arcs, each more than ten meters long, sliced through the air, slashing the dragon's now-scaleless form, still raw from the earlier explosion. Its anguished roar echoed, filled with lament. The massive beast wavered under the relentless blows, plummeting to the ground and carving a crater hundreds of meters wide, rubble and debris shooting skyward.
At that moment, Kara's eyes emitted an eerie hue. She lifted the blade with deliberate slowness, and an aura of shadow and chill pervaded the dragon's being. While Balor's Mystic Eye was originally meant for Amakusa Shirou, not only had Amakusa Shirou succumbed under a barrage of diverse Noble Phantasms, but it also wasn't needed in the subsequent clash with Artoria Alter. Obvious reasons prevented her from using it on Gilgamesh, the Chains of Heaven, completely restrained her. So, she ended up not using it in battle before.
"What the fuck?" I muttered, disbelief flooding through me.
The part that puzzled me was the fact that Scáthach had only given me one eye, which I'd implanted in my left socket. But somehow, upon my death, it returned to my subspace unit, like all my other equipment.
"As far as I know, Mystic Eyes aren't tied to the soul like Magic Circuits are," I thought, trying to make sense of it. "I expected to keep my Magic Circuits, but why did the Mystic Eye come along too?"
Although I could now see the usual "Lines of Death" and "Points of Death" overlaid across my vision, with the dragon in particular, I couldn't be sure if these were really the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. Maybe they highlighted points I could target to disrupt a creature's power, energy, or abilities because if I was being honest, my lines and points looked slightly different.
"Guess I'll need to test them out," I promised myself, though I knew it would have to wait.
Having the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception wasn't exactly reassuring. They'd make me an instant target for any powerful beings out there, especially in my current, weaker state.
Upon activation, her eyes now exhibit a distinct amethyst hue different from her usual blue eyes. A brilliant, shining crimson inner circle materialized around the pupil of her eyes, followed by an amethyst-colored circle; the outermost circle emitted a radiant blue glow. Under the intense gaze of her eyes, the giant dragon lowered its immense head. Despite the scars that marred its colossal body, it seemed as though the once ferocious creature had instantaneously transformed into a calm and subdued being.
After what felt like ages, I finally spotted a shadowy castle. Seven walls circled the massive fortress, with nine layers of wooden fences beneath them. Impaled heads adorned each layer, mounted on sharp wooden stakes. Revenants, intruders, even monsters—each had clearly been defeated by Scáthach and her apprentices, their severed heads left as a warning. It was a brutal deterrent, but also undeniable proof of their strength.
Tranquility was never the nature of the Land of Shadows. Though no living beings resided here, the realm remained connected to others. Without overwhelming power, one could only expect utter annihilation.
The dragon landed some distance away from the castle's entrance, reluctant to get any closer to the shadowed fortress. To continue, I decided to slice off part of its tail, sure that it would serve me later, and proceed on foot. Along the way, I encountered countless undead and wandering spirits, though none dared provoke me. Yet, as I passed through the castle walls, a strange presence caught my senses.
"Hey, hey! Wasn't the Land of Shadows supposed to be out of reach? Why are there other living beings here besides me?"
Not long after, I spotted Scáthach, dressed in a simple training outfit. Though her usual aloofness seemed absent, I could still feel a strong sense of indifference radiating from her. Among the group of warriors around her—none of them from the Land of Shadows—many were clad in traditional attire, each bearing signs of serious injury. It was clear that some kind of lesson was underway.
"Hello! Why do you seem so pleased with yourself?"
My lips twitched as I noticed the warrior beneath Scáthach's foot. What's the big deal here? Is it too late for me to change my mind?
"You…?" Scáthach turned slightly, her gaze settling on me. Her expression held a glint of wisdom, with a faint flicker of surprise softening her otherwise cold demeanor as she regarded me, then gave a slight nod.
"So, that's it! I chose this path in the end, huh? Well, that works too; you're a likely contender!" she remarked.
Feeling a bit thrown off, I couldn't shake the sense that something was wrong with Scáthach. Or maybe, it was something about this whole place—ever since I'd entered the Land of Shadows, that uneasy feeling hadn't left me. Something was definitely off.
"Going forward, she is the one you must defeat," Scáthach announced, her tone calm. "If she can be bested by you, I'll grant you mastery of the magic spear's throwing techniques, along with the chance for a personal apprenticeship."
Though her words were delivered with Scáthach's usual composure, I caught the subtle change in everyone's expressions. Outwardly, I kept a smile, but inside, I was ready to groan. Yet, despite their injuries, her apprentices seemed excited, looking at me with eager, flushed faces. After all, mastery over Scáthach's throwing techniques was a skill without equal, and they were itching for the challenge.
Well, a little pretense wouldn't hurt.
I smoothly drew the magic spear that had so clearly earned the warriors' envy, giving it a confident spin. Holding my head high, I declared, "I'm not singling out anyone. I just want it clear that everyone here still has a long way to go!"
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