The Holy Man of The Church Creek

46

The dark was all that he'd ever known for the longest part of his life.

The speckles of light he'd once seen in his adolescence, all eventually snuffed out and inundated to create a lonely black world that was completely his own. It was a void. A dimension, a space, necessary to contain malice, malevolence, corruption, wickedness, all manners of Evil in a single zone.
He was its tribute.
The one to save the many.
Over time, he grew to hate the fact that he had no choice in the matter.
It was why he did not take it for granted now that he was in the light once more.
The feel of a gentle breeze brushing across his body caused him to shudder involuntarily, even the feeling of the ground beneath his feet was memorable. He wanted to do and experience many things in his short time out in the world, but at the moment, he had enemies that had to be dealt with and people to protect on Shirou's behalf.
They all stood behind him. The one's he needed to protect.
None of them were speaking, but that was only logical. He did not need to explain the sheer pressure his presence exuded. Curses surrounded him like a heavy rain, dense, and writhing over his skin like a living organism.
Monster.
Freak.
There was no way that they would approach or speak out towards someone like him. Only Shirou had been able to do so, and he had seen not an ounce of hesitation in Shirou's eyes. It was why the younger aspect of himself that Shirou had encountered prior had been so thoroughly moved by his actions.
Regardless, the area around him began to shrivel and decay. Where he stepped, life would not exist.
He was akin to the First Sin. The Original Sin found imparted upon humans for the transgression in the Garden of Eden.
He was the summation of all of the World's Evil, the representation of the sinister aspects of man. A volatile taint that should not have had existed, or have been released from confinement at all.
That was his burden to bear as the cursed Zoroastrian child, Angra Mainyu.
The others around stared at him in abject silence. He could see and feel the fear in his enemy's eyes. He assumed the same of his allies, and yet, he was not prepared.
"L-Lord Marbas, Lord Marbas is back!" The resounding cheer that he had heard upon his arrival returned in full.
At first, he had thought that it was solely due to the admiration that they had for the things that Shirou had done in the Underworld Civil War, but he soon realized that it wasn't Shirou or his legend that they were shouting in praise for. Instead, they were cheering at him.
Not Shirou. Not anyone else, but him alone.
Of course, Shirou's reputation might have been the best reason for the attention, but in his fluster, Angra Mainyu simply could not differentiate.
It took all of his will power not to flinch when a child stepped passed the crowd and walked up to him without fear.
He could not understand it. The curses and aura that he was outputting was by far more potent than anything that Shirou could have had been able to release before. In exchange, the pain that he was enduring was far more than any Shirou had to put up with. The grass withered at his feet, the soil losing its fertility and shifting into a light dust.
Any who would approach him lightly would perish; the little boy would not have had been an exception had he not forcibly reigned in his energy. Still, there were limits. He could not restrain his aura completely.
"Stop." He called out in warning. Do not approach any further, you will die, his expression seemed to be saying. It was why he had tossed Koneko and Issei so far behind him.
He did not wish to inadvertently kill anyone undeserving. He did not wish to be looked at in contempt again.
More than anything, it was the trust he could see in the child's eyes directed at someone like him that caused him to recoil. Where torture could no longer garner a reaction out of him, he was susceptible to empathy and kindness instead.
It wasn't just the child. Now that he looked around him, all of the Devils that lived in the Lands of Marbas had the same expression.
Belief. Admiration.
Stop. Stop it.
He wasn't accustomed to such stares.
Despite his warning, the child did not stop moving, rather, the adults and other devils walked closer to express their faith in him as well.
That he would not kill them.
That someone like him could be relied on.
It was a different kind of feeling from apathy, scorn, and disregard, and he quickly realized with a jerk that it wasn't so bad.
In an instant, he released the restraints he had on his energy, the taint of his aura spreading outwards. It engulfed the surrounding Devils in an instant, and yet, not so much as a curse dared to crawl up the skin of the Devils of the land of Marbas.
He refused to allow it.
The curses were not his masters. He was the bearer, and the owner. They would follow his will.
He opened and closed his palms, staring at them in silent contemplation as tendrils of red magical power arced up over his arms and body. He gazed up slowly at his current enemies. The younger generation of the Old Satan Faction. Their leader Crueserey staring at him in open terror.
Towards them, he held nothing back.
The weaker Devils flinched, unable to do anything as the aura he was outputting began to suffocate them. Their bat-like wings began to wrinkle and furl, their hands grasping at their throats as veins popped up over their heads, choking, dying.
If he specialized in one thing, it was solely in killing humans, and yet he'd discovered now that he excelled in something else.
Could they feel it now?
Everything that had once been inflicted upon himself, he could naturally inflict upon others. The curses that he'd endured, the suffering.
The agony, the misery, the torment.
To they who would attempt to kill the individuals who did not scorn him, he would show no mercy.
His fists clenched tightly, cursed power resonating with the magical energy of Marbas stored within a King piece.
To they who would hamper the interests of the saviour who had pulled him out of despair, he would not forgive.
He took a single step forward, and the pallor of the air itself seemed to blacken through an unending stream of hate and malice, a magic circle expanding out from under him. The crest of the underworld's president, made whole through the depiction of the twin keys of the greater truths.
You dare. You Dare.
The eyes of a lion gazed forth, superimposed upon his figure. These lands that the Old Satan Faction dared to trespass over were the original lands of the Lion of the Underworld, the keeper of hidden truths and the governor of Thirty-Six Legions.
Even in death, the oaths and duties of the original Demons were sworn upon and passed down to their descendants, the Devils, and retained within the crimson pieces made from its ilk.
For Devils to ignore the jurisdictions of a Demon's lands, it was a sin unpardonable, and the remnant traces of Marbas's intent found within its King piece responded.
The strength of curses and the magic of a Devil combined to create an energy primordial.
The power of the undisputed Cardinals of the Underworld.
Demons.
A hazy black pith, that caused the blood of all Devils to run cold emerged in thick mist from the magic circle around him in the image of two gates opening.
"Vermin." A voice seemed to echo within Creuserey's ears, as if jeering at him.
Fear was palpable in the air, coalescing with the curses falling from the sky like rain.
As if in response, the barrier once made in the time of the Underworld Civil War stirred to life once again, not to hinder, but to shield the residents within. The Divine Constructs that powered it siphoned energy and directly formed a link between the magic barrier and the heir Marbas. It acted in tandem with the growing taint and demonic energy exuding off of him.
He wasn't Shirou, but he didn't need to be. Shirou had already given a rough idea on how to activate the barrier around the Lands of Marbas prior.
It was enough so long as it was active.
He wouldn't be able to control the spread of his curses at full power without risk to the lives of innocents. With the barrier up and running, a pregnant pause descended over the area.
The silence was eerie.
He no longer had any restraints to bind him.
There would be no mercy in darkness.
He ventured forth unhindered, Creuserey backing away at every step.
It was only now that Creuserey was starting to realize the truth of Nirgul's words. Qualifications? Rights of succession? None of that mattered when faced with the real thing. No Devil's blood could ever be as pure as the strength of a Demon. Nirgul's loyalty in the Demon Marbas was not unfounded. It was to the extent that not even the leader of the Khaos Brigade could compare in standing and prestige.
But it wasn't possible! Marbas was supposed to be dead! It was the whole reason that the Old Satan Faction found purpose in rebelling against the New Satan Faction's rule in the first place!
No matter how Creuserey tried to deny it, the power and malice crushing down on him could not be ignored. The opponent in front of him would not show leniency.
Death was coming in turbid waves of magical energy buffeting against him at all sides. "No! NO!" He refused to allow things to end here. "A-Attack together!" Creuserey yelled.
The mid-class Devils and Higher quickly heeded Creuserey's order and began funneling their attacks. The weaker devils were already suffocating to death on the ground. Some tried to consume miniature snakes contained within jars, but even then, the increase in power they obtained was not enough.
It would never be enough.
Light illuminated the Dark, but Darkness consumed light.
Just like an acid corroding away a metal, the curses ate away at everything.
Even Creuserey's attack left little more than a ripple.
The first Sin of Man was said to have been the first betrayal. To eat upon the fruit of knowledge and become aware of right and wrong. Good and Evil. It was the first Sin that branded upon all descendants of man, and yet, it was not man who instigated the beginning.
It was the whisperings of the Devils, the Demons of the Underworld.
Let it be known once more. For the Evil's of the World too contained the very essence of the Original Sin.
Fall. Perish. Crumble.
Creuserey's teeth began to chatter. Hidden behind a dense cloud of taint and malevolence, 'Lord Marbas's' form could no longer be seen, yet it didn't matter. The figure itself seemed to morph into something intangible, whispering quietly a maddening melody of departure.
Can you see it?
Can you hear them?
The quiet callings?
Fall. Fall. Fall.
All around Creuserey, the Devil's that had followed him began to wither from the skin down to the bones. No amount of magical energy or defensive measure they took proved to be of any use. They died watching themselves crumble into dust and oblivion.
Why resist?
A face. Creuserey could see it. A cruel visage.
Creuserey must have had been hallucinating, but no amount of magical energy was effective in dispelling the monster before him. A reflection of his own inner demons fueled by the curses crawling up from his legs.
Something within Creuserey's mind seemed to snap. Help. He needed help-NO Run. He had to Run.
Appearances did not matter any longer.
His clothes were in tatters, his body trembling, but in the end, he frantically ran away.
Meanwhile, 'Lord Marbas,' merely curved his lips upward as if everything was according to plan. Of the Devils Creuserey had brought with him, only Creusery was left mostly unharmed.
Run. Go ahead and try.
He walked at a leisurely pace. There would be no getting away.
The doors of the storage warehouse were hastily opened and closed tightly, Creuserey fumbled with his hands as he hastily activated magic seal after magic seal and grafted them over the doors. He was pale and trembling, his clothing sullied with dirt, blood, and grime. Part of him didn't even seem to be rational anymore as he seemed to be muttering to himself incoherently.
His image as a leader of the Old Satan Faction was gone, and Shalba and the others could hardly understand what had happened. They were having enough trouble as it was already though.
Shalba clicked his tongue as he batted away another fierce sword strike aimed at his neck. "Fuck off!"
Shalba exerted strength and forced his attacker back. "To think that you'd been following them all along, Adelina Swiftblade!"
Rather than speak, Adelina simply readied her sword once more. Behind her were Kiba, Rias, and Akeno who were bruised and battered, but still conscious. They had managed to hold out long enough for Adelina to intervene. She had been following Rias and the others in secret ever since she had bumped into them in the young Devil's gathering.
She'd heard that Okita Souji was nearby in the gathering, so she left a message, informing the man to watch over Sona and the others.
It would appear that her actions were the correct choice as she'd come just in time to rescue Rias, Akeno, and Kiba from Diodora's betrayal.
Along with Adelina's arrival, the confidence Diodora had in the situation began to plummet. He was feeling uneasy so he made himself look as small as possible. Against just Rias and the others, the surge in his strength due to Ophis's snakes would have had been enough, but against Adelina, he knew he had no chance.
In all of the Underworld, Adelina was said to be the only one who had inherited the sword-style of the Demon Marbas. Quick and efficient, he wouldn't know just when his head would come off of his shoulders if he got anywhere near her.
Creuserey's sudden return allowed Diodora the time he needed to quickly escape from under Shalba's eyes and run away. His intuition as a coward was warning him of an ill omen.
Regardless, Shalba didn't care how Creuserey looked like at the moment. He was just gladdened that Creuserey had come back just in time.
Adelina's arrival had left Shalba at a stalemate. The battle between them was too high of a level for others not of the Great-Satan Rank to participate in. Of course, Shalba tried to distract Adelina by sending others after Rias, Akeno, and Kiba, but Adelina's interceptions were simply too fast to cope with alone.
"Creuserey, hurry up and help me deal with this bitch!" Shalba yelled. The frustration was evident in his tone. He could not risk prolonging the operation any longer lest enemy reinforcements arrive.
Rather than coming to Shalba's aid, Creuserey shook his head and spoke in a panic as if suddenly coming to his senses. "N-No! W-We have to run! T-This door won't hold for long! H-He's coming!"
What?
Shalba could not understand why Creuserey sounded so urgent until he began to contemplate. It was then that it clicked in his mind. Only two people he could think of could possibly reduce Creuserey to such a state, but since when did Sirzechs or Ajuka get so strong to make Creuserey lose his composure? The comrade he knew would rather die to his enemy's hands than flee like a weakling.
"Sirzechs? Ajuka?" Shalba questioned in all seriousness.
Creuserey didn't even bother answering. Instead, he, like many of the other Devils in the room, suddenly stiffened. Even Shalba's eyes widened as an overbearing aura blanketed the entire area.
It was like a weight was suddenly placed over their shoulders, causing their knees to bulk and sweat to drip down from their brows.
The doors of the storage facility was kicked aside in the next instant.
Rias, Kiba, and Akeno stared blankly as a tribal-marked figure walked in. The haze of curses around him made him hard to distinguish, but the outline and general appearance was recognizable to them.
"S-Shirou?" Rias called out uneasily. There was something different about him today different from the first time she'd seen him in that form. It was darker, more vile. The demonic energy clinging onto him only made the impression more pronounced.
Creuserey paled upon seeing him. The magical inscriptions and seals that he'd placed over the doors seemed to be just as effective as paper. "L-Lord Marbas," he stuttered out just in time for everyone to see the black tar-like substance wrapped around his feet like chains.
In the next instant, Shalba and the younger Old Satan Faction members watched in abject disbelief as Creuserey's body fell apart into greyed particles of sand. Creuserey hadn't even been able to let out a scream for help before he had perished, his power as a descendent of the Original Great Satans meaning nothing.
Rias opened and closed her mouth, but no words came out. No matter how she tried to convince herself otherwise, there was no way that she could get used to seeing the sight in front of her.
None of the people present would be able to.
The name Creuserey had revealed caused every member of the Old Satan Faction present to still. Every one of them was from the younger generation that had not participated in the Underworld Civil War where more gruesome deaths had been committed. Serafall, Srizechs, Ajuka, and Falbium were not exceptions.
They had done what was necessary in the name of the future that they had fought for.
For her part, Adelina looked utterly enamored, flustered on whether or not she should drop what she was doing in order to offer formal greetings or remain as she was due to her status as her teacher's student. She settled with something in the middle, a half-nod that seemed more awkward if anything, a flush to her cheeks. For once in her career, her guard was entirely down.
Shalba could kill her in an instant, but the man could hardly lift a finger out of fear and trepidation.
The pair of eyes staring down at him sent chills down his back.
If you follow through with your plans, you will all die." The words Nirgul had said prior emerged in Shalba's mind, but they no longer struck him as lightly. Crueserey's death left him unable to think clearly anymore.
Both he and Crueserey were around the same level of power even with Ophis's snakes, and Creuserey had still died like he was a common ant.
Shalba knew that he would fair no better. "D-Damn it!" He forced himself into action.
Shalba activated his ability as a descendant of the true Beelzebub.
Swarms of bees shot out from beneath his cloak and formed into several magic seals releasing copious amounts of magical energy.
His power was known as The Lord of Flies, a moniker of the Demon Beelzebub.
He could control swarms of flies and insects, but his preference in lied with bees due to their ability to both attack and defend. In this case, he was using them to buy time to flee. Already he could see the weaker Devils around him succumbing to curses, their skin blistering and rotting.
Run. He had to run.
By coming back, Creuserey may have had led Lord Marbas to the current location, but Shalba knew that he would have had been found eventually due to the stalemate Adelina was causing.
Creuserey had given him one last warning with his life as a tribute. Shalba would not waste it.
Noticing Shalba's movements, Adelina pulled herself out of her reveries and made to intervene.
Her sword shot up and cut towards him, but in Shalba's place were only swarm of bees.
Shalba had already begun preparation on his retreat from the moment that he had sensed something wrong with Creuserey.
No matter how powerful Lord Marbas was, Shalba was confident that he could escape given his initiative.
If Nirgul were present, the old General of the Old Satan Faction would only shake his head.
As soon as Shalba tried to leave, he found himself utterly unable to move.
"I did not permit you to leave," a cold voice resounded, and by the time Shalba realized it, Lord Marbas was standing directly beside him.
Shalba's eyes widened in denial.
Impossible. No matter how strong a person could be, Shalba had always been confident in escape. As long as even a single bee could create a marker for him to teleport to, he'd be safe. Being as he'd dispersed them out earlier even before the battle had started, why was it that he could no longer use them?
Do you know who's will it is that you are opposing?
Shalba shook his head, trying to clear his mind of Nirgul's words but to no avail.
The capabilities of a Demon are far beyond any lesser being's means. You would only truly understand if you were alive back then,
Shalba swallowed, staring in at the sheer apathy in his opponent's eyes, as if he was worth nothing.
The curses in the area not only eradicated the enemies within, but it corroded away at all magic as well. Unable to form a connection with his bees, Shalba could do nothing but try to resist as a hand found its way on top of his head.
"Be gone."
Pain flooded through Shalba like a fire that quickly snuffed out. He too like Creuserey perished in an instant.
Adelina and the others watched as 'Lord Marbas' grunted in disinterest.
In Adelina's eyes it was only natural. The Demon Marbas that she knew from the Underworld Civil War dealt with far stronger Ultimate-Class Devils than Creuserey and Shalba. She'd even heard from Serafall how he'd once intimidated an entire army.
"Lord Marbas," Adelina formally bowed as the battle was now over. What would have taken her hours to settle, her Lord had settled in a scant few minutes. "How may I be of service?" She got right to the point. Her attitude itself became less constrained.
The way she was looking at 'Lord Marbas' was reminiscent to how she looked at Shirou in her childhood, not knowing that it was leaving 'Lord Marbas' at a loss.
He simply did not know what to say given that Shirou was the one who taught Adelina and not him. However, it was true that he had always been there to watch Adelina train diligently and was thus acquainted with her despite never talking with her.
He reached out a hand and tried to imitate how Shirou had patted her head as a young girl, but hesitated before stopping himself completely. Curses still lingered over him, and he didn't want to hurt Adelina.
The twinkle of expectation that appeared in Adelina's eyes dimmed when she watched him pull his hand away, but they brightened again as soon as he spoke.
"You did well," he said, imitating Shiruo's tone and voice.
It was enough for Adelina who mood visibly brightened. In some ways she was still just as much a child as she had been in the past. Someone who loved being praised by the person she looked up to.
Rias, Akeno, and Kiba did not know what to say when they saw the scene, yet it was probably better for them to just focus on recuperating from their injuries.
He distanced himself from them to make it easier on them. He knew how oppressive the curses surrounding him could be. Therefore, he would quell them like he had done before.
The tension in the air soon faded as he reeled in his aura, but it was then that tragedy struck.
The attack came too fast for him to even react. All that he had been able to do was watch as a ray of potent magical energy struck him.
A glaring hole the size of a basket-ball was suddenly punched through his chest directly over where his heart should have had been.
An anguished cry echoed through the air, but for his part, he didn't notice.
He was too busy assessing the damage.
On one hand, the wound caused Adelina and the others staring at him to pale, but it was trivial to him at best. His body was currently made from just Devil Core so it didn't matter to him if it were destroyed. It was unfortunate though that his time to act in the world would be cut short. Already, cracks and fissures were starting to form on his body as if chipping away like broken glass. At the very least, he'd completed his task already. Koneko, Rias, Akeno, Kiba, and the other Devils were safe.
Still, what he couldn't understand was who could have possibly had enough strength to bypass his curses and demonic power to directly strike him. It would have had been a mortal wound too if it had actually been his real body.
His eyes narrowed as he stared at the form of the retreating figure in the distance.
It did not take long for an answer to come to his mind, courtesy of the intent of the actual Demon Marbas within him.
Traces of the power of Lucifer.
A descendant of the strongest Demonic bloodline.
The attack had been both sudden and unexpected, which meant that the figure must have been watching him for an opening since the beginning of the pursuit. The fact that the figure ran right after attacking also meant that the figure wasn't entirely certain of victory yet.
A person who wields power great enough to oppose him, but still fears for his own life not to risk a battle? He frowned. Such an opponent would be difficult to face. He'd have to bring up the matter with Shirou later.
With the injury he had sustained, the demonic energy around him vanished entirely, until only his haggard visage could be seen. With the sudden loss of the majority of his torso, his body staggered as he tried to keep his balance.
He grimaced in annoyance, and it wasn't because of any pain.
He was simply having trouble with the fact that others had begun weeping over his injury.
He said trouble, but in fact he was actually just flustered and had no experience with the feeling to be able to name it. He was at a loss for what to do as he was more used to others insulting him rather than fretting over him.
Koneko, Issei, and the other Devils from the Lands of Marbas who had recovered had caught up to him at this point and stood shocked when they saw him. Without the veil of curses that had been covering him, his current state was visible to all.
Koneko's hands slowly crept up to cover her mouth while she kept shaking her head left and right in denial. Issei clenched his teeth so hard that he drew blood. Suddenly, red armour covered him in his rage at his inadequacy.
[BOOST]
[BOOST]
That single word seemed to echo out endlessly.
As for Rias and Akeno, they looked away and tightly shut their eyes while Kiba grimaced.
Adelina had it the worst. "COWARD!" She screamed in anguish into the distance. Her dynamic vision had been fast enough to see the surprise attack coming, but her body was still too slow to intercept. She had been able to do nothing.
"I-I-I couldn't protect you," she dropped down onto her knees in despair. "A-Again, I let it happen again." Her sword clattered to the ground, but she didn't even seem to notice as she clutched onto her arms. The anguish on her face caused her lips to quiver, moisture was forming over her eyes.
Watching Adelina blaming herself, Angra Mainyu was left speechless.
It was simply the fault of how compatible Devil Core was to magical energy. He looked too life-like and this was probably why the enemy in the shadows had wasted his efforts on attacking him.
He felt the cracks on his body growing more pronounced. He would not be able to last more than a few seconds longer, but as uncomfortable as he felt, he couldn't just leave without saying something to appease everyone.
"Don't worry," he said bluntly, not used to speaking to others. "This is only Devil Core."
His words were jarring, partly because no one seemed to believe him. In the next instant though, his figure began to revert back to what it originally was.
Noticing the expressions of the people's faces, a smirk couldn't help but form.
Hopefully Shirou wouldn't have to pay for this.
Still, it would have to be added onto Shirou's growing list of debts.
As Angra Mainyu's conscience left, everyone else stared blankly at the crumbled statue that had appeared before them.
A literal national icon of the Underworld.
Ruined.
As the light dulled to a soft grey, all the God present in a separate dimensional space found themselves back in the testing ground they had originally occupied.
Despite the conflicts that everyone present had with one another, it was surprisingly still. Even the Gods of War were momentarily left frozen.
They had all felt it when the light had enveloped them, the sheer power restrained within the multitudes of defensive magical seals the One God had produced.
Even with all of the One God's strength and means, it still hadn't been enough to defeat the Beast of Apocalypse. Worse, said beast would break out sooner rather than later.
With the strength that they had felt, entire pantheons could be wiped out on a whim unless the God's united. The gravity of the situation was one where even Gods like Hades had to consider the bigger picture and step back.
The Head-Gods of the various pantheons were the ones left in the deepest of thoughts.
Only the One God stayed as he had been from before, the doves soaring around him.
Sirzechs, Ajuka, Michael, Azazel, and Gabriel stared up at him, but did not utter a sound. It was the first time for any one of them to directly witness the aftermath of what had led to the eventual disappearance of the One God. As for Xenovia and Irina, the two didn't exactly understand the scale of what they'd seen, but the two of them knew that it was bad.
Once the Head-Gods were able to come to terms with what they'd just seen, they looked towards God for confirmation.
God merely nodded once. He would not lie, nor would he try to mislead anyone. "There is a reason this alliance is necessary, and I've just shown it to you all."
"Then why did you not just reveal yourself and show it earlier?" A minor God of a river spoke up.
"Would you have believed me?" God replied calmly.
None answered. The answer was already evident.
Zeus looked to Ra and the others, and found the same expression forming on their faces. The Gods had to unite. That fact was unquestionable, but they still needed answers for other things.
"The the creation of those weapons from before, it was not of your doing?" Zeus asked to clarify. Even now, the weapons that the Gods of War held were of a quality that was nearly indiscernible from the originals.
God shook his head. "No," he admitted. "It was not the power from before was the means of a human alone."
The statement caused a silence to descend, only Ares and Bellona slightly frowning. "He wasn't a War God that you entered a pact with then?" Their tones were disbelieving. Shirou had felt like a comrade in arms to them.
"No," God denied flatly. "Shirou is an individual that directly reflects the potential of humans. They who once had the ability to slay Gods and Divine Beasts through their own efforts alone."
"Still, a sole Human should not have that kind of power, especially if he has your energy and faith to supply it." Nu Wa spoke for the first time in the conversation. She had been choosing to bide her time and observe the situation, but she could do so no longer out of curiosity. "What intentions do you have for him?"
God didn't answer directly.
"Its been debated that Greed lies within all humans, that they can be fundamentally Evil, and yet Shirou is one who is entirely selfless. It's only fitting that his strength of character is reflected in his personal abilities. He is my Holy man. His light will be the one to complete the single weapon that I had not been able to finish before it was shattered in battle." Saying that, God pulled out the fragments of Excalibur that Shirou had collected and was keeping in storage.
Only a single piece was required to complete the original sword, but it was still missing the key aspect that would complete it. That aspect was found in the hopes and dreams of Humanity, something he'd seen in another version of Excalibur.
The completed product would be a sword like none other. One that would save all.
God was not stupid. He could infer what Nuwa had meant by asking about his intentions for Shirou.
Shirou's Tracing was simply too ground-breaking to ignore. With him, came the means for one Faction to produce any weapon of another religion or pantheon on a whim.
In normal cases, Zeus and the other Gods would have had argued over what to do with Shirou, but in this case, everyone was in the same boat.
There was no longer us or them. The Factions of the World would unite.
Gods of Thunder and Rain.
Of Life and Death.
Sun and Moon.
The Holy Faith.
It wasn't just about the One God, the Egyptians, the Greeks, and the other pantheons, it was now a coalition of many to safeguard the future.
A Divine Alliance.
Author's Note: Long day at work, No-Show buses, delays, but I stayed up and got this update done no matter how long it took. G'Night.
Thanks for Reading!
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