The Holy Man of The Church Creek

48

Parallels existed in life whether one believed in them or not.

Shirou wasn't the same person as that 'man,' but all the same, he was inadvertently walking down the same path. What was it that he truly wished for?
God wasn't concerned about a simple wish of being able to save everyone, what he was looking for was a trace of wanting that all Humans should have regardless of their level of selflessness. In Shirou's case, perhaps that level of wanting stemmed more from the selfishness of obtaining happiness: The happiness that he had seen on the face of his adopted father on the year that the tainted flames purged all the life from a certain area of Fuyuki.
A Hero of Justice, and the smile he had seen on that day.
God was keenly aware of what drove Shirou to be the kind of man that he was, but was that truly all that he would amount to in life? The values, emotions, and memories that he had lost on the day of the fire, that which had made him who he was as a 'human' before the events of the Holy Grail War, were necessary to understand everything.
You are not just a shell.
You now have family.
Friends, in this world and in the last.
More than that, you have people that love you dearly.
What will you do, knowing that?
God was silent while observing the changes occurring over Shiruo's face.
In God's shock of the situation playing out in the Human World, he had involuntarily revealed traces of his disbelief, the gravity of which Shirou must have had realized.
Shirou's lips were thinning while his eyes gradually narrowed. He wasn't a fool, and he'd been with God long enough to understand when grave circumstances arose. This instance was just the same.
"Evil Dragons?" From the sound of Shirou's tone, God already knew that he'd made a blunder. There was no getting out of an explanation.
"They are Dragons above the level of the Five Dragon Kings that you've not met yet. Each was an embodiment of destruction with the strongest of them on par with even the Heavenly Dragons." God's voice was a tad subdued. It wasn't that he himself had found the Evil Dragons difficult to deal with in his prime, it was just that they were exceedingly annoying to deal with. "They are brutal, and their savage nature to kill even themselves was what earned them the name of 'broken Dragons.' Worse, so long as even a single spec of their soul remains, they will revive with time."
Shirou listened intently, but there was something that he wasn't getting. Based on the way God was speaking in past-tense, it was as if he was already admitting that the Evil Dragons were all dead already.
Shirou did not have to wait long for an answer.
"They were all supposed to have been killed with several millennia required for them to revive, but someone has opted to resurrect them all at once. They have to be dealt with immediately, and even more so because the fool who unleashed them decided to do so upon the Human World." God fell silent, connecting Shirou's senses with his own.
"Do you feel it?" God asked.
It was primal sort of sensation, one that brought shivers down one's spine.
"Spirits exist within everything. The Earth trembles. It is afraid."
Images shifted through Shirou's mind of various places all across the world that God was showing him through clairvoyance. Cairo, Britain, Ireland, Africa, Italy, place after place flashed across his mind, and when he saw the destruction already occurring, Shirou tightly balled his hands into fists.
The scope of the destruction was still limited right now, but the reach of the devastation was spreading.
People were already dying.
Families were fleeing, brothers and sisters left buried under rubble as massive reptilian creatures stomped across the desolate ground. It was a nightmare.
The number of Evil Dragons could be counted on the fingers of one's hands, but even if their numbers were relatively few, they each had the ability to spawn their own underlings in the form of wyverns. Wyverns themselves, were far too difficult for any ordinary human to even hope to be able to handle.
It was a massacre happening all throughout the Earth.
If anything the likes of this had occurred in his previous world, then there was no way that the Mage's Association could have had even hoped to censure the existence of the supernatural.
Likewise, there was no way for the Pantheons, Devils, or Angels to keep their existence away from human knowledge any longer.
The people needed help, and the Devils, Angels, and other Celestial beings could not sit and watch lightly.
"The world has already plunged into chaos, and I fear that it's the work of my very own chalice. The blood of the Ever-Living God, one of the Longinus Class Sacred Gears, the Sephiroth Graal. In your world's terms, it's known as the Holy Grail."
The Holy Grail?
Shirou's mind momentarily blanked. The Holy Grail he knew of contained unimaginable magical power. Enough to even grant the owner the ability to accomplish any wish. If the Holy Grail in the present world had a similar function, then the situation was indeed dire.
"The Sephiroth Graal has the ability to make contact with the principle of life itself. It can bring the dead back to life."
Heroic Spirits, the Third Magic, the terminology of his own world flittered through Shirou's mind as God continued to explain.
"The Evil Dragons have long since been utterly killed, but the Sephiroth Graal has brought them back. I fear that even if the Evil Dragons are dealt with, so long as the Sephiroth Graal remains in the enemy's hands, we may never truly kill the Evil Dragons."
"Then where is the Sephiroth Graal?" Shirou was beginning to understand everything.
"I don't know."
God's response caused Shirou to purse his lips, but there was nothing to be done if he didn't even have a lead to follow.
"For now, we must save as many humans as we can. Perhaps if I get near enough to the Evil Dragons, I can sense and locate the source of the Sephiroth Graal. It is of my own making after all."
Shirou nodded his head, and God soon fell quiet.
In the time that Shirou had been conversing with God, Irina, Rossweisse, and the other abandoned members of the Hero Faction had long since discovered his change in demeanor.
Rossweisse raised a hand and momentarily paused the day's training. She was a stern and upright sort of woman; therefore, she always took things seriously. She could tell that a matter that would trouble someone of Shirou's ability wasn't something that could be lightly ignored.
As everyone was below ground and away from any sites where the Evil Dragons first appeared, they were still ignorant of the situation.
"Is there something wrong, Shirou?" Irina asked. She sheathed her blade and made her way towards him. Dimples were forming on her cheeks as she frowned.
He looked at her, and then to everyone else around and realized that all of them were waiting for him to answer. Rossweisse because she'd been tasked by Odin to act as his temporary secretary, and everyone else due to their own curiosity.
He wanted to explain everything in detail. He really did, but the more time that he wasted, the more people could die.
"It's complicated," was all that he could muster out. "Just be careful from now on. There's danger outside."
The images that God had shown him had only been of random locations and cities, so he wasn't entirely sure of the full scope of the havoc that the Evil Dragons had caused, but even still, it was best to warn others than not.
"Those of you who still feel that you're too weak, it's best for you to remain here and train. As for the rest of you, please do what you can to save as many people as your able. Right now, the world needs Heroes."
Heroes didn't have to be strong to make a difference. Heroes could be any kind of ordinary person; it was the mentality of doing one's all that counted.
"You all have the blood of Heroes." Surely, they shared their ancestors' qualities. "If you take them as your role models, then you all should know what they would have had done."
Saying that, Shirou shifted his attention to Rosswessie and Irina. If it was them, they should be able to stand with him and help evacuate the other people who were in need of saving.
He nodded, and the two readied themselves without asking any further questions.
It was then that Xenovia burst into the room.
She looked somewhat haggard, documents, and papers left in her wake from where she had tossed the pile of extracurricular homework issued to her onto the floor. She was still in her Kuoh Academy Uniform, one of her knee-high socks left unrolled over one of her legs. It appeared as if she had no intension of changing or fixing her appearance.
"There's trouble," she said bluntly.
"I know," he didn't need to be told anymore to understand.
There were people that needed saving, and time was short.
From inside his mind, God was already informing him that he was nearby one of the Evil Dragons that manifested over the Earth.
A Black Dragon attacking the people in the middle of Kyoto.
He had to hurry.
Moving quickly, he soon left the premise of his current residence and made his way onto the streets.
What was the fastest method to reach Kyoto?
The answer was obvious to him.
Magic.
Not only could he bypass all obstacles, but movement type magic existed in the world that could allow him to appear from point A to point B, in an instant.
God had to have had something similar, and indeed he did.
It was a magic circle that allowed for instantaneous movement.
However, Shirou soon found himself in a dilemma.
"My means are not the friendliest to mortals."
The durability of Gods was far higher than any living being. Gods themselves were not only strong, but they were further bolstered by the faith of their religions. Moreover, God's didn't possess mortal bodies that were bound by certain rules and laws of a world.
Gods could be formless if they wanted or tangible based on their preference. Mortals on the other hand, simply could not.
Of course, God could enshroud Shirou and the others in a protective film in order to safely transport them, but the trade off was using too much energy.
Still, if it meant saving others, then it was worth the price.
Just as God was about to use his power, transportation came in an unexpected manor.
A car rolled down the street engraved with magical runes and circles that when used, acted as high-powered thrusters.
The car wouldn't be as fast as teleportation magic, but it wouldn't take that long either.
A gust of wind blew Irina's hair back as the car stopped directly in front of them. The car's side mirrors soon retracted downwards to reveal a familiar man that Shirou had not seen in ages. Not since the time of the Holy Sword Excalibur incident.
"It's been a while hasn't it?" Ayakoji inclined his head from the driver's seat. "Humans aren't the most magically powered, so it's best if magicians were efficient in what they do. Might I offer you all a lift?"
In a certain location of the Underworld located in the pristine foothills and landscape of house Sitri, Serafall sighed, a hand pressed up to her forehead.
She was sitting cross legged on top of her bed with her bed sheets and pillows left callously on the side. She didn't bother cleaning after herself because one of her mother's maid servants would later come in to tidy up the entire room.
The past week had been dreadfully uneventful to the point that she was even starting to miss Allon, and that man was far too annoying for his own good.
Presently, her mother was currently out.
Apparently, something dreadfully urgent had occurred that required both her mother and father's attention otherwise, Serafall would not be enjoying time away from her overprotective parents. Although, she could understand their sentiments.
Her left hand idly drew circles around her stomach, a part of her feeling entirely elated at the prospect of harbouring life inside her.
Still, the fact that something dire had occurred was making her grow curious. As one of the new Four Great Satans of the Underworld, she had a right to understand recent circumstances. However, Great Satan or not, neither Sirzechs or Ajuka were willing to confront her mother in order to inform her of the situation.
She was told that she shouldn't be fighting anyway.
What if something happened to her child?
No. NO, she didn't want to think about it.
She began pacing in the room, her arms crossed and fingers tapping on her elbow.
She decided that it was best if she just distracted herself.
At the very least, Grayfia was keeping her company with her son, Milicas running around the room.
With her mother gone, the highest authority in house Sitri was undeniably her, Serafall Leviathan. Unfortunately, her influence only went to a certain extent. The Sitri family Devils would adhere to her wishes, but anything in regards to leaving the family property was prohibited. If she left, her mother and father would be informed instantly.
As such, Serafall had done the next best thing and invited a long-time friend over.
"What exactly is going on right now, Grayfia?" Serafall pursed her lips and grimaced. Her curiosity was starting to get the better of her. "My parents left too quickly for me to question them, and my family guards are too loyal to my parents to divulge any information."
Serafall felt entirely out of the loop, and she knew that this was exactly what her parents intended for her.
A pregnant woman was not expected to work, nor to push herself beyond her limits.
Her father had told her of this point vehemently.
However, since when was she even close to doing anything strenuous?
One would think that as a future mother she'd have her child's safety as her number one priority, and she definitely did. This was why she didn't make any further fuss about being placed under house arrest. However, why was being informed of the present circumstances disallowed as well?
It wasn't as if words were going to do anything to her or her child.
She sighed.
She missed Kuro already, but knowing him, he was a pushover when he wasn't being serious. He was a 'yes' sort of man. One could ask anything of him, and he would never deny his help. That was simply how Kuro always was. Let alone confront her parents, so long as he was told that this was 'for her sake,' all of his strength and means would be rendered useless.
To be honest, it was both endearing and heartening that such a man existed. It showed that he truly cared for her.
Which was why she was growing suspicious.
Whatever was happening outside, could it somehow involve her Kuro?
Her expression flickered and the gaze she was using to stare at Grayfia grew in its intensity.
Grayfia's brow twitched under Serafall's stare, therefore, she turned her attention to her young son, Milicas who was holding onto the hem of her maid outfit.
"Go play, Milicas," she urged, rubbing his head and them shooing him off with a light-hearted gesture.
Something was telling Grayfia, that Serafall was becoming increasingly adamant about understanding the situation outside. This itself wasn't a topic that children like Milicas needed to be present for.
Grayfia soon sighed when her attention focused fully on her long-time friend.
"I know you want answers, but you should trust your Husband and mine to deal with the situation without you," Grayfia tried to hold a straight face, but her lip slightly twitched when she mentioned her own spouse. Sirzechs wasn't exactly the most trustworthy at times. His irresponsibility to dote on his younger sister was proof enough. "As new mothers, we're fighting our own battles. We have to set an example for the children."
"Right," Serafall wasn't entirely convinced. The fact that even Grayfia was withholding information only meant that it was information that she wouldn't like. Still, Serafall agreed with what Grayfia said.
"I still want to know though," Serafall argued.
Grayfia crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "I don't remember you being this stubborn."
"And I remember you saying that Sirzechs was useless in regards to his duties as a Great Satan. If not for you filling in for him during his 'absences,' the paperwork would have flooded his entire office. What trust are you talking about here when you can clearly do things better?"
The neutrality of Grayfia's face flickered, but she adamantly maintained her indifferent tone. A good wife must always stand up for their husbands.
"You just have to encourage him is all." She took a moment to find an excuse. "He's very capable," she complimented.
"You froze him waist down to his office chair."
Serafall's reply was blunt.
Grayfia coughed into her hand, and shifted her gaze away.
"C'mon Grayfia, it shouldn't be that bad if you just tell me," Serafall moved to stand by Grayfia's side. In all her years in the guise of a Magical Girl, the one beneficial thing that Serafall had been able garner was the ability to be shameless.
She directly began pleading, her face squaring while her hands clasped over Grayfia's own.
For her part, Grayfia did not know how to react. After all, only Sona had enough experience to handle this side of Serafall.
With nothing else better to do, Grayfia was contemplating just freezing Serafall and calling it an accident, but something else occurred in that instant.
A figure bypassed fortifications around Serafall's room and directly entered.
Impossible.
Serafall's room was filled to the brim with defensive magics and formations. There was no way that someone should have had just been able to slip past all of the alarms and arrive both unscathed and undetected.
The fact that someone did, only denoted the capability and strength of the individual.
Serafall immediately grew weary while staring at the silver haired man in a suit that was standing in front of her.
Grayfia in comparison looked like she was staring at a ghost while the intruder appeared entirely conflicted, sweat over his brow.
"Found you," the man spoke clearly.
He was staring directly at Grayfia, but Grayfia was not having it. Her focus was instead on Milicas who was positioned dangerously close to the intruder.
"Milicas, come here," Grayfia's voice was stern, leaving no room for argument. She was waving hurriedly for Milicas to come to her with her hands and Milicas himself could sense the tension that quickly filled the air.
He started moving, but before he could get far, he was picked up by the waist and hoisted up into the stranger's arms.
"LET GO OF HIM," It was the most intense Serafall had ever seen Grayfia become. A layer of frost was forming around her, and Serafall could distinctly feel the murder and panic in Grayfia's eyes.
It was maternal instinct.
The feelings of a mother for her child.
Serafall could tell that at this moment, that there was nothing that Grayfia wouldn't resort to if it meant keeping Milicas safe.
Thinking about her own child who was due to be born in a couple of months, Serafall pursed her lips. She'd never thought that she'd see the day that someone would get under Grayfia's skin, but it was happening right in front of her.
Rather than grow threatened at Grayfia's countenance, the intruder gave a broad yet weak grin.
"You're still the same as I remember, elder sister," the intruder stared directly at Grafyia's eyes. "Is it wrong for an uncle to hold his nephew?"
"Brother?" Serafall turned towards Grayfia.
"Euclid Lucifuge," Grayfia spat out through her teeth, doing her best to contain herself. "I thought that you had died in the Civil War."
Euclid's smile dropped. He was supposed to hate his elder sister, so much so that nothing would satisfy him more than to see her in torment for her betrayal. He stared at the child in his hands, turning him over and accidently applying too much pressure on his arms.
A pained gasp escaped Milicas's lips, and it was if the room itself suddenly froze over.
You dare!
Grayfia wasn't saying anything, but it was clear to Serafall that she was seething.
Serafall had to consciously use her magic to shield herself as white hoarfrost began to crawl outwards from beneath Grayfia's feet.
The only reason Grayfia hadn't lost her rationality and attacked yet was entirely because Milicas was left carried in front of her by someone that she perceived was an enemy.
Still, Euclid had not come for confrontation.
Euclid himself was confused, and all of the uncertainty had begun numerous years ago.
"I did die. I should have died," Euclid admitted, enunciating every word. "Lord Marbas, a true leader of the Underworld saved me."
He shouldn't have.
Right now, Serafall felt that it was truly simple to read what thoughts Grayfia was harbouring right now. Grayfia was probably cursing at her Kuro as well, but this time, Serafall could let it slide.
"What do you want, Euclid. If you want my life then take it, but leave my son alone," Grayfia's expression was ice cold, but a hint of shock surfaced over her face when Euclid eyed her wryly and released Milicas from his hold.
Landing on the ground on his feet, Milicas ran to hide behind Grayfia's legs, leaving Euclid exposed to the absolute zero temperature of Grayfia's magic.
"I did not come to fight," Euclid admitted while seeming helplessly lost. "I, I need to understand just what it was that you and Lord Marbas could see and that I could not."
Euclid lowered his head.
"We never did get to talk since that time several years ago."
Grayfia stared at her own younger brother. Right now, he seemed so different from the sibling that she had known in her youth, and it wasn't because he had changed. No, it was more like the 'him' of right now, no longer knew what his purpose was.
It reminded her of her childhood.
Of the little brat that always followed her around in admiration and attempted to copy her every move and action out of adoration. The one that she had once acknowledged as her little brother.
That little brother seemed to be back from whatever delusions had been motivating him.
But why should she give him another chance?
She knew Euclid well, and there was no way that he had been doing nothing in the past couple of years.
Grayfia's expression seemed to show her unwillingness, but a small part of her was already beginning to relent. All it would take was just a single push, a single reason that could stop her from outright attacking.
And a reason soon came.
"In exchange, I will offer you information." Euclid stared up at Serafall and Grayfia. "The both of you should now very well what's happening in the Human World right now, and I can give you explain it all."
Serafall was startled at Euclid's words, but Grayfia wasn't entirely moved. It was only when Euclid spoke one sentence, that Grayfia finally released the weary grip that she'd been keeping on her magical energy and allowed it to dissipate.
"Lord Rizevim is personally taking action," Euclid said.
That unmotivated monster of a Super Devil.
It was unimaginable.
"Help! Someone!"
People were running on the streets of Kyoto, desperately trying to get away from the Dragon rampaging at the center. A Black Dragon, one whose height and length of over twenty meters dwarfed any human around breathed clouds of poison mist.
It didn't matter if it was praying on the weak. All that it had ever cared for was destruction and its own Greed.
Four reptilian wings unfurled and sent gales outward with each flap, fending rubble and debris flying. For Humans who were not known to possess high durability, the simple action was lethal.
Death and despair, it was potent.
The scent of iron wafted through the streets, and small trickling streams of red soon formed web-like networks across the road. Bolts of electricity crackled from a toppled telephone pole, sending showers of heated sparks that mottled the pavement below.
A Dragon of Avarice.
The Evil which fed from the root of the World Tree, Yggdrasil.
A roar resounded, corrosive drool dripping down from an open maw and pelting over the debris of ruined buildings. Nearby asphalt began to sizzle, the putrid odour of tar wafting out over the destruction.
Niðhöggr, the Evil Dragon of Abyssal Rage.
An intelligent Dragon, it paid little regard to the humans that ran underfoot. It didn't even deign to speak, only seeking enjoyment from crushing those weaker than it.
One family had long lost since given up on running. One of their family members had been trapped under the weight of a toppled bus, pinned down beside a car.
Niðhöggr, was nearby producing tremors that shifted the weight atop the bus until the point that the car beneath would quickly get crushed and kill the family member beside it.
In their moment of need, a hand struck out and instantly lifted both the car and the bus with a single arm.
"Heracles! There are more of them over there!"
The man that had just saved a family, merely grunted before tossing the bus and car aside and freeing the people trapped beneath. "Go," he said while grunting.
The family looked up at Heracles in shock, before stiffly nodding their heads.
Behind Heracles were many marching troops of armoured creatures that were created by another member of the Hero Faction named Leonardo. He looked nothing more than a dark-skinned kid with pale white hair kept short, but he possessed one of the four most powerful Longinus-Class Sacred Gear, Annihilation Maker.
Annihilation Maker allowed the owner to create any number of creatures based solely on the imagination of the caster.
Using Annihilation Maker's power, Leonardo was the most efficient in saving the survivors of the Kyoto attack by Niðhöggr. George was a close second, and this was because George's Sacred Gear, Dimension Lost allowed him to move the injured people into another dimension within the mist he exuded.
Cao Cao had considered just capturing Niðhöggr within George's Sacred Gear, but he realized that George may not have the strength to keep an Evil Dragon contained.
Nearby, the other members of the Hero Faction that Cao Cao led were playing the role of escort while Cao Cao watched on from the back.
Of his entire group of followers, it was up to Cao Cao to confront the Evil Dragon before him. No matter how manipulative he was, he had always believed that he had the responsibility to destroy threats to human beings. This was why he made himself an enemy of Devils, Fallen Angels, and Dragons, all races that he deemed too dangerous for humans.
I am a Hero.
This was his belief, and there was no denying it.
It was in his blood.
He was to be the saviour. Why else would he possess the strongest of Longinus, the True Longinus? The Spear that pierced the side of a God.
His grip around his spear tightened as he waited for an opportunity to strike.
They'd ordered the leader of the Kyoto Yokai Faction, Yasaka of the Nine Tails to attack Niðhöggr first to test out the waters. Yasaka was under the mind control of another member of Cao Cao's Hero Faction therefore, there was no way for Yasaka to refuse.
The form of a nine-tailed fox clashed violently against a black dragon, and yet, the fox hissed in pain mere moments later.
Miasma.
Cao Cao continued to observe the enemy.
Black corrosive clouds were spewing forth from Niðhöggr's body and preventing Yasaka from even getting close without injury. Red welts and scars were forming over Yasaka's fur, droplets of blood creating a shower that reflected the light of the day.
Cao Cao didn't care for Yasaka's injuries at all. He perceived Yasaka as another enemy that needed to be dealt with anyway.
"M-Mother!"
Cao Cao shifted his gaze. From the edge of his vision, he could spot a young girl desperately attempting to break free from the hold of her guardians. If he recalled properly, that girl was the daughter of the Nine Tails who led the Kyoto Yokai group.
Maybe he could use this?
Cao Cao was the descendant of a Legendary figure in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cao Cao of Han.
Not only was he strong, but his intelligence allowed him a keen understanding of the battlefield.
Almost instinctively, he ordered for Yasaka to retreat in the direction of the young girl while pursed by Niðhöggr. Expectedly, something changed within Yasaka.
The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox suddenly became far more vicious and protective.
It bit and clawed with such ferocity that for a time, Niðhöggr was forced back.
"M-Mom, s-stop! No more!"
He could hear the little girl's scream.
No matter how ferocious Yasaka's attacks became, they all came at a price. Yasaka was limping, a large chunk of her left leg punctured by heavy teeth marks.
Niðhöggr in comparison looked hardly phased, but it was good enough.
He ordered Yasaka back, and took to the battlefield.
Cao Cao had seen enough to get a basic understanding of Niðhöggr attack patterns.
Know one's enemy, and the battle is already won.
It was time for him to fight.
Based on his own strength, he felt that he was currently on par with the Evil Dragon. If he played his moves right, then there was a good chance that he could come out the victor.
Contrary to his beliefs, things didn't turn out exactly as he had wanted them.
He was a proud individual, not considering anyone in his generation to be his match, not even Gods. With the True Longinus, he alone had the power to slay said Gods.
What was there for him to fear? In time he would only grow stronger.
This was an ingrained arrogance, and it would cost him dearly.
Super Devils were not to be taken lightly.
"Y-You!" Cao Cao only felt it for a second, but by the time he reacted, there was a hand piercing through his chest in the area of his stomach.
He felt the blood rush up to his mouth where it began dripping out from between his lips.
"Bastard," he seethed, instantly willing his body to stab out with his spear.
Expectedly, he hit nothing. Someone fast enough to get past his detection and directly strike him could only be on a level far above his own. All he got was a glimpse of his attacker before he fell down on a knee and shouted out a warning.
Even injured his mind was working.
"Protect Leonardo!" he could see the direction that the shadow had struck him from, so he could definitely see where the figure was heading towards next.
Shouting caused Cao Cao's condition to worsen. His vision blurred and he felt himself swaying. The bastard who'd attacked him left him a present. In the stab wound in his chest, wave upon wave of potent magical power was destroying him form the inside. If not for the bolstering of the True Longinus, he would have had been a goner.
He wiped the blood from off of his body, and shakily got back onto his feet.
By the time he looked back at his allies, it was only to see almost all of them completely decimated. George was left unconscious buried under the debris of a crater while Heracles, Jeanne, and Siegfried were left sprawled all around. Leonardo, the owner of Annihilation Maker was nowhere to be found.
"Damn it," Cao Cao gritted his teeth and forced himself to think.
Who could have had done this?
It was already clear to him that his attacker had no intention of allowing Niðhöggr to be so easily defeated.
Cao Cao began to think.
Neither the Devils, Angels, or other Pantheons would ever resort to something as crazy as revealing the supernatural to the entirety of the world. Therefore, those groups were out of consideration. The only answer left, was most likely the truth.
A terrorist group, the Khaos Brigade.
It was the only explanation that he could come up with. In the Khaos Brigade, the only one who could possibly sneak attack him would be the true elusive leader of the organization.
A man by the name of Rizevim.
His breathing grew erratic while forcing himself to stay conscious. What good did it do to know the identity of his group's attacker now.
He blinked his eyes, blood trailing down from his forehead and obscuring his vision.
He could see them right now.
The people that he'd decided to help along with the other members of his Hero Faction.
They were looking at him in desperation.
Yes.
Right now, he was their hope.
A Hero.
"ARGH," he leveled his spear forward. He would not fall. He couldn't allow himself to fall.
O Spear. The true Holy Spear which pierces through God.
Words echoed within his mind.
Right now, he needed power.
There was no time for waiting.
Yasaka of the Nine Tails could only distract Niðhöggr for so long.
Move. MOVE.
Veins popped out from Cao Cao's forehead, but no matter what, he was no longer in a condition where he could change the battle's outcome.
The situation was now hopelessly beyond his control.
He couldn't accept it.
He didn't want to, yet in the moment that he felt that he would truly collapse, it was not humans that came to the aid of humans, but those who he'd deemed as humanities enemies.
How frustrating.
A car fueled by magical energy directly crashed against Niðhöggr's face and sent the Evil Dragon reeling as a group of individuals jumped out of the car before impact.
Shirou and the others had arrived.
It looked like Hell.
That was the first thought in Shirou's mind, followed by a sinking realization that all across the world, similar events were playing out.
He had been separated from Xenovia and the others after Ayoki had suddenly yelled "Jump!" from the Driver's seat and everyone had scattered.
The scene of havoc around him was too much.
Seeing everything from God's perspective was one thing, but seeing it first hand was entirely different.
Truthfully speaking, it reminded him of the dark times in the Underworld's Civil War, but worse.
There was simply no motive in this killing other than dark entertainment.
If such cruelty was already being unleashed on the world, then how many innocents were already dying?
It was a question that was maddening for the sole reason that he could not stand it. His ideals would not tolerate it.
"The other Gods and Pantheons have already begun moving," God spoke into his mind. "They will do their utmost to safe guard humanity." All pantheons relied on faith, and without humanity, the Age of the Gods in the world would surely end. "They will save as many as they can."
Which meant to say, that "Many will die."
He spoke his thoughts aloud.
"It's impossible to save them all."
God did not disagree with his words, but he wouldn't allow himself to just give up.
"You must know of a method," he pressed in his mind.
God remained silent, almost as if unwilling, but Shirou would not relent. The scenery around him reminded him too much of the Fuyuki Fire that had started him down on his path to become a Hero of Justice.
God finally spoke after assessing his determination.
"There is a method, but the cost of power has a corresponding price."
"It doesn't matter," his reply was almost instant.
God was inwardly sighing. After all this time, fundamentally, Shirou still hadn't changed. At least not fully.
"Very well." God's tone was resolved. "Then become my advocate, my voice, my will, and my hopes. A prophet to walk upon the earth once more. A Holy Man."
Shirou made to answer, but it was like he could see God shaking his head in his mind. He shut his mouth.
"This isn't as simple as saying 'yes' or 'no.'" God elaborated. "To become a prophet is to become a vessel of the Holy Trinity, a bearer of miracles different from any before, like the successor before you."
The God of the Parallel World that the One God of the Bible had connected with had a different meaning all together for the word 'prophet.' It was a man who would lose what it meant to be human and act accordingly.
When asked for a wish, a single man had asked for 'Wisdom.'
The parallels that ran between dimensions allowed for copies of the same items to exist at the same time.
To save everyone, and not only those that could be saved, that power was required.
The difference in strength between the One God and the God of the other world, were magnitudes apart. The God of the bible in Shirou's original world was an undisputed entity. That God had no enemies, for there was nothing that could truly oppose him.
The spokesperson of that God, by extension, received power beyond any other, but at a cost.
By connecting his consciousness with the other God, the One God gained the enlightenment of the other God's means and abilities. Theoretically, he could do, what the God of Shirou's world had done.
To recreate a legend.
"I will not force you. The choice is up to you."
Shirou hesitated, but if it was the for the sake of those that he cared about and the rest of the people in the world, then there was truly no sacrifice that he wasn't willing to endure.
He stiffly nodded his head.
"Then let it be so." God's voice resounded throughout, along with a foreign power of another dimension. "You, are my Holy man."
I give not power, nor magic, but a means beyond compare.
For a wish to save all is truly beautiful.
A Halo appeared over the skies across the entirety of the world. Bands of potent light, flickering then thrumming to life, possessing a strength the likes of which no being in the present world had ever seen before.
A Holy light of the stars.
I give you Wisdom.
The proof of a wiseman.
A Ruler of magic.
In the distant past, there once existed a beloved King of the Israelis, the third ruler of the distant east. His words were just, his political campaigns and motives for the sake of his people. A Wise King known throughout history as a son of David.
He who was deemed closest to God.
A man who enlightened humanity to the supernatural- His one miracle as the King of Magic.
In order to save all, that man's power was needed.
The power of wisdom swelled from around Shirou, basking him in a sea of knowledge before condensing on his hands.
A prophet walked on the planet once more.
Suddenly, the earth seemed to tremble.
To the Heavens and to the Underworld, something was changing.
It was the result of the principles of two worlds meshing together to form something new.
In the Heavens, the realms were beginning to shift with a call to arms, and in the Underworld, the crests of each family of the Seventy Pillars shone with a radiant luster. It mattered not if that lineage of Devil had died in the war, their crests blossomed to life, beckoned by a distant calling to honour a forgotten contract. Everywhere throughout the realm, the Devils were in uproar.
House Valefor.
House Buer, Gusion, Leraje.
Pillars of Hell.
There was once a time when one human was said to hold the power of the Ars Goetia.
That Human was a Holy Man of God.
King Solomon, and the Lesser Keys.
It was a second coming, but different.
Shirou stared out at the destruction that Niðhöggr had caused, and narrowed his eyes.
Enough. It was enough.
Up in the skies, the bands of light began to focus, as if called upon, their resplendent rays carrying enough heat energy to vaporize any existence into ashes.
Ten rings gradually formed around his fingers. Silver, yet plain, they each held a power beyond mortal means.
The Rings of Solomon.
The Grand Caster.
Thanks for reading. This chapter was harder to write because I did something stupid and burned my left hand when I was pouring boiling water from my kettle for some hot tea. That being the case, I ended up taking two days to write this update with one hand.
P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious
Next update: Huntsman V2