Land of the Blades

10. Castaway

The arrows of the Lunarians were completely ineffective against Shirou's shield, breaking and bouncing away after impacting it. However, they only stopped shooting for brief periods of time, and we were too deep for him to try to shoot an arrow anyway. He must also come to realize this.

—We need to climb one of those buildings! —he said, and only then I noticed he has taken off his weird mask, but he seemed to be "holding his breath" still.

He gave Dia one of his swords and tried to give me the other, just to change his mind and give it to Dia too. I feel a bit offended, but I could understand his reasoning. I climbed to his back as I had done before, and just as the Lunarians stopped shooting, he undid his shield and "swam" to a nearby building, grabbing it and pushing himself to another, gaining altitude. Dia did the same, a bit more efficiently, and protected us both when arrows started raining over us. We took coverage inside one of the buildings by entering through one of the holes in its walls, climbed a couple of stairs, and got to what would have been the rooftop.

Dia kept protecting us while Shirou prepared his arrow, but he saw something that made him doubt for an instant. There were two figures alongside the Lunarians that looked more like us than them. One had a rough and unpolished appearance, made of some kind of black crystals with red glowing veins covering him. He had a sword made of his exact same material. The other one was more beauty, like us after Sensei had fixed us and applied powder to us. But there was something different about him, he looked... even more like Sensei than us.

Shirou eyes widened as he noticed the first one was raising his sword, and tried to conjure his shield and cover us again. I didn't understand what he feared, until I saw something approaching us, black as the crystals of the one with the sword, but somewhat ethereal. It cut clean through Shirou's shield and his right arm, and it exploded when it touched the ground behind him, sending us all flying in pieces.

The next thing I knew, I was being dragged to the surface by the Lunarians, and my legs were gone. Dia was next to me, cracked, but still in one piece. Shirou was missing his arm and had several bits blown out of him. He had tried to protect me to the very last moment, taking most of the explosion himself, but I was just too weak, and the movement of the water around me alone had been enough to break my legs. I wondered if they were on the bottom of the ocean or if the Lunarians had retrieved them already, but there were more important matters at the moment.

—I brought you Lustrous as you asked, even the dangerous one made of steel, now release my brother! —Ruler said.

The Lunarians didn't speak, at least not in a language I could understand. I thought I heard some quiet whistling, but I couldn't be sure.

—What? You want more? Even Phosphophyllite should be enough payment for my brother, I brought you Diamond and Shirou, what more do you want?

The Lunarians turned her spears covered in flames towards her, making her retreat.

—Fine, I'll try to bring another one, maybe if I go for the outcast Cinnabar...

My eyes widened as I tried to undo the restrains they had put around me. The ruler noticed me.

—No, they will surely suspect of me already, this is all I can do.

The Lunarians attacked her again, burning her arm off.

—RULER!!!

Then the whole sun spot trembled, and a figure started to eclipse the sun that was setting at my left, coming out of a gigantic shell that I hadn't noticed until then.

—DO. I. SMELL. FOOD? —The giant mess of tentacles said in a ridiculously infantile voice.

—So... So cute —Dia, who has regained conscience after all the commotion, and I said.