Chapter 29. Loki Familia, Enters the Fray!
"Rumble—!!!"
Accompanied by a violent explosion, the "Hidden Village"—originally a secluded Shangri-La—was instantly swallowed by flames and black smoke. This was likely the legendary law of "peaceful daily life must be shattered"; the screenwriters never hesitate when it's time to hand out the tragedy.
"Unlimited Blade Works—Fire!"
Standing in the center of the plaza, Shirou Emiya swung his hand down. Dozens of projected blades suspended in the void fell with the precision of cruise missiles.
Swish-swish-swish—Pfft!
The Ikelos Familia hunters charging at the front were pinned to the ground before they could even scream. In the face of [Mind's Eye (True)]—the official wall-hack—their invisibility cloaks were nothing more than the Emperor's new clothes.
"Tch! How is this kid's firepower higher than a Mage's?!" The hunters in the rear were startled and scrambled for cover.
"Don't panic! He's only one person!" standing on a high rock, Dix brandished his spear, a twisted smile characteristic of a pleasure-seeker on his face. "If physical attacks are being blocked, then use 'mental pollution'! Boys, smash all the remaining Curse Crystals!"
"Yes!"
Shatter! Shatter! Shatter!
Several pitch-black crystal orbs were thrown into various corners of the battlefield. Thick black mist spread like a living thing, rapidly covering the entire underground space. The effect of this mist was simple and crude: forced Berserk, complete with a debuff that made the victim unable to distinguish between friend and foe.
"Aaaaagggghhh—!!!"
The Xenos who were still fighting the hunters began to twitch violently after inhaling the mist. Their eyes turned blood-red instantly, the light of reason swallowed by bestiality.
"Kill... kill..."
An Orc roared, turning to swing a massive stone axe at its Goblin companion. A Gargoyle clawed its own face in a frenzy before lunging at the nearest hunter.
The scene spiraled out of control. What was once a "Tower Defense" game turned into an indiscriminate "Battle Royale."
"Dammit..."
Shirou grit his teeth, the [Kanshou and Bakuya] in his hands trembling. Just minutes ago, this Orc was asking him for help repairing an axe, and that Gargoyle was handing him fruit. Now, they had become beasts that knew only slaughter.
"ROAR!"
A Lizardman (not Lyd) with bloodshot eyes hissed and lunged at Shirou, claws reaching for his throat.
"Wake up!"
Shirou dodged to the side, striking the back of the Lizardman's neck hard with the back of his blade. Thud! The Lizardman swayed but didn't fall, instead snapping at him even more frantically.
"It's useless, Shirou Emiya!" Dix's mocking voice drifted over. "Under my curse, their pain receptors have been severed. Unless you cut off their heads, they will keep biting you until you die! Hahaha! How does it feel? The sensation of killing your 'friends' with your own hands?"
Killing the heart after the body. This was likely one of the reasons why villains must die.
"...Shut up."
Shirou's gaze turned icy. Since physical stunning was ineffective, he could only... rob them of their mobility.
"Trace—On."
The twin blades vanished, replaced by a uniquely shaped dagger with a hook and chain. It was an improved version of Medusa's (Rider) weapon—[Nameless Dagger].
"If I can't kill them, I'll just tie them up!"
Shirou's silhouette flickered like a ghost through the crowd of berserk Xenos. The chains danced. They didn't pierce bodies; instead, they wound around limbs like snakes, trussing them up like rice dumplings and tossing them aside one by one.
"Naive! Too naive!" Dix sneered with disdain. "How many do you think you can save? There are hundreds of monsters here! How long can your mana last?"
It was exactly as he said. More and more Xenos were being eroded by the curse and joining the fray. Furthermore, those cunning hunters were blending in among the berserk monsters, occasionally firing a cold arrow.
Pfft!
A poisoned arrow grazed Shirou's arm. Although [Structural Reinforcement] blocked most of the damage, the resulting sluggishness caused his movements to lag for a beat.
"ROAR!" A berserk Troll took the opportunity to slam a fist into Shirou's back.
"Ngh!" Shirou let out a muffled groan, stumbling forward a few steps as a trace of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. While his Level 2 physical stats were strong, facing this kind of zerg rush in a "no-kill" restricted battle was absolute Hell Mode.
"Emiya-sama!" In the distance, Lili—hiding inside Fels's barrier—was so anxious she was nearly in tears. "Forget about them! Use your ultimate move! Otherwise, you're going to die!"
"I can't..."
Shirou wiped the blood from his mouth and regained his footing. His gaze swept over the frenzied Xenos. Through those blood-red eyes, he seemed to see the wailing deep within their souls.
"If I don't save them... they really will just be 'monsters'."
This was likely the irredeemable part of the man known as Shirou Emiya. Even in hell, he would try to grasp every single spider's silk.
"What sickening hypocrisy."
Dix seemed bored of this tragic drama. His figure flashed as he leapt down from the heights. His spear, carrying a piercing red light, lunged toward the small of Shirou's back like a drill. This time, he was truly moving with killing intent.
"Die, Hero!"
The timing of this strike was perfect. Shirou had just used his chains to bind two Orcs and was in a state of post-swing recovery. The [Mind's Eye] alarm was blaring at maximum volume, but his body couldn't react in time.
I can't dodge!
At that hair's-breadth moment.
"MOOOO——————!!!"
A deafening bull's roar drowned out all the noise of the battlefield.
A massive black shadow crashed in from the side like a meteorite.
"What?!" Dix's face changed drastically; he was forced to abort his thrust and sweep his spear across.
CLANG!!!
The massive sound of metal clashing made everyone's eardrums ache. Dix was sent flying like a ball, rolling a dozen times on the ground before stopping.
The dust cleared. A Minotaur over three meters tall, jet-black and holding a giant double-edged battle-axe (a spare weapon hidden in the village), stood before Shirou.
Asterios. The strongest Xenos.
"You..." Shirou stared at that broad back, stunned.
"Don't... misunderstand." Asterios looked back, his originally golden pupils now bloodshot, clearly resisting the erosion of the curse with everything he had. He panted heavily, white steam venting from his nostrils.
"I just... don't want my prey... to die at the hands of trash like that."
That was a textbook tsundere line—if you ignored the terrifying bull face.
"Furthermore..." Asterios gripped his battle-axe, looking at his berserk comrades around him, a hint of sorrow flashing in his eyes.
"That thing (the curse)... makes me very annoyed as well."
"ROAR!!!"
He howled at the sky, a terrifying wave of sound sweeping across the field. It was the pressure of a "King." The Xenos who were frantically attacking actually paused for a moment upon hearing this roar, seemingly fearing the anger of their strongest.
"Now's the chance!" Fels shouted from afar. "Shirou Emiya! The source of the curse is the staff in Dix's hand! It's the 'control hub'! Destroy it!"
"Understood!"
Shirou's gaze sharpened. This was the only chance.
"Big guy, can you clear a path for me?" Shirou looked at Asterios.
"Hmph." The black bull snorted and didn't answer, but his actions said everything.
BOOM! Asterios initiated a charge. Like a heavy-duty bulldozer, any hunter or berserk monster in his way was ruthlessly swept aside by that massive battle-axe.
"Keep up!"
Shirou followed closely behind. He wove through the storm created by Asterios, the twin blades in his hands acting like escort ships, clearing out any stragglers on the flanks.
One man, one bull. This cross-species combination displayed an astonishing unspoken chemistry on this bloody battlefield.
"Curse you! Stop them! Stop that mad bull!" Dix scrambled up from the ground, watching the unstoppable duo, feeling panic for the first time. His curse had little effect on Asterios (due to the level gap and willpower), and his subordinates were like paper before that battle-axe.
"In that case..." Dix's eyes turned sinister. He suddenly raised his staff, aiming it at a specific direction on the edge of the battlefield.
That was—where Lili was hiding.
"Boys! Change targets! Kill that girl!"
This was called "attacking the enemy's weak point to save one's own," or more accurately, "being a cowardly bastard." Dozens of hunters immediately turned their spears, abandoning the siege on Shirou to pounce like mad dogs toward the barrier where Lili was.
"Oh no!" Fels didn't have much mana left; maintaining the barrier was already his limit. He couldn't possibly withstand an attack from so many people.
"Lili!" Shirou's footsteps faltered. Save Lili? Or charge forward to destroy the staff? If he saved Lili, Dix would take the chance to escape, the curse would remain, and the village would be destroyed. If he destroyed the staff, lili might die.
It was the classic trolley problem. But Shirou Emiya never played by the rules of multiple-choice questions.
"Asterios!" Shirou roared. "I'm going to save her! I'll leave that bastard to you!"
"...Got it." The black bull didn't look back; the speed of his axe swings simply increased. "Don't die... weak human."
Shirou spun around, the ground beneath him shattering. [Structural Reinforcement] was maxed out. His agility stat exploded to its peak.
"Trace—On!"
He raised his left hand mid-run. Magic circuits worked frantically, and a magnificent scabbard radiating a holy aura took shape in his mind. While Emiya's "swords" couldn't project the concept of a [Shield], if it were the concept of the scabbard known as "The Everdistant Utopia (Avalon)," he could manage it. After all, that was his [Origin]. It wasn't the real Avalon, but projecting just the "outer shell" was enough.
"Projecting—Shield!"
BOOM!
Just as the hunters' blades were about to strike Lili, a golden light descended from the heavens. It wasn't a shield, but a massive golden scabbard that slammed into the ground before them like a fortress wall.
Clang-clang-clang-clang! All attacks were deflected by this golden wall.
"Emiya-sama!" Lili cried out in relief.
"Sorry for the wait." Shirou landed atop the scabbard, looking down at the hunters, the fury in his eyes reaching its peak.
"You dared to touch my friends... have you prepared yourselves?"
"Dammit! We were so close!" the hunters grit their teeth. "He's alone! Take him down!"
"Alone?"
Shirou sneered. He slowly raised his right hand toward the sky. The mana within him poured out like water from a broken dam. Since these people loved bullying the few with the many, he would show them the meaning of a true "zerg rush."
"I am the bone of my sword."
The incantation began. The surrounding space warped; the air became dry and scorching.
"Unknown to Death. Nor known to Life."
Countless points of light emerged in the void. They were swords. Hundreds, thousands of swords.
"Unlimited Blade Works—!!!"
Though he couldn't expand the Reality Marble due to mana constraints, he could still dump the inventory from his "inner landscape."
"Sword Rain."
As Shirou's arm swung down, golden, silver, black, and red... countless projections of Noble Phantasms fell like a torrential downpour.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
This wasn't a battle. This was a total wipeout. The dozens of hunters besieging Lili were covered by the sword rain in an instant, turning into pincushions.
"H-how is this possible..." In the distance, Dix nearly dropped his staff in shock. This scale of magic... could a human really do this?! He was a literal human-shaped mobile artillery battery!
"ROAR—!!!"
In that moment of Dix's distraction, Asterios seized the opportunity. Like a freight train, he smashed through the last few guards and reached Dix.
"You... are finished."
The massive battle-axe, carrying all the black bull's fury, slammed down toward his head.
"NO—!!!" Dix frantically raised his staff to block.
CRACK!
The staff controlling the curse, along with one of Dix's arms (the prosthetic), was cleaved in two by the battle-axe.
Snap! The crystal at the tip of the staff shattered. The black mist in the air instantly lost its magical support and began to dissipate rapidly.
The curse was broken.
"Aaaaagghhh! My hand! My staff!" Dix screamed, rolling on the ground. Without the staff, he was a toothless tiger.
"We won!" Lili cheered.
However, things weren't that simple.
Although the curse was lifted, the Xenos who had fallen into a frenzy didn't immediately regain their senses. Instead, because they had lost their "controller," they became even more chaotic, attacking everything indiscriminately and beginning to surge toward the exit—the path to the surface.
"This is bad..." Fels's voice was full of despair. "The aftereffects of the curse... they've lost control! If they charge into the 18th floor, or even reach the surface..."
That wouldn't just be the destruction of the Hidden Village. It would be the start of a total war between humans and Xenos.
"We have to stop them!" Lyd shouted while clutching his wounds, but his voice was drowned out by the roars.
"I'll go."
Asterios tried to give chase but suddenly dropped to one knee. The previous charge had exhausted too much of his stamina, and the remnants of the curse were still gnawing at his nerves.
"Dammit..."
As the mass of berserk Xenos was about to burst through the cave entrance.
"Trace—On."
A red silhouette stood blocking the only exit.
Shirou Emiya. His mana was bottomed out, his face as white as paper. The previous wave of sword rain had drained all his reserves. Yet he stood there, the [Otherworld Kanshou] in his hand covered in cracks, still pointed forward.
"Emiya-sama! You can't! You've already..." Lili tried to rush over.
"Don't come over."
Shirou didn't look back. He looked at the friends who had once shared wine and laughter with him, now turned into beasts.
"This is my responsibility. Since I accepted Fels's request... I have to hold this final line of defense."
He took a deep breath, beginning to squeeze his life force (Od) to convert into mana. Even if it shortened his life, even if his circuits burned out.
"Come on."
Shirou took a defensive stance, his gaze firm yet sorrowful.
"If I don't knock some sense into you... I'm going to have a hard time explaining this."
At this hair's-breadth moment.
"Fimbulvetr!"
An absolute freezing blizzard suddenly blew in from outside the cave. The several Xenos at the front were instantly frozen into ice sculptures (non-lethal, just restrained).
"What..." Shirou looked up in surprise.
There, in the backlight of the entrance, stood a group of fully armed adventurers.
Leading them was a noble Elf with emerald-green hair holding a magic staff, and a girl with golden hair holding a silver rapier.
"Quite a mess you've made, Emiya," Riveria said, looking at the blood-soaked Shirou with a helpless smile. "Didn't I tell you not to run off?"
"Since you're lost..." Ais drew the Desperate Sword, her golden eyes flashing with a sharp light, "then we'll be the ones to take you home."
Loki Familia, enters the fray.
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New Fanfiction!
Hachiman please tone down your Inner Thoughts
While waiting for Yukinoshita in the clubroom, he unexpectedly travels to the world of Classroom of the Elite and becomes the representative of Class B.
Initially, he only intended to keep a low profile while helping Class B escape its tragic fate from the original story, and incidentally saving Ichinose Honami.
However, why these girls seems to know what am I Thinking?
Read ahead (40 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting