Well, I guess haven't written much of Miracle and UBW/TRoS because of my exams, but it's not like I just stopped writing completely, so here are some snippets from the "What if Shirou was raised by...." thread over at Beast's Lair.
Because honestly....this subforum needs MOAR LOVE.
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1. Snippet
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Right now, right here this was the worst possible situation for Shirou Emiya. With all his might did he wish for the ground to just rise up and swallow him and hide him forever lest he be faced with his shame again.
Not that anything like that happened.
No instead his....he couldn't even think about it.
It had been bad enough with Saber always telling him to stay out of the fights.
Hell she had even tried to get him to see her as not human. As a tool.
His mother had quickly changed that though....of course change may have been too strong a word to use for her braining saber with her family jewel and telling her to stop being a meanie and accept her little boy's love already.
And as embarassing as that had been it had worked out somehow.....
That only left the other problem.
Being protected by someone that was a head smaller yourself was not something that gave birth to a great self-confidence.
Besides, seeing her get thrown around and cut open by Berserker had been enough to try and keep her safe. He didn't want to see her bloodied face again, didn't want to see her lie on the ground in agony again.
So he had tried to fight.
What a joke.
There was nothing he could have done. Against someone even Saber couldn't defeat in her current state he was as helpless as a newborn.
That was when he had been hit hard enough to cough up blood.
And that was when everything had gone to hell.
To be honest he would have prefered Berserker's tender mercy's to THIS.
There was something utterly dreadful about having his own mother take care of the "bad man who dared to hurt my baby-boy"
On the other hand it was kind of amusing to see a woman that barely reached Berserker's chest, kick him around like some little punk-kid.
But Shirou draw the line at the goddamn heart-shaped magic blasts.
"And in the name of the moon I shall punish you for hurting my little Shirou-chan. TAKE THAT."
He just know that someone was laughing at him right now.....
"Your mother is a formidable woman, Shirou."
And he really didn't like the glimmer he saw in Saber's eyes when she noticed those magic blasts.
it was a bad day to be Shirou Tsukino.
And somewhere outside of time Sailor Pluto was still snickering.
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2. Snippet
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The man was dressed casually, jeans and a T-Shirt, his face set in a friendly grin even though his eyes shone with raw determination.
As Calculated.
It was the image he knew would most appeal to Shirou right now.
Yet what the boy saw was something completely different. In his eyes there was no mere man before him. There was gold, steel and then there was light, so much light it should have hurt his eyes but he still couldnt stop staring at the man/light in front of him.
The man waited only a moment before he asked his question, the question that would be the beginning of everything he had planned over the years.
What awaits you is a future of strife, of war and of perseverance. Follow me and I will give you strength and power but most importantly, I shall give you a reason. Come with me and we shall bring forth a golden age for humanity. You will be the first of my sons and we will challenge the gods themselves for humanitys right to rule the galaxy.
And the boy could only look at the light in front of him and nod.
Because for the first time since that fire something had stirred within him.
He had seen what a hero looked like then.
Now he knew what hope felt like.
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It was the sound of tearing flesh and clashing blades that heralded another life lost.
Once more the divine flesh of the servant Berserker had been pierced.
A brutal slash, accompanied by a savage roar forced both Saber and her Master back, giving Berserker a few seconds to regenerate his badly wounded body.
Three more lives left. The thought was shared by both Saber and Shirou. His voice seemingly echoing within her head.
And they attacked again.
Servant and Master. Side by Side.
And Berserker was forced into the defence once more, unable to start an attack under the constant assault of his enemies.
Saber knew that they were winning.
Even though it was an impossibility.
No master, certainly no magus should have had the ability or the strength to fight with a servant in close combat but the man beside her didnt seem to tire at all.
Every time she attacked his strike followed soon after and with no less strength than she could manage.
And frankly he had taken the hit from Berserker a lot better than she had.
His un-armoured body had been impressive enough when she had first seen him, towering over her by a huge margin. Strength, endurance and speed far beyond anything a human should have been capable of.
He had even survived Lancers Gae Bolg, thanks to his second heart as he had confided to her.
But it was inside of his armour that he truly became a frightening force of nature, withstanding blows from Berserker again and again while striking out with his power-crafted sword, slicing trough steel and flesh alike.
That was when he was not using his Bolters as he called them, guns of a kind,.which was an understatement if she had ever heard one. Those things were far too large and unwieldy to be called a gun.
Not that she could say anything against their effectiveness. What they lacked in grace they made up with pure destructive power.
And then there were those things like speaking to her mind.
Special abilities for a special man? No. She had understood when she had seen his father.
Everything he had, every once of strength, every bit of weaponry and skill was something his father had given him, for a purpose yet unknown to them.
Though it couldnt be said that Shirou hadnt more than earned his strength. He had fought with courage and power, giving no quarter, only retreating when it was necessary to do so.
And now the fighting was going to end soon, together with this Holy Grail War.
Victory was no longer a distant dream.
And somewhere the father of the man Saber called her master watched the battle between his son, Saber and Berserker.
And with every slash, strike and cut did he move his lips, speaking the words that had followed him since he had enhanced his first son, so many years ago.
They shall be my finest warriors, these men who give of themselves to me.
Even the servant known as Berserker would fall before them. It was inevitable.
Like clay I shall mould them, and in the furnace of war forge them.
It was only a matter of time. For their strength was as great as their faith in themselves. Their courage and their believe would bolster them and carry them from victory to victory.
They will be of iron will and steely muscle. In great armour shall I clad them and with the mightiest guns will they be armed.
This battle, it was so much better than the war she had fought at Kiritsugus side, not a war of shadows but one fought on the battlefield as it should be.
They will be untouched by plague or disease, no sickness will blight them. They will have tactics, strategies and machines so that no foe can best them in battle.
This Holy Grail War would be theirs, they would not lose, neither to trickery nor to deceit.
They are my bulwark against the Terror. They are the Defenders of Humanity.
And somewhere in the darkness the man that would become the ruler over the largest empire the galaxy had ever seen rejoiced, for the first of his sons was beyond even his own expectations.
They are my Space Marines and they shall know no fear.'
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3. Snippet
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The boy was still staring at him, his gaze unblinking and unchanging.
Not that it bothered the old man as he himself was also studying the boy in front of him.
Weak. That boy.even now he didnt feel anything that would indicate the talent he sometimes searched for.
There was nothing, no spark of a hidden genius, no glimmer of determination and the raw need to do better than anyone else.
Only the eyes of a child that lost everything that had defined it as a child.
Such a grotesque being, so young yet so old. Those eyes, he wondered when they would change.
Honestly, no child should have had such eyes.
Yet, why was he here?
The boy had no talent for regular magecraft at all, butit didnt matter.
After all, crippled as his abilities were, he would create a Reality Marble one day. There was no doubt about it, if he left the boy to Emiya he would create it. That was the way it was.
That was the road of Shirou Emiya, one he could neither leave nor change.
Not by himself at least.
The old man grinned.
Come with me.
Three simple words but they were enough to shake the boy out of his stupor and look at the man in front of him with disbelief shining in his eyes.
Youre a fool but youre an amusing fool, my boy. I know what you wish forShirou Emiyaoh dont look like that boy.I know that you dont know that name yetbut whats really important is that I know what you want..even though thats not something I can give you just like that but.I can show you the way, if you want to.
He spoke without haste, each word carefully laid out for the child.
And the boy understood.
He smiled, just a little smile, barely a trace of a ghost of a smile.
The old man smiled back.
And the path of Shirou Emiyachanged.
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SOUICHIRO-SAMA!
Casters voice when she broke the silence of their battle was painfully shrill as she looked at her wounded master.
Blood stained the front of his shirt, not enough to kill him instantly, the wound was not deep enough for that, but it was more than enough to kill him if was left unattended.
Before she could take a single step though she jumped backwards, dodging the half-hearted strike of her enemy.
The red-head was fast, she gave him that. And tricky, he must have been, to wound her master.
Her face twisted into a snarl as she levitated herself up again, glaring down at her enemy.
You will pay for this boy, do you think youre petty illusions will save you from my magic? Those swords are as fake as your strength is. For hurting Souichiro-sama you shall pay with your life.
Her spell was grand. Swirling colors rushing together, forming several large, blindingly bright spheres which changed from one color to the other in the span of a second. A terrifying display of magical power and skill, more akin to true Magic than Magecraft, this was something beyond the magi of today.
There was no place to dodge this attack. Nor could he block it, blocking such an attack without Avalon would be suicidebut there were other ways.
Defence was not his only option after all.
When they spheres were released they moved through the space between them as fast as bullets, belying their great size they met halfway, converged together and for a moment it seemed they even tripled their former speed, becoming more akin to a beam of power to Shirous eyes than the sphere it actually was.
And under the terrible brightness of Casters assault she never saw the weapon appear in his hands.
If she had seen it she would have smirked, after all, that dagger, while quite useful would not save him in this situation.
So she only heard his words as he screamed at her, moments before the spell reached his postion.
I dont weave illusions
Then the spell hit.
The sound of a thousand bells, followed by a noise a kin to a thunderclap.
And then it shattered, the light of the spell reflecting itself for a moment as if it had hit glass before simply disappearing.
Leaving behind only an unruffled Shirou, Rule Breaker still in his hand, glaring at the stunned Caster.
Her eyes were comically wide as she stared at the all too familiar weapon in his hand.
This was impossible. Rule Breaker couldnt do that. In only severed contracts.
Then she heard his words and a feeling of intense dread followed his declaration.
I create alternatives.
And behind a kaleidoscope of colors an old man looked on as the child he had taken in fought against a servant in that Holy Great War.
Fighting against servants.heh, you could spend your time so much better, my boy, but like I saidyoure an idealistic fool through and throughno real talentbut youre certainly an amusing one
Another snicker.
Besides..sometimes it needs a fool to create a messed up Reality Marble like that.
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Well I didn't realy have anything planned to follow this idea but here is a snippet^^
3.5 Snippet
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What do you see, my boy?
Worlds beyond Worlds.
In front of him, stretching onwards into infinity there were worlds.
And each and every single one of them different from the others.
Everything around him was shifting, colors that should have blinded him flashing around him, giving him a sense of security. It was a nice feeling. Those colors, reminded him of his father.
They reminded him of the way destiny could be changed.
Still searching are you? How long will you continue to refuse me an answer my boy? Impatience can be a curse for someone of my age.
Smiling at the old man behind him Shirou turned around and grinned.
You will like itwasnt it you who said he was getting bored? Well, now is the time to change that. This should be the last one.
The boy had been visiting quite a few worlds now, always meeting himself, sometimes fighting his other self, sometimes not.
Yet, he refused to tell Zelretch what he had planned.
Only that it would beamusing.
Shirou was close after all, he could feel it, the completion of his Reality Marble was going to happen shortly but he needed one more visit.
One last time he needed to see the subtle differences.
The way fate was bent from world to world.
The way it was done.
Because he had realised one thing when he had been confronted with the true enormity of his reality and all its alternatives.
His imagination was his greatest weapon.
As long he could imagine it, it could become possible.
And between thousands of worlds he found the answer to the puzzle, the final piece necessary to call forth his blades.
If every idea was a blade, if every dream was a sword.
If every possible tale could create a weapon of legend.
If every battle gave birth to a story, which powered the swords he would one day call his own.
If every weapon could be imagined, if every dream could find a world to EXIST.
Then for someone like him who lived between those worlds .
What do you see, my boy?
Swords beyond Swords.
.the possibilities were endless.
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4. Snippet
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The boy is dying, there is no mistaking it. The fire, the heat, the pain, it had drained him of any strength he might have had left.
He was going to die here, on this burned ground, another name to be forgotten.
Eaten away by the fire.
Another life destroyed by the tainted grail.
A soft footstep.
The child does not notice it anymore. He is too far gone now, his mind nearly completely shattered by the agony of the last hours.
He cant feel that creatures gaze upon him, doesnt see the calculating look in its eyes as it eyes the young boy on the ground.
The boy has power.
It can feel it, pulsing through the boy, like a heartbeat of pure magical strength.
It is undeniable, the child could become a magus, of course without a family crest he would most likely never develop but that didnt matter anyway.
It could prove useful. For the fulfilment of its wish. Another means to an end.
The main one would stay the same but adding another one might be more rewarding, in the end it was all for the sake of its dream after all.
Its decision made the being takes another step closer to the dying boy.
The sound of something sliding through flesh, a sickingly wet and revolting sound disturbs the silence.
The child gasps in pain as something violates his already shattered body.
Pain, whatever it is it hurts, like acid it burns on the inside, making his sight go white as he prays for unconsciousness.
He continues to convulse, foam on his lips, his eyes straining as if trying to look at the inside of his own skull, the hands held like claws, grasping for something not quite there.
Finally, with a gasp it is over and the boy simply falls down again, fast asleep.
And the creature chuckles as another pawn enters its game.
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Fool.
The boys voice irritates it. That simple world annoys him to no end.
Doesnt he realize that he is its pawn? Does he not realize his place.
The boy and the girl are both means to an end.
His stepping stones to immortality.
And now, with the darkness of Angra Mainyu pulsing through them so completely, both are looking at him like they would upon a slimy little worm.
How ironic.
He never sees it coming. His old body far too decayed to react in time. The blackness rips his flesh apart even as the last worm inside of the girl dies, eaten away by the spirit of evil.
The dream of immortality.shall be dreamed of no more.
All that is left now is the darkness.
The boy drenched in shadows, the girl wrapped in darkness and the servants poisoned with all the evil in the world.
They just stand there even as the pillar next to them is starting to shake.
Bleeding and dying the man known as Kotomine Kirei watches, his arms and one of his legs already served from his broken body, lying on the ground even as his life is quickly fading now, a last mercy from the dark Saber.
He will get his wish. To see the birth he so desired to witness.
And when the pillar crumbles and the gate of heaven opens they do not smile.
When they curse descends, desecrating the very air around them, they do not so much as twitch.
Only a brief pulse of pride between the boy and the girl, as they witness what they consider to be THEIR child emerge into this world.
A soft noise heralds the birth of their darkness, not quite a shout nor a cry as one would expect of a child.
And as the world dies all that is heard is not a scream..but a whimper.
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5. Snippet
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It was hot.
Unbearable so.
Like a blanket the heat wrapped itself around him, drawing out any kind of moisture inside of his body, weakening him even further and robbing hi of the last of his already fading strength.
The pain was gone already, as if his body had lost even the ability to feel pain. All that remained was a sense of unease and a creeping sleepiness, which made it oh so hard to keep his eyes open.
Buthe was so tired.
His eyes were burning and his last tears had tasted salty.
He was dying.
No, he was already dead.
He had felt pain when he had been alive, so, now he must have been dead already.
Still, a little glimmer of light remained, a last spark of hope that would soon disappear if no one would save him.
The thirst thing he heard were the footsteps.
They were uneven, one moment lurching and in the next a near frantic stagger, as if the one they belonged to couldnt make his mind up how he wanted move.
Also there was another noise, like glass sliding upon stone, though the young boy couldnt make heads or tails of the strange echo that noise seemed to have.
It would be years later that he would understand that it was an echo of power, the power contained within the sword that warped reality around itself creating this strange sound that puzzled the boy so much as he lied there dying.
Then he heard his voice, harsh and cold, yet surprisingly young. And absolutely crazy.
I fail to see how this could help us.
The man was talking with himself.
NO, that is a child, I will not kill a child, he is not a spy or a murderer.
The man was ARGUING with himself.
SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP
And obviously losingto himself.
He fell to his knees, right next to the boy, clutching his head as if it might burst any moment. His eyes shone with cold determination yet it was unable to conceal the glint of madness within them.
Shirou didnt care.
The flame had been dying.
The last embers slowly cooling out till nothing would have been left.
Now, something new had come and the fire burned once again. However briefly it could.
He wanted to be saved.
So he raised his hand, used his last strength to reach for this crazy stranger.
The little hand never reached him on its own, falling down once again halfway.
Only to be caught by the larger hand of his red-headed savior.
A meeting that should never have been.
Rules were bent, systems ignored.
This was not the way it was supposed to be.
The world could not accept this.
But somewhere, beyond, a benevolent being smiled and nodded.
And somewhere entirely else, a malevolent being laughed and nodded.
And from where the two touched, where two worlds connected with each other, power was born.
The child had expected death.
What he gained wasbirth.
It was like fire, burning him, burning away at his soul, his body and his mind but it felt good even as it scorched him so deeply.
And it was ice, freezing him, shocking him but oh so full of pleasure when combined with the fire inside of his body.
And it was poison, tainting his mind, body and soul, making him sick, trying to twist his very self into something entirely else.
The boy started to shake, his eyes growing glassy as he rode the storm inside his very being.
And with madness in his eyes did the man smile upon the child in his arms.
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The young man was in a bad situation.
GRAAAAGGGGGHHHHH
Make that a very bad situation.
He was currently in the tender clutches of Berserker, who without a doubt would soon enough tire of his new hand-decoration.
Besides the light squeezes he felt were most likely the first sign that soon enough his upper body would be paste.
Shirou
Once again charging forwards was Saber, his servant, summoned and powered in ways that gave him a headache even thinking about them.
Now, it wasnt like he intended to die, they had come up with a good plan after all.
Now he just needed to get one arm free.
Which was slightly harder than he had thought it would be.
He had been too arrogant, a fault found all too often within his people.
And it was totally not his fault, really, they gave him the power of the gods in his hands and they expected him to be as humble as a beggar.No way that was going to happen.
This time Sabers slash got through the giants defence, cutting open his left side, it was a bad wound, would have been a bad wound
But as expected the regeneration they had already witnessed 4 four times came forth to mend his body again.
But the pain seemed to change Berserkers prioritiesand with a sickening crunch he tightened his grip.
Shirous scream was drowned out by Sabers cry of rage. Giving up any kind of defence the blond servant charged forward, moving so fast that Shirou could track her no more.
The pain stopped; the arm that had held him severed from the elbow downwards.
He was free.
Free to see the giant sword of stone slice through Sabers body, see it cut her apart like an overripe melon, splattering the entire clearing with blood.
For a moment he couldnt even scream.
Couldnt speak, couldnt move, couldnt even think.
Then, those hateful words, spoken from such an innocent child tore him from his thoughts, urging him into action.
Well, looks like Saber is dead already, go on Berserker, hack Onii-chan apart, he wont need his legs anymore.
The black giant charged.
A glare. Hatred shone in those young eyes.
A flick of his wrist. Power woven together in threads of might. Colors filled his view, even though they remained invisible to his enemy.
A bar of liquid fire and a name, whispered as the young man sealed his enemies fate.
Balefire
For he was the son of the dragon.
Opposed by the world, opposed by the darkness, opposed by the light, but that didn't matter to him.
Because as the glare of light disappeared all he saw was the blonde girl he called Saber, unharmed and alive.
It was enough for him, more than enough even.
And the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills.
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6. Snippet
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Shirou was sleeping.
For the first time since the fire, since he had been saved by someone called Emiya he dreamed ofnothing.
No nightmares, no illusions of death, no memories of the horror he had survived.
It would be one of the first things he would be grateful for to his new father.
And as the young child slept, the white-haired man smiled.
I wonder how you shall play into this young one? Will you too become one of the combatants, I wonder?
No matter.
If it was to happen it would happen.
The way of strength, of battle, of strive was open to anyone after all.
But only those with power, with good instincts and with a endless lust for battle would survive.
So, in a way he should consider it his duty to make sure the boy would not fall. After all, he had been the one that took him in, following the strange orders he had received.
He had never had a student before.
Certainly not a mortal one but.there was a first time for everything.
And for but a single moment the mans eyes seemed to crackle with lighting.
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He was grinning.
His left arm was broken, his face smeared with blood and he was pretty sure that sharp poke in his lung-area came from one of his ribs.
And he couldnt stop smiling like a loon as his right fist drove into his opponents stomach, throwing the giant of a man back and to the ground.
A flicker of murderous intent.
Then the young man was airborne.
GET UP
He missed by a few inches, the force of the impact shattering the ground as he landed.
A frantic dodge.
He could nearly feel the fist that would have shattered his face if he hadnt dodged that half of an inch backwards as it flew by.
The next punch was blocked, his retaliation kick hit true though, giving him a bit of room for a second or two.
He spit out some blood as his chest kept on irritating him.
And through it all he had never stopped grinning.
Neither had is opponent, if that homicidal smile could be counted as grinning.
And they charged again.
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I ask of you, are you my master?
She was cute.
No, scratch that she was beautiful.
But most importantly, she was STRONG.
I like you.
The statement just slipped out between his lips before he could stop himself.
For a moment she regarded him with a hint of distaste, her head cocked to the side as she inspected him.
She could feel it, the barely restrained lust for battle.
The way he moved, the way he stood.
It spoke a clear picture.
Warrior.
Fighter.
And the servant of the sword smiled.
Her reserves were low, the prana she gained from her master was barely enough to keep her manifested.
But she still smiled, because..she saw a master she could understand.
He was made for battle.
Just like her.
Likewise, master.
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Well, this situation sucked.
Whatever he tried to do, those stupid shadows-slime-curse-WHATEVER got in his way. He had no way of getting to Kotomine like that.
And frankly his fist was getting itchy to hit that face till candy came out of the priests ears.
Smug Bastard.
He dodged again, once, twice, thrice.
The last one got him. AGAIN.
It burned. This black stuff hurt like hell.
And it only made him want to kick that priests ass even more.
One the other hand, Kotomine was getting a bad feeling.
Mainly because the young man before him had been nothing like had expected him to be.
As a survivor of that incident he had expected something like revenge, or maybe some sense of duty to stop him.
All he felt was this overwhelming lust for battle, like a blast of hot air it pressed against him from all sides.
And worst of all the darkness seemed to simply hurt the boy instead of killing him.
No, it was more like it couldnt kill him.
That inhuman fighting spiritthat did not accept death.
But it wouldnt matter. If one or two hits werent enough, then all the evil of the world at once would have to do.
And as the priest raised his hand, reality..shifted.
For a moment it fought against those invaders, like a cornered tiger it tried to pull itself together and lash out against those attempting to force their way in.
In the endit was futile, in a storm of power three shapes materialized behind the priest, each of them clothed in robes of some kind, the eyes a glow with barely restrained power.
And the darkness quivered.
A narrowed glare.
I do not know who you are, but right now I do not need anyone to interfere, disappear.
The shadows strained to obey.
A blast of lightning.
The cackle of thunder.
And the shadows disappeared even as Kotomine was thrown to the ground from the blast.
The man in the middle seemed to wag his finger now even as lighting danced in his eyes.
I dont think so.
He took a step back, giving the other two the stage, but not before winking at his young charge.
A seconds worth of pause, then, the woman on the left spoke, her voice echoing through the entire temple.
The Fate of the Universe will be decided as it should be..
The moment she stopped and took a step back the man on the right stepped forward, his voice both incredible loud and deep as it rumbled like the thunder from before.
in MORTAL KOMBAT
Silencethen.
GET UP
For a moment confusion reigned over Kotomines brain as he tried to understand what the hell had happened and why the taint of the grail seemed to not obey him anymore, then he was forced to dodge Shirous flying stomp by rolling away.
And the boy..kept on grinning.
Because honestly....this subforum needs MOAR LOVE.
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1. Snippet
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Right now, right here this was the worst possible situation for Shirou Emiya. With all his might did he wish for the ground to just rise up and swallow him and hide him forever lest he be faced with his shame again.
Not that anything like that happened.
No instead his....he couldn't even think about it.
It had been bad enough with Saber always telling him to stay out of the fights.
Hell she had even tried to get him to see her as not human. As a tool.
His mother had quickly changed that though....of course change may have been too strong a word to use for her braining saber with her family jewel and telling her to stop being a meanie and accept her little boy's love already.
And as embarassing as that had been it had worked out somehow.....
That only left the other problem.
Being protected by someone that was a head smaller yourself was not something that gave birth to a great self-confidence.
Besides, seeing her get thrown around and cut open by Berserker had been enough to try and keep her safe. He didn't want to see her bloodied face again, didn't want to see her lie on the ground in agony again.
So he had tried to fight.
What a joke.
There was nothing he could have done. Against someone even Saber couldn't defeat in her current state he was as helpless as a newborn.
That was when he had been hit hard enough to cough up blood.
And that was when everything had gone to hell.
To be honest he would have prefered Berserker's tender mercy's to THIS.
There was something utterly dreadful about having his own mother take care of the "bad man who dared to hurt my baby-boy"
On the other hand it was kind of amusing to see a woman that barely reached Berserker's chest, kick him around like some little punk-kid.
But Shirou draw the line at the goddamn heart-shaped magic blasts.
"And in the name of the moon I shall punish you for hurting my little Shirou-chan. TAKE THAT."
He just know that someone was laughing at him right now.....
"Your mother is a formidable woman, Shirou."
And he really didn't like the glimmer he saw in Saber's eyes when she noticed those magic blasts.
it was a bad day to be Shirou Tsukino.
And somewhere outside of time Sailor Pluto was still snickering.
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2. Snippet
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The man was dressed casually, jeans and a T-Shirt, his face set in a friendly grin even though his eyes shone with raw determination.
As Calculated.
It was the image he knew would most appeal to Shirou right now.
Yet what the boy saw was something completely different. In his eyes there was no mere man before him. There was gold, steel and then there was light, so much light it should have hurt his eyes but he still couldnt stop staring at the man/light in front of him.
The man waited only a moment before he asked his question, the question that would be the beginning of everything he had planned over the years.
What awaits you is a future of strife, of war and of perseverance. Follow me and I will give you strength and power but most importantly, I shall give you a reason. Come with me and we shall bring forth a golden age for humanity. You will be the first of my sons and we will challenge the gods themselves for humanitys right to rule the galaxy.
And the boy could only look at the light in front of him and nod.
Because for the first time since that fire something had stirred within him.
He had seen what a hero looked like then.
Now he knew what hope felt like.
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It was the sound of tearing flesh and clashing blades that heralded another life lost.
Once more the divine flesh of the servant Berserker had been pierced.
A brutal slash, accompanied by a savage roar forced both Saber and her Master back, giving Berserker a few seconds to regenerate his badly wounded body.
Three more lives left. The thought was shared by both Saber and Shirou. His voice seemingly echoing within her head.
And they attacked again.
Servant and Master. Side by Side.
And Berserker was forced into the defence once more, unable to start an attack under the constant assault of his enemies.
Saber knew that they were winning.
Even though it was an impossibility.
No master, certainly no magus should have had the ability or the strength to fight with a servant in close combat but the man beside her didnt seem to tire at all.
Every time she attacked his strike followed soon after and with no less strength than she could manage.
And frankly he had taken the hit from Berserker a lot better than she had.
His un-armoured body had been impressive enough when she had first seen him, towering over her by a huge margin. Strength, endurance and speed far beyond anything a human should have been capable of.
He had even survived Lancers Gae Bolg, thanks to his second heart as he had confided to her.
But it was inside of his armour that he truly became a frightening force of nature, withstanding blows from Berserker again and again while striking out with his power-crafted sword, slicing trough steel and flesh alike.
That was when he was not using his Bolters as he called them, guns of a kind,.which was an understatement if she had ever heard one. Those things were far too large and unwieldy to be called a gun.
Not that she could say anything against their effectiveness. What they lacked in grace they made up with pure destructive power.
And then there were those things like speaking to her mind.
Special abilities for a special man? No. She had understood when she had seen his father.
Everything he had, every once of strength, every bit of weaponry and skill was something his father had given him, for a purpose yet unknown to them.
Though it couldnt be said that Shirou hadnt more than earned his strength. He had fought with courage and power, giving no quarter, only retreating when it was necessary to do so.
And now the fighting was going to end soon, together with this Holy Grail War.
Victory was no longer a distant dream.
And somewhere the father of the man Saber called her master watched the battle between his son, Saber and Berserker.
And with every slash, strike and cut did he move his lips, speaking the words that had followed him since he had enhanced his first son, so many years ago.
They shall be my finest warriors, these men who give of themselves to me.
Even the servant known as Berserker would fall before them. It was inevitable.
Like clay I shall mould them, and in the furnace of war forge them.
It was only a matter of time. For their strength was as great as their faith in themselves. Their courage and their believe would bolster them and carry them from victory to victory.
They will be of iron will and steely muscle. In great armour shall I clad them and with the mightiest guns will they be armed.
This battle, it was so much better than the war she had fought at Kiritsugus side, not a war of shadows but one fought on the battlefield as it should be.
They will be untouched by plague or disease, no sickness will blight them. They will have tactics, strategies and machines so that no foe can best them in battle.
This Holy Grail War would be theirs, they would not lose, neither to trickery nor to deceit.
They are my bulwark against the Terror. They are the Defenders of Humanity.
And somewhere in the darkness the man that would become the ruler over the largest empire the galaxy had ever seen rejoiced, for the first of his sons was beyond even his own expectations.
They are my Space Marines and they shall know no fear.'
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3. Snippet
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The boy was still staring at him, his gaze unblinking and unchanging.
Not that it bothered the old man as he himself was also studying the boy in front of him.
Weak. That boy.even now he didnt feel anything that would indicate the talent he sometimes searched for.
There was nothing, no spark of a hidden genius, no glimmer of determination and the raw need to do better than anyone else.
Only the eyes of a child that lost everything that had defined it as a child.
Such a grotesque being, so young yet so old. Those eyes, he wondered when they would change.
Honestly, no child should have had such eyes.
Yet, why was he here?
The boy had no talent for regular magecraft at all, butit didnt matter.
After all, crippled as his abilities were, he would create a Reality Marble one day. There was no doubt about it, if he left the boy to Emiya he would create it. That was the way it was.
That was the road of Shirou Emiya, one he could neither leave nor change.
Not by himself at least.
The old man grinned.
Come with me.
Three simple words but they were enough to shake the boy out of his stupor and look at the man in front of him with disbelief shining in his eyes.
Youre a fool but youre an amusing fool, my boy. I know what you wish forShirou Emiyaoh dont look like that boy.I know that you dont know that name yetbut whats really important is that I know what you want..even though thats not something I can give you just like that but.I can show you the way, if you want to.
He spoke without haste, each word carefully laid out for the child.
And the boy understood.
He smiled, just a little smile, barely a trace of a ghost of a smile.
The old man smiled back.
And the path of Shirou Emiyachanged.
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SOUICHIRO-SAMA!
Casters voice when she broke the silence of their battle was painfully shrill as she looked at her wounded master.
Blood stained the front of his shirt, not enough to kill him instantly, the wound was not deep enough for that, but it was more than enough to kill him if was left unattended.
Before she could take a single step though she jumped backwards, dodging the half-hearted strike of her enemy.
The red-head was fast, she gave him that. And tricky, he must have been, to wound her master.
Her face twisted into a snarl as she levitated herself up again, glaring down at her enemy.
You will pay for this boy, do you think youre petty illusions will save you from my magic? Those swords are as fake as your strength is. For hurting Souichiro-sama you shall pay with your life.
Her spell was grand. Swirling colors rushing together, forming several large, blindingly bright spheres which changed from one color to the other in the span of a second. A terrifying display of magical power and skill, more akin to true Magic than Magecraft, this was something beyond the magi of today.
There was no place to dodge this attack. Nor could he block it, blocking such an attack without Avalon would be suicidebut there were other ways.
Defence was not his only option after all.
When they spheres were released they moved through the space between them as fast as bullets, belying their great size they met halfway, converged together and for a moment it seemed they even tripled their former speed, becoming more akin to a beam of power to Shirous eyes than the sphere it actually was.
And under the terrible brightness of Casters assault she never saw the weapon appear in his hands.
If she had seen it she would have smirked, after all, that dagger, while quite useful would not save him in this situation.
So she only heard his words as he screamed at her, moments before the spell reached his postion.
I dont weave illusions
Then the spell hit.
The sound of a thousand bells, followed by a noise a kin to a thunderclap.
And then it shattered, the light of the spell reflecting itself for a moment as if it had hit glass before simply disappearing.
Leaving behind only an unruffled Shirou, Rule Breaker still in his hand, glaring at the stunned Caster.
Her eyes were comically wide as she stared at the all too familiar weapon in his hand.
This was impossible. Rule Breaker couldnt do that. In only severed contracts.
Then she heard his words and a feeling of intense dread followed his declaration.
I create alternatives.
And behind a kaleidoscope of colors an old man looked on as the child he had taken in fought against a servant in that Holy Great War.
Fighting against servants.heh, you could spend your time so much better, my boy, but like I saidyoure an idealistic fool through and throughno real talentbut youre certainly an amusing one
Another snicker.
Besides..sometimes it needs a fool to create a messed up Reality Marble like that.
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Well I didn't realy have anything planned to follow this idea but here is a snippet^^
3.5 Snippet
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What do you see, my boy?
Worlds beyond Worlds.
In front of him, stretching onwards into infinity there were worlds.
And each and every single one of them different from the others.
Everything around him was shifting, colors that should have blinded him flashing around him, giving him a sense of security. It was a nice feeling. Those colors, reminded him of his father.
They reminded him of the way destiny could be changed.
Still searching are you? How long will you continue to refuse me an answer my boy? Impatience can be a curse for someone of my age.
Smiling at the old man behind him Shirou turned around and grinned.
You will like itwasnt it you who said he was getting bored? Well, now is the time to change that. This should be the last one.
The boy had been visiting quite a few worlds now, always meeting himself, sometimes fighting his other self, sometimes not.
Yet, he refused to tell Zelretch what he had planned.
Only that it would beamusing.
Shirou was close after all, he could feel it, the completion of his Reality Marble was going to happen shortly but he needed one more visit.
One last time he needed to see the subtle differences.
The way fate was bent from world to world.
The way it was done.
Because he had realised one thing when he had been confronted with the true enormity of his reality and all its alternatives.
His imagination was his greatest weapon.
As long he could imagine it, it could become possible.
And between thousands of worlds he found the answer to the puzzle, the final piece necessary to call forth his blades.
If every idea was a blade, if every dream was a sword.
If every possible tale could create a weapon of legend.
If every battle gave birth to a story, which powered the swords he would one day call his own.
If every weapon could be imagined, if every dream could find a world to EXIST.
Then for someone like him who lived between those worlds .
What do you see, my boy?
Swords beyond Swords.
.the possibilities were endless.
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4. Snippet
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The boy is dying, there is no mistaking it. The fire, the heat, the pain, it had drained him of any strength he might have had left.
He was going to die here, on this burned ground, another name to be forgotten.
Eaten away by the fire.
Another life destroyed by the tainted grail.
A soft footstep.
The child does not notice it anymore. He is too far gone now, his mind nearly completely shattered by the agony of the last hours.
He cant feel that creatures gaze upon him, doesnt see the calculating look in its eyes as it eyes the young boy on the ground.
The boy has power.
It can feel it, pulsing through the boy, like a heartbeat of pure magical strength.
It is undeniable, the child could become a magus, of course without a family crest he would most likely never develop but that didnt matter anyway.
It could prove useful. For the fulfilment of its wish. Another means to an end.
The main one would stay the same but adding another one might be more rewarding, in the end it was all for the sake of its dream after all.
Its decision made the being takes another step closer to the dying boy.
The sound of something sliding through flesh, a sickingly wet and revolting sound disturbs the silence.
The child gasps in pain as something violates his already shattered body.
Pain, whatever it is it hurts, like acid it burns on the inside, making his sight go white as he prays for unconsciousness.
He continues to convulse, foam on his lips, his eyes straining as if trying to look at the inside of his own skull, the hands held like claws, grasping for something not quite there.
Finally, with a gasp it is over and the boy simply falls down again, fast asleep.
And the creature chuckles as another pawn enters its game.
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Fool.
The boys voice irritates it. That simple world annoys him to no end.
Doesnt he realize that he is its pawn? Does he not realize his place.
The boy and the girl are both means to an end.
His stepping stones to immortality.
And now, with the darkness of Angra Mainyu pulsing through them so completely, both are looking at him like they would upon a slimy little worm.
How ironic.
He never sees it coming. His old body far too decayed to react in time. The blackness rips his flesh apart even as the last worm inside of the girl dies, eaten away by the spirit of evil.
The dream of immortality.shall be dreamed of no more.
All that is left now is the darkness.
The boy drenched in shadows, the girl wrapped in darkness and the servants poisoned with all the evil in the world.
They just stand there even as the pillar next to them is starting to shake.
Bleeding and dying the man known as Kotomine Kirei watches, his arms and one of his legs already served from his broken body, lying on the ground even as his life is quickly fading now, a last mercy from the dark Saber.
He will get his wish. To see the birth he so desired to witness.
And when the pillar crumbles and the gate of heaven opens they do not smile.
When they curse descends, desecrating the very air around them, they do not so much as twitch.
Only a brief pulse of pride between the boy and the girl, as they witness what they consider to be THEIR child emerge into this world.
A soft noise heralds the birth of their darkness, not quite a shout nor a cry as one would expect of a child.
And as the world dies all that is heard is not a scream..but a whimper.
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5. Snippet
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It was hot.
Unbearable so.
Like a blanket the heat wrapped itself around him, drawing out any kind of moisture inside of his body, weakening him even further and robbing hi of the last of his already fading strength.
The pain was gone already, as if his body had lost even the ability to feel pain. All that remained was a sense of unease and a creeping sleepiness, which made it oh so hard to keep his eyes open.
Buthe was so tired.
His eyes were burning and his last tears had tasted salty.
He was dying.
No, he was already dead.
He had felt pain when he had been alive, so, now he must have been dead already.
Still, a little glimmer of light remained, a last spark of hope that would soon disappear if no one would save him.
The thirst thing he heard were the footsteps.
They were uneven, one moment lurching and in the next a near frantic stagger, as if the one they belonged to couldnt make his mind up how he wanted move.
Also there was another noise, like glass sliding upon stone, though the young boy couldnt make heads or tails of the strange echo that noise seemed to have.
It would be years later that he would understand that it was an echo of power, the power contained within the sword that warped reality around itself creating this strange sound that puzzled the boy so much as he lied there dying.
Then he heard his voice, harsh and cold, yet surprisingly young. And absolutely crazy.
I fail to see how this could help us.
The man was talking with himself.
NO, that is a child, I will not kill a child, he is not a spy or a murderer.
The man was ARGUING with himself.
SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP
And obviously losingto himself.
He fell to his knees, right next to the boy, clutching his head as if it might burst any moment. His eyes shone with cold determination yet it was unable to conceal the glint of madness within them.
Shirou didnt care.
The flame had been dying.
The last embers slowly cooling out till nothing would have been left.
Now, something new had come and the fire burned once again. However briefly it could.
He wanted to be saved.
So he raised his hand, used his last strength to reach for this crazy stranger.
The little hand never reached him on its own, falling down once again halfway.
Only to be caught by the larger hand of his red-headed savior.
A meeting that should never have been.
Rules were bent, systems ignored.
This was not the way it was supposed to be.
The world could not accept this.
But somewhere, beyond, a benevolent being smiled and nodded.
And somewhere entirely else, a malevolent being laughed and nodded.
And from where the two touched, where two worlds connected with each other, power was born.
The child had expected death.
What he gained wasbirth.
It was like fire, burning him, burning away at his soul, his body and his mind but it felt good even as it scorched him so deeply.
And it was ice, freezing him, shocking him but oh so full of pleasure when combined with the fire inside of his body.
And it was poison, tainting his mind, body and soul, making him sick, trying to twist his very self into something entirely else.
The boy started to shake, his eyes growing glassy as he rode the storm inside his very being.
And with madness in his eyes did the man smile upon the child in his arms.
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The young man was in a bad situation.
GRAAAAGGGGGHHHHH
Make that a very bad situation.
He was currently in the tender clutches of Berserker, who without a doubt would soon enough tire of his new hand-decoration.
Besides the light squeezes he felt were most likely the first sign that soon enough his upper body would be paste.
Shirou
Once again charging forwards was Saber, his servant, summoned and powered in ways that gave him a headache even thinking about them.
Now, it wasnt like he intended to die, they had come up with a good plan after all.
Now he just needed to get one arm free.
Which was slightly harder than he had thought it would be.
He had been too arrogant, a fault found all too often within his people.
And it was totally not his fault, really, they gave him the power of the gods in his hands and they expected him to be as humble as a beggar.No way that was going to happen.
This time Sabers slash got through the giants defence, cutting open his left side, it was a bad wound, would have been a bad wound
But as expected the regeneration they had already witnessed 4 four times came forth to mend his body again.
But the pain seemed to change Berserkers prioritiesand with a sickening crunch he tightened his grip.
Shirous scream was drowned out by Sabers cry of rage. Giving up any kind of defence the blond servant charged forward, moving so fast that Shirou could track her no more.
The pain stopped; the arm that had held him severed from the elbow downwards.
He was free.
Free to see the giant sword of stone slice through Sabers body, see it cut her apart like an overripe melon, splattering the entire clearing with blood.
For a moment he couldnt even scream.
Couldnt speak, couldnt move, couldnt even think.
Then, those hateful words, spoken from such an innocent child tore him from his thoughts, urging him into action.
Well, looks like Saber is dead already, go on Berserker, hack Onii-chan apart, he wont need his legs anymore.
The black giant charged.
A glare. Hatred shone in those young eyes.
A flick of his wrist. Power woven together in threads of might. Colors filled his view, even though they remained invisible to his enemy.
A bar of liquid fire and a name, whispered as the young man sealed his enemies fate.
Balefire
For he was the son of the dragon.
Opposed by the world, opposed by the darkness, opposed by the light, but that didn't matter to him.
Because as the glare of light disappeared all he saw was the blonde girl he called Saber, unharmed and alive.
It was enough for him, more than enough even.
And the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills.
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6. Snippet
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Shirou was sleeping.
For the first time since the fire, since he had been saved by someone called Emiya he dreamed ofnothing.
No nightmares, no illusions of death, no memories of the horror he had survived.
It would be one of the first things he would be grateful for to his new father.
And as the young child slept, the white-haired man smiled.
I wonder how you shall play into this young one? Will you too become one of the combatants, I wonder?
No matter.
If it was to happen it would happen.
The way of strength, of battle, of strive was open to anyone after all.
But only those with power, with good instincts and with a endless lust for battle would survive.
So, in a way he should consider it his duty to make sure the boy would not fall. After all, he had been the one that took him in, following the strange orders he had received.
He had never had a student before.
Certainly not a mortal one but.there was a first time for everything.
And for but a single moment the mans eyes seemed to crackle with lighting.
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He was grinning.
His left arm was broken, his face smeared with blood and he was pretty sure that sharp poke in his lung-area came from one of his ribs.
And he couldnt stop smiling like a loon as his right fist drove into his opponents stomach, throwing the giant of a man back and to the ground.
A flicker of murderous intent.
Then the young man was airborne.
GET UP
He missed by a few inches, the force of the impact shattering the ground as he landed.
A frantic dodge.
He could nearly feel the fist that would have shattered his face if he hadnt dodged that half of an inch backwards as it flew by.
The next punch was blocked, his retaliation kick hit true though, giving him a bit of room for a second or two.
He spit out some blood as his chest kept on irritating him.
And through it all he had never stopped grinning.
Neither had is opponent, if that homicidal smile could be counted as grinning.
And they charged again.
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I ask of you, are you my master?
She was cute.
No, scratch that she was beautiful.
But most importantly, she was STRONG.
I like you.
The statement just slipped out between his lips before he could stop himself.
For a moment she regarded him with a hint of distaste, her head cocked to the side as she inspected him.
She could feel it, the barely restrained lust for battle.
The way he moved, the way he stood.
It spoke a clear picture.
Warrior.
Fighter.
And the servant of the sword smiled.
Her reserves were low, the prana she gained from her master was barely enough to keep her manifested.
But she still smiled, because..she saw a master she could understand.
He was made for battle.
Just like her.
Likewise, master.
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Well, this situation sucked.
Whatever he tried to do, those stupid shadows-slime-curse-WHATEVER got in his way. He had no way of getting to Kotomine like that.
And frankly his fist was getting itchy to hit that face till candy came out of the priests ears.
Smug Bastard.
He dodged again, once, twice, thrice.
The last one got him. AGAIN.
It burned. This black stuff hurt like hell.
And it only made him want to kick that priests ass even more.
One the other hand, Kotomine was getting a bad feeling.
Mainly because the young man before him had been nothing like had expected him to be.
As a survivor of that incident he had expected something like revenge, or maybe some sense of duty to stop him.
All he felt was this overwhelming lust for battle, like a blast of hot air it pressed against him from all sides.
And worst of all the darkness seemed to simply hurt the boy instead of killing him.
No, it was more like it couldnt kill him.
That inhuman fighting spiritthat did not accept death.
But it wouldnt matter. If one or two hits werent enough, then all the evil of the world at once would have to do.
And as the priest raised his hand, reality..shifted.
For a moment it fought against those invaders, like a cornered tiger it tried to pull itself together and lash out against those attempting to force their way in.
In the endit was futile, in a storm of power three shapes materialized behind the priest, each of them clothed in robes of some kind, the eyes a glow with barely restrained power.
And the darkness quivered.
A narrowed glare.
I do not know who you are, but right now I do not need anyone to interfere, disappear.
The shadows strained to obey.
A blast of lightning.
The cackle of thunder.
And the shadows disappeared even as Kotomine was thrown to the ground from the blast.
The man in the middle seemed to wag his finger now even as lighting danced in his eyes.
I dont think so.
He took a step back, giving the other two the stage, but not before winking at his young charge.
A seconds worth of pause, then, the woman on the left spoke, her voice echoing through the entire temple.
The Fate of the Universe will be decided as it should be..
The moment she stopped and took a step back the man on the right stepped forward, his voice both incredible loud and deep as it rumbled like the thunder from before.
in MORTAL KOMBAT
Silencethen.
GET UP
For a moment confusion reigned over Kotomines brain as he tried to understand what the hell had happened and why the taint of the grail seemed to not obey him anymore, then he was forced to dodge Shirous flying stomp by rolling away.
And the boy..kept on grinning.
h43r: