Chapter 83. The Radiance of the Star Holy Sword and the First Encounter with the "Clown"
Orario, Hephaestus Familia Headquarters, Underground Level N — The Primordial Flame Workshop.
The temperature here had reached a point where even ordinary fire-attribute Magic Stones would spontaneously detonate. The air distorted as if dancing a hula; every breath felt like swallowing molten lead.
Shirou Emiya, bare-chested, stood before a massive furnace. His skin had been baked to a bronze hue by the high heat. Sweat evaporated the instant it seeped from his pores, leaving behind only a faint layer of salt frost. His right hand—the prosthetic limb fused with dragon bone and divinity—was currently emitting a white-gold light more dazzling than the furnace fire itself.
"Are you still going, Emiya-kun?" Tsubaki Collbrande stood outside the safety line, holding a massive mithril board used for recording data. Her lone eye flickered with a mix of worry and fanaticism. "Even though your True Tsumukari Muramasa is complete, you don't seem satisfied with that cursed blade that severs fate. What you want to project now... is that thing, isn't it?"
'That thing.'
In this workshop, it was a synonym for a taboo. It was the trump card Shirou Emiya had used on the 59th floor to blast away the Spirit Demi-clone, and the primary culprit that had nearly scrapped him entirely.
"Yeah." Shirou's voice was hoarse, but his eyes were exceptionally clear. "Though Tsumukari Muramasa is strong, it is a specialized Anti-God weapon. Facing that possible ancient abyss that exists below the 60th floor—something older than the gods—I need a sword that doesn't just sever causality, but one that can illuminate everything."
He closed his eyes, and a golden grassy plain surfaced in his mind, along with that unreachable back. It was the source of his magecraft and the eternal utopia in his heart.
"I'm going to... completely analyze it. No more half-baked projections, no more semi-releases that blow me away. In this world, with this body, I will forge the true..."
"Holy Sword of the Star."
"Madman," Tsubaki sighed, then grinned, revealing white teeth. "But, I like madmen. Come! Let's see if you can burn through the physical laws of this world!"
"Begin."
Shirou extended his right hand, grasping at the air in front of him. The Magic Circuits within his body—those twenty-seven circuits that had undergone countless restructurings, reinforcements, and mutations—roared at this moment like an overloaded engine. Magical energy was no longer flowing; it was exploding.
Trace — On.
The surrounding space began to vibrate. Not a simple shaking, but like a piece of drawing paper being pulled with force, visible wrinkles appeared.
Judging the concept of creation. It is the wish of the planet, the hope of humanity. Hypothesizing the basic structure. Not mortal iron, but radiance crystallized from conviction. Copying the composition materials. Impossible to copy... No, I will fill it with my bones, my blood, and my soul!
"Ugh... Ahhhhhhh—!!!" Shirou let out a low howl of pain. His right hand began to crack. Even a prosthetic reshaped by dragon bone appeared fragile and insufficient when facing a Divine Construct of this caliber. Golden cracks spread up his arm as if it would shatter like glass in the next second.
'Is this... the weight of the Holy Sword?' Shirou grit his teeth, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. But I... can still hold on!
Skill — Limit Break! Mystery — Full Output!
"Show yourself!!!"
VROOOM!!!
A piercing golden light exploded in the center of the workshop. The light was so intense that even Tsubaki had to close her eyes, even activating the protection mode of her [Smith's Eye]. The entire Tower of Babel seemed to shudder.
In the center of the light, the silhouette of a sword gradually became clear. The hilt, the guard, the blade. Although it was still translucent and not yet fully materialized, that holy, majestic aura—capable of purifying all filth—had truly descended.
[Excalibur — Conceptual Armament].
"It worked?!" Tsubaki shouted in pleasant surprise.
However, the moment the blade formed, an anomaly occurred.
A crisp crack of shattering rang out. It wasn't the sword breaking. It was... the space behind Shirou that shattered.
Like a mirror struck by a stone, a massive black rift appeared in space. From the rift came no roar of monsters, but a wind that was ancient, desolate, and even carried a hint of... the scent of soil.
"Is this... a space-time fault?!" Tsubaki's expression changed drastically.
"Stop it! Emiya! The mana density is too high; it's collapsing the spatial coordinates!"
"I... I can't stop it!" Shirou discovered with horror that the Holy Sword in his hand was like a massive black hole, crazily swallowing everything around it—mana, air, even... time. A strange
resonance was generated between him and the sword, acting like two powerful magnets stuck together, while simultaneously tearing away his anchor to the present world.
Crap... Shirou looked at the rapidly expanding black hole, an ominous premonition flashing through his heart.
'This is probably the legendary... Flag realization? I knew that conducting high-risk experiments like this in another world would never end well!'
"Emiya!!!" Tsubaki tried to rush over to grab him, but a massive repulsive force sent her flying back.
"Sorry, Tsubaki-san." Shirou gave a helpless, bitter smile. "Help me tell Ais and the others... that today's dinner might have to be postponed."
In the next second, the golden light and the black hole contracted simultaneously. With a shoo sound, Shirou Emiya, along with the unfinished Holy Sword, vanished into thin air.
Only the empty workshop remained, along with a stunned Tsubaki still holding the data board.
"It's over..." She slumped to the ground. "This time... not only did I lose the guy, but I have to face the wrath of those women from the Loki Familia. My life... is probably Game Over too."
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Too noisy.
That was Shirou Emiya's first sensation upon regaining consciousness. Noisy sounds reached his ears: the roars of beasts, the sound of breaking trees, and a... miserable scream that sounded like a pig being slaughtered.
"Help—!!! Someone save me!!! I'm going to be eaten! If my handsome and dashing face gets bitten, the world will cry!!!"
'These lines... sound familiar.'
Shirou struggled to open his eyes. Before him was a dense primeval forest. The trees were unnaturally tall, each looking like an ancient tree hundreds of years old. The air lacked the musty smell unique to the Dungeon; instead, it was filled with the fresh scent of soil and plants. The sky was azure and clear, without the shadow of the Tower of Babel or the oppression of the Knossos.
'Where... was I blown to?' Shirou rubbed his head and sat up. His body was surprisingly free of major damage, though his mana was once again bottomed out. The bandages on his right hand had disappeared, revealing the white-gold prosthetic limb shimmering with a gentle luster under the sunlight.
'Where is the sword?' Shirou looked around. There was no sign of the Holy Sword. It seemed the projection failed... or perhaps it was left in the rift of space-time? However, now wasn't the time to obsess over that.
"That guy screaming so miserably over there..." Shirou stood up and looked toward the source of the sound. Though he was weak right now, as an Ally of Justice, his body reacted faster than his brain upon hearing someone call for help (and in such a "unique" way).
"Let's go take a look. Hopefully, I'll run into an NPC I can talk to and ask what map this is."
.
.
.
A forest clearing.
A giant, black-furred boar—no, it was a monster ten times more ferocious than a boar, the [Calydonian Boar]—was chasing a stumbling figure with bloodshot eyes.
The figure wore a ridiculous white clown outfit, a hat with a feather stuck in it, and held a broken wooden sword. His running posture was extremely pathetic; he made faces as he ran, attempting to use a psychological attack to stop the boar's pace.
"Stupid pig! Come and catch me! If you catch me, I'll let you... hehehe!" The clown slipped and took a face-plant in the dirt.
Roar! The boar let out an excited roar, its massive tusks thrusting fiercely toward the clown's backside.
"It's over! Is my Heroic Tale going to turn into 'That Time I Reincarnated as Boar Feed' before it even starts?!" The clown closed his eyes and let out a desperate wail.
CLANG!
A crisp sound of metal clashing rang out. The anticipated pain did not come.
The clown carefully opened one eye. He saw a red-haired youth standing before him. The youth held two uniquely shaped short swords, one black and one white, steadily parrying the boar's tusks. His back wasn't particularly broad, but in the eyes of the clown at this moment, it appeared incomparably tall, as if he came with his own holy light special effects.
"Um... are you alright?" Shirou turned back, giving a somewhat forced smile (after all, with insufficient mana, tanking this hit was a bit straining). "Although this pig looks delicious, I assume you don't want to be its appetizer?"
"H-Hero?!" The clown was stunned. Then, a light like never before erupted in his eyes. "A real hero has appeared! And he's red-haired! Is this a fated encounter?!"
"Don't daze off! Run!" Shirou kicked the boar back and grabbed the clown to run. Currently, he had no mana to release a Noble Phantasm; it was unwise to fight such a thick-skinned monster head-on.
"Run? Why run?" the clown shouted as he was dragged along. "Since a hero has appeared, shouldn't you just use a one-hit kill move to blast it to dust? Just like the storybooks say!"
"Read fewer storybooks! Reality is cruel!" Shirou retorted. "My mana bar is empty! And I don't even know you!"
"I'm Argo! The future great hero, Argo!" The clown—Argo—introduced himself loudly, completely lacking the self-awareness of someone being rescued. "What about you? Red-haired brother! What's your name? Which Familia are you from?"
"My name is Shirou Emiya." Shirou sighed, glancing back at the relentlessly pursuing boar. "And... I'm probably just a lost cook."
"A cook?!" Argo was shocked. "Are cooks these days so good at fighting? Are you the reincarnation of the legendary 'God of Cooking'?"
"Stop talking! There's a cliff ahead!" Shirou saw the precipice. There was no way out.
"In that case..." Shirou stopped and turned to face the boar. With the escape route blocked, he could only fight. Though his mana was low, his skills remained.
"Argo!" Shirou shouted. "Do you know how to use a sword?"
"I... I know a little bit!" Argo held up his broken wooden sword, his hands shaking like a sieve.
"That's enough." Shirou took a deep breath.
Trace On.
He didn't project a Noble Phantasm. Instead, he attached his remaining sliver of mana to Argo's broken wooden sword. [Reinforcement]. The originally ragged wooden sword instantly became hard as iron, even emitting a faint layer of light.
"Listen up." Shirou pointed at the charging boar. "Its weakness is that patch of white fur under its neck. I will block its charge; you take the chance to attack there. There's only one shot. Can you do it?"
"I... I..." Argo looked at the mountain-like boar, his legs turning to jelly. "I can't! I'm just a clown who wants to be a hero! I don't even dare to kill a chicken!"
"You want to be a hero?" Shirou looked at him, his gaze becoming sharp. "Then prove it to me. A hero isn't made by words, but by deeds. If you run now, you'll be a clown for the rest of your life. But if you swing your sword..."
Shirou stood before the boar, twin swords crossed.
"...Then you are a hero."
Even if only for a second.
ROAR!!! The boar crashed in.
BOOM! Shirou was sent sliding back by the massive impact, his feet plowing deep grooves into the ground. Blood spilled from his lips. But he held the boar's tusks firmly, not retreating a single step.
"Now! Argo!" Shirou bellowed.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!" Argo closed his eyes and let out a voice-cracking scream. He didn't know where the courage came from. Perhaps he was stimulated by Shirou's words, or perhaps he just didn't want to die. He raised the glowing wooden sword and, with all his might, stabbed toward the boar's neck.
Please hit! My hero dream!
Squelch!
The reinforced wooden sword accurately pierced the boar's vital spot. Though the posture was ugly and it was done amidst screaming, the result was—a hit.
Awooo— The boar let out a cry of agony, its massive body crashing to the ground.
"We... won?" Argo slumped to the ground, looking at the broken sword in his hand in disbelief. "I... I killed a monster? I really... did it?"
"Not bad." Shirou wiped the blood from his mouth, walked over, and patted Argo on the shoulder.
"That strike had quite the momentum."
"Heh... hehehe..." Argo began to giggle foolishly, a snot bubble even appearing. "I knew it! I really am a man chosen by fate! Shirou Emiya! Did you see that? The grace of that strike! It was like a thunderclap!"
"Yes, yes, a thunderclap." Shirou shook his head helplessly.
'This guy... why is his personality a bit like a certain blonde idiot (referring to Hermes)?'
However... Shirou looked around. This forest, this kind of monster... and this guy named Argo. If his memory served him right... Argonaut.
He was the "First Hero" of the mythological age. The man who wrote the Argonautica and was praised by countless generations (though mostly seen as a joke).
In other words... Shirou looked up at the sky. There was no gaze from the gods, no fluctuations of divine power. Only the primitive, wild aura of nature.
'I... traveled to before the Age of Gods? That barbaric era known as the "Ancient Times"?
Fate... there's a limit to how much you can play with me!'
Shirou roared inwardly.
'I just wanted to level up, I didn't plan on being a pioneer! And a hell-difficulty one where there isn't even a starter village!'
"Um, Brother Emiya?" Argo leaned in, looking at Shirou with adoration. "That magic trick where you turned air into swords just now was too cool! Can you teach me? In exchange, I can let you join my 'Argo Heroic Faction'! Although it's just me right now, it will definitely become number one in the world in the future!"
"A Heroic Faction, huh..." Shirou looked at the youth before him, who was weak and ridiculous, yet had eyes shimmering with the light of dreams. For some reason, he thought of himself, always shouting "I want to be an Ally of Justice."
"It really is... an invitation that's hard to refuse."
"Alright." Shirou sighed and reached out his hand. "I'm lost anyway. Until I find a way back... I'll play this 'Hero Game' with you for a while."
"Awesome!" Argo shook Shirou's hand tightly, jumping with excitement. "The first member! And a powerful red-haired swordsman! Our legend begins here!"
"Wait, don't rush into the legend yet." Shirou pointed at the boar carcass on the ground. "Before the legend starts... can we roast this first? I'm starving."
"Eh? A whole roasted boar?" Alfi... no, Argo's eyes lit up. "I want to eat too!"
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Thus, in a certain primeval forest of the mythological age, the future Ally of Justice (part-time chef) Shirou Emiya, and the past First Hero (part-time clown) Argo—these two idiots who crossed thousands of years—sat around a campfire, eating roasted meat, and began their adventure destined to be recorded in the annals of history (or joke collections).
"This meat is roasted so well!" Argo said, his mouth dripping with grease. "Brother Emiya, you really are a God of Cooking descended to earth! This taste... is even better than the royal cuisine in the palace!"
"It's alright." Shirou took a bite of meat and looked at the starry sky.
'I wonder how Ais and the others are doing... My sudden disappearance must have worried them sick.'
"Don't worry, Brother Emiya!" Argo beat his chest. "I don't know who you're worried about, but since you're a hero, there will definitely be a Happy End! Just like the storybooks say!"
"A Happy End, huh..." Shirou smiled. "Yeah. As long as you don't give up, as long as you keep moving forward. One day, you'll reach that ending."
'But before that...' Shirou glanced at his glowing right hand.
'It seems I need to properly polish this 'sword' in this era.'
Meanwhile, deep in the forest, in the ruins of a massive palace built of white marble, a girl in a pure white dress with long golden hair sat quietly on a throne. Her eyes were hollow, as if she had lost her soul. Beside her crouched a massive Minotaur (Ancient Version) emitting a terrifying aura.
"Princess..." a cold voice echoed in the shadows. "A new 'toy'... has appeared. That red radiance... seems capable of severing fate."
The girl did not answer. She only tilted her head slightly, looking toward the forest. In those golden eyes, for the first time, a flicker of something called "hope" appeared.
"A hero...?" she whispered softly.
In this dark age without gods, where only monsters ran rampant, the encounter of two falling stars was about to ignite the flame known as "Mythology."
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