[Audio | Action TO ALL | Fourth Wall Event]
--stay!
[ Is that a distorted, but may be recognizable voice? Why, yes, maybe, to those who know her. There's heavy breathing, but it distances itself from the Gear, and there's surprised sounds from a Togekiss, Typhlosion, and Gabite in the background ( Read more... )
[ Is that a distorted, but may be recognizable voice? Why, yes, maybe, to those who know her. There's heavy breathing, but it distances itself from the Gear, and there's surprised sounds from a Togekiss, Typhlosion, and Gabite in the background ( Read more... )
A Noble Phantasm...?!
[was she a Servant? she didn't seem like one...yet he was deceived by Gilgamesh before him too. he couldn't be too careful. and if she was one, it was very likely that he was outclassed from the start. so for Shirou, there was only one option. whether he could avoid a fight or not, treat her as a Servant that could kill him if he dared to let his guard down once.
but...
"Please."]
Wait, hold on! I can't help you if you don't tell me how!
[was he just denying it? or did he want to fully understand before he decided? either way, his finger was on the trigger, ready to pull at any given moment if he was forced to fight]
Reply
He seemed sincere. Nice. But niceness isn't... wouldn't be needed here. ]
This is how!
[ She charges forward at incredible speeds and bringing down her Keyblade on him. Lay down the pressure. Force them to think they're fighting a random monster...
It makes this easier that way. ]
Reply
I said wait, damn it! I still don't...!
[...by killing her? no. he'd find out why she was doing this as he defended himself. as he fought back. if there truly was no way of helping her the way that he wanted to, if she was a bad person--... unable to determine it just yet. he couldn't decide. he wouldn't dare allow himself to judge her until he knew for certain what could be done. to do so would mean to betray himself and his ideals]
Trace...
[ 1.) Judging the concept of creation
2.) Hypothesizing the basic structure
3.) Duplicating the composition material
4.) Imitating the skill of its making-- ]
Ggh-- [he'd create them. he'd fight back in the hopes of better understanding why he was fighting in the first place. to save her? to kill her? he wouldn't decide until he saw the truth. he'd make the truth appear! without Tohsaka's prana backing him up, however, he was swiftly reminded of the limitations of his projection without an outside source. it only caused his body to seize up, joints stiffening and his insides churning in the blink of an eye. ah, that's right... it was harder now, but after fully understanding why Emiya Shirou could do what he did in the first place, it was easier. he wasn't creating blades. he was putting what was in his mind to reality, drawing from his own world. drawing from the hill of swords... yes, that was it]
...on!
[ 5.) Sympathizing with the experience of its growth
6.) Reproducing the accumulated years
7.) Excelling every manufacturing process
--
he reaches them, Archer's most trusted blades, Kanshou & Bakuya appear within Shirou's grasp, dual-wielding them as he regains full composure over his body and braces himself for Xion's next attack. getting into a fighting stance and waiting, he calls out to her]
Why do you want me to kill you?
Reply
[ Xion's free hand flings itself out and summons swirls of darkness to form and begin to coalesce around her. She feels it, her true self coming forward...
And the cloak and hood are off, revealing her armored self, no longer anything resembling a human, and her Keyblade has changed. That, and there's one in each hand, almost mirroring Shirou's stance, too.
See, Shirou? Just a monster, a puppet. You're helping nobody here.
And in a small, but steady whisper: ]
I don't want to hurt them again.
Reply
would Kanshou & Bakuya be enough? his grip upon the twin swords tightened as he braced himself, not willing to charge her just yet. to fix things... she didn't want to hurt anyone again. so this was something she didn't want. it was true then; she wanted to be saved, by being killed]
....
[there was still much for him to learn. by fighting this beast, but it just wasn't enough. armed with the knowledge that despite her monstrous appearance, there seemed to be a girl inside of there that wanted nothing to do with this... his decision was obvious now]
I see...
[I...]
Reply
2.) Keep thinking about it...
3.) Save her
Reply
Then let's fix this. [to uphold everything that he believed in, the second that he wavered he'd be killed. he didn't want to be a superhero. he was going to be one. sacrifice one life for the sake of a hundred others? not if he had anything to say about it. he was going to save everyone that he could see, for those that couldn't in the wake of his own rescue. this was his purpose. Emiya Shirou would fight for everything that he believed in, no matter what came from it. no regrets. just moving forward; always... he was not Archer. and this would be just another testament of that. though he maintains his fighting stance, he calls out to the being as if it were a friend]
I don't know what's happening to you, but you clearly don't want this, right? If you really regret what you've done, then you're not a puppet at all. You really want to fix things? Then overcome this and make it up to those you hurt!
[with no hesitation in his voice, he points to the armored being with Kanshou, as if challenging her to prove him wrong. she wouldn't succeed. once Emiya Shirou set his mind to something, he saw it through to the end, no matter the consequences. no regrets... because to him, wanting to help someone was never wrong]
Get ready. I'm going to save you from yourself.
Reply
But.
But...!
It isn't her life that's at stake. She doesn't care what happens to her, so long as her friends were kept happy, safe. Her mechanical body shakes with emotions she shouldn't be feeling before she points one of her Keyblades back at him.
Challenge accepted. ]
I wish I could believe you.
[ Then she charges. ]
Get ready!
Reply
I'll make you believe me. I don't care if you complain.
[and with that, fluently moving with those twin-swords of his, Shirou rushed in to meet her attacks. he had to show her he wouldn't back away, that he had strength behind his words at least. testing the waters, he thrust forward with the black sword, keeping a watchful eye of his opponent least she try to disable his arm. he'd defend himself with the other sword, parry, counterattack, do what was necessary. he didn't know how tough that armor was, but he held on to the hope that it was tough enough to handle a few hits least he needed to take one to survive]
Reply
Afterwards, she moves back on the offensives and goes to rush closer to Shirou by charging her shoulder at him. It doesn't matter if he hits her in the process. The armor... her body can take it. No, she won't go full on defensive any longer.
Her goal isn't to survive. ]
Reply
You never answered me before... [he'd keep talking to her. he'd talk as he fought, silence between them only able to do so much in regards to finding out what could be done. if he couldn't analyze the structure of her armor or Keyblades, then he'd go about this the good old fashion way. talk to her as much as he could, bring her back and try and find some proof that there really was a side of humanity to her. the side that didn't want this, the side he could bring out...]
Who are you?!
Reply
[ Never mind the fact that his words earlier - the one where she wasn't a puppet if she felt regret for her actions - hit things deep. His first strike hits her square in the chest, and she only manages to maneuver her head to the side and have his second blade graze against the metal of her helmet in a metallic screech.
She'll take it. She doesn't feel it, doesn't feel the pain despite the fact she should be under reliable armor.
Xion jumps back some distance away from Shirou. ] Huurgh! [ She concentrates, then flings out a barrage of light towards Shirou AKA Ragnarok. ]
Reply
this was a fatal attack, if he took the entirety of it he'd be finished before he even started. immediately rolling out of the way, he turned back towards the attack, only briefly turning his back on Xion to watch the attack fly by...only to have it turn right around and home in on him]
A homing attack...! [he knew better... this wasn't some reverse of causality or a change in time and space. fortunately for him, these were just homing shots in the present time. something that he could use to his advantage. unfortunately? he still couldn't avoid them and Xion forever. no, he had to stop them here and now. readying Kanshou and Bakuya, he faced Ragnarok with no fear, unwavering as he slashed away at as many as he could as they rushed at him. one slash. two slashes. three--four--]
!!!
[too slow. the remaining beams of light erupt against his defenseless body as he's overwhelmed by their strength. flying back with an anguished scream, Shirou's body crumples to the ground as his grip upon his swords could hardly be called a grip. his breathing stopped, his organs feeling as though they could rupture any time. it was that painful, and he hadn't even taken the full front of that attack... dodging it was meaningless and he still her the main attacker herself to deal with. wincing in pain, despite his body's protests, he forced himself to get up, steeling his mind and body as he immediately turned his attention back to Xion]
Haah...haah...haah... [this time he was outright glaring at her. he was pissed... not because of being nearly killed by her, but... "I told you: a puppet!" how could she say such a thing?]
You idiot... That's not an answer...!
Reply
[ Her voice is calm and steady in its deliverance... and in her own lack of action, too. She had just the opportunity to damage him further, possibly outright killing him when he was overrun by the last remaining bits of Ragnarok that got to him... but she didn't.
Even more regret adds onto her conscious, but she pushes it back, readying herself again when he stands and faces her. Tough, strange human. Only Roxas was able to withstand that, but he had curative spells. It looked like this guy didn't.
But... maybe... He just deserves a little more truth from her. ]
... Please. I know it's all strange... but it's my friends. If I continue to live, then...
[ She's speaking, even as she's charging up another Ragnarok. Hope you have the wit to dodge this all outright, Shirou. ]
Reply
she didn't deserve to die. he knew for a fact now. he would never waver]
You're wrong. If you continue to live after all of this, then you can make it up to them. I won't let you throw away your life just because you can't see a way out.
I'm going to help you. And that's all there is to it.
[and yes, he's saying all of this even as Xion is charging up another Ragnarok. he knows that he'll die if she launches another one. or at least he'll be immobilized. even now he's trying his hardest not to fall over, bones threatening to break on him from pushing himself too hard. but he always did this... surely this body, this will... it was made out of swords]
Besides... I want to get to know the person beneath the armor. [is that a smile on his face? yes, yes it is. he's still pissed at her for the way she was thinking, but it was the little things he could give to her. it was far too soon to give up. he'd never give up]
Reply
She's faltering. She herself can tell. Maybe Shirou can, too. It doesn't matter. Xion can't... She won't back down from goal. And yet...
Maybe there's a chance? ]
Reply
Leave a comment