[EMIYA SHIROU]
[THE GAMER]
[LV 46 - 39.000/45.000]
[HP: 3800][MP: 35][MC: 27][ST: 920][SP: 5]
[STR: 50][DEX: 50][INT: 50][WIS: 50][CHR: 102]
[ATK: 100] [DEF:100]
Shirou slowly advanced through the thick foliage of the island's underbush, using all of his senses to detect any possible creature sneaking up on him.
Although he sucked at covert operations, he was unfortunately the most suited person for the task, being the only person that Shuten-Doji couldn't harm directly. Waver Velvet stayed behind to hold the fort, so to speak, and to explore some of the side tunnels of the cave that had become their base of operations. They needed to know the ins and outs of every corridor, both to know which way danger could come from and in which direction to flee should the need arise.
Upon Shirou fell the task of scouting the island and gather information on the enemy forces. If they wanted to return to their world, they had to find the old sake cup that had become their Anchor in this Singularity, which in turn meant finding Shuten-Doji's whereabouts.
Shirou didn't have any clue as to what an Oni would do and therefore go. He supposed and hoped that she didn't leave the island. He didn't know what else was out there in this plane, but he wasn't about to test his luck and brave the seas. What little he knew of the creatures living underneath the waters was enough to dissuade him from that course of action.
Besides, considering their parting words, Shirou had the distinctive feeling that she was waiting for him to make a move, hence his inclination to keep his eyes wide open. Not that he could get away from her, even if he noticed her presence before she made a move. Her sheer speed and raw strength were far in excess of what Shirou could bring to bear, even with the combination of his high Stats and Reinforcement.
He was brutally outclassed.
It was precisely in these circumstances that he hated not having any talent in the stealth department. When the solution to the problem wasn't killing the enemy, it would have been mighty useful sneaking behind them and going right to the objective.
Unfortunately, with Shirou's outrageous charisma, passing unobserved was out of the question, which made the need for intel all that much critical. For starters, he needed a better grasp of the layout and landmarks of the island.
The women he had rescued had been more than inclined to give him all manner of pointers, but having been held prisoners for months without ever leaving the camp, they had no clue as to what the Oni forces had been up to. The only place they could point him to was the location of their village. No one knew what was there now, having been razed when the Oni returned, but it was as good a place to start as any. Maybe there would be a clue, or something that could point him in another direction.
As he progressed, he heard the sound of footsteps further ahead, as well as several prompts of supernatural presences from his Gamer Eyes. He knew that trying to approach undetected would only result in failure, therefore he rushed ahead with his weapon drawn and his body full Reinforced and came across a small group of Oni
[Lesser Oni - Lv 75]
[Lesser Oni - Lv 75]
[Oni Captain - Lv ?]
[Lesser Oni - Lv 75]
[Lesser Oni - Lv 75]
With his Quick Thinking, Shirou immediately took stock of the enemy numbers, positions and level. The Lesser Oni were armed with the club that they seemed to favor while the Oni Captain distinguished itself from the others by virtue of being much bigger, wearing a necklace of human bones and weilding a Kusarigama, a chain sickle.
Shirou's rapid action took them by surprise, even though they had to have heard him coming from afar. He intended to take full advantage of it.
Not knowing what the Oni Captain was capable of, but clearly being of a much higher level, Shirou decided that the wisest course of action was taking out the weakest members.
The first Oni lost its head before he understood that he was in danger. The second one parried Shirou's sword with its club, but it was never the real target. Shirou pivoted around it and headed towards the third Oni, plunging the tip of his sword through the creature's chest, piercing his heart.
Shirou then jumped right out of the way of the Captain's sickle, throwing himself back into the woods. That attack was extremely fast. Shirou had avoided it only because he had understood that the surprise effect had been exhausted and that his back was turned to the most dangerous opponent with a mid-range weapon.
Fortunately, a Kusarigama was actually an awful weapon to employ in a forest. The trees would get in the way of all ranged attack, greatly diminishing its effectiveness.
At least that's what Shirou thought until the tree behind which he had taken shelter wasn severed cleanly at his neck height. It was thanks to the wood slowing it however slightly that he managed to duck underneath it before it took his head too. He then had to roll out of the way lest he got crushed by the falling tree.
Shit had just gotten real.
"Captain! That's the red headed human the Boss told us about!" shrieked one of the Lesser Oni.
"Good. Let's get his head and bring it to her," replied the Captain, as he twirled the chain in preparation of making another strike.
The Kusarigama flew once more towards Shirou, who didn't bother dodging this time.
Instead, he slammed down on it with his Reinforced sword. The Projected blade shattered, but the sickle was repelled, bouncing somewhere to the right. Shirou didn't bother following it, for he had more pressing things to do. He Projected and Reinforced another sword without missing a beat, while he rushed towards the group and they at him.
The Busujima combat style was developed to fight against superior numbers, yes, but the individual enemies had to be severely inferior to the user. This was not the case, but it was still the style Shirou was most proficient at, as well as the only one meant to fight the supernatural he knew. Ordinary kendo wouldn't cut it, especially since it was a sport rather than an actual fighting technique.
Fortunately, Shirou had more than one ace up his sleeve.
While the Oni Captain retrieved his blade, Shirou attacked the Lesser Oni. Both of them at the same time. One step away from exchanging blows with one, he threw a knife at the other.
Shirou's sword was parried, but the knife tore a bloody hole into the shoulder of the second Oni. That's when something small and hard impacted violently against his side, sending Shirou flying and thumbling on the floor.
[Damage Received: 1000 HP]
All the ribs on his left side had been broken, despite the Reinforcement applied to both himself and the armor. What exactly had hit him? It had to be something blunt, certainly not the sickle.
'What a moron,' he chided himself as he got back on his feet. 'I completely ignored the fundo at the other end of the chain.'
A Kusarigama was made of three parts after all, the sickle, the chain and the metal weight called fundo at the bottom. All three parts could be used as a weapon in three different ways. Luckily, although he had received heavy damage, his combat proficiency wasn't diminished in the least. Perks of having a body that was no longer exactly human.
However, he did suffer some damage and he was not particularly closer to defeat these opponents. Maybe it was time for a change in tactics.
As the Lesser Oni started approaching him, the Captain pulled back his chain and started swirling it over its head in preparation to strike. Rather than opting for moving about rapidly, Shirou stood his ground with his guard up, knowing that the strike would come anytime soon.
The three Oni would likely attack at the same time from different directions, and that was just fine with him. The sickle came even faster than the first time, but Shirou was ready to receive it. As expected, the Lesser Oni charged at him from the sides.
His sword met the Kusarigama as it did before, batting it away. This time, however, he did not just randomly deflect, but he directed it towards the unwounded Oni coming from his right.
"Wha-" the surprised exclamation died in its throat as the sickle went through its skull like a hot knife through butter.
At the same time, Shirou absorbed the stagger from having parried the Kusarigama into a pivotal motion, slamming his sword down on the other Oni, severing it cleanly from head to crotch. The two halves stared at him, blinking owlishly a couple of times before slumping in two opposite directions.
Shirou did not stop there and jumped away from the fundo he knew would be coming his way. The iron weight passed in front of his face, missing his skull by a few scant inches. He briefly wondered if his Die Hard skill would apply even if his brain was scattered all over the forest, and quickly decided that he would not try to find out.
"Damn you, human," cursed the Oni Captain, being the last one left standing. It was clear now that it was afraid of Shirou, and it recalled both his sickle and the fundo, swirling them menacingly at its sides. "You'll pay for that."
Shirou wasn't one for making conversation during combat, so he just launched a flying knife out of the blue, summoning it out from his Inventory mid-throw. The Oni wasn't caught by surprise and it used its swirling chain as a shield, batting it down.
'So ranged weapons won't do, uh?' Shirou wondered.
What was the best way to take this opponent down? At whatever level it was, its stats had to be much higher than Shirou's. Furthermore, it was fairly intelligent as well as skilled with its weapon of choice. The methods he had employed with Mikado's Superior Wraiths wouldn't do.
What were his advantages then? In what aspect did he surpass this enemy?
'... there is that. Might as well give it a shot.'
Shirou changed stance, shifting from a middle guard meant to intercept the long ranged attacks to a low crouch with the sword held backwards, telegraphing that he was about to charge straight ahead.
There was a moment of wary hesitation upon the Oni's ugly visage. Its instinct was warning it that something was very wrong. However, when Shirou shot forward like a bullet, cracking the ground where he had stood, there was no more time to consider what the trap was and it swung its weapon-
"Stop!"
The [Eye of the Tyrant] slammed into the Oni, full force. The creature's level might have been higher than his own but if he had one stat was one that couldn't have been very high, Shirou had bet that it would be its charisma.
A bet that he won, because the Oni froze in place mid swing. The sickle went up high in the air rather than straight towards Shirou, leaving a fatal opening that the redhead intended to exploit to the fullest.
The Oni's eyes widened and its body tensed, but it still could not move a single muscle. Shirou's sword flashed down and a spurt of blood arched through the air.
The Oni collapsed to its knees, dropping his weapon as well.
"Gyyaaah!" it screamed, clutching the stump of its severed arm.
"Shut up," said Shirou, pushing his sword against its neck. There was no need to use the [Eye of the Tyrant] twice. The cold feel of his bloodied blade was deterrent enough to make the despicable creature shut its mouth. "Answer me quickly. Where can I find Shuten-Doji?"
"The… the… the Boss?"
"Her. Where is she?"
"I don't… I don't know," he admitted. "She comes and goes as she pleases."
"You said that you wanted to bring my head to her. Where would you have taken it?"
"That… I didn't really mean that. Hahaha! That was just a little joke," it lied, only to let out a panicked shriek when Shirou cut its neck open a little bit. "I'll tell! I'll tell! I'll tell!"
"Do it then."
"The castle. The castle on top of the mountain. That's where she stays when she isn't going around the island."
A castle? Shirou hadn't explored the entire place yet, but he had seen mountains from more than just one side. However he hadn't seen even a single glimpse of something like a building.
Then again they were heavily forested areas, and castles weren't necessarily very tall. It could very well be hidden.
"Tell me where it is, precisely. What kind of defenses does it have? How do I get in?"
"I don't know, sir! I'm just a lowly soldier. I have never been inside the castle myself. I only know of its general location."
Of course, that would have been too easy.
"Is there anything else you know that I could use? Anything at all? Don't hide a single thing."
"Hiii! I don't know. I don't know anything el-"
Shirou swung his blade before the Oni could finish that sentence. Its head rolled on the ground, spurting copious amounts of blood from its neck.
[EXP Gained: 25.000]
[You have gained a level!]
"That's that," Shirou sighed, dispelling his sword.
Apart from the experience, Shirou had acquired a bit of intel from this encounter. Of course, as much as he would have liked to solve this matter quickly, he had to be cautious with each step.
As such, he picked up the corpse and weapons of the fallen Oni
[Bloodied Kusarigama]
[DMG: +500 (cutting)]
[DMG: +250 (blunt]]
[Description: A weapon rusty from being soaked in blood. An Anti-Human weapon]
[DMG against Humans: 300%]
"Holy crap!" exclaimed Shirou.
Five hundred points of base damage was huge, especially when compared to Shisui that had a base damage of 150 points. When Reinforced, Saeko's heirloom sword could get up to 450 points.
The Kusarigama was way above that without Magecraft, and that was without considering the bonus against humans. No wonder he suffered such a huge damage when he got it. Furthermore…
[As a result of a special action you have learned
Basic Kusarigamajutsu - Oni Style Lv.1]
[Basic Kusarigamajutsu - Oni Style has reached Lv. 2]
[Basic Kusarigamajutsu - Oni Style has reached Lv. 3]
[...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...]
[...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...]
[...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...]
[Intermediate Kusarigamajutsu has reached Lv. 30]
The Oni wasn't a novice in using that weapon, but neither was it very good. The attached skill stopped right there. Still, it was more than enough for Shirou to use it with some measure of proficiency. With his cheat he could level it up faster than the Oni ever could anyway.
He tossed it into his inventory and moved onto the next item.
[Human skulls necklace]
[CHR: -50]
[Warning: When worn, it may cause loss in relationship with all Humans of Good or Neutral alignment.]
"As it should," he mumbled in disgust.
Still, he tossed it into his Inventory too. He wasn't planning on wearing it, ever, but that severe reduction in charisma was something to keep in mind. He didn't know if he could access the Stealth and the Assassination skill trees by artificially lowering that stat, but it was worth considering. A shame that he couldn't hax those.
Having cleaned up the area of the fight, Shirou resumed his trip towards the village. Although finding and scouting the castle should have been more important, it was still a priority mapping out the island as accurately as possible. In addition, it was better not to venture in a new direction without first informing his allies, and he could do that only by going all the way back.
Since he had no intention of wasting time like that, he pushed onward, hoping to find something worthwhile over there too.
[br]
Elsewhere, in a lavishly furnished room, the body of Mikado Ryouko laid on a pile of soft-looking cushions.
Shuten-Doji, the one currently at the helm, was slowly savoring a handful of ripe grapes, accompanied by a cup of sake.
Her almost naked form was an enticing, almost irresistible view for any man that would lay his eyes on her.
Not that there were any in the vicinity. Humans, especially the male ones, did not survive long among Oni. As for the members of her species, they were too busy being scared shitless of her to harbor any thoughts other than obeying her every order to the letter.
Not that she would have exhibited any interest in them even if they had the guts to stand in her presence more than strictly necessary.
Despite her nature, Shuten-Doji had very strict aesthetic standards, and unfortunately the members of her species did not meet them.
Therefore, the King of Oni had very little chance to display her charms to anyone. Adding insult to injury, the few individuals she wanted her beauty to work on were also those who rebuffed her most strongly.
Golden was the prime example of that, but there were others. The boy from the previous night, for instance, managed to refuse her. A noteworthy feat in and of itself.
A creature like Shuten-Doji did not need to exert her superhuman physical strength to get what she wanted from mere humans. Her presence, her superior allure, were more often than not sufficient for mortal men to strip off their flesh and offer their bones out of their own volition. As such, when one of their kind so firmly turned her down, she was bound to become a little bit interested.
For that reason, she told her subordinates to hunt him down and bring her his head. If they succeeded, then it meant he was only worth that much and she would forget he ever existed in short order. If they failed, then her interest would grow even more and she'd have to prod him further.
Either way she would get a bit of entertainment or a good liquor. A human with fiery eyes like those would make for a fine bottle of sake.
They always did.
[br]
Volumen Hydrargyrum slithered around Waver's feet as the latter advanced carefully through yet another underground tunnel. He had explored several thus far and they had all turned out to be dead ends, or they became too narrow for him to advance any further.
This one, however, kept going and going without seemingly shrinking. In fact, the walls were surprisingly smooth and devoid of stalactites or stalagmites.
It looked almost artificial in nature, hence why he kept his Mystic Code close at hand, rather than have it scout forward.
He knew his hunch had been right when the tunnel became even larger, and he found himself standing before a black Torii.
Now, Waver wasn't exactly the foremost expert of Japanese folklore, but he was versed enough to know that these constructions were gateways to sacred places.
Sacred places, however, could often be considered forbidden areas upon which trespassing could cause any number of repercussions.
In short, it was a dangerous place. Unfortunately, he also knew all too well that risk and benefits went hand in hand.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, said the old adage. A Magus like Waver knew the truth of that statement better than most.
Still, he was not an idiot. There was no need for him to go on his own. He'd wait for Emiya to return and then they would go together. Of course, he also considered that if for some reason, both of them were to be trapped in this forbidden area, there would be no one left to protect all the women left behind.
Unfortunately, Waver wasn't the sort of man that would prioritize the lives of others above his own, therefore that was only a secondary concern.
That was not to say that he would stand aside and watch as the innocent were slaughtered, just that he wouldn't sacrifice himself for them. It was a perfectly reasonable standpoint.
It was a shame that it wouldn't fly with his current ally, but that was something he'd have to find out the hard way.
[br]
The village, Shirou found, had been built close to the shore, within a curve of the near-vertical cliff wall, thus protecting it from the wrath of the elements. Even so, it currently was nothing more than a pile of rubble. In a sheltered location or not, a human settlement next to the sea would not last long without proper care, and therefore only a few buildings were left standing.
It made Shirou curious or, rather, suspicious. Why would the Oni not make use of perfectly good existing buildings and instead force the villagers to make new ones elsewhere?
Did they have an aversion to the sea? Nothing he knew about them from folklore suggested so, though it had to be noted that salt was considered a repellant of evil entities, though not Oni specifically. Maybe they just didn't like the place.
Shirou didn't really think he'd find an answer to that question by sifting through the debris, however he had a duty to be thorough.
As he explored, he found a number of fishing tools in good state of preservation, which he collected simply because it would have been a waste to leave them behind, but nothing really piqued his attention until he came across a small shrine built inside a rift of the rock wall overlooking the village.
It was a small building, humble even. It stood out simply because it was remarkably well kept. Some of the damage to the other buildings had clearly been inflicted by the Oni during their invasion, but this one was left untouched. Why was that? It certainly warranted checking out.
Carefully, he climbed upon the three wooden steps and stood in front of its door.
He felt nothing. No supernatural influence, no presence whatsoever. In fact, it was like he had stepped through some sort of cocoon, a thin membrane that separated the shrine from the rest of the world.
It wasn't a Boundary Field. He would have been able to tell if it was. No, it was simply as if the atmosphere around the building was different, in the same way in which the acoustics in the corner of a house was different from every other room for some inexplicable reason.
He didn't feel threatened by this. In fact, he felt like some kind of protective shroud had fallen on his shoulders. He really felt like he was in a sacred place.
He slowly pulled the door open, and peered inside.
It was largely empty, with the exception of a few ornamental items to the side. At the center of it was an altar, on top of which was a white cushion. Upon that, rested what appeared to be the fragment of a katana.
Shirou didn't realize he had picked it up until the prompt appeared in front of his eyes.
[Fragment of Doujigiri Yasutsuna]
[Description: Shard of an Anti-Oni weapon. If all the shards are collected, it would be possible for an extraordinary swordsmith to reforge the legendary blade. In its incomplete state, it's impossible to replicate its abilities even through Magecraft. Despite being a weapon that kills the wicked, one can feel a motherly love flow from it.]
Shirou blinked. Doujigiri Yasustuna? Wasn't that one of the Tenka-Goken, the Five Swords under Heaven? He was fairly sure that a sword with that name was held at the Tokyo National Museum. Was there another weapon with the same name?
Regardless, it was specifically a sword made to kill Oni. It would explain why they steered away from this place. In all likelihood, they feared being near this fragment in the first place.
Speaking of which, where were the other pieces? Scattered across the island? If he collected them, there was a chance that he could forge the complete sword again, which could be exactly what he needed to stand up to Shuten-Doji.
All that missed at this point was-
[New Quest: Reforge a Legendary Sword]
[Description: Find the five fragments of Doujigiri Yasutsuna and forge the sword anew]
[Reward for Success: 45.000 Exp, Doujigiri Yasutsuna, ?]
[Reward for Failure: Doujigiri Yasutsuna remains forever broken, ?]
Ah, there it was. A Quest had showed up. The experience reward was huge. At this junction it was enough to make him gain a whole level, but what mattered most was getting the complete sword. The playing field could be leveled if he managed to forge it again.
The problem was… where the heck were the other fragments? Unfortunately, his Gamer Eyes didn't included a map or pointers to the next step of the quest. If he wanted the sword, he had to scavenge the whole island for the pieces.
At this point, it was better going back to the cave and see if Mikoto knew about other locations where the shards could be kept. Without further ado, he immediately left the ruined village and made his way back.
Things were starting to come together after all.
[XXX]
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