The Winter Court (277)

[Drackos]

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The Winter Court

Cùirt a' Gheamhraidh, the Winter Court. The seat of power of the Unseelie Fae. A sprawling forest perpetually shifting between hues of autumn and winter, it is also the home of the malicious and trickster Fae, when they are not harassing the other Clans, or the unfortunate humans who find their way into the depths of Tírnan. In spite of their nature, the Winter Court is a beautiful place, where the laws of what is right and proper have taken a break. Fish of snow fly through the air like flakes, water flows upwards and back, and buried within the perpetual faint dustings of snow are vibrant flowers. It is from here the Queen of the Fae, Titania rules with an iron fist, rendering judgement upon criminals and enjoying the fruits of the other Fae's labor. One part of the Winter Court is especially worthy of mention: The Winter Throne. The Queen ordered the Mirror Clan to construct for her a Throne of mirrored glass with divining sight, that she may gaze upon all of Albion from the comfort of her home.

Resting behind the Throne is the unknown object that the humans have come to refer to as the Grotesque Growth. It is a mass of flesh, sinew, and marrow like substance aggregated together in a small hut sized amalgamation. The Void Tree's disconnected roots still cling to it's form, though no longer seem to be influencing the mass. Those with Relic Cores or Relic Weapons can approach the growth to find it still react to their presence, though fainter, as if it were failing, or slowly dying. It is unknown how the Growth found its way into the hands of the Fae of the Winter Court, but regardless, it's still a powerful object worthy of attention and apprehension in equal measure.

As a part of the Fae Domain of Tírnan, any and all attempts to perform Jutsu and techniques that seek to directly influence, alter or draw from the land are met with immediate failure. These include altering the environment with Earth, Water and similar Elemental Releases, as well as the gathering of Natural Energy, for Modes like Sage Mode and Dokkodo.​

 

[Keotsu]

Previous post.

---

This post marks the beginning of my mission using these storyboard elements:
- Scout potential threats (2).

---

As if to put a grotesque bow on her journey, it seemed the Outer Lands had one more spectacular site to bestow upon Musashi. Like what she saw at the Heart of the Titan, here in a large clearing sat an incredibly large, fleshy mass.

Almost the size of a small building, the conglomerate mass of gore was intertwined - penetrated by - the same ashen vines that Musashi had seen throughout the island, though they seemed much more...active here, as if they writhed like small snakes, feasting upon this fallen hunt.

Or...feeding it? She wasn't really sure.

The air was deadly silent, as not a soul besides Musashi was present in this area, and the trees and surrounding flora all were sapped of life, and withered and died. This place might as well be a foot deep into the impure world: the underworld brought to the surface.

She couldn't place why, but much like the other, this strange amalgamation brought Musashi a great deal of unease. She surveyed the area, and took a moment to detail the surroundings of this area - so close to the Foothold! - and the strangeness it held.

She approached the mass, her senses on high alert; but with the barren, emptiness of this area it almost seemed like a more basal reflex. While Musashi herself was in good health and awareness of her own being, if she didn't know any better she would say that it was as if this thing was yearning to reach out and steal the life from her, as she was an aberration in the area, almost as distinct from the surroundings as this disembodied heart was.

Musashi couldn't help but feel there was some sinister connection between this mass and what she saw in the Heart of the Titan, and thought back to what Marzan told her when she visited the venerated smith's forge.

"There are beings in this world who, simply put, sit upon another level of existence than us. Whether through being born with it, like with Marduk and his Pantheon, or stolen through unknown means, which if what we've been told is what the Voidlords have been doing, they are all but immortal. To make things worse, they use their powers to interfere with the lives of us 'mere mortals', as though we were actually lesser beings. It sickens me to think that there are 'people' capable of such abhorrent acts, controlling others as a means to their own ends, but it is simply the nature of the world we live in, and the people that inhabit it.

Even the most powerful among us cannot lay so much as a scratch on a God if they cannot circumvent this fundamental difference. My works, the God Slaying Tools, carry this power to cut through this unfair advantage the Gods possess, but it can only reflect what is already there to begin with. It was my works that allowed Humanity triumph over Tiamat and her endless brood millennia ago. The instruments for humanity's will to overcome such hopeless odds. In the right hands they can tear the God's plans asunder."

She had not had any exposure to what Marzan talked of: Marduk, Voidlords, Tiamat, or any of their ilk. But she did wonder if they were tied to whatever this thing was. A part of her wondered what would happen if she took Myōjingiri to this mass, or the network of strange ashen vines that crawled and crept all over these lands...

...but the swordswoman knew better than to wantonly trifle with things in the realm of the divine, especially when one did not have a good handle on the nature of said divinity. And while Marzan's warnings painted the divinity of this world in a blighted light, even if it was appalling to Musashi...she would gather her strength and what knowledge she could before facing them head on.

She gathered her notes and map, taking recollection of what all she had gathered in the short adventure she had undertaken thus far. It was refreshing to venture about again, and even more so to do so in lands uncharted. But, it seemed Musashi's sightseeing was to come to a close.

There was much going on that Musashi felt she should educate herself in. She had explored this land well enough - and now, she would aim to wrest from it its secrets.

Even further, there was always the matter of the strange Oni that needed to be dealt with, though she had been fortunate to not encounter on in the Outer Lands thus far....

 

[Keotsu]

Previous post.

---

Musashi sighed a deep sigh. There was much to do, and she needed to recuperate. She left the area for now, aiming to return to the Foothold.

Leaving Landmark for the Forest of Echoes (274).

 

[Daemon]

Coming from Stranglevine Woods (269) | Anime Forum (animebase.me)

Susabi followed the beast passed the forest into a forest clearing with a crater in its center. The forest began to thin out as it approached the center of the crater as the life from the trees seem to be ripped from them. Susabi took a step forward and came to the edge of the crater. In its center, a massive mass of flesh with the same white roots he saw in the forest connected to it.

The creature he was following did not dare to enter the crater. It's body language exhibited fear with its body crouched low towards the ground and its ears backwards and flattened. It slowly moved around the perimeter while keeping an eye on the mass of flesh before racing off in the distance. Susabi continued to move towards the flesh mass. He noticed that even while the feline was nowhere near him the abnormal thoughts continued. It was reminiscent of his encounter with that red haired woman back in Chungsu. Insanity. Susabi thought to himself as he approached closer to the beating mass. Whatever it was, it was alive. And was likely the source of the roots he encountered in the Stranglevine forest... or was it the other way around?

This land became more and more interesting. From insanity inducing creatures, to growing masses of flesh. The mystery of the Outer Lands grew. Was the land alive? He decided to further investigate. He decided to venture south .

LLM

 

[Skorm]

Coming from [x]

With the cult dealt with, the two headed west.

LLM

 

[Imperfect]

Arriving from: #286, Sanctuary.

---

Shirō followed the insistent tugging sensation in his stomach, a horrid feeling that was as punctual as his own heartbeat, through the depths of the Fae forest. From Ishkur's Ravine, and across the physical and metaphorical bridge therein, to the very heart of the forest, where water flies rather than falls, where fish swim in the skies and snow gathers in pristine piles of white shimmering beauty, before ascending into the sky and becoming nothing. Here, in the Winter Court, the laws of physics and reality were a debatable opinion rather than solidified fact. If one were not careful and capable of parsing the very world around them with a distinguished eye, they could find themselves falling into the skies above while gravity took a break, or stubbing their foot on and tripping over mountains they once thought distant, but quickly arrived at their feet as if their only purpose in this world were to be a minor inconvenience rather than these distant, mighty features of the land.

As he carefully walked through this alien landscape, Shirō was swarmed by unknown monstrosities. Twisted mangled creatures that bore a human's shape, and even a human soul, but that is where the similarities end. Green shrubberies rest atop rotting heads, a vicious mockery of human hair. Wreathes of flowers spilled forth from torn stomachs, the lack of intestines a sadly welcome sight for this sad welcoming party. Tree trunks rooted to the ground with every step in place of feet. Each horrific addition to the human form a mockery and tribute to their grand design. It was impossible to tell whether this was a form borne of affection or insult. Whatever these things were, whether or not they were once human, they were no more. Shirō had come face to face with the remnants of the first humans to lay foot on Kamiyasumi after the Cataclysm, some of those peoples the first to venture into the Fae forest in search for lumber that would be used to make homes in the space that was now Dawnport. These were no longer humans, but Slaugh, twisted abominations created from the combination of a human soul, even parts of what remained of a living human, and the organism that was Kamiyasumi's Eastern half. The very land beneath your feet a sentient being that could spring forth the miracle of life if it so desired, and when it was required. And in the creation of these poor, tortured humans? It was very much required according to their "creator". The being Emiya was being drawn towards. The master schemer of Tír na nÓg, a land though fractured still remained a place of mystery steeped in magic, Tirnan. The man who was once believed to be the benevolent King of the Summer Court, Ob̸͇́̚ë̵̻͓͖́͛̒r̵̮̲̈́o̷̺͒n, that facade long since willingly discarded as boredom seemingly drove him to deliver unspeakable acts upon the humans who entered his domain. Blade in hand, Shirō took these abominations out one by one as an act of mercy.

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After ending the suffering of countless souls, Shirō arrived at the seat of power for all of Tirnan, the Winter Throne. Dark blue hues that chilled one to the very bone with an icy touch, a gorgeous field of flowers laid out before him, while a splintered tree, fragments of it's mighty trunk suspended in the air as it acted as the cradle for the authority of Tirnan itself. Watching Emiya's approach from a shimmering oval of semi-translucent glass, it's appearance closer to a rippling pond than mirror, was the "Summer King", making himself comfortable on the Winter Throne, sprawled across the shimmering wooden helm of the very land they both stood upon. A sheer, blatant disregard for Titania's throne in every sense. A sickened scowl of disbelief as he couldn't quite believe who had dispatched the Slaugh that remained within the forest after months of assaulting Dawnport. That red haired, rosy cheeked "Hero of Justice" he thought out of the picture with the loss of his name, identity, his everything. But no. Here he was, flouting the "deal" the two had struck, even if Emiya didn't know it at the time. Shirō was careful in his approach. Everything he is, was and ever will be was in the hands of the man lounging on the throne before him. As he got close Shirō noticed the "Fae King" plucking the petals from a flower which rested upon the disembodied head of a Slaugh, it's face locked in the torturous moment of it's death as it's blood decorated it's killer. His hands and feet chitinous masses complete with monstrous claws, a rotten silken mantle draped across his back, hiding a pair of twisted dragonfly wings. If one weren't to focus on the more insect-like aspects to his appearance, the flowing white shirt and slim slacks covering his legs, he might look like the ideal prince charming. But no. Ob̸͇́̚ë̵̻͓͖́͛̒r̵̮̲̈́o̷̺͒n plucked the petals from the flower as he recited a limerick at Emiya's approach.

We had a deal, the deal was shook. A conversation? All it took.
Though from the deal the hero ran. Yet still... We'll end as we began.

"What a pleasant surprise. For an author himself to visit, especially when he's been robbed of his mighty pen, I must applaud your...
INSISTENCE TO PREY UPON MY LAST NERVE, Shirō Emiya !!"​

Shirō felt another tug, this time much more powerful, at the utterance of his name. He caught a glimpse of his weapon, Tsumukari, resting at the feet of the throne. He knew that's what the King was referring to when he mentioned a pen given it's ability to sever the strands of fate, the weave of reality. To impose one's own will upon the tapestry of this world. For a weapon that was seemingly bound to him, Shirō found himself in far too many instances where it was stolen from him despite that fact... Shirō's attention was brought back up to the Fae King as with a flick of his wrist did the Water Mirror vanish, and he stood with a wicked smile, his boredom temporarily extinguished thanks to man who had no name stood before him.

"How did you do it? Actually, no, don't you dare tell me. There's no fun in that. Instead...
What tricks, what deceptions shall you employ now to pilfer your lost and my new name, hmm?
Do you believe me so gullible as to fall for them, in my own domain no less?!
To stand here now, before me, is the height of arrogance!!"

"I don't need to use tricks when I can get what I want without them."​

At that Oberon erupted into a fit of laughter, at first slow, subtle, but quickly increased in ferocity and volume. He could virtually taste the deceit on his lips, as there was no way for the human to undo his deal than with that same trickery, especially with his oh so precious blade a mere bauble at his feet. That declaration that he wouldn't use tricks was as crafty a ploy as the human could cook up? Oberon knew better, knew he was lying. And yet he didn't call Emiya out on it. There could always be more to it. Once more Oberon tried to impose the deal, once again sending a shockwave of pain and discomfort through Emiya's body. Something wasn't quite right. The deal was most certainly in effect, and yet he held little sway over the man before him. Was this a trick in itself he pondered? It was entirely plausible. The humans of this world were nigh-Godly beings after all, second only to their actual Gods, silent and distant in the sky as the stars themselves. This wasn't a clone, not a decoy, so what was it? His curiosity was piqued, as the man he left for dead in the Fae graveyard stood before him with a defiant glare that sickened him to his very core. With a manic expression, the King of the Unseelie began to step down from his throne towards Emiya, stomping a clawed foot onto the katana at his feet as he did so. With a graceful flourish in the air from the katana, and a careless snatch from the insectoid Fae King, Tsumukari in hand, he pointed the reality warping blade at Emiya, and declared...

"Oh, this is... GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN!!"​

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[Imperfect]

This post contains a mission using the following Story Element.

Fight an enemy stronger than yourself. (4)​

Summary: Oberon, Ruler of the Unseelie Fae, stole Emiya's name while in disguise with the verbal contract "Might I have your name?". When Shirō unwittingly answered in the affirmative, he transferred ownership of his name to the Fae King. With ownership of his name taken, Shirō lost everything, as they were no longer his to have. Memories, experiences, possessions, abilities. All of that belonged to the owner of the name "Shirō Emiya", leaving Shirō himself an empty husk, void of name and purpose. After spending months in a comatose state from that act of deceit, Shirō Emiya awoke through a twist of fate and the switching of his current physical state with a previous one via Kinjutsu. He now seeks to recover his lost name from the Fae King.

---

Face the Fae King, recover thy name, lest oblivion be your aim.
Twixt Throne and Void, end his game. Naught to lose, yet all to gain.
In Winter Court the King must fall 'fore his malice consumes us all.
From blade and fist to wings and thrall, emerge victorious, or fall, Hero, fall.

≈ Prophecy from Ainsel, Leader of the Mirror Clan. ≈​

---

Shirō stood in the vast field of flowers that lay at the feet of the Throne of Winter. Each flower bloomed with an alien light and unknown potential, the land itself a silent witness to the confrontation unfolding upon it's face. A chilled wind touched the back of the human's neck, the whole region eternally in the grasp of winter's clutches even as other conventional laws were broken. The unknown icy-fish that swim through the air now avoiding the Throne at all costs as they sensed the impending clash. Shirō clutched his unremarkable sword in his hand staring at the man who held his name, his blade, his everything in those darkened claws of chitin and malice. For the second time within recent memory his sword had been stolen from him. But Shirō knew how it worked, understood the inner machinations of the Divine blade. He wouldn't allow himself to have his causality, his karma severed by Tsumukari. But that wasn't the only concern either...

Spoiler: Tsumukari Oberon

(Tsumukari) – Heaven Reaching Blade of the Fae King
Type: Artifact
Rank: S-Rank
Range: Short – Long
Chakra: N/A
Damage: 100
Description: Tsumukari, or the Heaven Reaching Blade, is the first katana reforged in the Armory of Marzan after the raid on Irkalla, the Underworld. The sword was reforged using the remnants of the God-Slaying Tool Blessings from the End of the World. Tsumukari is the first of a new generation of God-Slaying Tools, weapons noted to be the great “equalizers” in a cosmic conflict between the gods and man. Forging the blade was a cooperative effort between Marzan, the original engineer of the God-Slaying Tools, and his apprentice Emiya in the aftermath of the demise of the Domain of Death. Because its former iteration was rife with Void energy, Tsumukari has been endowed with unique abilities that go beyond what a standard God-Slaying Tool is capable of. On a basic level Tsumukari and the techniques it produces, be it through the sword or the sword as a proxy, contain proper Divinity to damage and slay a god. Passively, Tsumukari increases the user’s Kenjutsu techniques that utilize the sword by 30 additional damage. All the user’s Kenjutsu techniques, with the exception of those of Tsumukari’s active abilities that explicitly exclude them, gain a single range unit. Visually this appears as crescents and strikes of energy lashing out from the edge of Tsumukari, extending the range when necessary. Tsumukari is unbreakable; though its unbreakable nature cannot be used defensively alone. Use of any of the active abilities of Tsumukari puts the other two on cooldown for two turns.

Yōtō (lit. 妖刀, "Wicked Katana"): The first and most basic attack afforded to the wielder by Tsumukari. The user adorns the edge of the blade with Chakra, infusing it with trace Divinity, and performing simple slashes or piercing attacks with the sword. The user can either maintain the energy along the edge of the blade, empowering its basic attacks to inflict considerable damage for up to three attacks or five turns, whichever comes first. Alternatively, the user can consume the adorned edge and focus it into an arc of Chakra as a projectile with long-range reach. In either case, the blade strikes for 100 physical damage. This damage is treated as strong to all natures and abilities, with the only exception of Anutu and its components. Can be used four times per battle.

Will of the God-Slayer: A state activated through Tsumukari. The Will of the God-Slayer is the legacy of Marzan himself; through raw determination and human ingenuity the blacksmith forged the first God-Slaying Tool. It is an evocation of tenacity and hope, the desire for a better tomorrow by equalizing the war of today. When activated the user’s Kenjutsu prowess is further augmented, increased by an additional 20 damage while gaining an increase of three times their base speed. Additionally, any critical strikes they land with Tsumukari are increased by 30%. Lasts for four turns, can be used twice per battle.

Tsumukari Muramasa: A unique technique that emerges from Tsumukari’s unique composition between Void and Divinity. In short, this ability affords Tsumukari the power to cut causality. The technique is initiated through the user’s Chakra, costing 120, though its true cost lies in the Health Points it drains. Because the user possesses no Divinity the combination of Void and Divinity siphon the user’s health, costing the user 70 Health Points to perform. This health cannot be regenerated while in a battle unless the user possesses full Anutu or Atavistic Flame, in which case it can only be regenerated four turns after Tsumukari’s use. In the case of Atavistic Flame it heals at a rate of 50%, meaning if the user heals for 70 Health Points with Atavistic Flame it will count as 35 toward their total. In essence, when this technique is activated it becomes able to ‘cut’ causality and concepts that the user is capable of perceiving. It cannot cut the concept of ‘life,’ meaning to instantly kill another target. When Tsumukari is used like this it does not physically cut the target, rather it performs a metaphysical cut. There is no visible slash, gash, or piercing wound left on their victim, though contact with the blade is still required. Tsumukari Muramasa can cut Chakra, bonds, summoning contracts, and even Edo Tensei links. This ability can be used thrice per battle.​

If the Fae King really did have everything that belonged to his name, then the blade in the hands of an untrained swordsman was the least of the Hero's worries... Every single one of his own tricks, his unique creations, all of them at the disposal of an unhinged individual who seemed to be feverishly, desperately seeking "fun". But that word in the context of the Fae and especially the Unseelie was not the same as the one used by humanity. Fun for the Unseelie Fae was to unravel a human's body, and string them up like decorations while they still somehow drew breath the entire time. Fun was twisting their "playmates" forms into that of a hedge sculpture, living but immobile, leaving them to wither and wilt over decades, centuries, powerless to return to their true form. Fun was the act of drowning a human, and chasing the soul as it left the body, only to stuff it back in and start again. Fun for the Unseelie were to take their prey and reanimate them, turning them into Slaugh. Even the name itself was an insult, as there was no joy or humor to be found in the twisted forms of the physically compromised and spiritually ravenous monstrosities. Shirō had laid to rest dozens of them on the way to the Winter Court, but he could still sense more out in the forest, aimlessly seeking whatever they needed to make themselves whole again, but nothing could undo the twisted, horrific fusion of the human body and soul, and the nature of the alien land. There was simply no saving these people... so he would endeavor to save everyone else who would fall prey to this deceiver's grasp.

A flash of light, the sound of iron striking iron, streaks of blue and red burst forth from the Winter Court as Shirō and Oberon lashed out at each other. The King's wings furiously aflutter, the droning sounds of the razor-thin appendages beating against the air with furious energy. The addition of Oberon's aerial appendages instantly gave him the upper hand, the additional force pushing Emiya back as he braced the blunt end of the blade with his other hand. Tsumukari began to carve through the nameless blade in Shirō's hands. This wasn't even the reality-cutting ability of the blade, it was simply that much stronger than whatever piece of trash Emiya had fished out of the Sanctuary smith's hut of rejects, the blade discarded like so many others as it couldn't hold a candle to a true masterpiece. Just like Emiya himself, hah! The King's smile intensified as Tsumukari's edge glided through the blade like warm butter, poised to carve a path through the human's chest in an instant. Instead Shirō intentionally twisted the blade, snapping it in two as he pushed away from the advancing monarch flying towards him. For a moment it gave Shirō space and time to switch his position, opting not to remain on the defensive, but press an offense. Oberon's stance was completely based on instinct, with no rhyme or reason to it, meaning he wasn't using the blade in his claws for anything other than crude, brute swipes.

With Tsumukari advancing from a right handed swing, as he switched his posture Shirō spun around, rotating clockwise as he sidestepped the violent lunge, bringing his foot up to kick Oberon away in the process. The King's open claw intercepted the kick, sliding under his right arm to soften the blow to his side. Even with it intercepted, Oberon still felt his body drift to the left, his forward momentum not fully stopped, but redirected. Not willing to acknowledge the interruption, Oberon began to veer to the left, following the direction of Emiya's kick, intending to swing around and make a second pass since Emiya's blade had been broken. It was in no state to block a second swing after all, and once the human was torn open, bleeding onto the cold grounds below? Then, oh then, the fun could begin in earnest... Oberon rerouted, taking a short arc to swing around, but as he started his forward advance, an unknown object tore through the air before him. An arrow? No. Emiya wasn't carrying his bow, and didn't have enough time to retrieve it and fire. Oberon's eyes studied the visible aspects of this unknown projectile. It was... The cross section of the blade he'd just shattered?! As Oberon spun around, Emiya tossed the blade into the air in front of him, and struck the bottom of the blade's handle with a furious punch, firing the blade squarely towards the approaching Oberon.

Spoiler: Muramasa Ittōryū: Cast Off

(Muramasa Ittōryū: Kyasutōfu) Demon Blacksmith One Sword Style: Cast Off
Type: Offensive/ Supplementary
Rank: B-Rank/ A-Rank/ S-Rank
Range: Short - Long
Chakra: N/A
Damage: 40/ 60/ 80
Description: Although not a traditional skill of the Muramasa school, the smith had the habit of vehemently tossing works he considered imperfect. This in and of itself would be negligible if it were not for the sheer force with which he dismissed them, easily able to carve a path through stone. As such, it was immortalized in the Muramasa school as "Cast Off", a technique where one intentionally, violently jettisons their weapon towards a target, attempting to penetrate through whatever happens to be in the weapon's path. This is done through physical strength alone, requiring no Chakra on the user's part, however there is a secondary effect that this technique produces. Starting at +20, for each +10 damage points the user's Kenjutsu receives, whether through passive or active means, the sword's speed is multiplied, with the user's base speed acting as the base for the weapon. The Rank of this technique is directly tied to the damage increase(s) the user employs alongside this technique, with B-Rank being usable while the user applies +20, A-Rank becoming accessible at +30, and S-Rank requiring +40. Even if the user has a higher boost than required for a stronger application, they can opt to use a weaker application if they wish. The speed boosts associated with each Rank also naturally scale, with the B-Rank granting a x2 boost, A-Rank granting a 2.5x boost, and the S-Rank granting a 3x boost to the projectile's speed. The boosts do not need to be purely Kenjutsu based, and only require that they empower the user's Kenjutsu and follow reasonable logic. For example a boost to the user's Taijutsu that allows them to throw harder via strengthened muscles would apply, as would Elemental infusions, like a Wind Or Lightning Release infusions allowing the blade to more easily cut through the air, or Fire acting as a propellant, etc. Finally, if the user wishes to not inflict damage with this attack, they can opt to throw the weapon with the hilt aimed at the target, with the base damage inflicted being equivalent to a freeform attack, with no usage limit.

Note: Can be performed 4 times per battle, twice for the B-Rank application, and two shared between the A-Rank and S-Rank applications. Additionally, the user must wait 2 turns between uses.
Note: After using the S-Rank application, the user cannot perform S-Rank or above Taijutsu or Kenjutsu for 2 turns.

Spoiler

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Like a fly that's too swift to swat, Oberon avoided the surprisingly quick projectile, noticing a second much slower advancing piece. This time it was the top of the blade, seemingly caught and simply tossed like a regular tool. A beat from his wings and it was tossed aside, a pointless attempt at harming his royal countenance. Oberon redirected his focus back to Emiya, his pupils sharpening as he witnessed the creation of a pitch-black blade from nothingness. In all ways but one, Emiya had created his own "Tsumukari" to combat Oberon's. The same size, shape, appearance. But it was just another cheap copy, the very story of the human's life. All he could do was create pale imitations of the weapons he'd seen. Emiya himself was simply a mere shadow cast by his father. A fitting failure for a foolish faker. But as Oberon approached, he didn't know what exactly it was, or what was causing it. His senses were screaming at him that something was happening within Emiya, and yet the spiritual awareness imparted upon him by virtue of owning the human's name wasn't picking up anything. No difference in Chakra, not since he created the black blade. Then it happened, cracks in the facade of Emiya's entire body, windows into the human's very soul, flames pouring out of the gaps in the skin as Emiya erupted from the ground. Meeting the Fae King in the air, unnatural propulsions being expelled from his body. The King no longer had the aerial advantage, nor were they on equal footing. Now Emiya was the one forcing Oberon back!!

Spoiler: Exalted Blade - Umbra

(Inton: Sūkōnaha) Yin Release: Exalted Blade
Type: Offensive/ Supplementary
Rank: S-Rank
Range: Short (- Mid)
Chakra: 80 (-10 per turn) (60)
Damage: N/A (120)
Description: The user starts by gathering a large amount of Yin Release Chakra, and creates a black blade formed from their imagination. This can be done through one of three of ways. First the user can simply create a black blade composed of pure Yin Chakra, creating an independent solid construct from nothing but their imagination. Second the user can take an existing blade and infuse it with Yin Release Chakra, changing the blade's color to black and temporarily converting it into an Exalted Blade. Finally this technique can instead be applied as an infusion to existing techniques that create or otherwise generate blades. In all three cases the user is required to spend the full 80 Chakra of the technique to create the Exalted Blade, but in the third case this is a passive action, and performed in the same timeframe as the infused technique. While the Exalted Blade is a physical construct and can be interacted with as such, direct contact with the blade deals Spiritual Damage. Additionally the user has mental command over the Exalted Blade, establishing a mental link to the weapon so long as Exalted Blade remains active. Once per turn Exalted Blade can be used to fire a 120 damage projectile at the cost of an additional 60 Chakra. This Exalted Strike is considered an S-Rank Yin Release Kenjutsu, has Short - Mid Range, deals spiritual damage and counts as one of the user's 3 Jutsu per turn. Finally when creating an Exalted Blade the user can pick one of two augmentations for the blade itself which are as follows.

Exalted Chromatic Blade: Exalted Blade can take on the physical properties of one Element the user knows, and can be used to perform techniques related to that Element, using the blade as a medium and source where applicable. Similarly to the Yin Phantom Dragons, if an Element of an Advanced or Custom Nature is selected the user cannot use that Element except through their Exalted Chromatic Blade.

Exalted Umbral Blade: The blade becomes infused with additional spiritual energy, converting the damage from ranged techniques performed through the blade into spiritual, while retaining their other properties and effects wherever logical and relevant.​

Note: Lasts for a maximum of 4 turns. Can be used up to 2 times per battle. Requires 3 turns cooldown between uses.
Note: The user cannot perform Yang or Yin-Yang Release techniques above A-Rank for 2 turns, with the same restriction imposed upon their Yin Release techniques for 2 turns once this technique ends.

Spoiler: Atavistic Flame - Human Order

Spoiler: Thrust of Life

(Kaen Kakkusei Iden: Jinsei no Suiryoku) – Atavistic Flame: Thrust of Life
Type: Supplementary
Rank: A-Rank
Range: N/A
Chakra: N/A
Damage: N/A
Description: Thrust of Life is an Atavistic technique used to enhance the user’s speed, considered the opposite of Ancient Insight. The technique is activated the cost of a move, visually appearing as flames bursting from the user’s body to increase their movement speed by x3. A Grandmaster's speed is increased by 4x. The technique lasts for a maximum of four turns and consumes 5 spiritual Health Points per turn it is active. The user regenerates 5 every other turn while active. It can be stacked with Ancient Insight and is usable three times per battle.

Spoiler: Path of Burning Steps

(Kaen Kakkusei Iden: Moeru Kaidan no Michi) – Atavistic Flame: Path of Burning Steps
Type: Supplementary
Rank: A-Rank
Range: N/A
Chakra: N/A
Damage: N/A
Description: Path of Burning Steps is an Atavistic technique used to enhance the user's mobility while under the effects of Thrust of Life. The technique is activated passively alongside Thrust of Life, and lasts for its duration. The user of Path of Burning Steps will use the physically explosive force of Atavistic Flame to create momentary footholds and propulsion as needed, giving them a limitless range of movement. This technique adds 5 spiritual Health to the cost of Thrust of Life's upkeep cost. The user regains 5 additional health every other turn while Thrust of Life is active, as part of the same health regeneration.

Note: Usable three times per battle, per each use of Thrust of Life.

Spoiler: Ancient Insight

(Kaen Kakkusei Iden: Kodai Dōsatsu) – Atavistic Flame: Ancient Insight
Type: Supplementary
Rank: A-Rank
Range: N/A
Chakra: N/A
Damage: N/A
Description: Ancient Insight is the inner focusing of the user’s Atavistic Flame to empower their awareness. The technique is activated at the cost of a move but not occupying a slot in the timeframe. Grandmasters are able to activate Ancient Insight passively. Once activated Ancient Insight channels similar awareness bonuses as granted during Will to Survive. The user gains tracking, reflexes, and perception increased by x3 while Ancient Insight is active, lasting until deactivated. Each turn Ancient Insight is active the user suffers from 5 spiritual Health Points lost, though the user will regenerate 5 every other turn.

Shirō tore through the air like a rocket, his Exalted Blade clashing with Tsumukari in sparks of black white and red. The unfathomable power of Divinity clashing with the unmatched ingenuity of the human imagination. It may be an imitation, but it was far beyond pale, as there was no law in the universe that said a copy couldn't rival or surpass the original. Seconds after their aerial clash, the pair hit the trunk of one of the great trees that existed on the outskirts of the Court, shards of bark flying in all directions as Hero and King struggled to gain the upper hand against one another. With a howl of rage, Oberon began to exert himself, unfurling his wings into their full, terrifying wingspan as they doubled in length, speed and force. Countless deafening wing-beats drowned out the exertions from the pair as Oberon pushed back, throwing Emiya back into the air, following in direct pursuit.

The gentle winds of the Winter Court were cast aside, raging gales from the clashes instantly changing the mood in the region. High pitched ringing and deep clanks as metal struck metal, Emiya and Oberon trading swipes and slashes at each other as though they were incredibly thought-out and planned gifts. While Oberon still had the better blade, Emiya was undoubtedly the better swordsman, forged in the flames of experience. Countless streaks and trails of light shone from the Court as the pair weaved through one another's attacks, slowly but surely ramping their exchange up. Countless Unseelie who made their home in the snow-dusted region were now paying rapt attention to the seat of power for their land. Many of them now noticing the human who had come to play, they couldn't help but swarm over in droves and swathes, uncaring whether or not their King would punish them for interrupting his grand duel. They wanted to play too, consequences be damned!! Emiya heard them before he saw them. The infinitesimally echoed wing-beats and chitterings of the Unseelie as they swarmed and flooded the Court like a nest of hornets who had been riled up.

"I wouldn't dare sully the sanctity of our game by allowing my subjects to intercede on my behalf!!
That would be cheating!!"​

Oberon interjected to the swarm's arrival. Not a single word of what he said was a lie, Emiya could tell. There was something about the words, the way they sounded to him, that told Shirō that Oberon was telling the truth. Which is how he knew he was lying. The twisted, crooked smile on the Fae King's face was something only a flawless liar could wear while making such a declaration that was clearly in their favor. Emiya's right arm was surrounded by and tangled in a web shot from the mouth of a spider-like Unseelie, the creature's fangs salivating at the prospect of fresh human meat to play with. Shirō let go of his Exalted Blade, and mentally controlled it to soar through the air, to slice through the web holding him in place, before shooting through the arachnid's skull, ending it's life in an instant. Shirō then grabbed the webs still attached to his arm and tossed them into the air at Oberon. The Fae King knew better than to even try and cut through his own subjects webs. Tsumukari could most certainly do it, but if they got into his wings it'd be hard to become unstuck, so he stopped his approach and hovered as Emiya switched his focus to slaughtering the rabid Unseelie who saw him as another toy for them to break. Between the magically flying blade cutting through the air, rending Unseelie asunder, and the human whose fists pierced their armored shells, spilling blood and guts in a surprisingly harrowing display from the usually altruistic, almost pacifistic human. But he couldn't hesitate, not in this moment. To do so would be to invite disaster, to allow these vicious monstrosities to claim ownership of his very essence. He wouldn't be a feather in the cap of this destructive monarch, the prime Slaugh of the Winter Court. Even if he had to kill to avoid that fate.

One by one Oberon watched as the denizens of his home were slaughtered, and he couldn't have cared less. They were lower than scum, and would, in time, reincarnate anyway. Tír na nÓg didn't waste any resources in the creation and destruction of the Fae. Wherever and whenever the die, they merge once more with the land, and if their purpose is important enough, they will be reborn in weeks, if not days. Even now, as the slain lay on the floor of the Winter Court, the Fae's bodies began to wither, crumbling into black ash as Tír na nÓg itself reabsorbed the spark that gave these Fae their lives, he couldn't muster an ounce of pity. Not really. It was their lot in life to eventually die, and become part of the greater whole. In fact... Holding a hand out towards the Court itself, he silently declared, "By my Authority as King, I command you, kill this human!!" His subjects, regardless of their own whims, obeyed that command. Even the slain would follow their king's order, their bodies bursting, ejecting viscera and shards of their bodies in all directions as shrapnel. Emiya weaved through the debris of the suddenly erupting corpses while more Unseelie rushed him, his strength slowly but steadily waning. Even with the Human Principal reinforcing his movements, this sudden second wind and feverish rage from the Unseelie was beginning to concern him.

The lines of Atavistic Flame marking Emiya's body faded, and then vanished, as the smile on Oberon's face widened. With another gesture, this time not speaking to his subjects, but to the land itself, Oberon commanded; "Fall." A hole opened up beneath Emiya the full width of the Court's flower garden. Tirnan itself, the very landmass beneath the human's feet, saw no need to kill the human. It hadn't harmed him yet. But Oberon was king. His authority absolute. It had no choice but to listen to the King. One moment he had a foothold, the next the ground opened up, like it was going to swallow him whole and crush him within the bottomless depths. Shirō felt his foothold vanish, and instantly he began to fall. Looking up at the Unseelie Ruler, he knew this had to be his doing. The ground began to close in above and around him. Darkness strangling, choking him from all angles. Until the last second though, where the last vestiges of light from the opening vanished, he simply kept an eye on the King floating high above. A condescending smirk crossed the King's face as he thought the human would be condemned to the very pit. But then he felt it. A tug at his stomach. He spun around only to catch the sight of Emiya's foot crashing into his face, a flash of blue and silver Prana and the sound of crackling potential from Emiya's momentary trip to the Throne the only indicators for why the human was there and not being crushed in the depths of Tirnan.

Spoiler: Evocation: Everlasting Heaven

(Kanki: Kyojin no Jidai) – Surge of Evocation: Epoch of Titans
Type: Defensive/ Supplementary
Rank: B-Rank - S-Rank
Range: Short-Long
Chakra: 20 - 40
Damage: N/A
Description: Considered the father technique of Era of Gods and Dynasty of Kings, Epoch of Titans uses the Surge of Evocation's ability to teleport objects and Surgebinders to the Throne, and return them to the field.

The Everlasting Heaven - Warping Time

This variant involves surging a large amount of Prana throughout the user’s body in order to enter the Throne. Their body, and everything on their person, will disappear instantly in a flash of light reflecting the color of their Prana. The user will then reappear amidst another flash of light at a location of their choosing. If the user reappears within less than a meter of the opponent, the opponent can react with any instant, passive or freeform or chakraless technique. Reappearing is accompanied by a crackling sound, creating both an audible and visual queue. The instant use of this technique, which doesn't take a slot in the timefreame, is enabled by the fact that the ethereal energy already exists within their chakra systems. Thrice per battle the user can utilize a stronger version of this ability (S-Rank) to prolong their stay in the Throne. This allows them to exist within the alternate dimension as Prana, which effectively places their body in a stasis. This halts blood loss, the propagation of poisons, the duration of active techniques/abilities, and any other aliments or conditions. This will happen for as long as the user is within the Throne. The user can only remain there for a maximum of four turns per usage. The first application, considered A-Rank, can only be used once every three turns. It can also only be used four times per battle. The second application, considered S-Rank, can only be used three per battle and operates on the same cooldown as the A-Rank version. S-Rank applications render the user unable to use S-Rank or higher Prana for the next turn, if the user remains in the Throne for longer than a turn.​

As he plummeted and slammed into the ground, bouncing off of the floor that should have become Emiya's grave, Oberon was filled with an unsettling rage. This isn't how this should go. Humans were weak. Fragile. Destined to be immaterial creatures who fell apart at the seams with the Fae's touch. But not these ones. Not Emiya, or the ones from his memories. These "Champions of Humanity" and their ilk. They were not like the typical human stock. They had control over this energy, "Chakra", which they used to force the laws of the world to suit their whims. As a Fae Oberon had no such energy. But as "Shirō Emiya" he did. Drawing from the power within that name, pushing back against the human seeking to take it back, resisting that sickening tugging in his stomach, Oberon lashed out with a violent swipe, aiming to cleave not just Emiya but the heavens above him. Waves of midnight blue and onyx Prana erupted from Oberon's claws, tearing through the air violently towards Emiya, threatening to cleave him, rend him asunder. After all, a Surgebinder's greatest weakness was another Surgebinder, someone who could abuse their own connection to the Throne to assault their kin. Emiya gathered an equivalent amount of Chakra within his Exalted Blade and unleashed a pitch black crescent of his own, aiming to cut a path through the dimensional energy.

Spoiler: Evocation: Gates of Babylon

(Kanki: Kigen no Kamigami) – Surge of Evocation: Era of Gods
Type: Offensive, Defensive, Supplementary
Rank: D-Rank – S-Rank
Range: Short – Long
Chakra: 10 – 40
Damage: 20 - 80 (to non-Surgebinders)
Description: This technique encompasses the basic applications of the Surge of Evocation. The Surge of Evocation is the usage of Prana in its raw and unrefined form; whatever this Prana touches is transformed into ethereal energy and transported to the Throne. Prana will neutralize and be neutralized by techniques that possess the same amount of chakra. Similarly it will be useless against attacks of greater chakra and will not be weakened by techniques of lower chakra. However when used on living targets this ambient energy will feel extremely frigid to the touch and induce cold burns on contact or even freeze a target solid for higher ranked applications. D to B-Rank uses will inflict cold burns as well as all of the effects of frostbite. A-Rank uses will cause necrosis of the afflicted parts of the body, making them appear dark purple and bruised to signify the death of cells. Affected appendages and organs will cease to function, becoming completely immobile in the case of limbs. S rank uses will freeze the struck targets solid. In the case of Surgebinders, who are immune to all of the above effects, they will be transported to the Throne when struck by the prana of another member of their clan. Era of Gods can be split into three separate applications, all based on the same principle: constructs, armors, and familiars made of prana energy.

Pride of Gilgamesh – Gates of Babylon
The Pride of Gilgamesh allows the user to produce Prana either from the user’s body or on the battlefield. The Prana can only be manifested within short-range of the opponent if the user is also within that range, in which it must be created a minimum of one meter away. This restriction does not apply if the user chooses to release the Prana from their body, rather than manifest it away from themselves. The energy can be released from the body via various hand signs depending on the user's rank in the clan. This can be done to generate constructs bound only by the rank of technique used and one’s imagination; alternatively the user can simplify the application by creating streams, waves, and constructs of Prana. Manifested Prana is capable of taking solid form, granting tangibility at the user’s volition. Non-projectile uses of this technique are capable of levitating and can be governed through mental commands and a sustained chakra cost. B-Ranks and below are sustained through 5 chakra per turn, A-Ranks and above require 10 chakra per turn. A-Rank and S-Rank constructs will last three turns per usage unless they are prematurely cancelled. S-Rank applications can only be used once every two turns and no Prana above A-Rank in the turn after the deactivation of an S-Rank application.​

Spoiler: Exalted Blade - Exalted Strike

(Inton: Sūkōnaha) Yin Release: Exalted Blade
Type: Offensive/ Supplementary
Rank: S-Rank
Range: Short (- Mid)
Chakra: 80 (-10 per turn) (60)
Damage: N/A (120)
Description: The user starts by gathering a large amount of Yin Release Chakra, and creates a black blade formed from their imagination. This can be done through one of three of ways. First the user can simply create a black blade composed of pure Yin Chakra, creating an independent solid construct from nothing but their imagination. Second the user can take an existing blade and infuse it with Yin Release Chakra, changing the blade's color to black and temporarily converting it into an Exalted Blade. Finally this technique can instead be applied as an infusion to existing techniques that create or otherwise generate blades. In all three cases the user is required to spend the full 80 Chakra of the technique to create the Exalted Blade, but in the third case this is a passive action, and performed in the same timeframe as the infused technique. While the Exalted Blade is a physical construct and can be interacted with as such, direct contact with the blade deals Spiritual Damage. Additionally the user has mental command over the Exalted Blade, establishing a mental link to the weapon so long as Exalted Blade remains active. Once per turn Exalted Blade can be used to fire a 120 damage projectile at the cost of an additional 60 Chakra. This Exalted Strike is considered an S-Rank Yin Release Kenjutsu, has Short - Mid Range, deals spiritual damage and counts as one of the user's 3 Jutsu per turn. Finally when creating an Exalted Blade the user can pick one of two augmentations for the blade itself which are as follows.

Exalted Chromatic Blade: Exalted Blade can take on the physical properties of one Element the user knows, and can be used to perform techniques related to that Element, using the blade as a medium and source where applicable. Similarly to the Yin Phantom Dragons, if an Element of an Advanced or Custom Nature is selected the user cannot use that Element except through their Exalted Chromatic Blade.

Exalted Umbral Blade: The blade becomes infused with additional spiritual energy, converting the damage from ranged techniques performed through the blade into spiritual, while retaining their other properties and effects wherever logical and relevant.​

Note: Lasts for a maximum of 4 turns. Can be used up to 2 times per battle. Requires 3 turns cooldown between uses.
Note: The user cannot perform Yang or Yin-Yang Release techniques above A-Rank for 2 turns, with the same restriction imposed upon their Yin Release techniques for 2 turns once this technique ends.

The solitary streak of umbral energy clashed with the streaks of midnight blue, a chaotic swirling vortex of night-shaded hues echoing through the Winter Court, and forcing the Unseelie desperate for their turn to play to wait even longer. It wasn't until Shirō landed on the ground at the other end of the Winter Throne's garden, breaths becoming quicker, heavier, as his body was once more succumbing to the sweet song of oblivion, that eternal veil of evernight that would consume him if he didn't recover his name, that he saw Oberon's attack for what it was. He looked up and saw the perfect streaks missing from the tree canopy's above, not a hint of snapping or fraying from branch or bough, twig or frond. Precise, perfect slashes the same shape and width as Oberon's claws but increasing in scale as they got further from him. There was no mistaking it, Oberon had just released raw Prana, sending those affected pieces to... Emiya was going to think the word Throne, but no, that wasn't quite right. The Fae King had access to the spatial energy, but he'd presumably never set foot in the Throne. The energy, while undoubtedly active, wasn't sending anything to the Throne. No, it felt hollow, void of meaning, purpose... Mindless destruction for it's own sake. A nagging thought itched at the back of Emiya's head, and then a bolt of realization hit him. The penny dropped, but it was far too late to do anything about it...

"Evening shroud. Morning lark. The end of a rotten dream. Devour the twilight.
Lie Like ▌▄███▀▌▌ !!"​

Spoiler: Transcendence - Insect of the Abyss

(Chōetsu: Shin'en no konchū) Surge of Transcendence: Insect of the Abyss
Type: Offensive/ Supplementary
Rank: Forbidden Calamity
Range: Unknown
Chakra: Unknown
Damage: Unknown
Description: Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall.Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall.Fall.Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. FallFallFallFallFallFallFall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall.Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall.Fall.Fall.Fall.Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall.Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall.Fall.Fall.Fall.Fall.Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.Fall. Fall. Fall.

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A colossal vortex in the shape of an insect-like dragon burst from the ground beneath Shirō's feet, evidently from the bottomless pit that was created moments ago at the King's command. The pit wasn't the issue. It was the "dragon" that had woke from it's slumber, and whose maw Emiya had crossed the threshold of that was of the greatest concern. Oberon had never been to the Throne, the source of the Surgebinder's power, thus he had no connection to it. How then was he using Prana? That question wasn't important, as the answer was most likely "Because he is Shirō Emiya". No. Instead the question at issue was "Where was this Prana sending him?". With no connection to the Throne, and yet clearly having space-time capabilities, the only conclusion Shirō could draw was that it was sending him to the void, the abyss, the space between dimensions. None of these places were one wanted to wind up in, or be on the receiving end of. Shirō reactivated his Thrust of Life, his body burning with the indomitable human spirit, the blazing flames of Humanity's will to survive, but continued to watch the light from the "maw" continue to fade into the distance. No matter how hard he pushed himself, how fast or forceful the thrust, Shirō continued to fall. This was no "maw". It would be more accurate to describe it as a "hole" in the fabric of space-time. It couldn't even be likened to a black hole, as it least in that phenomena escape is hypothetically possible, with enough force or through an extra-dimensional leap. Shirō tried to draw from the Prana in his body and the Throne, but found the connection completely cut off. He wasn't in a space the Throne could access, just as Oberon himself couldn't access the Throne having never been there. This was a "hole" without end, a true bottomless pit from which there was no escape, made from hollow Prana. The Fae King would not be able to "play" with the human any longer, but neither will he be a thorn in his side either... it was fun enough to know he would fall forever more.

Shirō fell, the winds tearing past him as he'd long since reached terminal velocity, and yet there was nothing to make this plunge terminal. A black void swirled around him on all sides, no light, no color, nothing. Not even that distant light from where he'd fallen in. Nothing. He couldn't fly back out, the pull was too strong. He couldn't warp back out, this space was one giant dead zone. He couldn't even think about cutting his way out, Oberon still had Tsumukari in his claws. Shirō could feel his body aching, his soul reaching it's limit. He assumed he was operating off of borrowed time and now he could feel his body all but demanding he return to sleep. That same tugging in his stomach, the tug of war over his identity reaching a crescendo. His body alight with an indescribable pain as he could feel himself falling back into his eternal slumber. A Midsummer Night's Dream. "Everything is a dream illusion. The events that transpired here is not worthy of truth―". That is how the world's most famous play about Fairies, A Midsummer Night's Dream, closed the curtains. It seemed like as good an end as any... So with no other choice, Shirō started to close his eyes, succumbing to the grand design of the Fae King...

Or rather, that is how Oberon wished this story would end. That the great Hero would accept their eternal slumber with a content smile on their face. But no. Shirō would not find peace at the end of his journey. His end was predetermined. He would stand atop a barrow of blades of his own creation, not fall into the abyss. Shirō's eyes did not close completely. Part of him still wanted to hold out. To cling to hope. To see justice served. So even with dull, heavy lidded eyes, he kept his eyes on that distant, unreachable horizon.

It was faint, this tiny thing. A flickering light struggling against the chaotic dragon and it's infinite darkness. He wasn't sure if it was just a trick, the lingering glare from the distant exit burned into his eyes appearing when he was at his lowest point, just to falter when the reality of the situation sunk back in. But no, the light was moving, haphazard strafes as it continued to flicker closer and closer. Before he could adjust his eyes to the solitary light in the void, it landed on the flickering form of his Exalted Blade. It, no, she looked like she had just leapt from the pages of a story book, the kind of fairies children in the Hangurian Empire were raised on, whimsical beings who still played their tricks, but weren't anything like the Fae of Tír na nÓg. This little sprite, the pixie clad in an ethereal and familiar hue of blue in the shape of a wispy dress, put her hands behind her back and leaned forward, a kind smile on her face as she addressed the crestfallen hero.

"This isn't how I wanted our first meeting to go, but it can't be helped. Shirō, I promise I'm a... Well, it'd be rude to say we're friends when we've only just met in person... Hmm... Think of me as an ally who has always been at your side, okay? Now, do what I say, and we can get out of here." ​

Shirō couldn't fully explain it, but the woman currently dancing across the edge of his blade put his heart and mind at ease. Their presence, despite it being one he'd only just had the pleasure of basking in, was comforting in a way that only an old friend could provide. And yet she was right, they had only just met. Still. Something about her... He knew he could trust her with his life.

"You ready?" ​

As Shirō's eyes shot open, the flame reignited within him once more, the sprightly woman's form illuminated the void around them, banishing the darkness as her light spilled into Shirō's Exalted Blade. At the same time Emiya poured what strength he had into the Exalted Blade. A deep red light shot out from his hand, a hard contrast to the wisp's pale blue light, as Shirō reached out through time and space, the Prana he now realized constituted the woman's form bridging the gap between sword and swordsman. Lines of Prana piercing through this veil of night and out towards salvation, to the lingering traces of Shirō's Prana still within Tsumukari. It was an odd feeling in this space. Hope. Hope was not some delicate, ephemeral thing made of whispers and spiders silk, that disintegrated at the first touch, the first sign of hardship. Hope has dirt on her face, and blood on her knuckles. Hope just spat out a tooth as she rose from the dirt, grit clumped in her hair as she rises for another go. Hope was alive. In a blinding eruption of golden light, Tsumukari appeared in Shirō's hands, it's form flickering as the weapon it was overwriting with Baseless Blade Works was reaching it's own limits. But it was enough. Shirō spun around, not facing the distant sky, but the soon to be very real ground beneath his feet. Hope renewed, Shirō carved an arc of golden light into the very space around him, cutting the conceptual basis of this hollow Prana-infused Dragon around him. The concept of "Null". The concept of "Infinity". The very things that made this eternal prison possible, Shirō cleaved them in two with Tsumukari Muramasa, From the outside a thin golden line appearing in the dragon as it soared into the sky, before it split in half, a streak of gold shooting down to the earth like a fallen star.

Spoiler: Baseless Blade Works

(Fūinjutsu: Mu Gen no Kensei) Sealing Art: Baseless Blade Works
Type: Supplementary
Rank: B-Rank
Range: Self
Chakra: 20 (-5 per turn active)
Damage: N/A
Description: Created by a fabled Blacksmith in an attempt to preserve his own creations through chanelling them into lesser works so as to not ruin his own blade's with wear, tear and rust, Baseless Blade Works is a seal applied to one's body that possesses a two-directional seal. Aesthetically it takes the form of a sword tattoo, the seal's primary application is similar to that of a generic Sealing technique, allowing the the user to seal and unseal physical targets, in this Jutsu's case specifically weapons, and store them within the seal for convenience and protection. What seperates this seal from the countless seals that provide the same function is the second application tied to the seal. When activated at the cost of 20 Chakra, the user selects one of their stored weapons and, should they be utilizing a weapon(s) of a similar nature, the seal identifies and targets unique aspects of the weapon and imparts that weapons properties on to the weapon held in their hands, effectively creating an "imitation" of the chosen target. This includes access to Jutsu that can only be performed through that specific weapon, abilities or techniques inherent to that weapon itself, or factors of the weapons design that make it unique, such as a specialized version of an existing weapon whose design is altered to achieve a greater/ different effect than its standard counterpart, all of these become avaliable to the weapon(s) in the user's hands.

Naturally there are limitations and drawbacks to the properties this seal. Firstly, due to the transformational nature of this technique, to "overwrite" existing weapons with the nature of another, this technique cannot be used on weapons that already have their own abilities. The weapon in the user's hands needs to be a "blank slate" that a unique weapon can be imprinted upon, or the technique fails to produce an effect. Next, weapons recieving the unsealed properties are still bound by their own inherent/ original properties and limitations. For example, regardless of a stored weapon's durability, the weapon in the user's hands does not recieve any additional defensive capabilities, such as indestructibility. Rather, when the "imitation" weapon's durability is too low (less than B-Rank in strength or durability (freeform weapons are classified as unranked), they can only maintain the imprint for a short period of time (4 turns max) before being destroyed as the enhancement turns into something more akin to a hostile invasion, causing the weapon to self-destruct. Additionally, utilizing techniques or abilities unique to a specific weapon while falling under the aforementioned durability range instantly causes this same destructive reaction. Finally this technique still requires the user abide by the rules regarding Custom Weapons and similarly restricted weapons, as well as any and all limitations the weapons themselves have.

Baseless Blade Works can last for as long as the user is willing to maintain it, provided the application doesn't expire due to the aforementioned durability factor, at a cost of 5 Chakra per turn. If an application of this technique lasts longer than 4 turns, it cannot be used for at least 2 turns once that usage ends. Finally, storage and withdrawal of weapons within this seal costs 5 Chakra per each activation, with the former costing a move when performed in combat, while the latter is always passive. Techniques used used through the imitation technique decrease in strength by a rank.

Note: Requires Advanced Fūinjutsu.

Spoiler

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Spoiler: Tsumukari

(Tsumukari) – Heaven Reaching Blade
Type: Artifact
Rank: S-Rank
Range: Short – Long
Chakra: N/A
Damage: 100
Description: Tsumukari, or the Heaven Reaching Blade, is the first katana reforged in the Armory of Marzan after the raid on Irkalla, the Underworld. The sword was reforged using the remnants of the God-Slaying Tool Blessings from the End of the World. Tsumukari is the first of a new generation of God-Slaying Tools, weapons noted to be the great “equalizers” in a cosmic conflict between the gods and man. Forging the blade was a cooperative effort between Marzan, the original engineer of the God-Slaying Tools, and his apprentice Emiya in the aftermath of the demise of the Domain of Death. Because its former iteration was rife with Void energy, Tsumukari has been endowed with unique abilities that go beyond what a standard God-Slaying Tool is capable of. On a basic level Tsumukari and the techniques it produces, be it through the sword or the sword as a proxy, contain proper Divinity to damage and slay a god. Passively, Tsumukari increases the user’s Kenjutsu techniques that utilize the sword by 30 additional damage. All the user’s Kenjutsu techniques, with the exception of those of Tsumukari’s active abilities that explicitly exclude them, gain a single range unit. Visually this appears as crescents and strikes of energy lashing out from the edge of Tsumukari, extending the range when necessary. Tsumukari is unbreakable; though its unbreakable nature cannot be used defensively alone. Use of any of the active abilities of Tsumukari puts the other two on cooldown for two turns.

Yōtō (lit. 妖刀, "Wicked Katana"): The first and most basic attack afforded to the wielder by Tsumukari. The user adorns the edge of the blade with Chakra, infusing it with trace Divinity, and performing simple slashes or piercing attacks with the sword. The user can either maintain the energy along the edge of the blade, empowering its basic attacks to inflict considerable damage for up to three attacks or five turns, whichever comes first. Alternatively, the user can consume the adorned edge and focus it into an arc of Chakra as a projectile with long-range reach. In either case, the blade strikes for 100 physical damage. This damage is treated as strong to all natures and abilities, with the only exception of Anutu and its components. Can be used four times per battle.

Will of the God-Slayer: A state activated through Tsumukari. The Will of the God-Slayer is the legacy of Marzan himself; through raw determination and human ingenuity the blacksmith forged the first God-Slaying Tool. It is an evocation of tenacity and hope, the desire for a better tomorrow by equalizing the war of today. When activated the user’s Kenjutsu prowess is further augmented, increased by an additional 20 damage while gaining an increase of three times their base speed. Additionally, any critical strikes they land with Tsumukari are increased by 30%. Lasts for four turns, can be used twice per battle.

Tsumukari Muramasa: A unique technique that emerges from Tsumukari’s unique composition between Void and Divinity. In short, this ability affords Tsumukari the power to cut causality. The technique is initiated through the user’s Chakra, costing 120, though its true cost lies in the Health Points it drains. Because the user possesses no Divinity the combination of Void and Divinity siphon the user’s health, costing the user 70 Health Points to perform. This health cannot be regenerated while in a battle unless the user possesses full Anutu or Atavistic Flame, in which case it can only be regenerated four turns after Tsumukari’s use. In the case of Atavistic Flame it heals at a rate of 50%, meaning if the user heals for 70 Health Points with Atavistic Flame it will count as 35 toward their total. In essence, when this technique is activated it becomes able to ‘cut’ causality and concepts that the user is capable of perceiving. It cannot cut the concept of ‘life,’ meaning to instantly kill another target. When Tsumukari is used like this it does not physically cut the target, rather it performs a metaphysical cut. There is no visible slash, gash, or piercing wound left on their victim, though contact with the blade is still required. Tsumukari Muramasa can cut Chakra, bonds, summoning contracts, and even Edo Tensei links. This ability can be used thrice per battle.​

Oberon stood in stunned silence, unable to show the offense boiling beneath his facade at the sight. This human. This single human... How DARE he. He had never been disgusted by such a piece of filth in his entire life. Oberon saw the glint of shimmering gold from the manifested Tsumukari in Shirō's hands, a brief, blazing light stood in absolute defiance to the King's will, before the Exalted Blade vanished, it's imaginary form once more relegated to the bounds of Shirō's imagination. In it's place a small, joyous little fairy hovered in the air, floating up to sit on Emiya's shoulder, but not before giving Oberon a sincere, even reverent curtsy. The katana still rested in in the Fae King's hands, so how could he have it in his own? The black blade was an imitation, so how? HOW?! As Oberon was about to lunge for Emiya in a fit of rage, he saw the human's blood spilling from his mouth, his nose, and several wounds that had opened up from his previous exertions. His attire rapidly staining red as his struggles had finally caught up with him. Rather than losing his patience, Oberon smirked, that crooked, horrifying grin splitting the bottom third of his face in half. His prey had leapt from the sweet embrace of eternal slumber and directly into his clutches, the realization that he could now torture the human for all of eternity painted across his face in shades and hues and tints so bold, there was no room for any other emotion but sheer joy. Oberon began to approach, tossing Tsumukari to far off to the side. He did not need the blade for what came next. The remaining Unseelie and Slaugh of the Winter Court watched in silence, the battle seemingly won.

Shirō's hand shot up, almost causing the Fae King to leap from his own skin, but the human's hand wasn't containing some secret weapon, some final, desperate attack to try and prevent the King's imminent victory. He only held a single finger up, a universal sign, a request for a moment. A moment to catch his breath? To muster his strength? Oberon chuckled. Of course. What was one moment when compared to the eternity he'd have to make this human suffer? But that was not the moment Shirō wanted. No. The moment he was after? It happened several months ago. The moment Oberon robbed him of his name. Without even a word exchanged, Shirō managed to do it. To beat the King at his own game. Reality cracked and shattered around the pair like a pane of glass, Shirō's action a mere pebble, but thrown with enough force at the correct spot it was enough to bring the whole thing down. Reflected in the now fractured shards was the reality they had experienced thus far, of Shirō reduced to a coma, only waking up due to the inner workings of his Sacrifice Kinjutsu, standing before Oberon on the brink of returning to that state. And now, with the moment of Shirō's name being stolen being given freely to Emiya, he reclaimed his name, the events that shot forth from that other route a fabrication with no basis in the now true, crystallized reality. Shirō stood in the Winter Court completely uninjured, save for a faint trickle of blood from his mouth. He still used Tsumukari Muramasa after all, that damage was done to him regardless of any other surrounding events, such was the nature of the blade. Speaking of the blade, rather than being cast aside, it was proudly clasped in the human's hands once more.

"Thank you for that moment, your majesty. I feel a lot better now that I've had it.
I'm good to continue if you'd like."​

Even without directly spelling it out, Oberon had seen the scheme laid bare. Without a word uttered from the human's mouth, perhaps as a way to lull him into a false sense of security, to believe the battle truly over and done, the Fae King emerging victorious, Shirō had managed to steal back his name, not through verbal creed, but taking the moment itself. These were the rules of the Fae, to take something when offered, but also give in return when given freely. Just like the verbal contract placed upon Emiya, Oberon hadn't even seen it coming. For the Fae King of the trickster Unseelie, this was the greatest defeat, the gravest insult, and the most hilarious trick he'd ever seen pulled off. And by a human no less!!

Oberon's wings expand with a sickening crunch, the translucent blades thunderously crying out as the King dropped all pretenses, showing his true face. Not the calm, collected facade of the Child King of the Summer Court, not the concentrated manic joy of the Unseelie who donned the mantle of Summer, not even the nonchalance of an unperturbed Fae. No. What he held for this human was undoubtedly, truly, pure hatred. Carving through the air, Oberon held his hand out in front of him, his fingers tensed into a blade, the clawed tips aiming to pierce the human no matter the cost. At the same time Emiya raised his empty left hand, the fool's folly to not draw the Divine steel in his other hand sure to be his undoing. As Oberon reaches Emiya, ready to tear a hole through the human's chest, Emiya's hand met the assault, a mere two fingers held up in opposition. No attack, no technique, nothing. Two fingers? HE HAD NOTHING, HE WAS NOTHING. And yet... Oberon froze in the air, his movement arrested. He couldn't continue his attack. What the hell was this? Some kind of hidden technique that halted movement? Froze time? It wasn't until Shirō declared his victory for the second time did Oberon understand the new game Shirō had initiated between them.

"Scissors beats paper. I win."​

"Ha... HaHa... AAHHH HAHAHAHHAHA!!
Ahhhhhh, you know what, I really really really hate that about you."​

It was one thing to beat a Fae at their own game, but it was another thing entirely to do so a second, consecutive time. Worse, Emiya was the initiator, which was an incredibly risky thing to do when ground rules and spoils hadn't been declared with words, only actions. An open game. Emiya could have lost everything, not just his name, with one erroneous call. But just like the moment before, Oberon hadn't expected the human to engage him in a game in such a way. He vowed to himself, he would never let this human catch him unaware ever again... Floating back, Oberon landed, crushing the skull of one of his expired subjects beneath his clawed feet.

"Okaaaayyyyy. You win.
What do you want, hmm? Do you want me to leave your precious humans alone?! No!! They started this!!
I can accept my own defeat, but I will NEVER stop until every last one of those vermin are wiped out. Perhaps then they will understand a fraction of what they did to us when they set foot in our land, and killed our kin."​

Shirō's face showed a hesitation at that declaration. From what he knew there was no open war between the Humans and the Fae, no mass extermination event where the humans of Dawnport, nor Last Contact, nor Sanctuary, had ever slaughtered the Fae in the numbers Oberon was implying they had. Was he misinformed? Was there some secret plot, some hidden war he was not privy to? It wouldn't surprise him if there was, as Shirō would undoubtedly be against it, regardless of motive or goal, same as he opposed this feverish desire to slaughter the humans. Still, the doubt, the vacuum of seemingly critical information remained, and Oberon could see it painted on Emiya's face.

"You truly don't know what it is you stand on, do you?
You can't hear it? The voice of our people? The heartbeat of nature, silent yet strong."​

For the first time. Pity. Disgust too. But unimaginable pity crossed the Fae King's face. These humans took, and took, and took and took and took and took. And they gave nothing back. And they couldn't even hear it. The song of the Fae. Countless voices harmonizing throughout eternity, each voice its own, but still destined one day to lose itself within that grand choir, only for it to then be plucked out to perform it's solo performance once more.

"What you stand upon is not mere soil and grass, snow and root. Ours is a utopia blessed by wind, life, rain and song. Our ancestors, our past lives, sprung forth from the land, and returned to it upon their death when they fulfilled their purpose.
What you stand upon is what remains of Tír na nÓg itself, reduced to but a fraction. Her beauty. His strength. All of the best and worst of our people laid bare for the eye to behold. To cut down their trees, to dig up their soil, is to sever pieces from the grand tapestry that is their life. Each swing of those horrific weapons ripping parts from the greater whole, and for what?! WHAT, I DEMAND YOU?!"​

Shirō couldn't hear this song, no matter how hard he tried he never would. But he believed the King's words. He trusted that, in this one instance, he was telling the truth. The Humans of Dawnport and Last Contact would have needed lumber... Wood to make their homes... If this land was one organism, one being, then cutting down a single tree would be tantamount to killing a town, a village, extinguishing an entire culture. He couldn't believe what he was hearing from the Fae King. Sincerity. That the facade had cracked ever so slightly to reveal something resembling a person beneath. Well... Almost. Almost a person. Almost sincere. Almost the truth. There was one part Shirō knew with every fiber of his being was a lie. The acceptance of Shirō's victory.

"They are my meaning, and my purpose.
And that is why I will slaughter you. Every. Last. One."​

Shirō felt the wave of pure murderous intent as it reverberated through the Court. One final command from the Fae King. Kill. Kill this human. Rip him to shreds. Tear him to pieces. Crush. Maim. String him up. Grind him into paste. Dozens, if not hundreds of Unseelie and Slaugh within the Winter Court, heard the call to arms, the order to focus their combined strength into one concentrated assault. On one being. An electric impulse rallying the Unseelie, instilling them with a surge of power. In seconds Emiya was swarmed once more, the Fae rising into the air and closing in on him from all sides. The shining Spren on Emiya's shoulder rising to her feet with a warm smile. A smirk appeared on Shirō's face at the same time. The air around him darkened, surrounded by countless Fae, shadows encroaching upon him, looking to bring this chapter to a close. But one final burst of light, streaks of dazzling blue illuminating the Court, and Emiya was surrounded by 4 shimmering figures clad in radiant armor, wielding Noble Phantasms. Archer. Saber. Lancer Caster. Shirō's Knights of the Round stood fixed in place, rejecting the advance of the Fae with a determination one could only call iron-wrought. They stood as silent guardians, standing vigil over their charge, waiting for the command to attack.

Spoiler: Heroic Spirit Summoning - Knights of the Round

(Inton: Entaku no Hankyō) Yin Release: Echoes of the Round
Type: Supplementary/ Offensive
Rank: S-Rank
Range: Short
Chakra: 80 (-20 per turn)
Damage: N/A
Description: Echoes of the Round is a technique rooted in Yin Release's ability to give form to what's in their mind. The user starts by performing 3 handseals and gathering a large amount of Chakra in their immediate surroundings, shaping it into humanoid facsimiles that resemble the idea of the Knights of the Round Table creating a minimum of 2 and maximum of 4 "Knights". The Knights are composed of a bright light blue energy with tangible forms that can interact and be interacted with physically. Regardless of what forms they take, they all have the same purpose; To wield weapons held by or belonging to the user. Whether they are carried on the user's person or other misc means such as Summoning, construct creation, etc, each Knight is equipped with their own weapon. The Knights can perform any Kenjutsu or Bukijutsu techniques the user has that are related to that given weapon, including any abilities or techniques inherent to that weapon should it have any. Additionally they can perform Taijutsu the user knows, excluding techniques which rely on Elemental fields and Modes. Techniques and actions performed through the Knights of the Round follow the same limits, restrictions and logic as though they were performed by the user, including active techniques requiring Jutsu from the user's max per turn, cooldowns and other associated restrictions affecting the Knight performing them, etc. The Chakra cost for techniques performed by the Knights is taken from the user's own reserves using the connection the user utilizes to passively sustain the Knights each turn. In regards to their individual capabilities each Knight has limited autonomy, able to determine threats and respond to them, and they are capable of following more advanced instructions from the user via mental commands. They have an inherent durability of S-Rank, and using the user themselves as a basis have a speed equivalent to the user's own base movement speed.

Note: Lasts for a max of 4 turns.
Note: While active the user cannot perform Yang or Yin-Yang Release techniques above A-Rank, with the same cooldown imposed upon their Yin Release techniques for 2 turns once this technique ends.
Note: No variant of the Shadow Clone Jutsu and its derivatives can be performed while Echoes are in use.
Note: Can be used 2 times per battle with a max 4 turn cooldown, which is equivalent to the number of Knights created.

Without a word the command was given, Shirō allowing the Knights of the Round to carve a path out in the four cardinal directions as he advanced on Oberon. Arrows tore through the air and pierced Fae like entomological collections of butterflies in a hobbyist's home. A spear of red whistling through the crowds, flawlessly piercing through the hidden hearts of the Fae with unmatched precision. Elemental blasts released from the book held in the hands of the shrouded Round Knight, flames piercing through a group of Slaugh that sought their spiritual energy like ravenous cannibals. And amongst them all one armor-clad Knight wielding a radiant sword, the holy light carving through hordes and swathes of skittering Unseelie, and slavering Slaugh. Their combined strength, while not on the same level as the Surgebinder himself, was still a sight to behold. Where the human had been struggling to keep up before, now, with his name reclaimed and at full strength, Emiya didn't have to engage with the King's subjects himself, delegating that to the echoes of heroes past. The chittering and gurgling of the Fae fading as the land itself sought to reabsorb it's sundered parts, to renew their purpose once more with a new life.

But when he stood before the King, Emiya didn't attack. He didn't berate or demean, a sentiment the Fae King couldn't ever fathom. Instead, Shirō stared the monarch down, waiting for him to acknowledge that the game was over, and he'd been beaten. The words didn't quite manage to escape from his lips, but the flicker of disdain, and the clenched claw bundled into a fist, blood slowly starting to trickle down to the ground below, were the telltale signs of a sore loser, one who played his game and lost... Shirō did his best to word himself intentionally, not giving any loopholes to his "prize" from winning the game, no funny openings for wordplay, no technicalities to abuse.

"I'm not interested in drawing this out. I came to take back what's mine, and I have.
But you won't harm another human life, not unless they give you good reason. The sins of those who came before should not paint those who come after. Your lands are your own, but if anyone sets foot in your forests you give them a chance to leave. Do that, and I won't have to come back for another 'game'."​

Before the Fae King could respond Emiya and his minuscule twinkling harlot vanished in a flash of Prana, hurtling back towards their little "Sanctuary", while the Abyssal Insect stalked towards his throne. Slumping into the chair, he looked out upon the rotting corpses of his subjects. No matter. They would be reborn from Tirnan's soil in due time, tasked with predating on the forests denizens and intruders once more. Such was the Fae's cycle of life. they were expendable, nay, enjoyable to watch die. The individual lives nothing compared to the living codex, the tapestry that was what remained of Tír na nÓg. With another flick of his finger he brought back out the Water Mirror, watching Emiya's arrival in Sanctuary. His scowl twisted into that same crooked smile. So the author could play his game after all. Good. Things were so boring!! The mundanity was already settling back in. The human had been gone mere seconds, and the King already felt the itch to play another game...

Spoiler: Evocation: Everlasting Heaven

(Kanki: Kyojin no Jidai) – Surge of Evocation: Epoch of Titans
Type: Defensive/ Supplementary
Rank: B-Rank - S-Rank
Range: Short-Long
Chakra: 20 - 40
Damage: N/A
Description: Considered the father technique of Era of Gods and Dynasty of Kings, Epoch of Titans uses the Surge of Evocation's ability to teleport objects and Surgebinders to the Throne, and return them to the field.

The Everlasting Heaven - Warping Time

This variant involves surging a large amount of Prana throughout the user’s body in order to enter the Throne. Their body, and everything on their person, will disappear instantly in a flash of light reflecting the color of their Prana. The user will then reappear amidst another flash of light at a location of their choosing. If the user reappears within less than a meter of the opponent, the opponent can react with any instant, passive or freeform or chakraless technique. Reappearing is accompanied by a crackling sound, creating both an audible and visual queue. The instant use of this technique, which doesn't take a slot in the timefreame, is enabled by the fact that the ethereal energy already exists within their chakra systems. Thrice per battle the user can utilize a stronger version of this ability (S-Rank) to prolong their stay in the Throne. This allows them to exist within the alternate dimension as Prana, which effectively places their body in a stasis. This halts blood loss, the propagation of poisons, the duration of active techniques/abilities, and any other aliments or conditions. This will happen for as long as the user is within the Throne. The user can only remain there for a maximum of four turns per usage. The first application, considered A-Rank, can only be used once every three turns. It can also only be used four times per battle. The second application, considered S-Rank, can only be used three per battle and operates on the same cooldown as the A-Rank version. S-Rank applications render the user unable to use S-Rank or higher Prana for the next turn, if the user remains in the Throne for longer than a turn.​

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End of Mission.

Leaving Landmark via teleportation. Traveling to #286, Sanctuary.