Holy Shiiiiit. It's been since May 13. 2021. A dead book has been chosen for reviving. Welp, my bad. I'm bad at managing many titles unfortunately and even worse when half of then turn out to be fairly popular with the readers. It's currently February 9, 2023. 6:17 Am. I will see this story through if it's the last thing I do. Updates may be slow, not nearly 2 years slow but you know.. I have a lot of stuff to write. Having said that, I will not abandon this story again. Here's to the revival of one of my favorite stories I had written. Cheers!!!
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We arrive at a new location, I immediately check our surroundings as everything felt calm.
Y/n: "You guys alright? Hm?"
I noticed that Naofumi wasn't with us.
Y/n: "I'm sure he's with Filo and Raphtalia"
Shirou: "We are all here"
Muramasa: "I heard you'd be thrown to a horde of demons and monsters.. This doesn't look like the image I had in mind"
We were in a thick forest with a dark red sky and a bright crimson moon.
Y/n: "I don't like this tension"
Schwi: "Master, what do we do?"
I continue to analyze everything as I try to find the perfect move to make.
Y/n: "Not entirely sure. I don't want to do anything too rash but sitting here like ducks isn't the smartest move either"
Shirou: "I can move ahead-"
Y/n: "Don't"
Shirou: "Why? You don't seem to have a ready plan"
Y/n: "There's something definitely odd about this wave. Where are the beasts? Monsters should be running to us.. Where are the rest of the heroes?.. Why isn't there any noise going on?"
Muramasa had the same idea as I but we didn't want to put anyone in any danger.
Illya: "Papa?"
I take Illya's hand as I can feel my heart racing. Normally, I would never count myself as prey for anyone or anything. This situation was new. The eerie sound of nothing made me uncomfortable. The fact that everything around us was dark after a few meters, made me open my ears to even the slightest breath of air.. or even a landing.
Shirou: "Y/n"
Y/n: "..."
I hadn't move an inch as even though I couldn't see or hear, something inside me felt a pair of eyes on us. It could very well be false alarm but I held onto that feeling for dear life. For if I ignored it, it could lead to a death from letting it go.
Shirou: "Can you-"
Muramasa: "Oi, let him be"
Shirou: "He hasn't even taken a breath-"
Muramasa: "I put my life in his hands. He's found something"
I was glancing behind me. A pitch black void inside the forest was staring back at me. My eyes hadn't seen anything but it felt like I was watching something. I could hear the sound of my heart accelerating as sweat slowly build up.
Shirou: "What do we do then?"
Muramasa: "We don't do a thing, not until there's movement"
Shirou: "Do you realize how stupid-?!"
He noticed Muramasa holding onto his sword with a tight grip. His face was tensed and sweating perfusely. He wasn't the only one though. Schwi was nearly petrified as she held onto her sniper while preparing to fire at the slightest move. Illya had been holding her father's hand not because she was confused, but because she was terrified. That's when it hit him.
"They aren't moving.. because they can sense it. I've been too relax to realize that something is seriously wrong. If it weren't for me being here with them, I would of been long gone"
He grabbed onto Miyu's hand who hadn't taking notice of what everyone else has.
Shirou: "I realized it now.."
What Muramasa meant by until there's movement wasn't incase some monster appears and they go kill it. It was so that the predator that's stalking them makes any sort of move.
Y/n: "The forest has eyes.. It knows it better than us.. No matter what, do not make even the slightest movement"
Illya: "Papa. Could I-"
Y/n: "Don't.. I'm sure it will detect it"
I know exactly where every weapon of mine was located. If I could use my time accel to take Calico or Thompson's Contender and fire at it.. No. Whatever this is, I'll lose if I do anything hostile and I can't guarantee I'll find it again if it sprints through the forest again. It was pure luck that I heard its slight landing.
Y/n: "Illya, do Papa a favor"
Illya: "Y-Yes?"
Y/n: ".. When I say duck.. you throw yourself to the ground and don't look up"
Illya nodded as my attention doesn't break.
Y/n: "Muramasa, no matter what, don't pull your blade out until you have a clean shot"
Muramasa: "Got it"
"Their trust. This plan.. they have everything riding on it to succeed"
Shirou was in awe of the groups cooperation in such a tensed scenerio.
Y/n: "Shirou"
Shirou: "I'm hearing you"
Y/n: "Can you create more than just those twin blades of yours and the bow?"
Shirou: "As long as I know it's build"
Y/n: "The throwing blade on my leg, can you see it?"
He saw that the mature man wasn't taking his eyes off of the same spot but knew exactly where everything was.
Shirou: "Yes. I can trace it"
Y/n: "How many?"
Shirou: "As long as I have mana, and I have plenty if it"
Y/n: "Good. Do not stop creating them"
Shirou noticed Y/n opening his hand and immediately understood the plan. Y/n was the only one that knew the exactly location of the monster.
"But why use my blades? Can't he just use his gun to kill it?"
..
I'm sure Shirou was confused as to why I wouldn't just use my gun to hit it. In all honesty, he was right. Using Calico could very much increase the chance of me hitting it than using throwing knives.. but it was also a weapon that would make too much noise. So much that I'd lose that thing.
In the other hand, the knives could tell me how deep this forest is, it will tell me if I hit it or not depending on the noise it makes upon impact, and it keeps me knowing where that thing goes to. After hearing it land before, it continued to replay in my head until I memorized it and got an estimate on its height and weight.
I'd trade in the ability to hit it for the knowledge of knowing it's location at all times.
Y/n: "Schwi, don't miss your shot. Once you fire that gun, I won't be able to hear it"
Schwi: "Which means we'll be blind to its attacks and location. Got it"
The void stared back at me as it knew the fear we were all feeling. However, it most likely knew that I wouldn't let fear itself stop me from defending against its killer instinct.
I take a deep breath and silently exhale as I prepare myself mentally. If I made even the slightest mistake, it could cost anyone of us our lives. I could feel the pressure to be perfect and I put my faith in them to not worry about anything that can happen to me.
Y/n: "Illya.. duck"
I immediately threw the knife as it hits wood. Upon a blade landing on my hand I threw it 6'o clock. Nothing but wood. I wouldn't move from my position as I simply threw the blades while picturing the lit area we were in as a clock.
"10 yards"
I threw the next one at 8 and got the same result.
"13"
Everyone was quiet as the sound of the blades striking wood was all that could be heard.
I throw the next one at 10 and don't hear it hit anything.
"This is the dangerous part"
I catch the next blade and prepare to throw but notice one of the blades flying towards my face.
"And I trust you all"
It dematerialized just before striking my eye as I chuck the blade even faster.
"Bingo"
That's when everything opened up for my marksman.
..
Y/n: "Schwi, don't miss your shot"
The words repeated inside the young Ex machina's head. The pressure was through the roof but her confidence never was mislead. Not when her master had belief in her.
"I won't miss master"
..
I continue throwing blades at it as occasionally, I'd be thrown some back but Shirou would delete them before hitting me. By now, I had mapped out the scenery around us by pure sound.
Y/n: "Muramasa"
He looked over to me as I hadn't stopped focusing on the running monster.
Y/n: "7. Open for about a second all the time. Keep your attention on the time ticking"
He nodded as he pieced together the words. With the message clear, Muramasa got ready for an attack.
..
That hit earlier landed and it made it bleed. Now I can hear it clearly. It's blood falling on the ground.
Muramasa: "I am but a simple blacksmith"
"Uncountable years of toil to reach this place"
I place my hand on the handle, the guard assuring me that I am at the end.
"Forging thousands of swords to create a barrow of blades. Many paths, converge here"
I heard the blade hit wood at 1'o clock and I was ready. Intending to hit without miss.
"Enduring desires, flow here"
Wood, 2
"Unjust deaths gather here"
Wood, 3
"My whole life has been for this single swing"
Wood, 4
"The heart of the blade is here!!"
Wood, 5
"Accept this blow from my Tsumukari.."
Wood, 6
Muramasa: "MURAMASA!!!"
7
..
The swing pierces through the forest and takes out a chunk of the it out.
Y/n: "DO IT NOW, SCHWI!!!"
She had loaded her gun already and had it aiming at its target. It was being held by Illya's string familiars.
Schwi: "Bang"
She fired her sniper as the bullet of light ripped its head clean off. The rest of the body disappeared by the light engulfing it.
The atmosphere felt different. It was now that we could hear the sound of monster and warriors battling in the far distance.
Y/n: "Whatever it was, it could affect our senses. Come on guys, we need to go aid the rest-"
??: "*chuckles* That was quiet the exciting little plan you all concocted~"
The sound of a deep and raspy menacing voice could be heard. It sent shivers down our spine as the sounds of his footsteps slowly got closer.
??: "If it isn't the little hero who should of never been summoned?"
We slowly turn around to see a figure coming out the shadows once more.
Y/n: "Who are you?"
??: "Death. We've come to erase the mistake the creator made when bringing the Shield to this world~"
Shirou: "We?"
Death: "Don't worry about the rest~ Those 3 weren't faster than me.. I'll just give a quick and painless death. So play nice and be a good boy~"
My heart was racing once more as he felt like the real thing. His power was incredibly immense.
Schwi: "Master, what so we do?!"
Shirou: "Miyu"
Schwi: "MASTER!!!"
I was speechless as the man walked towards us with a smile on his face.
Muramasa: "We fight, obviously!!"
I could feel it. This was the genuine article. This was a God.. and we stood no shot of beating him.
Y/n: ".. Run"