Murasama: "What's the move?!"
I was still in shock as a man who not only claimed to be a God, but also had the power to back it up, was approaching us.
Muramasa: "Oi!!"
Death: "Save me some time and just sit there kid~"
I take out Calico and fire a barrage of shots while jumping back to avoid the rest being next to me.
Death: "Guess we're doing this the hard way~?"
In the blink of an eye, he arrived at my side with a knife in hand as a big smile formed on his face.
Death: "Your life is mine now~"
He swing towards my neck as all I could do was close my eyes and await for my faith. However, internally, I didn't want it to end like this.
"I don't want to go. I have to live. What the hell awaits me back home? A dull life?.. No, that's not what's important"
The faces of all who are important to me run through my brain as it scrambles to find a reason to fight. To continue to live in this world.
"Illya, Muramasa, Schwi, Red, Naofumi, everyone!!! No. I don't wanna die here. Not yet!! Not.. not until I've made it a better world for them to live in.. I CAN'T LEAVE THEM YET!!!"
I could feel my soul reaching out for anything, desperately trying to find a way to avoid this outcome at any cost.
"A miracle. I won't ever let myself get like this if I can get a second chance. Please, someone. I just need a miracle.."
??: "I promise to never abandon you"
Death: "Your life is min-"
He slows down as a light emerged from his victims chest.
Death: "What the hell?!"
??: "Affection of the Holy Grail"
Death was in awe as his blade strangely missed his target and struck an incoming monster instead.
Death: "You.."
The Gods' mistake was not alone in this battle with Death.
Death: "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Y/n: "A miracle was what I needed"
Death: "Huh?"
I fire multiple times at his legs, crippling death and bringing him to his knees.
Schwi: "Locked"
Muramasa: "Once more!!"
Death looked up and quickly avoided the shot from Schwi's sniper but ran straight into a slash from Muramasa.
Death: "Khh!! Why you all-"
He felt solid steel behind his head as I hold my Thompson's Contender.
Y/n: "Never again will I fear death, even if it shows itself infront of me"
Death: "DON'T YOU-!!"
Y/n: "Crono Rose"
*Bang*
His body falls to the ground as the shadows consume it. It could still feel my hands shaking despite my confession. I couldn't understand why but I managed to escape Death's grasp at the last possible second.
Illya: "Papa!!"
Illya ran into my arms as Muramasa sheathed his katana.
Muramasa: "Had us worried there for a sec"
Shirou: "How did you evade that?"
They all surround me, minus Schwi who was staring at my face. I could feel something heavy on me and it wasn't anybody.
Y/n: "Something up?"
Schwi: "Uh.."
??: "Death isn't dead. He will come back. Make sure to take care of yourselves out there.. I'll watch over you all"
As an Ex Machina for the Gods, only Schwi could see the goddess cuddling up to her master.
Schwi: "I don't think that Death person is gone for good"
Y/n: "I had a feeling.. Make sure you all keep your senses alive. Remember, we still have a wave to eliminate. Next time, I'll make sure to hit him as many times as it will take to put him out of commission for good"
Muramasa: "I think I got an ace up my sleeve still"
Shirou: "I suppose I can use mine as well. I refuse to let someone else kill you when it's my bounty"
Y/n: "Well, thank you for the clarification. And here I thought we could of bond from this"
I jokingly say while taking off with the rest towards the battlefield.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A man was chuckling to himself as he observered the group leaving.
Death: "Didn't think the princess would be the one to stop me from my kill? Well, I suppose her father might wanna hear about this.. I'll be back Dud hero, and your little Goddess there won't be able to save you from me this time~"
He laughs to himself once more as he touches the ground underneath him.
Death: "But, I won't make things easy for you. Come my children, run amok and kill that Dud hero for papa~"
Several hounds covered in flames began spawning from his shadow, sprinting in a hurry as their father claimed a hunt was in progress.
Death: "Until then, Y/n~"
He takes his leave as the 10 hounds dash into the forest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shirou: "I can hear the battlefield just up ahead"
Y/n: "Come on Naofumi, tell me you're doing alright"
We jump out the dense covered area and land at a battlefield where the rest seem to be fine for the most part.
Y/n: "There he is!!"
He was currently combating some sort of beast with massive arms and a lion's head. I rush to his side and take a shot straight through its skull.
Naofumi: "Where have you been?!"
Y/n: "Long story. I'm here now"
The beast survived the shot and attempted to attack once again, but stopped. It collapsed on the ground motionless as the magic in the bullets seemed to kill it.
Naofumi: "Thanks. Really though, where were you?"
Y/n: "We all got teleported elsewhere. We had to fight something a lot more dangerous"
Naofumi: "*sighs* Atleast you're safe. All of you"
Y/n: "Let's hurry up and end this wave so we can get a well deserved rest"
Naofumi: "You said it"
We charge forward, with me taking the backline while Raphtalia goes on the offensive. I take out any enemies that look too close to her while Naofumi defends my back, countering when he needs to.
Muramasa went off with Shirou while Illya Miyu and Schwi stayed together at a higher ground.
Everything was going well, but something wasn't completely right for me.
"If that really was Death, why did he go down so easily? It made no sense for a God like figure to simply die that quick.. Something still doesn't seem right"
Naofumi noticed me surprisingly bothered by something, not named the current battlefield and decided to nudge.
Naofumi: "You aren't here mentally right now Y/n, what's up?"
I take a shot at a group of ghouls that lined up and 3 peat. I drop my gun down as I start glancing around. The army we had pretty much was on the verge of eliminating the wave of enemies, but that feeling wouldn't leave me alone.
Y/n: "What if I told you I met a
Death itself?"
He paused and look over to me, noticing a sense of nervousness.
Naofumi: "I'd say.. that it isn't the craziest thing I'd believe given where we are and how we got here.. What did it want?"
Y/n: ".. Me"
He pushed an enemy back as Raphtalia quickly appeared from behind him to kill it.
Naofumi: "You?!"
Y/n: "Yeah.. me"
??: "SOMETHING IS COMING!! PLEASE WATCH OUT!!"
I sense my trigger go off and I duct down and open fire as a dog covered in flames nearly takes my head off. It lands after taking my bullets without much of a scratch.
Naofumi: "What the hell is that?!"
I turn to see a pack of them sneaking out from the forest, all seeming very strong.
Y/n: "Don't know, but I don't think they are here on friendly terms"
I reload Calico as the hounds are quick to surround us.
Naofumi: "Raphtalia, stay behind me"
He pulls her back while I take out Thompson's Contender.
Y/n: "This looks to be am interesting battle"
One of the hounds jumps towards me but is shot in the head by a sniper.
Schwi: "Schwi will protect you master"
As she goes to aim again, a stringed dove pulls away from an incoming attack.
Illya: "What is that Schwi?"
A golem appears from behind the group, targeting them.
"Illya, Schwi, Miyu!!!"
With us being surrounded, I couldn't just sprint to them without leaving us all vulnerable.
Shirou: "The bigger they are"
An arrow explodes on its face, pushing it backwards as Muramasa dropped from above.
Muramasa: "The harder they fall"
His hand was holding a sword dripped in flames.
Muramasa: "Muramasa!!"
He sliced the golem in half before stepping back. The moment he arrived next to Shirou, the golem exploded into flames but there was a problem.
Miyu: "Big brother!!"
Shirou: "Tch. More?"
Muramasa: "No time to think, let's just do"
Shirou: "You're quite annoying, but you have a point"
He traced his twin swords and the two rushed in while the girls backed them up.
On our end, I decided on what needed to be done. I took a step forward and opened a gap for them to attack.
"I'm going to be gambling a lot here"
2 took the bait and sprinted as I took this opportunity.
Y/n: "Time Accel"
I quickly turn around and took 2 shots aimed straight at their heads. As soon as time reverted back, the 2 hounds fell to the ground lifeless.
I clutch my chest as the repercussions of my use of the technique immediately kicked in.
Naofumi: "You okay?!"
Y/n: "Time Accel!!"
I had just barely noticed the dog near his head. I move over and stab it with the blade from Red as everything reverts back once more.
Y/n: "Kh!!"
The momentum of the dog carries over and collapses on me as the rest rush in.
Raphtalia: "Naofumi-sama!!!"
Naofumi: "Shit!!"
I knew that if I did it once more, it would be a 50/50 shot on me surviving it. The pain was excruciating the second time, but my friend needed me.
"Her's to hopefully surviving this. Red, watch over me. Maybe... maybe father might be coming to see you sooner than later"
Y/n: "TIME ACCEL!!!"
I remove the carcass off of me as I jump up and quickly identify all targets, painting a dot on each head.
"6"
I fire 5 shots and have it set on the ones near Raphtalia. The last one had its mouth near Naofumi's head. I quickly move over to him but begin falling down as my heart feels a massively, sharp pain.
"I ain't letting you die!!"
I point Thompson's Contender at its head and fire just before time accelerates back to normal.
Naofumi: "Fuck!!"
The head of the best explodes but it's body continues moving onwards, crashing into Naofumi.
Raphtalia was safe from the multiple hound attack and ran over to her master while I laid down on the ground.
"Breath!! Breath easily!!"
I desperately sought to control my breathing as the pain lingered and grew.
"But is this bad?.. I'm sure they'll be fine.."
My thoughts quickly searched for anything in my memories to keep me alive.
"Ah.."
I could hear my heart beginning to beat slower and slower.
"Red. You won't have to be lonely now"
Naofumi: "Y/N!!!"
The clouded voices of many rang in my ear, desperate to wake me up from this wonderful dream.
Red: "Master?"
"I'm here. Papa's back for you"
She looked at we worryingly as I open my arms.
"You don't have to alone anymore. I'm here with you"
She walked over to me and pushed me back as tears fell out of her eyes.
Red: "NO!!! You can't die!!"
My vision went back to black as the voices continued to reach my ears.
Red: "Please live!! I'll wait for you. Just live, master!!"
I open my eyes to see someone laying down next to me.
Y/n: "Who.. are you?"
??: "Someone who also wants to see you alive"
I had no idea who she was, but I strangely found myself at ease with her.
Y/n: "Why?"
She softly smiled while gently pushing the hair off my eyes.
??: "I care about you. I don't want to see you suffer.. You don't want to let them down either, right?"
Illya: "PAPA!!!"
Muramasa: "Oi!! Come on, wake up!!"
Schwi: "Please wake up master!!! Miss goddess, please save his life!!"
Naofumi: "DAMMIT Y/N!! Why did you have to do that!!!
I could hear the pain in their voices.
Shirou: ".. I'll cancel the contract.. just wake up"
Miyu: "Big brother, he'll be okay, right?!"
??: "I'm sure Red wouldn't want you to go out in the battlefield either"
Y/n: "You.. have a point.. Who are you?"
I look her in the eyes as I receive that same smile. A gaze full of innocence and purity. A gaze with no ill intentions.
Irisviel: "Irisviel"
Despite the joyfulness that she showed, I reached my hand out and grabbed hers.
Irisviel: "Hm?"
Y/n: "Are you lonely?"
My hand began to slide off, hitting something in the process as I pass out.
Irisviel: "Lonely huh?.. I guess I might be"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Y/n: "Urgh.."
I open my eyes to find myself surrounded by loved ones and in a room.
Illya: "PAPA!!"
Illya jumps into my arms as I'm bombarded by Schwi and Raphtalia right after.
Y/n: "What happened?"
Muramasa: "You passed out after taking out the hounds. We handled the remainder of the wave while Illya and Miyu took care of ya"
I turn to Miyu who looked worried.
Y/n: "You have my thanks"
I pat her head as Shirou stands next to her.
Shirou: "You gave them a scare. The hell happened to you?"
Murasama: "You say that like you weren't worried either?"
Shirou immediately turned red and turned to Muramasa who was standing with a poker face.
Shirou: "SHUT UP YOU!!"
Muramasa: "No. This is my house after all"
I hug my girls as Naofumi kneels down next to me with Raphtalia and Filo behind him.
Naofumi: "You saved my life. I'm sorry I couldn't do a thing for you back there"
Y/n: "Don't be. You're my friend after all. Of course I'd risk my life for you.. *chuckles* I might even say I see you as a brother"
Naofumi: "Just.. don't risk your life like that again please"
Y/n: "No promises"
Naofumi: "Urgh, I'll have to keep an eye on you more than I want to, but that's what you do for family"
I give him a fist bump as Illya turns to Muramasa.
Muramasa: "Yes-?"
Illya pulls him in to the family hug as he ends up accidentally dragging Shirou and Miyu as well.
Shirou: "What's happening?!"
Miyu: "Uh.."
Muramasa: "I.. no idea"
Y/n: "Sorry. My daughter can be quite selfish"
Illya: "Family hug. Mr. Naofumi, you can join us too!!"
Naofumi: "I-I'll pass for now. That's too much weight for someone who just barely woke up"
I had Schwi, Shirou, Muramasa, Illya and Miyu all on me as Illya smiled happily. I could feel something odd in the palm of my hand.
Once they all get off, I bring it out to see a ring inside it.
Y/n: ".. Irisviel.."
I could still remember her face and voice as I acknowledge it to be more than a dream.
Schwi: "Master?.."
Y/n: "Hm?"
She had a puzzled look in her eyes before changing it to a smile.
Schwi: "Nothing. I'm just.. happy"
Y/n: "I'm glad you are too"
Irisviel: "I'm glad that you're alive"