Chapter 79. The Analysis Named "True Essence"
The depths of the Valley of Dragons were not the eerie, horrifying mass grave one might imagine, but a wilderness of white bones covered by an aurora, appearing almost sacred.
The gravity here had twisted to a degree that defied common logic. Because the residual mana (Od) from generations of giant dragons was so concentrated, the air had been compressed into a pale blue gelatinous state. With every step, one's skin felt the abrasive pain of being rubbed by sandpaper.
"Hey, Emiya-lad, your condition looks even worse than before! Right now, you're like a defective phone that was damaged right out of the factory—your signal (mana) is constantly flashing red!"
Captain Tsubaki gripped her heavy Black Iron Hammer. Though she moved freely under the protection of the Lv. 5 Level Boost, her seasoned eyes remained fixed on Shirou.
At this moment, the entire right side of Shirou's body was trembling violently. His right hand, which had been semi-transparent, began to absorb the drifting blue dragon dust upon entering this high-gravity zone. That dust crawled into his skin along the red circuits on his arm, making a sizzling, searing sound.
"This feeling... it's like someone is pouring mercury directly into my veins."
Shirou gritted his teeth, a stubborn cold light flickering in his amber pupils. He could feel the body given to him by the Dungeon reacting violently to the primitive aura of the Dragon Valley. It was like trying to flash a pure-blood Dragon firmware onto an Android system; it was a miracle the hardware hadn't exploded yet.
"Shirou-sama! Please don't push yourself! If you can't hold on, I can release 'Uchide no Kozuchi' again!"
Haruhime was so anxious her fox ears were standing straight up. She clutched her magic staff, her golden tail tense with nerves.
"No need, Haruhime. What I need right now is exactly this 'feeling of rejection.' Only by first shattering this false balance can I truly reach the true essence of this blade."
Shirou waved his left hand, his gaze crossing the jagged bone ridges to look at the very center of the valley.
There, a skeletal frame of a giant dragon exceeding fifty meters lay quietly upon an altar. Unlike the shattered remains on the outskirts, this dragon skeleton was terrifyingly complete. Every rib was like polished silver, emitting a chilling pressure under the moonlight.
That was the legendary—remains of a close relative of the Ancient Dragon King, Nidhogg.
"ROOOOOOAR—!!!"
Sensing the aura of the living, a pale blue soul-fire suddenly ignited upon the skeleton that had slept for a millennium. Within the hollow eye sockets, two spheres of ghostly blue light flared up, looking like judges returning from the underworld.
That was the guardian will of the Valley of Dragons, the collective manifestation of all the dragon grudges in the area.
"Here it comes! It's the big guy tagged as 'Untouchable' even in the Guild's confidential archives!"
Ryuu Lion instantly drew the kodachi at her waist, while her silver bow, Sirius, let out a resonant vibration. Her sky-blue eyes locked onto the skeletal dragon, her figure becoming a green gale as she instantly spread out the defensive line on the flank.
"Emiya, leave the battle here to us. Go complete your analysis; that is the only reason we came here."
Ryuu's voice was calm, but the fingers gripping her sword turned white from the force. She knew clearly that even with Haruhime's buff, they could only serve as a distraction against an ancient existence of this level.
"Thanks, Ryuu. Hold it for me for three minutes... no, two minutes is enough!"
Shirou roared, his figure becoming a red afterimage as he charged straight toward the massive skeleton.
The skeletal dragon let out a roar that shattered the earth. It had no flesh, but the storm condensed from its mana instantly ground the surrounding bones into powder. It raised a massive skeletal claw, bringing a wind that tore through space, and slammed it heavily toward the ground.
"BOOM—!!!"
The ground instantly collapsed.
"This attack frequency... does it intend to hammer us like moles?!"
Captain Tsubaki laughed loudly, her Black Iron Hammer erupting with scorching sparks as she physically braced against the downward force of the skeletal dragon.
"Hey! Red-haired brat! My waist is about to snap from the shock! Are you done with the analysis yet?!"
By this time, Shirou Emiya had already rushed beneath the dragon's ribcage.
He did not launch an attack, nor did he project a shield.
He simply reached out with his semi-transparent right hand, which was on the brink of collapse, and pressed it firmly against the dragon's thickest spinal bone.
"Trace—On (Synchronization, Start)."
In that instant, Shirou's consciousness was forcibly dragged into a vast, boundless dark space.
There was no sound, no light. Only a heavy "hatred" spanning ten thousand years, enough to suffocate the soul.
He saw this dragon's roar before the descent of the Age of Gods. He saw its despair when the stars fell. He saw how the foundations of this world withered bit by bit, finally covered by the so-called "Falna" system.
Analyzing structural components—Ancient Ether Crystals, Star Fragments, Essence of Life. Determining basic frame—Spine of the Indomitable, Wings that Rend the Heavens. Mimicking production technique—this is the forging of the world itself.
"Thump!"
Shirou's heart pounded violently, and blood seeped from the corners of his eyes.
It was too heavy. This volume of information called "Truth" was far vaster than any Noble Phantasm he had ever analyzed. Even Ea was a record belonging to the King of Heroes. But the skeleton before him was a "component" belonging to the world itself.
"[System... Warning... Capacity exceeded... Soul collapse rate... rising...]"
the emotionless voice in his head began to scream alerts like a broken record. It felt like an old phone with only 64GB of memory trying to forcibly download a multi-terabyte 4K lossless universal documentary.
"Shut... up."
Shirou roared in his heart.
"I have witnessed the destruction of worlds and the end of ideals. If I can't even carry a 'burden' of this level, how can I talk about saving those idiot comrades?!
I am... Shirou Emiya!
I am... Senji Muramasa!
I am... the blacksmith who will sever this boring fate!"
His twenty-seven magic circuits were twisted together at this moment, emitting a brilliant, nearly golden light. His right hand, which had been turning transparent, suddenly generated a terrifying suction force the moment it touched the dragon bone.
He was devouring. Utilizing the concept of Unlimited Blade Works, he was forcibly projecting the "Quality" of this ancient dragon bone into his own body.
This was no ordinary projection. This was—Existential Reconstruction.
"Hey! What is Shirou-sama doing?! Is he going to eat that dragon skeleton?!"
In the distance, Haruhime watched the center of the battlefield in horror. Shirou's right hand had completely turned into a dazzling white-gold, a light that even eclipsed the ghostly fire in the skeletal dragon's eyes.
The skeletal dragon seemed to sense an emotion called "fear." It swung its massive head frantically, condensing a deep blue dragon breath cannon in its mouth that was capable of melting mountains.
"Don't you dare!"
Ryuu Lion's figure flashed again. The string of her Sirius bow was pulled to its limit, the aura of Artemis converging at the arrow tip. 1zoK
"Absolute Destruction—Starfall!"
Swish!
A silver meteor accurately pierced the skeletal dragon's throat, forcibly interrupting its charge. While the power wasn't enough to slay it, that one second of paralysis was the difference between heaven and earth for Shirou.
"..."
Shirou snapped his eyes open, his pupils reflecting the white bones of the entire Dragon Valley.
"Analysis... complete."
His voice was no longer raspy; instead, it carried a metallic crispness.
He released his hand from the dragon bone. In that instant, the once-unrivaled ancient dragon skeleton turned into a piece of withered wood dried for ten thousand years. With a crisp cracking sound, it transformed into a sky full of dust and dissipated with the wind.
In Shirou's right hand, a slowly pulsing glob of white-gold liquid had appeared.
That was the Dragon Essence, the "Soul" of this True Name Weapon.
"..."
Shirou looked down at the liquid. His right hand had now regained its physical form, appearing even sturdier than before, every line exuding a sharpness named "Sword."
"I once chased the backs of others.
I once replicated the miracles of myths.
But those... were ultimately just phantoms."
Shirou slowly raised his right hand. The white-gold liquid traveled along his arm, finally condensing into a faint sword-mold in the air.
"Since I am a sword born to protect.
Since I am a spirit returned to sever tragedy.
Then the name of this sword needs no god's bestowal, much less a myth's endorsement."
Shirou's gaze became incredibly deep at this moment. He remembered Ais smiling at him on the streets of Orario, Loki sneaking food in the kitchen, and Wiene crying for her comrades in the Dungeon.
These daily lives. These insignificant yet gold-precious daily routines. These were the only meaning for him, Shirou Emiya, to cross time and space to come here.
"Determining weapon core—Vow of Protection.
Granting weapon True Name—"
Shirou spoke each word with deliberate weight.
"[The Sword of the End: The Moment Fate is Severed]."
RUMBLE—!!!
The thunderclouds in the sky were sliced open by a terrifying sword intent. The gravitational field of the entire Dragon Valley fell into total disorder at this moment; countless giant bones were swept into the air and turned to dust in an instant.
It was the power named "Truth" contesting against the world named "Emptiness."
"Is this... a commotion a Lv. 4 can make?"
Captain Tsubaki plopped onto the ground, the hammer in her hand falling. She stared blankly at the youth standing in the center of the storm, feeling her previous concepts of forging being ground into the dirt.
"This isn't forging anymore... this is creating a miracle."
The battle was over. With the disappearance of the Guardian Bone, the rampaging mana around them gradually calmed down.
Shirou's body swayed, and the not-yet-fully formed sword-mold in his hand retracted into his right hand. Although the final work wasn't finished, he knew the hardest hurdle had been cleared.
Now, as long as he returned to the surface and found the catalyst known as a "Forge," he could truly step across the threshold of Lv. 5 and possess a True Name Weapon that even the Gods would eye with respect.
"Emiya!"
The voices of Ryuu and Ais (though Ais wasn't here, she was sensed through the protection) seemed to overlap in his ears.
Shirou turned his head, looking at Ryuu and Haruhime as they rushed over with worried faces, and gave a relieved smile.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. The materials... have been obtained."
He reached out his right hand and gripped the air tightly. The aura that erupted in that instant caused the surrounding gravity to collapse once more.
Beyond the gaze of the others.
In the shadows at the edge of the valley, Syr (Freya) stood holding a small umbrella, quietly watching it all.
"My, my... quite unexpected.
Not only were you not devoured by the dragon soul, but you actually took its 'History' for yourself?"
Syr licked her lips, the love in her eyes—enough to make all of Orario come to a standstill—had become so concentrated it was nearly overflowing.
"This unreasonable toughness, this brilliance reborn in destruction.
Shirou... you are truly forcing me to snatch you back right now."
She closed her umbrella and glanced toward Babel.
"But it's fine.
The festival in three months... that will be our 'final wedding'.
Until then, please... become a bit stronger. Strong enough... that even I cannot control you."
Syr's figure vanished in the wind, leaving behind a faint fragrance belonging to the Goddess of Beauty.
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At the same moment. Orario, Northwest Main Street.
Alise, who was drinking with her primary god, suddenly stopped her movements. She looked toward the north, a certain confusion flickering in her red eyes.
"Captain? What is it?" Kaguya asked.
"I don't know," Alise scratched her head. "Suddenly felt... like a very nostalgic and very arrogant aura exploded in that direction for a moment."
"Nostalgic? Arrogant?" Lyra rolled her eyes. "Could it be that Loki is showing off her new clothes again?"
"No, it wasn't Loki." Alise smiled, her gaze softening. "It was... the aura of that idiot chef."
"He's become... so strong."
Three days later, the North Gate of Orario.
When Shirou Emiya and his party returned, carrying the scent of gunpowder and dragons, the guards didn't even dare to step forward to question them.
Because the red-haired youth in the lead, though his right hand was still wrapped in bandages, caused a faint ringing sound on the ground with every step he took. It was a sign that the mana in his body had been condensed to the extreme, ready to undergo a qualitative change at any moment.
"I'm back."
Shirou stood before Babel, looking at the tower that pierced the clouds.
"Loki, Finn. I'm back." lzoxk
"And this time... I've brought back the winning chance... enough to overturn this entire Wedding Heist war."
Shirou Emiya clenched his right hand. Beneath those bandages, the radiance named "End" was quietly awaiting its awakening.
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