11

Standing in my lab, I felt the might of the Grimoire build again. Grunting, I felt an energy build in my chest as I could sense grinding and shifting from my SOUL. Diving into the location, I immerged into a world of swords. All around me were swords of all types sticking from the dead soil, and hovering in the sky endlessly churning away were giant gears with the moon shining brightly between them I recognized what this was, and it worried me. This was Unlimted Blade Work with several alterations; the main one was that instead of being day, it was nighttime with a full moon in the sky, and Castle Brunetud was here.

I Slowly walked up to my house on a hill while gently running my hands over the hilts of the swords embedded in the ground. Each of them trembled slightly as I touched them as if waiting to be used. Opening the door to Castle Brunestud, I stepped inside to see the vampiric spirit standing in the room off to the right. He had pushed aside the low coffee table and the fancy chairs and was swinging two small blades; one was primarily white while the other was mostly black.

Twirling them as if they were pistols, they vanished as he grinned fangs on broad display. Sighing while placing the palm of my hand on my face, I spoke to him.

"Kanshou and Bakuya, really?"

"Well, duh! I mean, come on, this is EMIYA; he can summon a ton of blades while he sits at the back. Imagine the destruction we could cause!"

"Of course, that is what you are interested in. I'm leaving now."

As I vanished, I saw his mouth move; however, I was out of my SOUL before I could hear him.

Standing still, I held my hands out face up and focused. I called upon Kanshou and Bakuya and felt a heavy weight drop into my hands. A grin like my vampiric alters snuck on my face as I swung the blade around.

While no doubt I would have sliced my arm off before I got this new power if I tried such fancy tricks, it was now a matter of Instinct to twirl the two blades about with no difficulty.

Dismissing the swords, I pulled open my Grimoire and flipped to the newest page. It was titled Class Card Heart, and further down was Archer. I listed how part of my SOUL now contained the crushed ego of a Heroic Spirit.

Paling slightly, I continued ready as I remembered what happened when people had tried to crush the ego of sufficiently powerful spirits. Mainly, the person in question would be dead or wish they were dead.

Calming down as I read further and the page made it clear that I would not have to worry about a pissed-off EMIYA tearing my SOUL apart. Gently putting the book away, I focused on the faint grinding I could feel coming from my chest and focused on calling upon a few no-name swords. An instant later, I had half a dozen steel, bronze, and other metal blades floating in the air behind me.

With a mental flick, the blades started moving around my laboratory, dancing in between each other as I tested my fine control. It seemed that D ranked Clairvoyance and C ranked eye of the Mind(True) were enough to control a few dozen blades with minimal focus.

Pulling more and more blades, I soon had a large armory worth of blades dancing through my lab, many of them weapons that a Magus would sell their family to get.

Letting the blades vanish back into my SOUL, I decided to run a few more tests. The first test was to see if Independent Action did anything. Standing in the middle of an empty warehouse did not make me feel any less stupid as I tried to focus on my magic, and after over an hour, I felt that it either did nothing or something so small I could not tell what it did.

The following skill was Magic Resistance; however, I would not be hitting myself with my magic, and at rank E, it would be more of a pleasant surprise than anything I could count on. I had already tested Clairvoyance and Eye of the Mind(True), which left Magecraft.

Unfortunately, while Magecraft was potent for Archer, it didn't do all that much while he had spent a fair time honing it; the skill did not measure up to an entire eight-year education in the Clocktower. An upside, however, was that projecting swords that were not in Unlimted Blade Works was very easy.

I did not have any new weapons that I could add; however, things like Chevalier's gun blade would be a fine addition to my collection. As I had been practicing, more Dust had collected around me and formed pseudo muscle, and at the tips of my feet, I could see a few toes made out of pure Dust.

Bending down to observe them closer, I noticed that while they looked much better and glowed slightly, they were still my toes. However, anything further would have to wait until more Dust gathered around me.

Standing up, I felt my Grimore's power build up again; this time, it faded back, letting the power simmer in my marrow. Wriggling my fingers to dispel the pins and needles, I decided to look over my Grimoire to implement my next plan.

I needed to prepare for when outside capes came to the Bay. I could assume that the Butcher and Accord would arrive; however, I didn't know if anybody else would.

I had no clue how I would react to killing the Butcher, so while over a dozen powers would be excellent, the insanity is a definite downside. However, I scribbled down to see later if I could make something to block mental effects.

Accord would be the bigger problem. He had the Ambassadors, a potent team that, backed by my Accord's ludicrous power, could most likely end up a ruling power in the bay.

My plan for him boiled down to a scry and die. I would try to find his location and toss half a dozen broken Phantasm at it. No matter what, your plan was something that could kill Hercules at least once and would be almost impossible to stop.

If anybody else was coming to town, I couldn't remember them from canon; the S9 avoided places that were not already run down. Levithan would most likely avoid Brockton due to my butterflies.

That was all the other threats I could remember from Worm. My new plan was to build something that could protect me from mind control or mental tampering of any sort.

While I didn't have a physical brain or most of a form anymore, I didn't want to take any risks, which meant something that could protect me. Pulling open my Grimoire, I started looking over my options.

Straight Enchanting was out as I didn't know enough to make me immune to mind-altering effects. Looking over at the illusion covering my batteries, I thought over to Skidmakrs power.

From what I could remember, he could stack them infinitely, and they would fade after thirty-ish minutes of a new one not being applied. I could then theoretically apply that concept of a stacking defense that grew more powerful after applied uses and would fade after not being used. Standing up and stretching while feeling my spine crackle and pop, I got to work.

The first step was to take a blood sample. This was difficult as I did not have a needle or any method to prevent Skidmark from dying from infections or the like. Pulling out a knife, I cut his filth-encrusted arm and let a little blood spill out into a cup.

Wrinkling my nose at the smell, I stepped back and started drawing my customary circle in dust and white magic.

A few minutes later, I set the cup in the center and stopped, realizing I had forgotten to get an item to enchant. With a roll of the green flames spilling out my eye socket, I teleported to the pawn shop I had purchased most of my jewelry.

Periodically it was closed at this time, so I started to collect a large sum of items that could be enchanted in the near future—frowning slightly as I was about to leave, I set down the amount it would have cost to buy the items as well as an extra 10%.

While that did drain my funds, I was not screwing over some innocent shopkeeper. Besides, I liked the small gnome-like man; he didn't ask questions and appeared reasonably amicable. Arriving at my lab, I set a small silver ring inside the circle and started chanting in german.

"Drown, drown the ring, the ring, the defenses grow bigger as they grow smaller!"

As the last line faded away, I saw mana tremble and soar into the ring. Dismissing the words and scraping away the Dust, I put the cup of blood under the illusion in case I needed it later.

Picking up the ring and sliding it onto the ring finger on my right hand, I saw a shimmering field of mana pop up around me, and a few seconds later, another appeared. While invisible to the average eye, I could see the fields that would appear and, after thirty minutes, would vanish.

The fields were so thick it was hard to see how many there were; however, by eyeballing it, I could assume I had around a hundred or so, and while each field was weak, I doubted that most mental attacks could pass through now.

While I was cleaning up the sight of the ritual, I heard a soft knocking at the door and walked over before putting where my ear would be to it and asking.

"Who is it?"

I received a rasping gurgle in response, decided to risk it, and pulled the door open, ready to toss out magic. I was unprepared for a Taylor stumbling into me as blood pooled out of her throat.

It was clear the only reason she was alive as my hairpin and the only reason she was standing was spite and that she had managed to hold enough blood to keep her legs working.

Dragging her inside and fishing a health potion out of my pocket, I tore off her mask and pored the brew down her throat. The stab wound that had made a hole you could see through sealed up, and soon, Taylor was coughing up the blood that had pooled in her throat.

She tried to push herself up until I gently pushed her down and started talking.

"What happened?"

Her voice raspy and face pale, she managed to spit out

"Oni Lee"

Seeing that while her lethal wound was healed, the potion could not restore her completely, I grabbed another and ensured that she drank it. Looking much better, she started to speak.

"I was patroling where the ABB is and saw a figure blinking about. After I saw the first few people turn to dust, I guessed that it was Oni Lee and decided to see if he would lead me back to his base; once he did that, I could contact the PRT."

My voice was as dry as the Sahara when I responded.

"So you decided to tail the mass murderer you regularly suicide bombs, civilians."

Flushing, she nodded before continuing.

"I must have alerted him because one moment I was creeping around a corner, and the next I had a knife in my throat. I then dropped to the ground clawing at my throat, and then he left."

"You got fortunate that he did not double-tap. Going forward, I will give you a healing potion and make sure you don't do something this stupid again. You understand that you were most likely a minute or so from being unable to move as your heart failed to pump blood to your legs?"

She nodded again, eyes downcast; I reached over and lifted her chin with a figure before smiling at her.

"It's fine; this is your first night, after all. There is a reason I gave you the hairpin. Now it is late, and I recommend going home and getting some sleep and a snack to replenish your lost blood. You will be weak for another few hours so take it easy."

"Ok, and thank you a ton."

She then picked up her mask and darted out, letting the door swing shut behind her. Unfurling myself from where I had crouched, I resolved to get something that would allow us to communicate, whether a phone or something more mystical.

As I stood there, I felt the Grimores power start to grow before it seemed to split off and light flew off me. Looking back after the light had faded, I saw a small girl clad in a kimono with her black hair pulled up into twin tails. Beaming up at me, she spoke in a high childish voice while she jumped onto me and started hugging me.

"Hello, Master! It's great to finally meet you!"

Stumbling back, I managed to croak out a faint

"What?"

Powers Gained

Class Card Heart

Through some manner you have permanently gained the abilities of a chosen class card. You are free to choose any class card from the items list and wield its abilities naturally.

Archer

The Class Card of the Counter Guardian known as EMIYA.

Include: Limit Expand. This allows you to summon a noble phantasm that is in the form of a weapon.

Install: Phantasm Summon. This allows you to gain the abilities of a servant and their noble phantasms.

Parameters of skills and noble phantasms are more a ranking of how they are compared to fellow servants.

Cards can be installed for as long as your magical energy can sustain them, after being uninstalled they will require an hour before being able to be used again.

Parameters:

Strength: E

Mana: C

Endurance: D

Luck: E

Agility: D

Class Skills:

Independent Action: C - Independent Action is the ability to remain independent even when rejecting the Magical Energy supply from the Master. At the higher ranks, it is also possible to remain for extended periods of time in this world without an established contract. For the purposes of the Class Cards this allows you to keep them installed for longer.

Magic Resistance: E - Magic Resistance grants protection against magical effects. Differently from the Resistance effect that merely rejects Magical Energy, this ability cancels the spells altogether. At rank E it cannot cancel spells, but magic damage is reduced somewhat.

Personal Skills:

Clairvoyance: D - Clairvoyance connotes superior visual perception and dynamic occipital capture, such as to supplement the long-range aiming of projectile weapons. At higher ranks, it is possible that the bearers of this skill have acquired such abilities as precognition ("future vision") and other forms of perception beyond standard eyesight (X-ray vision and so forth). At rank D Capable of keeping track of fast-moving object within a range of two kilometers.

Eye of the Mind (True): C - Eye of the Mind (True) is a heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience. At rank B it is capable of calm analysis of battle conditions even when in danger and deduce an appropriate course of action after considering all possibilities to escape from a predicament. So long there is even a 10% chance of a comeback, this ability greatly improves the chances of winning.

Magecraft: C - Magecraft is knowledge about modern Thaumaturgy. At rank C is capable of using orthodox Thaumaturgy. Archer's rank in using Projection Magic when the target falls under the category of "sword" is A+.

Noble Phantasm:

Unlimited Bladeworks: E~EX - Unlimited Blade Works: Infinite Creation of Swords is the Noble Phantasm of the Heroic Spirit EMIYA. Emiya does not have a true Noble Phantasm that is the crystallized embodiment of a hero's existence like many demonic or holy swords, but if a Noble Phantasm is considered to be a symbol of the Heroic Spirit, then the Reality Marble is his Noble Phantasm. It is high-class thaumaturgy that embodies their internal worlds and imprints them upon the world as a bounded field. It is their one true specialization of magecraft, the result of "Sword" being both their Origin and their Elemental Affinity, and the basis of their projection and reinforcement skills. It is the definite answer obtained by someone whose life was saved by a sword, actually merged and lived with a sword, and acted as a sword all of his life. Emiya has no penalties from the world while utilizing his version of Unlimited Blade Works.

The Reality Marble's purpose is a steel manufacturing factory that produces the countless famous swords without owners that extend into the horizon. It contains all of the raw materials and sorcery needed for the formation of the weapons, and it records and analyzes all weapons and defensive armaments encountered. The number of unique weapons encountered and recorded by Archer exceeds numerous thousands, most of which are Noble Phantasms. Their entire histories, compositions, and designs are all perfectly recorded, allowing for instant proficiency with the weapons by inheriting all combat skills and techniques utilized by their original owners. This allows for the reproduction of Noble Phantasms, which would generally be impossible for a faker.

They can also be modified to the user's taste with reinforcement as shown by Archer's Caladbolg II and Kanshou and Bakuya. Close combat weapons such as swords, spears, and halberds are the main focus of the Reality Marble in accordance with Emiya's Origin of "Sword", which also makes it impossible to record or reproduce modern weaponry like guns and other mobile weapons. Shields and defensive armaments can be reproduced with a much greater struggle, as the cost in magical energy is high, two or three times greater than a sword, and the effects are merely transient compared to the originals. Weapons encountered are immediately analyzed with a single glance, enabling them to be projected immediately afterward, and once projected, they are stored within the Reality Marble for later use. Shiro is able to instantly recognize dozens of weapons being fired from the Gate of Babylon at an extremely high rate and instantly counter with projections of the same weapons before they can strike.

The analysis of weapons is limited only to the direct use of human senses, meaning that blueprints and materials will be unable to provide the necessary information for a proper analysis. Shared memories, such as dreams shared with a Servant, can allow for weapons to be analyzed and projected, even if they have been lost like Caliburn. The quality of projected weapons will always be degraded by one rank due to humans being unable to fully conceptualize the existence of an object through only one sense, and they will never equal the originals without a technique such as detonating them as Broken Phantasms. The Reality Marble allows for projection and reinforcement in the real world. Weapons are produced within Unlimited Blade Works and then brought into the world, greatly lowering the cost of reproducing them and allowing for numerous weapons to be prepared at once to be projected. Weapons can be summoned directly to the user's hands, or they can be summoned to levitate within the air and fire upon the enemy as arrows much like the Gate of Babylon. Once the Reality Marble is deployed, all of the weapons are available for use, and any weapon can immediately be called to the user's hands or levitated even while the user is in direct combat. The weapons reproduced once the Reality Marble is first activated will not consume magical energy, but those used or destroyed within it will add to the cost of maintaining the bounded field. The amount of energy used to reproduce weapons that did not exist after the bounded field was expanded and the amount of energy used to recreate weapons destroyed while it is activated is extremely costly.

Komainu

You have a komainu, a lion-dog statue that watches menacingly over wherever you wish to put it. When you need it, perhaps when trespassers try to break in, it will spring to life (and naturally, turn into a cute girl) to defend you. While in statue form, it's semi-aware and can remember things such as who looked after the statue when it was not needed and keep a careful watch for potential enemies.