Chapter 169: My Body Is Made of Swords! The Reality Marble Ignites Everything!
Following Shirou's rescue of Ryuu from the execution grounds and his solitary effort to hold back Astraea, the Goddess of Justice, the entire execution grounds had fallen into utter chaos. The Familia representing the Guild and the Familia that had rushed to save Ryuu were already clashing, plunging the scene into complete pandemonium.
The fight that drew the most attention from outsiders was undoubtedly the duel between Kali, the War Goddess, and Ottar.
After all, this was an encounter on the same level as the battle between Shirou and Astraea—a confrontation between a mortal and a deity. Moreover, Ottar was the strongest person in Orario aside from Shirou. If Shirou were tied up by Astraea and Ottar managed to break free, he alone could sweep away all the adventurers attempting the jailbreak.
However, it was clear that Ottar was no match for Kali. Trapped within the War God's Arena, his level suppressed to Lv. 1, he was ultimately unable to contend with Kali, who possessed myriad martial arts and could even push her body beyond its limits.
Of course, Ottar was still the strongest in Orario; even if he couldn't defeat the War Goddess Kali, he could certainly avoid being defeated at lightning speed.
With the War Goddess Kali holding back Ottar, the jailbreak faction held the advantage in most of the other battles. This was because they not only had Kali Familia's two Lv. 6 members but also members of the Ishtar Familia, in addition to the already Lv. 4 Bell... and nearly every waiter at the Hostess of Fertility was also an Lv. 4 level expert.
Thus, with the Loki Familia and Freya Familia unable to rush in as reinforcements, the capabilities of the Ganesha Familia and the other Guild-aligned Familia were simply insufficient to resist.
However, this battle, which had been overwhelmingly in favor of the jailbreak faction, suddenly took a sharp turn.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, all the swordsmen present noticed an astonishing phenomenon. Their swords seemed to have gained a mind of their own, uncontrollably flying out of their hands and soaring into the air.
Moreover, this situation did not affect everyone, but was limited only to the Familia members attempting to raid the public execution. The weapons in the hands of the Guild-aligned members remained completely unaffected.
In an instant, even the most slow-witted person realized that this was due to the Authority of a certain deity. And the only deity capable of so broadly manipulating everyone's swords, forcibly snatching away weapons that should have been in their hands, was, without a doubt, one: the Goddess of Justice, Astraea.
Sure enough, when people looked up, they saw all the swords flying towards Astraea's location, where they hung high above the execution grounds, like a symbol of the boundary of death, intimidating everyone present into immobility.
This terrifying ability immediately reversed the advantageous position of the jailbreak faction into a disadvantage. After all, no matter how powerful a warrior was, without a usable weapon, it was impossible to defeat an opponent.
Fortunately, Kali Familia's two Lv. 6 members did not rely on swords for combat; they either fought bare-handed or used only daggers. They barely escaped the Goddess Astraea's divine judgment. Yet, even with their weapons preserved, facing the encirclement of the Guild-aligned Familia like the Ganesha Familia, who were pressing with overwhelming numbers, the two Amazoness warriors were clearly unable to defeat them all, forced instead into a prolonged, bitter fight. If the delay continued, they might even be defeated by the opponent's human wave tactic.
That would undoubtedly be an extremely unfavorable outcome.
Therefore, the many Familia of the jailbreak faction couldn't help but look toward the battlefield where Shirou confronted the Goddess Astraea, able only to pray that Shirou could gain the upper hand in the fight with the Goddess, or even find a way to resolve the abnormal Authority possessed by Goddess Astraea.
.
.
.
With Ryuu rescued by Shirou and escorted to safety by Anya and others, only Shirou and the Goddess of Justice remained on the scene for a one-on-one duel. The two maintained a distance, both seemingly wary of the other's strength.
However, as Astraea activated her Authority to interfere with the weapons of all the jailbreak faction members across the entire plaza, Shirou realized he couldn't stand by and watch things unfold.
Especially since Goddess Astraea's Authority was also affecting him, making it impossible for him to smoothly control the weapon in his hand. If he wasn't careful, the Agaris in his hand would be directly controlled by his opponent.
Fortunately, Agaris wasn't a purely ordinary sword; it contained a fragment of Alise's soul, and her soul was already completely integrated with the weapon itself.
"Emiya, I'll help you!"
The moment Goddess Astraea's Authority activated, Alise used her own will to resist the Goddess's Authority, and with the help of the hellfire Shirou had wrapped around the sword, she forcefully blocked the influence of Astraea's power.
"Oh? Is that Alise?" Astraea recognized Alise's soul within the Agaris and immediately made a judgment. "It seems to be only a small fragment of her soul, perhaps accidentally remaining in her body upon death. The majority of her soul must have been extracted by the Ouranos Faction after all."
Astraea silently made her assessment. Her words undoubtedly accurately described Alise's condition.
Regarding Astraea's reaction, Alise, while resisting the Authority, spoke with a complex expression: "Lady Astraea, you don't need to do this! We were already dead; even if our souls were recovered, it would be impossible to bring us back to life. Since that's the case, you didn't have to obey Ouranos's command for our sake..."
Astraea fell silent for a moment following Alise's words. She then quietly spoke, "Alise, do you think I am only serving him and the Guild—even judging Ryuu—just to save you and prevent Ouranos from destroying your souls?"
"..."
"While that was indeed the source, the real reason I took action, even to the point of executing this judgment against Ryuu, is my own realization of Justice."
"Realization of Justice?"
Both Alise and Shirou were puzzled by Astraea's words.
Astraea herself then slowly looked toward Shirou and asked, "Shirou Emiya, why did you save Ryuu? Your bond with her isn't that deep, is it?"
"My relationship with Ryuu isn't particularly deep, but that doesn't mean I'll stand by and watch her die," Shirou quietly replied. "No matter what, I will do what I believe is right."
"You truly are an interesting man."
Astraea smiled at Shirou's answer, showing her admiration. She then slowly said, "My thinking is similar to yours. I only want to do what I believe is right, to realize the justice that I was once unable to achieve."
"Realize justice?"
Shirou couldn't comprehend Astraea's words.
Astraea didn't attempt to explain her thoughts further with words. Instead, she slowly picked up a longsword that flew in from a distance and actually moved to close the distance with Shirou!
"Be careful, Emiya! Lady Astraea's swordsmanship is extraordinary!" Alise immediately warned upon seeing Astraea's movement. "Although she isn't a famous War God, she is in no way inferior compared to deities like Takemikazuchi or Kali!"
"Boom!"
The moment Alise's words fell, Shirou clearly felt a terrifying pressure wash over him. Although Astraea wasn't using any Authority, only augmenting her body with divine power, the pressure she exuded made it impossible for Shirou to let down his guard.
Especially Astraea's movements: despite wearing a long dress, her actions were fluid and seamless, not only flawless but also aggressively offensive.
After a brief exchange, Shirou had to admit that the female deity before him was not as fragile as she appeared. On the contrary, her strength was in no way weaker than any battle-hardened warrior, and the swordsmanship she displayed was even more astonishing than any formidable opponent Shirou had encountered so far!
"Clang!" "Clang!" "Clang..."
Astraea swung the longsword in her hand like lightning. Her magnificent and graceful sword techniques were like the Grim Reaper's scythe, with every strike being lethal. Shirou initially managed to engage her using the power of his Mind's Eye.
But as the exchanges grew more frequent, Shirou clearly realized the level of swordsmanship Goddess Astraea possessed. It was a capability beyond mortal comprehension, a domain only reachable by deities who had lived for countless ages, honing their skills to the pinnacle over immense time.
"Bang!"
After being forcibly repelled by Goddess Astraea, a frustrated Shirou had no choice but to abandon a frontal clash and instead project a Noble Phantasm.
"Trace On!"
Shirou raised his hand and summoned Kanshou and Bakuya, using his most proficient defensive swordsmanship to block Astraea's attacks.
Regarding Shirou's action, Astraea spoke with a cold expression, "I see, so this is your unique magic that can create weapons? If that's the case..."
As Astraea spoke, she decisively released her Authority. Under her manipulation, the twin swords in Shirou's hands immediately flew out of control, forcibly falling into Astraea's grasp.
Facing this Authority that snatched others' weapons, Shirou further realized its terrifying nature, but he didn't panic in the slightest. In fact, he had intentionally projected the swords from the very beginning, allowing Astraea to take them.
Simultaneously, Shirou decisively released the magical power within the two weapons.
"Broken Phantasm!"
Shirou's Projection Magic possessed a highly unique aspect: he could internally collapse the projected creation, achieving an effect close to self-destruction!
"Boom!"
Goddess Astraea clearly hadn't anticipated such a move from Shirou. In the moment before she could react, she was swallowed by the magical power of the exploding swords, rapidly vanishing into the thick smoke churned up by the blast.
"Did it work?"
Alise was astonished by Shirou's underhanded trick and subconsciously spoke.
"It's impossible for it to have worked."
Shirou shook his head.
He had previously experienced a battle with the deity Miach and knew just how troublesome and terrifying these descent-level deities were. Miach, as a deity with a non-combat Authority, had already put enough pressure on Shirou. Astraea, as the Goddess presiding over justice and judgment, certainly could not be defeated so easily.
Sure enough, as the smoke dispersed, Goddess Astraea's figure reappeared before Shirou. After enduring the surprise attack of the Broken Phantasm, she showed not a single trace of damage; not even a wrinkle on her clothes was broken, maintaining her pure and holy appearance.
At the same time, the Goddess of Justice suddenly stared at Shirou and slowly spoke, "Shirou Emiya, everything up until now was to lure you here."
"Are you saying Ryuu was never your target?"
"That's right, Ryuu's existence is completely inconsequential. She wasn't a necessary presence, merely bait to lure you out," Astraea quietly replied. "You can call this method despicable, or say that I've violated the name of Justice, but no matter what, I must kill you to achieve the justice I must realize."
"I see... but do you think you can do that?" Shirou, though empty-handed, calmly looked at the Goddess before him. "Also, what is this 'justice' of yours? Is the justice you seek to kill me, even at the cost of sacrificing Ryuu?"
"As the Goddess of Justice, I clearly understand that there is no absolute justice in this world, only relative justice," Astraea quietly responded. "Everyone has their own justice, and everyone will fight for their own justice. In the end, what is called justice is either the justice represented by the 'majority' or the justice represented by 'absolute power and supremacy'... It is precisely because the definition of justice differs that various forms of chaos and conflict erupt in the world."
"..."
The Goddess Astraea was indeed worthy of being the deity who symbolized justice; her understanding of justice far surpassed that of ordinary people, clarifying the essence of 'justice' in just a few words.
"To deny the fact that justice leads to chaos, and to seek an absolute and standard justice, I have searched for a very long time," Astraea quietly spoke. "Ultimately, I discovered an 'absolute justice' that exists in this world, applicable to absolutely everyone and certain to be accepted by all."
"And that is?"
"The absolute justice I found is the Justice of the World," Astraea looked at Shirou. "Eradicating all selfishness and self-interest, eliminating individual desires and group benefits, taking the entire world as the largest collective, and seeking the commonality of this largest set of all individuals—what exists there is the Justice of the World."
"..."
Astraea's words seemed to reveal something fundamental, but Shirou's perspective and insight were far inferior to hers, leaving him completely unable to grasp Astraea's meaning.
Astraea had no intention of explaining further. Instead, she slowly raised her right hand.
"Shirou Emiya, your magic is interesting, but unfortunately, the magic you possess is nothing more than a deterioration of my Authority in my eyes."
As Astraea spoke, the divine power in her body abruptly erupted. In an instant, countless swords suddenly materialized out of thin air. Countless blades from the history of this world, conjured by divine power and Authority, surfaced one after another.
Each of these swords contained a piece of history, and each history was written by a hero. Therefore, the countless swords that appeared on the scene were equivalent to mapping out the entire history of the world, forming a vortex of the world itself in the form of swords.
"Five years ago, after I chose to leave Orario, I went to the other end of the world," Astraea quietly narrated. "Having nowhere to go, I instinctively wandered around, and due to my Authority, I subconsciously moved towards areas filled with conflict. I eventually arrived at the most chaotic place in this world, a city called the Sword-Making City."
"As the center of numerous kingdoms, the Sword-Making City is an extremely rare free city-state. Due to the checks and balances of multiple forces, it was constantly being invaded by various nations in turn. To defend themselves, almost every citizen in the city-state learned how to fight; children who had just grown up had to start practicing swordsmanship."
"In such extreme circumstances, the Sword-Making City naturally gave birth to countless heroes. In the overly harsh environment, people had to learn to band together, establish order, and unite all possible forces to resist powerful foreign enemies."
"To acquire more means of self-preservation, the Sword-Making City accommodated various blacksmiths as much as possible, giving birth to all kinds of famous swords, accumulating a vast arsenal over its long history. My Authority constantly evolved in that city, reaching the point where I can conjure this Sword-Wrought Boundary out of thin air."
As she spoke, an increasingly astonishing number of swords began to spread from all directions. The exaggerated quantity even covered a large part of the Labyrinth City of Orario, completely shrouding Orario's sky with countless swords.
"T-This is Lady Astraea's power..."
"T-Too terrifying!"
"Can mortals truly contend with this kind of power?"
Everyone in Orario couldn't help but stare wide-eyed at the sword vortex covering the sky. Not only the people around the execution grounds but also the Loki Familia and Freya Familia fighting the Rakia Kingdom outside the city walls were stunned by the dramatic sight in the sky.
Although this was possible because Astraea could freely use her divine power in the lower world through her Authority of Judgment, such an exaggerated domain of swords still made everyone on the scene gape.
Regardless of the fact that every sword Astraea created contained divine power, even if they were just ordinary weapons without divine power, such a massive number, if unleashed all at once, would be enough to pierce any ordinary person into a sieve, making resistance impossible!
"If you don't wish to suffer too much pain, surrender obediently."
"If I surrender, will you let me go?"
The Goddess of Justice slowly spoke with an indifferent expression: "No, no matter what, Emiya, you must die. This is what I must do to achieve my justice."
"Is that so? In that case, I can't hold back either."
Seeing the overly magnificent Sword-Wrought Boundary, Shirou realized the true power of Astraea, the Goddess of Justice. For this, he knew he couldn't hold back any longer.
Whether to defeat his opponent or to survive her power, he had to further unleash his trump card.
"Hoo—"
Shirou took a deep breath, instantly condensing the magical power in his body to the extreme, and slowly raised his right hand. To the surprised eyes of Astraea and everyone present, Shirou began his first chant since arriving in this world.
"I am the bone of my sword."
The moment the words fell, a searing flame suddenly ignited the scene, completely setting the surrounding air ablaze, like the man's unyielding will!
Although most people didn't know exactly what was happening, just feeling the enormous magical power of the Reality Marble that seemed to engulf the entire world made them instinctively show expressions of shock.
Especially Goddess Astraea, she had never expected to witness such a thing, and an expression of astonishment appeared on her face.
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