There were powerful physical threats I would no doubt be dealing with in the future, so I thought of getting a Noble Phantasm or three. Some Noble Phantasms weren't tangible or could transform, like Avalon, so those types would be the best choice since I was trying to be discrete. At first, I thought it would be impossible to summon that specific category of Noble Phantasms, but my instincts were telling me, with complete certainty, that I really could.
But then it hit me. Class Cards.
In a different branch of Fate's complex tree of timelines, Class Cards replaced the standard Master and Servant system of the Holy Grail War. The cards allowed individuals to access a Heroic Spirit's power by becoming vessels for their abilities and they could also be used to manifest the weapon or Noble Phantasm of a Heroic Spirit temporarily.
Normally, Class Cards only contained a small portion of a Heroic Spirit's power. But with the Celestial Inventory, I wouldn't have that problem. Somewhere inside the Inventory existed perfected versions of Class Cards for every Heroic Spirit. Class Cards that allowed their users to unleash the full power of a proper Servant summoned by the Holy Grail.
The idea had so much potential it had me smiling. Eager to test it out, I tugged on my inventory, my mind already picturing them.
Archer Class Card: EMIYA. Archer Class Card: Heracles. And not just any cards. The ones with full manifestation capabilities, no power limitations.
In my hands, two cards the size of tarot cards materialized out of thin air.
On both sides of each card, a poised female archer stood mid-draw, her longbow pulled taut as she prepared to release an arrow. The background was a faded gradient of pink and purple, framed with ornate patterns, and labeled simply: "Archer."
-o-
Class Card: EMIYA (Archer)
——
Parameters
Strength: D
Endurance: C
Agility: C
Mana: B
Luck: E
Noble Phantasm: ?
——
Class Skills
Independent Action (B Rank):
Can remain in the world for two days without a Master.
Magic Resistance (D Rank):
Cancels single-action spells. Magic with chants of two or more verses still affects him.
Personal Skills
Clairvoyance (C Rank):
A visual ability that grants superhuman accuracy, allowing him to precisely snipe fast-moving targets up to four kilometers away and survey entire areas at a glance. His shots transcend normal archery, capable of hitting multiple marked targets with a single arrow and altering their course mid-flight.
Projection Magecraft (C -> conditionally A+ Rank):
Allows reproduction of copies of tools. Its rank rapidly increases only when the projection subject is categorized as a "sword".
Magecraft (C- Rank):
This skill represents the acquisition of orthodox magic. The category of its strong point is unknown.
Mind's Eye (True) (B Rank):
Combat sense refined through experience. Allows calm, logical action even in dire situations.
——
Noble Phantasm
Unlimited Blade Works: Infinite Creation of Swords
Rank: E - A++
Type: Unknown
Range: Unknown
Description:
A Reality Marble that replicates an infinite armory of every sword EMIYA has seen, analyzed, or projected. 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. They can also be modified to the user's taste with reinforcement and alteration, as shown by EMIYA's Caladbolg II and Kanshou and Bakuya. Projections can be summoned or fired like arrows. Each is a degraded but functional copy of the original.
-o-
While there were more powerful servants available, not many could top the cool factor and versatility of EMIYA's Unlimited Blade Works. I mostly just wanted to see the look on his face when he realizes someone else also had the exact same gimmick as him.
The second card popped up in my mind as I was thinking of what cards would fix the weaknesses of EMIYA. Its power was undeniable. I didn't doubt it would baffle everyone in this war.
-o-
Class Card: Heracles (Archer)
——
Parameters
Strength: A+
Endurance: A
Agility: A
Mana: A
Luck: B
Noble Phantasm: A++
——
Class Skills
Independent Action (A Rank):
Can remain in the world for about a week without a Master.
Magic Resistance (A Rank):
Cancel spells of A Rank or below, no matter what greater magecraft it is, even those from the Age of Gods. In practice, the Servant is untouchable to modern magi.
——
Personal Skills
Clairvoyance (B+ Rank):
A skill born not only from divine lineage but also from countless battles fought across his lifetime. Heracles possesses extraordinary visual acuity that allows him to perceive targets across vast distances, even through obstructions and those concealed by invisibility or magical camouflage. His eyes can track exceptionally swift movements and detect spiritual fluctuations, making ambushes nearly impossible.
When utilizing a bow or ranged Noble Phantasm, Heracles instinctively enters a hyper-focused state that momentarily slows his perception of time. This allows him to fire through complex defenses, predict evasive maneuvers, and land killing shots from miles away. In Archer form, this skill synergizes with Nine Lives and the Bow of Hydra, enabling perfect multi-target saturation and homing trajectories even in chaotic battlefields.
Valor (A+ Rank):
Withhis brave and daring spirit, Heracles is able to neutralize mental interference, such as suppression, confusion, and charm. Valor also increases the damage inflicted upon the opponent during melee combat. This skill allowed Heracles to defeat several monsters empty-handed.
Battle Continuation (A+ Rank):
Can continue fighting even with wounds that place them on the verge of death. It will also reduce the mortality rate from fatal injuries. An ability representing his strong will and ability to survive.
Divinity (A Rank):
Being the Demigod son of Zeus and having become a God after death, Heracles possesses the highest level of Divinity. The sheer amount and purity of the Od flowing from his body is divine. In fact, every fiber of his muscles, and every drop of blood in his veins, is overflowing with Od so pure it could be called divine.
Mind's Eye (Fake) (B Rank):
A danger avoidance ability based on Intuition/Sixth Sense, gained through many ordeals and adventures.
——
Noble Phantasms
Nine Lives: The Shooting Hundred Heads
Rank: C - A+
Type: Unknown
Range: "As the occasion demands."
Maximum Targets: -
Description:
It is an adaptable attack that can be used with any weapon and draws out its maximum potential regardless of weapon type or classification. When used in his Archer form, it manifests as a culmination of skill and pure divinity—nine divinity-charged arrows said to be "clad in dragons", overwhelming foes with sheer force and speed.
-x-
God Hand: Twelve Labors
Rank: B
Type: Anti-Unit
Range: -
Maximum Targets: 1 person
Description:
God Hand is Heracles' hidden Noble Phantasm that grants him near-immortality, nullifying all attacks B-rank or lower and reviving him up to 11 times—one for each of his Labors. Each time he's harmed, he gains resistance to that attack, rendering repeated methods ineffective. Only A-rank or higher attacks can bypass this conceptual defense, and even then, killing him permanently requires overwhelming force or creative variation.
-x-
Pelt of the Divine Beast
Rank: EX
Type: Anti-Unit
Range: -
Maximum Targets: 1 person
Description:
ANoble Phantasm that grants Heracles near-invulnerability by cloaking him in the hide of a beast that rejects human civilization. It repels all man-made weapons, including treasures from the Gate of Babylon, but can still be harmed by natural or non-human attacks like claws, heat rays, or brute force. Even when pierced, the pelt remains intact and continues to provide its defensive properties.
-x-
Bow of Hydra: "Toxon Echidnai — Venomous Perdition of the Lernaean Hydra"
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Unit / Anti-Army
Range: 1 – 60
Maximum Targets: Variable
Description:
A Noble Phantasm formed from the bones of the Lernaean Hydra and strung with sinew infused by Heracles' own Od, this bow manifests as the crystallization of Heracles' second labor. The arrows it looses are not normal projectiles, they are laced with the Hydra's legendary poison, which carries toxicity that afflicts all living things, even Divine Spirits.
The mere presence of a drawn arrow spreads miasma that decays the air, and a single graze causes relentless, soul-rotting agony. Healing is futile; even if the flesh is mended, the poison reasserts itself, again and again, until the victim either dies or is driven to madness. Servants with high Magic Resistance may delay the effects, but not avoid them.
True Name Release — "Toxon Echidnai!"
When the true name is invoked, the bow unleashes a volley of arrows forged from the fully manifested essence of the Hydra's heart, each shot multiplying like regenerating heads. The arrows spread into hundreds mid-flight, saturating the battlefield in a storm of venom-tipped death. Each one carries a microcosmic curse equivalent to the pain inflicted upon Chiron, ensuring that even those who survive the initial volley are crippled by unrelenting poison.
The area becomes a literal death zone—air, ground, and even mana itself are tainted by the Hydra's spite. Survivors must contend not only with wounds, but with the conceptual weight of a monster from the Age of Gods.
-o-
Unbelievable! I had never seen so many A and A+ Ranks on one Servant before. This was the stat sheet of Archer Heracles and not Saber Heracles? I knew the Archer Class was Heracles' best Class. That was why I chose it as the second card. But I didn't know he was this broken.
The bow he wielded boggled my mind. What it lacked in destructive capability, it compensated for in its incredible deadliness. On top of that, God Hand and the Pelt would only make me even harder to kill than I already was.
However, that only made my idea way more enticing than I thought it would be.
Installing one card would give me the full power of one servant, but what about stacking two cards of the same Class, three of different Classes, or one of every Class? Installing multiple cards would normally be impossible, yet my instincts were telling me that rule didn't apply to me.
I wanted to see how far I could take this idea. My hypothesis? I could take it as far as I wanted to.
There was only one way to find out.
"Install."
Pure power entered my body.
The world blurred, not only visually, but experientially, like my very atoms were being stretched and snapped back into place. A tidal wave of raw, divine mana surged through every inch of my body, reshaping, reinforcing. My hair lengthened, turning stark white, and my skin took on a faint, lead hue. I felt my frame expand, muscles coiling with impossible power, a blend of two legends settling within me.
As the surge of mana from the double Class Card Install subsided, I looked down to see my clothes had changed completely.
The base was unmistakably EMIYA's. It was a form-fitting, black, and sleeveless body armor with silver accents that outlined my muscles and a metal plate on my collar, paired with a flowing red coat that split at the back into a long skirt-like hem. But the material had clearly changed. The crimson fabric of the coat and skirt now shimmered with a dull golden sheen, like sunlight filtered through old blood. The weight was heavier, the texture firmer, more like hide than cloth.
The Nemean Lion's Pelt, likely woven seamlessly into the coat and skirt, had altered the design. The coat now covered a larger area of my torso than it normally would, extending to my waist. The coat and skirt's edges bore a faint, rugged fur trim, almost lion-like, and the shoulders now had layered segments resembling the beast's tough hide. Even the boots had changed, reinforced with claw-like accents on the soles.
It seemed to be a blend of the two warriors: the Guardian of the Counter Force and the most renowned demigod of Greece.
But those weren't the only changes.
"Everything's so… clear," I murmured, the words resonating with a deeper timbre.
My vision sharpened to the point that I could describe the tiny details of a single brick of a building from several kilometers away, as well as every dust mote dancing in the air. My hearing picked up distant conversations and the faint hum of power lines. My body felt lighter, yet heavier with potential, a contradiction only someone like me could truly enjoy.
I glanced down at my arms. Muscles packed with the combined physical might of Heracles and EMIYA flexed. My senses buzzed with two distinct presences. EMIYA's pragmatic sharpness. Heracles' boundless, divine strength. Their instincts mingled with mine, muscle memory I didn't earn but now owned.
"Okay…" I whispered in amazement. "That really worked!"
To test it, I raised my hand and conjured a matte black, western-style straight bow with a simple design. It was EMIYA's bow, capable of firing Noble Phantasms without issue. But the grip was too small for my now larger hand. Fortunately, this was something I could easily fix using EMIYA's specialty, Reinforcement and Alteration. I poured magical energy into the bow, changing its structure to better fit my proportions.
It grew in size until the grip was perfect for me. A whistle of admiration escaped my lips before I tried it out, drawing the string back like I was nocking an arrow. It was the first time I had ever held a bow, but my form and technique were incredibly refined, as if I had been practicing archery for lifetimes. I held the pose for a moment before releasing the string and letting the bow dissipate into blue particles.
Next was the good part.
"Trace on."
As I reached into the forge that was my Reality Marble, Unlimited Blade Works, dozens of blades came into existence in shimmering blue aura, hovering behind me like loyal wolves waiting to strike. Each one was a high-ranked Noble Phantasm capable of erasing entire city blocks if their true name was released.
I deactivated the Install, breathing in. Exhilaration rushed through my body as I gazed at the cards that were once again in my hands.
"This is fucking awesome!" I half-whispered, half-shouted, resisting the urge to run and jump around like a kid with a sugar rush.
That was only one combination. One pairing of two Servants with incredible abilities. And already, I could feel how dangerous it made me. With Celestial Inventory, I could mix, match, combine... push the limits of the what the beings in this world thought was possible.
I was officially a walking contradiction. EMIYA's Unlimited Blade Works. Heracles ridiculously powerful Noble Phantasms. The magic I wielded from my connection to the artifacts of Fate and the Elder Ring. Avalon in my chest. The Fountain of Youth flowing in my veins.
And I hadn't even scratched the surface of what I could pull out next.
Still, I needed to pace myself. I wasn't here just to flex and mess around. I had a mission.
…Haven't decided on what that mission exactly was just yet, but I was getting there.
Observation came first. Messing with the timeline in a world like this one without knowing where it stood would be like juggling chainsaws while blindfolded, on a unicycle, and over lava. And while I could use the Helmet or whatever powerful item existed in my Inventory to fix whatever problem I would face, I'd rather not have to resort to that. Even with the Helmet of Fate's power, I knew that the moment I did something major, the future would spiral out of control.
I sat on the edge of the ruined rooftop, legs dangling, and watched the city breathe. A grin of pure, unadulterated anticipation split my face as my mind ran rampant with ideas about how I could derail the war.
The first one that immediately came to mind was crushing a vile, persistent worm, and putting a stop to someone's prolonged suffering. I had the tools and abilities to accomplish those tasks with ease and without complications. I just needed to put them into action.
Waving the scrying orb over to me, I locked onto the magical signature of a certain person and zoomed in on her location. Inside a classroom, there sat Sakura Matou, an attractive girl with a gentle demeanor. Her long violet hair covered parts of her face as she leaned down and wrote something on her notebook.
Through the scrying orb, I saw what mundane eyes couldn't.
A shadowy, pulsing network beneath Sakura's skin, like parasitic roots choking her magic circuits. Crest Worms.
The faint, sickly purple aura sitting next to her heart. Zouken's main body. A phylactery-worm that contained his soul.
"Huh," My grin fell, turning into something colder. "So that's the old corpse's handiwork."
The hum of Nabu's connection with me vibrated with distaste.
Looking at her right now, you wouldn't know she had been suffering on a daily basis under her adoptive family for more than a decade. How someone in her circumstance could still endure, smile, and continue living was something I couldn't comprehend.
"Observation first," I reminded myself once more, though I itched for a fight. "But Zouken? Your expiration date just got moved up."
I shifted the orb's focus. The image zoomed out, panning across Fuyuki's skyline before plunging down, through layers of earth and decay, into the Matou basement.
There he was. What a disgusting sight.
Zouken Matou stood on top of a grotesque sea of Crest Worms, his form more rotten root-system than man. This was the same pit he had been tossing Sakura into since she was a child, where his worms would then feast on her mental energy by violating her body. Her piece of shit of a brother, Shinji, also contributed to the process, taking advantage of her whenever the Crest Worms inside her amplified her lust like an aphrodisiac. That bastard was right under Zouken on my shit list.
I still remembered what Zouken said in the visual novel—about how Sakura, who was only six years old at the time, screamed and cried for three days in the worm pit before becoming silent and accepting her predicament.
The more I thought about what she'd been through, the more my anger grew. Heracles' Bow of Hydra materialized in my hand for half a second—poisonous green light bleeding into the twilight—before I dismissed it. Not now.
And yet, other options flicked through my mind like drawn blades. Bombarding the Matou estate with Noble Phantasms. Casting a matter-erasing spell. Each one was tempting. Very tempting.
I leaned back and released a sigh. Patience was what I needed. Rushing in like a bull wasn't my style. Besides, this situation required a more delicate hand.
The cool grit of the concrete against my palms grounded me. It was a small, physical anchor against the tsunami of power humming in my veins. For a heartbeat, I felt the weight of it all: Avalon, the Fountain of Youth, my magic, the power of two Heroic Spirits resting in my pockets. So much strength… and Sakura's suffering festered a few miles away.
That's when it surfaced, unbidden, like a whisper from the collective conscience of a thousand discarded superhero comics.
"With great power comes great—" I broke into a chuckle, unable to keep a straight face. "Pfft, nah. With great power comes great options. And I choose... surgical vengeance for a girl who's been dealt one of the worst hands in life I've ever seen."
Seriously. What Sakura's been through was fucked up.
As I stared at the years of suffering carved into Sakura's very being, I felt a weight settle deep in my bones. To me, this wasn't just about crushing a worm anymore. It was about what came after.
First, save Sakura by removing all the Crest Worms in her body and killing Zouken once and for all.
After that, make Shinji's life miserable.
The orb winked out as I dismissed it. I took in a deep breath, not just to calm my nerves and anticipation, but to prepare myself for what I was about to do. This would mark the first time I would use my powers to combat and kill a human, or rather, something resembling one.
Calling Zouken a person felt off. Monster would be more appropriate. The man had lost so much of his humanity, I doubted there was any left.
With my destinations and objectives set, I apparated, teleporting away and silently vanishing from where I sat.
---
A/N: I'm just flying by the seat of my pants right now.