Chapter 5: Tens of Thousands of Broken Phantasms
Liliana looked at the red-haired youth with a gaze full of terror. Then, the scene that unfolded before her eyes in the next moment overturned all her prior knowledge of the world.
The youth spread his arms as if stretching his limbs. A surging wind of magical energy whipped his hair and tugged at the hem of his clothes. Even facing a legendary "Heretic God," he stepped forward without a hint of fear.
With every step he took, the stone ground beneath his feet transformed into a desolate wasteland, and the speed of this change was accelerating. Amidst the drastic upheaval of their surroundings, Liliana heard a long, rhythmic incantation.
"I am the bone of my sword."
With his legs slightly bent, Shirou suddenly leaped high into the air, the azure magical radiance leaving trails of afterimages behind him.
"Steel is my body, and fire is my blood."
The chant continued, and the world in Liliana's eyes underwent a cataclysmic shift.
"I have created over a thousand blades."
Hearing this lengthy incantation, Liliana stared in disbelief at the figure moving forward.
"This is..."
This was absolutely the longest incantation Liliana had ever heard in her life. Such a long chant meant it was undoubtedly a large-scale ritual magecraft. However, by all logic, a Great Magecraft of such magnitude should require extensive preparation time and the cooperation of many elite magi. Thus, seeing Shirou achieve all of this with simple gestures was what left Liliana so profoundly shaken.
Her worldview shattered, Liliana stood frozen in place.
"Unknown to Death..."
The "Black Dragon" Nidhogg, coiled high in the sky, seemed to notice the spatial anomalies around it. Its eyeballs, which resembled flowing lava, rotated, and its gaze locked onto the human figure in the circular plaza below—a figure that, in its eyes, was incomparably minuscule.
Nidhogg's gaze toward Shirou was devoid of emotion, much like a human looking at an ant; the object was simply too small. Such a tiny thing didn't even warrant thought; Nidhogg had already categorized it as a weakling. Ordinarily, such a microscopic existence wouldn't even attract its attention, but when it saw Shirou leap into the same sky it occupied, Nidhogg felt a sudden sense of offense.
"The sky is the domain where we reside. You ants should crawl upon the earth!"
Without the dragon even opening its mouth, its voice boomed directly from above, a deafening sound like thunder that blanketed the city. Whether it was Liliana or the magi sent by local associations who had just arrived to provide support, all were dazed by the ear-piercing sound. Unable to even remain standing, they fell to their knees one after another.
Only a magus as elite as Liliana could barely withstand the pressure of the gargantuan black dragon.
"Nor known to Life..."
Shirou's voice reached Liliana's ears. Under the continuous chanting, the ground began to crack inch by inch, and the sky shattered like glass.
"Waiting for one's arrival."
At the same time, a massive field of blue light appeared behind Shirou.
"In that case, I'll destroy your wings and make you fall to the earth as well!"
The moment he finished speaking, the light field behind him surged, constructing one "Sword" Noble Phantasm after another. The number of swords increased at an incredible speed, eventually reaching tens of thousands.
With Shirou's current mana capacity, he could easily drive thousands of swords to shatter, creating continuous and terrifying explosions to deal massive damage to his enemy. It is important to note that these were all A-rank Noble Phantasms, including many A+ ranks. (He still couldn't project A++ ranks—the degraded versions of EX-rank originals—due to the nature of Projection). Even so, the scale of ten thousand Noble Phantasms exploding simultaneously was enough to wound the Black Dragon.
"Full Projection—Fire!!!"
In an instant, the Noble Phantasms covering the sky descended like a sudden rainstorm!
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—!!!
"I have no regrets. This is the only path."
Nidhogg did not know Shirou's ability. To it, those Noble Phantasms were as small as thin needles, surely incapable of causing it harm. However, as those "swords" pierced through its supposedly indestructible scales one by one, the Black Dragon could no longer ignore the incoming projectiles.
This blatant provocation caused Nidhogg's eyes to ignite with fury. Within its open maw, a dragon's breath swirled—flames of a fiery red even hotter than magma.
"Foolish human! I shall devour your bones, your flesh, and your soul together!"
Having obtained the "Third Cosmos Particle Body," Shirou's posture as he unleashed tens of thousands of swords without restraint created a sense of intimidation that even Nidhogg could feel.
Once the sword Noble Phantasms were all embedded within the dragon's body, Shirou seized the opportunity. He raised his right hand, aimed it at the Black Dragon coiled in the sky, and suddenly clenched his fist!
"Broken Phantasm!"
Instantly, the Black Dragon felt intense heat radiating from the spots where the scales were pierced. Initially, it thought it could endure such heat. It intended to ignore it, but the chain of explosions that followed in the next second forced out a miserable draconic shriek.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!!!
The power unleashed in that moment was like a series of nuclear bombs detonating inside the dragon's body. The terrifying destructive force blasted bloody holes directly into its form. The dragon's blood, as hot as lava, poured down; wherever it landed, buildings and steel were melted instantly.
Compared to the dragon's massive frame, the wounds weren't necessarily fatal. The Black Dragon's physical body was simply too powerful; even A-rank Noble Phantasms found it difficult to kill it outright.
Shirou's figure soared through the sky. As he moved, a vast number of swords danced and crisscrossed through the air.
Hello everyone! I'm VarieTL
Thank you as always for your support!
I wanted to announce that I posted a new Fanfiction!
Saving the World with Crossovers, starting with replacing Natsuki subaru with Hikigaya Hachiman
Kawata Osamu transmigrated and became a God.
Wonderful start, right? Unfortunately, this world is destined to be destroyed by the Abyss...
The only thing he can do is try to merge many worlds together thanks to the "Children of the World."
If he can show everyone their adventures and evoke enough emotion, the worlds will merge! Kawata Osamu decided to start by replacing Natsuki Subaru with Hikigaya Hachiman!
2nd Arc: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka in Redo of Healer
3rd Arc: Shirogane Miyuki in Inuyasha
4th Arc: Kousaka Kyousuke in Overlord
I have already posted 264 Chapters of this Fanfiction!
Mostly because it's really really good, so I wanted to continue working on it XD
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting