Steel Eyed Faker

Chapter 23: Evolution Part 1

Beta read by Shigiya and Paragon of Awesomeness

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-Night Raid Hideout-

(Flashback)

From the moment this battle began, the biggest danger to the other members was not the people attacking them. Emiya figured that out the moment he saw Seryu charge at Tatsumi. 

Relentless was one brief way to describe the girl; a headache worked just as well, and from the brief interaction he’d had with her, he had already formed a rough idea of what kind of person she was. Stubborn to the core, driven by a warped sense of justice, and far from reasonable. He had met people like her before, both in his life as Emiya Shirou and during his countless deployments across time and reality as a Counter Guardian. In most cases, they were ironically the very kind who ended up becoming the greatest threats to humanity, forcing intervention from someone like him.

Seryu was not capable of suddenly threatening human history or anything close to that… but she definitely shared personality traits with those who had. Her path would be set if no one stopped her. He, however, was not the kind to chase redemption for someone he barely knew. He had tried once before with Esdeath, and that had only created more problems than it solved for the Empire as a whole, and very likely beyond. 

What he could do now was limit the threat she posed by removing the one weapon capable of turning her into a walking massacre — or just about any other person if she were to die. With Incursio now in the Empire’s hands, he doubted any other Teigu would be effective against Hekantonkheires. Not even Pumpkin, unless Najenda were able to bullseye the core itself.

"I can’t let you return to your owner," he said evenly while walking deeper into the forest, following the trail left by the arrow he had fired earlier. The shot had pierced the creature while it was in a berserk state, yet he was under no illusion that such an attack could kill it. Maybe another Caladbolg II or two would, shattering the core regardless of how protected it was… well, it was still an option. The mass of writhing flesh ahead of him was already reforming at a disturbing pace, shaping itself back into a beastly humanoid form with darkened skin, tense muscles, a monstrous face lined with rows of massively sharp teeth and dark red eyes.

It looked closer to a humanoid Danger Beast than a Teigu.

"I gave you and your master a chance back then," Emiya said, his tone cold, dispassionate. "And yet here she is, falling into the same routine. No matter how you look at it, your little master has a death wish. I also doubt Esdeath approved of this, and she does not show mercy to disobedient subordinates. So tell me, why are you really doing this?" 

The creature growled, low and guttural, unable to speak human tongue yet is able to understand him. This biological Teigu was a complex organism, housing multiple abilities, each powerful enough to qualify as a Teigu on its own. In that sense, it wasn’t so different from Incursio. Under the right control, it could adapt, learn, and eventually overcome. Its swift regeneration was proof enough — it had likely shifted its core the instant it detected danger from him.

That thought was confirmed when the texture of its skin subtly changed the moment he Traced a spear into his hand. The creature didn’t lunge as expected but merely shifted its stance subtly; its body tense, as if analyzing him. Trying to anticipate him even. 

"So you know," Emiya muttered. 

If destroying the core was no longer an option, then he would simply make regeneration impossible.