Blade of Humanity

A moment of selfishness was all that it took to change the world of Campione! Kusanagi Godou failed to slay Verethragna and the world awaits a hero. Who can step up to the challenge of defeating this Heretical God? "I call upon you, the Blade of Humanity! Answer our desperate pleas and may you be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams! With riches, with women,and with VICTORY!" From beyond the Netherworld, a hero answers, ... I am the bone of my sword... Shirou?xMulti!

A/N: Hi Folks, I'm alive and well. Recently I've read Marcus Galen Sands' Story, God Slaying Blade Works, and was captivated. Gods? Noble Phantasm? FVUK YEAH!

I'm assuming that everybody who is here and reading this message has already read his fanfic and want more. Well I'm sorry I can't give you more but you can enjoy my story in-between his updates. Also, if you haven't read his story, GO READ IT NOW!

I had to write this piece to take my mind of the edge of his next update. It might not be as long as his chapters but I hope to provide a fresh perspective to the fanfiction world of Campione!

This will go in a different direction than the regular Shirou as the 8th Campione route so I hope you enjoy.

Please read the Author's Note on the bottom, it is very important.

Before we start, the battle scene you are about to read is heavily based on the Anime with some events happening from the light novel. I hope this doesn't confuse anybody.

Excerpt from the Italian mage Alberto Ricardo's Book, Demon King, 19th Century

...To those who accomplished this formidable feat, I grant them the title of Campione – Godslayer – .

Among all virtuous readers, some will probably believe that I over-exaggerate with that title and frown, while others will think that I am making undue fuss over it.

However, I want to emphasize it, once again.

Campione – Godslayer – is the supreme ruler.

Since he can kill a celestial being, he can therefore call on the highly divine powers held by the gods.

Campione – Godslayer – is a lord.

Since the power to kill a deity is in their hands, they therefore have the power to dominate the mortals on Earth.

Campione – Godslayer – is a devil.

Therefore of the entire humanity living on earth, those who have the power to oppose them do not exist!

Excerpt from the Letter of Cardinal Antonio Tebes, Addressed to the Vatican, Early 20th Century

For the purpose of going against Providence, playing with the demonic knowledge of mages, he received the title of King from them.

Concerning the name that you were hearing more or less.

Campione – Godslayer – is Epimetheus's illegitimate child. The devil.

Unfortunately, we mortals cannot fight against them.

The ones who can fight against them, are his fellow Campiones, Our Heavenly Father's angels, and the taboo pagan gods...

Chapter One: I am the Victorious One!

To the everyday person, life is quite mundane. One would wake up and get ready to go to school or go to work. After a day of rote slaving away at their job or at their educational training, one would go home or go out for dinner. After that, it is time for bed and the entire cycle repeats the next day and so forth. Rarely does this routine change and the monotony of life continues. However, freak occurrences do happen. One such event is happening right now on a small island where something extraordinary is about to unfold.

On the island of Sardina, the residents took shelter in their homes, hoping the unnatural storm would dissipate. Little did they know, the cause of the storm was anything but ordinary. To the mundane citizens, it appeared that their home was under siege from a freak hurricane. However, any human with a lick of magic power could tell that the cause of the storm is supernatural in origin.

The heavens trembled and shook the earth with impunity as lightning struck in an unending symphony. The clashing of titans have no concern for human life and the island of Sardina was on the verge of utter destruction if the battle between the two Heretic Gods were to continue. Verethragna, the ancient Persian God of Victory, had roused the local god, Melqart, from his slumber in order to battle him for a chance to receive defeat. In the midst of this, a young man from Japan was seeking to defeat the god.

Armed with an ancient stone tablet known as [Promtheus Grimore], the tablet possessed the ability to steal the Authority of a God! One such Authority is the White Stallion Authority which summons a flaming horse imbued with the power of the Sun.

Authorities are the divine powers, attributes, qualities, and weapons, of gods, heroes, demons, and monsters, which make them invincible to normal humans. If a Heretic God is slain, their Authorities will be stolen by the human, transforming them into a Campione!

However, with this Forbidden Grimore and with the Stolen Authority, a one in a billion opportunity has arrived for a mortal to challenge a Heritical God!

A burning stallion of white hot flame materialized from the grimore and shot forward with the speed and intensity of a laser. Verethragna in the form of a blue haired youth could barely bring his hand up in time to defend himself from the bright flash before the stallion enveloped his body in an illuminating blaze.

Kusunagi Godou grinned in triumph as the golden godslaying sword dissipated from the god's hand settled in his grimore. Aside from the Stallion, he had just successfully stolen another one of the ten aspects Verethragna. The Golden God Slaying Sword of the Warrior aspect is capable of severing a God's supernatural defense and rendering their flesh mortal. The only requirement was that intimate knowledge of the God was needed to fuel the golden sword. The more information fed into the spell, the more powerful the blade will be.

Off to the side, the blond hair Great Knight known as Erica Bladelli watched in shock after seeing the young Japanese teen use the Authority of the Stallion back against it's owner. For a normal human to utilize the Grimore to deploy a stolen Authority was madness at best, they are draining away at their life force in order to fuel such an attack.

"You foolish idiot, why did you use the Grimore!? You're burning your life away!", she shouted out desperately at him. Though she had just been acquainted with him yesterday, She still felt a certain bond between them. It certainly had nothing to do with the odd situation where they shared a bed together last night!

Blushing brightly, she shook her head furiously to dispel the image from her mind. The battlefield between Gods was no place to contemplate trivial things such as romance. Already she could see the Persian God recovering from being stuck and set aflame by the White Stallion Authority.

"I am not so weak as to be defeated by my own power!" the youth roared!

With a earth shaking shout, the Persian God of Victory uttered a battle cry.

"Every sinner shall tremble before my power!"

That simple line held a deeper meaning, words that unlocked the power of the soul. For Verethragna who is the original possessor of this authority, he can utilize the Incarnation of the Camel silently. However, speaking even a partial incantation would greatly increase the effect of the spell. The effect he wanted was the rapid healing effect granted by this particular incarnation.

The flames vanished leaving behind no evidence of injury beside a few soot stains and a few blackened spots on the god's robes. A visible golden aura of energy now surrounded the god who calmly floated down to face Godou Kusanagi. Although his face was calm, a measure of anger and tension could be felt in the air. An oppressive aura of energy permeated the air, almost forcing Godou to his knees from the divine presence alone. Sweat trickled down Godou's back as every nerve in his body twitched and tried to coax his body into fleeing.

Years of evolution and self-preservation conditioning had instilled fear into mankind when it comes to dealing with the supernatural. A man can fight off a wild bear by the strength of his body and his sword but to fight a god is to commit suicide. So what on earth would possess Godou to do something as insane as trying to slay a god?

The simple answer is that he wanted to be a Campione.

Actually the truth is a little bit more complicated than that. Godou had no intention of lording over others as a king, devil or otherwise. What he wanted was the benefit of becoming one. Godou swallowed down his fear and brought the words he heard back up to mind. Yesterday after meeting his grandfather's long time acquaintance, Lucretia Zola, the witch of Sardina, he found out something that interested him greatly.

Flashback to Last Night

"Campione? Isn't that italian for Champion?" Godou asked with curiosity.

Across from reclining delicately on the soda was a skimpily clad woman in a thin red dress that clung to every curve of her body. In fact, he can even see the outline of her nipple straining against the fabric! Feeling the blood rush to groin and the heat flush his face, Godou clamped his legs together and looked away with a blush. Lucretia Zola, the witch of Sardina chuckled at Godou's cute response, he looks so much like Ichirou Kusanagi back when Godou's grandfather was young and it certainly brought back fond memories. She licked her lips and smiled teasingly at the young man before her. The action was disturbing to Godou who knew that the bewitching beauty before him was actually his grandfather's age despite her... youthful attributes.

"A Campione is not simply a champion. It is a title given to a human who slays a god."

Those words again. Godou had heard the same words uttered by Erica. That there were mortals in the past and in the present who have through a series a miracles, slain a god and usurped their power. Indeed what sort of miracle would it take?

Not noticing Godou's discomfort, Lucretia continued to speak, taking an elegant drawl from her smoke pipe.

"Campiones are blessed with a strong body whose bones are stronger as steel. Their flesh strengthened and filled with more vitality than any bodybuilder or martial artist can hope to achieve. Longevity is a common trait, there are Campiones at the moment who are centuries old in age. Their magic resistance is so high that no normal spell from a mage would be able to harm them, even the authorities of other gods will have a lesser effect."

Although this information was common among the Magical Community, Kusanagi Godou was an ordinary Japanese teen who until yesterday, worried more about his grade and his baseball skills than worrying about gods and supernatural events. This was interesting news to him.

Secretly, he thought that maybe it was best to just leave the tablet and flee the island as soon as possible. However, his grandfather requested that the tablet to be successfully returned. The recipient however was not as accepting of the grimore as she should have been. Instead, the witch decided to bequeath the grimore to him.

A mystical and dangerous grimore that many would kill to get their hands on. Which self-respecting mage wouldn't want to possess a crystallized portion of a god's sacrosanct power?

However, a sudden sentence caught his attention.

"... even stories about humans slaying god on the edge of death and be resurrected in full health. Indeed, there is one story where the human and god traded mutual blows. The human was rendered into pieces, scraps of flesh barely hanging from his bones but was revived the very next moment by the grace of Pandora, the mother of all Campiones."

Godou felt a dark tendril of desire and hope lurch in his soul. Recently he had received a shoulder injury that prevented him from playing baseball. After nine years of commitment to the sport, he was devastated by the news that the shoulder injury had washed all those years of sweat and tears down the drain. In the end, he even selected to attend Jounan Academy, a high school division which had no baseball team, to start anew.

But now...

Was it possible that by becoming a Campione, his injury, which all doctors proclaimed to be untreatable, could be healed?

After hearing the witch's words, Godou felt a small seed of dark desire took root and sprout. Maybe with this grimore, it is possible to defeat this god and receive a blessed body? These selfish and blasphemous dark filled Godou's head with dangerous possibilities.

If he had thought the situation over a little bit more, he would have realized that maybe his injury could be treated with magic instead of using such a convoluted and insane method such as becoming a Campione.

Verethragna glared at Godou. "Thou have displeased me mortal. I put my White Stallion Authority into the grimore myself to limit myself against Melqart and to stop myself from being at full power. Yet here you are, using my own Authority against me. I could have ignored this slight but you dare to usurp another authority of mine! Does thou possess no honor? Does thou know no shame?! I am here to duel Melqart to attain victory or defeat, whichever is more appropriate and yet here you are interfering in our battle!"

Upon hearing these words, Godou was momentarily struck by a realization that his intentions might have been slightly selfish in nature but shook his head in denial. "No! I will not be swayed by your words! Your battle with Melqart has no concern for this land! I must protect the innocent civilians from your destructive battle!" Feeling his life slip away from him bit by bit, Godou reached his hand into the book and drew forth a gleaming two meter golden sword from the grimore. There was nothing left to lose now. From the moment he utilized the Stallion Authority, he knew that his time was limited.

"I shall defeat you with this Golden God Slaying Sword! I already know that you are the Persian God of Victory, Verethragna who possesses ten forms!"

"Godou, there is more to him than that, let me ki-" Erica's desperate plea to Godou was interrupted by Verethragna. Her body freezing in place as the Persian God of Victory turned his attention to her fully.

"Young lady, there is no place for you here on the battlefield. You know the futility of facing a God in battle. I am a hero who will defeat Melqart and stop him from sinking this island back into the ocean. You have my word as a Hero God to limit my damage to the minimum. I shall vanquish Melqart and protect the people of Sardina, so lay down your weapon and observe quietly as I attain victory."

The command to disarm herself and step back from interfering was not an order of ordinary words. Using his ability of his Youth Incarnation, Verethragna possessed the ability to give anyone who sees him as a hero commands that cannot be disobeyed. However, if they no longer view him as a hero then they can break free from his control, not that this is a widely known fact.

In the case of Erica who have grown up hearing stories of the power of Heretical Gods, she knew she was to defer to him as one who of lower authority. Like how a General commands his soldier and expects rigid obedience, A hero's command and authority will absolutely overpower any mundane's individual will. In another circumstance, she would not have been swayed or obligated by his command but Verethragna proclaimed that he would protect the Island of Sardina from Melqart who intended to sink it. Thus taking upon the role of a "hero", Erica could do nothing but obey the words spoken despite her wishes.

Because of this command, Erica could not utilize the spell of Information to grant Godou the knowledge necessary to empower the Golden Blade. This could be discerned by the plain straight sword that Godou wielded. In his hands he wielded a two handed sword with a straight golden blade, attached to a normal hilt and pommel. There was no mystical language or engraving on the blade, it looked rather... plain if not for the golden color.

Verethragna's harsh glare soften slightly from the steely look he was displaying. "Godou. In honor of your bravery and brief friendship, I will grant thee one opportunity to strike me down undefended."

He spread his arms open and closed his eyes. "Strike me wherever thou is pleased."

Not wasting a moment's hesitation, Godou rushed forward with a desperate cry, putting everything behind the swing of his blade. All of his dreams and aspirations fueled the rush towards the undefended War God. His strength flowed from the very core of his body into the sword, his life force fueling the blade.

With a mighty swing, Godou swung with all his might that his body knew. The blade cut through the air with a whoosh and struck the God right on the neck!

The impact released a jarring shock and Godou felt the blade vibrate in his hand as if he struck an iron pole against a steel wall. With disbelieving eyes, Kusanagi Godou looked at the blade that rested along Verethragna's neck. The God had stayed true to his words and did not move a single millimeter to avoid or defend from the attack. The blade had barely cut into the god's neck, not even enough to reach the jugular.

The only visual effect of the attack was the thin trickle of blood which flowed down the length of the blade.

It was that moment that Godou realized how foolish he truly was. The wide and incomparable gulf that existed between him and a god was so great, his naive mind had simply chose to ignore it rather than to face reality. Before yesterday, he had not even known of the supernatural existences known as gods. Yet here he was trying to slay one and usurp their authority. He had known that Erica was magnitudes stronger than him in strength and magical knowledge. The blond haired girl was his age, yet she could kill him in a hundred of different ways before he could react.

Even then, she was humbled by the god's power with a few mere words. The vast difference between her and the god had been even more apparent.

In his arrogance and avarice, Godou knew that he had used up all of his ridiculous luck and good karma. The only thing that awaited him was...

Death.

Verethragna opened his eyes. "A fine strike for a mundane mortal with no exceptional ability. Be grateful, for you have drawn my divine blood in combat. That is more than most mortals can boast or achieve. Rest well knowing that you have perished to the one known as the most victorious of all, there is no shame in dying by my hands."

The deity raised his left hand and placed it on the side of sharp side of the blade and pushed.

"Farewell Kusanagi Godou."

The innocuous action of pushing the blade with his finger and sent the sharp golden sword spinning from Godou's grasp. Although mystical in nature with the special intention to slay divine/supernatural beings, the sword is capable of severing normal human flesh as well. The Golden Weapon hummed through the air like a buzz saw and decapitated the dark haired teen. The act was so sudden that Godou felt no pain.

As Godou's head flew through the air, the last sight he saw was the tearful face of Erica Blandelli screaming his name. In his last moment, he wondered if his life would have taken a different path had he not been so fixated on becoming a Campione. Maybe Erica would have fallen in love with him and somehow he would have attracted a harem of beautiful girls unintentionally.

...

What useless thoughts! To have such shameless inclinations running through his head in the last few seconds of his life, he truly deserved his death.

With that, Godou let the darkness embrace his vision and he knew no more.

Upon the death of Kusanagi Godou, the stolen authorities were released back to Verethragna who proceeded to destroy the Prometheus Grimore with his Warrior Authority. At that moment, the sun peaked above the horizon and signaled the dawn of a new day.

As the servant of a Sun God, the dawning of a new day would restore of of Verethragna's abilities and energy to it's peak. The destruction of the Prometheus Grimore would normally be impossible since the grimore is a physical manifestation of a god's divine ability. However, Verethragna used his incarnation as a Warrior, his aspect as a war god that subjugated foreign deities to destroy the grimore.

His numerous authorities stemmed from his original authority as one who is victorious. His origin is that of an ancient Persian warlord. He has defeated nine other warlords and inherited their abilities leading to the different incarnations that he is known by. By destroying the grimore, Verethragna took upon the role of the victorious war god who was entitled to the spoils of war.

The Prometheus Grimore has the ability to steal the divine right or Authority of any God, or their powers, their abilities, to then be used by the Grimoire's wielder. This power is based on the myth of Prometheus stealing fire from the gods to grant it to humans. It requires that the user knows enough about the god whom they are trying to steal the power from.

The Prometheus Authority overlapped in similarity with his Golden Sword of his Warrior Aspect. The ability to inherit and the ability to steal an authority are similar enough to merge into an upgraded Authority. Now he possessed the Golden Blade of Divine Usurpation.

A Golden Sword that is powered by the knowledge of divinity. During battle, the blade grows stronger and more lethal the longer the battle continues. Even if Verethragna were to face an unknown god, the blade would slowly and instinctively start to absorb knowledge of the God until it is capable of slaying the targeted god. If the god were to possess similar authorities to himself, he can sympathize with their power and seal that particular aspect or ability of the God during battle.

Such as the battle with Melqart.

Verethragna had promised the blond mortal to vanquish Melqart and to stop the Island of Sardina from being sunk into the ocean. The Persian God of Victory decided to use his new Golden Blade of Divine Usurpation to combat his foe. He was knowledgeable of Melqart's origin and abilities, enough to revive him from his long slumber in order to battle him.

Even among the god, Melqart is ranked as a Divine King-Class Ancient God. Unlike other gods, he possess a large number of authorities and dominions including:

Yagarish the Chaser, a club enveloped in hurricane force gales.

Ayamari the Driver, a club shrouded in unending lightning.

Melqart is known by many names in the ancient world, including Ba'al. As Ba'al, Melqart was eventually corrupted into the Judeo-Christian demon Beelzebub, which gave him his authority over locusts and flying insects. He is also capable of manipulating the undead to a certain extent. Melqart is capable of summoning a legion of flying insects, a plague of locust thick enough to blot out out the sun. He also has Herculean Strength and a certain level of control over the sea. For a god, Melqart's ability can be considered numerous.

However, Verethragna knew he was in a class of his own. Even among the numerous gods, his domain over ten separate and unique incarnations was unheard of. Most gods usually have one or two abilities and each divine authority can be used in numerous ways, giving the illusion that they hold more abilities than they actually have. There was a reason why he is known as the victorious one, he has to strength to back up his title.

Among the Persian God's ten incarnation, The Gale Incarnation which allowed him to wield the power of Wind. It also allowed him to hear and then teleport to a person who knows his name and is crying for help. With it he could travel anywhere in the world, even between the Netherworld and the world of the living. This ability over wind is similar enough to seal Yagarish the Chaser and Melqart's ability over wind.

As for Ayamari the Driver, it too can be sealed because it is the lightning aspect of Melqart. Verethragna's Goat incarnation grants him the power to control thunder and lightning which is naturally similar to Melqart's lightning aspect.

His Bull Incarnation allowed his monstrous strength, similar to Melqart's strength. That ability is also an authority that can be sealed to an extent.

With a majority of Melqart's ability sealed, he can only rely on the ability to summon insects and his control over the sea to battle Verethragna. The Persian War God is limited to using only one Incarnation at a time but his Golden Sword of Divine Usurpation holds a passive ability to seal similar authorities. As long as the abilities are similar and the Golden Sword is present, they cannot utilize that particular aspect.

The rationale is similar to a sheathed sword being present. Despite it's status as a sheathed sword, it still holds the purpose of a weapon. In the sheath, it cannot be considered an active weapon. yet it still passively holds the threat of violence and power.

Simply by having the Golden blade manifested on his divine body, Varethragna can suppress similar authorities he is knowledgeable about and utilize a different incarnation of his choosing.

"I have indeed grown strong, maybe too strong for my liking." Verethragna whispered.

Across from him in the air was Melqart in the full glory of his physical avatar. Melqart's stature is immense in size, comparable to large buildings, and possessing a muscular structure that no mortal man can ever hope to achieve. His skin is steely grey and rippled with enough muscles and power to cleave a small island in two. The bulk of his arms, legs, and the girth of his chest was so great, it was no wonder that he inspired the legend of Hercules as was used as the prototype for the Greek Demigod.

Yet Verethragna held no fear.

He knew that it was easily within his ability to attain victory. That was what his divine body and intuition was telling him. Despite his avatar being that of a youthful teen, his body is truly undefeatable.

With the Golden Blade of Divine Usurpation sheathed across his back, it could only hold back the active use of Melqart's ability. In grey steely hands which could crush fortified castles with ease, Melqart gripped his two weapons, Yagarish the Chaser and Ayamari the Driver.

The two divine weapons were no longer shrouded in wind and lightning but that did not stop Melqart from utilizing them to great effect. The two clubs displaced clouds and sent hurricane force gales from the air pressure of being swung alone. Verethragna darted to the side, dodging a tremendous blow that shook the earth with the force of a 6.1 magnitude earthquake on the Richter Scale upon impact.

Had the golden sword not sealed part of Melqart's fearsome strength, the blow would have split the island in half. That was how absurdly powerful the Phoenecian God was. Despite having dodge the initial strike, Melqart did not relent in his furious assault, the clubs were swung hundreds of times in the span of minutes, unleashing an artificial hurricane that blew away most of the surrounding area and buildings.

Luckily for Erica, she had already retreated from the immediate location with Godou's remains and used her Leap Magic to put considerable distance away from ground zero. She wasn't foolish enough to stay and watch the battle between Gods.

The storm of blows were all dodged with Verethragna slipping past the strikes like the wind. He had utilized his Raptor Incarnation to grant himself god-speed. To him, the strikes were nothing special. Any other human or even god might have been blown away but not him.

He had promised to minimize as much damage as possible. With that thought in mind, Verethragna decided not to utilize the Boar Incarnation but rather his White Stallion Incarnation. With the brightness of a rising star, a flame of pure white heat in the shape of a horse traveled like a ray of light. The speed and intensity of the attack was aimed at Melqart's broad chest. The sheer size of the target did not allow the Phoenecian God to dodge but only block with his trusted weapons crossed before him.

An eruption akin to the death of a star, a bright flash that radiated outwards and slowly drew back within itself, greet the sight of Sardina. Many were blinded momentarily by the light, their eyes burning as if they had stared at the Sun directly. The attack had destroyed both weapons and bore a huge blackened hole right through the titanic god. The dark grey armored breastplate had shattered and the spine severed, yet Melqart still lived. Even as flames licked at his skin and his blood boiled, the god held a defiant look.

"Yes! YES! Thou art truly strong Melqart! To take a direct hit from the strongest authority in my arsenal and still live, thou truly deserves the title as the King of Phoenecian Gods! Come! Fight me and show me more of what you can do!" Verethragna declared joyfully! He stayed floating aloft in the air, waiting for his enemy to recover from the destructive blow.

"What will you show me next?" Verethragna declared. "I have destroyed your clubs, I have sealed your Wind and Thunder, I have restrained your strength, I have incinerated your Plague of Pests, and I have dealt you a fatal wound. The only domain you hold now is the power of the Sea. To be honest, I have never fought against any Water Aspect God. Please do not disappoint me."

Melqart refused to reply, instead he silently submerged his form into the ocean. The bay of Sardina boiled as the flames of the sun were extinguished, the steam obscuring the view of Melqart's form.

"The endless abyss is my domain. Here I am the unyielding force of nature from which all life have sprung! Seven days and seven nights, I am the dragon that revives!"

As quick as a whip, a dragon head comprised of water with a long serpentine neck extended from the steam and sought to crush the Persian God in it's maw. Only by the Raptor Incarnation's God Speed reaction allowed him to dodge the surprise attack. However, a second head appeared from a different angle and whipped towards him. Then a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh head appeared.

He dodged the second head but the appearance of five more limited the area he could escape to, until he was finally struck by the whip like motion. The force of the blow was tremendous beyond belief. The mass of the water was equal to one of the clubs Melqart wielded but struck with the force of a whip. It is said that the first man-made creation to break the sound barrier was the whip. Due to the snap and drawback of the whip, all the kinetic energy and force is focused on the tip at impact.

The first blow sent Verethragna soaring through the air in an uncontrolled spin. Before he could regain his bearing, a third head sent him flying back in the opposite direction where he was hit again and again and again by the multiple heads. Like a twisted game of pinball, Verethragna was assaulted at all sides and thrown through the air in an inescapable cage of blows.

Having received a certain level of damage, Verethragna decided to activate his Camel Incarnation.

"Every sinner shall tremble before my power. Now is the time, that I obtain the toughness of ten mountains, the strength of a hundred rivers, and the power of a thousand camels! Upon my mighty self, I shall bear the symbol of the raging camel!"

This Incarnation increases combat ability, as well as granting incredible leg strength. The main aspect he looked for was that it detains the sensation of pain and grants extraordinary endurance as well as self-recovery. Each blow he received had rattled his brain, not allowing him a moment's respite to rest or to counterattack. By pushing back the pain, Verethragna saw an opportunity to escape from the "inescapable net" of attacks.

He lashed out with a kick at the Dragon Serpent of Water and used the head as a spring board to push himself toward the island. The kick obliterated the water serpent's head and propelled him toward the sandy shores, allowing him to escape. He watched as the neck of the shattered head writhe before growing a new head. In total, there were seven heads, each flowing and bobbing like serpents, watching his every move.

"You surprise me delightfully once more God King of the Mediterranean, Ba'al! To think that you would have such a strong connection to the sea! That form you possess is that of the ancient Levantine God of the Sea!" Verethragna smiled gleefully despite having been the recipient of an attack that would have killed a lesser god.

The steam that clouded the bays of Sardina finally faded and revealed the new form of Melqart. The giant hole burned through Melqart's chest was filled with water, mixing into a solid layer of water covered the Phoenecian God King like a form fitting armor. The effects of the water was apparent as blackened skin healed and the huge hole started diminishing at a visible rate.

"Like many gods who hold various forms of immortality, I too have such an attribute. In the ocean, none shall slay me!" Melqart thundered.

"Yes, it looks like a troublesome ability to fight. Even after destroying one of your Dragon Serpent's head, it reformed almost instantly. I am assuming that this form is fueled by your connection to the ocean and requires no extra power aside from the activation? What requirements does it take to dispel? I might have to cut off all seven heads at once. Or I might have to muster an attack that can obliterate the entire body, head and all." Verethragna mused, more as god brainstorming rather than one demanding answers.

"Cease your foolish pondering and die by my hands!" Melqart roared as he directed the Dragon Serpents to engage. The neck comprised of water, elongated and shot forward at breakneck speeds. The heads tore into the sandy beach with the force of a hundred cannons, kicking up sprays of sand upon impact.

"Hohoho! So your attacks are not limited to short and medium range." Verethragna reached behind his back and unsheathed the golden blade. "Time to test my new blade."

"I am the Sword of Wisdom, that which tears foes apart. I am the Sword of Ignorance, that which takes my foes' knowledge. I am the strongest, for I am the one holding all victory in my hands. From my enemies, I shall take everything and to my enemies I will give nothing!"

The Golden blade gleamed in golden splendor as it reacted to the spell words uttered by it's wielder. With a mighty slash, Verethragna split one of the water serpent along the width of it's neck. Not a second later, he used the flat of the blade to skillfully deflect a second head away from him before cutting into a third and fourth head. Like a beautiful dance performance, Verethragna planted his feet and used nothing but his skill with a blade to fend of the infinite number of attacks. Not taking a single step, Verethragna established an area around him where no attack was permitted to pass.

With each swing, a Dragon Serpent head was deflected or cut. With each attack, more knowledge about Melqart's Divine Power flowed into the Persian God of Victory's head.

"I see! So this your final Authority. It requires you to be fully submerged in the sea in order to activate, meaning this is an ability that requires a huge mass of water to power! It grants you unlimited healing as long as you are touching water!"

Melqart glowered but said nothing in response. The onslaught on Dragons increased in intensity, pushing Verethragna back. In response the Persian god delcared:

"Melqart is a god born in the ancient Middle East. Baal is his true name. He was originally the [Sky] - the god worshiped by primitive nomadic tribes who tended to sheep and lived upon them. In ancient times, people viewed this god as the infinite unbounded sky itself!"

The words reverberated with power and meaning.

"You! You dare try to attack my divinity!?"

"Central Asian nomadic tribes - such as the Mongolians, also deified the [Sky] in a similar manner. However, Baal, and equivalently, Melqart belongs to the Middle East... A god born in the land of the orient. He is not simply a god of the sky, for he has one greatest attribute. Namely, the god of the [Rainy Season]!"

"It matters not if you know! My water aspect has no bearing in the Sky!"

"In the land of the Middle East where the dry and the rainy seasons are distinct and separate, 'storms' only arrive during the rainy season. Accompanied by the raging wind of cyclones and land sinking from the pouring rain, lightning descends from the sky. Nevertheless, because storms bring rainwater - without the benefits brought by this water, plants and animals, and even humans would certainly fail to survive. Though your 'storms' cause the death of many, it is also the nourishment of life!"

The blade reacted to Verethragna's words and glowed brighter in it's splendor, it's blade sharper.

"You are the sky god of storms worshiped by the nomadic tribes. These people soon started to engage agricultural settlers who worshiped gods of the land and the sea, eventually subjugating them with overwhelming military might! The gods of the land and the sea worshiped by farmers who lived in villages and towns, were indeed symbolized by the sacred beast, the [Dragon]. Hence, Baal, and equivalently Melqart, is the hunter of dragons!"

The blade grew keener as Verethragna came closer to the truth. The dragons comprised of water started recovering slower. The heads show visible effort to reform after being severed.

"However, the truth is that the mighty dragon was none other than your Brother, Yam! Yam was the Levantine God of the Sea! You, who vanquished his own elder brother, the Dragon King, took his form of the seven headed dragon! This is Baal, or in other words, Melqart's true nature!"

With this final declaration, the ground around Verethragna cracked, emitting golden light. From the crack, countless golden blades appeared, embedded into the ground. Globes of light hovered in the air as they formed golden blades, numbering in the thousands.

"Heed the power of my words, let justice reveal itself, under the strength and eloquence of this incantation, for strength is ever victorious, for strength is the answer to all things."

Verethragna closed his eyes as the blades shot forth and impaled themselves into the Dragon Serpents as well as Melqart's main body. With the number of blades launched, the dragon serpents were shredded with no hope of recovery. The nature of the god severing golden blade had shattered the divinity of the Levantine Dragon Serpent and it held no hope of recovery.

When the attack finally ceased, Melqart was all that was left. His body riddled with countless golden blades, each sunk up to their hilt. The armor of water was fully dispelled and Melqart was on his last legs.

"You... You truly deserve to be called the victorious one. I conceded my defeat to you. You have shattered all my authorities and bested me in my strongest environment. Strike the final blow." Melqart rumbled.

Verethragna floated over on an invisible gust of wind, his blade increasing double, then triple, and finally twenty times in size. "It was a honor battling you, rest now and reside back into your legend Melqart. I will meet you one day again upon the event my defeat. Farewell."

With a mighty swing, Verethragna decapitated Melqart and watched as the Phoenecian God's body fade into dark mist. A portion of it flowed into him, expanding and taking residence in his soul. This was the..

No, these were the new Authorities he had inherited and changed to merged into his very existence.

[Locust]: This Incarnation is capable of summoning an immense amount of locust such that it is possible to blot out the Sun. This Authority is earth based in Nature and is normally used in collaboration with other earth based Authorities.

Passive:Upon consumption of biological sustenance, energy can be recovered very rapidly and wounds can be healed very rapidly as well.

Mastery Ability: The consumption of biological sustenance by locust can be converted into energy which can refill empty or low reserves. Once every year, it is possible to accumulate enough energy to temporarily store up to ten times the caster's maximum energy reserve. This ability is useful for conducting high energy required rituals.

[Leviathan]:Active Ability-This Incarnation allows control over water to a certain extent. There needs to be a large enough body of water to activate the incarnation. Upon activation, submersion in water can provided unlimited healing as long as there is sufficient water source.

Passive Ability- Prevents being tracked by scrying and protected from mage sight. Due to the nature of "The Endless Abyss", it is not possible to discern any information through spirit vision or other means. The incarnation does not need to be active in order for this effect to manifest.

Mastery Ability: Summons an psuedo-divine beast, the seven headed Serpent Dragon made of water. Destruction of this beast is only possible by completely obliterating the entire water source fueling the revival.

[Serpent]: Active Ability- Revival of the dead as who died during the seasons of Winter and Fall. Spring and Summer signals rebirth, the time when this ability is most potent. The requirement is that the body of the dead would have needed to be buried in the earth completely and not cremated, lost at sea, or left to rot above ground. Any revival would be temporary at best.

Master Ability:Can negate all physical and spiritual damage as long as the head is intact by summoning a serpent made of ectoplasma from the mouth. From the mouth of the serpent, a new body emerges. The serpent can travel to the netherworld if needed to find a safe spot for usage of the self-revival ability will deplete all of the energy to five percent. This ability can only be used once a day and only works if the brain still functions.

Hidden Mastery Ability: With proper preparation and a ritual, a full and true revival can be conducted once every summer solstice when the sun is highest in the sky.

For Verethragna, he was surprised with his new authorities. The similar authorities like the one Melqart had over wind and lightning were not inherited for obvious reasons but for the Serpent Incarnation, he was sure Melqart only had the basic ability to summon the undead who passed away during Fall and Winter seasons. He had only briefly witnessed the legion of undead skeletons summoned by Melqart before shattering them with a blast of lightning.

He could only assume that the resurrection via snake was a new ability that evolved to suit his own soul's needs when he inherited it. Similar thinks happened when he inherited his other incarnations from the other Warlords but they were very minor differences, a tweak in ability here and there.

For such a huge change in Authority, it meant that Melqart's authorities were truly potent.

The Phoenecian King was truly worthy of his rank as a Ancient Divine-King Class God.

After mentally cataloging his new abilities, Verethragna looked over to the eastern side of Sardina. "I am Verethragna, the Victorious One who slew Melqart. My promise to you is now over. Farewell young mortal." The words he spoke were barely a whisper and there was nobody else on the beach to hear him speak. Yet he walked off satisfied that the message was delivered. Slowly step by step, the Persian War God of Victory walked into the lapping waves of Sardina and into the endless abyss of the ocean.

He had no destination in mind but he would let the waves carry him to his next adventure. This would give him time to adapt to his new incarnation and let nature decide where he should drift to next.

On the opposite side of the island, Erica Blandelli shivered as the wind whispered the message from Verethragna into her ear. What happened today was a harsh reminder of her own shortcomings. She had been overconfident of her combat abilities enough to be deluded that she could persuade a heretic god to back down from seeking conflict.

Because of her own hubris and folly, she had led an untrained civilian to his death. If only she had called for the sixth Campione, Lord Salvatore and waited for backup.

Or if she had insisted more fiercely on Godou's return to Japan...

She could have even hypnotized him...

No!

Erica Blandelli clenched her fist and steeled her heart. It was too late for regrets.

Kusanagi Godou is dead. His remains had been dropped off at a local morgue with instructions to have the body flown back to his home country and to his family. There was nothing more she could do for him.

Making her way to the nearest chapter of her organization, the Copper-Black Cross, Erica compiled a list of information she needed to include in her report. What she witnessed today would be invaluable in the future. She could feel it in her bones, this was not the last time Verethragna would appear.

Next time, she would be better prepared. So that next time, there will be no more victims like Kusanagi Godou, this she swears on her honor as a Great Knight.

One Week Later

[Report on Heretical God Verethragna], Compilation of the Greenwich assembly

Subject: Verethragna

Verethragna showed up on the Island of Sardina approximately a week and a half ago where he had roused the local god, the Phoenician king Melqart, from his slumber. A number of divine sightings prompted Erica Blandelli of the Copper-Black Cross Magic Association to investigate. The following information is mostly provided by her along with numerous other witness. Notably among them is Lucretia Zola, the witch of Sardina.

Known facts:

Verethragna is an ancient Persian warlord god, the protector serving the god of light, Mithra.

The Persian warlord commonly takes on the appearance of a 15-year-old boy with blue hair and a small tattoo on his forehead as his perceived avatar. However it is confirmed that he could assume the form of any of his ten incarnations.

Verethragna is a very powerful warlord and has 10 different incarnations, each with its own unique power, making him extremely versatile in battle. He can switch between them in order to wield the Authority needed at that time.

It is important to note that he doesn't seem to be capable of using multiple Authorities at once. (Possible weakness to be exploited)

According to legend, he takes on ten incarnations: Bull, Ram, Camel, Stallion, Goat, Boar, Raptor, Wind, The Youth, and The Warrior

Not much is known about his abilities beside a few of his incarnations.

Gale

Allows control over the wind and uses it to travel as well as delivering messages. Legends refer to him as the wind because it allowed him to hear and then teleport to a person who knows his face and is crying for help. With it he could travel anywhere in the world. Verethragna is a god who had also dominated over kings, and under the widespread worship of Parthian and Sassanid Empires, he became a patron saint of the people. The symbol that best represented him was the wind, where he would transform into a gust of wind to protect people, and travelers would often recite prayers to or leave small figures of him in the street to pray for a safe journey.

Bull

This Incarnation is believed to grant immense strength, rivaling that of Hercules due to Verethragna often being associated with him, with bulls symbolizing strength.

*More information required. Information based on educated guesswork and legend.

White Stallion

This incarnation represents his relationship to the sun since Verethragna's master Mithras, like Apollo, was said to have carried the sun across the sky in a horse drawn chariot. It allows him to summon a horse that carries the Sun's power. This is one of the strongest authorities and was used to deliver a critical blow against an Ancient Divine King-Class God( Phoenecian King of Gods, Melqart).

*Confirmed Incarnation by Great Knight, Erica Blandelli in the battle between Verethragna and Melqart)

**Confirmed Incarnation due to the White Stallion Authority being stolen by the [Secret Tome of Prometheus], used by deceased Japanese Civilian Kusanagi Godou. The [Secret Tome of Prometheus] was given to him by Lucretia Zola, the witch of Sardina.

~Take note that Verethragna survived being struck by his own White Stallion Authority, implies partial innate resistance to Flame/Solar Aspect Authorities. Subsequent healing indicates some sort of self-recovery authority, unknown to which specific Incarnation.

Camel

?

One of the ten Incarnations of Verethragna. Inherited from a Persian Warlord he defeated in the past.

*No information available. Ability not physically displayed during the battle. Assumed to grant great kicking power.

Boar

Verethragna is capable of summoning a divine beast. A Gigantic Black Boar that is fifty meters in length. It possesses giant tusk and with it's immense size, capable of massive destruction.

*Boar sighting confirmed in the city of Cagliari on the Island of Sardina.

Raptor

Not much is known about this Incarnation. The educated guess is that it summons a Divine Beast. A gigantic Raptor with the wingspan of fifty to sixty meter. Flapping it's wings can cause tornadoes to form.

*Raptor sighting confirmed in the city of Dorgali on the Island of Sardina.

Goat

Not much is known about this incarnation. The popular theory is that the goat is also a Divine beast as well. It is observed to be capable of summoning lightning bolts.

*Physical sighting confirmed in the city of Dorgali on the Island of Sardina.

Youth

The youth is the most visible Incarnation. Verethragna takes on a default avatar as a fifteen year old boy with blue hair and green eyes. He has a golden tattoo which looks like an upturned golden dagger. It represents his aspect as the fifteen year old youth that was the hero and the saint that watches over and protects the people. Verethragna can give anyone who sees him as a hero commands that cannot be disobeyed.

*The last ability has been demonstrated on Erica Bladenlli to great effect. Under the promise of vanquishing Melqart and preventing the Island of Sardina, she was forced to disarm and to retreat from battle.

** Legends speak of Verethragna granting his blessing and protections upon those who swear loyalty to him. This ability has not been witnessed. More information is required.

Ram

?

*Unknown ability, more information required

Warrior

The Warrior incarnation is possibility the most dangerous of all of Verethragna's ability. It is the representation of his aspect as a war god that subjugated foreign deities. Verethragna is capable of summoning a golden sword which negates divinity, and the power of any Authorities they may possess. However it requires knowledge of the target god to use. Using spell words, it is possible to slay gods. This is the most versatile incarnation. It allows Verethragna to unleash his full physical prowess of one who have attained the pinnacle of battle. Another ability is to manifest golden blades in midair and use them as projectiles.

*Observed usage shows that it is capable of severing divinity, the [Prometheus Grimore] is confirmed to be destroyed.

**Observed usage of severing immortality based divinity, ex. Unknown Water Authority shown by Melqart.

***EXTREMELY IMPORTANT***

An unconfirmed theory that ranks Verethragna as potentially the most dangerous Hertical God is that he possesses the ability to "Inherit" from the Gods he defeat.

According to legend, Verethragna started out with just one Authority, that of the Warrior. Eventually after slaying nine other warlords, he took on their ability and incarnation, uniting the entirety of Persia under the banner of the Invincible Warlord.

If this theory is true, Verethragna is even more dangerous now that he has defeated Melqart and possibly inherited additional authorities from him.

Report Conclusion:

The recommendation of the Field Agent present, The great Knight of the Copper-Black Cross Association Erica Blandelli, is to find a way to seal or banish the Persian Warlord of Victory into the Netherworld. More information about Verethragna could possibly be discovered by interrogating the secret cult of Verethragna which should be traveling to Sardina.

Verethragna poses a threat in his unlimited potential.

Another possible option is to seek to entrap the War God to "weaponize" him. His multiple authorities and his god slaying abilities makes him perfect for combating other Heretical gods.

The report concludes that his active threat towards humanity is very low. As a defender of the people, he posses the attributes of a hero. Yet, we cannot discount his threat towards humanity

His passive threat is considered to be from medium to extremely. His battles against other Heretical gods proved to be very destructive in terms of property damage and to the environment. Any humans caught up in the vicinity will be regarded as collateral damage to him. His love for battle will exceed any concern or priority to his surrounding.

The recommendation is to gather more information on future sightings of Verethragna and to find out more about his legend. Plans to deal with Verethragna should be prepared in the event of an hostile meeting.

[Report End]

A/N: This is the end of the first chapter. I had to write this to set the background story. Yes, believe it.

KUSUNAGI GODOU IS DEAD!

I killed him off because frankly, I can't stand to write his character. He is too polite, the perfect example of Japanese Courtesy. This is a trait that he shares with Shirou who will be the MAIN protagonist in the story. He can't manage a Harem to save his life plus his balls can't ever seem to drop unless it's in battle.

Rather than focusing on two different protagonist, I can now focus on Shirou's development.

This story is still in it's early developmental phases. The major changes I have brought about in this chapter is.

1. Kusanagi Godou died. This changes the ENTIRE storyline of Campione.

2. I based this on a mixture of the battle scene from the anime and the light novel. Don't be surprised that it doesn't follow the anime or the light novel to the letter. It's a mixture of both.

3. Verethragna is alive and he has new Authorities he inherited! The ability to inherit the Authorities of those he defeated might sound too OP but I did so for a reason, one which I will reveal later.

That being said, I still have no idea how to bring Shirou over to this world and the back story behind it. I'm still brainstorming.

Is he going to be from Heaven's Feel? Regular Fate/Stay Night Route?

Abilities/Noble Phantasms to use?

Will he come alone?

Who will Shirou be paired with in the Campione world? All of Godou's would-be harem girls?

If you would like to put in some theories and suggestion, I will definitely take them into consideration

The Next Chapter will focus on setting the background for Shirou and his arrival. Please look forward to it.

Also please review if possible, it's the coffee that helps me pull all-nighters to write the next chapter quicker!

Ciao~