The calls to finish the beast off rang clear through Shirou's head as he clenched his free fist. His magic circuits were at the ready, prepared for if he needed to obtain a new weapon to do his job. Just when he was ready to do that however, he grit his teeth and dug his heel in (metaphorically speaking). In this fight, he was her support; the support of everyone that would need someone to back them up while they finished the job. If Shirou forgot about that, what would happen if there wasn't anyone left to watch over them while the others took the finishing blows? This wasn't about glory for the redhead, this was about saving as many people as he could, his faith put into the fighters that assembled here and especially his former Servant. Saber wasn't the only amazing person here. That blonde-haired girl who cast the binding spell over the serpent's mouth, the swift actions of those that slashed deep into it, and perhaps (while he raised a brow at first) even Owain's own heroic nature.
So he stayed back, witheld the compulsion to use another projection to take aim and finish the job. It wasn't that this level of magecraft was beyond him (so he would tell himself and deny Archer) anymore, it was that he had little practice in this act. After all, while he could play the part, he truly did favor the sword just like many others here did. Much like the swordmaster that circled the beast and embedded the sword into its neck- much like the shooting star that was Saber who took one of its eyes...
That was what Shirou Emiya continued to believe that he was, and yet he stood here, keeping his distance and waiting for any opportunity to intervene or play the role of defense. If he could, he wouldn't need to do anything beyond his last act, but as Owain was violently thrown from the snake, the redhead's vision sharpened on the scene before him. It was out of control and thrashing violently now, long forked tongue tasting the air in a bid to try and compensate for its loss of sight.
"!"
It wasn't very accurate as Owain scrambled towards his weapon within the tall grass, but its head turned. It had no sight anymore, but it blindly lashed out. This wasn't about obtaining its next meal anymore. It was a means of defending itself, but it came at the expense of one of their allies. With surprisingly rapid speed, the snake moved to strike where it thought one of its attackers laid.
Soaring fast off the ground with a leap and buzz of his dragonfly wings, Shirou raced up to meet the snake's lunge halfway. There was a good chance it would have missed its intended target anyway, but that was a chance that he refused to take. He would support those that could defeat this thing!
"I am the bone of my sword."
The words flowed naturally from his lips as he raised his open palm at the serpent. There was less than a split's moment remaining before it would reach him, but he wouldn't let it reach anyone else here. There was no time to think. Instead, he reaches out for his greatest defense, prepares to project it and...!
He couldn't see it clearly- no, that wasn't true. It was more like he couldn't even pull it out no matter how clearly he could see it. Nothing came but the sight of a young man with a massive fang piercing through the boy's midsection, its mouth closing the moment it felt contact with something. It bit down hard as it effortlessly pierced through Shirou's body, but much like most strikes, it was swift to retreat as it opened its jaws shortly afterwards as Shirou slipped out of its mouth and began the hard descent towards the unforgiving ground.
"A-Augh..." It wasn't a cry for pain, the hole in his abdomen was far too large and looked decisively fatal; it was more of a gutteral response as blood spilt up from his mouth and flowed without relent from his wound. In a blink, it felt hot, and whether someone caught him before he hit the ground or not, he wouldn't feel any of it anymore as he faded into unconsciousness.
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So he stayed back, witheld the compulsion to use another projection to take aim and finish the job. It wasn't that this level of magecraft was beyond him (so he would tell himself and deny Archer) anymore, it was that he had little practice in this act. After all, while he could play the part, he truly did favor the sword just like many others here did. Much like the swordmaster that circled the beast and embedded the sword into its neck- much like the shooting star that was Saber who took one of its eyes...
That was what Shirou Emiya continued to believe that he was, and yet he stood here, keeping his distance and waiting for any opportunity to intervene or play the role of defense. If he could, he wouldn't need to do anything beyond his last act, but as Owain was violently thrown from the snake, the redhead's vision sharpened on the scene before him. It was out of control and thrashing violently now, long forked tongue tasting the air in a bid to try and compensate for its loss of sight.
"!"
It wasn't very accurate as Owain scrambled towards his weapon within the tall grass, but its head turned. It had no sight anymore, but it blindly lashed out. This wasn't about obtaining its next meal anymore. It was a means of defending itself, but it came at the expense of one of their allies. With surprisingly rapid speed, the snake moved to strike where it thought one of its attackers laid.
Soaring fast off the ground with a leap and buzz of his dragonfly wings, Shirou raced up to meet the snake's lunge halfway. There was a good chance it would have missed its intended target anyway, but that was a chance that he refused to take. He would support those that could defeat this thing!
"I am the bone of my sword."
The words flowed naturally from his lips as he raised his open palm at the serpent. There was less than a split's moment remaining before it would reach him, but he wouldn't let it reach anyone else here. There was no time to think. Instead, he reaches out for his greatest defense, prepares to project it and...!
"...?"
He couldn't see it clearly- no, that wasn't true. It was more like he couldn't even pull it out no matter how clearly he could see it. Nothing came but the sight of a young man with a massive fang piercing through the boy's midsection, its mouth closing the moment it felt contact with something. It bit down hard as it effortlessly pierced through Shirou's body, but much like most strikes, it was swift to retreat as it opened its jaws shortly afterwards as Shirou slipped out of its mouth and began the hard descent towards the unforgiving ground.
"A-Augh..." It wasn't a cry for pain, the hole in his abdomen was far too large and looked decisively fatal; it was more of a gutteral response as blood spilt up from his mouth and flowed without relent from his wound. In a blink, it felt hot, and whether someone caught him before he hit the ground or not, he wouldn't feel any of it anymore as he faded into unconsciousness.