Chapter 155: Reviving Alise's Soul and Making It Into a Sword?
Shirou and Thanatos discussed many things regarding the goddess of justice, Astraea, and eventually reached a conclusion: Unlimited Blade Works must be restored as soon as possible. Whether or not Shirou would end up opposing Astraea, he needed to ensure he had the ability to face her in battle.
To restore Unlimited Blade Works, it was necessary first to heal the divine-power wound inside Shirou's body. The severity of this wound was obvious—probably in the entire dungeon city, only Airmid could cure it.
Shirou's injuries were quite serious at the moment, making it a perfect opportunity to seek treatment from Airmid in one go. However, he could not openly approach Airmid, as his identity was far too sensitive right now; one wrong move could attract the attention of gods. Therefore, Shirou planned to stay hidden for a while, waiting for divine eyes to turn elsewhere before secretly seeking treatment.
Yet, during this period of hiding, Shirou began experiencing strange dreams every night.
In his dreams, he observed from a third-person perspective a red-haired girl. She seemed to be the leader of an adventurer party, cheerful and full of positive energy, with a red ponytail, kind to everyone, treating all equally. Though sometimes careless or irresponsible, she always stepped forward in real danger. Most importantly, she was full of justice, aiming to be a "messenger of justice."
Her party adored her, seeing her as their true leader.
Yet, deep inside, the girl wrestled with a troubling question: what truly was justice? Even though she always confronted evil and struck down wrongdoers, she felt her actions hadn't changed anything. The world remained chaotic and dangerous, and the number of suffering people never decreased. No matter what she did, reality seemed unalterable.
In such confusion, she began to seek the truth of the world. She was no longer content with ordinary heroic tales or simply killing wrongdoers. Instead, she aimed to uncover the root of disasters and pursue true justice.
However, she met her death before achieving her goal.
Her death was senseless and sudden, striking her and her companions unexpectedly. In the end, only one member survived her adventurer party.
Shirou immediately recognized the girl: she was Ryuu, the elf waitress from the Hostess of Fertility. At that moment, Shirou realized her true identity:
—Alise Lovell, leader of the Astraea Familia, a top-tier adventurer of Orario who had perished five years ago in a dungeon disaster.
"Why am I having this dream?"
Waking from it, Shirou felt a fleeting sense of confusion, as if he could not distinguish reality from dream. Alise and Shirou were too similar: both possessed simple justice from the start, later sought true justice, and finally faced crises far beyond their own power. The only difference was that Shirou had gained strength from his future self to find a way out of impossible situations, whereas Alise had no such luck, meeting death before reaching her goal.
Shirou felt deep regret and sorrow over her death. Had she survived, she might have become a kindred spirit, someone who could travel the path toward true justice alongside him. Yet, even more than the girl herself, Shirou was perplexed by the dreams. They were far too real to be dismissed as coincidence.
He turned to Thanatos, the only death god he trusted, and shared his confusion.
"You say you dreamt of Alise's past?"
Thanatos's expression reflected both surprise and doubt. He fell into deep thought, and after some time spoke slowly:
"Do you remember when we encountered Alise's abandoned corpse in the dungeon? After death, fragments of the soul remain in the body, especially in humans with deep obsessions. Even after death, their obsessions cannot dissipate immediately. This is why funerals are held: to extinguish lingering obsessions and release the soul.
However, Alise's death didn't undergo this process. Her death was abrupt, a calamity with no compromise, and her body was casually discarded in a laboratory after being retrieved by Ouranos's faction. As a result, her soul fragments were not released but rather deepened her lingering attachments and unwillingness to die. Her body retained part of her soul."
"Part of her soul remained in the body?" Shirou frowned. "How does that relate to me dreaming of Alise's past?"
"People naturally attract one another," Thanatos explained. "Especially those with similar thoughts, personalities, and even soul frequencies. Such people naturally form close bonds. Even between a living person and a dead soul fragment, a similar resonance can create a strong attraction.
Because your similarity with Alise is so high, even down to the wavelength of your soul, when you came into contact, her soul fragments were naturally drawn to you. Her memories flowed into your mind."
Thanatos, as expected of a soul specialist, had identified the source of Shirou's dreams in a brief analysis.
Shirou, understanding this, nodded silently. "So that's it. I absorbed fragments of Alise's soul, which is why I dreamt of her memories. Could her soul fragments affect me? Or is it possible to revive her soul?"
Having experienced Alise's memories, Shirou felt a strong attachment to the girl. He regretted her untimely death and wished to give her redemption.
Thanatos fell into a long silence. After much thought, the god of death said, "Unfortunately, even in my long life, I've rarely encountered such a case—perhaps this is the first. Finding two humans with such similar personalities, thoughts, and even soul wavelengths is extremely rare… and for one to be alive and the other dead, with the dead retaining obsessions… the probability is smaller than being struck by a meteor."
"So, you don't know what will happen?"
"That's right," Thanatos nodded. "But since we know her soul fragments are in you, I might be able to manipulate and consolidate them using my soul-controlling Authority. This would prevent them from being crushed by your strong soul, and could potentially restore some consciousness and thought—a form of 'revival'."
"Then let's try it."
Shirou quickly made the decision. After all, Alise's soul was already fragmented. Rather than letting it gradually disperse inside him, turning into a lost soul, it was better to have Thanatos attempt a final effort.
Thanatos extracted Alise's soul fragments from Shirou's body. Thanks to Thanatos's skill with soul manipulation, the process was completed easily. Shirou felt nothing during it—he only saw points of starlight gather in Thanatos's hands, which then coalesced into a faint, ethereal form.
That form was unmistakably Alise Lovell, the leader of the Astraea Familia.
"I… where am I…?"
Opening her eyes, Alise's soul displayed bewilderment. But she quickly understood and murmured resignedly: "I see… I'm already dead."
"You are Alise?"
Shirou looked at the girl, or rather, her soul, in confusion.
Alise nodded silently. "Yes, I am Alise. Your name is… Emiya Shirou?"
"You know me?" Shirou was surprised.
Alise smiled faintly. "I dreamt of you, so I know your name… and your past."
"…!"
Shirou was shocked that Alise had dreamt of his past as well and looked at Thanatos.
Thanatos explained: "I told you—the similarity in soul wavelengths means that when two souls meet, their influences are mutual."
Shirou accepted it with resignation. He didn't want anyone to know his past, but since Alise was already dead, it didn't matter.
He then tried to talk with Alise about the past, especially regarding the Astraea Familia. However, Alise's soul fragments knew little—mostly only what Shirou had seen in his dreams. This was a result of her soul being fragmented.
Moreover, her soul was unstable, and soon began to drift and break apart.
"Fragments cannot maintain stability on their own," Thanatos quickly judged. "In this case, her soul must be infused into a vessel to prevent dispersion."
"A vessel for her soul? You mean giving her a body?"
Shirou instinctively thought of the Xenos—humans fused with monster bodies to create a new form.
Thanatos, however, denied this. "Alise's soul is too incomplete to integrate into a full body. A smaller object as a temporary vessel will suffice."
"A smaller object? A weapon?"
"Of course. A sword is actually the best option. She was a swordsman in life, and merging her soul into what she was familiar with reduces the risk of rejection."
Shirou didn't have a sword on hand, as he mostly fought with projected blades. Thus, he had to forge a weapon on the spot.
Fortunately, his body, though damaged, was still strong enough to forge. With the aid of the Karma's Flames, he quickly forged a sword. Since it was only meant as a vessel, he didn't craft any treasured weapon from memory, relying purely on instinct.
The result was a longsword similar to the first weapon he had forged in the Hephaestus Familia, though it had no special effects. Even so, Shirou's extraordinary forging skills made it a top-tier level-two weapon in basic quality.
"This sword will do, right?"
"Perfect." Thanatos nodded and quickly fused Alise's fragmented soul into the sword.
After her soul fully integrated, Shirou saw a flickering flame dance on the weapon.
"That is…?"
"Alise excelled at fire-based magic in life, so her soul imbued the weapon with corresponding abilities, essentially creating a unique magic sword."
"You can create a magic sword like this?"
"This is an extremely rare miracle…"
Thanatos himself seemed surprised by the situation, never expecting something like this to happen.
Shirou quickly grasped the longsword and could clearly feel the warmth of a soul pulsing along the blade. That warmth was undoubtedly the fragment of Alise's soul.
Due to the brief restoration of consciousness earlier, her soul had weakened again and was now recovering through dormancy. Shirou didn't disturb her, hung the longsword at his waist, and planned to return to rest.
"By the way, aren't you going to name that sword?" Thanatos suddenly asked.
"A name?" Shirou hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "Let's call it Agaris. After all, that seemed to be the name of Alise's magic during her life."
"That's a good name." Thanatos nodded.
For the following days, Shirou completely stayed hidden. Only when the divine gaze lessened did he resolve to seek treatment from Airmid.
During this time, Alise's soul would occasionally awaken. At first, she struggled to accept her existence as a sword, but gradually she became accustomed to it. She even tried having Shirou wield Agaris, and the weapon performed at the level of a top-tier magic sword, unleashing fire magic with astonishing power.
Although it was currently of little use to Shirou, for low-level adventurers, this sword could potentially surpass all weapons—a true ultimate artifact. Not only could it autonomously release powerful fire magic, but Alise's soul could also assist in battle, providing tactical guidance. Rather than merely a weapon, it was effectively a strong companion.
Even Shirou admitted it was an excellent weapon. However, he did not treat Agaris purely as a weapon; he considered it a temporary vessel for
Alise, hoping to one day gather her lost soul fragments. Then, perhaps she could truly be "revived."
Alise herself seemed indifferent to revival. Simply existing in sword form satisfied her, and she even thought it might be fine to remain like this.
Yet Thanatos clearly stated that this was not sustainable. A human's fragmented soul could not remain attached to an object indefinitely; if the soul was not eventually restored and reunited with a body, it would dissipate over time.
This strengthened Shirou's resolve: he must gather Alise's scattered soul fragments. Of course, first he needed Airmid's treatment.
"Shirou, you're going to see Airmid?" The sword-form Alise asked. "Maybe I can help, because I once saved Airmid's life. She owes me a huge favor."
"Really?"
Shirou was surprised. This could be a breakthrough. If he went directly, exposure of his identity might lead Airmid to report him to the guild, resulting in being wanted. But if Alise could persuade Airmid to help, the risks would be minimal.
After considering it, Shirou agreed to let her try.
.
.
.
The next day, Shirou carried Agaris, hiding his face under a cloak, and went to the Dian Cecht Familia on Apothecary Street. He glanced at the Azure pharmacy nearby and saw it was closed for the day. Clearly, Miach's death had heavily impacted Azure Pharmacy, and Naaza might not even be able to continue selling potions. Shirou regretted this, but did not feel remorse; he knew his actions were correct and would make the same choices again.
"Shirou, what's wrong?" Alise noticed his emotional fluctuation through the sword.
"Nothing." Shirou did not reveal his thoughts, shook his head, and slowly entered the Dian Cecht Familia shop.
Unlike the Azure Pharmacy, Dian Cecht's shop was spacious and grand, almost like a villa. Rare medicinal materials were displayed in the hall, exuding overwhelming luxury.
Price tags were staggering; cheap potions that could be bought for a few thousand Valis at Azure were impossible here.
"Excuse me, did you make an appointment?" A Dian Cecht clerk asked, noticing Shirou's hidden appearance.
Shirou didn't hesitate. "I didn't make an appointment, but may I see Miss Airmid directly?"
"That doesn't follow procedure…"
Shirou calmly placed a bag of Valis on the table. "Is this in accordance with the rules now?"
The heavy gold bag immediately warmed the clerk's cold heart. She ran inside the shop at top speed, and soon, Airmid appeared before Shirou.
"Are you here for treatment?" Seeing Shirou's cautious appearance, she looked skeptical. Though she cared about money, she cared more about her Familia's safety and did not want to be involved in dangerous matters.
"Can you tell me your Familia? Without your identity, I cannot provide treatment."
"Not that simple, huh." Shirou showed a helpless expression. It was indeed difficult to get treatment without revealing his identity.
He followed his plan, drew Agaris from his waist, and let Alise's soul speak to Airmid.
"What are you doing!?" Airmid was startled when Shirou suddenly drew a sword. Though a skilled healer, she was only level 2, not adept at combat, and could not respond to such a close-range attack.
However, when Alise's soul emerged from the sword before Airmid, the healer was stunned. Despite her confusion, seeing Alise's familiar form left her speechless; she almost thought she was dreaming.
"Long time no see, Airmid." Alise silently greeted her, quickly explaining her situation and asking Airmid to help Shirou in consideration of her.
Airmid was still doubtful until Alise revealed details only she could know, finally convincing her.
"Come in." Taking a deep breath, Airmid spoke. Clearly, for Alise's sake, she decided to provide treatment to Shirou, even with his mysterious identity.
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