Promised (Reluctant) Victory In Remnant

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.

I'm also occasionally chilling in JaxWolf4's (Author of Nah, I'd Adapt and Zenin Days) Discord Server. It's a chaotic lobotomy mess. Not for the faint of heart.

Here's the link:

Disc: HrPrTeam

(Special thanks to Glorious4EyedKing for the Beta Reading Labor!)

-Story Start-

Excalibur sliced the inexplicable Abomination, but Alex failed to recognize any reception from it.

Not the feeling of slicing through bone.

Not the feeling of slicing through flesh.

Nor anything mechanical, metallic, or anything else.

The Abomination had been cut cleanly in half, and the wind force of his strike blew away both halves.

His eyes narrowed in perplexion at the slain Abomination landing on the ground; it was hard to notice it given it was made up of the same shifting material.

Amid the painful cries of agony, Alex couldn't help but note, "That was... too easy?" He breathed out as he held onto Excalibur.

His eyes widened as the halved Abomination began too... stitch itself together.

"Can these things even die?" His eye twitched as the being slowly reformed into that abominable visage, and tried approaching Alex once again.

And, once more, he couldn't help but notice...

"Painfully slow..." His head turned to look at the unchained husks who were being chased by the multitudes of Abominations.

While the Abominations were slow - floating and walking with amalgamated primordial limbs at a walking pace.

They were more than enough to catch the crawling husks.

With a thin line on his face, Alex confirmed with a sharp glint in his eye, "These things aren't used to being resisted." He turned to the approaching Abomination, now joined by another trying to reach for him.

He huffed with a hint of optimism, cracking a tiny smile, 'If this is the worst of them... I'll be fine.'

Nevertheless, It grated on his mental state - his tiny smile being only temporary amid the chaos and insanity.

The screams.

The cold.

The sights...

Humans weren't built to look at these things, at this scenery for long.

His head lowered and his eyes turned to Excalibur, the unease in his heart calming upon glancing at its light.

It was more than a weapon...

It was his stability, his Hope.

Lifting his head to meet the unnerving Abominations reaching for him, Alex nodded, "If I can't sit still... I'll look for a way out of here."

What he neglected to mention, was whether there even was a way out.

But the concept of there being one kept him more sane than the prospect of staying here a whole month.

With an inhale, his Dragon Aura Core thrummed with unadulterated power.

And with an exhale, he moved at a disturbing pace.

The feeling of stepping on liquid, on gas, on plasma... it didn't matter for his speed ignored even the notion of taking more than a single one.

He passed by innumerable Abominations, unchained husks, and chained husks.

Ignoring the sights and the unbearable sounds, he reached the edge of the little floating island he stood on.

Across from him at a lower elevation was another island and beyond it was one of the towers of light that reached into the infinite void above and below.

Alex's eyes shot toward the feeling of something... abstract touching his leg.

Surprised his instincts hadn't called out to him, he noticed what was beside him.

It was another of those innumerable husks.

Upon taking a closer look, it held that ethereal aspect.

But it had a recognizable appearance.

An adult man, with fox ears.

'A Faunus.' Alex confirmed, his eyes shifting to the other noteworthy aspect.

At its leg was that chained malevolent aspect.

He couldn't truly put it into words, nor explain what it was that was so tightly bound to the poor Faunus Soul.

It was heavier than the ones Alex had noticed thus far on others, and given he was chained... Alex could only regard it with a sympathetic look at what he had to go through.

However, beyond that... the man was reaching.

His thin, withering limb extended desperately towards the Light.

Excalibur's Light.

Scanning his surroundings swiftly, Alex noted numerous Abominations approaching, but he had a few seconds before he had to deal with them.

With a nod, Alex extended Excalibur towards the man; the withered hand touching the light and with it...

Like the uncountable chained husks that were hopelessly crawling towards the beams of light, the Faunus Soul began to... sink under the weight of the malevolence he was chained to.

Alex's eyes widened at the reaction, as the evershifting ground they stood on did little to stop the man from sinking underground and towards the void.

Lifting his head to meet with the three Abominations approaching him, Alex swung Excalibur once more as they reached his strike zone.

Without much difficulty, the Abominations were blown away, but nevertheless uneliminated.

His eyes narrowed at them, also noting some of the chained husks crawling towards the light, but this time it was unmistakable.

They were crawling towards Excalibur's Light as well.

With a shake of his head, Alex resolved himself to head out to the next island, and from there...

He confirmed to himself, 'Hitch a ride on that pillar of light.'

Taking a step forward with his feet on the edge of the ever-shifting floating island, he aimed to jump below.

Calculating his strength, Alex jumped with decent force, only to realize his blunder a little late.

Once he left the island he stood on... He no longer felt the pull of Gravity.

His hop meant to lead him to the island below had instead sent him a considerable height above it, to which he floated at a static velocity at the angle he leaped from due to the lack of one of the fundamental laws of nature.

With an eye twitch, and already mounting frustration, Alex took the situation at face value, 'Change of plans.' His eyes shifted to the endless pillar of light just across the island below him.

He didn't need to deal with the Abominations if he was in the air, after all.

At least, for a little bit.

With purposeful kicks and swings, Alex utilized the lack of gravity to his advantage, flying towards his goal.

Well, he had thought too soon.

Not all islands had a gigantic pillar of light, and like Alex, the chained husks needed to reach the Light.

His mind boggled at the sight of husks crawling on the air of Purgatory itself to reach the light, and the Abominations doing the same... to reach Him.

'Better hurry.' He confirmed as he shot towards the pillar of light, reaching it alongside numerous husks who pivoted from deciding to use the pillar and instead reached for Excalibur.

Alex was unbothered, as he extended his left hand toward the pillar...

Only to feel solid resistance as his hand stopped short from grasping the light.

A deep frown formed on Alex's face.

He lowered his head to look at the many chained husks dragging burdens of various sizes.

Choosing the one with the lightest burden he could see, Alex attempted to grab her head as she reached for Excalibur.

Only for his eyes to widen once again, as his hand phased through the woman's head helplessly, and with the help of Excalibur's Light, she began to ascend, like many of the husks with lighter burdens.

'They can grab me, but I can't grab them...?' He noted tiredly, thoroughly confused.

His instincts flared once more, his head turning to the Abominations closing in on him, but this time... they extended their primordial limbs, shifting in forms to try and grasp him from afar.

"That's new." He frowned, his voice inaudible given the loud cries surrounding him from all sides.

Without hesitation, Excalibur was rapidly swung to remove the limbs, and by kicking the air Alex propelled himself towards the distant Abominations.

Reaching close range, Alex decided to test their regeneration by swinging Excalibur in a series of slashes.

The speed and force of the slashes diced the paradoxical Abominations, and the powerful wind generated sent them flying across the air in varied directions.

Nevertheless, Alex confirmed his theory upon witnessing the result of his actions:

Regardless of how tiny the pieces of the Abominations he had slashed were, they gravitated towards each other through some unknown power, forming a regenerated, strange Abomination piece by piece, liquid by liquid, limb by limb.

They never appeared the same.

'Bought some time.' He scanned his surroundings noting that most of the Abominations were roughly a minute away from him, even with accounting for their new... trick.

His head turned to the gigantic pillar of light, "If I can't enter..." He extended his hand, wielding Excalibur, and attempted to slash an entrance for himself.

The light had accepted the blade, yet the slash had resulted in...

Absolutely nothing.

Sighing internally, Alex shortly scrutinized his surroundings and what he'd discovered thus far.

Making sure not to let his eyes linger and try to comprehend the very essence of Purgatory... lest he damage his own sanity.

'I can't find any escape... do I try and reach the edges of this place? Or do I try and reach the top of that pillar of light?' He wondered with the little time he had before he had to deal with the Abominations.

His mind drifted to what rudimentary knowledge he held of Purgatory.

It had many representations, both Religious and Fictional.

'A place that cleanses the Soul of Sin... that could fit.' He noted as he observed the malevolent thing that burdened the husks reaching for Light.

'Those are more than likely... Sins.'

'But that is by no means a cleansing fire...' Alex frowned as he witnessed the eerie Abominations.

His mind drifted to the words of the System, yet...

'I can't tell when it's blubbering rubbish or not... I can't trust it.' He confirmed to himself with unrestrained anger, his grip on Excalibur's hilt downright crushing.

Alex's thoughts were cut short by disturbing limbs, ethereal tendrils with shifting shapes extended towards him at a sluggish pace.

With a cold frown, Alex cut them apart with Excalibur, an idea flashing in his mind as he did.

Lowering his head to gaze at the reassuring and calming sight of Excalibur's light, Alex wondered, "Would it be within your power..."

"To destroy this place?"

He received no answer from the Sword Of The World And Humanity.

Although, he expected that to be the case.

Even so... Alex attempted that very feat with the sword not rejecting his hold.

Whether it was due to his unique circumstances, or not.

Instinctually, as Excalibur's wielder, he knew how to use it... to unleash it.

Without further prompting, Alex's gigantic aura was draining at breakneck speed, emptying his reserves almost instantly.

Grasping Excalibur with both his hands, he lifted the sword upward as its light intensified.

"EX-"

Mixed emotions ran through Alex.

Prominent of them were anger, dismay, resolve, and despair.

But as he was about to unleash Excalibur, it all vanished.

All of it.

It was within that little moment, that instant...

That Purgatory...

Fell silent.

Even within the perverted clutches of the unfathomable and unbothered Abominations.

Even while experiencing excruciating agony as their very souls, essence, was perverted...

All Humans and Faunus and even the wielder of the sword itself.

Man, woman, or child.

Let out not a sound, not a wail, not a cry.

Their essences standing in awe at the sight of Excalibur's Light.

The sight of Humanity's Glory. 

Past, Present, and Future.

And after that one instant, that brilliant intense light was swung.

Alex roared out with all his strength, all his emotion with all his being:

"CALIBURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

Excalibur's intense light was swung downwards, aimed at the Abominations and consequently the Realm Of Purgatory itself.

A gargantuan beam of light left the blade's edge and it extended out towards the numerous islands in the direction below Alex.

It was ruthless.

In its path, the light had swallowed up all Abominations, and husks and continued its trajectory to swallow up numerous islands, extending towards the infinite void below.

The light had seemingly swallowed over a hundred islands before... A loud explosion reverberated from a great distance below Alex.

Even seemingly kilometers away below him, the brilliant explosion of Light and Mana was visible.

Alex could only gape as he noted the destruction the unleashed Excalibur managed to incur.

It was one thing to see it through the media.

It was one thing holding the Sword itself.

But... the sensation and result of unleashing the Noble Phantasm - Excalibur itself.

'Unreal.'

He took a second to compose himself and direct his attention to the results.

The Abominations, at least the ones hit by the light were disintegrated without a trace of their existence being left.

The islands the light had swallowed resulted in much the same.

However...

The husks hit by the light... were ascending or descending depending on the burden they carried.

The unchained husks, however, remained unaffected, floating in zero gravity as if they weren't on an island.

Alex's Dragon Aura Core was working overtime, trying to restore that which he had used to unleash Excalibur, nevertheless, he lowered his head to look at the blade.

'A bit hopeful to think you'd be able to erase an entire realm or whatever this place is.' He quickly moved on with a sigh of acceptance.

He then focused on the other thing that caught his attention, 'That wasn't Aura, that was Mana.' He recalled the description of Excalibur that he read from System.

'I really can't trust that thing.' Alex shook his head in genuine irritation.

Huffing, Alex decided to go with his earlier plans.

Reaching the edge of Purgatory... if it exists.

-----------------------------

He didn't know how long he'd been running.

Jumping from island to island, as he ascended upwards.

Slicing apart endless Abominations as they attempted to seize him and force upon him that...

Unimaginable agony.

There was no scenery to enjoy.

Only the dull, paradoxical, and mind-twisting sights of shifting matter and bent-natural law of the world.

No sounds of nature to be at peace with.

Only the strange echo of his powerful steps and the varied outcries of agony from the tormented souls whose sins were forced out and chained onto them.

Slowly, he felt he was losing his mind.

He was getting tired, mentally.

But, at any moment he felt on the verge of losing his sanity...

Excalibur's Light Thrummed Reassuringly.

He could only hold it with a tighter grip, a look of gratitude passing him by as he witnessed the light of hope stand at his side.

How could he give up?

If Hope itself was at his side?

Nevertheless, he had no indicator of time, nor was he keen on counting how long he'd been here.

How long he'd been ascending the endless isles to the theoretical roof of Purgatory was something he didn't know.

But he was certain it had been a long time, a long time hoping for some indication of change.

...

He got it but in the worst form imaginable.

He had an inkling this was possible from the first occurrence, however...

The Abominations were Evolving to deal with him.

Slicing them apart was no longer so easy.

They were becoming more durable, their shapes began to change into more rough less corporeal matter to keep themselves stable instead of relying on their immortality and getting stitched together.

Alex had little but a few minutes to catch his breath due to the nigh-infinite number of Abominations earlier.

Now?

They were relentless.

More durable, faster, and stronger.

Smarter in the utilization of their inexplicable physiology.

If Alex wanted to get a minute of peace, his only solution thus far has been...

"EX- CALIBURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

Unleashing the Noble Phantasm whenever he could so he could catch his breath.

Glaring at the wiped-out and persistent Abominations, Alex huffed, "It's as if this entire place has it against me." He complained with a frown.

And another thing he had noticed, even with the Abominations not after him but those after the regular souls of the dead.

'They've all evolved collectively.'

It was getting clearer and clearer to Alex that he was a dire anomaly in Purgatory.

He, or at least, a Living Being such as him that can fight back is not supposed to be there.

Purgatory was changing because of him.

Even so, the Abominations weren't powerful enough to faze him or overwhelm him.

They were only nuisances.

But even Alex realized with each moment that passed that, 'It's only a matter of time before they...'

-----------------------------

Still rising up, still no end in sight even when he hopped adjacent to a pillar of light with husks floating up for an endless period of time.

The Abominations were getting troublesome.

Instead of trying to grasp onto his soul while he easily dodges or slices apart the appendages, they've evolved to try and... Incapacitate him.

'Blunt Force & Piercing' was added to their ever-shifting and ever-evolving terms as they switched the motion from grasping and defending to attacking.

Smarter, stronger, and more durable over the passage of unknown time...

Alex was now struggling.

Having unleashed Excalibur already, his Aura was low and he was unable to use it once again, twelve Abominations forming from thin air appeared to strike him with spike-mace tendrils.

Excalibur's light shone as Alex swung it with all his effort, slicing the appendages apart and twisting his body to avoid a strike from behind him.

Outnumbered and with opponents he could no longer swat away, his Instincts were running on overdrive.

With a quick motion, Alex entered their nonexistent guard and aimed to dice five of them.

Alex's eyes widened as he grounded his teeth, "A new trick?"

The Abominations leaned into their ever-shifting manner and turned the specific part of their body that Excalibur was about to slice into gas, allowing Excalibur to phase through before attacking with the rest of their body.

With a burst of all his strength and remaining Aura that was regenerated by his Aura Core, he overwhelmed the Abominations and diced them apart with fury.

Alex was beyond losing his patience, " How long have I been here... at this rate, they'll overwhelm me and I'm not getting any stronger-"

His concern was answered once more, by Excalibur's Light.

"And you will?"

It thrummed once more, in response.

Was he honestly communicating with it?

Or was he just losing his mind, the sword's communication a by-product of him trying not to lose his mind?

...

It didn't matter, he's grateful for it nonetheless.

-----------------------------

No change, the battles are getting longer and the rate of his ascent has been slowed to a crawl.

His battles with the now unrecognizable Abominations have resulted in entire islands being destroyed by their fights and Alex being sometimes thrown off-course during the heat of Battle.

Worse yet, they were injuring him.

Invalidated by Avalon healing his injuries in nearly an instant, it was still a concern as his Aura almost always was nearly empty due to him unleashing Excalibur whenever he could.

Any time now, and he'll no longer make any progress and from there it's... That Torture.

But he couldn't quite think straight anymore.

Even with Excalibur's help, the moments of levity have lowered to only twenty seconds if he's pushing it.

'How long has it been?' A recurring question, one of the only questions.

He was in a state of limbo.

The endless ascent.

The endless fighting.

The endless outcries of agony were always different in tone.

No rest.

He was cold.

No, freezing.

He was hungry.

No, starving.

Yet he wasn't dying.

Could he die here?

He would have preferred it.

Even so... he held Excalibur close to his chest, the sword reassuring him and keeping him sane.

His state of mind was focused only on rising and dealing with the Abominations, with a determination he could only credit to the Noble Phantasms at his side.

He was, for better or worse, in the 'Combat-induced Zone'.

As his enemies were growing stronger, smarter, and faster.

He was, without his knowledge or intent growing more skilled.

His sword skills, growing more refined.

Each slice of Excalibur sharpened from the dull swing of an amateur Hunter to that of a Hunter fighting endless hordes of evolving foes.

His strategies, his counters, his reactions... Everything but his physical capabilities themselves were improving.

Unknowingly, he had tapped into the supernatural power all Humans held.

Perserverance & Adaptation.

...

Alex's dull gaze turned towards a peculiar sound he heard as he used the opportunity of having dealt with a collection of Abominations to rise a few more islands before having to deal with the inevitable next entourage.

Usually, the sounds of the agonized and tortured were something he ignored, muffled for the sake of his sanity.

And as much as it is disturbing to admit... he's gotten used to it over his unknown term here.

The wailing of a toddler was what caught his attention.

'A baby?' Alex was brought to his senses as he heard the loud wail, noting the soul of a baby appearing.

It was the first time he'd ever seen a soul this young here.

The soul helplessly lying on the ever-shifting ground on an island below him.

He frowned, "What would ki-"

Before he could utter another word, a group of Abominations rushed towards the baby.

To do their... duty.

Alex's frown deepened and he for a moment forgot his purpose and rushed towards the baby, only to be intercepted by Abominations aiming for him.

Clicking his tongue, he noted his low Aura, he could not unleash Excalibur at this moment.

Fighting them back as best he could, his expression could only darken as he saw the Abomination approach.

He won't make it in time.

Conversing, begging, or shouting in rage at the Abominations never yielded Alex anything... doing so now wouldn't stop them.

Severing the disturbed jawed eyes of the Abominations, Alex kicked the gaseous form of the Abominations to buy himself time to escape.

Jumping up, Alex could only helplessly watch as the Abomination grasped the baby and...

It laughed with joy.

The Abomination promptly left it alone after having done its duty.

The baby began crawling towards the pillar of light Alex observed with a stupefied expression.

Eventually reaching it, the baby practically flew as it floated at the pace of a speeding bullet upwards.

For the first time in a while, a chuckle escaped Alex's lips, "A baby is without Sin, huh?" He contemplated aloud.

-----------------------------

"I made it," Alex muttered with genuine disbelief.

He didn't know how long it took.

It wasn't a couple of days, that's for sure.

But a few weeks, at least.

Or so, he hopes.

Above him, was a ceiling.

More aptly put - a darkness with no more floating islands above it.

Only, a plethora of towering beams of light reached even beyond that dark ceiling.

He had little time to contemplate the realization that his effort was not for naught.

The Abominations were heading for him.

Jumping upward without hesitation, Alex felt something solid with his left hand as he floated.

Clicking his tongue, he hoped it would not be a dead end like the beams of light had been.

He drew back his left hand and punched with all his strength, resulting in a reverberating impact.

'No damage.'

A grimace already forming as his instincts roared at him to hurry up, as the Abominations shot towards him he slashed the darkness with Excalibur.

...

Whether it was Excalibur's supreme sharpness coupled with his strength, or whether it was Excalibur's Light that did the job.

Whatever it was... worked.

With a nod, Alex made quick work with Excalibur to create an entrance, only to notice it quickly regenerated.

The solution was rudimentary.

"EX- CALIBURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

He slashed with every drop of Aura he had at the moment, Excalibur's brilliant light easily piercing a hole through the darkness and reaching into the sky of... whatever it was up there.

Alex seized the moment to kick the air with all his strength as he speeded through the gigantic hole in the darkness he created.

Upward and upward he rose, for a dozen kilometers at least before finally reaching the end as the darkness regenerated behind him at a disturbing pace.

Eventually, he landed on a solid piece of ground.

Not ever-shifting, not liquid.

Solid, grainy.

Lowering his head to look at the ground beneath him, he noticed it was, "Sand." He whispered with disbelief.

Turning his head to look around him, he found himself in a tiny desert surrounded by... saplings?

Concepts... he understood.

Above him?

A sky, illuminated by pillars of light carrying the burdened and chained husks, but nevertheless a cloudless sky.

It wasn't cold.

It wasn't freezing.

The air was crisp and breathable.

And finally...

"Quiet." He breathed out with relief.

No Abominations were in sight or appearing.

No more of those... dreadful cries of misery.

Absolutely nothing but the saplings and desert he found himself at.

His instincts sensed nothing amiss.

And truthfully... he couldn't be bothered anymore.

He was so...

Tired.

His body fell onto the sandy ground, akin to a puppet whose strings were cut.

The sand wasn't comfortable, but it'll do.

Alex's eyelids closed not a moment later, and he finally got his chance to properly rest.

Heading into the land of unconsciousness.

Even so... his grip on Excalibur never loosened.

Whilst he slumbered unaware of his Aura activating... something.

-----------------------------

He awoke to a deep sense of comfort.

One, which he had never felt in his entire life.

Where he lay, was so comfortable, so... soothing, he'd lay there for eternity if he could.

Enjoying the feel of the gentle sunshine on his skin, in fact, the sun was never this kind.

A thick, magical energy permeated the air, so thick that it threatened to wipe out any ordinary individual who dared breathe it in.

To Alex, it proved no issue.

Yet, what served as an issue was the rude awakening of someone.

Nay...

Something disturbing his peaceful slumber.

"Fou! Fou!"

To Be Continued!

-Author Note Start-

Hello hello friends!

Hope the chapter has been to your enjoyment and up to quality and stuff.

Any guesses as to where Alex found himself at the end of the chapter?(Can't be more obvious unless you don't know Fate Lore)

Not the sapling/desert area, that's something else.

Also, any slight inconsistencies in events that happen in (THAT PLACE), due to them having already happened or not.

Take it with a grain of salt, that place is sorta outa the constraints of time.

Lol.

Anyway! been a pleasure and see you in an unspecified amount of time later!

Bu bye!

Love ya!

If ya'll feeling frisky and rich you can donate to my P. A .T R 3 0 N to show some nice and kind support - This is purely support no benefits except early chapters (That I do not do yet properly lmao) which will eventually be available for everyone... like a twitch donation typa thing.

Here's the link:

patre0n.com/BurgerNoTomatoes