Fate: The Rise of Shikama Douji

Ancient Greece, around 1200 BC, was a land of myths and heroes. Hercules, the son of Zeus, following a prophecy from the great goddess Athena, entered an ancient cave. The prophecy had foretold that within this cave lay an ancient weapon that would grant its wielder unimaginable power. In the early days of chaos, many Titans had possessed this weapon, and now Hercules sought it to enhance his strength. In the darkness of the cave, he walked quietly and cautiously until his eyes fell upon a massive club resting on a stone. Hercules paused for a moment, then slowly moved towards the club and grasped it. The moment he felt the club in his hands, a wave of absolute power surged through him. He felt as though he could destroy everything, though this was merely an illusion brought on by the sudden increase in power. Hercules swung the club, creating a massive gust of wind that shook the cave.

A triumphant smile spread across Hercules' lips. The absolute power intoxicated him, and he felt completely invincible. The legends had not lied; this weapon truly held extraordinary power. Hercules pondered how this power could change his life, but he did not know that one day it would become a burden. The weapon he held was one of the "Noble Phantasms," created by Shikama Doji. But alas, Shikama Doji never gave anything for free, and Hercules would one day regret this choice. But it was too late for regrets.

Time passed, and with his found power and this weapon, Hercules gained such fame and strength that all of Greece heard of his exploits. He was known as the strongest hero in Greece, and rumors spread that he could even move mountains. Hercules performed many heroic deeds, and his fame grew each day. Until one day, he fell in love with a beautiful woman named Megara, a princess of Thebes. The moment he saw her, he felt as though he wanted to dedicate everything to her. Was it love at first sight? Hercules married Megara, and they had several children.

But Hercules' happiness was not to last. His fame and power came at a price that had to be paid. Hera, the queen of the gods, who despised the infidelities of her husband Zeus and his illegitimate children, could not bear this happiness. Since Hercules' childhood, Hera had tried to kill him, but she had never succeeded. The stronger and more famous Hercules became, the more Hera's hatred for him grew. Finally, Hera cursed Hercules, driving him into a fit of madness. In his madness, Hercules killed his wife and children. But this tragedy was not solely due to Hera's curse; half of it was the fault of Hercules' beloved weapon. The corruption from the weapon's power combined with Hera's curse to create a disaster that Hercules could never undo.

Tears streaming down his face, Hercules held the lifeless and mangled bodies of his children. Their bodies were so damaged that they were unrecognizable. Hercules knew that to atone for his sins, he had to undergo twelve arduous labors. He completed them without complaint. But during this time, his beloved weapon began to corrupt his body and soul. Hercules' mind was gradually consumed by the weapon, and he became semi-mad.

This corruption deepened after the completion of the twelve labors. Almost all of Hercules' mind had been devoured by the weapon. One day, Hercules sat by a river, staring at the water. Suddenly, he regained a fragment of his sanity. This was the result of his unconscious resistance to the corruption. Hercules stared at the river and thought to himself, "What am I doing? " Suddenly, things that had once seemed logical to him now appeared irrational. This contradiction had started when he first grasped the weapon. Hercules realized that Athena, the goddess who had guided him to the weapon, had a sinister plan. With anger and hatred, he uttered Athena's name.

With the last remnants of his sanity, Hercules took refuge in a cave. He began to resist the corruption. He pressed his hand against his face so hard that it tore his skin. His other hand was against the cave wall, and the wall cracked deeply. Hercules knew that if he lived any longer, he would become a puppet of the weapon. But his glory as a great hero would not allow him to become a puppet in the hands of a weapon. He gathered all the magical energy in his body and exploded himself. Yes, Hercules committed suicide. A colorful light enveloped his body, and suddenly, a massive explosion occurred. A giant mushroom cloud rose into the sky, shaking an area spanning a hundred kilometers. A crater ten kilometers in diameter was formed in the ground.

A woman, who had witnessed this from a distance, whispered, "So he failed... what a pity." Meanwhile, Hercules' weapon remained intact and unharmed in the crater, as if the explosion had no effect on it. Suddenly, a dense light formed in the air and took the shape of a beautiful woman. This woman was Athena, the goddess who had harbored a sinister plan from the beginning. She slowly moved towards the weapon and picked it up from the ashes. Her eyes gleamed, as if this was only the beginning of the story...