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Old 2012-05-08, 09:40   Link #270
Craxuan
Crax
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: MY
There was one item (Since I cannot be sure with Caliburn) that Shirou managed to trace perfectly, and that is Avalon. Since its concept is the 'ideal of all men' and thus absolutely perfect and cannot be destroyed, it fits extremely well with Shirou, who held in his heart an impossible-to-achieve ideal.

I also mentioned in the LN thread before (Though largely ignored >.>) that Shirou is a 'forge only for Saber'. It IS possible to replicate a weapon perfectly as long as you don't miss every detail about the weapon. Shirou/Archer's UBW will always replicate a weapon that's subpar to the original because he has no knowledge about the wielder's life themselves, but with Saber it is a totally different thing. To start with, Shirou has absolute disregard for his own life and cared only about others, so when he fought enemies and replicating their weapons - for the sake of his own life and ideals - it could never match the quality when he had wanted to be of use to Saber and produce a weapon worthy for her to wield. His skill had increased, but his heart would never wish as strongly as it did then.

Again, remember that Noble Phantasms are actually the powers of concept. It is true that he cannot trace Excalibur, but he understood what Excalibur's concept stand for (I don't remember too well, but something like the hope and victory of all men?) and so can trace a weapon similar to that effect and cut down Angra Manyu.

Lastly, about Ea. Gilgamesh owns everything in the world, and thus there is nothing from that world he cannot obtain, and in that sense, nothing in the world is fit as a weapon to match his status, because he is the one and only and absolute king of the world. Therefore, the only weapon that could match his status would be one that is apart of the world, a unique weapon that could easily destroy the world just as its master choose to discard his play toy. Therefore Shirou can never trace it because his skill allow to copy anything within the world - as long as he has the power - but not one that is alien to it.

In fact, you can say Ea is in total opposite in attribute with Shirou: He wants to protect everyone's happiness, where Ea destroys everything.
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