Extella Grand Order

by Cloud Link Zero

When the Incineration of Humanity comes to pass due to a causality manipulation that leaves Ritsuka Fujimaru dead just before the Fuyuki Singularity, Zelretch calls upon the Last Master left in the Parallel Dimensions to help him. Welcome to Chaldea, Hakuno Kishinami. Hope you survive the experience!

1. Chapter 1: Fractured Beginnings

Extella/Grand Order

Chapter 1: A Fractured Beginning

His name was Zelretch, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. He was an immortal, a Vampire…one of twenty four known as 'Dead Apostle Ancestors'. Feared by the magical community and unknown to the larger masses. He was also a true 'Wizard', having mastered what was known as the Second True Magic, which he called the 'Kaleidoscope'. With it, he could see and access all sorts of alternate realities. Bend the rules to his whims as he harnesses their power, bring things out or place things in any of them so long as it didn't break one of several major rules.

Despite the grandiose nature of its power and how it operated, the 'Kaleidoscope' was not some sort of omnipotent power. Even it and he had to operate under several unbreakable conditions. One of which was that he could not pull out something vitally fundamental to how that universe operated. For example, he could not pull the Ten Commandments out of its resting place before it was read to the masses at large because it was a necessary object for the entire universe to function. It laid down the groundwork for what would later become the laws of humankind.

As such, it's only after it was 'lost' to the masses that he could take such a relic. Though conversely, he also could not 'change' it and then put it back into the past and swap it out with the past copy. To do so would, just as taking it out early, destabilize the entire foundations of the universe. Which was bad and he didn't need that sort of headache.

Though that did not mean that he couldn't find loopholes. He found a LOT of loopholes in those rules, such as being able to talk to the many versions of himself that lived in different universes and THEY cause mass havoc and rioting in the magical community. One such instance was when he convinced a different version of himself to make a magical, talking stick that would seek out those that would want to be 'magical girls' or at least his nosy little future and present apprentice, Rin Toshaka.

In several universes, she locked the rather genre savvy stick in a chest to rot, though in some she was forced to take it out and participate in a different kind of war. One that did but did not involve heroic spirits and in these rare occasions, without the interference of one Shirou Emiya, who seemed to be present in one way or another to a LOT of different dimensions. It was actually easier to list the ones that the boy DIDN'T exist in over the ones where he did.

Once everything was laid out, however, he could sit in his little hidey hole in the realm between dimensions and watch the chaos unfold. The important word there was 'watch', as the final rule of the Kaleidoscope came into play when he was shifting through the various dimensions to find something that would cure his boredom for a bit.

The Kaleidoscope allowed him to see and do all sorts of different things, but he never put a greater effort into 'looking' at how that dimension operated. To do so was called 'observation' and if he did that, then the Kaleidoscope would immediately make that dimension the 'prime' dimension for all events that would follow afterwards. He made that mistake only once and watch many dimensions that surrounded one universe die a miserable death because he wanted to test the limits of what he could do.

He had been a young, naïve fool back then and he did not make that mistake again. Though at the moment he was bored, so he decided to see what the near future of his universe held. He hoped that the Americans did something funny with that blonde pompous fool of a President.

That was when a problem happened. Something that in his many years of being…unalive, he would say was close to the truth, had not happened before, EVER. He was unable to see into the future of his dimension. He tried to step back one year but got the same result. As did two years and three years. Four years back, in the present day, he managed to temporarily see something, but then a great gout of fire rose up, nearly blinded him and he lost access to that time as well.

This was not natural by any means and for someone like him to come to that conclusion was a worrying prospect. A man with his power, a true Magician shouldn't have to worry about something like this, but worry he did. Looking back internally at the few seconds of the present day he had been able to see, he tried to visualize and compress every single element he could because whatever had happened was the catalyst to this whole disaster.

He had seen a young man, in a white uniform reaching out with his hand towards a pink haired girl whose body was crushed underneath some rubble.

'Chaldea, A Security Organization tasked with defending timelines from abnormalities.' His mind informed him as the energy of that dimension flowed into him to make sense of what he was looking at.

Just as their hands were about to touch, a large chunk of the ceiling from the room they were in landed on the young man, killing him instantly before everything had gone white and the fires rose up.

'Abnormality, the boy was supposed to live, become the last master of Chaldea and go across time and space, preventing the incineration of humanity and the disintegration of the timeline of the multi-verse at large'

Zelretch sighed at that information. If he only managed to see the face of the boy in question, he might have been able to pull a parallel version of him to correct things to their original state without altering things too much. Instead he only saw the general outline and nothing else due to all the smoke and fire blinding his sight.

Looking through years past, he was unable to even access Fuyuki during the fifth Holy Grail War, so his plan B was out as well. Normally plan B always worked, which involved throwing a random Shirou Emiya at the distortion. He had no idea how the boy managed to get a Servant's EX rank luck, but he did. It didn't matter how hopeless the situation, it always got resolved in a way that didn't kill everything. Yet even that luck didn't save him from the burning fires that ravaged the timelines apparently.

So he would have to go to plan C. It wasn't the one he wanted to resort to, but it was definitely the infinitely more interesting choice if only because of the unique circumstances behind it. With that in mind, Zelretch stopped looking at the past and instead began looking at the future. As he had expected, most of it was just pitch black nothingness, but he pushed through, until he reached the year 2030 of a certain parallel universe.

There, he picked up a faint image…more of a dying flicker rather, but it was there and that was all he needed.

For in that universe, the Holy Grail War took place not on earth…but rather the Moon. Called SE. RA. PH, short for Serial Phantasm, it was a giant supercomputer that recorded all human history from past to present and compressed it into data. When the Magi community found it, all of their efforts went not towards magic that could be reflected towards the material, but rather towards the soul.

Those with proper 'Spiritron' training could not only hack their way into SE. RA. PH and have the chance at participating in its version of the Holy Grail War, but also hack the reality within it to help themselves or their Servants in battle. It was here where 128 masters all came to test their mettle. Whoever won, would get to shape reality in the Moon Cell however they wished.

It was a rare universe that did not contain Shirou Emiya. Instead, the irregularities and situations that happened revolved around a by all means ordinary teenager named Hakuno Kishinami. He had a somewhat tragic past, but by no means worse than the former. He had been frozen in a cryogenic stasis tube when he found out that he was suffering from a rare neurological disease that was slowly eating away at his memories. With enough time, his body would even forget how to function properly and he would die. The one doctor able to perform the surgery died in a terrorist attack that took down his plane en route to the surgery that would have saved him.

So instead his soul somehow drifted naturally into the Moon Cell, where SE. RA. PH recorded him. With no memories but a rather unusually strong will to live, he found himself forced into the Holy Grail War. In terms of 'shit endured', Hakuno far and above exceeded Shirou there.

Zelretch had seen his soul tortured, fragmented, broken, forced to split his digital mind, soul and body into three pieces, tortured some more and even got killed 600 times by Gilgamesh. Each time he stumbled into his realm on the 'Far Side' of the Moon where all the junk and forbidden data laid, the King of Heroes had laid waiting and despite being touted as nigh-impenetrable, Hakuno somehow always managed to stumble across the King of Heroes hiding place until Gilgamesh found him worthy of his time and attention, which expanded into being his Servant down the line.

Yet even with the absurd amount of punishment he had been put through, Hakuno managed to bounce back even stronger and overcome whatever was in his way.

He was actually rather grateful that his viewings were a lot easier here as the Moon Cell had a very special function to 'see' all alternate realities within its own multi-verse.

Now that he had thought about it some more, the Magician realized that Hakuno was honestly the perfect replacement for the Chaldea master that had died. He was average, yes, but because of his extraordinary endurance to take a beating, he would be more than able to endure and survive whatever was to be thrown at him to save the multi-verse.

Drawing in as much power as he could through the Kaleidoscope, he created an opening into that realm, but frowned when he felt a…he wasn't sure how to really term it, but the closest estimation he could get was a blockage in the usual amount of dimensional energy he could pull forth. As if an artery had been clogged and what he was getting was the little bits of 'blood' that was seeping through. Things were definitely going from bad to worse if even his own magic was beginning to fail him.

'At least I can't complain about being bored this time around' he thought to himself as he entered the portal and closed it behind him.

Moon Cell

New Holy Roman Empire

Hakuno Kishinami found himself sighing as he collapsed onto the throne set at the center of what had been dubbed the 'New Holy Roman Empire'.

It was actually a title that lived up to its name as it was indeed made up entirely of ancient Roman architecture on the outside of all the buildings. The insides had all the modern conveniences that one could ask for. The people, both created by the Moon Cell and mages seeking refuge from a slowly decaying earth in terms of resource shortages, found themselves milling about and happy.

Yet for Hakuno himself, he couldn't even get the chance to really take a break. It had only been two weeks after the Rouge Servant known as Karl der Große had attempted to assimilate the entirety of the Moon Cell to be twisted into his vision of a perfect empire. Only FOUR weeks after he had dealt with the Sephyr incident, Archemedes betrayal and subsequent reset into being an obedient (insofar as his core coding allows him to) Servant and making sure the Umbral Star didn't decimate both the Earth and the Moon.

Worst of all, his unwanted 'harem' of women were growing on at an accelerated rate. He had enough on his plate as it was trying to please and satisfy his two 'wives' (self-proclaimed) and a third that had recently come to roost. Nero Claudius, Red Saber and ruler of the Holy Roman Empire he was currently resting in was the first and his first Servant in the Moon Cell's Holy Grail War. Tamamo-no-Mae, Blue Caster and ruler of the Japanese themed Millennium Capital. His 'sub-servant' when he had encountered her during the Holy Grail War and hacked the system to make herself his servant after surviving her Noble Phantasm and not hating her for it.

The third was Altera, true name Attila the Hun, Green Saber. Former vessel for Sephyr and herald of the Umbral Star. When he had divided his being into three to escape from her gigantic Sephyr body after failing to even so much as scratch her with the full power of the Holy Grail, she had gotten his empty shell of a body and they somehow connected over their emptiness and his own empathy towards her situation. That body later sacrificed itself to make sure that she would live, no matter what the cost. Hakuno had since re-created a new digital body, but the memories of love and dreams had stayed with him and so did she.

Though now he had to add to his ever growing headache. New to 'the list' as he had so eloquently named it, was Rider Medusa, Ruler Jeanne D'Arc (who attempted to deny that she had feelings for him but kept blustering when pressed), Lancer Scathach, Lancer Elisabeth Bathory, Rider Francis Drake, Saber Artoria and Rider Astolfo. The last one made him visibly shudder because technically Astolfo was a male, but he pulled off being a woman SO well in both personality, looks and clothing choices that nobody could say he wasn't just as worthy.

Those were just the ones in the Moon Cell. There was another, but he didn't like thinking about what had happened to her. The sheer pain and agony his own selfless action had done. He had not seen her since the Holy Grail War ended and he was unsure on if he would ever see her again.

Back on Earth, the magi Rin Toshaka and the homunculus Rani the VIII were waiting for a time where his disease could be could be cured and his actual, physical body could be restored. He wasn't sure what would happen to the 'him' that was living and breathing on the Moon Cell right now, but he was sure there was a backup copy somewhere that would allow him to exist in both places at the same time. The Moon Cell was thorough above all else in making sure the one who manages it had the appropriate means to do so.

Now, after all the reconstruction efforts, he had some time to himself…or so he thought. An alarm rang out in his mind caused by the Regalia, the symbol of the Holy Grail of the Moon Cell. It warned him that there was a time-space anomaly opening right in front of him. Hakuno desperately hoped that it wasn't Gilgamesh. His former Servant was a lot more mellowed out compared to his history that he had read up on due to living in the 'Far Side' of the Moon Cell, but he still caused a lot of headaches by randomly popping in and out of existence and causing general mayhem in search of his 'bride' (self-proclaimed) in Saber Artoria.

A void opened up in front of the teen, who looked at it warily and prepared his command seal to summon any and all of his servants to come to his aid. Though what came out of it was…an old man? In his eyes, this figure looked no different than a formal British gentleman, but his flashing Regalia had told a far more dangerous story.

It identified the man in front of him as Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. A disgustingly powerful vampire who mastered the lost magic of the Kaleidoscope and whose was known for sending people into unwanted situations for his amusement due to his immortality. That made Hakuno tense, especially when the vampire looked at him in a once over sort of glance and gave a wicked grin that promised nothing but suffering in the near future.

"I can see that you already know who I am. Good, that'll save us some much needed time." Zelretch said, before dropping his grin into a far more serious look. One that sent Hakuno's virtual heart into near cardiac arrest because it did not look natural on him.

"Hakuno Kishinami, Last Master of the Moon Cell. I need your help to save humanity in the past, present and future."

With that one line, Hakuno knew that his temporary reprieve of ten minutes was over.

Twenty Minutes Later

After giving the watered down version of everything that had been happening and Zelretch's own observations, a very grim picture was appearing in front of Hakuno. The Regalia itself also admitted to feeling a 'shift', an anomaly that was attempting to destroy the entire reality that they were in. Due to already having to deal with Sephyr, however, the Moon Cell had defensive measures in place to just barely keep its existence in check. Though it did not give Hakuno, even with his master key access, any reason as to how that was even possible.

"So…I'm literally the only Master left in time and space across the multi-verse. By luck." He summarized, slapping a hand over his face in despair.

"That's pretty much it. My own magic is more or less beginning to lock itself up as well. There isn't much 'multi-verse' or 'parallel dimensions' left to call upon. So we have to get going now I'm afraid." Zelretch explained though he did not show any sign of being sorry in the slightest.

Despite this not even being Hakuno's problem…it still ended up being his problem. Looking down at the Regalia, he sent the last twenty minutes of his memories to his Servants across the Moon Cell, both far and near. He had to do this. If they wanted any hope of there being a future, then he alone would have to bear the burden once more.

"Let's do this Mr. Schweinorg." He stated wearily, standing up and changing his attire into something more familiar. A black t-shirt with a smiley face on it and his school jeans and sneakers. The Regalia was still firmly set on his finger.

Zelretch let out a boisterous laugh at being referred to so respectfully. "When was the last time someone actually called me that? Please boy…no, Hakuno Kishinami, call me Zelretch like everyone else does." He said, giving the teen an almost grandfatherly warm smile. Considering what was at stake, it might be the last sight either of them could see and it made Hakuno smile back.

Zelretch then called up on the last of the magic he could summon from the Kaleidoscope, forcibly ripping open a tear in front of them before breathing hard, sweat running down his brow as for the first time in centuries, he had to call on his own magic to help assist with this endeavor.

"It is not easy, doing what we're about to do. I'm breaking a lot of rules, but it has to be done. The boy's existence who had been killed will be overwritten by your own. He won't be coming back, sadly. The fires made sure of that. You'll be given a crash course info dump on the world that you'll be in, so expect side effects such as lethargy, tiredness and even passing out. Your digital body is also shifting into a flesh and blood body, so physical pain will probably be felt as well. Your tie to this reality, your…Regalia, will still be on you, but unless someone knows exact dimensional frequencies, its own prana will be masked as you having an unusually high pool of the stuff. As long as it and by extension the Moon Cell can still observe you, you'll be able to return. I'll be there as well to assist since I'll be unable to access the Kaleidoscope until we start fixing this issue."

It was a long-winded explanation, but Hakuno set his face into a firm look of resolution. Taking in a deep breath, he walked at first but then ran headlong into the rift, even as the sounds of his Servants finally reaching the throne room reached his ears and begged him to not go, he did not look back. He knew that if he did, they would stop him. Try to convince him that there had to be another way. Something else that they could do. In this one instance though, there was nothing that a Servant could do. For once, this was something only HE could do.

He couldn't lose his resolve, even as he felt his body beginning to burn with a pain he had not felt since he split himself into three. It was a pain tied to all three aspects of a human being; the body, the mind and the soul. His spiritron circuits heated up and made his skin feel like it was being cooked alive. Code and numbers slowly gave way to flesh, blood and organs. Deep breathing actually produced oxygen, rather than an artificial facsimile.

For the first time in many, many years…Hakuno Kishinami lived and breathed.

Though even while the duo left their universe to go save another, it didn't stop them from being observed by the powers-that-be. One in particular, was smiling from ear to ear.

"I finally found you, S-E-N-P-A-I! Your adorable Kouhai will come to get you soon! Just you wait!"

July 30, 2015

Chaldea Security Organization

?

The first thing Hakuno felt was the cold, hard floor underneath him. It was both soothing and uncomfortable at the same time as his internal body temperature was boiling, but not so much now that it was unbearable as it was before. There was also a wetness to his cheek, as if he was crying or if someone had spilled something. Blearily opening his eyes, he almost shut them again due to the bright, piercing light that greeted him. It took a few moments, but blinking away the spots from his eyes he found himself face to face with…white fluff? Looking up slightly, he saw a sort of white, fluffy creature that couldn't have been bigger than the size of his hands placed together licking and pawing at his cheek.

He…really wasn't sure what he could categorize this creature as being. The Regalia had remained silent on that matter as well, providing no answers to his query. There was also the possibility that all of the Moon Cell's processing power was placed on 'observing' him so he wouldn't lose his entire being to the void so it wouldn't be able to answer him anyways. Reaching forward with a hand, he placed a finger on the creature's cheek and gently rubbed it back and forth.

"Fou, Fou! Kyuu!" it cried out in an adorable tone of voice before rubbing back against his finger. Figuring that he had spent enough time on the ground, Hakuno slowly pushed himself up, feeling rather wobbly and having trouble maintaining his balance without placing a hand against a nearby wall for support. The little creature observed him for a while longer, by which then Hakuno could see that it was wearing what appeared to be a tiny coat of blue and white while having rather impressively long ears like a lapine despite a more canine like body.

He did not have time to ponder how a hybrid like that even existed for very long, as the sound of boots against metal hit his ears. Looking around him properly, Hakuno had found that he had landed in the middle of a long corridor of which he couldn't see the entrance or exit from his current position. In a few seconds, the owner of the sound came around the corner and he found himself slightly blushing because what he saw was a vision of beauty. Maybe not an unearthly beauty like the Servants he always saw, but a more modest, human one.

She had short pink hair, long enough however to cover her right eye while a pair of glasses complimented her lavender eyes. She was fairly short, the top of her head going up to his chin. She wore a modest uniform of sorts which consisted of a grey hoodie over a black shirt which itself was over a white collared shirt but a red tie was draped over it, making him wonder if she was that cold in this building which he himself found to be fairly warm all things considered. Completing her uniform was a black skirt, some tights and brown shoes.

The girl looked at him curiously, observing him and making him wonder if she really found him that fascinating before offering a warm smile. "Hello there. Are you the last Master chosen for the Chaldea project?" she asked, her voice soft and kind but also had a firmness behind it.

Hakuno tried to speak but ended up coughing for a moment before he found his voice. "Ah…sorry. Yes, I am. I guess the trip over made me more tired than I thought since I apparently passed out." He attempted to lie and explain his reason for being there.

The girl gave a nod and then looked down at the little furry creature who had taken to nuzzling his leg. "Ah, there you are! I see you've found Fou." She noted. Upon hearing its name the creature yipped or barked, he couldn't tell which, before swiftly climbing its way up to the girls shoulder before laying on it in an almost regal manner. "Fou is our…mascot and pet here in Chaldea. We don't exactly know what it is, we just found him one day. Though normally he doesn't take to strangers so well. For him to like you is already good luck I would think."

Hakuno nodded at the small explanation. "I guess you can call me a Fou Tamer then." He joked, to which Fou once more cried out its namesake before leaping onto his own shoulder. "In all seriousness, I'm Hakuno Kishinami. A pleasure." He said, offering her a handshake with his Regalia clad hand.

The girl giggled slightly before smiling and nodding. "I'm Mash Kyrielight. As I'm younger than most people here and just an assistant, I guess that makes you my Senpai." She stated, causing Hakuno to involuntarily shiver as bad memories slightly clawed its way up to the forefront of his thoughts.

"Don't worry, I'll always take care of you Senpai!"

"Why, WHY WON'T YOU ACCEPT MY SALVATION?! SENPAI, WHY?!"

"I love you, Kishinami-senpai."

"Good-bye…and thank you for everything."

Bidding away the bad memories, they shook hands, only for both to jump when a spark came between their hands and even more memories flooded Hakuno's mind. Painful memories, lonely memories, memories of a life that he did not live but it felt as if he did. The Regalia was quick in suppressing them, but he had seen enough that it made him almost fall to his knees again.

"Oh dear. Maybe the simulation was a bit too much for you? I heard for those without proper training, it is quite a harsh drain on the prana." Mash questioned as she helped him steady himself. Fou attempted to help as well by licking his cheek in support.

"M-maybe." Hakuno responded, flustered somewhat at how such a nice girl could have a rather traumatizing past. After taking in a few deep breaths, he began to walk down the long corridor, Mash following closely behind him and Fou firmly planted on his shoulder.

Several minutes of silence ensued before Mash spoke again. "U-um…I just want to say I think you're a very brave person, signing up for this project. I know it might be a bit harsh, but you'll have a lot of companions helping you out as well! We also have the very talented Wizard Marshal himself overseeing this!" she offered to help lift up the tenseness that the repeating décor gave off.

"Oh? You mean Zelretch-san?" he queried before Mash quickly slapped a hand over his mouth to silence him.

"You don't actually say his name out loud. In the time he's been here, anyone that says his name has been plagued by his rather…odd humor. Even the director herself isn't safe because she has to deal with him every day." She explained before letting go of his mouth, realizing what she just did and then going an atomic red from neck to cheeks. "Ano…I-I'm sorry!" she quickly shouted before going into a formal Japanese bow.

"I-it's ok Kyrielight-chan." Hakuno said, bringing his hands up in a placating gesture. "I'm actually surprised you know Japanese and some of our customs. You name and Magi in general usually stick to England don't they?" he asked, remembering from his Universe what little Rin Tohsaka had explained about the Magus Association and the Clocktower in general.

"If…if it's alright with you, please call me Mash and I'll call you Senpai." The pinkette offered in return.

"Uh…sure then Mash." He corrected himself.

"Thank you, Senpai. To answer your other question, I'm not really from Europe. Though it looks like time is up." She began to say before noticing they had finally came to a longer, T-sectioned hallway with multiple rooms going all across it.

"Indeed. Mash, where have you been?" A cultured voice called out to them.

From what little shadows were around them, a rather tall man wearing a lot of green came from around the corridor. Hakuno immediately cringed when the Regalia was sending warning blares all around his mind about the man in front of them, but he silenced it lest he give any indication to them of knowing more than he should. The Regalia said that this man, despite an outer human appearance, was not human in the slightest. He was not to be trusted, nor should he be alone with him.

"Hoh? Mash, is this him? The last of the 48 Master candidates?" he asked, giving off a kindly smile despite having what appeared to be a very sharp set of teeth.

Mash gave a nod. "Yes. Um…this is Professor Lev Lainur. He is one of the people who helped to make Chaldea into what it is toady alongside the Director's father and several others. Professor Lev, this is Hakuno Kishinami-senpai, the last of the Master Candidates. He appears to be slightly disoriented due to extensive magic circuit usage during the simulation on the flight here." She explained.

Hakuno was extremely still as he saw 'Professor Lev' observing him. "Do you have any questions, Mr. Kishinami?" he asked politely.

He shook his head. "Honestly, I'm just surprised that I was chosen. Before this, I was just…average." He said in a partial truth but mostly a lie.

Lev seemed to be satisfied with his answer and gave another false smile. "I see. Well then, Mash, please come with me. You're needed for the medical lab to check up on you." He informed the pinkette.

Mash gave a slight nod. "Understood. Senpai, I hope to see you on the first mission. Your room is down the hall to the right, while the meeting that is about to begin for all Master Candidates is to your left. There will be signs pointing to the conference room. Fou, let's go." She told him, giving him a true kind smile as Fou leapt off of his shoulder and back onto her own before Lev took her to head towards the medical wing.

Hakuno felt a massive headache coming on and not just from the stress of dimensional traveling. "Damn it Zelretch." He muttered, wishing the man would have stayed with him rather than apparently going enough into the past to have an effect on him being on staff in this facility. How he managed to do that with 'no more energy' was another mystery to save for later. 'Still, nothing to do but actually attend this meeting. I just hope I can stay coherent enough for it.' He thought to himself as followed Mash's instructions.

Chaldea

Conference Room

One Hour Later

Though it had not been much time since he had arrived and found himself having the last seat in the front row, rather than feeling more energized Hakuno found himself getting more and more tired instead. His spiritron circuits had been converted into regular prana circuits and combined with the massive information dumps that the Regalia had pushed onto him regarding Mash, he was on his last legs.

So with a few minutes before the official meeting started, he decided to take a quick power nap. Though that power nap eventually became a rather deep sleep, until it was interrupted by the sound of something slamming onto the desk he was on. Bolting upright, he found himself face to face with a second beautiful girl his age since he had arrived here. Unlike Mash, however, this girl had an aura about her that radiated far more authority and gave her a somewhat regal bearing compared to the pinkette. Long silver hair and golden eyes only proved his thoughts as being right even more. Though at the moment, she had a large scowl on her face and a little ways behind her and to the right, Mash looked at them slightly awkwardly.

"I see our sleeping beauty is awake now. Since you seemed to miss a good portion of this lecture, I will recap for you. My name is Olga Marie Animusphere, Director of Chaldea. You are one of the few Master Candidates chosen because despite being a civilian you had exceptional magic circuits and prana reserves, even by magi standards. Your goal is to preserve the foundation of humanity against any and all threats. Though since you had the GALL to SLEEP through MY speech, you're benched for the first mission!" she all but howled in his face.

Hakuno leaned his head back as Olga leaned more and more against the desk with a furious look still on her. "I-I'm sorry director, the simulation, it-"he tried to explain using the explanation that Mash had conveniently had given him earlier but was cut off again by Olga.

"I don't care about the simulation. In this place, you follow my orders to the letter! Everyone, even you, is irreplaceable in this facility. I don't care about your birth, your achievements in life or any suck-up excuses like that. All I care about are results and so far you've given me none. Now OUT! Mash, make sure he gets to his room!" she ordered. The pinkette hesitantly nodded and walked over to him, grabbed his hand and gently led him away before Olga began to go back to her speech.

Hakuno sighed the moment the door closed behind them at his major screw-up. Mash also seemed slightly off-kilter at the tongue lashing he had just been given. Before they started to walk away, however, a low chuckle was heard and they both turned their heads to the right, where Zelretch himself was walking down to meet with them.

"I see you've had the delight of meeting with our Director. Quite the spit-fire, isn't she?" he teased as Hakuno only sighed further while Mash snapped a military salute.

"W-wizard Marshal, sir!" she greeted, only for Zelretch to outright laugh in her face, causing her to frown but not stop her greeting.

"At ease Mash, we're all comrades here. Don't stand on pomp and circumstance for me." Zelretch requested, much to her surprise.

"But Sir, you're-"she began to explain before he cut her off.

"I'm just a Magi here, same as everyone else. I'm only here to let Olga Marie know that the Coffins are ready, CHALDEAS is ready to observe, SHIVA is fired up and TRISMEGISTUS is online." Zelretch explained. "Why don't you take our tired master towards his room before joining us, hm?" he also asked politely as a familiar white creature came out from behind his legs.

"Oh. Fou." Hakuno noted and the creature yipped, quickly hopping over to him and climbing up his body before going back to resting on his shoulders like before. Zelretch's smile seemed to grow even wider than before, going almost ear to ear now as if he had seen the world's most amusing comedy that only he knew.

"Senpai, please come this way." Mash politely instructed, leading him down the many different winding hallways and corridors that he had passed through earlier.

"So Mash. I didn't catch anything the Director was saying. Could you bring me up to speed?" Hakuno politely asked as they walked to make their short trip just a bit livelier.

"Of course. She had explained that Chaldea first came to effect around 2004, when the former director, Olga Marie's father, won the Fifth Holy Grail War. It was around that time that he proposed to the clock tower one of the first and only truly successful collaboration project between the Watchtower, the Holy Church and even the mysterious Atlas group located in the Middle East. Even the Wizard Marshal had heard of it and wanted to observe this for himself, offering some of his own funds to help Chaldea through its more costly expenses.

It was only just this year that we managed to get all of the equipment online. In the command center, you'll see a machine in the center of the room. It is meant to continually monitor the earth in both a temporal and spatial axis. If there is anything that should disturb the evolution and survival of the human race in the past, present or future, then it will glow red. The forty-eight including yourself are Masters specifically chosen for their high prana and circuits, regardless of origin or ancestry like the Director had stated earlier."

Mash stopped to take a breath for her lecture and Hakuno spotted a water fountain that they both got a drink to cool their parched throats before she continued.

"She really does see us as family, but she can be downright evil at times. Fairer than some of the strict regulations put in place, but only if you follow her orders to the letter to show you have worth to her."

"Huh, sounds like a Tsundere to me." Hakuno interjected, causing Mash to stop and look at him as if he had sprouted a second head.

"Tsundere?" she asked.

"Ah…it's a slang term for someone who has a very icy exterior but a warm heart. Basically someone that is more than willing to yell and berate you in public, but will be more apologetic in a roundabout way in private." He explained.

"Hmm…that sort of sounds like her. Going back to the main subject though, that is pretty much Chaldea in a nutshell. Groups will be monitored throughout the clock to make sure that they don't lose their existence going through time to correct any abnormalities. We also managed to convert some of the Heaven's Feel ritual into Chaldea. So all masters can summon multiple servants and have command seals to help along with mystic codes that they can wear and use at any time."

Hakuno was nodding at the entire lecture. "No wonder she was upset at me. She must have thought I was mocking all the effort put into this." He said with a sigh. "So much for first impressions."

Mash gave him a warm smile in an attempt to cheer him up. "No worries Senpai. She'll put you back in the active roster soon enough. Also, we're here at your room. I have to go back to the Command Center to observe the first mission since I'm currently on duty. Good luck, Senpai." With a bow and a wave, she ran back the way they came.

Looking at the quiet little creature on his shoulder, Hakuno rubbed Fou's chin with a finger, getting it to coo in delight. "Well, at least you're here with me Fou. Zelretch too…when he's not putting on airs at least. Though everyone kept saying there are forty-seven other masters here, not including myself. Zelretch says that I'm the last one alive. I wonder what happened to them when saw how the events originally happened."

His door was set to open automatically if anyone approached since it wasn't keyed into him as of yet, so he went in immediately, only to be greeted with the sight of an adult man with orange hair and in a Chaldea uniform lounging on his bed before looking right at him. The older of the two let out a rather unmanly yelp and fell off of the bed, spilling some tea, books and sweets that had been on the side in his haste.

"Um…are you alright?" Hakuno asked, wondering if he should offer him a hand to get up. The orange haired man was quick to get back on his feet, however and was already pointing at him.

"I should be asking why you're here! This room is empty and it wasn't scheduled for anyone today. I snuck in here to make sure nobody would disturb me on my goof…I mean ah, break." The explanation fell a bit flat when he almost blurted out his real motives, but it was enough for both the teen and Fou to give him matching deadpan looks.

"Seriously?" Hakuno asked, with Fou giving a "Fou. Fou." In agreement.

Upon hearing the creature, the orange haired man's demeanor changed in an instant from offended to intrigue. "Huh. I thought only Mash and the Wizard Marshal was the one that Fou would respond to. If he's with you then you must be a good person. My apologies. My name is Dr. Romani Archaman, head of the Medical Unit here in Chaldea. Though everyone just calls me Dr. Roman for short."

With the introduction at hand, along with being offered a handshake, Hakuno warily took it and shook back. "Hakuno Kishinami. I was told I was the last of the forty eight Master candidates. I just arrived not too long ago." Subtly looking down at his Regalia, he was surprised to see that it didn't do anything. No warnings, no information…nothing. The silence was rather disturbing since the Regalia, even in his world, often gave him data to look at, no matter how insignificant.

Dr. Roman gave an understanding look. "I see. This would be your room if that's the case. My apologies. Though if you're here, I'm guessing that means you already got on the Director's bad side since all the Master candidates are supposed to be getting ready for the first mission right about now."

Hakuno rubbed the back of his neck with a slight grimace on his face. "Yeah. Fell asleep during her lecture. I was completely worn out."

Dr. Roman gave him a much more critical once over when he said that, proving at the very least that his title of 'Doctor' was not for show. "Since you're the last of the forty-eight, you must be one of the civilian masters that passed the blood test to be a Master. The simulation they had you do while you were being transported had activated your magical circuits for the first time. It must have caused a prana shortage but don't worry. Just get some rest and something from the Mess Hall when you get up and you'll be right as rain." He offered for an explanation along with a soft smile.

"Well, I was banished from the first mission so I doubt it'll be that much of an issue getting rest." Hakuno joked to which Dr. Roman gave a friendly chuckle in return.

"The Director's mood will be a lot better once the first mission is done. It's Chaldea's maiden voyage, so to speak. Since the previous Director passed away not too long ago, all the responsibilities and expectations had fallen onto her. Typical magi stuff, but it's never something you want to put onto a young girl that is still in her teens. I doubt so much as a 'thank you' or 'well done' has been given to her since she took over." Dr. Roman mused.

Hakuno looked down when he heard that. "Sounds like a rather lonely person to me."

Dr. Roman nodded in agreement. "It is, but being a magus, she knew what she was getting into. Well, I had better get going. I'm supposed to be on call in case something goes wrong with the system for the Masters on their first trip. Don't tell anyone I was here. It'll be our little secret, alright? I'm already late as it is." he asked, offering a stage wink as well.

In return, Hakuno gave his first real smile ever since he had gotten to this time and place. "Of course. Your secret is safe with me."

Dr. Roman smiled back, but before he could even make to leave, the lights in the room went out, before coming back on with the emergency red lights instead. An alarm siren began to blare and the whole facility rocked for a moment, causing Hakuno and the Doctor to grab some nearby furniture in order to not get thrown around. Fou clung onto Hakuno's shirt for its furry little life.

'EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! A FIRE HAS BROKEN OUT IN THE CENTRAL POWER STATION AND CENTRAL COMMAND ROOM. CENTRAL AREA'S CONTAINMENT WALL WILL ACTIVATE IN 90 SECONDS! ALL STAFF MUST EVACUATE FROM GATE 2 AT ONCE! REPEAT-'

The message was blaring at them from a loudspeaker set up in the room but Dr. Romani was already on his feet and trying to assess the situation. Running over to a terminal in the room, he quickly typed in something Hakuno couldn't see in the dim light and started speaking.

"Moniter! Show us the Central Command Room. Is everyone ok?!" he practically shouted as it slowly came to life.

It slowly came to life, blinking in and out for a few moments before the calm and serene blue hues of the Central Command Room he had seen just less than an hour before had turned into a sea of fire and red. Rubble was strewn everywhere and the central globe-like object looked more like a tomb than a machine.

That is when Hakuno's conversation with Mash earlier came to the forefront of his mind and he ran over to Dr. Romani. "That's where Mash was! Is she ok?!" he asked, praying that the nice person who had helped him out and was honestly probably the only person he would've called friend in this facility aside from Fou was alive.

Dr. Roman was silent for a moment before turning around and giving Hakuno an extremely serious look. "Kishinami, please evacuate from here. I'm going to the Central Command Room. You have to leave before the containment wall closes. Get yourself out before it's too late." He warned before rushing out the door.

Hakuno was silent, gripping his now white knuckles as Fou gave him a judgmental look. Seeking an answer to a silent question that they both knew.

"I'm no coward Fou. Let's go and get Mash. She doesn't deserve to be stuck here either." He told the creature, who gave him a nod that showed, in his eyes, respect to his decision.

"Fou!"

With his mind made up, he ran out of his room as well, running as fast as his legs could take him towards the Central Command Room. Along the way, he ran into Dr. Roman, who looked at him incredulously as they sharply turned down a corridor.

"Kishinami! Gate 2 is the other way!" he shouted, but Hakuno was not listening. Groaning to himself, the doctor could only shake his head before moving up his pace.

Central Command Room

With both of them running, the doctor and Hakuno both reached the Central Command Room in under a minute from what was ordinarily a five minute walking trip.

Upon Roman using an override code to open the door, however, both had to step back as a gout of flame rose up and nearly roasted them and Fou alive. When it had calmed down enough, both men steeled their will and jumped into the room, which was quickly filling up with the acrid smoke. It was even worse than they had seen on the monitor.

What looked to be a large black hole of twisted metal shooting upwards greeted them in the center of the room. To the left and right of the globe that was Chaldeas, the coffin-like constructs that Hakuno had seen but not commented on were pitch black. Now that he was running on a high of adrenaline, he saw that there were forty-eight of them, twenty four on each side. One for every Master.

Everything else in the Central Command Room; Monitors, computers, magical instruments…all were destroyed, blood and body parts splayed across the room like a gory horror film. All while the fire still raged on.

"No Survivors. Only Chaldeas is left. That hole in the middle of the room…that proves that this was no accident. This is sabotage and we have a traitor in our midst." Dr. Roman grimly noted.

As he was taking note of everything, the PA system blared back to life.

'GENERATOR OPERATION STOPPED. POWER LEVEL CRITICAL. SWITCH TO THE BACKUP GENERATOR. ERROR. PLEASE MAKE SWITCH MANUALLY.'

'CONTAINMENT WALL WILL CLOSE IN 40 SECONDS. ALL STAFF REMAINING IN CENTRAL AREA, EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY.'

Grimacing, Dr. Roman turned to Hakuno. "I'm going down to the Central Power Station. No matter what happens, Chaldea's light cannot go out. The Preservation of Humanity must be upheld. Go back the way we came. You can still make it out. Make sure help will come." He ordered before running to a side door that miraculously survived the explosion and wasn't covered in rubble.

Hakuno didn't listen, staying in place as he and Fou looked at the carnage and destruction around them. "It doesn't matter what year you live in…someone always wants to take away another's happiness." He muttered.

'SYSTEM SWITCHING TO THE FINAL PHASES OF RAYSHIFT. COORDINATES – AD 2004, JANUARY 30th, FUYUKI, JAPAN.'

'Wasn't that when and where the Holy Grail War took place here?' Hakuno thought to himself as the PA system kept going.

'LAPLACE'S SHIFTING PROTECTION ESTABLISHED. SINGULARITY'S ADDITIONAL FACTOR SLOT, SECURED. UNSUMMON PROGRAM, SET. PLEASE START FINAL ADJUSTMENTS.'

Shaking his head, Hakuno decided to start looking. Dr. Roman only gave the place an once-over. There could have been a survivor trapped under some of the rubble and he planned to stay there looking till the end.

'I guess this is what Zelretch meant when he said this is where the anomaly started. I'm the last Master and the person who should have been here died in this area.' He thought to himself as he carefully jumped over some of the rubble, making sure to look in every nook and cranny he could see for any signs of survivors.

His wish was granted when he heard the sound of shifting rock coming from almost right in front of Chaldeas, causing him to run over and help move aside the stone and concrete. It was hard to miss because it was the largest of the ceiling that had come crumbling down during the explosion. Even as his hands burned for doing so, feeling real pain after experiencing only digital pain for so long he did not stop.

Getting the last bits of masonry out of the way, he came face to face with Mash, who gave a surprised look before offering a pained smile even as blood dripped down from a crack on her skull no doubt.

He had the Regalia do a quick scan of her and the results it gave back to him were grim. The lower half of her body was entirely crushed underneath the giant piece of ceiling that she was trapped by. That she was still alive was an outright miracle. It gave a rough estimate of about five and a half minutes left before she died from the trauma and blood loss.

Already on his hands and knees, Hakuno felt tears beginning to flow from his eyes. Wasn't this exact scenario what Zelretch was trying to prevent from happening? To save everyone so that human history wouldn't be destroyed? So why couldn't he even do something as simple as staying up for a damn lecture? He could have saved them…done something. Had the Regalia scan and find the bomb. Instead, he failed from the get-go.

"Mash…I'm sorry." He apologized.

"It's…ok…Senpai. Please…run…save…yourself…" she weakly pleaded, wheezing with everything breath she took and word that she spoke.

Fou had hopped off his shoulder, trying to comfort Mash by licking her cheek. She offered a weak smile before they felt…a shift. Something…wrong…flowing through the room.

Looking up at Chaldeas, it began functioning once more. Though instead of a calm blue, it was a very, very fiery red. Almost like a miniature sun.

'WARNING ALL OBSERVATION STAFF. CHALDEAS' STATE HAS CHANGED. NOW RE-WRITING SHIVA'S NEAR-FUTURE PREDICTION DATA. UNABLE TO DETECT THE EXISTANCE OF MANKIND 100 YEARS IN THE NEAR-FUTURE ON EARTH. UNABLE TO CONFIRM HUMAN SURVIVORS. UNABLE TO GUARANTEE MANKIND'S FUTURE.'

The warning gave a clear picture of what was going to happen next. There had to be something, ANYTHING that he could do.

That was when they heard the sound of something heavy slamming shut behind them. 'Oh shit.' Hakuno thought as he realized what that noise was.

'CENTRAL AREA, SEALED. 180 SECONDS UNTIL INTERNAL CONTAINMENT PROCEDURES.'

"…They…shut off…the area. Now...you…can't escape." Mash realized.

Hakuno put on a brave smile for her. "Looks like it." He agreed

'COFFIN VITALS: MASTERS. BASELINE NOT REACHED. RAYSHIFT REQUIREMENT…NOT MET. SEARCHING FOR QUALIFYING MASTER…FOUND. CANDIDATE NO. 48, HAKUNO KISHINAMI, RESET AS MASTER. UNSUMMON PROGRAM, START. SPIRITRON CONVERSION, START.'

While the warning was going off, Hakuno looked up. This was the fatal moment when the original Master had been killed. He too saw the ceiling continuing to crack and crumble. He quickly jumped and dived to the floor before a large piece came crashing down where he stood moments before.

Mash looked at him with amazement, even as she laid dying. "Senpai…would you mind…holding my hand?" she requested as a final wish.

Getting up, Hakuno sat down next to her and gently took her hand into his own, clasping their fingers together and showing their intertwined hands.

"Until the end." He promised as Fou climbed into his lap and settled down there.

RAYSHIFTING COMMENCING IN 3…2…1. ALL PROCEDURES CLEARED. FIRST ORDER, COMMENCING OPERATION.

From in front of Chaldeas, what looked to be a black hole of sorts came into existence. Its power and pull far too much for anything to handle that was nearby. Hakuno, Mash and Fou all closed their eyes and let it take them. If this was their only escape out of the Command Center before the Containment Procedures began…he would make sure that they took it.

'Zelretch…Doctor Roman…I hope you two made it out ok. Even you, Olga Marie. Nobody deserves to die a death like this.'

If Hakuno had opened his eyes, he would have seen that their bodies were glowing with a soft, golden light. Their matter being converted and mass exchanged. An impossibility made possible through a fusion of magic and technology.

If he had opened his eyes…he would have thought that for a moment…it was almost like he was back home.

END CHAPTER 1

A/N: To start. I do not own the Fate/Extra series nor the Fate/Grand Order series. They belong to their creators and obviously Nasu.

Now that this is out of the way. I can already imagine some of you are like: Really CLZ? ANOTHER story?

Yes. Yes it is. I love the Fate series a lot, but I find the lack of Fate/Extra stuff disturbing. 90% of it is also dedicated to the female Hakuno. Nothing against her, but let's change that. So that, became this. A Not!Shirou crossover, a Not!Ritsuka focused story. Rather, our unlucky bastard of a protagonist Hakuno Kishinami, survivor of shit that not even Shirou Emiya would honestly have made it through because let's face it…CCC Sakura, Kiara and Sephyr outdo all of the Fate/SN villains by a large margin, even their Sakura.

If you complain that Ritsuka had it harder…please remember that for at least the first game, all Hakuno had was amnesia, no sense of survival, no knowledge of how to hack, a Servant whose stats almost ALL started at E rank and he STILL managed to overcome everything and beat a Saver Class Servant (who I still think is Buddha) with the help of just Rin or Rani depending on your route.

Second game he had the help of a few more people…like 5 more. Still one Servant. Two Antagonists that consistently change the rules to favor them. One of whom isolated him and tried to torture him into insanity for her insane concept of 'love' and wanting to make sure he didn't die…despite that what she did to him was essentially death in and of itself. Still nothing on Chaldea's 20+ staff, Servant Summonings by the Dozens, Craft Essences helping out, etc. etc. helping out Ritsuka.

Extella…well, he split himself into three, knowing that he could actually die if nothing was done, plus Sephyr. Ritsuka…yeah no. He survives on Gacha and Mash. Not even close. Extella Link, he had to deal with everyone turning against him almost.

If there was anyone who started with their backs against the wall from moment one, it was Hakuno, who summoned his Servant while having a programs spear arm thrust through his gut while on deaths door. At least Shirou knew how to protect himself and Ritsuka had Mash at the onset. Hakuno had nothing but just a will to survive. Not even memories to call his own.

You'll also notice that he has his Regalia. It's a plot device and his Bullshit card mixed into one. It is not a be-all, cure-all sort of thing, but in a series where your future is determined by Gacha, one must do whatever it takes to turn the tide in their favor. It will mostly warn him and let him know about Servants/enemies/etc. along with a few other neat little tricks.

Also, I will try to make all of Hakuno's initial servants at least somewhat original in that they haven't been introduced in Grand Order yet, be it that it's an alternate class version of a character or just not outright introduced period. The only exception is Medusa, who is awesome and after Sakura, is my number two spot for Waifu. Tamamo firmly sits at 3.

For those still waiting on The Show Must Go On…you'll have to wait longer. I scrapped the chapter because I wrote myself into a corner. So I'm starting fresh there.

I'm also helping to beta read a few other fanfics. The most recent of which is The Fake Player, a Fate/Stay and Overlord crossover. Has one of the most badass battle scenes I've had the pleasure of reading. Check it out if you have the spare time.

Finally, I leave you with this.

Omake: Fou's Gender

While walking with Mash down the corridors of Chaldea, a question popped up into Hakuno's mind. "Hey Mash…what gender is Fou anyways? I've been referring in my head to being 'it' or 'him' but do you know?"

Mash shook her head. "Nobody really knows. Fou has never sat down long enough to be checked over for any genitalia showing signs of gender. Also…each time we try to observe Fou using the restroom to help make a decision…well…" she began to falter as she explained everything.

Before Hakuno could ask what was wrong, he felt Fou hop off his shoulder. "Fou?" he asked, watching the tiny white ball of fluff bound over to a nearby unisex restroom. With a rather amazing display of natural agility and athleticism, Fou managed to somehow reach the handle, turn it and open the door. Hakuno didn't even get a chance to mentally question what was happening before Fou grabbed a newspaper and entered the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

"…that happens. I know that Fou is potty trained, but everyone agrees that this is rather…ridiculous. He always chooses the Unisex bathrooms as well just to rub it in. We just refer to Fou as a 'he' or 'it' depending on who you're talking to for simplicity's sake." Mash finished.

They both heard a few minutes later the sound of a toilet flushing, following by a soap dispenser activating, the sound of a running sink and the sound of an air-dryer going off. Eventually, Fou came back out, looking pristine and satisfied with itself.

Climbing up Mash's body, Fou decided to take a small nap inside of her hood, satisfied in knowing that it tricked another Human once more.