Author's Notes: I am transferring this from Spacebattles in order to get more feedback. Despite having a relatively solid idea of where I want this story to go, I have quite some doubt in my writing skills. So, in order to raise the quality of this story, I've decided to 'expand my horizons,' so to speak. Without further adieu, please enjoy!

Chapter 1.

"Dear Zelretch," the pen's tip scribbled erratically against the paper, "Another year has pa-

-ssed, and it's Christmas again. I hope I don't bother you too much with these letters. But I know that Santa is actually you. I'm certain of it. So, if you really are Santa, won't you grant me this one wish? I know it might seem childish, or petty, but I just can't take it anymore. It's not that my life is bad, I have a great family and a lot of friends, it just feels wrong somehow. All this daily routine, and everyday work, I know it is slowly killing me. This life is not meant for me. There is no motivation, no excitement! The books, the movies, the cartoons, they all tell tales of wonder and adventure, heroes and villains! Then where are they? There are no adventures. There are no heroes. There is no wonder and no villains. There is nothing. It's all grey.

You wake up in the morning and think: this is a new day! It's a lie. No day is new. They are all the same. No matter what you do. No matter where you go. This planet, no, this world is a cage. Human society is a cage meant to contain itself. Why must we suffer so? There are those who would live with a smile on their face, and think themselves happy. Cogs, those are. NPCs. For someone who sees the world as it is, and imagines as it could've been, living here is agony. Not literal, of course. There is no pain. You just feel hollow. It doesn't matter how many friends you have, or how much your family love's you. Existence itself, every passing day chips away and your mind, polishing you into another faceless drone.

So please, help me!

Get me out of here."

I wrote down my name and looked at the letter. The table lamp standing on my work desk was slightly flickering, making light and shadows twist together in a mesmerizing dance. Despite wearing glasses, I still had to squint my eyes to make sure no grammar mistakes were made. Wouldn't want to send a letter full of spelling errors. That would be embarrassing. I felt my cheeks heat up slightly. Yeah, as if this wasn't already embarrassing by itself.

I stood up with a tired sigh, turning the lamp off, and silently glancing across my room. Since the last light source was turned off seconds ago, everything was covered by a blanket of darkness. Not the warm kind too. I looked out of the window and tried to pierce deep into the blizzard with my vision. It was to no effect. This year's winter was surprisingly brutal, no walls could save you from its chilly grasp. It was dark outside, and the wind was so strong that little wisps of it somehow reached even me. I shuddered. It really was cold.

I walked across the room, picking up my letter on the way, before putting it under my pillow. My parents always told me when I was younger that Santa's were either delivered to a post office or were left in the fridge. Of course, when I grew up a bit, I thought myself a fool for believing in such superstitions. Now I thought myself a fool for straining to break from those stories. I returned back to my desk and stared at the powered off the computer screen. Rather, in my reflection. As usual, dark brown eyes, black hair with a ponytail peeking from behind my neck, and, of course, glasses. Not that there was anything wrong with them. I sat there in silence, my thoughts a white blank.

I loved moments like these. There was nowhere to hurry and nothing to do. Nobody called you, nobody talked to you, just enjoying your own company and your own thoughts. The winds wailed beyond the glass barrier. I leaned back on my chair and looked at the ceiling. There was no yesterday so no memories could plague me with uncertainty. There was no tomorrow so no possibilities could torment me with indecisiveness. But most importantly, there was no now, so no choices forced to me pick.

I frowned slightly. I hated choices. I hated picking. You should either have everything or have nothing at all. Choosing something, but abandoning something else caused almost corporeal creaks to echo from my very core. It was just wrong.

I picked up my phone and turned it on. The screen lit up, greeting me with familiar smirks of my favorite Gravity Falls art. Bill Cipher pulling strings attached to the possessed Dipper, with burning pages floating all over. I strained my lips upwards and checked the time. It said '4:57'. Man, this was really late for me. I stayed this late only twice in my life: when I needed to finish 'Journey to the West' event before it ended in a few hours, and when I waited to download and set up the Fate VN. I smiled bitterly at that memory. I was in our country house and had unlimited, but slow, Wi-Fi for one night. So I decided to stay up as long as possible to ensure that I download everything I need and installed it properly. I did. The next morning it turned out that we had unlimited Wi-Fi for several weeks, not just one day.

I should really go to sleep. I stretched and yawned, the sound echoing from wall to wall. I headed to my bed before an idea suddenly struck me. My grandma once showed me how to properly send your wishes on such occasions. I couldn't believe I almost forgot about it! My eyelids shot open as excitement started budding up in me. I was about to do something special! Something almost unique!

I slowly opened my door, trying to be as quiet as possible since my parents were asleep. My grandparents already left for their homes after the Christmas party, so I was free to roam the apartment. I sneaked passed their bedroom and entered the dining room. Fortunately, it was big and one with the kitchen, so there was no need for me to go back and forth. I opened the cabinet and grabbed one of the glasses from there, then put it on the table with a quiet click. Now, then, I needed fire. My heart started hammering in my chest. This, this was why lived. Something that most people wouldn't do, something exciting, adventurous! I froze with a smile on my face.

I had no idea whether we had a lighter or not. I was also pretty sure I haven't seen a box off matches for about a year. That one with chemicals from my biology summer practice didn't count, there were no matches inside. Was this it? Did my little adventure end within the first few minutes, and with failure at that? I dragged myself to a chair and slumped in it. The blizzard was still going full force, but by some miracle, I could see the moon gleam from beyond the snow storm. This whole situation reminded me of those cavemen stories. People huddled together in caves, locked inside by the fierce weather and creeping darkness. Trying to stave off cold, yet dying one by one, unable to bear the harsh environment.

Unlike them, I was protected by glass and concrete, surrounded by food and drinks, with light but a flick of a switch away. But I still felt. That desperate, begging need for fire. I was sure it wasn't as encompassing as during those times, but it was still there. Something primal. My little adventure was not over, not a long shot! If I needed fire, then I would find it. My eyes narrowed, I stood up from the chair with as much dignity as possible and glanced around. Unfortunately, no matchboxes were lying around. A pity, but that just meant that I'd find them myself instead of waiting for them to appear. As I pushed myself away from the table, my brushed against something, causing me to stumble.

I briefly shook my hand and looked at the culprit of ruining my moment. I probably looked cool doing it, too! All my indignation vanished the moment I set my eyes on the perpetrator. I couldn't see the colors in the darkness, but it had a very distinct shape. I slowly reached and picked it up, turning it and checking from all sides. A little push and, with a scraping sound, its middle part slid out. It was a matchbox. With a single match inside. A shiver ran down my spine as a stared at the lonely wooden stick.

This was bonkers. It was right on the table. But it wasn't on the table, I would've remembered! I closed the box and gripped it tightly in my fist. Obviously, I wasn't about to let it go, it could disappear. It wouldn't, of course, just like how I simply missed it lying on the table, but this was my little adventure and no one would take it away from me! I also just remembered that I left the letter in my room. I silently walked back to my room, glancing around from time to time, and lifted the pillow. The letter was still there.

I carefully picked it up, but then heard shuffling coming from my left. I whirled around in a sudden impulse of fright but found nothing but furniture. The sound repeated itself, again from the left. I slowly turned my head in its direction and stared and my clenched fist. The knuckles were white with pressure. I forcible uncurled the subtly shaking fingers and saw a slightly deformed matchbox. Like a floodgate was opened, all the tension left my body and I sagged in relief. Shaking my head, I departed from my room once again and got back to the glass. A quick look around showed that nothing suspicious happened while I was gone.

I put down the letter and the matchbox before straightening my glasses with one finger. The only right way to straighten glasses. I forcibly expelled a chunk of air from my lungs and got to work. Well, not really, since I actually enjoyed it. I opened the matchbox, straining a little against its crushed edges, and pulled out the single matchstick. This was it. My adventure was close to an end. I smiled and flicked the match against its former container. A few bright sparks flew out before darkness enveloped them with its embrace. Damn it. I've always sucked at lighting matches. Always wrong, never confident. Afraid of bright, sudden flashes. Afraid to get hurt.

I steeled myself and flicked with more confidence. A small flash and a tiny flame began dancing on the tip of the match. It looked like a miniature wizard's wand. I waved my hand around a bit, causing the dot of fire to shift and twist in the air. I grinned in excitement and picked up the letter. Well, the moment of truth! I brought the match to one of the letter's corners and watched in fascination how it caught fire. My hands were visibly shaking at this point, and I couldn't prevent a ragged laugh from escaping my lips. Seeing the letter char and wither away, I dropped it in the glass. After what felt like a minute of staring at the burning paper, I was once again alone in the dark. I grabbed the glass and approached the water cooler in the kitchen zone.

With a quiet hum, the rushing water scattered the ashes on the bottom of the glass, which then danced and twirled like snowflakes. Raising my glass in the silent toast to the moon, I took a deep breathed and downed the water in one gulp. I could almost feel the ashes brush past lungs as they fell into the stomach. I set the glass near the sink and turned around to throw away the matchbox. It wasn't there.

I stood there, dumbfounded, as I stared at the spot I clearly remembered putting the offending object. I slowly looked around with narrowed eyes, but the matchbox was nowhere to be found. This was the first time anything so weird happened to me. This was also the first time I tried something so equally desperate and exotic. A second later, and slasher grin bloomed on my face. Oh, please-please-pleasy-please be real! Unable, and uninterested, to contain my excitement, I almost ran back into my room and dropped on the bed. I drilled into the ceiling with my eyes and brought one of my shaking hands to my chest, pressing into it tightly.

"Thank you," a whisper left my lips, "Whoever you may be. Even if nothing else happens, today is a happy day. It was… a very enjoyable experience."

With a content smile, I didn't even notice how my consciousness drifted away, dragged by the dreams of adventure.

…

I felt numerous tiny needles were poking into my face. I instinctively frown and turned on my other side. Of course, I've already been woken up, but it was a matter of principle. Getting out of bed right after waking was a legal crime. As in, there was no law against it, except the Law of Common Sense and the Law of Basic Decency. More soft needles poked my face and a soft breeze ruffled my hair. This was getting annoying. With a grumble, I sat up and rubbed my eyes until they started hurting up a bit. When I got all of that filthy beige snot out, I finally opened my eyes and twitched that very moment, as every muscle in my body violently contracted.

It was beautiful. The rustling leaves of pure emerald, the field of swaying grass of the same color. The pure sky of the most wonderful blue I've ever seen, and the golden sun shining warmly upon the world. This was surely a dream. It could be nothing but. There was no place on Earth that could ever hope to be as breathtaking as the sight before me. I slowly brought my arm down and ran it through the blades of grass. Real. They felt real, and oh so soft. It felt like real grass, like what it should've been, not the cheap parody that grew where I lived!

I fingers clenched, digging into the earth. It was spongy and cool, but more importantly, just as real as the grass! I breaths came out shakily as I started to hyperventilate. I looked around once more before getting up on wobbly legs. I was mistaken. This was a dream, this couldn't be anything but a dream. Nothing as real this grows in reality. It was too perfect, had too much essence and meaning to it, even in a single touch. Yes, this was surely a dream. A dream I was willing to die in. My family, my friends, I loved them, I loved them dearly, but this… this gave me some hidden purpose. Just by being here I felt myself develop a meaning of my own. I was as real as the world around me.

I looked at myself and marveled. My skin look was real. My clothes were real. I hugged myself tightly and breathed out in absolute elation. I was living to stand like this for eternity, but a roar interrupted my peace. No, that wasn't true. The roar was just as real, just as corporeal as everything else around me. It wasn't an interruption, it was just a part of this world just like grass, and trees, and the skies! I looked in the direction it originated from and tears started budding in my eyes. A massive hulking body of uneven stone, each step causing light earth tremors to rush in every direction. A demonic face carved in the boulder that acted as the head of the body. It was a Golem.

An honest to God Golem! I've already had fantasy-themed dreams from which I remembered mere seconds of fighting mythical creatures and flinging distorted spells that my mind conjured for me. Of course, none have ever felt like this one. The mass of jagged stone slowly approached me, but I couldn't move a muscle. Or rather, I didn't want to move a muscle. I wanted to see it up close. I wanted to soak in its majesty, in its symbolism! The blades of grass bent in my direction with every step it took, visible shockwaves running through the filed.

It took too little time for it to reach me. Standing within arm's reach, it towered above me like a tree over a kitten. Its mere presence was putting tangible pressure on my souls, but the only things I felt was ecstasy. There was no sound. There were no other senses. There was only the physical proof of my victory standing right before me. It was an old thing, conditions I made up to ease up my life. I wanted magic. I wanted to know that magic was real. If I knew that magic was real, then I won regardless of what happens before, during, or after that. The existence of magic meant that there was something to strive to, an unknown just waiting to be discovered.

I knew this was a dream. I knew I couldn't have been so lucky as to actually win. But this was still a victory. A small, worthless and delusional victory. And yet, a victory nonetheless. I watched with wide eyes how the arms two times as thick as I was silently rose into the air. I had no doubts that it could crush me like a bug. To be honest, I did hold a bit of fear somewhere deep within me, but I was ashamed to even think about. Fear was too petty and insignificant for this. Solid rock started to descend on my head when a rush of red-tinted air crashed into it. The air solidified before my eyes to reveal a spear of bright crimson. My eyes trailed along the carved vines, taking in as much as possible.

But what finally caused tears to burst forth from my eyes was that I knew this spear. Gae Bolg, The Barbed Spear That Pieces With Death, the Noble Phantasm of the Heroic Spirit Cu Chulainn from Nasuverse. Made out of the rib bone of the Phantasmal Beast Curruid by Scathach and gifted to Ireland's Child of Light.

"Hey, Master! I know I'm strong and all, but this ain't as easy as I'm making it look!" A loud voice right beside me pierced the still air, causing all the sounds and feelings to rush back into my perception, "So I strongly suggest you move back a bit!"

The voice matched too. My head swirled to the side, muscles straining so hard I was slightly afraid I'd snap my own neck. There he was, clad in a bodysuit of vibrant blue with silver stripes running along the edges. Absolutely impossible dark blue hair gathered in a ponytail much longer than mine, and two ruby eyes, same color as his spear, staring right into my soul. With a feral grin, and a roar to match, the Irish Hero pushed away the rocky appendage and, less than a second later, his leg smashed into the Golem, sending it flying across the field. Instead of giving chase, the Servant moved to stand protectively in front of me and exclaimed.

"So, Master! Your orders?"

The words pierced into my mind like a mining laser. I was in no condition to properly function yet I moved nonetheless. I was too happy, too confused, too scared, and many other 'too's. But eclipsing all of those, were dreams and fantasies of me hearing those words, being in this position. As if drilled by years of fierce training, my body stood up and extended the right arm, noting the set of blazing Command Seals. A second later, the grass rustled to both sides of me, announcing the appearance of Arturia Pendragon and Arash, as more golems appeared from the tree line. The whole situation instantly clicked in my mind. This was the tutorial fight from Fate/Grand Order. One my most desired dreams. It actually came true!

The slasher smile was back on my face, as I bellowed out with as much force as I could, "Arash, covering fire! Disrupt golems' attacks and decrease their freedom of movement!" The Archer in question nodded with a smile and jumped backward, grass swaying under the force of his kick. Before I could continue, air whistled right beside my ear as countless arrows flew towards the golems like guided missiles.

"Arturia, tank the golems. Dodge when you can, destroy them when you can, but stop them from reaching me and Arash!" the next command was given, and I saw her emerald eyes narrow in preparation for the fight. With a clanking sound, she clenched the invisible Excalibur and dashed forward to meet the enemy head-on.

"Cu Chulainn, pick off whoever you can, your task is to deal as much damage as possible while avoiding their counter attacks!"

"You got it, Master!" The blue blur darted past me and slammed into one of the golems beside Arturia.

I watched the fight closely, ready to dispense new commands at a moment's notice. My mind was currently running in two completely different paths: one was observing the fight and mentally shuffling through my current Servants' strengths and weaknesses, the other was in a catatonic state from sheer awesome and absolute happiness that encompassed my entire being.

Arturia's blocks were filled with so much strength that the offending golems' arms crumbled under the force of their own blows. The lock of golden straw shined brightly under the sun and shuffled with even the subtlest of moves, seemingly playing with each other under the sunlight. Cu was jumping from one enemy to another, cursed spear flashing with menacing red as it tore off hands and flowed through stone bodies like a hot knife through butter. One of Ireland's greatest Heroes danced between the golems with a beastly grace, churning through them like a violent waterfall. Golems fell apart for no apparent reasons, only for arrows to be revealed in the joints and cores. I briefly glanced back to see Arash stand a top of a hill, his bow in hand, with the sun glowing right above him.

I looked back to fight and slightly frowned. Arturia was taking more and more damage from multiple blows dealt from different directions, while Cu, true to his task, wasn't enough to hold the veritable golem army from reaching me and Arash. Something needed to be done, and quickly. All the games I've played and Wiki pages I've replaced one another in search for a suitable Skill. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember any Arash's Skills outside of something to do with a Natural Body Skill and the ability to create his own arrows, Stella notwithstanding. Cu was a Lancer right now, so no Runic combat, while Ath nGabla, Protection From Arrows, and Disengage were useless right now, just as Battle Continuation. My thoughts moved to Arturia. The Mana Burst could be really helpful, but how useful would it be exactly depended on its range and width. Although…

"Archer, hold fire! Saber, fall back! Lancer, gather their attention!" The idea came suddenly, but that didn't make it any less effective. Lancer stopped moving in one of the clearings, catching enemies' attention as a stationary target. Within this moment of confusion, Arturia rushed back to me. Her armor was covered in dents, and she breathed a bit heavier than before.

"What is it, Master? I can still fight." The Once and Future King frowned slightly in my direction. One part of me continued fanboying, shedding tears of joy, while the other finished giving out orders.

"Cu, harass them to keep their attention. Run around the field to gather them en masse! Arash, continue on your assault on my command." I turned to Saber who was lightly tapping her foot against the grass.

"Arturia, how many could you destroy per Mana Burst?" Her eyes immediately brightened, and the tiniest smile, bordering on a smirk blossomed on her lips, "Unless you are okay with using Hammer of the Wind King that is."

She froze for a second, then gave me a measuring look and resolutely nodded. Wonderful. While Mana Burst was strong in its own right, Arturia's single-use attack Strike Air was more than enough to devastate every golem in this field. If they weren't spread out at least. We watched in silence as Lancer glided across the clearing, shouting and taunting the golems who followed him as one. Because each of them took the shortest route to the enemy, it was fairly easy for Cu to gather them into a swarm of moving stone. Even if it wasn't as big as it looked like, such a number of golems was still as intimidating as they could possibly be.

"Saber, go!" Arturia rushed towards the golem army, the winds around her sacred Sword howling louder than ever. As she was within attack range and already reaching forward with her sword, some golems started turning towards her. I screamed for Cu, "Lancer, Disengage!"

Amplified with a Command Seal, his Skill became absolute for that split second, allowing to simply vanish right before the wave of crushing gales struck the golems. Strike Air was a sight to behold, a roaring wind, stronger and faster than anything I've seen before simply slammed into reality with a wail of a thousand howling wolves. The earth split apart and stone shattered, as golems were blown away as chunks of broken stone. She was standing right in front of me, so I didn't get a chance to gaze upon the Sword In The Stone, but the trench strike air left was enough to shake me to the bottom of my heart.

Silence reigned for a few seconds before the sounds rushed into my ears. The birds resumed chirping, the leaves continued to rustle, and a triumphant laugh from Cu Chulainn echoed amongst the trees.

"Good job, Master! That was a nice fight." He stood before me the split second it took me to blink and slammed his hand down on my shoulder, causing my knees to buckle, "I'll be looking forward to when you actually summon me." His grin was infectious, and I found myself smiling even before I realized what he said.

"Indeed. It was a wonderful battle." A soft voice reached me from behind as Arash entered my vision, sending a warm smile in my direction, "As the Child of Light said, I'll be waiting for us to meet in real life, Master."

"W-What do you mean, 'real life'?" I knew this a dream of course, but actually hearing it out loud tore through my happiness like a cleaver.

"This is but a simulation, Master." Sternly, but with a hint of a smile, Arturia called out as she reached us, "It should be ending soon. Allow me to congratulate on your wonderful performance."

The other nodded in agreement as I finally realized what was happening. This was a dream about a virtual simulation. I was fully aware that there was no possibility of me seeing them again. Just the fact that this dream happened once was already a miracle, to hope for more would be like spitting in the faces of Luck and Fate. Raising my eyes up to the skies, I saw them twitch slightly. As if a dam was broken, the entire landscape, the whole reality started trembling. Led by a childish impulse, I pulled all the imaginary Heroic Spirits into a group hug, as tears finally burst forth.

"Thank you, thank you for this…" I continued repeating the same line over and over like a broken recorder, especially when I felt three sets of arms awkwardly hug me in return.

With a sudden flash, all of my senses were gone, and I prepared myself to wake from this wonderful dream into the boring reality. To my enormous surprise, it didn't happen. Instead, I heard a sound.

"Kyu? Fou…" There was no way it could be actually happening. There was no way, but there was a nudge of something soft against my cheek, "Fou! Fou!"

I forced my eyes open and looked at the pearly white offspring of a dog and a squirrel. Maybe with a bit of a fox mixed in somewhere there too. My thoughts were a swirl of emotions. Was the dream still going strong? I sure hoped so. Maybe… Would I dare to assume that it actually happened? That my letter reached the Kaleidoscope, or whoever did this all, and they fulfilled my wish? I reached out with a trembling hand to touch the fluffy creature and confirm the reality of its existence when a pair of elegant hand carefully plucked the critter from my shoulder.

I sleepily trailed the hands with my eyes until I was met with a single violet orb looking back at me.

"Ehm, sorry for waking you up, Senpai." Mash slumped a little and tried to avoid eye contact, shyness waging a brutal battle against politeness. The latter won and the met my eyes once again, "Fou here sometimes runs away, and it's pretty difficult to catch him. Sorry…"

She bowed at the waist, while Fou tried to squirm out of her clenched arms. Unfortunately, she seemed to forget just how close she was to me, causing her head to bump into mine. With a startled yelp, she stumbled and fell to the floor as the squirrel-dog escaped her clutches and disappeared somewhere in the white hallways with a high-pitched 'Fou!' sound. Meanwhile, I brought my hands up to my head and quietly hissed. Turned out Mash had one hell of a sturdy head. When the ringing went away, I slowly stood up, leaning on the wall, and reached out to help Mash get up. She nodded thankfully and took my arm –skin, perfect skin, can't be real, must be a dream– before helping herself up.

"A-Ah, Sorry about that! I, ah, I didn't mean to!" She snapped to attention and started waving her arms before apparently deciding to bow one more time. However, before she could slam her head somewhere else, I put my hands on her shoulders –soft– and tried to put as much serenity into my voice as I could.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Damn, this wasn't going as well as I hoped, "It's fine. I just fell asleep here, and you lost your pet trying to wake me up. It's my fault, not yours. Say, what's your name? I'm Damien."

"M-my name? Oh, I suppose it is fair enough to introduce myself since you told me yours. My name is Mash," she bowed again, but this time just slightly, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Senpai."

"The pleasure's all mine!" I tried to form a smile as friendly as I good. She didn't excuse herself from my presence, so I guessed it kind of worked, "So, could you show me the direction to the Central Command Room? I wouldn't want to miss the Orientation."

"Right, you can count on me, Senpai." She turned to go into one of the plain white hallways when I figure suddenly approached from beyond the corner. A dark green suit lined with black fur and a top hat of the same color. His long curly hair fell to his chest, giving him a judge-like appearance. Except green.

"Oh, Mash! How unusual for you to be wandering around Chaldea. That won't do at all," The disguised Demon God Pillar shook his head with a smile before turning his attention to me, "And you are the forty-eighth Master Candidate, I assume? For your own good, I hope you were heading to the Orientation. I wouldn't for anyone to get on Director's blacklist this early."

He chuckled awkwardly and rubbed his neck. As he was now, there was no trace or hint to him being a demonic entity stronger than most Servants. But I knew. Lev Lainur was a monster whom I will have to face eventually. But not now. I couldn't afford to sabotage the plot this early. I needed for everything to go as canon. Lev would detonate the explosives, Chaldea would burn and all other Masters would die. It was petty, very petty, but I simply couldn't find the strength in myself to share the Servants with other Masters. They were used to them, to magic. They couldn't appreciate the existences that were Servants. It was all for the better.

"Yes, we were actually heading there before we met you, Mr…?"

"Lev. Lev Lainur. I am one of the technicians here at Chaldea. Hm," he looked from me to Mash and then back. He smiled, "I assume you don't need my help to get to the Command Center?"

"Ah, yes. I will show Senpai the way." she nodded resolutely and looked at Lev with a questioning expression.

"Alright, alright, I won't delay you any longer," he paused, "Come to think of it, this is the first time you've called anyone 'Senpai'. Care to share?"

"It's just… Damien feels more human than anyone else I've met. I don't feel any hostility coming from him." Considering this was Mash, there was no way this was a diss. No way at all.

"Ah, I see! Well, good for you too. I'm afraid I have to cut this conversation short, there is some business I need to attend to. I'm sure you understand." Oh, I sure did. Though his smile really did look apologetic. With that, he trod down the hall in the direction where we came from.

As looked at his disappearing form, Mash slightly tapped my shoulder and pointed somewhere deeper into the building, "Let's go, Senpai." As we walked past the pearly halls of Chaldea and the rare passing employ, I thought back on my situation.

So, it appeared that I was actually in Chaldea, seemingly replacing the Protagonist. The initial shock and ecstasy wore off, and now I was just full with giddy anticipation. If I did everything right, Mash and I would end up in the burning Fuyuki and I would get a chance to summon a Heroic Spirit! My first, but definitely not the last one! It was highly unfortunate then, that Olga Marie would have to die. If I so much as tried to save her, the story could go off the rails and I could be stripped of this heavenly existence as Chaldea's only Master. Besides, Doctor Roman and Da Vinci did a wonderful job at running the organization, we would do fine without the current Director. I started to hum some happy tune, causing Mash to turn her head in my direction with a raised eyebrow. I just shrugged and continued humming. I was already feeling sleepy after the simulation so it would be of no issue to fall asleep during the Orientation. Then, I'd get shipped to Roman and survive the explosions. What really saddened me, however, was what Mash had to go through. Being trapped under a giant slab of stone inside a burning room… Truly a pity.

I discreetly looked at her and took in her appearance. Soft pink hair –unique, it was so unique, I loved it–, eyes of a beautiful violet color and a figure that I knew was better than anything Earth had to offer. She wasn't just a human, she was a character– a crystallized existence. She wasn't a Servant quite yet, but that didn't mean that she had any less worth. Her existence had a purpose, even if I didn't know what it was, and that put her on a level far above any human, including me. Simply having dreams wasn't enough, a purpose was different. It was something you truly desired, the completion and fulfillment of which you craved above everything else. No price was too high to see your purpose realized, and no price was too high to find out what your purpose was. With a few exceptions, of course. Like Servants, for example. I valued them far beyond normal humans, maybe with the exception of my family. To see their purposes realized… Truly, that would be an adventure indeed! And maybe, just maybe, I'd be able to find my own purpose along the way.

"We're here, Senpai," the hallways were replaced with a massive room covered in strange blue writings. Runes, I assumed. A massive globe-shaped construct proudly stood in the very center, its coils slowly spinning around a brightly shining light blue orb. Seeing it up close was a completely different experience than seeing a picture on the phone, "Your seat is in the front row. I'll stand here, in the back."

"Thanks, Mash," I smiled at her and she returned it after hesitating a little –cute, directed at me, mine, only mine–, "You are a great help."

This time she smiled with a bit more confidence, and I proceeded to my seat. Unlike the story, we weren't late this time, probably because I didn't ask that many questions, and now I was able to watch as the seats were slowly filling up with people. How did it go again? Thirty-eight elite magi and ten talented public applicants? Well, the distinction was quite clear. Even though we were all wearing the standard Chaldea Master's outfit, the air itself was different around the magi nobles. I honestly didn't pay a lot of attention to them though since they were not relevant to anything and would die anyway, instead trying to force myself to sleep. I could feel it almost within my grasp, but I wasn't there quite yet.

Finally, everyone was settled, and Olga Marie Animusphere entered the stage. She was… unique to say the least. A mane of snow-white hair and eyes of molten gold were so entrancing of a combination, that I felt really bad about her future for a second. She was even standing mere meters away from the device that would spell her agonizing death. I wondered if she had a purpose, the game didn't really offer a chance to get to know her better, maybe I should… On second thought, I probably shouldn't. A mere possibility of her being entertaining wasn't enough to justify my death and the end of my adventure that could result from it. And trying to befriend her after we arrived in Fuyuki would be pointless, as she'd be already dead. The most I could do for Olga was to make sure she died before Lev got his hands on her.

Heh, would you look at me, not a day had passed since I was transported into a 'brave new world', and I was already planning to kill people… Good thing I wasn't a bad person. Wouldn't be nice to leave the Good-aligned Servants unsummoned. God knows we'd need cheerfulness and optimism during the upcoming disaster. One I was really looking towards. I sighed. Maybe there really was something wrong with me…

"Master Candidate number forty-eight!" A stern voice ripped right through my slowly drifting thoughts, snapping me back to attention, "I see that catching an afternoon nap is more important to you than guarding the future of the entire human race," she huffed, "See yourself to Doctor Romani this instant, you are hereby excused from the Orientation. If you get lost, you have only yourself to blame."

With another indignant huff, the Director turned away from me and continued blabbering about something. I doubted it was important anyway, more preoccupied with fighting encroaching sluggishness and conflicting emotions. On one hand, everything was going great. On the other, that was pretty rude of her. I mean, I was just really tired and got lost in thought, and that was no reason to snap at someone, was it?

On my way back, followed by mocking and haughty stares, I passed by Mash, meeting her worried look with a sheepish smile. Seeing her worry about my well-being made me feel warm and fluffy on the inside, but right now I had things to do. While I had no idea where to go exactly, a few staff members I met along the way were kind enough to point me in the direction of Dr. Roman's office. Stopping right before the door with the label that said 'Dr. Romani Archaman, Head of Medical Staff', I recollected myself and knocked three times.

There was no answer.

I knocked again, this time harder. Still no response. Idly, I wondered if the door didn't open by itself because I wasn't registered as a proper master yet. Or something. The game didn't exactly show any doors opening, and, for the love of me, I couldn't remember any mentions of that being made either. After a few minutes passed my foot started tapping impatiently at the floor, soft impacting resonating through the entire hallway.

I was about to knock again when I remembered a piece of very important information. I was so preoccupied with Summonings and other important events, that I completely forgot about more minor but more currently relevant ones. As of now, Dr. Roman was supposed to be in my assigned room, by mistake or not I did not know, but in the game, he engaged with Ritsuka in a lengthy conversation that ended up saving the latter's life.

Seeing how I wasn't planning on going back to the Orientation room before the explosives go off, I essentially ended up having an unspecified amount of free time on my hands. Maybe I should go see Da Vinci?

The mere thought of meeting the legendary genius in person caused my hands to tremble slightly. A being of legend, someone who carved himself, or herself, in the history of mankind. But I decided against such an action, despite my burning desire to do so anyway. I doubted that Da Vinci would be as accommodating to a mere forty-eight master candidate as she was to the single surviving Master. And first impressions were very important, especially since I'd be plunged into the heart of conflict before I could meet him (her) on my terms.

I sighed. Dr. Roman it was then. Except… I had no idea where my room was. I stood in the hallway for a few more minutes, my mind seemingly going blank from an epic battle between tiredness and embarrassment raging within my head. In the end, sloth won, and I slowly headed in some random direction.

After some time of mindless wandering, I realized that I've been going in circles around the Orientation room. A few seconds of consideration later, and I resumed my methodical circling of the room in question. The spot seemed perfect, I hoped I wasn't too close for the explosions to hit me, but I also wasn't too far away to get to Mash in time.

I had no idea how much of my lifespan I wasted walking in circles, but I welcomed the sudden tremors that almost knocked me off my feet as the Second Coming. The halls lit up with a piercing red and the alarms started shrieking, causing me to hurriedly cover my ears lest I went deaf. Surprisingly, even though the sirens I could hear the door slamming shut in the distance, a fact that ushered me into a mad dash to the Rayshift Room.

As I ran, my heart trying its hardest to burst out of my ribcage, the enticing scent of burning things filled my nostrils. My already blooming grin stretched even more as I weaved around the panicking staff, though I had to admit that they were panicking with a purpose. People were running in different directions, barking out orders and carrying strange devices. Such a state of ordered chaos, along with the blazing sirens was truly like something out of a movie. It was absolutely glorious.

Despite my best efforts, I started humming to some tune I made up on the spot, the atmosphere sending chills of both fear and excitement down my spine. This was real. This was my story. I was the hero!

I finally made it to the anticipated doors, which greeted me in all of their decimated glory. The metal, or whatever they were made of anyway, was scorched and charred heavily, an unevenly black surface riddled with holes and indentations. More than that, the doors were bent outwards, in my direction, and looked as if Superman made it his job to punch them as dramatically as possible. Dramatically, because if he were serious he'd blast them out with a single strike.

Fortunately for me, this gruesomely glorious deformation created a human-sized opening that let me see, and pass, inside. Unlike the plain red of the rest of the compound, the Orientation room was red from the fire. The crimson flames raged without mercy, devouring machine and human alike.

As I slipped inside, an unholy cacophony of crackling metal and screams of agony reached my ears, but I grabbed them and stuffed as far as I possibly could. Such things were naught but a distraction to me at this moment. Faced with black smoke already filling up the room, I covered my face with my sleeve, eyes madly roaming across the blazing room.

I barely felt the heat when I rushed deeper into the fire, fortunately, as the Master uniforms apparently had some enchantments to ward off extreme temperatures. Finally, after what felt like hours of desperate searching, I caught a glimpse of purple in the corner of my eyes. To my muted annoyance, it was immediately replaced by a stray tongue of dancing flames. Bracing myself for my first act of heroism, I used the second sleeve to protect my face and sprinted into the wall of fire.

It hurt. A lot. Unfortunately, protection from heat didn't include protection from actual fire, and my bare hands and whatever strands of hair peeked out didn't have even that. So, even as I braved the flames and emerged on the other side victorious, I could already not feel my hands, and I was pretty sure my head was partially on fire. Those bombs must've been something else.

Feeling that if I didn't get to the first Singularity now I could very likely end up dead, I ran closer the massive slab of stone that seemingly squashed half of Mash's body. The scene that laid before my eyes were much more tragic in person than on the screen, though I was a bit too busy trying to survive to truly appreciate it. Very unfortunate, but not vital enough for me to risk my entire adventure.

I saw Mash weakly lift her head and looking up ate with those beautiful eyes of hers. Her mouth was opening and closing, but covering my face meant that I left my ears unguarded. With her probably barely able to speak, it was of no surprise that I couldn't hear a single word from her. But that was fine, words weren't necessary.

I gently took her outstretched hand and lifted as much of her as I could. It was probably the best, and the first, true hug in my entire life. I wasn't sure what I meant by 'true' in this context myself, but it seemed appropriate to me somehow. The heat emitted from her lithe body was surprisingly noticeable even among the raging flames.

And so we remained like that, two silent figures among the fiery hellscape. Even when the twisted doors burst open to reveal a group of people clad in what appeared to be hazmat suits and bearing some strange looking guns. Even when the room itself shuddered and the walls flashed blue. Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

I ceased to be.