Singularity F: Chapter 1 - Out Of The Pan, Into The Cursed Fire
The crackling sound of flames was the first thing I heard as I returned to consciousness. Even without opening my eyes, I winced at the permeating through the city. While I knew that it was a city-wide fire, it seemed to have some form of deeper… malevolence to it. Still, I best get up and find who my Servant is…
Taking in a deep breath, my eyes snapped open when my sinuses were flooded with ash. Sitting up, I coughed at the sooty stench before looking around. Despite Fuyuki City being a sprawling city in Fate/Stay Night, it was now a barren city that was decrepit and abandoned. Black clouds blocked the sky from view, with plumes of smoke adding to the cloak of darkness. The only sources of light was the red aura on the horizon, painting the town in shades of red.
Well, as fascinatingly disturbing as this was, I better find out who my Servant is before I get swarmed by any skeletons or Servants. However, when I looked around for anyone who could possibly be my Servant, there seemed to be a distinct lack of anything Servant-like, or even anyone, period… Looking down at my hands, I couldn't help but gulp as I saw that there weren't any markings on my hands. "Crap, crap, crap," I muttered to myself, pulling my sleeves up in hopes that the Command Seals were there, getting more worried as I didn't find any. Shit, I'm Servant-less. If that's the case, then I better find the Fujimarus and Mash before I become skele-fodder food! Wait, if that's the case, then how did-?
A flash of red in the sky snapped me out of my thoughts. Looking up, I tried to spot whatever the splash of light was. Unfortunately, whatever it was vanished from view before I could get a good look at it.
...Why am I getting sudden Fate/Apocrypha flashbacks?
The sky seems to sparkle with red where the red 'comet' disappeared from, the only warning that something was wrong. My eyes widened in horror as a rain of crimson arrows flew towards me, and I ran towards the nearest building. However, I was barely able to get out of range when the first arrows struck, the blast knocking me head-over-heels into the nearest building. A hearty smack was audible as I struck stone and cement. However, I couldn't afford to lay there like a sitting duck. Pushing myself away from the wall, earning another wince as my burns were further aggravated, I gave a worried glance in the direction the arrow came from before running to a nearby doorway and entered the store.
Once I had ducked inside, I glanced out the window before running deeper into the store. It was only when I got deeper inside, in an restroom entryway, that I collapsed and began hyperventilating. Shit, that was too fucking close! What even was that attack? I know that EMIYA is the main Archer for this Singularity, but last I checked, Hrunting and Caladbolg II don't appear as a rain of red arrows! Must've been another Phantasm, then. Perhaps one that can split into many, such as Kazikli Bey?
My inner monologue was cut short as I heard a sudden clatter that could be best described as bones clattering together began drawing closer. Wait, was that the skeletons from Fuyuki? Deciding that it was worth the risk, I poked my head out of the hallway to see a group of four skeletons standing outside the glass door. As if seeing me, the skeletons turned their skulls towards me and began chattering, giving voiceless cackles at me. They then turned to the skeleton in the back, said cadaver lacking a left arm and weilding a chipped axe, and it walked up to the glass before slamming the butt of the axe into the window. Several cracks formed from the single impact, and I ducked back behind the entryway for safety.
Taking in deep breaths, I wiped my brow before looking around the store. There has to be something I can use to defend myself. Popping my head out into the main room, I glanced around the room before narrowing my eyes. The store floor had cooking equipment stationed all over the room, with stoves and ovens plugged into the walls, while chopping knives and pans were hung in display cases. However, the biggest thing that caught my eye was a wok hanging up against the wall. Made of solid, hammered steel and at least two feet in diameter, it was easily the biggest pan on the floor. Should be perfect for smashing skeleton skulls in and repelling spear thrusts.
A sudden shattering made me jerk my head back towards the window. The glass was now completely shattered, the skeletons already starting to jump into the store. Crap, got to get to the wok! Not bothering to keep looking at them, I turned around and began running to the cooking ware. Darting between the aisles, I heard bony cackles and clanging right behind me, suggesting that the skeletons were running through or atop the shelves. Several seconds passed as I ran towards the wok, the skeletons drawing closer. When I got within ten feet, I reached out, grabbed the wok by its extended handle, and lugged it up from the table before spinning around with a scream, the weight of the pan spinning it to stand horizontally.
My eyes widened as the wok slammed into the shoulder of a skeleton, its empty sockets less than a few feet from mine and the sword nearly impaling me through the eyes. Thankfully, the force of the swing pushed the skeleton away, slamming it into a cabinet before its rib cage was crushed under the weight of the blow. The undead was already fading into energy, but I hardly had time to focus on that when two more skeletons charged towards me. Lifting the wok back up, I stepped back to avoid a spear thrust before throwing myself onto the shaft. This ended up pinning the polearm to a metal cabinet, keeping the undead in place until I slammed the wok on its head. The warrior collapsed into a pile of bones, but I was soon forced on the defensive as the third skeleton swung its sword at me.
Ducking back to avoid the blade, I began backing up rapidly, avoiding the swings of the sabre. Despite the skeleton being literally nothing but bones, the warrior's swings packed power behind them. Each blow sent items flying off the shelves, and deep cuts were left in the shelves that weren't knocked over. Eventually, the skeleton raised its sword up high, and I lifted the wok up to block it. A loud clang resonated through the store when the blow landed, and I ended up falling to my knees as I tried to keep the wok raised.
As the pressure grew in strength, I let one hand go, and began to scrabble around for something I could use to fight back. Feeling around on the ground, I grabbed something metal on the ground, and with the skeleton nearly pushing the wok out of my hand, I swung underneath the wok with whatever I grabbed, striking at their legs. The metal object struck the shins, and the skeleton went down like a sack of… well, bones. I was able to lift the wok up and, with a shout of rage, brought it slamming down.
With the third skeleton now fading away, I hissed in pain as the rush of battle began to wear off. Taking a few shaky steps to the bathroom, I ended up collapsing in the aisle, the wok clattering on the floor, along with the dented meat tenderizer I had grabbed in haste. While I had been able to ignore the pain during the fight, the burns have made holding the wok unbearable now. I should probably get something over these before the burns get worse. Wiping the sweat off my brow, I grabbed the wok before getting back up, looking for some cloth. Thankfully, there seem to be some relatively clean green aprons under a tipped oven, so it shouldn't be too hard to-
...Wait, what happened to the other skeleton?
A burst of chattering suddenly behind me made me turn around, and my eyes widened in shock as the axe-wielding skeleton lunged at me, swinging the hatchet wildly. When the skeleton went for an overhead swing, I ducked to the side before rushing forwards, crashing into them. I ended up bringing both of us down in the rush. The skeleton gave a chattering cry, seemingly enraged by this, but was quickly silenced as I crushed its skull with a meat tenderizer. With the skeleton now fading like its kin, I left the wok behind and stumbled over to the aprons. It took some strength to get one out, but some nearby kitchen knives made it easy to tear into strips. Once I wrapped the strips around my hands, I grabbed the wok, a meat tenderizer, and threw a shopping bag over my shoulder before looking at what was left.
While the skeletons had mostly dissolved by now, there were a few items left behind. For starters, the axe wielded by the skeleton was thankfully still remained, so into the shopping bag it goes. Sure, the spear was still around, but given the lack of flesh, slashing would work a lot better than piercing right now.
The more interesting remains, though, were the three dark red bones laying behind. Femurs, I think. Picking one up, I shivered at the inner heat that seemed to permeate from it before sliding it into the shopping bag. Admittedly, Cursed Bones (or at least, I'm assuming that was what these are) aren't usable in-game outside of Ascension and Skill Upgrading, but given how they're cursed, they'll honestly have more of a spiritual presence than the axe or wok, meaning that they'll be better for fighting off Servants.
...The three to five seconds I do fight them off before dying, that is.
Stuffing the remaining bones into the bag, I looked around for anything else that would be necessary. However, while the cast-iron pans would've been useful earlier, the axe and bones were far more effective for combat. Spinning the wok around to examine how damaged the back was, I whistled in appreciation. Despite being struck at with a magically created sword and breaking bones, the pan was surprisingly still intact, with nary a dent and only a single scratch in the middle. Damn, it's one hell of a shield. However, I couldn't keep holding onto the wok, especially since the handle would make it difficult to hold onto…
An idea began to develop in my mind, and I examined the handle for a bit before grabbing a nearby meat tenderizer that was undamaged. It was time to make some changes to the wok. Walking into the bathroom again, I set the wok on the ground, pinning it by the grip handle via kneeling on it. WIth the wok kept in place, I grabbed the other handle and, lifting the tenderizer up, began to strike the handle. Loud clangs reverberated through the bathroom as I kept pounding at the handle, possibly drawing even more skeletons, but slowly the handle began to bend.
After several minutes of tedious hammering, I finally let the hammer drop down. Panting lightly, I lifted the wok up, examining my handiwork. The bowl itself had no alterations to it. However, the long handle had been bent inwards, allowing for it to be easily gripped and block attacks. A sudden rattling outside drew me away from my musings. Sliding the wok-shield onto my arm, I grabbed the skeletal axe from the bag and hoisted it up. "Alright, skeletons," I muttered, stepping out of the bathroom, "I've got a bone to pick with you." I snickered at the pun, but steeled myself as I entered the store floor to find… nothing.
Crouching down slightly, I lifted up my makeshift shield and began turning from side to side, looking around for any bony warriors. However, it seems that the skeletons I heard were farther away than what it sounded…
A soft whistling noise was the only warning I got, and I quickly dropped to the floor. This was probably the only thing that saved me, as several knives and arrows flew where my head and torso used to be. Jesus, that was too close! Getting up to my knees, I poked my head over the counter, only to gulp in fright at what I saw. Standing out on the street, a trio of undead archers stood at the ready, the bigger problem was the center figure. Cloaked in black from head to toe and standing over seven feet tall, the only unique feature was a white skull mask stood out vividly underneath the hood. While he had announced himself, this was undoubtedly-
"Assassin," I whispered in fear, ducking back behind the counter and gazed at them through a shelf. This was honestly the worst Servant I could end up against. Assassins specialized in taking enemy Masters out, and with this Assassin wielding the cursed arm, he didn't even need to directly touch me to kill me. All it'd take is him breaking out his Noble Phantasm, and he'd be enjoying liquified hearts!
As if hearing me, the skeletons and Assassin gazed at me through my peephole, and I audibly gulped before pulling away. My paranoia was rewarded with several hearty thunks in the counter, a knife flying through the hole to embed in the floor. "Come on now, Master," Assassin hissed, a mocking drawl evident at the last word while the latest blade dissolved into specks of light, "Surrender now, and I promise your death will be short."
"As much as I appreciate the offer," I responded, groping around for something to throw back at them, "I'm afraid that I'm going to-" Grabbing hold of a small cleaver, I grabbed it by the handle and bolted back up, "Throw that offer away!" Lifting my arm up, I threw the cleaver at Assassin as hard as I could, the blade flying through the air…
...A mere 30 feet before it fell to the ground, clattering on the tiles. A few seconds passed as Assassin, the skeletons and myself stood there, the silence hanging in the air from the awkwardness before I gave a nervous grin. "Best two out of three?," I asked. However, the skeletons were hardly amused, and I was forced to duck back down as several arrows flew through the air. Grabbing the axe from the bag, I glanced over at a line of fridges several feet away. If I can get over there, then I'll have enough protection to-
The sudden presence of a looming shadow cut my thoughts off, and I looked up before screaming in fright. Despite not hearing any movement, Assassin had somehow snuck right up to me, his unwrapped arm raised and pulsing with vivid red lines. "As amusing as your attempts are," He said, effortlessly knocking my wok-shield away before manifesting a large knife in his hand, "I don't play with my 'prey'."
"Now, now, Assassin," An unknown voice cut in, making the black killer freeze, "I wouldn't go far as to kill him. After all…" While I couldn't see the speaker, Assassin flickered away before a trio of searing spheres flew past, crashing into some equipment out of sight. Scooting over to the wok-shield, I grabbed it by the short handle and rose up, laying eyes on my savior standing in the doorway.
"I can't let you kill him off, especially with the performance he's given," Cu Chulainn said with a smirk, spinning his staff around before slamming it on the ground.
Author's Notes: *Pokes head out from under desk* That concludes the prologue, and brings us into Singularity F. Alex's finally activated his Magic Circuits, fought the native skeletons, encountered Assassin, and Cu Chulainn's finally made an appearance.
I hope that you've enjoyed the latest chapters, and join us-
?: HOLD IT!
Wait, who was that?
This is the Hidden Singularity: Roaring Tiger's Dojo. Would you like to continue?
Note: The Tiger Dojo is a strange hint corner. If you enter by yourself, or remain in suspense, you have been warned.
1. Yes.
2. No.
"Yosh!," Taiga greeted in delight, clapping her hands together, "Residing outside the boundaries of time and space, I'm proud to host our first showing of Hidden Singularity: Roaring Tiger's Dojo! And the one hosting the show will be none other than me, Taiga Fujimaru!"
"I'm the assistant, Student No. 1!," Illya exclaimed cheerfully, clad in her gym uniform.
"And I'm more than a little ticked off with you two," A floating skull said, a sizable sweatdrop forming despite the dark fiery aura surrounding it, "How did you even get here? For that matter, how are you still around? The timelines should've completely collapsed when the Singularities started."
"Fool!," Taiga shouted, pointing her shinai at the skull, "The Tiger Dojo exists completely outside all main timelines in the Type-Moon universe! This allows for us to provide commentary to any and all timelines!"
"That would explain why you guys constantly appeared in each bad end of the Fate/Stay Night visual novel," The skull said, glancing at Taiga's white kimono before added, "This would also explain why you rarely change outfits." Taiga's face seemed to radiate red, several tick marks popping on her head before she began striking at the floating head, shouts of rage marking each thrust.
"S-Sensei, please calm down!," Illya cut in, keeping Taiga from swinging at him, "Besides, we still need to announce the next chapter's title!"
"I don't think she'll be able to do so at the moment, given that she's emulating a raging tiger," The skull commented, earning a roar of rage from Taiga, "I think you should handle it solo."
"Right!," Illya chimed, waving as her sensei began chasing the skull around the dojo, "Next Chapter: Child of Light VS Servant of Darkness!"
"Check it OUT!," Taiga screamed, lunging at the skull only for him to duck below the blow.
