AN:
This chapter is the last part that is "canon" with the sequel Moon Cell of Red: REBELLION.
Calamity/binary self
That which issues
From the Heart alone,
Will bend the Hearts of others
To your Own.
Combatants remaining: ERROR
I see my Discourse leaves you cold;
Dear Kids, I do not take Offense;
Recall: The Devil, he is old,
Grow old yourselves, and he'll make sense!
MYSELF
When we return from the Coliseum, the school is still the same. Is this how it is supposed to be? I should be the last person here, along with my Servant. Rin is nothing but an anomaly, so she would not count. We are approached by Rin, as soon as she spots us.
"Hakuno, you made it!" She hugs me, to congratulate me (and Saber) on the victory. I notice now, this school is too quiet.
"What happened?" I ask Rin. She has been here while we fought Leo and Gawain, so she should have noticed anything that may have changed.
"All the NPC disappeared. Well, the war has ended," Rin explains. So, this is how it is supposed to be?
"And, what to do now?" Saber's gaze wanders to the door to the Coliseum. This is the only place we could go now, right? Even though we just came from there. But, this is not real life, but a simulation run by the Moon Cell's core so it is possible that it will lead elsewhere now. "Are you ready?" I ask Saber. We do not know what may happen, and we may be separated any moment. In return, Saber holds my hand. This is the first time she ever did this…
"Are you?" I nod at her, and strengthen my grip on her hand. Holding her hand makes me feel safer, I am not as afraid of what may be coming at us.
With that, we open the door again to step in.
What we find, reminds me of when got into this mess of a tournament. It may even be the very same path that I walked back then, the only difference being that I am fine. I do not feel dizzy or sick, and I am not alone.
The path feels endlessly long, supported by the fact that every metre looks just like the last one – you would never be able to see whether you move forward or stay in the same spot, especially since the door back to the school has vanished as we went through.
Keeping going, the path is now illuminated and at the end of it, I find myself in a room that is all too familiar – this is where I met Saber. It feels nostalgic to get back here, and never would I have imagined to see this room again. This room, where I almost died, but was saved by my own will to live on. And Saber, who decided at that moment to fight for me and protect me.
"This is the beginning room," comments Rin. So, every Master has been here at their start. "This is…where I met Lancer." I wonder if Rin went through the same as I did, but it feels like the wrong time to ask.
"Someone's there," says Saber, glaring at the darkness. "Come out, coward!" Who could still be here? Maybe it is some sort of NPC to guide the winner or—
Out of the darkness, a boy materialises. His short, messy hair is the same brunett colour as mine, his eyes are the very same deer brown as mine. Our height is almost the same, he is just a slight bit taller. The same expression decorates his face, the one Rin would call bland.
"Nice to meet you… or, well, me," he says, holding up his right hand. This…cannot be, right?
"You are me," I state. There is no other way, the similarities cannot be a mere coincidence. Neither the fact that he is still around.
"Your Mind," he corrects me. "And you are my Soul."
Both, Saber and Rin look back and forth between me and Hakuno – the other one – possibly to take in all our similar features.
"Why are you male when Hakuno is female?" Rin seems the most observant. But now that she asks this… Really, why? What am I? He softly chuckles.
"That really seems weird, does it not? Well…as you probably know, our Body broke, for the most part. Mind and Soul, so, me and you, both remember the most distinct features, so we inhabited NPC bodies that were similar enough. For you, it was a female. For me, it was a male," he explains. How come he knows more about our state than I do?
"What am I, then? In…real life," I ask. He smiles at me softly, and I can feel he really is me. He would not fight or hurt me, for sure. That is just who we are.
"A girl. The Soul cares about what feels right, so it chose a female body. The Mind…takes the body that would objectively be advantageous. And, that was this body. Physically speaking, it is stronger. That was enough, it seems." In the end, that would make me the truer version, I suppose.
"How do you know all that?" Rin asks him. There are so many questions we could ask Hakuno, he seems so knowledgeable about everything. Is that really me? Maybe it is because he is the Mind.
"I am the Mind, so I have the memories of… our life. Rani helped me with some things, though. I really did not know anything about the Moon Cell when I started, but for that…well, let us say, I had a good teacher." So, he was the one who saved Rani, the one she talked about. She was so loyal to him, maybe she felt the same about him that Rin does about me?
"How…was our life?" I have to ask this. There is no other chance for me to ever find out, possibly. And if he knows, I trust him to tell me. Hakuno closes his eyes, then looks up.
"We are an only child, born to two loving parents. Nothing special about them or us, but…they loved us. However, we are sick. Our brain is infected with…some sort of disorder. Nothing much was known, and there was barely any progress on a cure. It would lock our access to memories and at the same time this would stress the brain so much, that in the long run, it would be lethal.
Our parents and we, we all got it. No one even knew how it spreads, it was too rare for most renowned doctors to care. All but one – Twice H. Pieceman. He made progress, but one day he just vanished. We were just a little child, back then. Our parents argued a lot, for years, but in the end, they decided to put us to cold sleep when we were 17.
It would prevent us from dying, and with Dr. Pieceman gone, there was no hope for a cure to save our life. This meant hope. It was about 10 years ago, but I do not think we have aged. The Moon Cell made some sort of backup copy of our conscience, so the cold sleep would not harm us. That is about all," he concludes.
"So, I…we are alive?" He nods.
"More or less. That does not change that we should not exist here, though. We did not get here naturally, the Moon Cell's core should delete us when we get into it. There is some time left, possibly enough to make at least some sort of wish come true… But that is it. No guarantee we would see it in this decade or century ourselves," he states, matter-of-factly.
"What do you think?" I ask Saber, and Rin. We have no proof that he is really me, or my Mind. But what other explanation is there for his existence?
"He definitely feels like you, Master. I don't doubt it's you one bit," admits Saber, though she does not seem to like that idea.
"The similarities can't be some coincidence. Though I feel like he's somewhat better looking than you." Thanks, Rin. That is what worried me, I think, ironically.
"What are you here for? I mean…" But I do not have to finish. As he is me, and I am him, he knows what I am getting at.
"Yes, one of us has to disappear. I was asked to be the one to get to the Moon Cell, thus I fought. Just like you, I had to kill several Servants, and with them their Masters and their hopes and dreams. I wish I would not have had to but… There is no other way. I need to be the one to make a wish, to help the world progress. I will get rid of this brain disorder." Hakuno seems determined. But this means…
"We will have to fight?" I ask, saddened. How could I fight myself? He nods, apologetically.
"I fear we do…or rather, our Servants. I am sorry, really." His Servant materialises behind him. On first glance, I know it is a Saber.
Blonde hair, a blue dress decorated with silver armour, a holy sword in her hand and the very same eyes I grew to love. This…cannot be.
Saber drops Clarent in shock. "Father…? How…"
"So we meet again, Mordred," Arturia smiles softly.
This is the king who took my knight's life, the one who distressed her more than anything. Any, just any other opponent would have been fine. But this? Mordred should not have to face this nightmare again.
"I can't fight you," states Mordred. I can see she is on the verge of crying. I know she does not want to repeat the same rebellion as she once did, especially not against her father. Why must fate be so cruel?
"There is no helping it. Prepare," says Arturia, before charging it. Mordred grits her teeth, but grips her sword fast enough to protect herself against the attack. "Your reflexes are as good as always," comments Arturia.
"I don't want praise from you," barks Mordred, pushing Arturia back, who still lands on her feet. Then, she charges right back in, Clarent clashing with Excalibur.
The King of Knights fighting the Knight of Treachery – father against son. They both are about the same in strength, I am not sure any of them could win.
"Do we not…?" I ask Hakuno, who shakes his head.
"No, I think the two of them need to settle this." I bite my lip. I do not like the idea not to support Mordred, but on the other hand, this is something between the two of them. Hakuno is right, we should not interfere.
"What if you lose?" He chuckles.
"Then the rebellion wins over the ideals, I suppose."
"Why are you so perfect?!" shouts Mordred, as yet another strike of her was easily deflected. She has not laid a single scratch on even the armour of her opponent, so very unlikely for her.
"I am far from perfect, Mordred. Why do you fight so uncovered?" Another swift strike from Excalibur, but Mordred jumps above it and tries to strike Arturia from above, who jumps back.
"Why do you hide behind armour, father?!" Mordred bites back, halting her movements.
"As you wish," says Arturia, as she dematerialises her armour, leaving her just in a blue dress. She is pretty in her own way, but not as striking as Mordred, I notice. "Now we are even." And again, Arturia tries to strike Mordred, who was less than a second too slow, but still had the side of her stomach cut. Not a deep wound, but bleeding nonetheless.
"This was the first time you called me your equal," Mordred sobs. She is hiding her face, looking down as she grips her wound, hiding her tears. Even though this was nothing but a small observation for Arturia, for her, Mordred, it means so much more.
"I have always seen you as a skilled swordsman," Arturia says. She is still observant, but she does not seem to want to strike an opponent who is on the ground. A knight of chivalry, apparently.
"Then why… Why did you not give me the crown?!" Mordred shouts at her. This is a question that has always bothered her, and now is probably the only time she could ask this.
"The crown means pain and suffering. Giving yourself up for your people, and still ending in ruin. I was too young myself when I got it, I would not burden anyone else with this. At the same time…you did not have the capacity of a king. Just like I did not."
This is unexpected. The great king of Britain found herself unfitting for the crown all along? No legend told about her in this way. She was seen as a role model of a king, never as someone who regrets it.
"You're the perfect king," Mordred states stubbornly.
"That is not true. I have committed many mistakes, you should know this the best, Mordred. Even without your rebellion, my kingdom was crumbling. I could not have saved it."
Arturia drops her sword.
"We were wrong?" asks Hakuno. Arturia nods at him.
"There is a reason I answered your summoning, and a reason Mordred answered hers. We are alike," she says, softly. Hakuno sighs, looking at me tending to Saber's wound, now that it seems they stopped fighting.
"Maybe I have lost my way. I do not possess the same strength as she does, I am not…this kind."
"Neither am I," says Arturia.
"Hakuno! We surrender," he tells me. This easily…?
"But, why?" I cannot help but asking. He seemed so determined about his goal and wish. He shrugs, smiling softly.
"I trust you more than myself to make the right decision, I guess. I have no guts to trust," he says. "So, just end this," he turns to Mordred, whose eyes widen in shock.
"I… I can't possibly kill you. I just can't," says Mordred, looking at her father. "I shouldn't… This is wrong," she cries. Arturia shakes her head and approaches her.
"It is fine, I assure you. This is your way, your kingdom." She hugs Mordred. "You grew up so well since I last saw you. I think that, at this point, you are more fit to be a king than I ever was."
Even I can feel that she speaks the truth.
"Why…didn't you accept me back then?" Mordred sobs. "Everything could've turned out better."
"I could not, because I was faulted. I never despised you, as you thought. Had I been more considerate, and a better father… Maybe you could have become a king surpassing me and saved the country."
"There's no way," whispers Mordred, barely audible for anyone but herself and Arturia…and me, since I am close to her. "Father were and always will be flawless," she smiles.
I am glad the two of them could make up, but this still leaves one thing to do. No matter how painful it is – Mordred must kill Arturia.
"I didn't think I'd use my Noble Phantasm ever," she says, almost smiling. Arturia smiles at her as well.
"Who else would it be more fitting to meet than me?"
With that, Mordred raises her sword, concentrating a high amount of energy on it. A black light with red lightning engulfs the whole blade.
"Rebellion against my beautiful father…" Mordred chants, before looking a probably last time at her father, Arturia, who smiles at her.
"I am proud of your growth, and proud of you," Arturia says.
"Clarent Blood Arthur!" Mordred shouts, bringing her sword down at Arturia. The dark light is too blinding for me to see anything, but when my vision is back, Arturia is gone and only Hakuno, as a buggy mess, is left.
"You won," he says. "Will you accept my memories?" This is probably some sort of NPC or mechanism overtaking already.
I shake my head. "No, those memories are his, not mine. I will only take the Mind."
His remaining frame disappears, being sucked into my chest. I feel dizzy for a while, but Rin supports my stance.
"Are you all right?" she asks me, and I nod.
"What about you, Mordred?" I completely forget about calling her by her class' name, but at this point I feel like I can drop this anyway. Now Rink knows her identity as well, it is not a secret to keep anymore. Mordred wipes her teeth.
"Am fine. Let's move on," she says.
Now, we will have to reach the Moon Cell's core – and trust that Hakuno was right to entrust this to me, and Mordred.
FINALE
After I patch up Saber's physical wounds, we follow the dark path Hakuno materialised from, and it feels so much more endless than the last few paths did. After a longer walk, I can see a light at the end of the path. I still worry if Saber really is as fine as she said – I doubt she is – but for now, all I can do is hold her hand tightly. It will be over soon, I tell myself, but I am not sure if that makes me relieved or sad.
We reach a room, that looks endlessly big. It almost reminds of the part of a beach, where there is just a bit water over the sand, not any deep. But the most abstract thing is a blue cube floating. Half of it is open, and inside of it is a light reminding of the sun, but not as warm and not as blinding. This must be the Moon Cell's core. This must be where I am supposed to go now, am I not? I take a deep breath, ready to make up my mind, before a man steps into our vision from behind a pile of shapes I cannot make out the origins of.
"Welcome! Welcome, to the Moon Cell's core. Congratulations to the victory, Hakuno Kishinami. I have expected no less," the man says, enthusiastically. He wears a white lab coat, straight black hair and glasses. He looks like a professor, scientist or possibly even a doctor, possibly in his thirties?
"Who are you?" I ask. I would assume this is an NPC, to lead the victor into the Moon Cell so it would not cause issues. Turns out, I am wrong.
"My name was Twice H. Pieceman. But now, you can call me Saviour." His name rings a bell. My eyes widen in shock as I realise who this man is. Hakuno had just told us! This is the doctor, the only one who cared about this disorder my brain has. The only one who could have saved me, my parents and a good number of other people from death, but disappeared. So this is where he went? How long has he been here? I cannot help but feel angry at him. He abandoned many, and now calls himself 'Saviour'.
"I see you know about me. It appears, your Mind has told you? Do not hate me. I am the one who brought you here, after all." What does he…?
"You…what?"
"Yes, of course. When I learned of this masterpiece of technology, I studied and studied, I became a spiritron hacker just to join this war. I could not have cared less about my body in the real world, so with the right medications I made sure it would die soon after my consciousness transferred."
"You…killed yourself when you got here?"
"I had to – I did not plan to get back. I had great plans. And I felt like my plans were right, because I kept winning smoothly. I made it to the Moon Cell, about two decades ago. But when I got here, my Servant told me – if I dare to go into the Moon Cell, it will delete my consciousness. I am not really alive anymore, you see? I should not be here."
He is like me, in this regard. Almost, at least, because I am not yet dead.
"So, I waited. I knew, this war is held every ten years. The winner of the last war…had wrong ideals. He wanted to save people, to make everyone happy. Such foolish, childish ideas. I had to keep him from the Moon Cell's core, but at the same time, I grew tired of waiting.
I learned to get around most safety protocols of the Moon Cell and looked for a candidate to share my ideals as well. And there, I found you, in the big database of human consciousness. I did not know much about you, but your Mind agreed with me. He wanted to fulfil my wish for the world."
Yes, my Mind said something along those lines. But he did not exactly tell me, what he or Twice planned.
Also, this means Twice is how I got here. I was never meant to participate and bet on my life here, for his own selfish reasons, Twice made me do this.
"What is your wish?" Rin asks, before I even can.
"I see, you have created your own anomaly. Just like him, and I. I am sorry you were separated, by the way. It seemed that the anomaly I caused was too severe to create one fully functioning cyberframe. It was my first experiment, after all.
But, I digest. My wish is to end this farce. Progress halted, the whole world stagnates, for way too long. Why was your brain disorder not cured yet? Because there is no need for progress. Everyone lives into their day, the next one will come. We need a war. Bigger than the last ones, involving the whole world. Weeding out the week – natural selection at its finest!"
This man must have lost his mind. This cannot be right!
"I see your point," says Rin, surprising me. How can she even agree with him?! "But, don't you find it cruel? What about your family?"
"Sacrifices must be made for a future." He says it like it is nothing. But in his position, he can do that. He would not die, he can stay here and watch the world like the god he believes himself to be.
"There's some miscalculation in your plan, doc," Saber speaks up surprisingly, grinning at me. I know what she means. He cannot go into the Moon Cell because he is dead, and I am not too different.
"What do you mean?"
"I cannot go into the Moon Cell's core myself. I was in cold sleep long before you got me here, I would be deleted myself," I tell him. He seems to be losing himself, it seems he never knew about this crucial part.
"He did not tell me that. Why would he? That little…!" It seems, all his plan was for nothing; all the years of preparation and learning. "Then, you…! You understand, do you not?" He turns to Rin, who looks at us.
"I'm not the winner here, so I doubt I could do anything. Sorry," she sticks out her tongue at him.
I am glad we three seem to be on the same side, after all. I glance at Saber, and instantly she knows what to do.
"Gladly," she grins, before raising her sword to cut Twice H. Pieceman in two pieces – the only man who could have saved the real me. But that chance was long gone. I can only wait for some other doctor to take an interest in my condition and work on a cure.
Upon Twice's disappearance, a stair to the Moon Cell's core builds itself. I look at it. This is where I am supposed to go. I will be deleted, but still.
"What should we do now?" asks Rin. "We could stay in the simulation forever. In ten years, there'll be new people, too."
"I wouldn't mind," agrees Saber. I know where she is coming from. I can understand her, I would not mind spending the eternity with her either. But this is not what I fought for…
If there is just a small chance that I can make any change, then I will. I know Saber would want to stop me. I raise the hand with the red Command Seal still engraved, two parts of it remaining.
"Master? What are you—" But I do not give Saber the time to finish.
"Saber. I, Hakuno Kishinami, your Master, order you by the might of the Moon Cell's omniscience and the Command Seal given to me: Do not stop me."
"No. You can't be serious. You can't just do this. Hakuno!" I can hear the despair in her voice, and it pains me. But I cannot give in to this. I cannot let all the sacrifices of other Masters go to waste now.
"Hakuno…" Rin watches silently. But I am not done yet. I have one Command Seal left.
"Saber. I, Hakuno Kishinami, your Master, order you by the might of the Moon Cell's omniscience and the Command Seal given to me: …do not follow me."
Saber is engulfed in a red light, paralyzing her. "Hakuno! Don't you dare to fucking leave me here…!" She is crying now, and so am I. I turn around.
"Sorry," I murmur, but I know it is not enough. I cannot make up for this pain I am making her go through right now, whatever I do. "I love you."
And with that, I run into the Moon Cell's core.
"S-Saber," I hear Rin's voice faintly, but inside of this, I cannot make out anything. I feel heavy. The kind of heavy you feel when you are too tired, and about to close your eyes…for forever.
And yet, I take out my terminal. In this space, I can make much more changes to the Moon Cell's code than anywhere else. If I am just typing fast enough… Maybe I can do it. Maybe I can give Saber another shot at life. Maybe… I can even save myself.
I am only half done when I can feel that more than half of my body is gone. I cannot do it, I notice bitterly. It was too much for me. By myself, I am useless after all.
"Don't you dare to ever leave me," I hear Saber's voice. Slightly distorted, but clearly enough. How could she follow me?! She should not be able to resist a Command Seal, right?
But it seems that this halts the deletion process just enough to let me type the last semicolon before my consciousness is faded completely.
This is it.
