A/N: Thanks again to Greatratking88 for his work on the chapter, and thanks to everyone who put down a favorite, follow and/or review.
First to take care of those reviews I can't respond to.
Jay: Thank you, I am glad to hear it.
Trying to plan out an original singularity was not easy, especially when trying to meld the World History of Code Geass with real world history to create a singularity that could be a pillar of human history. Another issue was ensuring the timeline match with Britannia's calendar system. Hopefully all of it fits and works out, so without delay here we go.
Enjoy the chapter…
Chapter 6
The First Singularity
Two days had passed since events of Fuyuki. The remaining staff at Chaldea worked double shifts to get Chaldea back to full operation capacity, overseen by Sion and Leonardo. The command center had been restored, and any systems damaged by Lev's treachery had been fully repaired. The only issue left was Director Olga, who had locked herself in her room after her recovery.
I don't know what happened between Olga and her father, but I suppose she latched onto Lev because he supported her. No, it's more than that. Maybe he was the father figure Olga wanted, so she kept pushing herself to avoid disappointing him. Always wanting to prove to everyone she could meet all expectations to prove her father wrong, Lelouch thought as he walked down a hallway.
The hallways were scarcely populated compared to a few days ago. The population of Chaldea had only declined further after some had attempted to venture beyond the magnetic field. Unsurprisingly, no one had returned from their venture beyond the magnetic field. Lelouch assumed they were likely dead.
"So, Master, what is our destination?" Genghis Khan asked, following behind Lelouch.
"I don't have all of the details, Khagan, but Sion mentioned we're traveling to Japan during the year 1941 A.T.B. Its during the closing days of the Russo-Japanese War, otherwise called the Manchurian Campaign."
"I assume you have read up on the conflict?" The Khan asked. There was an inquisitive tone to the servant's voice, and Lelouch decided to elaborate.
"Of course. I think I can see how it shaped humanity as a pillar of human history. It might've been just another war between two countries, but it's the aftermath that left great ripple effects that were felt for decades for come. It all began with the Russian Empire, the last monarchy to survive the Age of Revolution, started exerting increasing economic influence over Manchuria. That also included other territories, such as the neutral Korean Peninsula that acted as a buffer between Japan, the Chinese Empire prior to its becoming the Chinese Federation, and the Russian Empire."
"I take it Japan was uncomfortable with two large nations so close to it, given its size?" Genghis Khan said, folding his arms together.
"Yes, and Japan had been recognized as possessing the largest deposits of Sakuradite in the world by then. The mineral was becoming increasingly valuable for both military usage and scientific use. The Chinese Empire was looking to claim the Korean Peninsula for itself, but it knew Russia and Japan would intervene. Russia, on the other hand, was content with their holdings in Manchuria, but they did pressure Japan to give up Dalian, which the Chinese Empire agreed to lease to the Russia Empire in exchange for a beneficial trade agreement between the two countries. However, as the Russian Empire worked to establish a railway system from Dalian to Russia's main railroad network, Japan became increasingly paranoid that Russia would seize Korea, afraid they would be facing down two larger nations."
"I take it Japan decided to take action. It must have been quite a gamble."
Lelouch nodded. "Indeed, it was, but they had some support from the Holy Britannian Empire. Representatives from that nation traveled to Japan, offering them discount-price warships from their shipyards in their newly conquered naval yards in Area 7- Hawaii- and training in exchange for better trading agreements for Sakuradite."
"Why not just conquer Japan? I know they did so decades later," the Khan inquired.
"Britannia was occupied with the assimilation of Area 8- that's the Falkland Islands- and Area 9, New Zealand- the former of which they needed to fortify due to occasional attacks from the E.U. trying to drive them out. Besides that they were facing internal problems, especially among the Royal Family leading up to the Emblem of Blood incident."
"However, it's worth noting the Emperor of the time, James le Britannia, was a pragmatic, very devious man. He knew Britannia couldn't seize Japan at the time, but he was able to obtain plenty of Sakuradite from them thanks to a deal he cut with Japan."
"He took advantage of their small size and lack of resources, especially when they had a dangerous neighbor like the Chinese Empire next to them," The Khan said.
"On paper it was a good deal for the Japanese, but it wouldn't be until decades later they realized Britannia had swindled them. Of course, it didn't help Emperor James knew who to bribe among the ruling class to keep Japan from realizing the deception, ensuring he got all of the Sakuradite Britannia needed in exchange for some training, warships and protection. Britannia would intervene on Japan's behalf if any other country declared war on it."
"Protection? More to ensure that the trade routes between Japan and Britannia remained undisturbed."
"Yes, and the warships? The reason Japan got them for a bargain was because all of the vessels were slated for decommission. Britannia was already accelerating its technological development by rolling out new warships around this time. Anything past its time or obsolete was sold to Japan."
"I see. But it sounds like Japan still got capable warships, even if they were obsolete," the Khan pointed out.
"Indeed. So once they were ready, Japan launched a preemptive attack on 6th of February 1941 A.T.B," Lelouch replied.
"How did the war progress?"
Lelouch stopped as they neared the cafeteria, leaning against a wall.
"Japan had an early advantage after their attack on Dalian, which had been renamed Port Arthur. They managed to trap most of the Russian Navy docked there with a combination of mines and their warships limiting their options. The Russians were well-entrenched, and the area provided them with natural defenses to keep the Japanese from advancing further. The Russians were trying to hold out for reinforcements, but their railway system was two years off from completion, so it was difficult. Japan had complete control of the seas, but eventually they managed to seize some of the outer fortifications, enabling them to launch attacks on the Russians which they could not retaliate against. They lost the port, along with five of their warships, allowing the Japanese to proceed further inland."
"So Russia was losing the war, then."
"Yes. It led to the most decisive naval victory of the century for Japan during the Battle of Tsushima. The Russians were attempting to sneak a fleet of warships through the Tsushima Straits under the cover of darkness. Unfortunately for them, the Japanese were aware of their approach and detected their forces. They attacked, nearly wiping out Russia's entire navy save for three ships," Lelouch said.
"It sounds like Japan was winning the war."
"Yes and no," Lelouch replied before explaining. "Despite seemingly the clear winner in the war, the Japanese suffered their own far share of losses. Complicating the matter was the fact that the war was economically unsustainable for Japan; they were suffering spiraling costs and they were gaining little back for their victories. Not to mention during a celebration they lost their own flagship to a fire caused by someone having too much to drink."
"So, who sued for peace first?" The Khan inquired folding his arms.
"Tsar Nicholas II believed the war was no longer worth the cost and victory wasn't within reach, but in reality, had he persisted for a few more months, Russia could have turned the war around and won against an economically exhausted Japan. The Emperor of China offered to mediate between the two sides, but because Japan's economy was exhausted, they had little bargaining power other than Sakuradite. So Russia, despite the disasters they suffered in the war got some favorable terms from the peace treaty between the two sides. However, in the end both Britannia and the Chinese Empire benefited the most, especially the latter," Lelouch said, with disappointed expression.
"I see. And after the Peace Treaty was signed the Chinese seized Korea and Port Arthur, didn't they?"
Lelouch nodded. "Not long after, they annexed India as well. Neither Russia nor Japan could stop them. It was only thanks to Britannia's protection that Japan wasn't invaded, but it left the smaller nation further indebted to Britannia, forcing them to give them more Sakuradite while they had to trade with China and indirectly Russia as per the Peace Treaty."
"Meaning the Pillar of History here isn't the war itself, but the aftermath."
"That's right," Lelouch said, nodding. "For Japan, their losses were substantial and their economy was left in ruins. They had lost tens of thousands of men with little to show for it."
"What happened to their emperor, then?"
"He resigned, unable to bear the shame. Despite winning the war, Japan was nearly ruined. I don't know if you would call it a coup, but the military leadership and the civil government- who did all the real governing anyhow- quietly agreed the imperial family was not necessary to rule the country. To face the changing world, they adopted a democratic system of governance, and pursued an aggressive campaign of modernization. Eventually they managed to take advantage of their deal with Britannia and China to become the main exporter of Sakuradite, becoming a economic powerhouse with a place on the world stage. At least until Britannia declared war on them, decades later."
"What of Russia?"
"Despite the favorable terms they got from the peace treaty with Japan, their military disasters and the fact that many realized that had Russia persisted they could've won the war, Russia's reputation as a country was ruined. No one was even willing to take them seriously as a naval power as a result. This was ultimately the trigger for the Russian Revolutions, leading up to the Red October that resulted in the overthrow of Nicholas II and the end of the Russian Empire. It was a long time coming due to other factors and events that progressively got worse until a revolution was inevitable," Lelouch replied.
"So the loss of the war led to a ripple effect, causing down the downfall of old empires, yet slowly reshaped the world. Japan becomes a nation wielding considerable influence because of its Sakuradite mines. Russia falls."
"Yes. The Chinese Empire didn't escape completely unscratched either. No one knows who ordered it, but the Emperor of China was assassinated a month after the Emperor of Japan resigned. Some believed it was done on the last orders of Japan's final emperor, but others speculate Britannia did it to destabilize the region. Following the Emperor's demise, he was succeeded by an incompetent fool who was widely unpopular, which set off a violent power struggle and ultimately a civil war, ultimately leading to the Empire dissolved and reformed as Chinese Federation."
"Quite a ripple effect," The Khan said, impressed.
"It did drive many militaries to begin modernizing their forces, and it led to more of an investment in using Sakuradite for military purposes, increasing its value as Japan made use of them against the Russian Naval forces," Lelouch added.
"That considered, what do you suppose the enemy's objective will be?"
"Hard to say, but they might be changing the outcome of the aftermath of these events, beginning with the Japanese reforms that changed its government," Lelouch guessed.
"I suppose we'll find out when we get there. But first, let us eat," The Khan suggested gesturing for Lelouch to follow him into the cafeteria.
"Of course," Lelouch said in agreement as the two entered the cafeteria.
However, upon reaching the prepared meals left waiting for them, Lelouch couldn't help but groan at what he was seeing.
"Why did we have to lose all of the cafeteria's staff?" Lelouch lamented.
Among those who attempted to venture beyond the magnetic field protecting Chaldea were the cooks and workers for the cafeteria. Some had remained, but none of them knew how to cook and could only clean and take care of dishes.
Well, all but one, at least…
"I don't understand it, why does the food since yesterday has to be pizza," Lelouch complained. "How is that a healthy breakfast?!"
"It's healthy," a voice countered. "Just look, I made a pizza with scrambled eggs and chopped sausages!"
Appearing behind the counter was a young girl around Lelouch's age with long light green hair and yellow eyes, wearing a chef's uniform with a white hat on her head.
"But, if you like I got a "meat lovers" with bacon on it," C.C. offered, gesturing towards her pizza.
Her breakfast-themed pizza consisted of scrambled egg with shredded cheese and ketchup, with chopped bacon and sausages on top of a stuffed crust.
"I'll try a slice," The Khan offered.
"Good man," C.C. complimented before offering him a plate.
"Are you seriously going to eat that, Khagan?" said Lelouch, exasperated. "It's revolting."
"Master, I grew up on a diet of rancid yak milk and beef you tenderized by putting it under your saddle all day. You learn not to be a picky eater when you spend your life campaigning."
Around the same time in another corner of Chaldea, Sion was standing outside of a room with a apprehensive expression on her face.
"I am an engineer and alchemist. Why was I asked to do this?" she grumbled, both hands on her hips.
Unfortunately for her, Chaldea never thought to employ a psychiatrist, which would have been useful right now. To say Olga had taken the news of Lev's betrayal poorly was an understatement. Ever since she recovered, she had locked herself in her room and had so far refused to come out. Besides Lev's betrayal- a man who was the closest thing to a father she had, somebody who had supported her for years- she also had to deal with the news of the world ending.
"I guess she is still alive, according to the communicator she is still wearing," Sion mused, using her own communicator to check on Olga's vitals. "But why me? I am qualified for… damage control, not this."
"Better than sending me or Roman in there," Da Vinci said, approaching from behind. "I know I am in the body of a woman, but to her I am still a man underneath. I think she might react better to another woman."
"And Roman is probably a worse choice, given how much Olga dislikes him."
Da Vinci nodded. "I don't know why Olga dislikes Roman, but he said he assumes it's because he and her father were close friends."
"Marisbury all but ignored Olga throughout her life."
"Right. This leads me to believe the problem is that under the false mask of a capable and hardened commander, Olga is has some unresolved trauma. The revelations surrounding Lev has been especially hard on her. She's still in denial, the poor thing. Not surprising given, what he meant to her."
"Putting it that way, I would say Olga was very dependent on Lev to run Chaldea, and for emotional support," Sion said, burying her face into her palm. "I am so not qualified for this."
"I know, but you are a better choice than me, and you are the only other person in Chaldea intelligent enough to ask," Da Vinci replied with a wink.
"I appreciate the vote of confidence, but once again, this is outside of my field."
"I'll leave the rest to you," Da Vinci said, walking off.
"Hey, wait a minute," Sion called out, but Da Vinci was already gone.
Sion stood outside Olga's room for a few more moments before using her new access card to enter the Director's room. Inside the office, Sion found another door leading to the Director's own room. Unlike the rooms used by Master Candidates, it had more than one room adjacent to it. The first room was a living room with a sofa and a table, the second a spacious bathroom, and the final room was the bedroom.
The place looks normal, but where is Olga?
She was about to inspect the bedroom when she heard the sound of running water.
Quietly, Sion put her ear on the bathroom door trying to confirm Olga was inside. Once she heard the sound of running water Sion decided to wait for Olga to come out, but after a half-hour of waiting, her concern for the Director of Chaldea began to grow.
Well, there have been no changes to her vitals, but she has been in there for too long.
Taking a few moments to weigh her other options, she decided to quietly enter the bathroom, to get a look without freaking the director out.
She saw the shower stall, but to her surprise, she found Olga on the ground inside sobbing to herself inside of it. She paid no mind to the water continuing to rain on her, which made Sion wonder just how long Olga had been alone like this.
I may not be qualified for this, but I agree with Da Vinci. Leaving Olga by herself is not a good idea.
Back in the cafeteria, Lelouch was eating a proper breakfaster thanks to an unexpected hero, Emiya.
"I cannot thank you enough for giving us something other than pizza," Lelouch said gratefully.
"Likewise," Hakuno said, enjoying her own breakfast. Like Lelouch, she had quickly grown tired of pizza.
"I think we are all in agreement," Mash said, enjoying own breakfast.
"I didn't know you were a fantastic cook," Ritsuka offered.
"Your praise is unnecessary," Emiya said modestly. "Cooking was just a hobby when I was alive, nothing more than that."
"Well, I am feeling more confident we'll be in good hands during today's mission," Hakuno said reassuringly.
"Variation is good to have," The Khan replied, still eating a breakfast pizza slice.
"That reminds me- thanks for helping Mash getting used to combat," Ritsuka said, remembering how the Khan had sparred with her to improve her skill set.
"Not at all, boy- and I told you before there was no need to thank me," The Khan replied, before taking another bite.
"That reminds me; I am curious about where his sword came from. I know it was given to the Yellow Emperor by a Goddess, but how did he get it? I know he got it from one of his conquests, but…" Hakuno began before letting her sentence trail off.
"You're probably thinking they would have done more to keep such a treasure from me, is that right?" The Khan answered, an amused smile appearing on his face. "Well, its not in the way you are probably thinking, and it certainly didn't happen the way I would have imagined it."
"Was it like, a gift in exchange for winning a great battle for them or something?" Ritsuka asked.
Genghis Khan gave a knowing grin.
"In a matter of speaking. You see, the sword was offered to me as a gift by the daughter of the Jurchen Jin emperor, Wanyan Yongji. Her father gave me his daughter's hand in marriage in exchange for lifting the siege of Zhongdu. I don't know how the family got the sword, but they were in possession of it after it changed hands. I suppose nobody could use it after the Yellow Emperor."
"No one since him could use the sword you have?" Lelouch said, surprised.
"Yes. While I don't understand the details, I know the sword passed from owner to owner. Mostly it served as a symbol of authority," The Khan answered.
"And she just gave it you?" Ritsuka asked.
"Not exactly. You see, she did it without her father knowing about it," the Khan replied with a devious smile.
"Huh," Ritsuka and Hakuno exclaimed.
"It was done out of retribution, wasn't it? She was being offered to you in exchange for lifting your siege, and she was none too pleased?" Emiya deduced.
"You are correct, and I am sure you have already suspected she wasn't happy about it. I applaud her for the cunning she showed in sneaking the sword out and hiding it among her belongings. It was all to get back at her indecisive, weak ruler of a father, Princess Qiguo only asked I made sure everyone knew I had it," Genghis Khan replied with a grin.
"And you took advantage of its significance to your enemies, who were no doubt outraged over your possession of such a prized blade." Lelouch said.
"Oh, maliciously, master," The Khan replied with a laugh. "It was easy to drive some of my enemies in China to such a rage by merely showing this sword in my hand that they would make foolish mistakes on the battlefield I could capitalize on."
"I get the feeling that tactic must've been very effective," Lelouch remarked.
"Yes it was, master."
Meanwhile back in Olga's room, Sion had managed to get Olga out of the shower and into a bathrobe after drying her off. The Director of Chaldea was disheveled, and it was a worrying sight. The once mighty commander of Chaldea was a complete wreck.
I guess Lev's betrayal must have hit her a lot harder than I thought, Sion thought.
Olga was silent, emotions playing openly on her face. Hurt, misery, despair, hopelessness…
"So, the others asked me to check up on you. At least you should feel glad you're alive," Sion said, deciding to break the ice.
"Being dead might've been better," Olga began, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "From the moment I was born, I was never accepted by anyone. I was deemed a failure by my father before I could speak my first word."
"Well, Marisbury was a terrible parent. Nobody should give up on their child so early," Sion said, unsure of what to say.
"I can't be a master like I wanted, and I didn't care too much about protecting humanity. All I wanted was to prove that I could live up to the expectations expected of me," Olga said, tears slowly dripping down her cheeks.
I am really not qualified for this, Sion lamented internally.
"The world has ended, so I think it's time to prove those people wrong."
Olga only buried her face into her arms, continuing to cry.
This is going to take a lot of work to fix.
Later that day inside the command room, Lelouch, Hakuno and Ritsuka stood before Roman while Emiya, Genghis and Mash stood by their masters. Much like Lelouch had during his first mission, Hakuno and Ritsuka were wearing Chaldean combat uniforms, but Hakuno seemed slightly embarrassed by how much of her figure the suit showed off.
"Alright," said Dr. Romani, beginning the mission briefing, "your destination is Japan during the year 1941 A.T.B. The singularity has consumed the Kansai Region of Japan. "We know it was during this time the riots and protests were in full swing, with the Japanese government unable to contain or pacify it."
"The riots got worse until finally they stormed the imperial capital, right?" Lelouch asked for verification.
Roman nodded, "that's right, forcing the Emperor to abandon his position and allowing a new government to take place. Beyond that, I am not sure how the enemy plans on changing history by affecting events in Japan, given how events in Russia and China happened separately in the aftermath of the Manchurian Campaign."
"They must be planning something. A Holy Grail was detected within that singularity, wasn't it?" Emiya asked.
"Yes. We have confirmed a powerful magical signal, identical to the one you saw in Fuyuki, but the only difference is the energy output is much stronger, being closer to the real thing," Roman explained.
"So our goal is to track down the source of the singularity and neutralize it?" Hakuno asked.
"Correct, but finding it will be another matter," Roman said.
"How do you suppose we'll find it?" Ritsuka inquired.
"Hard to say, but they'll likely keep the source of the singularity under heavy guard. They'll probably have a Servant like Saber defending it. Of course, enemy servants may not be your only enemy, since creatures like oni and demonic beasts were still being sighted around this time."
"Really?" Hakuno said, surprised.
"We can handle it, master," Emiya offered confidently.
"I have dealt with a few Demonic Beasts in my day too. They'll be no trouble if we stay alert. However, would my master be a problem, considering he is Britannian?" The Khan asked.
"Not at this point in time," said Roman, "while relations with Britannia were strained, they had a pretty civil relationship with each other at the time. Lelouch would stand out, but it shouldn't be a problem beyond that."
"Right. Once we arrive, our first step should be reconnaissance. We'll need to gather information about the situation, and maybe what information we could gleam could give us some clues," Lelouch said.
"That's a good place to start," Roman said with a nod. "Once you have arrived, try to find a place to establish a base camp so we can send you supplies as needed. Ideally, try to find a place under an active leyline."
"I understand," Emiya said, folding his arms over his chest.
"Right, so let us begin," Roman said, gesturing for everyone to enter their capsules.
Since they had more space now, Genghis Khan and Emiya had their own capsules next to their respective masters. Once everyone was inside, their capsules closed and sunk into the ground. Moments later, they were rayshifted to Japan in the year 1941 A.T.B.
Lelouch found himself standing as he opened his eyes. His vision was blurred, but he recovered fairly quickly.
A big difference compared to last time, Lelouch mused.
"Are you well, master?" the Khan said, putting a hand on Lelouch's shoulder.
"I'm fine. How are the others?" Lelouch asked, looking behind him to see Ritsuka and Hakuno, both wearing the standard Chaldean uniform and looking slightly dazed.
"I am a little dizzy, but I think I am getting more used to it," Hakuno said, taking a moment to catch her bearings.
"Yeah, it feels like my brain has done some backflips," Ritsuka said, as Mash put her hand on his shoulder.
"Relax, senpai. As you perform more Rayshifts, you'll get used to it," Mash offered.
"Okay, so where are we?" Lelouch asked, using his wrist communicator to bring up a holographic map of the area where they had landed. "Thanks to SHEBA monitoring us, it looks like we are a few miles from Minamiyoshino village, before it was divided into Kurotaki village and Niu village a few years later, according to history."
"You know a lot about this area, don't you?" Hakuno commented, impressed.
"I did my research on the regions trapped within the singularity ahead of time. It only made sense," Lelouch replied.
"Wow," Ritsuka offered.
"Then that should put us about around fifty miles south of Kyoto," Mash said.
"Should we go to the village and see if we can learn anything?" Ritsuka asked.
"It couldn't hurt," Emiya said in agreement. "Maybe a traveling merchant might've told someone something of use."
"At the very least, we could learn about Japan's current state of affairs," The Khan suggested.
"The village should be this way," Lelouch said using his virtual map to plan their course.
After walking for an hour, the group reached the outskirts of Minamiyoshino village. However, as they approached the group heard a rustling near them, prompting Emiya, Mash and the Khan to ready their weapons.
"Be ready, master. We have enemies incoming," the Khan warned.
Emerging from the bushes were dozens of short, humanoid creatures. They had purple skin, hunched backs, and glowing red eyes, and they were armed with large wooden clubs.
"What the heck are those?!" Hakuno exclaimed, as the creatures rushed towards them with a war cry.
"We'll find out later," Emiya said, conjuring his twin swords, Kanshou and Bakuya.
"Let's deal with them!" the Khan shouted, drawing his own blade, the Kunwu.
"Roger," Mash said, joining the fight.
Mash drew first blood, caving in the skull of the Oni Imp closest to her. The Khan soon followed, beheading an oni after dodging a swing from its club. Emiya severed the head of another oni before dodging to hurl his swords towards three of them running toward their masters. Through a mental command the swords detonated, catching the oni in a fiery blast. Even if the explosion didn't kill them outright, the shrapnel from the destruction of the swords would.
The Khan beheaded another, before slicing off the club-wielding arm of another oni before shattering its skull with a punch. Mash killed her fourth oni by breaking its skull open before driving her shield into the stomach of another, with enough force to break ribs and spine of her enemy. Her time spent with Emiya and the Khan to become better adjusted to combat had paid off.
As their servants fought, Lelouch noticed his communicator was beeping as Roman was trying to contact them.
This isn't a good time for a chat, Roman, Lelouch thought, deciding to ignore it for the time being.
Suddenly a sound behind them drew their attention, as Lelouch noticed a separate group of oni coming out of the forest to attack them. Lelouch used the Gandr curse to shoot the closest one in the eye, wounding it.
The situation was getting troublesome as the oni moved closer to attack Hakuno, Ritsuka and Lelouch. Mash and the Khan were quickly moving to intercept, but to their surprise, a black blur ran past them. In the blink of an eye, the group of oni charging at Lelouch and the others were decapitated within seconds. As their heads of the oni went flying, parted from their shoulders, standing among the corpses of the beheaded oni was a young girl wearing samurai armor.
She wore black bell-shaped sleeves, a black feathered cap, and tengu-geta. The girl had long black haired tied into a single ponytail on one side of her head, and blue eyes.
"You rabble of goblins, do any of you have the courage to challenge me for my head?!"
The oni looked down at the corpses of their decapitated friends, noticing that Emiya, Mash and Genghis had killed a very worrying number of them already.
"Is she friend or foe?" Emiya asked, cutting down another oni.
"For now, she seems to be a friend," Genghis offered, but he kept his guard up, seeming wary.
"Don't worry, we're on the same side," a new voice offered. "Or I would hope so, I should say. You three seem to have masters."
The new arrival was a man in his late twenties with black hair and blue eyes. He wore a white uniform with a white hat. Hanging from his belt was a katana and a holster for a pistol. Strangely floating behind him was a woman with long black hair, pale skin, and red eyes. She was dressed in a black sailor uniform with a red bow, a long black scarf with a scale pattern, and purple stockings with no footwear.
"But I suppose actions speak louder than words, so let's go get them, Oryou!"
Moving with a inhuman grace and speed, Oryou confronted the nearest Oni, beating it to death with a serious of rapid punches. A dozen more came running to avenge their comrade, but Oryou's black hair came to life, moving around the nearby trees before they transformed into impaling black blades that stabbed all twelve approaching Oni in through the heart. Oryou's companion joined the fight, infusing his sword with magical power, cutting down an oni before moving onto the next one.
Emiya and the Khan had no intention of being showed up, working to eliminate all of the oni, including the new arrivals that continued to appear.
Where are they coming from? Lelouch wondered, but his thoughts were interrupted by a loud roar.
Knocking down a tree to make its presence known was a towering monster with light-green skin, armed with a metallic spiked club. It had a single horn on its head with white hair and a beard. It looked nothing like any of the Oni they faced, but judging by the way the lesser oni cowered before it, the monster was clearly their leader.
Emiya, Mash and the Khan were making their way to deal with the leader, fighting trough the horde of oni, but the young girl with the samurai armor beat them to it. She dodged the giant oni's first attack, and with just one slash of her sword she cut the beast completely in half from the head down.
Upon seeing their leader fall, the remaining oni turned and fled in terror. Once they were gone, the girl in armor sheathed her sword and turned to Ritsuka, Lelouch and Hakuno.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"You three are servants?" Lelouch asked, knowing the answer was obvious.
"And you three must be masters. I was beginning to think we weren't going to find any," the man in white remarked.
"So you're servants without masters," Mash said.
"Allow us to introduce ourselves," the man in white suggested. "I am Sakamoto Ryouma, and this is my partner Oryou. We are both Rider-class servants, so think of us as a package deal considered as one servant."
"I am Ushiwakamaru, the youngest child of Minamoto no Yoshitomo. I am also a Rider-class servant," Ushiwakamaru said.
"I heard that name before," Lelouch said. "Did you go by the name Minamoto no Yoshitsune?"
"Later in life I used that name, yes," Ushiwakamaru said with a nod.
"Wait… Minamoto no Yoshitsune, as in Japan's most legendary general? Rivalled only by Oda Nobunaga?" Ritsuka said.
She was going to be one of the servants I was going to summon, had Sion's efforts to recreate Chaldea's summoning system worked, Lelouch thought.
"Really? I didn't think my legend would've survived for so long," Ushiwakamaru said, sounding moved.
"It was well recorded in history, rest assured," said Lelouch. "I am Lelouch Lamperouge, and these are my companions Ritsuka and Hakuno. Our servants can speak for themselves, I believe."
"Emiya," said Emiya, "Archer class. You would not have heard of my legend, and there is no need to ask."
"Mash," said Mash awkwardly, "er, I am very new to being a servant. Nice to meet you?"
"Genghis Khan, king of conquerors," said the Khan, with his usual lack of humility. "It pleases me to see a fellow commander of renown in the flesh."
"The Mongolian butcher?" said Ushiwakamaru apprehensively.
If the Khan took offence, he did not show it. Instead, his lip curled into a slight smile.
"I doubt your time and country was much less bloody or cruel, great Yoshitsune. The only difference between us is degrees of success."
Before the tension could escalate further, they were interrupted by Lelouch's communicator beeping. Annoyed, Lelouch answered it.
"Finally, someone answered," an equally annoyed Romani said as his holographic projection appeared. "I have been trying to contact you to alert you that two servant signals were heading your way."
"We know. Thankfully, they are friendly," Emiya said, pointing to the new servants the group had just met.
"We just had our hands full dealing with a lot of little beasts who decided to ambush us," The Khan added.
"What were those things?" Hakuno asked.
"Those pathetic things were oni. We have been dealing with their raids for the last week," Ushiwakamaru answered, disgust in her voice.
"After we materialized about a week ago, we have been using the village as base. We have been trying to make heads or tails of our situation," Sakamoto Ryouma explained.
"And yet none of you have a master?" Mash asked.
"Yes, but we don't know why. We do know there is a Holy Grail behind this, and this has the feeling of a Holy Grail War, but the normal rules aren't in effect here," Sakamoto answered.
"Perhaps we should relocate somewhere else, where we could talk more. I think we can share some information," Genghis Khan suggested.
"Of course. I'll share with you what I know about the situation. It has gradually been getting more chaotic throughout this region of Japan," Sakamoto replied.
"I take it there are more Heroic Spirits than you two running around?" Lelouch asked, earning him a nod of confirmation from Sakamoto.
"I guess we'll have much to talk about," Emiya said as the group began leaving the field of dead oni behind.
Some time later, the oni that had survived the massacre of their fellows had fled to a small village in the mountains. More of them were gathered in the village, some just lounging about while others acted as guards. However, as they drew closer to the village, the retreating Oni began having seconds thoughts about their failed to raid Minamiyoshino village.
One of them would have to deliver the bad news.
"Who should tell the boss we failed?" One Oni said.
"I am not going to tell. Maybe you should," a second Oni replied.
"No way, I am not taking the fall," the other Oni replied, and just like that, an argument broke out, the two bickering amongst each other.
Suddenly they fell quiet, sensing the approach of something greater. A humanoid being with pale skin, long blonde hair, red curved horns upon her head with red markings upon her limbs and forehead was walking toward them. She wore a yellow kimono that was open allowing free movement for her legs. She was armed with a curved sword made from bone, with flames being generated behind her.
"What's going on here?!" she demanded.
"Master Ibaraki-douji," one of the Oni said fearfully.
"You came back empty handed? What happened?"
The oni were silent, exchanging looks with one another.
"Well, out with it! Or do you want to answer to Shuten instead?"
The oni once again looked at each other nervously, before one of them was pushed forward to answer the question.
"Here is what happened, mistress!"
A/N: a bit of a slow start with some heavy history from Lelouch in the beginning, but I'll be avoiding anything that heavy in the future.
They have arrived in Japan, and this singularity was based off of a bit of info where something happened in Japanese history that saw it become what we saw before Britannia invaded it. Looking through real-world history I came across the Manchurian Campaign which I saw could serve as a catalyst while using some ideas from other events that happened and adapt them to fit in the CG setting.
I am also grateful for Greatratking88 for his suggestions to improve on the story behind these events.
But I will confess Chinese Empire was not very original, but I didn't know what exactly the Chinese Federation was so I decided to play with that. At the same time do a little set up for the history of a certain Duchess who will appear in good time, considering I needed Russia to exist as a separate, and the only monarchy to survive the Age of Revolution until centuries later.
Either way I hope this set up works and you enjoy the slow start, but as of this time I have finished chapter seven. Once I get it back from Greatratking88 I'll post that chapter as well with chapter eight to have our first major battles while chapter seven will offer some much-needed character development for some of our cast.
Thank you for reading and thank you in advance for any reviews, favorites and follows.