Fate Grand Order: Ars Nova: Genesis of the Cosmos

by The Celestial Sky Dragon

The World was left in a rather weak state after the Incineration of Humanity. Chaldea managed to save human history, but even they can't be prepared for everything. Seeking to bolster her forces, Olga Marie Animusphere sets out to create a Team of Masters, in order to lighten the load on Ritsuka Fujimaru. But unknown forces are working against Chaldea. [Extended Summary Instory]

1. Prologue 1: Chaldea

Extended Summary: The World was left in a rather weak state after the Incineration of Humanity. Chaldea managed to save human history, but even they can't be prepared for everything. Seeking to bolster her forces, Olga Marie Animusphere sets out to create a Team of Masters, in order to lighten the load on Ritsuka Fujimaru. But unknown forces are working against Chaldea. Someone has been abusing the weaknesses left open by the Incineration of Humanity to craft all new Grails, akin to the ones made by the King of Mages. A Grand Plan is finally about to begin, one that will span space and time itself, where the tides of war and the Fates of many shall be decided.

Fate Unlimited Order:

Section 1: Chaldea

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Location: ?

Date: October 23rd, 2019

The Chaldea Security Organization. An organization that had been created to secure the future of humanity. At one point in time, it had been an observatory, but thanks to the founder, Marisbury Animusphere, it had stepped into a new age. Thanks to CHALDEAS, Masters were able to summon servants, with the purpose of safeguarding humanity. It was an ultra secret organization, associated with the Mage's Organization and recognized by the United Nations. The organization was responsible for hiring scientists and magi for the purpose of researching the magical aspects of the world. They also helped in protecting the world from any foreseen events. Their goal: To preserve the reign of human history, above all else.

This goal almost ended, when Human History was almost incinerated by the King of Mages. Over a period of uncertainty, Chaldea's last surviving Master, Ritsuka Fujimaru, bravely rayshifted into seven singularities, points in time where human history took drastic turns, and corrected each one. Attaining the holy grail of each era, Ritsuka was able to correct each and every moment in time, until he came face to face with the one responsible. With the help of many servants, friends he had met throughout the ages, he had been able to save the world.

The daughter of Marisbury Animusphere, Olga Marie had been Chaldea's director during this time. She was killed during the first singularity, the Holy Grail War of 2004. These were events no one had foreseen, the woman who had acted as a guide and had taught Ritsuka the ins and outs of being a Master, had been an illusion all along. She had originally perished during the bombing of Chaldea, before the Grand Order had been initiated. By some miracle, perhaps the world even, she had been brought back. Many people, including Leonardo Da Vinci, had questioned it. But Ritsuka had asked her to mind her manners, he was just glad Olga Marie was back.

Almost immediately, she was given her role as Chaldea's Director back. She had to get used to things again, since she had been absent for so long. But after Ritsuka's report, she decided on one thing. She wasn't ready to become Director again. So, she let Da Vinci take over as acting Director, shooing to act from the sidelines, even so, one thing was certain. If she wanted to prevent another tragedy like what had happened before from taking place, she needed to have some Masters at the ready.

Initially, she requested Team A to be present. But due to the attack on Chaldea, all of them were in cryogenic pods. The injuries they sustained were too severe, most of them being mortal wounds. Da Vinci froze them in an instant, choosing to leave them on ice until they could figure out a way to save their lives. The other Master Candidates they had brought in initially had perished during the attack. One thing was for certain, Chaldea needed masters, and she needed them quickly.

It had been a stressful period for her, especially because she had to pour through profiles all over again. Due to the initial incident, the Mage's Association had been wary about sending potential mages to Chaldea. They didn't want to risk losing them all like they had previously. So rather than request forty-eight like she was initially planning, she asked for 8. From the Mage's Association, she ended up getting several significant profiles, but only a few of them had caught her eye.

She sighed, leaning back in her chair as she stared at the profiles on her desk. Four profiles straight from the Mage's Association, all of them young adults with strong magical circuits. They had been training for a long time, honing their magical potential. All four of them were from prominent Mage families. Though one of them only inherited the last name of one, he was still a strong contender. Even with the chance of potentially recruiting four strong mages, the fact that four slots were still open worried her. She didn't know if another attack on Chaldea was going to happen, or rather when it did. Her eyes focused on the back of the door, as she rested her face in her hand, an almost bored expression on her face.

"If my father was here, what would he do? Things have certainly changed since last year. Ritsuka Fujimaru was able to save the world. 2019 came and went, and now we're facing uncertainty. SHEBA may predict the future but even it's not 100% accurate. Finding Masters who are capable of Rayshifting is an issue too… ugh what a mess,"

A series of knocks jolted her out of her thoughts, causing her to sit up. She cleared her throat, pulling herself close to the desk in front of her. Once her hands were folded over the table, and looked presentable, she gave the person permission to enter. It was of course, Chaldea's only Master, Ritsuka Fujimaru. The savior of the world.

He had grown over the year she hadn't seen him. He was much taller, and more muscular than before. The training he did during his offtime, as well as his countless adventures through time had taught him to value the little things in his life. Formerly a person she viewed as lowly, and one who had no potential, this man had grown into a capable mage. One who had done a great many tasks in order to ensure the existence of Human History. He was everything her father yearned for in a Master. The one who fulfilled his purpose and the purpose of Chaldea. He was also the one who deserved to be Director of Chaldea, but ever the humble man, he turned it down in favor of her getting her title back. That of course ended with Da Vinci taking over.

He gave the woman a shy wave, standing before her as straight as possible. Despite everything he had done, he still wore the typical uniform for new recruits. He had already earned his stripes, yet didn't want to stand out too much. She gave him a silent nod, the virtual go-ahead for him to speak his mind.

"Director, I-"

"Ritsuka, how many times have I asked you to call me by name?" Olga asked, making the young man cringe. She adopted an amused look as she leaned forward. "Technically speaking, I should be calling you Director instead,"

"Hell no, I couldn't just take that role away from you. I may be a good mage now but I cannot run the show. That's something that only Da Vinci can do, after all she spent the most time with Doctor Roman." he said, growing saddened at the mention of his name. He shook his head, glancing away from the woman. "Anyway, I came to speak with you."

"Hmm… what about?"

"Nothing in particular, may I sit down?" he asked, causing her to roll her eyes. She gestured for the chair before her desk, which he immediately took. He cleared his throat as he placed his hands on his lap. "I'll get straight to the point, Director-"

"Olga! I'm not the director anymore, please just call me by name. I assure you, you aren't disrespecting me!" the woman snapped, making the boy jump a bit. She sighed audibly, hiding her face in her hand. "I apologize, it's been a rather stressful week for me."

"That's actually what I came to talk to you about. Da Vinci noticed your stress levels are off the charts, she asked me to check up on you. And to deliver this… it seems she managed to gather the information of three potential Master candidates. She actually asked me if I was willing to join this team of yours. But after the last Grand Order, I'd like to focus on things domestically, if I can,"

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small square shaped device. Thanks to funds provided by Chaldea, Da Vinci had been able to create a vast amount of new and improved technology. One of them being a cellphone that projected things in holograms. He set the device down on the woman's desk. He pressed the button, turning the device on.

"You are familiar with the three founding families of the Fuyuki Holy Grail War system, correct?"

"Of course I am, who do you think I am, Ritsuka?" Olga said, brow quirked as she leaned back in his seat. "The Mage's Association sent me the profile of a young man bearing the Tohsaka Name. It seems the true heiress passed away four years ago, and he's been appointed head of her Estate. Are you telling me Da Vinci was able to get information on one of the remaining two?"

"Yep, that's right. She was studying some notes from reports of the Mage's Association's Japanese branch. It turns out they sent some people to check up on Fuyuki, and apparently, the Greater Grail in that area still had energy in it."

"The Greater Grail had energy? But the last recorded Holy Grail War in the area was in 2004, it was the one that…" she paused, a frown appearing on her face. "It was the one my father partook in. The one he won, the reason Chaldea even exists,"

"That's right. It turns out, some people from the Church were preparing to initiate another Holy Grail War in the city of Fuyuki. The heiress of the Einzbern family was being forced to participate in this ritual as well. The Association stepped in and dismantled the grail before it could take place. Due to this, the Einzbern family has lost their purpose." the young man said, tapping the hologram before him. "Illyasviel von Einzbern, an eighteen year old magus of the Einzbern Family. I'm not too sure about the family but it seems she was created for some sort of purpose."

"Created? What do you mean created?" Olga Marie asked, as she continued sifting through the holographic pictures of Illaysviel. She stopped at one of her current appearances.

Illyasviel was a beautiful young woman, with pale white skin, and lengthy white hair that reached down to the middle of her back. She was of average height, with beautiful facial features, her most defining one's being her crimson red eyes. She was wearing a violet colored outfit, with long sleeves that covered her slender arms. Beneath it, she wore a silky white dress that ended just past the knees. Matching boots covered her feet, her legs being hidden by white stockings. She was seen drinking something from a teacup, the picture having been taken at a coffee shop.

"Da Vinci did some research, turns out she's a demi-human. Rather, she's a homunculus. She was created with the sole purpose of becoming the vessel of Fuyuki's Lesser Grail. It was reported that one of the mages in the Holy Grail War of 2004 was her father, Kiritsugu Emiya. Her mother, Irisviel von Einzbern was created with the same purpose, but was allowed to breed in case she failed to become a Holy Grail." Ritsuka said, a look of disgust on his face as he continued speaking. "This family sure is despicable, even the scientists here were disgusted when Da Vinci read this to them,"

Olga continued reading the report, growing more and more interested as she continued. The Mage's Association seemed to have compiled some relevant information. This included a special ability that Illyasviel seemed to possess, the ability to make magical familiars from hair. It also listed a few other things, including a high magical aptitude. "Hm I see… her magical potential is quite intriguing."

"Her magical potential is 100%. Even the scientists here were astounded by her potential. But it isn't a surprise. The Head of the Einzbern family created her for a single specific purpose, to become the vessel for the grail. Due to this, she received enhanced magical circuits. The Mage's Association confirmed conditioning before and after birth in order to maximize her potential. Now that the Fuyuki Grail system has been dismantled, she serves no purpose."

"Making her the perfect candidate. I'm impressed, I wasn't expecting Da Vinci to find someone so perfect. Once we're done here, tell her to prioritize Miss von Einzbern. We need master candidates like her in Chaldea. Not only that, I'd like to study her as well, the poor girl must have gone through a lot of traumatic experiences as a vessel for a Holy Grail," the woman said, earning a nod from Ritsuka.

"That's exactly what Da Vinci said, she's already started making preparations for her. She doesn't know what the Einzbern family has done to her, but homunculi don't live long, especially ones that are practically mana batteries. Perhaps we can even prolong her life,"

He took a hold of the device before the woman, closing Illyasviel's profile, and opening a second one. This one featured a young man, who seemed to be seventeen years of age. He had medium length black hair, unkempt and messy. He had bright colored eyes and a healthy white skin tone. He was wearing a rather fancy black suit and tie, pressed and free of wrinkles. He had two pins on his lapel, one of the American flag and the second being the flag of the state of North Carolina. He had a flat neutral expression on his face, as if he couldn't care less about the picture being taken of him.

"The next one is an applicant from the United States of America. This application was forwarded to us by the Secretary of Defense. William Reyes, a young man from North Carolina who was apparently born with high mana reserves. During my trip through the American Singularity, Da Vinci explained how people from the new world don't have magical potential. While some cases in Mexico and Canada have been reported, not many people in the United States seem to show magical prowess."

"What's so special about this boy then? He must be something if the President of the United States personally selected him," she mused as she read the detailed file. Her eyes widened in surprise when she got to his magical potential. "98 magical circuits? On an American?"

"That's what Da Vinci said. This is something that should be impossible, however, he seems to be the exception. The President claims to have a few mages in reserve, but this one volunteered to join Chaldea. He apparently wishes to join the Mage's Association to potentially open an American branch."

"Interesting! If this young man volunteered then that makes my job easier! Give the President confirmation of his acceptance as soon as possible. I want him here within the week!" she said firmly, earning a nod from Ritsuka. "Now then, who's the final candidate?"

"An interesting one. We got a report of someone filling out an application, thinking they were joining a normal security organization." the black haired man said, shifting to the next profile.

This one showed the picture of a violet haired young man, with rather messy hair. He had a smile on his face, his eyes glimmering brightly in the shot. He had fair colored skin and handsome boyish features. He was wearing rather plain street clothes, a long sleeved hooded jacket with a red vest, black jeans and crimson sneakers. She also noticed the star shaped pin on his left breast. She tilted her head slightly, looking the other attached pictures over.

"He… looks like a normal teenager. What the hell is his application doing mixed in with the others?"

"Well… turns out this boy has potential. He hails from the province of Quebec, Canada. While he graduated from high school with full marks, he attended community college for a year in the United States, with the aim of getting a degree in cybersecurity. I believe he applied to Chaldea thinking we were a cybersecurity organization. Mash was going to toss his application, but Holmes and Da Vinci decided to keep it around. The former did some investigation on the boy, turns out he's a descendant of powerful French nobles."

"French nobles you say? Could he perhaps be a direct descendant of Napoleon Bonaparte? Or perhaps Robespierre? Maybe even Queen Antoinette?" Olga asked curiously. Ritsuka regretfully shook his head.

"None of those, it seems. While he does have French noble blood within him, it seems he's a likely descendant of someone who was killed in the Revolution. Many families were destroyed in those times, to the point where their names have been wiped out from history. Da Vinci thinks she can accurately locate his lineage by getting a DNA sample. Sherlock Holmes has also confirmed his magical potential, being 97.99%. With a little training, he could become powerful,"

Olga Marie remained silent as Ritsuka fidgeted in his seat. He folded his hands on his lap, trying to look anywhere but the former Director's eyes. After a moment the woman leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs as she balanced her head on her fingertip. "Well go on, you want to say something, speak freely."

"R-right… um, Direc-" he paused when Olga gave him a fierce glare. "Um… Olga. I believe we should bring him on. I personally think he has the potential to become a powerful magus. You had no faith in me when we first met."

"Well of course I didn't. You were a civilian, a young boy who had no knowledge on the magical world. You were rude, fell asleep during my seminar and arrived late to the presentation! But you proved yourself during Singularity F, which is why I left all of my hopes with you. You succeeded in everything Chaldea hoped to be, earning my and everyone's respect. If you believe this young man has the potential, then by all means, he gains my approval." the woman said firmly, as she sat straight in her seat. "However, you will be responsible over him, meaning if he doesn't turn out to be a proper magus like you think, he will be your responsibility. We cannot have useless failed candidates running around Chaldea. I trust you'll find something to do with him."

"Of course, though I wholeheartedly believe in his potential. I will ensure my team teaches him the ins and outs of magic. We have several Caster-class servants capable of doing just that!" he said happily. The woman frowned as she looked away from the young man, rubbing the back of her right hand. "Um… Olga, I hate to ask but… you intend to be the Commanding Officer of Team B, correct?"

"Indeed I do, what of it?"

"Well… Doctor Roman said you didn't have the potential to Rayshift. In fact the reason you were able to in the first place was due to your soul being ejected from your body. The fact that you are here, alive and well is a miracle in and of itself. If you plan on becoming such an integral part of Team B… are you planning on summoning a servant?" Ritsuka asked.

"Of course I am! Who do you think I am? Just because I don't have the ability to rayshift and don't have the potential to be a strong master, doesn't mean I can't summon a servant! In fact, I've prepared my catalysts ahead of time. I was going to head to FATE's summoning circle to summon them when you arrived," she said, a rather proud look on her face.

"Oh you were? That's actually really cool! And it lines up with something else I needed to tell you. It seems the four selected candidates, Eiji Itsuka Tohsaka, Luviagelita Edelfelt, Emilia Lugnica Yggdmillennia and Alfonso De Scaglione have rejected your invitation. Da Vinci was hoping you'd visit them personally in order to convince them to join."

Olga Marie's world seemed to shatter at the news. Her face grew pale as she shot to her feet, slamming her fist onto the table. "Why the hell didn't you lead with that? Here we are, having a pleasant chat about three more candidates and the first four rejected? What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"I wanted to give you the good news first! Be glad that Da Vinci was able to find three potential candidates from the piles of inadequate ones we got. No one wants to risk young able bodied mages after Chaldea was bombed!" the raven haired boy snapped back. He sighed, shaking his head. "Look, I know you are really stressed right now, which is why I didn't just want to dump that in your lap. We think by meeting them personally, you could change their minds. Not only that, but Da Vinci wants to test out some new gear and needs a guinea pig."

"Ugh… so she chose me? Why aren't you that guinea pig instead?"

"Hey, being the hero of humanity has its perks. Meaning I'm no longer a guinea pig, I got plenty of that in Rome. Having to taste all of Nero's food for poison is not fun." he said with a shudder, remembering his time in the rather fun, but boring world of the Roman Empire. "Regardless of that, I think it's great that you are summoning a servant! Who have you decided to summon?"

Olga remained silent for a moment, pondering the man's question. "Crap, I didn't think this far ahead. I was just boasting! I really need to stop doing that."

"Olga?"

"I haven't actually decided on whom. Rather I've chosen some potential catalysts… I'll pick one out when I get to the FATE summoning platform." she said, rapidly standing up. She grabbed a hold of the four files, straightening them out before placing them in a satchel which she hung over her shoulder. "Well, I'm sure you've got a lot of things to do. People to see, servants to keep an eye on. You should go back to the Service Floor."

"I'm not that busy. I have some time to see you summon your servant. I kinda want to be there you know? It's the first time I get to see someone other than me use FATE." Ritsuka said, rising to his feet. "Come on, I'll escort you! We can talk more about the candidates as well,"

"Ehehehe… alright I suppose," the woman said, forcing a smile onto her face as she walked past the boy, grabbing hold of the door handle. "Shit! I was hoping to lose him… now what am I going to do? I doubt I can even summon a servant. I have no magical potential at all!"

Although she couldn't go out in the field like other Masters, Olga Marie did in fact possess enough magical circuits to summon a great servant. However, due to her own self depreciative attitude, she always looked down on herself. Being the Head of the Animusphere Family put quite a burden for her. She was glad she no longer directed Chaldea, but only a quarter of that burden was lifted off her shoulders. She had an all new burden to bear, but she was actually quite excited for this one.

"Perhaps I can make a mark on the magical world. I may not be a good mage like my father was, but if I lead the team of the strongest mages of Chaldea, that might make things flow a lot smoother. Heh… Lord El-Melloi is going to eat his heart on a plate when he sees Olga Marie Animusphere's name on that plaque!"

---

The FATE summoning platform was located in a large room deep within Chaldea. It was situated above one of the strongest leylines on the Antarctic Continent. This spot was chosen specifically for this purpose. The system was developed based on the Master/Servant contract system used in Fuyuki, which was developed by three Mage families. The Einzberns, the Tohsakas and finally, the Matous. This system led to many successful Holy Grail Wars and was the one that successfully aided Marisbury Animusphere to get his wish granted. Due to this, he created this special system for summoning servants.

Though in his lifetime, only three servants had been summoned, with Leonardo Da Vinci being the only active servant left in Chaldea. The success rate of summoning servants was of 1%, however, thanks to Mash Kyrielight's Shield, which is actually The Round Table, the system became stable, enough to summon servants with a high rate of success. The system takes crystalized fragments of magical energy, called "Saint Quarts" in order to summon servants. These fragments are produced in low quantities due to the time it takes for the crystals to grow, so they are a finite resource. Only Ritsuka Fujimaru has access to them, but due to the potential expansion of Master Candidates, 30 Saint Quartz had been set aside for each provisional master.

"Miss Animusphere, I'm so glad I get to see you! You know, we should have some tea sometime. You hardly ever leave that stuffy office of yours!" Da Vinci said, a grin on her face as Olga Marie and Ritsuka entered the summoning platform. "Ritsuka messaged me and told me you wished to summon a servant! So I decided to be here for such a momentous occasion!"

"Great, that's so kind of you," Olga said, almost sarcastically as she placed her satchel on a nearby table. She spotted a familiar head of violet among the other workers. A young woman who had fought alongside Ritsuka Fujimaru and had served as his shield. The moment she met eyes with her, she looked away, a rather shy expression on her face. "Miss Kyrielight, you don't have to stay quiet, I don't bite."

"O-Oh, I know that, D-Director, I…"

"Like I've told Ritsuka, many many times. I'm no longer the Director here. Just call me Olga, I'm sure we'd be great friends if we got to know each other. But that can't happen if you avoid me. Just think of me as an older sister, if you'd like,"

"Alright… I'm sorry about my behavior, it's just….. So good to have you back you know? If Doctor Roman were here, I'm sure he'd be delighted to see you." she said, giving the woman a smile. Olga gave her a sad look, shifting her gaze back toward the summoning platform.

"Is she operational?"

"Indeed she is, and she's running at 100% capacity. We've done some calculations and measured the spiritrons as well. We should have a very successful summoning session. Gentlemen, could you bring the former Director her chosen catalysts?" Da Vinci said, earning cries of acknowledgement from the nearby employees.

It didn't take long to bring out the selected catalysts. Each one had been laid out on a spacious table, all of them covered by a special glass case. Da Vinci was explaining something to Ritsuka, likely answering a question he had asked. Olga was more enthralled by what was brought to her.

Seven Catalysts, or rather, seven artifacts belonging to people in history. None of them had been labeled, aside from a few of them. She spotted an old piece of wood, darkened by age. It was easy to tell it was a piece of the Round Table. It was the only artifact not encased in glass. She took a hold of it, feeling its warmth and power. Mash stood beside her, looking at the piece in her hand longingly. Turning to face her, Olga placed the piece of the table into her hand, giving her a smile.

"The servant that shared its life with you must feel nostalgia at seeing this. Sir Galahad… I wonder what type of man he was?"

"He was a kind man. That much is certain, it's thanks to him that I was able to survive, and thanks to him that Chaldea can summon Heroic Spirits. While I am and am not Sir Galahad at the same time, I am happy to be able to hold this." she said, looking at the wood in her hand. "I'm certain you can summon a strong and powerful knight with it. Perhaps Sir Tristan, or Sir Bedivere, maybe even Sir Gawain!"

"I don't think I have what it takes to sustain someone of such power. Even with Chaldea providing me magical support. I likely wouldn't be able to fight for long periods of time. Sir Gawain was a beast, at least, from how you've mentioned him. A saber class servant of his magnitude would leave me exhausted. Someone else should get this catalyst." she said, shifting her eyes toward the other gathered artifacts.

None truly caught her eye, except one that was in very pristine condition. A children's doll. It seemed to be made entirely out of cloth. It had very thin strands of golden fabric, sown into the head portion with great care. It had bright blue buttons for eyes and a mouth made out of black thread. It was also wearing a fine silk dress, with green markings around the skirt section of it. She gently opened the glass case it was resting within and removed it, looking it over with a careful eye. She couldn't help but notice it felt cold to the touch.

"Somehow, I knew that doll would catch your eye,"

She shifted her gaze back to Da Vinci, the beautiful brunette bore a knowing look on her face. She reached for a nearby clipboard, looking over the contents for a moment. Olga Marie looked back at the dolls face, brushing away some of the hair that hid its eyes.

"I liked dolls growing up. This one is very well preserved, I can tell it's rather old. Likely made sometime before World War I."

"Very good. Research on bits of the fabric date it to 1895. The doll was actually recovered from an old mansion in Moscow. It was originally found in an ornate palace in Yekaterinburg, Russia. When they found it, it was encased in ice. It took about seven weeks for it to fully thaw out and even now it's still cold to the touch. You feel it, don't you?" the Director asked, earning a nod from Olga.

"I do… it's both cold and warm at the same time." she mumbled, looking away from the doll's eyes. "I think I'll use this one."

"Excellent choice, I trust you know the summoning chant?"

"Of course! Who do you think I am?" the woman snapped back, causing Da Vinci to roll her eyes. Olga handed the doll to one of the employees, who took it toward the summoning circle. It was placed on a special shelf, which sat on the outer edge of the circle. "Have the Quartz been deposited?"

"Yes ma'am! You may proceed with the summoning! We will monitor the magical output and make adjustments, the last thing we need is the servant you summon to kill us all." the head scientist said, as he and a few of his teammates headed towards the nearby machines. "Ready whenever you are."

Olga rolled her eyes as she approached the summoning circle. As she did, she felt a familiar tingle on the back of her right hand. It felt rather painful at first but after a few seconds, it died down. She raised her hand, seeing the Command Seals that appeared on her hand. It had been a long time since she had seen them. The same mark her father bore during his war, the mark that classified her as a Master. She took a deep breath, extending her hand outward. As she did, the seals began glowing a crimson red, the summoning circle sparked to life, as the runes started to glow a fierce blue.

"I call forth into the throws of time

Let your legends come forth

And your stories retold

Heroes from the Realm of Light

Heroes from the Realm of Darkness

Through your body, I embody change

Through my body, you embody will

If you heed my summoning then answer the call!"

By now, the light of the summoning circle had become stronger, with blades of pure magic bouncing from the walls. Several alarms were echoing through the room, while the team continued monitoring what was going on. Da Vinci had Ritsuka and Mash step back, having summoned her staff to her hand, just in case something went wrong. She noticed the corners of the room had started to freeze, a wave of cold air slowly filling the room, all coming from the doll which was floating in the center of the circle.

"I hereby swear that I will be all the good of the world, and shall fight the evil of the world

I shall embrace the wishes of humanity,

And fight the sins cast upon the land

I shall defend the reign of humanity with all that I am!

From the seventh heaven and with CHALDEAS as my witness, come forth from the circle of bindings,

Guardian of the Scales!"

Light exploded from the circle, followed by a thick icy mist that covered the entire room. The temperature dropped nearly to zero, making everyone shiver where they stood. Olga shielded her face with her arm, her clothes billowing in the cold mist as she felt the tips of her fingers and face growing numb from the bitter cold.

Who the hell had she summoned? She wondered, as mist escaped from her lips in short puffs. As the steam cleared, she finally came face to face with the person she had summoned. A beautiful young woman, with hair was white as snow and skin as smooth as ivory. She was wearing a delicate yet regal dress, made entirely out of the finest cloth imaginable. Her sky blue cape hung delicately off her shoulders, in her hands she was holding a familiar looking doll. The one that she had used as a summoning catalyst. Her steeled gaze slowly shifted downward, having lost interest in her surroundings for a moment. She locked eyes with Olga Marie, tilting her head slightly.

"Were you the one who summoned me?" she asked, in a thick, yet adorable Russian accent. Olga gave her a nod.

"Y-yes… m-my n-name is Olga M-Marie Animusphere, y-your new m-master."

The young woman said nothing, closing her eyes for a moment, likely gathering her thoughts. After a moment of silence, she cleared her throat, standing up as straight as possible as she addressed the woman before her. "My servant class is Caster. My name is Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova, Grand Duchess of Russia. It is a pleasure to meet you, Master of Chaldea."

xxx

"Ugh… here I thought I wouldn't have to deal with the cold anymore. What's with this girl? It's like her presence brings down the temperature of any room." Olga thought to herself, as she sat in her office. She was in the middle of gathering some important files.

Da Vinci had asked her new servant, Anastasia various questions, but after awhile, the white haired young lady stopped talking. She had grown curious about the place she had been summoned too, and had decided to explore around for a bit. Though, the moment she sensed her Master needed her, she went back to her side and hadn't left since. Anastasia was standing at the corner of the room, muttering things to the doll in her grasp in Russian. She cursed herself for never picking up the language, and choosing French instead. It was her own foolishness for choosing a tongue she wasn't ever going to use.

"Erm… Anastasia, how do you like Chaldea so far?" she asked, trying to make conversation. She finally found what she was looking for, her travel papers and Visas. Thankfully, since she worked for an organization sanctioned by the UN, she didn't have to fly on commercial flights, and had her own designated means of travel. It still made things quite the hassle if she didn't have them with her.

"I am settling in just fine, Master. But I do not like the way the people here look at me, and I don't appreciate that brown haired woman prying into my life. I'd rather keep to myself."

"I apologize about her, none of us were expecting the Grand Duchess of Russia to come out of the binding circle. Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova didn't do anything significant in her life, not anything that would classify her as a heroic spirit." she said, earning a glare white haired woman. "That is to say, historically, there was nothing left behind. Of course there must be another reason why you are here, correct?"

"I answered your summons because you needed assistance. I could sense your loneliness from where I was. I thought, perhaps you needed a friend." the young woman said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I...I… what? I am not lonely!"

"That's not what Viy thinks. Did you know he can see through people?" the white haired girl said, holding the doll out. It didn't make a single movement, but Olga could feel a rather dark presence looming around it. "He was the one who advised me to answer your call. But if you do not need me, then I will take my leave. I already told you to stay away from me, we needn't be close."

Olga frowned. She hadn't expected Anastasia's attitude to be like this. Of course, Anastasia Romanova never lived past her seventeenth birthday. So it was safe to assume she was acting like a bratty child. She was adored by the Russian people, up until the Bolshevik Revolt that saw Russia leaving the Imperial Age. Her naivete could be a problem, but one that Olga could deal with. It would just take time for her to get used to things, she mused, hoping that was the case. Finally finding the last of her papers, she placed them all in her satchel, turning to face her servant.

"Look, I'm sorry. It must be difficult having to accept what happened to you, and now finding yourself under the contract of someone as useless as me. But I truly do need your assistance… the fate of the world could be at stake and…"

"I'm quite aware of the happenings of the world. The Incineration of Humanity, it was the only thing the Heroes at the Table seemed to talk about. Through the actions of one Master, the world was saved. But even we can feel there are fluctuations, the world is still in self repair, weak. Anyone could attack it at any moment, which is why I'm prepared to fulfill my contract with you, Master." Anastasia said firmly.

"O-oh? I was expecting you to reject my apology because I insulted you."

"What would I gain from that? You are correct, I did nothing significant with my life. But in those dying moments, all I could think about was the future. The future of Russia, my beloved homeland, my family. It was when I forged a contract with Viy, but I wasn't able to use his power before my death… There's only so much one can do when you have severe head trauma."

"R-right… it must have been terrible, what happened. But let's not talk about that, I didn't summon you here so you could relive painful memories." the former director said, slinging her satchel over her shoulder. "We're going on an assignment, and I need you to watch my back, understood?"

"Da, I am ready for anything. If I may, where exactly are we going? I don't want Viy to get hurt," she said softly.

"London, England. We're going to talk to two potential Master Candidates, from two very powerful mage families. After that, we'll be heading to Paris, France. Finally, we'll be heading to Firenze, Italy." Olga replied, earning a nod from the young woman.

"London, Paris, Firenze… I don't think I ever went to these places while I was alive. It'll be a new adventure for us, won't it, Viy?" Anastasia asked, looking at her doll. She seemed to smile at something, but made no other movements. Olga's eye twitched a bit, but she decided to ignore it. She had other things to worry about, after all.

xxx

"Why is it that you need to see me? This better be important, I have things to do and a flight to pack for." Olga said, arms crossed as she stared at Da Vinci.

They were located in Chaldea's R&D lab. This was where many of the devices used by Masters, including Mystic Codes were developed. Several Chaldea Battle Suits were kept in special pods, along with some other Codes donated by the Atlas Institute and Mage's Association. Da Vinci was the Director of Chaldea now, yes, but she still was the head of R&D, she used it as an excuse to use modern technology and create brand new things. Thankfully, she hadn't created a deadly AI hellbent on human destruction, at least not yet.

"I wished to show you something before you went on your way. We're in the middle of developing some new devices and need an opinion." the woman said, gesturing for the scientists to bring out the items in question.

"What do you need my opinion for? Wouldn't Ritsuka's or Mash's be more useful to you?"

"They would, and I'm sure will be in the future. However, this is something I am creating specially for Team B." Da Vinci said, grabbing a hold of the device. It didn't look any different from an Apple Watch, in fact Olga had mistaken it for one. The only difference was the fact it was silver in color and the wrist straps were made out of a thick black leather. "What you see here is the Chaldea Spiritron Communicator. The CSC for short, it looks like a regular Apple watch, doesn't it?"

"Uh, yes? Please tell me this isn't an Apple Watch with a stupid rebranding?"

"Ahahahaha… Olga Marie, you may kill me but you may never insult me. What you are seeing here is capable of so much more than those American designed wrist phones. This little device is capable of monitoring a Master's Mana Consumption, as well as their vitals. One of the problems we had with Ritsuka was that we would often lose his signal. There were points in Camelot where Romani even lost sight of him, despite having his vitals."

"Indeed, those were worrying times," the head scientist said, a frown on his face. "Doctor Romani kept a cool facade but even he knew what could have happened to Ritsuka. We developed this device with that in mind. It has the ability to communicate with home base, connect with nearby master's and act as a link. It can also connect to a special satellite that will monitor a singularity and map it out, so that the Masters on the field have detailed visuals on where to go."

"Special Satellite?"

Da Vinci grabbed hold of some cloth, which had been covering another device. She pulled it off, showing what was hidden underneath. It was a small, rocket shaped device, emblazoned with Chaldea's Crest. It didn't look any bigger than an Anti-Tank Rifle round. She picked it up, holding it out so that Olga could see it.

"Here it is, Chaldea's first compact satellite. Using special technology, we created it to be lightweight and easy to fire. Once it reaches peak velocity, it will expand into a full-sized, miniature satellite. We've also developed some surveillance drones that can be fired from regular handguns."

"I see…"

"This is vastly different from the ammunition of my time," Anastasia said, looking at the bullet. Her icy blue eyes traced every single inch of it, taking in all of the details. "How exactly are you supposed to use this?"

"Ah right, we haven't developed the firing mechanism yet. It would be too inconvenient for Masters to carry Anti-Tank rifles with them just for this. Not to mention they would stand out in any time period before World War II. Since this relies on magical energy rather than gunpowder, we theorize a handheld gun or rifle can do the job but, we haven't developed anything yet." Da Vinci said, a frown on her face. "If we could get in contact with some Gun manufacturer's we'd likely get somewhere, but so far, we've got nothing."

"Hmm… Well, at least it's good to know Chaldea's multi-billion dollar fund is going into good tech. Anything else you wish to show me? I seriously have to get going,"

"Right right, the reason I called you here was to show you more than just this. Well… this is it but, the Watch we developed has another function. One that we really need to test out. When paired with the satellite, not only will it display a map of the singularity, along with various locales, but it will also allow you to teleport to each one, provided a special beacon is placed at each location," the brown haired woman said, taking a hold of the watch. "In modern times, we were able to launch special nanobots which then form into these beacons, so we have the means to transport people to any city in the world. In the past however…"

"Allow me to hazard a guess," Olga said, crossing her arms as she looked at the watch in Da Vinci's hand. "You wish for me to test it out."

"It would be much faster than traveling by plane, wouldn't you say?" she replied, taking a hold of Olga's left arm. She wrapped the watch around her wrist, making sure it was securely fashioned onto it. She grabbed a second watch, doing the same with Anastasia. "Master and Servant need to have one on at all times, it allows for a synchronized teleportation. It also alerts the master of magical build up as well as when a servant can use their Noble Phantasm."

"It feels heavier than the bracelets I used to wear… but I kind of like it," Anastasia said, poking the device with her finger. The screen lit up, showing several small applications. She lifted her eyes away from the screen, glancing back at Da Vinci. "Um… what are these little dots for?"

"Those are apps, you'll figure out what they do later. Right now, only the transportation app and the GPS are operational. We hope to have all the applications in working order by the time Team B is fully assembled. Your coordinates have already been set, all you have to do to initiate transport is press the two buttons on the bottom of the device," Da Vinci said.

"Hm, I will admit, this isn't too bad of an investment. I hope to see more of these when we return. All of our Master candidates will need them if they're too-" Olga paused as a soft buzzing sound filled her ears. She looked at the source, that being Anastasia. Her watch glowed for a moment before she completely disappeared. "What the hell just happened to her? What did she do?"

"Oh dear… it seems she initiated the transport without you noticing. Don't worry, these watches are synchronized. The moment you teleport, you'll find yourself at her side. I was kind of hoping she'd dress down though. A young woman of her age walking around London in a beautiful dress is bound to attract attention." Da Vinci said, clearing her throat. "I would… go look for her, just in case she's gotten in trouble."

"Ugh… and here I thought I would get to pack some extra things. I shouldn't have come to the Lab before leaving for England." the former director mumbled, looking at her watch.

It showed a glowing golden emblem on the screen, with a large Wand at the center, representing the mark of the Caster class servants. It was located right in front of Buckingham Palace. She'd have a lot of explaining to do the moment she arrived in England. The Mage's Association wasn't going to be pleased, knowing the former Grand Duchess of Russia was walking around in broad daylight, likely attracting attention to herself. She sighed, pressing the two buttons, hoping the day would end just as fast as it had arrived.

---

"Can you blame me for being curious?" Anastasia asked, her voice muffled from the door she was standing behind. Olga stood nearby, leaning back against one of the nearby walls. The two were located in a clothing store in downtown London.

She had been able to find Anastasia without much trouble. Her teleportation watch had worked perfectly, and had even teleported her into a nearby, empty alleyway. It made for much smoother transitions. It didn't take long to find Anastasia. She was standing in front of the royal palace, her eyes wide with awe as she took in the architecture. Olga was quick on her feet, managing to convince the people snapping pictures of her that she was a cosplayer who loved to dress in Victorian Era garments. She had led her away, taking her to the first store she saw, which happened to be a high end clothing shop. She was in the middle of scolding the girl for what she had done, but when she thought about it, had she been in her shoes she would have done the same.

"It's not that I blame you or anything, Caster." she replied, choosing to call her by her class name rather than by her true name. It would avoid suspicions. After all, London was the home base for the Mage's Association, and she couldn't have anyone finding out she had a Heroic Spirit with her. "It's just dangerous to pull that kind of stunt. You never know where you can land or what kind attention you'll be attracting."

"Understandable, I shall endeavor not to press the two little buttons so casually," she replied. Olga rolled her eyes, looking up at the ceiling. "Master, is something the matter? You seem rather tense."

"It's been several years since I've been in London. The last time I was here was when my father, Marisbury, was still alive. He passed away some time before Chaldea started accepting Master Candidates. I was born here, but you can hardly tell. I grew up in America so I never developed an accent,"

"It must be nice being home then. I too wish to visit my homeland. I wish to see how much it's changed. I wish to meet the ones who run the government now… to see if their movement made Russia a better country," Anastasia said, making Olga cringe.

"I thought Heroic Spirits attained knowledge of the modern world when they passed through the gate. Does she not know about Lenin? About Stalin? I'd rather not go into detail about that kind of thing."

She heard the lock on the dressing room door open, and pushed away from the wall, standing before it. Anastasia looked vastly different than she did a few hours prior. Gone was her beautiful gown, being replaced with a long sleeved, white blouse. Over it, she was wearing a matching ice blue dress that fell just below the knee, and had gold and red embellishments on it. She was wearing a pair of thigh-high white stockings, along with some black heeled boots. Her hair-style remained unchanged, though she still chose to wear her ornate crown which glimmered in the low lighting of the store. She had an expressionless look on her face as she looked at her reflection.

"Modern day clothes leave something to be desired. I suppose I got used to dresses back when I was alive. What do you think, Master? Is this passable?"

"I think you look gorgeous, Caster. It might not be as regal as your usual attire, but this brings out your natural beauty. It goes great with your pale skin and brings out the color of your eyes. Oh, but one last thing." Olga said, reaching into her satchel. She pulled something out from it, wrapping it around Anastasia's neck. Once it was hooked in place, she moved back, giving her a nod. "Now it's complete,"

Anastasia reached for the pendant she had placed around her neck, eyes widening in surprise when she saw it. It was a rather simple necklace, made of white gold. But the pendant was in the shape of a heart, carved out of a rare, ice blue ruby. It had been a gift from her father for her Seventeenth birthday, a precious gift she never got to wear.

"This is…"

"It was recovered from your family's estate. For 80 years, it was kept in a museum which detailed the life of the Romanova Family. My father was able to purchase it and several other artifacts, believing they could be used as summoning catalysts. I convinced him to keep this one around, just in case." she said. Anastasia's lips curved into a small smile, causing Olga to look away. "What? Don't just smile like that. I'm just returning something to its rightful owner, nothing more nothing less!"

"T-thank you, Master. I am forever grateful for your kindness," she said, picking Viy up from the bench she had set him on. "Hmm… perhaps we can get a dress for Viy? I think that would make him a little happier."

"Right, the doll. Um… I'm not sure if there's a doll shop anywhere around here, but I think we can find her something."

"He.. Viy is a he." Anastasia said firmly. Olga's brow furrowed as she looked at the doll in the girl's grasp.

"But… that's a female doll… look at the hair, and the dress." she said firmly. She felt a shudder go down her spine. The doll's eyes started glowing brightly, as if they were peering into her soul. She swallowed the lump in her throat, gulping audibly. "Okay, the doll is a he. It's a he! Can we just go to the checkout line?"

"Of course. Perhaps we should purchase some umbrellas? The weather forecast said there was a slight chance of rain. I'd rather not get wet." the white haired spirit said, earning a sigh from Olga.

"Yeah yeah, we'll get some umbrellas as well." she said, as she led her servant toward the counter, making sure she had the tags for all of her clothes. "Come to England for your whole day, there's lots of tea, softly spoken gents, and a guaranteed chance of FUCKIN' RAIN!"

Her comment made a few teenagers nearby burst into laughter, making her jolt a bit. Upon sensing their mirth, she couldn't help but join in, withholding her laughs as she continued walking. Perhaps this trip wouldn't be as bad as she was imagining it out to be.

xxx

It had been a long time since she had visited the Clock Tower. Outwardly, the building was designed to mimic Buckingham Palace. The tower was a lot smaller than the iconic Elizabeth Tower. It was located in the suburbs of London, faraway from the building it resembled. On the outside, it looked like a welcoming academy, but that was far from the truth.

The building had been constructed over the remains of an ancient dragon, Albion. He didn't leave for the Farside of the World during the coming era of man and died trying to dig his way there. His tomb serves as a place where magi can gain many tools. The main body of the academy is located underground, extending from Regent's Park to Westminster. Her father was a former instructor in this academy, before he participated in the Fuyuki Holy Grail War. He was the head of the Astronomy Department. She had been offered his position as well, but she declined, deciding to instead remain at Chaldea, a wise decision.

She however wasn't there to relive her memories of the academy, nor was she there to speak with anyone of importance. She was there to see a single man, one that was friends with her father, and a previous participant of the Fuyuki Holy Grail War. Walking down the halls of the academy brought back a sense of nostalgia that she would have rather lived without. A few students had stopped to stare at them, while others seemed entranced with Anastasia. Thanks to the way she was summoned, she couldn't travel in Spirit form, thus leading her to need a change of clothing.

It didn't take long to find the place she was looking for, the office belonging to Lord El-Melloi II. The man had been close friends with her father, despite his looks, he was actually fairly young, only being a few years older than Olga herself. She knocked on the door with a sense of purpose, standing firmly before the door.

"Come in."

She gave Anastasia a silent nod, having explained everything to her beforehand. The two stepped into the office a moment later, walking straight toward the man's desk. His office was fairly spacious, filled with a lot of magical artifacts. There were awards and accolades decorating the walls, along with several photographs. She even spotted one of a younger El-Melloi, standing next to a large, red haired man with a white tee shirt, bearing a grin on his face.

"Olga Marie Animusphere. I've been expecting you," the long haired man said, turning away from the window. "It's been quite awhile since we last met."

"Indeed it has, it's nice to see you too, Lord El-Melloi," Olga said, giving the man a bow. Despite the two of them not being Japanese, they had adopted that custom. It was mostly to show their respect to their fellow mages.

Lord El-Melloi looked far older than he truly was. He had long raven hair that reached down past his shoulders. He wore a fancy black suit, with a crimson red necktie. He pulled the cigarette he was smoking away from his lips, putting it out on the ashtray before him. He looked past the woman, spotting Anastasia on the other side of the room, hugging her doll tightly. She seemed more entranced in his collection of artifacts than he had collected over the years.

"You brought your servant with you?"

"Yes, I thought it would be wise to travel with her by my side. In case something happened. After the attack on Chaldea last year, I don't want to take any chances."

"I don't blame you… when the report came that you had perished in that attack, all of us were worried. It's a miracle to have you back in this realm with us, Olga. You are my last connection to your father, which is why I wish to assist Chaldea in anything you need." he said, straightening up a bit. "What is the purpose of this visit? I was expecting you late this week, not today,"

"Our current Director was able to create a new form of teleportation. We're testing it out for her. The reason we are here is because we need to speak to a pair of students. Eiji Itsuka Tohsaka and Luviagelita Edelfelt, both of them seem to have turned down Chaldea's requests." she said, earning a nod from the man.

"Yes, they said as much. Eiji is not interested, and for whatever reason, Miss Edelfelt follows his lead. The two have become kindred spirits of sorts. I've tried to speak with Eiji in the past, but it seems the loss of his friend back in 2014 has left him with some traumatic memories. I don't think he's likely to accept," El-Melloi said, frowning. "However, if you speak with them, you might get lucky. The two of them should be in class right now, but their lunch break is coming up. You are free to speak with them then. Feel free to use the facilities while you are here, the presence of an Animusphere may actually inspire some students to do well in school."

"Thank you sir. Perhaps we can catch up for a bit, I'm certain Caster wouldn't mind. She seems rather intrigued by that Rubiks Cube over there," Olga said, watching the white haired girl struggling with the cube.

"Ебать Сука! This stupid cube is pissing me off!"

"Perhaps we should take a walk, before she ends up destroying that cube and my office," Lord El-Melloi II said, rising for his seat. "Come on, there are brand new facilities here since you were last here. Mayhaps we can speak more about this Team you are setting up, as well as young Master Ritsuka. I am quite intrigued by how someone like him was able to save the world."

---

"I see, so your intention with Team B is to have them on standby in case something happens?" Lord El-Melloi said, earning a nod from Olga. "I must admit, it is a very ambitious plan, unlike your previous one. I can also see why the Association and Atlas Academy wasn't so lenient with your request."

"40 mages perished during that explosion, including myself. How I was able to return was a miracle. It seems that someone made a wish upon that final grail. Even still, 7 Master Candidates or cryogenically frozen, with them all being in critical condition. Until we can figure out a way to save their lives, we need to have a team ready." Olga said, her eyes taking in the sights as she walked. "You never know when something bad might happen."

"Hmm… the possibility of something on the scale of the Incineration might happen. What of the Pseudo-Singularities? Have those been resolved yet?" the man asked, taking a drag from his cigarette. "We haven't gotten any reports from the Director, not only that, we've also received some rather interesting reports from upper management."

"The Pseudo-Singularities have been resolved. They were minor tears in time caused by the world fixing itself. Thanks to Ritsuka, things went well. That's also another reason why we need this team. Ritsuka has been working hard for an entire year, having some back up may prove useful to him, in the field." the woman said, grabbing a hold of Anastasia, who was dialing things into a nearby vending machine. She glared at her Master, but continued walking beside her. "Now then, about that report?"

"Someone is trying to convince the UN to sell Chaldea." the man said, causing Olga to trip. El-Melloi was quick to react, grabbing her arm before she actually fell. "By your reaction, it's obvious you weren't aware of this?"

"Of course I wasn't! Chaldea Security Organization was started, funded and operated by the Animusphere Family. There is no way I am going to let that person attain ownership!" Olga snapped, sounding rather angry. El-Melloi sighed, shaking his head.

"Unfortunately, this isn't a matter of Family ownership. It's being put to a vote. Atlas Academy, the Mage's Association and the United Nations all agree. With your untimely death during the incident, many things became uncertain. Putting someone from a powerful family as the owner and director would ensure all three departments were aware of what's going on."

"Ugh… those stuffy old bastards. I can't believe they have the audacity to do this without even informing me about it!" she cried angrily.

"Master, why would selling Chaldea be a bad thing? Wouldn't it make sense for someone more qualified to take the lead?" Anastasia asked, causing the woman to look up at her.

"Da Vinci is more than qualified, considering she did most of the legwork during the previous Grand Orders. Without her, Ritsuka and Mash wouldn't have made it out of Camelot alive. Not to mention she's 85% of the R&D department. There is no one more fit to lead than her, and while I am alive, I will not let Chaldea fall into the hands of another."

"Just so you know, the one who wants to purchase Chaldea is Darnic Preston Yggdmillennia." Lord El-Melloi said, causing Olga to freeze in place. She slowly shifted her gaze back toward El-Melloi, a look of disbelief on his face.

"The leader of the Yggdmillennia Clan… wants to buy Chaldea? Why?"

"To put a puppet leader of course. Darnic himself isn't going to lead, he's likely going to put someone else in charge. I believe Fiore Forvedge Yggmillennia would be that puppet." El-Melloi said, taking another drag from his cigarette. "She's a fine mage, has nearly 100 intact Magical Circuits and possesses skill on par with Lords and Ladies at the Association. The only problem is her paralysis. Even still, since she wouldn't see actual combat, she would make the perfect head of Chaldea. Someone who can inform Darnic of what's going on. He's likely aiming to use Chaldea as a powerful ally should a Holy Grail War form."

"Tch… with the ability to summon Servants on the fly, he likely would start a war just to get his filthy hands on a Holy Grail. We cannot let that happen. That's likely why I received Emilia Yggdmillennia's profile in my office not long ago."

"Emilia you say? That is quite interesting." the man said, shaking his head. "Regardless of that, if the three organizations all agree, the Animusphere Family's days of owning Chaldea are numbered."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." the woman mumbled under her breath.

"Master, I'm sensing some high magical signatures nearby. Could they perhaps belong to the two Masters we are in search of?" Anastasia said, pulling Olga from her conversation. She looked up, just in time to spot two students chatting a few feet away from them. She narrowed her eyes, vaguely recognizing them from the photos she had seen.

"I think so."

"Indeed they are, Eiji Itsuka Tohsaka and Lady Luviagelita Edelfelt. They like to come here when they are on break. If you wish to speak with them this is your best chance. It's likely they'll be heading off campus for a few hours. Miss Edelfelt's estate is nearby and they often head there for lunch." El-Melloi said, giving the two a nod. "It was nice seeing you again, Olga, and it was a pleasure meeting you, Lady Anastasia."

"It was a pleasure meeting you as well, Lord El-Melloi." Anastasia replied, giving the man a bow. By the time she turned back, Olga was already on her way to the end of the hallway, where the two Master Candidates were quietly chatting.

"I assure you dear, it's quite proper." the blonde woman said, earning a frown from the young man.

"I honestly don't think so. Do you actually think your sister is going to agree? I mean, she's already dealing with some shit, I doubt she's gonna want to deal with this."

"Well it's either you or that pretty boy douchebag from the Maldives and I am not going to sack her happiness for some dickhead who-" she stopped mid sentence, sparing a glance at the white haired woman who had approached them. "-Pardon me, miss. Is there anything we can help you with? Are you perhaps a new student?"

"Um… not particularly, no. I came to speak with the two of you, if you'd allow me some of your time."

"I suppose,"

Olga looked the two over, taking in their appearance. The young man looked to be around 23 three years of age, a year younger than she was. He had smooth brown hair, which was neatly brushed to the side, a few spikes sticking out around the sides. He was wearing a fancy looking black suit, with a white undershirt and red tie. Black slacks adorned his legs, along with polished Oxford shoes.

The woman was dressed similarly, in rather fancy looking attire. Her outfit consisted of a beautiful royal blue dress with white accents. It fell down past her knees in waves, the outer hem being adorned with fancy embroidery. A dark brown see through keyhole exposed a bit of her cleavage, though it was partially hidden by the cravat she was wearing. A long blue cape hung off her shoulder, bearing the crest of the Edelfelt Estate. She was a beautiful young lady, with her long hair being styled in drills that hung off her left shoulder. Though Olga wished to stare at her face, there was only one place her eyes seemed drawn to.

"Those things are huge!" she thought. The woman adopted a look of annoyance, looking away from the woman.

"If you came here to ogle my assets, then could you take your leave? I don't have time for such perversion," she replied. Olga cleared her throat, bowing apologetically.

"Forgive me, Miss Edelfelt, I didn't mean to be rude. I couldn't help it, I always yearned to have breasts that large." the woman stammered. This of course didn't help appease the blonde. The young man had a look of amusement on his face.

"I think that was a complement, Luvia. I would take it if I were you,"

"Oh hush you. Now then, what business do you have with us? We have a busy afternoon ahead of us and we'd rather not waste any time."

"R-right… I should begin by introducing myself. My name is Olga Marie Animusphere, I'm the former director of the Chaldea Security Organization." she said, almost immediately, the young man pushed away from the wall, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Listen, I already told Lord El-Melloi I wasn't interested. It doesn't matter what kind of work you do or the fact that you saved the world. I'm done with Heroic Spirits and I am done with Holy Grail Wars. Find yourself someone else because I am not going to join you,"

"Please, I came all the way here to speak with the two of you, can you at least listen to what I have to say first?" the woman asked firmly. The man shook his head, brushing past her.

"Let's get out of here Luvia, we can't keep your sister waiting."

"Eiji… perhaps we should hear her out? She did come all the way here, let's at least hear her out." Luvia said, causing the man to stop.

"No, Luvia. If you wanna stay here, then be my guest, but I'm done with this kind of bullshit. I've made up my mind." he replied. Turning around, he came face to face with Anastasia, who had been blocking his path. A cold mist started to fill the room, as he felt the density of mana increasing.

"My master and I have traveled far in order to come here. All because she believes you can help us. You will listen to what she has to say, if you do not then I shall be forced to take action." she said. Eiji narrowed his eyes, reaching behind his back for his special weapon. "Don't bother with your handgun. By the time you take aim, your entire body shall be encased in ice. What shall it be, Mr. Tohsaka?"

Eiji's face contorted into a look of anger, though it was only for a brief moment. Realizing he was completely outmatched, the young man gave the servant a nod. He looked back at Olga, arms crossed in annoyance. "It was wise of you to come here with a servant. But you should be careful, there are people out there capable of taking down Heroic Spirits, even if they are of the Caster class."

"Perfect, let us find a more private place. The last thing we need is someone listening into our conversation."

"Follow me then, I know just the place." Luvia said, giving the pair a smile. Eiji silently followed, already wishing he could be somewhere else.

---

"So, what's so important that you had to come personally?" Eiji said, a look of genuine disinterest in his voice as he looked at Olga.

The three of them had gone to one of the empty classrooms, with Anastasia acting as their guard. Luvia had gone as far as preparing some tea for them. The three of them sat around the teacher's desk, having pulled some chairs from nearby to hold their small meeting.

"Like I'm sure our director told you. I'd like to recruit you and Miss Edelfelt into Chaldea. I'm in need of powerful Masters, people like you who can use magic adeptly. It was because of my own hubris that Chaldea was attacked the way it was. And it was my fault that so many Masters ended up dying without doing anything to save the world." Olga said, looking at her tea cup. "It was through the effort of one young man, and his servant that we're here now. But he alone can't save the world, not after last time. He needs backup."

"You have a single active Master in Chaldea? And he alone saved the world?" Luvia asked, earning a nod from the woman. "That's impressive, how come we weren't told about this?"

"Because the UN wanted to keep things on the down low. They probably don't want to harass the poor guy. Not just that, if stories about him start going viral, then people will probably join Chaldea just so they could become heroes." the brown haired man said, taking a sip of his tea. He set the cup down, glancing across the room. "It's a stupid reason to want to join an organization like that."

"Indeed it is. The reason why I came here is because of this young man. He's working himself ragged, and somehow manages to fix fluctuations in the timeline and contracts tons of servants. While strong, he alone can't handle it. I'm putting together a team, consisting of 8 strong mages. Lineage doesn't matter, but I am glad that the Tohsakas and the Edelfelts have strong mages like yourselves."

"Why thank you, Miss Animusphere. I am quite pleased to hear that, however, I have quite a large estate to manage. As the future heiress, I must start thinking about settling down. The Edelfelt Crest will fall onto my shoulders in a few years and I must be ready by then. While it would be a wonderful honor to help you and your organization, I must decline." Luvia said, after sharing a look with Eiji. "My father is already looking for a suitor for my younger sister, and if I wish to avoid that fate, I have to start looking."

"I see…" the woman said, glancing at Eiji. She looked back at Luvia, giving her a smile. "So when are you going to tell him you have a boyfriend?"

Eiji spat the tea in his mouth, eyes widening in surprise. He coughed loudly, wiping his lips with a napkin. "What the hell?"

"I mean, you two are together correct? I would assume so seeing as you are so close with each other."

"Oh dear me, Eiji here isn't my boyfriend. We're just close friends! We've become quite close since he came here from Fuyuki four years ago. Since we're nearing our graduation from the main part of the Association, we're planning our futures. Eiji has already mentioned becoming my retainer of sorts." the woman said.

"I already told you, I am not going to be your bodyguard, Luvia. Why the hell do you need one? You can handle yourself just fine. As for my answer, Miss Animusphere, it's gonna be a hard no. Despite bearing the Tohsaka name, I am just an overcompensated figurehead. I don't come from her family, and I possess her crest because she left it behind." the man said, sighing audibly. "After what happened in 2014, I don't want anything but revenge, on the bastard that fucking killed her."

"Killed her? Rin Tohsaka you mean. Her murderer was never identified… Lord El-Melloi told me you came here in order to become stronger with your magical circuits. Wouldn't you say this is a fine opportunity?" Olga asked, earning a firm look from the man. "Chaldea is more than just an organization who fixes problems in time. We also assist our mages in getting proper training, far more intensive than anything the Mage's Association offers."

"I doubt you can offer anything more intensive than the shit we go through here," he boasted, earning a smirk from the woman.

"Can this school offer you the chance to train with powerful heroic spirits at a moment's notice?" she asked, sipping from her teacup. "I didn't think so."

"What is your true purpose for this? Your director explained things to me and I learned a lot of technical stuff, but one of the reasons I turned her down was because I didn't know the true reason." Luvia said, crossing her arms beneath her breasts. "So, perhaps if you tell me what your true purpose for this visit is, then I may change my mind."

"I told you. I wish to build a team of Strong Masters, capable of helping Ritsuka Fujimaru out. Not just that but…" she sighed, shaking her head. "Look, I'm sure you've sensed it already, how weak I truly am. I'm not strong enough to be a Master. I managed to summon Anastasia, but that was lucky. Her Caster class helps me out because she can sustain herself with little magic. There are lots of heroic spirits in Chaldea, but they alone can't help defend the world. Not if another incident like what happened last year happens again."

"So you intend to have us be a private army of sorts?" Eiji said, scoffing. "Thanks but no thanks, I am not going to become some soldier preparing for a war that might not happen."

"Then what will you do? Train and train until you can't train anymore? That's no way to live, young man. You said it yourself, you want revenge on the man who killed your best friend. We can offer you that." the white haired woman said, sitting up in her seat. "Just like I summoned Anastasia, the two of you could summon powerful Heroic Spirits. We can even give you some of these."

She held her hand out, showing the pair her Command Seals. The two mages stared at the marks in awe. Luvia grabbed a hold of her hand, tracing them with the top of her finger.

"Those are genuine, I can feel the power and magic behind them. How were you able to get Command Seals? They're issued by the Holy Grail before a Grail War begins. Are you telling me Chaldea was able to create Pseudo-Command Seals for their masters to use?"

"Pseudo?" she giggled, shaking her head. "These are the real deal. We figured out how to create our own Command Seals, without the need of a Grail War. We used the same technique the Matou Family used when setting up the Fuyuki Grail System. You can use as many as you'd like, and we can replace them whenever we want."

"As tempting as that sounds, it's still a pass for me. I don't have time to play hero." Eiji said, rising to his feet. "I'm done here, Luvia feel free to join up if you'd like. I'm gonna go back to my room."

"Eiji, are you serious? How could you turn down something like this? Wouldn't you want to train yourself further than what this academy is offering us? Wouldn't you want to ensure the Tohsaka Crest gets improved upon?" the woman asked, causing him to stop.

"No, I'm not interested in that crap. I told you before, I'm training to fight in a Holy Grail War. That's all I'm good for okay? Rin wanted the Holy Grail to bring prestige to her family and she never got to achieve that. Now that the Fuyuki Grail System got dismantled, all I can do is wait for a natural grail to appear in the world so I can fight for it. It's my destiny."

"You want revenge on the one who killed her and the Holy Grail? You are quite the ambitious young man. I never met Rin Tohsaka, but it seems you gained a little bit of her ambitions. The stories I heard of her from my father certainly made me think so." Olga said, a small smile on her face.

"What? You think I can't do it? I have what it takes to find that bastard and get the Holy Grail. It's all I've been training for."

"It's like I said, we can offer you that and more. You want a holy grail? It's likely we'll be able to get one at some point. Ritsuka gathered seven of them after all."

"S-seven?" Luvia asked, earning a nod from the woman. "That's impressive… though there must be a catch."

"Nope… no catch. Those Holy Grails are different from the one that was fought for in Fuyuki. For one, no one needed to become a vessel for it." she said with a shrug, looking back at Eiji, who had a look of intrigue on his face. "So what will it be? We can offer you anything you want. Command Seals, Gemstones, A catalyst for a Heroic Spirit. We can have our best detective search for Rin Tohsaka's killer, and we can prepare you for correcting Singularities, which almost always start with a Holy Grail. You'd get all of that and more. Money? Properties? Medical Benefits, all of that is covered when you join."

Eiji remained silent, not bothering to look at the woman, though it was obvious he was pondering her offer. After a moment, he started walking away, slowly climbing up the stairs to leave the room. He paused just shy of reaching the door, glancing over his shoulder at Olga.

"I'll think about it."

With that, he was gone. Olga couldn't do much more than that, she most certainly wasn't going to force him into anything he wasn't comfortable doing. Her gaze shifted back toward Luvia, who had finished drinking the last of the tea. She set her cup down, giving Olga a firm look. "That's likely the best reply you are going to get out of him."

"I can tell… what about you, Miss Edelfelt? Will you accept my offer as well?"

"That depends on Eiji's answer. We made a pact not that long ago, wherever he goes, I go, and vice versa. We've come to realize how cruel this world can be, and how rapidly it can take what we cherish the most away from us. He's been through a lot, things you'll likely need some time to uncover. His answer will decide my fate. Alas, my time has run out, it was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Animusphere, but I shall take my leave now." Luvia said, rising to her feet. She grabbed her things, taking a hold of the tray she had brought along with the kettle and cups. "I hope your journey brings you what you are looking for."

Moments later, Olga Marie found herself alone. The dull sound of the door closing after Luvia serving as the only sound in the room. Anastasia didn't take long to join her Master at the front of the room, clutching her doll tightly in her grasp. She said nothing, remaining silent while she looked at the woman. She stared at the watch wrapped around her wrist, making note of the time.

"We'll have to say goodbye to Lord El-Melloi another time. The next train to Paris leaves in half an hour and I'd like to have my tickets before then."

"Why? Wouldn't it be quicker if we teleport to Paris?"

"What's the point in doing that? I'd rather have some time to settle my thoughts. It also gives me time to plan my conversation with Emilia out. I'd like to have everything ready to go so we don't waste time. Not to mention, her status as an Yggdmillennia raises some questions. Since Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia plans on 'acquiring' Chaldea, I wanna pull out as much information as possible." the woman said, earning a nod from Anastasia, who glanced at the spot Eiji had been sitting at. She had a curious look on her face, her lips curved into a frown. "What are you thinking about?"

"That boy… I could sense how hurt he was. There's a lot of power in his body, but I can tell he's been through a lot of strife in recent times. Do you think he's going to accept your offer?" the Grand Duchess queried. She nodded, rising to her feet.

"I'm certain. The things I offered are little compared to what Chaldea can achieve. I wasn't kidding when I said I would find him information on Rin Tohsaka's killer. I'm certain Sherlock Holmes can gather that up in a weekend."

"I didn't think someone would resort to bribery to get what she wants. You are an interesting person, Olga Marie Animusphere."

"When the fate of the world is at stake, there is no shortage of I would to to prevent it. If that's what it takes to get him on our side, then I'll give him what he wants, and then some. Let's go, we have a lot of things to do and not a lot of time to do them in." she said, taking the lead. Anastasia followed suit, hugging Viy closer to her body.

"She's an interesting person, isn't she, Viy? I was expecting someone a lot less serious than her. But I can tell she cares, not just about those people around her, but the fate of the world as well. Perhaps I made the right choice in answering her summons."

Little did the two know, they were on the cusp of another great calamity, one that would certainly change all of them forever. The fate of the world hung in the balance, all that needed for it to be set in motion was for all the pieces to be lined up.

---

A/N: Hello and welcome everyone to this very long journey. I'm sure you all are wondering why I'm writing a new Fate story when my previous one hadn't gotten past the first arc. Well, that's because I've decided to rewrite it from the ground up. I decided to make this an FGO story and I've been doing weeks and weeks of research to make sure every arc has a good plot and well rounded characters, even now I'm still not finished with the research phase. I wanted to begin the Fuyuki Arc tonight in earnest, but I've been rather busy as of late. So that will sadly have to wait for later. The Prologues are done and ready to be posted, but I'm going to be holding off on those for a little while longer. I want to make this story special, so I'm in for the long haul. Every single arc of this story is going to be its own self contained story, which will add to the grand scheme of the entire story. Plot wise, this takes place after Part 1 of Fate Grand Order. Shinjuku, Shimousa and Salem are all canon, but I've gone ahead and removed Agartha from it for personal reasons that I will not discuss. The lostbelts also do not occur, so it's my own canon sort of, you'll see what I mean as you read.

The first arc of the story will contain the prologues, though I don't know how long this first arc will be, each one will have it's own main character and cast, so I do hope you look forward to it! I've rewritten a few of the original places from Fate Unlimited and have made them way better. While I am proud of what I did with that story, I realized it could be improved, so that's what I did. So for those of you who read that story, I hope you like this one! Let me know what you think. That's it for now, I wish you all good tidings! Hopefully 2019 will get better soon! See ya!