(WARNInG: SUSTaINiNG DAMaGE)
(SUMMoNING DEFeNcES…)
As I opened my eyes I found myself in a familiar place, though it didn't exactly make me feel at ease. The core of the Moon Cell, a place other spirit hackers would kill to get to. The place where I almost met my end to both Pieceman and the Moon Cell itself. The massive cube structure usually surrounded by a clear blue sea now dyed red, was in a sorry state.
(WArNING: eNERgY RESerVES LOW)
(ENeRGY REsERVeS: 17%)
(CONTINUING pREvIOUs ACtION: SEArCHInG…)
I turned around and saw what had attacked the Moon Cell. A writhing mass of massive tentacle like pillars with crystalline eyes that seemed to-
*Boom*
(DAMaGE SUSTAiNEd…)
(CoRE SHiELD HoLDING)
The world seemed to shake as the pillar tentacles fired lasers at the Moon Cell. Only to be stopped by a projected energy shield that faded away shortly after, leaving a clear view of the battlefield. The only thing keeping the mass sea of tentacles at bay were the literal waves of attack programs being spawned from the plants just inside the Moon Cells shielding.
(SeARCHInG…)
The Moon Cell couldn't keep this up, as powerful as it was it would run out of energy before even finding a timeline to slide us into. I couldn't just stand here and watch, I needed to find some way to help, but how could I-
A glint on my hand was enough to knock me out of my shell shocked state. "The Regalia…" my hoarse voice croaked out.
(sEARChING…)
If I took over searching for a suitable timeline the Moon Cell could focus all its energy on Defence.
(INHERITOR ReQUeST AKnOWLeDGED)
(REALLOCATING REaSOURSES…)
(TrAnSFERrinG DaTA…)
"Ahhh!" I screamed. I always got a headache when I accessed the Regalia, but now it felt like my head was ripping apart and being split in a hundred different directions.
(WArNiNg: nEW THrEaT DeTECtED)
Everything around me had turned into background noise as I slowly got this information dumped in my head under control. I needed to find something, anything that would get us out of this situation. Timelines flew through my head, each one being scanned and discarded. So much information was flowing through my head that, without the Regalia, I was sure my mind would have broken under the stress.
*Boom*
(COrE sHIELD HOLdING)
(WARNiNg: ENeRGy RESeRvES LOw)
(eNERgY rESErVeS: 11%)
The world shook once again but I paid it no mind, continuing my search. I needed a world that had even a semblance of civilization. Even If it was devoid of life, as long as there was somebody, anybody…
*Boom*
(WaRnING: dEFEnSES FAiLING)
(ReDIREcTING aLL ENErGY To CORe SHiELD)
Another shake, as world after world flew through my head. Each one coming up with the same result, a flame tinted barren landscape unfit for life. The worlds started to bleed into each other, mixing together and making it difficult to tell where they began and ended.
*Boom*
(WArNING: ENeRGY ReSERVES LoW)
(ENERgY RESeRveS: 9%)
But, I couldn't give up. I wouldn't give up. If I gave in here it would mean that everything I've done, every battle I've fought, would have been for nothing. The lives of those I took would lose their meaning. Saber and Caster would scoff at the idea of me giving up, Rin and Rani would never forgive me, and so there is only one path I can take. I won't let the lives I've trampled on be for nothing, I will fight against this catastrophe no matter how hopeless it gets, I won't stop until I get everything I've lost back.
*Crack*
A cracking sound brought me back to reality just in time for me to throw myself to the side as one of the tentacles broke through the shield and flattened the area I had been standing. My Magic Circuits flared to life as a burning cityscape flashed through my mind. "Code Cast: Hack(128);" I shouted, stunning the thing long enough for the few remaining attack programs to push it back out of the shield.
That close call allowed me time to finally see just how bad our situation had gotten. The Moon Cell had given up on using attack programs to fight back, aside from a few inside the shield, it was using all of its energy just keeping up the barrier. I was getting distracted, I needed to focus on finding a-
Wait, a burning city?
(StABLE TiMELInE FoUND)
(INiTIATING SLiDE…)
A burning cityscape. The trigger for my Magic Circuits, that was only supposed to flash for a brief moment, remained in my mind. We found it, a world that wasn't a barren void. While I'm not sure I'd call it stable, it was our best chance out of this. If the Moon Cell could-
(WArNiNG: ENErGY INSUFFICIENt)
(SeARCHiNG FoR ALtERNaTE MeTHOD…)
No! We were so close!
*Crack*
"Code Cast: Hack(64);" I shouted once more, stunning the tentacle before it could attack. As it was pushed out I began to take stock of our position again. We were surrounded on all sides with the tentacles still trying to beat their way through the barrier. The number of attack programs had dwindled down to a handful of the more powerful ones.
*Boom*
It was frustrating, but I couldn't do much more at this point. I just had to wait for the Moon Cell to find someway-
(AlTErnATE mEThOD FouND)
(…)
(CrEATiNg SErVAnT cONTaiNER…)
A servant container…? I thought the Moon Cell couldn't summon any servants right now? Not that I was complaining, if I could have even one of them by my side again it would do wonders to settle my unease. But I just couldn't see how that was going to get us out of this- "Ahh!"
(WArnING: HeAT bUiLDup DetEcteD)
A bright, blinding light appeared before my thoughts could wander, followed by a wave of intense heat knocking me on my back.
(DiVERtinG rEMainiNG eneRGY…)
(InTErFAcING WiTh FATE sySTem…)
I slowly got back to my feet, all the while shielding my eyes from the light. As my surroundings came back into focus I noticed that the pillars had all seemingly vanished along with the attack programs. It was almost as if nothing had happened, but that did nothing to stop my growing dread as the light got brighter and the heat became even more unbearable.
(warNIng: MaJOr poWer FLuCTuATions DETectED wiTHin CHaLDea)
(ProbABILity oF DaMAGing FATE systEM: HiGH)
(…)
(…)
(…PRoceeDing)
"Code Cast: Resist_Flame(32);" I called out, in an attempt to lessen the increasing heat.
Whatever the Moon Cell was doing it was going way over my head, I just hope it finishes soon.
(WARninG: DiSCharGE detECtEd)
(WaRNiNG: INHeriTeR At riSK)
(diVERtiNG EneRgy…)
*Boom*
"Ahh!" I screamed, as a massive shockwave sent me spiraling back.
I slowly opened my eyes and nearly shut them closed, the heat had become so intense it felt as if I was being burnt alive. My vision was filled with white light, and I could just barely make out the Moon Cell.
(WA_Ni_G: SUsT_iNi_g D_maGE)
(SE_vANt CON_aiNEr Co_PLetE)
My throat felt as dry as a desert, and I could no longer keep my eyes open. The cold voice of the Moon Cell had all but faded into the background.
(tr_NSfeR PRE_arED)
(W_rnING: uN_BLe tO EnComP_sS MO_n c_LL AUT_maT_N…)
(…)
(…)
(…P_ocEE_inG)
Just a little bit longer. I just needed to hang on a bit longer.
(…)
My thoughts drifted to Saber, Caster, and Altera once more, before the world turned dark.
(…T_anS_R CO_pLeTE)
The Moon Cell Automaton, an incomprehensible machine built by beings from beyond the sea of stars. Beings that left it behind for reasons known only to the Moon Cell itself. A machine older than the very earth we once walked upon, with enough power to rewrite reality itself.
That powerful machine, with a core that once shone a brilliant blue hue, now lay in a blackened, smouldering heap.
Ars Almadel Salomonis, an attack capable of gathering all magical energy from an entire era, and strong enough to incinerate all of human history. The heat generated by it alone was enough to decimate anything in its path. If such an attack was leveled at a single entity, the only result that could have been was complete destruction.
And yet.
(…)
"Still, you persist."
A dull and weak hum could still be heard from the dying scrap.
A testament to the durability it possessed that it wasn't vaporized immediately, much less still able to function. But in the end…
"It matters not, the incineration of humanity is already complete, and with this my victory is guaranteed."
Three thousand years of meticulous planning and patience had all led to this moment. With the last real opposition to the incineration ritual laying in ruin before him, he felt a strange feeling wash over him. Perhaps this was what humans called elation.
(…)
"Hmm?"
The hum of the Moon Cell brought him out of his thoughts, and the feeling vanished as quickly as it appeared.
(…)
"Hmph. Chaldea is not but a pebble on the road, and there is nothing they can do to stop what has already come to pass."
The remnants of Chaldea were not worth his attention. Any threat they could have posed, if any at all, had been wiped out by Flauros. Now he need only wait within the temple of time for the incineration of humanity to take hold.
(…)
"…one more human floundering about with that rabble will change nothing."
If Chaldea wasn't worthy of his attention, then this Sovereign of the Moon Cell was even less so. Without its power she would stumble in the dark, pitifully resisting the inevitable, as all humans did.
It was baffling that this paragon of logic would even bother with saving its Sovereign. That ring on her finger would be little more than jewelry without the Moon Cells power. Was she truly so special that it would warrant such treatment?
"…"
No. If she was then he could not see it. That pitiful creature, barely able to withstand his attack for a handful of seconds, would not be able to do anything that could stop him. Perhaps the machine had simply grown some illogical attachment to the girl.
Regardless, he had wasted enough time thinking about such useless things. The Moon Cell had thus far shown no signs of recovery and was only growing weaker. Now he could simply wait within the temple. One more year was a mere drop in the ocean.
He need only wait.
He was correct. The being, now identified as Solomon(Goetia) the King of Mages(BeastofPity), was irrefutably correct. He had won, thoroughly and completely, and neither Chaldea nor Hakuno Kishinami could change that fact.
There was, however, one thing he got wrong. The Moon Cells decision making had been and always would be rooted in logic. Banal things such as feelings or attachments held no place within the Moon Cells cold calculations.
So why then did the Moon Cell save Hakuno Kishinami? Sending her to Chaldea did nothing to increase their already nonexistent chances. In fact, by overloading and damaging the FATE system, those chances had been significantly reduced. Indeed, on the surface it appeared to be a decision based in desperate emotion, and wholly illogical.
Just as illogical as Hakuno Kishinami winning its Holy Grail war.
Just as illogical as her befriending a malignant and cancerous AI.
Just as illogical as her thwarting Velber with the assistance of the White Titan Sefar.
The existence known as Hakuno Kishinami was an illogical anomaly that the Moon Cell would never truly understand. Despite this her long list of accomplishments continued to prove that her very human methods worked.
And so this allowed the Moon Cell to logically make an illogical decision.
She would find a way to reverse the incineration of humanity. Despite the lack of evidence or the abject impossibility of such a fact, to the Moon Cell it was a forgone conclusion.
Even as it began to shut down, it held on to the belief that in the near future it would reawaken. It had made the best play it could and now it would wait.
It need only wait.
AN:
Hey all. Sorry this took so long, as I am now thoroughly aware writing is a lot harder than reading. I was originally going to have the moon cell along for the ride in the regalia, but part way into writing I realized the whole reason goetia doesn't bother with Chaldea is because he doesn't see them as a threat. Having the Moon Cell with Hakuno would kinda contradict the whole premise I set up. So I rewrote the whole thing.
Anyway that's my excuse for why it took so long, that and I'm both a slow writer and a lazy person.
Back to the fic. So I have a lot of ideas I want to pull off, but I really don't have a concrete roadmap. I'm essentially just writing as I go. I'll probably stick relatively close to the original story with a few things differing. And I do have, what I hope is, a cool surprise after I finish singularity F. I also tried making it longer, I'm still not entirely satisfied with the length, but it's been so long and I just wanted to get this out there. Also I have a vague idea of what I want to do with Nameless but it's subject to change.
That's all I got for now, I'll see ya.