FGO Singularity 1950 Germany- The Road to Paradise

by ColinHayworth

A story in an alternate WWII singularity where its mystery still reigns and the mana were unusually dense for its age. It has allowed all those who were beyond 1900 to become heroic spirits as long as their deeds are beyond any comprehension of human beings. And now this is where all those who remains to reach the truth of what happened

19. Beyond False Paradise

Warning: This fanfic dealt with probably controversial themes and you may find it not suitable for you. If you still decide to read, then stay strong and brace yourself for what you are about to read. This story here happens in Arc 2 and thus may contain some spoilers.

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Chapter 19: Beyond False Paradise

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In just a minute before, they were getting along well enough to ignore any bad blood between them until now. And then suddenly, they are now arguing with each other as if there's no tomorrow left.

"Why did you have to betray us like this?!" Desmond yelled as he grabbed Gudao's shirt collar.

Desmond just sobs uncontrollably as if Gudao's placed more of his faith in his distrust rather than the others. Gudao has gone through six Lostbelts and none of them were happy moments at all. They were just pure sorrow and suffering, and everything transpired there pushes him to the point where he always builds a wall that surrounds him from the others just to save any last grace of his mental health.

He wasn't wrong to be wary but the fact that he is willing to choose to sacrifice a Servant than using a Noble Phantasm so that he can use it against a Servant that may not even think about backstabbing him just to show how little faith he has even among his own allies.

Desmond lets Gudao go, he just turned his back on him as a silent rebellion against Gudao's method.

"Are you proud of what you did?" Desmond mumbled silently to Gudao but not expecting him to pick up any of what he said.

Anastasia and Simo looked at Gudao warily as if they felt guilty about having to kill Larry like that. Now it just felt unwelcoming just to be around everyone here.

Arnold looked at the Chaldeans with disbelief, they were planning to dispose of him because of his own identity... one that he was unaware of until now. If they figured out who he is this early then... why did they even keep him around?

"That's because... they couldn't afford to ditch you away early." A tired voice was said that belonged to no one here.

"What?" Arnold suddenly turned around when he heard that voice. It was familiar but definitely not anyone here.

And then walking out of the hazy fog that surrounded everyone is... Larry... In flesh and blood...

"Larry?! I thought you were-" Desmond said in surprise as he couldn't believe what is happening right now.

"Trust me... It is going to be a lot more than that just to kill me. Plus, I need to clear away this discord and how a person like Arnold can come into existence like that. And bloody hell, walking towards here while being completely blind is just pure hell." Larry said while his bloodstained eyes are still dripping to below his cheeks.

"Larry!? Didn't Simo supposed to-" Gudao said as he finds the most unbelievable thing just unfolded in front of his eyes.

"'Supposed to'... Said the person who has thrown me into the grinder as a sacrifice just so that you can take care of a presumed traitor." Larry said straight to Gudao. Sometimes, brutal honesty hurts far more than any profanity.

Gudao became silent, he has no right to say about how any Servant should act when he is the first to betray.

"By the way, Arnold... Alfin... Do you two realize a common similarity in your memory?" Larry said to both of the incarnations of Hitler.

A common similarity? Both of them think it through carefully. If Larry said something about it, it might be very important. They together taking a trip down the memory lane as they tried to find any similarity that they might together have. But the difference was way too great... One was in WW1 and the other was back in pre-war time. However, they realized that one link that connects both of them, their sister... Paula Hitler.

"You two realized it, right?" Larry said to both of them.

Both of them nodded in unison. Larry closed his eyes for a bit and takes a deep breath before proceeding to the next question.

"Does any of you have any memory beyond their respective times?" Larry asked once more.

"Me? No... I can't think of anything from before WW1 or even after it... If I try to proceed, all of them are just pure blank and white emptiness." Arnold said to Larry.

"Mine is just my suffering in my childhood and then I suddenly jumped into position of power in WW2 as I led multiple conquests throughout Europe. I remembered all of the atrocities I committed in my name. Concentration Camps, Ethnic Cleansing, Purging of the Disabled... I remembered all of them clearly... Those were the times of early WW2" Alfin said.

"And now? Do you two realized something amiss there?" Larry said.

They suddenly realized. If they combine both of their memories together. They would end up with a nearly complete chronology of Hitler's life with the exception of later WW2 and its end. But what does this mean to them? They could feel the answer is getting closer but they can't quite put it in a way that could make sense.

Larry looked at both of them pondering at nowhere, he decided that this is enough for now and thus he decided to follow up into the next important thing he needs to say.

"We'll leave that to a better time. The thing I am here to discuss is how a person like Hitler managed to come into this world." Larry said to everyone here.

Everyone focused attentively on him and try to hear what he has to say. A different looking direction to one same story, perhaps it would give them an insight that they would never see before.

"First... Do any of you actually know how WW2 transpired in the first place?" Larry said to everyone else.

Now that they realized it, none of them ever actually understand why WW2 transpired in the first place. All they really know about are the atrocities committed in WW2 by Nazi Germany. In hindsight, they were actually ill-equipped on the knowledge of why WW2 happened.

"Sigh... I thought you Chaldeans would be history major since you all dealing with anomalies in human history but I guess that I placed too much trust on all of you." Larry said with a bit of disappointment.

Honestly, Larry's right. But history is way too vast to package all of them into a human's mind. You are bound to forget something without checking up regularly and human history isn't just on the span of 5000 years alone, they also including cultures, inventions, and stuff. They aren't just a chain of events that happened on a timeline in one particular location, they can easily cascade and chain up with each other repeatedly.

"The treaty of Versailles... You know about it?" Larry asked.

"It was the treaty that was signed at the end of WW1, right?" Gudao said.

"Do you know what is the content inside?" Larry asked once more.

Gudao stumped at that question. He just knows that it was signed at the end of WW1, that's all of what he knows about it.

"Once you know about the content inside it, you will start to realize just how absurd the nations that forced Germany to sign it in the first place. It is basically an enforced transaction of all monetary and financial assets from Germany to all of the three victorious nations as reparations of the damage done in the war. Hell, they even go as far as to try to strip all of the technology from Germany and basically resending it back to the Middle Age. This basically pushed Germany into a perpetual state of economic depression for a long time and the reason that pushed Germany into instigating WW2." Larry said as he explains the content of the treaty to everyone else.

Everyone was baffled at the content of the treaty itself. Partly is because said treaty wasn't taught in textbook history unless scientifically delving into it. Now, when they learn about it, they couldn't help but say just how ridiculous it was.

"When you pushed your enemies into the path of no escape, they will take death rather than flight.". Kiritsugu said.

"And that's not even the end of it yet, the true instigator of WW1 were Austria and Siberia. And they managed to successfully push all of the blame on Germany and get away with instigating the cruelest and most savage war in human history. That's one case of the history being written by the victor." Larry said while clenching his fist.

Arnold can't help but grit his teeth when hearing about it. This sense of rage and unjust, it just wanted him to ignite all of them into ablaze.

"And you know, the reason it was disastrous in the first place is that the upper in the army was too far up in their ass that they don't realize that their tactic failed to keep up with the technology. Political tension was at its highest at that time and people are eager for war without realizing the consequence of what they are about to do." Kiritsugu commented.

"It was too difficult to not start a war..." Arnold said as he could feel his teeth being ground into a blade.

"At that time, Germany is basically begging to have that treaty abolished and willing to have anyone to take the mantle. In a radicalized Germany, anyone would soon come to realize that the treaty can only be abolished by force as those victorious nations of WW1 will refuse to have it as they are profiting greatly from them in the first place. Because of that, anyone could have become Hitler. There were no other alternatives" Larry said.

"A war to end all war. What a bag of lies, it ended nothing and only sets the stage for even more suffering and sorrow." Arnold said as one could probably felt the turmoil that is going on inside him.

"Arnold..." Alfin said as she could starkly believe what Larry said.

"But why do you know so much about what caused WW2 and why are you-" Shirou tried to ask him about why he is so fixated in Hitler before getting cut off by Larry himself.

"First off, I don't condone what Hitler did. What he did is a crime so atrocious that it was considered a crime against humanity itself. I may take pity of him for what has turned him into such twisted images of what we saw today but never would I forgive those bloodstained hands that were dripped with the blood of the innocents. You have to take multiple perspectives to get the full picture of what is going on. All stories have an unseen side that was deliberately hidden away from us, only when we do so would we truly understand what happened in that day." Larry said as he steps closer to the fog.

"And... you all will see the truth of the paradise that you so wished to find... beyond this fog..." Larry said as he steps into the fog of the fifth wall.

Arnold and Alfin looked at each other, wondering what does he mean by that but this is Larry talking about and if he says something, one should take heed in it.

"Paradise... What does he mean by that?" Arnold asked Alfin who was beside him.

"Who knows... All we can do is just steps forward no matter what." Alfin said as she moves toward the fog and enters it.

Soon, everyone reluctantly enters the fog by themselves but they decided to make sure to follow each other closely no matter what. The truth of the paradise that Larry said... Those words linger on their minds...

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Fifth Ring - Tempest

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They keep wading their path in this fog, but the visibility is so bad that they can't even see one meter ahead of them. If it wasn't for Larry's guidance, they would have just been walking around in a circle by now. No matter how they tried, nothing seems to work to clear this fog away. They may try to sweep the fog or use fog-piercer flashlights but the difference is too negligence.

Ironically, their best bet to make their way out of this fog is a blind man. Larry keeps walking as if he knew clearly where he is going even if he can't see anything at all.

"Sigh... I didn't know that I signed up for a conga line party here..." Illya sighed as she tried to keep herself close to the others.

"Look... Compare to everything that I have been forced to went through up until now, I would rather take the conga party, thank you..." Kuro said as she lets out a tired sigh just by hearing Illya's complaint.

"Hey, Shirou! Can your Hawkeyes see through this fog?" Irisviel said as she tried to ask her son.

"Look... Okaa-san... Darkness exists because it is 'nothing' and the fog is considered as 'something'! My Hawkeyes allow me to observe 'anything' within my line of sight with perfect detail and this fog got counted by it. If I have the ability to remove whatever I don't like from my vision, I wouldn't have said this to you already!" Shirou said as he explains to her.

"Sigh... If this was me in the past, I would have killed myself just to be spared from this commotion instead of enjoying it." Kiritsugu said as he lets out a shrug.

As if things aren't bad enough, the light visibility started to dwindle the further they move in this fog. Even back at the fourth ring, the light is just barely lit enough to tell there are day and night cycles but here, it just black as pitch. The rain just batters against them so hard that they felt they aren't making any progress but in fact not even making any distance at all. The amount of rain being unleashed here makes a normal storm look like a drizzle.

"Larry! Are we making any progress?!" Arnold shouted so that his voice could possibly reach him.

"Keep moving! Don't falter no matter what!" Larry said as he keeps moving forward.

They keep moving, unknown of anything that might come across their path. But how would they know if they didn't get lost from each other while moving in this pitch-black darkness?

"Okay, Kiritsugu... Use a flare gun, now!" Larry said to Kiritsugu.

"Are you insane!? We are literally in the deepest part of the enemy's territory! If we use it here, they will instantly swarm us while we are in the worst possible place!" Kiritsugu said.

"Trust me!" Larry said to the tanned assassin.

Kiritsugu reluctantly followed his words as he searches for a flare gun in his pouch. There's one that kinda been collecting dust from who knows how long ago but got completely cleanse away the dust the moment he takes it out. Kiritsugu aimed the gun upward to the sky as he worries that this might be a really bad idea but he still does it regardless.

The crimson light flew up to the sky as it illuminates the darkness around them. The flare only slightly clearing up their vision as if it was the only source of light here in this dense fog and rain. Honestly, though, they were partly relieved that the fog is too dense to have the flare illuminates through but that is just to show how bad the weather is in the fifth ring. Their worst enemy here isn't any enemy Servant or army or even anything, it is the weather that is the absolute hell to deal with.

"Where are we!?" Pierce said as he couldn't believe that his visor's scanner actually does jackshit here.

Honestly, Larry's judgment is better sound or else because they don't have anything else to trust in their safety anymore. Larry placed one of his hands on the ground and checked to see if there's anything at all. After a while, he stood up straight and look towards his allies.

"Does any of you see if there's a stake placed around here? If so then tell me because it will be very important!" Larry said to everyone here.

Everyone then started to look up and down anywhere nearby the illuminated area as they tried to search for the aforementioned stake that Larry talked about. With the hazy light shining their way, they looked towards everything with great scrutiny that would make Sherlock green with envy. Shirou tried to use his Hawkeyes but the rain and fogs completely make it redundant to do so in the first place.

"Try to check for the right of me, if I am correct..." Larry said as he decided to give a hypothetical hint for everyone.

They got nothing to lose anyway and so they moved to his right and eventually find a stake plunged deep into the ground, the fact that it still remains there while being bombarded this huge amount of rain is nothing short but a miracle.

"How did you know that it is to the right of you?" Shirou asked Larry as the guy walks toward his position while being completely blinded.

"That's because I marked this place with the stake myself, it is one of the only milestones that you may find in a forsaken hell like this. Now follow me..." Larry explained as he keeps moving in one chosen direction after checking the stake carefully for himself.

The flare slowly extinguishes away as its light completely faded into the darkness. Everyone then continues to keep placing their hands on each others' shoulders as if they are playing 'train'. They can't risk rushing unless they wanted to get completely disconnected from each other and became completely lost in this oblivion.

The sounds of rainfall keep ringing in their ears, they can't hear anything else as the rain overrides anything that exists here. The only way they even able to communicate with each other is through mental links between Servants and Masters and even then, the sounds of the rain really irritate them to no end.

A massive lightning blast across the dark sky as it quickly engulfs everything in its light in a mere moment. The thunderous sound it created is deafening to the point that they felt like a flashbang just blew up right nearby them. It was so disorienting that not even Servants are able to resist such a blinding light like that at all. They almost disconnected from each other but they still grip together tightly even if it caught them off guard.

"Is everyone alright?!" Larry said as he is the person who is least affected by the said thunder blast but he could feel his ears ringing from said thunder.

"Yeah... We might have fallen over each other but still gripping tightly on their clothes. at least?..." Arnold said as he tried to get himself up while his hand still grips tightly on Desmond's who is holding tightly on Larry.

Arnold tried to check to his back but really, even if he chants the 'night vision' incantation, he most likely going to just see nothing but just rain and fog. But the grip he felt on his clothes from the back tell that they might still be connecting with each other.

"Should we use another flare, Larry?" Desmond asked his friend.

Larry said nothing but he quickly reaches out for his flare gun within his own arsenal and used it to illuminates their location even if it is brief. The red light shines upon them again and guess that there was a disconnect as everyone else on the behind was frantically trying to salvage the situation before the flare illuminates their location.

"Sorry!" Illya said as she quickly tried to link up with everyone else.

"Good lord... Thank God that we actually used the flare to check up on everyone else..." Arnold said as he lets out a sigh.

And so the flare quickly extinguishes the moment they properly linked up with each other again and so they quickly move through the tide of the storm once more.

"Larry! How long do we have to walk like this to our destination!?" Arnold asked as he shouted to Larry.

"The distance between the fifth wall to the Reich complex is about 20 km, you will be entered for a hell lot more pain and suffering since the terrain is so badly corroded that we aren't moving in a straight direction, that's what those stakes are for, to be a milestone and marking so that we can reach our destination safely.". Larry said as he keeps walking.

20 kilometers... That's about 4 hours of walking if they walk straight with the optimal speed at all times. And considering that this storm is already a massive pain far more than anything the Third Reich could throw at them, this is going to be one painful and hellish journey that has no shortcut to the ending.

"By the way, how did you capable of navigating so well despite being blind and having your hearing constantly bombarded with this rain?" Arnold asked as he tried to find a way to pass the time.

"I don't just rely on that alone. What do you think a normal blind person uses to move around?" Larry said as he keeps walking while leading the team.

Shirou also heard it although their talking was a bit muffled by the rain, he squinted his eyes to see if it is what he guessed. And you may guess it, Larry used the Muramasa as the guiding stick in order to make sure he isn't going to stumble on anything stupid.

"Dear Lord... If Muramasa was here, he would have given you a two-hour-long lecture and ranting about how you used his sword as a guiding stick. And trust me, no matter who you are, it would have sapped you no matter what." Shirou said as he really started to worry about the prospect if Muramasa was here in the first place.

"That bad? Honestly, he sounds like my drill Sergeant back when I was training or someone like him, it doesn't matter either way. If I managed to make it this far, then no one would be capable of making my life worse than it already was." Larry said as he chuckled.

"By the way... Do you think the Muramasa's aura would manage to pierce through this dense fog to some degree?" Arnold asked as he finds it curious.

"How about we test it?" Larry said as he is about to unsheath the Muramasa.

Larry unsheathes the sword and its blood-red aura managed to pierce through this dense fog. The light that it shines is bright as if he is holding a beacon in his hand. Although it couldn't reveal much of what is surrounding them. But... to have even a glimpse of light within this darkness is a feeling that is impossible to convey through words. How do they call this? Relief? Relaxation? Who knows? But they would be glad to have anything to illuminate their way.

Honestly speaking, their perceptions of time at this point is ruined and they would rather if things are kept this way. They honestly would rather not know the amount of time left until they reached their destination when it comes to trudging their way through this muddy hell and kept it simple as 'we'll make it there eventually'. To have the thought of how much time left to reach there will only make them more impatient as it keeps dragging on their minds.

Arnold also trudging along with everyone else as he keeps following where the Muramasa's light is heading although the figure blocking it should have already made it clear that he should still stick with the others no matter what but then he started to wonder if the others from the behind him are able to know where that light is. He is rather close to the front thus he could see it but considering this dense fog, he wouldn't put it past them that they are as blind as a bat.

He then started to think if there is any way for him to show the light for the others in the further back to see and then he started to jump back into the armory of the forgotten past again. Disconnecting himself from reality just so he could find if there is a solution for the predicament they are in right now.

Finding himself once more in the armory and he decided to check if there's any change in here. He looked around and saw a picture frame placed on his desk. It was a black and white picture of him and his friends who were standing side by side with each other. He felt his eyes became filled with tears when he looked at the picture but he decided to wipe those tears away. Those are days long bygone, he can't ever return to their side anymore. Those memories with them can only remain memories but their will and legacy may at least reside in this 'him'.

Arnold then found a flashlight sits next to the picture frame and wonders if it could do anything there in the fog. On one hand, he thinks that the flashlight might illuminate through the dense fog but the other half of his brain said if even the fog-piercer flashlight didn't work, just how much hope is there for something like his to work?

But in the end, he still decided to follow through with it either way as he quickly found himself back in reality once more. However, during the process of searching through his memorial armory, he almost tripped on himself and break the line. He wonders how on earth does his body moves on its own when its mind wanders somewhere else. Seeing how useless it is to answer that question, he decided to just forget about it and continue with what he supposed to do.

"Hey, Alfin... Take this thing to the back and see if it does work or not..." Arnold said as he hands the flashlight over to Alfin who is at his back.

Alfin takes it from his hand then hand it over the further back. Soon, the flashlight got turned on and he felt its bright light shine upon him through the dense fog.

"It worked!" Arnold said in his mind.

The flashlight shines upon them their surroundings like a lighthouse guiding the ships in its vicinity and soon they realized just how precarious the terrain is. It was as if the whole place got Verdun'd and this rain only to serve to deteriorate it even further. One false step in the wrong direction and they will instantly fall over. While not high enough to cause harm, it can heavily disrupt their formation and cause unnecessary time-wasting.

"Dear Lord... Are we on Earth or the moon here!?" Illya said as she looked around and commented on the deterioration of the terrain.

"Maybe we should keep the banter up so that we would forget about the terrain around us.". Kuro said as she dissuades her sister from looking around to the left and right.

"Yeah... you're right..." Illya said as she lets out a sigh.

They move around a bit more through this tempest as they tried to trudge through all of this mud. The rain falls so hard that they felt they are moving through the ocean floor and not moving under a storm. But the Servants know that they went through even worse stuff than this and thus still moving forward no matter how hard the weather is to them.

"Hey, Shirou? Mind if I talk a bit so that we can pass the time?" Arnold said to the hazy figure of the Red Bowman in the storm.

"Surprise that you are so up for forgiveness despite I was the one who followed through the plot of backstabbing you.". Shirou said with a serious expression.

"I shall chalk that up as a misunderstanding. Plus, I can't even bother holding a grudge against anyone, I would just instantly forget about everyone's wrongdoing in a scarily short amount of time." Arnold said as he lets out a shrug.

"And I wonder why such atrocities in WW2 managed to go uncheck like that..." Shirou said as he also lets out a sigh.

"Either way... You are like the strangest hero I have ever get to know in my entire life because I honestly can't wrap my mind up to how a person like you can exist. I saw your Reality Marble and... I just have no words to describe how it left me in awe like that." Arnold said as he describes what if felt like to be in Shirou's Reality Marble.

"So... Have you ever wanted to be a hero?" Shirou asked as he lets out a small snicker that no one else heard in this rain.

"I mean... It beats being destined to be a dictator that threw the world into chaos... I would wish to become a hero instead of whatever has twisted my fate into such a horrendous path like that." Arnold said as he lets out a sigh.

"So... Are you willing to sacrifice everything and going through all length to become a hero?" Shirou asked once more.

"Honestly, I don't know what exactly push me to become a 'sinner' that left a huge scar on the world at that time but as determined as I am, it is really hard for me to even imagine that I would be that willing to throw away everything just for a shot to become a hero.". Arnold said as he frowns upon imagining what he might have done at that time.

"Then you are better off stay that way because you don't know what kind of suffering that I got thrown into for doing so.". Shirou said as he lets out a wry smile as he remembers what kind of stuff he went through before summoned as a Chaldean Servant.

"That bad? I honestly kinda got put off when you said it like that.". Arnold said as he kinda worries when he heard just how bad the stuff it takes to become a hero.

"Trust me, a person like me being forced to kill so many innocents and people who were happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Those things go against my value as a hero and it really betrays my ideal of becoming a hero. But considering that you can easily stain your hand with so many of the innocents' blood without hesitation, I can see that you have a much easier time than me if you follow my path." Shirou said while saying it with confidence.

"Dude... What are you exactly aiming for here!? Is that a compliment? Because it doesn't make me feel any better and what the fuck is your idea of being a hero is that? Killing the innocents!?" Arnold said as his expression basically screams WTF if anybody can even look pass beyond this horrible fog and rain.

"I would have avoided all of those hurdles of murdering the bystanders if I could but the Counter Force would have none of it. The idea of killing the few to save the majority is an idea that would easily break you if not brace for how bad it could be in time, you see." Shirou said as he let out a small chuckle after getting such a reaction from the prelude of the disaster itself.

"Well... Guess that I could throw the hope of being a hero away then... If this was me without the experience that makes me the person that I am right now, it would have been a far different story than before." Arnold sighed as he gives up in defeat.

Surprisingly enough, the experience he received as a Servant altered Arnold in a way that is different than how anyone expected. To deviate yourself away from the hardwired instinct by your own will is a testament of how much he has grown as a person, not anything else.

"Guess that you managed to go further than how your previous life was.". Shirou said silently for himself knowing that he won't ever get a chance to redo his previous life.

They keep moving through the rain. At this point, if any of them were normal people, they would have been dead long ago. Gudao's Mystic Code seems to hold up well enough in this weather. But despite the sounds of rain splattering loudly, the thoughts on Alfin's mind are not getting any less quite at all. And a little while later, she decided to speak up.

"Dear Chaldean Master..." Alfin said to the further back of her.

"Huh?" Gudao said.

"That thing called 'Fragarach'. The Mystic Code that you intended to use on Arnold. Do you intended to use that thing on me should the chance come too?" Alfin said straightforwardly as if she wanted to know if Gudao has that kind of intention in doing so.

"Yeah..." Gudao said it straight like a horse's intestine.

"But how? How can you so easily turning towards the thought of betraying your own allies despite we have made it through all of these together!?" Alfin said as she finds it baffling for the savior of humanity to willingly throw away others like a pawn in a chessboard despite she has done the same back when she was alive in WW2.

"Because how exactly can I trust someone who has a record of backstabbing each other like that-" Gudao yelled at her until he realized the hypocrisy in his own words. And at that moment, he stopped talking.

"Unbelievable... I can't believe that I am the one who has to talk to you about this." Alfin said as she takes in a deep breath and sighed.

Alfin searches the words in her mind in order to string them into a sentence so that she could ask him. She doesn't know why she is even bothered doing this but she felt compelled to do something. Anything that would change things for the better is all welcomed to her.

"Let me guess this straight? You attempted to betray because of the fear of betrayal, right?" Alfin said.

"No... it goes further than that. My first betrayal isn't about because of the fear of betrayal but it is because I have to do so... for the greater good." Gudao said as he reluctantly digging up his past memory.

Arnold suddenly turned his head around when Gudao said 'greater good', he remembered about his banter with Shirou and thus he knew that this isn't going to be anything nice.

"This is something with far greater scope than how you would ever think, humanity history at this point is completely bleached in the year of 2020 and I was tasked with the job to destroy the Lostbelts that will be used as a new texture for the bleached world called 'our history'. By this point, I have already purged 6 of them and almost at the end of this ordeal. But something inside me is saying that this isn't the end yet." Gudao said with annoyance in his voice.

Alfin can only hear what he has to say. In her mind, the fact that this world can still persist for another 60 years is already a miracle in itself. But with being in Chaldea, she finds it difficult to wrap her mind around what he said. The world is bleached to nothing? It is really hard to understand unless she sees it for herself.

"The first Crypter I dealt with is the guy that Simo is in control right now, you could get what I said.". Gudao said as he looks at his further back and saw the hazy figure of Simo Hayha who is sticking the conga line with the others.

"Hey! I am hearing you here!" Simo said to Gudao.

"And about the person I talking about. That person's name is Ophelia, the second Crypter who was in control of the Scandinavia Lostbelt. During the time of emergence, she and I temporarily team up in order to take down Sutr. When that god finally defeated, I then proceed to stab her in the back as I took her life away in that moment. I received fierce resistance from the goddess who assisted me and Ophelia in taking down Sutr and I proceed to kill her too. And then I chop down that Lostbelt Tree as that Lostbelt is then erased from the world." Gudao said the summary of what happened then.

Alfin held in her breath for a little while as she listens to his story in Lostbelt 2. She then sighed as the summary came to an end. Of course, she couldn't completely understand the emergence back then as she wasn't present there.

"And then the fucking Chiron in Lostbelt 4. I know that my Chiron and the one there are different. It is still bloody sting that I just wanted to pummel that moron to a bloody pulp." Gudao said as he expresses his frustration that he felt back then.

Alfin decided that she heard enough of his ranting about betrayal. Betrayal stings, that much is true. But one shouldn't let it change your own personal belief. She could understand where Gudao is coming from but this shadow of doubt and suspicion needs to end.

"Stop..." Alfin said abruptly and Gudao suddenly stopped the moment she said it.

"Your name is Gudao, right? You are the master of Chaldea, the ark of humanity's last hope. I can't believe that I am the one who has to say it but... Nothing is set in stone. Everythings are bound to change, everything... Your own heart was constantly abused upon distrust and betrayal to the point that you have turned that bleeding heart of your into one stone-cold rock. You may not realize it but... you are perpetuating that very hatred that you disgusted so much proven by the betrayal you are willing to do just because you held onto the belief that someone will betray you." Alfin said clearly as if she knew clearly what is going on in Gudao's psych.

Kiritsugu looked towards the conversation that his Master and Alfin are having as he can draw the parallel between him and his own Master based on his Master's action.

"Things aren't what you assumed it to be. I literally confessed to you that I am Hitler just to earn your trust. I would have lashed out upon the others by now but I didn't. I am not just Hitler anymore... I am beyond what you would call me as a madman who indulges in the blood of those whose lives he has taken away. How can you call yourself the hero if you can't even place your trust on your own allies unless they were at your direct command? How can you exactly call this redemption if you plan to dispose of me afterward!?" Alfin said with all of her feelings in it.

Everyone looked at their argument in silence, they know that things will devolve really badly if this keeps up. But contrary to everyone's expectation that Gudao will dig his heels down to the ground and argue with Alfin. All they received, is eerie acceptance.

"You're right. I am a hypocrite. I don't even know if my decision is even correct at this point anymore." Gudao said it straight as his self-loathing has finally reached its climax after all of what he went through from the beginning of the Lostbelts itself.

His Servants look at him as if they knew this would come sooner or later. Pierce and Richard saw the savior of humanity having a mental breakdown right in front of them is definitely not a nice thing to see at all.

"All of the suffering I went through, the lives that I have taken. I have grown too tired all of these pain and sorrow that I have many times wished for a sweet release but knowing that so many have placed my faith on me, I still pushed myself forward no matter what. Even if my fate is to feel pain, then I only have one thing to say. If it means the others will be able to live their normal lives then I shall forfeit mine to do so!" Gudao said as he tried to pull himself up by his own lonesome.

Shirou looked at his Master and remembered how he used to be stuck in the same position as his Master. To wallows in his endless suffering as he felt everything became pointless and null. But there is one difference, Shirou never saw an end to his suffering or the very least, now... Gudao however, knows that his journey will be finally paid in full in the end.

"At the very least, you know that you have a problem. That's good, to solve a problem requires you to acknowledge the said problem in the first place. Now is just the time for you to address it." Larry said as he approaches Gudao as the aura of the Muramasa in his hand is burning brightly.

"But I still have a question though... What exactly pushes you to the idea of betraying us in the first place?" Arnold said.

Gudao became silent, he doesn't even know what compelled him to even do something like that.

"I see then... The idea of betraying Arnold and Alfin wasn't yours in the first place... but rather... Someone planted the seed of doubt in your heart about them." Larry said as he thinks about how things may connect.

"But who? Who would exactly gain if I and Alfin died?!" Arnold said as he wanted the answer for this mad show.

Everyone looked at each other in hesitant. While they may feel weird about fighting alongside 'Hitler', there is absolutely nothing that one could gain from killing them. Hell, it could be argued that doing so is purely detrimental.

"And I could assure that none of us here actually have a reason for doing so and thus I suspected that somebody in the place you called Chaldea actually done so. Did you have a secret conversation with one of the people there and they give you that wild suggestion or at least hinting that you should kill Arnold and Alfin, right?" Larry said as he is slowly confirming the situation.

Gudao's face completely turned white as he felt his secret just got uncovered, whether it was disbelief or dumbfoundedness, Larry has struck dead right at the conclusion.

"You know... I think should have foreseen this considering that our Master started to act far more suspicious recently. I would say that I may have to believe in you." Shirou said as he walks over toward Larry.

"Huh?" Kirisugu looked over to his son because he didn't expect to see Shirou being the one to get ahead of him in suspicious detail searching

But also at that moment did he realize, his Master was actively distancing away from him and when he is around, Gudao started to distance away from him for any reason possible by sending him on scouting or guarding their locations at all the time.

And thus another detail got written into the list.

"I think we know which person actually gotten this idea fed to our Master now, right?" A voice said from the communicator in Gudao's pouch.

Everyone's figure is gazing down upon him as if to tell Gudao that he must answer the call now. Gudao swallowed his breath before reluctantly answering the communicator in fear. Soon, a hologram appeared and that person is Waver.

"Guess that I didn't intervene at the right time if the fact that I am seeing my Master being a sobbing mess. But it is better for him to let loose his emotions instead of letting it pent up inside. And Dear Lord, I know the rain gets more brutal the further all of you moving toward the Heart of the Reich, this is just ridiculous no matter how you would describe it." Waver said as he checked the surroundings of where the team is at right now.

"Okay then... Can you tell me why you are talking with us now?" Shirou asked the man who is currently projected as a hologram right now.

"It is about the fact that somebody fed our Master the idea of killing Arnold and Alfin. Don't get me wrong though, Hitler is definitely not a nice person to any extent but the fact that there are too much arbitrariness and bias towards them that I felt somebody would intend to do this on purpose. But guess that I was right all along." Waver said with a serious expression.

"Can you hazard a guess?" Arnold asked.

"It is still too early to say but if anything that the evidence I have right now is pointing toward one suspect. Sherlock Holmes." Waver said his suspicion about where the fact is pointing at right now.

"Him? But he is one of the advisors that aided Chaldea for so long, what exactly does he gain from feeding our Master this suspicion?" Irisviel asked as she recognizes a pattern that she is definitely not liking.

"Something that is so classified that he deliberately not letting us to find it. Something that would most likely be going to spell doom for everyone involved, including the Chaldea itself for learning about it. The fact that Sherlock planted that seed of doubt is just a distraction from a greater picture that you wouldn't love to even fathom." Waver said about what he knows.

"Sherlock... If that is the case then no wonder Da Vinci didn't bother to monitor his conversation with his Master. But if this is the case then how did you even manage to call us here?" Kiritsugu asked.

"I use an independent communicator that is also based on the one used by the monitor room. Its effectiveness isn't much but I managed to get through is already a miracle. Because of this, I won't have any risk of being tracked upon at all. But I have to make this quick because if anybody managed to notice the drop in the overall output of the facility, I will be busted. " Waver answered Kiritsugu's question in a quick manner.

"But what is this secret that you are talking about, what is it about that Sherlock deliberately stopping from learning about it?" Desmond asked because his friend got involved in this charrade because of it in the first place.

"Let just say... It is not remotely nice... You all would be better to learn about it on your own. And... even Void Shiki said things aren't going to end nicely once you learn about it." Waver said before he quickly disconnects.

Soon everyone became silent, their Master was unwittingly used as a tool to prevent them from reach the truth. But just what exactly it was that even Sherlock has to step in and stop them like this? Just what kind of horrible truth that warrants him to go with such a drastic measure like this?

Larry decided to step in so that he can at least bring Gudao's spirit back to normal. In hindsight, he was used by the one who was called his own ally, and thus he wasn't even too different from Larry himself when even his ally abandoned him back in the Vietnam War.

"Come on... Wipe those tears away. It is fine to be sulking once in a while but don't let it ever stop you from striving towards greatness." Larry said as he held out his hands toward Gudao despite he is completely blind right now.

Gudao looked toward Larry's hand as he tried to hold back the flood of emotions he just went through. How ironic, a man who Gudao met for like a week has more compassion towards him than the person who accompanied him for like six Lostbelts. And to add it up, Gudao used the very man in front of him as a sacrifice.

With those tears wiped away, Gudao grabbed Larry's hand as the man in front of him then pulled Gudao up. He felt much better now that he managed to sort out that emotional turmoil inside.

"Shall we continue?" Larry asked the Chaldean Master.

Gudao nodded as everyone then quickly returned to their respective positions. Leaving behind their discord, distrust, they marched towards their final destination with their heads held high. No matter how brutal the truth may be, they will still face it with all they have. They won't let anyone sow that disharmony between them anymore.

And so their journey continued unimpeded even if the rain still hailing down upon them.

After a while in their unknown journey, the fog started to clear up although the rain still blinds them very much like before. If they focus their sight, they could look past the rain for a bit.

"Hey, Shirou! Can you see anything beyond here?" Irisviel asked her son.

"Don't know! Honestly, it would take a miracle just to even look past even a few meters here!" Shirou said to his mother.

Illya used the flashlight to shine her surrounding but it doesn't even seem to work more effectively at all. It is still the same old as before.

"I have an idea, can you perhaps use the Muramasa to split the sky open so that we can have a brief moment of clarity in this place? I know that is asking a lot but we don't have any better idea.". Desmond asked.

"What are taking me for? A god or something? But if that is the only answer to this place then I shall happily oblige." Larry said as he sheathes the Muramasa once more.

He drew the blade out and positioned it to above his head as he prepares for an overhead slash. Everyone feels the atmosphere getting tenser as they witness its power about to be unleashed in front of them.

The air froze momentarily, they felt as if they were in stasis just a moment ago and in the next second, there's a clear line above the sky as the rain has also ceased. Larry has just split the sky above him with a single overhead slash. Although the cloud quickly patches that up, those brief seconds of clarity are more than enough for them to notice that hazy figure in front of them.

It looks like a huge facility or a complex if they guess it right. There are some lights there as they focus attentively on it. Soon, the rain quickly befalls on them as their sights on it disappeared into the storm.

"We are getting close, the Heart of the Reich..." Larry said as he steps forward while carefully treading through the torn ground of the fifth ring.

They know what they are about to get to and thus they brace themselves for whatever they might find there. They would have to get in there in some way even if it means forcefully breaching in there.

After spending a who-know amount of time, they finally reach the outer wall of the complex, they then prepare for a forceful breach only to be told to stop by Larry.

"Don't waste your power trying to forcefully breach this place. The outer wall is enchanted to the point it could take on an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm and still remain unscathed, the only way to enter this place is through two way." Larry said as he told everyone to halt.

"And what are these two ways you are saying?" Gudao asked as he wanted to avoid unnecessary wastage at this point.

"The first one is a gamble. If it doesn't work, I would have to change into our second plan. And that is to manually insert the ID of a Waffen in one of the entrances into this place." Larry said as he walks alongside the wall.

Everyone then follows him as they managed to find an entrance not too far away. There's a security console installed nearby the massive ironclad entrance that is waiting to be used. Larry then checked the buttons but he stopped for a while before continuing on. It seems that he doesn't place much bet on this method and mentally prepared to use the second route if this fails.

After he inserted his ID and password into the console, he hesitantly wonders if he should press or not. Although he assumes he knew the outcome already, he felt he is walking into an ambush that is waiting to spring on him. But even then, he pressed the confirm button immediately without caring anymore. But contrary to what he expected, the console just beeped and saying "Access confirmed" and the entrance gate just sprung open for all of them as if it just registered them all as guests who are coming for a party.

"It... work?" Larry said as he couldn't believe that it still works even till now.

"I thought that you were a deserter?" Richard asked as he felt there are something wrong going on here.

"It supposed to be, but it seems that they couldn't even bother removing my clearance at all. But who cares, we have a clear path to the center of the Third Reich now." Larry said as he walks into the area beyond the entrance gate.

Everyone looked at each other as they soon enter the place. They brace for whatever might be there but nothing could ever describe what they are about to find in this world.

---

"._.""._.""._."

Heart of the Reich

"._.""._.""._."

---

They entered through the entrance and all it was in there was just a room the size of your normal household garage. When all of them entered, the door behind them shut tightly.

"What's going on, don't tell me it is a trap!" Kiritsugu said as he puts on his stance.

However, they were calmed down soon when they heard the system's voice saying: "Activate airlock, cleansing all excess mana and recalibrating air pressure back to normal". They saw some sorts of numbers on the interface of the system changing quickly but before they could tell which go to which, the airlock is complete and soon the entrance to the next area is open for them.

"This is more spacious than I thought, just what is this place exactly?" Pierce said as he looked around the place he just entered.

The entrance gate behind them shut close as they have all entered it. They have no need to get out anymore as their objective is getting closer and closer. If any of them tried to do something stupid, Azure Soldiers would swarm them here immediately.

They looked around the large room they are in right now, there are multiple armored vehicles there but none of them have any armaments and have nothing to look out at all. They look like metal boxes with wheels attached to it. There are multiple maintenances tools scattered among the place as if there was something recently here worked on them.

"This place was probably a garage where vehicles come and go. But what is strange to me that they have bipedal mech already, so then why do they still use this wheeled off-road vehicles?" Kiritsugu said as he examines the place.

"Who knows... Probably just for transportation of unit but they have teleportation for that already.". Alfin said as she finds something isn't right about this.

After spending quite an amount of time here, they decided that they need to move and explore this facility. They look to the upper balcony that is connected by a stairwell and a door that is sitting right on it.

"Guess that we know where to start..." Shirou said as he then walks toward it then tried to jump. Also, emphasize on the word 'tried'.

Shirou put all of his strength into his jump and he couldn't leap higher than a normal person. Realizing that something is wrong, Shirou tried to jump once more with all of his might, and... it is still the same.

At that moment, it dawned upon everybody here. Their strength... all are handicapped to the power of a normal person. Larry doesn't look surprised considering he used to be one with the Waffen but this basically struck everyone else in a way they couldn't believe.

"This... this can't be happening!" Kiritsugu said as he tried to check by swinging his knife and saw the distinct level of difference that is unreal to him.

To be suddenly degraded into a normal person when you used to be so powerful that it is such a fall from grace that nobody could ever describe.

"Larry, did you expect this?" Richard asked as he couldn't believe it.

"It is a Bounded Field that is specialized in weakening a Heroic Spirit's power, it is strengthened to the point that even a powerful mage would take their whole life just to even make a single dent on it. So in other words, don't even bother brute forcing it." Larry said.

This makes the situation even tenser, they are now feeling extremely vulnerable to the point even a normal person could kill them. All they can hope for is that this does apply to the SS Servants here although they could have easily made it to apply only on any intruder here.

"Guess we shall only stealth our way through here, huh? I shall use my Presence Concealment.". Kiritsugu said reluctantly as he quickly climbs up the stairwell in a stealthy manner, except for the fact that he is still being seen by literally everyone here.

"I think the Bounded Field does nullify our ability..." Illya said with a tired expression although she is still capable of flying.

"Might as well assume so..." Shirou said with tiredness that all those times trudging through mud is far less tiring than facing this hurdle.

And so they move to the balcony and they are already felt tired as if walking the stairwell with the stamina of a normal person is far more atrocious than being battered with endless rain as a Servant. Once again though, the difference is too great.

Greeted with an empty hallway that stretches across for who-know how long, they just keep walking through the place while constantly being filled with dread of all the bad potentials that could happen. This kind of corridor is just begging to have them killed.

"We kinda need a map here. Larry? Do you know where this place is right now?" Shirou asked as he felt he is just simply walking in a straight line.

"We need to get to the main hub if we even wanted to take a look at the map in the first place. And considering how many of the SS Servants we just pissed off until now, that is honestly the worst idea ever." Larry said as he explains how bad that idea is.

After walking for a while, they managed to find a turn. They breathed in relief that there is actually something changed instead of a straight line that belongs to a lucid nightmare. Kiritsugu gets ahead first and the moment he turned around and saw a familiar sight that he finds impossible. Hair white like snow, he knew who does it belong to. Irisiviel.

"Hey! Wait!" Kiritsugu said as he tried to catch up before losing sight of her.

He managed to catch up with her and the moment he touched her shoulder, she turned around and that revelation literally smacks dab right into his face. Irisviel has also caught up with Kiritsugu and suddenly overcame with baffle and shock.

She... She looks like Irisviel herself...

There's no mistaking that white hair and crimson eyes, it is literally a carbon copy of Irisviel herself. Kiritsugu just stood there as his mind couldn't process what on earth just going on right now. Just what exactly does this mean?

"Uhm... Who are you?" The woman in front of Kiritsugu asked.

Irisviel then quickly jumped in and the white-haired woman said as if she finds her familiar.

"Oh, you have white hair like me. I haven't seen you around much but I guess that you're working here, right?" The white-haired woman said pleasantly as if this is just normalcy to her.

"Here?" Irisviel said as she doesn't feel too good with what the woman in front of her is implying.

"If that is the case then, there must be more of those homunculi like her around here. We should ask her for direction since it is the most likely that she knew this place well, right?" Kuro said as she finds it the most plausible thing they have right now.

"Miss, can you tell us where to find a place so that we can know how to traverse in this place?" Arnold tried to ask politely in hope that it would persuade her. It came off as too desperate but she still accepts it no matter what.

"Oh, you want to know where to go exactly. Okay then, follow me and I shall guide all of you to the main hub." The white-haired woman said as she walks in a direction.

Everyone looked at each other once more as they then followed her. For a facility this big, it felt cramped and narrow that they just wanted to break free from its grip but plain impossible to do so.

"Okay everyone, please enter this tram. It will take us to the main hub faster than walking normally there." The white-haired woman said as she enters the tram.

The squad then steps into the tram as it then takes them through an internal railway of the facility. Honestly, though, this kind of facility reminds him of something but he can't quite recall it. What was it? Black Mesa? SCP? He doesn't even know, it just some sort of nostalgic sense that is impossible to explain.

The electric tram then moves through the dark tunnel with a speed that they can't quite discern. Because of how many people there are right now, it just felt cramped in here and some have to end up sitting on the floor. But it beats running around in a maze-like complex like this.

"Hey, do you guys want something to drink, I could order some for you, it's on me." The white-haired woman said to them as she tried to cheer the mood up.

The longer Kiritsugu observed her, the more similarity he saw between his wife and the woman in front of him. The fact that one certain mage family has involved with the Third Reich is definitely not a nice thing to know no matter how much of a brave face he can put. But her hospitality towards everyone here is real, just like his wife towards everyone she knows.

"Honestly, as much as I would like to turn down your offer. I would like something refreshing." Arnold said as he leans on the seat with his eyes closed.

Alfin pouted in envy as she wanted to be the one to do the deed for him instead. The white-haired woman then reaches for the built-in refrigerator in the tram then give it to him by tossing over. And then the can then landed right on his stomach and gave him the forceful awakening with a cold thrash in his gut.

"Woah! Why did you do that?" Arnold said as he tried to put the can away from him.

"You did say you want something refreshing, right?" The white-haired woman said with a mischievous smile.

"Not like this..." Arnold said tiredly as he then checks the can itself.

It was iced coffee, not the most refreshing thing but it did help a bit.

Soon, the electric tram reached its destination and they soon get off it. And... the main hub isn't that grandeur either. It just like a train station, a place for you to wait for your electric tram, the necessity and stuff. Honestly, though, is this what the Third Reich that conquered the world looks like? They thought it would be much better than this.

"I still have unfinished business to take care so I shall leave it to you guys. So, bye!" The white-haired woman said before leaving them up to their device.

They all look at her as she then enters another one and soon it leaves without waiting for anyone else. Now that they think about it, this whole place is oddly empty. A facility this large and they have yet to see another soul other than that homunculus. Something isn't right and they can't tell what it was.

"Let us put those thoughts aside for now and search for where to go next". Pierce said as he tried to find anything that may resemble a map.

They searched the place for anything that resembles a map of sorts but they didn't need to even search that long because right at their first step is a cafe with some guests resting there already. They examined the people there and they can definitely tell that they were normal humans which is something they haven't seen for so long, at least in this Singularity.

But when they look at the counter, they were dumbfounded once more when they saw a white-haired woman that looks like Irisviel working as a barista here. That means there wasn't just one homunculus standing around here at all. They are basically can be everywhere at any moment notice.

The only thing that creates the difference between her and Irisviel is that her hair is tied into a bun behind her. Hell, if they weren't having different hairstyles, everyone would confuse who is actually Iri or not.

"So, what do you want to order?" The white-haired barista asked them.

"I kinda don't want to order anything here. But do you have a map of sorts to this place because we don't want to just walk for all eternity here completely clueless of where to go." Kiritsugu asked first although he felt weird to talk to someone who looks like his wife but not at all.

"Oh, then you can go grab a map which is placed in the magazine rack over there." The white-haired barista said with sincerity as she points at the rack which is placed next to the counter.

Kiritsugu then steps over to the rack and grabbed a pamphlet that has a detailed map of the whole place in it. But based on how the distance that is written here, it is just counterintuitive to walk the whole distance between each place.

"Guess that we will wait for another tram to arrive.". Shirou said as he let out a shrug as he reads over the map in here.

They all agree on that part and they then just take their seats and taking a rest. Honestly speaking though, it felt extremely tiring to have only human's stamina when they used to have a lot more. So much that they just wanted to crash right at where they are right now.

Kiritsugu picked an empty table and just lay himself on the chair as he yawned and then closed his eyes. He thought he could just sleep until the next tram arrives. when another person who just decided to sit right on the chair next to him. The German soldier then tried to strike a conversation in which Kiritsugu woke up suddenly.

"Guten Tag.". The German soldier said without even thinking if the person in front of him is a Servant or not.

Kiritsugu felt annoyed when he just wanted to have a rest but realized that there is no running away or just dispose of the guy in front of him. Upon that realization, he tried to dig up his knowledge of German-speaking skills that he learned back when he was alive as a freelancer. Due to the massive lack of usage, the skill itself became way too rusty in order to make a proper conversation. Kiritsugu tried to turn off the conversation as fast as he could but it ironically only dragging out even longer.

When he is finally done and the soldier in front of him finally go on and order something from the barista. Kiritsugu just immediately crashes into his sleep so that he could avoid further conversation. When the soldier turned around to continue, Kiritsugu has already slept like a stack of brick.

Meanwhile, right at the table that is away from the counter not too far. That's where Arnold, Alfin, Pierce, and Gudao are taking a look at the map of the facility and try to analyze it.

"So the facility is divided into multiple sectors. They are designated as S1, S2, S3, S4. The one that we entered from is S4 which is designated as 'Outpost Depot', most likely where they all come and go." Gudao said as he examined the map.

"The whole facility is shaped like a donut which is quite strange to me, why don't they just make it like a whole cylinder already?" Illya commented as she jumped in.

"There has to be something in the middle that makes it impossible to do so for them. Plus, I don't think the Furher would actually disclose that information willy-nilly like that if you ask me." Gudao said his speculation.

"Maybe we should put it in the back of our minds so that we could easily dig it up when the times come.". Alfin said as she tried to figure out the purpose of this facility.

The facility they are in right now has a size of roughly 50km in radius with the hollow of the size of 30km in radius if they calculate correctly. The sectors are designated as the following. S1 is the Command Center along with the Furher's Bunker taking up a huge size of it. S2 is SS's Quarter where the elite mostly resides right now. S3 is the Wehrmacht's Quarter where this is most likely the place that those normal soldiers are staying.

But still, if the Wehrmacht still persists in some form, this place would have been flooded with so many noise and people by now as the commotion would have been at least as loud like an actual train station but nope, just pure silence and emptiness as if this place was a ghost town. This makes them question whether or not they are actually on the dominating side or not.

"You would think that you have come across a civilian by now but I think we have come across only a few normal soldiers so far. It was such a far cry from the ferocity of those Azure Soldiers that you could harshly believe that such a thing could exist." Arnold said as he points out the vast amount of differences.

And then he remembered his first encounter in that cold forsaken battlefield. He realized that unlike those Azure Soldiers, they ran away the moment they realized that he is a Servant. If they were Azure Soldiers, they would have charged toward him like a madman already.

"Perhaps..." Arnold said before he mentioned what happened back when he was first summoned into this Singularity.

Once he explained the circumstances back then. Suddenly, they gained a new insight into how the Third Reich worked.

"So they sent the normal soldier to do the easy work like patrol and stuff in the area that has little danger in it while the Azure Soldiers do the rest of the dangerous job. Guess that is supposed to be natural but just why do you find this detail important exactly?" Anastasia asked as she heard what Arnold said.

"It means that they supposed to supplant the entirety of Wehrmacht with Azure Soldiers already but don't want to create suspicion. It doesn't seem like they wanted them to go into frontline but rather... to keep them from harm and danger itself. I mean, what's the point of keeping them around and sending them into no-risk mission if you have something far more dangerous than all of Wehrmacht combined?" Alfin said as she said her speculation of why they were like this.

Upon listening to Alfin's opinion, they realized there is something amiss in this whole mess. The fact that the Third Reich kept them around isn't because they were going to send them out to frontline but rather... to preserve what is left of Germany itself.

"Uhm... I think I should have said this sooner but... Sitonai and Waver learned something from the UN's Database. While our world and this is different, there is one link that binds them all." Illya said as she is about to leak out more information.

"And you see, there is something that creates a corruption caused by a foreign material that basically will turn any biomass into it upon inhalation. That is what basically done in the whole research facility that researched in our world but at least it was contained and sealed away from causing any potential harm. But this? This world is basically on the path to be pruned. I can only suspect that it is the same thing that caused the corruption in this world." Kuro said as she joined alongside them.

If what the data inside the UN's database is true, then the Germany that they know is long gone ago. This is just the last remaining of Germany itself. The Third Reich, the so-called victor in this alternated WW2 is nowhere close to the prosperity that it envisioned itself to be.

"So in other words, this place is nothing but a glorified retirement home. Those soldiers, living without knowing that the world they knew has gone." Simo said as he can't help but pity those lives living in ignorant of what happened outside this facility.

And they started to realize why those vehicles are literally lacking any window in the first place. It was to prevent them from knowing what happened outside and it will just take them to a far distance away from where the eye of the storm above Third Reich.

"If they were told the truth, they will lose all of their will to live. It might be best to keep them out of this for now." Richard said as he has also overheard the situation.

They discussed for a little while until they heard the announcement voice that the next tram is coming. They have also read over the schedule of the tram in the pamphlet and thus decided to split up to cover their objectives faster. Plus, banding in a large group like this is begging for attention.

"Okay then, we will separate into 4 teams. Team 1 consists of Arnold and Alfin will cover the sector S1, Team 2 consists of Larry, Pierce, Richard and they will cover the sector S2. Team 3 will consist of Kuro and Illya, Simo, and Ana and they will cover the S3 area. The rest of us Chaldeans will be put into team 4 and will cover the sector S4. Any more questions?" Gudao said as he is about to finish the formation of the search team.

"You forgot something, there is a way to enter the area beyond this facility but this will require my assistance. But I'm afraid that I can't keep going on without my eyes or else." Larry said as he raised his arm.

"That's because I assume there's nothing beyond that wall but if you say so then we will reconsider the formation once more. S1 will still remain the same because we don't need to draw attention to the most probably dangerous area. Plus, Arnold and Alfin being 'Hitler' will help alleviate the suspicion further and will also drop the heat away from them. The same applied to S2 but Larry will quickly mobilize to S4 area immediately after having his eyes fixed." Gudao said as he immediately makes changes depends on the situation.

"Okay then, let's go... Wait... Where's Jii-san?" Shirou said before realizing that he is missing something.

He turned around and then saw his father already sprawling on the floor while snoring like a goddamn leaf blower. Guess fatigue really done him in like that.

"Sigh... Guess we will have to drag him along with us." Irisviel said with a shrug as she saw her own husband acting completely out of his character.

And so the team separates into multiple smaller teams as they entered their own respective tram that will lead them to their next destination.

---

"._.""._.""._."

Sector S1 - Command Center

"._.""._.""._."

---

"Hey, Don't you think you have enough iced coffee right now?" Alfin asked as she is watching Arnold chugging down the fifth canned ice coffee.

"Said the girl who already has a dozen empty cans of soda tossed into the garbage can.". Arnold said as she called out on her double standard.

The trip turned out to be far more tedious than how they thought, they have to stop multiple times at multiple stops for no amount of people to enter or get out. It just simply two of them sitting near each other and having their time spent wasted like this.

"I would thank whatever is still up there in the sky if we managed to make it there without being bored.". Arnold said as he opened another can of whatever he got from the refrigerator.

The tram slowed down as they reached for the last stop on their trip. And then an announcement voice came.

We are now making to our last stop in central S1 area, please make sure you brought all your personal belongings with you in departure. Thank you for joining this trip.

The door sprung open and both Arnold and Alfin stepped out of the tram. If they aren't gonna lie, this place still looks as depressing as everything else.

"Let's just get over this already," Arnold said as he took out the map in his pocket.

Since this place is a command center, there will be many officer rooms and a war planning room and an escalator but blocked off by a glass barrier surrounding it. But the atmosphere is... eerily silent, if the Third Reich is truly planning for world domination then this place would have obviously been the most crowded and busy place here but... nothing... There's just nothing going on at all.

They then heard something is being said and they quickly track their way toward there. Running through many corridors and climbed many stairs, they managed to find the room that they heard something being talked from there now. There's a sign said, "No unauthorized personnel allowed". If they guess it correctly, this might be a place where they could ask for even more information.

"Arnold, you are the best we have who could impersonate Hitler. Just don't mess it up, alright?" Alfin whispered to him although there isn't even a single person nearby.

Arnold nodded as he prepared his straightened his stance and enter the room. However, contrary to his expectation. There was nobody here... All he saw was just a desk in an empty room and a speaker placed on top of it. The speaker is spewing all sorts of stuff out loud without reservation of its surrounding. Not gonna lie though, they did a damn good job to make it sounds as natural as possible. And the fact that no soldier is willing to disobey orders really put up a good wall to prevent the truth from being leaked even further.

Alfin then peeked into the room and saw Arnold stares at the speaker in pure disbelief of what is being displayed here. She also felt the same as him, the fact that there aren't even many officers left means that there wasn't even a chain of command in the first place. They probably just put up some random soldiers as officers and leave it like that. To give them positions that are purely meaningless just so to prevent the truth from being leaked in the first place.

As if a thought just flashes over their minds, they quickly check over the other rooms and they all found the same thing with no difference between them at all. They even search the war room but... It just a huge conference table and then a bunch of maps hung over the place but it is still the same thing. There isn't a living soul is here at all.

"This place... was all empty..." Arnold said as he inspects the whole room but found nothing at all.

"You would think there is something here but... nope... just nothing..." Alfin said as she looked into the maps hanging on the wall.

After searching the place up and down, they all turned up with an empty hand. For such a half-assed looking attempt to keep up a lie, it managed to somehow last well through time like this.

"So... where do we go now?" Alfin asked as she sighed after turning the whole place upside down for a clue.

"Let us just go and keep searching for whatever this sector can still give us.". Arnold said with a sigh like her before he exits the war room.

Alfin then followed him from behind. Both of them just looked at the map while just wandering around aimlessly in this place. They know that they haven't searched the place thoroughly yet but they don't feel like they are making any progress here at all. They just keep walking around here until something catches their eyes.

"Hey, I think there is something here.". Alfin said as she runs ahead of him.

Arnold quickly followed her and they soon found another room which is placed at a blind spot that unless you focused attentively or know where to go, you would easily pass by it without notice. There is a plating nailed to the door that said: "Report Room" and a sign that is also hung above it said 'no unauthorized personnel'. It seems to be really important if it deliberately stopping them like that.

Arnold grabbed the knob of the door and tried to turn but the thing refused to do so. It seems that it was locked to prevent anyone from entering it. Alfin checked to see if she could forcefully breach in but the door was also enchanted to the point that even if you drop a nuke on it, it would still persist at ground zero.

"Can't forcefully breach in as a Servant either... Interesting..." Alfin said as she inspects the door itself.

Alfin then grabbed something out of the thin air. It was a lockpicking tool that she just materialized. Without hesitation, she used the lockpicking tool with such proficiency that it is comparable to a master thief. In just a mere instant, the door was picked open.

"Okay... Let us enter.". Alfin said as she turned the knob the moment she is done with the lockpicking.

They opened the door and inside is... a massive pile of paper strewn all over the place. You would think that a place where reports converge toward would be a lot tidier than how it is looking right now. But nope... it looks like a massive mess that is better off sealed away.

"Based on how dusty the place is, nobody has been in this place for a long time or... there was never a single person who was here in the first place." Arnold said as he inspects the room.

Alfin then grabbed one of the paper and read its content. She was, however, shudder when she reads it over.

"Alfin, what's wrong?" Arnold quickly approaches her when she was looking at the paper attentively.

Arnold looked into the paper and realized why immediately, it was a detailed report of the collapse of the second wall. One that describes a certain girl with blond hair yet whose power is beyond words. But the fact that it collected dust in here means not even Hitler or any supervisor bothered to read it in the first place.

Arnold then looked at the pile of paper and picked a random one up. However, he realized what is written here without wasting even a single second. It was him back at his awakening in that forsaken battlefield. At that moment, Arnold looked at that massive pile of paper and then jumped to the top and searches a bit. Needless to say though that he found a clue quite fast.

"Reparation of the escalator that reaches for the Furher's Bunker. Just recently at yesterday." Arnold said as he jumped back to the ground.

"The escalators? Those things that we first saw at the exit of S1 station? They were surrounded by a resistant glass barrier that prevents forceful breeching but if this paper contains a clue for us to get there then we should use it now." Alfin said as she quickly glosses over the content of the paper he found.

They read the paper further and found the new access code used for the escalators just now. Guess they do update and change it over time but seem to always put in the new access code here. Both of them then exit the 'Report Room' and made it back to the main entrance of the S1 area. They just completely ignored it because they think that it would lead them to nowhere and the fact that they don't have the stuff required to access it in the first place.

Arnold inserts the access code into the interface and the escalators then proceed to work normally. One will take them there and the other will take them back here, their objective right now is to find anything that would help them get to know the truth of this Third Reich. They then proceed to step onto the escalator and letting the thing takes them to where the Furher's Bunker is.

"It is just me or is the trip longer than it supposed to be?" Alfin said as she realized that they are standing on an escalator for more than half a minute and they pretty much leaving behind them by a large distance already.

The escalator is also covered by a glass arch to prevent the rain from falling into the escalator and causing it to short-circuit and also to prevent having its user to get completely soaked in it. Both Arnold and Alfin just stood there on the escalator trying to find a way to kill their time without just brute-forcing ahead through the escalator. In the end, they just wait until they reach their destination.

What greeted them was a large bunker entrance that is currently shut tight. An ironclad entrance that is virtually impossible to break through by brute-forcing it. The place is covered in a dome to cover the place from the rain. Both of them looked at the entrance in front of them, they looked at each other then nodded in unison as they stepped forward.

When they reached the ironclad gate, they found a console that is placed right by the entrance, waiting for them to insert the clearance for entrance. However, unlike before where they would just need passcode and ID, there was something written in German placed above the ID and passcode. Alfin made a rough translation of it and said

In order to enter the Furher's Bunker, All SS Waffen members must insert their IDs and respective passcodes assigned to them. If received Furher's direct clearance to enter, use his assigned ID and Passcode (one use only)

"Well, shit..." Arnold said as he realized they came this far and they were suddenly blocked by another obstacle on their path.

There are two choices, somehow convince all of the Waffen to open the Furher's bunker for them or somehow managed to get Hitler's clearance to enter. None of them sounds like a good idea or even feasible at all.

"So what do we do now?" Alfin asked as she knew there just no way to pick open an electronic lock like that.

"What else... we will get to the sector S2 and report our findings, just hope that things won't go and turn for the worse.". Arnold said as he walks to the escalator for the way down.

Alfin looked at him and then sighed, military technology advancement can only take her so far. She looked back at the closed bunker entrance before moving to the escalator.

Whatever it is, they have left the place for now... They move toward the other area in the hope that they would come across more clues that will lead them to their final conclusion.

---

"._.""._.""._."

Sector S2 - Waffen's Quarter

"._.""._.""._."

---

"So... You have to go to the infirmary first, huh?" Richard asked.

"Yeah... Don't underestimate this place, this place is big enough to make you get lost if not aware of you going." Larry said as he steps through the corridor.

How ironic that they still have to resort to a blind man to be their guide in this place. There is just something that a map alone won't be able to tell completely and thus Larry is their best bet when it comes to the fastest way of moving through the sector.

"Sector S2 is immensely huge compare to the other sector other than S3, because of that, they even install an internal tram system in this place for ease of travel. But we will avoid using it because that is also the mean of the Waffen to travel." Larry said as he also stealthily giving sign languages to order them what to do or not.

They stop there when Larry signals them to stop. Richard steps silently forward to check why Larry is signaling that way until they saw that one familiar person that they knew just won't forget them if that person saw them. It was that spiked-hair Waffen wearing that early WW2 hat.

"What does he looks like?" Larry asked.

Richard describes the target's appearance and Larry instantly tell him who that person was.

"Joseph... knowing what we did, there won't be forgiveness from him.". Larry said as he tells the person's name.

In just a bit later, Joseph started to move in a direction away from them. They breathed in relief that they managed to get away for now. The fact that they get here by tram without getting anyone caught there is kind of already a miracle in itself.

"By the way, just how large is this place that it just required even a tram system here?" Desmond asked as he couldn't believe the scale being displayed here.

"Big enough to make you felt dizzy if you try to comprehend that. But I shall make it easier for all of you to understand. This place will be divided into 4 parts which I shall designate them as S2-1, S2-2, S2-3 and so you already guess it." Larry said as he moves forward while using the Muramasa as a guiding stick.

They turned left as they found themselves in an intersection. Although they know the emergence of the situation in the Third Reich. However, they can't felt but there should have been more Waffen around here. The fact that they make it this far without getting spotted by anyone makes them feel that they have already expended all of their luck.

"S2-1 is the living quarter. It takes the sizable amount of space for it is the living area of the SS Servants that you saw just now, we will avoid going near there because there would be going to be at least someone there no matter what kind of time it is. S2-2 is the recreational area, if you read the map, you will find that it took a majority amount of space here. And of course, we will avoid it at all cost" Larry said as he describes the monstrous scale of this sector.

"Don't you think this is kind of overkill? I mean this huge ass amount of space could be used to accommodate a huge amount of population rivaling a city but they use it only for like..." Pierce commented before Larry just fill in the rest of his sentence.

"Seven... Seven Servants... including me... That's just how much space we allowed to have." Larry filled in the rest of what Larry wanted to say.

In this massive area with only a few people that are scattered through this place. The chance to be caught here is minuscule but it still exists nonetheless. And as long as that chance still exists, they would have to put up their guard no matter what.

"S2-3 area is the infirmary with one of those white-haired girls stationed there as a nurse to this place. It is small since there only six of us here but that place always active because we are assigned with those dangerous frontier jobs. But I could assure you that the place is remotely empty enough so that we won't bump into anybody there." Larry said as he explains what this sector comprised of.

"So what about the last area you said?" Desmond asked as this is his first time actually being here and he still feels bewildered.

"The S2-4 isn't actually listed on the map but it is actually the sewage processing plants, but it just mostly shortened as the toilet area although we already have them built in every other area. That's our safest bet when it comes to traversing undetected in this place. There are multiple entrances to that area and we will be able to find it if-" Larry said as he explains further until Pierce jumped in.

"Uh? Like that door?" Pierce said as they approach a door placed in the middle of this empty corridor.

A door placed here with a sign nailed to it said "Sewage treatment plants" and another one placed next to it said, "No unauthorized personnel allowed". It was locked too obviously.

"So... how do we breach in here?" Desmond asked.

"Obviously can't use heavy firepower here. No matter how distant they are, they would still hear it no matter what. Especially that they are Servants and thus they are far more sensitive to this kind of anomaly than a normal person is." Richard said as he tried to figure out a way for this predicament.

Everyone stood there for a while as they tried to find a solution. Larry's face directed toward the lock although he couldn't see anything at all. In just a moment, he grabbed a lockpick out of his coat and then tried to lockpick the door open. While its efficiency is left to be desired, at least there is a solution at work for them right now. Soon, after confirming the door was unlocked. He turned the knob and they were greeted with a flight of concrete stairs to the level below them.

"So this is it... The sewage treatment plants, there is no other choice." Pierce said as he steps in first into the uncharted area ahead of him.

Desmond and Richard soon followed and then Larry make sure there is nobody here going to catch them entering this place unauthorized. After he managed to confirm the surroundings, he slowly closed the door and soon nobody noticed the difference as if nothing happened in this place.

They walked down the flight of stairs and soon found themselves in an open sewer with sewage line flowing with such a ridiculous speed like a flood. However, thankfully. The ground they walked on is much higher and the sewage flow was barred off and separated with a glass barrier to prevent scenarios such as overflowing.

"Honestly though, this place is more sanitized than I thought. I usually link the sewage with your usual dirtiness but this is just a pleasant surprise to see." Pierce said as he glads that he won't have to find a place to clean up his stuff because of the fact that there won't be any chance he will get dirty because of the sewage here.

"And it smells normal here too. The barrier did a good job of separating the atmosphere that there won't be any chance those obnoxious smell will reach our nose." Desmond said as he looked into the tide of sewage down there.

"By the way, since we are moving underneath right now. We can actually cut through the recreational area and living quarter so that we can get to the infirmary much faster than before" Larry said as he moves around as if he knew where he is going despite never been here and the fact that he is blinded only makes him stand out even more than before.

They walk for a while through the passageway but they don't even know how long they have walked. They don't even know the distance they have left to reach that place.

"Damn it, I know the S2 area is large but this is still ridiculous without the tram system. They better have built some here or we might as well die trying." Pierce said as he breathed tiredly.

They suddenly found something ahead of them in their path. They quickly rush toward it thinking that it would be a tram station but... nope... It just a resting spot made out of a few benches and a refrigerator placed there. At least it is better than nothing.

"Sigh...Who wanted to take a break?" Pierce said as he felt disappointed at what he was greeted with.

He received unanimous agreement from everyone as they all raised their hands together. They almost forgot that they are just as strong as him that they didn't realize the fatigue that is almost setting in.

"Yeah... I think we should take a rest now. I can't move a single step further anymore." Desmond said as he gasps for air while his hands are placed on his knee while standing.

They together rest on the benches and... it felt so dusty that it is just irritating to lie on. They could assume that it wasn't used for a long time if that is what they could tell. But in the end, beggars can't be chooser, they already have a place to rest and they are already thankful for that.

"All of this... just to reach the infirmary. At least the journey wasn't the stinky one that we imagined." Pierce said as he tried to take in as much as air as he could.

"I would shudder the thought of this place as dirty as your usual kind of sewer. Thank you very much and please don't say about this again..." Richard said as he felt his body shudders just from the thought of it alone.

Can't blame him for saying so, to have your strength sapped so badly that a normal person can get by much better than you are embarrassing if he has anything to say.

After a while or more exactly... a nap that stretches who knows how long because all of them decided to fall asleep at once and forget about their objective. After waking up for a while did they realize what they were supposed to do and thus they just rush the last stretches with their legs behind their heads in order to make up for the lost time. Soon, they found an exit to this place.

"Dear Lord... Why did we all sleep without anyone to keep watch of the time?" Pierce said as he felt completely out of breath after running the whole way.

"Don't look at me, none of us have a watch to even tell what time it is either way.". Desmond said as he felt somehow even more tired than before.

Larry approaches the lock and checks it once more before he picked it open. After using the pick to determine what he has to do, he quickly finishes the job immediately and opens them up to a hallway that they haven't seen once before. However, there is one sign that they have made it to their destination. In this case, a literal 'sign'.

"The infirmary... We made it!" Desmond said as he sees the sign placed above the entrance of the room that was spoken for so many times.

"I have a question though, you're a medic, right? Couldn't you just fix his eyes or something?" Richard asked as he felt something isn't right and not adding up.

"If I could, I would have done it long ago. Larry's wound was left too long for any hope of being fixed properly and thus this might be his only shot of fixing his damaged eyes." Desmond explained why he couldn't fix his friend's injury despite having healing ability.

"If that is what you said then we have no choice left.". Richard said as everyone quickly enter the infirmary.

Upon entering, the first person they saw was another white-haired woman with red eyes who is wearing a nurse outfit. This time, she has twin-tail hair compare to the last one they saw with a bun.

"Welcome to the infirmary and... what's wrong with him?" The white-haired nurse greets them before she noticed Larry's injury.

"Do you know how to treat this injury?" Pierce asked the nurse.

"By the look of it, it must have been left untreated for a while. I suggest taking him to one of the mana healing pods installed in this place in order to revert the damage inflicted on him. It could fix anything, even the Age of God's curses!" The nurse said to them.

Considering what the Third Reich managed to do, they wouldn't put it past them that they couldn't do something like that. It just ridiculous no matter how one might say. But their objective is to fix Larry up and so they can proceed to the next step.

They quickly run through the corridor of the infirmary as they tried to find the room with the treatment pod that the nurse said about. They opened each door only to find some strange or random stuff that they didn't expect. Some were designated with a sign but most just left blank on their own.

Pierce opened a door only to be greeted with only a shelf with sanitary tools like brooms and mops. Richard opened another door nearby and found a dark room where he couldn't ascertain what is inside. He tried to reach for any light switch nearby if he guessed correctly and when he did so, a flash of light appeared and almost push him to the floor from the shock. And the inside is... abandoned machinery, most likely outdated and replaced stuff that they didn't even bother moving out.

"Damn it... even the infirmary is too big in order to search blindly like this.". Pierce said as he opened another room only to find bed sheets and stuff.

"Look, if you wanted to head to the treatment pod then just ask me politely already instead of flipping the whole place upside down." The nurse said to them from behind.

They asked the nurse politely for a chance to reach that place in which she responded with a smile before guiding them. After a little while later, they found the room that they need to go.

"Quick! We have to get him in now!" Desmond said as he carried his friend and dragged him to the pod.

"Don't act as if they are toys, you need to be really delicate and careful around them to prevent unnecessary malfunctions! Let me do this instead of all of you." The nurse said as she carefully takes over the job and placed Larry carefully into the treatment pot. After that, the lid is closed and the treatment process begins for Larry. They all sighed in relief as they know everything will be fine. That's what they thought... until they turned around.

All five of the SS were here. Standing right behind them... They tried to be subtle but... it seems that there is something already foretold their own presence by now.

"Busted..." Pierce said as he knew there is no running away anymore.

But contrary to his belief that things will end in a bloodbath, they decided to just step in and be civil instead of being a straight-up murderous psychopath.

"Guess you made it this far, right into the Heart of the Reich. I don't know if I should congratulate you or gave you bonk on your head for busting in like that." Joseph said as he claps his hand.

"What do any of you wanted here?" Desmond said as he steps in between them.

"You know... Us SS Servants have more privilege and freedom compare to the normal soldiers... We can move outside the place and patrol each ring and do our stuff... but this is just completely unprecedented as we couldn't quite believe that someone would make it to this place. Guess that being backed by multiple Servants helped tremendously, I guess?" Joseph said with a snide smile on his face.

Three of them stood there selecting their actions carefully. One wrong step and they might be going to have an all-out brawl occurred right here.

"And what do any of you want with us?" Pierce said as calmly as he could even if he knew one wrong step would spell doom to everything he made this far.

"That's what we wanted to ask. You managed to make it here means you know a lot more about what is going on right now than us." Mathias said as he tips his hat.

"We know much better than the normal human here and we can grasp a much bigger picture from what we know so far but that is just like comparing a retard to a normal person. We may know better but that doesn't mean we know everything. In fact, we are very much on the blindside right now just like everyone else.". Richtofen said as he explains everything on his side.

Everyone just looked at each other as if they don't know how to proceed from here. The atmosphere became more stagnant each second passed as the silence become more and more unbearable. That is until...

"Hey, is everyone?..." Arnold said as he bursts into the room without checking the inside.

And quite needless to say that he gave all the SS there a fright of their lives when they thought the Furher just enter the place out of nowhere. Some literally curled up in fear just to show how much authority and dominance he held over them. Alfin also entered the room and see the whole thing unfolded right in front of her. She sighed as Arnold tried to calm everyone down.

A little while later, after the duo explained the situation to them did all of them stop panicking. But Joseph can't help but stay away as far away from Alfin because of what she almost did to him. And the fact that both of them were Hitler at different stages of life, summoned respectively doesn't make any of them felt better. But that fact shed some light on the situation.

"Both of you ascertain that you two are Hitler. Normally people would deny being associates with it but you two facing such a reality like that with such a determined look is unbelievable. All of you are surely grown much further than the original Hitler did if I would dare to comment in your presence." Erwin said as he comments on the fact that they are willing to accept who they are without denial.

"Trust us, we have grown past that already. If it weren't for everyone around us accept us for who we were. We wouldn't be so lucky right now." Alfin said it with a smile although Gudao attempted to dispose of them but however, it was busted early and thus there is no chance for Gudao to do something that rashly like that again.

"The fact that you two are Heroic Spirit Hitler means there has to be a reason why you are here. It can't possibly be a coincidence that Hitler was summoned right in the aftermath of WW2 like this." Severloh said as he commented on the strangeness of their existence.

"That's why we are here in the first place. To find the truth about what happened here. The fact that we are here can't have any other explanation... It must have been fate ." Alfin said resolutely.

The SS started to discuss with each other about how they should proceed after learning clearly about the existence of the duo in front of them. After a bit of time later, they together turned toward the Hitler duo in front of them and continue to discuss with them.

"You know... This might actually be our perfect chance to unravel the mystery behind this world too. The Furher did a good job of taking up our time with all of these tedious missions that he assigned throughout all those years. But now... it is oddly silent to the point that I felt something is happening behind our back too." Jager said as he adds in the discussion.

"So no more fighting between us? Don't you find it weird that you guys are supporting the people whom you supposed to stop in the first place?" Arnold asked as he wants confirmation of what he thought about.

The SS looked at each other again before chuckle at each other. They knew this question would be asked eventually and thus just come clean with everything.

"The SS that you know doesn't exist anymore. I heard that all of those Waffens died during the cataclysm happened like... at the end of this place's WW2. Only those who weren't present at the time survived through dumb virtue and luck. We don't know the detail and that's why we wanted your help in the first place." Joseph said

"You could say that again. You are now having all of our support and we shall try to do anything we can within our power." Mathias said with wholehearted agreements which are impossible before until now.

Ding!

Everyone turned toward the treatment pod from behind and saw Larry pushing the lid back up. He looked at everyone and wondered why the place wasn't set ablaze right now.

"Did something happened?" Larry said confusedly as he witnesses the whole thing with his newly repaired eyes.

And then everyone just suddenly burst into laughter, it was quite an unpreceded event that literally no one could foresee.

---

"._.""._.""._."

Sector S3 - Wehrmacht's Quarter

"._.""._.""._."

---

Meanwhile at Team 3's location

"I was right... This place... is really a glorified retirement home." Simo said as wanders through the corridor with everyone else.

The entire sector is just a pure entertainment area. The entirety of this place only has stuff that is related to just entertainment and things related to that. Restaurants, Cinemas, Bars, Libraries, Gyms, anything you could probably imagine. The soldiers here just live day and day here without a care in this world. Perhaps it is the last bastion left in this place so he couldn't really blame them either.

"So what do we exactly do here? There's nothing suspicious we could really find at all." Illya said as she moves through the corridor ahead of Simo and Anastasia.

"All the time we wasted to get here just only to have it show what it exactly is to the T. Guess we will search the place up and see what it exactly has to offer.". Anastasia said as she entered a place nearby.

"Hey, wait! Don't just leave everyone like that!" Kuro said as she quickly pursues Anastasia.

They entered the place that Anastasia went in, and they were surprised by the inner design of this place. A warm atmosphere full of coziness that makes you instantly feel at ease. Not many places managed to achieve that but this place definitely hit the bill.

"What is this place?" Simo said as he feels completely out of place here despite the welcoming atmosphere. Like a dot of chalk on a mural.

They noticed many seats and tables placed around while fake windows are installed on the side of the wall to give out the sense of home. It must have been a place that you get stuff to drink. Can't be a bar since it would be jarring to have a bar being this welcoming.

"Welcome to our Cafe, my dear guests. What would you like to have?" Another homunculus wearing a barista outfit said to them in a welcoming voice that just soothes the minds of whoever heard it.

"Oh! I would like to have some hot chocolate! Is that something on the menu?" Anastasia quickly ordered something without even bother to read the menu.

"Dear Lord... Guess that we got roped into this, might as well enjoy it." Kuro said as she let out a disappointed look and a sigh.

"Yes... We do serve hot chocolate on our menu. Please take your seat and wait. And what's the order do the three of you want?" The barista said to Anastasia and then.

"I do have a question first. Does it cost any money because we sure as hell having none of it." Simo said as he tried to prepare accordingly.

"What do you mean by money? We serve all kinds of orders for free! All free of charge... Don't you supposed to know that already?" The barista said as she finds it weird for Simo to not know that.

"Oh, sorry then. It must have slipped my mind. One espresso please." Simo said as he tried to divert the attention away.

"Just give two of us the most creamy possible coffee please, and make it sweet too!" Illya said as she also orders her when she realized that it is free.

They all take their seat as they doused in the warm light illuminating above them. It felt so long ago that they felt such warmth like this when everything outside is a forsaken wasteland deteriorated by storm. They soon forgot about the flow of time when they didn't even notice that the barista has already served their orders on a tray.

"Hey! Here's your order! Just take your time to enjoy the aroma, okay?" The barista said with a smile before returning to her counter.

Simo takes his cup of coffee and slowly sipping its hot fluid. The extreme bitter taste of it courses through his tongue as it quickly buzzing him with the intense dose of caffeine. Although its effect on Servants is minimal. His being nerfed to a normal person makes him felt its full brunt even then. He felt that he is already regretting the decision but decided to live with his own consequence of his action either way.

Anastasia sips on the hot chocolate slowly. Feeling the sweet and hot aroma that slowly melts her icy heart. She couldn't help but crack a smile on her face when tasting this divine taste of a dessert that she most likely never once knew in her life. There's just nothing that could pair better than a cup of hot chocolate with a cold day where she could see the piping hot steam fly in the air as it melts into her steamy breathes.

Kuro and Illya sip on the latte coffee that was specifically made for them. The sweet pleasant and powdery taste and the slight bitterness alleviated with the steamy hot milk making it a complete pleasantry to drink. It just something for newcomers to enjoy but those who drink coffee frequently can't help but to also drink it for the sheer sake of its old time.

They all taken their time to enjoy the moment and let the bliss takes them wherever they felt. Honestly, though, they admitted that they haven't felt this good for a long time.

"Are all of you enjoy your time." The barista said as she stepped in to take the empty cups on the table.

"Yes..." Anastasia said with a face with pure bliss in it as she then falls asleep soon from it.

Simo sighed because as much as he doesn't want to admit it, this place is honestly like a safe haven that exists only in fiction. The appearance wise may not say it but the people inside are, that is much he could at least said so.

"I think we should go now. Bye!" Illya said as she and her sister depart.

Simo looked at the twin moving ahead of him and then Anastasia who is sleeping soundly on her chair. He sighed as he then carries her piggyback style before leaving the cafe.

"So where do we heading next?" Kuro asked as she walks through the empty corridor.

"Don't you think that it is strange how so many places like this around but there aren't just enough people to use this place? It was as if there's a cataclysm that happened and basically destroyed the entirety of the populace here. All of this supposed to have many people to enjoy but nope... Not even seeing a person here until now." Simo said as he looked around the place.

"Yeah... And we would basically kill ourselves if we move here on foot. Let just take the tram and move to the area of importance because we have nothing else here that really seems to matter." Kuro said as they together move toward the tram station marked on the map.

And so they traveled by tram in this place. It seems that the area was also separated into multiple floors so that it could accommodate more people here. But they still decided to explore the first one on the list.

Hearing the sounds of the tram's movement on the electromagnetic railway. While its speed is deceptively fast, they felt strange for something this advanced would only be seen in the modern world would be masquerading as a simple electric tram. It puts both Kuro and Illya with annoyance to no ends but Simo and Ana just sit there while he is thinking why on earth does the twin in front of him is acting so irritated. And then when they almost got close to another station, Anastasia woke up and started to become confused.

"Don't tell me that we're done already-" Anastasia said in a panic.

"No... We just only start to move

"Let just get this over with already," Simo said with a sigh.

They soon got off at another station and saw a completely different sight than before when they first got here. And there are some people around here too but... it is still too low for any meaningful stuff.

"Shall we enter inside?" Anastasia said happily with enthusiasm before enter ahead of everyone... again.

Simo sighed, this might going to be repeating every time they enter the tram, and when she woke up there. He looked at the siblings nearby his side is also doing the same. They all looked at each other and then enter the place and brace for whatever might be looking like inside.

And when they all entered the place, they were met with such grandeur that is impossible to be described through words alone.

"It's... huge..." Illya said as she takes in the sheer size of the place.

"So... many..." Kuro said as she couldn't fathom what is being shown in front of her.

The place they entered... was a library. But its size was so huge that it can't be just called a library. The more correct word here is "archive". It was as if it contains all of the knowledge accumulated throughout history and stored here. The sheer size is unfathomable as something like this can exist in the Heart of the Reich is just not something one would dare to imagine. Especially the fact that the Third Reich is infamous for burning books back at WW2. The idea of them preserving knowledge is as outlandish like a fish walking on land but considering the latter did happen, they don't really have all that much left to say about.

"What in the world is this place?" Anastasia said as she is bewildered by the number of books here.

"You know, I bet a few of my currencies that all of these are just propaganda books but considering the pointlessness of it, I would probably lose on that one." Simo said as he walks around the place.

The place is so brightly lit to the point that you would think you are staring into the sun. There are some decorative plants placed among the place in order to make the atmosphere more pleasant and welcoming. And the first thing they heard here is...

"Welcome to our library, please don't cause a ruckus or unnecessary drama in this place. Do you have a membership card or not?" The white-haired librarian behind the counter said to them.

"I'm afraid not, but we are here for sightseeing, not to borrow a book. So we are very sorry about that, but can we enter?" Simo asked politely.

"Well, if that's the case then all of you can enter but you can't borrow books here. Membership can be made easily for free of charge so please don't hesitate to order your membership as soon as you can," The librarian said to them.

And then, they entered the area and they looked around in awe. Not once in their life would they can imagine such a place can exist at all. They looked around the place for a bit as the pure white exterior is just that blinding.

"You would think such a place can only exist within the mythology like the library of Babel but nope... it is here.". Kuro said as she put her palm on her cheek.

"I would love to see what is here in this place though.". Anastasia said as she moves toward the elevator first.

"Hey! Don't just wander away like that!" Simo said when Anastasia just suddenly walk away.

All of them entered the pure white elevator and select the chosen floor. Each floor is also categorized for books of certain types or genres, like culinary, crafts, encyclopedias, dictionaries of different languages, humor, and stuff... So many that you would die before you would even cover a small percentage of this place.

And of course... all of them are written in German and thus it was a pointless idea to even come here since they may be able to speak in broken German, they can't read any of them and thus they decided to use this place as a waypoint. They actually felt bummed since they wanted to know just what is written inside but if they read a book that they don't understand then they might as well stare at a blank page.

They leave the library empty-handed as they catch another tram and move to another area. This time... they just slept their way through. The sounds of the tram's movement on the railway quickly lullaby their delirious minds into a quick slumber. They don't know how much time passed but they were given a rude awakening when the tram stopped suddenly and they fall off their seats and hit the floor on their heads.

Clang!

"Ouch... Should have known that it is deceptively fast and not just your run of the mill electric tram.". Simo said as he felt his head is aching badly from that fall.

"Oof..." Kuro said as she rubs her forehead from the pain.

Illya noticed it in time and thus quickly levitates and avoided getting hit on her head. Anastasia meanwhile... landed her face right on Simo's crotch leading her into an embarrassing position. By the time Simo realized it, he went into a panic when both of the siblings look at him with suspicious eyes.

"It is also an accident, okay!?" Simo said as he tried to embarrassingly save his remaining dignity.

After a while, they leave the station and enter a new area while Anastasia's face is still as red with embarrassment as a beetroot. There seem to be a lot more people here than before but still not significant enough to really make a difference.

"So... what is this place then?" Kuro asked as she doesn't quite know what is this place.

"Who knows? But we may only know when we enter it." Anastasia said as she enters the place first.

They entered the place and... They felt instinctively withdraw away from it when the smells hit them.

"It's GODDAMN STINK!" Anastasia said when she quickly escape the place.

It was a gym and right at the rush hour at that. The smell of working out sweat may be off-putting to some people and that's understandable.

"Let's just not getting in there again while we are as nerfed as a normal person" Kuro runs out of the place while holding her breath.

They wandered around the area a bit before finding an interesting place near the gym. It was a large swimming area if that sign nailed onto the door it was on is any indication.

They opened the door and saw a huge swimming pool ahead of them. There are some people swimming in there and not bothered by their arrival at all.

"Wow, what a large swimming pool I see here. Too bad that I have nothing suitable to change to so that I can swim here." Anastasia said enviously.

"So why not just jump in? You would easily get yourself dry in a mere moment, right?" Simo said jokingly as he teases her.

"Hmph..." Anastasia grumped when she heard what Simo said as she walks along the pool's edge.

And perhaps walking nearby the pool on a slippery floor while wearing a high heel wasn't exactly a good idea as she missteps and fell into the direction that would take her into the pool.

"Anastasia!" Simo said as he quickly reaches out to her.

Anastasia despite nerfed by the Bounded Field surrounding this facility, she tried to use her power on the pool and ended up freezing the water surface where she landed. Although she wasn't harmed in the slightest, she ended up getting the attention of everyone in the swimming pool. Upon realizing their gaze, Anastasia quickly tried to climb her way out with Simo's help as the four of them quickly run away as the confused swimmers looking at them and the frozen surface that is floating atop the water.

After escape the swimming area, they all breathed in tiredness as they can't believe what they just did.

"I'm so sorry!" Anastasia apologized for her carelessness.

"At least you didn't accidentally freeze the entire pool or we will be in much deeper trouble because of you.". Simo said as he pats on her shoulder while letting out a tired sigh.

"So shall we move?" Illya asked as she doesn't want to recall what Anastasia just did.

Everyone just looked at each other and then nodded unanimously.

They entered the tram again and move to another area. They just kinda move wherever this tram go and not bother about what destination they would have in their mind. They kinda just wanted to give up right now not because of any enemy but rather their own shenanigans.

This time, they tried to be vigilant so that they won't get caught up in that embarrassment once more. But it is easier said than done when all your stats are just as good as any normal human. They kinda go back on their words when they started to become so groggy that they wanted to shut their eyes off for a nap but then...

The tram stopped, but not enough to throw them off their seats but something else happened.

Illya has her face slammed into Kuro's while Anastasia's face hit right into Simo's crotch. Something just meant to happen regardless of their decisions.

"Uwah! Kuro! Why did you kiss me!?" Illya yelled at her sister.

"What!? It is your face that slammed into me!" Kuro yelled back at her sister when she got accused like that.

Anastasia meanwhile tried to act like nothing happened although she once again got into that embarrassing position like that. Best just let the sleeping dog lies.

They got off at another station. Simo and Ana just look at the siblings who are now bearing a grudge toward each other as they don't even want to look at each other's eye. Such thing being displayed here makes Simo felt that Illya and Kuro's are really just a child at their hearts.

"So... this place is..." Simo said as he steps first into the room.

A whole new world opened to them as they saw a massive amount of tables and chairs placed here. But unlike the cafe, the air around here is more grandeur than the welcoming warmth and thus they think this might be a different place than the others. They also saw some people dining around here and thus they decided to ask a white-haired woman nearby wearing an apron.

"Hey, is this a restaurant?" Simo asked the woman.

She looked at him and then nodded. It seems that this place is really indeed a restaurant and it might not be the only one here in this place.

"You know... We kinda already starved from all of what we went through until now. So why don't we have some grubs before exploring more of this place?" Kuro said as she suggests everyone.

Everyone just kinda agrees with her, no army can march on an empty stomach after all. They all take their seats and soon a waiter came to take their order. They read the menu and it shows them a huge selection of dishes that they can choose but there is one thing that stands out to them. All of them have no price tag and when Simo asked about it, the waitress said... there is no fee for orders at all.

In other words, it was just a feast that they can order anything they want. Upon realizing it, everyone just kinda goes with anything they liked the most and it doesn't even take that long for them to carry it out to their table. And the food, they were so delicious that they even put many 5-star restaurants back in the modern world to shame.

They all enjoy their feast until...

The door sprung open and one certain person entered, but that person alone made the whole place went silent in a mere instant. Everyone but Simo, Anastasia, Kuro, Illya who were too busy with their feast to care.

That person was... Arnold... His appearance being similar to Hitler didn't help the atmosphere in the slightest. He looked around the place while still wearing that ragged cloak behind him. He walked with each step carrying a menacing dread to others just with his presence alone. He approaches closer to where Kuro and her teammates are while everyone thinking that something bad is going to happen. Can't blame them for that.

Another person entered and that was Alfin. Nobody here has seen her before and of course that they don't know what is exactly to feel about her. But all of their attention is focused at where Arnold was and his approaching of that table.

Arnold pat on Simo's shoulder and he quickly turned around and see Arnold's face. Upon gazing at him, he felt his body just jolted away from Arnold instinctively. Everyone then stopped eating as they looked at Arnold's unamused face and then just can't help but to hold back their grinning face upon that look of him.

"You guys get to eat all you want while I am basically running a marathon against time..." Arnold said unamusedly.

Alfin approached the table where they are at and see that they were having the time of their life with the feast, she can't help but feel envious at what she missed out upon.

The SS from behind quickly entered the place and see the situation that is happening right now, they quickly rush toward them and then carefully dragging all 6 of them back to the exit.

"I'm very sorry, Furher. But please don't take this personally." Larry said as he tried to make this as convincing as possible.

They all exit the restaurant as everyone in there was confused at what just happened but they soon proceed to continue as if nothing happened.

"So... you all teamed up with each other now?" Simo asked as he didn't quite expect this turn of event.

"In order to make it into the Furher's Bunker, this is possibly the only choice we have and just be glad that it went smoothly.". Alfin replied back to Simo.

"Okay... it seems that we are one step closer to our goal now. Let us move to S4 in order to reunite with everyone else and quickly get this done. The sooner this conspiracy is over, the better..." Kuro said as she walks alongside everyone else.

"Although I wish I finished the meal that I order but considering how tasty it was, I would probably stay there and forget the mission I was supposed to do.". Anastasia said as she held onto her doll.

And so they made their last move towards the S4 area where their operation will finally take their steps to begin.

---

"._.""._.""._."

S4 - Outpost Depot

"._.""._.""._."

---

"So... Do you find anything new so far?" Kiritsugu asked his son.

"If those assembly areas are what you consider new then yeah... Otherwise, no..." Shirou said to his father.

Although there are many things they managed to discover, none of them held any bearing or relation to what or how they will manage to enter the so-called land beyond paradise. Although there are many interesting places around here like watchtowers, Panzer assembly lines and weapon assembly in which Kiritsugu spent most of the time just to analyze to satisfy his gun nut-ism.

"Are you done with inspecting those guns despite not being an inspector?" Shirou said as he only found him staying at one location and only getting here recently.

"Look, it doesn't hurt anyone if I inspect them. Plus, it is better to know your enemy while they are still unsuspecting." Kiritsugu said to his son.

"Whatever floats your boat, Jii-san.". Shirou said as he sighs before leaving the area his father is in.

He wandered for a while before stopping at the massive vault door that separates him and the mysterious land beyond this false paradise if that is a correct thing to assume. The only reason he can't do anything is that the console here requires the ID and passwords that no one here is having right now.

"Sigh... There just no way to believe that we are so close yet still so far..." Shirou said as he felt helpless against this gate of pure enchanted steel that is blocking him and everyone to their final destination.

Shirou tried to punch the door but only to have his hand went red in pain. Losing away your Servant's modifier hurts a lot more than how he could imagine at all.

"Oof..." Shirou slightly winced in pain as he felt disheartened at the pathetic sight called him right now.

"Hey... Shirou!" A motherly voice said to him from his back.

Shirou turned around and saw his mother looking at him with a worrying look. It doesn't take much to know that she is worried about him.

"Shirou? Are you okay?" Iri asked her son.

"I'm fine... Just that... are we really stuck here until somebody magically come here to open a path for us?" Shirou said as he clenches his fist.

They heard footsteps approach them as they turned around and saw their Master walking while carrying an expression that seems to be telling one word: 'grudge'. The fact that he was advertently used as a stepping stone of a plan that was made to sabotage their supposed mission didn't sit well with him at all.

"I checked the place and there's seem to be multiple entrance gates scattered among the area. But all of them have the same monitor that demands you to insert ID and passwords just to enter. It seems that our only option is to wait for the others." Gudao said as he felt irritated about what happened during their trekking through the tempest.

And Gudao walked away from both of them. Shirou can't help but feel what exactly went through Sherlock's mind to use their Master as a means to forcefully abort this mission. Especially after they have made it this far.

"It doesn't matter anymore... We have to make it through this place if we want an answer and... I'll confront Sherlock about this if we manage to return." Shirou said as he moves in a different direction than his Master.

Iri felt powerless in this situation. Her power is just healing the others, not being able to make any good educated guess and deductions like the others. She felt like she is sidelined in this burning mess called their strained tension between each other.

Iri sighed until she heard more footsteps approaching her location. She looked around and saw a large group of people running towards her. She focused her sight and noticed the SS Servants among them almost makes her getting on her feet to run away until she realized that it is everyone else also accompanying them did she stop trying to run.

"Everyone! You're here..." Iri said to them in surprise.

"Don't worry miss White Caster. We will open up the door soon." Jager said as the rest of the SS Servants approach the monitor.

Larry went in first and insert his ID and password, he then presses the confirmation button after inserts both of them. However, when he did so, he was denied access immediately.

"What?" Larry said as he didn't expect this turn of event at all.

The rest of the SS Servants insert their ID and password respectively from Jager, Rommel, Richtofen, Severloh, Mathias, Joseph but none of them worked at all. It was as if the monitor here accept a much different ID and password that none of them are having.

"So... What do we do now?" Arnold asked.

Iri stares at the monitor and memorized what the ID and passwords are of all of those seven SS Servants. She felt there is something hidden in there but can't quite tell what it was. She takes in a deep breath while letting the commotion outside her going on as if she has nothing to do with it. There has to be a solution, there has to be!

Forcing her mind into a state of clarity, she formulates any possibility, and thanks to the power of the Holy Grail, she became capable of formulating many possibilities without pushing her mind in a state of meltdown. And then... an answer flashed in her mind.

She approaches the monitor while everyone is still discussing what to do or what should they do. She inserts the first letter of their respective ID into the ID slot. The seven letters rearranged into one singular word that nobody has really paid any mind to.

DESTINY

Everyone suddenly stopped when Iri is hinting at something as they focus attentively into the monitor while Iri is breaking the security lock through dumb chance and faith. They don't know if that will work or not but it is better than trying to bullshit through it by brute force.

She tried to remember if the same could apply to the passwords but realized that it doesn't make any sense but she noticed a pattern immediately afterward. The first letter in the oldest member which is Richtofen who has the letter A as the first one in his password, the second oldest would be Erwin Rommel who has the letter Z in the second letter of his password. She keeps following that pattern and soon the password opened to them.

AZERIUM

Nobody understands what the password means but it must have been really important if it could make a coherent word like that. Iri felt all the gazes and pressure placed on her as she is the last chance of making this gate open.

She pressed the button as she closed her eyes and...

Access granted, opening the gate to Ground Zero. Please make sure to wear protective gear and make sure to obey all safety protocols and procedures.

She did it... She bullshitted her way through it with her own intuition and perceptive reasoning that she managed to pick up something that none of them really thought about at all. If any of the SS died, this would have been impossible no matter what and reaching the land beyond false paradise may as well be a pipe dream.

The vault door is slowly opening to them as they are about to step into an area that none has ever entered. What is exactly hiding behind that slowly opening gate?

Kiritsugu and Shirou were alerted by the unknown sound and quickly came to this place and bore witness on the opening gate.

"Did the gate opened? Did someone do this?" Shirou asked as he finds it way too abrupt.

"Your mom is one hell of a miracle herself. Seriously though, none of us will figure that out no matter how long it takes." Mathias said as he patiently waits for the door to open.

"Okaa-san?" Shirou said as he looked confusedly into his mother.

She just smiled mischievously as if she has no part in it at all. It was as if she just wish granted herself the answer and then act like an innocent which hardly fooling anybody at all.

"That's just your mother for you.". Kiritsugu said as he placed his hand on his son's shoulder before sighing in resignation.

Their Master just also approach right when the gate almost completely open which revealed an airlock room. Everyone looked at each other, knowing what will come after they enter. They all held in their breaths as the final frontier approaches... The land where all of this begins...

---

"._.""._.""._."

Ground Zero

"._.""._.""._."

---

After the safety procedure is complete, the gate to Ground Zero opened completely to them. But there is one thing that completely smashed their expectations is... There's no rain but only a dense fog of azure around the place. The old buildings of Berlin can be seen as if they were well-preserved unlike the tempestuous beginning of the fifth ring.

"This... This is unreal..." Shirou said as he steps forward into the Ground Zero.

You would think of an even worse storm if you have seen the tempest of the outer fifth ring but you would never believe to see such serene sight like this at the eye of the storm at all.

"Hey, is everyone alright? Are all of asymptomatic right now because we kinda don't want to get into complication especially in this place because who knows what kind of crap will occur here?"

"So this is the old Berlin... To think that they still persist this long in this forsaken land." Arnold said as this is the first time he ever laid his eyes on this place for himself after hearing about it for so many times.

The old and ragged flags of the Nazis still waver in the self-contained wind of this place. The visibility is extremely bad but is still in a controllable range, they can still blow the mist away temporarily but it will still come back to where it was no matter what.

"By the way, do you think there is something strange about this mist here?" Kuro asked as she felt tingly by the mist itself as if it waiting to incur a reaction from her.

"Ruby, can you check the mana level here? This is an unusual environment we found ourselves in." Illya said to her Mystic Code.

"Okay then, I shall scan the area.". Ruby said as it then flies up into the sky

Everyone moves around the vicinity areas in order to examine what happened here but none can really tell what exactly because there is nothing that meets their eyes or at least... to their naked eyes.

The ruined buildings at least tell that the cataclysm must have happened right during the Berlin Offensive because some of the sights here are the same as those which were captured into history books. The Brandenburg Gate sitting among the ruins is definitely a piece of conclusive evidence that has no possible way to deny.

Alfin approaches the gate which is now stood as the relic of the bygone past, she touches it slightly as she felt the loss that it witnessed during the final hour of WW2 before all turns for even worse. The devastated streets where everything lies desolated without a single shadow. It felt eerily empty as if everything just suddenly vanished without a single trace.

She sits down on the broken steps of the place and Arnold also approached her and does the same. They looked up into the sky where the only color they see is azure but that azure color isn't of the sky but rather the eye of the storm up above them. They don't know what to feel here just... solemn emptiness.

"I have no clue what I have taken myself into. When I first awakened as a Servant, not once would I imagine that I would find myself here at the old Berlin. Nor did I ever expect to learn that my true identity is that dictator in the first place." Arnold said as he sighed once more.

"Me neither, I don't even know who I am at first but they slowly unraveled over the course of our journey, and... here I am..."Alfin said to him with the same tone of tiredness

They watched as a Servant jumped straight to the rooftop of a building nearby for scouting. At least the Bounded Field has no effect on this place and thus they can freely use their power once more.

But... Not even the high-ground provide them much of anything at all. The mist still blocks their vision no matter what and thus it was a pointless thing to do so in the first place.

"Do you have anything that can sweep away the mist here?" Arnold asked Alfin.

"No... If I could brute force through with just pure power then we wouldn't be sitting here already." Alfin said to him.

Arnold looked up into the sky and saw that wand slowly flying back down into the hand of that magical girl. He decided to approach her so that he may receive an answer.

"Hey, Ruby. What's the mana level here?" Illya asked the Mystic Code she sent out.

Ruby explains the situation of the place here and when Illya listened to it, she ended up saying it out loud.

"What!?" Illya said in surprise.

Arnold who was nearby eavesdropped on the situation also got surprised when Illya said loudly like that just now.

"That's... that's higher than even a Servant's Spirit Origin signal! No... Scratch that, that's even higher than a Divine Spirit's Spirit origin signal" Illya said as she couldn't believe such a thing was possible.

She pretty much shouted it loudly and thus everyone quickly congregated at her location. And soon a discussion soon followed afterward.

"That level of mana is even higher than the atmosphere back at the age of Gods, the fact that none of us are dying of mana overdose right now is kind of a miracle in itself.". Shirou said as he can't believe the result being displayed.

"Unfortunately, that's the truth. And think about it, why did Da Vinci hasn't contact us yet?" Gudao said as he hands out the communicator with everyone else.

And they realized one thing, the mist... It masked away even their signals to the point that not even Da Vinci could tell where they are or contact them. This is bad because they can't possibly solving this with just only this amount of people.

"I knew this mist is unusual but I failed to fathom that it could be something this ridiculous." Pierce said as he steps around where everyone is concentrating to know the result.

"Hold on... Can we amplify the communicator's power so that it could pierce through the mist?" Kuro asked.

"That's theoretically possible but we don't know how much power they may require, and it is also dependence on how much the communicator can handle in the first place. If we ended up busting our own communicator in a futile attempt to contact Chaldea, we will dig our own grave because of that." Kiritsugu said as he warns his Master if he attempts to do so.

"Who knows... but this is our only shot of getting reinforcement and this mist will protect all of us from the EKS hanging above the sky from detecting them. The stars are aligned right now and we can't possibly passing that up. " Gudao said as he decided on the course of action.

"So it has been chosen, we will find anything that could amplify its signal power but just don't expect anything miracle-like, okay?" Mathias said as he quickly goes back into the facility and half of the SS team also followed him to assist.

"Okay then... Everyone... keep looking out for anything important. We will need everything required before heading towards the shadow of this paradise." Gudao said as he commands his Servant.

And they soon dispersed to do their own things as Gudao then sits on the broken steps and wait for anything to turn up. Well, when almost everyone is away from him, the communicator in his hand suddenly blared to life immediately which Gudao didn't expect at all. He then accepted the call and a hologram of one certain Servant appeared, Waver...

"Waver? How did you-" Gudao said as he couldn't believe his right-hand tactician managed to break through the mist that is hampering their communication.

"We don't have time for idle chatter, the only reason we got ahead here is because Void Shiki chipped in some knowledge to get us ahead of the race. We basically amplify our own communicator signals with the reserve power source and use our signal jammer to prevent it from being detected. Da Vinci will realize what's wrong soon enough with this amount of power we are using so listen to us carefully because it will have a massive effect on your final battle." Waver said to his Master.

"I can't keep this going for long without causing suspicion and Da Vinci is quickly trying to find a way to enhance the communicator of the Observation Room so that she can reach toward you. The important person I am talking to you about is right near here and you will need to listen to what she has to say." Ada Lovelace said to her Master.

And Waver then passed the communicator in his hand to that person and that person is... Void Shiki. Why is she collaborate in this plan!?

"Dear Master, I think you would be surprised to see me having my hand in this plan but this is a really contingency situation we are having right now that you can't possibly wrap it up in your mind. What I am saying here is that you shouldn't bring too many Servants with you into the final battle." Void Shiki said to him as she gives the warning to him.

"Why? If the enemy is really powerful, doesn't it make sense to bring more manpower?" Gudao said as it sounds really counterintuitive.

"That's the point, the enemy here isn't your kind of Gods or Beasts that you came across. That person... is too powerful that no amount of force human history could muster could ever measure against it. Just like Gilgamesh, your chance to defeat them is like a parabol. Being too weak will get you killed but being too powerful will make him use his strongest move against you which is still the same. You need to find the apex, the perfect ground between them so that you don't aggro them into using the strongest attack.". Void Shiki advised her Master.

"But who should I bring? This ragtag group is barely holding on let alone fighting anything godlike at all." Gudao said to Void Shiki.

"It isn't the strength of the team that matters, it is the binds that held all of them together. The feelings, bonds, what all of you made during those times. And you happened to know who I was talking about, right?". Void Shiki said to her Master.

A flash of insight appeared in his mind. He knew who Void Shiki is talking about, Alice... That girl whose power surpasses even Gods and he wouldn't doubt that she could fight the Archtypes to the standstill. That's just how ridiculous she was and that is why he feels fear in the idea of fighting her.

"But is that even enough? To put everything into faith is not something one should do, especially now." Gudao said.

"That's depend on you, because something just doesn't always go how you envisioned it to be." Void Shiki said to her Master with a smile.

The connection started to become unstable and then the communicator was shut off immediately afterward. Something doesn't quite line up to him, how could those two figured out what's wrong before Da Vinci even could although it makes sense if Void Shiki joined in to help. But what really makes him felt suspicious that Void Shiki is playing an active part in this.

"This is getting real messy..." Gudao whispered to himself.

He noticed that his Servants have returned to this place and they came to report on their findings. However, due to the constraint of time, their findings didn't exactly touch the surface of the situation yet and thus they are still very much in the dark about the situation. And the vault gate that separates the Third Reich and Ground Zero opened up and show the three of them carrying some machinery with them.

They installed them and built a temporary radio station out of it, Gudao used his communicator as the main hub that they will use to amplify its power so that it might be able to reach out to where Da Vinci is. This however is a double-edged sword for the failure means they will be cut off from Chaldea for a long time.

"How much power those batteries have?". Gudao asked as Severloh placed the battery the size of his torso near the radio set.

"More than a dying star.". Severloh said with a deadpan expression that no one can tell if he is joking or not.

After connecting everything and make sure all of them are properly functioning, Gudao pressed the call button and the power surges through the communicator to the point everyone visibly felt it. In a matter of seconds, it managed to get through the fog and become able to contact with the other side. But... there's one thing though... The communicator looks extremely unstable due to being subjected to this amount of power and will probably explode at any moment notice.

"Dear Lord, is everyone there? Master?" Da Vinci's voice was said through the communicator.

"Da Vinci! We're alright! Just this mist is blocking our signal from reaching you without sufficient power." Gudao said to her.

"Thank the heaven... I thought I have lost everyone. When all of your signals ceased to be detected, I thought the worst has happened and... Please don't make me went through that again." Da Vinci said with tears in her eyes.

"By the way, we are going to mark our location so that you can send a Shadow Border to Zero Sail and then Rayshift to this location, trust me when I said we will need a decent facility and base of operation here." Gudao said as one could sense the emergence in his voice.

"But isn't there the EKS in the sky that will eradicate any non-modern Servants?" Da Vinci asked.

"The mist here will mask any Servant signal as long as they remain in this area! That's why the radar on your side went silent. Just send some over already!" Gudao said to her.

Lights started to crack through the communicator and they realized that it is being pushed to the breaking point. Severloh switched off the power before it would explode and thankfully he did. The system then went silent as they felt they were just tethering on disaster just now.

"So what now?" Arnold asked.

Hurry

Suddenly, he heard a voice whispered into his mind. He knew that voice... It's Alice! But why is she telling them to hurry up now? Is something bad going to happen? Arnold then tells everyone about the voice he heard which they are open to listen because they wouldn't pass someone like her to be incapable of something like that.

Gudao however devise the next plan after listening to Arnold and one that will lead them into the depths of the Furher's secret.

"We will let the rest of the Chaldea to handle the Ground Zero. From this point onward, we Chaldeans will enter the Furher's Bunker and have our little talking with the Furher himself. Simo and Anastasia, you will stay here until the Shadow Border comes, when they finally came, enter and asked to have your firearms upgraded with the Black Barrel and then try to catch up with us as fast as you can. You won't regret it." Gudao said as he plans out the next move.

"Okay..." Simo said as they need someone to watch over this place anyway and he knows upgrades like that don't come like leaves on a tree.

They all depart as they leave the Ground Zero and quickly rush their way to Furher's Bunker. Time is running short and they can't allow to spare any more second. Arnold pressed the switch once more to open the vault gate as the image of Alice flashing across his mind. Nobody but him can see the emergence of the situation as he felt more uneasy as times passed, even a second felt like hell.

The vault gate creeks as its maw soon closed once more.

---

"._.""._.""._."

One-way Path to Hell

"._.""._.""._."

---

All of them are just running through the escalator with the clearance Arnold managed to obtain previously. With their footsteps ring faster than the storm outside, they managed to make it to the top while barely cling onto their life but that is not something they should be talking about now.

After reaching the front entrance of Furher's Bunker, all SS Servants inserted their respective IDs and passwords and once their access clearances were confirmed, the massive ironclad gate opened for them. However, the SS Servants won't join in this journey because Gudao told them that they have to confront Alice with what they have and thus the SS Servants accept the mission of exploration of Ground Zero instead.

When the gate is wide opened, the team then enters the Furher's Bunker where they were first greeted with a flight of stairs taking them to the lower area.

Once they managed to reach an area that looks like a rest stop, they stopped for a brief moment to discuss what is happening right now.

"So, Illya and Iri, reports on the mana level here please..." Gudao asked the casters for they are the most adaptive to mna.

"Just as we thought, the mana level here is skyrocketing to an unprecedented degree. Even greater than Ground Zero itself." Illya said as she examines the area for a brief moment

"In other words, there will be really bad things lurking around there. That doesn't sound so pleasant at all." Desmond said as he guesses from what Illya and Irisviel said.

"Throughout all of my experience, hardly anything will be able to top my surprise anymore. We should be preparing ourselves for what to come." Kiritsugu said with a tired voice.

They all then proceed to advance further inside where one door that stood out to them clearly. The sign written 'Fuhrer's office' is hung on the door basically screaming where to go next. Shirou grabbed the knob and turned it and then... surprise... It's locked.

"Damn it!" Shirou said as he slams his fist on the door which is hardly budging at all.

"Let me handle this..." Alfin said as she approaches the lock and then pick it open.

A clicking sound was heard then Alfin opened the door and saw something completely breaks their expectation.

"No fucking way..." Richard said as he stares at what is being shown in front of him.

"Was this thing constructed years ago? It just... unreal..."

What is being shown to them is a massive shaft that stretches for who knows how deep it is... There is azure mist concentrated at the depth, so much that not even they could tell what is behind it. The place is connected by a stairwell that seems to go deep into the mist itself. Ordinarily, this is where the Fuhrer would be found but nope... It is still a long way to go.

"A shaft descending deep into the earth, I wonder how deep it would go..." Kuro said as she gazed into the depths below her.

"Good grief, it would seem to be a massive pain in the ass to get down there." Larry said as he examined the shaft. Since he is technically not a SS Servant anymore, he is allowed to go with them.

Arnold and Alfin felt something inside their heads is going to burst. They held their heads in pain as if they are instinctively reacting negatively to this place.

"Arnold! Alfin! Are you guys alright?! You two look so pale!" Desmond said to them when they are being afflicted by the headache.

They tried to reobtain their composure and soon they get over the overwhelming dread that washed over them. Soon the pain also extinguished by itself.

"We're fine... Just that this miasma is evoking some sorts of familiar feeling that I couldn't even describe." Arnold said as he tried to describe the atrocious feelings he just went through.

"Familiar?..." Gudao said as he detected a keyword among them.

"I don't know why but... There's something familiar about this place as if I have been here once before but not once did I ever remember of being here at all." Arnold tried to explain that sense of unknown familiarity.

"This shaft... It must have been going deep... Deep to the point that it penetrated to the Reverse Side of the World. Probably as a means to obtain the highest amount of Mystic in the most efficient way possible." Alfin said as she said the detail of the shaft as if she constructed it.

"Wait, how did you know that!?" Shirou said as he noticed what Alfin said.

"I don't know but it was as if it just spoke to me directly." Alfin replied with the most composure she could put on.

Everyone remained silent for a bit and then Gudao broke that silence immediately.

"Then it is clear what we have to do now. For the people who opened a path for us and for the truth behind his Singularity. We will shatter this irritable fantasy and drag it out into the daylights! We'll put an end to this so that no one will have to keep up this falsehood anymore." Gudao said clearly with all conviction in it.

Everyone looked at Gudao for a brief moment and then nodded in agreement.

"All right then, let's go!" Gudao said as he roused everyone's spirit as they move toward the stair.

And so they go with all of their spirits in unison. Even if it means to descend into Hell itself, they won't turn back for they are the lights that will illuminate the depths.