Chapter 3: Roman Encounter
Cars litter the streets, some are parked hazardously while others are crashed through walls. Remains of shattered windows and broken doors are scattered along the sidewalks.
The sun shines brightly, but the streets are eerily silent and no life can be seen.
A figure stares out at the street from a darkened alleyway, a thick hooded cloak obscures his face, which was further hidden by bandaged cloth. He turns and quietly moves through the shade, passing a dumpster and stopping in front of a slightly agape door.
Slowly placing his gloved hand on the handle, he ever so gently pushes, careful to not make a noise.
Walking into a living room, he sees the mess inside. All the furniture had been flipped and the t.v lay broken on the floor, yet no signs of life. He walks across the room and heads into another one.
Similarly, the kitchen seems to be in a state of disorder, shards of broken plates are scattered everywhere and trash has been thrown on the floor. Running a gloved finger along the countertop, he noticed the thick layer of dust. How long has it been?
Splat, something falls onto the shoulder of his cloak. He notices it to be a peach colored glob of something slimy, its texture is viscous, it's almost like melted wax–
Quickly he dives forward, narrowly avoiding as something large falls onto the spot he was previously at. Rolling onto his feet, he turns and faces the huge mass of gelatinous flesh.
The creature shudders, its body is plastered with facial features, yet none of them recognizable. Its many mouths croak and gasp at him, calling out names that aren't his. Four stick thin arms emerge out of its mass, they grasp the wooden floor and drag the lumpy being towards him.
He turns and sprints through the living room and out the door, intent on escaping. He runs to the entrance of the alleyway, only to abruptly skid to a stop.
Two hulking masses bar his exit, accumulations of viscid flesh and bone. Vaguely humanoid in appearance, their limbs unproportional, fleshy faces littered across their bodies. They were huge, being around one story tall, one comparably skinnier than the other.
He swiftly backpedaled as their wax-like arms reached out to grab him. With a squish, he backs into the crawling mass, its viscous body drips onto his clothing as it drags him down.
He sees it, clusters of the creatures pour over the roofs of the buildings and into the alleyway, converging on his prone form. They grab him, and they start pulling.
He thrashes and screams as he is dragged into the street. Their grip on him tightens and the mass rips off his hood and bandaged cloth.
His face begins to liquify and droop as his flesh turns to mush. His screams turn wet as the rest of him follows the process. His mind warps and melts alongside his body, his thoughts fading.
And yet he won't die.
…
No, no ,no…that won't do.
His liquified eye, now no more than white mush dripping into the back of his skull, rapidly darkens.
The black sludge heats before combusting into colorless flame, rapidly spreading over his liquid body, it eats away at his flesh.
The masses of flesh backed away from the anomaly, those who couldn't, joined the roaring blaze. The rest dared not approach, they watched as the inferno consumed.
And then Wyatt Oid dies.
Workers bustled around him, the control room was full of activity. Nervous energy permeated throughout the room as they prepared for the singularity to come.
"Program start!" he heard Dr. Romani shout down from the command room.
Wyatt was seated at his station, prepared to monitor the singularity. He heard the hum of Chaldea's systems as they activated and as the automated voice spoke overhead.
[Unsummon Program start.]
[Spiritron Conversion start.]
[Rayshift starting in 3, 2, 1…]
[All procedures cleared.]
[Grand Order commencing operation.]
The staff carefully watches as the Masters and Servants rayshifted, monitoring their vitals to ensure their survival.
Behind them, the doors slid open as Dr. Romani and Da Vinci walked in. "Status?" Asks the doctor.
"Rayshift is successful, Masters' vitals are steady and saint graphs of contracted servants are confirmed intact." Replies one of the female staff seated at a station.
"Good, continue to monitor the singularity and report any abnormalities, locating the Holy Grail is a top priority."
'Ancient Rome, I wonder what changed…' Wyatt mentally prepared himself for the ordeal that is to come. The singularity can take days, perhaps even months, to correct. He'll be working in long shifts with the rest of the staff within the control room.
"The ring of light is still present." He heard Romani note to himself, before he opened communications and began speaking to the masters.
'Look at me, sitting here at a desk while some teens risk their lives for us on the field, oh how the tables have turned' he ironically thought to himself.
Wyatt thought back to his days as an active combatant on the field. When he used to run with Sigma-3, Eta-5, Lamba-5, Nu-7, Beta-777, and other such task forces. While he wouldn't exactly recall those days as enjoyable, he'll admit that working alongside them had given him a plethora of experience.
"A large battle? A war, maybe? No, no, no. Impossible." said Dr. Roman as he communicated with Mash.
'Well, it seems like we found the divergence.'
A.D.0060 Eternal Madness Empire: Septem
Gudako woke with a yawn, stretching her arms above her head. She felt so refreshed now, especially after the battle yesterday, who knew warding off an entire army was that exhausting.
She mentally linked up with her servant and called out, "Saber? Are you there?" Immediately she received a response.
"I'm here master, was your sleep restful?"
She gently smiled and got up, moving to leave the room that was provided to her by the Emperor. "Yes it was, thank you for watching over me during the night."
"It's my duty master, I'm glad to be of assistance."
Opening the door, she walks out into the glamorous hallway, walking forward she states, "Let's go meet up with the lovebirds yeah? I bet they're already up and about like the weird morning people they are. You can go up ahead, I'll be there soon."
"Alright, I shall go to convey your arrival. But try not to get lost." the servant teased in response.
"Artoria!" with a pout and a huff, she closes the mental link and briskly navigates the halls, until she walks into an open courtyard.
Neatly trimmed shrubbery and elegant plant life lined in rows, the dazzling sunlight casted down on them highlighting their forms.
As she walked across the yard to the hallway on the other side, she wondered about the day to come. Fixing a singularity isn't going to be easy, but as long as they preserved, she knows that they can solve this–
"A beautiful day is it not?" a voice calls out from behind her. She quickly spins around in surprise, facing the person who spoke.
Against the wall, seated leisurely on a stone bench was a man robed in a violet toga, wearing a laurel wreath and sandals. His clothing was spotless and his posture radiated grace, but most notable was the white porcelain comedy mask that he wore on his face, its joyful expression beaming at her.
"Ahhh Roma, truly a gorgeous empire. The art, the scenery, the festivals, the games, oh it's all so truly delightful!" The masked man eagerly expresses, just as excited as the facial expression on the mask.
"To see it again…such a blessing." He lowered his head slightly and shook it before looking back up at the sky, "If only it weren't ruined by that unsightly ring."
He turns to stare at Gudako, "Oh but where are my manners, you must be so curious, master of Chaldea," he apologizes to her. "Unfortunately, it's not my place to tell you."
"After all, you have quite the long journey ahead of you."
Her suspicions rise instantly, the smile of the mask no longer seemed sincere, rather it appears malicious. She swiftly prepares herself to call on her servant while demanding, "Who are you!"
The man raises his hands in a surrender, "Now now, I'm not here to harm you, I would never dare to attack such a fine lady such as yourself!" he placates.
Slowly, her guard lowers and she gradually calms herself in front of the suspicious man. Deep in the recess of her mind, she's aware of the fact that something is very wrong, yet she simply can't bring herself to grasp that thought.
"In fact, I'm actually here to help you! Or to give you a warning to be more exact." In an instant the man demeanor changes, his tone serious and the anguished frown on his mask seems to deepen–
'Wait, when did his mask change?'
"The pieces on the board make their moves," the figure states. "Unfortunately, some of my…old acquaintances move to oppose you." He lifts a finger and points it at the sky past her.
She turns around, staring at the direction indicated, but found nothing except empty blue sky.
"You play against forces you can't comprehend girl," his voice echoes from behind her. "Prepare yourself, and when the time comes…" his voice trails off.
She turns back around to question him but saw no one, as if she was alone the entire time.
"...choose what pieces you'll sacrifice…" the voice whispers into her ear.
She jerks forward, frantically searching the area for a sign of the masked man, but finds nothing. Heart pounding and huffing heavily, she opts to quickly rejoin with the rest of the group, intent on sharing what had just occurred.
'What…was that…?!'
( ( ◉ ) )
Elsewhere, a lone man walked the rolling hills, his entire right arm had already been corroded down to the bone.
Black liquid runs down the front of the smiling mask, dripping onto his now stained toga and onto the grassy floor below.
He hears it, he hears as the thing giggles at him. Oh it's not here, but he's certain that it's doing so.
Far far away in the twisted city, the being watches as the masked citizens parade the streets, their shapes disfigured, as they celebrate and dance.
The featureless face on its black flesh seems to twitch a little, it keeps twitching and twitching until it throws its head back as chuckles echo around it.
With every passing chortle, the intensity increases and increases, until only maddening laughter remains.
He knows it, he dreads it. He heard as the Ambassador laughed and laughed.
"Umu, I don't know anyone of that description." Nero's voice transmitted through the communicator.
Impossible, Wyatt thought to himself. His face was deathly pale, palms clammy and tightly clenched. His mind raced and his heart thundered within his chest.
"A servant then perhaps, but what does his warning mean?" he heard Dr. Romani's voice.
'I recognize that description…but why? Why would it be here!' He racked his mind for an answer, for any possible rational solution.
But no matter how much he tried, it just didn't make any sense!
"I don't know," he heard Gudako state, "But it can't be anything good".
"We probably can safely assume that we'll face these 'pieces' soon, so maybe we should prepare ourselves for that Senpai?" Mash asked Gudao.
"Yeah, that's a good idea, we'll be ready for whatever comes at us." the male master responded confidently.
He should have seen this coming, if he managed to make it here then it only makes sense that it could've as well! I'm an absolute fool who grew too complacent, he scolded himself.
'Wait, if it's here, then could that possibly mean that others are also–'
His thoughts were interrupted when Dr. Romani released a drawn out sigh, "Haaaaaa, I suppose as long as you all stay safe. Next time Gudako, be sure to keep your servant near you, that was really reckless!" Roman lectured her softly.
"Ehhhh, sorry Doc," she apologized sheepishly, slightly bowing her head.
Roman turned to the rest of the active staff, "Continue scanning the singularity, be absolutely sure to relay any anomalies, the safety of the masters must be prioritized," he ordered loudly.
Wyatt steeled his mind, it's just as the masters had said, he'll do what he has always done and prepare for the worst. So he planned and adjusted, humanity's future must be secured and he'll be damned if some anomalies were to be their downfall.
So caught up in his inner turmoil, he didn't notice as a certain genius intensely stared at the back of his figure.
Lev couldn't accept this, how could've these fools survived. They dare defy the king, ruining his work at every chance they get.
No matter, this shall be their miserable end!
"The end is certain. You're insignificant, worthless! You will perish in sorrow!"
He'll show them true suffering, he'll watch as they despair!
"Allow me to show you the favor of our King!"
Magic swirled around him, causing his human form to bend and twist. His figures start distorting into something larger, something powerful, something malevolent. His many eyes opened and pulsed, staring down at the pathetic group.
The little white creature cried out as Nero exclaimed, "What's that creature! It's ugly! You're uglier than anything of this world!"
Delightful! They'll quake, they'll cry, they'll know true fear as they gaze upon me!
"Haha! Hahahaha! That's right! That ugliness will be your undoing!"
"...This signature, this amount of magical energy… That's not a Servant, not even a Phantasmal! Could that be—could that be an actual "Demon" from legends?"
Oh? It seems that fool had figured me out, perhaps he was slightly less stupid than what he had originally thought. No matter, in the end he'll perish alongside the rest of humanity.
"Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Lev Lainur "Flauros!" One of the Seventy-Two Demon Gods! This Demon God Flauros— This is the true favor of our King!"
He listened as Romani cried out loudly in disbelief at the information he just revealed. Was he forgetting something?
Oh, yes that's right…
The air around his demon form ripples, reality rapidly destabilizes as dark forms begin clawing out of thin air. They heave and wheeze, desperately climb over each other to be the first ones out.
"Master! Spiritual energy detected. They seem to be ghostly entities of some sort!" cried out Artoria as she prepared her blade.
The other servants readied their weapons as over a dozen floating beings lined up before Lev.
Black mist rolled off their forms, making it impossible to see their true selves. Glaring out of these dark figures were seven crimson eyes that were aligned randomly on each entity.
"Consider them a gift from a benefactor. I do hope that you enjoy them before your pitiful deaths!"
The black entities rushed forward, intent on ripping the enemies to shreds as Lev swiftly charged up a spell to fire upon the group.
"Here he comes, engaging in battle Senpai!" Mash cried out as she lifted her shield.
"Alright, take him out Artoria!" cried out Gudako as command seals flared to life on the back of her hand.
"Destroy him Mash! / Affirmative master!" The two cried out in tandem as they rushed to engage.
And so the battle began.
Author's Note:
Thank you all so much for reading this chapter of the story! Feel free to ask any questions that I can answer or perhaps simply share your thoughts.
I also didn't realize up until this point that the name Watch was already used in some of Tats TopVideos, so I went back and made some minor changes along with some grammatical fixes.
Due to gameplay and story, navigating around rayshifting servants, shadow servants, and "temporary battle summoning" is honestly very convoluted and contradicting. So here are a few general rules for my story:
Each master may only rayshift with one contracted servant of their choice, due to stability reasons, perhaps two in some circumstances.
Servants contracted in Chaldea may be summoned into the field if a summoning circle is set up, though only four servants (Not including the rayshifted ones) may be active on the field, due to costly upkeep reasons.
The previous rules can be prone to change based on special circumstance or situation (Basically my macguffin).
But on another note, here's our very first servant stats!
True Name: SCP-035, The Black Lord, Wearer of the Anguished Mask
Class: Caster
Parameters:
Strength: D
Endurance: E
Agility: E
Mana: A
Luck: D
Np: A
Note: Servant parameters other than Mana are subject to change in accordance to the body inhibited, the stats above are for the possession of a standard human body.
Class Skills
Item Construction: C
Territory Creation: EX
– 035's endlessly flowing gunk creates a sea of ooze that stains all surfaces. No matter when or where, this being is always capable of creating an immediate territory beneath its feet.
Charisma: A+++
– Manipulative to the point of where it's questionable if 035 can read the mind and emotions of others, swaying others with only words is an unbelievably easy task for this being. Notorious for its absolute control over those caught in the web of this being's lies, those who fall for its deceptive words will find themselves to be puppets dancing to its tune.
Personal Skills
Battle Continuation: E
– 035's spirit core lies within its mask, and any damage done to the body of the host will not be done to 035 itself.
Tears and Blood: A
– 035 will consistently produce viscous liquid that will rapidly corrode its class container over time, until destroyed. Damage done to the host by this skill can't be regenerated by natural means.
Charming Compulsion: A+
– 035's mask is heavily wrapped in charm, causing those who view or hear the mask to be compelled, drawn in by its irresistible charm and beauty. Those with magic resistance can resist the charm to a certain degree depending on the rank of resistance.
Gate of Janus: ?
– ?
Noble Phantasm
Domini Ridere
"Weep for the Crowd, Laugh at the Mass" (Anti-Army): B+
– 035 rapidly secretes black liquid out of its mask, swiftly filling the area with it. The flood of sludge shall take shape and twist into the forms of various aggressive entities, attacking all in reach. 035 can exert some control over these entities, influencing them to do its bidding.
Mea Facies Tua
"All The World's a Stage" (Anti-Unit): EX
– When any humanoid being wears the mask of 035, it may overwrite their mind, replacing it with its own while gaining all the memories and experiences of the body. 035 fully gains access to the skills and noble phantasm of the current body in which it possesses, while keeping all of its own.
And because you're all so special, have this omake.
Omake: Significance?
"Why?" questioned Lev Lainur Flauros as he stared at the other being.
"..."
"Why seven?" he clarifies, "In the entirety of your maddening rants, you constantly mention that numerical value".
"..."
"Seals, rings, chains, pillars, thrones, daughters, brides, children, warriors…It's a blatant recurring theme that's always tied to your rambling, but for what reason?"
"..."
"Does it hold some kind of significance to you? Is it because of your origins? Your distant future? Or is it pure happenstance? Does it hold some symbolic meaning behind your actions? Does it prophesize something that'll happen or something you'll cause? If so, why do you make the theme so prevalent? Is it a warning, a threat, a promise?" pondered Lev.
"..."
"..."
"...The King thought it was a cool number..."