Chapter 7: Dead Man's Orientation
He awoke as light gave away to dark, as the fading blue sky was blanketed by the curtains of night. Uninterested half-lidded eyes watch as the broken moon rises through the cloudless sky; not that there was much to see, the stars had long since left.
"My name is Wyatt Oid."
His ragged voice rang out in the silence of the world as he spoke. His throat felt unbelievably dry and sore, each word struggled to crawl its way out. He broke into a violent coughing fit before taking a deep breath; it's as if he hasn't used his voice in years.
His mind was groggy, his body was tired, and he felt like death. He truly hated waking up, it's a pain and a moment of vulnerability for him.
"I work for the Foundation."
He faintly spoke once more, but the still world did not move for him. The winds did not appear, the leaves did not rustle, and the moon did not shine. Silence was his only answer, but that was to be expected. Tonight, the crickets will not chirp, the rivers will not run, and no life will cry.
Tonight, it'll just be him and this dying world. When morning comes and the sun shines down on the earth, one of them will be gone.
"My favorite color is yellow."
He quietly muttered to himself, sprawled out on a patch of dead soil and withered vegetation. The lazy fog that clouds his mind begins to disperse, and he turns his head to the side, gazing at his surroundings.
He becomes aware of the field of blackened grass and cracked earth that he lied on. The field was boxed in by rows of thin withered trees stripped of their leaves. Strewn throughout the clearing were the silhouettes of many human corpses, all lying down in various positions and all completely still.
"I hate cephalopods."
The words easily came to him, as if rehearsed over many lifetimes. When did he realize it? When did he notice that he had been losing from the very beginning? Playing a futile game and moving the pieces on the board, unaware of the fact that he himself was a piece being played with.
Far above him, the cracks of the splintered moon continue to grow, reaching far and wide. Luminous white light spills out from the gaps, escaping into space and fading into silvery mist. He witnesses it all as it occurred before him, decades of ruination all happening within the span of minutes.
Devastation of the highest order and all he could do is watch, what an absolute joke he is. Within his mind he curses the world, he curses the day it happened, he curses the thing that set it all into motion, and he curses himself.
A raspy bitter chuckle leaves his lips. Was it purely bad luck that it ended up being him? Or was it a predestined event? Perhaps the work of something outside his understanding? Not that any of it matters now, his fate had already been sealed.
"I want to save the world."
A vague, unreasonable, and foolish ideal…but it had been his nonetheless. He finds slight amusement in those uttered words. How many times has he failed now? How many times has he watched as everything crumbled before him? How many times has he been the very cause of the end? He wondered if he had any right to continue saying those words.
Turning his head to the side, he watched as luminescent moonlight washed over clearing, revealing the countless corpses of man, woman, and even children that littered the area. Eyes closed, no visible injuries, and with calm facial expressions, to an initial observer it would seem as if they had all simply fallen asleep. However, then you notice the absence of breathing, the lack of motion, the void of sound, and then you'll come to realize that all these people have long since lost their lives.
Unfortunate souls who fell to forces beyond their control, beyond their understanding. Closing his eyes, he listens to his own faint rhythmic breathing. He supposes that he should pity them, that should be the appropriate reaction in this scenario. Not that it matters at this point, he'll be joining them soon enough.
"I want to be free."
He doesn't remember when those words had been added to his mantra, it all seemed so distant in his mind. Memories blurred together into a chaotic amalgamation of experiences, the line between reality and delusion was waning. Perhaps it was created out of determined drive or perhaps it was born out of desperation, he certainly doesn't know. A hopeful wish or a despairing plea, the difference meant nothing. Sometime long ago, in some past life, it was a fool's cry for help.
But there will be none.
"According to your file, you possess no magic circuits, is that correct?" Da Vinci stood behind him, presumably reading the information Chaldea has on him from the document. A mechanical bird perched on her shoulder, faux preening itself.
Wyatt nodded in confirmation, "Yes, that's correct. Will that be an issue?"
Seated at a wooden table within Da Vinci's workshop, huge stacks of documents laid before him. When Da Vinci had said that there were many documents to be done, she wasn't kidding. He had spent days signing off dozens of paperwork, which coupled with having to read the numerous materials regarding the position of Master given to him by Dr. Romani, Wyatt suddenly found himself with a lot less free time and a lot more stress.
'This is exactly why being a researcher sucks, there's always too much paperwork…well that and the threat of containment breaches.'
"No it's fine, Chaldea will be supplying servants with mana, all you have to do is create a contract with them." Da Vinci hummed, "Luckily, you have a hundred percent rayshift compatibility, which is what really matters. Otherwise you would be dispersed into millions of spiritron particles, suffering what is essentially brain death." Da Vinci said, all the while wearing a jovial smile.
"Uh, good to know." With that new tidbit of morbid information, he turned back to the enormous pile of papers and despairingly stared at the miniscule amount of documents he had finished in comparison. It would seem that he's going to be stuck here for a long while.
His wandering eyes roamed over the workshop occupied by paper scrolls and wooden creations. Da Vinci's workshop certainly accurately visualized her personality. From the plethora of bizarre inventions to the shelfs lined with books, the organized mess perfectly captured the presence of the eccentric inventor.
"You will be rayshifted into the singularities, where you shall work alongside with the other masters in rectifying the situation and securing the grail—"
"And I'll provide what I can on whatever irregular servant may show up."
After an extensive discussion with Romani and Da Vinci, they had come to the conclusion that something abnormal is transpiring, something beyond their understanding. Having come to an agreement, Wyatt offered his aid in the grand order with his knowledge of the anomalies. He is to help them discover and solve the situation, and in return they won't forcibly pry into his past.
Not that he had many options in the first place, it was either this or staying detained within the holding cells indefinitely. Then again, he supposes that he never had a choice in the first place. It was the path that he chose to crawl on, the goal that he chose to chase. Never too far from the frontlines, it was never a matter of how he's there or why he's there, just when. When humanity dreams, when the unknown walks, and when the world is on the verge of collapse…he'll be there and he'll be doing his job.
Secure. Contain. Protect.
"Oh? You suddenly got this serious look on your face. Want to share what you're thinking? You're not having second thoughts about this are you?" Da Vinci mischievously teased him.
Not even bothering to look back, Wyatt chose to stay silent.
Da Vinci huffed and pouted.
When they had agreed to not infringe on his privacy, Da Vinci had taken it upon herself to toe that line and to exploit any loophole she could find. The insatiable genius had given him no shortage of headaches when dealing with her. Honestly, somehow he found it even harder to handle her now than he did when he was actively avoiding her!
Mechanical wings took flight as the avian automaton left Da Vinci's shoulder, flying circles around the workshop, before gradually descending and delicately landing on the document Wyatt had been signing. He stares at the blue and bronze robotic bird with mild interest, it certainly was beautifully made.
The sound of heels clacking against the floor alerts him of Da Vinci moving closer and stopping by his right side. Turning his head to the side, he's greeted with the sight of her flawless face centimeters away from his own. Leaning down and within his personal space, her inquisitive eyes probed every inch of his face.
"I have been called omnipotent, the universal man whose wisdom is surpassed by none." She quietly whispered the words, her cool breath brushing against his face.
"I have mastered all fields of knowledge. I have pioneered man's understanding beyond possibility." She moves her face closer, forcing him to nervously lean back.
"You are an enigma, a blot within my library of knowledge." Her analytical eyes spoke of hunger, and he was the delicious morsel. A predatory smile stretches across her face.
"Isn't that exciting?"
'Not for me! This is creepy!'
Wyatt steels himself and firmly stares back into her eyes, unwilling (or perhaps too scared) to look away. At this point, deterring Da Vinci was virtually impossible and he couldn't imagine her choosing to willingly give up anytime soon.
"Try all you like, but know that you aren't the first to attempt this." He gravely warns.
She backs away and stands tall, raising a brow, "Hoh? Is that a challenge? You would doubt this genius?" She motions to herself with a flair.
"I've seen greater people stand where you stand, and they all have failed." He defiantly states in response.
"Maybe so…but they're not me." She emphasizes as an excited glint shines within her eyes.
Silence ensues for several tense seconds as the two of them stare each other down. Both refusing to budge on the subject, neither willing to give the other leeway. A minute of silence elapses before Da Vinci turns away, composing herself and returning to a calm facial expression. She turns around and slowly walks towards the door of the workshop.
"Complete those documents and give them to Roman before the end of the day. Those are the last ones you need to sign, so don't slack off!" She called back while strolling away.
Wyatt internally sighed with relief, 'Finally, some respite.' He doubted that whatever he had said had any actual impact on Da Vinci, it's more likely that she had tried to pick out any hints of his past just from his words. That was the type of person the Heroic Spirit, Leonardo Da Vinci, simply was and will continue to be. One bad slip up, and his entirety of his secrecy could be endangered, it's honestly terrifying.
Pausing at the entrance, Da Vinci tilts her head back and glances back at him, eyeing him with a small smirk.
"Then it shall be a competition. I shall certainly—no, definitely—succeed where those have failed! Nothing shall stand before Da Vinci's intellect!" She declared with bravado.
And with that, she left.
Wyatt sat stunned at the declaration for several seconds before placing his head into his hands and letting out a long groan. He already felt a huge headache coming on, and he's certain that there will be no shortage of those in the foreseeable future.
'I really hope I don't get dissected again.'
( ( ◉ ) )
The clinking of utensils and the chatter of conversation surrounded him as he walked through the cafeteria. Having finally completed the paperwork after many tedious hours, he had felt slightly hungry and decided to go grab lunch before handing in the documents to Dr. Romani.
Go in, grab some food, eat it, and get out.
It should have been quick and easy. He found it anything but that.
He felt the stares and heard the hushed whispers. Chaldean staff and Servants alike were giving him swift glances of curiosity, or just openly scrutinizing him as he walked. Finding an empty table in the corner of the room, he placed down his tray and sat down, opting to ignore the onlookers.
It hadn't taken long before news of him had spread through Chaldea like wildfire, soon almost everyone had become aware of his new status as a master. Curious minds led to curious questions, and when no answer was given, those curious minds led to conspiracy theories.
A lot of conspiracy theories.
From the most rational answer to the most outlandish reasoning, many speculations and accusations were quickly born. Some died just as fast and some only circuited for hours before being forgotten, but the more popular ones stuck.
Some claim he's a power hungry mage who brainwashed the Acting Director into letting him become a Master. Others state that he's secretly a reincarnated Servant or a Servant who was only pretending to be alive. A few state that he's secretly a spy sent from some other organization planning to take over Chaldea.
They got the last one partially right, so he'll give them some points for that.
Romani had told him that they'll give a statement to the rest of Chaldea soon —nothing that'll violate their agreement—but that for the current time, they should wait until everything has been officialized.
And so there he sat, under their curious gazes and slurping on some delicious noodles (Once again, he wonders just how did that Archer manage to make it so good?) while trying to actively ignore the attention he was drawing.
No, he had much more important things to think about.
Romani had briefed him on the current progression of the Grand Order and had informed him of what happened within the London Singularity, specifically of what he had missed when being detained.
'King Solomon…'
The one behind the extinction of humanity, and the summoner of the seventy two demon gods. There's no doubt in his mind that facing Solomon will become an eventuality that he must prepare for. But it still begs the question…Is he the origin of the anomalies? And if so, then why and how? For what reason could he be bringing the anomalous from his world into this one? What method was he using to transport them here? A flood of questions plagued his thoughts.
There was still too much that was unknown and there's definitely much more to be figured out. He'd rather not blindly step into the darkness, it never ended up well for him. But there's nothing he can do, not while confined within the headquarters. So far, all the answers have emerged from or been found during a Singularity, so he'll have to wait until then. Addressing the issue that is Solomon must come first.
"Man, you look like you're plotting to take over the world or something."
The casual voice shakes him out from deep thought, and glancing up, he sees the face of a male co-worker. Short brown hair and sky blue eyes stare back at him, he was of average height and had a tiny amount of freckles dotting horizontally across his face. Raising an eyebrow, he sits down from across Wyatt.
"You're not actually planning to take over the world, are you?"
"No Alex, I am not going to take over the world." he monotonously replied.
"Oh, ok…because someone told me earlier that you were gonna take over the world." Alex said before chuckling slightly.
Grumbling underneath his breath about the ludicrousy of these new theories, Wyatt returns to eating his meal.
"Hey man, congrats on the promotion!"
"…"
"I mean if anyone had to get it, it would probably be you. Honestly you worked way too much, unlike that lazy fucker, Liam." He muttered the last bit quietly to himself.
"…"
"Can you believe him?! Just one task, that's all I'm asking of him! But noooo, apparently even that's too much! I mean who—"
"Alex."
"—falls asleep for five fuckin— huh, what?" He turns at the sound of his name.
"You're rambling again Alex, the point please?" Wyatt sighed.
"Oh yeah! I'm just dropping by to tell you to take it easy y'know? I mean when was the last time you actually accepted my invitation and joined us? Come on man, it's always work with you, don't be anti-social."
Alex wasn't a bad person, perhaps chaotic and slightly callous, but not bad. Brutally honest and slightly annoying, but yet also welcoming and observant. Wyatt had found him quite tolerable and fun to hang around with, unlike some of the other pretentious magi he worked with.
"Sorry, but as I said before, I don't really have any free time and becoming a Master doesn't lessen the amount of duties I have." He apologetically told him.
"Ah bummer, next time then." He places his hand onto his chin and enters a thinking pose. "Just to make sure, I should probably find out whenever you're free next and forcibly drag you along with me!"
"No, you really don't—"
"Great idea, me! See you around Wyatt! Don't be a stranger! Even Liam's beginning to miss you!" And with that, the energetic magus had gotten up and swiftly left.
Wyatt hopelessly placed his head down onto the table; he already felt the incoming terrible migraine. At this point, the throbbing headaches and rising blood pressure from stress has gotten so frequent that he almost felt nostalgic. It's almost like he's back at the Foundation again.
Is he just a magnet for the eccentric actions of others?!
Picking the fork back up to reluctantly resume his meal, he mentally prays to whatever deity out there that may be listening, that he can finish eating in somewhat relative peace.
The silverware didn't even manage to reach his lips before the doors of the cafeteria swung open.
Gudako Fujimura casually strolled in, hands behind her head and a large grin on her face. She was calmly followed by her fellow Master, Gudao Ristuka, who waved and greeted the nearby Servants who called out to them. And as per usual, quietly walking alongside the black haired Master was his Servant, Mash. These days, it was becoming more uncommon to find the Demi-Servant alone by herself. More often than not, she could be found at her proclaimed senpai's side.
Gudako's eyes idly swept over the cafeteria, looking for open seats. Her gaze pauses as she catches sight of Wyatt alone in the corner, and she quickly turns to tap her fellow Master on the shoulder to catch his attention. Glancing at him, the two masters swiftly discussed something before Gudako broke away and made a beeline for his table with Gudao and Mash slowly following her.
Walking up and leaning onto the table, the female Master gave him a bright smile, "Hey there. You're the new Master right? I have some questions for you."
'So straightforward.'
"You can't just demand people outright like that, have some manners!" Gudao called from a few feet away as he and Mash approached.
She blew a raspberry back in response, "Oh shut up. I was just curious. Plus, asking a few questions isn't gonna hurt anyone!"
Mash timidly waved at him, "Hello Mr. Wyatt."
He nods at her and reciprocates the gesture back.
"It's the principle of the matter! Abruptly going up to someone and interrupting their meal is just inherently rude!"
"Blah blah blah." She makes the mouth flapping motion with her hand, "I'm mister perfect, everything has to be perfect, oh look at me!"
The male Master sighs and half-heartedly glares at her, "You're impossible to deal with. Is it too much for me to ask you to just be polite?!"
Gudako continues with the mocking tone and hand gestures, '"Oh you're impossible to deal with. Is it—"'
Wyatt clears his throat.
Gudao blinks in surprise before remembering the reason they were there in the first place. "Ah sorry to bother you Mr. Wyatt, she sometimes gets ahead of herself." Gudako frowns in protest at those words.
He gives the Master a kind smile and waves it off, "It's no issue, I get the curiosity. Oh and just call me Wyatt, since you're both technically my seniors as Masters."
Gudako picks up his wording and accusingly points at him, "Ah hah! So you definitely are a Master!"
"Don't point at people like that! That's very disrespectful!"
"Don't tell me what to not do! I'll point at whoever—"
"Yep, you're correct. Though the announcement would be made sometime later, I'm essentially going to be working with both of you from now on. I hope there's no issues with this?" He asked, deciding to intervene before the two Masters descended into another argument.
"Of course not! We're really glad that you'll be helping us from now on Mr. Wyatt!" Mash nervously fidgeted, "And uh…I want to thank you for saving me." Staring at him, she noticed the confusion on his face and sputtered slightly before clarifying.
"I-In the London Singularity, I almost came close to dying because of my recklessness." She bows her head as Gudao places a hand on her shoulder in concern. "If it weren't for your warning…I wouldn't be standing here now."
'Ah, because of something like that…"
"You don't need to thank me. I only gave a warning, you guys did all the work. The three of you have contributed far more than I have in saving humanity."
Mash shakes her head, "Even so you still saved my life. It's only proper that I thank you, so please accept it."
A small smile touches his face, "Quite adamant about this aren't we? In that case, I'll accept your gratitude." He lifts a finger in interruption, "But in return, you must also accept your contributions as well!"
This time Mash and the Masters were confused, unsure of exactly what he meant.
"You blamed yourself earlier for the incident. I can't agree with that. There's no possible way you could have known anything about his touch, the fault doesn't lie within you. So you mustn't speak as if you're a burden. You've done much for humanity, all three of you have." He gives them the best encouraging smile he can muster, "Please remember that."
She blinked in surprise before hesitantly nodding, "I-I will."
Gudao gives him a thankful smile while Gudako sheepishly rubs the back of her neck, "It's kind of embarrassing to be praised like this." she mutters.
At that moment Gudao remembered something and checked the watch on his wrist, "We're going to miss the scheduled servant training session! Sorry, we have to go before we're late! Have a good day Mr. Wyatt!" He grabs Gudako's shoulder and promptly begins to drag her away.
"W-Wait wait! But the rumors! What about the rumors!" The orange haired Master's voice fades as she is pulled farther and farther away.
"I should go with them as well. Goodbye Mr. Wyatt!" Mash waves him farewell as she jogs after the pair.
"Just call me Wyatt!" He calls out to their retreating forms.
He watches as the trio disappear from sight and shakes his head in amusement at the antics of it all. There was a time not too long ago where he had found out that the hopes of humanity's future lied on the shoulders of a pair of adolescents, and he had despaired. The odds seemed impossible. A gruesome death, a doomed future, and a whimpering end were all that he expected. The same tale, told over and over again, inescapable and just as horrific every time.
And yet he was continuously proved wrong.
At every battle, at every trial, at every turn, he was proven wrong time and time again. When the sky fell, they lifted with their might. When the storm struck, they braced with their determination. When death gazed into them, they stared back without falter. Tenacious, strong, and resolute, they carried all the dreams of humanity.
They wove inconceivable stories of legend through every exploit, through every success, through every step. Only mortal, fragile and weak, and yet they persisted. Wading through the tide of oblivion, they refused to look back and instead marched onwards towards an unseeable victory. It was very…
Nostalgic…
It reminded him of forgotten memories, of great tales, and of lost ideals. Of a great purpose, his, theirs, ours. Of security, containment, protection. It reminded him of an infinitesimally small mind within the entire span of time and space —of existence— struggling with an unseen war, never destined to succeed. Sometimes it won, sometimes it lost, sometimes it knew, sometimes it didn't. That didn't matter though did it? No it doesn't.
What matters is that they existed…and that they were trying.
Unknowingly, a content smile formed on Wyatt's face. Not all was lost, humanity has not given up yet. It didn't matter if it was twenty, five, or two; as long as a single human mind dreamt of a greater future, then the possibilities are endless. The Masters will prevail! If not for themselves, then for mankind! And if they were to fall, then he'll be here to pick them up! His job is to serve humanity and if the masters represented the last flicker of man's flame, then the conclusion is simple.
"Having a good day? You seem to be pretty happy."
Romani walked up from behind him and to the other side of the table, taking a seat and smiling at Wyatt.
'Am I ever gonna finish my meal?'
"I heard the speech that you gave to them earlier. It's very moving, were you a professional speaker or something?"
He snorts and shakes his head in denial, "Nothing of the sort doctor, I just spoke what was simply on my mind."
Romani's smile turned into one of amusement, "Seven years we have known each other and while we may not be the best of friends, you still call me by my title every time. I don't know if I should be offended by that or not."
"Ah sorry, it's a force of habit. Professionalism and all that." Wyatt liked the doctor, while sometimes childish or cowardly, he was often kind and reliable when needed. He genuinely respected the odd man, and his respect only has gone up after the Grand Order began. He knows of the man working himself to the bone, to the point where it's questionable if Romani actually cared about his own wellbeing.
"Then how about this? Since we're going to be working much closer together from now on, let's get reacquainted." The doctor extends a hand for a shake, "I'm Romani Archaman, though you may just call me Roman."
He curiously gazed at the outstretched limb before staring back to the doctor's beaming face, "You're not trying some kind of ploy are you? If you're trying to dig up my secrets, then I assure you that Da Vinci is already doing quite the bang-up job." he grumbled skeptically.
Quiet laughter flowed from Romani as he shook his head, "That definitely sounds like her, but no, I'm not. I just want to get to know you better. Believe it or not, I feel a sort of kinship between us." He tilts his head slightly in questioning, "Is that so wrong?"
Briefly thinking over it, he couldn't find anything wrong with what the man had said. He shook off his paranoia and smiled back, "My bad doctor, it seems that the last few days have been getting to me." Extending his own hand and clasping it with the doctor's, he firmly shakes his hand, "I'm Wyatt Oid, let's get along."
For a while, the two of them just casually spoke on a handful of different topics. They spoke about their hobbies and their interests, they shared ideas and advice. No worries and no problems, just a pair of friends talking.
"By the way Romani, I'll have the last of the documents in by your desk soon. So good luck with your side of the infernal paperwork."
The man let out a drawn out groan and leaned his head on his hand, "Don't remind me." Suddenly the doctor recalled something and hastily stood up, "Ah! That reminds me, I believe it's just about time. Come by in an hour to the summoning chamber, the preparations should be done by then." And he quickly strolled away.
The implications were clear. To some this would be a great opportunity, who wouldn't want a powerful being under their control? But he was conflicted on the matter and he really couldn't explain why. It wasn't that he hated the idea of having a Servant—no he was used to being around superpowered people. Maybe it's nervous jitters from it being his first time? Perhaps it's the unknown of what could be summoned? He wasn't sure and it uneased him.
Wyatt looked down at his forgotten meal, the food had long gone cold.
( ( ◉ ) )
Strolling in as the gigantic heavily armored blast door slid open, Wyatt walked into the large reinforced chamber. Near the left and right wall, lined control desks that held panels of information and an assortment of switches, buttons, and keys. This left a mostly empty center space that led directly to the back of the room, where against the wall laid a giant contraption.
The best way to describe the machine was as "sci-fi", not that other parts of Chaldea couldn't be called as such, but rather because even among other devices the contraption seemed much more advanced. Imagine a huge futuristic tube and remove the glass/metal that would usually surround most of it, leaving only the top and bottom. Now imagine countless thick wires and metal bars sticking out from the top and bottom, bending and connecting to the walls/ceiling/floor.
On the metallic stump that was the bottom of the machine was an intricately drawn ritual circle that seemed eerily familiar to him. The room itself was devoid of activity, with no one except two other people within it. Stood in front of the huge machinery was two figures conversing with one another, Doctor Romani and Leonardo Da Vinci. Having heard the sound of the gigantic door sliding open, they abruptly stopped their conversation and turned to face Wyatt as he approached.
"Oh good you're here. I think we can begin the summoning process." He moves to one of the control panels on the side of the room and starts inputting something, "I'll prep it to begin. Da Vinci will give you a short overview of what's to occur."
"Here's a lesson with Da Vinci!" She gestures to the machine behind her, "This here is Chaldea's FATE summoning system, built and perfected over the years through numerous trials."
Pulling out glasses from nowhere, she puts it on and continues, "This summon system is primarily based on the summoning ritual utilized in the Holy Grail Wars and it operates off of similar rules as well."
Lifting a finger like she was a teacher, Da Vinci begins her lecture, "Similarly to a Grail War, to safely summon a Servant you would need a catalyst. But if you don't have one, then the Holy Grail would randomly provide you with a Servant. Of course because the FATE system itself cannot do this and because catalysts are hard to come by, the system was modified a bit to fit our needs. We created a function in which the system sends out what can be called a "distress signal" in hopes of a Heroic Spirit answering our call and being summoned. Though the chances of it happening are incredibly low, it still can be done, especially if the call is targeted with the Saint Graphs of already recorded Servants we have met before."
She stares at Wyatt to make sure that he was understanding her words, to which he nods in confirmation.
"We use the summoning sparingly due to the enormous drain it has on Chaldea's power. So we only activate it after amassing enough power over time. Although sometimes we use the Holy Grails collected within the Singularities to power the machine. Today, you will be attempting to summon a Servant and then creating a contract with them. You might succeed in summoning someone, you might not." She shrugs her shoulders, "You might get ripped in half by an angry Servant."
"She's joking! Chaldea has multiple countermeasures to ensure the safety of our Masters. No harm will come to pass." Romani interjected as the summoning machine began a low hum.
"This sounds like a lot of it comes down to chance and gambling." Wyatt noted.
Da Vinci smiled, "That's because that's exactly what it is. It's the best we can manage when trying to create an artificial summoning. But the results speak for itself, many Servants walk our halls and fight for the sake of humanity because of it. And if we're lucky enough, then perhaps another Servant will be joining our roster. I'd rather not ask one of our own to change Master contracts just so that they can accompany you into a Singularity."
"Settings are optimized. The system is set up. Let's begin the procedure!" Romani informed them.
"Alright, all you have to do is walk up to the circle and hold out an arm." She mimics the action described, making something like a stop gesture, "Normally, you would say a chant to reinforce the bond or to specify the summoning of the Servant. But because the system often fails, it just becomes a hassle to repeat the same lines over and over again. So just stretch out your arm and focus on a desire. Visualizing an image, mentally calling out, or doing something along those lines will trigger the system to begin its summoning. Oh, and try not to get disappointed if the summoning fails, we're going for three tries today."
Nodding in understanding, Wyatt walked up to the summoning circle while trying to rack his brain for something to trigger the machine. The machine hummed with serene life and lines of the ritual circle were aglow with soft white light. He realized now why it seemed so familiar. After all, it was fashioned in the same manner as Mash's shield. Standing there, he extended his arm as instructed and clenched his eyes shut. He focused on the future of man, he thought of history's end, he called for the rise of heroes…
And he saw as the Veil was torn apart…
Shining light erupted from the circle as a new ritualistic mana circle drew itself in the air hovering above the initial one. It spun and grew with great speed as the humming of the system grew in volume, drowning out all other sound. Sparks of electric lighting arced and cracked within the space in front of him as a ball of pure blinding light formed before him. The sound, the glow, the mana, it all grew in intensity.
He felt the back of his hand burn as crimson lines carved into it. A large pointed horizontal oval was drawn, then a smaller circle appeared drawn within the center of the oval, once more followed by a final imprint as another smaller circle was made within the other one. A command seal had formed.
A thunderous roar exploded as the summoning circle erupted into a ginormous pillar of radiant white light. So bright that he lifted his other hand to block his eyes as he kept the main one still. Wind whipped his hair and clothes from the force of the pillar as he braced himself.
Eventually, the light of the summoning began to diminish and the hum of the system began to slow as the pillar of white slowly faded. Lowering his hands, Wyatt watched anxiously as the excess wisps mana drifted off into air and faded into nothingness. He heard his heartbeat as the light dimmed. Had he succeeded? Had he failed? He gazed with rapt attention as everything cleared.
And there she stood.
Blue eyes stare into his own as the ginger haired servant blinked in morbid curiosity. She wore a straw hat and long baggy zipper pants and some sort of strange shoes that seemed to be a mix of stilts and heels. In her hands she clutched a giant sunflower as large as herself, which she held tightly close to her body. A small wicked smile twists onto her delicate face as she stares at Wyatt with half-lidded mad eyes.
"Servant…Foreigner. My name is…Gogh. D-Do you want to repaint the world together with me?" A chill climbed up his spine at those spoken words. Her voice was eerily calm and nervous at the same time, it was unsettling. Her smile was similar to that of wet paint slowly rolling down a wall, falling drop by drop onto the floor.
"Hehe. T-That was a joke. A Gogh Joke. S-Sorry." But her startling smile was anything but sorry.
'Wait. What did she call herself? A Foreigner? Was there a Class like that? M-Maybe Da Vinci will know! Surely a genius like her would—'
"A Foreigner? That's certainly new." Da Vinci gives Wyatt a questioning look, like as if the pieces of a puzzle had been rearranged and some new parts had been added, "You're quite the interesting man, Wyatt Oid."
'Why is this happening to me?!'
Space distorted as a blurry arm reached out from nothingness, forcing itself into the world and opening the way for the rest of its being to enter. Its presence declared the evil of worlds, and its appearance heralded the forthcoming of oblivion.
Upon fully manifesting, the entity could feel it. The call for blood and the will of domination, it sang through the entire era like the call of the wind. What was akin to joyous glee ran through its being. This was too simple. This was perfect.
Its false body pulsated and wriggled as it drove a hand deep through its own chest. With a harsh tug and a squelch of displaced flesh, the entity pulled free from its insides a cup.
A scarlet cup.
The cup itself throbbed with a chaotic pulse, rivers of scarlet blood ran over the edge of the rim The blood churned and vibrated, it screamed for more blood to add to its own. The fluid pools into a wide lake beneath the feet of the entity. It condenses and solidifies, twisting into a foundation of scarlet stone. From the four corners rose four pillars of scarlet, each depicting the hideous death of man and the eternal torture of life. In the center of the square formed a scarlet pedestal.
The entity stumbled up to the pedestal, stumbling and shivering with each movement. It gently caressed the cup that it held, whispering forbidden evils to it. Slowly and carefully, the being placed the cup down onto the pedestal.
"Cheer, mourn, and struggle. For ecstasy has been promised. Bliss is within your grasp. Seven souls shall suffice. Cheer, mourn, and struggle. True victory is within reach."
Its message has been given, all had heard the declaration. And when the entity let go of the cup, it changed. Scarlet colors recedes back into the container, like a waterfall returning in reverse. The scarlet from the surrounding stone was washed away, leaving behind stainless white rock. When all the colors returned and when the evil retreated, on the pedestal sat a gleaming cup of gold.
A Holy Grail.
Everything had been set into motion, the end was swiftly approaching. Legions of steel marched with their metallic steps and electric blood, they declared the unity of an unyielding nation. Armies of muscle-bound monsters charged with savage cries of conquest and thoughts of destruction, they hailed their glorious king and queen.
War was approaching.
Uh Oh Spaghetti-O's
Unfortunately due various reasons, (The main one being that they don't actually exist in the Throne of Heroes) Wyatt is unable to summon any scp-verse servants, not from the FATE system.
That said! It doesn't mean that they won't be showing up! I've got plenty of scp-verse stuff to throw at you from now on, and who knows? Maybe some stuff will happen along the way (Wink wink). I can't exactly have a Fgo/Scp story without actually having any scp stuff, now can I?
I've been seeing some questions so let's get to that!
Q/A:
dilangp1999: Hey man, thanks for this amazing review! It makes me really happy to see one like this. Anyhow, some of these questions I won't be answering, due to potential spoilers and blah blah blah. But I can answer some of them! For example: 1) Initially, it would be wrong to call Wyatt's thing 'Immortality', but because of current circumstances and situations, it would be right to call it a form of pseudo-immortality. 2) I know that he Foundation does what it does because it has to, for the good of humanity and the world. But to Wyatt, he sees evil as evil. Lesser, greater, or in-between, he doesn't want to try to excuse it. He understands that they do bad stuff and he takes it in stride. But man it does not do well for his mind, the man had ambitions. But yeah, there is a difference between the two evils. 3) This one I can give for free. In the Nasuverse, the Human Incineration Order couldn't reach beyond its own universe. For example, Goetia's plan wouldn't destroy the universe that is FSN even if it wiped out his own. Therefore, unless he was planning to take his plan to a much larger scale, the Scp-verse wouldn't get touched due to it being separated by an incomprehensible amount of narrative layers. Once again, I loved your review! I'm very glad you liked my story and I hope you find all my future chapters just as great!