A/N: Hello everyone! This is the beginning of the Camelot Arc. I'll clarify some things before we get started. This story takes place in 2026, in a combined F/GO; F/SN timeline. Marisbury summoned Solomon during the grail dismantlement War that Waver and Rin participated in after F/SN UBW and shrekt them. Before winning, he was told by Rin that the grail was corrupted and Solomon was able to purify it somewhat before using it. However, Marisbury stole all credit for preventing Angry Mango from coming out and thus got infinite money for creating Chaldea.
Olga Marie here is the same age as the game, which could be in her mid to early twenties. She was born later than in the normal timeline to compensate. This means that she wouldn't be able to participate in "El-Melloi case files", but her presence could be replaced by her father.
The only canon F/GO events in this story are those that have plot relevance like the one Dantes Appears in. I have only played F/GO for a year or so, thus I have missed some events. So any other event like Christmas, Summer, Saber Wars, etc won't be canon and I'll try to patch up any plotholes left by that if I have to.
In tandem with that, the only Servants Chaldea has wandering around are the Valks and Mash, possibly David and Cu. So no encounter with an EMIYA until Shinjuku. If other servants do join up, they'll do so after Camelot and I'll try to portray it in the story.
For now, we will be using Ritsuka Emiya's perspective, but I'll switch to Fujimaru every so often. He IS one of the protagonists after all.
That's all for now. Enjoy this chapter. It's somewhat short, but the next ones will be longer, if that's what people want.
"It will be an endless journey. Your soul will burn up, your body will wither, your mind will break. Even so, will you still go on?" Asked the mage. The knight raised his arm, thin like a twig.
"I won't be saved no matter what, right?" Asked the knight.
"That's right. The weight of your sin is just too big. But you'll be able to save your king still. As long as you know that, that light will never vanish"
"Then… I'll..."
"Why? Why won't you teach me?" She asked, slamming her hands lightly on his chest.
"Because it's a burden." He answered with cold eyes. Every day, his eyes were like that. Devoid of life, empty of light. Even when he smiled and said he was fine, he could not hide the shattered heart of glass inside his soul.
"But…" She protested. He raised a flat hand in front of her.
"I don't want you to… go down that path. A path of violence. Were you end up alone and used. It won't save you, won't save anybody. You'll end up as a weapon." She glared at him, hands balled into fists. If he knew, then, why didn't he ever stop? Why did he keep going?
"I know. But… it's the only thing you have. The only thing I can remember you by. How long until you go and don't come back?" She looks at him, a frown on her face. After all those years, she remained so much smaller than him.
"I don't want to lose anything else. Please." She added. The man looks at her. He doesn't smile, his eyes look at her with barely contained tears.
He knows that path, he knows where it leads. He only has to show her. Only a glimpse, enough to make her look away. Even if it pains him, even if she ends up hating him, he would at least save her from that burden.
"Okay. Let's get started."
She woke up to the sound of her phone alarm. With the outside world destroyed, it was next to useless except for that, and playing whatever music she had uploaded onto it. When she reached for it, she saw that it was not her phone that was ringing. It was her wrist communicator given to her by Chaldea.
With a sneer, she grabbed it and activated it. Roman's blue tinted hologram came to life. She narrowed her eyes, despite not being as bright as a phone screen, it still hurt.
"Hey, Emiya-san. We've been calling you." She could hear noise in the background. A woman screaming, most likely Olga. She was saying something about tardiness and ungratefulness. Despite everything she said to her before America, the woman had remained in workable terms with her, unless she was late to a meeting or training. Still, Ritsuka hadn't apologized, and it ate her inside at nights, even when she should be focusing on fixing the singularities and restoring human order, she was berating herself over a mistake with her boss.
"What's going on?" She asked.
"Mash." That single word made her mind jumpstart.
"What happened to her?" She asked, rubbing her eyes. They had finished with America, and she had gone straight to bed after a good bath. The travels, the distance, the battle against Cu Chulainn Alter and the Demon Pillar had taken a lot out of the two Masters of Chaldea.
Perhaps Mash had been more hurt than anticipated. She liked the girl. She was good company, always eager and optimistic; and treated her well. She was socially awkward and dense at times, but only enough to be extremely endearing. She truly was like a match made in Haven for Fujimaru. So, she was worried more for his sake than her own.
"She passed out." That didn't sound good.
"Is she alright?" She asked, now sitting straighter.
"Yes, but… there is something you should know about her. And we want to tell you both." He answered. Emiya sighed.
"More secrets?" She asked, glaring at the hologram. How long would this go on? They were the last hope if humanity, they needed every single advantage, and yet secrets were still being kept around. It frustrated her to no end.
"Sorry." Apologized the doctor.
"I'll be right there." She said while ignoring his apology. With that said the girl shut down the communicator and lied down again, covering her eyes.
She arrived at the command room, fully dressed and tiredness suppressed. At the entrance, she saw a golden coat of silk leaning against he wall, red eyes looking down a small tablet that emitted various noises belonging to what she supposed where video games. She put on her best smile to greet the Servant.
"Hey Thrud. Good morning!" She said with a clap on the shoulder of the Valkyrie. The girl turned to her with a blank stare, unaffected by the sudden action.
"Good morning Master. I hope you rested. I think a mission is coming up." Said the Valkyrie with a small bow and her usual aloofness.
"So soon?" She said, leaning her head back in annoyance.
"Master. More missions means more combat, and more experience. This is good." Said Thrud in her usual robotic tone.
"Yeah, but combat does get tiring. Also, you are playing a game. You know… something not related to battle." She said, pointing at the device the blonde girl was holding. Said girl looked at it with disinterest.
"It's just a way to pass the time. My enjoyment should not matter, especially to you, Master. It may even be harmful." Said the Valkyrie. Ritsuka glared at her.
"It does matter. I don't want you to get bored. You are part of the team, and you should be able to enjoy yourself, since being a servant is almost a second life and all." Said Ritsuka.
"But you shouldn't be doing that. I am just a tool, a machine for you to use. That's why I was made." Protested the blonde woman.
"And I'm saying I don't want to do that. You are not a tool, Thrud. None of you." She said, bringing the sisters into the discussion. The Valkyrie looked away.
"As you wish Master. But my parameters cannot change." She said quietly, going back to the device. Ritsuka sighed. No matter how hard she tried, she could not bond with the Valkyries the same way Fujimaru did with Mash, or any other servants for that matter. The girls were her companions, and seeing them throw themselves away without a care, with a blank expressions, hurt her. It brought back unpleasant memories.
At least she had made some progress with Hildr, but after Solomon, her Spirit Core was rendered weak and brittle for a while, and the pink haired Valkyrie would not materialize. Ritsuka feared she had either angered or disappointed her.
"Well, I better see what's going on. I'll call you if I need." She said.
"Acknowledged." Said Thrud, going back to her game.
Roman and Olga, along Fujimaru, where in the unofficial 'meeting room' in front of the central console located atop the command room.
"Good, you're here." Said Olga as all heads turned to her.
"No reprimands for being late?" Asked Emiya, crossing her arms.
"I'll forgive it due to how stressful America was. Traveling a whole country, even with servants, is bound to be tiring." Said the Director. Emiya raised an eyebrow. The Director seemed down.
"So… what happened with Mash?" Asked Emiya. At the mention of her name, Fujimaru grimaced.
"Ritsu?" She asked her partner. The boy, even if he was silent, wasn't one to look sullen. He was a regular human, sometimes things would get too crazy, and she worried he would crack under all the pressure.
"She collapsed, after America. She just… started bleeding all over." He said, closing his eyes. The girl squeezed his shoulder with compassion.
"Yes. It's something we feared would happen." Said Roman, looking at the ground. Olga Marie stood at his side, arms crossed around herself as if to prevent herself from collapsing.
"Doctor?" Asked Fujimaru.
"Sorry we didn't tell you guys sooner, but… we thought she had more time. You see, Mash is not a normal human, beyond her fusion with a Servant." Explained the doctor, tone steady and leveled.
"My father." Said Olga, taking over the conversation. Her voice sounded pained, about to crack. "He made Chaldea for the protection of the Human Order, but he also used it as a research facility. One of his many experiments was the attempt to create Demi-servants like Mash. A whole batch of children were created with Genetic Manipulation and Artificial Insemination, along other techniques to make them adequate vessels for heroics spirits. But, upon summoning, upon fusing, the children died. All except Mash." Explained the Animusphere head.
"But you said those experiments failed." Stated Emiya.
"They did. The spirit inside Mash, even if he didn't kill her, refused to manifest. It is dormant. For one reason or another, Heroic Spirits don't like the concept of being revived. Thus, knowing he could not escape, and the horrible conditions he was brought in, decided to not lend his power to Marisbury." Answered Roman.
"When Mash actually became a Demi-Servant, that was a surprise not one of us expected." Said Olga, cupping her chin.
"So, is being a Demi-Servant killing her?" Asked Fujimaru, voice shaking.
"No. Due to how she was born, she was given a limited lifetime, like a homunculus. She won't grow up beyond her current age, and will not live beyond her predetermined operational time." Said Olga, closing her eyes. At this, Fujimaru snapped.
"You're talking about her like she is a machine." He said, his voice calm but harsh. He glared at the white haired woman.
"That's what my father felt towards her. When he died, and I took over, I was horrified as well. So I got her out of her sterilized room, and gave her a place in Chaldea, it was the least I could do. But Mash cannot survive outside Chaldea's controlled environment due to how she was raised. She can never see other places, and can never go outside. That's something I can never make up for, or fix. I actually expect her to kill me any minute once she figures out the truth. I'd be… okay with that." Said Olga, her tone getting lower and lower. Ristuka Emiya was surprised. First, declaring that she would be undoing her father's mistakes was one thing, but doing it was another.
"Wow Director. You seriously went all the way with taking care of Mash, huh?" Said the red headed Master. Olga, in her usual fashion, glared at her half heartedly.
"Of course I did. Even I have standards. You expected me to do something as immoral as that?" Asked her with indignation.
"Actually, yes. Most magi would." She said. At that, Olga was stunned.
"I… I…" Before she could say anything else, Fujimaru spoke.
"Director, you said you would take her to London. Why? Why didn't you tell her then?" Asked the boy, eyes glassy.
"She doesn't have long to live. We calculate she has at least one year left. We wanted to make it her best, to allow her to fight for humanity and experience as much as she could." Said Roman with a sad smile. At that, Fujimaru stepped forwards and grabbed the man by the hem of his outfit. Even if the doctor was taller, the boy was much stronger, and easily pulled him down to his level.
"You knew all that and didn't tell her?! What's wrong with you?! Fighting this singularities is not living!" He shouted at him, right in his face.
"Fujimaru!" Yelled Olga, stepping up and standing with her back straight and fists balled, looking at the boy with anger. "It may be dangerous, but even so, the things she experienced, the people she interacted with… Wouldn't you agree she has grown? That she's happier now than before everything began?"
"That's… true." Said the boy. He mulled over the older woman's words, and then the black haired Master released the doctor. Romani stood up, but the remained dejected.
"I know it's a lot to take in, but we can't undo the past. Besides, everybody dies. That's just how human life is. Isn't it better to make the most of it?" He asked with a smile. Both teens looked at him with wide eyes.
"Yes but, is it so wrong to want to live? To want others to live?" Asked Emiya.
"..." Before the Doctor could continue, his communicator activated.
"Doctor Roman. Mash has woken up. All her vitals are normal and she seems to be stable. Should I clear her?" Asked the staff.
"Please do. Roman out." With that said, the Doctor turned to the teens.
"Please guys. All I and Olga want is for Mash to live her life like she wants, to the best of her ability. So please, can you act as if this conversation never happened? For her?" He asked gently. The female Master narrowed her eyes, looking at both Roman and Olga. They both where sincere.
"I'll do it, for Mash." Said Emiya. The girl looked at her partner, conflict apparent in his face.
"Alright, me too. But I don't like it. Not one bit." He protested. She tried to put a hand on his shoulder, but he brushed her off. He turned to her, glaring. She felt a pang of pain and guilt on her chest. Why?
"How can you be so calm about this?" he asked her, voice full of incredulity.
"Ritsu, I DON'T like it, and if I had my way, I would curse a few people here to hell and back. But we won't solve anything." She said, trying to smile at him. It didn't work. His brow only furrowed even more.
"You sound like you've given up." He said. Now it was her turn to frown.
"I'm just making the best out of this situation. We all are." She answered.
"That sounds like giving up with extra steps." He countered, crossing his arms.
Before anyone could say anything else, hurried steps came into the room. Mash Kyrielight appeared wearing her usual attire. She rested her hands on her hips, before doing a small salute.
"Mash Kyrielight, reporting for duty, twenty seven minutes late." She announced with a lot of pep. Seeing her, the four people in the command room smiled, even if the two Masters smiles were somewhat forced.
"Good morning Mash. Good to see you up and running." Said Emiya. She looked at her partner, and after moving her eyes to signal him, the boy greeted her the same way. Even if his face betrayed his true feelings. Even so, the Demi-Servant didn't seem to notice.
"Thanks Senpai. Sorry for scaring you. I came here because I was told they found the sixth singularity. Is that true?" She asked, looking directly at Olga.
"Indeed." Said the Director.
"So soon?" Asked Emiya.
"Yes. We actually found it before America, but we couldn't really visualize it with Sheba, and at times completely different realms showed up. It was simply too unstable." Said Olga.
"Which means…" Said Fujimaru, wanting her to elaborate. As Olga was opening her mouth to speak, another voice came into the fray.
"It means that this singularity has began separating from our timeline, the flow of human history. An unprecedented phenomenon!" Exclaimed their resident Caster servant as she entered the circle.
"Good Morning, Da Vinci." Said Fujimaru after a while. At hearing this, Da Vinci smiled wide.
"Good morning to you too. Good to see at least one of you is keeping their manners." Said she, winking at he boy.
"Welcome, Caster. As she said, this singularity is unique, and if not fixed, will irrevocably damage the foundation of humanity, regardless of what Solomon does. Due to not being able to visualize it on Sheba, and it's instability, we have granted it the Foundation Value: EX." Said Olga. The room went silent for a while. EX was a rank reserved for the extraordinary or unusual.
"We have to take care of it, now! I know you haven't rested much, and that I'm sending to blindly into a possible meat grinder with little support, but we don't have a choice. We have to end it now before it becomes an even bigger problem than Solomon!" Even if Olga tried her best, her words weren't encouraging. Even so, someone had to keep the spirits high.
"You can count on us, Snow White. We'll get it done." Said Emiya with a fist pump and a smile. Beside her, Fujimaru smiled and nodded.
"Good. We are starting now." Ordered Olga. Then, the Director turned towards Romani. "If you please, Doctor."
"O-Of course." Said the doctor, caught off guard. Quickly, he got a few papers out of his pockets, but fumbled grabbing them. Olga's face quickly became more and more disgusted, and the teens couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "This time, our target is Jerusalem, "The Holy Land", in the 13th century. During the last of the crusades. Lord Edward attempted to take Jerusalem, but was forced to withdraw due to concerns back in britain. However, this time the kingdom of Jerusalem has disappeared completely. We don't know what to expect, due to being unable to observe the singularity. That is all." He said with stiffness while reading from the papers. He then leaned a little into Olga. "How'd I'd do?" he asked.
The woman simply shook her head. "Hopeless." She then looked at the Masters. "Go get ready, then get to the coffins. On the double!" With that order given, the Last Masters of Humanity went to prepare.
There was not much to get ready for. The only things that remained during a Rayshift were clothes and Mystic Codes. So no weapons could be brought. Still, her gems would survive if she pocketed them inside the Mystic Code Chaldea gave them.
Unfortunately, she was running low on those.
"Ready, Emiya?" Asked Fujimaru, snapping her out of her thoughts. Mash had already climbed on her coffin, and took Fou with her, since the little creature would come wether she wanted it or not.
"Yeah, yeah" She said, grabbing onto the coffin.
"Something wrong?" He asked. Emiya cursed his perception.
"I'm low on gems." She said.
"Can't you make more?" he asked innocently.
"Unless we find a mine or a treasury in the Singularity, we are out of luck." She said.
"Damn. How many you got left?" He asked.
"About five. I can't believe I started with a hundred. That's like, everything my mother left me." She said, remembering the box Tohsaka Rin had left in her workshop before her last mission, along with a note laying inside.
"I'm sorry. I know you miss her." He said.
"Well, the world is ending. No sense in hoarding them, right?" She said with a somewhat forced smile. Fujimaru looked at her, impassive.
"That's some good advice, Emiya-san. Still, some art must remain so we can remember other times and cultures; don't you think?" Asked a familiar voice. Behind them was Da Vinci.
"Da Vinci-san? What are you doing?" Asked Fujimaru, seeing the genius get into a coffin like theirs.
"Hmm? You are going into a EX value singularity. You'll need the help of a genius such as I." Said the woman.
"But don't Olga and Romani need you there? What if something happens?" Asked the boy.
"Chaldea needs humans, and they are just that. I'm only a Servant, just here for the ride and the thrills." She said with a smile.
With nothing more to say, both the team got into their coffins. Upon closing, Emiya opened her mental connection to her servant.
"Thrud; I'll need your strength on this one." She said. She felt the voice of her servant inside her mind.
"Understood Master. I'll head to the Rayshift bay." Said the voice of Lancer.
"See you there." Said the girl. The other end was silent.
She heard Olga's voice in the intercom. "… This is the sixth singularity. We don't know what you'll find, but your objectives remain the same. Find the Holy Grail, retrieve it and fix whatever is causing the distortion in time. Good Luck, and please be careful."
She saw darkness as the intercom announced the beginning of another Grand Order, and then the familiar blue swirl of the Rayshift process took her to far away lands.
Sixth Singularity: Grand Order
Humanity Foundation Value: EX
A.D 1273 Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot
Airgetlám Blade Works