I blink my eyes rapidly, taking in the surroundings. I appear to be at the rear of a crowd in a Medieval village, almost out of sight. Over the hand waving and cheering of the locals, I could see a number of mounted knights parading slowly down the street. Standing next to me was a young child wearing a brown cloak, the hood drawn.
I turn my head, and almost coo at the sight of a young Mordred. Lacking the armor (or the revealing clothing she wore under it), her green eyes stare at the knights in admiration. "That is the King of Knights, Arthur?" She asked, her voice softer and more feminine then how it will be in the future. 'Who is she talking to?' I thought to myself as the shadows of the alley start to shift. A pair of pale hands reached out and placed themselves on Mordred's shoulders as a taller blonde appeared.
"Correct," She stated. "That's also the place you should aim for." Mordred turned to her, a questioning look in her eyes. "And the enemy you must defeat." Those words clicked into place, and I was able to place a name to the older blonde. Morgan Le Fay, King Arthur's older half-sister and mortal enemy.
Mordred looked back to her father with a nauseous look on her face. In my head, I can hear Mordred's thoughts.
'I thought it was impossible. Because the King was beautiful and perfect. That's why I decided to follow him. I decided to become his sword and eliminate the threats targeting him.' There was a sense of awe and admiration in those words.
Then everything begins to fade away…
My eyes snap open, and the dull coloring of the ceiling greets me. I turn my head to either side. It seems I am alone, in what looks like a room. I guess we did succeed in being Rayshifted back to Chaldea.
Chaldea…Singularity F…Lev…Director Animusphere. The horrific final events of the Singularity replayed themselves in my head before I shake my head. "Focus on what you just saw while you slept," I chide myself softly. I push myself up into a sitting position, staring at the closed door.
I took a few minutes to examine further my surroundings. I appear to be alone in a decent-sized room. To the opposite side of the bed is a half-opened door that reveals a small personal bathroom. Another door opposite of the main door denotes the presence of a closet, where I presume is where the items that I had brought when I first arrived in this place were placed while the Master Candidates were being briefed.
Next to the bed was a simple but elegant nightstand made of maple wood. A lamp, a glass of water, and my hat are all resting atop it. I slowly stretched out my right hand, wrapping my fingers around the glass before I start to slowly sip. After spending a day with virtually no water, the water tastes divine to me.
Now fully reassured that I am alive, I take some time to process the dream I had.
Servants and their Masters have the ability to relieve past moments of each other in dreams. I had a gut feeling that Mordred wasn't an evil person. Maybe it was naïve of me, but I couldn't imagine Mordred being cruel. But why did she actually rebel? It wasn't like in the legends, where the unacknowledged son of the King of Knights had undermined the king from day one.
In fact, it doesn't appear that Mordred hated her father, or at least, not at first. Something must have happened, and it must have been a really bad thing to have caused such an emotional reversal from love and admiration to anger and hatred. I could of course try asking her, but another gut feeling suggested doing so, at least for now, would only cause tension.
Besides, I was intent on judging Mordred not on the past, but instead based on how she was in the present. So far, she has shown that she is dependable.
The urge to use the restroom, however, ends that train of though. I grunt softly, my body still feeling sore from having exerted my Magical Circuits to an unprecedented extent for me. It felt like the aftermath of an intense work-out session at a gym.
After washing my hands, I made my way over to the bed, and sat down onto the mattress, hands clutched together. The traitor said that the outside world was destroyed, but maybe he was just saying that to destroy our morale? My parents are fine, I am sure of it. I grabbed the glass and take a bigger sip of water from it, trying to cool my nerves. I should probably try to find Ritsuka, Mash, and Mordred….
A sudden knock at the door almost causes me to drop the glass as I leapt to my feet instantly. I began to walk over to the door slowly.
"Master?" I freeze at the muffled voice calling from outside before relaxing. I hurried over to the door to see Mordred in front of me, out of her armor, arms crossed under her breasts. Note to self, try to find out when and where I can get a selection of clothing for my Servant.
"Hey Mordred," I said, trying to smile. Behind her I see Mash, though not in her armor. Instead she was wearing similar clothing to what I had briefly seen her wearing before we all were Rayshifted.
"About time you woke up," Mordred said, a bit gruffly. Mash chimed in.
"Mordred had been guarding you for the entire morning, Jacob Senpai. Doctor Roman would like to speak with you since you missed the debriefing that he gave to Ritsuka Senpai," the Demi-Servant explained. I nodded my head.
"Right. Well, then let's go. About time we get some answers." I muttered the last part under my breath as I stepped out into the hallway to follow the two ladies.
I followed Mash and Mordred towards the command room. Just as Mash said, Ritsuka was already there. He wasn't alone however. A nervous-looking man with ginger hair and wearing a doctor's uniform was there. Standing next to him, with a small and mischievous smirk, was a woman. It would be fair to say she was outstanding in the looks department, but at the moment my mind is focused on something else. That face and expression look eerily familiar, and I gaped at her when I realize where I had seen it before.
"…does anyone else feel like the Mona Lisa has come to life?" I asked in a stun expression. The woman laughed softly, clearly amused by my reaction. The doctor gave me a sympathetic smile, a sentiment shared by Mash and Ritsuka. Mordred however watches with a guarded expression, clearly uninterested in taking part of the briefing, it seems.
"We haven't met properly before," He said apologetically, stepping forward and extending his hand. "I am Doctor Romani Archaman. You can call me Doctor Roman or just Roman instead. I am…was the head of Chaldea's Medical Department, but as you know, I am now the acting director for Chaldea. Glad to see you are back on your feet."
"Thanks for coming through on bringing us back safely from that nightmare," I replied gratefully, shaking his hand. "So, who is our Mona Lisa lookalike?"
"Leonardo, head of Chaldea's Engineering Department."
"Another Servant?" Mordred suddenly asked, before I could comment on the name. 'Leonardo' nodded, still smiling.
"Right you are. I am the proud inventor of the Renaissance! The one and only Leonardo da Vinci, in the flesh! You can just call me Da Vinci though," She…he….they(?) proclaimed proudly, hands on hips. I blinked slowly.
'Too early for this,' I whined mentally. You know what, screw it. Mordred's a girl, so let's just roll with this. Then my earlier comment resurfaces in my head. "Wait…so are you saying that the Mona Lisa is a self-portrait?" Da Vinici opened her mouth before Doctor Roman cuts her off.
"Long story short, Da Vinci decided to be manifested in the form of beauty, and so he decided on the Mona Lisa. It's complicated," the acting director finished awkwardly, as the Servant glared at him, arms crossed. Behind them, Ritsuka had a hand over his mouth, possibly to hide a smile or laughter. Mash, having moved over to his side, coughed politely.
"Excuse me, Doctor Roman, but I think we should proceed with filling in Jacob Senpai, seeing as he was still recovering," Mash said. A grimace crossed Roman's face as he nodded.
"Right, thanks Mash," he said, turning back to me. "As you saw, Lev used the Holy Grail to create Singularity F. While that singularity has been fixed, Sheba discovered seven other singularities, spread across the world and in different eras of history. I suspect that there is a connection between each of these singularities and the Holy Grail."
I perked up. "So what you are suggesting is that the traitor," I refused to use his name, "managed to acquire the Grail and used it to create them?" Roman nodded in response.
"Correct. If that is the case, then you and Ritsuka will have to find the Grail in each of the singularities and capture or destroy it. Doing so should correct the timeline. Fix all seven, and humanity will last beyond 2018." Wait…just Ritsuka and I?
"What about the outside world? Is it really gone?" I asked, dreading the answer. A frustrated look showed itself on the doctor's face before he answered.
"We have gotten communications back up and running, but we haven't been able to get through. It seems that Lev was telling the truth, at least for the rest of the world. That means that we will have only our remaining staff members and any other Servants that may be summoned to support the two of you."
I feel my stomach knot itself up into a pretzel. "What about the other Master Candidates? Can any of them help us out?" Roman shakes his head mournfully before responding.
"Sadly, we can't. Many of them were badly injured by the bomb, and so waking them up would be essentially a death sentence. We need to have more professionals and the right equipment to ensure that we don't have any more of the Candidates dying. As of this morning, three have died."
The anxiety and stress that has been mounting ever since I came to here was about to erupt. I need to leave. I need to be alone. Now.
"I-I need to go," I stammered, turning around and walking rapidly before any of the others could ask or even acknowledge my statement.
Mordred frowned as her master walked briskly out of the room. The fact that his shoulders had tensed up, and his face turning a mixture of pale and green did not go unnoticed by the others.
"Is he ok?" Fujimaru asked, while Roman and Da Vinci exchanged looks. Mash gave her Master a deadpan look that Mordred would have laughed at were it not for her own concern for her Master. The fate of the last Master that had summoned was replaying itself in her head.
She's not going to allow another Master to die. Not if she can do anything about it, at least.
"I'll handle this," the Knight of Rebellion said. Ritsuka opened his mouth, probably wanting to offer to help or something. Mash gently rested a hand on his shoulder and shook her head silently. She seemed to be someone she would have an easier time to work with as opposed to the damn bastard that had helped the girl became a Demi-Servant. The Knight of Rebellion turned around, and headed toward the exit, pausing briefly as the doctor spoke up to the Caster Servant.
"Da Vinci, you said earlier that the candidate profiles were still intact, right?"
"Mhm."
"Can you help me find the one for Jacob?"
"I can, but why?"
"There's something I need to check. I'm still the medical doctor of Chaldea, acting director or not. That includes mental health."
"…I'll start looking for them." Mordred then left the command room, searching for her Master.
I had almost sprinted down the empty hallway, thankful that none of the surviving staff was around. I'd have probably knocked them off their feet as I moved instinctively, my eyes fighting back tears as I finally stopped and leaned against a wall, body shaking.
Almost everyone who could be a master is dead or in a coma. The fate of humanity is going to rest on the shoulders of Ritsuka and I. I came here to be used as a spare if needed, they said. They shouldn't need such an unskilled Magus.
I slide down the wall, my body shaking further. I know what is coming. The feelings of doubt and despair.
"Hey, master…you alright?"
I'm going to let myself down. I'm going to let Ritsuka and Mash down. I'm going to let my parents down. I'm going to let humanity down.
"Master?"
I won't get to see my family again or home. I'm going to prove myself to be an utter failure! I have of-
A hand grips my shoulder firmly, jolting me out of my thoughts. I blink my eyes rapidly as I try to take deep breaths while my servant looks down at me.
"What's wrong?" Even in my state of mind, I could tell that this was a demand, not a question. She looked like she wasn't afraid of doing whatever it takes to get her way, whether I want to cooperate or not.
"Nothing…" Regardless if it was a demand or a question, I tried to avoid discussing the issue. It's not worth the energy. 'I'm not worth the energy.' It certainly didn't work in tricking my Servant either.
"Bullshit," Mordred growled, crossing her arms and staring intently at me. "I'm not letting my master get himself killed on the field if he might freeze up like you did. I'm not going to fade away again just because my master did something stupid that got himself killed. So, I'm not moving a damn muscle until you spill." Her emerald eyes bored into mine, the intensity forcing me to look down at my feet.
"I'm scared," I murmur, unable to look my Servant in the eye. I forced down the urge to return to cradling my legs and rocking back and forth, trying to maintain at least some of my dignity. "I'm scared of failing. Scared of showing that I am a failure. I hear my servant make a grunting sound. She's probably going to refuse to work alongside me, and demand that-
"You damn idiot," she sighed. My eyes flick up to her, confused. "This is the first time you've had people seriously rely on you, isn't it?" I nod quietly, not trusting my voice. Mordred sighed again. "Well, I'm not going to sugarcoat it for you. It's not going to get any easier. You'll learn to cope with it though." The advice might have felt rather obvious, but sometimes,
"Besides," Mordred gives me a smirk. "You're not alone. You have Ritsuka as a fellow master. And of course you got one of the best damn servants at your side. Once we fix everything, you can tell your family about how you saved the world."
My family….
If I give up….then they are as good as gone.
I sighed. Having calmed down, I push myself up off the ground. "Thanks, Mordred. I guess not many people can say they have fought alongside the heir of England's most famous king now, can they?" I smile, albeit weakly, at the blonde girl.
"That's more like it. So, where did you learn to fight like that?"
"Ah, that is a fine story-" I start before being cut off by my stomach growling. "How about we grab some food first before I tell that tale?" I asked instead, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly. Mordred laughs.
"Fine. Mash showed me earlier, so just follow me."
Chaldea's cafeteria was a pleasant-looking area, far better than my old high school lunch area for sure. It was also one of the few places that hadn't been damaged. Thankfully, at least from some perspectives I presumed, the kitchen staff for the facility had also escaped intact. I had inquired as to how food was ordered and whatnot, and upon receiving my answer, Mordred and I had ordered. In about five minutes, our food was ready and we sat at a table.
"So, you fenced in high school?" Mordred asked before taking a large bite out of the cheeseburger that she had 'requested' (more like demanded). While Servants did not need to eat food like they had to when they were alive, that didn't mean they couldn't do so, or enjoy food. I nod, reflecting back on some of my happier memories as I hold my own cheeseburger.
"Yeah. It seemed like something that could stabilize myself. Came in third place two years ago. Maybe we should have a friendly spar sometime," I offer. Maybe, instead of just being essentially work partners, Mordred and I could be friends? The blonde knight blinks, surprise showing on her face for just a fraction of a second before her usual smirk returns.
"Sure, as long as you are willing to have your ass handed to you."
"It will be an honor to fight a true knight, win or lose," I reply. Mordred's nature must be starting to rub off of me, though that is not necessarily a bad thing in this case. I'm rewarded with a soft laugh.
"So, we'll watch one another's back, if that sounds good to you?" I offer, extending a hand. For the second time since returning, I seemed to have stunned the supposed Knight of Treachery. Last time, she hadn't returned the gesture. However, after having gotten to know each other a little better, perhaps, she gave me her signature smirk.
"I'll be counting on you then, Master!" She said smugly before slapping my open palm with hers. I smiled while fighting down the urge to wince. Withdrawing my hand, I hid it under the table before shaking it a few times to dull the stinging sensation. Well, forward progress is forward progress, no matter what.
A polite cough causes me to turn around to see Ritsuka smiling cautiously at me. "Hey Jacob…you doing ok?" Behind him, Mash watches silently. I nod, a wry smile on my face.
"Yeah. Sorry about that. It's been a lot to deal with, you know?" I said honestly. Could I be doing better? Absolutely. But considering my earlier state, I think being ok is a good start. "So, what are you and Mash up to?" I asked, wanting to shift the conversation away from focusing on my breakdown.
"Well, we were actually wanting to see if maybe you and Mordred would like to have dinner tonight with us?" I raised an eyebrow, interested in what they were saying. Not sensing any sign of his suggestion being dismissed, my fellow Master continued speaking. "I just thought that we should get to know each other. Since, you know, the whole 'we have to save the world' stuff Roman was saying and all."
That honestly sounded like a wonderful idea. Mordred's words of not having to face this issue on my own echoed in my head. I turn to the blonde knight with a questioning look. She responded with an indifferent shrug, indicating that she didn't care whether I agreed with Ritsuka's suggestion or not. I look back to the Japanese Magus.
"Sure. How does five sound?" Ritsuka smiled at my response. Behind him, Mash smiled shyly, the
"So, what are the two of you going to do?" I didn't answer Mash's question directly. Instead, remembering an earlier promise, I asked a question of my own.
"Is there someone in the surviving staff who is a tailor?"
"Yes."
Good. "Do you mind introducing us to them after Mordred and I finishing eating?" Mash looked confused at my question before slowly nodding.
"Sure, though if you don't mind me asking, why?" I turned my head so as to indicate my rather scantily-clad Servant.
"I offered to buy Mordred some actual clothing that she," I gulped silently at the subtle glare my Servant shot at me at the mention of her gender, "could wear when we are here in Chaldea. Kind of like how you are not wearing your armor." Mash nodded in understanding.
"Understood. In that case, I will check with Doctor Roman to see if Isabella is ok with going back to work." Then she stood up and left the cafeteria, Ritsuka following her. Mordred looked at me. I simply shrugged as I took another bite of my burger. After chewing and swallowing, I spoke up.
"Hey, I made an offer that you accepted." The Knight of Rebellion merely shook her head, laughing.
"You're an interesting one alright," Mordred said before finishing her food.
So I haven't posted the original author notes from the story as many of them have become irrelevant, but soon I will be adding some of them. On the original, AO3 version, I began around this point to ask one or two chapters per question, and I am starting that here: who is your least favorite Servant and why? Curious to hear about this. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Until next time!
If anyone wants to read ahead of the posting of the other chapters, feel free to look this up on AO3 under the same name. Otherwise, I hope you are all enjoying this story, and I will see you next time. Please feel free to leave thoughts, opinions, and all that good jazz