Edit (29-9-2022)
"Owie…" A little redheaded girl with almond-like eyes rubbed her hurted knee. "Darn! Where did I end up this time?"
In her neighborhood, there was an abandoned junkyard. The adults were obviously concerned at such a dangerous pile of metallic trash being unattended despite their protests. The most the city hall did was to forbid its entrance, which didn't completely deter delinquents, trash sellers or adventurous kids. Of which she was the latter.
Just now, she was climbing a junk hill until what passed as ground gave up. She was lucky, ending up with only a scraped knee and dirty clothes. Unfortunately, she ended up in a pit where her short stature and undeveloped physique couldn't help her to return home.
Obviously enough, she tried jumping and climbing the ground wall, without any success.
"Come on, Ritsuka! Not everything's lost! You just need to think of something that works! Dattebayo!" She slapped her cheeks, not wanting to give up and cry yet. There must be a way.
Suddenly, a mysterious green light appeared from somewhere!
Intrigued, little Ritsuka came towards where the light was coming and-
Fate Zero Order
Years later…
A veritable amount of grey clouds is seen in the Antarctic skies, not helped with the 6-month night that began last month.
Observing that depressing sight behind the security of a window, was a spectacled lilac-haired teenager wearing a grey hoodie under a black dress with a red tie.
She seemed to be longing for something, among all the cloudy and dark heavens, something unattainable for her…
"Fou!" The sound of a strange squirrel-like creature caught her attention, making her pay attention to it.
The animal pointed to the hallways and ran through them, prompting the girl to follow it.
Eventually, the little beast stopped, revealing to the lilac girl another female teen from around her age but with a white uniform and shoulder-length red hair with a side-ponytail on her left. And she was sprawled unconscious on the floor.
The squirrel look alike, prodded her cheeks with its paws, making some sort of reaction from her. Continuing, it now changed to assault her face with licks.
That managed to make the sleepyhead open her eyes, with the first thing in her vision a beautiful girl with her hair and eyes the colour of amethysts…
"Good morning…" But she was too sleepy to comment on her appearance, and closed her eyes again.
Only to open them and get up in a panic, realising that this place wasn't her room. From the violent movement, something fell from her pocket with a metallic noise.
The redhead was about to go for it, only to stop when the glassed girl took it first.
It was approximately the size of a fist; colored red, white and black; hexagonal and seemingly made of metal, with the exception of a green crystal in front. Strangely enough, it resembled a face, especially with those two slits near where the red meets the white.
Wordlessly, the lilac teen returned the object to its owner, who sighed in relief.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, Senpai."
"..."
"..."
Somehow, the atmosphere turned somewhat awkward.
"It's pretty." The lilac girl took the initiative.
"Uh?" The redhead blinked "Oh! You mean this!" She looked towards the piece of metal in her hand "It's my lucky charm!" She grinned.
"So it can increase your Luck? What a useful Mystic Code." She nodded as if in confirmation.
"Nah, it's just a piece of junk that I picked up when I was little." The redhead sheepishly rubbed her neck, also not knowing what the heck a Mystic Code was. A magic artifact of some kind, perhaps? "Though it gave me quite the inspiration, look at this."
The redhead pulled out her smartphone. In it was the image of a red armored person with long blonde hair and a stoic expression that was wielding a triangular glowing green blade.
Coincidentally, his helmet had a design similar to the metallic trinket.
"Draw him myself!" The redhead proudly smiled "His name is Zero! He is a powerful robot warrior who fights corrupted and evil robots alongside his partner X, and defends the peace and harmony between robots and humans!"
"Wow! That's impressive, Senpai!"
"Yeah, I'm part of my school's manga club and I've done a few doujinshis and fanart commissions. Oh, by the way, I'm Ritsuka Fujimaru!" Ritsuka extended her hand to the other girl.
But the lilac-haired one just merely observed it. As if in confusion.
"Did I mess up somewhere?" Ritsuka thought nervously.
"Fou!" the pseudo-squirrel from before mewled again and jumped towards the lilac-haired shoulder. "Fouuuu! Kyu, kyu!"
"I think the little guy is onto something." Let out an amused Ritsuka.
"Fou?" The lilac-haired girl asked the animal, who just pointed a paw to Ritsuka and nodded.
Timidly, the lilac-haired girl extended her hand, to which Ritsuka took the initiative to take, surprising the other girl.
"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Ritsuka let out a friendly smile only to turn somewhat sheepish "Though I think it's somewhat late but, could I know your name?"
"Oh! My name is-"
"Mash Kyrielight."
Both girls turned to see a middle aged man with a green suit and hat, as well as one of the most ridiculous hairstyles she'd ever seen in a man.
"The briefing will begin soon, Mash. I don't think you were authorized to skip it."
"I am sorry, Mister Lainur. I was just assisting Senpai, who had collapsed."
"Collapsed? Oh." The man called Lainur brought out a bracelet, from which a hologram containing Ritsuka's information. "Ritsuka Fujimaru, Number 48… That explains it. Sorry for the inconvenience. The Spiritron Dive usually generates fatigue for the uninitiated."
"No, it was my fault for suddenly sleeping in the halls!" Ritsuka exclaimed in panic to who was most probably Mash's superior, which most likely would be her superior, too.. "Gomenasai!" she bowed in deeply.
"Now, now." Lainur sweatdropped. "There's no need for that. You're almost as apologetic as Mash." Said girl blushed in embarrassment "Though I know most Japanese have high standards of politeness, you won't have to use them." then he chuckled "Unless you encounter the Director, that is. Then you need to give her the most respect if you want to survive here."
"Thank God." Ritsuka sighed in relief. "And thanks for the advice. Now I know what not to do with the head honcho around."
"Hahahahahaha!" Lainur laughed at how she called the Director. "This girl sure is something! Mash, you're lucky to encounter her. By the way, I'm Lev Lainur, Clock Tower researcher and Chaldea's technician."
"Ritsuka Fujimaru, 2nd year Japanese high school student, amateur mangaka and all around geek."
"I thought in Japan, you used the word otaku." Lev asked.
"It's a somewhat derogatory term there. I find geek to be much less of an insult." She grimaced a bit.
"Oh, sorry."
"Uhm, Senpai, Mister Lainur, we will be late for the briefing."
"Oh, crap! Come on Mash, we need to go NOW. Lead the way!"
Lainur just chuckled, following after the running pair.
"Oh, youth… it would be a tragedy if something happened."
He let out a sinister smirk.
The King's plans for humanity will not be deterred. Especially, not even by a bunch of brats.
Fate Zero Order
Where… am I?
A white void was all that she could see.
Did… I die?
She remembered that she was at that infernal chamber, consoling a dying Mash, and then there was an announcement of a purge as well as a Rayshifting or something.
I feel like… I should have done more…
A series of emotions hit her: guilt for possibly being the only one who survived the explosion; regret that she couldn't save Mash and know her more and rage about the injustice that the world allowed.
Maybe… if I were strong…
Suddenly a figure appeared on her field of vision, one she was familiar with.
… Zero?
The Legendary Reploid and Maverick Hunter. A hero that consistently appeared in her dreams and put into reality in drawings. A robot that was destined to destroy the world, only to reject that notion, whether with help of his friends or his own force of will. Even with damaged memories and an inferior body, he was able to defeat his possessed, much more powerful body and sacrifice himself to protect what was left of his world from a megalomaniac. All for the sake of those who believed in him.
She never knew why she dreamed of him though she didn't question it. After all, they're dreams, right?
But now, she isn't so sure.
"You want to live?"
Zero, surprisingly said.
Yes… I want to…
Of course she would want to live! She still has tons of things to do! Like trying to save Mash!
As long as there's a way, I won't stop!
Smiling, Zero offered her hand to her, which she took in.
Both disappeared in a green light.
Biolink Established.
M.E.G.A. System Online.
"Megamerge."
