Not much to say here, except for welcome to Chapter 2! I've shared my thoughts more at the final author's note at the end of the chapter so please go check it out. For now answers to the reviews from Chapter 1!
Gwynx, Guest, SenseiZero72 NexusZXD:– Thank you people a lot for your kind words and encouragement, I'm glad you all enjoyed chapter 1, and hope you enjoy this second chapter as well!
UnoriginalNick:– I write this story because it's fun for me, and I'll continue to write as long as I continue enjoying this particular story. And by the way things are going and the amount of plot I've created for future Singularities, this Fic will go well beyond the 10 chapter mark, Nicky, don't you worry
Rakster:– Thanks for your words friend– I hope to live up to your expectations going further as well. I too loved the fics of SpatialPhoenix, and I have talked and gotten permission from him to write a similar story to his/fic with a similar base plot. I certainly hope my fics reach his levels someday.
Now without further ado– Please read on and enjoy!
Mashu POV:-
Senpai is weird.
But in a... good way?
It's confusing. He is different from the other Master candidates and most of the Chaldea staff here. They are all talented mages with years of history and prestige behind their names. And while they don't treat me badly, or rather hardly interact with me at all, none of them treated me like Senpai did either.
Senpai thanked me. He apologized to me. Shook hands with me, and didn't sneer at me when I messed up my introduction. And he also called me c-cute... which makes me feel happy for some reason?
I don't understand this fluttering in my heart that I felt when Senpai complemented me like that, maybe I should ask about it to Dr. Roman? Or maybe Da Vinci-chan would be a better pick? She must be well versed in the different facets of human emotions, being a genius artist, she would definitely have an answer!
Da Vinci-chan has yet to meet him, but I'm sure they would get along. She would probably be the one to approach him if only to ask how he managed to gain the "Fou Seal of Approval". The thought makes me giggle... Which hurts my chest for some reason... What was I thinking of again? My mind seems to be having difficulty focusing for some reason...
Right, my new Senpai! Or rather my first proper Senpai, at-least in terms of experience. Professor Lev was confused why I choose to call him my Senpai, even after meeting so many other Master candidates. But to me the answer comes quite easily.
After all, among all the people I've met so far, Fujimaru Ritsuka is undoubtedly the most 'human' among them all.
Throughout the time we talked, I didn't feel a single bit of suspicion or threat from Senpai. He just seemed to... live in the moment. He smiled when he felt happy, he stuttered when he felt embarrassed, he made weird and cute sounds as he pet Fou-san that made me giggle... No mage here would ever be caught doing such a thing out in public.
Maybe that's why Fou-san decided to approach him? He realized Senpai would be another person who would freely offer him head-pats? I release another laugh... resulting in another sharp pang of pain. How strange, maybe I should go to Dr. Roman after this for a check-up to see why I seem to be feeling this way.
But back to Senpai... Is that what it means to be human? Magus consider emotions to be a weakness and try to squash them down, but Senpai seemed to have embraced them completely. So even though they all belong to the same species, is Senpai more human than the average magus because he accepts his emotions?
Then is Director Animushphere more human or less human than Senpai, as she seems to be in the process of suppressing her emotions and yet displays strong feelings and acts on them? Like when she slapped Senpai and took away his Master Uniform for almost dozing off at the lecture...?
... Being human is complicated. I have much to learn. I wonder if Senpai would be willing to answer these questions that I have? He did promise that he likes listening to me... does that also include answering my questions after listening to them?
I hope so... I want to listen to his voice once again. Senpai... He gave me my first promise... He said he wanted to be my friend– My first friend. Well, first human friend, Fou-san will surely headbutt me if I don't include him amongst my friends!
... And Senpai smiled so brightly. So blinding was his smile that I was mesmerized. I didn't know humans were capable of smiling like that. So brilliantly and so genuinely and without any second thought. Not like the condescending smirks or fake smiles of the mages working in Chaldea. Not the smile of Professor Lev that looked... too picture perfect to feel real.
The closest smiles to Senpai's belonged to Dr. Roman and Da Vinci-chan. But Dr. Roman always seemed to be... stressed about something behind his smiles. He smiled and laughed a lot and cracked lame jokes, but it sometimes felt forced. Not always, but enough times for me to realize that there's something the that is troubling the Doctor. But he always changed the subject whenever I tried to ask him about it.
As for Da Vinci-chan... well she's simply on another level entirely. Leonardo da Vinci– An unrivalled genius, not only in her era of birth but also in the present times. Dr. Roman has mentioned before that without her input and help, Chaldea's internal workings would lose close up to 50% efficiency. A human so brilliant, skilled and talented and so integral to the evolution of the species as a whole by being a cornerstone of the Renaissance, that after her death her records were permanently etched into human history forever– Sending her soul to the Throne of Heroes and making her a part of the very fabric of the world, allowing her to be summoned as a Servant. It just made sense to me that she would be able to smile like that after all she's accomplished and all she's experienced.
But Senpai is not like da Vinci. He is... ordinary. He is not a genius, he does not hold great magical powers, he didn't even know the Moonlight World existed until as recently as entering Chaldea, according to Professor Lev. Senpai also didn't look that old either, I am confident that we are quite close in age.
And yet... he could smile like that. So freely. Without worries, without thinking of who's watching. He smiled at her as she talked, as if simply talking to her brought him so much joy. The concept is so unfamiliar, yet so enticing. So tempting, yet so frightening.
Is that what it means to be a human. To be able to smile so... warmly? That just looking at it seems to warm up by very heart and soul?
... Will Senpai teach me how to smile like that if I asked?
Do I even deserve to be able to smile so beautifully in the first place...?
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.
.
Why am I even having such thoughts right now..? Am I having a dream? But that would mean I am sleeping... but that doesn't make sense as I am feeling tired and sleepy right now. How can one feel sleepy when one is already asleep? A curious contradiction... What was I thinking about again? Why is it so difficult to think proper thoughts right now? My head feels heavy and my thoughts feel hazy. And my body feels so so cold.
I should open my eyes now, otherwise I really will fall asleep. I might just die of embarrassment if Director Animushphere caught me sleeping in the middle of the first mission! Fufu~ I used the expression Senpai taught me! I wonder if he would be proud of me for that...
And with a small smile on my face, I ready my heart and finally open my eyes.
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.
.
Ah. Now it makes sense. The reason I was stalling. The reason I didn't want to open my eyes. Why I feel this piercing pain in my chest each time I laugh and why my body feel so cold that it's on the verge of shivering. Even without seeing it, I instinctively knew. what would await me if I opened my eyes. Why I didn't want to face reality.
Because in my mind's eye I can see Senpai and his smile, and that gives me the courage to smile as well.
But in reality I cannot see him. All I see is the broken hopes and dreams of the world and its future.
And the sheer hopelessness of the situation breaks my heart in two and washes away my smile, like a river of blood washing away the final embers of hope.
Humanity's last bastion of defence is burning.
Mankind's last hope is burning.
Chaldea is burning.
I remember. Everything was fine. Until suddenly it wasn't. There was a loud noise, louder than any noise I've heard before and a bright flash of light, a flash so bright it felt the sun itself. Followed by the feeling of the floor shifting beneath my feet and getting hit by a shockwave so powerful it knocked me out in an instant. And now I lay here, finally awake but unable to do anything as I lay trapped under a piece of rubble that probably fell from the ceiling.
Ah, I suppose that explains my disjointed thoughts from earlier. I read in one of the books that Dr. Roman brought me, that humans experience strange visions as their life come to an end- the phenomenon known as 'your life flashing in front of your eyes'. How ironic that I'm experiencing a new aspect of life, as my life is ending.
At least the meaning wasn't literal, and that the thoughts that flashed in my mind's eye were those of Dr. Roman, da Vinci-chan and Senpai. I would have been really sad if my last thoughts had been of the empty white room where I spent my childhood in...
Its cold. Even with the raging flames surrounding me, my body is growing colder and colder.
Yes... This is death. This emptiness that is taking me in. The darkness that is overwriting my very will. It tells me... there's nothing I can do. I can no longer find the strength to smile. Yes... I always knew this moment would come. I thought I was ready... that I would be able to accept it without regrets.
But for it to arrive so suddenly... After I made my first friend. After I was given my first promise. After someone smiled at me so beautifully that I wanted to smile back just because I was in his presence...
I try to move, but I cannot. The only motor functions that I retain consists of my arms and my neck and my facial muscles. And even then I can barely feel them. The adrenaline is keeping the pain at bay for now, but I'm sure my lower body is completely crushed, legs and spine included. Even if I can somehow escape from beneath the slab of rubble that's pinning me down, I am certain that I won't even be able to get up, let alone walk a single step.
The fact that I am still alive is probably due to the the Heroic Spirit that resides in my body. I wish I knew their name so that I could properly thank them for trying to save my life. That's another thing Senpai taught me...
Senpai. Ah, Senpai had pretty eyes. They were beautiful. Not because of his heterochromia. No that was I lie... I really liked how beautiful the twin colours of his blue and brown eyes were. But also because how full of life they were. So accepting... So kind.
The logical part of my mind tells me that he only looked at me like that because he didn't know what I was. But even so...!
I... want to look at Senpai's face again. I want him... to look at me again. With those eyes. So kind. So gentle. So warm.
Looking at me... Like I was worth looking at. Like I was a... Human.
"–––––...!"
I want him to look at me again.
"Ma–––...!"
I want him to smile at me again.
"––shu...!"
I want him to hold my hand again.
"MA––u...!"
... I want to hear his voice once again. Saying the syllables of my name.
"M–SHU...!"
Like I was someone who mattered to him.
"MASHU!"
My thoughts came to a halt, as I whispered out in a trembling voice to the hazy silhouette that was approaching me.
"... Se... Sen... pai...?"
"MASHU! Can you hear me! Listen carefully, you must not fall asleep! Keep your eyes open and focus on me, Mashu! Stay awake no matter what, you can't fall asleep!"
When his hands finally grasp and firmly shake my shoulders- that's when I realize that I am not simply having a hallucination from the blood loss and the lack of oxygen reaching my brain. I barely saw or heard him coming, but still Senpai kneels in front of me in the flesh, his whole body covered in dust and grime.
"Sen...pai? You're really... here?"
"Fou...! Kyu, kyauu! Fou!"
"Yeah, and not just me. You wouldn't believe how long I ran around searching and shouting like an idiot until this little guy found me and brought me to you."
"Ah, Fou-san led you... to me? How ironic...," I try to extend my hand to pat him but I can barley bring it half-way to him before my strength fails and I can move it no further. Fou-san is very smart though, he realizes what I wanted to do and approached my hand himself, headbutting my palm and licking my fingers. "This time... you were the one who caught me... half-asleep on the floor... Senpai."
Senpai laughs, but his eyes seem pained as he looks at me for some reason... Ah, I must be looking quite unsightly right now. With my broken and bloodied body... how embarrassing that Senpai caught me looking like this. There's no way he would call me cute now...
EMERGENCY. EMERGENCY. A fire has broken out in the Central Power Station and the Central Command Room. Central Area's containment wall will activate in 90 seconds. All staff must evacuate from Gate 2 at once.
Generator Operation stopped. Power level critical. Switch to backup generator- Error. Please switch manually. Containment Wall will close in 60 seconds. Those remaining in Central Area, evacuate immediately-
Senpai doesn't say anything as the emergency broadcast plays loudly in the background. His eyes are fixed at somewhere behind me, and looking at his expression gives me relief. His eyes... the understand the situation perfectly. Good... I wouldn't have to waste Senpai's time and explain why he should be leaving immediately.
"Yes... its helpful that you're so quick to understand. So... Senpai... you need to hurry up... and escape. I'm sorry... because of me you... *cough* *cough*"
The rest of my words gets dissolved as a coughing fit strikes me from the smoke inhalation. However it seems like Senpai understood the meaning of my half formed words regardless, as he rubbed by back as he waits for my coughs to subside.
System switching to final phase of Rayshift. Coordinates, AD 2004, January 30th, Fuyuki, Japan. Laplace's shifting projection established. Singularity's additional factor slot secured. Unsummon Program set. Please start final adjustments.
"... Shit, I don't have any water... And don't speak nonsense, you baka! How do you expect me to run away when you are trapped in here!?"
"Fou, fou! Kyuu!"
"... Its all... right. You can't... save... me. The block... is too heavy... and I can't... walk anymore. I'm... a burden. Don't mind me please... Run. Thank you... Senpai... Fou. Seeing your faces... hearing your voice... one final time..."
Warning all observation staff. Chaldea's state has changed. Now re-writing Sheba's near-future prediction data. Unable to detect the existence of mankind 100 years in the near-future on Earth. Unable to confirm human survivors. Unable to guarantee mankind's future.
"Chaldeas... has turned bright red. No never mind that- Senpai... you really should-"
My words are silenced, as Senpai places a single finger on my lips and leans closer to me. So close that our foreheads almost tough, and looks deeply into my eyes with emotions that I can't decipher. Then he speaks, "That is the right move here isn't it? To leave you behind, as without you to slow me down the chances of my survival increase greatly?"
I open my mouth to answer, but the words catch in my throat. Something about Senpai saying those words back to me... He sounds like a mage. I don't like it... it really doesn't suit Senpai. I try again, and again, but my voice doesn't escape my lips. So I settle to nodding instead.
"... But is that what you want, Mashu Kyrielight?"
... What? I don't understand what Senpai is trying to ask me. The logical step here is to-
"Haaah, just by looking at you I can tell you're thinking about reasoning and logic and all that crap. Let me then simplify it some more for you, Mashu..."
"Do you want me to leave you alone?"
.
.
.
.
"...No. Please don't leave me alone ever again."
Central Area sealed. 180 seconds till internal containment procedure.
Senpai grins. And any lingering guilt that was inside of me after my confession melted away when faced by the brightness and warmth of his smile.
"Okay."
That's all he said. But that was all that he needed to say. And it was all I needed to hear.
Coffin Vitals: Masters Baseline not reached. Rayshift qualifications not met. Searching for qualifying Master... found.
Candidate No. 48, Fujimaru Ritsuka, reset as Master.
"So I'll ask you again, Mashu... What do you want?"
"... I want... to see... the clear blue sky... Senpai."
"Understandable, out here all you can see outside the windows is gray clouds and white winds from the blizzards. Very well then! Since you've given me the title of Senpai, that means it's now my responsibility to give it my all to help out my cute Kouhai achieve her dreams!
If the blue sky if what you want to see, then that is what I will show you! This... I promise you, Mashu."
That's not possible, I wan to say. We are both about to die, I want to say. We both know that his words are a lie... but the fact that Senpai is the one who is saying it causes my heart to fill up with hope.
Unsummon Programs, start. Spiritron Conversion, start.
Senpai said my name. Senpai looked at me like someone who mattered to him. Senpai smiled at me. He also granted me a wish I didn't even know I had, the wish to not be alone anymore. Senpai even called me cute in my current state and promises to show me the sky... Now the only thing that's left is–
"Sen... pai..? My hand... would you... mind... holding my hand?"
His large hands wordlessly clasped around mine. They were bigger than mine and softer, not containing the callouses you would find on a warriors hand. And yet as soon as his palms enveloped my own, I felt safer. They were shaking a little and yet, despite the fear he must also be feeling, he offers me a calm smile.
A smile that that told me... that everything would be just fine.
Rayshift starting in:-
3...
2...
1...
There's no saving us now. With the weight of the world thrust upon our shoulders, it is only natural to be scared. To give up and give in to sadness and despair, especially in the situation I am currently in.
"It's all right. I'm here with you and listening to you. Both to your words and your heartbeat. Just as I promised."
But these hands... These words... His smile. They seem gentler, calmer and warmer than anything I've ever touched before. And so I weakly squeeze his hands and can't help but smile back him to show him even but a fraction of my gratitude. The brightest smile I can muster even as tears could my eyes, not from pain or sadness, but from the feeling of pure happiness.
"Yes... Senpai..."
All procedures clear. First Order, commencing operation.
.
.
.
Ah, how nice. I didn't even notice. Ever since Senpai arrived... I don't feel cold anymore.
[Congratulations, the Gallery has been Unlocked! Gained Memory Shard: Chaldea Burning]
[Congratulations! Achievement Unlocked: To Protect a Smile!]
[Mashu will forever remember and be grateful to you for giving her hope in her darkest hour. For keeping your promise, and for being by her side until the very end. For taking her hand, and for giving her the strength to overcome despair and smile. Gained 3 to All Stats! Gain 100 Affection Points with Mashu Kyrielight!]
[Your Bond with Mashu Kyrielight has increased! Your current Bond Status is Trusted and Admired Senpai!]
[Congratulations on (Partially) Awakening your Origin! Congratulations on Unlocking the Mystic Codes screen!]
[Your final moments spent with Mashu and the actions you took have changed something within you. Something in your very being has shifted. Or perhaps something has simply fallen into place? You don't know, but what you do know and are certain of, is that the impact of that moment has resonated within you and has in some way altered your very Soul. For better, or for worse.]
[Congratulations! Achievement Unlocked: The Story Begins!]
[Congratulations Player, on finally arriving at the Main Plot! Safe and sound as well! You gain 3 Wisdom from having chosen to accept the Tutorial System Generated Action! Things are about to heat up now, so here's some Stat points to help you out in your upcoming challenges! Be warned though, once accepted, no changes are possible. So think carefully! Gained 10 points to spend on your stats!]
[Charm:- 13 (/–)
Charisma:- 11 (/–)
Wisdom:- 15 (/–)]
... Really, System? After everything that happened with Mashu? To pester me right in the middle of the Rayshift. What a pain. And what a terrible sense of timing.
I am currently nothing more than Spritons, as the emergency broadcast called it. I suppose its a sign that I have been properly "Unsummoned". I don't have a physical body currently, and honestly, its a good thing for the moment. I don't know what kind of violence stunt I might have pulled if I could move my hands and legs. Cause I am really pissed off right now.
I'm surely going to have nightmares about what just happened- Mashu buried under rubble, more than half-dead as she doesn't even spare a thought about her own well being and instead asks me to leave her and escape. That resigned look on her face... who ever caused such emotions of pain and sorrow to show up on Mashu's innocent face is going to pay. This is a promise I make to myself.
Why am I so sure that someone is responsible for this disaster? Its simple really. Because otherwise it simply doesn't make sense. Chaldea is supposed to be a symbol of human hope, an organization responsible for the perseverance of the future of Humanity. And sure humans are prone to mistakes every now and again, for a place as important as Chaldea, no one's gonna accidentally fuck something up so badly that it causes an explosion large enough to wipe out more than half of the staff and equipment, on the day of the very first mission none the less. Everything's way to perfectly set up to deal the maximum damage to Chaldea.
Now fucking things up deliberately on the other hand...
But I put aside such thoughts for the moment, and the fact that apparently my soul is different now (maybe if I ignore it long enough it will stop being an issue?) and focus on the Stats adjustment screen that has popped up in front of me and start playing with the numbers.
.
.
.
[Charm:- 15 (–)
Charisma:- 14 (–)
Wisdom:- 20 (–)
You have spent all your Points. Do you confirm that this is the Stat distribution you want to go with? (Yes/No)]
Hmmm, that should do good for now. Keeping Charm and Charisma relatively same for now is probably the way to go, as I don't know enough about how much they affect me and the people around me to invest in only one of them heavily. And something tells me min-maxing here is not going to go well for me. If I understood correctly from reading the stat descriptions earlier, they are best used in tandem and will probably boost each other each other's effectiveness when used properly.
And as for why I focused so much on Wisdom, especially in this Dating Sim setting, is because... well, its kind of a cheat stat in a way. As the Achievement Screen before said, I got a partial memory from having just enough Wisdom, and I'm not above using that to my advantage. After all, if I hadn't seen the glimpse of Mashu in danger, I wouldn't have accepted the help of the System and then who know how thing would have played out?
If having a high Wisdom Stat helps me get glimpses of how the story is supposed to go and lets me plan for it in advance, I'm going to be investing heavily in it in the future. And with that in mind, I mentally agree and watch as the 'Yes' text lights up green, and then vanishes and I feel my consciousness fading away...
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[Wisdom Check... Success! Congratulations! Gained Memory Shard:- The Price of becoming A Hero of Justice]
[Remember the tale of a Faker- Who with a Will of Iron and a Heart of Glass wielded his borrowed Ideals like a Sword, wishing for a world where everyone could be saved. Remember his story. Remember his greatness. Remember and learn... from his tragedy.]
I am the bone of my Sword.
Under a clear blue sky, with the sun shining bright at the edge of the horizon, he strode up the hill - His red coat the only thing that stood out in the dead and barren landscape. And as he began to make his way up the slope, beautiful and deadly twin blades appeared in his hands. White and black. Day and night. Ying and yang. Husband and wife, married and forever together, always finding a way to return to each other... No matter what they have to cut through to get there.
Steel is my body, and fire is my blood.
The white haired man plunged the blades into the ground– But as soon as he let go, another sword materialized in his hands. So he it stabbed into the soil too. Ignoring the dying shrieks and gruesome flashes of lives being extinguished, as he pushed the blade deeper in the earth. And then he continued walking forward. Never faltering. Never wavering. All for the sake of justice.
I have created over a thousand Blades.
One more sword– plunged into the ground. Now a spear– stabbed blade first into the soil. Twin axes this time– thrown without care as the get embedded into the land. Weapon after weapon appear in his hands and are all thrust into the ground without second thought. No matter how beautiful, valuable or powerful the blade, the man discards them all the same and spares none with a second glance.
And with each weapon collected, hundreds of lived taken. Thousands of blood-curling screams heard, and millions of lives saved. But the lonely man never heard the cheers of the living– His only company the curses of the dead and the cries of the innocents he couldn't save.
Unknown to death...
It doesn't matter who, what, or when. When the man draped in red and black arrived, he came with the ferocity and impartiality of a natural disaster. Struck down without mercy or hesitation, every last living thing in the area, and then some. The men, women, and even the children. Guilty and innocent alike, none were spared if they were even remotely related to the matter he was sent to settle.
After all, what was the life of a single child worth, when compared to the lives of the hundreds that would be saved from the man draped in red having wielded his blades?
Ț̴̭̈́͝h̴̛̘̭͇̏̐͠e̷̺͙͘̚n̷̨̻̻̲̲͊ ̴̖̰͇͉̹̈́̚͝ẃ̵̪͈̯͇̗h̵͔͍̄́͗̇͝ẙ̶͉͈ ̷̥̻̥͒̓̍͝d̸̼̠̣̤̀̅̒͠į̶̟͙̐͒̂̂d̶̪̬͙̠̏ ̸͙̙̯̣͛̊̍̃h̷̾̒̕ͅḯ̵̪͗͂s̷̞̱̘͕͖̈́͗̂ ̴̡̩̬̱̈́̿f̶̥͊̀a̴̮̮͎͔͌t̵̯͖̀h̴̞̻͋̎̔̓ȅ̷̖̓͂̎̕r̴͎̈ ̵͎̼́͒g̶̻̙̫͙̍͗̽i̸̗̤̔̃͊̅v̸͇͔͎͐ȇ̸̞̣̊̆̀ ̵̡͔͙̔̌͗̈u̴̡̟̲͔̹̒̐̽p̵͎̀͒͛͘ ̴̖̥̻̙͊̿͑ḥ̵̰̥̠̈́͐ì̷͖̟̔ͅͅs̷̞͠ ̵̹͎͎̬̜̑͑c̸̻̅̓r̶͎̓ǔ̶̼̎͋͋s̶̨̛̬͖̽͊͜a̵͕̬͗̃̔͒ḍ̶͉̼͆͂e̶͓̺̙̖̯̐̈́͗̇ ̸̣͔͍̓̌̚ǫ̷́͗̇̀͂f̴̗͐̓ ̵̺͙̾͛j̷̱́͠͝u̵͖̩̼͔̘̓̇s̷̭̜͚͓͂̆ͅt̸̼̙͉̪̜̉̏ï̶̛͙̮̈́c̵̳̉e̶͈̺̋ ̸̻̉̂́t̵̢̟̺͇͎̓͑̓ő̸̩̠͙̖̹͆̓ ̷̨̪̮̪̪͊̋s̷̢̬̞͉̄͜a̸̦̭̪̿̆v̸̲̳̮͓̊͆ͅḛ̸̯̲͕̾͋̃ ̶̻̍̈́͐̌h̸̹̜͍̀ì̶̹́͝ḿ̷͇̎͘?̶͕̙̘̰͖̓̾
... Nor known to life.
For every immoral person he killed, ten good men would wind up dead from the conflict. For every evil organization he destroyed, a city filled with innocent citizens would be razed. Whenever and wherever he arrived, death and destruction followed.
Is this what it means to be a hero?
He tried to rationalize it at first, the men he killed were the lowest of human scum, rapists and murderer who would perform heinous crimes while laughing in joy. Sociopathic mages who came close to reach the Root, who would use its vast power to wreak havoc onto the world. His cause was just, his actions were justified, all of his kills were necessary-It was the right thing to do!
... When did kill and save start to mean the same thing to him?
Have withstood pain to create many Weapons...
Ever so slowly, doubt began creeping into his actions. Each time he swung his swords and notched an arrow onto his bow, his heart felt so heavy that he felt like it would crush both his body and spirit whole. But he had willingly chosen this fate. And so he carried that burden for years, so long that the passage of time became as meaningless as cries of his victims pleading for mercy.
... Is that who a hero is? Someone who looks a man begging for a second chance dead in the eyes, and strikes him down without hesitation? Again and again and again and again and again– Until the barren hill is completely filled with swords, sticking up from the dead ground like tombstones standing tall, an everlasting reminder of his sins. The lives he willingly took with his very hands.
... Yet these hands will never hold anything.
He had been but an empty husk, who had clung onto the first thing that had looked meaningful to him. That which had looked beautiful to him. An ideal borrowed from another, to find a meaning for his own continued existence... A broken man who simply wanted to feel the pure happiness that he saw on the face of the man he admired– The man who saved him. The man who raised him. The man who passed down his ḟ̸̘͉̱̤̀̄͋̃l̷̢̠͖̔̂ą̴̯̜̈́̄͜͜w̵̤̼͊̿͂͠ȩ̸͖̱̥̬̈́ḋ̷̡̦̣̈̾ ideals to him.
Was this really what he had wanted?
Everything he worked for without wanting to be thanked or recognized for his actions. An act of selflessness in the eyes of many, but in truth it was the only purpose of the man's life. The only thing that brought meaning to his borrowed life, the only thing that was truly belonged to him. Following his ideals to become an ally of justice... a hero who was supposed to save everyone he could see, to sacrifice himself just to have no one in the world cry ever again.
For the sake of his ideals, he relinquished his humanity to Alaya, to the Counter Force. And what did it bring him? As he stood at the peak of the hill, having finally reached the end of his journey, with silver eyes he surveyed all that he had achieved and all that he had gained from having spent his life and a long time afterwards, following his beautiful ideals.
... And for the first time in his life, Emiya Shirou felt regret.
So as I pray–
As the man stands atop his hill of regrets and looks around him at his graveyard of swords, the strength of his resolve crumbles. For no amount of denial could hide the truth of the matter, the ocean of never-ending blood and corpses and broken dreams he created lay in front of his eyes, as he finally accepted the truth that he has been trying to reject for all this time.
A hero? He was no hero. He was never a hero.
Impossibly large gears appeared in the sky, spinning and grinding against each other as hid the sky from his vison forever. The sun traverses the distance it need to disappear under the horizon, bathing the desolate world in eternal crimson twilight. Never to rise again, never to bring the bright and brilliant warmth of the promised dawn to his eternal wasteland.
He lived the his entire life as a machine.
Nothing more than a tool to be used.
Nothing more... than a Sword.
He now kneeled in a Hell he willingly walked into, impaled and skewered with weapons of every variety. Swords, spears, arrows, daggers... the man had been stabbed and wounded by weapons of all shapes and sizes. He suffered from the excruciating pain. Not from his wounds however, the agony he felt in his heart came from the ideals that he spent his entire life and more chasing, for which he willingly gave up his humanity, breaking down in front of his very eyes.
And he felt his heart shatter as the whole world gets consumed in an endless sea of fire and the scream of a single broken man.
Ù̵̥̥̮̦͕͈̖̑̂̌̑̊̚N̴̫̘̐̃̐̄̿͗Ļ̷̮̭͔͓͌̆͐̇̊͜͠͠I̸͚͋͌͛͆̈̽̚M̸̢̛̙̼̹̫̌̊̾̏Į̷̱̳̌͂͌͠T̸͓͋͛̋̒͐Ē̷͔͕͈͖̹̽D̴̜̙̦͖̳̏̋̅̌̀͒̚͜ ̶͙̆͊̂̽B̴̬̀͆̎̈́́̕Ļ̸̢͚̙̋́͝Ä̴̙̝́̀̀̔̐̀̾D̶͙͊͗̓͘̚È̴̡͎̘̃̾̐̓͆ ̵̪̎͌͑̚͝W̵̪̰̮̖̮͑̀̄̊͋͜Ǫ̶̦̯̺͕̰̑̽͂̊͘͝R̵͇̙͉̹̘͒̿͊̌Ḱ̷̛͙̗͒S̶̤̫̔̀ͅ!̴̡͙͇̱̼̂ͅ
"Ah... How incredibly ironic. How heartbreakingly sad," Those were the first words I muttered out as my eyes finally flutter open. "The very ideals which he betrayed his humanity for, ended up being what betrayed him in the end."
I could still feel the touch of the flames upon my skin. The image of the shadowed hunched figure looming over a hill with nothing but a legacy of death, destruction, and above all else failure around him. His scream of despair so overwhelming, from finally having accepted the flaws of his ideology and the sheer futility of his life. The sheer impossibility of being able to save everybody.
The tragedy of the life and end of Shirou. And the birth of Counter Guardian and fake Heroic Spirit EMIYA.
The protagonist of the original Fate/Stay Night Visual Novel, which started it all. I don't remember every single details of what exactly happened in the story, but I'm definitely remembering a lot more than I did before the Rayshift. Wonder why I am remembering his story right now though. But I'm happy with whatever new information I can gather, looks like my investment in the Wisdom stat is already paying off!
... Actually, considering the amount of smoke see up in the sky and how the warm feeling hasn't diminished yet, the touch of flames I saw in my dream might just be real. And that thought makes me quickly sit up from my laying down position. And what I see, is a destroyed city. Fuyuki, the city named after the beautiful snow that falls in winter, is burning. Again.
Cars, streets, shops, buildings- doesn't matter what, everywhere I look at is broken and destroyed, turned black and gray from being burned and then covered in ash and soot. Even if it was morning I wouldn't be able to tell, with the sky having gone completely dark due to the smoke, with the exception of the horizon which was dyed a crimson red from the fires that still must be burning in that direction. I stand in the middle of a street that's broken and cracked, and all around me I can only see death. Just from this one glance I can say with absolute certainty, that there is no living being remaining in this city anymore.
As I survey my surroundings and take it all in, my musings are interrupted by twin chimes, as the world around me somehow turns grayer and two screens appear in front of me.
[Having finally arrived at the starting of the Main Plot, you're going to need some Skills/Magic of your own if you want to survive in this world Player! From the lists given below, choose one branch of Thaumaturgy you wish to learn the basics of, and one body perk!
Or that would be the case, if not for your partially Awakening your Origin! So instead you get to choose three body perks, lucky you! Choose carefully, as once chosen you cannot change them again, this warning is especially relevant for the Mystery you choose!]
[Athlete's Frame / Genius Intellect / Aristocrat's Air / Danger Sense / Magic Sense / Unarmed Combat Specialist / Excess Mana Reserves / Silent Step / Expert Medic / Heightened Reflexes / Lesser Regeneration]
[Reinforced Body / Exalted Mind / Blessed Tongue / Elemental Prodigy / Runic Proficiency]
... System, for all the times I didn't properly appreciate you or complain about you or sassed you, I humbly apologize. I forgive all your misgivings, for finally giving me some kind of helpful ability to survive in this world.
And for giving me the chance to actually learn some mother-flipping MAGIC, LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
Okay, after finally getting my excitement under control and going through all the traits and thinking about their uses long and hard, I've settled on the one's I want. Namely, Danger Sense, Excess Mana Reserves and Heightened Reflexes.
The first one I checked was Lesser Regeneration, but well... ever heard of the saying "If a deal looks too good to be true, it often is"? That's what happened here. All the Stats have description of their usage, and by reading it I found two major drawbacks.
One, its not nearly as powerful as I was hoping for. With Avalon, Shirou survive a direct hit from Berserker and heal his crushed spine and many ruptured organs. A hit like that would immediately kill me dead, and even if my some miracle I survived, I wouldn't be able to provide the magical energy needed to heal myself!
That's the second and more important drawback, to heal myself I need to use my own magical energy inside my body, and seeing as Ritsuka is supposed to be a civilian prior to coming to Chaldea– he's not gonna have the great reserves that a mage from a long lines of Magus will have. And using up my limited magical energy and then not be able to give any of it to any Servants I contract with would just be a stupid way to die.
So Regeneration is out, along with Athlete's frame and Unarmed Combat Specialist. The skills boast about giving me a peak human physique and turning me into an extremely skilled fighter respectively. And while it might be a deadly combination against other humans, that's gonna do nothing when the enemies I'm going to be facing are Servants.
Let's leave the combat to, well, not me. And Aristocrat's Air is just dumb, it let's me act and talk like a noble, which is a useless skill to have honestly. Maybe it can help me in negotiations against certain Heroic Spirits, but sucking-up to people is really not my style.
Now Magic Sense is honestly all quite decent, but the ability to sense the presence of magic in my area (including Bounded Fields, Servants, Magic traps, Familiars) can probably be achieved by a Caster Servant, so its a bit redundant.
Frankly speaking, letting go of Silent Step and Expert Medic hurts me. The ability to become stealthy and escape from fights and such sounds honestly awesome, and medical knowledge and the ability to treat injuries will come in clutch in this dangerous world. But there's always a chance of being detected by some specific kind of Servant, and I'm pretty sure I remember Healing Scrolls or something similar to that is in this world.
And honestly, is someone as blank and average could go through the game to the end with his normal average brain, I think I'll skip Genius Intellect for some more physical skills.
So with that in mind, I choose Excess Mana Reserves for the simple and plain reason that more mana, equal more power I can give to Servants, which equals better fighting, which finals results in me not dying. Not really all that complicated of a concept.
Now Danger Sense is described as being a sixth sense or a gut feeling, that tells me whenever I'm in danger and from which direction the danger is coming from. The description reminds me of red and blue arachnids for some weird reason, but ignoring that, its the perfect Skill to combine with Heightened Reflexes. After all, knowing where an attack is coming from isn't going to help much after all, if you don't have the ability to dodge the blow.
The perfect combination of Skills to increase my survivability chances, improved upon further by taking the Reinforced Body branch of Magecraft. The ability to flood mana into my body to make myself faster, stronger and tougher – And not a ability that other mages think highly of if I am remembering correctly. Kinda makes sense even – If you can control the elements as you wish and perform feats that defy the laws of physics, why wouldn't you judge some dude who's greatest feat is that he can make himself a tiny bit tougher than he was a second ago?
Those very mages will be the ones getting killed first when they realize that their impressive magic doesn't mean shit when faced against a Heroic Spirit. An ordinary human under ordinary circumstances can never beat a Servant in a fight. The same applies for Mages using ordinary Magecraft. I do seem to remember something called True Magic however... but thinking about that gives me a headache, so lets ignore that thought for now.
Exalted Mind apparently lets me make automatons and golems and other stuff by using magical formulae and stuff. No thanks, maths was never my strongest subject at school.
Blessed Tongue imbues my speech with magic and forces whoever is listening to do what I command. Sounds overpowered, until you read the finer print. The commands have to be short, concise, and use my magical energy. And the strength of the compulsion depends on how much mana I put into my words. And my pitiful magic will definitely not hold up against the Magic Resistance Skill that I'm pretty sure many of the over-powered Servants have. So much like Regeneration, its brilliant in theory, but in my hands its pretty much useless.
Elemental Prodigy grants me minor thaumaturgy spells with all four elements. I imagine myself being a controlling fire, water, wind and earth simultaneously and honestly the thought is badass (though why and I bald with an arrow tattooed on my scalp in my thoughts?), ultimately it will probably take me years of training to achieve a power level close to that.
As for Runic Proficiency, well I was conflicted between this and Reinforcement for a while. But I choose the latter, as something in my guts seem to be telling me that even if I choose the latter, Runes might not be out of my grasp just yet...
See, I don't want to fight. I can't fight. So I specifically choose those skills that boost my survivability, so that I can stay in the fight and supply magical energy to my Servants for as long as possible. Doesn't matter if its undignified or boring– I'd rather have a cockroach's tenacity and live rather than have the all the dignity and ferocity is a tiger pelt in a hunter's lounge.
So after carefully thinking it through, I finally make my choices. Locking in Danger Sense, Excess Mana Reserves and Heightened Reflexes as my Skills of choice, and Reinforced Body as my personal branch of magic, I take in a deep breath and press the Yes button to confirm my choices. Immediately, colour returns to the world, though from where I'm currently standing its barely noticeable.
I suddenly feel my body grow warmer and then lighter, as I've grown nimbler on my feet. That must be the reflexes kicking in, as I look in front of me to see a bunch of notifications showing up and telling me about the Skills and magic I unlocked. Well that's that, I suppose I might as well check out how the Stats page has changed and what new stuff I've unlocked, not like I've got anything better to do rig-
––From above!
My body moves on its own before I can even fully register what is happening. One second I'm lazily standing, and on the next I'm a few meters away from where I was after jumping and rolling away. I only feel confused about what I just did for half a second, before a black blur descends from the sky seemingly out of nowhere and crashes with great strength where I was standing moments ago.
––Run.
This time I don't hesitate or question my instincts. I'm sure of it, this is my Danger Sense in action. Even before the dust settles or the chunks of asphalt that went flying fall back down to the ground, I'm already running with all the strength in my body.
My newly acquired instincts going haywire, warning me to move, to run, to escape.
Escape from the predator that has set his eyes on me.
I briefly turn my head to look back and immediately wish I hadn't. There he stands, impossibly tall and imposing, simply watching– Unmoving and completely still, his dark tattered cloak billowing ominously in the wind. I would have thought he was a statue, if not for the cracks on the ground spreading out from under his feet, from the aerial attack he made just seconds ago.
I feel goosebumps erupt all over my skin at the brief glance I catch of the man draped in black. That attack... it would have killed me with complete certainty, if not for my newly gained Skills.
And even though I knew the dangers of this world, for the first time I come face to face with the concept of death. And it terrifies me.
I don't bother turning for a second look, and instead put every bit of oxygen in my lungs to use to send energy to my legs to propel me forward and away from the incarnation of death behind me. And even though I can't see his face, in that raspy cruel laugh I can hear the sadistic smile he must be wearing under his chalk white skull mask at the thought of hunting me down for sport.
"Hohoho~~! Interesting... never before has a human sensed my approach and dodged one of my blow. And it's also been quite a while since I've had to last chase a target... Hohohoh~ This is going to be fun~"
Come on Nasu, stop making us wait and release the Hassan Route for Fate/Stay Night already. Saber who? All my homies simp for Assassin. I bet Shirou wouldn't mind getting the bone of his sword polished by his big fist–
Okay, okay, enough shit-posting for now, this chapter was not supposed to be finished and published so quickly. But with the frankly amazing response from you people, (how did the first chapter manage to get 100 followers in just 4 days!?) I just wanted to write a little more, and that little more became a lot more, and then I'm hit by random bursts of inspiration like Mashu's POV and Archer's narration - And the next thing I know I have written so much I have to split up the chapter otherwise I'll end up making it bloated with the amount of things that happen.
The one thing I am nervous about is Mashu's POV, this is the first time I've written a scene completely from the first person view for a character that's not my OC. Did I manage to capture her personality, her thoughts, her feelings? Did it feel natural, or did it not feel like Mashu at all? Please share your thoughts and any criticism you have about that particular segment please; I'm trying something new and I'd like to know if I am doing a good job - And if not, I'd like to know how to improve.
Protag-kun finally gets some damn skills that can help him survive and learns a little magecraft on top of that as well! Wonder what his Origin is though, sounds mysterious~ And he even meets his first Servant... even though its not the cute and sexy waifu that he was promised. This time I promise to introduce Dr. Roman and possibly out favourite gender-bent renaissance painter in the next chapter... no Olga Marie though, with all the craziness and Servant(s) shenanigans planned for next chapter, our resident tsundere's going to have to wait just a little longer to call our main boy a ba~ka.
Please leave a review sharing your thoughts, it would mean the world to me; it's what motivates us writers to write more. Thanks for reading so far and hope you enjoyed it! Hope to see you in the next chapter - Adios!