Disclaimer: I don't own Fate/Grand Order or anything, just the OC. Support the official release.
As we take respite under the Fuyuki Bridge, Caster begins to fill us in on what happened to Fuyuki City. He begins to explain how at some point the Holy Grail War changed and the city was suddenly engulfed in flames overnight and the human vanished, leaving only the Servants. Saber decided to resume the war despite the lack of Masters and went on a rampage killing Archer, Rider, Lancer, Berserker and Assassin though rather than fade away they were resurrected and corrupted by the grail.
I lean against a pillar listening to this version of the Child of Light's story. 'So this isn't my Fuyuki City, but another version of it.' I look up at the sky. 'Just what the hell happened here?'
"I already dealt with the black Rider and Assassin before running into you. As for Berserker, well... I think he won't attack unless we leave him alone." Caster states.
"So if we defeat the remaining Servants…" Romani begins to catch on.
"The Holy Grail War will end." Caster finished.
"There's a high possibility of settling the Singularity F abnormality as well." Olga Marie chimes in as Ritsuka and Mashu look on as hope slowly blooms inside them. "Do you know where it is?"
"Yes." Caster turns to his right gazing at the mountains beyond the burning city. "It's at the heart of this land, they're protecting it." A black sword is planted on the ground as two figures stand behind a glowing pit. "The corrupted Holy Grail."
"I'll take care of that bastard Archer. I need to settle things between us once and for all." Caster states which causes me to snort.
[Even in an alternate timeline, those two don't get along]
"You really don't mind helping us? Even though you hardly know anything about the situation?" Olga Marie skeptically asked.
"No, I don't mind. Don't worry about it." Caster said.
We make the dangerous tread through the ruined city while Caster watches over us for any danger. Apparently Berserker is staying in the forest where a ruined castle is located, so as long as we don't dare to walk into the forest Berserker wouldn't attack.
"I don't get deeply involved with things outside of my own time period. At the end of the day, I cooperate as a weapon. That's the Servant's Golden Rule." Caster appears on the roof before quickly vanishing. "Your purpose is to investigate this abnormality. My purpose is to draw this Holy Grail War to a close."
We run into a ruined highway which Olga Marie tries to climb over but isn't strong enough to pull herself up. A hand stretches out offering assistance. "Our interests line up so why not join forces in a friendly manner?"
Olga Marie looks at the hand with uncertainty before letting out a sigh. "You make a good point." She takes his hand and the Servant lifts her up pretty easily, earning a yelp from the director.
"Still, it's unusual." Caster leans and stares directly at her. "You don't have the potential to be a Master."
"?" Ritsuka said.
I quirk an eyebrow at the remark. She doesn't have potential? How is that possible?
[Something's not right about her]
The director clenches her fists in frustration. "What of it!?" She pushes the Servant back.
"I mean, you're a first-class magus. I can see that. Yet you don't have the potential to be a Master. Is it a curse?" Caster asked.
"What difference does it make!?" Olga Marie cries out.
"You even have that first-class stubborn streak, too." Caster remarks.
"What was that!?"
Ritsuka chuckles before glancing at Mashu who has been weirdly quiet. "Mashu?"
Mashu snaps out of it and looks up.
"I overworked you, didn't I?" Ritsuka said.
"No!" Mashu exclaims. "No, I'm fine. I'm operating perfectly. But…" Mashu glances away.
"You can't use your Noble Phantasm." I chimed in.
Everyone looks at me in surprise, Mashu most of all. "How do you know that?"
"I can sense your emotions. You are frustrated that you cannot do any more and believe that you are a liability. Also based on the story you told us before, the Heroic Spirit that merged with you didn't have enough time to tell you its name." I said.
Mashu nods, surprised by the mystery man's in-depth analysis.
"Noble Phantasms?" Ritsuka asked.
"They're weapons that Servants use." Olga Marie said.
"But Mashu, you have…"
Mashu shakes her head. "No, this shield hasn't shown me its true form yet."
Olga Marie lets out an irritated sigh. "You said you didn't know what kind of Servant you merged with, so I figured that might be the issue."
"I'm sorry." Mashu said.
Fou snuggles on her cheek to try and cheer her up.
"A Noble Phantasm is more than just a weapon." I began. "It is the accumulation of their legend given form, but more importantly it's their instinct. If something happens that would call upon such an instinct, it will awaken naturally."
"The boy is right, Mashu." Caster points at us. "Only by awakening the instinct within you will your Noble Phantasm awaken."
"I am not boy... I have a name. Please refer to me as such." I told Cu.
Cu just shrugs
Mashu immediately gets behind Ritsuka with her shield and Olga Marie stands in front of the two. Caster looks at the trio and smiles before he disappears.
The trio relax and Marie lets out a tired sigh. "I'm tired. Let's rest up for a bit."
"Right." Mashu and Olga Marie start walking.
Ritsuka glances at her Command Seals as doubt begins to overtake her.
"Don't worry." I pat her shoulder. "You'll be fine."
"But what if I'm not good enough, the chief would have been a better Master for Mashu." Ritsuka admits.
"I do not think that is the case." I began. "Mashu chose you as her Master, she saw something in you that no one else did. Just as I see incredible potential in you right now."
"Y-You think so?"
I nod. "You're going to do great things in the future, so smile a little."
"O-Okay…" Ritsuka blushes a little as a small smile forms on her face.
I give her a small smile in return. "Now, we should get moving or else your director will yell at us again." We begin to walk and meet up with the others. As we climbed, we saw an abandoned school building at the top of the cliff and went inside. The school was pretty much ruined, the windows are shattered, the halls and walls are in disrepair and the classrooms are a mess.
I climb up the stairs and up the roof where I see Olga Marie sitting on a magic circle writing runes on stones. "Stars, cosmos, gods, animus, hollow, void, anima, Animusphere."
"Olga." I called out.
The director stops and looks at me. "What do you want?"
"I wanted to apologize for my behavior back in the park." I told her. "It... seems that I am not accustomed to having conversations like this."
Olga Marie turns back to her work. "... are you a Magician?"
At the moment that word left her mouth, something strange rose inside of me, it made me want to lash out. Fortunately, I was able to keep it in before I could open my mouth.
"If you are asking if I am one of the few humans who can practice Sorcery, then I'm afraid I am not. Humans who have stepped into the realm of Mystery and returned with a piece of it to this reality are considered the greatest... and the worse. Humans were never meant to see Eternity and gain the power to bend the building blocks of existence and as such, are considered the greatest criminals in existence." I explained.
"Then... WHAT are you?" Olga Marie asked.
"I am... an Imaginary Number." I replied.
Before Olga Marie could ask further, Caster materializes beside him. "You're working hard."
"Better than nothing, right?" Olga Marie continues to inscribe runes in the stones.
Caster stares at the stones before walking forward and grabbing a couple of them. "Hey, don't touch without permission!"
Caster doesn't listen as he inspects the runes.
Olga Marie crosses her arms. "There's something important that I haven't confirmed yet."
"What is it?"
Olga Marie looks at Caster. "What is the Saber Servant's True Name? You speak as if you've fought them several times."
My eyes widened in surprise. "That's a good point. If you know something, it wouldn't be a good idea to keep it from us."
Caster stops throwing the stones. "Yes, I know. Anyone who's been struck by her Noble Phantasm would have realized her identity."
"?"
"Pulling the sword from a stone that selects a king. It's the most famous holy sword of all, even in your time period." Caster explains.
My eyes widened as I realized who Caster's talking about.
[Oh dear…]
"Its name is Excalibur."
Olga Marie gasps. "Excalibur!?"
"The sword belongs to King Arthur, the celebrated King of Knights." Caster states.
Olga Marie stands up. "You're going to let Mashu fight King Arthur!?" She exclaims. "Her Noble Phantasm hasn't even been released yet!"
"The young lady has that shield." Caster said.
"But her Noble Phantasm-"
"Wary of that shield, there was a bowman who targeted that young lady." Caster states.
"What?" Olga Marie said.
"If Archer makes a move, then Saber is definitely involved." Caster states. "And if my hunch is right… we can no longer hide."
Olga Marie stares at the Servant, now grasping the grim reality of their situation.
[So, Artoria has already set her sights on Mashu. But is she so obsessed with her?]
'It must be because of Galahad. She likely wishes to test the one who has inherited his power.' I said.
"We need to be ready, Saber is considered the strongest Servant class for a reason though Archer is no pushover either." Caster warns us.
"I understand, but-"
"We're running out of time and options, Olga. If we don't do this we'll never be able to leave." I said. "I understand you're concern with Ritsuka and Mashu but this has to be done."
Olga Marie looks at me in defiance before walking back inside, leaving Caster and I alone.
"Now that the little lady is gone, I want to ask you something," Caster pointed his staff at me. "What the hell are you? You aren't human and you are certainly not a Heroic Spirit. So talk."
"I suppose that if anyone would notice first, it would have to be you." I said.
"I could sense it from the other side of the city. It is so immense that it feels like I'm drowning in the vast ocean. Not even the Holy Grail can produce this much mana all at once." Caster states.
"You won't believe me even if I tell you."
"Once the grail is destroyed, I'll disappear." Caster states. "I have nothing to lose here, so why don't you just tell me."
I stare at Cú Chulainn for what feels like ages before giving in to his demands. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, my body begins to be surrounded in magical energy.
We stand in front of some kind of cave entrance deep in the forest. Despite looking like a natural formation, the residual mana in the area clearly states that this was brought about by magecraft.
"The Holy Grail is inside." Caster said.
[He is correct. I can detect the immense mana source coming from deep inside, changing and twisting the land around it and slowly spreading]
"It looks like a normal cave, but has it always been in Fuyuki City?" Mashu asked.
"It's half natural, half artificial. A mage spent many years expanding his underground workshop." Olga Marie states.
Fou's fur stiffens as it turns around and hisses.
We all turn back to see someone standing on top of a cliff. "Well, speak of the devil. The disciple is here." He is a man with unkempt white hair, tanned skin and golden eyes much like the last Blackened Servant. His outfit has been slightly altered, now wearing a pair of sleeveless gauntlets and is missing his signature red coat now only wearing a red cap around his waist. He also has red tattoos on both arms and on the left side of his face.
[Analysis Complete]
Servant Archer
True Name: EMIYA (Shirou Emiya)
Strength: ?
Endurance: ?
Agility: ?
Mana: ?
Luck: ?
NP: ?
Description: A Servant summoned to this Holy Grail War. After his defeat, he was resurrected and Blackened by the grail. He primarily snipes from afar, guarding Saber Alter and the cavern holding the Greater Grail
"... Shirou..." I blur out.
The corrupted Servant's narrows his eyes at me.
Caster looks at the red bowman. "Are you protecting the wilder of the holy sword as always?"
"I have no memory of becoming a disciple. But I can at least carry out the task of chasing off mundane visitors." Archer states.
"In other words, you're a gatekeeper." Caster rationalized. "I don't know what you're protecting Saber from, but let's end this here."
Archer snorts as he holds out his hand, summoning his black along with a sword in his other hand. He pulls back the string as the sword is altered to be more aerodynamic. "Sorry, but I don't have that kind of…" He sets his sights on Mashu. "...free time!" He lets go of the arrow as it flies at supersonic speeds, straight towards its intended target.
Caster and Mashu react a second too late as the arrow is about to make contact… only for it to suddenly vanish.
"!?" Archer exclaims.
"I won't allow you to hurt them." Everyone turns to see me holding Archer's arrow with my hand as it disintegrates into particles. "As long as I'm here, your arrows will never reach their target."
Archer narrows his eyes at me. "Is that so?"
My eyes glow a blue hue as they produce a red haze. "I don't know why you're putting so much effort in killing Mashu, but I'm putting an end to that."
Caster uses this chance to conjure runes and launches them at Archer but dodges them, destroying the edge he was standing on. "Go in right now! Saber's inside!"
The trio turn to the entrance. "Go now, quickly! We'll hold him off!"
Olga Marie turns to the two. "Let's go!" They all run inside.
Caster and I glance back as their figures run inside. "You sure you don't want to go with them?" Archer lands just a good distance in front of us. He looks up and sees the group running into the cavern and gives chase, but Caster and I stand in his way. Caster slams his staff into the ground as a rune appears under it, summoning flames that immediately seek out Archer and explode on contact, sending him flying.
"I'm sure, besides I have a feeling they'll be just fine." I said.
We sense something and look up to see a volley of arrows flying straight for us and jump up to dodge it, but not before another volley of arrows come barreling at us. Caster conjures more runes to destroy most of them while I use my A.T. Field to block the rest. We landed on the ruins of Ryuudou Temple but Archer left us no breathing room as he was preparing another shot while falling from high altitude.
"You're wide open!" He conjures another sword and pulls back his bow. This one is a pitch-black weapon with a few small edges coiling around the thin core, spiraling around it and somewhat curving outward. My eyes immediately recognize the sword-turned-projectile, this is getting serious.
He fires it and is enveloped in red light as it comes down straight for us.
Caster twirls his staff and slams it into the ground, causing large roots to rise and envelop us in a dome of wood. The attack makes contact and detonates destroying the wooden dome around us, but otherwise leaves us unharmed.
Archer traces Caladbolg II and fires it, leaving a trail of blue light as it comes towards us.
I raise both of my hands. "I think, therefore I am…"
Two blades forever intertwined
Yin and Yang
Reality shifts as two swords materialize on both of my hands. On my right hand is a white sword and on my left is a black sword with a red hexagonal pattern. They both have the yin and yang symbol above the handles.
[Noble Phantasm deployed. Type: Anti-Unit]
I charge at the incoming projectile and slash it with my sword, creating a massive explosion. Caster looks at the smoke before I jump back unscathed.
Archer recognizes the swords and growls in annoyance.
"Round two, asshole!" I point my sword at Archer.
"Here we go!" Caster kneels and slams his hand on the ground as a magic circle appears under him. Several more magic circles begin to appear as they encircle the entire area. Archer sees this and tries to leap away, but he crashes into an invisible wall and falls to the ground.
"Impressive." I remarked.
Archer's bow disappears as he glares up at us. "You put runes in the air!"
"My mentor had a spell that summoned the Gate of the Underworld. I ripped her off, basically." Caster states. "It won't do any good to shoot each other at long distance." He twirls his staff and proceeds to take a familiar fighting stance. "From here, let's go all out and have a regular fight!"
Archer snorts. "From a Caster-class? Maybe you're becoming smarter than before." He traces his own pair of Kanshou and Bakuya. "As for you, anomaly, I hope you can put up a good fight."
I take a fighting stance. "You should be more concerned with your own well being, Caster."
We charge at Archer at superhuman speeds, but he blocks our attacks with each sword. However, a creaking noise catches his attention and sees his opponent's blade sinking into his own. He kicks Caster's staff away just before Kanshou snaps in two then manages to twist his upper body to barely miss the attack.
"Now!" I yell as Caster's staff is surrounded in flames and goes in for the attack. Archer traces another blade and manages to deflect his attacks; however, he never noticed me creeping up behind him and bringing down a double overhead slash on his unguarded back.
"Ugh!" Archer grunts in pain as Caster manages to disarm him and send Bakuya flying. He clicks his tongue as he kicks Caster away and charges towards me for an attack. However, Archer is caught off guard as his opponent vanishes in front of him and is now standing on top of the temple. How is he doing this? Some kind of unknown Noble Phantasm?
"You're too distracted!" Archer turns around and sees Caster coming down and attacks but Archer is able to raise Kanshou just in time to block his strike.
"Game over!" Sparks fly as their weapons are caught in a deadlock. "I think you've gotten rusty." His attention then switches to the ethereal light coming from the mountains.
From the roof, I stare at the same light as well. It's either the Holy Grail or Saber is using her Noble Phantasm.
"You may be right." The corrupted bowman admits. "You've come this far, and you're still worried about someone else."
Caster blinks and notices something shiny from the corner of his eye. Like a boomerang, Bakuya flies straight towards them but as Archer reaches out, the sword is shot down by something.
From the rooftop, the barrel of Casull lets out smoke. "It is unwise to turn your back on the enemy, Shirou."
Caster's smirk turns into a grin as he backs away from Archer. He points his staff at him and a circle of fire surrounds him. A giant wooden three-fingered hand grabs Archer tightly and slams him into the ground with the force of a boulder. I cover my eyes from the sudden gust of wind which quickly dissipates as the wooden arm turns into golden particles. In the center, Archer lays there unmoving with visible holes all over his body and quickly disappears from this world.
"He wasn't like this. Before, he was more cunning in battle but his corruption changed into this shadow of his former self." Caster states.
"In other words, he was significantly weaker than before." I said. "At least, it didn't take us too long to take him down." I turn to the mountains. "Now we can focus on the real battle."
Inside the cavern, Mashu pants as she stands before King Arthur but much like other Servants, she's been corrupted. They've been at it for what felt like eternity and yet while she was giving it her all, the corrupted king hasn't even broken a sweat.
''... You would stand against me still, even after seeing where you stand among others like you... Very well. I shall answer those eyes with a true swing of my blade!'' Salter exclaims.
The blackened knight summoned her mana to fill her sword, to call upon its true name. It was one thing to see it be used on someone else, and it was another thing entirely to see it be used on you.
The sheer pressure washing over the two was suffocating, seeing the red light waiting on the other end was almost like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Yet instead of running, the two dug their feet into the floor and refused to move.
"Excalibur... Morgan!"
The power of the corrupted blade of legend smashed into Mash's shield, sending a ripple of air outwards to kick up rocks and dirt like a hurricane had just descended.
Mashu, with all her might strained every bit of her body to keep herself up, to not let her shield fall.
Yet nothing could change the fact that what she faced was mightier than anything she could give. Her heartbeat picked up, hammering again and again just trying to keep her standing. But every passing second made it harder and harder to hold onto her shield...
'It's no use… she's too strong.' Mashu collapses on her feet and is losing grip on her shield. 'I'm sorry… everyone…' She closes her eyes and waits for her inevitable demise.
…
…
There's a warmth coming from her hand.
Mashu opens her eyes and sees a hand holding onto her own tightly. Looking up, Mashu sees Ritsuka standing beside her with a determined look on her face.
The Demi-Servant can't help but smile. "Senpai…"
Ritsuka looks at her and gives her a smile. "I believe in you." The Command Seals on her hand begin to glow causing Mashu's body to be surrounded in light. She felt her Master's mana and feelings flowing into her as she stood back up, now more invigorated than before.
"Please watch me, Master." The giant shield begins to glow as an ethereal wall forms in front of them, surprising the Blackened King of Knights.
"A Noble Phantasm…" Olga Marie muttered.
"AHHHHHH!" Mashu puts more energy into the barrier, causing the energy from Excalibur Morgan to ripple and rebound.
"That shield is…!" But Salter didn't finish as the rebound attack exploded in front of her. When the smoke clears, Salter grits her teeth in anger as she glares at the shield that did this to her.
Ritsuka is awestruck by the Noble Phantasm but notices Mashu collapsing beside her. "Mashu!" Ritsuka grabs her by her waist not noticing the wall breaking down in front of him.
The Blackened Saber sees an opportunity as her body is encompassed in a black aura. "Excalibur…" She raises the sword above her head, converging her excess magical energy into a sword of darkness that is twice her size.
Mashu struggles to get back up. "I'm fine. It's not over yet…" She stands up as she grips the handle of her shield tightly.
[DIVIDE]
Everyone hears a voice from seemingly out of nowhere. It was soft yet the word rings with Supremacy.
"Who goes there?" Salter asked.
[DIVIDE]
[DIVIDE]
Salter looks up in disbelief as her Noble Phantasm begins to shrink back to its original form. "Impossible!"
"But how…?" The Chaldea group looked up to see me with a pair of white dragon-like wings with eight blue translucent "feathers".
"Sorry for the wait." I land next to Olga Marie. "But he needed to get ready." As I said that another voice echoes throughout the cavern.
"My Magecraft is a Cage in Flame.
A Flaming yet verdant giant.
Retribution.
A shrine that purifies the evil of human affairs."
Ritsuka sees Caster quickly passing them. "I'm proud you held out for this long." He stops and stands in front of Salter.
"The one who destroys…"
He takes his staff and points it at the Blackened Servant.
"Wicker Man!"
A circle of fire appears around Salter and a massive statue made entirely of wooden roots and sticks with a metal door on its torso. Salter tries to leap away but the wicker man grabs her. It opens the metal door and throws her inside then it proceeds to fall and it engulfs itself in flames with Salter still inside. A massive giant of fire sprouts from the fire and rises upwards, destroying the roof of the cavern.
As the smoke dissipates, we see Salter still alive marginally unharmed, but Caster and I can see that her appearance is just superficial.
"Victory for the power that protects? I see…" Salter began. "Such an innocent one…" The Servant then uncharacteristically smiles as her body slowly breaks down into light. "Ultimately, no matter how fate changes, I face the same end where I'm alone."
"What do you mean?" Caster asked.
"Eventually, you will come to know Ireland's Child of Light." Saber said. "Grand Order…"
Olga Marie's eyes widened in shock.
"The battle for the Holy Grail has just begun…" With that Salter disappears completely.
"Grand Order?" Suddenly, a massive headache overwhelms me as I kneel on the ground. "Agh!" A series of glitched images play in my head, but I can't tell what's what in them. "Ngh!"
Olga Marie reaches out and grabs my shoulder. "Are you okay!?"
"Fou, Fou!"
I stand up and turn back and give the two a strained smile. "I'm fine, you two…"
"Hey, wait! What do you mean by-!" Caster notices light particles coming from his hand as well. He turns to the two in behind him. "Young ladies, I'm leaving the rest to you!"
"Caster!" Ritsuka cries out.
"If there is a next time, summon me as a Lancer!" Caster said as he also fades away.
As they did, a golden uneven crystal appeared in the spot Salter stood. I walk towards the crystal and pick it up, it suddenly disappears in my hand. "The heck?"
"Confirmed. Caster and Saber are both gone." Mashu states. "Does this mean we… won?"
Something begins to ring as Ritsuka pulls back her sleeve, answering her communicator. "Well done, Mashu and Fujimaru! It looks like I can't get any visuals from there so I can't wait to see your happy faces!"
The two smile at each other before turning to Olga Marie, who looks like is in a trance.
"Grand Order…" Olga Marie mutters. "How did that Servant know that word?"
"You okay?" I asked.
"Hm? Yes, I am fine, thank you." The director replied.
"Does it have something to do with that word?" I asked.
Olga Marie said nothing.
'Grand Order... what could it mean?' I thought.
"Director!" Ritsuka and Mashu walk towards us, snapping her out of her train of thought.
Olga Marie turns to them and smiles. "Good work, you two."
"Fou!" Fou jumps to Ritsuka's shoulder.
"Mashu." Olga Marie began. "Even if you're inexperienced, or even if you're a temporary Servant, you still made a wish and the shield opened to you."
Mashu smiles and nods.
"If you do acquire its True Name, you don't have the slightest interest in becoming a Heroic Spirit. I'm sure that's why the shield responded to you." Olga Marie states.
Ritsuka tilts her head a little confused by her words.
Olga Marie sighs. "Forget it, I was just teasing you. But it is inconvenient using a Noble Phantasm without a True Name. I'll think of something for you." She thinks for a minute. "Let's see… How about Lord Chaldeas? The name Chaldea has a meaning for you too, doesn't it?"
I deadpanned. "Really? That's all you could come up with?"
A tick mark appears on Olga Marie's head. "What's wrong with the name I picked!? I think it's pretty good!"
"I like it." Mashu said. "Thank you, chief."
"Lord Chaldeas it is then." I said.
"Oh you can be such a-" Suddenly the room is overtaken by the sounds of clapping.
"My, I never thought you would all get this far." Turning to the source, we see a figure standing above the edge of the pit. "This is an unforeseen element of the project that goes beyond what my tolerance allows."
"You're…" Ritsuka began.
"Doctor Lev!" Mashu instantly finished.
"What!? Doctor Lev!?" Romani yells.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to analyze him only to get with a headache.
[Lev Lainur]
[ERROR]
[Anomaly detected!]
[Subject status does not match last records]
[Beginning to expand search parameters for possible solution]
I arch an eyebrow at the plethora of red screens obscuring my vision. "Well, that's never happened before."
"Lev… Lev." Olga says with enthusiasm and runs towards the 'man'. "Thank goodness, you're alive! Without you, I don't know what I'd..."
"Hi, Olga. It seems you had a rough time, too." Lev said.
"Wait, Olga. Sto-!" I blink in shock at what I saw.
[Olga Marie Animusphere]
[Current Status: Deceased]
"Yes, that's exactly right, Lev! With all the unexpected events, I thought I'd go crazy!" Olga Marie cried. "But now that you're here, we'll get through it somehow, won't we!?"
"Of course." Lev said.
Olga Marie smiles.
"I'm just so furious at all these unexpected events." Lev said, his voice eerily cold and unforgiving. "Romani, I told you to come to the control room right away."
"Lev?" Romani said.
"And you, Olga Marie…" The director stops running as she notices something off. "I planted the bomb right under your feet. I can't believe you're still alive. Well, not exactly alive." A manic smile appears on his face. "In fact, you're dead. Your physical body, anyway."
Ritsuka and Mashu gasp in shock.
"So that it." Everyone turns to me. "Back to what Caster said. You are a first-class magus yet somehow she isn't able to form a contract with a Servant. There's also the fact that the explosion happened in the exact room she and the other candidates were in, yet she alone managed to make the jump here way before Ritsuka and Mashu did." I explained. "The only explanation for that is Olga died back in the real world and her soul and consciousness managed to bind with the system reconstructing her body based on your memories."
"The boy is correct, Olga. You only exist so long as CHALDEAS allows it." Lev said with mild amusement.
"Lies…" Olga Marie mutters. "You're lying…"
"If you go back, your soul and consciousness will return to your body and die there, but if you stay you will cease to exist along with this reality." I said solemnly. "I'm so sorry, Olga."
"You gave your life to Chaldea, so the least I can do is show you what's going on." Lev snaps his fingers as a portal of Chaldea opens behind him.
"Wh-What is that!?" Olga Marie stutters. "T-That's not real, right? That's just a virtual image, right, Lev?"
"It's the real thing. I've linked space-time together for you." Lev states. "With the Holy Grail, even this is possible."
My eyes widened. "You're using a Holy Grail? How did you get your hands on one?"
"Fufu, there are Holy Grails scattered throughout time and space. I am merely calling upon a fragment of its power granted by my master." Lev said. "So take a good look, scion of the Animusphere family. This is the fate of your family's lunacy." Lev points his hand at Olga Marie causing her body to levitate.
"Hey, what are you…!?" Olga Marie struggles to break free.
"As this is the end, I'll make your wish come true. You may touch your treasure." Lev said.
"What are you talking about!? "S-Stop it! That's CHALDEAS!"
"Yes, it's no different from a black hole, or perhaps the sun. Either way, if a human touches it, they will be split apart at a molecular level." Lev explained. "You will experience living infinite death."
"Chief!" Ritsuka tries to run after her but someone stops him.
"No, senpai!" Mashu shouts but then a gust of wind catches them off guard.
I fly straight towards them. In my mind, information begins to surface in my mind.
A golden arrow
Immortal
Power to rule everything
It's name is...
"THE WORLD!" The moment I said those two words an unnatural sound flows out from my body and the world changes to a diluted version of itself. Ritsuka, Mashu, Fou, Olga Marie, and Lev are all completely frozen.
5 seconds.
Five Black Keys appear on both of my hands and I throw them at the mad mage. The moment they leave my hands, they all freeze in place, all of them aimed at Lev.
4 seconds.
I fly towards him and punch him right through his chest.
3 seconds.
I fly towards Olga Marie whose leg was just about to touch the core of Chaldea and pluck her out.
2 seconds
I destroy the portal to CHALDEAS.
1 second
I fly down and stand next to Ritsuka and Mashu.
0 second
"Time will resume." On my command, the world regains its color. Lev doubles over in pain before noticing the Black Keys coming towards him. The exorcist blades run him through multiple parts of his body before losing balance and falling in the pit.
Everyone blinks as they just saw Doctor Lev falling to literal death seemingly out of nowhere.
"Eh?" Ritsuka blinked. "What just happened?"
"I don't know." Mashu said, just as confused as her.
"Wh-what!? What happened!?" Olga Marie looks at me and blushes crimson. "Wh-what are you doing!?"
"I think the correct answer would be "rescuing a damsel in distress.'. I told her.
"P-Put me down this instant!" Olga Marie demanded.
I did as she said and put her down. "First, we have to do something about your condition." I raise my hand.
The Cup of Heaven
True Revival
A small coffee cup, filled with a glowing substance appears in my hand. "Drink this, it should make you feel better."
Olga Marie takes the cup. "Wh-What is it?"
"Heaven's Feel. True Magic." Olga Marie and Mashu's eyes widen while Ritsuka just looks confused.
"What-what-WHAT!?" Olga Marie screams out.
"You are running out of time so it would be best if you drink it." I told her.
Olga Marie looks at the substance in the cup before promptly drinking it. As she drinks it, her body begins to emit an ethereal glow and levitates just above the ground.
"The soul contains the memories, mind, and magic circuits of a person, and it uses the person's body as an anchor to the world to keep from being dispersed and returning to Akasha." Ritsuka and Mashu look at me. "Once the brain and body are destroyed, it is impossible to restore a person's dispersed soul, and even the magical ability of the Holy Grail can't restore a destroyed body. Even if the soul is placed in a copy body, it wouldn't be the same as the original no matter how perfect it is." I explained. "Heaven's Feel focuses on the Materialization of the Soul which stops the inevitable dispersion of the soul once it no longer has an anchor to the world, and essentially makes it transcend to a higher form of existence. It is a magic that realizes true immortality by making the soul into a high-dimensional being capable of interacting with the material world as a mental body without having to return to Akasha."
"What does this mean for the director?" Mashu asked.
"She'll be more than a human, something close to a Phantasmal Beast." I replied. "Or at least that would be case."
"?" Both girls look at me skeptically.
"Though her soul will no longer disappear, it will still require a vessel to house the soul. Fortunately, I have such a vessel." I point at the ground and a black void appears and from it, something begins to surface. It was a humanoid-like doll with a blank face with no visible features with grid-like tattoos engraved everywhere. The tattoos begin to glow blue and strings begin to manifest and attach themselves on Olga before pulling her into the doll. As the doll pulls the director into itself, it begins to shift and morph before stabilizing into a perfect copy of Olga Marie Animusphere.
The two girls can only watch in shock and awe as I promptly pick her up.
"Let's get out here. Gate." A violent vortex appears in front of us, "If I got the coordinates right, this portal should take us back to your base."
"Are you certain?" Mashu asks, hesitation evident in her voice.
"The likelihood of failure is less than 1%." The ground rumbles violently as reality breaks down around us. "Let's go." The two girls look at each other and with no alternative take the gamble and walk inside the portal along with their mysterious friend.
A second later, my leg touches the metal floor of the control room from where all the Master candidates would be sent to Fuyuki. The room is still ruined from the explosion, but there are no sights of blood, corpses and body parts around.
As soon as we arrived, a man in a lab coat with fluffy orange hair burst into the ruined room wearing an expression that mixes anxiety and jubilation.
[Analysis Complete]
Name: Doctor Romani Archaman
Title: Head of Chaldea Medical Department
Status: Alive
Current thoughts: shocked, relieved
S̸̛͙̥͚̺̞͆͋̔͂͒̽̈̊̚͝o̶̡̢̡̜͕̩̳̞̎͌̆̃̃̚ĺ̸̜̫̻̩̙̒̌́̔̋͝ͅo̵͖͍͋m̴̢̡̛̮̤̥͖͎̖̠͕̽̔õ̵̡̩̹̼̦̥͇̮̔̈́͛̿̊̓͜͝͠ň̸̠̝̺̖̮͎͕̐̾̆͠
"...?"
"Y-you're back! I'm so happy to see you all!" He then sees Olga Marie in my hands. "Is she-"
"She is alive, Romani Archaman. She is simply fatigued by the resurrection ritual." I told him. "Do you know where the infirmary is?"
Roman was surprised that this man knew his name but he was too intimidated by his aura to question it. "Y-Yes, of course! Let me take care of it!" He calls for a stretcher and no sooner he did a worker brings it forward. I put Olga on the stretcher and they wheel her out of the room. "You two should get some rest, you've had a long day." He smiles at the girls before quickly leaving the room.
Ritsuka and Mashu let out a long sigh before promptly collapsing on the floor. I look at them and look at the ruined room around me, slowing being cleaned and repaired by robots. Whatever happened to me is somehow connected to what's happening to them and I don't have the faintest idea as to why.
What concerns me more is what Lev said about the Holy Grail. Whoever his master is, he probably is has connection to all of this.
It seems we will be staying in Chaldea for the foreseeable future.
[This is going to be wild ride, isn't it?]
Flame Contaminated City: Fuyuki
Foundation Restored
Noble Phantasms used:
Kanshou and Bakuya : Gān Jiàng and Mò Yé (C-) Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm
A "married" twin pair of swords representing Yin and Yang, crafted by the blacksmith Gān Jiàng of Wu during the Spring and Autumn Period of China. They were crafted more for the sake of crafting, as if questioning the meaning of the swordsmith, than for any real idea behind their creation. They were created without vanity, and lack a sense of purpose found in other swords. They contain no fighting spirit to defeat others nor a competitive spirit to beat other weapons, and they contain neither the desire to be famous nor the faith to accomplish great deeds.
Upon receiving orders from the King of Wu to forge an imperial sword, Gān Jiàng (Kanshō) could not think of ways to forge swords that fit such orders. While he was extremely frustrated and desperate, his wife, Mò Yé (Bakuya), upon seeing this situation, decided to gamble her own life. The sacrificing of human lives is absolutely necessary in order to forge items reaching the realm of Gods, so Bakuya hurled herself into the furnace in front of the husband she loved and used her own life to help the Essence of Five Mountains and the Metal of Six Heroes meld. Kanshou forged the two swords in grief. He kept the Yang sword, named "Gān Jiàng", and he only handed over the Yin Sword, "Mò Yé", to the king when it came time to present them. The king was furious upon discovering the deception, and he had Gān Jiàng killed.
They are rather low ranking compared to other Noble Phantasms, but the dual-wielding style, their experience, and their tracing time makes them very reliable. The main ability of the swords is their strong bond with each other, which not only allows them to attract each other, but it is also said they will return to their owner even if events cause them to be lost. If one is thrown while the other is held, that sword will inevitably return to the wielder much like a boomerang. This works well with projection, allowing an already projected sword to identify a new projection as its partner sword. When both are wielded, the wielder's Magic Resistance and physical resistance improve, and their rank as both weapons and Noble Phantasms increases.
Lord Chaldeas: Virtual Noble Phantasm Pseudo-Deployment: Foundation of Human Order (D) Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm
The Noble Phantasm of Mash Kyrielight. It is a variation of Lord Camelot deployed using Mash's instincts without understanding the True Name of the Heroic Spirit possessing her, Galahad.
Olga Marie Animusphere names this Noble Phantasm. Crowned with the name of Chaldea, it is likely from Mash's wish "to see the future of mankind." The Noble Phantasm expands forward a protective barrier. Despite its degradation in rank due to being invoked with a false name, the shield is still capable of blocking a direct blast from Excalibur Morgan.
Excalibur Morgan: Sword of Promised Victory (A++) Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm
The form Excalibur takes after being corrupted by evil. Just as the fairies of the Lake, Vivian and Morgana, can coexist as polar opposites embodying good and evil, Excalibur can also hold a dual existence of good and evil. Due to its nature as a "sword that amplifies", it is blackened when Saber is blackened by Angra Mainyu, reflecting her inner feelings and corrupted nature as "Saber Alter". The blackened magical energy is the primeval curse that lurks in the British Isles, and it is Artoria's older sister, Fairy Queen Morgana, who has inherited it from King Uther. The name of this holy sword has changed because it may be the only connection that Artoria has with Morgan le Fay, with whom she could never see eye to eye until the very end.
Becoming the "Black Sword of Ultimate Light", it is no longer sheathed in Invisible Air and takes on a different appearance. Rather than creating an almighty slash at the tip of the sword, Excalibur gathers a large amount of magical energy to cover the sword in a black light with the same shape. It matters not if it is filled with good or stained by evil as the fact that it is the strongest holy sword does not change. It can either be used to attack as a blazing black flame in a similar fashion to the regular Excalibur or, as shown in Fate/unlimited codes, swung like a sword in an upward arc multiple times as a technique named Vortigern: Hammer of the Vile King. Due to the corruption and the enormous amount of magical energy received from Sakura Matou, Saber can fire this version of Excalibur without limit.
Divine Dividing: White Dragon Emperor's Wings (C-EX) Anti-Divine Noble Phantasm
It is one of the thirteen Longinus and holds the spirit of Albion, the White Dragon Emperor of Supremacy. Divine Dividing has the ability to "Divide" the power of its opponents by half after coming into physical contact with them every 10 seconds. The halved powers are then added to his/her own powers. If the added power exceeds the amount that the wielder can safely contain, the excess energy is then expelled out through the wings, which allows the user to always be at their highest potential. It also has the power to Reflect, allowing the user to safely redirect oncoming attacks. Just like the Boosted Gear, it is vulnerable to Dragon-slaying magic, swords and curses. Also continuous use of the Divine Dividing's "Divide" ability will drain the wielder's stamina to a significant degree. If the user has no way of expelling the excess stored power, they will be forced to endure the strain of carrying the excess power and it can stop its evolved forms from functioning temporarily.
Wicker Man: Cage of Scorching, Consuming Flames (B) Anti-Army Noble Phantasm
The Noble Phantasm of Cú Chulainn in his Caster form. When used, Caster summons a sacrifice-seeking flame giant. A giant composed by countless tree branches makes his appearance. Said giant wears flames on his body and applies intense heat and flame damage by rushing in on the target. This giant's torso is a cage, and it is primarily there to imprison a sacrifice. However, the storage of the cage on the giant's torso that appeared as a Noble Phantasm is empty, hence the giant rages while primarily seeking a sacrifice to make an offering to the gods. This is not a secret art of the Runes, but a Noble Phantasm of the Celtic druids, given to the Child of Light who manifested as a "Celt magus" that manipulates sweltering heat.
The World: Time is at My Command (A++) Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm
The ability to stop time within a certain range, allowing the user and anyone with the same ability to move freely within the still world. All force applied by the user during the time stop continues to exist after time resumes. This can be seen when objects thrown can momentarily move during the stopped time before grinding to a halt, and then regaining its initial momentum once time starts moving again. Another unique feature of the time stop is how the user can seemingly float in stopped time. Since no forces other than the time stopper's exist during a time stop, there is no force of gravity, allowing them to move freely in space as they wish.
Author Notes
EDIT: 6/23/2023
Finally done with this. It was pretty long but I managed to finish Singularity F in under three chapters, so that's great.
Anyways I want to know what you guys think and let me know in the comments.
Peace~