Chapter 1 - Summoning (Singularity F)
...
After meeting her new boss (who is cute and VERY tsundere) and the absolute cutest girl to ever exist (eggplant Kouhai), one young girl by the name of Ritsuka Fujimaru thinks that's a fair trade for being thrown into a burning hellscape of a city filled with murderous monstrosities almost twenty years in an alternate past.
How is this possible? Magic bullshit.
Admittedly, Ritsuka is intrigued by the mere existence of magic, but is much more interested in one thing.
"So it's like gacha?"
The white haired lady and her boss, Olga Marie Animusphere, scowls at her. "No, it is not like gacha."
"You just said that there's a CHANCE to summon a Heroic Spirit or something else random. That's the textbook definition of gacha!" The orangette shouts at her boss.
Olga sighs, rubbing her temples as she mutters, "Why me...?"
"What is... gacha, Senpai?" The cutest girl in the world and Demi-Servant, Mash Kyrielight, asks her contractor Master, much curiosity in her voice.
Ritsuka gasps, aghast. "You don't know what gacha is?!"
Mash, wide eyed and still confused, shakes her head.
"Well, don't worry, Mash. Your senpai is gonna tell you all about it." Ritsuka happily says.
"Later! You will tell her later!" Olga Marie snaps, causing the teenagers to jolt. "Now, summon a Servant!"
Ritsuka sighs. "Fine."
The whitette girl eyes the orangette suspiciously. "You DO know the chant, don't you?"
"Pfft. Of course I do." Ritsuka waves her boss' concerns off, before looking at Mash's shield- laid on the ground- and holding her hand out towards it. "COME ON GIVE ME A SSR!"
"That is NOT- Wait... that actually WORKED?!" Olga shouts, seeing the Servant summoning succeed, despite the complete and utter lack of the proper incantation.
Mash's shield glows brightly, before it dies down slowly. As it goes away, standing there is a young man, a bit older than Ritsuka is, although he is quite a bit taller than her- one hundred and eighty-two (six feet even) to her one hundred and fifty-eight (just over five foot-two). He has short, red hair and golden eyes. His clothes are... actually very normal, just consisting of a t-shirt, grey jeans, a watch, and tennis shoes.
However, that isn't important to Ritsuka. What she focuses on is-
"Holy shit, he's hot!"
In all honesty, getting into the Throne of Heroes never even occurred to me as a possibility.
Then again, I did do a lot of good shit- fixed a lot of things, etc.
Still, I found myself blinking as I looked down at... oh, fuck me, it's Fate/Grand Order. In front of me are three girls.
Olga Marie Animusphere, who's looking at me in utter bafflement for some reason.
Mash Kyrielight, the adorable purplette who is one of the cutest things I've ever bore witness too, currently looking at me in surprise.
And lastly, the orange haired, notably female Ritsuka Fujimaru, who's staring up at me with UNRESTRAINED LUST. As evidenced by her saying-
"Holy shit, he's hot!"
-that. Seems we're going with the Fem MC on this one. Not that I'm complaining, she's cute.
So, I blink in confusion of a sec, before smiling. "Thanks, you're pretty hot, too."
Ritsuka blushes, torn between happiness and shyness.
Olga growls at me.
"Oh, don't worry, you're beautiful too."
My comment only makes her seethe more, only with a blush this time.
"And you..." I say, turning to Mash, who freezes. "...are fucking adorable."
"I know right!" Ritsuka says, happily.
"Erm, you ARE a Heroic Spirit... aren't you?" Mash asks, unsure.
"Yup, that's me. Pretender Class Servant, Emiya Shirou- at your service." I say, theatrically bowing with a hand held at my chest.
"Pretender Class? There's no such thing." Olga scoffs.
"Ah, you don't know about the extra classes, huh?" I ask.
Olga and Mash blink.
"There's more than the usual seven." I explain. "Like a bunch more."
"Classes?" Ritsuka asks.
"You didn't get that explained yet?" I ask, earning a negative nod from the Master. "Well, the usual seven are Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, and Berserker, but there are more. Ruler, Avenger, Alter Ego, Moon Cancer, Foreigner, Shielder, Saver, Gunner, Faker, Gatekeeper, Watcher, Voyager, Pretender, and probably way more that I don't even know."
"There are that many?" Mash blinks.
"And more probably, though some only have a few Servants eligible for them." I explain. "But enough of that. I introduced myself, now you."
"Ah, I'm Mash Kyrielight. Shielder Class Demi-Servant." The eggplant greets politely.
"Demi-Servant?" I raise an eyebrow, faking not knowing. "So someone finally figured out how to do that, huh?" I say that, but I'm already aware of who and what she is.
Olga narrows her eyes at me, but goes next. "I am Olga Marie Animusphere, the current Director of Chaldea."
"Chaldea? Ah, right. The Grail info just came in." I lie easily. "We're in a right mess, huh?" Olga and Mash tensely nod.
"And I'm Fujimaru Ritsuka, but just call me Gudako, handsome." The orangette winks, much to the shock and embarrassment of Mash and frustration of Olga.
I merely laugh at that. "You and I are gonna get along just fine, Gudako. And just call me Shirou. Even if someone knows my name, they aren't gonna figure out my tricks."
"That's ridiculous. If you're a Heroic Spirit, surely your name will give you away." Olga scoffs.
"I'm not like the other Emiya Shirous out there. I'm unique among them all." I say, serious as I can. "Trust me, no-one knows what I can do unless I tell 'em... Or unless they've got clairvoyance or something like it." I add, shrugging.
"Other Emiya Shirous?" Gudako asks.
"Of course there are other versions of me. Kaleidoscope and all that." I explain. "I'd wager the version of me in this place is already dead."
"You're here, too?" Gudako asks, wide eyed.
"Well, yeah. I'm FROM Fuyuki. Plus, the body I'm in is from around this time, albeit not this timeline." I explain. I loved a full life, but I'm a teenager again. Then again, most of the shit I became known for occurred when I was this age, so it adds up.
"How do you know?" Olga asks.
"Because my parents dismantled the Holy Grail War system before the Fourth War occurred." I say, surprising Olga and Mash. "The fact that one happened here at this point means this ain't my timeline."
"So you're of no help in that regard." Olga sighs.
"Oh, c'mon. I still know the area, at the very least." I say, exasperated. "Besides, with me, there's no way for you to lose."
"And how do you know that?" The whitette challenges.
"Because you used Mash's shield as a catalyst- it might end up being the same as not using one at all. That means you summoned the best Servant for the job. Ergo, me" I say, gesturing to myself.
Olga scoffs, whereas Mash and Gudako seem a bit unsure.
"I see y'all are doubtful. That's fine." I shrug. "Maybe we can ask Assassin." Or Lancer. Or Caster a bit farther away.
"Assassin?" Mash blinks.
"Oh, yeah, there's one right outside." I smirk.
"Huh?!" Olga shouts. Just then, a shadow figure drops down from the roof of the temple we're in. Ah, Hassan of the Cursed Arm. Not Kojirou?
Mash gasps, picking up her shield. "Senpai, please give me your orders!"
But before anything else happens, another one drops in. Ah, it's Musashibou Benkei. Or maybe it's that other guy who might just be a Pretender too. Then again, Pretenders didn't exist in FGO at the time he was released, so...
"Another one?!" Olga shouts. Mash furrows her brow and Gudako seems a bit scared, but not as much as I would expect. "Dammit. This is..." Olga mutters out a curse.
"Not that bad. Mash and I can take 'em." I say, confident.
"Oh, can you?" Assassin asks, voice distorted, making him sound like he's in Devil Trigger or something.
"I can slap you so hard you turn into paste." I shoot back. "And I know Mash can do the same with that shield of hers."
Mash blushes behind me, averting her gaze from me, before shaking her head and focusing on the enemies.
"You sure are confident, huh, Shirou?" Gudako asks.
"I have reason to be." I smile at the orangette. "Now then, what'll we do? You're the Master here."
Gudako blinks, before nodding. "Then let's fight them."
Olga opens her mouth, before closing it.
Mash looks ready, but a bit wary still. I place a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. You're too cute to lose." She blushes hard at my praise- Gudako also looks a bit jealous-, but nods, ready as can be.
Mash dashes at Benkei, who meets her shield with his spear. I calmly walk over to Cursed Arm, who tenses, before I open a portal in front of me, punching my hand into it. Another opens behind him, my fist coming out of it and slamming into the back of his head, causing him to fly towards me. Closing the portals, I spin and kick the Assassin far away.
Olga's eyes are wide, whereas Gudako...
"That was awesome!" Well, her eyes are sparkling.
Throwing her a thumbs up over my shoulder, I walk outside to see Mash and Benkei are going at it, the Lancer faster than she. It's clearly her first day fighting- her style is really rough and simple. Smirking, I walk over, silencing my footsteps- Dark Souls style. Hush for the win-, before tapping him on the shoulder. He turns around right into my punch, which causes him to spin around right into Mash's shield, which spins him back to me. This back and forth continues until I knee him in the stomach. Looking at Mash, I nod, which she returns with one of her own.
Moving forward, I punch Lancer away, before teleporting behind him and kicking him back to Mash. Before his ragdolled body reaches her, the Shielder raises her cross-like shield up, before-
BAM
-slamming the front of it down on Benkei, indenting him into the ground.
"Nice." I smirk, giving Mash a thumbs up, which she returns. I quickly move my hand behind my back and catch a knife. "Clever girl." I say, turning to face Cursed Arm.
Tossing the knife up, it enters a portal, before far more appear behind me. The Assassin is forced to dodge an onslaught of his own knives- most impaling him. Once it's done, he growls, before ripping of the bandages on his elongated arm, revealing the limb, ominously glowing orange. He holds it out, a heart appearing in his hand. "Humans souls... are insubstantial things. Writhe in agony! Delusional Heartbeat: Zaba-URK?!"
Having sent a clone during the onslaught of knives, the Hassan finds himself staring at an arm going through his chest from behind, holding his own beard in its palm. Smirking, my clone says, "Gotcha bitch.", before crushing it in hand. Hassan fades into notes of gold as my clone fizzles out.
Turning around, I see a Mash staring at me with wide eyes. I notice Lancer standing up, prompting me to point behind her. Mash turns around, slamming her shield's edge down on Lancer a few times, causing him to fade away into gold.
Smiling, I walk over to Mash. "Nice one." I say, holding my hand up. Mash looks at the hand, confused. "It's a high-five. Smack your hand against mine."
Mash nods, using her hand to complete the high-five.
"So, did I earn that vote of confidence?" I ask the onlookers. Olga is wide eyed and her mouth open.
Gudako practically sprints up to me. "That was amazing! Those portals and that clone and how you and Mash smacked that spear guy around! That was incredible! It was like watching an action movie!"
"Why thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the show." I smile.
"Handsome and a badass? Best Servant ever!" The orangette cheers, hugging me tightly. Then she pauses, "Ah, scratch that. Second best Servant ever. Mash takes the top spot."
"Eh?" The purplette squeaks.
"Totally. I'm not cute enough for the top spot." I agree. Gudako smiles as I understand her. Mash's blush only strengthens.
"You- Wha- That- Urk- HOW?!" Olga manages out.
"How what?" I ask.
"How did you do half of that? That was closer to True Magic than Magecraft!" Olga shouts.
"What's the difference?" My Master asks.
"One is science done through magic, the other is bullshit." I summarize as she lets me go. "As for how I did it, it's simple- I'm just a random asshole who got smacked into the Root and got the First Magic."
""HUH?!"" Olga and Mash scream. Didn't think the eggplant had the pipes for that.
"The Root?" Gudako asks.
"All magi want to reach it. It's why the Grail War is such a big deal, the winner basically gets a free pass to get to the Root and learn everything." I explain.
"Everything about what?" Gudako asks.
"Everything about everything." I say, seriously. "I use True Magic, which draws power from the Root. That means only Mash is draining your prana- Magic reserves- from you, not me."
"You're... a magician, Pretender-san?" Mash asks, slowly. Olga hasn't blinked.
"Call me Shirou. And yes, I've got Magic, with a capital M." I say, slightly smug.
"I call bullshit on that." A new voice says, causing the girls to jump. Turning, I see-
"Ah, I was wondering when you'd jump in, Caster." I say. It's Cú Chulainn, but as a Caster.
"Eh, you and the girlie had it handed." He shrugs. "Still, I doubt that Magician shit."
"I'll just hafta prove you wrong, then." I smirk.
Cú grins. "I'll hold ya to that, kiddo."
"Kiddo? I'm fucking ninety-three, idiot. I oughta be callin' YOU kid." I shoot back.
"Eh? You look god for a silver fox, Shirou." Gudako teases. I shoot her a deadpan look. Olga still hasn't blinked. I reach over and close her mouth for her.
"Erm, Senpai, Pr- Shirou-san? Should we... be fighting?" Mash asks, hesitantly. I guess she ain't dropping the 'san', huh?
"Dunno. You wanna fight?" I ask the Caster.
"Not really." That's surprising to hear from him. Does being a Caster lessen his fighting urges? Or maybe he's being cautious, or even tired after all this shit that's going on around here.
"Then no." I say to Mash. Gudako just smiles.
"Finally! I got through again, and- Director? Is she okay?" A hologram of Dr. Roman appears next to us.
"She's just shocked that I'm a Servant with the First Magic." I casually say.
"..." Roman looks at me, unblinking.
"Um... is he...?" Mash asks.
"Wait for it." I say.
"...HUH?!" Roman shouts.
"There it is." I smile.
"So you're saying Saber RE-started the war?" Olga asks, her and Roman having calmed down before Caster began to explain the situation.
The blue haired man grimly nods. "After that, she beat everyone else save for me, before they got corrupted by that mud the kid told ya about." He says, referring to how I explained Angry Mango and the third war.
"So we've got a mud and Grail powered Saber, and beating her will end the war?" Gudako asks.
"Hopefully." Roman nods over the comms.
"And she managed to beat Berserker?" I ask, making sure.
Cú grimly nods. "Yeah, the guy kept getting back up. So long as we don't go near him, he hopefully won't bother us."
I suppress a groan. "Alright. Then we have a plan. First things first- Olga, Gudako, take a rest for a little bit. We'll move when you're ready." The two girls nod, fine with that plan. "Mash, you and I are gonna train."
"We are?" The purplette blinks.
"Yup." I smirk. "You weren't half bad with your shield, but I oughta give you a few pointers. Plus, I need to make sure you can use your Noble Phantasm."
"That's... a good idea, Shirou-san." Mash nods. "Then lets train."
Mash and I walk outside the temple.
"Are you sure he can train her?" Olga asks.
"If the kid really has the First Magic, the lass oughta learn a lot form him." Caster says.
"Like what?" Gudako asks, before they flinch at a yell.
"DODGE!"
"...Like that." Cú smirks. "Dodging is also important, shield or not."
We come back inside a bit later, Mash covered in grass and dirt.
"Are... you okay, Mash?" Gudako asks.
Despite looking worse for wear, Mash smiles. "Yes. I managed to release my Noble Phantasm. I still don't know the name, but..."
"I told you, stick with Lord Chaldeas for now." I say. "You can figure it out later." I could tell her, but she needs to learn when we get to the sixth singularity. It'll be more important. Plus, if I remember that fanfic on QQ correctly, I don't want Galahad to start taking over her body or anything.
A bit later, I propose an idea before we leave, knowing that EMIYA is acting as Saber's guard dog- no pun intended.
"Teleport?" Olga deadpans. "Of course, why couldn't you teleport?"
"Look, you wanna get around the Noble Phantasm-spamming asshole or not?" I ask, slightly fed up.
"Noble...? Ugh, fine." Olga sighs, going with the flow. Good, good.
"So we're just gonna teleport past him?" Gudako asks.
"Yup."
"Awesome...!" The orangette mutters.
"Yeah, now all I've gotta do is-"
"▂▂▃▃▅▅!" A roar interrupts us.
The girls and Caster tense.
"What... the hell... was that?" Olga asks, wide eyed.
"Berserker." Cú says, grimly.
I smirk. "Teleporting can wait." I say, walking away.
"Shirou? What are you doing?" Gudako asks, worriedly.
"Gonna prove how strong I am. Im gonna go bitchslap Heracles real quick." I smirk, leaving the temple.
"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Olga asks.
"So that's who he is..." Caster mutters.
Worriedly, the three girls and Caster all leave the temple to hear the sounds of... explosions? To their surprise, they see Shirou fist fighting with a giant of a man. Shirou, despite being smaller, is moving just as fast and growing just as powerful blows as the demigod.
"Holy shit..." Gudako breathes out.
Smirking, the Servant jumps up over Heracles' fist, before throwing a punch that seems to distort the air, causing the larger man's head to explode. He falls back with a thud as Shirou lands on his feet. Gudako grimaces at the sight.
"That... wasn't as bad as you made it out to be." Olga says.
"Oh, right. I didn't tell you about his revival trick." Caster says.
"Revival?" Mash blinks.
Suddenly, Berserker's body glows red as his head reforms. He stands back up and glares at Pretender, who only smirks.
"▂▂▃▃▅▅!" Roaring, Heracles rushes towards Pretender.
"Die." With that word, Shirou makes a silver sword and slashes it, sending a massive wave of purple energy forward, engulfing the large man. As it fades away, Berserker revives again. "Two down, ten to go." He says, smiling.
Heracles gets up, lance of ice through the heart. Three.
Up again, a shot from an ordinary-looking flintlock to the head. Four.
Again, a flaming axe bisects him at the waist. Five.
Again, a lance through the chest. Six.
Again, knife on a chain through the skull. Seven.
Again, golden lances impale him. Eight.
Again, a strange staff (that reminds Gudako of something a magical girl would use) summons a black hole and implodes Berserker's entire body.
"He's... not getting up from that?" Gudako asks.
"There's nothing left of him." Cú points out.
"And twelve." Shirou says, casually. "Think I can take Saber?"
Caster just grins. "Definitely."
"Though, it seems like we've missed one." Shirou says, looking up to see someone else hop from the roof of the temple. A woman wreathed in black energy like the other Servants. "Ah, Rider, or rather an Alter version. Was wondering when you'd show." The woman growls hatefully at him, but a part of her knows how outclassed she is. Grinning, she turns and rushes toward the onlookers.
Just before she can reach them, Mash is in front, blocking the woman's daggers with her shield, causing her to bounce off. Rider moves to dash at them again-
STAB
-but is impaled by a kunai on a chain, held by Shirou. "Ever played Mortal Kombat? No? Too bad. GET OVER HERE!" He yells, pulling Rider towards him.
Shirou dodges Rider, rotating around her so that the chain wraps around her, before pulling her back right into his outstretched hand-
BOOM
-which erupts in a ball of fire, incinerating Rider instantly.
Heracles found out how dangerous the angels from Date A Live are- the hard way. I'm surprised he had all twelve lives. Angry Mango must've made more for him. Gudako was thoroughly impressed by my show, Mash praised me, and Olga just went along with the stupid things suddenly happening. I was a touch surprised to see Rider Medusa Alter with an edge lord hood pop up.
Yeah, this timeline has definitely gone to shit.
After a brief talk (and explanation of some of those tricks I used), I then teleported everyone to behind Archer.
"Omae wa mou, shindeiru." I say, causing the Counter Guardian to whip around and face us, tracing Kanshou and Bakuya.
"Hey, shouldn't you handle him?" Caster asks me, as EMIYA hatefully stares right at me.
"Didn't you have a bone to pick with him?" I ask.
"Well, yeah, but-"
Without warning, EMIYA tosses a copy of each of the married blades at me. I catch them easily, snapping them easily. "Rude. Y'know what? Cú?"
The Caster doesn't react to me knowing his name. "Yeah?"
I casually toss him Gáe Bolg. "Chop off his balls."
Caster grins as he holds his spear. "Go and kick her ass."
I nod as Cú and EMIYA start to fight. Olga doesn't even seem to care what happens at this point. Mash just sighs, a smile on her face, whereas Gudako...
"It's time for the final boss, yeah?" The Master asks, a touch worried.
"Seems that'a way." I smile. "Me and Mash have got this."
Gudako nods, but I see Mash looking a bit sullen.
"Mash."
"Y-Yes?" She squeaks at my address of her.
"I'll focus on offense, you focus on defense." I say, seriously. "You have the more important job, protecting Master and the Director. Understand?"
Mash blinks at my serious tone and use of titles, not names, before nodding. "Yes, I understand."
I smile as the four of us enter a cavern, hearing EMIYA and Cú still going at it outside. With that spear of his, despite the different stats, he might win. Let's just hope that asshole doesn't use UBW.
Coming forward, we see it- the Greater Grail, along with Saber Alter (who's not wearing her dumb mask).
"This magical output... Is this really King Arthur?" Mash asks, Caster having revealed her identity earlier.
"She's hooked up to the Grail." I point out.
"Indeed. Leave it to the doppelgänger to figure it out." Saber Alter says, eyeing me... as well as Mash's shield.
"Eh? You can talk? But Cú said you couldn't." Gudako asks, confused.
"I simply had no need for words." Artoria Alter says, giving me little Devil May Cry 5 flashbacks. Maybe I should call her a different name. Saber Alter can be shortened to Salter, so maybe... Altoria? I'm not using that stupid name FGO NA used. What was it? Altria? Not a chance. I mean seriously, they couldn't even use something like Arthuria? "Still, that shield... and that familiar Servant..."
"I'm a different him, needless to say." I explain.
"Indeed." Salter says with a huff. "Be ready, you two- I will test you with my sword."
Mash and Altoria tense, whereas I remain calm, my body relaxed. Olga and Gudako move back a ways.
Sounding like an explosion, Salter uses Mana Burst to dash towards me. Smirking, I feel nostalgia wash over me as I block her attack with my arm at the last second, causing her to stumble back a bit. Her golden eyes narrow, before she attacks again, which I block. Her brows furrow more and more with each failed attempt.
BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM
I block every swing of her sword at the very last second.
"How are you? GRAH!" She growls, getting fed up and swinging her sword at me, now wreathed in dark energy. At the very last second, I move.
BANG
Altoria goes flying back, stabbing Excalibur Morgan into the ground to stop herself.
Holding my arm out, I say one word. "Royalguard."
Gudako squeals/gasps behind me. "That's Dante's style!"
I laugh. "That it is!" Gudako squeals again.
Altoria rises to her feet, her black armor cracked from my reversal. She looks kinda pissed as she holds her sword up, energy coalescing around it again, only... it's a lot.
"Hehe, I'm in danger." I grin.
She then holds her sword underhanded. "Vortigern, Hammer of the Vile King, reverse the rising sun. Sink into the mountain of corpses. Swallow the light, Excalibur... Morgan!" She yells, swinging her sword upward and throwing a TITANIC amount of darkened energy at me.
Mash dashes in front of me, her shield out. "Release the Noble Phantasm." Then she slams her shield down. "Lord Chaldeas!"
The wave of energy meets the shield's massive barrier head-on, and it stops until is fizzles out. When it does, Mash falls to a knee, panting, using her shield to stay upright.
"That was a damn good block." I smile, placing a hand on Mash's shoulder. She weakly smiles up a me. Hmm... Maybe I oughta teach her Royalguard.
"Hmph. Not bad, strange Servant." Salter compliments Mash, before holding her sword under hand again. "Excalibur...!"
"Again?!" Gudako shouts.
"She's hooked up to the Holy Grail! Using it like a battery!" Olga realizes, afraid.
Smirking, I take a step forward and hold my hand out. Appearing in my hand is a sword, made of silver with bandages wrapped on the blade near the hand guard. With a flourish, the blade is consumed by a greenish energy shaped like a larger blade. I hold the sword up as it glows, motes of light surrounding me.
"...Morgan!" Salter shouts, sending another wave of energy at me.
Smirking, I bring mine down, sending an equally titanic wave of holy moonlight at the blackened Servant. The energies collide, holding each other on place, before I slam the blade down again, throwing another massive wave of energy forward. It does the trick, overpowering the black wave as it swallows Altoria. Once it ends, the cave is scarred from the massive energy battle.
Saber doesn't fare much better, laid on the ground, her armor broken in multiple places, revealing more of her almost unnaturally pale white skin. She chuckles weakly. "Not bad... Shirou."
I walk over to her. "You're hooked up to the Grail, you could've tossed another at me... but you didn't."
She smirks. "No. I simply realized I will always meet the same fate... as long as I am alone."
"I see... This version of you was a tyrant." I realize.
"Indeed." Altoria says, cursing her fate, or perhaps herself.
"But you don't have to stay that way."
"Huh?" Saber's golden eyes blink.
I crouch down. "You know what's coming as well as I do. I'm tough, but more help is always welcome. Plus, there's no reason for you to be alone anymore."
"I... But..." Saber stutters, caught off guard.
"I'm not your Shirou, I never met you or got involved in THIS war, but you know as well as I do that he wouldn't want you to wallow in self-hatred like this." I say, looking her dead in the eye.
"But... would you even accept a tyrant as a Servant?" Saber asks.
"I dunno. Gudako, what do you think?" I ask the orangette as I look over my shoulder.
"I don't see why not." The Master shrugs. "You said we could use the help, yeah? The more the merrier."
Saber is still conflicted, then... she laughs, surprising everyone. "Perhaps I am always destined to be surrounded by fools. Though, I suppose it isn't a bad thing, in this case." She slowly lifts to her feet, as do I. Saber then walks over to Gudako and holds her arm out, causing the Command Seals on the teenager's arm to flash. "There. I hope you don't get any regrets, Master."
Gudako smiles cutely. "Nah, I definitely won't."
Olga walks up, groaning. "Ugh. This was supposed to be a simple mission, then he showed up..." She says, referring to me.
"You were time traveling to save humanity. What's normal about that, even by magi standards?" I point out.
Olga opens her mouth, then promptly closes it.
"Hey, I kicked his ass, and- The hell's going on here?" Cú asks, entering the cave, looking worse for wear despite the smirk on his face.
"Ah, Caster. I figured you were fighting Archer." Saber comments.
"Yeah, I was, and what's up with this happy mood here? I thought y'all were fighting?" Caster groans.
"We did. I kicked her ass, she joined up." I summarize.
Cú just chuckles. "Honestly, you are a riot, kid." My eye twitches.
"Hang on, if Saber is beaten, then shouldn't-?" Gudako's question is interrupted by a Holy Grail materializing next to us.
"Yoink." I say, snatching the thing from the air and quickly putting it in a pocket dimension.
"Eh?" Caster asks, beginning to fade into gold too. "Hey, you'd better summon me later, lass!" He yells at Gudako. "And as a Lancer, you hear? LANCER!" Then, he disappears.
Gudako just chuckles. "He really loves that spear, huh?"
"He DIED with it." I explain. "It's like another son to him."
Roman's hologram pops back up. "I'm just glad everything worked out. We can rayshift you all back now, right?"
"I dunno. That guy might have somethin' to say about that." I say, confusing everyone.
"Indeed." A voice says, as a man in a green suit appears from thin air. "I shouldn't have ignored such a naive child, Master Candidate Forty-Eight." He says, smiling at Gudako.
"Professor Lev?" Mash blinks.
"Huh?! Lev is there?!" Roman shouts.
"Hm? Is that Romani I hear? So you survived as well..." Lev says, thinly veiling his hatred. "Honestly, I TOLD you to come to the command room." His eyes open as he grins maliciously. "Trash who can't even follow orders, it makes me want to throw up. Why is it that humans always try to avoid their preordained destinies?"
" 'Cause we like to live." I smile.
"Ah, yes. The strange new Servant. It just makes me more upset at my own failure in overlooking that one." He says, referring to Gudako, who's behind Mash's shield. His eyes fall on Saber. "And you too? Figures."
"Lev...?" Olga asks, snapping out of the trance she fell into when he showed up. "Lev, you're alive?!" She asks, running to him, but I grab her by the back of her collar. "What are you-? Let me go!"
"I'd rather you stayed away from that thing." I say, gravely.
"Thing? What the hell are you talking about?" She shouts at me. "Dammit, I have to know how he got out of there!"
"Because I was never there." Lev smirks. "But you? I planted that bomb right under your feet, yet you live... Or rather, I suppose I should say mostly dead. Your body is long gone, after all."
"L-Lev...?" Olga asks, stopping struggling.
"I'm surprised Trismegistus managed to transfer you here, even as mere residual thoughts." Lev smirks. "You had no aptitude for Rayshift as long as you were alive, remember? How do you think you ended up here, Olga?"
Olga stills, I let her go.
"You can't go back to Chaldea, Olga. You'll fizzle out the moment you do." The demon explains.
"Wh-What?! I'll... fizzle out...?" Olga asks, almost in a trance.
"Indeed, but that's too sad of a story for you. Here, let me show you the precious Chaldea you devoted your life to." He cruelly smiles as the globe in Chaldea shows up, glowing bright red. "Hahahaha! Behold, descendant of Animusphere! Behold your folly! Not a trace of blue humanity to be found! Nothing but a burning, bright, red. That is this mission's outcome. Haha, isn't it wonderful, Marie? Once again, your incompetence has brought forth tragedy!"
"Don't... Don't be absurd!" Olga shouts, her voice cracking. "I didn't fail! I'm not responsible. I'm. Not. Dead!"
"Olga..." I say sadly as she lurches forward a bit. "He's right."
"What?" She quietly asks me, whipping around to face me.
"It's true..." Roman pipes up. "We... located your body not long ago, Director. It was burned beyond all recognition and we couldn't move it, but..."
"No, but that's...!" Olga gasps, horrified as she lurches toward Chaldeas again.
Lev cruelly chuckles again. "Yes, come closer and touch your precious Chaldeas. You'll disintegrate instantly, as a human."
Olga is pulled back again, but I grab onto her. "Olga, do you want to live?"
"What? What are you-?
"Olga." I interrupt. "I've got lots of knowledge in my noggin, including how much Chaldea means to you. Do you want to live and take care of the place, or give up here?"
"No, I... What kind of question is that?! Of course I want to live, you idiot!" The whitette shouts at me.
"Good answer!" I smile and pulse some magic into her. Olga glows for a moment, before Chaldeas stops dragging her. "There, you're alive."
"What?" Olga blinks.
"I made you a body." I explain simply.
"What idiocy are you spouting, Emiya Shirou?" Lev scowls.
"Fuck off, sixty-four." I snap.
Lev chokes up, eyes wide in disbelief, his smile disappearing for the first time- those scowls he made thus far might as well have been smiles too. "You...? How did...?" He lets out a bark of laughter. "Well, it doesn't matter. If you've figured it out, then allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lev Lainur Flauros, in charge of the year twenty-twenty two, sent to dispose of you humans."
"Flauros?" "FLAUROS?!" Olga and Roman shout, the latter much louder.
"Are you listening, Romani? As a friend, let me be clear. Chaldea is finished." He grins a wide, toothy smile. "You humans have reached the moment of your destruction."
"...Lev Lainur. What do you mean?" Roman asks. "Is it related to being unable to see twenty-twenty four?"
"It's not 'related'. It is the reality that is the end." Lev scowls. "Unable to observe the future, you babbled on about how it had 'disappeared'." He shakes his head. "It was incinerated, Romani. Your end is certain, the future no lighter exists. Chaldea's magnetic field is protecting it, but everything else will meet the same fate as this Fuyuki."
"...So that's what it was." Roman mutters, almost inaudible. "We didn't lose contact with the outside world, we lost the outside world itself."
"What?!" Gudako shouts.
"You really are perceptive. It's a shame I didn't kill you immediately." Lev scowls, before smiling again . "But that too is futile. If the time within Chaldea passes twenty-twenty three and into the year after, it will be wiped from this universe. Hehehe, no one can change the outcome now. This is a rejection of humanity by human history. You didn't perish because of your inability to evolve, nor did you because of war with foreign species. Rather, it was your own foolishness! Your incompetence! Because you lost the grace of our King! Like a bunch of worthless scraps of paper, you'll be burned away without a trace! BWAHAHAHAHA-"
BAM
Lev's body goes flying back as a massive metal i-beam slams into him. Everyone follows it's path back to my hand, outstretched.
"Sorry, but that guy needed to shut up." I say simply. "Doc, you got that Rayshift set up?"
"Ah, ye-yes." Roman sitters, clearly surprised too.
"You damn... worthless... HUMANS!"
With that hateful scream, Lev's body stands back up, bloody and barely holding itself together, only now it's covered in demonic red eyes. It gleefully and hatefully smiles, before exploding into a massive entity.
"What the?" Olga asks, fearful.
"So that's what..." Saber realizes, eyes wide.
"I don't wanna be hentai'd!" Gudako cries. The fuck, girl? Mash is the only to remain silent, tensing up.
A single black tentacle, covered in eyes rises to the heavens, it's many eyes looking right down at us.
"WORTHLESS, WORTHLESS, WORTHLESS! BEGONE FROM MY SIGHT, CHALDEANS! DISAPPEAR ALONG WITH THIS WORTHLESS SINGULARITY!"
"ROMAN, NOW!" Olga shouts.
"INCINERATION RITUAL: FLAUROS!"
"IT'S READY!" Roman shouts over the comms as an impossibly large amount of energy is shot at us. I toss up a barrier just as we Rayshift out.
God, that got my heart rate up.
Servant Stats
Note: Stats are different from the ones displayed in the omake of Fate Kaleid - Visitor from the Void, due to those being that stats of Shirou as a teenager. These stats are of an older Shirou, who never stopped getting stronger and lived to the ripe, old age of 93, despite being placed back into his teenage body.
Name: Emiya Shirou
Class: Pretender
Alternate Classes: Saber, Archer, Lancer, Caster, Rider, Assassin, Ruler, Foreigner, Shielder
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Hidden Attribute: Human
Strength: A++++ (EX)
Note: The Fanfiction app doesn't like the plus symbol, so it might simply say 'plus' instead.
Endurance: A+++++ (EX)
Agility: A+(EX)
Mana: A++++ (EX)
Luck: E (EX)
Noble Phantasm: EX
Master of the First Magic: EX (Passive / Anti-Unit Self)
Having touched the Root, even if only for a moment, Pretender has full use of the Denial of Nothingness. This can also allow him to gain Class and Personal Skills he would not normally have. As such, listing any of them that he doesn't have normally would be futile, since all of them would be here.
He technically doesn't even have a Noble Phantasm, yet his Magic allows him to perform feats that surpass even the strongest ones.
As a note, many of his statistics can be increased via his Magic, hence the EX ranking in parentheses.
Class Skills:
Battle Continuation: A+++ (EX)
Having trained his body past its limits again and again, Pretender can push on, despite wounds. Using magic, he can increase this rank, and many others.
True Name Discernment: E
Usually only reserved for the Ruler Class, Pretender can plant knowledge into his head, allowing him to know things he shouldn't, such as a Servant's True Name. The reason he has this normally is due to his knowledge of Servants and their names before gaining his Magic.
Independent Action: EX
Due to his abilities mostly relying on True Ether, Pretender can go without a Master indefinitely. This is only available if he is summoned with his connection to the Root still active.
Magic Resistance: A+(EX)
Due to immense training, both physical and magical, Pretender's body has become highly resistant to attacks.
Riding: D (A)
Pretender knows how to ride a bicycle and drive a car. Using magic, he can increase this rank, allowing him to understand how to ride other things.
Item Construction: EX
Due to his nature as a Magician of the First Magic, he can construct many things easily. Even when he first found his Magic, he could create things with ease.
Territory Creation: EX
Due to his nature as a Magician of the First Magic, he can construct many things easily. Even when he first found his Magic, he could create things with ease. Now, he can create even more complex things, such as a Territory.
Presence Concealment: D+ (A, A with multiple pluses, or perhaps even EX)
Not a master of stealth by any means, Pretender at least is able to hide himself. This rank can be increased via numerous methods.
Avenger: E
Due to being incredibly spiteful and petty, he can take others hatred of him and use it as fuel, though not in any tangible sense. Being mean to him only serves to make him angrier... sometimes, at least.
Existence Outside the Domain: E ~ EX
Due to originally being from a different Universe, Pretender barely qualifies for this. Although, since he comes from a different Universe, unlike the Outer Gods of the Nasuverse, he technically achieves the highest rank possible. Because of this, his rank is simultaneously both E and EX.
Charisma: D+
This only applies when he is rallying those who are especially close to him. Pretender is not normally charismatic at all.
Personal Skills:
Mind's Eye (True): A
Due to vicious training with false Servants, Pretender has gained this ability.
Instinct: A+
Mana Burst: A+++
Having trained his body to such an extent, and due to having such vast reserves of True Ether, Pretender can use this ability better than nearly anyone else.
Self-Modification: C (EX)
One of this first things Pretender did with his power is give himself a stronger and more physically fit body. He can use his Magic to do many more things, but prefers not to, preferring to stay as human as possible.
Disengage: C (EX)
Pretender's peak physical form allows him the escape most combat scenarios if needed. His Magic also allows him to teleport away and use various other abilities to escape from combat.
Clairvoyance: B+(EX)
Pretender has trained every part of his body to be faster and stronger. This can also be increased with Magic.
Note: Clairvoyance also relates to combat, similar to the Sharingan from Naruto, allowing the user to 'see the next attack coming', a form of seeing the future.
AN
So yeah. New story! Technically, it's a pseudo-sequel since this is Shirou AFTER Fate/Kaleid - Visitor from the Void, who got into the Throne of Heroes somehow. This one will take place over the year 2023, with this prologue happening at the tail end of 2022.
Prepare for shenanigans of the mythological and magical kind.
This chapter skimmed over a lot, simply due to this being a prologue chapter (and the fact that Singularity F is rather short), so don't expect the rest of them to be in one damn chapter.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next!