Happy 2024! Surprise! I'm not dead. I've just been away from because of a number of recent changes the site has done, including how it was pretty much broken for October. In addition, I was more focused on keeping up with the present chapters for the copy on Ao3. Anyways, enjoy!
"To be frank, you have all done a fantastic job! Greetings, everyone! And congratulations!"
In the months that I had worked at Chaldea, I would freely admit that I had seen some pretty unusual things. I had discovered that some of the most famous figures from history, who I was raised under the impression were men, were of the opposite gender, like Nero, Drake, and my beloved knight, Mordred. I had seen creatures straight out of fantasy and kids' books. Dragons, rapacious wyverns, and the walking dead. I had seen with my own eyes deities long declared by society to be 'false idols'.
Hell, I was basically a time traveler now!
And yet the sight before my eyes very well might take the cake in terms of bizarreness.
Before us stood a garish-dressed figure. He wore what could best be described as a blue jumpsuit that hugged his figure tightly, showing every bulging muscle. He seemed to tower over us, and his red-gloved hands seemed to be at least the size of dinner plates. His outfit had bright red crimson. As with the blue, the red was of the corresponding shade as on the flag of the United States of America.
On his chest was some weird golden star that had four points, and a big, empty-looking cylinder in the center. On either of his shoulders emerged what looked to be some sort of old-fashioned lightbulbs, with the filaments inside glowing brightly.
It was the head of the Servant, however, that was the most…eye-catching, for a lack of better words. It was the head of a maned lion, as white as the perfect snow. If it weren't for the fact that I had seen his mouth move as he spoke, I would have asked if this was someone's sick idea of a prank. It was frigging ridiculous!
To sum it up in another way, I felt that I was looking at a bootleg, animalistic Superman.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that every last one of us was in a state of shock, trying and failing to say something, anything. Karna and Helena both had vaguely amused expressions, while the 'presi-king' stood in front of us, arms still outstretched, smiling at us expectantly.
"Huh?" Doctor Roman, Master of Timing and Tact, suddenly pipped up, sounding confused more than mystified somehow. "Is the monitor broken? All I see on it is a creature…"
I was about to politely request the good doctor to keep quiet for a little longer, but the figure in front of us opened his mouth, and I got a good luck at his fangs as he spoke.
"I'll say it once more!" His voice echoed and boomed like rolling thunder, and I would swear to it in front of my parents that it felt as if my insides were being slightly shaken. "All of you have done a fantastic job!"
"I bet you were pretty surprised. Right? Right? Right?" Helena asked, sounding rather childish. Still standing towards the rear, with a number of Mechanized Infantry units close behind, Karna sighed quietly.
"Well, yes, they'd be surprised." Damn, that Lancer was giving Sasaki and Emiya a run for their money in terms of emotionless expressions. Even Babbage expressed more emotion on a regular basis, and my steam-obsessed Caster didn't even have a human face! Still, the comment was enough to restore our own abilities to speak.
"W-Well, I was indeed surprised," Mash admitted softly, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "But it's fine, I'm getting used to things of this sort."
"I just wish it would happen faster," I muttered.
"You said it, master," Mordred said with a soft grunt of agreement. I took a deep breath before exhaling slowly.
"So, you're the so-called king who controls the American West?" I asked politely. I was itching to use his True Name, but I didn't on the off-chance I was incorrect. I knew from personal experience that some Servants were rather sensitive to being mistaken for someone else. Sasaki still hadn't fully forgiven Astolfo for incorrectly identifying the Assassin as the legendary Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, who just so happened to be the one who killed Sasaki.
The Servant nodded. "Indeed, it is as you say. I have taken it upon myself to rule America in order to pulverize those barbaric Celts." I heard Chulainn swallow a bit nervously, as Ritsuka's Lancer technically counted as a Celt himself. Thankfully, our 'host' didn't seem to notice, for he continued his speech with the same bombastic flair that he had started with. "I am a Servant, and a gentleman who supports other Servants! I am Thomas Alva Edison, the presi-king."
"Called it," I muttered softly. In history, there were two names that stood above all others when it came to the concept of electricity. They were Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. There were others, of course, but their names were overshadowed by the two titans. As I had reflected earlier, if Tesla had been one of the main antagonists in London, it was extremely unlikely that he had been in two places at once.
Maybe I should have shared the information sooner, but it was a moot issue now. Mordred and the other Servants simply stared warily at Edison. However, not everyone was as blasé about the reveal of the Servant's True Name.
"E?!" Mash started.
"DI?!" Roman shrieked.
"SON of a gun?!" Ritsuka finished. My eyebrow twitched, and I turned to look flatly at Mash and Rits. Had there even been a point to that? I didn't know whether I should feel embarrassed or upset, but what I did feel was disappointment. Wearily, I turned to look at Nightingale, expecting something equally as over-the-top from the eccentric Berserker.
The nurse merely stared ahead blankly, blinking when she noticed my gaze was being directed towards her. "Oh, excuse me. I was at a complete loss for words." She then strode up to stand near Mordred, Mash, Ritsuka, and I at the front, with Karna right at her heels.
Coming to a stop, she stared up at the American Servant. "Edison," she said slowly, as if testing the word. "Edison, the King of Inventions? It's really you?" She paused, staring skeptically at the lion-man. "You're not some sort of highly-intelligent Chimera?" She asked, once again forgoing any hint of tact and instead going for the throat, so to speak.
Edison nodded proudly, hands on his hips in a posture that felt more of a natural one than one with the intent to try and intimidate us. "Indeed. That is what my usual title is. Here, however, I currently hold the title of 'presi-king', not 'King of Inventions'. You must be Lady Florence Nightingale," he rumbled, his eyes examining our ally. Then, to my surprise, I saw his cheeks turn a bright pink. I didn't even know that lions could blush! "You are just as beautiful as they say. Unfortunately, we couldn't meet when we were both alive, but this moment is truly a miracle of energy. No, a miracle of souls. I was not one to live on the battlefield, but I deeply respected your convictions and rationality." I stared incredulously at the first American Servant I had come across in all my time working at Chaldea.
Was he…
Was Edison trying to flirt with Florence Nightingale?! I was honestly feeling a bit like a third wheel here, and it wasn't a pleasant moment. Thankfully, the blush disappeared before I could step in, and the 'presi-king' continued his speech once more.
"Lady Nightingale, do lend us your strength. Not only to advance medicine, but to also boost the morale of our soldiers! The effects of you as a poster girl would be immeasurable!" The Servant then threw his feline head backwards, laughing loudly.
Nightingale didn't respond to any of it, of course. "I had no idea you were not human." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rits nodding his head in agreement.
"To put it lightly," he started to say slowly. "He's a feline?" Edison harrumphed at the question, crossing his muscular arms over his chest and gazing sternly at us.
"What are you implying? I am, without a doubt, a human! Humans are just higher forms of beasts who possess reason and wisdom. They shall not be segregated by the color of their skin or the shape of their face. Even if I possess a lion's head, that fact doesn't change. I am Thomas Edison, an intelligent human being. That is all," he said sternly, having finished his mini-lecture.
I hummed softly. I couldn't really argue about it, nor did I have any reason to do so. It was rather pleasant that he didn't carry a hint of any of the subtle and passive forms of racism that was pervasive during the time he was alive. That was a relief.
"Wow, just look at how he asserts himself with confidence," Roman said in equal parts admiration and longing. "I really need to learn how to have that kind of positivity. Ahem, ignore that. Basically, it seems that while he was human when he was alive, Edison now has the head of a lion when he was summoned as a Servant. However, since it doesn't seem to affect his intelligence in the slightest, it's not a problem. This lion, he's the definition of rationalism!"
"Doesn't change the present situation much. Just means we're not in the clutches of a Saturday cartoon-style villain," I grunted softly. Climbing up onto Mash's shoulder, Fou chirped in what sounded like agreement. "Though, maybe ixnay on the ionlay." I hadn't failed to notice how the Servant in question had remained quiet. Too quiet. Did he belong in the category of Servants who were sensitive to comments about their appearances, like Mordred or Medusa.
It was Helena Blavatsky whose voice broke the silence. "Well, he can't help it. I mean, Edison's basically a lion."
"A lion," Edison mused, scratching his chin with one hand thoughtfully. "Yes, I like the sound of that. Also, was that communication through magecraft that I heard? Even though you live in an age of telephones, your fixation with such inconvenient methods bewilder me. Mages by birth are indeed illogical creatures. Surely you could make better use of spiritual channels."
"Well—" I started to say, before an aggrieved Roman interrupted with unusual aggression in his voice.
"Look, phone lines only work when you occupy the same space in time, you know? This is far more functional, and crosses time and space in a kind of hyper-navigational form of communication."
Instead of rebutting Roman's defense, which I personally found to be above reproach, Edison grunted softly. "Oh. So that means you do not exist in this era!" He peered at Ritsuka and I with solid blue eyes, ones that I had a hard time deciphering. "Hmm. To be able to communicate across different eras is quite convenient indeed…hmm. Still, magecraft and science are similar. There is nothing you can do that I cannot. I'd like to see if the same thing can be done by telephone. No, wait, I should develop a spirit phone before that…"
It was a rather interesting sight to see the King of Inventions become so focused on an abstract idea in the middle of a meeting of this magnitude. Honestly, the Servant appeared to be on the verge of darting off to find his drawing boards and begin designing a new invention.
"Is he for real? He's got a worse attention span than Gareth doing chores whenever Lancelot was nearby," Mordred scoffed. I fought and barely managed to contain a snicker at that comment.
"He reminds me a lot of Da Vinci. Are all inventors this erratic and eccentric, or is it just our luck?" I responded as Edison continued musing to himself in an almost Da Vinci-manner for at least another minute or two. I waited patiently, wondering how long it would take for the lion-headed Servant to remember that we were here.
Off to the side, Helena coughed politely. She had the look of a friend that was slightly frustrated over a habit possessed by a fellow friend, but one that they were used to, and so were pulling through it good-naturedly. "Yes, yes, Mr. Edison. Please save your inventions for later, okay?"
Edison froze in place briefly, his eyes widening as he realized that he had essentially gone off-topic. He coughed into a fist to mask his sheepishness before responding. "Oh, yes. Right. What are your names?"
"Ritsuka Fujimaru, Mr. Edison."
"Jacob Aronson."
"Ritsuka, Jacob," he repeated, nodding his head slowly before staring at us. "You are the only two Masters in this world. Let me get to the point. Can you lend us the strength that you and your Servants have used to correct the previous four eras, so that we can crush the Celts once and for all?"
"How do you know about that?" I asked, avoiding having to give a direct answer just yet. I wasn't sure why, but his request, simple though it was, felt like it had a hidden clause or two. In addition to being an inventor, Edison was an even better businessman. He was used to negotiating to gain that which he couldn't make himself.
Edison chuckled, perhaps aware of my tactic, but deciding to humor my question. "I am well aware. You see, a certain fellow took it upon himself to inform me." He paused, and Edison suddenly bared his fearsome fangs at us, a wrathful expression overcoming him. "The world's worst good-for-nothing! That detestable hysteric told me 'While all these things happen, I am in good health. I bet you've never had such grand adventures, Edison'. Truly the epitome of displeasure!" I flinched instinctively, my ears ringing from Edison's angry shouting. The presi-king realized what he had done, and gave us an apologetic half-bow.
"Ahem, my apologies. Well, so much for that," he said, standing back up. "Anyway, we must get rid of these Celts. Needless to say, the Celts themselves are an anachronism in this age. The United States of America is a cutting-edge nation created by capitalism and rationalism. This is our nation, and home to those with intellect."
"It was also created through bloodshed," I added grimly. Edison's eyes narrowed to slits as he stared at me. I stared back with hard eyes. America was my country too, and I was damned if I was going to let the past be whitewashed. Enemies or not, it felt like he was asking for us to help commit a pseudo-genocide. The only thing preventing it from becoming an actual genocide was the fact that so far as we knew, the Celts who weren't Servants were nothing more than ghosts given physical form by one of the aforementioned Servant's Noble Phantasm.
Edison continued speaking. "However, the Celts kept multiplying like planarians, and the American army lost due to differences in the size of forces. Almost all of the founding fathers were killed, as well as the military high command. Fortunately, though, I, a Heroic Spirit, have descended upon this nation!"
Oh god, don't tell me he has a megalomaniac complex…
"The battlefront was revived with my proposals of a new national structure and a reformed military. Soon, the situation was equalized. Attempting to contend with me in matters of mass production is the epitome of idiocy. As each day passes, more and more units of Mechanized Infantry are sent to the frontlines. That damn queen might be able to generate her so-called 'braves' with that Noble Phantasm of hers, but even she will struggle to match my numbers. Eventually, my machines will cover the land to the East and annihilate the loathsome Celts once and for all." Once more the implications of being asked to perform a sort of genocide sent shudders of revulsion down my spine. I retracted my earlier observation of Edison being free from racial prejudice.
"Then why are we here? It sounds like you have everything under control," Ritsuka inquired, taking up the slack as I rein in my emotions. Edison made a grumbling sound, looking down slightly before answering.
"There is one matter that concerns me. Leaders. We don't have enough Servants. We have an obedient army, but no mighty ace warrior or warriors to lead them. However, the Celts have many notorious barbarians lined up. Just when we gain a foothold somewhere, we end up losing it to a single Servant. Only Servants can overcome Servants. Including myself, we only have three Servants on our side. Other Servants who were summoned who didn't go join the East were summoned in disarray, and seem to show no interest in joining us. Only my rationality restrains me from roaring out at this sad state of affairs." Despite his words, Edison's hands curled up into fists and began shaking slightly.
"The Heroic Servants meant to save America dread the enemy and refuse to fight. Their negligence is going too far!" Unable to contain himself, the King of Inventions threw his head back and let out a mighty roar fitting for a lion.
"C-Calm down, Mr. Presi-king!" Mash pleaded, while Mordred braced herself besides me, though not yet summoning Clarent back into her hands. "Um, if you're trying to save the world, we are willing to cooperate with you."
"Oh!" Edison said, his anger dissipating and his earlier enthusiasm returning with a fire. He actually rubbed his palms together like a cartoon villain as he focused on Mash. "You understand! Truly wonderful! You also have a very delicious-looking body!" My jaw drop opened at the inappropriate comment.
"Fou! Foou!" Fou snarled, before throwing himself off of his perch on Mash's right shoulder and towards Edison. It looked like Mash's pet was going to go for the throat, but he fell a bit short, and so Fou began biting and pounding on Edison's right ankle.
"Sorry, but she's spoken for," Ritsuka growled, in a rare display of aggression. I snickered softly at seeing Mash's blush, but still stood ready to assist. Edison growled, trying and failing to grab ahold of Fou.
"Hey, stop hitting and biting me, runt! I would never assault a lady." Satisfied with causing just enough mayhem and pain, the squirrel-like critter bounded away, quickly reclaiming his seat on Mash's shoulder. "My apologies," Edison said, bowing sincerely towards Ritsuka.
All the while, Nightingale still was staring impassively at our 'host'.
"I wish to ask two questions."
"Yes, what is it? Coming from an exemplary woman like yourself, I shall give you a genteel answer." Edison stood up, snapping his fingers in Karna's direction excitedly. "A gentleman's genteel reply. Oh, how elegant! Karna, please record that in the Presi-king Chronicles."
I looked at the Lancer in question, and saw that his eyebrow was twitching ever so slightly. More than ever I felt the urge to clasp the Servant's shoulder and exchange looks of understanding. I had only had to deal with this for less than an hour. God knows how long poor Karna has had to listen to this! Nightingale cleared her throat, still focused on asking her questions and receiving answers.
"My first question. On our way here, we saw the mechanized infantry several times. Is that the result of your new proposal? Is that what you aim for with your 'new national structure'?" Edison nodded, holding his head up high in pride.
"Indeed, that is correct! I arrived at this conclusion, in order to save the nation from it's predicament! National unity! Citizens herded, no, rallied, to new life! Equal national service, regardless of age or gender!" While I was glad to hear of equal opportunities regardless of gender, I found the 'regardless of age' bit to be rather unsettling. Especially when taken into consideration how few humans we had seen since leaving the front lines. "Eventually, all citizens will be part of the mechanized infantry and defeat the Celts, the invaders. Of course, we must maintain our mass-production lines for this purpose. Acquisition of labor from all across the land. Institution of 20-hour workdays. Unremitting surveillance."
Edison paused, taking in a deep breath before continuing his impressively-long spiel. "Of course, you need the best welfare system, too. One cannot have labor without recreation. We will play three times as hard, work three times as hard, and win three times as hard as normal humans! That is my new vision for America," he finally finished, looking extremely proud and confident.
"Is he not aware of human conditions?" Ritsuka whispered to us, sounding as horrified as I felt.
"I agree," Mash whispered. "Mr. Edison's plan does not take physical limitations into account whatsoever."
I stared long and hard at the King of Inventions. Part of my brain was screaming at the top of the lungs to keep quiet. That it was only a temporary thing, something that would vanish once we retrieved the Holy Grail Solomon had placed in this singularity. However, my heart and conscience refused to cooperate.
"So, you are going against both the spirit of the Constitution and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 that our country established?" I asked sharply. I heard Roman whisper something to me, and Mordred tensing up even further, but I ignored both.
Edison cocked his head to the side. "What's this? Do you have something you wish to say?"
"Yeah, I do. How is this America? This sure as hell isn't the country I was born in," I retorted, unflinching. Yes, it was several centuries too early, but Edison was closer to my time than George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and the other founders of the United States of America.
"Oh, capital! Another fellow American! Helena, why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Helena sighed softly.
"You didn't exactly give me a chance, Mr. Presi-king."
"Hm, no matter. Well, I'm sure you can agree that the American people display an unnatural degree of resilience. Furthermore, once we have won, there will be no need for them to work nearly as hard. This is only to sustain a state of total war, Jacob!" My eyes narrowed. He was missing the entire damn point I'd been trying to make! I started to open my mouth to press further my verbal offensive, but Nightingale cut me off.
"Well then, that leads into my second question. How do you intend to save the world?" Mash began to speak, but I tuned her out as Mordred leaned up to whisper in my ear.
"Hey, you okay?" She asked. I shook my head slightly.
"No. It just rubs me the wrong way. Everything here is. My leg isn't making it any easier on me, either."
"I can't wait to bust out of here myself," Mordred said.
"No, it is unnecessary to correct this era."
Edison's booming declaration brought an end to my private conversation with my beloved knight, and also marked the arrival of a rather ominous air. I stared once more at the lion-headed Servant with narrowed eyes.
"What?" Mash asked politely, floored by the flat-out rejection of our standard plan. Edison crossed his arms. "I said that it is unnecessary. If I acquire the Grail, I could refine it, and we should be able to prevent the incineration of eras. Consequently, it would give birth to a world named 'America', operating on a different timeline from the other eras."
"Is that really possible?!" Mash demanded, her jaw hanging open in shock. Edison nodded grimly.
"Having been summoned by the Grail, we Servants are well aware of its power. My conclusion is that it is quite possible."
"What about the other eras? What will happen to them?" Ritsuka inquired.
"They will probably be destroyed." Edison's response left the room momentarily silent. The only sounds that could be heard were breathing and the faint pulsating hum of electricity powering the various lightbulbs in the room.
"Then, it is pointless to do so!" A horrified Mash finally exclaimed. Edison tilted his head to the side.
"What?" He asked politely. "Is there any other idea as brilliant as this? This America will survive for all eternity. My inventions will remake America. It will show these Celts, who can only procreate and fight. That my inventions are the lights of humanity, the power of civilization!"
"So you expand your battlefront for that purpose?" Nightingale said, sounding rather disgusted at Edison. "Abandoning those who fell in battle." Edison gave out a mirthless chuckle.
"An accusation fit for Chief Nurse Nightingale, who so valiantly struggled for the salvation of all soldiers. I…I am…ugh…not abandoning them because I want to, however—" He suddenly fell silent, one hand clutching his head as a soft moan of pain escaped from his lips. A migraine?
Helena spoke up. "Edison, calm down, please. Florence is just stating her opinion. It's not an accusation," she said soothingly. Edison nodded slowly, his hand falling back to the side.
"I'm aware of that. That just now was my usual headache. Don't worry about it," he replied with a dismissive shake of the head. From the looks and sounds of it, it was more than just a headache. It reminded me of those poor Nero suffered from time to time. Sometimes, they became full-blown migraines that would leave her almost bedridden for hours at a time. Even Medea, Roman, and Marie were hard-pressed in alleviating the suffering of the Emperor of Roses.
Edison focused his attention back on Nightingale. "Listen, Lady Nightingale. To us… To me, especially, this nation is everything. And a true king has a paramount duty to protect his nation."
"Even if it is a nation that rejected monarchism?" Edison nodded slowly at my barb, looking grim.
"Even then. If you are a Heroic Spirit, Nightingale, you should also have a duty…an ideal, a wish, to protect the world! All of you should!"
"You are right," Nightingale conceded. "Even my current self possesses that sense of duty in one corner of my sanity. Mr. Edison, if you deny that duty, you are nothing more than a mere patriot."
"Quite so," Edison rumbled softly in agreement. "What is wrong with a king being a patriot, though?"
"I see. In that case," Nightingale started to say. I recognized that tone, and my body tensed up as I saw the Berserker reach for her gun. "There is only one thing for me to do!"
"Nightingale, that's enough," Karna said sharply, having also noticed her intent. "I will not allow you to fight here. Even if that costs me my life," he added, grabbing Nightingale's wrist just seconds before she could grab and unholster her weapon.
"Let me go!" Nightingale snarled angrily, struggling fiercely to free herself from Karna's iron-clad grip. "I can tell what's going to happen! Leaders with those eyes and that look always lead to destruction! Then, at the end, he will irresponsibly declare something like how 'it wasn't supposed to turn out like this'!"
Edison ignored her, focusing once more on Ritsuka and I. "Jacob, Ritsuka… Masters. What do you think? Shouldn't you both join me in the fight against the Celts and acquire the Holy Grail? I'll give you five minutes to decide."
I swallowed, turning to look at the others. Slowly, the majority of the other Servants began forming a loose but protective circle around Mash, Mordred, Ritsuka, and I.
"Maybe joining them for the time being is not a bad idea," Doctor Roman reluctantly suggested in a quiet voice. Mash stared incredulously at my commlink.
"What are you saying, Doctor?! He's opposed to the idea of fixing the Foundation of Humanity!"
"It's quite the contrary if you think about it. He's for fixing it, alright. It's just that the world he envisions differs from ours. We don't have the time to confront him at the moment, however. Nor, honestly, do I think we are in a position to do so. Karna's readings are off the chart alone. Not to mention the fact that Jacob's still wounded." Roman paused, and when he spoke, it sounded like he was trying to convince himself just as much as he was us. "And in the end, I think he'll stop baring his fangs. I'm not just being hopeful. My conclusion stems from historical observations…and experience."
"What do you mean, Doctor Roman?" Ritsuka asked.
"Those that move nations believing in their own righteousness will experience consequences, in one form or another. That's all irrelevant at present, though. Right now, it is about gaining the upper hand in the war. With all the Celtic Servants gathering on one side, there is an overwhelming gap in military strength. Diarmuid Ua Duibhne and Fionn mac Cumhaill are formidable enough. Then there's this female Servant who seems to be generating all these Celtic warriors on her own. How many more Servants of that caliber do they have?"
"So what are you suggesting, then?" I asked.
"For now, we will cooperate in order to acquire the Holy Grail, and correct the mistake where Celtic myths dominate North America."
"And what about afterwards?" Mordred interjected. She had a scowl on her face, making plain her opposition to the acting-director's suggestion.
"We can think about that later."
"What do you think?" Mash asked Ritsuka and I. My fellow Master and I exchanged glances, and the Japanese magus bowed his head slightly, indicating that he would follow whatever lead I took.
I breathed in slowly, before exhaling. I couldn't do it. While reasonable enough, I refused to follow such a plan that had a vague idea of how it should end. The idea that we would have enough time to 'think about what happens' afterwards' when the time came felt absolutely ludicrous.
My mind set, and my heart steady, I took a few steps forward. Edison perked up and gazed down at me expectantly.
"Ah, have you made your choice? You still have two minutes."
"I do not require one more second, Edison." The King of Inventions seemed to recognize the bearing I carried, and he sighed.
"I urge you to reconsider, Jacob."
"Give up on the Holy Grail, Edison. While your desire is honorable, the original course of history must be preserved." The presi-king didn't immediately respond, instead looking past me at the others. Perhaps he was hoping to see at least one individual who felt otherwise, to perhaps apply pressure or something to get us to reconsider our choices, but we were united in my choice.
"That is an unexpected response," Edison finally said. "Whatever hidden agendas you may have, I thought you would still agree to join forces. Especially you, my fellow American from the future. I, Thomas Alva Edison, should respect your honesty and sincerity. But as presi-king, I regrettably have no choice but to imprison you. Perhaps some time in the dungeon specially designed for magus and Servants will change your mind." Before we could react, his head whipped towards Helena, who had moved to the left side of the room.
"Pull the lever, Helena!"
"Yes sir!" Helena said dutifully, and I saw the petite Caster grab one of two levers that were hidden off to the side, and pull the right one.
I didn't know what to expect, but all that happened was that the lights went out.
"Wrong lever!" Edison roared in frustration, and Helena gave off a quick apology before turning the lights back on. "Why do we even have that lever?"
"You said to have them next to one another," Karna said, before suddenly jumping away from Nightingale as Helena pulled the other lever.
I felt the ground shake slightly as a series of mechanical sounds reached my ears. Before I could shout out any warnings, I found myself free-falling.
"Jacob! Hold on to me!" My Knight in Shining Armor barked at me. I complied, slamming shut my eyes and wrapping my arms around Mordred's body tightly. She did the same as well, and I realized she had dismissed her armored shell in order to turn herself into a living, breathing airbag. Quick, if unorthodox, thinking. I heard Mash shout something similar to Ritsuka.
It was just in time for my fellow Master and I, too, for a few seconds later we reached the end of our descent.
I felt an impact, a sense of pain from my hips, Mordred calling my name in a panicked tone, and then nothing as I blacked out from the shock and pain.
Original Endnotes: And done! What did you think? I personally had fun with this chapter, so I hope it was enjoyable for y'all. At the very least, I hope it wasn't some kind of letdown lol.
So, some big news! First of all, Chapters 110 to 112 will be on the shorter side, around three thousand words each. That's because the next segment of the game was harder for me to write into chapters due to how short it is depicted in terms of how long it took. Still, It's of the same quality as the rest of my story has been, so I know that it will be good.
The other exciting little tidbit is that recently I discovered that this story has been added to the list of recommended fanfics of the Fate series on TVTropes!
Now, for the question(s) of the chapter! First up: What references did you get from this chapter, and what were your thoughts? Second question is, since we have had a few days to start the event proper on FGO, what are your updated thoughts about it? Personally, I'm kinda lukewarm.
As always, thanks for reading, and for all the amazing love and support you all have given this story! It really means a lot to me, so thank you! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please let me know what you think! Have a wonderful next few days, and see you on Thursday in 110!
Updated Endnotes 01/03/24: As always, you can find the rest of The Will to Fight on Archive of Our Own, where I have the story currently at 284 chapters as of the First of January. Otherwise, I'll see you in a week or two when I update on here!