What can the Son of God not do?

The question was spinning in her mind. The implicit inclusion of who Jesus was would imply nothing, but that only raised questions over what he failed to do. Add to the equation the necessity of his perfection, and everything he did was necessary, and he wasted no opportunities. Meaning?

Mash was meant to die. She was meant to die. She was meant to be resurrected without Mash. The world was still meant to burn, and a lone untrained Master would assist her in leading Chaldea through portions of time to correct what was wrong.

If there is nothing Jesus cannot do, why did he forgo saving who passed?

"This is stupid," Olga whispered as she stared into the Rayshift chambered. Mostly repaired, a priority following the climate and power systems, following the removal of the Master who died. Looking at the seven coffins still occupied, thrumming with dedicated power, her face contorted.

She knew them all, the seven members of Team A, the chosen team her father had personally put together to lead Chaldea in times of terror. All of them still locked in their Rayshifts, and her now having to depend on a literal last pick Master to save them.

Why did Jesus choose for this?

The question was as maddening as the situation.

"Director?" She looked over her shoulder to see Ritsuka approaching her. "Am I disturbing?"

"No, you're not. I've just been lost in thought. You? I'm assuming you were in prayer?" She asked it with a slip of humor.

"I was." It fell flat as her spirits. "Now I'm trying to figure out what to do."

"You haven't read those papers I gave you? They were going to teach you on how to monitor your Magus Circuits, as well as your Master Crests."

"I read them last night, after… everything."

"You read all of it?"

"All that I could understand." The words earned another tired sigh from the young Director. "I'm sorry, it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. It was like the sisters trying to teach me about foreign geography or history. It never really connected."

"For a bum living in some sector of Japan, it would make sense. You cared more for the geography of the streets, so you'd know where to hide."

"You're not… entirely wrong."

"I hope not, you certainly implied a great deal of it when we were in Fuyuki." The hum of the Rayshift chamber took up the silence between them. "How did you come here?"

"I thought we already talked about that."

"We talked about how you were tricked into being here, as the 48th Master, but we don't know how you did it." He didn't understand. "All the Maguses in the world, all the people who could be qualified, and instead of them, we have one of the most devote Catholics with no knowledge about the world of Magic working as the sole hope of humanity. How?"

"Isn't that a why question." She blew alabaster hair from her face.

"The why has been bothering me since we talked to Solomon and Da Vinci last night." She screwed her face again. "I had to think of all the why's to what Jesus was doing, and all I come back to is taking it on faith."

"They say the Lord works in mysterious ways."

"Mysterious ways is another way of saying guessing."

"Not when you know what is coming. I mean, I don't understand what you were talking about tracking Spiritrons and stuff. I thought that the best idea would be to just find out where things seem different in time and go there. But the relation to summoning Servants and Grails Wars is just… a lot more than I thought would be needed."

"It is needed."

"I know, but I don't know why." He held her gaze. "You see what I mean?"

"I see you're about as well informed now as you were a week ago." She rolled her Amber eyes. "That's something I'll have to personally mediate. We have time for that at least." She turned away from him, gazing at the empty coffins. "Da Vinci is working with other Technicians to get the Order setup, and then ensure that the Coffins are working."

"Then we'll start?"

"Yes. We'll start…" She took a long breath. "Start trying to save Team A and then all of humanity. Hopefully in tandem."

"Are you scared?"

"Scared? No, I can't afford to be. I'm nervous at best. Just under satisfied that the literal most important time for Humanity comes after a debilitating blow and traitorous act against us. It couldn't have been worse timed."

"A lot of Saints have said the same."

"What?"

"About the times they were in… and what was expected of them." He stood beside her. "I've been thinking about it, too. After I realized it was Jesus, and what was happening around me, realizing that I was in the middle of this. How I'm the one who's going to be responsible for this."

"Not all of it."

"But a lot of it, and that's more than I've ever been asked before. I just… had to figure out what God intended for me. And as I prayed, I thought of Saints."

"Like Jeanne D'Arc?"

"Yes, but not just her. I thought about the Apostles, who all died as martyrs trying to spread the word of Jesus, or Amakusa Shirou, died trying to bring Catholicism to Japan. Then there are even the children, like the Saints of Fatima who nearly had their families killed for seeing Mary."

"I don't see the connection to the literal destruction of humanity."

"It wasn't the death of humanity, true, but they were trying to keep the word alive, to spread the truth. And if they failed, humanity would be lost." He looked at the coffins. "That's where we are at now. If we fail, the Word will be lost… and so many humans will be lost without it."

"They'll be dead, or stay dead."

"And where are they now, if they were incinerated without knowing the word?"

"Ah. I see your point. Remembering that this isn't the first moment humans have been at a disadvantage." Her breath was short, eyes shut.

"We have the ultimate advantage."

"We do?"

He smiled brightly. "We have God on our side."

"We saw his son, but Jesus isn't here now." Olga waved off. "Capable as Solomon is, having assisted my father, he is short five rings and-"

"You're not hearing me. God is on our side." She interrupted him. "He who has already conquered the world. As he is on our side, what is there for us to fear?" For just a moment, Olga could admit this much.

The foolish, naïve, and likely stubborn fool of a Master, Ritsuka Fujimaru, had a magnificent smile.

"I suppose less than the faithless," she returned. "I wish I had your confidence, but I'll settle for my intellect. It will be used as you prepare to go forth and stave off these seven moments in history."

"I thank you for it, because I'm going to need your help. Jesus knew I would. He did bring you back for a reason." She looked at him.

"Yes… I suppose he did." She swallowed. "But I thought that was because I hadn't gone through the rights that Mash had."

"Maybe, but I also don't think I could do this without you. You're the Director, and Jesus called you the Leader of the Mystics. He has faith in you, so do I."

It wasn't just a smile. He had a great voice.

"Th-Thank you," Olga turned, brushing her hair. "Hold onto that confidence of yours then. Best not to waste it cheering up your superior. You're going to need it for your training and for the first Order we tackle. That will be happening soon. Days, maybe weeks, but very soon. And when the time comes, we can't hesitate. Every moment we wait is a moment further degraded by the Incineration of Mankind."

"I won't hesitate," he replied with a deep bow. "In God's name, I swear, I'll do all that I can to save humanity. I'll follow you, I promise."

Now, finally, Olga smiled at him.

"I'll hold you to that, Ritsuka. But stand, you won't solve much bowing to the floor." She held out her hand to him. "We have time, and I'll teach you what I can." He grasped her hand, and then showed his strength.

"In the name of Jesus Christ, I promise to learn."

She watched his cross dangle outside of his shirt. She smiled up to him.

"Then he'll hold you to that."

SMACK! His head twisted with the blow, the dull pain already rising in his cheek before his neck could recovered from the whiplash of the impact.

"You half-baked useless worm! Can you not speak properly before her glorious Lady?!" A madman screamed down, and spit flew at him. The figure loomed, leaving him in the man's shadow. "You talk as if you are free to stand on feet, but fail to recognize that the privilege of breath is offered to you only by her immaculate mercy!"

"Then she can… at least… make the air… tolerable."

SMACK! His head hit the wall this time, ringing his ears. If the man was still screaming at him, he couldn't hear it.

"Cur! Scoundrel! Barren of Faith!" The praise kept coming. "Be anyone else give orders for your safekeeping, I would have stripped the flesh from your bones and kept you alive by a spirit in a jar!"

"At least… I wouldn't have… to… breath… next to you…" he smiled through blood. "You reek of it."

His hand came up again.

WHAP! Only to be caught in the open palm of another man. A man who appeared cloaked in a dark emerald cloak. His eyes were bright like fire, and teeth sharper than a beast's.

"Calm down now. No good plans are enacted in rage. Temper yourself, temper." He spoke through a heavy accent, deep and commanding. The eyes turned to him. "Bloody as he is, there isn't far for him to go, but the effort of seeing him attempt to do so may be enjoyable."

"Then suffer… of boredom."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAH!" The man reeled with laughter. "Oh what a Master we have here! Truly plans must be forming of grand proportions for us to come together." He grinned at him.

Then he put his hand around the Master's shoulder. Going from standing to by his side, before his eye could twitch. Lightning crackled.

"Why do you embrace the fool! Did you not hear his blasphemy!?" The mad man asked.

"I heard it well, and it is good to let him speak. It eases the mind to know that those about to be judged are guilty, and if his heinous words are worthy of his fate, then let him speak?" The man's eyes glowed. "Truly a boon for us he has us for captors."

"It is a curse! A curse like the foul words he throws out against her Lady! How dare you speak to him as if he is deserving of respect, let alone life!"

"Of course he deserves life! So long as he's here, trapped in this castle as he is… our precious accomplice." The man's voice was like fire near him.

"As long as he's a chained hand, that's all we need. Don't need him trying to beg for mercy." A feminine voice spoke, earning the attention of them all. "He'll stay alive as long as he's got something to give, that's all this accomplice is."

"Oh my lady, my grace, you have returned to us!"

"I was down the hall admiring the burning fields." She waved off the madman. "What have you done though? Have you fond where the rest of the rogue Servants are?"

"Oh dear sweet beloved Saint, I have found there are six servants venturing around these lands, fruitlessly trying to battle against your divine will. I assure you their plans will be turned to cinders much like the pitiful faith from before."

"Just tell me where they are who's closest. I'll deal with them. The sooner they're all taken care of, the better."

"Hahahahahaha! Going to burn them with your fires, witch?" The nobleman stood, dark lightning crackling under his cloak. "Turn your miserable fate back to those who wronged you. It is commendable!"

"It's just!"

"I agree! It is what I vowed in my life and the satisfaction of the revenge was more satiating then all the wine through history!" He howled with laughter. "But what will you do at the end? What will you do for those who fight not against you or with you, but not at all?"

"What will I do for the weak, chafe, and mewling plebians that cling to a God that never comes?" The woman's smile was molten.

The Master could only lean back, hating the heat that permeated from her, nearly charring his skin and making his clothes billow beneath him. It made his lips curl and the wish for water fill him like the desire to be free. It was all consuming, but he kept his mouth shut. He kept his head load.

"They'll burn, like everyone else."

Author's Note:

So the question is what does come next? Two answers. One, I have planned out the major parts of every arc all the way through the final showdown, which I can guarantee you does not take place in Goetia's domain, as it is already kind of obvious that it would be a curbstomp worse than canon, where you have the literal strongest of the strong flying around you and taking out the infinite respawning demon pillars.

Second answer is that I need to plan out how I plan to write it. I have another unrelated story I'd like to pursue, but I also have a personal story, one I'd like to see published in the future, cooking as well. Completely science-fiction, actually steam-punk at that, focusing on a mystery and the world, and less about just 'look cool steam stuff' like so many other stories do. I want it to be a story where you have a set of characters you are interested in, trying to answer a mystery so they can make a likely life-or-death decision.

So… yeah, I do want to pursue this, and have it setup for it, even some of the next arc sort of written up, just not sure when I'll jump on it. I hope to soon, but if I do, it'll be after I get a significant portion through the Arc, so I'm not trying to play catchup.

I'll answer questions and quandaries, and hopefully not leave anyone disappointed.

Cheers!