0.7. The Grand Order

Artoria inhales sharply, eyes snapping open. She bolts upright, and regrets it the instant a terrible headache assaults her.

She… really should stop doing this before it becomes a habit.

Wincing, Artoria holds her head. She covers her mouth when she feels a sudden urge to hurl. Distorted images of red, flame, and smoke swim inside her head. Artoria doesn't know how long she has stayed in that state until they finally settle down.

Wiping off the sweat clinging, Artoria now manages to notice how noisy it is. Her head turns to the side, where the clamor is.

"For the last time! I just checked her physical condition because you didn't let our doctor be anywhere near her room!"

"Why should I take a word of a depraved old man having crossdressing as a hobby?"

Her hand drops down at the sight before her.

Berserker is holding an incredibly beautiful woman by her neck, who looks quite fluttered but unharmed, for unknown reasons. And for God knows reason, Tamamo Cat is chomping on top of his head, hard enough to draw blood, but Berserker doesn't seem to pay her a mind.

The beautiful woman gasps scandalously at his offhanded retort.

"Listen, you! This is the ideal beauty I pursued during my life, so there's nothing wrong with becoming one with that beauty itself! Just watch–" She suddenly catches a glimpse of Artoria watching them with her mouth hung-agape. "Oh, you are awake! Help me, please! Tell this moron the desire to become a beautiful girl will be the norm soon!"

Artoria stares at them for a few more minutes before slowly, and steadily, she lays back down. Turning her back at them, she pulls up the blanket.

This is a dream. Artoria closes her eyes and welcomes the blissful darkness. Yes, she is just dreaming—

"No, this is real! Don't try to escape reality by telling yourself this was a dream! Please tell your Servant to release me first!"

:::::::

Artoria rubs her temples. She shouldn't be disappointed but why it wasn't a dream?!

They have managed to separate Berserker from the woman, and Tamamo Cat from him. Both Servants currently take their place by either of her sides, with Tamamo Cat sitting close to her and Berserker leaning on the wall next to her bedhead. Artoria also discovered why Tamamo Cat chewed on the other Servant's head. She wanted the other two to quiet down for her Master to rest, but got ignored. So as a result, she took the matter into her own hand– erm, her own mouth.

Sometimes, Artoria wonders what is going on inside her Servant's head.

This is her room in Chaldea, she realizes this much. Her body feels clean and she is wearing a simple black shirt and pants rather than her dirty and tattered Mystic Code, which means she has been back for quite some time.

… Artoria tries not to dwell on who helped her change. Instead, she hopes the others in their group also return safely.

Taking a deep breath, she glances up with the most serious face she can muster. "I have a lot of things I want to say, but first…"

"Cat. Just what on earth are you wearing?" Artoria eyes the Servant who squeals in joy at her question.

"My Master, you finally noticed it!" Jumping off the bed, Tamamo Cat picks up the hem of the maid dress and twirls. "Do you like this lovely dress? Betcha you like it, woof! Because rejoice, my Master. This is your own exclusive maid service from the world's most adorable cat and the wifeliest of the wives (?)! So… pet me! Pet me! Pet me, please!"

"Where did you ever— actually, never mind." Artoria sighs while she keeps the Servant's face away from hers. There are so many questionable things in Tamamo Cat's answer that Artoria doesn't even know where to start. At the same time, she learned that something is best not to be questioned.

Still, she pats the Servant's head as she wishes. This is the least thing Artoria can do for everything Tamamo Cat has done for her. Compared to the time they were in Fuyuki, her fingers feel less awkward when they brush behind the orange ears. It never ceases to amaze her how this fox lady can purr like a big cat. She guesses Tamamo Cat's claim to be a, well, cat has some merit.

"From what I see, you didn't suffer any other injuries. That's good. Your body has recovered well." Humming amusedly at their interaction, the woman comments, reminding Artoria of her presence. Blushing, she drops her hand and coughs into it, ignoring Tamamo Cat's disappointed "Aww..."

"Thank you… But do you have to stay that far away?"

Sitting on a stool right outside the door of Artoria's room, the woman huffs. "It can't be helped. If I set a foot in there, he would grab my neck again!"

"Don't be fooled by her look, Master. That Servant is Leonardo da Vinci." Berserker scoffs, giving the other woman one eye glare as Artoria gives him a disapproved look. His statement makes Artoria blink. Unable to help herself, she turns back to the woman who winks at her, then back at him, mouth stuttering an unspoken question whilst the Servant grunts.

"Unfortunately, yes. That's him."

"You can call me "Da Vinci ". Or "Da Vinci-chan" if you like!" The woman, Da Vinci gives her a peace sign. Honestly, it doesn't help this situation any better though by some power, Artoia manages an "Okay…?" in return.

The number of weirdos has just increased...

"Da Vinci? Is she awake yet-" At that moment, a familiar redhead pokes out from the side of the door. Artoria stands up. Gudako's amber eyes enlarge at her sight. Crossing the room in three single steps, the redhead rushes at her with her arm spreading. "Artoria! You are– epp?!"

And gets held up by Berserker who has swiftly moved in front of his Master. Gudako lets out another yelp as he growls.

"Berserker! Let her go!" Startled, Artoria wracks his arm without thinking. "She is my friend!"

The Servant regards her, and then back at Gudako who gives him a very forced smile, trying to show she is harmless. Begrudgingly, he lets the redhead down whilst a sigh leaves Artoria. Sooner or later, she needs to have a word with Berserker. He can't keep acting like all the people they meet will attempt to murder her on the spot–

A flash of green passes by her mind.

… Granted it wasn't unreasonable, but still!

After sneaking a nervous look at Berserker, Gudako gives her a tight hug.

"I'm so glad! I thought I had lost you until we picked up your vital signs in Fuyuki… But we couldn't reach you!" To Artoria's surprise, a sob slides out from Gudako's lips. "I asked Mash and Fujimaru to find you. And— and when we managed to reconnect again, I saw you lying limp in his arms! Even after we rayshifted you back and tried everything we could, You just wouldn't open your eyes! So I thought- I lost you again...!"

"Hey, don't cry. I am fine now. See." Artoria clumsily pats the redhead on her back, touched by the genuine concern she received. Her own eyes heat up a bit.

"I'ma not cryin'…! I'm just so happy that my eyes become sweaty!" Gudako stubbornly shakes her head while keeping her face burrowed into her shoulders whilst Artoria chuckles. They did go through a lot, didn't they?

"I am also glad to see you are okay, Archaman." She says sincerely.

Suddenly, Gudako draws back and looks at her with a pout.

"Gudako."

"Pardon?"

"Call me "Gudako". You said I was your friend, didn't you? Then call me by my name." The redhead's cheeks puff up more despite her eyes still red after all the crying. This is bringing out a sense of deja vu from Artoria. But to be fair, she has called Tamamo Cat by her name (it sounds more like a nickname, actually). So, there's no reason for her not to do the same for Gudako.

"Alright, Gudako." She sighs in resignation. Immediately, the redhead bounces on her feet and high-fives with Tamamo Cat. It causes Artoria to wonder when those two have become so close.

Shaking her head, she faces them. "Alright, now does anyone mind telling me what happened after I passed out?"

The silence sets in the room almost immediately. Artoria's eyebrows furrow when the people before her seem to exchange a subtle glance among themselves. In the end, it's Da Vinci who speaks up.

"You… may want to sit down."

Doesn't that sound deja vu...

:::::::

"Director was… killed?" Artoria repeats in a mix of disbelief and horror. Her throat feels constricted. "Bu- but how?! I thought we were winning?!"

Da Vinci and Gudako both shake their heads to her dismay.

"Lev turned the table by using the Holy Grail's power. He cut a rift in spacetime, connecting Singularity F with the Command room to send Olga into CHALDEA. Even we staff watched it with our naked eyes… now think about it, he probably did it for show." The older woman frowns.

"All Marie's vital signs disappeared the moment she collided with CHALDEA." Having taken a place beside Da Vinci, Gudako adds quietly. "It is a territory of dimensional anomaly, a high-density body of data that's no different from a black hole or a small sun. Any human touching it would be a hellish disintegration on the molecular level. So…"

"Bu... But we were winning… " Artoria utters, holding her face. It's lucky that she took Da Vinci's advice and sat down beforehand. "Just what happened when I lost consciousness? I'm sure we were winning! Berserker had clipped Lev's shield. Surely–"

"My Master… you didn't remember?" Tamamo Cat speaks up, her tail swaying side to side nervously. "Berserker had stopped his attack when you passed out."

"What!? Why?! Fujimaru was still there… don't tell me you refused to listen to him?" Artoria snaps her head toward the aloof Servant. Berserker regards her with one eye then looks away. His silence seems only to flue her anger further.

Before Artoria lashes out, Tamamo Cat exclaims.

"No! It's not like that, my Master. He…" Artoria notices her sneaking a hesitant look at Berserker. He in turn, stubbornly says nothing. Artoria swears those two are driving her crazy. Tamamo Cat is willing to defend this moron? Now, what the heck is going on here?!

"He couldn't." Da Vinci finally answers it for them. Her voice softens as she addresses Artoria. "And Artoria, don't be too hard on him. He did so to protect you. The reason you fainted was due to the toll of overloading your magical energy. With the Holy Grail war over and Lev snatched the Grail for himself, all Servants wanting to remain must rely on another alternative source: their Masters. You saw what almost happened to Caster when his magical energy path to the Grail was cut off. However, taking magical energy from the Master came with a risk. If The Servants weren't careful with their consumption, they might unwittingly jeopardize their Master's life."

"Although Chaldean Servants don't usually have to worry about this sort of problem, your contact with Berserker was quite… unique." The word catches Artoria's attention. "Unlike Tamamo Cat and Caster summoned by the FATE system, his magical paths were somehow linked directly to you. I theory it might be because you used a summoning circle without Mash, but for whatever reason, Berserker had taken magical energy from you instead of our Magical Energy Reactor when his connection to the Holy Grail was severed."

Artoria frowns slightly, not sure how she should take this information until the sound of a loud clap from Da Vinci snaps her out.

"But worry not!" The older woman returns to her usual upbeat self. "I readjusted his paths to FATE. It should be safe from now on."

"I… I see…" Artoria averts her eyes to her lap, a bit ashamed of herself for jumping to conclusions. Still, why didn't Berserker tell her if that was the case? Pushing aside her inner voice, she looks up. "So… is there anything else I should know beforehand?"

Artoria certainly did not expect a dead silence would be her reply. Again, no one seems willing to meet her gaze, even Tamamo Cat. Her eyebrows furrow further before Berserker heaves a sigh.

"Humanity has fallen."

At once, the rest snap their heads toward him, taken back by his bluntness while Artoria stares at him, unblinking.

What…?

"Humanity has what… ?! Berserker, that joke wasn't funny!"

"I never lie to you, Master. Green suit [Lev]confirmed it." The Servant says without changing his tone. "If you don't feel so convinced, there is one perfect person in this facility who can confirm you. Am I right, Leonardo da Vinci?"

The woman flinches at the sideways look he gives her. Artoria glances between them. She has an inkling they both know something that no one knew since Tamamo Cat and Gudako have clueless looks on their faces.

Da Vinci forces a smile. She opens her mouth, but something else cuts her off.

"GRRRRR…! "

They turn to Artoria, whose face is slowly turning into the brightest shade of red. Before she can deny it, another growl that is akin to an animal roar escapes from her.

"It's been a while since I ate!" Artoria squeaks, clutching her traitorous stomach as Gudako, Tamamo Cat giggles. Even Berserker's expression softens while da Vinci smiles gently.

"The truth of Lev's claims will be announced in this afternoon briefing." The woman states, sparing her from further embarrassment. "Until then, go eat something. Food is a great way to replenish your magical energy after all."

:::::::

Holding a spoon, Artoria stares blankly down at the streaming bowl. Then her head rises to see dishes in party quantities placed around her.

How did this happen? Honestly, she doesn't even want to know.

One moment they parted away from Gudako and Da Vinci. The next thing when Artoria didn't pay attention to because even though her stomach made an embarrassing show, food was the last thing on her mind after hearing that news, her two Servants somehow got into an argument.

And now here she is, in the middle of a mountain of food, literally.

"A cooking contest ", they said. "A sacred trial (?) to decide who is worthy to cook a feat that can quell the mighty anger of her stomach ", they said.

But with this amount?

Just what those two took her for…?

"I don't suppose you intended to eat all of those yourself?"

Artoria glances over her shoulder to see a familiar Servant in blue. Caster waves at her as he approaches her table.

"Oh, it's just you." is all she says. Artoria turns back and takes a sip of her broth, only to almost spit it out. She opens her mouth to let out a puff of hot air.

Hot! But damn, it is so good! It's a surprise those two can cook without burning the whole kitchen down with their antics.

"So you are just going to ignore me like that? You are too cold." Caster invites himself to sit down in front of her while Artoria reaches for a cup of water. She just gives him a look that says "Aren't you just going to do whatever you like? ", to which he returns with a cheeky grin.

"So what brings you here?" Artoria speaks up after they sit there in brief silence.

"Straight to the point, huh? Well, fine by me." Caster's easy smile drops, leaving his face dead serious. "Did the old Da Vinci tell you?"

Artoria halts.

"Tell me what?"

The Servant tosses his chin toward the kitchen. Pursing her lips, Artoria places the cup down. She wonders if she should be concerned or not about the fact she understood so well what Caster was mentioning.

"Da Vinci said "It should be safe now "..." She absently taps the table before continuing, looking at him in the eyes. "But you don't think so."

"Yep, I think you should cut off Berserker, now that we're in Chaldea." Caster nods. "He has caused you nothing but trouble ever since you two came into a contract, hasn't he? I didn't say anything back then because we lacked the manpower to fight Saber, but it isn't wise to keep a Servant like that by your side, especially for a long haul."

The implication in his voice catches Artoria's attention, but she tries not to let it bother her. "I said before. Berserker is my Servant. I will not give up on him."

"While commitment is good, it is not always the right thing to do."

"If you're talking about the magical energy consumption, I have–"

"A Magic Core, yes. I'm aware you have it. And I'm surprised you were aware of it but still chose to be stubborn." Artoria's mouth clamps shut at his statement. Her expression makes Caster sigh. "It seems like you knew only its existence but not the problem around your Magic Core. So no one told you, huh? Listen well. The Magic Code indeed turned you into a powerhouse that can sustain any Servant, even a Berserker who spammed broken Noble Phantasms like no tomorrow, without a Holy Grail. In fact, it's better for you to have something to spend on that vast reverse of magical energy since your [human] body isn't naturally built to contain it. Your using Reinforcement barely helps your body to withstand the strain from your Magic Core. Usually, there would be another factor, like Dragon Blood or Mystic Eyes, to balance it out. However, you don't have any, at least from what I have observed."

The Servant crosses his arms and leans back to the chair. "It was only devil luck that your inside wasn't damaged perpetually back then. As soon as Berserker was affected by Mad Enhancement, you also lost control over your magic energy flow, causing it to go haywire. Imagine your body as a dam and magical energy as the water it contains. Normally when you want water, you only open one gate. But one fine day, you suddenly aren't in your right mind for some reason. You need more water so you open all the gates, yet it feels nowhere near enough. So you punch a hole in the wall and this mad lad appears only to encourage you to punch more holes. What do you think will happen then?"

"Bam!" He claps his hands. "The whole dam gets destroyed by the pressure of the stream."

"Berserker would never do that." Artoria encounters despite her face pale at the thought.

"He's mad, you are mad. Can you trust two mad people would not do anything?" Caster shrugs. "That's back to my point. While Masters and Servants sharing a mental connection isn't unusual, for it to run deep to the point it directly influences the other is quite rare. There is no guarantee a similar incident won't happen again in the future... you understand what I'm saying, right?"

"The problem is my lack of magical energy control. It was because I had neglected my magic training for so long. I will resume it-"

"If that's truly what you believe, you should look at me and say it." The Servant cuts her off. Artoria bites hard inside her cheek, and her eyes remain glued to her knitted hands. They are trembling. She hoped none other than her would notice what had happened. Then again, there is no way she could fool a Caster class Servant.

Honestly, if Artoria closes her eyes right now, she can recall that feeling perfectly, like she relived it.

Hatred.

A burning hatred that was aimed at Lev. Raging, scorching, and threatening to devour her consciousness as a whole.

A hatred that wasn't hers.

And at the same time, the emotion Artoria had was too real to say otherwise. She could tell her whole body shaking in anger and her mouth pulled back into a snarl when they faced Lev. The disorder made her feel foreign in her own body. Even though she might not pinpoint what was wrong with her, Artoria still had enough awareness to know this phenomenon wasn't normal. Her eyes had instinctually searched for Berserker…

To find herself paralyzed by the glimpse of his face.

Fear.

It was fear that gripped her heart at that moment. She can't remember what expression Berserker wore, there seems to be a shadow obscuring his features, but–

"I don't know him... Just who is this?"

Artoria is sure that was her thoughts.

Everything became a blur from then. If her memory served her right, that should have been around the time of their second counterattack after Fujimaru formed an official contract with Caster. When Artoria came to, they had been back to Chaldea.

She doesn't admit it, but Caster has seen through her. And he was right. Keeping Berserker by her side is a gamble that she isn't sure if she wants to risk. Logically, she only stays here for a few more days until her teacher arrives. After that, she will be back to her normal life, and no longer have anything to do with Chaldea or Servants. She should avoid any potential troubles as she had planned, perhaps even nipping them in the bud.

But…

She watches her face reflected on the glass of her cup.

...what a sight of a coward.

"As long as I am a Master, Berserker is my Servant." Artoria says finally. She meets Caster's ruby eyes. "I will not abandon him."

Instead of answering, the Servant regards her. There is a deep frown on his face while she keeps her firm expression. The tense silence between them lasts a few minutes until Caster breaks it with a snort.

"So your answer remains unchanged until the end… I expected no less from you. No, it would be more strange had you chosen otherwise." He muses, waving his hand at her. "Relax. You look like you're about to murder me."

Artoria stares at him dumbfounded before it draws to her.

"That all was just a test?!"

"Yep." comes an offhanded answer.

"I need to know where you are standing before offering my help." Caster says while ignoring the murderous aura radiant from Artoria.

"It would be much appreciated if you didn't sneak around me like that." She grumbles. Artoria already has one Servant with a tendency to slink around her, she doesn't need another.

"Heh, duly noted. Now, mind telling this moron to remove his knives? Sorry, but I don't plan to come here and be today's lunch."

His words make Artoria perk up to see Berserker has shown up from behind Caster since when. A dish of fruit in one hand, the other holding a kitchen knife to the other Servant's neck. A dozen or more knives surround them, all pointing at Caster.

She swears she didn't even hear Berserker approach them.

"Berserker."

At Artoria's disapproved voice, the knives immediately disappear, including the one in Berserker's hand. But his scold remains. Placing down the dish with a loud clack, Berserker doesn't bother to hide his distaste for the other Servant. "Get lost, Caster. Your yapping is bothersome."

"Jealousy is an ugly thing, Berserker." Caster mimics his tone. He stands up when the end of Berserker's eyebrow twitches. "No need to be an ass. I know I overstayed my welcome."

He turns to Artoria. "Missy, since I have something needed to look into more first, we will continue this discussion later. But if you have any troubles, my door is always open."

"Ah... I'll keep that in mind." She replies with reflexes. Remembering what she was about to ask him before Berserker disrupted them, Artoria calls after Caster, standing up.

"Wait, Caste! Why are you so willing to help me?"

The Servant blinks at her over his shoulder. Something seems to flash by his eyes but his usual smirk covers it.

"Don't think too much about it. I'm just doing so to make myself feel better."

"See ya later." With a last wave of his hand, Caster exits the cafeteria, leaving Artoria's eyebrow furrowed at his words.

"Just forget about it. If you want advice, consult that depraved old man."

Berserker's grump next to her makes Artoria jump. She glances up at him. Rather than looking at her, the Servant glares at the door of the cafeteria Caster walked out not long ago.

"You rather have me ask someone you called "depraved " instead?" She inquires.

"His hobby is questionable, but his mind is that of a genius." He turns her. Artoria titles her head. Berserker is staring at her with a look she can't interpret. Now they are alone, she is suddenly conscious of the little awkward air between them.

As Artoria considers asking him what's wrong, the Servant shakes his head slightly.

"Eat up. You'll need a lot of energy later."

That's all Berserker says. Without another word, he picks up the empty glass on the table and goes back to the kitchen. Watching his retreating back, Artoria can only blink in confusion. She picks up her spoon and takes a sip of the now warmed broth.

… Come to think of it. She has yet to apologize to Berserker about what happened back in her room.

:::::::

"First off, as Chaldea Acting Director, I congratulate you on surviving and completing your mission, Ritsuka Fujimaru and Artotia Watson. Even though everything was pushed onto you, you bravely faced the challenges and overcame them. For that, I thank and respect you from the bottom of my heart."

The formality makes Artoria incline her head back out of habit while Fujimaru rubs his neck. They are standing in the briefing room that was used for Master candidates' meetings. Romani Archaman, the current Acting Director of Chaldea, is the head of the Medical department she once heard Gudako mention. This is the first time she meets him in person and to his credit, he isn't as half as bad as described. Artoria notices his hair has the same shade as the redhead, a bit on the gray side, and fluffier.

She wonders if the two of them are relatives, seeing they have the same surname.

In the back, Mash, Gudako, da Vinci, and the Servants are also presented, with Fou resting on the purple-haired girl's shoulder. And let's add that it has taken Artoria a lot of convincing for Tamamo to not cling to her and stay where she is.

"However, it is not over yet. Chalde suffered a heavy loss. Our communications have been cut off, and the staff we sent to check on the situation haven't returned. At any rate, I fear… Humanity has already been destroyed. Outside Chaldea, it's a world of death."

Her thoughts abruptly come to a crash.

Artoria blinks at Romani, unable to process. The man himself looks anywhere but her. She turns to Fujimaru to see him stare at the ground, hands fists tightly by his sides. He doesn't look bewildered. He looks resigned that dread slowly creeps inside Artoria.

Not daring to glance behind her to confirm her suspicions, she looks back at the acting director. "What…?" is all she can mutter out of her constricted throat.

Just what the hell happened when she was unconscious?!

"In Singularity F [Fuyuki], Lev revealed the future hadn't been lost. It had been incinerated." Romani continues. His own face looks sickened despite him trying to hide it. That alone is more confirmative than any words. "It wasn't any network issues that blocked our transmissions to the outside, there was just no recipient to pick them up… We have no choice but to accept his claim as true. Humanity has been incinerated."

"No… If Lev burned the whole world down, how come we are still alive?" Artoria retorts in the last denial. But Romani's answer shatters any hope she has.

"Chaldea's magnetic field protects us… but it only lasts until the year 2018. After that, I'm afraid we will be wiped off along with the rest of humanity."

"wiped off along with the rest of humanity ". The statement echoes long inside Artoria's head. Like receiving a slap on her cheek, she staggers back. She can hear her breaths become louder and more frantic along with her heartbeat.

"Artoria?!"

A voice calls out to her the moment Artoria's knees give out. Who? She doesn't know, ain't able to focus. Dropped on her knees, she clutches herself in an attempt to anchor her swimming mind. Isn't it just back to that basement all over again? Or did she even manage to escape from that city of fire?

… No, this is much worse.

She killed her–

A hiccup leaves her lips. And she chokes. Artoria realizes with a primitive fear that she can't breathe. She tries to gasp for air, her fingers crawling at her throat.

She's drowning.

"Quickly! She is having a panic attack!"

"Hold her hands! She is hurting herself!"

"Someone loosens her collar."

"Take the tranquilizer!"

Distorted voices ring inside Artoria's ears. She can hardly make out what they are, but to her, they seem to say that her master is gone. It was her doing it, again. Her master is gone. Her grandfather is gone. Her family is gone, gone like everyone.

Everyone just gone [left].

Again, it's her fault–

"ARTORIA! "

"Euk?!"

Artoria is jolted back by a dull pain on her forehead. Berserker slowly comes clear in her blurry vision. His face is stricken with anxiety. A few more silhouettes are behind him, but she can only make out him at this moment.

"Whatever stupid idea you are having, stop it this instant!"

Above his left, someone complains "Now that's harsh", but no one pays them attention.

"But I–I…" Artoria stammers as tears begin flowing out of her eyes. Somewhere at the back of her frantic mind, a voice, suspiciously sounding like a child version of herself, cries in helpless relief at the fact she wasn't alone. And somehow she manages to calm down a bit to speak. "I wasn't supposed to be here… I wasn't supposed to be alive! I took my master's place! I killed her…"

"No, you didn't kill anyone. That thing [Lev] killed everyone. You didn't ask to be in your master's place. It was out of your control!" Berserker cuts off. His voice barely raises, but it's sharp. Only then is Artoria vaguely aware that he is gripping her shoulders.

Upon her stupefied face, the Servant lets out a sigh, seeming to force himself to wind out.

"Concentrate on your breathing. It will help you to calm down." He instructs, letting go of her shoulders and taking her hands. He squeezes them. The warmth reminds Artoria that she isn't alone. "Take a deep breath in and hold it while I count from one to five. Exhale and repeat it when I count again. Can you follow?". "

Shakingly, Artoria nods. Berserker starts to count, slow and deliberate, allowing her to easily comply. His voice seems to resonate both inside and outside her mind. While some might find it strange, Artoria doesn't mind it. It is soothing. It makes her focus on his voice better.

Eventually, Artoria's breathing rate slows down. Now she can see Tamamo Cat, Gudako, Fujimaru, Mash, Caster, Da Vini, and even Romani forming a circle around them. All watch her with different levels of concern on their faces. If Artoria isn't busy catching her breath, she would turn red in embarrassment.

With a last squeeze, Berserker releases her hands.

"What you thought wasn't real; your mind just made it up." He states as the others back a few steps to give them some space. "But if that was what you couldn't help but feel, then you have to try harder to live from now on, take back what he took from you."

" "Take back "…?" Artoria echoes before the words settle in. Instantly, she grabs the front of Berserker's coat with a startled look. "You meant there was still a chance for us?!"

Instead of answering, Berserker glances at Romani over his shoulder. With a conflicted expression, the acting director solemnly nods.

"Yes, there is a way. I was about to talk about it in this briefing. Please look here."

Romani clicks on his comm. Behind him, the LED screen flashes up, showing them the map of the world, with seven circles of different sizes seeming to pulse.

"Those are new found Singularities." Romani explains. "After scanning the Earth with the resurrected SHEBA, we notice that the state of the past is even more chaotic than Fuyuki's was. To bring humanity to ruin, Lev used the power of the Holy Grail to attack the turning point of history, namely the ultimate decision points to determine the current state of humanity. But if we fix all those Singularities, we can preserve the foundation of human history, and our future will return."

Artoria immediately jumps up on her wobbling feet, almost falling back if not for Berserker and Gudako quickly grab her arms. "Then what are we waiting for–"

"But !" Romani cuts her off. "It also means you will have to repeat what in Fuyuki seven times over. With just two of you, Watson and Fujimaru."

The statement halts Artoria dead in her tracks.

"Right now, only you two can perform a rayshift. For a person to rayshift, they require particular qualities. From all over the world, there are only 48 aptitude individuals found, including Artoria's case which we lucked out." Romani says. "After Lev Lainur's betrayal, all the other Masters were in critical states. As per the former Chaldea Director's order, they are put under cryofreeze right now due to our shortage of medical equipment… I know I'm forcing your hand but I still have to ask you."

Straightening his back, the acting director of Chaldea forces himself to look at Artoria and Fujimaru in their eyes. "To take back our future, to save humanity, Master candidate number 48 Fujimaru Ritsuka and Master candidate number 45 Artoria Watson, we have no choice but for you to do it once more, all on your own. Do you have that resolve? Do you have the strength to fight for Chaldea… for the future beyond 2016?"

Artoria swallows dryly. She bites inside her cheek. The pain and faint copper taste inside her mouth allow her to ignore the churn inside her stomach. There is another distinct pain of the nails digging into her palms.

From what Artoria understands, Romani wasn't asking them anymore.

He is demanding [imploring] them. To walk back, to go through that hell once more.

As much as she wants to flip out, Artoria can't. Because she also understands that both she and Fujimaru… no, everyone here [the survivors] have passed the point where they had the luxury of choosing, as Romani stated.

"... If that's something I can do, then I will do it."

Fujumaru's voice breaks the dark cloud inside Artoria's head.

She looks over at him. His complex is pale, but his eyes remain strong.

"I'm just a regular guy. I'm no savior or godlike character with the power to save humanity." Fujimaru staches at the back of his head. "I may not have that resolve you spoke of, but I know rayshifting to those Singularities is something I can do. So as long as it can help everyone, I will do it."

His lips curl into a faint, shaking smile, which immediately takes Artoria back to the moment when they bathed in the beautiful light of Mash's Noble Phantasm…

When hope was found.

–That's right.

She has faced death. She has faced loss. What else is left to be hesitated?

"Count me in, too." Artoria speaks up, feeling the weight inside her mind lifted. Wiping off the tear trace, she turns to Romani with a more certain voice. "There is no way I can stand for things to end like this. All the pain Lev had flinched on us, we will return him tenfold!"

A snort reaches her ears. Artoria glances from the corner of her eyes to see Berserker give her an amused smirk. Both Gudako and Da Vinci have a smile.

He steps up to her as Tamamo Cat follows his lead.

"That's right! Let's return that sonna b*tch tenfold!"

Although normally, Artoria would have been horrified by that choice of words, she finds herself crackling up a bit. Exchanging a nod with Fujimaru, they turn toward a stunned Romani.

"We will fight."

The acting director stares back at them, he shifts to Da Vinci who gives him a nod. Something seems to shimmer over his eyes before Romani abruptly bows at his waist. The gesture startles both Artoria and the raven-headed Master.

"-Thank you. With those words, our fate has been decided."

Standing up, Romani flashes them a grateful smile before going to the control table. He turns on the mic. The white windows clear out, revealing a crimson CHALDEA and the waiting staff members below.

"Relay this to all surviving Chaldea staff members! From this point, we will take over from those who've lost their lives to protect humanity." Romani announces. "I, Romani Archman, officially take on the role of Director. We will act on the plan of the former Director Olga Marie Animusphere, to fulfill her mission to preserve Human Order! Our objective is the protection and recovery of human history. Our search target will be each era's relic [the Holy Grail]. Even if this is an act of blasphemy against the past. To save humanity, we must defy human history. To survive, we will fight-"

"No, to take back the future, we must fight. No matter what sort of end awaits us!" Romani corrects himself. "This is now Chaldea's last yet original mission. Operation [Grand Order], the drive to protect Humanity. In the name of the magi world's highest-ranking mission, we will take back the future!"

Everyone immediately rejoins his rally. Something inside Artoria moves along with the cry of the people, humanity's last hope.

Yes, let's do our best. For humanity!

And this is the conclusion of the beginning arc. There will be a few extra stories before we go to the First Order