Yeahhh, before anyone complains. I rewrote the whole Book I since I didn't like the previous one that much after re-reading it (too stiff). It also affects the stories I drafted later, so yeah. The change is that it will now mainly follow Artoria's respective, the rest of the settings remained the same, more or less.

It also sticks close to my real playing FGO experience, namely, the Servant master!Artoria will get in the series. Also, you may find her a bit OOC when compared to the other versions, but to me, this is an Artoria who was born and grew up in her environment, so she would be inevitably different. As for why some other characters are also a bit OOC, I can only answer that I tried my best. I just hope you will enjoy this story as much as I do.


0. Prologue

"Artoria, the moment you were born as a magus, you are no longer a "normal" person..."

:::::::

Blinking her eyes sleepily, the girl stares up at the foreign white ceiling.

Just where the hell is this again…?

Ah, right.

Chaldea, the Security Organization for the Preservation of Humanity, The data center for the future of humankind… or so they called it. The introduction was so long that she had trouble remembering it all.

Letting out a mighty yawn, she drags herself into the bathroom. Folded neatly on the nightstand is a pair of uniforms, specifically made for her which freaks her out a bit. She literally got here yesterday. How come they could already prepare it? The way the uniform perfectly fits her size is amazing in an unnerving way.

Oh, she forgot to mention it before but she, Artoria Watson, isn't supposed to be in Chaldea. Rather, it should be her master, the current head of a famous Magus lineage, the Tohsaka.

Then why is Artoria here instead, you'd ask?

Everything started with a sudden visit from her master…

Artoria's master, who had been away from England for several years suddenly showed up one day during Artoria's summer vacation. "They can drag my ass into whatever bullshit they planned again after I got my damn nap." was all her beloved master said before collapsing on the bed inside the guest room which was long since designed for her at Artoria's grandparent's house. And as dutiful pupil she was, Artoria took the matter in her hand and went to wake her master up after she had taken a full eight-hour nap.

She was just trying to wake her up from her nap, Artoria swears. However, a weird, self-glowing letter, which hadn't been on the nightstand before, just happened to catch her attention. Curious took the better of her, Artoria picked it up. Then she just somehow managed to cut herself with the sharp edge of it.

The moment her blood stained the white paper, the letter burst into blind light.

The next time Artoria blinked, she was sitting in the middle of a massive, unfamiliar white hall where a dozen or so pairs of eyes stared owlishly at her.

Artoria resists the urge to bash her head on the spotless basin when she reminisces. How was she supposed to know the letter was a teleport spell in disguise? And it would automatically draw the picker's blood just to activate itself– No, who on earth created something like that in the first place?!

Then it turned out, the letter was a trap, a specially designed trap, for her master, the result of many excuses she had made up to delay.

Of course, Artoria only knew about this when her master finished chewing her ears off for suddenly disappearing and making everyone worried for nothing and finally, being careless.

"Only an idiot would poke around a magus. Let this be a lesson for you." said a (attempted to be) stern tone over the phone.

So, as her master dubbed, Artoria suddenly finds herself being her master's representative until she arrives. It will take four or five days or so if lucky, or two weeks, her master said. Despite being called a trap, the letter was actually a magical one-way ticket allowing the passenger to pass the Bounded Field protecting Chaldea. Thus, due to security matters, only one ticket existed.

The only one ticket that Artoria stupidly spent.

Her master had reassured her didn't need to worry so much about being her representative, just stay cool and enjoy the free "privilege" in the meantime. She also had explained the situation to her family so everything was "peachy".

Artoria resists the urge to growl. At that point, she is pretty sure the woman was just happy about the legitimate reason to stall the work she had gotten rather than the concern for her dear pupil. That distinctly stifled laughter at the end of their call told it all. Just like that, her master dumped Artoria to Chaldea's unimaginable all sorts of tests as soon as her so-called title "representative Master candidate" got registered… Alright, she may be exaggerating but she did pass out the moment her back hit the bed after they finally released her back to her assigned room.

And the worst thing is, Artoria has no one to blame but herself. As her master had stated, she brought this on her own. Artoria certainly does not look forward to the trip returning home, a place where a lot of not-so-happy people are waiting for her.

Grumping after several futile attempts to flatten that single strand of hair on top of her head, Artoria just puts her hair into the normal bun style and secures it with a blue ribbon. She picks up her silk sword bag, the only companion that she managed to bring along when she got smuggled in Chalde against her will, and flings it over her shoulder.

Checking her appearance in the mirror one last time, Artoria nods to herself. All set, she is ready to follow the call of her stomach to the cafeteria.

:::::::

Artoria looks around curiously as she walks down the long hall. For an observation factory, Chaldea is surely large. She wonders to herself if she would be able to visit all the places before returning home. There are a few other people in the halls, both staff and Master candidates, and their gazes seem to trail after her, a fact Artoria is trying to not acknowledge and keeps her spine straight. This isn't the first time people give her a look like she was some exotic animal for some unknown reason. While she gets used to the gazes, it doesn't make them any less bothersome.

Her thoughts are interrupted the moment a small, white fox-like squirrel slips past her legs as soon as the cafeteria's doors slide open. Not even out of shock, Artoria has to hastily step aside to avoid getting crashed by a very enthusiastic redhead chasing close after the animal. The young woman is also dragging a purple-haired girl behind, who sends Artoria an apologetic look on her companion's behalf.

Blinking, Artoria speechlessly watches the duo, or trio? disappearing down the hall until she settles them down with a shrug.

There are things just better left unknown.

With that thought, she enters the cafeteria, and Artoria admits if there is one consolation she could find after arriving at Chaldea, it must be the long-listed menu before her eyes, long enough to cover most of the dishes in the world. And what is awesome the most? They are completely free!

Master was right, this is a privilege!

Not wasting any more time, she orders a little of everything, which the chef gladly provides. Artoria barely stops herself from bouncing up in excitement as a tray of a large portion of food, the result of her choice, is given to her, promptly ignoring the odd stares she receives.

That chef is happy, she is happy and her stomach is happy, then it is all that matters.

Choosing the most secluded seat, Artoria sits down and quietly enjoys her "privilege". After some time, she notices the cafeteria suddenly becomes more lively. Curious, Artoria cranes her neck in an attempt to catch a glimpse of what causes the hustle and bustle.

It's a group of whom, in her opinion, can be called "elite" in high school, passing by the cafeteria. They seem to be Master candidates like the rest of them, but none wear the standard uniforms. Observing while absently chewing on her meal, Artoria notices that elite group includes a silver-haired and slim young man, a woman wearing an eyepatch over her right eye, a young woman with long hair tied in twin tails, and a pair of glasses, a feminine-like man with a constant on his lips, a black haired man wearing glasses, his sharp feature is highlighted by his pointed ears and a young man with dark blonde hair in a black leather long coat.

Despite the difference in their characteristics, all the members of that group do give off the same aura, which separates them from the rest of the candidates. Now that Artoria thinks of it, would they be still Master "candidates" or already on the next level? "Superior" seems to suit them more, especially the last member of the group whom she only manages to spot now thanks to the large crowd surrounding him. A young man with long blonde hair, almost the same shade as hers. If someone told Artoria he actually was a prince of a country, she would believe them without a single doubt. She means, looking at that white long coat and feather ornament on him. They give off the sense of regal and everything about him, from posture to aura, is just screaming royalty.

Kirschtaria Wodime, Artoria catches the name whispered the most among the people. That must be his—

Suddenly, the food is stuck in her throat, choking her in the process. Coughing, Artoria hurriedly thumps her chest. Several heads have turned toward her but her attention is solely on the stubborn piece of meat that finally goes down her belly. Letting out a relieved sigh, she reaches for the bottle of water and gulps down the cool liquid, smothering her throat. Her eyes move back to the group under the cover and she almost chokes again. Artoria hastily averts her gaze.

Yup, she didn't imagine it.

Kirschtaria Wodime is definitely staring at her! Their eyes definitely met back then and right now, she can clearly feel the weight of his gaze on her head. But why is Kirschtaria Wodime staring at her– No, no. It should be this: Why her!?

Questions begin to run around in Artoria's mind while a sound akin to a warning bell keeps ringing somewhere at the back of her head. You see, Artoria may not be the brightest one, but she had a trusting instinct. Ever since a child, she has always listened to her instinct so when it tells her this is too much, "Abort!", she will immediately act on it.

Even if it means sacrificing the remainder of her meal…

Well, these yummy babies wouldn't be sacrificed if she took them all in one go, right…?

Right– No, bad, bad Artoria! Think of your digestive system!

Conflicting, she sneaks a glance at her tray.

Artoria purses her lips.

So, as regretful as she is, she… stuffs all the food left into her mouth and finishes them at a remarkable speed in human history. Swallowing the last large sip of water to push everything down, she rushes out of the cafeteria, trying her best to not run. Kirschtaria's gaze has remained on the back of her head until the door closes behind her.

Releasing the breath she didn't realize she was holding, Artoria trudges away, not once does she dare to look back in fear. Although she might be overreacting, she trusts her instinct, which has never been wrong before. It was a signal of something bound to happen, something Artoria did not wish to be involved in for sure. She has vowed to herself to stay out of everything until the day she can switch back with her master and she intends to keep it.

After all, she is only here as a substitute.

… and she probably has to do something about the forming ache in her stomach first…

:::::::

Lucky for Artoria, aside from that encounter in the cafeteria, and after the stomach ache she brought to herself fades away on its own, nothing strange occurs again. Even the meeting with the director has run smoother than she expected.

Sitting straight, Artoria listens to the speed given by the Chaldea's director. If there is one word to use to describe her impression of her, Olga Marie Animusphere is… forceful, at best.

It's true Artoria was a bit surprised by how young the director of a seemingly big and important organization (in her opinion only, of course) looks, and she isn't the only one wondering so. However, Olga proves her standing, with her authoritative voice and her uptight demeanor. Her chin is held high and her speech is flawless, save for some rough way of wording.

While not many Master candidates would appreciate it when she called people "tools" and any opinions and objections weren't allowed, to Artoria, the young director sounded like a cat arching its back and letting its fur stand up to make itself more intimidating. Olga exactly reminds her of a magus with long black hair and blue eyes who took her in. If anything, that bossy attitude somehow makes Artoria feel less homesick, even after Olga unceremoniously kicked out a poor young man for dozing off... Well, admittedly stripping his shirt off in front of everyone was a bit excessive. Then again, it was entirely his fault.

Artoria's only and biggest problem right now lies in the content of the presentation. She swears she has tried to follow the speech. Keyword: tried, because the words just seem to fly over her head. There are too many technical terms that Artoria barely fully grasps with her limited knowledge of magic. Yes, she did learn the basics from her master, but the teaching used to go like "imagine your magical energy as the water and let it slowly circulate through your body" or "do anything you can to get out of there as fast as possible because if one of those creatures bite you, you'll die… or something similar that, I guess."

Artoria resists the urge to massage her forehead. Growing up with that way of explaining is backfiring her a great deal.

"You, the seventh one in the first round."

Artoria is jolted back by a sharp call. Blinking, she notices all the other Master candidates are giving her a somewhat pitiful look. Why? Her answer has taken the form of a rather pissed Olga glaring at her from the stage.

"... Me?" Artoria meekly points at herself.

"Yes, you. You look unsatisfied with the mission. I'll give you the chance to ask one question."

What…?

Artoria uses all her willpower to keep the panic from showing up outside. Just what kind of face did she unconsciously make for Miss Director to come to that conclusion?!

Sweat begins to pour down on her back. Artoria takes a breath and stands up. Her eyes sweep around for help but the other candidates either look away or avoid her gaze.

Those jerks…

"Well?" Olga crosses her arms whilst she clears her throat awkwardly. Ok, ok, keep calm and be cool. Think, Artoria, think! What the hell were they talking about before she accidentally zoomed out…? Her eyes perk up at the name on the big scene behind Olga. "Fuyuki"? Fuyuki, huh? She swears she has heard that name before… No, now is not the time to reminisce about it! "2004"? Why 2004– Ah, right, go to the past, fix things up, or something along the lines.

"Is time travel actually possible?" Artoria blunts out the first thing on her mind as soon as Olga's face starts to crumble further, likely the sight of impatience. She stutters at the bland look she receives. "Sorry! Wh-What I meant was, how can we know we won't mess the present up when we do stuff in the past?"

Artoria's mouth clamps shut. The silence that follows is just deafening. She prays inside her heart when Olga's blood slowly rises to her head and turns her face into an unhealthy shade of red.

This probably won't end well…

"DOES THE WORD "SINGULARITY" MEAN NOTHING TO YOU?!"

Despite bracing herself, Artoria, along with more than one other candidate, jumps out of her skin at the sheer volume the young woman used. There is a long ring inside her ears afterward.

For a person of her size, Olga really has a strong vocal cord.

"Listen here." The director seethes, shaking the shock out of Artoria. "The singularity we found doesn't exist in any of our observation records. It's like a hole that just appeared out of nowhere. The hole itself is cut off from the proper temporal axis! This 2004 singularity exists apart from the past and future. There's no need to connect it to our present. It's more stable than regular time travel, and whatever happens, the timeline can still repair itself. Singularity F is like a tiny stain on the dress that is human history. It ruins beauty just by its presence. Your job is to extract it! That's what will return humanity to its proper, observed course of history!"

She, and the rest of the candidates, watch in awkwardness as Olga pants for breath, having said all those in one go. Before anyone can say a thing, the young woman snaps her head up.

If glares could kill, Artoria's sure she would be dead a few times over.

"What is the Association thinking?! Send someone who barely understands basic spacetime theory. I told them this plan was a Grand Order, the highest possible duty in the world of magecraft." Puncturing each syllable, Ogla stomps down from the stage and toward her table. She pushes her face close to Artoria's until they are just inches apart, causing her to lean back to put more distance between them, and stares dead into her soul.

"Where is your ID?"

Quelling down her nervousness, Artoria taps the communicator wrapping around her wrist. A hologram window immediately shows up. Moving back, Olga's eyes skim over it. Her brows immediately knit together the moment recognition flashes past them.

"Artoria… Watson? You–" Artoria dodges aside in reflexes when Olga reaches for her collars. They both pause, sparing each other an awkward look. Just when Artoria thinks perhaps she should offer Olga her collars, the director saves her own face by slamming her hovering hand onto the table. "You are that apprentice Tohsaka just sent as she pleased…! You don't even have any prior training! How dare that woman– How dare they look down on me like this!"

Artoria winces inwardly as Olga continues her rant. She's so domed. So much for staying out of trouble. She just has to stupidly get on the bad side of Chaldea's director right on the second day. Now she would be stripped off and kicked out…

No, Artoria determines, Olga can kick her out, only with her clothes intact because she absolutely will have a say in that.

"Why the yelling, Director? I can hear your voice even from the Command Room."

At that moment, the front door slides open for a man in a green suit to enter. His calm manner seems at odds with the young woman he's addressing. "Is there a problem?"

"There are problems everywhere, Dr. Lev!" As if waiting for this, Olga explodes. "First a moron who dozed off during my speech, now this! Just get this amateur out of my Chaldea! Don't waste such important slots on those people!"

Artoria flinches at the finger jabbing right at her face. Ok, now this is just rude. She might be in Chaldea by accident but its director didn't need to phrase it like that.

Lev frowns at the harsh words and turns to look at her. Instantly, for some reason, Artoria finds that she doesn't like this man despite this being the first time they meet. She knows judging others by their appearances isn't nice but something about the way his squinty eyes regarding her makes her feel uncomfortable, and that thin smirk is just… sinister.

"Oh… so that's it?" Lev returns to his young boss, his smirk vanishing for a perfect neutral face. "Director, even as a substitute, she is still a Master candidate. Sure she might lack experience, but it's inappropriate to be so rude…"

"Besides, she is a special case."

He leans in and whispers into Olga's ear. Artoria is a little annoyed that she can't hear anything although she has strained her ears. Whatever it is, it causes the director's amber eyes to immediately widen. As if spooked, Olga has to double-check Artoria with disbelief on her face. She sneaks a look at Lev and the man nods in affirmation.

"S… Still! Having an inexperienced magus here is a problem!" Not wanting to relent completely, Olga crosses her arms. She refuses to look at either Lev or Artoria when she tilts her head, wondering what caused the change. "What if something happens to my Chaldeas?! At least get her some basic training!"

The man rubs his chin. "...Hmm, I'm busy with the Rayshift experiment at the moment. But, well, orders are orders."

Giving out a sigh, he harrumphs.

"Archaman!"

"Yes!" In the second round from the last, a young woman with orange hair, whom Artoria vaguely recognizes, springs up to attention.

"Show this girl around or something. I will take her in two hours after the test is over." Lev instructs.

"Got it, prof!" The redhead salutes in a rather excessive style. Leaving her table, she looks back and beckons to Artoria with a smile. "Come on, newbie. You heard the boss."

"Y-Yes!" Artoria scrambles on her legs to follow the other girl, relieved to be dismissed. All the attention is pushing her to her limitations.

Unintendedly, Artoria glances over her shoulder, and she regrets it instantly. While looking like he's paying attention to Olga's rant, Lev is staring directly at her. Another half-smirk, self-entertaining smile plays on the corner of his lips.

Artoria immediately turns her head forward. She quickens her steps. Without knowing, she gripped the string of her sword bag, pulling it closer to her body.

To think she will have to see that man again two hours later… is there any way to delay that?

:::::::

"You know, of all the people I've met so far, you are certainly the first one who seems less bothered by our Director's attitude. Even some long-serving staff can't bear it sometimes."

A voice snaps Artoria out of her trance as she looks around in unhidden wonder. Hastily composite herself, she gratefully accepts a cup of sweet-smelling tea her host poured for her.

"Really? Her wording might be harsh, but I didn't sense any malice behind them." Artoria takes a sip and hums a bit at the floral taste. "I got to know a few people who also had a temper. If anything, I think she looked more… stressed."

She means, if she has to choose between an extremely angry Olga and Lev to be inside a locked room with her, she'd choose the former in a heartbeat. No offense to Lev, but at least the young director's aura wasn't that… off like his.

Like that of something shouldn't exist.

Shuddering, Artoria shakes her head off the silly idea. She really needs to quit reading those fantasy thrills. While lost in her own thoughts, she fails to notice the growing sparkle in her host's eyes until her hands are suddenly pulled up. It's lucky Artoria has set her cup down or else.

"Right?! Marie is, like, super duper tired!" Her host exclaims as she lays on the table. "Both Romani and I had insisted, even tried to force her to go to the therapy, but she just brushed it off. Every. Single. Time! This is why her temper is getting worse!"

The girl rambles passionately about how Olga kept neglecting her own health and Artoria blinks. Gudako Archaman, as she introduced herself, can be the most friendly and sociable girl she ever saw.

Maybe a bit too much, but she is still a delight to be around.

Thanks to her, Artoria got her chance to visit various factors in Chaldea, which also helped her to take Lev out of her mind for a moment. Artoria was surprised to find out the young woman wasn't a candidate, but a staff member from the Medical Department. Also, they are currently taking a break in her office: the infirmary. Gudako explained she couldn't become a Chaldean Master due to failing the Spiritron Dives test. The reason why she is allowed to wear the Master's standard uniform is because she had begged Olga for her to try it on for one day.

To think the director with a strict personality permitted it means Olga actually has a soft side, or Gudako is just good at persuading people. Or, Artoria muses, they are rather close, to the point that Gudako occasionally slipped the director's nickname despite attempting to hide it.

"It's really unfair. She has worked harder than anyone but the Mage's Association still tries to take Chaldea away because," Gudako lowers her voice to imitate a man, " "a girl isn't able to handle such an important organization" while back then Mr. Animusphere was alive, they treated Chaldea like it never existed! As soon as he passed away, they immediately attempted to seize the Chaldea for themselves! They didn't even consider Marie, the rightful heir. They pressed on saying: "she is too young" and "she is just a girl". Isn't that making you laugh?! Couldn't they find any less pathetic sounded excuses?"

Truly, the pure concern she gave Olga easily makes others jealous.

"You should tell her that. I'm sure the director would be happy to hear it." Artoria offers. To her surprise, Gudako shakes her head. The redhead lets go of her hands and glances down at her own cup.

"I… I can't. Olga always got upset whenever I tried to have her get some rest. I'm afraid I might bother her further… Even told me I should let her have some time alone… " She trails off, uncharacteristically.

But have you actually said it? The question stays at the tip of her tongue but Artoira swallows it back. Is she, who has no friends whatsoever, qualified to preach Gudako about relationships? It isn't in her position to interfere with other people's affairs.

Still…

Artoria peeks at the dejected face of the girl sitting opposite her.

"I think you should tell her about how you feel. There isn't a person who wouldn't appreciate it to know someone cares for them."

She understands the feeling of being a loner, and if she wagers, Olga also doesn't seem like the type to express herself openly. So at the very least, Artoria hopes that her words will help Gudako's situation somehow.

The girl in question blinks at her before a small smile shyly comes into her expression. "You are right. I will definitely have to tell her later."

Artoria notices it is still a little strained, but she decides to keep it to herself. There's something else that caught her attention.

"Miss Archaman, can I ask you about something?"

Her question seems to jolt Gudako out of whatever she is thinking. The redhead nods. "Shoot."

"Professor Lev was the man in green, right? Do you know about him?"

"Ah, yes. I know him. But what's the matter?" Gudako titles her head.

"Can you tell me what kind of person he is?"

"Feeling nervous since you are going to meet him huh?" She asks knowingly whilst Artoria nods. Gudako has it completely wrong but it doesn't matter. "I can understand that feeling, but don't worry, Prof Lev is very approachable. You can hardly find anyone who has more patience and loves humanity more than him. In fact, if not for Prof. Lev's contribution, we wouldn't be able to complete Chaldea. He is also serious about work… unlike a certain doctor I know. I mean, he isn't even here even though he is the head of this department."

"I see…" Artoria replies awkwardly when Gudako carries on her angry grumble under her breath. She doesn't think she is meant to hear the last part.

Without knowing what else to do, Artoria takes a sip. The comfort fragrance doesn't help her ease this time. From what she gathered, Lev doesn't sound like a bad person. However, the uneasiness that appears whenever she thinks about him refuses to go away.

… Well, they say even gut feelings can be wrong from time to time. Maybe she's just being too paranoid. Chiding herself, Artoria downs the rest of her tea.

Placing the cup back on the table, she notices Gudako staring at her intently. Artoria looks over her shoulder and sees nothing aside from some stacks of boxes and… are those heart lightsticks?, before turning back at the redhead.

"Yes?"

"Can I ask what that is on your shoulder?... But it's okay if you don't want to!" Gudako adds quickly.

"No, it's fine. I don't mind." Artoria slides her sword bag off her shoulder and pushes the cup aside to place it on the table. "This is just my katana."

"A katana? Like a real katana?!" Gudako's eyes brighten up like lightbulbs as Artoria unties the bag, revealing the hilt and the black scabbard to the sight.

"Um, yes?" Her enthusiasm takes Artoria off a bit. After a brief consideration inside her head, she asks. "Do you want to see the blade?"

"Hell yes! Show me. Show me!"

Per request, Artoria slides the katana halfway out of its scabbard, enough to reveal the silver-white blade.

"It's so beautiful. It's shiny like a mirror…" Gudako gushes over the sight. The girl looks up at Artoria expectantly, her cheeks flush pink. "Ca– Can I hold it?"

"Sure." Chuckling slightly, Artoria sheaths the katana and hands it to her. "Be careful. It's sharp."

Nodding vigorously, Gudako takes the katana with both of her hands, barely sitting still in her seat. Her fingers run over its hard scabbard and hilt in awe. "Amazing! This is the first time I'm able to see a katana up close. Romani will probably flip once I tell him about this. Hey, can you wield it?"

"Yes. I practiced some basic moves… For self-defense purposes, that is." Artoria can't help but answer with pride before adding quickly, remembering not many people like the idea of a girl swinging a deadly weapon around. Although no one has dared to say it to her face thanks to her undefeated record in fencing competitions, she knows they keep calling her "barbarian" behind her back, inside and outside school alike.

However, Gudako once again proves she is really an exception of a girl.

"Show me, please! Just one simple move?" The redhead pleas, giving the katana back to her hands. Artoria hesitates at first, but after a look at Gudako's excited face, which for some reason reminds her of a puppy, she finally understands why Olga had trouble refusing this girl.

"...Alright."

"Yay!"

:::::::

Artoria admits.

It feels great to be able to swing her katana again.

She has to use all her facade muscles to not beam up as she and Gudako exit the Simulator Room. Maybe it was because she lost two days of her daily practice after arriving at Chaldea, she feels much lighter. All the tension she has so far seems to have flowed out of her body.

Or, maybe, it had something to do with her audience.

"That was so cool! You just went "whoopsie whoopsie" and "swift" and "Ka-ching!", all the dummies immediately turned into tiny pieces!" Enthusiastically speaking, Gudako swings her hands around, attempting to recreate what she watched. Artoria giggles amusedly at her eagerness, her cheeks covered in a faint pink. It would be a lie if she said she wasn't happy to receive such a positive reaction.

"You are flattering me. I still have a lot of things to learn." Artoria smiles, though Gudako is barely aware of her talking excitement. She isn't trying to be humble here, to be honest. Even now, Artoria still struggles against her grandfather in some of their sparring sessions despite using an enhanced spell.

It's kind of leaving her a sore loser now she thinks about it, but hey, she is improving. She will beat him one day, fair and square.

Continuing to chat away, they pass by a noticeably larger hall. It somewhat feels different than the rest of the factory. At the end of the hall, Artoria catches a glimpse of a glowing blue orb when the door slides open and closes. Immediately she halts on her track.

Just what that was?

"Artoria? What's wrong?" Noticing her stop walking, Gudako turns around.

"Miss Archaman–"

""Archaman"." The redhead corrects, hands on her hips. "Seriously, I told you to drop the "miss". Or you can just call me Gudako, you know."

Artoria clears her throat apologetically. "I'm sorry. Old habits die hard. Anyway, what is that room?"

"Hm? Oh, it's the Command Room. That is where you Master candidates will be rayshift to the first mission– ah." Gudako closes her mouth, realizing her slipped tongue. "Sorry. Due to… unavoidable circumstances, you aren't allowed to join this time… I'm sorry again."

"It's fine, mis– Archaman. I understand." Artoria reassures her, ignoring Gudako's little pout when she's adamant about using her surname. She already knows there'd be no way Chaldea would let an amateur like her go on such an important mission, certainly not after what happened during the briefing.

She means, even without the incident, she would still really consider it if she was Chaldea's director. However, Gudako appears to take her brooding face as something else. She keeps peering at Artoria with a troubled look on her face until an idea seems to come to her.

"How about this? Since you can't join this time, how about we watch them?"

"Eh? Are we even allowed to do it– Wait, Archaman!" Artoria's question is cut off as the redhead grabs her hand and promptly tugs her to go with her. "Won't we be in huge trouble if someone finds out?!"

Worse, if that someone turns out to be Olga. Artoria shudders. Yet Gudako brushes her off with a wave of her hand.

"Don't worry. It will be fine as long as you follow me quietly." She winks whilst Artoria sighs in resignation. At this point, she has learned that it's quicker just to follow this redhead once she settles on something.

But it doesn't mean it does any good to the anxiety rising inside her.

Gudako leads her to a room in which Artoria wonders how she didn't notice before. She opens it with her staff ID and two of them then stumble around in the dark, or more like, Artoria stumbles over a few indefinite things while trying to catch up with Gudako in the dark. After squeezing through a very narrow gap between the walls, they "pop" out from a corner of a much more spacious room, probably the most spacious one Artoria has seen in Chaldea.

How the redhead managed to find this place and managed to drag her along all the way, is beyond her. Artoria isn't sure if she wants to know the answer.

"Phew! Looks like we are right on time. they haven't begun yet." Gudako notes, finally letting go of her hand to wipe the nonexistent sweat on her forehead. To her credit, Artoria keeps her poke face although she can't say she shares the same sentiment.

"Archaman, is it really fine for us to be here?!" She whispers. Even if they may be at the further end of the room and well hidden by the shadow of the walls, Artoria doesn't want to risk it.

"Yup, it's totally fine. Only I, and now, you, know about this spot. Nobody would notice unless the two of us said anything."

Great, now she becomes an accomplice. Artoria bites back a groan. She isn't exactly a strict rule follower, but rules exist for a reason! Not to mention Olga has already targeted her. God has mercy on her the moment the Chaldea director happens to find out she had illegally trespassed here.

Oblivious to Artoria's inner turmoil, Gudako nudges her. "C'mon, take a look. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, you know. We are going to witness humans traveling into the past, for the first time!"

… Artoria swears, this girl will be the death of her in one of these days.

So unable to resist the temptation, she pokes her head out of the corner. And, wow, Gudako was right. The sight before Artoria is even better than watching any sci-fi movie. The room is completely high-tech. The blue ball she saw back then turns out to be a miniature version of the Earth, in the middle of the room. Furthermore, all the other Master candidates, who have changed into tight suits, are gathering beneath it. The Chaldea director is standing in front of them. Although they are a bit too far away to hear clearly what Olga is saying, Artoria guesses it is another speech.

"It's so impressive, isn't it?" Gudako whispers, grinning. Artoria can only nod in agreement. "You have wondered how we can transfer humans into the past, right? See those tubes in the middle? They are used to change Master candidates' physical bodies into spiritons and shoot them up into CHALDEAS, the mini Earth above. Basically, you can imagine rayshifting is just us infecting you into the past."

Artoria's mouth forms an o as she listens. "You seem to know a lot about it."

"Well, I've been here longer than you. Of course, I know my way around Chaldea." The redhead scratches her cheek with a shy smile.

"Even things that don't relate to your department?"

"The more you learn the better you become! Besides, who said it didn't relate to my department?" Gudako pouts and points at the platform behind where Olga is standing. "The room up there is the Control Room, where we medical staff will check and monitor the status of all Master candidates throughout the whole mission."

Following her finger, Artoria squints her eyes and sees a few silhouettes of people inside. If she's not mistaken, Lev seems to be there, too.

Suddenly, a chill runs past her body, Snapping her back straight, Artoria turns around so fast to the point she almost falls on her rear. She frantically looks around. The fact there is nothing but a wall behind them only makes her panic skyrocket.

"Artoria, what's wrong?!" Startled by her action, Gudako also stands up in alert.

"I sense someone is watching us." Artoria answers. Her voice strains, barely audible under the distress.

"Really?" Gudako frowns, looking around. "I don't feel anything, though…"

Artoria purses her lips. That pricking sensation is still there, at the back of her head, silent and deadly. It's the gaze of a predator, she realizes, the gaze full of disdain and contempt.

The gaze of someone glaring at the scum of earth that needs to be disposed of.

"Oh, look! They are about to begin."

Gudako's voice distracts her for a moment. Artoria watches all the Master candidates enter the tubes, with the elite group in the cafeteria and the purple-haired girl going in first. The sight only makes her more anxious, because the gaze that kept digging a hole in her has turned into an outright glare. Artoria can't understand how her companion isn't unaffected by it. It's crawling up on her skin.

Then the sensation just disappears, as if it never existed, replaced by something else.

Perplexed, Artoria glances over her shoulder, only to catch the sight of the lilac eyes belonging to a small, squirrel-like animal she swears wasn't there a moment ago. It sits still, just a few paces behind her and Gudako, and stares at her, unblinking.

In a fragment of a second, the silence breaks into a shrill bell that rings out from deep within her.

Before Artoria can fully understand, her body has already acted on its own. She grabs Gudako's arm, and yanks her back with all her might, pulling her down with her. At once, an earth-shattering boom drowns Gudako's startled yelp.

All Artoria can feel is an unbearable heat blasting at her back, then nothing.