"Hey! Dali said that you start that rayshift or whatever right now! Nor master nor Dali have all the time of the world!" A cheeky and slightly incensed girl's voice ruptures my ear drums suddenly.
"I-I know but still! Rayshifting while using only one coffin for two people is too dangerous and even goes against the-!" In response a tender male voice tries to protest against the girl but to no avail, he is interrupted.
"Pero deja de ser un subnormal!" The girl yells angrily to him. "Then why the hell is that bunny thingy on the girl's coffin?" She continues while furiously pointing at one of the many blue cylindrical objects around us.
"What?! Fou is on my coffin?!" As a response to her question, a different girl's voice appears sounding agitated.
"Fou! Fou! Fou!"
Only to be followed by what appears to be animal noises.
"Ah sorry Fou, Dali didn't know you sneaked on there." The cheeky voice goes down a decibel, while sounding apologetic, but then shouts again. "But this wouldn't have happened if mister Romani over there wouldn't have a problem to shove us onto the singularity!"
"As I said…!"
Slowly, the discussion between the voices start to become fainter, and like that only one thought remains on my head.
'…How the hell did I end up here?'
As I opened my eyes an enormous cylindrical object which looked like a shower was in front of me.
'What… the hell is that?'
Startled I take a look at my surroundings. A lot of people wearing a skin tight suit are in front of similar looking objects like myself.
'This room is big… and everything has a blue light in here.'
Continuing my examination, I found out the gigantic size of the area around me. Curious I turn my gaze to the roof trying to see how high this is, and…
'…! That's…!'
My thoughts stopped for a moment after seeing the enormous machine above me.
CHALDEAS.
The moment the name of the magical device appeared on my mind, a headache made itself known. In the middle of the pain it felt like something wormed its way inside of my head, but I couldn't describe what.
Seconds later the headache went away, and the feeling of that… thing too. Taking some breaths I close my eyes in an effort to think about all that is happening right now.
After what appeared like an eternity, I was able to recognize what the thing that entered my head was.
'These… are memories…'
At that revelation, I turn my gaze at the 'shower'.
'…I see so this is…'
After knowing the circumstances I am able to finally recognize the object right in front of me, and like that I am able to put all my knowledge that I gathered in just some seconds to form one simple thought.
'Fuck.'
*Tsssss…*
The moment such incredible thought passes through my head, the 'shower', or better said coffin, opens its door.
"Masters, please enter the coffins and prepare for the rayshift." A robotic voice announces through the speakers.
Looking around me I see that the other people are entering the coffins.
'Can I get out of this…?' I shake my head at that thought. 'No. The door which permits the access to the control room is completely shut under the request of Professor Lev, so unless it is an emergency, it won't open right now…'
Seconds pass and while thinking of an alternative, a voice makes itself known through the speaker.
"Master Candidate No.19 any problems with the coffin?"
'Speak of the devil and he'll appear.' I think while turning around.
"Not at all Professor Lev, I was just having some troubles with the mystic code right now." I lie through my teeth while taking my gaze to the control room on the ceiling.
Although almost impossible to see, just barely, a green clothed person with a hat of the same colour is seeable.
'…Incredible. I can see that shit eating grin on her face even if we are more than 50 meters apart. Natural talent I must say.'
While having those thoughts, I imagine myself biting my tongue off.
'…It's still as gruesome as I thought.'
After starting my mental trigger, I flare up my magic circuits, and under the suit I start to slowly reinforce my body.
At the same time I make a low whistle with Od on it.
'As it was a time bomb, I don't know when it will explode, but… before that happens I need to reinforce my body as much as I can.'
"Oh? That is surprising mister… Leonardo Er-Meyer. Can you tell me which problems you are experimenting right now?" He continues with a smile plastered on his face.
"Yes professor Lev." Ignoring the gazes from the other masters, I slowly walk to the centre of the room while looking at CHALDEAS.
'With that in the middle I won't get crushed by the debris, so I only need to focus on the explosion for the moment.'
"As I was saying professor Lev, I think the suit-" The moment I was going to continue spilling bullshit, I was interrupted to my delight.
"What are you doing?!" A haughty female voice comes not through the speaker but close me.
Turning my head from the ceiling to in front of me, I am able to see a girl with an incredibly long white hair angrily walking towards me.
'That's the director! Olga Marie!'
As I reach the centre of the room, she arrives just some metres right in front of me.
"Director! I am sorry but I think that-" I try to reason, but my words are cut short yet again.
"I don't care about that, I already heard it! What I am asking is why right now?! Before the mission we had a good amount of examinations and tests, and you said that you didn't have any problem with them on the moment!" She continues to shout, garnering more attention from the other masters in their coffins.
'…'
Even though I should be apologetic for disrupting the first mission of Chaldea, when I look at the director, a certain sentence starts to appear on my mind.
.
.
.
"Why? Why does this always happen to me? No one ever valued me! Everyone hated me…! From the moment I was born, I've never been accepted by anyone-!"
.
.
.
'Why the hell I thought of that right now?'
I try hard not to make a bitter face while looking at the director who is increasingly becoming incensed at myself.
'…Ah shit, this is already something impossible, so what if I take another load?'
"Not only that, but just before there was another master like you who-!" She continues talking without taking a breath in the middle.
Before I start to become deaf by her words, I open my mouth.
"Director, I am truly sorry for stopping the operation midway, but there truly is a problem right now with my mystic code." I bow to show a bit of sincerity towards her.
'The goal right now is wait for the explosion and somehow protect the director while I protect myself... A bounded field? Impossible. I need time to make one, and it will easily call the attention of the director and Lev… Maybe I could use Algiz to make a type of barrier, however I don't have anything to write the rune on me…'
After some seconds of silence she opens her mouth again.
"…State it fast." She says while crossing her arms and sending me a cold gaze.
'…I'll think about what to do when the time comes. Right now I am just happy that she moved from where she was. If I had to go back to where she was earlier, then forget trying to save her, I don't know how I would save myself with a bomb right below my feet.'
"Yes!" I say enthusiastically. "You see, although the mystic code should be capable of permitting a magus like me easily-"
*Beep*
An almost inaudible sound goes off.
"Eh? What is that beeping?" Olga Marie says dumbfounded by the noise.
*Beep*
'…It came earlier than I thought…' I think as my reinforcement magecraft starts to activate.
"Hey what are you doin- Whaaa-!" The director tries to shout at me again for running at her, but before she is even able to finish her sentence I hug her and a shriek comes from her.
*Beep*
"What do you think you are doing?!" She continues to scream while trying to force herself out, but my reinforced body doesn't budge.
As I am receiving her punches an idea appears on my head.
'If I do it like that then I can write the rune!'
*Beep*
Still being beaten by her I take the one of my index fingers to my mouth and bit it.
Seeing that, the director looks at me scared and confused at the same time.
*Beep*
Rapidly I write the rune both on my sleeve and on the director's clothes using my blood.
"What are you- Wait that's…!" The director stops shouting after seeing what I wrote on her clothes.
*Beep*
Lastly, I turn my gaze to the control centre where I can see Lev's grin wider than before.
Seeing it, my blood starts running cold.
'I need to activate the-!'
*Beeeeeeeeee…*
With a scream from the director and a long sounding beeping resounding through the room, a gigantic explosion happens and everything fades to black.
The second time I opened my eyes I found myself on a hallway. The grey walls were a bit rundown and the wooden floor creaky, but at the same time it gave a familiar feeling. Looking around I am able to recognize this place.
'This is… Leo's orphanage.'
As those thoughts appear on my head I start walking almost aimlessly.
"Where was it?" I murmur while walking. "Number 031, number 032, number 033… here it is, room number 034. Leo's old bedroom."
As I get closer to it, a strange melancholy pervades me.
'This… is odd. It's my feelings but at the same time… Like they aren't.'
I start to stop moving bit by bit.
'Now that I think about it… Who is Leonardo? I had to do everything on the control room so fast that I forgot about that key factor.'
I slowly sit on the squeaky floor.
"The last thing I remember before the control room was that I started a game on my cell phone, but then in the blink of an eye, I appeared as Leonardo there…"
Seeing that I am still confused, I try to recap better.
"I am Oscar Brown and… Leonardo Er-meyer…? What the fuck?" I exclaim weirded out.
'Why the hell do I have memories of both Oscar and Leonardo? If I have both then… who truly am I?'
After some seconds in silence I continue.
'…Let's see Leonardo's memories first.' I think with a bit of uncertainty.
"Leonardo is one of the Chaldea's 48 Masters and he was number 19. Heir of the Er-Mayer family who fell out of grace, and a possessor of Pure Eyes. Plus he is an Average one… will you look at that." I say a bit surprised. "He has some pretty interesting characteristics… Origin… it isn't awakened. A total of 63 magic circuits, and they are above average in quality. Damn, he is pretty good."
After looking a bit more through Leo's memories I stop.
'…He is pretty good, however his life isn't... What a rough life you had right there.'
After some seconds I continue with Oscar.
"Just an ordinary man, who was a white-collar worker. He didn't have many remarkable traits, however one thing is interesting… He played a certain game called Fate/Grand Order, that looked just like where Leonardo was a moment ago..."
I stay silent again.
'Reincarnation? No, he appeared on Leonardo's body so it was Transmigration? But still, even if it truly was that, how did he end up here? And where do I come from? I have the memory of both persons but am I truly one of them?'
As I continue searching for a solution to my existential crisis, my attention is stolen by some nearby voices.
"To think that a child outside of our family has an even greater potential than your two inept sons." A croaky voice of an old man is heard through the door of room number 034.
"And you wanted to use him for your research because of his eyes and circuits. Tch. Just thinking about it makes me remember how old fashioned you truly are." A plummy female voice responds to the previous one. "And the problem isn't my sons but your subpar seed."
'These voices…'
Intrigued I get up and try to hear the conversation better.
"Shut up." The old man says annoyingly. "Oh look he is waking up. Pass me his glasses fast, we don't want him to faint again, if not we'll be here all day."
"Tch. Ordering me like that, who do you think you are? Take them and put them yourself, Louis. I'll end the transaction while you talk with the child."
"This shit…" The man named Louis says with scorn on his voice.
"Mph, if only this family wouldn't have started falling from grace in your hands, then I would have treated you better."
Then the door opens and an old lady wearing an antiquated blue dress appears through it.
'It's… mother Iliana, from Leonardo's memories.'
As I stand still looking at her, she continues walking towards me.
"Eh? Ah wait-"
And passes me like a ghost.
'…'
Standing there for some seconds a thought comes to me.
'…Am I dead?!'
Trying to ignore the second existential crisis which assaulted me, I look at the inside of the room.
'It's the same as I remember it… or at least how it was on Leonardo's memories.'
Turning my gaze to the where the bed should be, I am greeted by an old man looking at a kid with blond hair.
"I am sorry about that Leonardo, c'mon let me help you put on your glasses." The voice of the man becomes much gentler than before.
'…It's father Louis.'
After helping the kid put on his glasses he continues.
"I am pretty sure you know why we are here?"
The child responds with a nod.
"We want to adopt you."
The moment those words leave the man's mouth, my surroundings change.
The next thing I know is that I am on an old fashioned mansion.
"Argh!"
Before I could continue looking around, a cry of pain resounds through the room.
'I already know who is on the receiving end.'
Turning my head to the location of the sound I see the same child as before but this time on the floor groaning.
"This lowlife thing is going to become the heir?! Are you senile old man?! A child who doesn't have the blood of the Er-Meyer's will receive the magic crest of our family?!" An angered shout from a black haired man resounds on the room. "You want the bloodline of the family to end here?!"
'…Brother Noah.'
Louis stays silent to the dismay of Noah. Seeing that the discussion isn't going anywhere, another voice appears.
"Then you are telling us that even after years of studying and infighting between us it's all in vain?" A black haired girl calmly says.
'…Sister Nia.'
"…Yes. If at least one of you had a bit of talent for our family magecraft then Leonardo wouldn't be here but in the floor of the basement." Louis says with a bit of regret.
Slowly the boy tries get up, but Noah kicks the child.
"Brother!" Nia cries out.
"Noah! Stop this at once or-"
"Or what old man?!" Noah looks at Louis with apparent hate on his face. "Years and years wasted between us for a reward that wasn't even for us in the first place?!"
Another kick came down.
"Argh!"
Just as Noah was preparing himself to do a third one, everything became black.
I stay in silence for some minutes.
'…Poor Leonardo. He thought that life was finally going to get better after getting out of the orphanage, but the worst thing that could have happened to him was entering a magus family... Especially this one.'
As I end that thought I start looking at my surroundings… Or better said the lack of such.
'What is with this darkness though…? There is nothing.'
After looking at nothing I remember about the control room.
'What happened in the control room? I just hope that I am still alive and this is a dream because if died, I swear on the root…'
With a sigh I continue looking at my surroundings.
"Emergency. A fire started at the power station and the control room." A robotic voice wakes me up.
The next thing I knew is that I was in the middle of an inferno.
"The floodgates of the central zone will close on 240 seconds. Please evacuate as soon as possible through door number two."
'Ah so this is what happened.'
As that thought enters my head, for the second time today, a headache assaults me again.
"Argh fuck…" I say while I try to get up. "I can feel pain so I am alive, that's something good-"
Then it hits me.
"Argh-!"
A shout of pain escapes from me involuntarily as my body hits the ground again.
"Shit… my whole body-" Before I could finish talking a coughing fit attacks me.
'It hurts all over. Especially my right hand.'
*Cough* *Cough*
Small tears come down my face.
Slowly I put my right hand in front of my face and the moment I see it, another bout of pain comes.
"…!"
This time I repress the shout of pain.
Trying to ignore the agony that is passing through my right hand, I look at the other one.
'Thankfully this one has its fingers the correct way… It looks like I was able to activate the rune in time, but as it was made hastily it didn't function that perfectly…'
Like that my hands drop on the floor sluggishly.
"Kyu! Kyu!" Animal cries are heard a bit away.
'That should be Fou…'
"Shit…" I murmur while watching at the hell surrounding me. "My glasses are cracked as all hell too."
I take a good look at my suit, or better said, mystic code.
'It's all torn, however it looks like it can still work.' I take another look at my surroundings. 'Debris is falling everywhere but here… Good thing I used CHALDEAS as protection…'
Using my left hand as my only support I get my torso up.
'I am so tired… I just want to sleep on the floor right here right now.'
But knowing it isn't a good decision I slowly get up.
After god knows how many seconds of trying, I am finally able to stay straight. Seconds later I try to walk but my body feels flat on the floor again.
"Argh!"
'Shit… I thought I'd have more strength on my legs…'
"Dynamic force stopped. There isn't enough energy." The speaker resounds as debris continues to fall.
'Time to try again.'
As I was readying myself to get up for a second time, something touches my head.
"Eh?"
Turning towards it, I am able to see a paper origami of a red coloured lion.
Flaring up the magic crest of the Er-Meyer and activating one of it's stored magecrafts, I start talking.
"…Finally you got here…" I slowly say between coughs.
"If somebody didn't transform me in such a little form, then I would have arrived much sooner!" A voice of an indignant male resounds on my mind.
"…haha... Sorry, I had to make you small to smuggle you here…" I slowly say while caressing the lion figurine. "Papycry, release."
The moment that sentence finishes, I feel magical power being sucked out of me and entering the origami figure.
Slowly, the paper starts to unfold and after some seconds a lion with a red fire mane appears before me.
"Finally back as I should be." The voice says more dignified than before. "Let me help you get up."
"…Thanks Flarey." I jokingly say while using him as support. "Where are the others?"
"…Don't say that name again." He growls lowly. "I don't know. They were sleeping the moment you made the whistle. Maybe after the explosion they woke up, however I don't know when they'll get here." He says still angered.
"It's just a joke haha… Ah can't laugh… Everything hurts…" I say while groaning.
'Normally he would try to maul me, but he is pretty tame right now…'
After some seconds I am back up.
"180 seconds left until the close of the floodgates." The robotic voice comes again. "The remaining personnel that is still found on the central zone should evacuate through door number two."
"…We should get moving." Flarey says.
With a nod on my part I start walking while grabbing him as support.
As we start reaching the centre of the room I am able to see someone passed out on the floor.
"Director!" I shout.
A bit faster than before, Flarey and I make our way to her.
"Who is she?" He asks while looking down on her.
"Olga Marie, the director of Chaldea." I respond while I start taking her pulse. "She is alive, thankfully." A sigh comes out of me.
I look at her for some seconds before I get closer to her again.
Turning to look at her wrist I am able to find a grey wristband.
'I am sorry Director, but for the moment you won't be able to use this.'
After putting it on my own wrist I press one of the buttons to reach the control room up there.
*TSSSSS*
Only static sound comes right through it.
After not being able to connect I sigh and slowly move the director.
"Flarey can you-"
"Yes, yes." He responds before I could even finish my sentence.
Gently we put her on Flarey's back.
"…You are pretty tame right now." I laugh a bit.
"Shut up." He says while moving faster than before.
"Ah wait, it was a joke-!"
"Mash!"
A voice suddenly interrupts our conversation.
"Mash!"
'…? Wait, it's…'
Both of our gazes turn to a young black haired man which appeared from the debris.
"Mash-! Uh-?!"
The moment his gaze reaches us his face of concern changes to a startled one.
"…Who are you?" He asks while rising his guard up.
Looking at his face an abnormal laughter comes out of me even in this situation.
"Hahaha-! Don't worry, Mister Fujimaru Ritsuka, I am one of the 48 masters, Leonardo Er-Meyer." I say while looking right into his eyes.
For a moment his face changes.
"…How-"
"Last phase of the rayshift system."
However before he could continue he is interrupted by the speaker.
"Coordinates: January 30, 2004 A.D., Location: Fuyuki City."
"…Fuck." A swear escapes from me, prompting Flarey to look at me surprised. "Flarey, take the director out of this room ASAP."
"…And you?" He says slightly concerned.
"Of course come back for me later, however she mustn't be here before the rayshift commences or she'll die."
"Then get up fast and-" He tries to say.
"Unfortunately I don't know when the doors will close, and I'll need more time to get up." I say while taking a look at my legs. "So first take her out. Although I hate it, her life is more important than mine, so come back later for me."
"…" He stays silent for some seconds before responding. "Alright." Flarey says reluctantly while I start to sit on the floor.
"Come back fast or this'll be the last time I talk with you." I shout to him.
"That I already know!" He shouts while running with the director on his back.
'…Crazy guy.' I shake my head while turning off the crest.
For a moment only the sound of the fire remains.
"…What-" Fujimaru tries to ask but I interrupt him.
"We'll talk later on better conditions Master Fujimaru. First go for Mash Kyrielight. I heard some animal cries from that direction." I say while pointing where I heard Fou cry before. "Go fast, as I don't know the state of the girl."
"I-! Thank you!" He says while running off to the direction where I pointed.
"…No problem." I say, however he is already gone.
'Well, any man will prefer to save a beautiful girl than a man. I included.'
Accompanied only by the sound of fire and debris falling I rest my head on the warm floor.
'…Good lord what I am thinking? I should have got up on Flare's back before anything…'
As I start to regret my decision a little I stare at CHALDEAS.
'Thanks for protecting me.' I think after some seconds.
"Warning to the personal in charge of observation. Change on the state of CHALDEAS. It isn't possible to confirm the existence of humanity on earth on the next one hundred years. It isn't possible to ensure its future. Closing central gates."
"And there goes my exit." I say with so much mirth on my voice.
I try to use the wristband of the director yet again, however nobody responds.
'I expected it-' I think while watching the surroundings.
*Tung!*
Suddenly a big noise comes from CHALDEAS.
Turning my head I am able to see a chunk of wreckage rapidly fall into my location.
"So this is how it ends… I thought you would have protected me…" I say with a bittersweet smile while closing my eyes and waiting for the debris to reach me.
.
.
.
But it never did.
"Coffins Vitals: Masters Baseline not reached. Rayshift requirement not met. Searching for qualifying Master… Found. Candidate No. 19, Leonardo Er-Meyer and Candidate No.48, Fujimaru Ritsuka. Number 48 is reset as Master."
Opening my eyes, I am able to see Flarey's grandiose mane right in front of me.
"Kura…?"
A forced roar comes from him. Hearing it I activate the crest again.
"…I am… back, Leo…" He says with a pained voice.
"Kura…"
Turning my gaze to his back, I see the debris hold by him.
"Finally used my real name… Took you a good amount of time, didn't it?" He says while trying to make a smile with his lion face.
That smile is incredibly warped by pain.
"…I told you time and time again…" He says exhausted. "…That I'll protect you until you grow up…"
I stay silent for some seconds, before my hand moves to his face.
"…Thanks Kura…" I say while caressing his face.
"Unsummon Program, start. Spiritron conversion, start."
"Rayshift starting in 3."
"2."
"1."
"All procedures clear."
"First Order, commencing operation."
End of Prologue: Change
Author's note: ON!
Hello, Hiogen here!
Fate/Foreign Order is a fanfic in which will revolve around two principal questions:
"What if Fujimaru Ritsuka wasn't the only master?"
"What if someone knew about what will happen on the future?"
The change at the start will be small, but with the passing of the singularities, some stories will change (Fuyuki City won't change much, however starting Orleans some things will change... And maybe a certain character will appear).
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.
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And new ones will be added.
Let's just hope that my upload schedule (Ha! Do I really have that?) is consistent enough so that we can unravel what I have prepared for it.
Any reviews that are written will be answered on the next chapter (Which I almost have it completed and is like 10k words).
Plus I am working on the cover for the Fanfiction, and at the time is the one i am having the most trouble with.
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Before I end, I want to address my other fanfictions:
First of all, Out of Time will enter a bit of a Hiatus, as I feel like the story is starting to present inconsistencies that I don't want at all. In the future I am planning of rewriting some chapters to fix those things.
Secondly, Never Ending will not enter a hiatus thankfully, but it will be slowed down as I am having a bit of trouble to continue it.
And thirdly, Hilichurlian and Immortal Network will not come out for the moment, as I am having almost the same problem that with Never Ending.
And... That's all!
For the ones who for some reason continue reading what I write, Thank you. I'll try to take my life together and write more consistently, but I can't make promises.
And for the ones who just came here, I hope you like this one!
To tell you the truth, I had the idea for this one a lot earlier than Out of Time and Never Ending, so let's see how it ends!
Anyways!
I don't have anything more to say so...!
Author's note: OFF!