The Chaldea Incident
Chapter 2: Singularity-F
Olga held out her arm, her fingers forming the shape of a gun as she channelled her magical energy into a small black ball. It shot like a bullet, turning a skeletal warrior into particles of destroyed mana. She'd been at this for fifteen minutes, pursued from the moment she realised where she was. Run, shoot, run, shoot, run, shoot. But she was getting tired. Between reinforcing her legs to grant herself greater speed and firing her Gandr bullets, paired with the adrenaline pumping through her system, she wasn't sure how much longer it would be before she was finally overwhelmed.
A skeleton with a sword clambered out into the street from behind a ruined car, its arm up and sword ready to cleave into Chaldea's Director. It was only because of the armour on its body rattling that Olga even noticed, and she let out a shrill scream before toppling back, scrambling away as she fired a Gandr bullet centre mass into her attacker. Its bones and armour disintegrated. She hastily stood and kept running, all too aware of the horde getting closer and closer to her.
She gave up trying to defend herself, instead focusing on running as her Od flowed into her legs, though the heels she wore made running a challenge in and of itself.
'I need to find someone! Anyone! Lev or Mash. I'd even take that no-good Fujimaru or that damned fake Sorcerer, right now!'
Olga only just caught it in her peripheral vision, seeing a skeleton warrior perched atop a lamp post, glaring down at her with eyes of red Od. Its jaw chattered as its only warning before leaping down with an axe clutched in its bony hands. Her world slowed to a crawl. She watched with dread filling her as the axehead started to swing down. Where would it hit? He head, splitting her skull? Her shoulder and taking an arm? She wasn't in any position to react. Her arms were down, she was still in motion and had only just noticed the skeleton. She was as good as dead. Olga crouched down and huddled into herself. Like a child, she closed her eyes and hoped it would all just go away.
'Please, Lev! HELP ME!'
Metal crunched against bone, turning the skeleton warrior into dust and motes of mana. Olga looked up, amber eyes wide as she saw the last thing she expected to see. In black armour and holding a massive shield was none other than Mash Kyrielight. That girl had always looked so timid before, but now she radiated a quiet resolve as she moved with agility that her shield should never have permitted. Mash met the horde, her shield swinging and spinning as she destroyed one, then addressed another, crushing its skull with a powerful blow. Two in one strike. Then three. Even when surrounded, the girl was acrobatic and swift as though her shield were a mere paper weight. Mash wiped them out with attacks that at once seemed lumbering yet graceful, and the strength behind her movements led Olga to only one conclusion.
'She's a Demi-Servant. It actually happened...'
''Director!'' Olga managed to tear her eyes away from the carnage Mash was wreaking in the ranks of the undead and looked to where a section of road had split and jutted upward. Cresting the peak of broken asphalt was a boy in the same white uniform of Chaldean Masters. Master Candidate number Forty-Eight, Ritsuka Fujimaru ''Are you okay?'' he called.
''It's you!'' was all she could manage. She didn't know whether to despair or breathe a sigh of relief. But his and Mash's arrival couldn't have come at a better time. Mash, as if flexing her new-found strength, pounded the last skeleton into the ground, cratering the asphalt with surprising ease. The Demi-Servant stepped out of the crater and moved over to Olga and Ritsuka.
''I'm relieved to see you, Director. Are you injured?'' she asked. Olga brushed the question aside, instead asking one of her own.
''How is it we can be here? The Rayshift protocol should have cancelled out the moment any irregularities to Chaldeas' chamber occurred,'' despite her fear and relief, the haughty tone of authority she wielded came to the fore. It didn't feel like it, but she was still Chaldea's director. Its leader. She couldn't show weakness now or ever.
''I'm afraid I don't know. All I know is that this place is designated Singularity-F. Fuyuki City, 2004. The site of the Fuyuki Holy Grail War,'' she then glanced down at herself, ''and as for myself-''
''You're a Demi-Servant. I can see that. The question is: how?'' then she turned her gaze to Ritsuka, ''and you. You've already made a contract with her as her Master, haven't you,'' it was a statement rather than a question.
''Master? Contract?'' he asked, then looked at the strange, red sigils on the back of his left hand. They'd appeared suddenly without him noticing. However, it had only been since Mash transformed. He could have sworn they weren't there before.
''Ugh, never mind. So long as you hold those Command Seals on your hand, Mash is contracted to you as your Servant. That means you will issue her commands in battle. As much as I'd rather not have to rely on a complete novice like you, I'll have to for now,'' she huffed bitterly and crossed her arms.
Her words stung a bit, but Ritsuka would have felt the same were he in her shoes. His Magic Circuits were the definition of average. Someone in his family down the line had them, but was most likely completely unaware, and the same was the case for him until just a few weeks ago. At his screening, he'd found out that he was just a first-generation Magus. And with no prior training or experience, he couldn't use his circuits if he tried. But then he noticed something as Olga spoke.
''But, Director. You have them as well. Does that mean you have a Servant?'' he questioned. Olga's amber eyes narrowed at him.
''Don't be ridiculous! How could I-'' her words caught in her throat as she saw similar sigils on her own hand as she pointed accusingly at the boy. ''What? There's... there's no way. How?'' This was all wrong. Her aptitude was tested, her Magic Circuits screened thoroughly. Their quality was excellent, but their quantity was cruelly miniscule. She simply wasn't suited to be a Master, and no scenario she could run in her mind led to this outcome.
''The automated system announced emergency contact with a 'Candidate Zero'. I assume that is you, Director,'' Mash spoke.
''I wasn't aware of such a protocol. Surely, someone would have told me about it,'' the Director said in confusion. A sudden beeping brought a halt to the conversation. Ritsuka pulled his sleeve back to reveal a Mystic Code in the shape of a silver bracelet, as was standard equipment amongst Masters and Chaldea staff. As the majority of Chaldea were non-Magi, most were specially made to use a power source independent of the user, meaning they had to be recharged periodically.
Ritsuka pressed a strobing blue cross on the bracelet, and a blue hologram projected into the air. On the projection, the image of an orange-haired man in a doctor's coat and a green uniform appeared. He took a single look at the faces in front of him, and shock spread across his features.
''Wha- Director? How are you even alive?'' was the first thing he said and it was far from reassuring.
''And just what is that supposed to mean, Romani Archaman? And what is the head of the medical staff doing in the command seat?'' Olga said scathingly.
''It fell to the most senior staff member to take command. Most of the command staff are unconscious or injured, so hear I am,'' he rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward smile. ''But seriously, you were right there when the bombs went off. It's a miracle you're even in one piece.''
''I was on my way back from the cafeteria, for your information. I'd just got back into the room when it happened,'' she shook her head, ''look, we'll discuss this when we return. Now, tell me the status of the other Masters and the location of Professor Lev,'' she ordered. She didn't like the way Romani's face fell.
''The other Masters are all in critical condition and have been moved to cryopreservation. And... well, Lev was at the site of the blast when it happened. Nobody's seen him, so we can only assume the worst,'' the doctor said gravely. Olga felt like she'd taken a punch to the gut. Her mind scrambled, looking to latch on to even the slimmest possibility that Lev was alive. Who would make sure she was alright if he wasn't? How could she hope to lead an organisation she was sure was full of people who hated her? Olga swallowed her sorrow and fought back any tears that would come.
''I see,'' her voice shook, ''and what about Toji Fushiguro. Do you know his location?''
''Er, who's that?'' came the reply. The look on Ritsuka's face asked the same question.
''The new head of Chaldea's Internal Paranormal Security,'' Romani still didn't get it, ''tall man, scar on his lip.''
''Oh! Him! Sorry, but nobody's seen him either,'' he said.
''He was with me at Chaldeas during the Rayshift. Is there no way you could sweep this Singularity for him?'' Olga said insistently. If there was anything better than one Demi-Servant, it was a living human with the supposed physical prowess of a Servant with it.
''I could try, but what happened to you three is a complete irregularity. A fluke. You three might have survived because of your Magic Circuits making Spiritron Conversion safer, but if he's a normal human, then chances are he's nothing but atoms now.''
''Even so, if there's even a slight chance he made it here, I want you to use whatever means you can to search for him. If he's dead, then it's just how it is, but if not, we'll find him,'' Olga said.
''Right, I've put out the search order to the team, now. Anything else, Director?''
''What's the estimated time you'll be able to bring us back?'' at this, Romani grimaced.
''Sorry, but with everything being how it is, we can't bring you out manually. Until we can bring critical systems back online, I'm afraid you're stuck there. We can't send anything to help you, either. I'm sure Da Vinci could figure something out, but she's tied up with repairs, right now.''
Olga crossed her arms as she felt a headache coming on. Everything was as bad as it could possibly be, but she didn't want to risk karmic intervention by voicing that thought. ''Then I guess it's just us. Just make sure Sheba and Trismegistus remain functional. The last thing we need is our existence disproven while we're here.''
''Right.'' The transmission cut off, and now it was just the Director, a rookie Master and a fresh Demi-Servant in the city of flames. She looked at her subordinates to address them and mustered her most commanding tone.
''From here on out, we're stuck together. To survive, you will follow and obey. Am I clear?''
Mash stood at attention, her heavy shield thudding against the asphalt. ''Awaiting your orders, Director.'' Ritsuka cast her an awkward look before straightening up.
''I'll do my best, Director.'' As good as it was they could both comply with her, she still lamented her situation. Before she could voice her displeasure, she sensed a massive expenditure of magical energy from somewhere else in the city. Mash felt it, too, and looked to the east.
''Should we investigate?'' Mash inquired. There was a chance that Fushiguro could be there. If they were to maximise their chances of survival, they'd need to find him. Or, failing that, confirm that he was actually dead. It was a risk, but they needed to follow any lead they could.
''Come on. Confirming the whereabouts and status of Toji Fushiguro is our first priority. With him, our chances of successfully investigating this Singularity should increase dramatically,'' Olga stated.
''Who is he?'' Ritsuka asked, ''is he a strong Magus?''
''I was wondering that myself,'' a new voice joined them, making them all turn in alarm. Mash readied her shield and jumped between the two Masters and the new presence. ''Relax, I'm not here for a fight.''
Materialising from thin air, a tall man with a blue shawl and hood emerged. His body was swathed in blue and white cloth with a black under shirt. He pushed his hood back, revealing a head of long, blue hear and eyes the colour of blood rubies. He carried a stave of wood, with the top looking like a hammerhead with white druidic symbols painted on it. He raised his hands as a gesture of non-aggression, but the trio tensed.
''A staff and a high amount of magical energy. This must be this war's Caster,'' Olga said to her subordinates.
''And the friendliest face you'll see in this place, I assure you. Let's drop the suspicions and talk, alright?'' the Caster said. The three exchanged a glance. ''Look, you're right not to trust every Servant you see, but believe me, if you see the others, you'll know what I mean when I say I'm the friendliest.''
''Where's your Master?'' Olga questioned, ''and what happened here?''
''Simple answers? Dead and about the worst thing that could happen,'' he answered, '' but you wanna know about your friend, right? I happen to have a good idea where he is.''
''You do? Then tell us of Mr. Fushiguro's whereabouts,'' Mash said, keeping her shield raised. Caster tutted with a shake of his head.
''Information isn't free, young lady. I'll tell you, but first I wanna know something. What's your goal here?''
Olga stepped forward, fear eating at her resolve, but her pride as Chaldea's Director, and even more so as an Animupshere demanded she go. ''We are here to investigate the phenomenon known as Singularity-F. You're aware of the nature of this place, aren't you?''
Caster nodded. ''I am. As a Caster, I have a little more insight into things like this. And it didn't take me long to figure out that all of this,'' he swept his arms out towards the devastation around them, ''is one big anomaly. How exactly, I'm not sure, but I know something's up. But what's your end goal? Surely, you've got some plan in mind, right?''
''It's to find the source of the anomaly and put a stop to it. This Singularity is an error in human history that my organisation is tasked with correcting,'' Olga explained. Caster's red eyes brightened and he grinned.
''Oh, so that's it. Then I think we might be able to help each other out. In exchange for my information about your friend, you'll lend me the young lady with the shield. Of course, you and her Master there can come along. After all, where you need to go is the most dangerous place here. And I need to go there, too. So what say we party up? You can even form a temporary contract with me.'' He was looking Olga in the eyes as he spoke. She looked down at her hand, seeing the Command Seals there. This was her chance. She'd dreamed of this. It crushed her when she found out she couldn't be a Master. She wasn't even supposed to be able to Rayshift. Yet here she was, in a Singularity, with a set of Command Seals of her own.
''Very well then,'' Olga said without a moment's hesitation, her heart fluttering with pride and excitement, ''I'll accept your terms, Caster. I extend a temporary contract to you as the Director of Chaldea,'' her Command Seals glowed brightly as Od flooded into them.
''Alright, then,'' Caster said, still grinning, ''I, Servant Caster, hereby accept you as my temporary Master.'' Both of them felt the connection form as magical energy began flowing from Master to Servant. ''Huh. Good quality stuff, girly. I can work with this.''
''Now, about the man we're looking for?'' Olga tapped her foot impatiently.
''Right, right. I'm sure you sensed the massive release of magical energy to the east, right? Feels to me like a Servant just released their Noble Phantasm. Curious thing is that there's no other energy coming from there. Another might think they just used it for the hell of it, but I heard you say there's a human with the physical capabilities of a Servant. My bet is that's who they're fighting,'' he chuckled, ''to think a Servant would get pressed that hard by a human. Embarrassing.''
''Then it's as I thought. Come on!'' Olga didn't even wait and started running.
Statues melted to slag and burst as searing beams swept across the dismal chamber, sending spurts and droplets of molten stone up in a spray. Toji weaved between the statues for cover as he closed in on who he now knew was Medusa, the Gorgon of Greek myth. His superhuman senses felt all of the subtle changes in the environment as he evaded the beams of raw magical energy coming at him. Sound and sensation were his main guides. He'd closed his eyes as soon as he realised who he was fighting.
''Fool! This is my Reality Marble, and therefore subject to my authority. All things in this place are an extension of myself. Did you think it would be so easy?'' Medusa's fanged mouth twisted into a deranged snarl as the temple rumbled and the chains rattled overhead. Malignant light emanated from an unknown source, turning the inside of the temple red as shadows stretched along the columns and across the walls. Magical energy began to swell and the smell of blood tainted the air, turning it thick and cloying like an abattoir. Above the temple, a dome of swirling energy took form. It was like a mass of ink in its darkness as crimson light bled into the black dome. In the centre, a slit opened like a reptilian eye.
Similar to petrification, Toji felt the creeping cold seep into his core. Like a spreading poison, something was working its way through him, slowly but surely corroding and breaking him down from the inside. His mouth tasted like copper while blood-stink filled his nostrils. Pain flared behind his eyes as he felt capillaries dissolve, spreading blood across his whites like spilled ink. It was only thanks to his Heavenly Restriction that his enhanced body was slowing down what might have been a rapid process for other beings.
She was on him in a flash. Her scythe swept and reaped, the cursed blade clashing with Toji's. She was faster now, stronger in her monstrous form. Toji rolled with the blows, absorbing rather than deflecting as he adjusted his footwork to navigate the rush of killing blows. A downward strike was followed up with a tail-whip, its scaled mass smashing into Toji's ribs before the back of a clawed hand slammed into the side of his face. The Sorceror Killer's body was sent rocketing towards a pillar, destroying the structure as multiple tons of marble crashed down onto his prone form.
''Can you feel it yet? Your life energy ebbing away as your soul is stripped from your body piece by piece? So long as you are in my lair, your soul will strengthen me until you're nothing but a withered husk,'' Medusa hissed, delighting in the suffering to come. But she wasn't finished. With a flick of a clawed finger, a multitude of statues erupted as snakes burst from their stone confines, immediately poised to attack their prey.
Within the dust and rubble, Toji stirred. His limbs felt heavier as strength was bled from him. He'd had the edge initially, but Medusa's strength had seemingly doubled. Those last two hits had done some damage, evidenced by the dizziness and grinding of his splintered ribs. Facing her head-on wasn't an option now, so it was time to fight as he always did. Ruthless and dirty. Still, weakened as he was, he had enough left to fling the massive chunk of marble pinning him away. He heard the serpents approaching with their hissing mouths and dripping fangs. He gripped his Cursed Tools tighter and sprung up even as his muscles burned with effort.
''So the mouse can still stand? Prey that can resist after this much is interesting, at least,'' Medusa's cruel voice echoed off of every wall and pillar.
'I shouldn't be surprised she can do things like this. She called it a Reality Marble, meaning if it isn't a Domain Expansion, then it's at least similar. With so many statues around, it's more than likely she can weaponise every single one of them.' Toji met the attacking creatures even without sight. Bodies split, heads fell away, strange blood splashed him as serpent after serpent was cut apart by his Split Soul Katana. Medusa's beams never stopped firing, causing him to leap and dive, twist and flip even as he slaughtered the serpents. He reached over to his Inventory Spirit. It didn't respond.
''The hell?'' he growled. He opened his eyes and looked at it. Its face was drooping as strength left it and it squirmed weakly on his shoulder. Foam bubbled from the corners of its mouth while its eyes were almost entirely closed and bloodshot.
''Oh, noticed, have you? That's the secondary ability of my Reality Marble. Bloodfort Andromeda is a Bounded Field that feeds on living beings within its perimeter, dissolving their flesh and enriching me with their souls. Not even that disgusting creature is safe. And it seems it won't last long. A shame for you, I'm sure. No more toys for you to use if that thing dies, correct?'' Medusa chuckled. Finally this human would learn his place.
''Guess I'm cornered, then. Unlucky. But I think that's enough, now.'' Toji shrugged.
''Finally accepting death, I see. If you were going to do that, then you shouldn't have made it so difficult,'' her smug superiority was palpable. Her grin widened when she saw blood begin to trickle from Toji's nose and the whites of his eyes were slowly turning red. Medusa could feel the Sorcerer Killer's impressive amount of life energy invigorating her spirit core as her Reality Marble's effect was finally kicking in. Given enough time, he'd be nothing but a heap of sloppy organic matter on the floor of her temple.
''Huh? No, that's not it. You see, you're the first Servant I've ever fought, but now I've learned a good bit about what I'm dealing with. But now that I've figured out that a some of your abilities are fuelled by Cursed Energy, killing you quickly shouldn't be a problem,'' Toji walked forward, juggling his Cursed Tools between his hands with a murderous gleam in his eyes. Medusa snarled, her prominent fangs bared.
''To talk so casually in my temple... know your place!'' Her hair-snakes hissed and disgorged their beams, adding their lurid colours to the red-tinged chamber. At the same moment, Toji stomped one foot on the ground, shattering the entire floorspace. Tiled images blew apart, columns cracked, and the countless statues of nameless victims exploded. The dust and debris swirled around the chamber in a great, grey cloud, turning the entire space murky. Her beams of magical energy cut through the dust, but she may as well have been trying to hit a ghost.
She leapt into the cloud, swiping her scythe in all directions as she cut a path through it. She saw the briefest of shadows to her left and sliced her weapon at full extension, only to hit nothing. Chains rattled above and she fired more beams towards the roof. Chains melted as they were cut through as easily as an arrow through air. Portions of the roof collapsed in and only added to the dust cloud, undoing her work to clear her vision. The blood-light of Bloodfort Andromeda shone into the temple like crimson moonlight, while rain poured in to slap onto the destroyed floor.
'I can't see him. I can't sense him. And with the added noise, now hearing him will be more difficult. Was this all part of a strategy to defeat me?' the Gorgon wondered as her frustration built. She suddenly turned when she heard a mighty crack and saw the looming shape of a marble support column getting closer with great speed. She evaded it, but again, the dust cloud only continued to grow. 'He's trying to rob me of my senses to land a killing blow! If fighting him inside is to his advantage, then I'll need to go outside!'
With a sudden burst of speed, she launched herself towards the temple's grand entryway. But in her path, she saw him. With blood now sheeting down the lower half of his face, eyes filled with blood and veins bulging all over his face and arms as Bloodfort Andromeda reaped its toll on him, Toji Fushiguro was in a counter-charge against her. Eyes closed to avoid her cursed gaze, he was low to the ground with his katana aimed straight for her legs. They were both moving so fast that reacting now was impossible with how close they were to each other.
She didn't feel it at first. It was so sudden. But she toppled forward as any sensation below the knees was suddenly gone. She landed face-down on the rain-slicked stone of the entrance. She screamed out – more enraged than agonised – and rolled herself over, only to have her head viciously stomped into the marble. Her head sunk into the stone as a spiderweb of cracks lanced out in all directions. It was like a grenade had gone off in her face, the force it shaking the support columns. Again and again and again, her head created an even deeper crater with every blow. Her fingers twitched. The snakes made of her hair grew weak, drooped and finally unfurled back into pink strands. Toji relented, then spun the Inverted Spear of Heaven into a reverse hold, then stabbed down into Medusa's chest.
She'd been dazed. Blood filled her nose and mouth. One eardrum had ruptured from so many high-impact strikes to her head. But ironically, it was like new life entered her for just a moment when the blade pierced her heart. She violently exhaled and her eyes widened as waves of pain brought her awareness to a new height, washing away the dizziness.
''N-no!'' Blood bubbled in her throat, causing her to cough. Overhead, the storm clouds dissipated as her Reality Marble was cancelled out by the unique properties of the Inverted Spear of Heaven. Her body shrunk, returning to how it was at the start of the battle. Her legs would have regenerated after transforming under normal circumstances, but the bloody stumps of her knees remained. Toji stood over her, a smirk on his scarred lips.
''Figured that'd work. The dagger in your chest stopped your petrification. So I put two and two together and, whaddaya know? You're infused with Cursed Energy, and that makes you vulnerable to that dagger.''
''My... my legs...''
''Hm? Oh, that. My sword attacks the souls of things directly, both living and inanimate. And since you Servants are entirely spiritual beings, it's the ideal weapon. You must have some shitty luck to run into me.'' Surprisingly, the dying Servant gave a bitter laugh.
''A constant of... my life... and my death... it seems...'' Medusa's eyes were glassy and half-lidded. She was fading now. Her body was beginning to vanish as motes of magical energy rose from her form, twinkling before dying out. ''To think... I was beaten... by a human...'' she coughed, ''...though I suppose... it was those cheap tricks... that granted you... victory...''
''I'm an assassin by trade. Cheap tricks are what I do. You might have had a lot more to show me. But like I said, you had me cornered and working against the clock. If you hadn't, you might have won. And it's what you get for underestimating someone. Everyone who did that to me learned why that was a bad idea. That includes you, now.'' Toji grabbed the hilt of the Inverted Spear of Heaven, but Medusa's had latched onto his wrist. Looking at her fingers, he was tempted to just rip the dagger from her chest, but he noticed that her skin was taking on a healthier colour. Steadily, her skin went from corpse-like, to a healthy, peach tone. Her eyes went from yellow to pink and her expression softened.
''Before you finish me... please listen...'' even her voice was different. Where she'd been aggressive and caustic, she was now soft-spoken and measured. ''This Holy Grail War... something went wrong... Saber did this... she defeated us and... corrupted us...destroyed the city with... the Grail's power. She guards... the Grail...''
''And this Grail? If we find it, can we get outta here?''
''It's... possible. But you must... defeat Saber,'' she gasped in pain as was close to fading completely now. The hand that grasped Toji's wrist was gone. ''But beware... she's the strongest... of us...''
''Noted.''
''It's...my time...now...'' everything from the neck down was gone, but she smiled, ''thank you...for freeing...me...'' with those last words, Lancer-class Servant, Medusa, had finally dissipated. Toji stood up with the dagger in hand, then rolled his neck and heard several pops.
'Looks like the Inverted Spear cancelled out the Cursed Energy inside her. How she was just now must have been how she was before she was corrupted,' Toji looked around at the devastated city around him and the swarms of Fly Heads in the sky,'Whatever this Grail thing is, it must be like a nuclear reactor for Cursed Energy. So not only are there corrupted Servants, but possibly First-Grade or even Special-Grade Curses to deal with.'
''Mr. Fushiguro!'' he turned and saw a group of people running toward him. Of them, he only knew Olga. At least he didn't need to go looking for her now. Looking at him, his face stained with blood and the whites of his eyes turned pink, she feared he'd barely survived his fight with the Servant. ''Are you alright?'' Not that she cared. He was a useful tool, a weapon to be wielded. Fake Sorcerers like him were beneath her concern, but professional courtesy as Chaldea's director still took priority over her dislike of him.
''Peachy. I was about to come looking for you,'' Toji replied, then spied Ritsuka and Mash, ''who're they?''
''Not important. Where'd the Servant go?'' Olga questioned. The Sorcerer Killer tilted his head to the side.
''Killed her. Said she was a 'Lancer', whatever that means. I got ambushed as soon as I got here,'' Toji tensed as he saw Caster materialise next to Olga. Nobody saw him move, but he was suddenly behind Caster with the Inverted Spear of Heaven pressed to his back and the Soul Split Katana lightly resting at his throat.
''Mr. Fushiguro, wait! He's with us!'' the Director yelled, startled at Toji's sudden appearance. She hadn't thought from the report she'd read that Toji could move that fast. It was unnerving, to say the least. Caster held his hands up, though the grin he wore made his gesture of surrender seem less than sincere.
''You heard the lady. I'm on your side. Servant, Caster. At the little lady's service,'' Caster's body darkened as his entire form became covered in tree bark and then crumbled into mulch. ''You're the human capable of fighting Servants, right?'' Caster reappeared some distance away, his staff across his shoulders. ''I was skeptical at first, but I sensed Lancer use her Noble Phantasm with no other energy around. And then I felt her disappear, and here you are.''
''Here I am,'' Toji replied, eyes still narrowed towards Caster. The Servant could feel the hostility like a palpable force.
''You're not very trusting, huh? Means you got your head on straight. But the little lady's my Master, for now. Even got witnesses,'' Caster gestured with his head towards Mash and Ritsuka.
''It's true, Mr. Fushiguro,'' Mash said urgently, then bowed politely, ''forgive me for not introducing myself sooner. I am Mash Kyrielight, a Demi-Servant.'' Mash looked at Ritsuka, who then gave an awkward wave.
''I'm Ritsuka Fujimaru, and I'm a Master... I guess?'' the boy said. He took a quick look at Olga, worried if declaring himself a Master would set her off.
Toji eyed them both for a moment. ''Yeah, think I remember you,'' to Mash, he said, ''you brought him in 'cos he was late,'' and to Ritsuka, ''and you're the one who fell asleep.'' The Sorcerer Killer then squinted as he observed what was some kind of squirrel-like creature sitting on Ritsuka's shoulder. ''The hell's that?''
''Fou! Grrrr!'' the squirrel creature's back arched up and it growled at him, rather ineffectually. The Inventory Spirit stretched forward curiously, then opened its mouth in an attempt to swallow the animal. Toji's hand came down in a slap on the spirit's forehead and it shrank back sheepishly.
''We've talked about that...'' Toji warned, ''no eating wild animals. Don't know where it's been.''
''Um, well...'' Mash spoke, ''that's Fou. He's the only animal allowed within Chaldea. But he's not just any animal, he's actually quite intelligent.''
''Whatever, I'll take your word for it,'' he then turned to Olga, ''so what's the next order of business, boss?''
''Hold on, you're injured. At least let Caster heal you first,'' she said. Toji waved her off.
''I'll pass. My body's special, so I'll heal from this pretty quickly.''
After giving him an odd, unconvinced look, the Director of Chaldea set her gaze on them all. ''First we should go over all of the information we have so far. We know when and where we are, but what we don't know are the circumstances surrounding this Holy Grail War.''
''I believe that's my cue, Master,'' Caster said as all eyes turned to him, ''the war started as all do. Seven Masters were selected, and battles were fought in secret for a while. But it didn't take long for everything to go wrong. For some reason, all humans vanished and the war came to a halt. But then Saber reappeared, rampaging and attacking any Servants she could find. I managed to find the source of all this, the Holy Grail, corrupted. I've stayed out of sight as much as possible since then, picking off who I could while avoiding Saber. Being a Servant belonging to the overall strongest class, she cut through the others without much of a struggle. First it was Rider, then Lancer, then Archer, and finally, Berserker. But whatever the Grail did to Saber was more than just boost her power. When she killed the others, they came back with the same corruption Saber has. As you can see, I'm the only one who's managed to stay alive.''
''Lancer told me the same thing,'' Toji intoned, drawing everyone's attention.
''Care to elaborate?'' Caster asked.
''When I beat Lancer, I stabbed her with a special tool I use when fighting Cursed Spirits or really anything that uses Cursed Energy. Before she faded, she wasn't how she'd been during the fight. She freely gave me information, then thanked me for 'freeing her'. Even the way she looked changed. She told me that Saber had defeated the other Servants, but they came back corrupted.''
''So you're saying you have something that can reverse the corruption? Interesting.'' Caster said with a hand to his chin, ''but you mentioned something. Cursed Spirits and Cursed Energy. I don't think I'm familiar.''
''Wouldn't expect you to be. You're obviously not related to Jujutsu Sorcery in any way. Noticed the swarms of bugs in the sky?'' he pointed up, guiding their eyes to the masses of Fly Heads up above. Of all of them, Ritsuka was the only one who didn't.
''Oh, those thing? They've been around ever since the mud from the Grail spilled across the city. What are they?'' Caster asked.
''They're nothing special, but they are Cursed Spirits. About as weak as they get, really. But Cursed Spirits are born from sites of intense negative emotion. And this city is about as good a spawning ground as could be. Seen any larger, strange-looking creatures around?''
''No. Should I have?''
''You're lucky, then. With all of this Cursed Energy around, I wouldn't be surprised if this place was infested with Grade-Two and Grade-One Cursed Spirits. Hell, there's probably a couple of Special-Grades skulking around,'' he was met with silence, then he sighed, ''I'm gonna have to explain, aren't I?''
They all nodded.
''Fine. I'll try to make it make sense. Grade-Four are pests. Grade-Three are large wild animals. Grade-Two are Magi. Grade-One are monsters of some kind. And Special-Grade are Servants. Clear?''
''Alright, but, what happens if we run into any?'' Olga wondered. That he would compare three out of those five categories to powerful magical entities had her worried.
''Nothing. Just let me handle them. Doubt you could effect them anyway,'' Toji rested his sword on his shoulder, ''far as I see it, Magecraft and Jujutsu are just too different.''
''You say that, but you said it yourself. You defeated Lancer. A being whose body is made from magical energy with a weapon meant to dispel so-called Cursed Energy. What makes you believe the opposite can't be true?'' Caster said inquisitively. To this, Toji shrugged.
''Nothing solid, but that's just based on my knowledge of the two. Besides, the Cursed Tools I use are meant for stuff like this. My sword strikes the soul directly, and since Servants are spirits, it makes them no different than any other target. And as for my other tool,'' he held up the Inverted Spear of Heaven for them to see, ''its purpose is to negate Cursed Energy and Cursed Techniques upon contact with the technique or the caster. My idea is that these corrupted Servants have been infused with huge amounts of Cursed Energy. That's why this dagger worked on Lancer.''
''To think magical energy and Cursed Energy could overlap. It doesn't make sense,'' Olga muttered. Meanwhile Ritsuka looked utterly lost, while Mash merely looked at him sympathetically. She knew all too well what it was like to be part of a conversation, yet unable to contribute to it.
''It's not so weird if you think about it,'' Toji said, interrupting the Director's thoughts, ''except for me, all humans produce Cursed Energy. What makes a Jujutsu Sorcerer is the ability to use it. Even Magi produce it.''
''But I thought-'' Toji held up a finger.
''I know what you're gonna say. But you still have negative emotions. If anything, I'd say that besides Jujutsu Sorcerers and retail workers, Magi generate more Cursed Energy than most. I know enough to know that plotting and backstabbing are common with you people. So hatred, envy and paranoia are a part of your day-to-day lives. Difference is, your bodies are wired differently, so you can't use that energy.''
''But we can't let you do all the work,'' Ritsuka finally chimed in, flinching when Toji's narrow eyes settled on him. The boy figured he was doing well holding it together so far. Being around Caster, a hero from history and one he'd heard of in different video games, left him a bit star-struck. But the feeling he got from Toji was different. He was a human just like him. But there was an intensity about him that set him on edge.
''You won't. You still have that girl. Give her commands. That's what a Master does, right?'' Ritsuka hesitated, looking at his Command Seals, then to Mash. Meeting Toji's eyes again, he nodded. ''So now what?''
''Caster. How many Servants remain active?'' Olga asked her Servant.
''Let's see... I've already dealt with Rider and Assassin. Your friend over there just offed Lancer, so that leaves Saber, Archer and Berserker. Saber is guaranteed to still be guarding the Grail. Archer is likely hunting us, and Berserker is doing his own thing. I'm sure he won't be a problem as long as we leave him alone.''
''Nothing left to do then kill Saber and take the Grail or whatever we do with it,'' Toji said.
''Then if we're finished, it's time we went and found the Grail. Lead the way, Caster,'' Olga ordered with renewed confidence now that their forces were in good order and better than they'd started.
Despite her confidence, however, an hour of walking coupled with ambushes from undead warriors and the rigours of hostile terrain, fatigue set in for the less-than-superhuman amongst their group. Deciding it was a good time to rest, Olga redirected the group towards Fuyuki's high school, the dark and ruined husk of Homurahara Academy. As Ritsuka and Mash settled somewhere on the upper floors, Olga made her way to the roof. Caster kept himself in spirit form most of the time, mostly to avoid detection from Archer, but also keep the strain of manifestation off of Olga as much as possible.
On the rooftop, Olga arranged stones with a golden magic circle in the intricate design of the Animusphere crest. On each stone she inscribed a mark, each one different and necessary for her task. Not far away, standing by the door to the roof was Toji, watchfully guarding his employer. He quietly observed her work, taking some interest in the operations a Magi undertook to work their own techniques. He didn't understand any of it or its mechanics, but it was still interesting to see how the other side did things without it being directed at him for once.
At first, Toji hadn't expected much. He expected to find a spoiled girl who'd been handed her organisation, never knowing struggle or want. Of course, she could still be those things, he didn't really know her, but this brief time around her pointed to her being more than he'd first assumed. Olga was uptight and haughty, but Toji could see that she wasn't just those things. It was a mask she wore. Tiny details he'd noticed – facial movements, nervous ticks, small, genuine expressions – all pointed to a girl hiding what she thought and felt. Living with a woman and raising a daughter, as well as his keen senses, made noticing these small things rather easy. Then there were some positives. She could take charge, keep her cool, and seemed rather capable. She'd taken whatever this task was upon herself instead of resting as she'd suggested. He didn't want to be a babysitter, and it looked like he wasn't going to be if she kept this up.
Olga, however, didn't like him being there. Magecraft, especially that of one's family, was meant to be practised and used unobserved by anyone outside of the family. Humans and especially other Magi were never meant to see it, the former for security purposes, and the latter for survival. A Magus might well figure out your Magecraft and develop a counter to it. And if your Magecraft was particularly unorthodox, you may well get a visit from the Sealing Designation Enforcers, and that was a fate most wanted to avoid.
''You can leave, Mr. Fushiguro. If I need anything, I'll call for Caster,'' she said as the silence grew uncomfortable.
''What are you doing?'' he asked, ignoring her suggestion. Olga was quiet for a few seconds, biting back her frustration. She sighed. He wasn't going to listen, so instead she decided to humour him. It wasn't like he'd understand anyway.
''I'm arming myself. By pouring my magical energy into, for example, these stones, I can store it for later use. I have other means of defending myself, but they take too much energy too quickly. So by doing this, I can recover the energy I've already used easier. Maintaining my contract with Caster is already taking its toll, so using offensive Magecraft here will only put us both at risk if it drains me too much.'' She explained, but she knew doing so was futile. His lot probably just waved voodoo dolls at each other or something.
''Smart. Known a lot of Sorcerers who burned themselves out 'cos they pushed too hard. It's good you know your limits,'' he commented. Olga felt the tips of her ears burn. A curious mix of elation and annoyance bubbled within. She'd rarely gotten compliments from anyone for anything, and most she got were fake just to curry favour with her. But to be told it's 'good to know her limits' from someone who didn't know the first thing about Magecraft was irritating.
''Y-yes, well, as the director of Chaldea, I must have as good an understanding of myself as well as the organisation. What good is it if I exhaust myself and leave all of you without a leader?'' She crossed her arms and tapped a finger on her forearm, looking away from the Sorcerer Killer. Toji watched in slight amusement. He wondered if compliments were a weak point of hers. If he did it enough, perhaps he'd get a hefty bonus once all of this was done. He decided to turn on the ol' Toji charm a little.
''Couldn't have that. You've done pretty well, I think,'' he said. Slowly, Olga turned her head to look at him again. The haughty visage had cracked a little.
''Is... is that so? As the director, employee feedback is... welcome,'' she said uncertainly. Such feedback in the past had only led her to believe her staff believed she was a ruthless tyrant. She'd fire someone just because she didn't like them, and had done numerous times. She was quick to anger and had no tolerance for insubordination. But all she wanted was to be strong and to have her employees work hard. Was that so wrong?
''This is your first time doing something like this, isn't it?''
''Well, not quite, but Rayshifting is definitely a first,'' her pride demanded she listen, but her eyes cast to the side. Was it that obvious she was scared?
''Yet despite that, you've kept your cool. With all the skeleton things, Servants trying to kill us, the possibility of Cursed Spirits and a guy you don't trust at your back, you haven't buckled once. Not many people could be like that in your position.''
Olga's shoulders hunched as her face became redder and redder. Where was all of this coming from? All she did was what was expected of someone in her position. Why was that praiseworthy? And why did it feel so fantastic to finally get some recognition?
''He's right, you know,'' Caster's voice echoed across the rooftop as he came out of spirit form near the door. He crossed his arms and leaned against the fencing that ran the perimeter of the rooftop. Olga's head snapped towards her Servant, and the man grinned seeing the cherry red of her face. ''You're pretty good for a new Master. You actually kinda remind me of someone.''
''Who?'' Olga asked. Caster thought back to Archer's Master before the Grail Mud destroyed the city. A brilliant girl with blue eyes, black hair in twin-tails, and a vicious streak that he couldn't help but admire. She was gone now, taken by the mud He shook his head.
''Doesn't matter, but I assure you it's a good thing. I had a good feeling about you since I first noticed your little group. You're a rookie, no doubt. But you're a rookie with potential. I'd like to see how far that potential goes.''
Olga had all but seized up by this point. Not only was she getting recognised, but by a legendary hero of humanity. It was such an alien sensation to her that she had no idea how to respond. Was she meant to agree? No, that would be arrogant. Deny it? That would feel like lying. She was thinking so hard that both Caster and Toji swore they could see the top of her head starting to smoke. The Sorcerer Killer merely chuckled. Compliments really were her weak point.
'It's kinda sad, really. Do people really have nothing good to say about her?' he wondered. Toji Zen'nin, the Sorcerer Killer, wouldn't have spared her much thought. But Toji Fushiguro, the husband and father, sympathised. He could easily see Tsumiki sat there with the same anxieties. Thanks to Shizuka's support, Tsumiki had become the student council president, and was often tasked with making decisions that could make her unpopular with the students. She was a strong girl, but the pressure of her role got to her sometimes. So, being a daddy's girl, she'd come to Toji and tell him about all of her worries. He'd sit and listen patiently, but his wife had insisted that he stop threatening to beat up their daughter's classmates. Shizuka would lecture Megumi too, just for good measure. He felt a pang of longing, then. This job needed to end as quickly as possible so he could go home and see them all again.
''A-alright! Enough! You're both disrupting my focus, so unless there's something you need, go away!'' the Director of Chaldea snapped before returning to her task. Toji and Caster shared a glance, then shrugged with a grin on their faces. ''Actually, there's something I'd like to ask you, Caster.''
''Giving me whiplash here, Master. What is it?''
''The true name of Saber. It's been bothering me, since knowing a Servant's true name could give us an insight in how to defeat her. Would you know what it is? After all, the information you've given us would imply you've fought more than once.'' Any trace of Olga being flustered was gone as she centred her focus on the task before them.
''Yeah, I know it. Anyone who's witnessed that Noble Phantasm of hers would. There was another sword, one that, once drawn from the stone, declares its wielder king by divine right. Out of all swords, it's the most famous one in all time periods. That sword's name is... Excalibur.'' Caster said gravely. From blinding waves of golden light to the dark fires of destruction after its corruption, Excalibur had cast its light over Fuyuki several times over the war's duration. Caster had survived the destructive onslaught of both, though only barely. The colour drained from Olga's face.
''Excalibur... the Excalibur?!'' She could scarcely believe it. What were they to do against that? Against her? Olga's shock made her ignore the fact that King Arthur, legendary king of Britain, was being referred to as a woman. It seemed like such a tiny detail in the face of the undertaking ahead of them.
''Had a feeling regicide would come up once you told me what Servants are,'' Toji said, ''never killed a king before.''
''Not just any king, my shady friend,'' Caster replied, ''but the King of Knights. King Arthur.''
Olga's brow creased and she stood, not liking the implications of this revelation. ''You mean to tell me that we're to do battle with King Arthur with a fresh Demi-Servant and a human?''
''For every sword, there's a shield to defend against it. The young lady has such a shield. Don't forget that. And the human you speak of has already defeated Lancer by himself. The young lady has heart, I've seen that much. And your Servant-killing friend happens to have a bag of tricks, and he doesn't seem like an 'honourable duel' type of fighter. As much as I hate that, it sounds like an advantage to me. Besides, there's you and me, Master. It's not like we're just gonna sit it out, right?''
''Of course not, but Mash has no Noble Phantasm of her own. We can't solely rely on Mr. Fushiguro to keep Saber occupied.''
''I wouldn't be so sure. Like I said, that girl's got heart. She'll figure it out. If that guy needs to distract Saber for a while, then I think he can do that much.''
''What about the Archer? He's been tailing us for some time. We'll need to deal with him before Saber,'' Toji said.
''You let me worry about that. Could say it's personal, since I can't stand that guy. You kinda remind me of him, thinking about it, but you don't talk so much, so I can tolerate you,'' Caster said wryly, ''but he is targeting that girl, specifically. I can only think that her shield is a cause for concern for him and Saber.''
''Think there's a connection? Like they're working together?'' Toji's mind was already drafting up plans of attack for dealing with either Servant. With him being untraceable, sneaking up on Archer would be ideal.
''It's an assumption at best, but their Masters were collaborating. And Archer seemed to have some connection to Saber, but I haven't figured out what it might be. Given their lack of Masters, I've come to suspect that Archer may well still be working with Saber,'' Caster said.
Archer had heard all he needed to hear. The Servant of the Bow had followed them to the academy, deciding that a covert approach would be for the best. The topics discussed had been quite interesting. Caster was unknowingly correct in his assumption, and to hear that a human had defeated Lancer was surprising. Going against both of them, along with the Servant with the shield would be a serious problem for him with so many unknown factors, so he decided he needed some help. He emerged from spirit form, standing on a rooftop a couple of miles away, scrawled a note onto a scrap of paper and attached it to a simple arrow. He loosed it towards the rooftop of Homurahara, then smirked.
'If you wish to find me, come to the remains of the Einzbern Castle. I'll be waiting.'
Short note: Toji won't be getting a Servant, it's unnecessary. I found the idea of Alter Servants being infused with Cursed Energy interesting, so I went with it. BERSERKER TIME INCOMING! Seriously, I never see Singularity-F in fics use Berserker. I'm sure some do, I've just never seen them. If you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to follow, fav and review. Until next time.