Welcome back everybody to the start of chapter 2 or like I would call it, the 2 part of the prologue, because that's what Fuyuki is, a prologue.
I hope the release gap between this chapter and the first one doesnt take too long.
Anyway, let's start it!
DISCLAIMER: All the Nasuverse characters belong to Nasu and are property of Type-Moon, with the exception of the OC's that belong to me,the author.
"Hmm..." Peko's dark eyes were slowly opening as the boy felt no more pain from moments ago, his head feeling normal now. His vision was still a bit blurry,but he could already see the figure of Nala appearing right next to him.
"Hey everyone! Peko is finally waking up!" She delivered the news of her brother recovery to the others.
The boy then stood up, still a bit stunned. "Did I...passed out?" He asked to himself before seeing the rest of the group all gathered around a bonfire, looking directly at him.
"Yes you did. We had to carry you along the way. Thankfully we didn't encounter any monsters in our way." Mash smiled at the sight of Peko's recovery.
Ritsuka was still a bit concerned "You sure you are okay now?" He asked. "I'm sorry for making that question. I didn't know that you..." He stopped talking in regret.
"Oh! I-it wasn't your fault!" Peko quickly tried to make Ritsuka feel less guilty. "I'm the one to blame for not having any memories of my home." The boy said saddened.
Peko looked around the area that they were now in. They seemed to be surrounded by trees,in the middle of a forest. Some feet away from them there was a path laid out on the floor.
"Where are we?"
"At the foot of the mountain." Cú answered. "We are just some feet away from our objective."
"But we had decided to take a break to recover up and see if you would wake up from that headache attack." Olga gave the rest of the information to Peko. He looked at the path behind him.
"You know..." He said.
"You guys still haven't said what's that objective of yours to me and Nala."
"Yeah. I think we should get the right to know it." Nala backed up her brother. The girl touched her right shoulder who had been bandaged recently,feeling a bit of pain still coming from it.
"Sis! Are you ok?" Peko asked a bit worried.
Nala just gave him a reassuring smile. "Pfff. This is nothing Peko. It's not a scratch like this one that will bring me down." She said with proudness. "Also,thanks Olga for making the bandage to stop the bleeding." She thanked to the white haired woman sitting next to her.
"It's nothing special really." The director said while shoving her hair. "I mean, making first aid bandages was one of the first things that I learned to do as a kid." Olga's face was showing her look of superiority. "What matters is that you're fine."
Nala pouted. "Sheesh. Can you at least show more of your caring side?"
Ritsuka cackled a bit at the two. "At least you two are getting along a bit better."
Mash smiled as well. "It's like watching a big and little sister scuffle at each other." She said.
Both Olga and Nala squirmed at the demi-servant's comment.
"Please,don't say that again Mash."
"Yeah,really."
The rest of the group laughed a bit at the reaction. The mood was overall good. Fou even appeard behind Mash to head torwards Peko.
"Ahaha. I see that you're ok too Fou." Peko patted the animal on his belly. And Fou seemed to like it.
Then,out of nowhere, an hologram appeard to the group.
"Uff. Sorry for the absence I had to take a break to the bathroom." Said Romani, the doctor of Chaldea. "Are you doing o-"
Like if he had lost the ability to speak, Romani stood silent as he spotted Peko and Nala. The doctor and the two kids stared at each other for what looked like some long seconds.
"Wh-WHAT ARE TWO KIDS DOING HERE?!" He screamed comically. "Are they hurt?! They were originaly from this Fuyuki?! How long have they been in this place?!"
"Please doctor calm down." Mash said to the now hysterically doctor,sighing.
"Well. Peko,Nala, meet our great doctor...Romani Archaman!" Ritsuka exclaimed like if he was doing a presentation. "He is a bit of a nerd but taking that out he is a good person." Ritsuka whispered to the two kids. Romani still heard it.
"That was heartless from you Ritsuka!" Romani protested.
"Yeah,yeah. Could you please keep it quiet Romani?" Olga demanded.
The doctor recomposed himself immediatly. "Sorry for that guys. I was just taken a back by the kids appearence. Anyway who are you two?" Romani asked to Peko and Nala.
"My name is Peko. Nice to meet you." The white haired boy was the first to respond.
"And mine's Nala. Nice to meet you too." She said.
Romani let out a little smirk. "I see" he said to himself. "It's good to meet you as well, Peko and Nala."
With the introduction done, Romani started to bring up the important topic. "Anyway, I can feel that the source of the Greater Grail is nearby. We must be close to the cavern's entrance of the mountain. Once inside there, we will probably have to deal with the Saber that is guarding the grail."
Cú got up from the ground. "So it's time." He looked to the rest of the group. "Is everyone ready for this?"
Olga just nod,giving confirmatiom from her part.
"Senpai?" Mash asked turning her head to Ritsuka.
"Count me ready Mash." The master said trying to sound confident. But his peripheral vision spotted a Peko who seemed rather scared. Nala was right next to him.
"If you don't wanna go just say it. I'll stay here with you." Nala knew that Peko inside the cave would put him in extreme danger if the foe they had to fight was soemone even more stronger than the skeletons. Her brother would go into dispair very quickly.
"I...it's just..." Peko himself acknowledge that he was probably nothing more than a pushover to the others and would only slow them down by going with them to the cavern. "I'm useless! I barely know how to fight or how to wield a sword! You should just go without me!" Tears started to show up in Peko's dark eyes as the revelation was made.
"Peko..." Nala put a hand in his shoulder.
"So what?" Ritsuka's voice broked down the bad mood. "You're still going with us. I'm not leaving anyone behind." The master of humanity smiled.
"Ritsuka..." Peko was impressed by the acceptance of Ritsuka to still let Peko go with them and not seeing the kid as dead weight.
"Besides,I am not that much of a fighter myself! Hell, I was just a simple dude who was picked randomly to do this job. So I could care less if you are good at fighting or not. We will leave this place together!" Ritsuka exclaimed,boosting a little Peko's morale.
"That's right." Mash approached them. "We wont abandon you because of your lack of fighting skills. If things go south, I'll make sure to protect you."
"Count me in too." Olga joined the conversation. "You may not be a master or one of my people, but I won't let a child behind. That wouldn't go well with my reputation." Olga smiled at him.
"Same here kid." Cú said. "I won't let you die no matter what."
"You really think...I'm worth all that?" Peko was still a bit reluctant but surprised at everyone disposition to keep him safe.
"Don't say stupid things like that idiot!" Nala punched him softly in the head before smiling. "Its clear that we won't give up on you that easily. At least I wont."
Those words were enough. Peko felt a bit of the pressure being taken off his shoulders.
"Guys..."
Ritsuka crouched down before Peko and held out his hand to the boy. "Are you ready to go,Peko?"
Leaving the insecurities aside, Peko was now with the sensation that he and Nala could start trusting a bit in Ritsuka and the others as they didn't looked like bad people.
"Sure! Let's go then!" The boy accepted with a smile, touching hands with Ritsuka.
"That's the spirit Peko." Nala commented happily. Mash,Olga,Cú and Romani also appreciated the interaction of encouragement between the master of humanity and the white haired boy.
"Good! Let's all proceed people!" Romani exclaimed and everyone started to walk in direction of the cavern's entrance, ready for the foes that they may encounter.
"Hey Ritsuka. Can I talk to you for a moment?" Olga asked to the dark haired teenager as they had just entered the cavern.
"Hmm? Sure. Go ahead director." Ritsuka slowed down a bit,staying behind with Olga.
Olga took a deep breath. "Look, I'm sorry for being agressive and unfriednly to you ever since we first met back at Chaldea. I was too pissed and angry at the situation that I directed it to you."
"Why are you saying that now Director?" Ritsuka didn't think that Olga would apologize to him all of a sudden.
"It's because...I felt a bit guilty about my attitudes torwards you when you actually are just trying to do your best." The white haired woman's hand touched her left shoulder. "And since you are probably one of our only hopes, I shouldn't be treating you so rudely."
"Well I didn't expect the Director herself to give me a personal apology." Ritsuka couldn't hide his smirk.
"H-hey don't abuse it! I'm being generous!" Olga frowned.
"Hahaha. I know,I know."
"Either way. I have to tell you something about Peko." The director approached Ritsuka, making sure only him would hear it.
"Hm? What does Peko have?" Ritsuka asked confused at Olga.
"It's clear that we all know that he's weak in contrast to Nala. But that's not the only difference between the two." Olga looked directly at the boy in front of her who was walking normally, not noticing the eyes staring at him.
"Not the only difference?"
"Yes. You probably can't sense it,since your magic circuits are weak to almost non existent. But for a mage like me, I can feel something on Peko."
Ritsuka got curious. "What is it then?"
"Hmmm, I'd say it's..."
Up ahead, Mash and Nala were talking with each other as Cú and Peko followed nearby.
The girl was with her sword in hand, analyzing it carefully, trying to remember when did she got this weapon.
"Do you also don't have memory of when you got that sword?" Mash asked looking at the sword. It was such a polished and clean sword. Almost as white and gleaming as light itself. The metallic hilt was decorated with two tiny metalic wings and the pommel with a red rose who was in a state that it had yet to bloom. It was quite a beautiful blade.
"Nope. And it's so strange. I have a feeling of connection with it and a certain familiarity, despite not knowing when I got it and from who." This mystery was bugging Nala's mind. If she was able to fight with it, that meant she already posessed the sword before this. But when and for how long?
"No worries Nala-san." Mash said. "I'm sure that you will eventualy figure that out along with all the other memories from your past. I too have things that I'd like to resolve." The shielder, altough not clearly, referred to the servant she fused with in order to become a servant. Or at least, half of it.
Nala returned the favor. "Thanks Mash. I'll make sure to try it. No matter how long it takes!"
Being silent for a while, Cú decided to speak with Peko who was trying is best to not appear frightned but his face could tell that the kid was scared and nervous.
"You know..." Cú's voice heading to Peko caught him by surprise. "You can say that you feel scared as hell. There's no need to hide it. I won't mock you."
"I-I know b-but this place has a scary aura." Peko gagged a bit. The cavern was really cold and quite dark. The fact that it was also a headquarters to an evil servant was no help either. Peko was regretting his decision of having to come here and Cú knew it.
"Hey kiddo." Cú would try to change topics to see if Peko could get more relaxed. "Of what I got from your headache episode,is that you and your sister have a father,right?"
"Huh?"
"I'm sorry if I'm forcing you to remember." Cú apologized in antecipation. "However, you yelled the word 'dad' right before falling unconscious. That means that you at least had a father figure in your life before showing up here." The caster tried to see if he could find and help Peko trigger some memories of his past.
The boy rubbed his head, pensative. "I guess... we have it. But,I couldn't even see his face right. My head was all fuzzy and hurting that I barely could see him. Even so, when I looked, my heart and mind told me that man was my and Nala's dad."
"Perhaps he is one of the reasons for sending you here." Cú pondered.
"I...don't know." Peko said with slowly anguish. "And if he did,why? Where is he? Who is he? I don't even remember his name or how he looks like." Peko was frustrated. Only having knowledge that he has a father and nothing else was truly agonizing. And like her brother, Nala couldn't remember who their parent was.
"Dad or not, I'm sure he's a very important person to you. I'm sure he's probably looking for you two right now." Cú put an hand on Peko's shoulder. "Just don't lose hope and you'll eventualy find him."
"Y-you're right." Peko was aware that it would take time until he discovered the identity of his dad but he along with his sister wouldn't stop until they found him. Complaining about the amnesia now was not the right thing to do if they wanted to gather clues.
"Hey Cú!" Ritsuka called the caster servant as he and Olga approached to the group. "Who is this evil saber that has the grail anyway?"
Cú stopped walking for a moment. "Oh that's right. I forgot to tell you. The identity of that servant is-"
"King Arthur wich sword that she wields is the very Noble Phantasm, Excalibur." A voice came out of nowhere, putting everyone on high alert. From the shadows up ahead of them came a figure. A tan skinned white haired man wielding a bow. Red blood coming out of his right eye and arm. There was no doubt that he was dangerous and probably a minion of saber.
"Heh. Nice to see you too Archer." Cú maintained a cool and relaxed pose.
"King Arthur?! Arthur Pendragon from the Round Table?! That's the servant we have to defeat?" Olga exclaimed. She had heard the myths and legends of the british king before. It would be an hard task to defeat her,almost impossible.
"It is indeed." Archer looked to Peko and Nala. "Hmm? Kids here? I tought everyone from Fuyuki had been vanquished." Nala's grip on her sword got tighter. She wouldn't let this man hurt her brother. As for Peko himself, Mash was quick to guard him.
"Be next to me Peko-san! You too Senpai and Director!" She said. The boy was shivering in fear, his heartbeat was beating faster and faster. He tried as hard as he could to keep his composure.
"Alright Mash! Are you ready for it?" Ritsuka was prepared to give Mash orders as her master.
"Yes Senpai! Let's do it!" She affirmed.
"I won't let you hurt my brother!" Nala shouted determined altough a bit nervous. She looked at Cú. "Are you ready too?" Cú didn't answered immediatly,instead the blue caster just drop off his combat mode.
"You can all go ahead. I'll take care of him." He said calmly. Those words shocked the group.
"Wha- Are you sure you can really handle him alone?" Ritsuka asked incredulously. The master of humanity knew that he was strong, but Archer also seemed strong. It was a dangerous bet to let Cú fight this enemy alone.
"I agree with Ritsuka. You sure you won't need help?" Nala was also doubtful if her allie could take the opponent all by himself.
"Sure! Don't worry abou it. I knew this guy for a long time. I'm memorized with his attack patterns." Cú was still with a relaxed vibe.
"Really Setanta-san?" Mash couldn't really trust the caster's statement.
"I promise I won't die. I'll catch with you later." While everyone was silent and thinking about whether or not to leave Cú behind, Olga had already made the decision.
"Alright then! We'll go ahead!" Her imposing voice of Director coming out of her mouth. "Open a path for us in order to proceed." She demanded.
"Director..." Mash was surprised by Olga's choice, but she knew that they couldn't waste much time, not when the objective was near. Ritsuka on the other hand wanted to protest the decision but it wasn't the moment for it.
"It's an order Mash." He said. "We have to respect the Director and Cú choices."
Mash nodded in defeat, accepting the fact that they would have to continue and let Cú behind.
"To hell with that!" Nala was still refusing to leave the caster behind. "I won't take orders from you!" She shouted at Olga.
"Kid." Cú and Nala looked each other in the eyes. "I'll be fine. Go ahead with your brother and make sure his safe." Those words made Nala rethink a little. She accepted it. Peko's anxiety would grow if he didn't know if her sister was safe or not. And the saber fight would probably be difficult. She needed to protect her brother to prevent any bad thing from happening to him.
"Ok." She said defeatedly.
"Alright! Now go up ahead and don't stop!" Cú yelled to everyone and they started running torwards the path on front of them that was being guarded by Archer.
"Hmm. All of you charging torwards me, hoping to proceed?" He took out an arrow and pointed at them. "How foolish." But before he could take the shot, he noticed a blue beam of magic going torwards him at an incredible speed. Archer reflexes where faster and the servant was able to get out of the way in time, almost being caught by the beam. Unfortunately for him, that made the path ahead clear for the group to pass.
"Tsk. That damn caster." Archer clenched his theets. He grabbed another arrow and this time he made sure to be quick enough to shot it at the group. However Cú deflected it with his staff.
"Oi,oi,oi. I'm your adversary here Archer. Don't try and hurt simple bystanders." Cú smugged a little, making the Archer even more irritated.
And so the two started to clash.
Still running, the rest of the group now without Cú was near the location of the grail. The tunnel they were in was almost ending. They could see a light ahead.
"Do-do you think he's going to be alright?" Peko asked to everyone.
"Cú is strong. Strong enough to take care of himself. I'm sure he'll win against that guy." Ritsuka told Peko, believing on his combat skills that Ritsuka witnessed before.
"I hope so." Peko wasn't sure if Cú could win. And a part of his heart was filled with remorse. Remorse that it could probably be the last time he would see the blue caster and couldn't give a proper goodbye. In a moment they were talking and in the next one Cú could be dead. Peko wished that wouldn't be the case.
"Now it's not time to think about him." Olga ended the topic. "The grail is really a few meters away. And so is King Arthur." She looked at Nala.
"You don't need to tell me." Nala said without looking at the director of Chaldeas, confirming she was ready to fight despite of the enemy strenght.
Olga couldn't help but let it out a sly smile. "I was just checking if you wouldn't chicken out from the fight."
"S-shut up!" The girl yelled comically at the older woman.
"Mash?" Ritsuka gazed at his servant.
"Count me in too Senpai" Mash responded.
"Good. And Peko." Ritsuka was about to warn Peko. "Stay close to me during the fight,got it?"
Peko nodded. "Sure!"
The hologram of Romani appeard. "Okay guys! You are close from the source of the grail. Be ready to fight that saber servant. Good luck to all of you!" And then he went off.
The group had finally reached to the room of the Greater Grail. It was a really huge chamber. However, the main thing on it was certainly the giant ray of light comming from the center and on top of a rocky hill. It was the Holy Grail itself. The magic emanating from it huge. The only thing keeping the distance from the group and grail, was a black armor knight.
Arthur Pendragon himself. Or herself,for in this case,the knight was a woman. Pale sking as well as pale blonde hair and yellow eyes, Artoria Pendragon was waiting patiently for the arrival of her foes.
"So you've come." The voice of the dark king of knights was filled with cold and apathy, showing that she would have no mercy in killing her enemies that had just reached here.
"So that's King Arthur huh?" Despite being nervous upon the presence of a great king, Ritsuka tried to keep calm.
"King or not, I'll defeat her." Nala said, confidence in her voice. Inside, she was actualy a bit scared, not trusting in her capabilities enough to win this fight. But she couldn't let herself be weak. Not in front of Peko.
"Right Nala-san! We will defeat this servant one way or another." Mash went up to the front of the group next to Nala. Ritsuka and Peko were the ones more behind, with the master protecting the boy.
"We will make out of this okay Peko. Trust me." Ritsuka gave a comforting smile to Peko.
"You know that if Mash and Nala go down I'll be the one to fight since I'm the most capable one of doing it out of us three, right?" Olga explained the situation if it went horribly.
"I-I believe in Nala and Mash!" Peko said shyly,hiding himself behind Ritsuka.
"If you really want to defeat me in a fight..." Artoria Alter took out her sword. A black and red version of Excalibur. "I want to see if you can endure my Noble Phantasm." In that moment, shivers went down Mash and Nala's spine.
"E-endure a what?" Nala was confused but still got the feeling that what Artoria Alter refered too was serious and it didn't sound good.
"I want to see if the shield of that lady can be put to a good use. It feels familiar to me." The dark knight explained, starting to charge up her Excalibur.
"She wants to test out my Noble Phantasm?" Mash was insecure. She still wasn't able to unleash her Noble Phantasm at full capacity and it has only been some hours ago that she was able to unblock her Noble Phantasm thanks to the help of Cú. The shielder didn't know if she was up to the task.
"Just dodge it!" Nala speaked to her. "Or try to block it while I go by the side and hit her!" She shared her strategy to the shielder.
"I'll go for those three there." Artoria Alter looked to Ritsuka, Olga and Peko. "So that you have no other choice but to shield them." Her Noble Phantasm was nearly charged. Ritsuka and Olga got worried and Peko was starting to despair again, hugging Ritsuka's waist as hard as he could.
"No you won't!" Nala roared. "I won't let you hurt them!" She was about to rush torwards the king of knights when her Noble Phantasm was fully charged.
"Ex-"
Nala,in a flash, jumped to Artoria's right side. "You're open!" She screamed. It seemed that was what the king of knights was expecting. She lifted her right leg fast and kicked Nala right in the stomach.
"Predictable." Artoria said,bored. Nala went flying some feet away before landing hardly on the ground.
"NALA!!!" Peko screamed and was about to go torwards his sister only to be stop by Ritsuka.
"calibur"
"It's dangerous Peko!" He grabbed the boy by the pulse.
"Tch! Damn that girl! I know you're more capable than that!" Olga shouted, trying to motivate a struggling Nala who was still on the floor.
The group was desoriented, not paying attention to the Noble Phantasm that was about to be released on them. It went so fast that no one would be able to react quick enough. Artoria Alter had the group in the palm of her hand and three of that group were about to be smashed and reduced to dust.
"MORGAN!!!!!"
And the blast has unleashed. Ritsuka, Olga and Peko had no escape. They were doomed to perish here.
Except the blast never came to hit them.
"Hrghrghh" In front of them, Mash was blocking Artoria's Noble Phantasm with the shield. She was pouring every bit of strenght she had to stop the attack.
"Mash...y-you are doing it!" Ritsuka yelled, astonished by the feat that his servant was doing. Olga and Peko were surprised as well.
"It's truly interesting. However,how long can you keep protecting them?" The blast of Artoria Alter grew stronger and Mash was having an hard time trying to block it. She felt her strenght start to fade.
"She won't be able to hold it back much longer!" Peko noticed it in alarm.
"C'mon Mash! Don't give up!" Olga shouted at the demi-servant.
"Rrghr! I'm...trying to!" Mash replied,her body screaming in pain. She was pushing her limits.
"Your effort is admirable. But it's time to end this." The king of knights let the beam go stronger and stronger. Mash arms were about to give up.
"I...I can't do it. I'm sorry." As her eyes closed and she was ready to lose her life alongside everyone else,she felt something touch her hand. As she opened her eyes again to see who it was she saw Ritsuka standing right next to her, holding the shield against the beam.
"Senpai." She said gladly to see her master helping her.
"I trust you." Those simple words from Ritsuka and a red glow from his command seals were enough to give Mash the strenght back.
"I won't dissapoint you then, Master." With her renowed strenght, Mash now was able to activate it. Her Noble Phantasm. The shield started to glow brighter blue by the second. A huge blue wall appeard right in front of them, like if the shield had tranformed into that wall.
"It's her Noble Phantasm..." Olga whispered as she was holding Peko who was witnessing it as well.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!" Mash screamed with all her might, pushing the Artoria Alter Noble Phantasm back.
"Such power..." The dark knight wasn't expecting the situation to be reversed. The shield was more durable than she had tought.
"Lord Chaldeas!"
The beam not being able to penetrate the wall, went all the way back to it's owner, hiting Artoria Alter in a huge explosion instead.
Peko was amazed. What a comeback he had seen. "They...they did it."
Ritsuka and Mash smiled to each other before Mash felt exhausted from all the effort she put through, about to fall on the ground but being caught by Ritsuka.
"You did well Mash." Ritsuka hugged her.
"Don't think this is far from over!" The cold voice from Artoria Alter as she came out from the cloud of dust a bit hurt broke the short peace the group was having. She was visibly angry now.
"Damn it! She's still up! What we're going to do now?!" Olga panicked a little. "Either way you need stay behind me." She told Peko.
"Is she at least weakened?" He asked. Peko got the immediate response when Artoria Alter proceeded to charge her Noble Phantasm again.
"No she's not!" Olga exclaimed in fear.
"Mash!" Ritsuka looked at Mash to see if she was in condition to block another Noble Phantasm. The shielder despite it's fatigue would try and block the beam again.
"It's ok...master. We...aren't over yet...anyway." She tried to to maintain her Lord Chaldeas active but her Noble Phantasm was starting to dissapear. She was in no condition to continue fighting.
"Excalibur-"
As Artoria Alter was about to unleash her Noble Phantasm a second time, she heard footsteps coming from her right. She realized too late of who she had forgot.
"You-"
A cut went right through her waist, cancelling the evil servant's Noble Phantasm who grunted in pain as red blood spilled from her body.
"Was this predictable to you too?" Nala shouted, getting payback at Artoria Alter for their previous clash.
"Sis!" Peko exclaimed,happily for seeing his sister getting back up to fight.
"That was a close call. I tought you were down already." Olga still showed her relief, seeing that Nala was ok.
"As if!" Nala smiled at the group. "I won't go down that easily!"
"You damn brat!" Artoria Alter was furious. She wouldn't allow to be defeated against someone like her. Altough, before the saber could lash out her attacks at Nala, a voice echoed through the chamber.
"Good to see you guys are all intact." It was a voice that immediatly transmited safety to Ritsuka and the others. "I'll finish her right now!" Running from behind the group, he appeard.
Cú had come to their rescue.
"Cú!" Peko yelled in joy upon seeing that the blue caster was able to win the fight against that archer, altough he was topless now and a bit injured.
"Wicker Man!" Jumping right in front of Mash and Ritsuka, the caster activated his Noble Phantasm. The floor started to tremble as a huge strawman was summoned.
'Wha-" Artoria Alter didn't even got time to react as the Wicker Man caught her, opened the door that was in the middle of his body and threw her inside, locking the saber in it.
Flames started to show up on the ground and the Wicker Man immediatly fell down with intuiton of being set on fire while Artoria Alter was still inside him. Once he has done that, his body was now full of flames and fire. With that, the Wicker Man exploded and a giant ray of fire went up through the skies.
Everyone watched in awe to what Cú's Noble Phantasm had just did.
With the Noble Phantasm now over, the clouds of smoke cleared up and Artoria Alter still was on her feet standing. But as Nala was about to strike her, Cú stoped her. "She's defeated already." He said to the girl.
"Huh?" Nala took a glance at her opponent and she realized what Cú meant by that. Her body was starting to fade. They have defeated her.
"So in the end the power of protection is the victorious one. It could only make sense, coming from a pure being." She was calm and even shown a smile to her enemies. "How depressing. No matter what my fate becomes, I'll always meet the same end when alone."
"What's that supposed to mean? Are you hiding something from us?" Cú accused Artoria Alter, suspecting that she knew about something that they didn't.
"You'll eventualy realize it as well, Ireland's Child of Light." Artoria Alter's body was almost vanished. "Grand Order..." Olga gasped at the name referred by the saber. How did she knew about their mission? "The battle to obtain the Holy Grail, has just begun." And Artoria Alter dissapeard completely, no trace from her body left except from a mysterious crystal she left behind.
"Wow. She really decided to speak some non sense at the end. Like that will clarify anything." Nala commented before unsommuning her sword. They've done it. Their first battle has been won.
"It wouldn't sound like that if she had more time to explain it- Whoa! Wait what?!" Cú was caught off guard as he saw his body starting to fade. "Crap. Looks like my time is up too."
"Cú wait!" Peko went running right besides the blue caster. "Thank you for saving us! I'm really grateful for the things you did!" Peko was making sure to thank him in time. "I-I'll make sure to be stronger next time we meet! Oh, and find my dad until then. I promise you that!"
Cú just smiled at the boy words. "Heh. You don't need to show all that gratitude kiddo. I'm glad you want to become stronger and find your dad. Never let go of those things. And you better become stronger next time we meet do you hear me?"
"Yes! I will!" Peko promised.
"I'm going to miss you. You had such cool attacks! And that Noble Phantasm of yours was really amazing!" Nala praised Cú wich made the caster laugh.
"Hahahaha. If you think that then you should see my skills as a lancer!" Seeing that his body was almostly vanished, he gave his final goodbyes. "Well then, I leave the rest to you Ritsuka! And if there's a next time, summon me as a lancer!" Cú's body has vanished.
The room was now silent, with the heat of the battle finally gone.
"Confirming the dissapearence of both Saber and Caster. It looks like we've won this Holy Grail War then." Mash reported to Dr. Romani who was now showing up in his hologram.
"That's right! You've done a good job, Mash, Ritsuka! Oh, and Nala too may I add."
"Hehehehe. We've done it brother! We won!" Nala hugged Peko around his neck as she jumped of happiness.
"Y-Yes we did sis! Could you please stop holding me like that?" Peko said, being unintentionally choked by his sister. Ritsuka, Mash and Romani laughed at the sight of the two kids.
"I even bet the Director must be pleased. Where is she anyways?" Romani wondered. A bit in the distance, Olga was thinking and hum something.
"How did she knew about the Grand Order? It doesn't make sense?" She was so deep in her toughts that she didn't noticed that the rest of the group was next to her.
"Helloooooo. Earth calling Director. Do we have contact?" Ritsuka played a little causing Peko and Nala to giggle.
That made Olga break her train of tought. "Hm?! Oh r-right. Good job Ritsuka, Mash."
"Aaaaand?" Nala crossed her arms, expecting to be congratulated.
"Sorry,but I don't remember of having a child master in my Chaldea." She smirked, toying a bit with Nala.
"Oh you big..." Nala pouted angrily, looking away.
"Oh, there,there." Olga patted Nala in the head. "There's no need to get all sulky. You did a good job as well Nala." She congratulated the girl who just humphed in return.
"Something tells me she enjoys teasing Nala." Peko whispered to wich Ritsuka and Mash agreed silently.
"Anyways, let's retrieve that crystal. It was probably the reason for why all this Singularity exists in the first place." Olga was talking about the crystal lying on the floor that Artoria Alter left behind.
"Yes indeed. We'll start-" The sound of clapping hands cut Mash from finishing her line. "Huh?"
"Well done. Briliantly well done I must say. It seemed I underestimated you Master Candidate #48. I shouldn't have mistakenly tought you as an useless buffon." A man appeard from the top of the rocky hill. "You truly have gone much further than I expected."
The man was wearing a green top hat as well as a green tuxedo. He seemed happy but threatning at the same time. "Professor Lev?" Mash asked in shock, believing that he had died in the explosion back at Chaldea.
"Lev!? Professor Lev is alive and there?!" Romani was also shocked as he saw the man he tought had died not many hours ago, alive and well.
"Oh,is that Romani I see?" Lev seemed bothered. "You ended up surviving then. I told you to come to the command room as soon as possible, but you didn't show up. Frankly..." The professor clenched his fists and his smile had dissapeard, his menancing eyes opening up instead.
"Trash that doesn't know how to follow orders. Makes me sick to the stomach just the mention of it. Why are humans always trying to avoid their destinies?" Professor Lev was really looking agressive. Tension could be felt in the air.
"Oh? And those two kids are also a surprise." He gazes at Peko and Nala. "The girl has a natural gift. I can sense it. The boy on the other hand..." Lev grinned widely. "Is just disposable garbage. It's a miracle itself that this weak being manage to survive this Singularity."
"You take back what you said about my brother!" Nala shouted with rage putting herself in front of Peko, meanwhile the boy just felt relegated by Lev's statement on him.
"Why? Does the irrefutable truth hurts him that much?" Lev asked, continuing to mock Peko.
"Master stay back! This isn't the Professor Lev that we knew!" Mash warned Ritsuka, knowing that something was off about this Lev. "Nala! Peko! You too should also stay away from him." Mash told the two.
"You're right. I also feel something sinister about this man." Peko said scared as he and Nala were still on suspicious and careful around this man they've just met.
But Olga was different. "Oh, Lev! You're alive! It's so good to see you again!" The director of Chaldea runned torwards the man, glad that he was actualy alive, not reading the actual mood of the room.
"Wait Director! That isn't the Lev that we know!" Despite of Ritsuka warning, Olga didn't seemed to hear, or she didn't want to hear. Finally she reached as close as she was able from Lev.
"Thank goodness you're alive! Without you I wouldn't be able to held Chaldea together." Olga said in relief.
"Oh,poor Olga. You seem fine but I can say you've been through a rough time." Lev falsely pitied Olga, altough she wasn't able to see right through it.
"Yes,yes,yes! The command room exploded, half the staff is dead, all the master candidates unconscious on their capsules, this hell of a place and I can't go back to Chaldea! All of this is making me go insane!" Olga saw told all the complications and the hard times she had on this past few hours to Lev.
"But I'm relaxed as long as you are here Lev. With you, everything will be fine. It's always been like this,right? You will help me this time too won't you?" Olga's dependency on Lev was so high that she still didn't realized the danger she had just put herself in.
"Oh,believe me that I will. Honestly, I too hate problems. They give me such a pain in the head. With the biggest problem being you,Olga. I had set the bomb right beneath you and yet you still live." That line came crushing like a train in Olga's mind. She just couldn't believe what Lev had just said.
"W-what? Lev? What do you mean by that?" Olga's voice shaken with doubt and fear.
"Sorry to say it, but currently you're not alive. Your body has been wiped out by the explosion. You're actualy dead." That not only shocked Olga even more as it shocked the rest of the group.
"She's been dead...all along?" Ritsuka asked to himself, realizing that this whole time in Fuyuki, Olga has never been alive.
"I-It can't be true." Nala also didn't want to believe it. She looked pretty much alive to Nala.
"However, the Trismegistus had rayshifted you to this Singularity after you had just become residual thoughts. In the end, you are just a mind with no body to call it home!" Despite the revation, Lev still wasn't done.
"Isn't it ironic? You were never able to rayshift while alive. But gained the ability to do so after dying. It's hilarious!" He laughed. "If you come back to Chaldea, your mind will vanish forever! You're stuck in this place."
"I-I'll vanish? I can't go back to Chaldea?" Olga trembled in fear and despair. She just couldn't have died right in the beggining.
"True! But that would be too sad of a story! Let me at least show you the Chaldeas that you've cherished for your entire life!" Calling the crystal back to him, Lev snapped his fingers and the image of a red Chaldeas appeard right behind him.
"Now observe the result of your family's idiocracy!" Lev declared.
"Is that Chaldeas? Why is it bright red? Tell me it's a lie Lev! It's nothing but an illusion!" Olga was in absolute denial and delusion that this is what become of her and her father's work.
"No. Quite the contrary, it's very real and I merged the dimensions for you. Having the Holy Grail allows me to do it so." Lev explained. "You can see it don't you? All red! Not even a small trace of blue. Humanity has been wiped out! Ah, once again your incompetence leads to tragedy." Lev was enjoying his time of breaking Olga's hopes more and more.
Only now the director was capable of realizing that this man was not the Lev she was familiarized with. "D-Don't be absurd! Humanity isn't extinguished and I'm not dead! Who are you and what you did to my Chaldeas?"
Lev just got annoyed by Olga's words. "It was never yours to begin with. You're really an annoying girl." With a snap of his fingers, Olga's body started to levitate all of a sudden.
"What is happening? My body is being pulled across space?" Olga didn't know what was happening to her right now.
"Like I said, I connected Chaldeas to this place. I could kill you now very easily you know? But there is no beauty in doing that. Instead, I'll grant you a favour!" Lev smilled maniacaly. "Go ahead and touch your treasure! See it as my act of benevolence!"
"Wait! Stop! You're telling me to touch Chaldeas? A territory of dimensional anomaly?!" Olga asked, tears forming in her eyes. She was slowly getting closer to Chaldeas.
"Yes. No different from a black hole or the sun. Once a human touches it, it will suffer the most agonizing disintegration on a molecular level. Enjoy experiencing an infinite death for eternity." It was at this moment that Olga finally broke down, crying in despair as she pleaded for help.
"No! Please don't do it! Someone,help me! I don't want to die!" She shouted as hard as she could.
Not being able to just bare and watch, Ritsuka was about to go ahead and try to save her. "Director!" But before he could run, Mash grabbed his arm, not letting go from her grip.
"Don't go Master! You will suffer the same fate as her! There's nothing we could do for the Director!" Mash insisted.
Ritsuka didn't want to just stand there as he watched Olga having an agonizing death. "I know but..." Ritsuka looked down at the floor furiously. "Damn it! I can't just sit here doing nothing!"
Peko also wanted to save Olga. But he knew he was useless, and that also angered him up a bit. She was there to protect him and Peko wanted to retribute the favor. He had to ignore Olga's pleas as much as it hurted him. "I-I can't do nothing to help her!" Tears forming up on his eyes. "I don't serve for nothing but to be protected damn it!"
"Then I'll save her!" Nala passed right to Peko in an amazing speed, going torwards were Olga's body was levitating.
"No Nala! It's dangerous!" Peko yelled at his sister. But the girl wouldn't let her new friend suffer such cruel destiny.
"Please someone save me! I-I was never praised in my life before! Everyone hated me! No one ever valued me! Why this has to happen to me?!" Olga continued her desperate cries, desperatly hoping for someone to come and saver. Luckily for her, someone was coming to her rescue.
"OLGA!" Nala caught the attention of both Olga and Lev. She quickly climbed the rock hill, almost at the speed of light. She jumped as high as she could. Thankfuly, it was high enough to be on the same height as Olga.
They were still a bit apart from each other.
Nala stretched her arm as long as she was able to. "GRAB MY HAND!" She told the director. With a bit of hope, Olga also stretched her arm, trying to reach out to Nala's hand and grab her. They were really close of grabbing each other.
"Come one! Almost there!" But as it remained a tiny bit to the two female to grab each other's hands, a gravitational force pulled Nala all the way back to a wall of the cavern.
"She was close!" Mash showed her frustration on seeing Nala so close to save Olga. But alas, it wasn't enough.
"Hehehe. I should praise you for the good attempt you pulled off." Lev taunted, looking at Nala that was pinned down at the wall. "That is, if you actually succeeded on doing it!"
Nala tried to fight against the force of gravity pinning her down but it's strenght was much more powerful than her will.
"D-damn you!" She cursed at Lev.
"Please! No,no,no,no! I haven't accomplished anything yet!" Olga was now some feet away of touching Chaldeas. This was it. There was nothing they could do to save her.
"Don't look Peko!" Ritsuka immediatly hugged Peko, obstructing the boy's view of Olga about to meet her cruel fate. Peko was visibly shaken, the tought of seeing a person die in front of him was distrubing.
"Ever since I was born, I've never been accepted by anyone! I hate! Hate that feeling! I always felt like my whole life was whortless!" Olga's cries were about to end. Her body centimeters away from being burned.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo..." Olga had made contact with Chaldeas, her body being desintegrated bit by bit. Olga Marie Animusphere was gone. Her last moments spent on futile and helpless cries of mercy and despair that gave her no help at all to make the deceased director escape from her eternal suffering.
"...!" Ritsuka felt Peko's grip on his arms tighten up. Even if the boy didn't saw it, he could tell that she was dead from the silence that the room was now, meaning that Olga's cries had ceased.
"We-we really couldn't have done nothing to save her?" Tears fell down from his eyes. On one moment everything was good and joyful, they had just beated the enemy without any casualty. And in the next one tragedy striked. Peko had just met Olga for a short amount of time, but it was still painful to see her being killed that way.
Mash gave a forced inhale. "No. We couldn't." It hurted saying that but it was the truth. Even with Nala's attempt, Lev crushed that hope of their director being rescued.
Lev cancelled out the gravitational force that was pinning Nala down. The girl got free from the wall and fell to the floor. "You scumbag! She trusted you!" Nala screamed furiously at Lev.
"And that was her fatal mistake. Serves it right for being such a weak human!" Lev laughed.
"You damn-" Nala was ready to go against this evil man, making him pay for what he had just done. But Mash was quick to stop her.
"Don't do it Nala-san! He's just trying to provoke you so that you end up commiting mistakes!" Mash saw that Nala was a very hot headed girl, and Lev was trying to take advantage of it.
Calming a bit down, Nala painfuly agreed with Mash. "Alright then."
"Now I guess I should introduce you my true name. Lev Lainur Flauros! In charge of the year 2015 to dispose of you humans." Lev had finally shown is true identity.
"And Dr Romani,as my previous friend and colleague let me tell you a final advice." He went back to grin maliciously. "Chaldea is finished! You humans have reached the moment of your destruction." He announced.
"Profes-No. Lev Lainur, What do you mean? Is this related to being unable to see 2017?" Romani tried to get answers out of Lev.
"No. You're deeply wrong. It's not 'related'. It's the reality that the end has arrived. The future never dissapeard. It was incinerated." He explained. "The very moment Chaldeas was dyed crimson, humanity's future had been over. Outside of Chaldea, the world has all met it's doom. It no longer exists."
"So that was it. We didn't lose contact with the outside world. We have lost the outside world itself." Romani connected the dots, much to Lev annoyance.
"You're perceptive. A shame that you didn't got killed. But it doesn't matter! If Chaldea passes beyond the year of 2016 it will cease to exist! Humanity had just been destroyed by itself! You'll all be swiped away like scraps!" Before Lev could continue with is bragging about humanity's end, the cavern begun to colapse.
"Hm? This Singularity has a limit? Curse that saber. If she had obeyed me she would have lived. I gave her the Holy Grail and she still insisted on sustaining this era." Lev put those complaints aside to give farwell to the people he had tricked for so long.
"Farewell,Romani. And you too, Mash, Ristuka. Oh, and of course these two kids. Such a shame that you'll also end up dying here. Guess you will always remain a mystery to me." Lev let out a sigh, dissapointed that he will never know the origins of Peko and Nala.
"Either way, I have other things to do. My enjoyment of seeing your destruction ends here. So long friends!" And with that, Lev went away, dissapearing from the group.
"That guy..." Nala was angry that she couldn't done nothing but to watch Lev mock them and go off without having an opportunity to attack him.
"Now's not the time Nala! The cavern is collapsing and we need to get out of here" Ritsuka said, turning his head in direction to Mash. She understood what Ritsuka meant with that.
"Doctor! Perform an emergency Rayshift! We can still save Senpai, Peko and Nala!" She ordered Romani.
"Working on it!" He said. However the cavern was falling apart very fast.
"We're not gonna make it!" Peko shouted, still emotionaly disturbed by Olga's death. "We-we're gonna die!" Nala went right next to him.
"Don't say that! We're going to get out of this safely, I promise!" She tried to calm his brother.
"Mash! Peko! Nala! We need to stay close!" Ritsuka said to the rest of them and so everyone was next to each other,with Mash raising her shield to protect them from the falling derbies.
"Romani quick!" Mash yelled, seeing the dire situation they were in.
"You three at least..." Ritsuka said, willing to sacrifice himself for the safety of the others if needed.
"Ritsuka,your hand!" Nala noticed the command spells on Ritsuka glowing.
A huge boulder was near to crush them, but at the exact same time, Romani was able to Rayshift them, saving them from certain death and leaving this Singularity known as Fuyuki behind.
From afar, on top of a demolished building, a shadowy figure observed the Rayshift that transported Ritsuka and the others back to Chaldea. One could wonder what were the plans of this figure in all of this.
"It seems I'm not the only one with the same desire."
"Fou,fou." Ritsuka heard a similar sound before waking up.
"Huh? Fou?" As he opened his eyes, Ritsuka not only saw the animal in front of him but he noticed that he was inside Chaldea as well as a divison he has never been in.
"I'm back? The Rayshift ended up being successful then." He said to himself.
"Oh! Nice to see you're already awake." A female voice was heard as Ritsuka spoted a woman in front of him. "Just like a main character should. At least one of the main ones." She transmited a very radiant aura.
"Who are you?" Ritsuka asked for the woman's identity.
"Oh? Have you not heard about me? The explendid, creative and amazing Leonardo da Vinci? Painter of the Mona Lisa and wordly renowed inventor?" The extroverted woman introduced herself.
"Oh,yes! I've heard a lot about your inventions and paintings. Buuuuut, aren't you a woman?" Ritsuka knew that Leonardo da Vinci was a man, so why he was here in form of a woman?
"Hehehe. They say Mona Lisa is my most beautiful work ever done. And it indeed represents my ideal of beauty that I had persued this entire time. So, why not manifest as the ideal beauty itself as a servant?" Ritsuka was left with no words at the woman strange explanation for being the way she looked like.
"O-kay. Hm,anyway da Vinci. Where are Mash, Peko and Nala?" Ritsuka had to know if they made it as well and if they were fine.
"Sure. They are all in the command room. You're the last one to wake up." da Vinci informed him.
Without a second to lose, Ritsuka got up from the bed. "Got it! Thanks da Vinci!" He said, exiting out of the room in a hurry.
"Sheesh. Are kids all that energetic?" da Vinci asked to herself, patting Fou.
Reaching to the command room, Ritsuka saw everyone there. Mash, Peko, Nala, even Dr Romani was there. They noticed his arrival. "Good to see you back up Senpai." Mash said, now in her casual outfit.
"You too Mash." Ritsuka looked at Peko and Nala. They were fine too "Good to see that you've made it as well."
"Of course we did. We won't kick the bucket that easily until we find our dad and remember of our past." Nala smiled to the master of humanity. Peko was observing his surroundings.
"So this is Chaldea huh? It's really huge and big." He was marveled by the new location he was in. "Also, Romani explained the history of Chaldea's existence. Even tough it was a tad confusing."
"Don't worry about it Peko. It's kinda hard to understand for kids like you." Romani rubbed his head.
Ritsuka noticed Mash sadness on her face. "Huh? What is it Mash?" He asked concerned.
"It's just...not everyone is exactly here." Mash reminded them of Olga's recent death, still fresh on their minds. The mood had changed.
"I'm sorry. If I could at least done better..." Nala looked down at ground, frustrated at herself. Peko noticing it, comforted his sister.
"It's not your fault. You're the one who at least tried out of all of us here. I'm the one who should be ashamed at myself." Peko blamed himself, still remembering of the words Lev told about him.
"I know it's hard but what happened, happened. We must move on." Romani tried to keep everyone's spirits up. "A rough journey waits ahead of us." He turned around to face Chaldeas, who was now showing seven points on each zone of it's globe.
Ritsuka was puzzled by their emergence. "What are those Doctor?"
Romani's answer was short. "Singularities. Each one of them across space and time."
"Seven singularities? Do they have a meaning?" It was Mash turn to make the question.
"Yes. This are all humanity's turning points. They were fundamental for solidifying it's foundation. Without them, humanity crumbles. They are important to history. That's what they are." Romani continued to explain.
"Since they've been messed up, humanity ceased to exist. Like Lev said, we won't make it to 2017. But Chaldea still hasn't reached there. We still can fix this by going to each Singularity and fix them." Romani turned back to the group.
"More specificaly you. Our objective is the protection and recovery of human history. Our search target will be each era's relic and Grail that sustains the singularities." He headed torwards Ritsuka.
"And you Ritsuka Fujimaru,are our only active master. All the others are still unconscious. Are you up to such task?"
Ritsuka took some seconds to reflect. "Yes! You can count on me to do it Doctor." He's voice filled with determination, causing Romani to smile.
"Good." He then looked around in the direction of Peko and Nala, but mostly Nala. "How about you? I'm sure that this journey may help us find clues about your past. And I can tell you have good combat skills." He said.
Nala smiled confidently. "You bet it! I would've help anyway but if it helps to find our dad and past, I'll have more reasons to join and save humanity." She claimed.
Peko however, just look away and whispered to himself. "Sure. I'll try to not get in your way."
"Remember, our opponent it's history itself. Many heroes and legends will stand against you. But there's no other way if we want to preserve humanity to continue existing." Romani told the warnings they would have to face ahead.
"That's why we will give our best!" Mash said with the same confidence and determination as Ritsuka and Nala.
"Alright then." Romani said. "To reflect on our determination, we shall abandon the name of our previous mission, First Order. This will be Chaldea's last yet original mission: Grand Order!"
To be continued...
Ho.ly. fuck! This chapter was absurdly larger than I expected it would be. I just wanted to be done with the prologue but also didn't want to just rush right through it. Even tough at the end I kinda did that a bit.
And you tought I wouldn't kill Olga did you? Well, sure that this is indeed a fanfiction of an alternate version of the first saga of the game and I could have done that,but for this version I still chosed to maintain her dead. Sorry for any Olga fan out there.
You will probably notice the repetition of very words here and there and perhaps some mispellings that I didn't noticed but I've also been writing this chapter for a long time now. Next one won't be that long...I hope.
But yeah. The prologue is clear and now we will start our true adventure right with Orleans! (At least isn't Septem story wise).
Either way that's all I wanted to say and see you next time for chapter 3. Peace!
