Chapter 5 – The Truth

Archer was now sitting on the ground while Emyia was standing a few meters away from him. They were both looking at the huge pillar of fire.

"So… Cu finally won." – Archer said.

"Apparently." – Emyia replied before turning to his counterpart – "So… now you're going to explain it to me."

Archer just smiled and said – "What do you know about Lev Lainur?"

Emyia thought for a moment before saying – "He was a mage who committed suicide in my timeline. I don't remember much else."

Archer looked at his counterpart and said – "Did you ever wonder why he committed suicide?"

Meanwhile, in the cave, Ritsuka didn't think too much about Saber's very disturbing words because her magic circuits started to go off again.

Olga quickly ran over and used another spell, which significantly reduced the pain.

"Thanks." – Ritsuka said.

"Don't thank me too soon." – Olga replied – "This is the second numbing spell I've cast on you. You should be able to hold out until we get back, but then you have an appointment with Archaman."

And as if to summon a wolf from the forest, Dr. Romani Archaman called – "Good job, Mash, Ritsuka-chan. Unfortunately, I can't get an image from there, so I can't see your happy faces. Director Olga, now we don't have to worry about Singularity F anymore."

"Yes." – Olga said, but quickly became worried – "But how did Saber know about Grand Order."

"Director?" – Ritsuka asked.

Olga quickly recovered and said – "Anyway, good job, Mash, Fujimaru."

Suddenly, Fou jumped onto Ritsuka's shoulder, who lightly petted him.

"Mash." – Olga began – "Even though you are inexperienced, or even if you are a temporary servant, you still made a wish and the shield opened in front of you. Even if you learned the true name, you had no intention of becoming a Heroic Spirit. Surely, for that, Noble Phantasm answered you."

Then Olga sighed loudly and turned around, then said – "This is some kind of fairy tale. I'm just teasing you. Don't mind me."

Ritsuka just thought – "Tsundere."

Olga continued – "But using NP without True Name is inconvenient. I'll think of a good spell for you."

After thinking for a moment, Olga brightened up and said – "What do you think about Lord Chaldeas? The name Chaldeas also has meaning for you, right."

"Yes!" – Mash replied, then replied – "Thank you very much, Principal."

Ritsuka just smiled, and Cu calmly added, "The name fits. Although, what's our Archer doing that he's not here yet?"

Meanwhile, in the temple, Emyia and Archer continued their conversation.

"Reason?" - Emyia asked in surprise.

Archer just smiled and said - "His suicide saved the world. You can see what happened when he didn't."

Emyia immediately understood the implication and remembered that Olga had also mentioned Lev. But why now?

"When someone possesses you, it's best to take them with you right away." - Archer said.

And then it clicked in Emyia's head what had happened.

Archer quickly used up all the mana he had left and just as he began to disappear, he threw his golden sword at Emyia - "Go and do your job as Counter Guardian."

Meanwhile, in the cave, Ritsuka, Mash, Olga, Cu, and Fou suddenly noticed a slow, menacing clapping.

"Well, well. I didn't think you'd go this far. It's an unexpected element that's beyond my tolerance."

When they saw the person, the girls immediately recognized him as Doctor Lev. Although Mash and Olga were happy to see him, Ritsuka immediately caught on to the fact that their arrival here was beyond his tolerance.

Cu, on the other hand, simply stood in front of the girls and shouted - "Wake up! Whoever that guy was, he's already dead! This body is being used by something much worse."

"What are you talking about!" - Olga shouted, not wanting to believe it.

"He's telling the truth." - Lev said, immediately catching their attention - "I wanted to make sure Chaldea would fall early. But unfortunately, a certain doctor was too lazy to come in time. And you, my dear Headmistress, had a bomb under your feet."

Olga was immediately shocked, but Lev just continued - "You should be dead. Or rather, you already are. Or at least your physical body."

This immediately shocked Mash and Ristuka as well, but Olga looked like she was about to have a nervous breakdown at any moment.

Lev only continued, with a huge smile on his face – "You didn't have the predisposition to Transfer Soul Essence while alive. You couldn't do the transfer while you had a body. But you wanted it so much that you gained the ability right after your death."

"You're lying…" - was all Olga could say.

Lev only continued – "Therefore, the moment you return to Chaldea, your consciousness will cease to exist."

"I will cease to exist."

"But it's too pathetic to think about. You dedicated your life to Chaldea, so I can at least show you what happens."

Then Lev displayed the image of Chaldeas. But it was all red.

Olga was already having a near complete nervous breakdown - "Wh...what is this supposed to be? It's not real, is it? It's just a virtual image, right, Lev?"

"That's the honest truth." - Lev replied - "I connected space-time for you. You see, with the Holy Grail even this is possible."

Romani Archiman, the rest of the crew of the remaining crew of Chaldea, and our heroes in this Singularity, could only listen in horror, and Olga was practically having a nervous breakdown when Lev continued - "Look carefully, descendant of the Animusphere. Such is the fate of your bloodline's madness."

Lev then turned to Cu - "As you would expect from Servants, you immediately noticed that I am a fundamentally different creature. If only you weren't as exhausted as you are now, maybe you could do something."

Lev then looked at Ritsuka, who was standing in front of Mash - "Forty-eighth potential Master... I turned a blind eye to you because you didn't show any promise. Why do people always try to avoid the fate that was chosen for them."

Lev then bowed slightly - "I will introduce myself once again. I am Lev Lainur Flauros. I am responsible for the year two thousand twentieth and I was ordered to get rid of your human race. Are you listening, Doctor Roman?"

"Professor Lev..." - Roman said heavily.

Lev's voice was clearly heard through Chaldea's speakers - "As a colleague with whom I studied magic together, I will give you one last piece of advice. The future did not disappear. It was burned. Chaldea is probably protected by Chaldeas' magnetic field, but I am sure that the same thing is happening outside as with Fuyuki."

Roman then finished – "The reason we are unable to connect from the outside is not because the communication is down, but because there is no one outside who can answer."

Finally, the full weight of the situation hit Mash and Ritsuka, who were somehow still conscious, but Lev just continued – "You will not become extinct by becoming an evolutionary dead end, nor will you be destroyed by engaging in war with other races, but rather because of your pointlessness and incompetence, and because you have lost the favor of our king, you will burn like useless trash, leaving not even a trace behind you!"

"No, no, no, NO!" - Olga screamed completely broken.

Lev looked at her and said – "But to you, a descendant of the Animusphere, I will give special treatment."

Suddenly, he used magic and caught Olga in some kind of hug. Cu was already planning to use his runes, but he had completely lost his magic after the last fight, and Ritsuka's body might not be able to handle it anymore. Mash herself was in no better shape, looking like a simple gust of wind could knock her out. Ritsuka simply looked like she was going to fall apart on the spot, and Olga's spells were probably the only reason she was still standing.

Olga tried to struggle, but Lev simply said - "Since it's over, I'll grant you your wish. You may touch your treasure."

Olga screamed in panic - "What are you talking about!? It's Chaldeas!"

"Yes." - Lev replied with a sadistic smile - "It's no different than a black hole. Or maybe the sun. Either way, if a human touches it, it will be torn apart on a molecular level."

Suddenly Kojiro jumped out of the shadows, covered in wounds but still ready to fight, he swung his sword and Lev had almost no time to react, losing concentration and barely avoiding a deadly blow with a sharp cut to the chest, but dropping the Holy Grail at the same time.

Olga felt the spell leave her, but she herself began to fall several meters. Fortunately, Kojiro quickly jumped to her and caught her.

"YOU!?" - shouted angrily Lev.

"Me too!" - added a new voice.

It was Emyia and he already had an arrow drawn, aiming at Lev.

"Caliburn!" - and he let go of the arrow, which flew towards Flauros. He instinctively sensed the power of the weapon and fled, not only from the blow but also from Singularity itself. The arrow flew like a golden comet into space.

"He ran away." – said Emyia, then went to the lying Gral.

Meanwhile, Kojiro came with Olga in his arms to Cu, Mash, and Ritsuka. They were cautious, but they lowered their guard when they saw how he saved the director Olga.

Olga, on the other hand, was just crying. Everything she had worked for was broken.

"Director." – said Mash quietly.

But Olga only stopped her with her hand and stood on the ground again – "I'm calm now. But we have more important things to worry about."

"But you..." – Rituska wanted to interfere.

Olga quickly interrupted her – "I'm dead. Whatever that.. impostor said is true. But we still have a chance. Chaldea is working, and the destruction started in the past. Whatever did it, we will be able to undo it."

Olga then placed her hand on Ritsuka's shoulder, "I know this is a heavy burden, but this is my last order as the director. Fujimaru Ritsuka. Last Master of Mankind. Save humanity from extinction."

Ritsuka started to cry and said – "I will do it, Director Olga."

"I believe in you." – Olga said, then looked at the communicator and added – "Romani Archaman. From now on, you are the director of Chaldea. Improve your habits, because you can no longer be lazy."

"Director." – was all Roman could say.

"Cu, Emyia, Kojiro." – Olga continued – "Please help Chaldea and Ritsuka."

"It will be fine." – Cu replied confidently.

"I accept this task." – Kojiro replied.

"And you Mash." – Olga turned her attention to the demi-Servant – "Believe in yourself more. Ritsuka will need you."

"Fou." – the creature said, agreeing with Olga.

"Director." – Mash also looked like she was about to start crying.

"I don't want to interrupt the sentimental farewells." – Emyia said suddenly, showing the Holy Grail he held in his hand. – "But I have a magical artifact that grants wishes. It can always save you."

Everyone had completely forgotten about it!

"All we have to do is temporarily attach Olga's soul and mind to the Holy Grail, and then transfer it to another body that we create with the Grail." – Cu said suddenly. – "That's brilliant!"

"So." – Kojiro said. – "I'll secure a contract with the young lady and we can go."

Ritsuka suddenly asked. – "But how are you still alive?"

"Before he died, I threw a crystal with a healing spell at him." – Emyia replied. – "My second version confirmed that this Singularity was a test that you passed. It will be a long road, but we definitely still have a chance."

Ritsuka didn't need any more encouragement. She completed the contract with Kojiro...

And immediately fainted.

Luckily Kojiro caught her before she fell.

"She must have collapsed from exhaustion," Kojiro said.

To be fair, the others were also tired and injured, but while Emyia kept that Singularity going for a while longer, the others began working to save Olga.

The Chaldean Director herself was still stunned after learning that she could still be saved, but she got to work as well.