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Chapter Text

After: Fuyuki

Ritsuka Fujimaru looked trough the window while drinking his coffee. An endless blizzard awaited outside, while a report did so in his hand. He was one of those people that felt little in the moment, but only later, once they could reflect on it, reacted.

The director, Olga Marie Animusphere, had told them in no uncertain terms that humanity outside of Chaldea was done for. Incinerated. Burned to ashes. Only they remained, and the blizzard outside would rage until the incineration reached them too.

She was always straightforward and brutally honest. She did not care for others feelings when it came to the realities of life, and he admired her for that in a way. Still, she had relented a little after the Fuyuki singularity. Her life had been saved by people she considered inferior, her pillar of support had betrayed her, forty six lives now where resting on her shoulders, and humanity was on the brink of dying out.

She appeared to be going strong, putting a front to keep the others going, and was now generally more considerate of the health and feelings of the staff, telling them to take breaks every so often or trying to relieve them in their positions.

She was even kind to Doctor Roman, and no one was nice to Roman, except for Fujimaru.

He looked outside again. The raging blizzard didn’t stop one bit. He could undo it. He had to undo it, not only for humanity, but for his loved ones, and his compatriots at Chaldea.

Still, he was only a regular teenager in a base full of talented engineers, Magi, Demi-servants and a thousand other applications that required exceptional skill in a field. Even Roman was a doctor. But Ritsuka was only a Master, and that role was pure luck of the draw. He never expected to live after going into the flaming Rayshift Bay. But he made it out. He saved at least two lives. A boy who did something stupid for a girl lived, while the qualified professionals died.

“Whatcha doing, Fujimaru?” Asked a voice from his left. He felt alone, except those times when the girl that became his Rayshift partner was not with him.

“I have to finish this report.” He said, looking at the tablet in his lap. Others could say he was looking away from the girl.

“You haven’t finished yet?” She asked. A flash of orange hair was suddenly in front of his tablet. Fujimaru grimaced. She grinned in response, and a hint of the devil within sprung fort. “I didn’t take you for a slacker. Maybe I should report this to the Director.” She said. That was Fujimaru’s limit for staying quiet.

“What normal human could finish this!? I have to record hours and hours of battle!” He yelled with frustration in his voice. At this, the girl snickered.

“Right. You are just human. Even so, most people would finish this first thing in the morning.” She said, returning to her neutral expression just like that. She was right of course. Ritsuka had taken a break after the Singularity. A long one. They had three days before the next mission, and he had used two of them to sleep and slack off, avoiding the bad thoughts altogether. He wasn’t a lazy person of course, he just had a lot on his mind.

“When did you even do it anyways?” He asked. She looked at him curiously.

“Right after the Director ordered us to. It took all day, but when your mind starts working, you stop thinking about how long it takes and you just do it.” She said, looking to nowhere in particular.

“Still. Did you even sleep at all Senpai?” he asked. It was a stupid question. But he was in a land of strangeness, and the people here had weird habits. His senpai, the girl with orange hair, had an inordinate amount of energy. She always seemed to be doing something, wether it be related to magecraft or simply playing on her phone. And if she wasn’t doing something, she was teasing people. Her prescense was always evident in Chaldea. It was like she didn’t have a private life.

“I slept a little. But I don’t really feel tired. Must be because I don’t have a contract.” She said.

“Even after all that happened? Don’t you feel exhausted? Even now, I feel tired.” He said. At that, she smiled at him before poking his forehead.

“You’re thinking too much and doing too little. Just like a slacker would.” She said. At this, he removed her finger with a slap.

“Sorry for having people to think about.” He replied sarcastically. He looked at the window, at the world that was no more. He then looked back, and his Senpai was frowning.

“I have people to think about too.” She said. Of course she did. Everyone, magus or not, had some family or human connection. He had been insensitive.

“Sorry. It’s just that…” He hesitated. The attitude of his Senpai, though it lifted his spirits, unnerved him at times. Her confidence, her cheerfulness, her teasing, everything about her was so familiar and so out of place at the same time. She acted like a normal person, but she was in reality a Magus. He had been told by the staff to not trust mages, but she was also in the same situation as him. He wanted to open up, but he wanted her to not brush if off. He wanted to know that she was human.

He took that plunge anyways.

“I can’t help thinking… What if they suffered?” He said in a strained voice. That simple thought made his eyes sting. He looked away from her.

“Doesn’t that happened to you?” He asked. He needed that humanity. An awkward silence ensued, and in less time than he expected she answered.

“Maybe. Thing is, when I was a kid… when I got into this whole magus thing, my mom told me “To be a magus is to walk with death”. A spell could go wrong, an enemy mage would get Jealous, or you would discover more than you bargained for. They were all risks. At first I didn’t think much of it, then I knew that someday, there was the possibility that mom would one day not come back from work.” She said plainly. He looked back at her, but she was looking past him, trough the window. “And then there was my dad, who was a… mmm… let’s say mercenary. His work was dangerous too. So… at any time, I could be orphaned. I could be alone. My mom trained me for that, and my dad too. But at the same time, they made it sound like a distant possibility. Like it would never happen. So, I guess that a part of me has already accepted everything, while another just rejects the notion completely. I… I don’t know. It’s complicated.” She said, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Fujimaru looked at her, stunned.

“I’m sorry I asked.” He said. But his words could be misconstrued, so he corrected himself. “I mean, it seems like you really love you parents, and- and I didn’t want to make you sad. Not when the mission is so important.” He said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. But the girl only grinned.

“I don’t know if I can forgive such an offense. I’ll need to sort of compensation.” She said, and again, Fujimaru grimaced. Before he could say anything, she continued.

“Yeah. My mom was really cool. She was so stuck up when it came to being a magus, but when no one else was around, she was a total softie.” She said with a smile. Her amber eyes glinted, as if enchanted by the happy memories.

“And your dad?” He probed. She looked at the ground, smile disappearing.

“He was…” She sighed. Fujimaru did the same, internally. Daddy Issues. “… complicated. I loved him. But it was like he loved everyone except himself. He was never home. And when he was home he was sweet and caring. But that just made his absence even worse.” She said.

“What a guy.” Said Fujimaru. He could have said nothing, but felt the incessant need to talk. It was a thing he hated about himself.

“Yeah. Still, he was awesome in his own way. And made killer meals.” She said. Then looked at him.

“Now for the compensation.” She said, grinning with a hint of evil. The boy shivered.

“What?” He asked.

“Tell me about your parents.” She said, all viciousness vanishing. He was stunned for a moment. But being a blabbermouth, he spoke nonetheless.

“They were normal people, I guess.” he said, looking trough the blizzard, trying to locate his house on the other side of the world. “My mom loved to garden, and being with kids. She was always with kids, since she worked at a preschool. She was... extremely sweet, if not a little neurotic. She got nervous with everything. It was annoying, and endearing.” He said, the image of a brown haired lady popping in his mind. Her shoulder length hair combined with her pink sweater made her look like an ideal housewife.

“And my dad was a sports maniac. Loved working out. Also was extremely bold and at the same time calm about everything. Nothing fazed him. And he seemed to want me to turn out just like him. And I did want to be like him. But now…” His words got stuck in his throat. His dad’s dream was over. His mom’s garden was gone.

How many people had parents like that? How many loved them? How many hated them? How many wanted to return to the people they loved? He wanted to go home, but that was not possible. Not anymore. Unless they won. Unless he, Ritsuka Fujimaru, saved humanity. It was a duty to his parents. To himself. To everyone out there.

He felt a hand touch his shoulder. He was crying, and his senpai wanted to comfort him, to give him hope, to tell him to go forward. All with that hand.

“Sorry.” He said, wiping himself. “I know. I’ll get them back. All of them. You’ll have killer meals again.” The hand in his shoulder squeezed harder, catching his attention. He looked back the girl, the frowning girl.

“It’s not just your burden. It’s mine too. And Mash’s, and the Director’s, and the Doctor’s, and everyone here at Chaldea. We are in this together, you and me.” She said, looking at him with a gaze that seemed to be made of steel. “We’ll get trough this. We’ll get them back.” She said, and extended a hand while retracting the other. An invitation to companionship.

She was human after all. Her eyes were strained, holding something back as well. All steel was gone. Fujimaru smiled.

“Together.” He said, standing from the window sill and taking her hand with a strong grip. She smiled.

Before anything else could be said, the P.A system spoke in an echoed voice.

“All masters report to the Command Room. Repeat. All Masters report to the command room.”

“Guess it’s time to go.” He said.

“Agreed.” She answered. However, in the space between them, a white creature appeared.

“Fou! Fou!” It said, running away from the Command Room.

“What’s with him?” he asked.

“No Idea. But I better catch that cutie. No way I’m going anywhere without my personal fluff ball.” She said, beginning to chase after Fou. Fujimaru sighed. She was back to her antics.

“Jeez. I guess I’ll see you there.” He said. It had been a pleasant talk. In Fuyuki, they had no time to talk about anything other than the mission. He looked back. He didn’t know how long the next Order was going to take, so it was better to ask now.

“Hey, Senpai!” he yelled, even tough she wasn’t that far away. She turned around, and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“What’s your name?” he said, fighting trough the awkwardness. Until now, her name had remained a mystery, and the Director had told him to simply call her his Senpai due to her being a year older than him, and being more experienced as a mage.

Hearing him, she turned fully, smiling while putting her hands on her hips.

“You’re very forward, Casanova.” She said, a blush in her cheeks. The boy’s face heat up at the insinuation.

“It’s nothing like that! I just feel weird calling you senpai and Mash calling me senpai and you senpai and stuff!” he yelled with awkwardness. “I just feel like it would be better to call ourselves with our real names.”

“So many excuses. But oh well...” She said with a shrug. “I’m Emiya. Ritsuka Emiya. A pleasure to meet you… again.” She said with a smile that threatened to melt his heart.

“I’m… Ritsuka. Ritsuka Fujimaru.” he said simply.

“Huh.” She said, and an awkward silence ensued once again.

“Yeah. See you later then, Emiya-san.” He said, turning around and leaving before the awkwardness overwhelmed him.

“Don’t trip, Casanova.” She said from behind him, before being gone from the area.

Saving humanity. It would be a difficult trip for the novice Master. But at least he wasn’t alone. He could share the burden with the Magus that acted like a Human.

Chapter Text

After: Orleans

Chaldea, being an observatory that also doubled as an agency that protected the Foundation of Humanity, was expected to encounter hostiles. And while it’s members were supposed to be some of the best Magi around, without practice, even the most talented master could find themselves in a difficult situation if caught unaware.

That’s why the resident genius Da Vinci, who Ritsuka had always admired while reading history books, created the combat simulator; apparently as a pet project. If you could consider a Bear a pet, that is. A bounded field in a secluded room that could expand, retract and change it’s insides and the contents within. A forest one day, a beach on another. Pick Ghosts, Zombies, Pirates, Wyverns. Actually, scratch that last one. He would die a happy man if he never saw another wyvern.

Even so, blasting their coded clones into oblivion was somewhat satisfying. After blasting the Wyvern to smithereens and confirming the area was clear, he lowered his arm and deactivated his circuits to let himself rest.

Another enemy spawned behind Ritsuka Fujimaru, a centaur. It charged at him while his guard was down and hit him with it’s lance square in the chest. Even tough the boy would suffer no real injury, the impact still hurt like a punch to the gut.

Before the creature could strike him once more , a red light flared above them, and the centaur stopped dead in it’s tracks.

“That’s enough.” A voice said, echoing trough the room. The clone dissipated into cubes of light, and the forest he was in became a white room adorned only with a grid pattern. From his side, a woman sat on a raised platform, her orange and black outfit contrasting heavily with the white walls and floors.

“What did you do wrong?” The woman asked.

“I lowered my guard?” He asked, rubbing his back.

“Wrong.” Said the woman. She looked at him with a frown, as if expecting something more.

“I didn’t scan the area?” He asked again.

“¡For god’s sake! No, Fujimaru.” She said, clearly frustrated. Watching that expression never got easier. Especially because the director Olga Marie herself was the one that suggested these “private training sessions” for the novice master to help him be more combat effective.

“Sorry. I don’t know, maybe this whole magus thing isn’t for me.” He said, scratching the back of his head. However, those words only seemed to enrage the white haired woman.

“None of that!” She said, pointing a finger at him. “You are a master of Chaldea. MY Chaldea. I won’t have members that aren’t the best in their field. I’ll make a mage out of you, like it or not. Is that clear?” She said, arms crossed and legs spread, like a general watching a rookie.

“Yes, Director!” He said, standing upright with haste.

“That’s better.” She said, now relaxing her posture and her mouth twisting slightly upwards. It was like talking to a different person, a kind and patient being that seemed to genuinely enjoy helping others. Those flashes were only momentary for Ritsuka, and he never saw them outside the training room.

“So…” She said, taking out a book from her pocket and opening it. “Even tough your magic is pretty weak, you have some affinity for Fire spells. As long as you know when to use it, you shouldn’t be exerting yourself so much.” She explained, pacing back and fort while looking at her book.

“Director, shouldn’t Mash be here too?” He asked suddenly.

“No Fujimaru. This is for you only.” She said with a stern voice, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

“But shouldn’t the Master and Servant practice together? To strengthen the bond?” He asked. He had seen Emiya and her newly summoned servant go time and time again into the simulation chamber, each time exiting bruised and scarred but with a smile on their faces, and where always in each other’s company. While he and Mash did the same, he still felt somewhat disconnected from her in a way.

“Yes. They should. But you need to rely on Mash to survive, while she can take care of herself if you aren’t around. Understand? You need to be more than her Mana Battery, you need to be an asset.” She said. The words hurt, he was no stranger to his weakness, but after Fuyuki he had taken some pride in his command of the situation.

“I get that. But what can I do against a servant? Against a Dragon?” He pressed.

“Against a servant, nothing. Against a Dragon, also nothing. But not all enemies are big monsters, some are just humans. Or mages. Or spirits. Those you need to be able to handle.” As she spoke her eyes became narrower, as if talking about something particularly unsavory.

“You mean like Lev?” He asked, only to put a hand over his mouth. He cursed himself. Why did he bring that up?

The Director became still, but nothing else, a far cry from the few days after Fuyuki where she became visibly upset whenever anything that wasn’t about future operations came up. Olga Marie would excuse herself and go to her quarters, and stay there for a few hours, leaving command to Romani. The good doctor didn’t mind, and told everyone that the Director was just taking time to organize a better plan, or feeling under the weather . Few believed him.

“Yeah. Like that.” She said with a monotone voice. Fujimaru stiffened. “Training’s over. Practice your fire blast if you want. Meet me here at 7’o clock tomorrow. Don’t be late, or you’ll be in your bed full of Gandr, got it?” She asked, looking at him with amber eyes that almost seemed to be on fire.

Without another word, she walked to the entrance. While the boy could do nothing about the bad mood the put the director in, his mouth moved faster than his brain.

“Come on director! I didn’t mean, I’m sorry!” he said, trying to close the distance between them.

“Director!” No reaction. Again.

“Olga!” He said her name this time, thinking that would at least catch her attention. It didn’t stop her either however, and she exited the room without stopping. By the time he got outside the training area, she disappeared into the hallways of Chaldea.

“You finished early, Senpai” Said an airy voice from his behind. When he turned around, he saw his Servant stand up from a bench, meant for those that would be using the training room. Of course, with the bombing of the Rayshift Hangar, only the two Masters and their servants used it.

“I pressed the L button.” He said. Mash was the only one he truly spoke to without restraints or worry about annoying her. His Servant was actually an incredible listener, and didn’t seem to mind when he went on long rants about inane topics.

“Oh. You need to be more careful, Senpai.” She said, offering him a bottle of water. The boy took it and in one swift move started to gulp on it. His throat was incredibly dry. He had exerted himself more than before.

“I know.” He said, cleaning his mouth with his sleeve. “Me and my big mouth.”

“I think it’s that big mouth that helped us bond with the servants in Orleans, Master.” She said with a kind smile.

“But it was you who bonded with Jeanne and Amadeus.” He countered.

“I would say they encouraged me, I didn’t really offer them much in return.” She said, dejected.

“Nonsense Mash. You did great! You protected all of us, and kept our spirits high. That’s more than I myself can say.” He countered.

During the singularity, Mash had gone toe to toe with Wyverns and soldiers, while her Master only sat behind her, occasionally assisting her with his mystic code. And even then, he was almost eaten if not for the interference of his partner.

“Thank you Senpai. I’s good to hear that, both from you and Tohsaka-san.” She said with a small bow of her head.

“Tohsaka?” He asked.

“Yes. Ritsuka Tohsaka, you partner.” She said with her visible eyebrow raised. The boy returned the confused look.

“I thought her name was Emiya.” He said. Mash pondered for a moment, and then used the small device on her wrist to bring up a screen.

“Her name is registered as Tohsaka in the Mage’s Association and Chaldea’s files.” She stated, showing him the screen. The boy leaned forward to look, his mouth a thin line. She lied to him, or…

“You know, it’s bad to gossip about people behind their backs.” Said a boisterous, lively voice.

“I will not tolerate offense to my Master.” Added a second, robotic but sweet one.

Down the hallway came Ritsuka Emiya, Tohsaka, whatever her name was, with her white clad servant in tow levitating slightly above the ground.

“H-Hi, Senpai.” Said Mash, bowing quickly. “W-We were not g-gossiping. Just talking…” She said in a shaky voice. Although the girl talked normally around him and Olga, she was still extremely shy around everyone else, especially other Servants such as the one that now accompanied them.

“No lies detected Master.” Said the red eyed servant.

“Relax a bit Ortlinde. I don’t mind my friends talking about me, as long as it’s good things.” Said Emiya with a devious smile, seemingly aimed at Fujimaru. Yes, they were friends. Or so she said. Fujimaru wished he could say the same, but was still unsure of the nature of their relationship. She teased him often, and they smack talked during combat, but never conversed about deep or personal stuff, outside of that moment after Singularity F.

A fter Orleans, they were at least “Battle Buddies” as the red haired girl liked to call them. The would plan strategies together, and Emiya seemed to be exceptionally good at that.

“Understood. Will take into account.” Said the hooded Servant. She was a Valkyrie. A heroic spirit Chaldea Summoned to assist Emiya. While she had been a competent magus in combat, she was still considered a liability with Olga, something that his partner didn’t take well at all. So at her and Roman’s insistence, another permanent summon like Da Vinci was attempted. The result was Ortlinde, who in her words had “Answered the Call of a Warrior’s Heart.”

“So… Done training with snow white?” Asked Emiya, her smile replaced by a scowl.

“Yes. A little earlier than usual.” He answered. At this, Mash stepped forwards.

“If that is so, perhaps we could have some time to practice together.” Said Mash with a hopeful smile. Before Fujimaru could answer, Emiya had already gone ahead to the entrance.

“Sorry lovebirds, but it’s our turn. Maybe go share a smoothie or something.” She said, waving goodbye to them as the doors closed.

“That was not cordial Master.” Said Ortlinde’s muffled voice.

“There’s no need between friends. Now, Battle Start!” Shouted Emiya. Behind the doors, a sound was heard, and then a battle along with commands.

Ritsuka Fujimaru sighed. Emiya was strong, and took her training extremely seriously. Every single available chance at the chamber; she took it. He worried that she may die of exhaustion, despite her seemingly infinite supply of sheer will .

“Sorry Mash. Maybe another time.” He apologized.

“O-Of course Senpai. Anytime.” She said with a yelp of surprise. Looking at her wrist watch, she started moving away from him. “I need to check up with Doctor Roman.”

“Now? Didn’t you want to train?” He asked, visibly confused.

“Yes but… I figured he could wait, if we trained that is.” She said with a blush. “See you in your Room Senpai!” She shouted while running towards the good Doctor’s lab.

Fujimaru Ritsuka stood there, utterly confused. His life was just too full of strange characters.

It was past dinner time in the mess hall. The staff had gone to sleep, the dishes were washed and the tables were clean and empty. Tough the 2nd singularity had no yet been detected, Da Vinci assured them that at any moment, another mission would be available.

The red haired Ritsuka thought that a board game would be a good bit of fun before going to sleep. That would have been true, if she hadn’t brought this hellish game about monopolies.

“Right on! Better pay, customer!” Exclaimed Olga Marie proudly, holding her hand so Fujimaru could hand her the money.

“Can I simply sleep on the street? I think I would prefer that.” He said, counting his money. He had 1000 dollars left, he needed to pay 650. He was on the blue properties, if he fell on any of the next ones, he would definitely lose.

“Don’t worry Ritsu, I’ll get your money back once she falls into my hotels.” Said Emiya with a wink. That nickname again. She used it at the worst times, when his tension was high and people present.

“That’s against the rules, Senpai.” Said Mash.

“Nothing says players can’t give other players money.” Answered the redhead.

“But nothing says you can either. Besides, we said no alliances.” Answered Marie.

“But a Master and a Servant must work together.” Said Mash.

“This is a game Mash.” Said Fujimaru with a smile.

“But…” Whatever Mash was going to say was drowned by Olga.

“Don’t count of getting this money back, you Red Headed Demon.” Said Olga with a snarl. It was no secret that the Director and Candidate 46 where at each other’s throats since the start. The reason he did not know, but according to Da Vinci it was due to a Magus feud. Yet, since Emiya saved her life, that feud had become less personal and more like banter. Or so Fujimaru hoped.

“Oh sorry, Snow White. But I have the red and purple properties, all trains are mine. Wether you fall in Luck or in Prison, there’s no escape from me.” Said Emiya, and for a moment she looked like she was going to bust out an evil laughter.

“You certainly are good at this game, Master.” Commented Ortlinde, eyeing her meager property cards. The Valkyrie did not take well to the game, and always bought whatever she fell in if it was available, squandering valuable money and never trading with other players.

“Please. This game is luck, just like life.” Said Olga.

“I don’t know Director, there does seem to be some skill involved.” Countered Mash.

“Yes, but like the real world, luck plays a huge part. All skill is then devoted with dealing with whatever situation you end up with. Don’t forget that when you come to London, Mash.” Said Olga. The Animusphere heir had proposed (or more like ordered) the Demi-Servant to come with her to the clocktower when the time came to explain the whole mess Chaldea was going through. Mash seemed equally excited and terrified for that, and that was reflected in her more diligent training.

“Maybe in real life, but this is my domain biatch.” Said Emiya, looming dangerously over the table like an evil overlord.

“Jeez Emiya, no need to be like that.” Said Fujimaru, now getting annoyed at his partner’s antics.”It’s your turn Director.” he said, looking at her. When she looked back, he averted his gaze in instinct. His earlier demeanor left him ashamed, and now he couldn’t even look at Marie in the eyes.

With a shake of her clasped hands, and a rattling within, she threw the dice on the table. A double three, landing her squarely on Emiya’s most profitable property.

“Aw yeah! Pay up.” She said, leaning over the board and rocking and whole table.

“Like I said, luck. Your turn, Lancer.” Said Marie. Ortlinde looked away for a moment.

“You go again Director. You pulled doubles.” She said. Everyone except Emiya forgot about that rule every time it came up.

“Right.” Said the director. With a second throw, her silver figure landed on a train, another property of Emiya.

“Nooooo.” Cried Olga, flopping for the table.

“Yesss.” Said Emiya, directly taking the money from Olga’s side with an evil grin.

“Why do we play with this stupid house rules again?”Asked Marie with a glare.

“My game, my rules.” Said Emiya while counting her money.

“This game comes with rules for a reason.” Added Mash.

“You’re right Mash. But isn’t this more fun?” Asked Emiya, pointing at the despairing Director. Olga only groaned.

“I miss Mozart. He would have liked this.” Commented Mash.

“Yep. If only we could summon him” Said Emiya.

“You are not able to?” Asked Ortlinde.

“Chaldea’s running on fumes.” Said Olga, lifting her face from the table. The valkyrie looked confused, so the white haired woman clarified. “An emergency generator. Summoning Servants with the FATE system would burn trough whatever we have left. Emiya summoned you herself, so she is the one maintaining all of your functions. So until the main generator is repaired, no more servants.”

“Yeah. We’re kind of fucked. But at least he have freakin’ Valkyrie with us.” Said Emiya, nudging Ortlinde with a grain.

“This unit has a maximum power level. Without my sisters, I’m afraid I won’t be of much help.” Said the black haired girl.

“None of that, we’ll make you strong.” Said Emiya, hugging the girl. She went stiff, but otherwise didn’t react.

T hey did their next rounds in a relative silence, until Olga saw the clock.

“Damnit! That late?” She asked, getting up. “We better go to sleep. A good schedule is important, especially for you two.” She said to the Masters.

“Yeah. Im kind of beat.” Said Fujimaru while stretching.

“Oh come on. Don’t wuss out.” Taunted the red haired master.

“Like I would Tohsaka. But there are more important matters than some board game, and If you’re tardy, I’ll pull you out of the mission.” Said the Director.

“Pulling rank? Not cool director.” Upon the mention that name Tohsaka, a question that bothered him since morning came to the front of his mind and couldn’t stay there.

“I tough your name was Emiya.” Said Fujimaru. At this, both girls stiffened.

“Oh man.” Said the female Ritsuka, a hand covering her eyes.

“I see. So your reports were falsified.” Said Olga, her voice cold.

“It’s nothing like that. Tohsaka is just the name I use around the Association. And with good reason.” Said Emiya, her voice serious. Olga Marie still looked at the Red Haired Master like she was trying to eviscerate her with her mind.

“Since you saved me, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, Emiya. I don’t doubt you are a Tohsaka, those gems of yours are proof. But also Emiya? That’s worrying.” She said, and with that, the Director stormed off, leaving the three teenagers and servant in an uncomfortable silence.

“I’m Sor-” tried saying Fujimaru, but Emiya stopped him.

“I know. I know. She was going to find out anyway.” She said. She sounded tired. Without a word she began packing the game. The other members of the table helped her without command.

“What’s the deal with the name Emiya?” Asked Fujimaru. To his surprise, Mash was the one to explain.

“Kiritsugu Emiya was a freelance mercenary, called the “Magus Killer” since he specialized in killing Magi. He has a very bad reputation, and also a Sealing Designation due to his unique, time altering magecraft.

At this revelation, Fujimaru gawked at Emiya, who seemed to be engrossed in the packing of the game, although it was obvious she was avoiding their gazes.

“Your dad is a Time Wizard?” Asked Fujimaru. At this, Emiya looked at him with shock and a blush.

“What?! No!” She said. His face froze. He connected the wrong dots.

“Then…” He began.

“My dad did know him, but I haven’t got any relation to him.” Said the female Ritsuka.

“Maybe you should tell the director.” Said Mash.

“You think that bitch will believe me?” Asked the red haired girl. At hearing this, Mash did something unexpected.

“You may not like it Senpai, but the director is not evil. I’m sure she’ll understand.” She said, coldly. Both teens looked at their companion with wide eyes. “So please… At least try.”

For a moment, Emiya was silent, her eyes darting around the table, and the still scattered pieces of the board game.

“Alright.” She said. After that, they packed the game in silence once more.

“Well, I’ll take this to my room. Guess I better pull something less malevolent next time, right?” Asked Emiya.

“Next time?” Asked Ortlinde.

“Yes. We need to relax from time to time, no?” She asked. “Do you not like board games?”

“Valkyries have no built in preferences, tough we do prioritize the souls of Heroes.” She said in that robotic tone. “But I admit it was… a good way to bond with Master.” She admitted with a blush. Both Ritsuka’s smiled at how endearing it was.

“Alright. See you tomorrow, Fujimaru.” Said Emiya, going away with her servant.

“Guess I’ll see you latter, Senpai. Good Night.” Said Mash with a bow. However, something lingered on the boy’s mind, and he had to get it out in the open, it was his nature.

“What was that about?” he asked.

“About what?”

“You, defending Olga. I thought people didn’t like her.” He personally found her strong, the way she tried her best under duress, her way to command others trough persistence. But nobody else seemed to appreciate that.

“Well, she is…” Mash started to say, but stopped, as if wondering what to say. “Sorry Senpai, but, could I tell you another time? It’s complicated.” Said Mash. That did not ease Fujimaru’s worries, but he wanted to respect his servant. That’s what the bond was about after all.

“Alright then. Good Night Mash.” He said, going to the dorms. Since their rooms were nearby, they went together, making small talk along the way.

Alone in his bed, Ritsuka wondered about his new companions. All of them seemed to be something he was familiar with on the surface, but underneath that, much more. He felt strange, he himself having nothing to hide. Those thoughts ate away at him until he fell asleep.

Chapter Text

“My body is __________________.”

“___________ iron and _______ glass.”

“_____________ countless battlefields.”

“Not ________ retreating,”

“Not ________ victorious.”

“__________ alone, _________ a hill of swords.”

“Thus, ___ life ____ no meaning.”

“_____________ infinite swords.”

Ritsuka Emiya awoke sweating, the sun hitting her face even trough her closed curtains. Why was her bed in just the middle spot of those things again? She’d have to move it. Not like it would help with the sweating, spring was around the corner and the heat right behind. Nights of sweating, mosquitoes, unbearable school days trapped in a tight uniform. All came in a neat little package.

Rubbing her eyes, clad in nothing but short pants and her sleeping shirt, she went downstairs. Her house was medium size, with two rooms plus bathrooms upstairs and a living room along with kitchen, garden and entrance hall on the lower floor. Just left of the stairs, she would all mornings go to the kitchen, make a coffee and quickly eat something before going to school. Her mother always woke later, while her father was gone before dawn.

This morning, her kitchen not only smelt of pancakes, eggs and toast; with the food already on the table shinning with sparkles but also had two present parents. A head of black hair and green eyes was reading a magic tome while the orange head handled the kitchen with swiftness.

“Mom? Dad? What’s going on?” She asked, rubbing her eyes. Her surprise and excitement drowned by her sleepiness.

“Oh hey Firecracker.” Said her father, turning around to smile at her with Amber eyes like her own. “Today’s the day, so I thought I’d prepare something special with your mom. But I ended up doing it all on my own.” He admitted, looking at her mother, who blushed and looked indignant.

“What are you trying to imply?” She asked, shooting daggers at his back.

“Only that I did most of the work, even tough this was your idea.” He said casually, not a hint of malice in his voice. Ironically, this was more effective when it came to teasing his wife.

“Well, not like that sword brain of your would think about something like this, Shirou. In fact, you almost forgot” Answered the black haired woman. Her husband sighed.

“You got me there, Tohsaka.” He conceded the argument, bringing two plates with breakfast to the table and taking a seat. The young Ritsuka did the same, and quickly started eating the meal before her with voraciousness. If she hadn’t known her dad, she would have swore his magecraft specialization was food. Once someone tasted it, they would always want more. The worst part was he was always glad to do it free of charge, much to the chagrin of his two family members.

They ate in silence for a few moments. Times like these were rare, and the longer they lasted the more memories she could create. She was thankful for the parents she had, a mom that would teach her with equal amounts of sternness and sweetness, and a dad who did anything and everything for them without complaining.

Yet, a question lingered in her mind. And as a mage and a twelve year old, she was curious.

“So, why this so suddenly guys? I love it, but you often… you know… do cooler things.” She said sheepishly. Her parents looked at each other for a moment, then Rin got an irritated look on her face. The kind that sprung every time her daughter made an obvious mistake; wether in training or in real life.

“You forgot about…?” She started, reaching under the table. Her mother was not an abuser, but was prone to fits of annoyance that threw harmless things. Tough if pushed enough, one of her jewels would come flying. But only when it came to her aunt Luvia. Regardless, Ritsuka prepared for the worst. “...Your initiation?” Her mother finally pulled out a large box, thrice as long as her torso.

The young Ritsuka sighed, and immediately rushed to the object forgetting all about her previous fear. Gifts were not rare from her father, but her mother was another story. With inhuman speed she took the gift in her hands, and her mother was left holding air with a deadpan look.

“Emiya, can you please control your daughter?” She asked, but Shirou just shrugged. The girl had already opened the box. Inside it, snugging nicely in a cushion, was a dark purple short sword with an ornate design and engravings on the blade. She recognized it, every magus kid had floundered one at least once. An Azoth sword, a mana amplifier. But not only that, but she could tell, this was no normal azoth sword

“Awesome!” She screamed with delight. “Is it one of yours, dad?” She asked. Shirou just smiled sweetly, confirming her question. When it came to weapons, her dad was a master. Although his craft was of the private sort, he had promised to one day gift her a sword. Ritsuka was enamored by weapons and the heroes that wielded them. She cared for the designs and functions, but the histories were the fascinating part for her.

She pulled out the sword and gave it a few playful swings. This Azoth Sword was bigger, stronger, and lighter, while the air produced by it’s arcing let out a satisfying sound.

“it’s not a toy, Ritsuka-chan. If you want to test it, daddy can take the time to take you to the dojo.” Said her mother with a stern gaze. The girl looked at her dad for help, but he held the same look. With a sigh, she put the sword back into it’s receptacle.

“I love it dad, mom. Thank you so much!” She said, going to hug the two of them.

Then came t hree knocks, and the sound of a door opening. With t he scene interrupted , the family looked at the hallway that led to the entrance . From the corner, a man with a red coat and long hair came, looking haggard.

“It’s time, you two.” He said coldly.

“Emiya. I have bad news for you.”

“Emiya!”

“Please… Wake up!” her eyes refocused, and a face formed in her field of vision. Black raven hair atop her. Her partner, Ritsuka Fujimaru, looked at her with eyes that almost overflowed with tears. He sat on a small metal stool, leaning against her bed. No, not her bed, a bed from the medical wing of Chaldea.

“Ritsu? What happened?” She asked, her voice weak and hoarse. She tried to upright herself, but could barely move her arms.

“You… don’t remember?” He asked. The boy looked bad; bags under eyes, hair messy, face and hands bandaged. Her father’s memory was fresh in her mind, and remembered the steps to ensure she was in good condition anytime. First her body. Her circuits were strained, and she had some mild lacerations and burns. Familiars second. She had none, except her Servant. The valkyrie’s signature was there, faint and in standstill. The command seals where still in her hand, faded, but they would come back in time. She relaxed.

“I remember…” She said, searching her memories. Some came back. A mist covered London. Dr Jekyll and Hyde, a knight in red, the book author and... Frankenstein? Then, a familiar name. Makiri Zolgen, and… a tanned man, with white her and black orbs for eyes with a glint of crimson, smiling wickedly. Everything else was hazy. “We were in London, there was mist and automatons everywhere. And then…” She said, but trailed off. Her head hurt.

“Don’t push yourself.” He said, caressing her hair. No one had done that in a long time, and the boy always kept his distance from her. What changed? Ritsuka Fujimaru then reached for the device on his wrist. “She’s awake doctor.”

“On my way.” Said a voice, stress evident in it’s voice.

“Where are the valks?” Asked Emiya. During the singularities of septem and Okeanos, the bond and magical energy between her and ortlinde grew stronger, and in time, a separate Valkyrie was summoned. Da Vinci explained it was “A reimagining of Saint Graph Ascension.” She now essentially had access to two almost equal servants. Their power had a hard limit, but they were still powerful servants. First came the pink haired, bubbly Hildr. Then the gold haired beauty that was Thrud, also the most serious Valkyrie.

“In spirit form. Inactive.” He stated.

“Inactive?” She repeated the unfamiliar term.

“Yes. To consume as little mana as possible.” He answered.

“But why? I can handle one…” She began. She could handle only one valkyrie at a time, at best two. The three of them, as explained by Da Vinci, would drain her and leave her like beef jerky in no time, so the summoning of all three was forbidden.

“Emiya, you went ballistic against solomon. You summoned all three of them, and used all command seals. Me and Mash had to handle the rest.” He said. After hearing those words, she was stunned at how calm and full of worry they were, rather than the fury they should have. If Fujimaru had done such a reckless thing, she would have kicked his ass ten times over and thrown him down the mountain. But he hadn’t been the reckless one, it had been her.

“Why?” Why would she do something so reckless despite all her training, all the warnings from everyone?

Before the boy could say anything else, the door to the room she was in opened, and in came Doctor Roman with resident genius Da Vinci in tow.

“Thanks goodness you’re alright, Tohsaka- I mean Emiya- I mean…” Said the doctor, his tongue tripping in his mouth.

“Emiya is fine doctor. It’s… what I prefer…” She wanted to tease him, to laugh at his awkwardness but she knew that was undeserved at this time. That dnd she didn’t have the energy for it.

“Alright. Let me check on your vitals real quick.” Said the doctor. Now that he was in his field of expertise, he sounded much more confident.

“You should take a rest, Fujimaru-kun. Even geniuses need at least an hour of sleep, from time to time. I don’t need to tell you how much a human needs.” Said Da Vinci with a wink at the boy. He blushed, and then looked at her.

“She’ll be in our care. Don’t you trust a doctor and a servant?” She asked.

“It’s just…” He began, and the girl wanted him to finish. What was his reason?

“Go, Ritsu. I’ll be fine. Really.” She said, trying her best to smile while being checked.

“O-Okay. I’ll see you later, then.” He said. When he left, Da Vinci took his now empty seat.

“Young people are so troublesome these days. Not like I was any different. Although society is different than a single person.” Said the inventor. Ritsuka found her patience extremely low that day. She wanted to know so many things, like why her head hurt. What happened in London.

“Da Vinci. Doc. Tell me what happened please.” Said the girl, her voice pleading. Da Vinci’s expression turned sullen, and after exchanging looks with the doctor, the latter spoke.

“You guys fixed the singularity. But before that, the real threat appeared.” Said the doctor.

“The real threat?” Asked Ritsuka, her chest tightening. A sensation that she would normally push down under all circumstances rising along with something else. An unshakeable anger, labored breathing, a migraine.

“Doctor!” Said Da Vinci. The girl felt something stab her arm, and then she was calm.

“Do not over exert yourself, Emiya. Calm down.” Said the doctor with a shaky voice.

“Sorry.” Apologized the girl, leaning back into the pillow.

“No need. Given the circumstances, I wouldn’t fare better. In fact, if the Director and Da Vinci weren’t constantly on my back, I would lock myself up, hehe.” Said Romani. Ritsuka smiled. The Doctor was clumsy, cowardly, pessimistic, but even so he kept strong and smiled for others. It would only be fair to smile back.

“Emiya-chan, we’ll have a meeting tomorrow in the command room. So I will inform you of the current situation, so you can think and be well rested by then. Your memories should return shortly. Is that okay?” Asked Da Vinci. She was being strangely sweet. The resident genius was gentle and eccentric, but never this much.

“Okay.”

“Good.” Said the servant, straightening herself, always with a small smile. “Our enemy is Solomon, the King of Mages. He orchestrated the incineration of humanity. Why, how and when, we don’t know yet. But we do have a few leads.” Said the inventor. Memories flashed in the mind of the red-headed master, like a broken record that gave her a migraine.

Red and black eyes. Pillars of flesh behind him.

Shakespeare, Andersen, Kintoki, Tamamo, Mordred. All wiped away without a sweat. She had used her best jewels, jewels her mother crafted for her so many years ago. Fujimaru screaming his lungs out, giving commands and crying of despair when a companion fell.

Nothing. Nothing worked. He, no, IT, because nothing like it could be human; spared them on a whim.

“I… We didn’t…” She tried to speak, but found her voice failing. She didn’t feel nauseous, or nervous anymore, probably due to whatever the Doctor gave her. But her voice didn’t seem to think the same.

“You did your best.” Said Romani, now taking a seat opposite of her.

“Given the circumstances, both me and the director were impressed. You and Fujimaru adapted extremely well, although…”

“Not now Da Vinci.” Said the doctor, cutting her short.

“There’s never a bad time for a lecture, Romani.” Said the servant.

“I know… but I think Emiya-san really needs time to rest. This may be too heavy for now.” He said, scratching the back of his head. “Also… I need to see Magi-Mari’s updates…” He muttered under his voice. Da Vinci glared at him, and the girl almost thought she would slap him.

“Very well. Is that alright, Emiya?” Asked the servant. The girl nodded.

“Well then, we’ll see you tomorrow. I would tell you not to be late due to you-know-who, buuut, if you ARE late, we’ll cover for you.” She said with a wink while standing up. “Have a good rest.” With that, she went for the exit, and then was gone. Romani sighed, and then stood up.

“I don’t know how you guys are going to get out of this one, but, after seeing everything you’ve managed to accomplish, I’m sure you’ll be able to do something, I hope…” He said, and then looked down, dejected. “Sorry… I’m really bad at this…”

The girl simply laughed. “You did pretty good, Doc. You should rest too. You can even eat cake in my room if you want .” She said. He blushed at that.

“I-If you say so.” With that, he went to the door and opened it, then looked back at her. “Holler if you need me.” He was also gone now, and the Ritsuka Emiya was left alone in the room. Leaning back into the pillow, she closed her eyes, and tried to focus on the missing pieces of her memory.

A mist covered city, a red knight, a device in the deepest tunnels, three Valkyries, the mystery of the Mage’s Association. Mother. Mother. That word kept her awake for some time, repeating constantly like a mockingbird.

“Mother! Father!” One week had passed. The house was empty today. Her parents left on a mission. A ‘Hero Mission’ as her father called them. She did not mind being alone, they would come back. So she went and did her homework, along with her training.

“Mother? Father?” Two weeks had passed. Her father’s missions took weeks at times, sometimes months. Her mother took care of her when that happened.

“Mom?… Dad?” Three weeks passed. Her mother also went on missions, or to do research, or to visit family. In that time, her dad stayed by her side. He always cooked delicious meals. He always smiled warmly. He was always there, for whatever whims she came up with.

“…” Four weeks passed. The house was still empty. Ritsuka had done everything, from regular training, to homework, to whatever a twelve year old with no supervision wanted, including TV in late hours and junk food.

She was in her mother’s workshop, working on her gemcraft. One day, she said Ritsuka would have one of her own, but for now she was to use hers. Her father also had a workshop, but it was more like a small forge littered with swords. It was a hot and unpleasant place to be, so she rarely ventured there.

She finished the enchantment, and looked at her handiwork. The Emerald glowed with energy, but it was cracked and deformed. Her mother always emphasized that jewels were ancient pieces of the World, and as such had a will of their own. Infusing them with magical energy required patience and being in tune with the earth. She had neither, and so her product was third rate at best. A waste of resources, of money her mother always complained for lacking.

With a sigh, she left the gem on a nearby counter and went upstairs. It was 8’o clock, time for dinner. With no one else but her, she did not do anything elaborate. Some noodles would do. As she was boiling the water, the bell of her house rung.

She peeked trough the spy hole. A tall, blond woman in blue garments stood outside. Her heart rate rose up, and immediately set to opening the door. However, upon unlocking it, the woman went ahead and burst trough the entrance.

“Ohohoho! It’s so good to be in the Lion’s den without the lioness!” Said, no, yelled the woman with joviality, displaying herself for… no one. Still, Ritsuka smiled, wider than she had in weeks.

“Auntie Luvia!” She said, jumping at her and attempting to tackle her to the floor. She did not succeed, as the woman didn’t budge an inch. She still managed to wrap herself around the waist.

“Oh my! How is my little niece? Did you miss the best aunt in the world?” Asked Luvia, returning the hug and spinning her around while laughing. Ritsuka felt her stomach run around her insides, but she enjoyed the sensation.

“Fineeeeee!” She screamed, being spun around so fast she swore she would go flying at any moment. Luckily, the woman stopped, ignoring the laws of inertia.

“I’m so glad! Look at you, so grown!” She said, kneeling down and pinching her cheeks.

“Yes. Im an adult now. I even got my own Azoth Sword!” She said. She really wanted to show it to her. Although Ritsuka loved her mother, she also adored Luvia. Mostly because she showered her in gifts every birthday, and always took good care of her when her parents where away, except this time.

“I see! I see! So your mom’s training is better than mine. How utterly humiliating. But still, I'm proud of you.” Said Luvia.

“So what bring you here Auntie? You could have told me and I would have cooked something.” She said. For a moment, the woman’s eye flashed with something like… sadness, then they were back to being jovial.

“I wanted it to be a surprise. And don’t worry about food, I can always ask for a meal from my chef’s.” Said the woman, moving into the living room and taking a seat. Although she seemed to be happy, Ritsuka noted that she moved with some sluggishness. That was not like her aunt at all. Her aunt was strong, always striding with confidence and energy.

“Is everything okay?” Asked Ritsuka, taking a seat alongside her and snuggling near her arm. She had missed her so much. Anyone, really.

“Yes dear. I’m just a little tired.” She said. “So, what have you been up to?”

“Not much. Watching TV late at night, since mom and dad are gone. I also infused a jewel, wanna see?” Asked the girl. She knew it was imperfect, but advice from another Jewel mage would certainly help her improve, even if her mother didn’t like her daughter raking notes from her rival.

“Maybe later.” Said the woman, resting against the arm of the couch. She seemed to want to say something, or be waiting for someone. Silence reigned for a while, and Ritsuka started to wonder not only about her aunt’s strange behavior, but her parents whereabouts. Why hadn’t Auntie Luvia come pick her up? Why didn’t she notice that before? Maybe it was the excitement of being on her own in the house.

“Um… Auntie…” She said, looking at the woman. She returned the gaze. She looked even more exhausted now, and her smile was gone. “Do you know where mom and dad are?” There. It was now in the open.

Luvia said nothing for a minute.

“Some people will be coming over. I hope you don’t mind.” That hadn’t been her question, but she did not want to pressure her aunt.

“Okay. Shall I…?”

“No. It’s okay.” She said, ruffling her hair. “You’re too sweet, you know…”

“Yup. You tell me all the time. Wanna watch TV while we wait?” Asked little Ritsuka.

“Sure.” Answered Luviagelita Edelfelt. Behind her smile, the girl could definitely see sadness.

“Is this really the best you can muster? How pitiful. This is why humanity is imperfect. You fear death, yet you have no power to fight it.” The man in white and black spoke, but Ritsuka Emiya was not focused on that. Mash lie in front of him, shield barely holding up. The cavern was collapsing from the sheer power of the demon pillars.

“Mash!” Her male companion screamed, running to his servant and using his mystic code.

“Lancer! Cover him!” She ordered her servant, Hildr. The second Valkyrie she summoned. They did not ascend normally, instead reaching an upper limit and then being replaced by a stronger very similar servant. She could only summon one at a time, or else her mana would be drained before she could do much with the additional power.

“Alright!” Screamed the pink haired maiden. She was more excited and battle hungry than Ortlinde ever was. Ortlinde would be reserved, and fight conservatively behind her shield, always ready to retreat or to get back to her Master. Hildr was much more direct, more optimistic in her approach.

Another demon pillar attacked with energy blasts, but Hildr blocked them with her shield. The maiden was, however, forced to land due to the sheer forc e behind the attacks.

Mash got up, some of her injuries healed.

“Shielder, keep him busy and cover us!” He ordered. With that, both retreated to where Emiya was. A sound plan.

“Hildr. Attack directly, I don’t think magic-” Before her order was completed, Hildr was assaulted once again. She felt the hits her servant received. It was significant damage.

“Damnit.” She said, looking at her pocket. Three gems left. One sapphire for blinding her opponent, two rubies for high power attacks.

“Any ideas?” Asked Fujimaru.

“You’re the tactician here!” She complained.

“Yeah, but you’re the mage.” He continued. A barrage of magic assaulted them

“Senpais. We need to do something now!” Screamed mash as she struggled to hold up her shield.

“Alright. Alright. Ummm… He must be controlling those pillars, right.” Said the boy.

“They’re his familiars, yes!” The girl said. “Anything I don’t know Sherlock?” She asked in annoyance.

“If we kill solomon, they’ll go away. Just blind him with your gems, if you can still do that, and Hildr can bombard him with her Noble Phantasm.” He said.

“That’s your plan?” She asked. It was simple, too simple. And even if she blinded solomon, the demon pillars were still a problem.

“Got any other ideas?” He asked, now annoyed as well.

“Maybe if we had time. Damnit. Alright.” She said, gripping her sapphire tightly and activating the magical energy inside. “Linie; Brechen; Beleuchtung” She chanted. The magic gem activated. The barrage calmed for a moment, and in that small reprieve, she threw the gem with a reinforced arm. Strong enough to reach Solomon from their position.

“Now, Hildr! I order you by command seal! May your Spirit Origin be restored!” She screamed. The seal in her hand activated, releasing a tremendous amount of bright red magical energy. In that instant, Hildr’s wounds disappeared, and she looked as if she had never entered combat.

“Alright, Now I’ll-”

“How utterly pointless.” The voice reverberated. Both Ritsukas looked at the king of mages. His hand was extended, and Emiya’s gem nowhere to be seen.

“Not even third rate. Now die.” With that, another barrage of magic came. Both Fujimaru and Mesh stepped to cover her, but Hildr wasn’t so lucky.

Her body was impaled, penetrated, burned, and filled full of holes by the arcane attacks. She screamed in pain while the rain of magic consumed her. When the smoke cleared, she was on the ground, bleeding from multiple holes.

Emiya looked at her servant. She could not look away. She had ordered her there. She had told her to attack. Why did she do that? Why did she attempt to use magecraft against the greatest mage of all?

Her ears rung. Her vision blurred at the sides.

“LANCER!” She screamed, jumping down.

“How pitiful, Emiya Ritsuka. Not even worth feeling anything. Desperately clinging to everything you touch. You should have disappeared long ago.” The red haired girl looked at him, fury in her eyes. She gripped her right wrist, and held up her command seals.

“I’ll stop you, and send you to hell.” She said, raising her arm. “By my Command Seal! Thrud, Ortlinde, come fort and destroy my enemy!” With that scream, all hell broke lose. No enemy was destroyed however. The only thing that she remembered after that was the feeling of being drained of everything, and a laughter.

Ritsuka Emiya woke up. She hadn’t rested, not al all. That pit in her chest, the coldness in her lungs. Her ragged breathing. It was all back.

“So that’s what happened.” She muttered. She didn’t feel like moving at all, but she had to get up. The meeting would be early, she knew how much Olga liked to get up early, and in the process wake everyone else up.

The girl grabbed her phone. It was six’ O clock on the morning. She calculated she had about fifteen minutes of sleep left. She wanted to use them, then get ready.

The door opened, and the lights turned on, white filling her vision for a brief moment. In came Ritsuka Fujimaru, looking almost the same as yesterday, except much cleaner and well kept.

“Morning, Ritsu.” She said out of instinct.

“Morning. How are you feeling?” He asked, taking the same seat as yesterday, in the same position.

“Better. But I didn’t sleep well.” She said, rubbing her face.

“Me neither.” He said.

“Nightmares?” She asked. A normal person would have those, after the hell that was Fuyuki and London. But Fujimaru was stronger than he looked, in her opinion.

“More like memories, I think.”

“Memories?”

“Yeah. There was a girl who lived her whole life in a single room until, a man came to get her? Something like that. It’s so fuzzy now.”

“Maybe they are memories from your bond with Mash? Masters and Servants often share memories when sleeping.” She explained. Her bond with the Valkyries meant she often dreamt of them, or their journeys through endless battlefields.

“Oh, I didn’t know that. I’ve been having weird dreams while not on the singularities, so I stopped worrying about it. Does it happen to you?” At this, Emiya raised an eyebrow.

“Sometimes I dream of… battlefields. It’s like, I’m flying over them.”

“Damn. I hope it’s at least nice.”

“War is not nice, Ritsu.”

“I know. I meant as… like… not bloody or ultra dark.”

“I’ll trade you servants if you want to see a battle so much.” She said with sarcasm.

“Nnnno thanks, I’m good.” he answered, looking away.

“Really? I’d have no problem.”

“I’m fine.”

A silence fell upon them. She didn’t like silences. She had to break the ice, the only way she knew.

“So you just came to check on me? I thought you already had Mash in your heart.” She said with a grin. Flustered, Fujimaru looked away.

“Sh-Shut up! I was just told to come tell you of the meeting.” He said, crossing his arms. “Can’t I care for a friend?” He asked. She looked at him for a moment, stunned. Friends? They were partners, work buddies, they teased each other, watcher their backs. She had even comforted him after Singularity F. But she was hurting too at the time. Did that make them friends? Just because they spent time together trying to save humanity?

Regardless, the girl appreciated it. Fujimaru was refreshing, a normal person in her insane world. Like a small island in the ocean. She blushed, then shook those thoughts away. She needed to get away from that topic.

“So you want to be my friend huh? How cute.” She said, waking up. Teasing always worked.

He asked said , looking away with is face slightly red .

“Well… Mind leaving while I get dressed?” She asked. The boy nodded, and left the room. She found her clothes folded neatly in a dresser beside her bed. Her Chaldea Issue mystic code, it was burned and ragged, but usable. She would have to ask Da Vinci for repairs. When she picked it up, something fell from one of its pockets. A bright red pendant. A gift from her father.

She quickly picked it up, and turned it in her hand, looking for scratches. It was a precious gift. There were so many memories in it. If it got damaged, she didn’t know what she would do.

Luckily, it was fine, so she stowed it away. Now dressed and ready, she stepped into the hallways of Chaldea once more. She felt sore, but hope d it would go away.

The soreness did not go away.

T he halls of Chaldea were not exactly bustling, but they were more active than usual, with staff coming and going from place to place. She wondered what was happening. She could not get a feel for her servant, no matter how much she concentrated.

After a few more meters, she reached the control room. It looked just as always, overlooking the Rayshift bay where Chaldeas was located. In the centermost console, slightly above the others used by normal command room staff, sat Olga, Romani, Da Vinci, Fujimaru and Mash in a manner similar to a round table, without the table.

“We’ve been waiting, you know.” Said Olga Marie, tapping her fingers while her arms were crossed. The death glare of the Animusphere got old fast, and now Emiya Ritsuka just rolled her eyes around whenever it came her way.

“You make a patient walk all the way here and then have the gall to complain? Jeez.” She said, taking a seat offered by Mash.

“Okay, let’s not get feisty for now. You can fight each other later. We can even make bets.” Said Da Vinci with a smile. “Now, to the topic at hand.”

“Solomon. The King of Mages.” Said Mash. Any hostility between Olga and Emiya died, and both women took their seats.

“So he created the singularities. And with that is incinerating humanity.” Said Fujimaru, his tone somber.

“That’s correct. But we don’t know how.” Added Da Vinci.

“Or why.” Said Emiya.

“He said it himself. It’s fun, or something twisted like that.” Said Fujimaru.

“But there has to be a reason. If not, he wouldn’t be a heroic spirit.” Said Emiya.

“Emiya is right. The real Solomon was an agent of God, a king who rules according to his visions of the Past, Present, and Future. Unless God ordered him, I doubt he would destroy the world.” Said Romani with passion.

“You really seem to know your stuff about Solomon Romani. Who would know.” Said Da Vinci with a wink. At this, the doctor looked away with embarrassment.

“It’s just an interest of mine. No big deal, really.” He said.

“At least it’s not an internet idol. But you are still far too introverted.” Added Olga.

“Right, but, if this really is Solomon, and he really is in a Caster Class container then, he was either summoned by the world, or by a Master.” Said Da Vinci.

“But… Servant’s can’t survive without a contract right? How could he have escaped?” Asked Fujimaru.

“Well, he IS the top dog when it comes to Magic. Maybe he found a way.” Said Emiya, there was more she wanted to say, but she held off. Sadly, Fujimaru noticed.

“Or…” He said, edging her to go on.

“Maybe he got incarnated. I read the grail was able to incarnate a servant in one of the Grail Wars of Fuyuki.” Said Emiya.

“But… In none of the five Grail Wars was Solomon ever summoned. It would have been reported. He would have won without trouble!” Protested Roman. He had a point. But that was not the problem.

Ritsuka looked at Olga. She was fidgeting in her seat, looking away and not talking as much as she usually did. She knew. But would she spill it out? The red haired master doubted it. She was still a Magus, she would keep her secrets to the grave, or until cornered. Ritsuka Emiya had no such reservations. She would not keep secrets. She would lie about unimportant things like names or stories but never about something that could jeopardize the world.

“There were not five grail wars. There was one more. Isn’t that right, director?” Said Emiya, looking directly at Olga Marie. The older woman froze, and everyone else, including Da Vinci looked at her with bewilderment.

“Director?” Asked Fujimaru. He sounded hurt. Cornered, Olga looked everywhere but their faces. But there was no escape. And so, Marie took a breath and assumed the straight position she used for lecturing and commanding.

“It’s true. But it wasn’t a grail war, not a standard one at least.” She said, voice grave.

“What do you mean?” Asked Mash, who had been quiet during the entire exchange.

“You see, the Fuyuki Grail, created by human hands, needed to recharge mana naturally from it’s surrounding for at least a hundred years in order to summon the Heroic Spirits that would be returned to it. That’s how it grants wishes. Unfortunately, the 4^th and 5^th grail wars had no real winners, and no wishes were truly granted. Thus, it didn’t need so many years to recharge.” Explained Olga. Emiya gritted her teeth. That was not the truth, not the one she knew. But she still wanted to hear it out.

“How interesting. Like not using a charged battery. So another Grail War was fought?” Asked Da Vinci, rubbing her chin.

“Not precisely. Upon learning about it’s status, and the decadence of the Founding Families, the Mage’s Association wanted to retrieve the grail for it’s use. However, the El-Mellois believed it to be too dangerous, and so set fort to dismantle it, along with the Tohsakas, the Edelfelts, and a few other minor families.” Upon saying that, everyone looked at Emiya.

“I was twelve at the time. I knew nothing.” She clarified.

“The mage’s association wouldn’t stand for it. So my father, Marisbury Animusphere, saw an opportunity. He had been working on Chaldea for years but could never secure funding. So he made a deal. He would retrieve the Grail, in return for a blank check. The Association agreed, and along with the Matous, the Einzbern’s and the Wodimes, set forth to fight in Fuyuki.” She said.

“The reports on the war itself are, muddy. Even I couldn’t find anything, other than the fact that my father summoned an extremely powerful Caster servant with a catalyst. One of the ten rings of King Solomon.” She said.

“So… Who won?” Asked Fujimaru.

“No one. During the last days of the war, my father figured out the grail was corrupted.” She said. The temperature in the room seemed to drop for everyone.

“Corrupted?” Asked Romani.

“Indeed. Turns out, the Einzberns summoned an Avenger class servant in the 3^rd war and, upon it’s defeat, it corrupted the grail upon it’s return. After that, any wish upon it would only bring destruction to the world.” She said. Emiya looked around the room. Fujimaru and Mash were horrified, Da Vinci was impassive and Romani looked sullen.

“My father stopped it. For his heroic actions, he was further celebrated, and thus Chaldea stopped being a pipe dream. We could say that it was thanks to him, and his servant Solomon, that we are able to prevent Humanity’s Demise.” Said Olga. With that, she relaxed, apparently having nothing more to say.

But she had. Emiya Ritsuka had many things to say.

“Director.” Emiya said. She stood up, looking at the woman with a glare of glass. Her hands were white from how hard she was squeezing them, and she clenched her teeth the hardest she had in life. Yet nothing could hold her back. “You are full of shit.”

“What?” Asked the Director in a squeaky voice. Emiya didn’t scream, or raise her voice, but everyone looked at her like she was.

“Your father didn’t know shit. I guarantee you that. You know why my Mother wanted to dismantle it? Huh?” She asked. She was saying it to Olga, but she might as well have been talking to everyone else.

“Because she knew. Because my father knew. All of them knew. They were the heroes, they were the ones who…” her anger died in her throat. All those memories came back, memories she had suppressed. Her eyes stung, but she had to continue. “…your father is a liar. You are a liar. You are just another little heiress who got everything she wanted from her father, while the real heroes died and were ridiculed and persecuted. THAT is the truth.” She said. Her chest hurt. The Director just looked back at her. Not with malice, or anger, or pity, or contempt. She did not know that stare. But she could see her amber eyes were glassy.

“I know.” Said the woman, voice quiet. “I always knew. That’s my burden as Director. As heir. To undo the evils of my father. To recover the honor that was thrown away for the sake of victory. If this Solomon was brought forth by my father. Then I will stop him. I swear that, to all of you.” She said, looking at the surrounding members.

Ritsuka Emiya could not take this. She wanted to hate her, strike her, curse her. But she could not. Because she didn’t deserve it. All her anger, all her sadness was misdirected. A part of her knew that, yet another screamed at her to do something.

She didn’t know exactly what happened after, but she left; w alk ing away into the halls of Chaldea, trying to lose herself.

She looked at the people in her living room. Beside her, auntie Luvia. Across her in the large couch were her other aunt Reines, and Lord El-Meloi II, or Waver Velvet as her mom called him at times . The latter was clad in bandages, his right arm and leg in casts. Finally, her father, Shirou Emiya was in a wheelchair in a third space to their left.

She couldn’t b ear to look at her dad for longer than a few seconds . He was injured, his orange hair was almost completely white except for a patch of orange near his right eye, and his skin had turned brown in some parts of his arms and chest, circuit patterns of the same color jolting out of the patches. The worst part were his eyes. They looked dead, and he didn’t seem to be watching anything.

“Where’s mom?” She asked.

“I’m afraid your mom is, not coming back, young Ritsuka.” Said El-Meloi, voice raspy, as if he had trouble breathing. She gasped. Her mother told her so many times, that she may not return. All those times, she had lied, she had come back. This time, she told her she would be back before she knew it, and she didn’t.

Tears filled her eyes, and she felt someone hug her.

“How?” She asked. Waver closed his functioning eye and sighed.

“It’s a long story. But she died a hero, or something like that.” Said Reines, smiling all the way. She did not like it, she did not like it at all. She looked at her father.

“Dad?” He did not respond. He didn’t even look her way.

“It’s gonna be fine sweetie. Shero just needs some time.” Said Luvia, still hugging her. Sobbing alongside her.

“Yes. But now there are other matters to discuss. More importantly, the succession.” Said Waver. But his words became a jumbled mess. She wanted her mom to come back. She wanted to show her her magecraft. She wanted her to train her more.

“Emiya?”

“Emiya!” She heard a scream behind her. Looking back trough her tear stained eyes, she saw Fujimaru.

“Ritsu?” She asked.

“Emiya…” he repeated, panting from his running. She looked at him, he looked at her, but they did not say anything. Tears streamed down her face.

“I’m sorry.” She blurted out.

“Why?” He asked.

“Because, no matter what, I always drive people away. I should not have said any of that. I did not have the right.” She said in between sobs.

“But that is not true.” He answered. She looked at him in the eyes. They were like two teal glasses.

“Your anger in justified. If my parents did the right thing but someone hid the truth I…” he said, looking at his hands. “You told me we were in this together. So I’m not leaving you alone, not for a second, no matter how annoying you may get, or how angry. Neither will I leave the Director, or Mash.” He said. She could not do anything anymore, except lean in and hug him.

“We’ll defeat him. All of us. Together” He said into her hair. They stood there, two Master alone together.

A/ N: Hi everyone. Thanks for reading! Anyways, it was really hard to write this chapter, and I know that somewhere I may have screwed something up, but I’m proud nonetheless. So as you can see, this chapter mainly focuses on Ritsuka Emiya’s past. Also the Grail Dismantlement war that has been alluded to many times in Type-Moon interviews. So this could be called a fusion between the F/GO and Fate/Stay Night UBW timelines.

I did not know how jewel magecraft works exactly, and believe me I tried looking it up. But I found little so I made something up.

In the previous chapter it was pointed out that there was a plot hole which is that Olga called Gudako “Emiya” despite not knowing. I apologize for that, she was not supposed to. Gudako is supposed to be called Toshaka by acquaintances and Emiya by close friends. That’s how she rolls at least.

So after this, I’ll probably go straight to C amelot, and back to Fujimaru’s POV. From there on I’ll try to adapt the story in it’s totality, no more interludes.

So until then, I wish everyone well. I’ll try to update once a week. Please tell me your thoughts and if you have any advice I’m more than happy to listen and adapt it. I write to improve after all.

Chapter Text

A/N:  Hello everyone! This is the beginning of the Camelot Arc. I'll clarify some things before we get started. This story takes place in 2026, in a combined F/GO; F/SN timeline.  Marisbury summoned Solomon during the grail dismantlement War that Waver and Rin participated in after F/SN UBW and shrekt them. Before winning, he was told  by Rin that  the grail was corrupted and  Solomon  w as  able to purify it somewhat before using it .  However,  Marisbury  stole all credit for preventing Angry Mango from coming out and thus got infinite money for  creating  Chaldea.

Olga Marie  here is the same age as the game, which could be in her mid to early twenties. She was born later than in the normal timeline to compensate. This means that she wouldn't be able to participate in "El-Melloi case files", but her presence could be replaced by her father.

The only canon F/GO events in this story are those that have plot relevance like the one Dantes Appears in. I have only played F/GO for a year or so, thus I have missed some events. So any other event like Christmas, Summer, Saber Wars, etc won't be canon and I'll try to patch up any plotholes left by that if I have to.

In tandem with that, the only Servants Chaldea has wandering around are the Valks and Mash, possibly David and Cu. So no encounter with an EMIYA until Shinjuku. If other servants do join up, they'll do so after Camelot and I'll try to portray it in the story.

F or now, we will be using Ritsuka Emiya's perspective, but I'll switch to Fujimaru every so often. He IS one of the protagonists after all.

That's all for now. Enjoy this chapter. It's somewhat short, but the next ones will be longer, if that's what people want.

"It will be an endless journey. Your soul will burn up, your body will wither, your mind will break. Even so, will you still go on?" Asked the mage. The knight raised his arm, thin like a twig.

"I won't be saved no matter what, right?" Asked the knight.

"That's right. The weight of your sin is just too big. But you'll be able to save your king still. As long as you know that, that light will never vanish"

"Then… I'll..."

"Why? Why won't you teach me?" She asked, slamming her hands lightly on his chest.

"Because it's a burden." He answered with cold eyes. Every day, his eyes were like that. Devoid of life, empty of light. Even when he smiled and said he was fine, he could not hide the shattered heart of glass inside his soul.

"But…" She protested. He raised a flat hand in front of her.

"I don't want you to… go down that path. A path of violence. Were you end up alone and used. It won't save you, won't save anybody. You'll end up as a weapon." She glared at him, hands balled into fists. If he knew, then, why didn't he ever stop? Why did he keep going?

"I know. But… it's the only thing you have. The only thing I can remember you by. How long until you go and don't come back?" She looks at him, a frown on her face. After all those years, she remained so much smaller than him.

"I don't want to lose anything else. Please." She added. The man looks at her. He doesn't smile, his eyes look at her with barely contained tears.

He knows that path, he knows where it leads. He only has to show her. Only a glimpse, enough to make her look away. Even if it pains him, even if she ends up hating him, he would at least save her from that burden.

"Okay. Let's get started."

She woke up to the sound of her phone alarm. With the outside world destroyed, it was next to useless except for that, and playing whatever music she had uploaded onto it. When she reached for it, she saw that it was not her phone that was ringing. It was her wrist communicator given to her by Chaldea.

With a sneer, she grabbed it and activated it. Roman's blue tinted hologram came to life. She narrowed her eyes, despite not being as bright as a phone screen, it still hurt.

"Hey, Emiya-san. We've been calling you." She could hear noise in the background. A woman screaming, most likely Olga. She was saying something about tardiness and ungratefulness. Despite everything she said to her before America, the woman had remained in workable terms with her, unless she was late to a meeting or training. Still, Ritsuka hadn't apologized, and it ate her inside at nights, even when she should be focusing on fixing the singularities and restoring human order, she was berating herself over a mistake with her boss.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Mash." That single word made her mind jumpstart.

"What happened to her?" She asked, rubbing her eyes. They had finished with America, and she had gone straight to bed after a good bath. The travels, the distance, the battle against Cu Chulainn Alter and the Demon Pillar had taken a lot out of the two Masters of Chaldea.

Perhaps Mash had been more hurt than anticipated. She liked the girl. She was good company, always eager and optimistic; and treated her well. She was socially awkward and dense at times, but only enough to be extremely endearing. She truly was like a match made in Haven for Fujimaru. So, she was worried more for his sake than her own.

"She passed out." That didn't sound good.

"Is she alright?" She asked, now sitting straighter.

"Yes, but… there is something you should know about her. And we want to tell you both." He answered. Emiya sighed.

"More secrets?" She asked, glaring at the hologram. How long would this go on? They were the last hope if humanity, they needed every single advantage, and yet secrets were still being kept around. It frustrated her to no end.

"Sorry." Apologized the doctor.

"I'll be right there." She said while ignoring his apology. With that said the girl shut down the communicator and lied down again, covering her eyes.

She arrived at the command room, fully dressed and tiredness suppressed. At the entrance, she saw a golden coat of silk leaning against he wall, red eyes looking down a small tablet that emitted various noises belonging to what she supposed where video games. She put on her best smile to greet the Servant.

"Hey Thrud. Good morning!" She said with a clap on the shoulder of the Valkyrie. The girl turned to her with a blank stare, unaffected by the sudden action.

"Good morning Master. I hope you rested. I think a mission is coming up." Said the Valkyrie with a small bow and her usual aloofness.

"So soon?" She said, leaning her head back in annoyance.

"Master. More missions means more combat, and more experience. This is good." Said Thrud in her usual robotic tone.

"Yeah, but combat does get tiring. Also, you are playing a game. You know… something not related to battle." She said, pointing at the device the blonde girl was holding. Said girl looked at it with disinterest.

"It's just a way to pass the time. My enjoyment should not matter, especially to you, Master. It may even be harmful." Said the Valkyrie. Ritsuka glared at her.

"It does matter. I don't want you to get bored. You are part of the team, and you should be able to enjoy yourself, since being a servant is almost a second life and all." Said Ritsuka.

"But you shouldn't be doing that. I am just a tool, a machine for you to use. That's why I was made." Protested the blonde woman.

"And I'm saying I don't want to do that. You are not a tool, Thrud. None of you." She said, bringing the sisters into the discussion. The Valkyrie looked away.

"As you wish Master. But my parameters cannot change." She said quietly, going back to the device. Ritsuka sighed. No matter how hard she tried, she could not bond with the Valkyries the same way Fujimaru did with Mash, or any other servants for that matter. The girls were her companions, and seeing them throw themselves away without a care, with a blank expressions, hurt her. It brought back unpleasant memories.

At least she had made some progress with Hildr, but after Solomon, her Spirit Core was rendered weak and brittle for a while, and the pink haired Valkyrie would not materialize. Ritsuka feared she had either angered or disappointed her.

"Well, I better see what's going on. I'll call you if I need." She said.

"Acknowledged." Said Thrud, going back to her game.

Roman and Olga, along Fujimaru, where in the unofficial 'meeting room' in front of the central console located atop the command room.

"Good, you're here." Said Olga as all heads turned to her.

"No reprimands for being late?" Asked Emiya, crossing her arms.

"I'll forgive it due to how stressful America was. Traveling a whole country, even with servants, is bound to be tiring." Said the Director. Emiya raised an eyebrow. The Director seemed down.

"So… what happened with Mash?" Asked Emiya. At the mention of her name, Fujimaru grimaced.

"Ritsu?" She asked her partner. The boy, even if he was silent, wasn't one to look sullen. He was a regular human, sometimes things would get too crazy, and she worried he would crack under all the pressure.

"She collapsed, after America. She just… started bleeding all over." He said, closing his eyes. The girl squeezed his shoulder with compassion.

"Yes. It's something we feared would happen." Said Roman, looking at the ground. Olga Marie stood at his side, arms crossed around herself as if to prevent herself from collapsing.

"Doctor?" Asked Fujimaru.

"Sorry we didn't tell you guys sooner, but… we thought she had more time. You see, Mash is not a normal human, beyond her fusion with a Servant." Explained the doctor, tone steady and leveled.

"My father." Said Olga, taking over the conversation. Her voice sounded pained, about to crack. "He made Chaldea for the protection of the Human Order, but he also used it as a research facility. One of his many experiments was the attempt to create Demi-servants like Mash. A whole batch of children were created with Genetic Manipulation and Artificial Insemination, along other techniques to make them adequate vessels for heroics spirits. But, upon summoning, upon fusing, the children died. All except Mash." Explained the Animusphere head.

"But you said those experiments failed." Stated Emiya.

"They did. The spirit inside Mash, even if he didn't kill her, refused to manifest. It is dormant. For one reason or another, Heroic Spirits don't like the concept of being revived. Thus, knowing he could not escape, and the horrible conditions he was brought in, decided to not lend his power to Marisbury." Answered Roman.

"When Mash actually became a Demi-Servant, that was a surprise not one of us expected." Said Olga, cupping her chin.

"So, is being a Demi-Servant killing her?" Asked Fujimaru, voice shaking.

"No. Due to how she was born, she was given a limited lifetime, like a homunculus. She won't grow up beyond her current age, and will not live beyond her predetermined operational time." Said Olga, closing her eyes. At this, Fujimaru snapped.

"You're talking about her like she is a machine." He said, his voice calm but harsh. He glared at the white haired woman.

"That's what my father felt towards her. When he died, and I took over, I was horrified as well. So I got her out of her sterilized room, and gave her a place in Chaldea, it was the least I could do. But Mash cannot survive outside Chaldea's controlled environment due to how she was raised. She can never see other places, and can never go outside. That's something I can never make up for, or fix. I actually expect her to kill me any minute once she figures out the truth. I'd be… okay with that." Said Olga, her tone getting lower and lower. Ristuka Emiya was surprised. First, declaring that she would be undoing her father's mistakes was one thing, but doing it was another.

"Wow Director. You seriously went all the way with taking care of Mash, huh?" Said the red headed Master. Olga, in her usual fashion, glared at her half heartedly.

"Of course I did. Even I have standards. You expected me to do something as immoral as that?" Asked her with indignation.

"Actually, yes. Most magi would." She said. At that, Olga was stunned.

"I… I…" Before she could say anything else, Fujimaru spoke.

"Director, you said you would take her to London. Why? Why didn't you tell her then?" Asked the boy, eyes glassy.

"She doesn't have long to live. We calculate she has at least one year left. We wanted to make it her best, to allow her to fight for humanity and experience as much as she could." Said Roman with a sad smile. At that, Fujimaru stepped forwards and grabbed the man by the hem of his outfit. Even if the doctor was taller, the boy was much stronger, and easily pulled him down to his level.

"You knew all that and didn't tell her?! What's wrong with you?! Fighting this singularities is not living!" He shouted at him, right in his face.

"Fujimaru!" Yelled Olga, stepping up and standing with her back straight and fists balled, looking at the boy with anger. "It may be dangerous, but even so, the things she experienced, the people she interacted with… Wouldn't you agree she has grown? That she's happier now than before everything began?"

"That's… true." Said the boy. He mulled over the older woman's words, and then the black haired Master released the doctor. Romani stood up, but the remained dejected.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but we can't undo the past. Besides, everybody dies. That's just how human life is. Isn't it better to make the most of it?" He asked with a smile. Both teens looked at him with wide eyes.

"Yes but, is it so wrong to want to live? To want others to live?" Asked Emiya.

"..." Before the Doctor could continue, his communicator activated.

"Doctor Roman. Mash has woken up. All her vitals are normal and she seems to be stable. Should I clear her?" Asked the staff.

"Please do. Roman out." With that said, the Doctor turned to the teens.

"Please guys. All I and Olga want is for Mash to live her life like she wants, to the best of her ability. So please, can you act as if this conversation never happened? For her?" He asked gently. The female Master narrowed her eyes, looking at both Roman and Olga. They both where sincere.

"I'll do it, for Mash." Said Emiya. The girl looked at her partner, conflict apparent in his face.

"Alright, me too. But I don't like it. Not one bit." He protested. She tried to put a hand on his shoulder, but he brushed her off. He turned to her, glaring. She felt a pang of pain and guilt on her chest. Why?

"How can you be so calm about this?" he asked her, voice full of incredulity.

"Ritsu, I DON'T like it, and if I had my way, I would curse a few people here to hell and back. But we won't solve anything." She said, trying to smile at him. It didn't work. His brow only furrowed even more.

"You sound like you've given up." He said. Now it was her turn to frown.

"I'm just making the best out of this situation. We all are." She answered.

"That sounds like giving up with extra steps." He countered, crossing his arms.

Before anyone could say anything else, hurried steps came into the room. Mash Kyrielight appeared wearing her usual attire. She rested her hands on her hips, before doing a small salute.

"Mash Kyrielight, reporting for duty, twenty seven minutes late." She announced with a lot of pep. Seeing her, the four people in the command room smiled, even if the two Masters smiles were somewhat forced.

"Good morning Mash. Good to see you up and running." Said Emiya. She looked at her partner, and after moving her eyes to signal him, the boy greeted her the same way. Even if his face betrayed his true feelings. Even so, the Demi-Servant didn't seem to notice.

"Thanks Senpai. Sorry for scaring you. I came here because I was told they found the sixth singularity. Is that true?" She asked, looking directly at Olga.

"Indeed." Said the Director.

"So soon?" Asked Emiya.

"Yes. We actually found it before America, but we couldn't really visualize it with Sheba, and at times completely different realms showed up. It was simply too unstable." Said Olga.

"Which means…" Said Fujimaru, wanting her to elaborate. As Olga was opening her mouth to speak, another voice came into the fray.

"It means that this singularity has began separating from our timeline, the flow of human history. An unprecedented phenomenon!" Exclaimed their resident Caster servant as she entered the circle.

"Good Morning, Da Vinci." Said Fujimaru after a while. At hearing this, Da Vinci smiled wide.

"Good morning to you too. Good to see at least one of you is keeping their manners." Said she, winking at he boy.

"Welcome, Caster. As she said, this singularity is unique, and if not fixed, will irrevocably damage the foundation of humanity, regardless of what Solomon does. Due to not being able to visualize it on Sheba, and it's instability, we have granted it the Foundation Value: EX." Said Olga. The room went silent for a while. EX was a rank reserved for the extraordinary or unusual.

"We have to take care of it, now! I know you haven't rested much, and that I'm sending to blindly into a possible meat grinder with little support, but we don't have a choice. We have to end it now before it becomes an even bigger problem than Solomon!" Even if Olga tried her best, her words weren't encouraging. Even so, someone had to keep the spirits high.

"You can count on us, Snow White. We'll get it done." Said Emiya with a fist pump and a smile. Beside her, Fujimaru smiled and nodded.

"Good. We are starting now." Ordered Olga. Then, the Director turned towards Romani. "If you please, Doctor."

"O-Of course." Said the doctor, caught off guard. Quickly, he got a few papers out of his pockets, but fumbled grabbing them. Olga's face quickly became more and more disgusted, and the teens couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "This time, our target is Jerusalem, "The Holy Land", in the 13th century. During the last of the crusades. Lord Edward attempted to take Jerusalem, but was forced to withdraw due to concerns back in britain. However, this time the kingdom of Jerusalem has disappeared completely. We don't know what to expect, due to being unable to observe the singularity. That is all." He said with stiffness while reading from the papers. He then leaned a little into Olga. "How'd I'd do?" he asked.

The woman simply shook her head. "Hopeless." She then looked at the Masters. "Go get ready, then get to the coffins. On the double!" With that order given, the Last Masters of Humanity went to prepare.

There was not much to get ready for. The only things that remained during a Rayshift were clothes and Mystic Codes. So no weapons could be brought. Still, her gems would survive if she pocketed them inside the Mystic Code Chaldea gave them.

Unfortunately, she was running low on those.

"Ready, Emiya?" Asked Fujimaru, snapping her out of her thoughts. Mash had already climbed on her coffin, and took Fou with her, since the little creature would come wether she wanted it or not.

"Yeah, yeah" She said, grabbing onto the coffin.

"Something wrong?" He asked. Emiya cursed his perception.

"I'm low on gems." She said.

"Can't you make more?" he asked innocently.

"Unless we find a mine or a treasury in the Singularity, we are out of luck." She said.

"Damn. How many you got left?" He asked.

"About five. I can't believe I started with a hundred. That's like, everything my mother left me." She said, remembering the box Tohsaka Rin had left in her workshop before her last mission, along with a note laying inside.

"I'm sorry. I know you miss her." He said.

"Well, the world is ending. No sense in hoarding them, right?" She said with a somewhat forced smile. Fujimaru looked at her, impassive.

"That's some good advice, Emiya-san. Still, some art must remain so we can remember other times and cultures; don't you think?" Asked a familiar voice. Behind them was Da Vinci.

"Da Vinci-chan? What are you doing?" Asked Fujimaru, seeing the genius get into a coffin like theirs.

"Hmm? You are going into a EX value singularity. You'll need the help of a genius such as I." Said the woman.

"But don't Olga and Romani need you there? What if something happens?" Asked the boy.

"Chaldea needs humans, and they are just that. I'm only a Servant, just here for the ride and the thrills." She said with a smile.

With nothing more to say, both the team got into their coffins. Upon closing, Emiya opened her mental connection to her servant.

"Thrud; I'll need your strength on this one." She said. She felt the voice of her servant inside her mind.

"Understood Master. I'll head to the Rayshift bay." Said the voice of Lancer.

"See you there." Said the girl. The other end was silent.

She heard Olga's voice in the intercom. "… This is the sixth singularity. We don't know what you'll find, but your objectives remain the same. Find the Holy Grail, retrieve it and fix whatever is causing the distortion in time. Good Luck, and please be careful."

She saw darkness as the intercom announced the beginning of another Grand Order, and then the familiar blue swirl of the Rayshift process took her to far away lands.

Sixth Singularity: Grand Order

Humanity Foundation Value: EX

A.D 1273 Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot

Airgetlám Blade Works

Chapter Text

Section 1: Knight of the Sands

Dust buffeted her face time and time again, winds so strong she struggled to keep upright. She could barely see or hear, and had trouble breathing.

“Senpai!” Screamed a voice. In front of her, she could see a figure shadowed by a large block. No, a shield.

“Mash!” She screamed, struggling to get to the Servant due to the strong winds.

“Another wave is coming, get behind my shield!” She screamed. As she got closer, she could see both her partner Ritsuka Fujimaru and Da Vinci taking cover. The boy was under Mash’s shield, while her own Servant Thrud blocked sand with her own shield, though it was only enough for her face and Da Vinci’s.

Finally, she managed to get under Mash’s shield, snuggling tightly next to the boy . He was warm, and he looked away with some embarrassment.

“What a welcome, huh?” She asked, trying to clear the awkwardness. She was not used to close contact.

“Yeah. It’s like a million pebbles hitting my face. I hate it. I hate sand.” He answered, spitting something from his mouth.

“We’ll get out of here as soon as we can, Senpai!” Said Mash, holding the shield for the two Masters.

“This is insanity! The Director sent us to the wrong coordinates! There’s no way this is Jerusalem!” Screamed Da Vinci, fumbling with a device on her mechanical arm.

“I can’t reach Chaldea!” Said Fujimaru. Emiya touched her communication device, but the apparatus remained inert, only blipping slightly.

“Me neither. What’s going on?” She asked, resting against the shield. Why was she so tired? They weren’t even there for five minutes.

“I’m so gonna rip into those two when I can get this working again.” Said Da Vinci with frustration.

“So... what now?” Asked Fujimaru.

“We need to find some shelter. My shield will hold fine, but enemies could be around any corner.” Said Mash.

“Let me scan the area. I’ll find us a place in no time.” Said Da Vinci, again with her wrist device and a more pleasant smile on her face.

“Thrud, can you fly up and see around us?” Asked Emiya to her servant. The Valkyrie, who remained in her posture with a blank stare, seemed to spring to life.

“I cannot fulfill that command, Master. The wind is too strong to fly.” Said the servant, shaking her head.

“I can’t see anything.” Complained Emiya, looking around. She attempted to enhance her eyesight with a spell, with that didn’t help at all.

“Master!” Said Thrud, voice loud. “Enemies are coming! From the north!” the group looked from the front of Mash’s shield. Coming in a direction against the storm, in a canyon formed between dunes was a group of shadowy figures were advancing upon them, fast.

“Are they really enemies?” Asked Fujimaru.

“We can’t chance it. Thrud, engage.” Said Emiya. The Valkyrie nodded, and went at full speed to meet the hostiles.

“Mash, go with her, we’ll be fine.” Said Fujimaru.

“Understood Master. Going into attack mode.” Said Mash, dislodging the shield from the ground and following the Valkyrie down the dune.

“Alright! Perfect time to show you my genius! Do take notes, you hear?” Said Da Vinci with a wink. The Caster servant followed the other two down the hill. The wind was still going strong, and the Masters had to cover their faces to prevent any injuries. Emiya realized that without being able to see the battlefield, they wouldn’t be able to command their servants properly.

“Hold on.” She said to her partner. Taking a breath, she activated the Magic Crest in her left forearm. A treasure of the Tohsaka family, given to her by her mother during her childhood, containing dozens of spells passed down by generations of Tohsaka mages. She could not access them all yet, Some were beyond her elemental affinity or skill level, but others were useful, and not having to remember them entirely was a boon that outweighed the foreign feeling of the implanted magic circuits.

“Erde. Wenden Sie sich unter der Hitze der Sonne Geistern und Glas zu.” She chanted. A spell that crystallized sand into a barrier by energizing it, created by her great great grandfather according to her mother. The sand under them rose, and became enwrapped in magical energy before turning to crystal. Once it was done, they were protected and able to see the battlefield. Although the wind still limited visibility and hearing.

Three figures fought against three . However o ne lagged behind the battle, struggling to catch up while it’s allies engaged the enemy

“Mash, what are you seeing?” Asked Fujimaru. Obviously, the boy intended to use the mental link, but he still had trouble with sending the thoughts and opted to speak out loud whenever he did.

Emiya did the same with Thrud. What do you see?

Gazer and Soul Eater, Master. Da Vinci has engaged the beast, while Mash and I combat the eye.

She heard a sound, of metal deflecting energy. A tinge of pain in her chest.

You alright Thrud? She asked.

No debilitating damage. But it’s keeping us at bay. We cannot rush it due to the storm. Recommend coming up with a strategy, or waiting for Da Vinci to assist.

With that, the link was closed. She could see it now, Mash and Thrud circling the Gazer , shields raised and the creature quickly spinning to attack them in cycles. Each attempt to close the gap was detected and stopped.

“Damnit.” She cursed. She could use a spell, or her mystic code. But the figure catching up to the battle seemed much more menacing.

“I got it!” Screamed Fujimaru, catching her attention. “Shield Run!” He screamed, hands in the air. The female master looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“What?” She asked.

“You know, Shield Run. The attack we practiced.” he said. The memory suddenly sprung to the front of her mind. During their training in between Singularities they would often team up and have their servants work in tandem with each other to take out single targets. Of course, Fujimaru put much more energy into it than her, but it proved effective at times.

In particular, their latest ‘Technique’ as Fujimaru called it was a rush attack using both Maiden’s shields to keep their defense up, in a quite creative way.

“You named it?” She asked, about to burst into laughter.

“Yeah. It’s easy to remember, rolls off the tongue, and sounds awesome.” He replied.

“And who said that? You?” She asked.

“Well, yeah. Not like I have a committee to take these things to.” He said.

The girl pondered it for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. Let’s do it. But I’m not calling it ‘Shield Run’” She said, crossing her arms.

“Oh come on! That’s the best part!” He said, almost screaming like a child.

“I’m NOT using that name!” She replied with an equally shrill voice.

“One day, you’ll use it.” He said, turning back to the battle. “You hear that Mash? Can you do it?” he said into his link. After a moment, he looked at her and nodded. She did the same, and opened her own.

Thrud; we’re doing the attack we practiced with Fujimaru and Shielder.

Roger. Engaging in ‘Shield Run’

Not you too…

Fujimaru said that was it’s name.

The girl sighed mentally. Just do it.

A nother attack impacted Mash’s Shield. The metal armament held fast, now barely making her flinch. Her defense had come a long way since singularity F, and she could now withstand mighty blows without letting up any ground. Even so, the Gazer was causing her trouble. She and Thrud circled the creature, but any attempt of getting close was met with a barrage of energy bolts.

The storm blocked sight of the spherical enemy, making it hard to tell the direction it was facing , and the strong wind prevented any fast movements. They were at a standstill, without the use of Noble Phantasms of course.

Suddenly, a loud voice echoed in her head, belonging to her Master. Her Senpai was still not used to opening mental connections organically, and so he shouted very loudly when doing it. It was charming, but also compromising if enemies were nearby.

You know, Shield Run. The attack we practiced. She heard her Master say. It was not directed at her however. Her Master went silent once more, and after some time spoke again.

You hear that Mash? Can you do it? Her Master asked, referring to the technique . The girl considered it effective, and was eager to test it in battle ever since hearing about it. She needed to regroup with Thrud, however.

Yes, Master. Initiating Shield Run when near Thrud. She said in the mental link. Circling the creature again, she reached the Valkryie, who was also attempting to get near her.

“Thrud-san! We have execute ‘Shield Run’!” She told her, shouting trough the storm. Another volley came, and the Valkyrie blocked it with her Divine Iron Shield.

“I’ve been informed. Ready, Shielder?” Asked the Valkyrie, looking straight ahead and not sparing a glance towards Mash.

“Yes! I’ll do my best.” She said. With that, Mash put herself in front of Thrud and blocked another attack. Behind her, the Lancer Servant readied her spear, and threw it with a scream. The projectile flew towards the enemy, glowing with a bright golden light even trough the sandstorm. It hit and the creature screeched in pain.

With that done, the lance bounced off and returned to Thrud. Mash rushed to her side, the Servants prepared for phase two. Thrud bent her shield arm backwards, and with all her might threw the defensive armament towards Shielder , flat side facing forwards.

Stepping aside, Mash drew her shield backwards, and with all her might smacked the incoming divine defense towards the enemy that had already recovered. The Gazer attacked once again, and it’s energy beams impacted the incoming shield. However, it was not stopped by the force of its attacks, and it struck the creature, stunning it.

“Now!” She screamed, and both her and the Valkyrie charged the creature with all their might. Without incoming attacks, they were able to close the distance quickly. Thrud jumped into Mash’s shield, and the demi servant used it to propel the Lancer towards her target. Two handing her spear, the Valkyrie drove it right in the middle of the Gazer’s eye. The creature screeched and struggled, but in the end, Thrud drove the spear deep, and the creature died; falling to the ground before vanishing into purple smoke.

Extending her arm forward, Thrud’s shield returned to her as if attracted by a magical force.

“Enemy eliminated. Proficient work, Shielder.” Said Thrud. Blushing at the praise, Mash nodded.

The two servants could not relish in their victory however, as Thrud pushed the demi servant away. In the second after that, a huge blade had landed in their previous position, said weapon wielded by a tall figure shrouded in a cloak, that along with it the sandstorm made it impossible to make out any distinguishing features.

“Enemy detected! Engaging!” Yelled Thrud.

Mash! There’s a big guy on top of you! She heard her Master scream in her mind.

We noticed! She replied, attacking the new enemy with her shield. However despite the multiple impacts and attacks she and the Valkyrie dealt to it, the golem didn’t budge.

It swung it’s sword with steadfast technique and force, holly focusing on her. She blocked his attacks, but it gained ground with each hit, and mash was forced to retreat. The figure did not let up and followed her, ready to swing it’s sword again.

“Odin-Sama! Give me your power!” She heard Thrud scream. Then the figure’s torso became encased in ice. The Valkryie had used a rune. The golem turned around, it’s attention now on what it considered a bigger threat.

Mash! You hear me? Her Master’s voice,

Yes, Master! She replied.

Hit behind it’s knees! It’s looks too tall for it’s own good, bring him down. She heard. She looked again at the battle. Thrud was engaging the golem. She was faster, but her attacks did not seem to penetrate it’s skin.

Understood. Here I go! She said. Grabbing her shield, she went behind the figure and smacked the back of it’s knees. She heard the distinctive sound of metal hitting flesh, and the creature knelt slightly. She attacked again, and the creature was forced to fully kneel.

Using this opportunity, Thrud drove her spear trough it’s neck, ending the construct’s life. It, like the gazer, faded away into moths of purple light.

Mash rested her shield, breathing heavily.

Battle’s over, Master. We won. She said into her mental link.

Okay. We’re coming down. She heard. She looked at Thrud, who stood with confidence , not even winded.

“Excellent work, Thrud-san. You’re just as powerful as your sisters.” She praised her. The Valkyrie looked at her with a curious expression.

“I’m glad my combat performance was to your pleasure, Shielder.” She replied dryly. Mash was about to reply when a dark body landed near both girls, startling them.

“Oh dear! What a tiresome battle!” Said Da Vinci, coming up to the creature Mash recognized as a soul eater. It soon dissipated into smoke.

“You had better luck than us it seems, Da Vinci.” Said Mash.

“No luck involved with a genius, dear. Only my own advantage.” Said the genius, waving a finger.

“Guys! You okay?” Shouted her Master, running towards them while covering his face, Emiya not far behind him.

“Yes, Master. Battle has finished. All enemy signatures are gone.” Said Mash, bowing to her Master. From nearby came a cute sound trough the sandstorm, not quite cat not quite squirrel. When Mash looked in the direction where it came from, her vision was inundated with white.

“Oh, there you are Fou.” She said as she grabbed the small creature and let it sit on her shoulder.

“I was kinda worried for him. I’m glad he’s alright.” Said Fujimaru, now near the servants along his partner. The boy went near Mash and petted the small creature.

“Of course he’s alright. He’s the cutest most loveliest creature arou-AH!” Emiya tried to pet him and talk sweetly to the small cat squirrel, but it only growled at her before switching to the girl’s shoulder. At seeing this, the girl’s shoulders slumped. “What did I do to him? It’s been five singularities already!” She complained. Although Fou liked everyone in Chaldea, Emiya was the exception, the creature was always scurrying away from the master for no apparent reason. Mash theorized he found her overbearing.

“I’m sure he’ll warm up to you, Emiya-senpai. Just give him time.” She said to the Master.

“You already said that once.” Said Emiya, now more dejected.

“And I’ll say it again. Fou’s lovely, you’ll see.” She said, patting the Master on the head after some hesitation. After being met with no negative reaction, Mash continued her motion as the girl moaned in despair.

“All right. I found us a water source, and shelter too! You can praise me now!” Said Da Vinci. She extended her hands as if to receive admiration like a hug.

“That was fast!” Said Fujimaru.

“Of course it was. I’m a genius. This way.” She said, looking at a device in her artificial arm. As she headed off into the dunes, the group followed her.

Emiya Ritsuka stepped again into the sands, covering her face. The Masters and Servants were like pilgrims in the desert, advancing with barely covered faces against the raging sandstorm. It was an unpleasant feeling, with her hair and every orifice in her body covered with sand, her every step uneven in the dunes and her breath ragged and raspy. She shook her head, trying to ignore the complaints forming in her mind. Thrud was at her side, covering her with her round shield while she herself remained unfazed by the sands.

Fujimaru was the first to break the silence that had lasted an hour already.

“How much farther, Da Vinci?” Asked Fujimaru, bent slightly forwards, chest rising and falling rapidly.

“Ten more kilometers, Fujimaru-kun. Keep that spirit up.” Said the genius.

The boy sighed as he put his hands on his knees. At a moments notice, Mash was at his side.

“You feeling tired Senpai? I can lay down the shield like a sled and carry you.” Said the girl. Emiya smiled, she was too sweet for her own good at times.

“How about you, Emiya-san?” She asked, looking at the redhead.

“I’m good. Thanks, tough.” She said, stopping near Fujimaru. She too felt out of breath and almost suffocated. The air was full of mana, not unlike in London.

“Thank you… Mash… I’m good it’s just… hard to breathe…” He said between breaths.

“You feeling out of breath too, Master?” Asked Thrud. That surprised Emiya.

“Yes. Pretty… much.” She said, now breathing like the black haired teen.

“It’s no surprise. The mana density in the air is off the charts. These atmosphere is extremely hostile to humans.” Said Da Vinci, looking at the two tired teens with worry in her eyes. “Here, take this.”

She handed them two cylinders with a small hose leading into a transparent mouth mask.

“A mask?” Asked Mash, arching an eyebrow. “When did you make this?”

“Just now.” Said the genius with a wink. “It’s improvised, but it’ll filter mana. I told you you would need a genius.” Said Da Vinci, no doubt seeking more praise. Emiya shook her head at her antics before taking the masks off her hands and handing one to her partner.

Upon putting it on her face, she took a few breaths as if she just got out of a long dive underwater. She felt relieved and full of energy again.

“That’s so much better. You’re the best, Da Vinci.” Said the Redhead. At this, Caster smiled. Beside her, Fujimaru was having similar reactions to her upon putting on the mask.

“I’m good to go now, I think…” He said.

“We better hurry, Master is looking rather pale.” Said Mash with worry. Her Master grunted with slight annoyance. He WAS pale, his lips were chaffed and his eyes slightly bloodshot and irritated.

“I’m fine, Mash.” He said, brushing her off and walking again. Emiya caught sight of the Demi-Servant looking dejected, and went to the girl to clap her on the shoulder.

“I’m glad at least someone is looking out for him.” She said with a smile before moving again. The group silently traveled the sands once again, braving the sandstorm and avoiding being eroded like rocks.

The desert seemed endless, not only because they spent ten kilometers doing nothing but going up and down dunes, but also due to the fact that Ritsuka Emiya could not see if it was truly endless thanks to the sandstorm. She could make out a few dozen meters ahead, whoch meant the storm had somewhat subsided, but that was all.

Her throat felt dry and she was getting tired. Fujimaru looked worse than her in pretty much every aspect. Despite Olga Marie’s attempts and her own at making him train his body, he still had ways to go. Emiya herself was quite fit, thanks to the training her mom put her through and also following her dad’s example of early rising, eating healthy and doing exercise every day.

“We’re almost there, behind this dune.” Said Da Vinci, looking at her wrist device while walking. Emiya hastened her pace, anxious for some water. Climbing the tall dune with the help of her hands, she reached the top on her arms and knees to see what was ahead.

It gave way to a large sand valley significantly more flat than the terrain they had been traveling. The storm seemed to subside much more in this area, allowing for much better visibility. In the middle of the valley, the redheaded Master could make out a rectangular shape with several sticks in it’s vicinity.

Using a far-sight spell, she could identify it as a temple that resembled those she had seen from Egyptians in the history books.

“Anything interesting up here?” Asked Da Vinci, now on top of the dune. Emiya stood upright in embarrassment.

“A temple.” Said Fujimaru, now having climbed to the top along Mash and Thrud. “Finally some shelter.”

“It’s no good, we’ll have to look for something else. Maybe I can synthesize some water, if given a few hours.” Said Da Vinci with a serious voice while rubbing her chin. The change in her normally cheerful behavior unnerved the rest of the Chaldea squad.

“What do you mean no good?” Asked Fujimaru, speaking for everyone else.

“Look carefully.” Said Da Vinci. All eyes turned to the temple in the distance. Emiya could now see that it was not the only thing in the valley. Surrounding it, she could see quadrupedal shadows patrolling the grounds. She began counting them, trying to figure out how many they were up against.

“One, two, three…” She heard Fujimaru say out loud, counting just like her.

“I stopped after twenty.” She said with a sigh.

“Maybe we can get around them, or pick them off one by one, or attack them from afar…” Began mumbling the boy. Emiya was always amused when the boy came up with plans in the blink of an eye. Despite how many times he spoke without thinking, he was quite the tactician in certain situations. She remembered his plan to lure Heracles to the ark back in Okeanos.

“Absolutely not. Those are Sphinxes, Divine Beasts of the highest category.” Said Da Vinci, her voice stern.

“Caster is correct. A Sphinx will quickly repair it’s spirit core, along with it’s strong body and mental prowess, it’s a fearsome opponent. One is a challenge, multiple is well outside our capabilities at this moment.” Chimed in Thrud. Looking dejected, Fujimaru looked at her.

“What about you Emiya?” He asked her, clearly wanting her approval. She had none to give.

“Sorry, but if it’s too dangerous, it’s better to just look for something else. There has to be in this huge desert, right?” She said.

“Right.” He answered in barely more than a whisper. The group began to turn around when the boy looked back at the temple, and his eyes widened.

“Guys…” he said.

“What’s the matter Senpai?” Asked Mash.

“There’s a shadow coming towards us. Wait… like six or seven…” He said, squinting his eyes. At this, the group went back to it’s previous position overlooking the valley.

“The Sphinxes? We need to get out of here!” Said Emiya.

“Those shadows look more… human Senpai. Are they from the temple?” Asked Mash.

“Don’t know, but the Sphinxes are after them, keeping some distance. And they’re coming this way.” Said Da Vinci, stepping back slightly. The shadows moved at a coordinated speed, with the one leading the charge seemed faster than the others.

“We better get…” Began Fujimaru before being interrupted. A shadow sprang from the low end of the tune to the top in a large jump leaving the others lagging behind.

Except the figure was no shadow at all, tough it appeared to be trying it’s hardest to be one. Out of it’s dark cloak she could see a skull faced mask. The figure looked at the group, standing menacingly with a small dagger drawn. The killing intent put the group on alert with Mash, Thrud and Da Vinci standing in front of the Masters like a barrier.

“Damn. That armor… you’re from the holy city?” Said the figure, looking at Mash directly.

“Holy city?” She asked the figure. It chuckled with sarcasm.

“Are you lost? Or just stupid? Regardless, you will not stand in our way. Move.” She demanded.

“This magical energy… Are you a servant?” Asked Da Vinci. Ritsuka Emiya could feel the air tense around the servants. She grabbed her right forearm where her crest was located.

“I’ve got no reason to answer that. Now...”

The figure was interrupted however, by another group of red cloaked wanderers carrying a purple haired woman bound and unconscious.

“Lord Hundred Personas! The Sphinxes are coming! We have to go!” One of them shouted. Hundred Personas sighed, throwing it’s cloak away, revealing a dark skinned woman with an impressively toned body.

“Hundred Personas?” Asked Fujimaru, stepping near their frontline. “You’re a Hassan!” He said, but the servant ignored him. Emiya tensed, knowing that the Hassans were all Assassin class servants.

“Shame. We’ll have to take care of you, lest you snitch on us to the Lion King or whoever you work for.” She said, going into a combat stance. The figures behind her drew weapons as well.

“Get back Master, she’s ready to attack.” Said Mash, raising her shield and gently pushing Fujimaru back.

“Magical signatures are extremely low on the enemy side, Master. They’re humans.” Stated Thrud, raising her shield in front of her and poking her spear from behind it. The sandstorm grounded the Valkyrie, but it made her as lethal as if she could use her Swan Mystic Code.

“Try not to kill them. Please.” Said Fujimaru. Mash nodded, then Emiya looked at Thrud. The girl did not want anyone to die, especially humans that had little to do with Servants and Gods.

“Try to be gentle, Thrud. Use the pole of your spear.” She stated. The Valkyrie looked at her and then nodded.

“Understood.” Said the Valkyrie, and Emiya could swear she felt a tinge of annoyance coming from her servant’s voice.

The battlefield remained still, no one daring to make a move except the sandstorm. When the wind blew upon them once again, the Hassan jumped back and disappeared into the sandstorm. From behind her, two more figures also bearing skull masks jumped into the fray and attacked the servants.

Chaos broke out. The red cloaked figures charged forward, but stood no chance against the servants easily pushed back by Mash or incapacitated by Emiya’s magic. Meanwhile, Da Vinci and Thrud engaged the Assassins in a one sided fight, easily overpowering them and making them retreat.

Emiya used her crest to channel the Earth spells stored within. Earth magic was her affinity, and those spells related to energy manipulation, cultivation, embedding and transformation. A previous Tohsaka, she imagined, had dabbled in electric spells, which allowed her to stun the human combatants in order for Mash to knock them out.

The two Masters stood far back from the fight, with Fujimaru shouting orders to Mash and Emiya supporting the servants with spells. She saw Thrud push back the Hassan, and then turn to them, specifically, Fujimaru.

“Fujimaru-dono!” She screamed, preparing to throw her spear towards the boy. Before Emiya herself could react a shadow snuck behind the boy and grabbed him, putting a knife to his thorat. The boy’s face scrunched up in horror.

“Drop your weapons. Or your little Master dies.” She said coldly. Emiya reacted on instinct. Her chest tightened, as if her heart was the one being held at knife point. The entire fight stopped, the Servants looking with strained faces towards the Assassin.

“Why is it always me?!” He screamed in mild annoyance. It was not unusual for the Masters to be targeted by more intelligent enemies, and of the two, Fujimaru was always seen as the easier victim.

“Let him go!” She screamed, readying a powerful Gandr shot. Assasins had no innate magic resistance. Even if the Hassan was a servant, the curse was strong enough to at least do something. That’s what she hoped, because changing spells at this point would only get her friend killed. Her friend, one of the last people she had left.

“Did you really think an assassin like me would fight cleanly?” She said. She then looked at the female Ritsuka, who was doing her best to not do anything rash. Her hand shook slightly. “What are you planning to do girl? Attack me with magic? You, a human, against a servant? You’d best surrender.”

Emiya’s felt her ears ring and head hurt . She felt powerless, like in London where no matter what she did, what spells she used or how many command seals she spent , she could not defeat Solomon, and got Hildr practically killed. How could she prevent loss, in the state she was in ? How could she save humanity? Images of her mom went trough her head, cutting for a moment to a wasteland, then her father, and then another wasteland lined with swords.

“I…” She tried to say, finding her voice lacking. Fujimaru looked at her, still fearful yet not freaking out like her. How could he do that?

“Well, we have your captive. So, rather than surrender, how about we trade like good wanderers of the desert?” Asked Da Vinci, now fully turned to them. At her feet was the lady that the group of assassins had captured, a red cloaked figure lying on it’s knees behind her.

“Sorry, Lord Hassan. She’s quite the trickster.” He said. The Assassin sneered.

“Like I’d trade with Holy City knights. I think I’d take my chances killing this boy.” Said the woman. Emiya’s chest tightened even further, the girl clenched her teeth like never in her life, all to prevent any sudden movement.

“Senpai! Pleae don’t! I’ll stand down!” Begged Mash, now turning, her voice desperate.

“You’d best not do that, good servant of the shield. That’s not what you’re here to do. Hold your shield and your belief steadfast like a castle.” Said a smooth voice from the direction of the east. Before anyone could react, a silver figure moved in and slashed at the Hassan. The woman was forced to drop the boy and jump back while throwing daggers at the new arrival.

The figure did not let up, and after deflecting a dagger, slashed at the face of the Assasin. The woman was unharmed, but her mask was destroyed.

“Damn you!” She said, clucking her tongue. The figure stood still now. A knight in armor with white skin and whiter hair, who, in Emiya’s mind looked quite young and attractive. She shook those thoughts away, running to Fujimaru’s side while keeping her Gandr ready. With her advantage lost, the woman looked at her compatriots.

“Let’s retreat for now. The Old men of the Mountain are protected from these winds. We’ll let them decide your fate.” She said, before nodding to the rest of her group. The red cloaked figures split from their opponents. Not wanting to harm them, the Servants did not pursue.

“Wait! What do you want?! Let’s just talk!” Screamed Fujimaru towards the woman.

“Hmph. I won’t speak with clueless people like you. Once you see these lands with your own eyes, maybe we’ll talk.” She said, before vanishing into the sandstorm.

With the threat now gone, the servants lowered their weapons, and the knight sheathed his own. Both Masters took a sigh of relief, and Ritsuka Emiya immediately knelt next to Fujimaru.

“Are you okay Ritsu? I’m so…” She began to say before being interrupted by another girl.

“I’m so… so sorry Master! I should have stayed near you! Are you harmed?” Asked Mash desperately while searching Fujimaru’s body for wounds.

“I’m okay Mash, Thanks. It was my mistake for not taking that woman into account.” Said he, scratching the back of his head.

“And mine too.” She said, looking at the ground.

“You are right on that Master, you underestimated your enemies’ wit.” Said Thrud, strolling towards them. Emiya could not say anything, the Valkyrie was right. “If you don’t repeat that mistake, then there is nothing to be sorry about.”

“I’ve gone trough five singularities already. I should know better.” She admitted.

“According to Ortlinde and Hildr’s memories, you fought admirably against enemies that mostly crumbled under your constant assault. It’s not surprising that you would be caught off guard by enemies so intent on surviving.” She said again, in a cold but stern manner. Even tough it was harsh, she felt a little better.

“Thanks, Thrud. I guess…” She said, looking back at Fujimaru. “You sure you’re okay?” She asked.

“I’m fine, really. We should be thanking white knight over there.” He said, pointing towards the knight who stood there with a neutral expression.

“My, my. What a handsome face. Who might you be?” Asked Da Vinci, joining the group along with her purple haired ‘catch’.

“I’m Lucius. A servant without a Master. I’m glad I was able to help.” He stated.

“Without Master? Then…” Fujimaru began, intent on forming a contract. However, Lucius stopped him.

“We’ve not bonded enough for a contract. I just wanted to help, that’s all.” He said coldly. Fujimaru stood up, along with Mash and Emiya.

“Well, you can join us, still.” he said. The knight nodded. Then the black haired teen turned his attention to the girl in bonds.

“What do we do about about her?” He asked.

“She’s unconscious and unharmed it seems. Definitely the work of a stealth expert.” Said Da Vinci, releasing her restraints and proceeding to poke the girl in various places. She mumbled something in her sleep, about her ears and a pharaoh.

“I don’t think we should be doing that…” Said Emiya, seeing how regal she looked despite her little amount of cover.

“She should be grateful there’s a genius to wake her up. Come on now, wakey wakey!” Said Da Vinci. Finally, her eyes opened suddenly, her face freezing up and body going stiff.

“Oh, she’s awake.” Said Fujimaru, looking at her curiously.

Faster than her eye could see, the woman got up and retreated away from them, standing upright with a staff on her hand and a look of shock and outrage on her face.

“You! What is the meaning of this! You dare touch a pharaoh!” She shouted, the magical energy around her growing in strength.

“What? No… we saved you from those assassins!” Said Fujimaru, but the girl was having none of it.

“Nonsense! I was in my temple, dutifully attending the mission King Ozymandias gave me, then I wake up here, with you claiming you rescued me from the claws of death with no reason or even knowing who I am! That story is simply impossible to believe! She said.

I don’t think she will listen to us Master. Said Thrud trough their link.

Yeah. This might get complicated, as always. Said Emiya as the Pharaoh continued to ramble.

“Please miss. Just let us explain ourselves!” He said, but nothing seemed to get trough the woman’s head.

“Even if I believed you, you witnessed my disgrace. Now you’ll have to demonstrate your worth, or perish under the judgement of the Pharaoh’s divine beast!” She exclaimed, raising her staff. From behind her, a creature landed with the body of a lion, wings of an eagle and a masked face came forth.

“Master! A sphinx is about to engage! Orders please!” Mash shouted towards Fujimaru. As everyone else got ready to battle the beast, Lucius came forward, demeanor calm and collected.

“There’s no need for that. A battle born of misunderstanding is nothing to waste your time or resources over. Let me handle it.” he said, facing down the creature with an impassive expression.

“Lucius?” Asked Emiya, trying to reach out to him before he did something reckless. A hand stopped her. Thrud looked at her with a stern look.

“He may look weak, but he has an extraordinary power. Let him fight.” She said. Emiya looked at her servant then at the knight and back at her servant. She had never heard Thrud so sure about something. Nodding, she stepped back.

The creature roared, but the knight simply raised his right arm. It was not armored at all, in fact, it seemed to be an artificial arm made of steel and beautifully engraved. The beast charged the knight, but he only muttered something that Emiya could not discern except for one phrase.

Switch On

She felt a pang of pain in her mind, and before she could react, the knight had slashed the creature with his arm, now enveloped in a golden light. The creature fell with a grumble and disappeared , leaving no trace behind. The group was stunned at the sudden display of power, and the woman was left with her mouth dangling agape.

“You… You… How…?” She stuttered, retreating slightly.

“No spiritron reconstruction detected! He felled the Sphinx with one sweep of his arm!” Mash said.

“Indeed. There’s no doubt about it, that’s Airgetlam, the War God Nuadha’s arm in Celtic mythology. But how did he get access to a divine class artifact?” Da Vinci muttered, quickly recomposed and her curiosity raised.

“Honorable Pharaoh Nitocris, Incarnation of Horus!” Lucius exclaimed, now looking directly at the woman. “These interlopers from Chaldea saved you honorably from the Old Man of the Mountain. I witnessed it myself. If you still refuse to believe them, I’ll have no choice but to use this silver arm yet again.” He said, raising his right arm to chest level. The Pharaoh retreated slightly at the sight of the weapon.

“But… They have no reason to help me… They’re not citizens of Egypt…” She said meekly, looking at the ground.

“Do you really wish to argue further? Won’t your standing with the Sun King deteriorate even more if he found out what you did here, mistreating these travelers?” Asked the knight sternly. The pharaoh was at a loss for words, looking ashamed and saddened. Long gone was the upright looking queen that took no offense from anyone. She looked like someone that would be teased constantly. That’s when Emiya saw an opportunity.

“Quickly, Fujimaru, do your thing.” She told him quietly.

“My thing…?” He asked, confused.

“Yes, the talking thing. Do it!” She said, shoving him forwards. Glaring at her slightly, the took a deep breath and then faced towards the knight and queen.

“Pharaoh!” He yelled, catching her attention as well as Lucius’. “You finally believe us!” He shouted, pointing a finger at her. The mouth of the woman became a thin line, her face blushing red.

“Why? Why are shouting that all of sudden?” She asked, but Fujimaru didn’t let up.

“We saved you! And then you attacked us! We demand compensation!” He said, putting his hands on his hips and puffing his chest out. The pharaoh looked again at the ground, clearly embarrassed.

“I… I guess your right… There’s no other explanation for my situation. I believe you, travelers. I guess I must thank you.” She said, rubbing her arm.

“That’s right! We demand some water!” Shouted the boy. The Pharaoh looked at him in surprise.

“V-Very well… If that’s all…” She said, but Emiya was not going to let this opportunity go to waste.

“We also demand fruit!” She shouted.

“A-Alright then…” However, Mash also stepped up along with Thrud.

“And some shelter!” Said the Shielder.

“And a banquet” Said Thrud nonchalantly.

“And a bath, and being able to relax and be tended to too!” Exclaimed Da Vinci. The three teens at her side looked at her with deadpan expressions while Thrud covered her eyes with one hand.

“Fou, Fou!” The little creature chimed in, probably also demanding something.

“What’s with you acting so brazenly? I… Alright, I’ll see that you demands are tended to, since you saved me. Follow me to the central city of Egypt, Ramesseum Tentyiris. I’ll welcome you as my guests, and you will not have to solve a sphinx’s riddle to get in. You only need to escort me there.” She said, regaining some of her composure.

“Fine by us. Right?” Said Fujimaru, looking at the group for approval. All of them nodded.

“Very well. Now… let’s get rid of these bothersome winds.” She said, turning around and knocking the ground with her staff. “Oh winds! I release you from your duties! Show us a view of the heavens by decree of Nitocris!” She shouted to the sky. So Nitocris was her name.

At first, the winds seemed to grow even stronger, but after a moment, they subsided, and the wall of dust that obscured their entire vision dissipated, allowing the view of an endless sea of sand under a clear blue sky.

“Wow! The storm is gone, Senpai! The sky is blue as far as you can see!” Said Mash, looking happily at the sky while Nitocris smiled. The group looked upwards, and while Emiya thought the sky was nice, it was soiled by the familiar band of light present in all singularities.

“That thing is still there. The band of light.” She said.

“It’s been there for a long time now. It’s frustrating, really. Only the sun should reign in the sky.” Said the queen with a frown, before turning around and pointing her staff west. “The city is to the west, about two hours from here. Please follow me.” She said, starting to stroll forwards. The group followed her closesly, until Emiya noticed that not everyone was walking.

She turned around to see the knight looking at them go, with what seemed to be melancholy.

“You’re not coming, Lucius?” She asked.

“No. It is not my mission to assist you. I did it simply on my honor as a knight. You may consider it a lucky coincidence.” He said.

“Still. After all that, won’t you be better off with us?” She asked.

“I’m sorry but no. I’m a wanderer, unfit to be in company of others.” He said, looking sadly at the ground, as if those very same words hurt him. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave.” He said before turning and walking away in a direction opposite to theirs. Emiya lost sight of him once he crossed the final dune.

Master, is something the matter? She heard her Servant ask.

Lucius left. She told her trough the link, turning around to see the group had already gone ahead, with Thrud levitating slightly and waiting for her.

A shame. He was an excellent warrior. She told her. After she reached the Valkyrie, they picked up their pace and followed the group. She could hear Da Vini, Mash and Nitocris ahead, talking about something related to demonic beasts.

“Hey Thrud…” She said, catching the Servant’s attention. The Valkyrie looked at her curiously.

“You told me to trust Lucius. How did you know?” She asked. The Valkyrie looked ahead, pensive, before answering.

“As a Valkyrie, I am designed to identify potential Heroes and brave souls to guide to Valhalla. Lucius seemed to be split, he was a hero, but also a coward. His power resided wholly on that arm of his, but his constitution seemed to be that of a Heroic Spirit of the highest caliber.” She said.

“So, he’s a really weird Servant? We have seen our fair share of those.” Said Emiya, glancing behind her towards where Lucius had walked off to.

“For a moment, he seemed completely human. That’s what bothers me. I couldn’t properly identify him.” Said the Valkyrie, sounding unsure of herself for the first time since Ritsuka summoned her. Emiya wanted to comfort her, even if it was unnecessary.

“Maybe if we meet him, you can take a better look at him. He did leave pretty fast.” She said, patting the Valkyrie on the head. The wings atop her fluttered slightly, but the Valkyrie’s expression remained stern.

“I’m sure this encounter was no mere coincidence, Master. Fate is a strange thing indeed, we’ll meet him again. I only hope he knows what he is by then.”