Interludio: Chaldea (1). (FTHD - 32)

POV: ??? Heat. It was the first thing I felt as I regained consciousness. Fire. It was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes. Destruct

POV: ???

Heat. It was the first thing I felt as I regained consciousness.

Fire. It was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes.

Destruction. No matter where I looked.

Chaos. Destroyed buildings, charred bodies, flames that didn’t seem like flames. They exhaled the stench of death, burnt flesh, and blood.

I felt a shiver down my spine… The smell was horrible… I felt like throwing up…

Where was I?…

When I heard the sound of bones clashing from behind a destroyed building nearby, my first instinct was to freeze. Motionless, so whatever it was wouldn’t see me, wouldn’t attack me.

Dodge. They already know you’re here.

A voice whispered from somewhere, almost as if the speaker were standing right beside me. The voice was male, I didn’t recognize it, but for some reason, it felt familiar… I’m not sure why, but my body moved on its own the moment I heard the voice, following its words like a order.

Good thing I did.

Moments after I moved, I heard something hit the spot where I had been. A blade, I realized; the movement of air at the back of my neck and the sound of cutting against the ground gave it away.

I saw strands of red hair flying in the corner of my vision. That was close…

I didn’t turn to confirm; my curiosity was secondary when my life was at risk. I kept running, even as I felt the side of my body start to burn from the exertion. I kept running.

The sound of bones behind me wasn’t fading! I shouted mentally. It was the only place I could shout; my mouth was too busy pulling air into my lungs.

When I stumbled and nearly fell, I was sure I wouldn’t get up again before I even hit the ground. I closed my eyes, waiting for death to come for me.

“Senpai!”

Apparently, it had been quick and painless; I was even hearing Mash’s voice…

“Craaack!”

I only realized I wasn’t dead moments later, when I heard the sound of bones breaking behind me. Not just one, but several. I turned to see what was happening.

Mash was fighting against several skeleton-like things. She had a giant cross-shaped shield spinning rapidly, striking and smashing the skeletons with force.

The battle didn’t take long to end. Mash moved like a powerhouse; within seconds, all the skeleton-like things were shattered into pieces.

“Senpai! Are you okay?!” Mash turned around as soon as all the enemies were destroyed and ran to me.

I blinked when I noticed the armor she was wearing, if I could even call it armor. Why was her midriff exposed?… Wasn’t that skirt a bit short too?…

I shook my head and pushed those thoughts away.

“I’m fine… Mash…” I replied as I stood up. I couldn’t help but grunt from the pain of the cuts on my hands and forearms. I hadn’t even realized I was injured from the fall.

My voice came out more breathless than I intended as well. Breathing hurt a bit, and it wasn’t from the smoke. I need to start working out more…

“Just a bit out of breath…” I stood up and waved my hands. Mash noticed the cuts instantly.

“You’re hurt!?” Mash ran to my side, beginning to inspect me.

“Just a few… cuts. It’s nothing serious.” Or at least I hoped it wasn’t. With all the bodies around, I wouldn’t be surprised if the cuts got infected.

I’ll disinfect them later. It’s better to see Dr. Roman when we get back to Chaldea as well…

Chaldea turns red…

Flashes of memories hammered my brain as I had a few seconds to think.

Explosion. Fire. Screams. Blood. Mash…

...A… Sen… pai? Would you mind… Holding my hand?

“Mash!” I unconsciously shouted and turned to inspect her the same way she had been inspecting me. “You, you were… Your injuries?…”

I saw Mash smile for a moment before responding.

“I’m fine, senpai. Look, my injuries are gone.” She turned, showing her arms and back. “Senpai… Maybe I should use the official title… Master. We need to move, we’re in unknown territory.”

Master?…

Before I could ask more questions, especially about why she was calling me Master, my wrist communicator beeped, and a robotic voice echoed through the surroundings.

[Unstable connection! Stabilizing connection!]

[Connection partially stabilized!]

[Initiating communication!]

After these words, a hologram appeared next to Mash. I recognized who it was almost instantly; after all, it had barely been an hour since I spoke with him.

“Right, I finally got through! Hello? This is Chaldea Command Room? Do you read me?” Dr. Roman’s voice came through the hologram with slight interference.

Mash took the lead and was the first to speak.

“This is Mash Kyrielight, a member of A Team. At this time, I’ve completed the shift to Singularity F. My sole companion is Ritsuka. Mind and body both intact. Rayshift compatibility, Master compatibility both satisfactory. Please register Ritsuka as an official researcher.”

Again with the Master?… I stopped myself from asking. I didn’t think it was the right time; we had more urgent matters at hand.

“...So Ritsuka also got dragged into the Rayshift, huh? I’m impressed you didn’t ‘lose your existence.’” I felt a shiver down my spine with Dr. Roman’s words.

What did he mean by losing my existence?…

“-I’m really glad. Also, Mash… Of course, I’m glad you’re safe too… But what’s up with that outfit? It’s shameless! I didn’t raise you to dress like that!”

Was he her father? I looked at the two of them. They didn’t look alike at all…

“I’ve turned into this. I figured my Chaldea uniform wouldn’t be effective for fighting and protecting Senpai,” Mash replied with slightly flushed cheeks.

“What do you mean by transformed, Mash? Did you hit your head? Or was it that—”

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”

Dr. Roman stopped speaking when a female scream echoed in the distance. I recognized the voice; after all, I had heard her scream at me not long ago.

“Director Olga?” I murmured before speaking louder. “We need to go, Mash! It’s the Director’s voice!”

Mash nodded and didn’t hesitate to follow my command. Dr. Roman spoke just before we started running.

“Find a strong leyline to stabilize the connection! There’s one a few dozen meters from you!” His voice faded along with the hologram. I couldn’t tell if it was due to the loss of connection or if he had turned off the communication himself.

It took us no more than thirty seconds to reach the location of the scream. I’m sure Mash could have done it much faster if she were alone, but she slowed her pace to stay with me.

The first thing I heard as we got closer was another scream, followed by an irritated and tearful voice.

“Wh-Who are these guys, anyway? Why do these things keep happening to me? I can’t take it anymore! Come save me, Lev! You were always there for me, right?”

Director Olga was throwing a magic ball at one of those skeleton-like things with every word. If it were just a few, she could probably have dealt with the situation on her own, but there were dozens.

“Mash!” I shouted when I saw one of those skeleton-like things attacking Director Olga from behind.

Mash, who was by my side, kicked the ground, became a blur, and reappeared behind Director Olga, hitting the skeleton-like thing with her shield before turning and kicking another.

I took advantage of the skeleton-like things focusing on Mash and the Director to sneak away and hide as best as I could. I knew my limits; it was better not to hinder Mash by trying to help.

I kept an eye on my surroundings while waiting for the battle to end. I didn’t want to be attacked from behind without noticing; I didn’t think I’d be saved by a mysterious voice out of nowhere a second time…

… What was that voice, anyway?

I emerged from my hiding place among the debris when the noise of the fight stopped.

“-tle is over. Are you hurt, Director?” I couldn’t hear the first part of Mash’s sentence due to the distance and the noise of the flames around. It was hot…

Ignoring the fatigue and the pain in my lungs, I ran to the two of them.

“… What’s going on? Mash?… Are you one?…” Director Olga looked at Mash confused before noticing me and pointing at me. “You! You’re the civilian woman who arrived late to my speech!”

“Is this really the time for this?…” I murmured. Director Olga ignored me and continued speaking, her voice growing louder with each word.

“- How did you become a Master? Only first-class Magi can form contracts with Servants! There’s no way you could become a Master! What did you do to her to make her obey your orders?” By the end, her voice was practically a shout.

“I don’t even know where we are! Let alone what a Master or a Servant is!” I shouted back with a growl.

Part of me knew it wasn’t a good idea to argue there, but it was quickly silenced by the angrier, more irritated, and confused part.

Director Olga took a step back with my shout before frowning with an irritated look.

“Who do you think you are to—”

Mash interrupted her before the argument could escalate.

“There’s a misunderstanding, Director. Actually, I was the one who forced the contract with Senpai.”

“Wait, what?” Director Olga turned to Mash.

“I’ll explain what happened later.” Mash looked around before frowning. “First, we need to get out of here. We’re too exposed to attacks.”

I ignored the petty part that wanted to argue and agreed with Mash.

“Dr. Roman said there was a ley-something nearby, didn’t he?” I said, looking around. I couldn’t see any lines. “It’s something we can use to communicate with Chaldea, right?”

“A ley-something?… You know what, never mind. I’ll deal with that later.” Director Olga’s sigh was audible. “Yes, we need to find a Terminal Leyline. In this city, it should be…”

She looked around for a moment before choosing a direction. Mash turned her around before she could start walking.

“I sensed the Leyline in that direction, Director Olga.” Mash pointed to the opposite side from where the Director was heading. Director Olga blushed for a moment before clearing her throat into her hand.

“Cough… C… Right. Of course, I knew that. Well, let’s go!” She didn’t wait for a response before starting to walk. I exchanged a glance with Mash before we both began to follow her.

“Mash, put your shield on the ground. I’ll set up a summoning circle, using your Noble Phantasm as a catalyst.” Director Olga didn’t wait for a response again before starting to draw a circle on the ground with letters I had no idea about.

Magic was magic. I shrugged and turned to Mash while waiting for everything to be ready.

“So… What’s a Servant and why am I a Master?” I whispered to Mash before adding, after thinking for a moment: “Give me a summary, I don’t think we have time for a full lecture.”

She was silent for a second before replying.

“A Servant is a hero from the past who made their mark on history. Someone who performed a deed worthy of being remembered as a Heroic Spirit and marked on the Throne of Heroes for all eternity.”

I blinked.

“That explains some things, while not really explaining others,” I murmured before continuing in a lighter tone. “I didn’t know you were so old, Mash.”

I could see her cheeks redden before puffing up with her pout.

“Senpai is mean… And I’m not old.” She murmured. I chuckled. “I’m not a Servant, Senpai, I’m a Demi-Servant. A… Human, who merged with a Heroic Spirit, so to speak.”

I noticed a certain hesitation when she said ‘human,’ but I didn’t comment on it. It wasn’t the place, nor the time.

“Do you know which Servant merged with you?” I asked. I wasn’t very good at history… Which heroes used shields?…

Damn, I couldn’t remember any!

“I don’t know. Whoever it was, just gave me their combat skills and then disappeared.” Mash shook her head with a slightly frustrated look. “They never revealed their True Name… I don’t even know what kind of Noble Phantasm I’m holding…”

My hand moved without my permission when I saw Mash’s sulky face and gave her two pats on the head. She looked at me confused for a moment but didn’t pull away.

“Don’t worry, we’ll figure out what your Noble Phantasm is.” I gave her two more pats before pulling my hand away. “What is a Noble Phantasm, by the way?”

She hadn’t told me what a Master was either… But I could piece together that it was something involving the Servants. A contract as well, from what Director Olga had said…

I looked at the back of my hand. I had noticed that tattoo some time ago, even though at first, I had thought it was a bruise… Was it part of that contract?…

Before I could ask about the tattoo or Mash could answer about the Noble Phantasm, Director Olga’s voice came from the side.

“I’ve finished the summoning circle. I’ll try to connect us to Chaldea—” Before she could finish speaking, Dr. Romani’s hologram appeared above Mash’s shield.

“CQ, CQ. Hello, hello? Finally! The connection is back! Good job, Mash, Ritsuka!”

“Romani! What the hell are you doing in the command room? And Lev? Where is Lev? Put Lev on the call!” Director Olga interrupted and pointed at the hologram.

“Waaaaaahhhhhhh! D-Director, you’re alive?” Dr. Roman yelled as if he were seeing a ghost. “And you’re unharmed?… What?…”

Something here stank…

“And what is that supposed to mean?! Where is Lev?! What the hell is the med chief doing in charge of operations?!” Director Olga continued shouting. “Why isn’t someone qualified there?!”

Dr. Romani hesitated to respond this time. Even through the hologram, I could see his frown and disturbed expression.

“I… I’m the only one. I know I’m not suited for this job. But there’s no one else.” He spoke in a low and dead tone. “Currently, the full-time surviving team at Chaldea is less than twenty people, including me… The only reason I’m in charge is because there’s no one ranked higher than me…”

Fire. Explosion. Screams. Blood…

Chaldea goes red…

…Um... Sen...pai? Would you mind… Holding my hand?

The same memories from before returned with Dr. Roman’s words. The same scenes played in my mind like a movie being replayed on TV…

I shook my head. It wasn’t the time…

No. It. Was. The. Time…

I focused on Dr. Roman’s words.

“Dr. Lev was overseeing from the Command Room… I’m sorry, but there was no way he could have survived that explosion…”

“No way… Lev…” I saw Director Olga clench her hands until the knuckles turned white. She was also biting her lips hard. “No, forget it. It wasn’t the time…”

She lifted her head and stared at Dr. Roman through the hologram.

“You said there are fewer than 20 survivors? And the Master candidates… The coffins?” She asked. Dr. Roman hesitated before responding.

“...47, all in critical condition and we’re short on medical supplies… We can save some, but they might all already be—”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Cryopreserve them immediately. Plan to revive them later! Your top priority is to ensure they don’t die!” She growled the orders, clenching her fists even tighter.

“47 lives… I can’t bear this burden…” I heard her murmur. “Please, don’t die… I beg you… If only Lev were here…”

I frowned and suppressed the urge to go and hug her. No matter how fragile she might seem, I didn’t think she would appreciate the gesture.

As Dr. Roman went to do whatever he needed with the coffins, I stepped forward to speak with Director Olga.

“Director—What?…”

The moment my foot touched the summoning circle, it glowed with a bluish-white light. I saw Director Olga’s eyes widen and Mash move beside me.

At the same time, I heard a voice inside my head. It wasn’t the same as before. Before, the voice was masculine, human, something told me. It seemed to come from my side… This one didn’t.

This voice was feminine, distant. It seemed to come from afar, from above. It was hazy, like a distant dream… A whisper…

“Before all else, I must inquire: would you bear the burden of madness to preserve those around you? Even if it should lead to your own ruin?…”

Fire. Explosion. Screams. Blood…

Chaldea goes red…

…Um...Sen...pai? Would you mind… Holding my hand?

The answer slipped from my lips without me realizing, hesitating, or thinking.

“Yes.”

Then the world exploded with moonlight.

                                                                 ~ Fate/The Hunter and His Doll ~

POV: Doll.

“I feel something trying to pull me. It’s subtle, weak. A summoning?” I spoke aloud before turning to the Good Hunter who was sitting at the foot of the tree in the workshop. “Do you feel it too, Good Hunter?”

“Yes, but it’s not calling for me.” The Good Hunter replied in a low tone. I could see his eyes glowing. “I am not needed in such an era; my presence, however brief and weak, would cause any Singularities except that one to collapse…”

Singularity?… I held back my curiosity; the Good Hunter hadn’t finished speaking.

“I could stabilize them by force. That would allow my presence in a shell, but…” He turned to me. His eyes shone with a soft Insight. “Would you like to respond to such a summoning, Doll?”

“Alone?” I asked.

“Never. My moon shall never cease to guide and protect your steps, no matter the time or place.” The moonlight accompanied his voice. I couldn’t help but smile at his words.

“But your physical body wouldn’t be there beside me.” I said, extending my hand to hold the Good Hunter’s. A squeeze of my hand and a nod were his response.

I hesitated. It had been a long time since I had been apart from the Good Hunter… A very, very long time…

“What’s the situation?” I asked. The Good Hunter wouldn’t be talking about this if it weren’t something important.

“Humanity has been incinerated. History fragmented into seven unstable points, Singularities.” He explained calmly. “The one summoning you is the last desperate hope of Alaya. A young woman. The last master of humanity.”

“A young woman?…” I murmured. “Alone?”

“She has companions and will have more. But the weight of her position is still hers and hers alone.” The Good Hunter replied, looking into the distance. I had no doubt he was looking at the said young woman.

A great weight. I knew that. Bearing humanity was something that would weigh on any shoulder… I touched the connection that was calling me. A question was all I needed.

“You’ve made your decision.” The Good Hunter’s voice echoed through the dream. It wasn’t a question.

“Is my presence necessary for this young woman’s victory?” I asked before answering.

“No.”

“But it would make the path easier.” I stated.

“By much.” He did not deny.

“Then I am decided.” I could feel the Good Hunter’s joy and amusement echo throughout the dream.

Before reaching the summoning that was calling me, the Good Hunter’s voice echoed one last time. I felt the moonlight embrace me softly.

“We will meet again in London, my dear Doll…”

Then my mind was guided out of the dream. My body rested in the Good Hunter’s arms.

The journey was brief, the summoning even briefer. Just enough time to create a vessel that would support my mind. I shaped part of the vessel as I possessed it. It was weaker than my real body, but it would be enough for now…

I opened my eyes as I felt my materialization into the waking world. I looked at the people surrounding me. Three women, two young and one adult.

I focused on the one I could feel was my summoner and gave a subtle bow, placing both hands in front of my body while bowing my head.

I took care not to let my new hat fall. It was curious to wear such garments, almost nostalgic…

“Pleased to meet you, my summoner…” I raised my head. It was night. The surroundings were on fire…

How nostalgic… I suppose it’s appropriate then…

“Servant Saber, Lady Maria presents herself for the hunt.”

[...]---[...]

I really don’t know if this is considered an interlude or an omake. Well, I’ll just call it an interlude and leave it at that.

Let the fun begin, everyone! The hype I felt when writing this chapter is real.

“Servant Saber, Lady Maria presents herself for the hunt.”