—I'm seeing someone's dream.
There was a man led by God. A man driven mad by a spear.
A boy born and raised in an utterly ordinary village. One day, he learned he possessed the ultimate god-slaying power and bore the bloodline of a hero destined to leave his mark on history.
The turning point that could have led to greatness brought not glory, but the beginning of loneliness. He could trust no one. He could rely on no one. The spear that upended his life became the only thing he could believe in.
Gathering strength, collecting allies, and discarding his name, the man reached a conclusion.
This power must have meaning. He, born with this power, must be destined for glory. Such an obsession—or delusion—drove him forward.
"I'll become the poison of non-humans. I'll show just how far a human can go."
One day, on a battlefield, a woman told him that neither his power nor his blood held any meaning for the great deed he sought to achieve.
He was confronted with the reality he'd averted his eyes from. The illusions clouding his vision were shattered.
It would have been easier to break there, but the man did not stop.
Because he had met him. Because he had learned of him. The existence of an ordinary person who accomplished a great deed. He admired him. He tried to become him.
As a result, the man failed to protect his mentor, his comrades, even innocent people. All he was allowed was a small struggle, a slight resistance, a faint hope. He tried to save even a handful of people devoured by non-humans. He sold even his afterlife, forcibly reaching out his hand. For just one more person, and another.
He repelled a terrifying evil god. He defeated the Satan he targeted. He annihilated a horde of grotesque non-humans. These were supposed to be the heroic feats he sought.
Without victory's cheers or praise for a hero, the man tasted only emptiness.
Finally, he realized what he had truly sought. How misguided his path of conquest had been.
Yet, for the man, the painful journey began there. He destroyed what he had recognized as valuable, as truly precious. With his own hands, he created hell. There was no glory he sought, only a blood-soaked self.
He saw hell. He saw hell. He saw hell.
No one should pity him. This was the price of his inappropriate, unworthy ideals. The reckoning for his mistakes.
But to think this is the fate of a man who tried to save the world—his heart feels like it might break.
The man arrived at his past self. The self before repeating his mistakes.
He remembered what he had gained.
He met the Savior who inherited what he left behind. The future he connected. And he finally learned he had truly become what he aimed for.
The man found his answer.
Thus, he is here.
"Nn, nnh…?"
With a small groan, the girl awoke.
As she raised her head, her sunset-orange hair swayed gently.
Ritsuka Fujimaru, affiliated with the Chaldea Security Organization.
"Uh…"
She felt like she had a long dream. She forgot its contents upon waking, but as she pondered, Ritsuka recalled her situation.
First, she confirmed she was at a table in Chaldea's cafeteria. Across from her, two women were sleeping in similar postures, both sound asleep. Blankets covered their backs. Looking down, she saw a blanket on herself too.
"Oh, right. I fell asleep talking with them…"
She didn't recall the blankets, so Ritsuka glanced around for someone nearby.
"You're awake, Master."
A voice came from close by.
Turning, she saw a man leaning against the wall.
A man in a cloak and bandages, carrying a coffin as tall as himself. An Archer-class Servant. True Name: ××.
A name sounding Chinese, but Ritsuka didn't know any hero by that name. Neither did the Doctor nor Mash. More accurately, no Heroic Spirit matching him existed in history. Of course, he could be too obscure to be recorded in texts. Just as Ritsuka hadn't known Arash, said to be famous in the West.
But she felt that wasn't it. He likely wasn't a proper Heroic Spirit. A Cleaner, a Guardian, a soldier of the Counter Force—something like the two "Emiyas."
He was a veteran summoned at the first Singularity. There were many situations they wouldn't have survived without him. In the First Singularity, he challenged a giant evil dragon. In the Second, he withstood a blow from the Great King of Destruction. In the Third, he stalled a great hero. In the Fourth, he resisted the violence of a Grand. In the Fifth, he repelled a fused Demon God. In the Sixth, he deflected the light of the holy lance. In the Seventh, he clung to a fallen goddess. At the Final Singularity—
"It's fine to get caught up in conversation, but three young ladies sleeping in a place like this? Especially when all three have a tough road ahead."
"Sorry. That's exactly why."
"…Yeah, that'd make anyone passionate."
The battle against the Evil of Humanity Goetia, who impersonated King Solomon, to reclaim humanity's incinerated past, ended recently. Now, they awaited investigators from the Mage's Association and the United Nations.
Having just saved humanity, returning home calmly seemed far off.
"Ultimately, all Servants in Chaldea will have to leave. Nobunaga or Kiyohime might try to stay, but when the time comes, I'll head back quick. …I'll say it now: these days of battle with you were fulfilling. It might be inappropriate, but I enjoyed them."
"That's my line. Without you, ××, Mash, the Director, and I would be dead."
Ritsuka looked at the two still sleeping.
Her first Servant, Mash Kyrielight. Chaldea's Director, Olga Marie Animusphere. Comrades who fought Evil of Humanity, irreplaceable friends.
"Mash and the Director said we need to thank you somehow."
"I'm the one grateful. To have you do something for us—no, there is one thing I'd ask."
His words carried strong resolve.
"No matter what happens, don't despair."
They resonated like a devout apostle's prayer.
"No, you probably wouldn't despair anyway. …Wait, that's not it. That's expectation. I shouldn't impose my ideals like an obsession."
His tone was oddly profound, as if disappointed not in bearing expectations but in someone who clung to shameful ones.
"I want you to pursue your wish. No need to dress it up. The wish in your heart is natural for a living being, the most precious thing. That's the arrogant wish of this powerless archer."
(He wants me to be myself?)
Where's the arrogance in that? Only someone like Karna would say something similar. As she was about to say so, an alarm blared.
"Huh…!?"
"Wha—what!? A fire!?"
The piercing sound woke Mash and Olga Marie.
"Director! Ritsuka-chan! Mash! Emergency! Please come to the control room immediately!"
At da Vinci's announcement, the three nodded to each other.
Entering the control room amid the blaring alarm, they found da Vinci and staff facing the instruments.
"What's the situation? Explain."
"Details are unclear. We've detected a Singularity-like reaction. Comparative analysis with past Singularities shows high similarity to Singularity F, but—"
"A fluctuation in the Human Order Foundation! —What!?"
"No time to be shocked! Report! Is it as big as the seven Singularities!?"
Olga Marie's question was met with a vigorous headshake—not up and down, but side to side.
"The opposite! No Human Order fluctuation detected!"
"What!?"
Who could blame Olga Marie's shocked cry? Many shared her reaction. A Singularity is a cornerstone of Human Order. An anomaly there should affect Human Order. That's why Chaldea's alarm was ringing.
"We've seen seven Singularities! It must be a mistake. A Singularity detected with no Human Order fluctuation? That's absurd!"
"D-Don't yell at me!"
"Director, scold later. Suffer there until we know if it's a measurement error or something else!"
"U-Understood! Starting comparative analysis with past Singularities!"
Simultaneously, another staff member shouted a report.
"Singularity detected! Location—Kyoto, Japan!"
☆Bonus☆
Class: Archer
True Name: ××
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Stats:
Strength: C+
Endurance: B
Agility: A
Mana: C
Luck: E
Noble Phantasm: A+
Cards:
Quick: 2
Arts: 1
Buster: 2
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: D
Slightly increases own debuff resistance.
Independent Action: B
Increases own critical damage.
Personal Skills:
Clairvoyance (False): A
Grants self Evasion (1 turn) + Increases own critical damage [Lv.1] (3 turns).
Demon God's Blessing (True): A
Changes own class to ??? (3 turns) + Greatly increases own critical star generation rate [Lv.1] (3 turns).
Longinus: EX
Grants self [demonic] special attack [Lv.1] (3 turns) + Grants self [Divine] special attack [Lv.1] (3 turns).
Noble Phantasm:
Name: False Incineration Formula XIII - Catastrophe Longinus
Rank: —
Type: Buster
Category: Anti-Divine Mystery
Effects: Increases own Noble Phantasm damage (1 turn) + Deals powerful damage to all enemies [Lv.1~] + Reduces all enemies' defense (3 turns).
[Battle]
Start:
"Let's finish this quick."
"Enjoying battle? I forgot that way of life."
Skills:
"Do you know this?"
"Don't underestimate me!"
Command Cards:
"That's good."
"Nice choice."
"Got it."
Noble Phantasm Card:
"Here's the moment, Another End to overturn the apocalypse."
Attack:
"Sei!"
"Ha!"
"Die!"
Extra Attack:
"Didn't see that coming, huh?"
Noble Phantasm:
"Holy Lance activated. Multi-layered Noble Phantasm deployment. I'll show you our way of life! False Incineration Formula XIII - Catastrophe Longinus!"
"Magic coffin opened. Composite Sacred Gear linkage. Weaving humanity's past and future. False Incineration Formula XIII - Catastrophe Longinus!"
Damage:
"Tch!"
"This is…!"
Defeated:
"Again…?"
"This time, I wanted to protect…"
Victory:
"A victory cry feels good."
"We'll win next time too, guaranteed."
[Ascension]
Level Up:
"Thanks."
Ascension:
1: "Even fallen this low, getting stronger is thrilling."
2: "Sorry, the bandages stay. They're like a symbol of my sins."
3: "Pretty ugly face, right? Can't show it to some nurse… Heh, think so too, Master?"
4: "Thank you, Master. For this loser… No, degrading myself now is rude to you and him. Right, leave it to me. Your Servant is the strongest. I could even kill a god now."
[My Room]
Bond Level:
1: "No good comes from bothering with a guy like me."
2: "Ugh, what? Your eyes are too bright for a failure like me."
3: "Why put so much faith in a weakling like me? You're a hopeless optimist, Master."
4: "Reminds me of the past. Those fools who believed in a useless guy like me… This time, I'll—"
5: "I swore off using the spear, but for you, I'd wield this holy lance again. Master, for your future."
Dialogue:
"It's inappropriate, but my heart races to stand alongside such heroes."
"I once pursued a path of conquest. I sought power for it, but…"
"There's no such thing as a wrong ideal. The issue is means and judgment."
"Gah! Uh, nothing, ma'am. Yes, cleanliness and hygiene come first, absolutely. …It's complicated that she doesn't know me." (When holding Florence Nightingale)
"Of course, you're here too. I'll show I've grown enough to stand beside you." (When holding Karna)
"This star's Heroic Spirits, huh? What would they say if they were here?" (When holding Jeanne d'Arc, Heracles, Sigurd)
"We were just terrorists, so we meshed, and I respected him deeply… Master, don't trust that old man too much, okay?" (When holding Archer of Shinjuku)
"So, she's…" (When holding Caster of Midrash)
"I saw nothing! Zepar doesn't exist, right?" (When holding Sessyoin Kiara)
Likes:
"I'm a country boy, so I'm good at gardening."
Dislikes:
"I don't like gods. Or devils. Especially vulgar ones."
About the Holy Grail:
"There's one in this coffin, technically… But it's not like you can compare them, right?"
During Events:
"I don't mind noise. If we're going, I'll help prep. Life's for those who enjoy it!"
Birthday:
"A joyous day. It's been a while since I celebrated something pure."
[Other]
Summon:
"Who summoned a useless guy like me? Well, use me up as you like. Name? Forgot it. Or maybe I threw it away. Call me whatever."
***
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