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It was like the apocalypse. A biblical plague of locusts, if the locusts were seven-foot-tall bodybuilders with manic grins.
Maverick and Ryu stood at the entrance of the café, staring in horror. The street was swarming with Mass-Produced Columbus.
"DREAMS! WE WANT DREAMS!"
They were everywhere. They smashed shop windows, looting jewelry and cash registers. They grabbed screaming NPCs—pedestrians, shopkeepers, even a police officer who tried to stop them—and slung them over their shoulders.
Saber and Lancer Alter were fighting valiantly in the center of the horde.
SLASH.
Saber's invisible sword cleaved through three sailors at once. They dissolved into golden dust.
STAB.
Lancer's black spear impaled two more, lifting them into the air before slamming them down with a shockwave of mana.
But for every one they killed, two more crawled out of the alleys.
"There's too many of them!" Ryu shouted, firing his Contender. "It's an endless wave!"
"They're weak individually," Maverick analyzed, reloading his Glock. "But they're swarming. We're going to run out of stamina before they run out of bodies."
He looked at Saber. She was panting slightly. Using Noble Phantasms drained mana. Without a huge mana supply (and Maverick was just a human with a gun), she couldn't spam Excalibur. She had to rely on melee combat, which was tiring.
[Chat]:[Sanity_Check]: This is horrifying. The faces... they're all the same! [Nightmare_Fuel]: I will never forget this scene. It's etched into my brain. [Funny_Story]: I was watching this on my phone in bed. My wife touched my shoulder and I screamed and punched her. Now I'm sleeping on the couch. Thanks, Columbus. [Lore_Master]: Who is summoning these? This takes insane mana! [Strategy]: It's a Caster. Has to be. Territory Creation + Item Construction = Army of Mobs.
...
Location: Ryuudou Temple, Mount Enzou.Current Time: 3:15 AM.
While Maverick fought for his life in the city, another player was standing on the steps of the ancient mountain temple.
This player—let's call him Kevin—was a huge fan of Maverick. He had watched the stream, bought the game, and jumped straight into Multiplayer.
But Kevin was a hipster. He didn't want the "mainstream" Saber.
Instead of using the default catalyst (Avalon), he flew straight to Fuyuki City and found the temple. According to the lore he googled, this temple sat on a massive spiritual leyline. It was a power spot.
He drew a summoning circle and prayed to the RNG gods.
Please give me someone cool. Maybe Gilgamesh? Or a ninja?
The circle glowed. The smoke cleared.
Standing there was a tall, pale man with long, white hair, dressed in the elaborate robes of an Onmyoji (a Japanese mystic). He had a creepy, jagged smile and eyes that seemed to spin with madness.
[SERVANT SUMMONED: CASTER - ASHIYA DOUMAN][True Name: Limbo]
Kevin blinked. "Uh... hello?"
"Kukukukuku..." The monk chuckled. It was a wet, slithering sound. He bowed deeply, his long sleeves fluttering. "I am Ashiya Douman. A humble monk. At your service, my dear Master."
Kevin shivered. This guy gave off major "serial killer clown" vibes.
But he was strong.
Max (the developer) knew that the Caster class was disadvantaged in a Battle Royale. They needed time to build a base. So, he gave Casters a starting bonus: A pool of mana resources to kickstart their operations.
Douman used this resource to mass-produce his familiars—the Columbus Clones.
Down in the temple courtyard, a massive magical furnace was roaring with green fire. The clones were marching up the mountain path, carrying sacks of loot and unconscious NPCs.
They threw the NPCs into the furnace.
WHOOSH.
The fire flared. The NPCs screamed for a second before vanishing, converted into pure mana cubes.
Kevin watched from the balcony, feeling sick. "Dude... isn't this a bit... evil?"
"Evil?" Douman appeared behind him instantly. He didn't walk; he just... slid into existence. He pressed his chest against Kevin's back, leaning over his shoulder.
"Kukukuku~ What is wrong, Master? Is my method too... efficient?"
Kevin stiffened. "Can you not stand so close? It's weird."
"My apologies!" Douman spun away dramatically, covering his mouth with a long, clawed hand. "I am just a humble servant! I live only to serve!"
He gestured to the furnace.
"Master, you possess a kind heart. But war requires sacrifice. These people... they are just resources. Batteries. To fuel our victory."
Douman's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Do you not want to win? Do you not want the Holy Grail? Once we win, you can wish for anything! You can wish for them all to come back to life! It is a temporary tragedy for an eternal glory!"
Kevin hesitated. "I mean... yeah. I want to win. But watching people get tossed into a fire is... heavy."
"Leave it to me!" Douman clapped his hands. "I will handle the dirty work. You don't have to look. Go! Take a walk in the forest! Enjoy the moonlight! When you return, our army will be ready to conquer the city!"
He bowed so low his nose almost touched the floor.
"I, Ashiya Douman, swear loyalty to you! I will never betray you! Even if my body is shattered, I will ensure you obtain the Grail! Trust in this humble monk!"
Kevin looked at the monk. The guy was creepy, sure. Flamboyant. A little bit "extra."
But he seemed dedicated.
"Alright," Kevin sighed. "Fine. You handle the base. I'm gonna go have a smoke."
Kevin walked out of the temple gate, pulling out a virtual vape pen. "Man, this game is intense."
If Kevin had bothered to open his status menu, he would have noticed a small, crucial detail.
[SERVANT: ASHIYA DOUMAN][AFFINITY: 50%]
It had started at 50%. It was still at 50%. Despite the bowing, the scraping, and the declarations of eternal loyalty... the number hadn't moved a single inch.
Back in the courtyard, Douman watched his Master leave.
He straightened up. The servile smile vanished instantly, replaced by a look of cold, predatory boredom.
"Kukukuku..." Douman laughed softly. "Such a naive Master. 'Victory'? 'Loyalty'?"
He looked at the furnace.
"The only thing that matters... is Chaos. Let us see how long you last, my dear sacrifice."
He waved a hand. Another dozen Columbus clones marched out of the summoning circle.
"Go," Douman commanded. "Bring me more. Bring me everything."
[Chat (Kevin's Stream)]:[Lore_God]: OH NO. HE SUMMONED DOUMAN. [FGO_Vet]: RUN KEVIN! RUN! [Traitor_Alert]: "I will never betray you" = "I am definitely going to betray you." [Clown_Hater]: This guy is the worst. He's literally pure evil. Why did you leave him alone with the base?! [RIP]: Kevin is cooked.
Kevin, oblivious to the chat screaming at him, took a drag of his vape and looked at the moon.
"I think we have a good shot at winning this," Kevin mused.
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