A few quick heals from Morgana and a break later, the group was back on the way. Mash spent her time discussing being a Servant with Cu, who happily answered what questions she had: How to fight one, what to expect from them, Noble Phantasms, her duty to protect her Master (she seemed to be particularly animated with this particular series of questions), and more. Olga kept giving him the stink-eye for that whole debacle, even though it worked out in the end. There were some occasional skeleton attacks, but compared to the shadow Servants and Cu himself, they were almost literally a breeze in comparison.
Meanwhile, Ren and Morgana hung back a bit, just listening and observing. This felt both familiar and unfamiliar. At times, they felt like they were back in a Palace again: Their footsteps felt floaty against the ground which rippled, a faint swish of a coattail as he moved, expecting shadows to come out of any corner as both Ren and Morgana reflexively looked for any hiding spot to crouch or hide behind, surveying their movements. Then a few steps later, they were back in the Singularity, where their feet crunched on the concrete rubble, their bodies were slower than they’d like, and the oppressive heat from the constant fires bearing down on them.
At least they had a way out back with Palaces where they could leave at any time and prepare or rest as necessary. Here… it was either they succeed, or they died. No two ways about it.
As they walked, they heard a loud, bestial roar in the distance. Everyone besides Cu tensed up. It sounded human yet not at the same time – an expression of pure feral rage that wanted to tear everything into pieces. “That would be Berserker,” Cu explained, unimpressed. “Just from that, I’m guessing you guys can see why we’re not going anywhere near there.” Everyone else nodded fervently. They wanted absolutely nothing to do with whatever the hell was behind that noise. At Olga’s insistence, they made for a wider path around Berserker’s territory. It would take longer but there was no argument. Better a longer trip than a shorter trip with a higher change of getting torn to shreds.
As they made their way up the stairs of the temple, Cu quietly raised his staff. Ren was the first to notice. “Mash, keep your guard up,” he murmured. Mash blinked, then nodded, summoning and raising her shield as well. Morgana had already hefted his sword over his shoulder in preparation. Olga just blinked in surprise at how everyone immediately got into position. As they reached the top, at the ruined gates was another Servant, completely blurred in darkness. It lifted its head to regard them. “Oh? Sorry, but we’re not taking any visitors today,” it said, standing up from where it sat.
Cu huffed. “Obnoxious as always, Archer. Still acting as the guard dog for Saber?” he asked scornfully. “The hell you protecting her for anyway? Even if she actually deserved it, pretty damn sure she can take care of herself, you know.”
“A dog calling another a guard dog? Takes one to know one, I guess,” it drawled. “Really, I’m surprised you lasted this long, but them you’ve always been an extraordinarily tenacious one. About all you’re good for though.” It turned to the others. “Hm, and I see you’ve brought others along. I’ll give you this, at least you’re smart enough to bring allies. Not that’ll do you any good.”
“Well, a game that never ends is boring as hell,” Cu replied. “I figure I might as well make my move now rather than wait and get hunted down sooner or later. This seemed a good a time as any. Now, you gonna move aside, or are we gonna get to the fight already?”
The shadow Archer scoffed as two short blades appeared in his hand. “Like you’re one to talk. I know you’re always itching to fight – your last mistake here.” With that, it threw its blades at them. The curved blades spun like buzzsaws, whirling through the air dangerously. Cu summoned fireballs and intercepted them, only for two more pairs to whirl around their flanks, seeking their targets. Mash moved into position to block one pair while Morgana used Zorro to blow another off course.
As they did so, Cu summoned up the white wolves again that lunged at the shadow Archer before he could fling even more blades. It quickly summoned another pair of twin blades, slashing through one wolf, though it was too slow to prevent the second one from clamping its jaws down on his arm. It let out a ‘tsk’ from annoyance and raised its free blade to cut it down when Arsene appeared and slashed at its other arm.
Outnumbered, it quickly jumped back to get some distance from the other Servants and Masters, finally cutting away the wolf as the others raced to catch up. It dodged roots bursting from the ground as it summoned a bow. Summoning another sword, it narrowed and lengthened into an impromptu arrow. The shadow archer nocked it, took aim, and fired. Mash rushed to the front, holding up her shield as the sword arrow burst in a prana explosion, buffeting the air around her. Through the smoke, more fireballs flew through the smoke, forcing the shadow Archer to dodge yet again.
It summoned yet another pair of twin blades and twisted around to barely block Arsene who had appeared behind it. The shadow Archer’s instincts prickled as it looked over at the group assaulting its position. It gathered what information it could in a single glance: Caster had summoned another pair of wolves to attack and was preparing another spell. The Servant with the shield was staying near the others to block any attacks. There were two humans. The white-haired girl had no Command Seals which meant she wasn’t a Master. That left the boy who, although prepared to move, wasn’t reacting with fear or worry. He was calm, calculating his next move. And more importantly, it could see the circuits burning through him.
As it leaped away from both the new red-clothed demon creature and the wolves, it prepared for a new assault – only to trip as a gust of wind blasted out its footing from underneath. The source was… a grinning musketeer? Where did THAT come from? It had the same blue flames wreathed around it as the demon earlier. The shadow Archer glanced at the group again and now saw… a cat? Or catlike… thing? A small thing it must’ve missed then it looked over at them for the first time.
It had to blink once or twice. Did it seriously miss the creature just because it didn’t look down? But more importantly, it caught a glimpse of red seals on the back of its hand. Paw. Whatever. That catlike thing was a Master as well?
So caught off guard that it only barely noticed the swarm of fireballs belting down. It barely deflected them with a new set of blades before its face made the acquaintance of the girl’s shield, sending him crashing into a wall. Dazed, it couldn’t get up in time before roots sprang up to entangle and tie it down, which slowed it long enough for the shield girl to come up and bash it to kingdom come. A glance at the shield told it all it needed to know about its origins, and it had to give a humorless chuckle at the sheer irony.
“I’m sorry, King of Knights….”
As the shadow Archer dissipated into golden light like its compatriots, Cu lowered his staff, blinking. “Huh,” he said, a bit nonplussed. “Gonna be honest, I kinda expected a harder fight than that. He’s normally a damn tricky bastard.” He glanced over at Morgana. “He was staring at you pretty hard though. Think he was too caught off-guard by you? I’m not sure if he saw you the first time.” Morgana just drooped in resignation. Although he was probably the biggest reason why that shadow Archer was defeated, he preferred it if it was with his combat ability rather than his appearance. It was another obstacle gone, sure, but he certainly didn’t feel like he won.
Mash came back over. “Caster, the shadow Archer mentioned a ‘King of Knights’? Do you know who that is?” she asked.
Cu’s eyes widened at that title, then closed and rubbed them with his fingers in frustration. “Well, that explains a whole fucking lot,” he grumbled. “No wonder why she was dominating all the other Servants.” That just left everyone else blinking and increasingly worried. The Caster looked back up at all of them, his expression deadpan. “The King of Knights is a title that belongs to only one person: The wielder of Excalibur and head of the Round Table – King Arthur. As far as Sabers go, she’s probably one of the strongest in the class, and the Saber class is already damn powerful as is. So suffice to say, we got our work cut out for us.”
Everyone paled at the information. Even people on the other side of the planet knew the legends of King Arthur and his Round Table. When it came to the image of chivalry and knighthood, they were literally the ones anyone would think about. And Excalibur was well known as THE legendary sword in any form of fiction, owing back to its origins as King Arthur’s blade. If such a famed hero stood in their way, then Cu’s frustration was more than justified. They would have to make plans to take her down accordingly.
Wait.
Ren paused, then looked back up at Cu. “Wait, King Arthur, right?” Cu nodded. “The English one, right?” He nodded again. Welsh, but close enough anyway. “… She? Her?”
Cu sighed and waved it off. “Don’t question it, kid, save yourself the headache,” he responded wearily. “Long story short, don’t put too much faith in whatever you read or studied before. It’s good reference and it’s mostly correct, but there’s certain details they can get wrong. And before you ask, yes, I’m a guy. THAT, you’re not wrong, at least.” With that, he continued marching forward though not quite as eagerly as before. Everyone else could only look at each other before quickly following him.
“I’m pretty sure the Personas you summon are the recorded gender, though,” Morgana whispered to Ren.
He nodded. “Probably because they’re cognitions – everyone thinks Siegfried and Cu Chulainn are guys for example, so therefore, they’re guys,” he whispered back. Shadows were based on impressions and learned knowledge from the collective unconsciousness. Therefore, whatever the populace believed was their gender would most certainly be the case, whether it was actual fact or fiction. “It’s definitely gonna throw me for a loop if there’s a person or being from legend that’s a different gender than the shadow though.”
Morgana chuckled. “I mean, hey, could be worse,” he remarked with a smirk. “Imagine if we came across Mara.”
Ren immediately shuddered and gagged (drawing an irritated glare from Olga and a concerned glance from Mash). No. No, no, no, and no. He made it a very personal point to never, ever use Mara for anything besides fusions – and tried to avoid crossing his legs or resorting to cover whenever it was executed, or worse, was introduced to a chainsaw. He especially made sure Caroline and Justine never saw his reaction or he would never hear the end of it from those two sadists. Frankly, there should be hard limits on what the collective unconsciousness could dream of. Then again, given Futaba’s tales from the internet, he should be thankful that Mara was probably the worst he had seen so far. And then there was the time they faced off a Mara thanks to one of the Mementos’ requests….
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“Ew, ew, ew, EW, why does his shadow look like THAT?!?” Ann screamed as she pointed at their large, phallic-shaped opponent. Its stubby hands waved through their air as it rested on a golden bladed cart. It was made only worse as it casted Tarukaja on itself, then lowered its ‘head’ and charged at them. “And why does it even move like that?!” she screeched as they all dodged aside. “No, no no no. This thing, this CREEP is as bad as Kamoshida! It needs to go down!”
Makoto was speechless for the time, before cracking her knuckles, sending a glare that sent chills down the guys’ spines. “To be so perverse inside and out,” she growled, taking a stance. “If this guy wants to redeem himself, then be my guest – AFTER I’m through with him.”
Haru frowned and hefted her battle axe. “Really, the shape of it is extremely vulgar. I suppose we should cut it down to size first. It’s rather large though – it should be an excellent way to work out our frustrations!” The axe seemed to gleam even brighter as Haru’s smile widened. Ren maintained a stoic face as Ryuji gulped audibly, Yusuke looked away, and Morgana made himself as small as possible – an easy feat given his size.
“Its weakness is WHO GIVES A CRAP?!” Futaba screeched from inside her flying saucer. “I’m throwing ALL the debuffs down on this thing! It looks like it came from a discount hentai! Just kill it! Kill it kill it kill it kill it kill it!!”
Makoto looked over at Joker, who froze at her expression: A serene smile that didn’t match the murderous aura that emanated from her. “Joker, would you, Skull, Fox, and Mona stand aside for a bit? I think we deserve the honor of dealing with this particular request.” Ren didn’t even hesitate – he just nodded rapidly as he did his utmost to keep his poker face. Makoto smiled a bit more wildly before turning back to Mara, and the three female combatants slowly converged on their hapless victim.
The resulting beatdown made all the guys wince. Ryuji unconsciously crossed his legs as Yusuke simply looked away, muttering that while he might be inspired by such brutality, he couldn’t exactly face it either. Ren could’ve sworn the male human cognitions lining up for their subway trains were also shuddering as well.
After that request, there was a silent unanimous decision: Never speak of this again.
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“Don’t jinx it, Morgana,” Ren muttered. Morgana just chuckled at his response.
They reached some caves that lay underneath the temple and followed it down. The further and further they went, the more and more oppressive the atmosphere became. Morgana’s fur stood on end at the sheer malevolence that was in the air, and Ren broke into a cold sweat. Olga was trying to maintain a strong front but even she was affected by the power, unconsciously sidling closer to Ren. Mash stayed up front with her shield at the ready as Cu’s expression became graver and graver. Their footsteps echoed through the cavern, magnifying the sound. Combined with the atmosphere and close quarters and it felt increasingly claustrophobic and suffocating. Nobody spoke for fear of arousing whatever lurked here.
Before long, the tunnel opened up into a vast underground chamber. It was mostly flat and empty, save for the giant plateau ahead. And above, massive amounts of corrupted prana was erupting, bathing the entire chamber in an eldritch light. It didn’t take Olga’s degree of magical education to know that whatever that light was, whatever that power, it wasn’t good news in the slightest. So, this was the Greater Grail? They could see why Cu thought it would be the cause of this Singularity. Something so evil could never be a natural phenomenon.
However, the second thing that caught their eye was the solitary figure below. It was looking up at the massive geyser of dark prana, unmoving. A few steps forward and they caught its attention. The figure slowly turned around to face them. She looked like a young woman, beautiful in a cold manner like a finely forged blade. However, her appearance was marred: Her skin was so pale it resembled that of a corpse, matched only by her hair which was a blonde so light it was almost white as well. Her eyes were of sickly yellow, reflecting no emotions whatsoever. She was adorned with black and red armor of a fine make that covered up to the bottom of her chin and jaw.
But what also drew their attention was her sword. Black and red as well, it radiated dark power just from its very existence. It felt tainted, profane and wrong, like a once-pure object now filled with all the curses and malevolence that existed in the world. It was dormant at its master’s command, but should she will it, it would channel every bit of its pure raw power and annihilate anyone and everything in her path. The woman and the sword were one existence: The sword was part of the woman, just as she was part of the sword. Ren and Morgana gulped as Olga quavered. Mash unconsciously brought her shield up a bit further as Cu’s expression remained grave yet neutral, standing his ground.
Any questions of gender were swept aside. The one who stood before them held the aura and grace of a king at war. A king who would stand alone, victorious, on countless battlefields. A king who would cut down any obstacle without the slightest bit of mercy or hesitancy.
This was King Arthur Pendragon.
“You come at last, Caster,” she called out. Despite the bursting dark prana behind her and the sheer size of the chamber, her voice came through loud and clear to everyone. It was cold and sharp like her blade. It didn’t allow for small talk or kinship. Her words were just a formality. No matter what happened, she would cut them down. “The other Servants have returned to the Grail. I was beginning to wonder if I needed to surface and hunt you down myself. I thank you for sparing me the trouble.”
Despite the fear bubbling within him, he forced it down and tempered it with the expectation of a good fight. “Well, you know me, Saber – I’m always itching for a good fight,” he replied, plastering an easy grin and stepping forward. “And hey, with everyone besides Berserker out of the way, you’re the only one left. So how about it – you want me dead, I want you dead. One last dance for the Grail.”
Saber considered, then glanced over at Mash, narrowing her eyes. “You, with the shield,” she demanded. “You seem familiar. Speak. Have we met before?” Mash’s eyes widened, then shook her head. She was utterly certain she had never met King Arthur and would certainly have never forgotten an existence as powerful and profane as hers. She closed her eyes in consideration. “I see. You are someone familiar, yet an existence I’ve not encountered before. Strange… but irrelevant.” She lifted her blade, its power pulsing through the air. All of them shuddered involuntarily. However strong the shadow Servants they fought were, they utterly paled in comparison to this Saber.
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“Oi, Masters, stand back,” Cu cautioned. “Let me and the girl handle this.” Ren and Morgana opened their mouths to protest when Cu faced them with a warning glare. “Don’t. You guys got some strong magecraft, sure, but it won’t be enough here. If Saber deems you an enemy combatant, you’ll last as long as a fly in hell. Besides, she’s got high magic resistance – your skills won’t help as much here. Just stay back. Either we win and keep going, or we die and you won’t have anything to worry about anymore.” He tried giving them a reassuring smile at the joke but it ended up looking humorless and grim. The two Persona users hesitated, then backed down though they still looked between the two Servants in concern.
Cu nodded before turning back to Saber. “Don’t let your guard down, girl. Fight like you’ve never fought before,” he warned Mash, raising his staff. “She doesn’t look physically strong but that’s not what’s dangerous about her. It’s the sheer amount of prana that’s being pumped into her. She’s basically got unlimited energy for this battle and ways to convert it into power. You’re gonna have to take point, but I’ll cover you as best I can.”
Mash shuddered, a bead of sweat running down the side of her face, and nodded. Indeed, this was going to be their last battle in this Singularity. Their last obstacle before they could stop everything and restore humanity. She knew that her senpai and Master stood behind her. He believed in her to not falter, so she would trust in belief. She would do everything she could – and then some – to bring victory to them both. She tensed her legs just as Saber tensed hers.
Then they charged.
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Ren held a lot of reservations for not being able to jump into the fight with Mash and Cu. He was never the type to sit idly by when someone was risking themselves for him. After all, what good was experience or power if he couldn’t use it to properly help others? And if there was an extraordinarily powerful foe in front of them, then so much the more he needed to step in and fight as well.
Such notions were almost literally blown away as Saber’s first attack landed on Mash’s shield and swept her aside, blasting her into the air. The shockwave of the impact could be felt even from where they stood, and that was just a simple swipe. Both Ren and Morgana could only gape as Olga ducked down, covering her head in terror. Even during their escapades in the Metaverse, it was rare for anything to pack so much raw power, and Saber was barely even trying. Mash skidded on the ground, regaining her footing before launching herself back, trying to cover the distance between them. Cu meanwhile summoned two wolves that raced towards Saber. Two strokes of her blade and the wolves perished without her even slowing in the slightest.
She reached Cu Chulainn, her sword raised, and swung down. The Caster barely managed to dodge the cursed blade before lashing out with his flaming staff at her exposed armpit underneath the breastplate. Saber whirled around and caught it in her gauntleted hand, the wood cracking under her grip as the fires only lightly singed her. With her prey caught, she swept for his neck – to blocked just in time by Mash who forced her shield between the two, catching the blade in a corner of the cross. With a roar, she shoved at Saber who, thanks to her poor position and footing, was forced to give way to Mash’s strength. After a couple feet, she grasped hold of her shield and yanked it to the side, throwing Mash off balance. Before she could capitalize on her new opening, roots once more started ensnaring her. A trivial matter to rip through thanks to her magic resistance, but a split second was all Mash needed to back off, regaining her footing and positioning.
All this happened in a matter of seconds.
It finally sunk in for Ren and Morgana just what precisely a Servant fight was. It was nothing like their battles in the Metaverse. At times desperate struggles, yes, but still controlled, still easy to follow, coordinating their moves and handling each opponent with precision and style. Shadows and Palace Rulers were formidable but they were easy to dissect, had their weaknesses or at least, weaknesses could be made that they could exploit. Sure, it was often a lot more complex than that, but boiling their fighting down, it was straightforward and simplistic.
But a Servant battle was nothing of the sort. It was a clash between myth and legend. Their actions and reactions were faster than any human could feasibly achieve, their power beyond overwhelming. They endured and lasted far longer than any person could, fueled by literal magic. Advantages and disadvantages could appear or vanish within split seconds, intervals that only a Servant’s agility and mental acuity could take advantage of. Both Ren and Morgana watched as Mash and Cu fought desperately, with Ren utilizing his Third Eye to try and gauge some sort of weakness or pattern, but that barely helped. None of them were as fast as the shadow Assassin, but the fighting was far more chaotic as everyone weaved in and out, utilizing team attacks and tactics like a lightning-fast chess game as they took or yielded ground as necessary.
Cu had warned them – their Personas may be on the same level as a Servant (exactly how strong they weren’t sure, nor did they push it now that there was heavy risks), but they themselves weren’t. If they made so much as one careless move, Saber would cut them down in the blink of an eye and they couldn’t do anything about it. But if there’s anything being a Phantom Thief and the shadow Servant battles showed him, sometimes it just took one good opening for them to secure victory… or for them to lose it all. They just needed to be patient and observe…
Morgana was the one who found it first. As Mash once more managed to get just past her guard and shove her shield into her, locking her movements, Cu summoned more vines to bind her before prepping another spell. Before Saber could get out once more or Cu could finish, however, Zorro appeared beside Saber, with the boxing glove once more appearing. Before she could react, it sprang forward and smashed against her head, knocking her to the ground in a daze.
Ren grinned. “Good work, Morgana,” he commended before charging forward. With that, Saber was surrounded by the four of them, with Olga left behind. Cu scowled at them but couldn’t afford to take his attention off her. Ren, however, was smirking, matched only by Morgana. Now this positioning felt extremely familiar…
Saber blearily blinked up at them. “You think… you think this shall be enough… to defeat me?” she ground out.
The leader of the Phantom Thieves’ grin only grew. “Nope. That was just the setup. Everyone, follow my lead!” Tearing his metaphorical mask off once more, Arsene burst forth with a laugh, clawing and tearing at Saber, sending her up in the air. Morgana came next, Zorro bursting out and sending out gusts of wind with Morgana riding one particular gust and slashing at her. Cu, rapidly getting the gist, sent swarms of fireballs with a mad grin, which pelted her every which way in a fiery inferno. Finally came Mash’s turn. She didn’t have anything like the two humans or Cu, but that wasn’t necessary. Instead, she jumped up, and with a wild cry, smashed the shield down on Saber’s helpless form, destroying her armor as she was sent crashing down, cratering the ground in the process.
Ren and Morgana smirked. “The show’s over,” the former declared.
Saber very slowly staggered up, pieces of her armor falling off her. “I will admit… I was caught off guard…” she breathed. And then she smiled – a sight that made sent chills right down their spines. “But you are right. As you say, the show is indeed over. Now, allow me to draw the curtain.” She held her sword aloft, and suddenly it exploded into a massive channel of dark power. Ren and Morgana’s throat seized up, trying to breathe through the renewed oppressive presence of the blade. The darkness that wrapped around the blade felt infinite in scale and strength – and it would consume them all in pure destruction.
Cu and Mash immediately rallied back to them as Saber raised her blade. The Shielder moved in front of them, reaching for the power she had felt once before. The will to protect those who stood behind her, the confidence that she would stand and protect until the very end, the belief that her Master trusted her shield. She felt power coursing through her and her shield. She knew what she had to do, and she would not fall.
“EXCALIBUR-“
“LORD-“
“-MORGAN!!!”
“-CHALDEAS!!!”
Dark met light as Saber swung her blade, unleashing a torrent of pure and utter destruction, only to collide with the glowing power that issues from Mash’s shield. Darkness poured and spilled around the shield, carving hot furrows and rifts into the ground all around them. Mash grit her teeth as she continued to push. It was heavy – far heavier than Cu’s Noble Phantasm. But she was still here. And so long as she was still here, she would continue to stand, an immovable force to Excalibur Morgan’s irresistible power. Ren and Morgana stood behind her, planning. They had absolute faith that Mash would hold (and if she didn’t, they wouldn’t be able to do anything about it anyway) so they needed a counter.
Morgana looked at Cu. “You, can you use your Noble Phantasm again?” he asked.
The druid shook his head. “Not normally – that fight drained a ton of prana from me. It’ll win us the fight though, so you know what you gotta do – use your command seal when Saber’s done with hers!”
The catlike being nodded. Mash meanwhile was still holding on. Ren was considering using a command seal as well, but he hesitated. Three wasn’t as much as he wanted, and he needed to balance whether Mash could handle it or not. However, her power showed no sign of weakening, nor did any of the assailing power leak through.
Moments that felt like eternity ticked by before finally, power finally began abating. Morgana didn’t waste his chance - he raised his paw. “Caster, by my command seal,” he intoned, the cat tattoo on his paw glowing bright red. “Use your Noble Phantasm to take out Saber!”
Cu grinned as his entire body glowed, the power of the command seal filling him. “You got it, Master!” he roared, whirling his staff as a magic circle appeared once more beneath him before the area exploded into flame. “Burn them complete, giant of all trees,” he once more commanded as the familiar wooden giant rose up once more. Despite all the flames, Ren, Morgana, and Mash didn’t feel any heat whatsoever. And they especially enjoyed being not being on the other end of his Noble Phantasm. Cu’s grin was feral and wild as he pointed his staff at Saber. “WICKER MAN!!!”
The wooden giant stepped forward and raised a fist. Saber, completely drained from the fight, the all-out attack, and finally using Excalibur Morgan, could only feebly raise her sword in defense as it smashed down, engulfing her in an absolute inferno. Saber could only smile as the fire burned away at her body, charring it to cinders before it slowly dissolved to golden dust. Ah, she should’ve known after Archer died. Whenever she stood alone, she would always fail in the end. But falling to two powerful Masters with a good heart, the Child of Light from Ireland, and the girl who felt like one of her greatest knights from ages past…
There were worse fates to meet.
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The flames and giant dissipated as Mash lowered her shield, collapsing on her knees. Saber’s Noble Phantasm had carved furrows in the ground, the ground red-hot from the sheer power. Where Saber once stood, there was now a crater filled with nothing but cinder. The swordswoman herself was nowhere to be found. Instead, in her place was left a large golden cup, which even from their distance radiated with power. The dark prana on the plateau vanished, leaving the cave dark and silent. Teere was no sign of anyone else.
It was finally over.
Cu breathed a sigh of relief… before he started shedding golden dust as well. “Oi, me too?” he asked incredulously.
Morgana looked over, eyes wide. “Wha – you’re going too?!”
The druid nodded, annoyed. “Looks like it,” he confirmed. “Now that you’ve fixed things here, guess I’m not supposed to be here any longer. Well, it was fun all things considered, kitty cat. Sounds like you guys are having a grand adventure. Summon me if you can – I want in. But summon me as a Lancer, damnit! None of this druid bullcrap!”
“Keep calling me ‘kitty cat’ and we might summon you just so I can claw your face off!” Morgana roared. Cu just laughed uproariously and turned to walk away laughing as he finally dissolved into golden dust. With that, the cave was quiet once more.
Ren walked over to Mash and offered her a hand. She smiled with a faint blush as she once more took it, getting back up on her feet. They walked over to the crater, picking up the golden cup. Olga finally came over, looking extraordinarily tired and running a hand through her hair. “Well, it seems the Singularity is resolved,” she muttered. She looked up and saw what Ren was holding, and immediately made a mad dash over to grab it. “Th-th-th-th-this is a Holy Grail!” she stuttered in pure shock. “Wh-wh – THIS was the cause of the Singularity?! Th-This explains so much! Though it’s a bit… weaker than I expected…”
“Yes, it is, and it was meant to be a cornerstone of everything if things went accordingly.”
They all turned at the sound of the voice. There stood a familiar man in his green suit and top hat. “Lev!” Olga cried out, racing towards the man and tackling him in a hug before Ren or Morgana could stop her. “I can’t believe it! You survived!”
Lev chuckled and patted her head. “Indeed I did. I am supposed to, after all. Can’t say the same for the rest of you though – all of you should’ve been perished. Especially you, my dear Olga – I set the bomb right underneath your feet after all.”
Olga could only look up in shock, releasing the man as Ren and Morgana scowled, lowering themselves into combat positions. Mash was shocked as Olga, though she soon recovered herself enough to step forward, raising her shield once more. “Wh-what’s…. what do you mean, L-Lev? What are you talking about?” she stammered.
The man’s face morphed into a ghastly grin as he snapped his fingers. An image appeared in thin air – of CHALDEAS. Instead of the globe all of them had seen before, it was now nothing but a fireball. “Here you are, dedicated to preserving humanity’s future, but you need not fret about it anymore,” he explained, his sadism now dripping from his voice. “For there IS no future. Humanity has been incinerated with nothing remaining. All of you are just the last dregs of a dying breed.” Ren and Morgana felt their hearts plummet. To hear confirmation outside of the Velvet Room was staggering.
They were the only ones left.
“Olga, you especially – you’re not even alive anymore. Haven’t you realized?” Lev’s grin made it clear how much he enjoyed twisting the knife in the girl’s heart. “You had no Rayshift compatibility, so how did you come here? No, your body is back in Chaldea, destroyed. All you are right now are just some residual thoughts. Once you go back, you will cease to exist.”
The Director could only step back in horror, unable to form any coherent thoughts. “No, this… this can’t be. Please, t-tell me it isn’t true, Lev. You…. You wouldn’t do this, right? Why? Why would you?!”
Lev just looked scornfully at Olga, a cruel smile still on his lips. “I don’t think you need to know anymore, ‘Director’. Or rather, there is no point. Your greatest ‘achievement’ now lies in flames and your usefulness is at an end. I’d kill you, but that would be… less tasteful. In fact, I’ll grant you your wish – be with your beloved CHALEAS and incinerated for eternity!”
Olga’s eyes widened as a force began pulling at her toward the image of the fireball, stronger and stronger. Ren’s eyes widened as the girl desperately tried to pull away from her inevitable, eternal torment. His mind raced desperately as he looked for an answer. At the very least, whether she was ‘just’ residual thought or not, he couldn’t let her die-!
Wait. Residual ‘thought’…?
“Olga!” Ren roared out. “Say these words! ‘I am thou, thou art I!’ Declare your identity, and pledge yourself to me! Please, don’t ask questions, we don’t have time!”
Lev scowled. “Meddlesome pest,” he growled. “I hadn’t accounted for you, but do be quiet-“ A gust of wind slammed into Lev, interrupting him. He was left none the worse for wear but he turned to Morgana. “It seems you want to die too, cat,” he spat.
“Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard that a thousand times before,” Morgana retorted before sending more gusts after him to keep Lev distracted.
Olga meanwhile stared at Ren with wide eyes, then looked back at her impending death. Swallowing what pride she had left, she screamed. “I-I AM THOU, THOU ART I!” she screamed. “I AM OLGA MARIE ANIMUSPHERE! I PLEDGE MYSELF TO YOUR SERVICE FROM HERE ON!” Once she spoke those words she was suddenly engulfed in a blue glow which steadily grew brighter, until there was a flash of light. All that remained was a white speck, which flew straight to Ren. Ren caught it and pressed it to his face. As he did so, his mask appeared for a brief moment before fading away to nothing.
Did it work? He cast himself into the depths of his mind, hoping he found what he was looking for.
“Arsene? Where is she?”
There was silence for a bit, then Arsene answered in his deep, confident voice. “She is here, Trickster. I am doing my best to protect her, but we must be swift in her deliverance – she is weak and could be drowned out at any time.”
Ren breathed a sigh of relief. Somehow, that worked. It was a long shot, but it worked. He turned back to Lev, who simply waved his hand, dispelling the wind with a deeply irritated scowl. “So, you’ve done something to save that useless fool after all,” he snarled. “It matters little. The Singularity is already collapsing. Hear me, Chaldea – I am Lev Lainur Flauros. Know that humanity’s destruction has already come, and yours is only slightly behind. Your deaths will come soon. Enjoy what time you have left before destruction inevitably arrives for you.” With a cruel grin, he tipped his hat to them before he turned away, fading from existence.
Suddenly, the watch beeped. “Lev’s unfortunately right about one thing: The Singularity is collapsing!” he said desperately. “I’m making an emergency Rayshift! Low chance it’ll work but no other choice! All three of you, group up!” Ren nodded and looked up at the other two. Morgana raced over and hopped onto Ren’s shoulder as Mash clung onto Ren’s arm. As the cave started collapsing around them, the area began getting brighter and brighter. Then everything flashed – and they were no longer there.
----------------------------------------
The faint piano music. The blue cloth walls. The bunk. Ren was exactly where he needed to be again.
Immediately, he stood up and marched out the open door, where Igor and Lavenza waited for him. He didn’t wait for them to speak. “Guys, please, I need your help,” Ren started.
Igor raised his hand. “My dear guest, I do hope you know what you are asking,” he replied, his voice soft and unchanging. “What you have achieved was rather remarkable, but you do ask for much – only one guest may enter the Velvet Room at a time, and not only is she not a guest and uninvited, she is also a magus.” Though the grin remained on his face, his eyes narrowed slightly. “We have every reason to decline and allow her to fade away and rejoin the collective unconsciousness. At the very least, it’s a far less painful fate than what that man was about to subject her to. May we ask why we should assist her?”
Ren swallowed painfully as he lowered his head, racking his brain for reasons. “Because Olga… she isn’t a bad person,” he began. “She’s obnoxious, sure, but she’s kind and works hard despite all of society’s pressures. She might have knowledge we might need for the days ahead. Because I can’t just stand aside and let someone suffer any cruelty or injustice if I can prevent it.” And because I don’t want to lose anyone or anything else. What remains is all I have left.
Lavenza walked over, resting a hand on Ren’s arm, smiling warmly and reassuringly up at him. She turned to Igor. “The Trickster requires as many allies as he can in the face of this ruin, Master,” she spoke. “We haven’t sufficient power to provide even Arcanas for him, with the collective unconsciousness in the state that it is. Perhaps this will grant him yet another avenue.”
The Master of the Velvet Room was silent as he considered. Then he reached out with one thin, gloved hand and beckoned. The little speck of white detached from Joker’s mask as it briefly reappeared and floated into one of the jail cells that lined the Velvet Room. “We shall provide what assistance we can,” Igor said. “What happens now is up to her. Rest assured that here, she shall not come to harm.” Ren breathed a sigh of relief as he smiled gratefully at Igor and Lavenza.
“Now, you have received confirmation that humanity is indeed gone, and so is the collective unconsciousness and the sea of souls,” Lavenza stated. The mood dropped again as Ren put his hands in his pockets. “Unfortunately, the one who caused this ruin is far beyond our reach or knowledge. They lie beyond time and space, where we have no influence. However, while you were in that Singularity, we have felt sparks of power emanating from what little remains.” Ren looked up, surprised. “We do not know for certain what we can make of it. However, once you bring a Servant to your side, we may be able to convert this power for your use.”
“The Velvet Room is a place that exists between dream and reality, mind and matter,” Igor added. “Servants are but existences that are in much the same yet separate states as well. It is difficult to gauge – we have never had a Master or magus as a guest before, after all. You, however, stand at the threshold of something never seen before. This power will most likely be unmatched by any previous guest, and most likely any hereafter. Once more, we shall assist and guide you as best we can.”
Lavenza smiled. “But we have kept you long enough. Your other allies are waiting. Go, my Trickster. We shall see each other again soon.”
With that, the Velvet Room faded away into darkness, and Ren again knew no more.