Chapter 1: Fuyuki

A/N:

Welcome to the start of Singularity F: Fuyuki

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"Senpai, stay behind me!" Mash said, her voice suddenly filled with a confidence Ritsuka had never heard before. She stood tall, her eyes narrowed with determination. She raised her shield, positioning herself between Ritsuka and the approaching threat.

As the skeletal figures charged, Ritsuka realized that their adventure – and their fight for humanity's future – had truly begun.

Welcome to Singularity F, Fuyuki, 2004.

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The stench was a physical assault, a nauseating blend of burnt plastic, decaying flesh, and an acrid chemical reek that scraped against the back of Ritsuka's throat. Her eyes watered, and she coughed, instinctively raising a hand to cover her mouth, trying to filter the noxious fumes. This was nothing like the sterile simulations, she realized with a jolt. The controlled environment of Chaldea, with its recycled air and sanitized surfaces, could never have prepared her for this. The sheerwrongnessof the air itself pressed down on her, a suffocating weight that stole her breath.

Fuyuki, the city she had seen in countless historical documents and virtual recreations, was now a twisted, unrecognizable mockery of its former self. Buildings that had once proudly reached for the sky now stood as charred, hollowed-out skeletons, their windows like vacant eyes staring out into the crimson abyss. Twisted metal frames poked from the ruined building, and the remains of signs swayed in the wind. The asphalt was cracked and broken, littered with debris and the blackened husks of vehicles, forever silenced by the inferno. An unnatural, perpetual twilight clung to the city, the only illumination emanating from the malevolent crimson flames that writhed and danced like living entities, consuming everything in their path. Twisted shadows danced in her eyes, making it hard to make out where things truly were.

Ritsuka shivered, despite the thick Chaldea uniform designed to withstand extreme temperatures. The cold wasn't merely physical; it was a bone-deep chill that seeped into her soul, a constant reminder of the horror that had befallen this place. It was the chill of despair, of witnessing the utter devastation of a once-thriving city. This wasn't a simulation anymore. This was real, visceral, and terrifying. The weight of her responsibility, of humanity's fate resting on her inexperienced shoulders, suddenly felt almost unbearable. Doubts gnawed at her, whispering insidious questions in her ear. Was she truly capable of handling this? Could she overcome the challenges that lay ahead, or would she crumble under the pressure? The pressure was becoming overwhelming. It would be so easy to just close her eyes and pretend it wasn't real.

Mash Kyrielight, ever vigilant, stood beside her, her presence a comforting anchor in the storm. Her Shield, a magnificent piece of defensive technology that was as much a weapon as a shield, gleamed in the firelight, a symbol of unwavering resolve. She exuded an aura of calm and competence that Ritsuka found reassuring.

Mash's transformation from the shy, uncertain girl in the infirmary to this battle-ready warrior was nothing short of astonishing. There was a quiet strength in her eyes, a steely determination that belied her youthful appearance. Ritsuka realized with a start that she was relying on Mash far more than she had initially anticipated. It was comforting to know she wasn't alone.

"Senpai, are you alright?" Mash asked, her voice filled with genuine concern. "You seem…disturbed. Is something the matter? You're spacing out."

Ritsuka forced a smile, trying to mask her inner turmoil. "Just taking it all in, Mash. It's… a lot to process." She paused, taking a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart. "So, these are undead right? What exactly are we dealing with? Doctor Roman didn't exactly give me a detailed explanation…and the explosions happened soon after."

Mash tightened her grip on her shield, her gaze fixed on the approaching skeletal figures. "They are magical constructs probably created by this corrupted singularity or other dangerous entity. They are drawn to sources of magical energy, which unfortunately includes us. Their numbers are also far greater than anticipated, and they don't seem to have any real weaknesses. Each time we destroy them, more appear." She paused, her brow furrowed with concern. "This Singularity is more unstable than we initially believed."

The undead shuffled forward, their movements jerky and unnatural, like puppets controlled by unseen strings. Their hollow eye sockets burned with an eerie green light, and their rusted weapons dripped with an oily black substance that seemed to absorb the surrounding light, leaving trails of darkness in their wake. They were grotesque parodies of warriors, their armor tattered and broken, their forms emaciated and decaying, as if they had been rotting for centuries. The sight of them sent a shiver down Ritsuka's spine. How many people died to make these?

"Their numbers are… concerning," Mash observed, her voice betraying a hint of unease. "We need to eliminate them quickly and identify the source of the Singularity. Professor Lev believes it is related to the Holy Grail War that took place here in Fuyuki. But if we fail... it's likely that humanity's future would be erased, and everything we've done would be for naught. We are running out of time."

Holy Grail War… the words echoed in Ritsuka's mind, triggering a flood of information that felt both familiar and alien. The knowledge of the ritual, the summoning of heroic spirits, the battle for the wish-granting Grail – it was all there, somehow implanted in her brain during the FATE system compatibility test. It was like accessing a hidden database, a vast repository of knowledge that she had never known existed. But the information was fragmented, incomplete, leaving her with more questions than answers. Each memory felt blurry, as though it was from a book.

"Right," Ritsuka said, trying to focus on the task at hand. "Grail War. Seven Servants, battling to the death. But something went wrong here, twisted the ritual, created this… nightmare." She gestured around at the burning city, her voice filled with a mixture of awe and dread.

She glanced at Mash, a question in her eyes. "Can we summon our own Servant? Will it help us even the odds? I felt connected to the training one, but it felt so... distant, like something I dreamed. How can I call on them for real?"

Mash shook her head, her expression grim. "Not in this Singularity, Senpai. The magical energy is too unstable, too corrupted. Summoning a Servant would be too risky. It could backfire and create even more powerful enemies. We'll have to rely on my abilities and your command skills. We'll use everything at our disposal to fix this."

Ritsuka felt a surge of determination, mixed with a healthy dose of fear. She wouldn't let Mash down. She might be a novice Master, barely qualified and with minimal knowledge, but she would learn, adapt, and fight with everything she had. "Are you confident you can protect me? I'm not exactly a fighter...and how do I know what the right thing to do even is? There's so much to remember."

"Senpai, I am a shield for humanity, a protector of its future. I vow to protect you with my life," Mash responded with a deep bow, her voice ringing with conviction. "I won't let anything hurt you. I'll make sure to remember everything for you, so you can focus on leading us."

"Alright, Mash," she said, her voice filled with newfound resolve. "Let's do this. You take the front, I'll provide support."

"Understood, Senpai," Mash replied, a small smile gracing her lips. "Leave it to me!"

With a battle cry, Mash charged forward, the Origin Shield a gleaming silver barrier against the encroaching darkness. The impact of the shield against the first undead was deafening, shattering the spectral figure into fragments of black energy. Mash moved with incredible speed and precision, her shield deflecting blows and her attacks dismantling the skeletal figures with brutal efficiency. She was a whirlwind of silver and steel, a bulwark against the tide of darkness. The clanging and clattering of the weapons echoed in the distance, a haunting reminder of the horrors that awaited them.

Ritsuka focused her energy, trying to establish a stronger connection with Mash. She could feel a faint link, a thread of magical energy that allowed her to amplify Mash's abilities and provide tactical support. It was a strange sensation, like reaching out and touching something both powerful and alien. She focused, channeling her magic to Mash, pushing her to fight. "You can do it, Mash!"

"Mash, the one on your right!" Ritsuka called out, pointing to an undead attempting to flank her. "It's wielding a poisoned dagger! Be careful!"

Mash reacted instantly, pivoting on her heel and deflecting the dagger with her shield. She countered with a swift strike, shattering the attacker's arm and forcing it back.

Despite Mash's valiant efforts, the undead continued to press their attack. They were relentless, their numbers seemingly endless. The air filled with the clang of metal, the rasping of bones, and the eerie moans of the spectral figures. Ritsuka could feel her own energy dwindling, the strain of maintaining the connection to Mash taking its toll. Her head throbbed, and her vision swam. How could she have thought this would be easy? It was as if the world was caving in on her, bit by bit.

Suddenly, a high-pitched scream pierced the air, cutting through the din of battle like a knife. It was a sound filled with terror and desperation, a cry for help that sent a chill down Ritsuka's spine.

"Help me!" The voice was shrill, panicked. "Please, someone help me! They're going to kill me! Save me!"

Ritsuka and Mash both turned towards the source of the sound, their eyes widening. Stumbling out of the shadows was Olga Marie Animusphere, the Director of Chaldea. She was waving her hands in the air, like that would scare the enemy away.

Olga's face was pale and streaked with tears, her eyes wide with terror. Her carefully coiffed hair was disheveled, and her pristine brown and gold uniform was torn and dirtied. She was surrounded by a swarm of undead, their rusted weapons raised to strike. She looked fragile, vulnerable, completely out of her element. The little respect Ritsuka's had for Olga as her superior plummeted. She's supposed to be the director?

"Help!" Olga screamed, her voice cracking with fear. "Someone, please help me! They're going to kill me! Why isn't anyone protecting me?! Where is Roman?!"

Without hesitation, Mash surged forward, determined to protect the Director. "Senpai, stay here! I'll rescue Director Olga!"

Ritsuka watched helplessly as Mash plunged into the fray, her shield a whirlwind of cobalt and steel. But the undead were too many, their numbers overwhelming. Mash was quickly surrounded, her movements hampered by the sheer volume of enemies. She was fighting valiantly, but she was clearly struggling. It became obvious she wouldn't be able to save Olga on her own. The shield would only carry her so far.

Olga Marie stumbled backwards, desperately trying to escape the relentless attackers. She tripped and fell, landing hard on the charred ground. The undead closed in, their eyes burning with malevolent intent. Their weapons were poised to strike, their skeletal fingers twitching with anticipation.

"No!" Ritsuka cried out, feeling a surge of adrenaline. She couldn't let Olga Marie die. Not here, not now. She had to do something, anything. She clutched her hands, willing her magical energy to surge, to find a way to help Mash and Olga. She couldn't lose now. Even if she wanted to go home and just pretend this was all a dream, she would push through for the sake of the Director and Mash. "I won't let you!"

Just as the undead were about to strike, a figure materialized out of thin air, as if summoned to fight. It was sudden enough that it was an almost unnoticeable shift in space, but it was there and Ritsuka noticed it clearly. He moved with incredible speed and grace, a blur of motion that defied explanation. In a heartbeat, he was upon the attackers, a whirlwind of calculated precision. He seemed to dance through the battlefield, his movements fluid and effortless, like a leaf caught in a breeze. The very air seemed to hum with the energy he expelled.

He wielded a shimmering bronze sword, its edge reflecting the hellish light of Fuyuki. It wasn't steel, or silver, but a metal that Ritsuka hadn't seen before. A faint shimmer surrounded it and the weapon felt alive. Each strike was swift and deadly, cleaving through the undead with ease. He was a force of nature, a storm unleashed upon the battlefield. A one-man army.

The undead, caught completely off guard, were dispatched with brutal efficiency. One after another, they shattered into fragments of dark energy, their ethereal forms dissolving into nothingness. The newcomer fought with a savage grace, his movements a blend of lethal power and effortless style. He was something… different. More like a wild force of nature than human.

With that type of power he must be a true heroic spirit…incredible!

In a matter of seconds, the threat was eliminated. The area around Olga Marie was clear, the remaining undead scattered and fleeing, as if sensing the futility of their attack. The newcomer stood tall, his bronze sword still unscathed as if it hadn't been slicing through bones moments earlier. He turned to face Ritsuka, Mash, and Olga, his expression unreadable in the flickering firelight.

He was young, barely more than a teenager, with windswept black hair that fell across his forehead in a wild, untamed manner. His skin was tanned and weathered, as if he spent most of his time outdoors. His sea-green eyes, the color of the deepest ocean, seemed to hold the depths of the sea itself. They were ancient eyes, filled with wisdom and experience beyond his years. And despite the scene, he just seemed… relaxed. To Ritsuka, it was an incredibly hot image.

His clothes were strange, a mix of modern and archaic styles. He wore a tattered orange t-shirt, ripped jeans, and worn-out sneakers, as if he had just stepped out of a summer camp. But he also sported a strange leather wristband adorned with beads, each etched with a different symbol. They seemed to glow with a faint inner light, pulsing with a subtle energy. The clothing didn't fit at all, but he didn't seem to mind.

He sheathed his sword, the bronze blade disappearing into thin air, as if it had never been there at all. He surveyed the group with a critical eye, his gaze lingering on Olga Marie for a moment before returning to Ritsuka. There was a hint of amusement in his expression, as if he found the entire situation rather absurd.

"Well, that was a bit of a mess, wasn't it?" he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. "You guys looked like you could use a helping hand." He shrugged, as if saving their lives was nothing more than a casual afterthought. "Though I'm confused about the girl freaking out in the back. You guys should really keep a close eye on her, someone like that isn't going to survive a week in this place."

Ritsuka stared at the newcomer in disbelief. He had appeared out of nowhere, dispatched the undead with ease, and now he was making jokes? And insulting Olga? He was infuriatingly nonchalant, as if he were commenting on the weather rather than the life-or-death situation they had just faced. Her eyes flicked down, almost against her will, taking in the glimpse of defined abs visible beneath his tattered t-shirt. 

Distracting, she thought, forcing her attention back to his face.

"Who are you?" Ritsuka asked, her voice filled with suspicion, even as her eyes once again drifted towards abs. "How did you get here? And why are you dressed like you're going to the beach? Don't you feel cold?"

The young man shrugged, a playful glint in his sea-green eyes. "Let's just say I'm a nameless wanderer, lost in this hellish sea of fire. I saw you were in trouble, and I figured I'd lend a hand. Just consider it a random act of heroism." He grinned, as if daring her to believe him. "As for my clothes, well, let's just say I packed for the wrong apocalypse. I'm here against my will, just as much as you are, but it seems I'm not allowed to leave."

Mash, still recovering from the battle, stepped forward, her shield held defensively. Fou jumped off her head and onto the ground, a low growl emitting from its throat as he eyed the stranger warily. "You're a Servant, aren't you? Which class do you belong to?"

The young man chuckled, shaking his head. "A Servant? I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just a guy with a sword, trying to make his way in this crazy world." He paused, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Though I must admit, I do have a certain… heroic flair. Or so I've heard."

Olga Marie, still shaken from her near-death experience, stared at the newcomer with a mixture of annoyance and suspicion. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something strange about him, something that defied explanation. He radiated an aura of power, but it was a wild, untamed power, unlike anything she had ever encountered even from the most powerful mages at the Clocktower.

"You're lying," Olga said, her voice tinged with impatience. "There's something you're not telling us. Who are you really?"

The young man's expression turned serious, his playful demeanor vanishing. His sea-green eyes, which had been twinkling with amusement moments before, now hardened into glacial chips. He looked at Olga Marie, his gaze piercing through her soul, as if he could see every secret she held within.

"Like I said, I'm just a wanderer," he replied, his voice low and serious. "I don't have a name, and I don't have a past. All I have is the present. And right now, the present is this burning city, and the three of you." He paused, his gaze softening slightly as he looked at Ritsuka and Mash. "Though I suppose I could make an exception. I don't like people who just stand in the back and scream. They're the first to die, every time. So I'd be ever so happy to help you to make sure we break that trend."

As he spoke with his sarcastic tone, Olga Marie felt a strange sensation wash over her. It was a feeling of familiarity, of connection, like she had known this young man her entire life. But at the same time, there was something alien but also so familiar about him, something that made her feel a nostalgic sense of melancholy. What was this feeling?

She looked up at the sky, the crimson glow of the fire reflecting in her eyes. For a fleeting moment, she felt a connection to the night sky, to the stars that were hidden behind the smoke and flames. It was a fleeting vision, a glimpse of something vast and ancient, and it left her breathless. A vision of a huntress, a bow and arrow in her hands, her eyes fixed on a distant star.

"What… what was that?" Olga whispered, clutching her chest.

The young man's eyes widened slightly, as if he had noticed something as well. He looked at Olga Marie with curiosity. He had seen that flash of connection, that fleeting glimpse of something hidden within her. It was as if a dormant power was stirring, slowly awakening within her soul. He felt like he knew what it was, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it.

"You felt it too, huh?" he said, his voice barely audible. "I guess things are even stranger than I thought. It must be the singularity causing this. Or maybe some outside influence."

Ritsuka, sensing the tension in the air, stepped forward, trying to regain control of the situation. This was getting out of hand. She needed to regain control, to assert her authority as a Master. It was like trying to heard cats.

"Okay, let's just take a deep breath and start over," she said, her voice firm but calm. "I'm Ritsuka Fujimaru, and this is Mash Kyrielight. We're from Chaldea, and we're here to investigate this Singularity."

She paused, gesturing towards Olga Marie. "And this is Olga Marie Animusphere, the Director of Chaldea. She's kind of our boss. Though, as you can see, she's not exactly at her best right now. We are currently trying to figure out what the cause of this singularity is and how to fix it."

The young man raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement returning to his eyes. "Chaldea, huh? Never heard of it. But if you're here to fix this hell hole, I guess we're on the same side. As long as you can keep up. And don't die."

He extended his hand towards Ritsuka, a small smile playing on his lips. "So, Ritsuka Fujimaru, how about we team up? This city looks like it could use a little saving."

Ritsuka hesitated for a moment, weighing her options. She didn't trust this young man, not entirely. He was too powerful, too enigmatic, too… sexy.

…Ignore that last part. Can you blame her though? Such a 'healthy' looking man was a bit too stimulating for the 19 year old virgin.

But he could also be a valuable asset. They were clearly outmatched by the sheer numbers of undead and whatever other enemies lay ahead, and they needed someone who could even the odds. Besides, she had a feeling that he knew more than he was letting on, and she was determined to find out what it was. She decided the risks outweighed the rewards. Even if it meant working with a somewhat sexy jerk.

"Alright," Ritsuka said, shaking his hand. His grip was firm, calloused, the hand of a warrior. "We'll team up. But you're going to have to start being honest with us. Who are you, and what do you know about this Singularity? And don't give me any more of that 'nameless wanderer' nonsense. I need to know who I'm working with. If you're not honest, I'm kicking you off the team."

The young man's smile widened, his sea-green eyes sparkling with mischief. "Patience, Ritsuka Fujimaru. All in good time. For now, just call me... Percy. And let's get to work saving this city. And I guess helping your boss so she doesn't die. Because honestly, what kind of person is screaming in the back when they're supposed to be in charge? It would be better if she stayed out of our way. Too bad she's important, huh?"

With a final smirk sent towards Olga Marie, Percy turned and walked towards the burning city, his silhouette disappearing into the shadows. Fou hissed and spat in his direction before scurrying back to Mash's side, clinging to her. Ritsuka, Mash, and Olga exchanged nervous glances, wondering what they had just gotten themselves into. What kind of servant was this if Fou had such an aggressive reaction?!

Olga, still recovering, whispered, "Why did you agree to let him come with us, Ritsuka? He's obviously dangerous! And he's being so rude to me! Can we just leave him? I don't like him at all."

"Maybe," Ritsuka replied, "But he's also the reason we're alive right now. Maybe we can get him to tell us some things about this singularity."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Mash asked. "I can't seem to get a good read on him at all. And Fou seems really afraid!"

"We'll figure it out," Ritsuka said. "For now, let's just focus on surviving. And maybe, if we're lucky, we can make it out of here alive."

With that, the group followed Percy into the burning city, ready to face the unknown terrors that awaited them.

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