CHALDEA'S ANOMALY: THE MYTH-ENGINE
PROLOGUE: UNFORESEEN VARIABLES
The helicopter blades cut through the Antarctic air as it approached the hidden facility nestled within the mountains. Inside sat two passengers: Ritsuka Fujimaru, dozing against the window, and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, eyes open but distant, as if seeing something beyond the confines of the aircraft.
"First time seeing the Southern Lights?" asked the Chaldea staff member accompanying them.
Ayanokouji glanced at the aurora australis painting the sky in vibrant greens and purples. "No," he replied simply. His gaze returned to the window, but not to watch the celestial display—rather, to observe his own reflection, and the almost imperceptible translucent interface only he could see flickering across it.
[MYTH-ENGINE DEUS CORE]
▸ Existential Resonance: 21.4%
▸ Myth Core Integrity: Stable
▸ Phase 1 → Phase 2 Transition: Pending
▸ Awaiting Catalyst...
The staff member smiled awkwardly at the taciturn young man. Ayanokouji was nothing like the other candidate—the friendly, ordinary Fujimaru who had been selected through proper channels. This one had been added late, through backdoor recommendations and classified files that even she couldn't access.
"We'll be landing at Chaldea in ten minutes," she announced, more to break the silence than anything.
Fujimaru stirred awake. "Huh? Are we there yet?" He yawned, then grinned at Ayanokouji. "I still can't believe we're about to join some top-secret organization. It feels like a dream!"
Ayanokouji nodded. "A dream," he echoed, the word hanging in the air like frost.
Dr. Romani Archaman frowned at the personnel file before him. "Director, this candidate wasn't part of our approved selection process. Fujimaru was our forty-eighth Master candidate, carefully chosen for compatibility with FATE. This one..." He tapped Ayanokouji's file. "There's almost no data. Just a name and basic physical parameters."
Director Olga Marie Animusphere waved her hand dismissively. "It came from higher up. Someone in the Clock Tower insisted we include him as an observational subject. They think he might have some rare magical aptitude worth studying."
"And if he disrupts FATE?"
"Then he fails, we send him home, and continue with our actual candidates." Olga Marie shrugged. "Think of him as a control variable—someone who shouldn't succeed, so we can better understand why our real candidates do."
"I don't like variables in my research," Romani muttered.
Da Vinci watched the security feed as the new arrivals were processed. Her eyes narrowed at the dark-haired young man who moved with perfect economy of motion—not a gesture wasted, not an emotion revealed.
"SHEBA can't read him properly," she noted to no one in particular. "It's like he exists in a blind spot."
She ran another scan, and her eyebrows rose at the results. "Interesting. He's not interfering with the readings... he's simply not generating the expected response. Like a paradox within the greater pattern."
On impulse, she ran a mythological signature analysis—a program she'd designed to identify heroic spirit compatibilities in Master candidates. The results made her frown:
ERROR: PATTERN MISMATCH
RESONANCE: UNDEFINED
MYTHIC ALIGNMENT: [RECALCULATING...]
WARNING: INVERSE THRONE ECHO DETECTED
Da Vinci's smile turned curious. "Well, well. You're not what you seem, are you, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka?"
"This is Mash Kyrielight, she'll be your guide for orientation," Romani introduced the lavender-haired girl to the two new arrivals.
"It's nice to meet you both," Mash said with a formal bow, her glasses sliding slightly down her nose. "Welcome to Chaldea."
"Thanks! I'm Ritsuka Fujimaru. I still don't really understand why I was selected, but I'll do my best!" Fujimaru's enthusiasm was infectious, drawing a small smile from Mash.
Her eyes then turned to Ayanokouji, and something flickered across her face—a moment of confusion, perhaps even unease. "And you are...?"
"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka." His voice was measured, revealing nothing.
Mash held his gaze for a moment too long before nodding. "Right. I'll show you both to your quarters, and then we can begin the basic orientation tour."
As they walked through Chaldea's sterile corridors, Fujimaru chatted amiably, asking questions about everything they passed. Ayanokouji remained silent, observing—cataloguing the facility's layout, the staff's routines, the security measures.
And inside his mind, something stirred. The translucent interface flickered more frequently now, as if reacting to Chaldea's magical density.
[MYTH-ENGINE DEUS CORE RECOGNIZING...]
▸ High Thaumaturgical Field Detected
▸ Mythic Resonance Rising: 22.1%
▸ Divine Thread Sensitivity: Active
▸ Origin Key: [Wanderer] – Stabilizing
"Is something wrong, Ayanokouji-san?" Mash asked, catching him staring at what appeared to be empty air.
"No," he replied. "Just thinking."
Mash's expression suggested she didn't quite believe him, but she continued the tour without pressing.
Later, as they approached the FATE summoning chamber, Ayanokouji paused at the threshold. Something about the room called to him—or rather, called to what lay dormant within him.
"This is where Chaldea summons Heroic Spirits," Mash explained. "Though the Grand Order hasn't officially begun yet, so it's mostly for demonstration purposes today."
Fujimaru approached the summoning circle with excitement. "So this is where we'll work with legendary heroes? Amazing!"
Ayanokouji remained at the doorway, his eyes narrowing slightly as the interface before him glitched and displayed:
[WARNING: THRONE PROXIMITY DETECTED]
▸ Mythic Resonance Spiking: 23.7%
▸ Divinity Patterns Reacting
▸ Origin Key: [Wanderer] → [?????]
▸ Potential Secondary Origin Found
▸ Suppress? [Y/N]
He silently opted for suppression, and the interface stabilized.
"Ayanokouji-san?" Mash called. "You need to come in for the demonstration too."
With deliberate steps, he entered the chamber, feeling the weight of countless mythic eyes upon him—the awareness of the Throne of Heroes itself, recognizing an anomaly in its midst.
In the control room above, Da Vinci watched the monitors spike with unexplained readings.
"Something's happening," she murmured. "Something that shouldn't be possible."
The orientation continued through the day—medical checks, basic magical circuit evaluations, security protocols. Fujimaru passed everything with remarkably average scores, his potential lying not in power but in compatibility.
Ayanokouji's results, however, confounded the staff.
"His circuits are... unusual," the medical officer reported to Romani. "They don't conduct mana in normal patterns. It's as if they're configured for a different kind of energy altogether."
"Could it be damage? Or a mutation?" Romani asked.
"No. Whatever this is, it's by design. The structure is too perfect, too intentional."
Romani frowned. "Keep it between us for now. Continue processing him as normal."
That night, while Fujimaru slept soundly in his new quarters, Ayanokouji sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the interface that had grown more pronounced since entering Chaldea.
[MYTH-ENGINE CALIBRATING...]
▸ Existential Resonance: 24.9%
▸ Phase 2 Threshold: 25.0%
▸ Divine Thread Identification: Pending
▸ Origin Key [Wanderer] Stabilized
▸ Secondary Origin Echo: [Unconfirmed]
He raised his hand, watching as invisible currents of mythic energy—not mana, not od, but something older—coiled around his fingers like ghostly serpents.
"What am I becoming?" he whispered—the first time he'd shown any uncertainty since arriving.
In the darkness of his room, the interface pulsed once, as if in answer:
[RESPONSE: BECOMING TRUTH]
The next morning, alarms blared throughout the facility.
Chaldea was burning.
CHAPTER 1: IGNITION POINT
The explosion ripped through Chaldea's central chamber with catastrophic force. Emergency systems failed. Barrier spells collapsed. The command center became a chaotic blend of smoke, screams, and emergency sirens.
Fujimaru had been thrown against a wall, dazed but alive. Ayanokouji stood perfectly still in the center of a corridor, untouched by the blast—a bubble of calm within the storm.
Before him, the interface had changed:
[EMERGENCY PROTOCOL ACTIVATED]
▸ Host Survival Priority
▸ Existential Resonance: 24.9% → SURGING
▸ External Catalysts: Detected
▸ Anomaly: Rayshift Field Expanding
▸ WARNING: Timeline Collapse Imminent
Through the smoke, he saw Mash running toward them, her face pale with determination.
"Fujimaru-senpai! Ayanokouji-san! We need to get to the command center!"
Another explosion rocked the facility. Debris rained down, a massive steel beam plummeting directly toward Fujimaru's stunned form.
Mash leapt without hesitation, shielding him with her body. The beam struck her back—and something extraordinary happened.
A massive shield materialized, absorbing the impact. Light erupted from Mash's form as she gasped in pain and surprise.
"What's... happening to me?" she whispered.
Ayanokouji watched as the Demi-Servant transformation took hold—Mash's fusion with a Heroic Spirit, triggered by the crisis. But his attention was quickly diverted to his own changing state.
The explosion, the impending collapse of humanity's future, the mythic surge from Mash's transformation—all of it combined into a perfect catalyst.
[PHASE 2 TRANSITION INITIATED]
▸ Existential Resonance: 24.9% → 25.0% → RISING
▸ First Divine Thread Connecting...
▸ Origin Key [Wanderer] Active
▸ Thread Selection Required
Time seemed to slow around him. In his mind's eye, countless glowing threads appeared—each representing a divine essence, a mythological domain waiting to be claimed.
Without fully understanding how, he reached for one that resonated with his current state—an observer on the edge of catastrophe, seeking to understand what lay beyond the veil of reality.
[DIVINE THREAD SELECTED: WISDOM]
▸ Domain Association: Knowledge, Strategy, Foresight
▸ Divine Resonance: Athena, Odin, Thoth
▸ Compatibility with Origin [Wanderer]: 82%
▸ Fusion Initializing...
As Mash helped Fujimaru to his feet, her newly manifested shield gleaming, she turned to check on Ayanokouji—only to freeze at what she saw.
Around him, ancient symbols flickered in and out of reality—geometric patterns overlapping with owl feathers, runes, and hieroglyphics. His eyes had taken on a strange luminosity, and when he moved, afterimages of knowledge seemed to trail behind him.
"What... are you?" she whispered.
Before he could answer, Director Olga Marie appeared around the corner, her face contorted with panic and rage.
"What's happening? Why aren't the emergency systems working? You—new recruits—explain yourselves!"
Ayanokouji's newly enhanced perception immediately identified something wrong with her presence—a spectral quality, a disconnection from physical reality.
"Director," he said calmly, "you're dead."
Her eyes widened in shock and fury. "How dare you! I am the Director of Chaldea, and I—"
"Your physical body was destroyed in the central chamber," he continued, the Wisdom Thread enhancing his analytical abilities. "You're a spiritual projection, anchored by your own will and Chaldea's systems."
Olga Marie faltered, horror dawning on her face. "That's... that's impossible. I'm right here!"
Mash looked between them, confused. "Ayanokouji-san, how could you possibly know that?"
He didn't answer. The fusion was still stabilizing, information flooding his consciousness—possibilities, probabilities, the hidden mechanics of the world suddenly laid bare before him.
[MYTHOS-GOD FORM STABILIZED]
▸ Fusion Complete: [Wanderer] + [Wisdom]
▸ Form Title: Nomad Logos – The Mind That Seeks and Finds
▸ Pantheon Parameters Adjusted:
• Auctoritas: C → B
• Pneuma: D → A
• Fatum: C → A
▸ Passive Effect: Enhanced Pattern Recognition
▸ Active Ability: Wisdom's Eye – See Truth Beyond Illusion
"We need to get to Rayshift," he stated with certainty. "Humanity's future has been incinerated. The only way forward is back."
Olga Marie stared at him in shock. "How do you know about that? Those readings just came in! And what's happened to you? Your magical signature is completely different from yesterday!"
Before he could respond, the facility shuddered again. Reality itself seemed to warp around them as Chaldea's systems initiated emergency protocols.
Fujimaru, finally recovering his senses, looked between them all with determination despite his confusion. "I don't understand what's happening, but if we need to go somewhere to help, then let's go!"
As they ran toward the Rayshift chamber, Mash kept glancing at Ayanokouji. The passive aura emanating from him was unlike anything she'd experienced—not quite divine, not quite mortal, but something in between that made the Heroic Spirit merged with her stir in recognition.
In the Rayshift chamber, chaos reigned. Bodies of staff members lay scattered across the floor. Surviving technicians worked frantically at consoles while Dr. Romani's voice came through damaged speakers.
"Mash! Director! Thank god you're alive! Well, the Director is... complicated, but we'll deal with that later. We have an emergency Rayshift prepared to Singularity F—Fuyuki, 2004. It's our only chance to understand what's happening!"
Olga Marie, still reeling from the revelation of her state, rallied her authority. "Prepare for immediate deployment! Mash, as a Demi-Servant, you'll lead. Fujimaru, you've shown compatible readings—you'll accompany her."
Her eyes narrowed at Ayanokouji. "You... whatever you are... should remain here for study."
"No," he said simply. The word carried weight—his first manifestation of Auctoritas, the authority parameter of his new form. "I'm going."
To everyone's surprise, including his own, the Director found herself nodding in agreement before she could form an objection.
As they positioned themselves for Rayshift, Romani's voice came through again, more urgent. "Wait—there's a strange reading coming from Ayanokouji! It's interfering with the Rayshift calculations!"
"Too late," Ayanokouji stated, his enhanced perception already seeing the spiraling light of the Rayshift activating around them. "We're already in motion."
The last thing he saw before reality dissolved was his interface flashing a new message:
[DIVINE CIRCUIT ESTABLISHED]
▸ [Wisdom] Circuit Online
▸ Phase 2 Complete
▸ New Ability: Thread Weaving - Additional Divine Threads May Now Be Collected
▸ Warning: Temporal Shift Detected
▸ Realigning...
Then consciousness faded as they hurtled toward the first Singularity—and the beginning of the battle for human history.
CHAPTER 2: BURNING REVELATIONS
Fuyuki City, 2004. Or rather, what remained of it.
The sky burned red above a ruined landscape. Skyscrapers stood as blackened skeletons against the crimson horizon. The air tasted of ash and something deeper—magical corruption that saturated everything.
Ayanokouji awakened first, his Divine Circuit pulsing as it adjusted to the distorted reality of the Singularity. He stood, taking in their surroundings with his enhanced perception.
Nearby, Mash stirred, immediately moving to check on Fujimaru, who remained unconscious.
"Ayanokouji-san," she said cautiously, "what happened to you back at Chaldea? You're... different."
He turned to her, eyes still glowing faintly with inner light. "A system activation. Something I was born with."
"Born with?" She frowned. "That's not possible. No one is born with—"
"Many things are possible that Chaldea doesn't understand," he interrupted. His gaze swept the burning city. "Like this. This isn't just destruction. It's revision."
Before Mash could question him further, a crackling communication broke through—Dr. Romani, his holographic image flickering with interference.
"—you hear me? Mash? Fujimaru? Ayanokouji?"
"We read you, Doctor," Mash replied. "Fujimaru-senpai is unconscious but stable. We've arrived in Fuyuki, but..."
"It's everything the sensors indicated," Romani confirmed grimly. "A complete deviation from established history. The Fifth Holy Grail War didn't end like this in our records."
His image flickered as he adjusted something off-screen. "I'm picking up multiple Servant signatures nearby. And... wait... what's that reading coming from Ayanokouji?"
Ayanokouji ignored the question, instead pointing to a distant bridge where a figure stood watching them. "We're not alone."
Mash immediately took up a defensive position before the still-unconscious Fujimaru, her shield gleaming despite the dim light. "A Servant!"
The figure approached—a woman in blue and silver armor, blonde hair bound in a severe bun, green eyes piercing even at a distance. In her hands, an invisible weapon distorted the air around it.
Ayanokouji's interface flashed:
[SERVANT IDENTIFIED]
▸ True Name: Artoria Pendragon
▸ Class: Saber Alter
▸ Corruption Level: Maximum
▸ Threat Assessment: Extreme
▸ Compatibility with [Wisdom] Thread: Low
"Saber Alter," he stated before she had even reached them.
The corrupted king's eyes narrowed. "You know me, stranger? Yet you are neither Master nor Servant." She stopped, studying him with growing curiosity. "No... you are something else. Something I have not encountered before."
Her gaze shifted to Mash and the unconscious Fujimaru. "A Demi-Servant and a potential Master. Interesting combinations in this final act."
"Final act?" Mash asked, grip tightening on her shield.
"The conclusion of this city's story," Saber Alter replied coldly. "Everything here is already dead. You simply haven't accepted it yet."
She raised her invisible sword. "I will grant you the mercy of a swift end."
Mash braced herself, but Ayanokouji stepped forward, his Myth-Engine humming with energy.
[TACTICAL ASSESSMENT]
▸ Direct Combat: Failure Probability 98.7%
▸ [Wisdom] Thread Activation: Strategic Response Available
▸ Recommended Action: Invoke Athena's Gambit
As Saber Alter charged, darkness trailing her invisible blade, Ayanokouji's eyes flashed with golden light.
"By wisdom's decree, I reveal the truth of your corruption," he intoned, the words carrying the weight of his newly elevated Auctoritas parameter.
The air between them shimmered, and suddenly ghostly images appeared—scenes from Artoria's life and fall, the corruption of the grail, the manipulation behind it all.
Saber Alter faltered mid-strike, her blade stopping inches from Ayanokouji's throat. "What... what are you doing to me?"
"Not to you. For you. Showing you the pattern of your fall."
Her eyes widened with rage and confusion. "These are tricks! Illusions!"
"No. Truths. Illuminations." His voice remained calm despite the sword at his neck. "You serve corruption not by choice, but by the nature of this distorted reality. And you know it."
For a moment, doubt crossed her features. Then her expression hardened once more. "Clever words won't save you."
Before she could strike, a new voice called out from the shadows.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, King of Knights. Or what remains of her."
A tall figure in blue stepped into view, white hair and red mantle stark against the burning backdrop. Ayanokouji's interface identified him immediately:
[SERVANT IDENTIFIED]
▸ True Name: Cú Chulainn
▸ Class: Caster
▸ Corruption Level: Minimal
▸ Threat Assessment: Moderate
▸ Compatibility with [Wisdom] Thread: Moderate
Saber Alter's attention shifted to the new arrival. "The Hound. Still clinging to life? I thought I'd exterminated all resistance."
Caster smiled grimly. "I'm harder to kill than most. And these newcomers interest me." His eyes lingered on Ayanokouji. "Especially that one. He's not what he seems."
"Few are," Ayanokouji replied evenly.
Saber Alter glanced between them, calculating her options. Finally, she lowered her weapon. "I will grant you temporary reprieve. Make peace with your fate. When next we meet, I will not hesitate."
She stepped back, darkness swirling around her. "This dead city has one final act to play. Do not disappoint me." With that, she vanished into the crimson haze.
Caster approached them cautiously. "Well, that was interesting. Not many can make Saber Alter hesitate with just words."
"They weren't just words," Mash said, staring at Ayanokouji with newfound wariness. "What did you do?"
Before he could answer, Fujimaru groaned, finally regaining consciousness. "What... happened? Where are we?"
As Mash helped him up, Caster addressed Ayanokouji directly. "You're not a normal Master. I can sense the divine touch on you—but it's different from any god I know."
Ayanokouji nodded. "Because it isn't one god. It's the concept of divinity itself."
Caster's eyes widened slightly. "Dangerous words in dangerous times. Come on—I have a safehouse nearby. We can talk there while your friend recovers."
As they followed Caster through the burning ruins, Romani's voice crackled through their communications again.
"Be careful with that Caster! And Ayanokouji, what was that energy spike we detected? Your readings are completely different from any Master we've ever monitored!"
"I'm not a Master," he replied simply. "Not in the way Chaldea defines it."
"Then what are you?" Romani demanded.
Ayanokouji glanced at his interface, which displayed a new message:
[MYTH-ENGINE EVOLUTION OPPORTUNITY]
▸ Combat Imminent
▸ Divine Thread [Wisdom] Stabilized
▸ Secondary Thread Detection: [War] Essence Present in Environment
▸ Acquisition Authorized if Mythically Resonant Action Performed
He closed the interface with a thought. "Something still becoming," he answered cryptically.
Caster's safehouse was a ruined temple, protected by runes that glowed blue against the red haze of the dying city. Inside, Fujimaru recovered quickly, his resilience surprising even himself.
"So this is a Singularity," he said, looking around with wide eyes. "And we need to fix it somehow?"
"That's the idea," Caster confirmed. "Though I'm still not clear on how you three fit into all this. Especially..." He nodded toward Ayanokouji.
Mash explained their mission from Chaldea—to investigate the distortion in history and find the Holy Grail responsible for it. As she spoke, Ayanokouji stepped away, examining the runes Caster had placed around the temple.
His [Wisdom] Thread resonated with the ancient symbols, allowing him to understand their purpose and construction. Almost unconsciously, he reached out and adjusted one slightly, strengthening its effect.
Caster noticed immediately, appearing at his side with supernatural speed. "How did you do that?" he demanded, eyes narrowed. "Those are my runes."
"Patterns," Ayanokouji replied. "All magic is patterns. I simply... see them now."
The Irish hero studied him intently. "You're a dangerous one, whatever you are. But dangerous might be what we need right now." He gestured to the ruined city beyond the temple walls. "Everything out there wants us dead. The Grail has corrupted the other Servants, the entire city is a death trap, and at the center of it all is something worse than death itself."
"Archer," Ayanokouji stated.
Caster's eyebrows rose. "You know about him?"
"No. But he's watching us now." Ayanokouji pointed to a distant rooftop where a red-cloaked figure stood observing them, before vanishing in a blur of movement.
"Damn!" Caster cursed. "My bounded field should have hidden us!"
"It did," Ayanokouji assured him. "He wasn't tracking your magic. He was tracking me."
Mash approached, concern etched on her face. "Why would he track you specifically?"
The interface flickered before Ayanokouji's eyes:
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE]
▸ Corruption Source Identified: Greater Grail Contamination
▸ Servant "Archer" Status: Observer/Enforcer
▸ Threat Assessment: Targeting [Myth-Engine] Specifically
▸ WARNING: Divine Anomaly Recognition Active
"Because I'm an anomaly," he explained. "Something outside the expected parameters of this Singularity."
Fujimaru joined them, determination hardening his previously uncertain features. "Then we use that to our advantage. If this Archer is watching you, we can use that to draw him out."
"Bold strategy for someone who just learned about Servants today," Caster remarked with grudging respect.
"Sometimes fresh eyes see clearest," Fujimaru replied with surprising confidence. He turned to Ayanokouji. "What do you think? You seem to understand what's happening better than any of us."
All eyes turned to Ayanokouji, who stood silent for a moment, processing possibilities. Finally, he nodded.
"We need to move toward the Greater Grail. That's where this distortion centers. But first..." He looked at Caster. "We need to understand your role here. You're the last uncorrupted Servant. Why?"
Caster grimaced. "Luck of the Irish? Or maybe bad luck. I was summoned late, after everything went to hell. My Master died before I even properly materialized. Been fighting solo ever since, trying to understand what happened."
"And what did happen?" Mash asked.
"Something interfered with the Fifth Holy Grail War. The Grail became corrupted—more than usual—and instead of just tearing a hole in reality, it rewrote this entire timeline." Caster's expression darkened. "Whatever did this isn't from this world. It feels... older. Like something from before human history."
Ayanokouji's interface flashed again:
[INSIGHT ACHIEVED]
▸ Event Classification: Singularity F is a Beast-Class Entity Test Site
▸ Historical Anchor: Fifth Holy Grail War
▸ True Threat: Entity Using Grail As Vessel
▸ Connection to Human Incineration: Direct
"It's the first move," Ayanokouji stated quietly. "The opening gambit in the incineration of human history."
"By what?" Romani's voice crackled through their communications, having been silently monitoring.
"Something that hates human progress," Ayanokouji replied. "A Beast."
The word hung heavy in the air. Even Caster looked disturbed.
"That's... not possible," Romani protested. "A Beast-class entity would be—"
"The perfect first architect for human extinction," Ayanokouji interrupted. "And it's using corrupted Heroic Spirits as its weapons."
Fujimaru looked between them, confusion evident. "Beast? What's a Beast?"
"A category of entity that exists to devour humanity," Mash explained grimly. "Not destroy—devour. Consume our potential, our future."
Caster's expression hardened. "If that's true, we need to move now. Night is falling, and in this Singularity, the darkness brings worse things than shadows."
As if on cue, an inhuman howl echoed through the ruined city.
"Corrupted familiars," Caster explained. "They hunt anything with magical energy."
"Then we fight our way to the Grail," Fujimaru declared with surprising resolve. He turned to Ayanokouji. "Can your... whatever it is... help us get there?"
Ayanokouji nodded, the [Wisdom] Thread already calculating optimal paths. But his interface showed something more:
[DIVINE THREAD ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITY]
▸ Environment Rich With [War] Essence
▸ Combat Against Beast Proxies: Perfect Catalyst
▸ Pantheon Parameter Requirements:
• Must Display Virtus (Heroic Essence) in Battle
• Must Protect Others Through Strategic Violence
▸ Thread Will Manifest If Resonant Action Performed
"Yes," he said simply. "I'll lead the way."
As they prepared to venture into the corrupted city, Mash pulled Ayanokouji aside.
"I don't understand what you are," she said quietly. "But I sense the Heroic Spirit within me responding to your presence—with both caution and recognition. Whatever power you're using... be careful with it."
He met her eyes. "Power isn't good or evil, Mash. It simply is. The wielder determines its nature."
"And what nature are you?" she asked.
For the first time since arriving at Chaldea, a ghost of a smile touched his lips. "Still determining that myself."
As they stepped out into the burning ruins, the hunt for the Holy Grail—and the true battle for humanity's survival—had just begun.
CHAPTER 3: WAR'S CLAIM
The corrupted city pulsed with malevolent energy. Streets twisted unnaturally, buildings leaned at impossible angles, and the sky above burned like a wound in reality itself.
Ayanokouji led their group through the nightmare landscape, his [Wisdom] Thread illuminating optimal paths that avoided the worst concentrations of corrupted entities. Fujimaru followed close behind with Mash protectively at his side, while Caster brought up the rear, occasionally firing blasts of runic energy at pursuing shadows.
"They're getting more aggressive," Caster warned as they navigated through a collapsed shopping district. "Something's stirring them up."
"We're getting closer to the Grail," Ayanokouji replied without turning. "It senses us."
Romani's voice crackled through their communications. "The corruption is intensifying around you. Those readings are off the charts!"
Suddenly, Ayanokouji halted, raising a hand in warning. The interface before his eyes flashed urgent alerts:
[DANGER - MULTIPLE HOSTILES]
▸ Corrupted Familiars: 27
▸ Corruption Level: Critical
▸ Controlled by: Servant Presence
▸ Ambush Formation Detected
"We're surrounded," he stated calmly.
On cue, twisted creatures emerged from the shadows—once-normal animals and humans, now corrupted into monstrosities of flesh and magical energy. Their eyes glowed with unholy red light as they formed a tightening circle around the group.
Mash stepped forward, shield raised. "Stay behind me, Fujimaru-senpai!"
Caster cursed, raising his staff. "Too many to outrun. We fight."
The creatures attacked in unison, a coordinated assault that spoke of intelligence directing them. Mash blocked the first wave with her shield, the impact sending shockwaves through the the ground. Caster's runes blazed with blue fire, incinerating several creatures that leapt at him from above.
Fujimaru, though unarmed, displayed surprisingly quick reflexes, dodging a lunging familiar and pushing it into the path of another. "There's too many!"
Ayanokouji stood motionless as the battle erupted around him, his eyes tracking every movement with inhuman precision. The [Wisdom] Thread granted him perfect battle analysis—he could see every attack before it happened, every weakness in their formation.
Yet mere observation wasn't enough. As three corrupted beasts charged him simultaneously, his interface flashed:
[COMBAT REQUIREMENT DETECTED]
▸ [Wisdom] Thread: Analysis Complete
▸ Tactical Solution Available
▸ Physical Execution Requires: Additional Thread
▸ [War] Thread Resonance: Rising
Time seemed to slow as Ayanokouji made his decision. With deliberate intent, he shifted his stance and reached inward to the core of his evolving system.
"Thread of War, I invoke thee," he whispered, the words somehow ancient and new simultaneously.
The creatures leapt—and Ayanokouji moved.
His previously economical movements transformed into something beautiful and terrible. He sidestepped the first beast with preternatural grace, caught the second by its mutated throat, and used its momentum to slam it into the third. His body flowed like water while striking with the precision of lightning.
Mash turned at the sound of combat behind her, and her eyes widened at what she saw. "Ayanokouji-san?"
Around him, a crimson aura had begun to form—translucent images of shields, spears, and swords flickering in and out of existence. His eyes now held dual lights: the gold of [Wisdom] and the crimson of [War].
[DIVINE THREAD ACTIVATING: WAR]
▸ Domain Association: Combat, Strategy, Victory
▸ Divine Resonance: Ares, Mars, Tyr, Sekhmet
▸ Compatibility with Origin [Wanderer]: 74%
▸ Secondary Thread Weaving: In Progress
▸ Pantheon Parameters Adjusting...
With each creature he defeated, the aura intensified. His movements became more fluid, more devastating. Where before he had been calculating and distant, now he emanated controlled fury—the perfect warrior adapting to each new threat.
"What's happening to him?" Fujimaru asked, staring in awe.
Caster narrowed his eyes. "He's drawing on War itself. Not just the concept—the divine essence."
The last of the creatures fell, torn apart by bare hands that now glowed with crimson light. Ayanokouji stood amidst the carnage, his breathing steady despite the exertion. Around him, the interface blazed with new information:
[DIVINE THREAD ACQUIRED: WAR]
▸ Second Circuit Established
▸ Thread Weaving Successful
▸ New Form Available: [Wanderer] + [Wisdom] + [War]
▸ Designation: Nomad Strategist – The Mind That Conquers All Fields
▸ Pantheon Parameters Elevated:
• Virtus: C → A
• Auctoritas: B → B+
• Anima: D → B
▸ Combat Applications Unlocked
"Ayanokouji-san?" Mash approached cautiously, her shield still raised. "Are you... still yourself?"
He turned to her, the dual-colored glow in his eyes slowly subsiding. "More myself than before," he replied. "The system is... growing."
Romani's panicked voice broke through their comms. "What was that energy signature? It registered like a Servant manifestation, but... different! Ayanokouji, what did you do?"
"Acquired another thread," he answered simply.
"Another what?" Romani demanded.
Before Ayanokouji could explain, Caster interrupted. "Whatever he did, it worked. But we need to move. That display of power will attract attention—and not the kind we want."
As if summoned by his words, the air above them distorted. A figure materialized on a nearby rooftop—a man in red and black, white hair swept back, steel-gray eyes focused entirely on Ayanokouji.
"Archer," Caster growled, raising his staff.
Archer observed them silently for a moment before speaking. "Interesting. You're not what I expected to find in this corrupted timeline." His gaze never left Ayanokouji. "Especially you. You're not supposed to be here at all, are you?"
Ayanokouji stared back, his newly acquired [War] Thread providing instant battle calculations. "Neither are you. You're not merely corrupted like the others. You're watching. Waiting."
A small smile touched Archer's lips. "Perceptive. But perception alone won't save any of you." He raised a hand, and dozens of corrupted shadows began to gather behind him. "This timeline is already dead. You're just prolonging the inevitable."
"Is that why you haven't attacked us directly?" Ayanokouji challenged. "Because you know we're not part of this timeline's fate?"
Archer's expression hardened. "Don't mistake observation for hesitation." He gestured, and the shadows surged forward. "Consider this a test. Survive, and we'll have a more... detailed conversation."
With that, he vanished, leaving the horde of corrupted entities descending upon them.
"Fall back!" Caster shouted, throwing up a hasty barrier of runes.
"No," Ayanokouji countered. "Forward. This is a diversion. The path to the Grail is clearer now."
"Are you insane?" Caster demanded. "There's too many!"
"Trust him," Fujimaru said suddenly, his expression determined. "If Ayanokouji says forward, we go forward."
Mash looked between them before nodding. "I'll clear a path."
With a cry, she charged the oncoming horde, her shield glowing with protective light. Ayanokouji moved in perfect synchronization with her, the [War] Thread guiding his movements to complement hers.
"This way," he directed, pointing through a gap in the ruined buildings. "Three hundred meters, then down. The corruption is thinner there."
Together, they fought their way forward—Mash's defense, Caster's ranged attacks, Ayanokouji's precise strikes, and Fujimaru's surprisingly effective commands creating a synergy none of them had anticipated.
As they pushed through the corrupted city, Ayanokouji's interface continued to update:
[WAR THREAD INTEGRATING]
▸ Combat Experience Accumulating
▸ Strategic Pattern Recognition Enhanced
▸ Note: [Wisdom] + [War] Combination Highly Effective
▸ Evolution Path Identified: [Wanderer] → [Strategist] Conversion Possible
They finally broke through to a relatively clear area—a crater where something massive had impacted. At its center, a flight of stairs descended into darkness.
"There," Ayanokouji pointed. "The path to the Grail."
Caster stared at the stairs with apprehension. "That's... not natural. That shouldn't be here."
"None of this should be here," Mash reminded him. "This entire Singularity is a distortion."
Fujimaru stepped forward, his previous uncertainty now replaced with resolve. "If that's the way to the Grail, then that's where we need to go."
Before they could descend, the air behind them shimmered. They turned to find Saber Alter standing there, her corrupted Excalibur glowing with malevolent energy.
"I warned you," she said coldly. "Our next meeting would be your last."
Caster moved to engage her, but Ayanokouji raised a hand. "Wait."
Saber Alter's eyes narrowed. "You again. The anomaly."
"You're not here to stop us," Ayanokouji stated with certainty, the [Wisdom] Thread reading her true intentions. "You're curious. About me. About what we'll find below."
A flicker of surprise crossed her corrupted features. "You presume much."
"I observe," he corrected. "The corruption controls you, but doesn't define you. Part of Artoria Pendragon still remains—the part that seeks truth, even in darkness."
For a long moment, Saber Alter stared at him, her expression unreadable. Then, surprisingly, she lowered her sword slightly.
"Perhaps," she acknowledged. "Or perhaps I simply wish to see what destruction you will bring. This singularity has grown... monotonous."
"Then watch," Ayanokouji suggested. "Or join us."
Mash gasped. "Ayanokouji-san! She's corrupted by the Grail! We can't trust her!"
"I don't suggest trust," he replied. "I suggest alignment of interest. Temporarily."
Saber Alter studied him for another moment before a cold smile touched her lips. "Interesting strategy. Very well. I will observe your descent. If you survive what waits below, perhaps we will have more to discuss."
She stepped aside, gesturing toward the stairs with her blackened blade. "The abyss awaits."
As their group cautiously moved past her, Saber Alter's eyes remained fixed on Ayanokouji. "What are you?" she asked quietly. "You wear divinity like a cloak, yet you are not a god."
He paused, considering his answer. "I am becoming," he said finally. "Just as you once did, King of Knights."
Something flickered in her golden eyes—recognition, perhaps, or memory. But she said nothing more as they descended into darkness, toward the corrupted core of the Singularity.
The stairway seemed to descend endlessly, spiraling into depths that shouldn't exist beneath Fuyuki City. The air grew thick with magical energy—corrupt, warped, yet undeniably powerful.
"Romani," Mash called through their comms. "Are you still receiving us?"
"Barely," came the doctor's strained voice. "Your signals are degrading. Whatever's down there is interfering with our connection."
"The Greater Grail," Caster explained grimly. "In a normal Holy Grail War, it manifests as a gateway to the Root. Here... it's become something else entirely."
As they descended, Ayanokouji felt his newly acquired threads resonating with the ancient power surrounding them. His interface flickered with warnings:
[CAUTION: DIVINE-LEVEL CORRUPTION DETECTED]
▸ Foreign Divine Entity Present
▸ Classification: Beast-Adjacent
▸ Threat Level: Maximum
▸ [War] Thread Response: Heightened
▸ [Wisdom] Thread Analysis: Calculating Counter-Measures
"There's something waiting for us," he warned the others. "Something ancient."
"More ancient than Servants?" Fujimaru asked.
"Different," Ayanokouji replied. "Servants are echoes of human achievement elevated to legend. This is an echo of human failure, elevated to divinity."
The stairs finally ended, opening onto a vast chamber that defied the physical limitations of the space above. It stretched impossibly far in all directions, and at its center stood a massive structure—the corrupted Greater Grail, now a towering pillar of writhing darkness.
Standing before it was a familiar figure—Archer, his back to them as he observed the Grail.
"Welcome," he said without turning. "To the end of this world."
As they approached cautiously, Archer finally faced them. His expression was calm, analytical—not the fury of corruption that drove the other Servants.
"You made it past my test," he acknowledged. "Impressive, especially for a group so... unconventional."
His gaze settled on Ayanokouji. "But you're the true anomaly, aren't you? Something the system didn't account for."
Before Ayanokouji could respond, a new voice echoed through the chamber—melodic, soothing, and utterly wrong.
"Indeed. A most unexpected variable in our equation."
From behind the Grail emerged a figure that seemed to shift between forms—sometimes a beautiful man, sometimes a monstrous being, always wrapped in writhing shadows.
"Greetings, travelers from Chaldea," the entity purred. "I am the architect of this particular extinction. You may call me... the Overseer."
Caster's face drained of color. "That's not a Servant."
"No," the Overseer agreed, smiling. "I am something far more interesting. A fragment of a greater whole. A herald of what comes next."
Ayanokouji's interface flashed urgent warnings:
[ENTITY IDENTIFIED]
▸ Classification: Beast Fragment
▸ Aspect: Corruption of Enlightenment
▸ Divine Negation Field: Active
▸ WARNING: Direct Confrontation Not Recommended
"You're using the Grail to create a conceptual bridgehead," Ayanokouji stated, the [Wisdom] Thread piecing together the entity's plan. "This Singularity isn't just destruction—it's a test run for something larger."
The Overseer's smile widened. "Fascinating. You can see the pattern. How delicious." It turned its attention to the others. "This one interests me. The rest of you... are merely fuel."
With a gesture, tendrils of corruption shot from the Grail, aiming for Mash, Fujimaru, and Caster. Mash's shield blocked the attack, glowing with protective light.
"I won't let you harm them!" she declared.
The Overseer laughed—a sound like breaking glass. "Noble sentiment. But futile."
It turned to Archer. "Eliminate them. Except that one." It pointed at Ayanokouji. "He requires... special attention."
Archer nodded, materializing his twin blades. "As you wish."
The battle erupted instantly. Archer moved with blinding speed, engaging Caster in a deadly dance of blades and spells. Mash positioned herself before Fujimaru, her shield absorbing blow after blow from the corrupted tendrils.
Ayanokouji found himself facing the Overseer directly. The entity studied him with curious eyes that shifted between human and something distinctly other.
"What a fascinating construction you are," it mused. "Not quite divine, not quite mortal. A system building itself." It circled him with unnatural grace. "Tell me, little anomaly—do you even understand what you're becoming?"
Ayanokouji remained still, both [Wisdom] and [War] threads calculating, analyzing. "Better than you understand what you're unmaking."
The Overseer laughed again. "Oh, I understand perfectly. Humanity is a failed experiment. Its extinction is merely the correction of an error."
As they spoke, the battle raged around them. Caster and Archer were evenly matched, their ancient rivalry giving each insight into the other's tactics. Mash fought valiantly against the corrupted tendrils, but they grew in number with each passing moment.
"Senpai!" she called to Fujimaru. "I can't keep this up much longer!"
Fujimaru looked desperately around the chamber, seeking any advantage. His eyes fell on the Grail itself—and a realization dawned.
"The Grail is the source!" he called out. "If we destroy it—"
"Impossible," the Overseer cut in. "The Grail cannot be destroyed by mere Servants. It is beyond your reach."
But Ayanokouji had already made the same calculation. His interface displayed:
[STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT]
▸ Grail Corruption: Central Node
▸ Overseer Connection: Symbiotic
▸ Vulnerability Identified: Connection Point
▸ Required Action: Synchronized Assault
▸ Recommended Formation: Dual Thread Manifestation
Without warning, Ayanokouji acted. His form blurred as both [Wisdom] and [War] threads activated simultaneously, creating a perfect fusion of tactical insight and combat prowess. He moved with impossible speed, targeting not the Overseer, but the tendrils connecting it to the Grail.
"What are you doing?" the entity hissed, suddenly alarmed.
"Applying wisdom to war," Ayanokouji replied, his voice resonating with dual harmonics. "Finding the pattern. Breaking it."
His hands glowed with crimson and gold light as he tore through the corrupted connections. Each severed tendril caused the Overseer to shriek in pain and rage.
"Impossible! You cannot comprehend what you're interfering with!"
But Ayanokouji continued, his movements guided by perfect tactical understanding. As he fought, his interface displayed new information:
[DIVINE THREAD EVOLUTION]
▸ [Wisdom] + [War] Synergy: Perfect
▸ New Integration Path: [Strategist] Origin Forming
▸ Warning: [Wanderer] Origin Destabilizing
▸ Decision Required: Maintain or Transform?
Without hesitation, he chose transformation. In this moment, against this enemy, wandering was no longer his path.
"I choose to stand," he whispered, and something fundamental shifted within his Myth-Engine.
[ORIGIN KEY TRANSFORMATION]
▸ [Wanderer] → [Strategist] Conversion Initiated
▸ Pantheon Parameters Recalibrating
▸ New Mythic Form Emerging
The air around him shimmered with golden light as his transformation manifested. The dual threads of [Wisdom] and [War] wove together more tightly, creating a new form that was greater than their sum.
The Overseer recoiled. "What... what are you becoming?"
"What I need to be," Ayanokouji replied. Then he called to the others: "Fujimaru! Order Mash to strike at the base of the Grail! Caster, drive Archer back with your flames! Now!"
Something in his voice—enhanced by his elevated Auctoritas—compelled obedience. Fujimaru immediately shouted, "Mash! Target the Grail's foundation!"
Mash nodded, gathering her power. "Lord Chaldeas!" she cried, and her shield blazed with brilliant light as she slammed it into the ground. The shockwave traveled across the chamber floor, striking the base of the corrupted Grail.
Simultaneously, Caster unleashed a torrent of runic flames, forcing Archer to retreat. For a crucial moment, all their attacks aligned—and the Grail's corruption wavered.
The Overseer screamed in fury. "No! You cannot interfere! This is merely the beginning!"
"No," Ayanokouji countered, his transformed presence radiating authority. "For you, it's the end."
With perfect timing, he struck the final connection between the entity and the Grail. The chamber erupted in blinding light as the corruption began to collapse in on itself.
"This changes nothing!" the Overseer howled as its form began to dissipate. "The incineration has already begun! This was merely one path of many! You have won nothing!"
Then it was gone, dissolved into particles of fading corruption.
The chamber began to shake violently. Caster rushed to their side. "The Singularity is collapsing! Without the Grail sustaining it, this entire reality will disappear!"
"Rayshift!" Fujimaru called into their comms. "Dr. Romani! We need extraction now!"
Static crackled, then Romani's voice broke through. "Locking onto your signatures! Stand by!"
As the world shattered around them, Ayanokouji's interface displayed one final message:
[TRANSFORMATION COMPLETE]
▸ Origin Key: [Strategist] Established
▸ Threads Active: [Wisdom] + [War]
▸ Form Title: Nomad Tactician – The Mind That Masters Fields
▸ Phase 2 Stabilized
▸ New Ability Unlocked: Strategic Dominance – Assert Tactical Reality
▸ Note: First Evolution Path Completed
The last thing he saw before the Rayshift took them was Archer, standing amidst the collapse, watching him with an unreadable expression. Their eyes met for a brief moment—a silent acknowledgment passed between them.
Then reality dissolved, and they were pulled back to Chaldea.
CHAPTER 4: AFTERMATH AND REVELATIONS
The return to Chaldea was chaotic. Emergency systems blared as the damaged facility struggled to stabilize the Rayshift process. Magical energy crackled around the chamber as their forms materialized.
Fujimaru collapsed immediately, exhausted by the strain. Mash knelt beside him, her own transformation beginning to fade as the Demi-Servant bond stabilized.
Ayanokouji stood perfectly still, his newly evolved form still radiating subtle power. The interface before his eyes continued to update as the [Strategist] Origin settled into place:
[SYSTEM RECALIBRATION]
▸ Origin Key: [Strategist] Integration: 87% Complete
▸ Pantheon Parameters Stabilizing:
• Auctoritas: B+ → A-
• Virtus: A → A
• Pneuma: A → A+
• Fatum: A → A-
• Stigma: C → B
• Anima: B → B+
▸ Physical Manifestation Adjusting...
"Vitals stabilizing! All masters accounted for!" a technician called out.
"Get a medical team in here now!" Romani ordered, rushing to check on Fujimaru.
Da Vinci approached Ayanokouji cautiously, her eyes taking in the subtle changes in his appearance—the new confidence in his posture, the faint glow still emanating from his eyes, the almost imperceptible shimmer of power around him.
"Fascinating," she murmured. "You've evolved."
He met her gaze. "You knew."
It wasn't a question. Da Vinci smiled enigmatically. "I suspected. There were... inconsistencies in your data. Patterns that shouldn't exist."
Their conversation was interrupted as Romani finished examining Fujimaru and turned his attention to Ayanokouji.
"What happened back there?" he demanded. "Your readings were off the charts! You were generating energy signatures similar to a Servant, but... different!"
"I am different," Ayanokouji stated simply.
Before Romani could press further, Olga Marie's spiritual form materialized in the chamber, her expression a mix of fury and wonder.
"The Singularity has been resolved," she announced. "But at what cost? Half of Chaldea is destroyed, my body is gone, and we have an unknown variable in our midst." Her spectral gaze fixed on Ayanokouji. "I want answers. Now."
Ayanokouji assessed the room—the damaged equipment, the exhausted staff, the confusion and fear permeating the atmosphere. This wasn't the time for full explanations.
"The threat isn't over," he said instead. "That was just the first Singularity. There will be more."
"How can you possibly know that?" Romani asked.
"The entity called itself 'the Overseer.' A fragment of something greater. It spoke of the 'incineration' as already underway."
Da Vinci nodded gravely. "He's right. Our sensors are detecting multiple timeline anomalies—similar to Fuyuki, but scattered across human history."
Olga Marie's form flickered with agitation. "This is unprecedented. The very fabric of human history is being burned away."
"And we're the only ones who can fix it," Fujimaru said, sitting up with Mash's help. Despite his exhaustion, determination shone in his eyes. "We have to keep going."
The Director studied him with begrudging respect. "It seems you have potential after all, Fujimaru." Her gaze shifted back to Ayanokouji. "Both of you do, apparently. Though in very different ways."
"Director," Da Vinci interjected, "we should debrief them properly after they've rested. Especially given Mash's... transformation."
Mash looked down at her hands, still coming to terms with her new reality as a Demi-Servant. "I still don't understand what happened to me."
"A Heroic Spirit merged with your being," Ayanokouji explained. "Giving you their power and aspects of their identity."
"How do you know that?" Romani asked sharply.
"My system showed me the pattern."
"Your 'system'?" Olga Marie demanded.
Ayanokouji considered how much to reveal. The interface provided guidance:
[STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT]
▸ Full Disclosure: Not Recommended (78% Negative Outcome)
▸ Partial Explanation: Optimal (63% Positive Outcome)
▸ Complete Secrecy: Dangerous (89% Negative Outcome)
▸ Recommended Approach: Controlled Information Release
"I have a unique magical construct within me," he explained. "The Myth-Engine Deus Core. It allows me to perceive and interact with divine concepts differently than normal humans or mages."
"That's impossible," Romani said flatly. "Divine concepts aren't something you can just 'interact' with."
Da Vinci raised an eyebrow. "And yet, we all saw what he did in Fuyuki. The readings don't lie, Romani."
"Where did you get this... Myth-Engine?" Olga Marie asked.
"I was born with it," Ayanokouji replied truthfully. "Though it only fully activated during the explosion here at Chaldea."
This wasn't entirely the truth, but it wasn't a lie either. The system had chosen that moment to fully awaken, after decades of dormancy.
Fujimaru, who had been listening quietly, spoke up. "Whatever it is, it helped us survive and resolve the Singularity. That's what matters right now, isn't it?"
The practical observation cut through the tension. Olga Marie sighed—a strange sound from a spiritual entity.
"Fine. We'll discuss this further after you've all rested. But," she added, fixing Ayanokouji with a stern gaze, "we will discuss it."
As the group dispersed, medical staff helping Fujimaru to the infirmary and Mash accompanying him, Ayanokouji remained in the chamber a moment longer. Da Vinci lingered as well, her curious eyes studying him.
"You're more than you appear," she said once they were alone.
"So are you, Leonardo," he replied.
She smiled, not at all offended by his use of her original name. "True. We all have our secrets. But yours... yours might change everything."
He considered this. "Change is inevitable. The real question is direction."
Da Vinci laughed softly. "Very philosophical. But I'm not concerned about abstract concepts. I'm concerned about Chaldea. About humanity's survival."
"As am I."
"Are you?" she challenged. "Or are you pursuing your own evolution?"
The question was perceptive—too perceptive. His interface displayed:
[THREAT ASSESSMENT: DA VINCI]
▸ Perception Level: Extremely High
▸ Danger to System: Minimal
▸ Potential Ally Value: Significant
▸ Recommended Approach: Limited Truth
"Both," he admitted. "My evolution and humanity's survival are connected. How, I'm still determining."
Da Vinci nodded, seemingly satisfied with his honesty. "Fair enough. I'll be watching your progress with great interest, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."
As she turned to leave, she added, "Oh, and a word of advice? Mash is confused by you, but intrigued. That's a dangerous combination for someone still finding herself."
With that cryptic observation, she departed, leaving Ayanokouji alone with his evolving system.
Days passed as Chaldea slowly recovered from the catastrophe. Emergency repairs restored critical systems, while the surviving staff adjusted to their new reality. The human race outside their Antarctic fortress now existed only in the past—and without their intervention, had no future.
Ayanokouji spent much of this time in isolation, meditating on his transformation and the new abilities it had granted. The [Strategist] Origin had fully integrated, replacing the [Wanderer] he had been. It was a fundamental shift in his identity—from one who observes to one who acts.
His interface continued to provide updates:
[SYSTEM STATUS]
▸ Phase 2 Stability: 100%
▸ Threads Active: [Wisdom] + [War]
▸ Thread Capacity: 1 Additional Slot Available
▸ Evolution Path: Strategic Dominance
▸ Note: New Thread Acquisition Requires Resonant Event
On the fourth day after their return, as he was exploring the depths of the [Strategist] Origin's capabilities, a soft knock came at his door.
"Enter," he called, closing the interface with a thought.
The door slid open to reveal Mash, standing uncertainly in the hallway. "Ayanokouji-san. May I speak with you?"
He nodded, gesturing for her to enter. She stepped inside, the door closing automatically behind her.
"You've been avoiding the common areas," she observed. "Dr. Romani was concerned."
"I needed to process," he replied. "And you? How are you adapting to your new state?"
Mash's hand drifted to her chest, where the connection to her Heroic Spirit resided. "It's... strange. I can feel them inside me—their power, their memories. But they're fragmented, unclear."
"Your Spirit is shielding you," Ayanokouji observed. "Protecting you from too much, too quickly."
She looked up, surprised. "You can tell that?"
"I can see the pattern of your bond. It's... considerate. Unusual for a Heroic Spirit."
Mash sat on the edge of the only chair in the sparse room. "That's actually why I came. You seem to understand what's happening to me better than anyone else. Even better than Dr. Romani, and he's been studying Demi-Servants for years."
"I see differently," he acknowledged.
"The way you changed in Fuyuki..." she hesitated. "Are you still changing?"
"Yes."
The simple answer seemed to both concern and relieve her. "So I'm not alone in this."
"No," he agreed. "Though our paths are different."
Mash studied him curiously. "You're different from when we first met. Not just your... abilities. You seem more..."
"Present," he supplied. "The [Wanderer] observed. The [Strategist] engages."
"[Wanderer]? [Strategist]?" she repeated, confused.
"Origin Keys. Fundamental aspects of identity. Mine shifted during the battle."
Mash processed this. "And that's part of your Myth-Engine? These 'Origin Keys'?"
He nodded. "The base upon which Divine Threads are woven."
"And the Threads are...?"
"Conceptual domains. Wisdom. War. Aspects of divinity distilled to their essence."
Mash's eyes widened with realization. "You're... taking on divine aspects? But that's—"
"Not quite," he interrupted. "Not becoming divine. Interfacing with divine concepts. There's a distinction."
She didn't seem entirely convinced. "The Heroic Spirit within me... they're reacting to you. With caution, but also... recognition. Like they've encountered something similar before."
This was interesting. Ayanokouji's interface displayed:
[HEROIC SPIRIT ANALYSIS]
▸ Class: Shielder
▸ True Identity: Analyzing...
▸ Divine Awareness: Present
▸ Relation to System: Potential Resonance
"Your Spirit has encountered divinity before," he observed. "And recognizes its patterns in me."
Mash nodded slowly. "I think that's it. But they're also... protective. Concerned."
"Rightfully so," Ayanokouji acknowledged. "Power without purpose is dangerous. I'm still determining mine."
This admission seemed to surprise her. "I thought you knew exactly what you were doing."
"I understand the system," he clarified. "My path through it is still unfolding."
Their conversation was interrupted by an announcement over the facility's speakers. "All Master candidates and combat personnel, report to the command center immediately. Repeat, all Master candidates and combat personnel to the command center."
Mash stood quickly. "They must have identified another Singularity."
Ayanokouji nodded, also rising. "Then our conversation will have to continue another time."
As they walked together through Chaldea's corridors, Mash glanced at him. "Ayanokouji-san... whatever you're becoming, I hope it's something that helps us save humanity."
He considered her words carefully. "So do I."
The command center was a hive of activity when they arrived. Fujimaru was already there, looking much recovered from his ordeal. Da Vinci stood at the main console, analyzing data streams, while Romani paced anxiously nearby.
Olga Marie's spiritual form hovered above the central platform, her expression grim. "Ah, everyone's here. Good. We've identified the next Singularity."
The main screen displayed a map of historical timelines, with a glowing red spot pulsing ominously.
"France, 1431," Da Vinci announced. "The Hundred Years' War. Something has destabilized that period of history."
"The age of Jeanne d'Arc," Romani