( Ken POV )
'Urgh... My head...'
I slowly open my eyes, the sting of a headache pulling me into consciousness. Sitting beside my bed is a man in a white lab coat, absorbed in what looks like an iPad.
He has green emerald eyes, and his orange fluffy hair cascades past his shoulders. Gloved hands rest on his lap. His gaze shifts to me, a mixture of surprise and relief flickering in his calm green eyes.
"You're finally awake, Ken," he says, his voice laced with concern. "When Mash told me that you woke up and then suddenly passed out again just a few hours ago, I nearly had a heart attack, you know? I thought something was wrong with your body. She even alerted the director and Leonardo because of it. Sigh, but thankfully after I ran a diagnosis on you, I found out that you were just mentally shocked and passed out. Anyways, how are you feeling right now?"
"Dr. Romani...?" I murmur slowly as I look at the man beside me.
'How in the actual fuck is Solomon right beside me right now!?'
The man, the myth, the fucking legend, Solomon, the king of magecraft and one of the Grand Servants from the game, has graced me with his presence. Even though his identity right now should be Dr. Romani Archaman, the head of the medical department of Chaldea Security Organization.
Wait... As I try to process this, another wave of dizziness hits me, though it's weaker now compared to the last time.
"Ken, are you alright?" Roman asks me with genuine concern etched in his tone as he looks at me.
"I'm fine, just a bit of a headache," I reply.
Now that my head is starting to clear, I see a lot of memories from this new body of mine. My name is Ryougi Ken, the last Master of Chaldea. I am also one of the so-called The Crypters, a team that consists of seven Master-Candidates comprising Master Team A of Chaldea Security Organization, replacing the guy named Beryl Gut.
Apparently, there is no Ritsuka Fujimaru, Gudao, or Gudako here. Chaldea already cleared their last battle against Goetia and defeated him, yet victory came at a hefty price. The man standing before me should have been a casualty of that battle, but here he is, tending to me in the medical room.
'So, I was sent to this new body, and the timeframe is after the battle against Goetia?'
"Doctor Roman, what happened here? Why are yo-" I try to ask the question that has been bothering me, but the king of magecraft stops me before I can finish it.
"I understand you have numerous questions about me and the current circumstances, but first, let's address your condition.
As I mentioned earlier, I've conducted a diagnosis on your body, and fortunately, you're in good health. However, from a magical standpoint, there have been significant changes. Take, for instance, the mystic eyes you've acquired unexpectedly and the sheer amount of Magical Energy you possess—it's astounding. Compared to your previous state, it's akin to contrasting a bonfire with the sun."
I listen, utterly bewildered, as he details the magical aspects of my physiology. Despite my evident shock, he proceeds to outline my condition with earnest gravity.
"Your Od has undergone a complete transformation, and the Magical Energy it generates is now surging through your Magic Circuits. Moreover, your body also appears to be drawing mana from the earth itself. At this juncture, your body is essentially a magical furnace.
This presents a perilous predicament because if you're unable to manage it, the consequences could be explosive. Yet, you remain unscathed. It's not just that; your case also bears resemblance to the Third Magic..." His explanation continues unabated, his enthusiasm undiminished by my silence.
'Isn't it bad that I almost died right there...? But the Third Magic huh...?'
No matter how clueless I am about the magical knowledge of Fate, I know that the Heaven's Feel is a Magic that allows for the Materialization of the Soul. Simply put, it gave me an immortality of the soul and an unlimited source of Magical Energy due to the soul becoming analogous to a perpetual motion machine.
'But how the fuck did I gain mystic eyes...?'
The question of how I acquired these mystic eyes was a conundrum best saved for later contemplation. At present, my priority lay in redirecting the king of magecraft from his ramblings.
"Ughm... Doc, I think I understand your point," I interject, clearing my throat to catch his attention.
"Ah, yes! It appears I've veered off-topic with the magical changes surrounding you, haha," he chuckles sheepishly, halting his discourse to convey another crucial detail. "Oh, and by the way, you've been unconscious for five days."
I am slightly taken aback at his last word. 'Damn, five days...? I missed a lot of things these days.' I muse inwardly, thoughts drifting to the image of the lavender-haired girl that I saw before I've fallen unconscious. 'I want to see her...'
As I was about to get up from the medical bed, Dr. Romani seems alerted before trying to help me to get up while offering his hand to me. "Woah, easy there, Ken-kun! You seem so eager to get up from your bed. Isn't it nice to lie down on the bed...?"
There's a hint of envy in his tone as he mentions the bed, his gaze lingering longingly upon it. I respond with a deadpan stare, injecting a touch of humor into my reply. "Unlike someone who enjoys lounging around, watching magical girls, I've got places to be. I need to catch up with the others."
"Ugh..." He feigns hurt, clutching his chest dramatically.
As I stand right in front of him now, I offer a genuine smile before enveloping him in a sudden embrace, catching him off guard. Despite his initial surprise, he's about to question me again when I interject with a heartfelt sentiment.
"But, it's nice to have you here. Welcome back, Dr. Romani..."
His response is a moment of silence, followed by a reciprocal embrace, his hand patting my back with gratitude. "Thanks, it's good to be back," he says, his tone warm with appreciation.
We part ways shortly after, making our way towards the exit together as Dr. Romani leads me to where the others await.
.....
"So, let me wrap my head around this... Chaldea's entire facility is abruptly whisked away to a new location, while you and the former director spontaneously resurrect inside coffins?" I inquire once more, my mind reeling with confusion.
Dr. Romani has been elucidating our predicament ever since our victory over Goetia. Apparently, right after our celebratory day, Chaldea finds itself thrust into another world. I can still vividly recall the snowy mountain backdrop of that fateful day.
Not only is the whole Chaldea getting isekai'd, but also individuals presumed dead—like the man beside me, the former director, and even the rest of the crypters—are inexplicably returning to life. Now, that was the craziest shit I ever heard so far...
"Yeah, me, Sion, and the director woke up after Leonardo opened our coffin. She seems genuinely bewildered by our situation. I mean, seeing people who are supposed to be dead, looking healthy and moving around just fine after coming out from the coffin must be very confusing, even for our genius.
The unfortunate news is that the entire staff of Chaldea has disappeared without a trace, leaving only Mash, Leonardo, and you, who are in a coma, remaining in the building. We checked the other coffin and found that the rest of team A is also being resurrected, but we cannot open their coffin, so they are still asleep in it until now." He explained our current situation in more detail with a very serious tone.
'Hmm, Sion... Her name rings a bell from my past encounters with Fate/Grand Order lore. But here, she's integral to Chaldea's core team and the architect behind TRISMEGISTUS.'
It's a stark reminder that my memories can't be wholly trusted until verified firsthand, noted.
"Well, that's unfortunate..." So, here we are, stranded in an unfamiliar location, completely in the dark about what lies beyond.
"Sigh, indeed. But somehow, we've managed to navigate through it. Over the past five days, we've been meticulously inspecting LAPLACE, CHALDEAS, SHEBA, and the rest. Thankfully, everything seems to be functioning smoothly, thanks to the Leylines beneath us providing sustenance. However, our attempts to glimpse into the future have been thwarted once again.
But, the FATE system seems to be offline and always being unresponsive this whole time, so we deemed it broken for now. The director also tasked Mash to survey our current surroundings and found out that we appear in the middle of a thick jungle filled with ancient animals roaming around. Heck, there are even dinosaurs, but luckily Chaldea's Bounded Field is still on and keeps those predators away."
"Wait, did we get sent to the era where humanity is basically still monkeys?"
"Haha, of course not, Ken-kun. In fact, Leonardo managed to get SHEBA to connect to the internet. So, if there is an internet, that means we are also in a modern era. That could count as good news from our narcissistic genius."
'So, we are not in the blind then when it comes to the information about this world.'
Romani also said that the FATE system seems to be offline, I have a hunch about the reason, but I'll need to investigate further later. For now, let's focus on rendezvousing with the others in the control room.
As we proceeded down the hallway towards the control room, I couldn't help but notice that the entire facility appeared larger than I recalled. Perhaps it seemed more spacious now due to the absence of the bustling staff?
"Here we are, Ken-kun." Dr. Romani's voice brings me out of my own reverie. The futuristic-looking door in front of us suddenly opens and both of us walk inside the room.
The room is vast, outfitted with futuristic furniture, numerous computers, and monitors. It resembles a high-tech control room, sleek in design, featuring a central command center encircled by several workstations. Each station boasts state-of-the-art computers and an array of monitors showcasing diverse data and video feeds, which are also utilized for system interaction within the room.
Inside the room, I can see four women seem to be waiting for our arrival. The tallest woman on the left has long, flowing hair, blue eyes, and is wearing a stylish outfit that combines a mix of modern and historical elements while holding a staff in her hand.
The one beside her is a woman with long purple twintails, a black/green hat, and glasses. She wears a white shirt with a green tie, covered in a purple blazer and white skirt. From her demeanor alone, I can see she is an intelligent woman.
Following that, there's a woman with flowing white hair and eyes of golden amber, who looks to be in her early twenties. And then, to the far right, stands the woman with lavender hair, who's fought alongside me in every singularity, even sacrificing her life for me. Her face lights up with a warm smile upon my entrance.
"Well, well, well, look who's just arrived?"
"You guys are late!"
"You've been taking your time, huh? Romani? Ken?"
"Welcome back, Doctor, Senpai..."
.....