The humanity restoration RTA starting from the first Rayshift begins now!
(> When you came to, you found yourself in a city that was essentially a blazing ruin.)
(> Flames rose from various locations, sending black smoke billowing into the sky everywhere you looked.)
(> On top of that, it seemed that skeletal monsters were wandering around the area.)
So, right off the bat, I got separated from Ritsuka and the others. Even though we were holding hands, only Homo-kun ended up Rayshift to a different location. I wonder what went wrong...
Well, no use crying over spilled milk. We've got a chart prepared for situations like this, so let's proceed according to plan.
For now, the immediate objective is to gather Saint Quartz, which serves as the catalyst for summoning Servants.
Considering the Black King, the boss of Singularity F, we'll need the sheer force of numbers to stand a chance. Ideally, I'd like to gather enough Saint Quartz for three Servants.
Huh? You're asking if the boss isn't Lev? Well, you'll understand once you actually fight. The boss of Singularity F is the Black King. Seriously.
Next, we'll also need Servants for Ritsuka-chan, so let's pick up as many Saint Quartz as possible. I remember the locations where Saint Quartz are guaranteed to drop, so we'll hit those spots while keeping time in mind. Once we've secured a decent amount of Saint Quartz, we'll head to Ryuudou Temple.
The reason for going to Ryuudou Temple is that, since we can't use Mash's shield this time, we'll need to summon Servants on our own. For that, we need to be at a superior spiritual site, which is why Ryuudou Temple is the destination. Also, considering the next Singularity, it'd be ideal to summon an Assassin.
Now, as for Ryuudou Temple, perhaps because Caster summoned an Assassin there in Stay Night, summoning at Ryuudou Temple increases the likelihood of pulling an Assassin. So, if you want to proceed smoothly through the next Singularity, heading to Ryuudou Temple for summoning is highly recommended.
Well then, I'm off to pick up some Saint Quartz! Deh-deh-deh-deh-deh! (Clang)
And with that, we'll speed things up. Super speed!?
Regarding the strategy for Singularity F, the main threats to watch out for are the Black King and the Shadow Berserker. The other Shadow Servants don't pose much of a problem. At most, you might need to be cautious of the Archer who attempts sniping.
That said, since Homo-kun is human, even against Shadow Servants, he'll mostly be on the defensive. Therefore, it's crucial to increase the number of allies as soon as possible.
However, this Homo-kun has been built with a skill set and configuration that excels in defensive battles and stalling for time. So, it's fine to wait until you've accumulated a fair amount of resources before summoning. Shadow Berserkers will eventually disappear on their own due to magical energy depletion if left alone, but they can also be utilized to save time. …Hopefully, they'll at least serve as a decent distraction.
As for minor mobs like skeletons, you can either ignore them or fight them to gather materials. However, since this is an RTA, we'll only deal with minor mobs we encounter along the way. It would be ideal if blunt weapons like hammers could be found in nearby piles of rubble at that time…
(> You searched the area for something that could be used as a weapon.)
(> You found nothing.)
Looks like no luck… (resigned sigh).
Well, I wasn't expecting much to begin with, so it's not a big deal. By the way, the MP5 I've prepared for this run will be used for movement up until the Black King fight, but absolutely not for combat. I'd prefer to conserve ammunition if possible.
Oh, and while I was saying all this, we've managed to gather enough Saint Quartz for one Servant. This is a good pace… Let's aim to collect the remaining two sets of Saint Quartz.
(> You hear a metallic scraping sound from behind, as if something is being dragged across the ground.)
Huh?
(> When you turn around, you see three skeletons holding cutlasses, looking at you and laughing eerily.)
(> The skeletons attack!)
Ugh, we've run into skeletons. Ideally, I would've liked to find a blunt weapon for effective strikes before fighting them, but since we've encountered them, there's no helping it. Let's kill them.
I want to conserve mana, so I'll only use Strengthening for this.
(> You dodged the skeleton's slash and delivered a high kick to its head.)
(> It doesn't seem to have much effect…)
Hmm, while it does deal some damage, the efficiency is terrible compared to a blunt weapon. Maybe I should grab some rubble from nearby and try hitting them with that?
…Huh? Rubble?
There it is! Something that can work as a blunt weapon!
(> You equipped the Cursed Stone.)
Take this! The power of a curse (*but physical*)!
(> You brought the Cursed Stone down on the skeleton's head.)
(> The skeleton's head shattered into pieces.)
(> The headless skeleton dissolved into a mushy, melted form and disappeared.)
Uh… (confused) What's with this stone? It's way crazier than I expected.
Personally, I was just hoping for a slight boost in damage efficiency, but… a one-hit kill? And that kind of death? Isn't it normal for them to turn into spirit particles and vanish?
(> Perhaps due to their comrade being defeated, the skeletons appear wary and put some distance between themselves and you.)
Well, it's only natural to be cautious after witnessing such a death... But if they're keeping their distance, there's only one thing to do—run away!
(> You fled from the skeletons.)
When it comes to Singularity F, time takes priority, so there's no room to waste dealing with minor mobs. If, by some unlikely chance, I end up at the Black King fight before reuniting with Ritsuka and the others because I wasted too much time, it'd be a disaster.
I'll focus on quickly increasing the number of allied Servants and meeting up with Ritsuka and the others.
On a more personal note, my rare intuition as a runner kicked in. If I keep using that thing, I feel like something seriously bad—or even a fatal blunder—might happen. In any case, I'll only use that cursed stone as a weapon in extreme situations.
So, this time I'll try fighting with this old knife that got the Romani seal of approval. According to Romani, it holds a strong power, so even if its stats are low, it might have some special ability.
It might not be the most efficient against skeletons, but let's give it a shot anyway. Oh, speaking of which, there are two skeletons right along the route. They don't seem to have noticed me yet, so let's go for a preemptive strike.
A surprise attack applies a 1.5x damage multiplier if it succeeds, so even with early-game weak stats, you can easily one-shot basic mobs. Always aim for it when you can.
(> You slashed at the unsuspecting skeleton with the old knife.)
(> In that moment, blue flames erupted from the knife, engulfing and incinerating both skeletons simultaneously.)
Uh… (confused) What's with this weapon? Its performance is kind of insane. I didn't expect it to have an area-of-effect attack… And it's a fire-attribute too.
Ah, so it's an *Enchant Fire* kind of deal. With that appearance, is this knife meant to be a summoning catalyst for Nobunaga, the Sixth Heavenly Demon?
Hmm, well, if it's for Nobunaga, that's actually within the realm of acceptable. Nobunaga tends to be pretty lenient with people she likes, but she was born in the era of war, so she won't make a fuss over a little injury. She's fairly easy to deal with in that sense.
Oh, and the skeleton dropped three Saint Quartz. Nice! Let's check the time... Hm, by now, I bet Ritsuka and the others are running into Caster.
It's probably time to head to Ryoudo-ji. There's a mid-boss Shadow Archer there, and more importantly, it's a guaranteed spot for Saint Quartz. Picking those up will bring us up to more Saint Quartz., so we're on track for our goal.
Now, from here on out we will begin a game of tag that is incomparable to the one we played with Lev.
What I'm going to do is lure the Shadow Berserker to clash with the Shadow Archer. The Shadow Berserker, originally devoid of reason due to madness, has lost all remnants of rationality thanks to the Shadow debuff.
It's always rampaging, and its target priority is set to whatever is nearby, so it's easy to lead it around. And this Shadow Berserker, excluding the Black King, is the strongest in this Singularity F. It's strong enough to overpower the Shadow Archer through sheer force.
So now, I'm about to begin a rendezvous with it. If I just try running away normally, it'll catch up and kill me in no time, so it's finally time to use my gun. I'll lead it around while fleeing and try to lure it to the Ryudo Temple.
Now, let's head toward the Einzbern Castle, where the Shadow Berserker is located.
■□▪▫■□▫▪■□▪▫■□▫▪■□▪▫■□▫▪
"Yes, we've arrived."
(> You have arrived at the now ruined castle.)
(> you wonder why, even though it shouldn't be cold here, you feel a chill after arriving at this castle.)
He already noticed, hasn't he? As always, he has that monster-like sense. Well then, the real game of tag begins now.
(> A berserker-like entity, wrapped in black mist, charged at you, knocking down trees in its path!)
"■■■■■■■■──!!"
(> You fired a bullet, and by replacing yourself with the bullet, you managed to keep just enough distance from the berserker chasing you at an incredible speed, continuing to flee.)
This is a game of tag that can't be compared to the level of a blind Lev.
For now, try to escape desperately while scattering flames from an old knife. If he is caught up, I will die.
(> You swing an old knife at the Berserker and send flames flying.)
(> However, the flames only scorch the Berserker's body slightly, barely slowing it down!)
It should have enough attack power to take down a weak mob with a single strike, even if it's not a surprise attack. But this Berserker is seriously insane.
"■■■■■■■■──!"
(> The Berserker lifts a massive piece of rubble nearby and hurls it at you with incredible speed as you try to escape.)
Whoa!? (A projectile attack?) This is bad!
(> At the last moment, you swapped your position with a bullet and managed to avoid the throw rubble.)
(> Perhaps angered by your evasion, the Berserker's speed begins to rise even further.)
(> The distance between you and the Berserker steadily shrinks.)
What!? Is it already speeding up here!? I'm only halfway to Ryūdōji!
This is bad—at this rate, Homo-kun's gonna die!
What did you think I was going to say!? I'm a runner who's been killed repeatedly for testing purposes, you know. (I can still escape, even from a Berserker with increased speed!)
Up until now, I've been conserving bullets by firing one at a time, but from here on, I'll be firing rapidly and using swaps to accelerate and escape.
(> You continuously use the replacement spell, pulling away the distance that the Berserker closed in.)
"■■■■■■■ー!!"
(> The Berserker, now even faster, begins throwing everything around him at you.)
Don't underestimate my durability! If it's an attack from a Shadow Berserker, I'll dodge it all, you bastard!
(> You continue to escape, maintaining a constant distance from the Berserker while dodging and sometimes burning the flying projectiles coming at you at high speed.)
(> In the distance, you spot something that looks like a temple.)
It's coming, it's coming, it's coming!! The end of this game of tag is near. Let's give it our all!
"Dammit, Berserker. Why the hell are you here...?"
(> Perhaps noticing the repeated sounds of destruction, a Shadow Archer begins heading in your direction.)
Yo, yo! Emiya-niichan! I'll just leave the rest to you! This is Sensational!
"What!? I let him go through—Damn it!!"
"■■■■■■■■■ー!!"
(> A shockwave powerful enough to shake the atmosphere and a deafening explosion erupt behind you.)
(> It seems you've managed to escape the Shadow Berserker... for now.)
Phew, I managed to escape safely.
Emiya-nii, thanks for sacrificing yourself to save Homo-kun! You're truly a champion of justice!
Anyway, that's all for today. Thank you for *watching.
??? "Stay, stay, stay! Not yet, not yet! It's not over!"
After being melted into a mushy mess and burned, he disappears.