Juro's heart pounded against his ribs as he stared at the imposing figure before him. The tall man with shaggy brown hair and a wide-brimmed hat resembled a leprechaun, but the scowl etched on his face radiated pure menace. Something about him sent shivers down Juro's spine, urging him to retreat.
"Lev...!" a woman's voice cried, laced with anguish and relief. A flash of white hair emerged from behind a nearby hill, the figure running towards the man with surprising speed. Could this be the Lev Lainur Romani had mentioned?
Tears streamed down the woman's face as she embraced the man, her voice choked with emotion. "Thank God you're safe! I wouldn't know how to keep Chaldea running without you!"
Lev, however, remained impassive, his response devoid of warmth despite her concern. "Olga, you've been through a lot. It's good to see you well."
Olga clung to him, her eyes filled with gratitude. "I thought it was all over! But now, we'll find a way, right? We always do!"
A flicker of a smile seemed to play on Lev's lips. "Indeed. We always find a way. We make a good team, don't we?"
But before Juro could ponder this further, Lev's expression shifted dramatically. His calm demeanor evaporated, replaced by a mask of raw, unbridled fury.
"But how," he roared, his voice echoing through the cavern, "are you still alive?!"
Juro instinctively took a step forward, a surge of protectiveness washing over him. He couldn't stand to see this distraught woman bullied like that.
He did not know her, but could not accept this.
Before he could react, another figure materialized, his imposing form blocking Juro's path. It was Malefactor, his expression unreadable.
Olga stood frozen, bewildered by the sudden shift in Lev's demeanor. The man she knew, the one she relied on, was now a stranger consumed by rage.
Lev took a deep breath, seemingly trying to regain control. "NOT ONE OF YOU!" he spat, his voice trembling with fury. "NOT ONE OF YOU FOLLOWED MY ORDERS! YOU ARE ALL USELESS SCUM!"
He launched into a tirade, his accusations flying like poisoned darts.
"THE 48TH AND 49TH MASTER CANDIDATES, WHO I OVERLOOKED SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DID NOT KNOW NOTHING!!"
His words were laced with such venom that they hung heavy in the air, chilling everyone to the bone.
"MASH KYRIELIGHT!!! YOU BECAME A DEMI SERVANT!! YOU DID NOT LISTEN TO MY ORDERS AND ENDED UP SURVIVING, YOU WORTHLESS MAGGOT!!!"
"ROMANI ARCHAMAN!! I KNOW YOU ARE LISTENING! ALL OF THESE UNEXPECTED EVENTS, WITH YOU GUIDING THEM, REALLY PISSES ME OFF!!"
Finally, he turned his ire on Malefactor.
"And you, abomination! You shouldn't even exist!"
Then, his gaze fell on Olga, and his fury seemed to intensify. "THE THING THAT SCREWS ME OVER THE MOST IS THE GIRL WHO HAS NOT EVEN BEEN MADE AWARE OF HER DEATH YET! THE MISERABLE, PATHETIC WASTE, KNOWN AS OLGA MARIE ANIMUSPHERE!!"
Olga's face drained of color. The man she trusted, the one she confided in, was now calling her dead?
Juro's mind reeled, trying to grasp the implications.
Mash and Fujimaru exchanged horrified glances, their expressions mirroring his own. Even Malefactor remained impassive, a silent enigma amidst the storm.
Only a single, confused word escaped Olga's lips: "Huh?"
Lev, his face now eerily calm, offered a chilling smile. "Why are you so slow, Olga? Has your brain been destroyed with the rest of your body? It's a wonder you ever became Director, even a failed one."
His tone was conversational, almost nonchalant, as if he hadn't just unleashed a torrent of accusations and revealed a horrifying truth.
"But that's irrelevant now," he continued, his voice devoid of empathy. "The explosion beneath you was my doing. Your body is long gone. All that remains is a fragment of your consciousness."
"What... what are you saying, Lev?"
"Did you forget how Rayshifting works, you idiot?" Lev's voice dripped with disdain. "It separates your soul from your body, transferring it to another time and space. But your body... well, it wasn't compatible."
The weight of his words crashed down on them. The chilling realization dawned on everyone: Olga was dead.
A single tear rolled down her cheek, reflecting the flickering light of the cavern. Her voice, shaky yet resolute, broke the silence. "That... that can't be true... I, I..."
Lev's smile twisted, sadistic and cold. "That's precisely why you can't return to Chaldea."
As Olga stumbled back in denial, his voice boomed over hers. "The moment you set foot within Chaldea..."
"You're wrong!" she cried, her voice gaining strength.
"Since you lack a physical form..."
"You're wrong!"
Lev's voice thundered, cutting her off. "Your consciousness will dissipate like smoke! Dissolve into nothingness!"
"...But!"
"But I care for you too much, Marie!"
With a snap of his fingers, a swirling portal materialized, Chaldeas burning crimson at its heart. Its ominous glow illuminated the cavern, casting eerie shadows on their faces.
"Since you dedicated your life to Chaldea," he continued, his smile widening, "let me show you the pathetic state it's in!"
Olga stared at the portal, her breath catching in her throat. "Chaldeas... it's pure red..."
"That can't be real..! That's a fake image, right...?"
"Right..?"
"Don't lie to yourself," Lev's voice echoed. "That's no illusion! I've ripped open spacetime itself to show you the truth!"
The portal pulsated with an ominous glow, devoid of the blue hues that signified humanity's continued existence. It was a fiery crimson, a chilling reflection of a future devoid of life.
"All that remains is a blazing inferno!" Lev's voice resonated, filled with manic glee. "Your beloved humanity is gone! Extinct!"
He turned to Olga, his eyes blazing with cruel amusement. "Isn't this something to celebrate, Marie? This is all your doing! Your failure! You've singlehandedly destroyed the Human race!"
Olga's voice, trembling with anguish, rose in defiance.
"Lev! Stop! This isn't my fault! I'm not dead! I didn't fail!"
"Enough!" Lev's voice cracked like ice. He flicked his finger, and Olga's body lifted from the ground, suspended in mid-air by an invisible force.
Juro, unable to bear witness to this anymore, roared, "Malefactor! Move!"
But the towering spirit remained motionless, his enigmatic silence deafening.
Juro tried to bypass him, but Malefactor shifted, his form blocking his path. He glanced at Mash and Fujimaru, hoping to see a flicker of resistance, but they too stood frozen, their expressions betraying a mix of fear and disbelief. It was as if the very world itself conspired against him.
Olga drifted higher, her tears glistening in the red light. Lev's voice, cold and detached, echoed through the cavern. "Until your very last breath, you remain a worthless piece of garbage."
Tears streamed down Olga's face, mirroring the crimson glow surrounding her. She was slowly drawn towards the portal, towards Chaldeas, towards oblivion.
"I will grant you the mercy of dying by the flames of your beloved creation," Lev declared, his voice devoid of any warmth.
Chaldeas, a swirling vortex of information, existed in a different dimension. But just like a black hole, it could consume and disintegrate anything on a molecular level. A cruel death, even for someone like Lev.
But Lev Lainur relished in cruelty.
"WELCOME YOUR PAINFUL DEATH!!" he bellowed, his voice dripping with sadistic glee. "RELISH THE FEW MOMENTS OF LIFE YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU COME FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH!!"
Olga, tears streaming down her face, struggled against the invisible force pulling her towards the pulsating red maw of the portal. "I don't want to die!" she cried out, her voice cracking with fear and desperation.
"I've never been praised my entire life!" she choked out, the words tumbling from her lips in a torrent of raw emotion. "All I ever wanted was a little recognition... just someone to tell me I was doing a good job..."
Lev's chilling laughter cut her short.
"SHUT UP!" he roared, his face contorted in a mask of rage.
Juro, fueled by a surge of primal protectiveness, unleashed a torrent of punches against Malefactor. His fists pounded against the towering spirit's unyielding form, his desperate pleas echoing through the cavern.
"MALEFACTOR! MOVE! MOVE, MOVE MOVE! MOVE YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIIIIT!!!!!"
Olga's screams pierced the air, her pleas for help turning into a desperate wail. "Help me!! Someone save me!! Please!!"
Juro felt a primal scream rise within him, battling against the fear that threatened to paralyze him.
This wasn't a movie; there would be no last-minute hero emerging from the shadows.
"WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!" Olga cried out, her voice raw and anguished. "I worked so hard to not end up like this, but it still happened! For my father's desire, for humanity, I tried my best!!"
Juro's own voice joined hers in a desperate roar, "STOP IT!!" He threw his weight against Malefactor, trying to push past, to reach Olga before it was too late.
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!" Olga's final scream resonated with a heartbreaking finality. The girl who had dedicated her life to protecting others, who had strived for recognition, was about to face the ultimate oblivion - a cruel twist of fate for someone who craved nothing more than a simple "well done."
Fate, indeed, could be cruel.
But there was no one to stop it,
As Olga's scream transformed into a bloodcurdling shriek upon contact with the Chaldeas, silence descended upon Juro. He was left with the haunting echo of a life extinguished, an emptiness no action could fill.
He could do nothing but listen to the screams of a young girl meeting a horrible end.
Suddenly, Lev's smug smirk ignited a fresh wave of fury within Juro.
The urge to pummel sense into the man, to make him pay for Olga's suffering, was almost overwhelming.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Juro roared, his voice trembling with rage. "ARE YOU INSANE?!"
Lev's laughter was chilling, devoid of humor. "Lower life form," he sneered, "your existence is a mere blip compared to my purpose."
Juro longed to strike him down, to erase the cruel amusement from his face. But Lev's next words sent a jolt of terror through him.
"Can you hear me, Doctor Romani? Can you hear the screams of your precious director?" Lev's voice boomed, echoing off the cavern walls. "Chaldea is WORTHLESS now! Blind to the future, cut off from the world. Your pawns... have they returned?"
His maniacal laughter sent shivers down Juro's spine. "Ruin is upon you! Not from war, aliens, or evolution, but from your own impotence! Humanity, powerless and meaningless, burns!"
Lev's declaration hung heavy in the air. Ruin? Did he mean... the end? Humanity wiped out?
Suddenly, the cavern trembled as rocks rained down from the ceiling.
"This," Lev declared, his voice filled with twisted satisfaction, "is humanity denied its future! Not by outsiders, but by its own insignificance! Less than trash, they burn in agony!"
"I am Lev Lainur Flauros!" his voice boomed, echoing with power. "The architect of humanity's destruction since 2015!"
"With that, I bid you all farewell, 49th, 48th, Mash, and... you."
________________
Juro bolted upright in his bed, the lingering echoes of screams and fire clawing at his sanity.
Was it all a dream? The Servants, the Grail War - mere phantoms of imagination? He examined his hand, expecting the Command Seal that had branded him, but found only smooth, healthy skin. A flicker of hope chased away the oppressive dread.
But the memory clung to him, vivid and horrifying. The screams, the stench of burning flesh, the sight of Olga's lifeless eyes haunted him. Juro was built to weather storms, but this... this was different. The emotional earthquake would hit later, tenfold worse.
He walked towards the door, the familiar white walls and wood offering a semblance of normalcy. Outside, the Golden Gate Bridge gleamed under the morning sun, its golden glow a balm to his scorched soul. Dust motes danced in the light, a stark contrast to the inferno he'd escaped.
Descending the stairs, he found the house eerily quiet. He felt an absurd urge to open the café, to pretend nothing had happened. However, as he reached for the doorknob, it creaked open, revealing Luca.
"Luca?" Juro's voice cracked with disbelief.
"Hey, man," Luca offered, his usual confidence laced with concern. "Just wanted to say I'm..."
"Why are you backing away, Juro?"
"Y-You're not...."
"Why are you backing away, Juro?!"
Juro began to back away even faster.
"WHY ARE YOU BACKING AWAY, JUUUUUROOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Panic surged through Juro. He stumbled back, tripping over his own feet, his stomach slamming against a table. Pain radiated from his side, but it was nothing compared to the terror gripping him. The "Luca" was a shambling corpse, its flesh aflame, advancing with horrifying malice.
Juro tried to scramble away, but his eyes widened in a scream.
He tried to get up, but he came to a horrifying realization.
He did not trip, His leg was gone, ripped off at the knee by another flaming monstrosity. The world dissolved into a vortex of agony as the fiery figures devoured him, their screams blending with his own into a symphony of despair.
This was the incineration of humanity. Not a dream, but a living nightmare.
__________________________
Juro jolted awake, the white ceiling replacing fiery nightmares. A quick pinch confirmed reality - a reality where he was inexplicably shirtless. Throwing on his uniform, he surveyed the eerily quiet Chaldea.
No blaring alarms, no frantic staff... just the unsettling feeling of pants missing from the apocalypse.
Venturing out, he found the pristine white hallways mocking the chaos of his dreams. "Where's the drama?" he muttered, echoing off the deserted corridors. His footsteps, the only sound, seemed to mock him with their rhythm.
Suddenly, chatter interrupted the oppressive silence. Juro followed it to a pair of doors labeled "Control Room." Weren't these blasted to smithereens moments ago? He peeked in, expecting fiery wreckage, but found a bizarre tableau.
The room bore the scars of the "explosion" - blackened walls and a few strategically placed scorch marks - but the mood was decidedly chill. Staff huddled around kotatsus and heaters, sipping tea and playing cards. Romani, ever the charmer, lounged on a futon, fanning himself with a palm frond.
"Ah, Juro! Welcome back to the land of the (mostly) living!" Romani boomed, his voice suspiciously chipper.
Juro, speechless, gaped at a woman with brown hair and an outfit that screamed "cosplay gone rogue."
Now that Juro got a good look at her she looked like the Mona-
Fou chose this moment to launch himself onto Juro's head with a triumphant "POFF!" Juro yelped, flailing like a startled cat.
"Seriously, Fou? How do you not get prickled by my hair?!"
The staff, previously engrossed in their games, now stared at him with a mix of amusement and pity. Romani chuckled.
"Wait, but why are you all sitting around like nothing just happened?"
"Emergency protocol, my dear Juro! Stress relief after near-annihilation is key. Though," he leaned in conspiratorially, "the real reason is the heating's broken."
"Right, because a kotatsu marathon fixes faulty thermostats,"
"Where's Fujimaru by the way?"
"Right here." A voice materialized behind him, sending a jolt through Juro's system. He spun around, his eyes resting on the familiar blue eyes and black hair.
"Seriously, Fujimaru? Is sneaking up on me part of your new summoning ritual?" Juro grumbled, trying to catch his breath.
Beside Fujimaru stood the girl from before, her purple hair framing sharp, curious eyes. Juro had a million questions brewing, but one, particularly pressing, managed to bubble to the surface.
"Is that... natural?"
Fujimaru and Romani blinked in unison, their expressions somewhere between amusement and 'Did he just skip basic human interaction skills?'
Juro's cheeks flushed crimson.
"Heh, sorry," he stammered, extending a hand sheepishly. "Juro Takahashi, at your service."
Mash met his handshake with a gentle smile. "Mash Kyrielight," she replied, her voice calm and melodic. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Senpai."
Juro froze, eyebrows shooting up. "Senpai? Is this like... a school thing?"
Fujimaru chuckled, scratching his head. "Don't sweat it, man. Mash calls everyone Senpai. Even people younger than her, wouldn't you believe it?"
Juro gaped, picturing a girl with long purple hair calling him, "Senpai." The mental image was both hilarious and slightly disturbing. He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure.
"Moving aside," Romani stood up.
"Congratulations on surviving the Fuyuki Singularity, Mash, Fujimaru-kun, Juro. While forced to shoulder most of the burden, you eliminated the threat and returned... physically unscathed, at least."
He paused, his gaze softening. "I respect your hard work and dedication wholeheartedly."
Juro looked down, guilt gnawing at him.
"...But so many died..."
Memories of screams and pleas echoed in his mind.
He forced them down.
He pushed them into a box and closed it.
Romani, sensing his turmoil, spoke gently, "You're right. You know about Lev's plan, but 70% of Chaldea's staff… perished in his explosion."
Juro clenched his fists tighter, anger boiling alongside grief.
He had seen a man that had killed so many people earlier. There was no remorse involved. He simply laughed as he took human lives like grapes from a vine.
The undescribably face of evil that relished in the taking of lives.
Juro felt a responsibility to defeat him.
"All Master candidates survived," Romani continued, "but except for you two, they're in critical condition."
Fujimaru scratched his head. "Wow, the situation is rough."
"Yes," Romani interrupted, his voice firm, "Lev caused this, but we will carry the torch of those lost, to protect humanity."
Fujimaru, sensing the gravity, cut him off, "Wait, do you mean-"
"No," Romani sighed, "Lev, despite his methods, might be right. Humanity's destruction is fixed."
Juro's eyes widened.
Was everything truly lost?
"The light of civilization is still gone after 2016," Romani confirmed, extinguishing any remaining hope.
Juro, still skeptical, asked, "Wasn't the key the Fuyuki Singularity?"
"We thought so," Romani explained, a holographic map of the world materializing behind him, riddled with seven ominous red dots. "But our assumptions were wrong. After restoring the Sheba Lens, we scanned Earth again, and this time… something showed up."
He pointed to the red dots. "Fujimaru-kun, how do you think Lev achieved this?"
Fujimaru, confused, stammered, "How would I know?"
Romani chuckled, "Just teasing. The Holy Grail."
Juro raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What exactly can it do?"
"Grant the wish of its victor," Romani said, his voice turning grim. "It seems Lev used it to alter key historical events."
Juro frowned. "How would that destroy humanity?"
Romani leaned in, his voice filled with urgency, "While a small change wouldn't drastically affect the future, altering turning points in history… could be disastrous."
"Turning points?" Fujimaru asked, still unsure.
"Think of it this way," Romani explained. "What if World War II never happened? What if the Wright brothers never flew? What if the US never separated from Britain?" He gestured to the red dots. "These singularities represent such pivotal moments, twisted by Lev to rewrite the future."
Fujimaru, grasping the situation, exclaimed, "So Lev altered history to destroy our future?"
"Precisely," Romani confirmed.
"But how do we fight it?" Fujimaru cried out, despair creeping in.
Romani's eyes glinted with determination. "...Rayshifting."
Shock filled the room. "...What?!"
"Remember the singularities?" Romani asked, his voice regaining its strength. "These are similar, each with a corrupt core that needs destruction. Just like in Fuyuki, if you Rayshift to these singularities, you can fix them."
Hope flickered in Fujimaru's eyes. "So, let's do it!"
Romani's expression turned grave. "There's a problem…"
Silence gripped the room. "...What is it?" Fujimaru asked, his voice trembling.
Romani dropped the bombshell. "Only you, Mash, and Juro can Rayshift."
"In order for someone to rayshift, they need to possess specific qualities. We managed to gather people from all over the world, but only 49 managed to cut. One of the main fulfillment to becoming a master candidate is to have an aptitude for Rayshifting. The problem is that all the other master candidates are out of commission, leaving only you, mash, and Juro."
Romani looked down.
"I know it seems like I'm pushing you and forcing you guys do this."
"But I have no other option."
"I know it seems impossible," Romani continued, his gaze unwavering. "Seven singularities, seven twisted timelines, each demanding a sacrifice. But you two..." he pointed at Fujimaru and Juro, "you faced the Fuyuki Singularity and emerged victorious. You brought the Holy Grail back, you righted the past."
Hope flickered in Fujimaru's eyes, but Juro remained stoic. He saw the burden Romani placed upon them, the weight of the world on their young shoulders. "But that was with others," he finally spoke, his voice hoarse. "We had a team, a support system. Now..."
"Now it's just you three," Romani confirmed, his voice hardening. ."
"...All by yourself, You need to fight against these 7 human histories..."
"In different countries. different time periods."
A grave face appeared on Romani.
"Master Candidates, Fujimaru Ritsuka, Takahashi Juro."
"Do you have the resolve?"
"Do you have the strength?"
It was a simple question but held so much weight.
It was so, so simple.
In stories, the heroes would save the world with a second thought, but Juro felt something.
His gaze met Romani's, unwavering despite the crushing weight of his words.
The weight of responsibility, the isolation, the bleakness of their situation - it all threatened to pull him under.
But something flickered within him, a spark of defiance fueled by the absence of any other option.
There was no warm hearth waiting for him, no welcoming laughter at the door. No going back, even if he craved it. He was bound, not just by duty, but by the harsh reality that inaction meant his own doom along with humanity's.
Juro clenched his fist, knuckles white.
"Home wouldn't offer solace now,"
"Living a normal life? After all this shit?"
"I can't..."
"I can't go back anyway...
"But I don't matter. It's the wider picture."
"The weight of countless lives rests upon me, an obligation I won't let go. This fight, I accept it. This responsibility, I embrace it."
"I won't let my emotions get in my way."
Juro placed his hand on his chest.
"I, Juro Takahashi possess the resolve to continue! For humanity, and for those lost, I'll fight!"
Sadly, even Juro himself did not know this:
This was not the reason.
Fujimaru stared at the cold metal floor, his fists clenched tight. The weight of their situation pressed down on him, threatening to suffocate him.
"Outside... How is it like there?"
Romani's face contorted, surprise battling with despair. He probably thought Fujimaru wanted to escape, to run from the impossible burden they faced.
"...Communications have been cut off from the rest of the world. The staff we sent out to check on the situation have also not returned."
"We don't know the reason, perhaps it's from the shockwaves of the collapsed human history. At any rate, the world outside Chaldea..."
"Has been destroyed."
Juro felt a drop in his heart.
He put it in a box and closed it.
Fujimaru continued to stare down, his hair shielding his eyes.
Romani tried to alleviate the situation.
"B-But! Chaldea is safe! The magnetic waves of Chaldeas being emitted, it's creating a barrier. Even Lev can't make a move on-"
"I thought... that... I'd make a..."
"Call..."
"To mom, dad, to my friends..."
"Since I disappeared so suddenly, They were probably worried sick about me..."
"I wanted to talk about this place, the people I met".
"...That would've been nice. That's what I was thinking."
"But everyone... Everyone..."
Fujimaru's hand began shaking.
"They're nothing but ashes!!"
"..."
"I don't have the resolve..."
"I don't think I've even understood anything you said just now..."
"But... I can't let it end like this. Not like this..."
Fujimaru Ritsuka wiped a tear from his face
"That's why I'll carry the burden! If it's something I can do!"
The room was quiet, with the occasional sobbing of a staff member.
Romani bowed to both of them.
"Thank you.. Those words will decide our FATE."
With a determined face, Romani stood straight.
"Relay this to all remaining Chaldea staff members! From here on out, Romani Archaman is officially taking on the role of commanding officer!"
"We will act on the plans of the previous director, Olga Marie Animusphere! We will fulfill her goal for the continuation of the Human Order!"
"Our objective is the protection and recovery of Human History! Our target is to receive the relic thought to be the cause from each era, the holy grail!"
"Our opponent to fight is history itself! Standing in your way will be legendary figures and legends manifested as Heroic Spirits! They will oppose you!"
"By taking that challenge, you will need to defy the past itself!"
"To protect humanity, we are standing against its history!"
"To remain alive, we must fight! No, to take back the future we must fight! So no matter what conclusion is waiting for us, we hold more than enough resolve! The operation will no longer be First Order!"
"This both is Chaldea's first and last mission! To protect human order! We will take back the future!"
"Operation designation:"
"GRAND ORDER."