My body tore through the sky like a meteor, cutting the air as I plummeted before crashing into the ground.
The impact opened web-like fissures across the floor, releasing a powerful shockwave that made the white-haired girl lose her balance and fall on her butt.
A second after my feet touched the ground, a chill ran down my spine. That chill came from my [Instinct] ability kicking in. At the same moment, I tilted my body to the side, dodging a blade that sliced through the air with a sharp hiss, grazing where I'd just stood.
"What the…" exclaimed the white-haired girl, eyes wide. Before another syllable could escape her lips, a dry creak of bones echoed around us.
"Tk-Tk-Tk!"
I turned my head and came face to face with a white skull, its sockets glowing with a sinister red light—like living eyes.
It was, quite literally… a skeleton.
Despite the surprise, a faint smile curved my lips. My personality was, without a doubt, a little… peculiar, to say the least. With a sigh, I massaged my neck as dozens of armed skeletons surrounded me.
At the same time, I assumed the basic stance of the [Heavenly Arts]. Even though I'd never practiced martial arts before, the style created by Sun Wukong was engraved in my mind.
The skeletons advanced in unison, their bones creaking in a less-than-pleasant chorus.
The first skeleton swung its sword, making the air vibrate with the motion. I planted my heel on the ground, spun my body, and delivered a kick that shattered its ribcage. Another skeleton came at me from the side, thrusting a spear toward my neck.
I leaned back, placing my palm on the ground, and with a swift kick, destroyed its torso.
Without breaking rhythm, with my hands still planted on the ground, I spun and kicked another skeleton's jaw, shattering its skull into dust.
While I was still upside down, I saw a sword slicing through the air toward me. I twisted my body to the side, dodging the cut. Crouched, I dug my claws into the ground, cracking the surface.
With a push, I launched myself forward, making the earth tremble beneath my feet. Before the next skeleton could react, a barrage of punches reduced its skull to powder.
Bones scattered through the air as enemies closed in around me. Dozens of skeletons swung their weapons at me, but I stood still.
Four blades hit my left arm, five struck the right, and three grazed my neck.
All the weapons twisted, unable to pierce the Monkey King's Mantle.
"I don't think so," I muttered with a cold smile.
With a swift motion, I pushed the weapons away, flexing my fingers as my nails extended like claws.
"Heavenly Arts – Monkey's Claws!" Five wind blades slashed through the air, destroying dozens of skeletons in the blink of an eye, reducing their bones to dust.
"That was… refreshing," I murmured, as my claws returned to normal.
For someone who, not long ago, was just a regular human, it was impressive how easily I was adapting to this new reality. Not that I had much attachment to my previous life, either.
As that thought crossed my mind, a female voice echoed behind me.
"Who…?"
I turned toward the voice and was met with the sight of a beautiful girl.
Her long white hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her golden-amber eyes shimmered with curiosity. She wore a black jacket with gold and orange details, a white ruffled shirt with a red tie, and a short white skirt accented with black. Her orange tights hugged her legs just right.
I quickly looked away as a hollow creak of bones echoed again.
One last skeleton rose beside her.
"Lev!" the girl shouted, stumbling back awkwardly, nearly falling again. Before the creature could reach her, I dashed toward them.
The skeleton's blade struck my arm, but with the other, I wrapped it around the girl's waist, pulling her close. Our bodies came together, her curves molding perfectly within my embrace as her soft breasts pressed gently against me. Her amber eyes widened, and a faint blush tinged her cheeks.
Twisting my wrist, I deflected the skeleton's weapon and shattered its skull with a punch.
Still holding her waist, I parted my lips and said, "Hi!"
Even though she probably felt no hostility coming from me, upon hearing my voice, she frowned. "Who are you!?" she asked, a visible blush still on her cheeks.
Looking at her face, I couldn't help but think that she was… undeniably beautiful.
I admit I was a bit embarrassed. In my past life, I was kind of shy when it came to this. The only girl I'd ever been close to was my best friend—and she was weird enough that I'm not sure she even counts.
Ignoring that nostalgic memory, I gave a small smile. "Nice to meet you, Altair Miller," I said, reluctantly letting go of her waist.
"Miller?" She raised an eyebrow, adjusting her outfit. "That's not a surname from any mage family."
"I'm not exactly a magus." Though I had some magic circuits, I was still far from qualifying as one. "And you, what's your name?"
Upon hearing my question, she hesitated for a few seconds but, with a sigh, parted her rosy lips. "Olga Marie Animusphere."
(Olga Marie – Character Image)
I touched my chin, intrigued that I'd never heard her name. But my knowledge of this world was a bit limited, so it seemed fair. "Nice name." I gave a small smile.
"Obviously." Olga tossed her hair back with a proud gesture.
She was definitely a confident girl. But in the next moment, her expression turned more serious. "How!?"
I tilted my head. "You'll have to be a bit more specific."
"How did you do that? A non-magus wouldn't have the ability to create a demi-servant, let alone be here." Olga crossed her arms, staring at me.
"Demi-servant? I have no idea what that is," I replied, genuinely confused.
"You don't know?" She looked incredulous.
I shook my head.
Olga sighed. "Demi-Servants are humans who fuse with the Saint Graphs of Heroic Spirits, inheriting their abilities. But you… you seem different." Her eyes scanned me from head to toe.
"Oh! That explains a lot." I clapped my hands together. "I don't think I'm exactly a demi-servant either, but maybe that's the closest thing to what I am. As for how I got here… I have no clue. I just opened my eyes in this hellish place." Every word I said was true. I genuinely had no idea how I ended up in an apocalyptic Fuyuki.
"Weird," she murmured, placing a finger on her chin. "Do you know which Heroic Spirit is fused with you?"
"Sun Wukong."
"Wait…" She raised her hand, mouth agape. "You mean… the Victorious Fighting Buddha?"
I nodded.
Her amazement was far from exaggerated. Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, was a pretty famous figure, especially across Asia.
"That's amazing!" Olga exclaimed, almost punching the air in excitement. "A first-class Heroic Spirit! With your help, we can resolve this singularity easily."
"Singularity?" I asked, confused.
"Seriously?" She rolled her eyes, but the spark of excitement remained in her gaze. "Singularities are spaces outside the temporal axis, like ruptures in the timeline."
"I get it… kind of," I replied. "Like a temporal divergence, right?"
"Technically, yes." She looked a bit surprised by my deduction. "If not corrected, it can stabilize as a new timeline, threatening Human History itself."
I whistled, impressed. Turns out the Fate universe was more complex than I imagined.
"As the director of Chaldea's Security Division, a Clock Tower organization tasked with correcting temporal anomalies, it's my job to erase these singularities," she said, her amber eyes locked onto mine.
My mind reeled with all that information. An entire organization dedicated to fixing breaks in time?
My understanding of this world was limited.
"Explaining everything would take time," she said, staring at me. "For now, we have more urgent concerns. I appreciate you saving me, but… could you help me fix this singularity?" she asked, a slight note of hesitation in her voice.
If I were still my old self, I likely would've refused, deeming it too dangerous and troublesome. But the new me wasn't willing to ignore a threat to humanity. Besides, my decision was likely influenced by Sun Wukong's personality.
"Sure," I said with a slight smile, rubbing the back of my neck. "This isn't exactly the kind of thing I can walk away from."
"Excellent!" Olga smiled, but before she could say more, two new voices echoed nearby.
"Director! Are you alright?"
"Another person!? Who is it?"
I tilted my head, watching as two figures hurriedly approached us.