The explosion consumed everything, its ferocious flames devouring all that could burn in its path.
"Warning to observation team members.
"Chaldeas's status has changed.
"Sheba's near-future observation data has been rewritten.
"In the near future, one hundred years from now, no traces of humanity can be detected on Earth. Human survival cannot be confirmed. The future of humanity cannot be assured."
The core of the base, its foundation, continued to operate amidst the explosion, monitoring the future.
This explosion seemed to trigger a chain reaction, like a butterfly flapping its wings in the Pacific, steering the future toward a direction no one wished to see.
As a Chaldea staff member with her own secrets, Mash Kyrielight watched the changes in Chaldeas with confusion and tension.
"Chaldeas… it's turned crimson…"
It wasn't truly blood-red, but rather, it resembled a red-hot iron sphere or a small molten planet.
"No… what's more… important…"
Blood trickled down Mash's cheek, the explosion having dealt her a significant blow.
At that moment, the base's broadcast system continued its faithful reporting.
"Central isolation wall has been sealed.
"180 seconds remain until internal decontamination begins."
Hearing the broadcast, Mash looked at the surrounding flames and spoke to the girl in front of her, her recently made friend, Ritsuka Fujimaru. "The isolation wall is sealed. We can't get out…"
"Yeah, looks like we're in the same boat," Ritsuka said, her tone tinged with nervousness. Yet, despite it, she glanced around. "But, you know, things have a way of working out. There might be a way to escape."
Mash said nothing as the broadcast continued.
"Vital signs of Masters within the facility do not meet the required standards. The number of participants for Rayshift is insufficient. Searching for qualified Masters… Found.
"Designating Candidate No. 48, Ritsuka Fujimaru, as a Master. Anti-Summoning System activated. Commencing Rayshift conversion."
As the system announced, Mash looked at Ritsuka's face and felt a sense of relief. She gave a faint smile. "Senpai, would you mind holding my hand?"
Ritsuka didn't fully understand but, seeing Mash's earlier nervousness, extended her hand, grasping Mash's trembling palm with a smile. "It'll be fine."
"Rayshift commencing in 3, 2, 1. All processes complete. Initiating verification of the First Order."
A black hole appeared... not a celestial one, but a void of torn space, a pathway to another time.
From this void emerged a light, the exit to that other time, pulling Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash into it.
The technology of converting physical forms into spiritual particles and transferring them through time to another location.
Never successfully tested, yet in this crisis, it activated flawlessly!
Ritsuka felt something licking her face, a wet sensation that made her feel unclean.
It had to be some dog!
"Senpai, wake up, Senpai.
"Still not awake? Maybe I should try a formal title?
"Master, please wake up, or I'll have to kill you!"
That was Mash's voice, but did she just say something outrageous?
Ritsuka opened her eyes to see a creature called Fou licking her face, followed by Mash staring at her.
Standing up, Ritsuka looked around and found herself in a place engulfed in flames, surrounded by ruined buildings... remnants of a modern city struck by something akin to missiles.
But more striking was Mash's outfit.
Why was Mash wearing such a provocative bodysuit, with her navel exposed?
And why was she holding a massive shield?!
It looked like she was cosplaying a female combatant from some 18+ anime or game, the kind who, after defeat, would suffer humiliation and contribute to a beloved defeat CG!
"Thank goodness you're awake, Senpai. I'm so glad you're okay," Mash said.
"I'm fine, thanks for the concern, but Mash, did you just say you'd kill me?"
"Please don't mind the details. We might have more dangerous matters to deal with…"
Strange creatures had appeared around them... humanoid, clad in tattered cloaks, emitting odd roars without any attempt at communication.
Mash stepped in front of Ritsuka. "Hostile entities detected. Master, please give the order. Let's break through this crisis together!"
Ritsuka looked at Mash, increasingly convinced her behavior and outfit resembled characters from certain unmentionable games.
But this was the real world, and she absolutely didn't want to see Mash's defeat CG!
Relying on her rudimentary magecraft knowledge and combat experience, Ritsuka teamed up with Mash to dispatch the strange hostile creatures. When Mash asked, "Does your stomach hurt? Or anywhere else uncomfortable?" Ritsuka shook her head.
"Let's check out the other areas."
"Okay, Senpai."
"But what were those things?"
"I don't know, Senpai. They don't exist in our time or even this era."
"This era? Mash, you mean they appeared in this era…"
"They're not in the records, Senpai," Mash shook her head. "They might be the cause of this Singularity, or something related. That hypothesis should be correct."
"Singularity, or rather, a point that can shatter the entire temporal order... a peculiar region in physics with significance in mathematics as well." A sudden voice made both turn toward its source.
A man in a trench coat and top hat, like someone from last-century England.
Seeing him, both Ritsuka and Mash were shocked.
They had seen this man... the 49th candidate... but he shouldn't be here. He hadn't even joined the experiment!
"Finally found you, Miss Mash, Miss Ritsuka Fujimaru." Morpheus removed his hat, bowing slightly before putting it back on, every bit the gentleman.
"You're…" Ritsuka racked her brain, recalling his name. "Mr. Morpheus Fraga McRemitz."
His excessive politeness prompted her to use a formal title.
"Hello, Mr. McRemitz," Mash said immediately.
"Just call me Morpheus, both of you. No need for formality. If possible, I'd like to call you Mash and Ritsuka directly."
They had no objections, and Mash quickly adjusted.
"Alright, Morpheus."
"No need to call me Senpai, either. In Chaldea, you're the senpai," Morpheus said, shaking his head as he approached, though Mash's expression turned slightly self-conscious. "No, my status is different. Everyone in Chaldea is my senpai."
"Then just Morpheus. I'm not fond of titles," he said, glancing at the remains of the creatures around them.
"Corpses combined with spiritual particles, summoned as puppets. Impressive that you defeated them."
Morpheus praised them without hesitation.
He had noticed their crisis upon arriving but chose to observe from above, assessing their strength, only descending after they handled the creatures.
It was their first battle, after all... best not to let them skip it.
"Ah, finally connected! Hello, this is the Chaldea Control Room. Can you hear me?!"
A sudden voice accompanied a hologram appearing before them... Dr. Romani Archaman.
Seeing him, Mash immediately reported, "This is Team A member Mash Kyrielight, successfully transferred to Singularity F.
"Accompanied by Ritsuka Fujimaru and Morpheus Fraga McRemitz. Both are physically and mentally stable.
"Ritsuka Fujimaru's Rayshift and Master compatibility are optimal. Please register her as an official investigator."
Romani looked surprised. "What? The McRemitz kid's there too?!"
"Yes, I'm here, Dr. Romani. And just call me Morpheus, no need for formality," Morpheus said, stepping into the hologram's view. The doctor was not only treating patients but also managing contact with those in the Singularity.
Such command wasn't typical for an ordinary doctor.
Knowing Romani's true identity, Morpheus smiled. "Perfect leadership. I think you're better suited to run Chaldea than anyone."
"No way, Morpheus. I'm just an ordinary guy thrown into this mess," Romani said with a dry laugh, then asked, "What about you? How's your Rayshift compatibility?"
"No issues here. Whether it's Rayshift or spatial transfer, I adapt perfectly," Morpheus said, extending his hand. "Check if you don't believe me."
Mash examined him, then frowned. "Strange. It's a complete physical body with no traces of Rayshift residue!"
"That's only possible with a perfect Rayshift, reaching the theoretical limit," Romani said, frowning as he scrutinized Morpheus. "But that's impossible."
"I have some understanding of Void attribute magecraft."
"Void… space?" Romani nodded slightly. It was a plausible explanation. Mastery over space could indeed negate Rayshift's drawbacks.
But was this McRemitz foster child really that powerful?
Romani decided not to dwell on it openly for now.
He turned to Mash. "Mash, what's with that outfit?! It's shameless! I didn't raise you to be like this!"
Mash blushed. "This is my transformation… the Chaldea uniform couldn't protect Senpai."
"Transformation? What are you talking about, Mash? Did you hit your head? Or is it because of that incident…"
Facing Romani's relentless chatter, Mash interrupted forcefully. "Dr. Romani, shut up!"
Her shout silenced him. Despite claiming to be the lowest-ranking, she boldly cut off the words of Solomon himself. Mash, what a formidable human.
"Please check my status. That should clarify things."
"Check your condition?" Romani began the scan, then let out a primal howl. "Your physical stats and Magic Circuits have all improved! This isn't human…"
"Yes, I've become a Servant. I don't recall the details, but it seems I survived by merging with a Servant.
"For this mission to investigate and resolve Singularity F, Chaldea prepared a Servant, but that Servant lost their Master in the explosion and faced erasure. At the last moment, they requested a contract transfer, passing their Heroic Spirit abilities and Noble Phantasm to me in exchange for resolving the Singularity's cause."
"A Heroic Spirit merging with a Servant... a Demi-Servant… Chaldea's sixth experiment. So it finally succeeded. Is the Heroic Spirit's consciousness still within you?"
"No, they vanished after entrusting their combat abilities to me."
Watching Romani and Mash's exchange, Morpheus and Ritsuka stood aside like outsiders.
Taking the chance, Morpheus spoke to Ritsuka, the so-called Chaos Evil Incarnation, the legendary Demon King Gudako, still in a relatively innocent state.
"Ritsuka, want to learn how to infuse a Servant with massive magical energy to unleash immense combat power instantly?"
"Infuse massive magical energy? Unleash immense combat power?" Ritsuka thought, drawing on her gaming experience, then asked warily, "Isn't that dangerous?!"
"Not at all, it's safe. I can teach you if you want!"
To be safe, he felt it necessary to teach Ritsuka some combat techniques Masters typically didn't need.
Just in case he got flung out of this world and had to find his way back again.
Ritsuka considered for a moment, then nodded. "I'll learn!"
***
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