002 - Fate/Half Astral

Heya it's me this chapter supposedly to be Caster fight vs Berserker but that's just gonna make this singularity too long so i skip his fight but it's fine he's gonna come back later.

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"Hehe, how about it? I did good, right?" Ritsu asked, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Mash, Fujimaru, and Olga, who were still standing there with wide eyes.

"Eh? Y-yeah... you did a good job, Ritsu," Mash finally managed to say, still processing what had just happened.

"Yes... you did a really good job," Fujimaru added, nodding.

"Hmm hmm~ praise me more!" Ritsu demanded, puffing out her chest proudly.

But Olga, who had remained silent, finally turned toward Ritsu. Her face was serious, and her eyes were filled with concern.

"Ritsu..." Olga began, her voice steady, but with a hint of emotion, "What were you thinking!?" she suddenly burst out, walking up to Ritsu. "You just went ahead and faced a Noble Phantasm on your own! Do you even realize how dangerous that was!?"

Ritsu blinked, surprised by the sudden outburst. "But Olga-neechan, I—"

"No 'but's! You scared us! You could've been hurt, or worse! Do you think I want to see you like that again?!" Olga's voice cracked slightly as she kept scolding her.

Ritsu lowered her head, feeling guilty for worrying Olga so much. "I'm sorry... I just wanted to help."

Olga sighed deeply, her frustration and worry finally easing. She knelt down in front of Ritsu, reaching out to pet her head. "I know you did, and you were amazing, but... don't forget how important you are to us. Don't do something so reckless again."

Ritsu looked up at Olga, her eyes wide as she felt the gentle hand ruffling her hair. "Olga-neechan..."

"You really did well, Ritsu," Olga said softly, her stern expression melting into a warm smile. "I'm proud of you."

Ritsu's eyes brightened again as she smiled back, leaning into Olga's hand. "Hehe, thanks, Olga-neechan!"

"Huh, it's weird seeing the Director like this," Mash whispered to Fujimaru.

"You mean she's never acted like this?"

"No, she's usually... how can I say it... like Dr. Roman said, she's supposed to be one of those people you call *tsundere*."

"Tsundere? I see, I understand now," Fujimaru nodded, finally getting it.

But Olga heard every word they were saying. "Hah!? I'm not a *tsundere* or whatever you're talking about!"

"Yeah, you're like Mama. She's sometimes *tsundere* to Papa too," Ritsu chimed in, agreeing with Mash and Fujimaru.

Before Olga could respond, Ritsu's command spell suddenly vanished, signaling that Caster had disappeared from the Singularity.

"Eh? My command spell is gone?"

"Looks like this Singularity is cleared. Caster must have disappeared, and I'm sure Berserker did too," Mash explained, noticing Ritsu's hand.

"Well, at least we're done. I just want to go back and take a shower. My clothes are filthy," Olga muttered, glancing at her dirty outfit.

But before they could move, the sound of clapping echoed from above the cliff.

"Wow, I didn't expect you all to make it this far."

They all immediately turned toward the source of the voice and saw a man wearing a strange hat, standing on top of the cliff.

"That's..." Fujimaru and Mash said in unison, recognizing him.

"Professor Lev?" Mash gasped.

Olga, however, looked elated, stepping forward a few paces. "Lev! You're still alive?? Thank goodness, you're still alive!" She was about to run toward him, but suddenly felt someone grab her hand.

"Ritsu?" Fujimaru was confused as to why Ritsu was stopping Olga.

"Ritsu? What are you doing? Let me go. You don't know Lev yet, right? I can introduce you to him," Olga said excitedly.

But Ritsu only shook her head. "No... that's not human."

"Eh?"

"That thing... is not human," Ritsu said firmly, pointing directly at Lev, who stood ominously atop the cliff.

"What do you mean by that?" Olga asked, clearly confused. She could see the serious expression on Ritsu's face, which only deepened her concern.

"I see... you can sense who I really am, can't you, Ritsu? Such an interesting creature you are. A human body, but your insides... they're quite disturbing," Lev said, his gaze locked onto Ritsu.

"What? What are you talking about, Lev? And what are you doing up there? Come on, we still need to get out of this Singularity," Olga insisted, her voice a mix of disbelief and confusion.

Lev's expression darkened as he looked back at Olga. "And you, Olga... the bomb I placed was right beneath your feet, yet here you stand, alive."

"Lev?? Don't tell me!!!" Dr. Roman, watching from Chaldea, gasped as he started piecing it together, realizing the horrifying truth behind Leff's words.

Lev let out a sinister grin. "Ah, no. You can't exactly be called 'alive' either. Because, Olga... you've been dead this whole time."

A chilling silence fell over the group as Lev's words sank in, and Olga stood frozen, disbelief spreading across her face.

"Director?" Mash and Fujimaru exchanged worried glances as they noticed Olga's shocked, frozen expression. The weight of Lev's words had clearly struck deep, and the air around them felt heavy with confusion and fear.

Leff's smirk widened as he looked down at Olga, thoroughly enjoying her stunned reaction. "What's wrong, Olga? Is it that hard to believe? You've always depended on me, always needing someone to tell you what to do, where to go. And I made sure you stayed that way."

Olga's eyes widened further as Lev's words stabbed into her. "What... what are you saying?"

"You've been nothing but a pawn, Olga. I guided you, built you up, made you think you were in control. But all this time, you were just a tool for me. Every decision you thought was your own, every action you took... it was all part of my plan." Lev's voice oozed with mockery. "I used you, Olga, because you were weak. You needed someone, anyone, to lean on. And I made sure you leaned on me."

"No…" Olga whispered, her voice barely audible. She took a shaky step back, unable to process the betrayal.

Lev continued, relentless. "From the very beginning, it was never about you. I made sure you failed, made sure you needed me at every turn. And now look at you—still clinging to hope, thinking I'm here to help you." He laughed darkly. "But you've been dead all this time. A walking corpse, pretending to be alive."

"Stop…" Olga whispered again, but her voice wavered.

Ritsu, who had been standing silently beside them, her fists clenched tightly, finally lowered her head. Her small frame trembled as the mocking words filled the air, every insult directed at Olga twisting like a knife.

"Shut… up…" Ritsu's voice was low, almost a growl, but it caught everyone's attention.

Lev ignored her, stepping closer to the edge of the cliff. "Even now, you still don't understand, do you? I've always been steps ahead of you, Olga. Your whole existence has been nothing but a setup for my grand design. And now—"

"I said… shut UP!" Ritsu's voice rose, the air around her suddenly thickening with power.

Her fists shook, and in an instant, the pressure in the atmosphere skyrocketed. "Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" she screamed, her aura exploding outward as the ground beneath her cracked and the wind around her roared like a storm.

Lev, for the first time, faltered, staring at Ritsu with surprise as the overwhelming force of her power surged through the area.

Ritsu's blue eyes gleamed, and in her fury, she looked more terrifying than ever before. "You don't get to say another word!"

Ritsu immediately put her hand into her pocket and began searching for something.

It didn't take long for her to find what she needed, as she didn't carry many items in there.

Everyone could see the weapon she pulled out, and almost everyone can immediately recognized what it was.

It had the shape of a cylindrical, drill-shaped pillar made of three independently rotating segments engraved with glowing purple runes.

"What!?" Lev looked utterly shocked when he saw it.

Ritsu's small hand that gripped the cylindrical, drill-shaped weapon tightly, lifting it above her head as the power within it began to stir. The weapon pulsed with an ominous, otherworldly energy, its three rotating segments moving independently, each engraved with intricate, glowing purple runes. The very air around her vibrated with tension, and the ground trembled beneath her feet.

"EA!" Ritsu shouted, her voice booming with authority as she called the name of the weapon. The moment she did, the space around her distorted, rippling with the sheer intensity of the weapon's power.

Lev's eyes widened in disbelief, his expression twisted with shock and panic. "That's impossible! How could you have—!?"

But Ritsu didn't give him a chance to finish. She thrust the weapon forward, pointing it directly at Lev as the segments of EA began to spin faster, generating an immense vortex of energy. The ground beneath them continued to crack and split, as if reality itself was being torn apart by the weapon's sheer force.

"Enuma Elish!" Ritsu cried, her voice echoing across the battlefield.

Instantly, a colossal beam of raw, primordial energy erupted from EA, a swirling torrent of chaos that seemed to bend space and time as it shot forward. The beam was not just light; it was the very fabric of creation itself, tearing through reality with a deafening roar. The world around them shook violently as if the earth, the sky, and even the air were being unmade by the weapon's power.

The destructive energy of EA surged toward Lev, the ground splitting apart and rising in jagged shards as the beam obliterated everything in its path. The sheer pressure from the blast sent shockwaves across the landscape, and the air was filled with a deafening sound of rupturing space. anything within its range disintegrated instantly, consumed by the force of creation.

Lev raised his hand in a futile attempt to defend himself, but before the torrent of power could reach him, his form flickered and vanished, disappearing just before the devastating force of Enuma Elish slammed into the ground. The destructive light erupted with overwhelming chaos, but Lev was gone, leaving nothing behind.

The blast continued, carving a deep, massive trench through the cliff, erasing everything in its path until, finally, the beam dissipated, leaving behind only silence and the remains of what had once been.

As the dust settled, the air was still heavy with the aftershock of EA's power. The ground where Leff had once stood was gone—obliterated. The surrounding area was unrecognizable.

Ritsu lowered EA, breathing heavily as the last remnants of its power faded. Everyone was silent, save for the soft hum of energy still lingering in the air. She turned to look at Olga, Mash, and Fujimaru, who stood behind Mash protected by her Shield and Noble phantasm stunned silence, their eyes wide with disbelief at the sheer destruction they had just witnessed.

"We're done here," Ritsu said calmly, tucking EA back into her pocket as if the world-shattering weapon was nothing more than a simple trinket.

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A few moments later, after the three of them snapped out of their shock, Ritsu apologized, "Sorry about that, everyone... He just made me really, really mad."

"It's fine, Ritsu… and besides, we're all safe, so don't worry," Fujimaru reassured her as he looked at his remaining command spell, now down to just one.

During the battle, when Ritsu unleashed EA, Fujimaru had quickly used one of his command spells to allow Mash to activate her Noble Phantasm, shielding the three of them from the effects of Ritsu's overwhelming power.

"Ritsu, is that the Noble Phantasm of the King of Heroes?" Roman's voice came through Fujimaru's bracelet, filled with shock.

"King of Heroes? Who's that? This weapon was a gift from Papa for my fifth birthday," Ritsu tilted her head, looking puzzled.

"A birthday present? Your father gave you that?" Roman sounded even more astonished.

"Yep! It looked cool, so I asked him for this weapon," Ritsu answered brightly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Meanwhile, Mash couldn't help but notice Olga, who had been completely silent ever since Leff's revelation.

"Director?" Mash asked cautiously, her concern growing with every moment of Olga's silence.

"Haha… hahaha…" But unexpectedly, Olga burst into laughter, loud and almost uncontrollable.

"Olga-neechan? Are you okay?" Ritsu hurried over, her expression filled with worry.

Olga stopped laughing and looked down at Ritsu, her face softening. "I'm fine, Ritsu… well, maybe not entirely, but after seeing you completely destroy that traitor Lev, all my sadness just vanished!" She smiled brightly, lifting Ritsu into her arms in a warm, protective embrace.

"Hm, I'm happy if you're happy too~," Ritsu smiled back, clearly relieved.

The two continued talking, their tones light, as if the weight of the world had lifted. Meanwhile, Mash and Fujimaru exchanged confused glances.

"Director's acting really strange all of a sudden," Fujimaru whispered to Mash.

"Shh, just let her be," Mash replied softly, stepping back to give Olga and Ritsu space to talk.

"Yeah, Fujimaru, just let her enjoy the moment," Roman added with a chuckle through the communicator.

As Olga and Ritsu conversed, Mash and Fujimaru watched silently, uncertain but willing to let them have their time together. Then suddenly, the ground began to tremble violently.

"Eh? What's happening?" Ritsu asked, her eyes widening as the shaking grew stronger.

But Olga, still smiling gently, didn't seem the least bit concerned. "It means… you can go back to Chaldea."

Olga walked over to Mash and Fujimaru, gently setting Ritsu down beside them.

"Romani? Can you hear me?" Olga called out, her voice calm despite the chaotic surroundings.

"Yes, I can hear you clearly, Director," Roman's voice replied.

"I need you to make sure the Rayshift for Ritsu, Fujimaru, and Mash works perfectly. Don't let a single part of them be left behind!"

"Understood, I'll make sure everything goes smoothly," Roman confirmed. Moments later, the bracelet on Fujimaru's wrist dimmed, signaling the end of their connection.

Olga turned her attention back to Mash. "Mash, I know how difficult things have been for you, even before you came to Chaldea… and I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to help you when you were suffering."

"No… It's fine, Miss Olga. I know you've always cared about us, even if you didn't show it," Mash's voice trembled as tears began to well up in her eyes.

"I see… and Fujimaru," Olga continued, her tone gentle but serious, "I know all of this has been hard on you. You shouldn't have been caught up in this, but right now, you're the only hope humanity has. So, please… never give up. Keep moving forward."

"…Yes, Director," Fujimaru responded, his voice steady despite the emotion in his eyes.

Olga's words carried the weight of someone who had carried so much responsibility but finally allowed herself to express her care. Mash and Fujimaru could feel her genuine concern for them, something she had hidden behind her stern exterior for so long.

Olga looked like she wanted to say something to Ritsu, but the tremors around them grew stronger, the ground beneath their feet cracking and breaking apart.

"Looks like I don't have much time left," Olga said, her voice soft but strained. "Ritsu, all I can say is… I'm so glad I got to meet you before my end. It's just a shame I can't go back with all of you." Tears began streaming down her face, the reality of her situation finally sinking in.

"No! What do you mean!? I still want to do things with you, Olga-neechan!" Ritsu cried, her voice trembling as she shook her head, refusing to accept what she was hearing.

"Fujimaru, Mash, Ritsu… prepare yourselves. The Rayshift is ready," Roman's voice came through again, urging them to leave.

Olga smiled sadly at Ritsu. "I want to, too, Ritsu… but this is it for me, just like Leff said. So, I hope you can grow up big and strong. And, please, tell your mom and dad to stop giving their daughter such powerful weapons, okay?" She tried to lighten the moment, but her words were filled with heartbreak.

Ritsu's tears fell freely now, her small body shaking as she clung to Olga. "No! No, I don't want you to die! Olga-neechan, please, don't go!" she pleaded, her voice growing more desperate as the Rayshift started to activate, the light surrounding them.

Mash and Fujimaru stood nearby, unable to hold back their own tears as they watched the heart-wrenching scene unfold. But they knew there was no stopping what was happening.

As the light from the Rayshift engulfed them, just moments before they were transported away, Ritsu's cry pierced through the air.

"Papa!!! Help!!! Papaaaaaa" she screamed, her voice filled with fear and sorrow, calling out desperately for the one person she believed could save Olga.

The moment Ritsu screamed for her papa's name, everything came to a sudden halt. The destruction around them froze in place, suspended in an eerie silence. The Rayshift process paused, and time itself seemed to stand still. For everyone except those in Chaldea they can no longer move; they were trapped in this moment.

"Fujimaru, we suddenly detected something coming!!! The sensors are going haywire!" Roman's panicked voice cut through the silence, sounding more frantic than ever before.

"Ugh, Dr. Roman, I can't move my body!" Fujimaru grunted, straining against an invisible force that held him in place.

As if responding to Ritsu's desperate call, the very fabric of reality began to tremble. Cracks spiderwebbed through the air, shimmering with an otherworldly light. The atmosphere around them felt thick and charged, as if the air itself was alive with energy.

With a deafening crack, the space on top of them shattered, like a fragile glass window giving way. Light poured through the fissures, casting brilliant rays that danced around them. From within the chaotic brilliance, a figure began to emerge, stepping through the fractured reality with an imposing presence.

The air shimmered as a silhouette became clearer, powerful and familiar, tearing through the barriers of time and space.