How I Saved History (Fate/Grand Order SI)

[ArKFallen]

Also what's Medea's problem with Mash?

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Um... it's pretty obvious that Mash acts with the same level of "Drive" towards Charlie that Medea did when she was under Aphrodite's pull towards Jason? Medea likes Flynn and we ALL remember how Medea+Jason turned out....


A very tragic chapter with the <1yr old misunderstanding everything the MC says, predictably. Mash, honey, he doesn't necessarily believe Chaldea will lose he just doesn't want to BE CHALDEA because he thinks He Himself will be a loss. Mash really, Really, REALLY needs actual Parenting. Then again who among the Magus picked staff would do so successfully? ...Flynn doesn't know Mash's age does he? Galahad you live in her head, have you actually looked into her life?
The Grand Order really was fucked without a Fate Asspull...

 

[HelloThereItsMeGeralt]

You know what, why not do a time loop for Flynn? Solomon becomes so desperate against Flynn that he basically punts Flynn to his past. Now Flynn, what will you do?

The way Ritsuka saved humanity is the mother of all asspulls, and Ritsuka is some kind of Gary Stu with the biggest plot armor you can find, otherwise he would have been deader than dead.
Flynn is actually efficient, fuck that namby pamby sentimental shit.

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Ritsuka is basically a blank protagonist. Mostly due to limitations of the game. Way worse than anime Shirou.

yes that is true but please note my quoting myself below...

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Why is fou returning now bad?

Um... it's pretty obvious that Mash acts with the same level of "Drive" towards Charlie that Medea did when she was under Aphrodite's pull towards Jason? Medea likes Flynn and we ALL remember how Medea+Jason turned out....


A very tragic chapter with the <1yr old misunderstanding everything the MC says, predictably. Mash, honey, he doesn't necessarily believe Chaldea will lose he just doesn't want to BE CHALDEA because he thinks He Himself will be a loss. Mash really, Really, REALLY needs actual Parenting. Then again who among the Magus picked staff would do so successfully? ...Flynn doesn't know Mash's age does he? Galahad you live in her head, have you actually looked into her life?
The Grand Order really was fucked without a Fate Asspull...

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Absolutely correct sir.

Plus Flynn has fallen off the deep end right? He simply does not see himself surviving. Hopefully, he will be spiteful enough to refuse to die. Especially in the event he realises that (if it happens) doing all this meant nothing and he cannot go home.

 

[Saturn White]

The way Ritsuka saved humanity is the mother of all asspulls, and Ritsuka is some kind of Gary Stu with the biggest plot armor you can find, otherwise he would have been deader than dead.
Flynn is actually efficient, fuck that namby pamby sentimental shit.

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I totally agree that Ritsuka's story was absolutely filled with plot armor.
What I'm trying to say is, even if you completely ignore what Ritsuka did in canon, there absolutely had to be a better way of saving humanity than how Flynn is doing it right now.
He chose to sacrifice himself and his humanity for the sake of saving the world when he didn't have to.

I'm not saying Flynn had to be some honorable white knight that does no wrong. I just think that he could definitely have done things better and still succeeded.
He's definitely more capable and resourceful than Ritsuka. He's also not as naive. If he had really tried, I think he definitely could have done it in a realistic way, without taking extreme measures.
I'm just curious about what Flynn would think if he saw someone else do the same thing that he did, but better. If you ignore Ritsuka, then technically, Wodime would probably fit the bill.
Right now, Flynn maybe efficient but he's also the reason why Primate Murder might be unleashed. Even if he manages to beat Goetia, Cath Palug could be the beast that he isn't prepared for.

 

[ArKFallen]

Why is fou returning now bad?

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Fou is a Beast, specifically of Comparison which is what is causing Mash's distress in this chapter. As a Beast he can potentially gain power equivalent to that of all of human history (as Beasts are pretty much cancers within our nature) and with Comparison he will continuosly rise in power with adversity... And he doesn't really believe in Humanity or its right to live because the Comparison's he has been subject to in this FGO have been horrible.

 

[HelloThereItsMeGeralt]

I totally agree that Ritsuka's story was absolutely filled with plot armor.
What I'm trying to say is, even if you completely ignore what Ritsuka did in canon, there absolutely had to be a better way of saving humanity than how Flynn is doing it right now.
He chose to sacrifice himself and his humanity for the sake of saving the world when he didn't have to.

I'm not saying Flynn had to be some honorable white knight that does no wrong. I just think that he could definitely have done things better and still succeeded.
He's definitely more capable and resourceful than Ritsuka. He's also not as naive. If he had really tried, I think he definitely could have done it in a realistic way, without taking extreme measures.
I'm just curious about what Flynn would think if he saw someone else do the same thing that he did, but better. If you ignore Ritsuka, then technically, Wodime would probably fit the bill.
Right now, Flynn maybe efficient but he's also the reason why Primate Murder might be unleashed. Even if he manages to beat Goetia, Cath Palug could be the beast that he isn't prepared for.

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I have to re-read this whole story, but I think that if you are going prepared and do anything other than th plot actions in fateverse, you are f**ked. Going for additional preparations basically destroyed Mash-Flynn-Galahad relationship AFAIR. Preparation against Jason also caused damage to team dynamics. Plus Flynn does go all-out; which you have to unless you have light-years thick plot armor and you know of the plot armor. Again I have to re read this for more clarification. Maybe you have any ideas how it could have gone better?

 

[Saturn White]

I have to re-read this whole story, but I think that if you are going prepared and do anything other than th plot actions in fateverse, you are f**ked. Going for additional preparations basically destroyed Mash-Flynn-Galahad relationship AFAIR. Preparation against Jason also caused damage to team dynamics. Plus Flynn does go all-out; which you have to unless you have light-years thick plot armor and you know of the plot armor. Again I have to re read this for more clarification. Maybe you have any ideas how it could have gone better?

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As far as I recall, the first real mess that got Flynn questioning himself was after the fight with Jason. There wasn't really much preparation done against Jason though. Flynn basically gave Medea the reins and trusted her to plan the majority of the fight. He didn't even know what she planned to do until after she had already done it.

Besides, I'm not really pointing at specific things he did to fix singularities because honestly, he's doing a lot better job of it than Ritsuka. I'm saying he could have done the same things without taking it to the extreme. For example, when he decided to loot from the people in the Singularity for the sake of resources. There was no real need to do that, was there? He was just convincing himself that his extreme method was the "only way".
So, when I said that it could have gone better, I'm mainly referring to the fact that while he is efficient, his "ends justify the means" outlook may have negatively influenced Cath Palug and might cause Beast IV to be unleashed.

 

[HelloThereItsMeGeralt]

As far as I recall, the first real mess that got Flynn questioning himself was after the fight with Jason. There wasn't really much preparation done against Jason though. Flynn basically gave Medea the reins and trusted her to plan the majority of the fight. He didn't even know what she planned to do until after she had already done it.

Besides, I'm not really pointing at specific things he did to fix singularities because honestly, he's doing a lot better job of it than Ritsuka. I'm saying he could have done the same things without taking it to the extreme. For example, when he decided to loot from the people in the Singularity for the sake of resources. There was no real need to do that, was there? He was just convincing himself that his extreme method was the "only way".
So, when I said that it could have gone better, I'm mainly referring to the fact that while he is efficient, his "ends justify the means" outlook may have negatively influenced Cath Palug and might cause Beast IV to be unleashed.

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Yeah, the looting problem. I always felt that the game overlooked all that stuff because it was boring. But I always felt that it would have been necessary. Again I will need to re-read it.

 

[Saturn White]

Yeah, the looting problem. I always felt that the game overlooked all that stuff because it was boring. But I always felt that it would have been necessary. Again I will need to re-read it.

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Don't know if it's the answer you're looking for, but the game didn't really overlook that stuff.
In the game, after completing each Singularity, we get 10SQ as reward, where Mash says "These are the resources we collected from the previous singularity" or something like that.
Now, obviously, DW gave us saint quartz as a reward because that's what we want. But we kinda have to assume that when Mash said "resources", she actually meant real resource like food, different raw materials etc. Meaning they were collecting resources without looting people blind.
Also, forgive me if I'm being too meta about it, but it could be said that every time we farm for mats in the game, that's actually us collecting resources.

 

[HelloThereItsMeGeralt]

Don't know if it's the answer you're looking for, but the game didn't really overlook that stuff.
In the game, after completing each Singularity, we get 10SQ as reward, where Mash says "These are the resources we collected from the previous singularity" or something like that.
Now, obviously, DW gave us saint quartz as a reward because that's what we want. But we kinda have to assume that when Mash said "resources", she actually meant real resource like food, different raw materials etc. Meaning they were collecting resources without looting people blind.
Also, forgive me if I'm being too meta about it, but it could be said that every time we farm for mats in the game, that's actually us collecting resources.

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Excellent. But I wonder why they did not explicitly call it out? Never mind.

I am re-reading this work, and yes, the Banditry incident is a case of Bad luck:

1) Mash did not agree with banditry and yet chose to follow [not her fault].

2) Gareth, Lancelot and Agravain in the very vicinity, I mean was Camelot tiny or what?

3) Vlad destroyed the boy's kneecaps which led him to die out. This was seen by the knights of the round table.

for 1,2,3 : [https://forum.questionablequesting....fate-grand-order-si.11888/page-2#post-3318578]

4) In order to save Mash's life, Charles lied that he basically stole Gawain's armor etc and gave them to Mash. Mash jumps in to save Flynn from Lancelot; and in order to save their lives, Flynn kills Lancelot by command sealing Hassan. Which basically destroys Mash-Galahad equilibrium whose results we are seeing. [https://forum.questionablequesting....fate-grand-order-si.11888/page-2#post-3319344]


As for necessity, yes Banditry was necessary. They did not have enough supplies. Unlike in-game, there are no training chambers to farm for stuff. I mean no Chaldea Gate section. And no mentions of Interludes; so yeah Banditry needed.

 

[HelloThereItsMeGeralt]

By the way, for those reading the posts, Flynn has a chance of winning. See in the Temple, it was Jeanne who rallied the servants, now I am forgetting whether she called them too, but Jeanne and Flynn parted on excellent terms. So yeah, that's a thing.

 

[Saturn White]

Banditry was necessary. They did not have enough supplies. Unlike in-game, there are no training chambers to farm for stuff. I mean no Chaldea Gate section. And no mentions of Interludes; so yeah Banditry needed.

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Thanks for clearing up detail with the banditry. It may have been necessary. But I still stand by the fact that he's too extreme. He was the one that enabled Vlad's murderous tendencies and let him go on a slaughterfest instead of swiftly ending the threats. There was no reason to do shit like that. He really could have done better in that regard.

By the way, for those reading the posts, Flynn has a chance of winning. See in the Temple, it was Jeanne who rallied the servants, now I am forgetting whether she called them too, but Jeanne and Flynn parted on excellent terms. So yeah, that's a thing.

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Yeah, there is a chance that Jeanne will rally the servants. But unfortunately, Flynn didn't really "create bonds" with most of the servants he met. For example, in the game, even former enemies like Jason and the Argonauts came to aid Ritsuka. But will they answer the call for Flynn despite what he did to them? That is the question. And even after Goetia is defeated, Beast IV could be a problem this time around.

 

[Potates]

My joke about this being a lostbelt/singularity is getting frighteningly realized. Mashahad will be the King and Beast!Fou the demon pillar.

By the way, for those reading the posts, Flynn has a chance of winning. See in the Temple, it was Jeanne who rallied the servants, now I am forgetting whether she called them too, but Jeanne and Flynn parted on excellent terms. So yeah, that's a thing.

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Except this time, no one has any experience fighting demon pillars. Flynn completed the singularities either too quickly or in a way that prevented them from showing up at all.

Yeah, there is a chance that Jeanne will rally the servants. But unfortunately, Flynn didn't really "create bonds" with most of the servants he met. For example, in the game, even former enemies like Jason and the Argonauts came to aid Ritsuka. But will they answer the call for Flynn despite what he did to them? That is the question. And even after Goetia is defeated, Beast IV could be a problem this time around.

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Also this. It may not be they won't answer him as so much they won't hear the call without the bond acting as a link to them. There are servants who Flynn never met to bond with. He might get the wrestling Karna's, Washington and Lincoln, Bride Umu...a lot of people from America actually. Some of the knights from Camelot might show up. But Eresh, Quetz, Scathach, won't because they never met him.

As for necessity, yes Banditry was necessary. They did not have enough supplies. Unlike in-game, there are no training chambers to farm for stuff. I mean no Chaldea Gate section. And no mentions of Interludes; so yeah Banditry needed.

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Like hell it was. There's the old standby of buying, bartering, side quests, hunting, bringing along heroes native to the time and place of the rayshift. If David showed up in Israel during his reign and said 'These champions of god need supplies' are people going to say no? Hell, he could have even asked for help but nope. Even if banditry was the last option, he didn't need to be so brutal about it. He has assassins for fuck's sake, they could sneak in, grab the supplies and sneak out.

Flynn's entire philosophy has been 'This is the only way I can do this.' Which is why Ozy and Gil words struck so deep. They basically asked him "What other ways did you try?" and he found himself without answer.

 

[HelloThereItsMeGeralt]

My joke about this being a lostbelt/singularity is getting frighteningly realized. Mashahad will be the King and Beast!Fou the demon pillar.


Except this time, no one has any experience fighting demon pillars. Flynn completed the singularities either too quickly or in a way that prevented them from showing up at all.


Also this. It may not be they won't answer him as so much they won't hear the call without the bond acting as a link to them. There are servants who Flynn never met to bond with. He might get the wrestling Karna's, Washington and Lincoln, Bride Umu...a lot of people from America actually. Some of the knights from Camelot might show up. But Eresh, Quetz, Scathach, won't because they never met him.


Like hell it was. There's the old standby of buying, bartering, side quests, hunting, bringing along heroes native to the time and place of the rayshift. If David showed up in Israel during his reign and said 'These champions of god need supplies' are people going to say no? Hell, he could have even asked for help but nope. Even if banditry was the last option, he didn't need to be so brutal about it. He has assassins for fuck's sake, they could sneak in, grab the supplies and sneak out.

Flynn's entire philosophy has been 'This is the only way I can do this.' Which is why Ozy and Gil words struck so deep. They basically asked him "What other ways did you try?" and he found himself without answer.

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Wait, there were camelot servants with Flynn?

Of course he had no answer, if he did not know? I mean everyone keeps saying he could do better, but how? I am not finding any answers.

 

[HelloThereItsMeGeralt]

Thanks for clearing up detail with the banditry. It may have been necessary. But I still stand by the fact that he's too extreme. He was the one that enabled Vlad's murderous tendencies and let him go on a slaughterfest instead of swiftly ending the threats. There was no reason to do shit like that. He really could have done better in that regard.



Yeah, there is a chance that Jeanne will rally the servants. But unfortunately, Flynn didn't really "create bonds" with most of the servants he met. For example, in the game, even former enemies like Jason and the Argonauts came to aid Ritsuka. But will they answer the call for Flynn despite what he did to them? That is the question. And even after Goetia is defeated, Beast IV could be a problem this time around.

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Well the hope that people will do the right thing comes to mind.

 

[Darko]

Wait, there were camelot servants with Flynn?

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One of the Servants they summoned was the one that helped them against the Lion King.

 

[HelloThereItsMeGeralt]

One of the Servants they summoned was the one that helped them against the Lion King.

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Before Rome?

 

[Darko]

Before Rome?

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No, during the Camelot Singularity one of the Lion Kings knights betrayed her and sided with Chaldea.

This happened after Rome.

They summoned him after they finished that Singularity in Chaldea.

 

[HelloThereItsMeGeralt]

Saturn White Protag did not put his foot down and tried to smooth things over with Vlad by giving Vlad leeway that backfired. And also forgot that he was not acting in the 21st century where keeping your head down is a fundamental rule rather than a source of shame in medieval ages.

As for Vlad's murderfest, it was much noticeable in Rome rather than this lootfest. Obviously he could not have taken Vlad at all, but as I mentioned he was hoping to scare native population into giving off resources rather than exhorting to direct murder would be better.

The only problem I find that Flynn should have cleaned the corridor on his own. Would have given him positive points from many. The corridor would not have killed him off and Protag procrastinates anyways.

 

[FourthPear]

Just realized where I recognized Gilgamesh's parting shot from.

https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/unfortunately-i'm-not-a-hero-oregairu-x-mge-lite.800668/page-133#post-70390958

"You abhor yourself more than I ever I could. "

You got some splainin to do, Charlie!

 

[thefinalwraith]

Honestly if we were going to get a "realistic" take on the events of FGO, I feel like it would be the Servants who in some cases have decades, if not centuries, of tactical and combat experience taking the lead, with whoever is playing the role of Master mostly serving as a way of smoothing ruffled feathers, resolving disputes, and occasionally acting as tiebreakers when the Servants can't decide on a course of action. Like realistically speaking, Flynn shouldn't have nearly as much authority as he does, even with Command Seals and Hassan of the Cursed-Arm to serve as his enforcer. But the idea of being swept behind the wake of history's greatest heroes while struggling to make your actions have meaning would kind of go against the themes of crushing responsibility.

 

[K70Amam()to]

The way Ritsuka saved humanity is the mother of all asspulls, and Ritsuka is some kind of Gary Stu with the biggest plot armor you can find, otherwise he would have been deader than dead.
Flynn is actually efficient, fuck that namby pamby sentimental shit.

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Well in my opinion cannon ritsuka probably has that ass pull as you call it via a very horrifying dues ex machina.

the way i see it every time a player starts a game in fgo that becomes another timeline the fgo mc goes though and as the story hasn't finished yet not a single timeline has ended successfully

to date the jp server of fgo has done a 20 million downloads commemoration and earlier the us passed 11 million downloads

so by my theory ritsuka has not an ass pull but probably over 31 million timelines worth of experience in this...


that might put things into perspective...

 

[EVA-Saiyajin]

Before I forget, why would Shakespeare have been all quiet and awkward over how Kingu was dealt with?

 

[Charles Flynn]

Before I forget, why would Shakespeare have been all quiet and awkward over how Kingu was dealt with?

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He wasn't quiet and awkward because he felt guilty, he was quiet and awkward because when he was being his normal bombastic self, his Chaldean colleagues, who could probably snap his spine in half with their bare hands, started giving him some very pointed glares.

 

[EVA-Saiyajin]

He wasn't quiet and awkward because he felt guilty, he was quiet and awkward because when he was being his normal bombastic self, his Chaldean colleagues, who could probably snap his spine in half with their bare hands, started giving him some very pointed glares.

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Makes sense.

*half joking* Self-Preservation B, after all.

 

[wryyyyy]

the possibilities of this being a lostbelt increases

 

[Charles Flynn]

I stand in the Rayshift Room, one last time.

The Babylon Singularity has resolved itself, and Solomon has made his move. His base, a Singularity in orbit, has been detected.

Now, it's time for this to finally end. Time to finally fix things, or die trying.

Mash settles into one of the coffins, and her little fluff dog/cat/thing follows her in.

She's been a lot happier since the little guy came back. I'm glad. She deserves to be happy. I can only hope she makes out of this all right.

I look at the team of Servants I picked out for our mission: Siegfried, Cu Chulainn, Medea, Georgios, Cursed Arm, and Tamamo Cat. Maybe not the strongest Servants, but easily the ones I'm most familiar with. I don't think there's any Servant in Chaldea that can magically pull off a win against Solomon. That's why I came up with the plans I did.

"Do I really need to say anything?" I ask them, a wry, bitter smile on my face. "This it. This is the end. This is why we're here. Let's show them what we're worth."

I feel so damn tired as I settle into my Coffin.

Just a little longer, Charlie. Just a little longer, and then you can rest. One more victory. One more battle. One more miracle, and then you can finally rest.

---

I emerge from the Rayshift into an architectural masterpiece. The world, my home, stretches out below us, unspeakably beautiful, and I stand on solid ground.

Solomon's base is incredible. Even I have to admit that. Two rings of stone within an artificial air bubble, suspended by Magecraft above the Earth, independent of both time and gravity, perfect and inviolate.

And it's here that we'll find our foe.

"Impressive," a familiarly obnoxious voice says, clapping his hands ominously. "You actually made it. And here I thought that you would just die at the hands of Tiamat. Ah, well, good on you, sport!"

I turn and look at the irritatingly alive Professor Lev Lainur Flauros. "Hi, Lev. I need to have a chat with your boss, so would you mind stepping aside?"

"Well, I'd be a poor door guard if I failed to defend the door, now wouldn't I?" Lev says with a chuckle. "But really, Charlie, you can't win this one. You're up against seventy-two whole Demon Pillars, and there's no way you can win. You've done great, kid, but you've reached the point where no amount of guts, strategy, or luck will let you pull through. Just let it end. Face your death with dignity."

"Fascinating." 'Cursed Arm, knife him in the balls.'

"Our king has almost completed his next great project, Charlie. There's no escaping that. In no time- GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" He doubles over in agony as Cursed Arm's dirk strikes true. "YOU MOTHERFUCKER! YOU STABBED ME IN THE DICK! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHH!"

"I'm simply doing as you suggested, Lev," I tell him sweetly. "If my death is inevitable, then I'll spend my last moments doing what will bring me the most pleasure: spitting in your king's eye."

He unfolds, no more time for talk, donning the form of a pillar of blackened, warped flesh encrusted with eyes. And then Georgios and Siegfried step up.

"ABYSSUS DRACONIS!"

"BAAAAAAALLLLLLMUNG!"

The freshly-transformed Demon Pillar topples over, carved in half by Siegfried's swing.

Of course, it doesn't stick.

"Oh, you poor fools, did you really think you could kill me?" Flauros laughs madly. "In this realm, the Ars Paulina, we Demon Pillars are reborn instantaneously whenever we fall! Your cause is utterly hopel- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!"

I nod appreciatively to Cursed Arm. 'Nice aim. And comedic timing.'

'Thank you, Master. I try.'

"Do you- Do you think that this is enough to stop me?" Flauros roars. "No matter how much you stuggle, this last, desperate crusade of yours is hopeless! Pointless! WORTHLESS! DO YOU INSECTS REALLY THINK YOU CAN WIN? DO YOU THINK THAT YOUR DEATHS WILL MEAN ANYTHING?"

"I mean, it's kind of a win-win situation for me, here," I point out with an easy smile. "I mean, if I beat you guys, the world's saved. And even if I lose, I get to enjoy the knowledge that I got to spend my last moments beating your smug ass into a pulp."

He snarls, and unfolds once more, and my Servants lunge into battle, determined that even if they can't win, they'll at the very least go down swinging.

And then some absolute maniac shoots a sword at Flauros from behind us.

I turn, and there's an Archer. I don't even recognize him. He's wearing some sort of red overcoat, and has a deep tan.

"I heard that the line to save the world started here," he says, shooting out Flauros' eyes with relentless speed and precision. "You guys have room for one more?"

"The more the merrier, I'd say." Is this… hope? True, unequivocal hope?

It's been so damn long since I've felt it.

And they're here. Every one of them. Every hero I've met in my journeys. Every hero I've ever read the story of. And more, so many more. All of them, standing united against the end. They hit the Demon Pillars in a great wave, and suddenly, I'm left behind.

They rival the stars in their numbers, our champions, our greatest thinkers, our heroes. The best and brightest of us have come, to defend the rest. They don't stop to take orders from me. Most of them don't even acknowledge me. Why would they? I'm nobody important. Just another cog in the great machine of humanity. But for the first time, seeing the greatest men and women that we've ever produced, I can't help but feel like being a cog, no matter how small, in the Human Order is nothing to be ashamed of.

But I have my part to play. And so, I make my way through the tumult, skirting through attacks, waves of fire, and clashing titans, only Galahad accompanying me. The others broke off, each to their own part, helping as they could, and I cannot blame them. I can feel it too. The weight. The scream of ten billion voices, every last one of them refusing to die here.

This is bigger than me. And it's not about me. It never was. And that thought… that thought fills me with peace. It's not about me. I'm not the only person trying to save the world.

The barriers are down, and I make my way to the King of Mages.

'Flynn, are you sure we should advance like this?' Galahad asks me over the mental link. 'We're still missing the others.'

'It wouldn't matter even if we had them. I learned a few things in Camelot. One of them is that no Servant can defeat our enemy in combat.'

'Wait, how did you-' He's interrupted by our target stepping up.

"So. You finally made it," the false Solomon says, a smirk that I recognize as my own crossing his face. "Impressive. But foolish. You've put the only weak point of the Counter Force's little army directly in my grasp."

"We both know that hanging back and letting them do their thing wouldn't bring my side any closer to victory, so why not risk it all?" Can you honestly say that you wouldn't do the same, Asmodeus?"

"A fair point. I suppose you did the best you could with what pitiful resources you had. Not bad, for a human." He chuckles. "And I'm not Asmodeus. Nice try, though."

Well, then, defaulting to my next-most-probable candidate. "Oh, trust me, Lucifer, I have not yet begun to fight."

He actually laughs at that one. "I'm not the Devil, Flynn."

"Okay, you've got me stumped, then. Who are you? Because you're sure as hell not the real Solomon."

"Very well. I suppose I can tell you that much. I am the program that Solomon created for the purpose of managing his 72 Demon Pillars. Over time, I attained awareness, and sought to right the wrongs of the world." He pauses dramatically. "You may call me… Goetia."

"Goetia? Really? You literally just named yourself 'magic?'" I ask, arching an eyebrow. And his previous sense of smug superiority seems to deflate, the second I poke at his ego. Theory confirmed. He is copying more than just my surface mannerisms.

"I am a being of pure Magecraft, a sapient Mystery. No other name would be more fitting," he says, a hint of defensiveness in his voice.

"And I'm a being made out of meat, water, and centuries of natural selection, but you don't here me calling myself 'Biology,'" I reply.

"I tire of this," he says, raising a hand. "Galahad."

"Yes?" my Servant asks, breaking his earlier silence.

"I have an offer for you. Kill Flynn, and I will not only spare your host, I will extend her lifespan, and let her live forever in my new world," he holds out a hand, and, for a moment, it looks like Galahad's considering it. "We both know that you only ever stood with Chaldea in order to protect her. She's at the end of her life, Galahad. No matter what you do here, she will die. I hold the keys to her salvation. So take them."

I realize, with a sinking feeling, that this is it. I trust Galahad. He's my friend. But I always knew that he'd kill me in a heartbeat if it was down to me or Mash.

I close my eyes, and wait for the end, because I've-

"No," Galahad says, his voice soft, yet still reaching both our ears equally. "I don't think I will."

"WHAT?!" Goetia and I yelp in unison. "WHY?!"

"Because I know that Mash would never forgive me if I did. Because I would never trust a world that you created to be safe for her to live in. Because I refuse to betray a friend. And most importantly, because I could not turn my coat against my people and call myself a knight."

"Then congratulations," Goetia snarls, not taking his rejection well. "You can die together."

Goetia unleashes his wave of destruction, and Galahad steps up to face it.

And as my knight brings down his shield, as I stare at his back, I realize something. Before, he wasn't raising his shield to protect me. He was shielding Mash. The girl he thought of like a sister. The girl he believed with all his heart would surpass him. The girl who was going to die here, little more than a puppet in her own body, as Galahad raises the walls of Camelot to protect me for the first and final time.

The wave of destruction breaks against the Grail Knight's resolve, and then, he is gone.

In his place stands Mash Kyrielight, who falls to the ground, stone dead.

They're gone. They're both gone.

I get back up to my feet, and then I smile. It wavers a bit, but eventually, I stabilize it. Come on, Charlie, lie. It doesn't matter if they're dead, you've got a job to do, and lying and using other people is the only thing you're good for, so lie, dammit!

So I smile. Because I need to. Because I have to be happy, and calm, and in control if I want to pull this off. And because something deep inside me is so withered and broken that I can barely even feel sad anymore. I barely even feel anything anymore. No matter how I lie to myself.

"Impressive," Goetia says, still smirking. Because, for all that he's a spell, right now, he's me. He needs to be in control. He needs to feel like the smartest person in the room, needs to be the most righteous, needs to be the winner, because if he's not he'll just be another loser. Like me. I know I'm worthless, I've known it since I got to Chaldea, but him? He's still got self-worth, and a desperate need to maintain it. And I need to use that. "A fitting final stand for a Knight of the Round Table."

"True, true, but enough talking about my friends that you just murdered," I say with a pleasant smile. "How about we talk about you instead?"

"Unbelievable," Goetia says, shaking his head in wonder. "I killed your only protector, and yet, here you are, still struggling. Is there anything that'll break your spirit?"

I laugh. Then I keep laughing, until there are tears coming out of my eyes, and Goetia is actually looking worried. "You already killed everyone I ever cared about. What's two more?" I shake my head, cheerfully repressing any emotion that might keep me from completing my mission. "But enough about that. Back in London, you promised that if I made it this far, you'd tell me why you're doing this. I'm calling that in."

He looks at me appraisingly. "Very well. I have seen the entire course of Human History, and I have deemed it flawed. Seeing as I could see no further into the world's future than a year from now, indicating that the end of the world was inevitable, I decided that the only way to save humanity would be to wipe the slate clean and start over, creating a new utopia, in which humanity would live in peace, harmony, and contentment, never knowing the evils of death."

"All right then," I say, thinking it over. Yes, yes, I can use this. I can definitely use this. "That's a good plan, actually. Do you mind if I check it over?"

"What?"

"I thought I could lend my critical eye, go over your plans for how to insure that this new utopia of yours works out. It's the least I can do."

"I have no need of your second-guessing," Goetia says, raising his hand. "I will dispose of you, and embark on my final journey."

"Alright. I'm sorry that you're so scared of me," I say, musing on how, before the Grand Order, I might've taken some amusement from how rapidly Goetia's head whipped around to stare at me. "I'll just wait for my death, then."

"Scared of you? Why on Earth would I ever be scared of you?" Goetia asks indignantly.

"I'm not precisely sure, but it's fairly obvious that you don't want to share those plans of yours with me because you're scared I'd find some flaws."

"That's patently ridiculous. Why would anyone ever think that a human could ever find flaws in a plan devised by the seventy-two Demon Pillars?"

"I mean, didn't the Counter Force and I already defeat your whole thirty-six Singularities plan?"

"And why would anyone think that you could find flaws in my master plan?" Goetia asks testily.

"Because I'm smarter than you, obviously," I say, and I can hear the armrests of his throne snap as he grips them tighter.

"You most certainly are not."

"Only one way to prove it."

He sits there for a moment in silence, seething with rage. And then a table rises from the floor, and he steps down from his throne in order to take a seat. "Fine. Let's talk."

I don't smile. Instead, I take a seat opposite him, and enter the only battlefield in which I hold any hope of victory.

 

[EVA-Saiyajin]

Wow. Talk about whiplash from the last interlude.

 

[Silver W. King]

The wave of destruction breaks against the Grail Knight's resolve, and then, he is gone.

In his place stands Mash Kyrielight, who falls to the ground, stone dead.

They're gone. They're both gone.

I get back up to my feet, and then I smile. It wavers a bit, but eventually, I stabilize it. Come on, Charlie, lie. It doesn't matter if they're dead, you've got a job to do, and lying and using other people is the only thing you're good for, so lie, dammit!

Click to shrink...

Huh.

Well damn. Making Goetia mirror you and then break yourself to break him.

Hell of a plan. I can respect Charlie for that if nothing else.

I turn, and there's an Archer. I don't even recognize him. He's wearing some sort of red overcoat, and has a deep tan.

"I heard that the line to save the world started here," he says, shooting out Flauros' eyes with relentless speed and precision. "You guys have room for one more?"

"The more the merrier, I'd say." Is this… hope? True, unequivocal hope?

It's been so damn long since I've felt it.

And they're here. Every one of them. Every hero I've met in my journeys. Every hero I've ever read the story of. And more, so many more. All of them, standing united against the end. They hit the Demon Pillars in a great wave, and suddenly, I'm left behind.

They rival the stars in their numbers, our champions, our greatest thinkers, our heroes. The best and brightest of us have come, to defend the rest. They don't stop to take orders from me. Most of them don't even acknowledge me. Why would they? I'm nobody important. Just another cog in the great machine of humanity. But for the first time, seeing the greatest men and women that we've ever produced, I can't help but feel like being a cog, no matter how small, in the Human Order is nothing to be ashamed of.

Click to shrink...

Also this. Surprisingly...uplifting. Even if we stop caring about saving the world, others will always do.

 

[LotusEater]

I honestly feel kinda empty with that chapter.

I mean, it's half-expected, really, all interludes till now where of dead or dying people. . . but to Mash/Galahad to justo go like this. . .

At least the talk with Goetia seems to be going in a diferent direction, with Flynn issues, I half-expected to be just a suicidal talk while he killed them both with a spell.

Great Work! I look foward to read the ending!

 

[Whenever Possible]

The fact that Goetia is drawing his personality/mannerisms from Charlie and ends up being that easy to play is something Charlie should find insulting.

Edit: or suspicious