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How I Saved History (Fate/Grand Order SI)

Reader mode
Interlude: The Lion King
  • Threadmarks
    • The Selection Process continues to deny me. It continues to maintain that the previous batch were all Lawful Good. But that can't be right, because they rose up in rebellion against me. If they were truly righteous, they would have known that my commands and actions are entirely just. I have seen the coming threat, and I have taken what measures I could to preserve humanity. I am right, as I always am, and if they cannot see that, the fault lies in them.

    One of the new Selection Knights, the ones I made without Agravaine's help, bursts in, interrupting my reflections.

    "My KING! The HOLY CITY is under attack by the ARMY OF CHALDEA!" it says.

    Hm. "Didn't I administer punishment upon them with my Holy Lance?" I think I remember doing that.

    "HOLY PUNISHMENT has been administered on the ARMY OF CHALDEA."

    Wait... "How many times have I done so?" I think that I remember punishing the fools more than once, but I can't be sure.

    "HOLY PUNISHMENT has been administered on the ARMY OF CHALDEA." the Selection Knight repeats.

    Right, I didn't account for the possibility of someone surviving multiple Holy Lance strikes when I was programming this batch. Something to fix in the next batch, I suppose.

    "Gawain will deal with them." I can't waste time dealing with petty trifles. I need to fix the Holy Selection. The Holy City is almost entirely empty as is, and my entire timetable has been thrown off-balance.

    "GAWAIN-" it seems to freeze, before devolving into an endless loop. "GAWAIN GAWAIN GAWAIN GAWAIN GAWAIN GA-"

    I vaporize it. Yet another thing to fix in the next batch, I suppose.

    Alright. How do we further purify the purest of the pure?

    I'm still contemplating that question when the entirety of my palace is suddenly smashed in by my nephew's blade.

    Establishing Holy Rotation.

    The rubble doesn't touch me. Not a single speck of dust mars my appearance as I emerge from the rubble, Rhongomyniad in hand

    Sir Gawain has betrayed me. I cannot comprehend how he failed to understand my righteousness, but no matter. His Gift will destroy him for his treachery.

    The army arrayed against me is massive indeed. It would seem that Chaldea's Master has done well for himself in gathering together his forces.

    Then something catches my eye and stops me dead in my tracks.

    At the head of the army stands Sir Gawain. And besides him are Lancelot and Galahad. I feel a sudden pain in my chest, and I immediately check to see if I've been shot. My search proves inconclusive, leaving me no closer to finding the pain's source.

    Very well. I'm no stranger to fighting through the pain. Now to address the traitors, and then dispose of them. I can summon a new batch of my knights to aid me in my work afterwards. I raise my lance, and-

    "LADY MORGAN OF THE HOUSE OF PENDRAGON, ALSO KNOWN AS THE LION KING!" Chaldea's Master bellows from behind Galahad. "Your crimes have been exposed, and your reign of terror is at an end. Surrender, and you will be granted a swift and painless death."

    They-

    For the first time in centuries, I'm at a loss for words. They think I'm Morgan. I- I don't know how to respond to that.

    The pain in my chest grows stronger and more insistent as I see Gawain and Lancelot glare at me, and I have no idea why.

    They're wrong. They're all wrong, and not worthy to call themselves my knights, and I- I need to punish them. I need to make them go away.

    Maybe then the pain will stop.

    "RHONGOMYNIAD!"

    "LORD CAMELOT!"

    My light of judgement breaks against the walls of my own city, and I call up my Dun Stallion. If they will stand against me, then they must be crushed. I'll-

    My horse collapses beneath me as two arrows pierce through both of his eyesockets with deadly accuracy, killing him instantly, and sending me to the ground.

    I don't have time to find the Archer, however, because be the time I've gotten back to my feet, Lancelot is upon me, attacking me with reckless abandon. Gawain waits in the wings, ready to take his place the very moment he falls.

    And neither of them is dying. My Gifts aren't working, and now I'm stuck in close combat against the greatest swordsman of the Round Table, on foot, while I'm only armed with a cavalry lance.

    This could be an issue.

    Very well, my lance begins to spin and-

    "ARONDIGHT OVERLOAD!" Lance roars, and suddenly, I can't feel my arm anymore.

    I- I'm unarmed. I can't fight one-handed, and Lance knows that. We sparred together often enough that he knows my weaknesses. (Why does remembering that just make the pain in my chest worse?)

    "Why?" I ask, my voice still calm. I'm... I'm losing. "How-"

    "Because you're not Arturia," Lance growls. "You're not my friend, who I was proud to call my king, and who fought tirelessly for everybody, no matter how righteous she thought they were. And I'm ashamed that it took me so long to realize that." He advances steadily. "This is the end of the line, Morgan. Paracelsus' Philosophers' Stone allowed me to survive your curse, and Andersons' story allowed me to grow to face you properly and win. And now? Now you die, and I lay my friend's body to rest."

    I stagger back. I can't- I- The pain in my chest has grown, and it dwarfs everything now. My eyes- I can't see. They're clouded, for some reason. I can't think, because it hurts. It hurts like Camlann hurt, like the pain I felt only once and never again. Why? Why does it still hurt?

    I barely see it as he sweeps his blade, and, in one smooth motion, decapitates me.

    ---​

    I'm still alive, even after that. They leave me behind, think I'm dead, as the holy city begins to break apart, and the Singularity begins to dissolve.

    I'm still alive, even after the Master of Chaldea and his Servants have vanished.

    The Crusaders put my head on a spike, and burned my body, and I'm still alive.

    I can't move. I can feel myself suffocating without lungs to pump my air, but I still don't die. I still feel Rhongomyniad in the distance, sustaining me.

    Everything hurts. The spike is through my skull, and I still feel the tearing. I feel like I'[m suffocating and being ripped in half at the same time, and I'm still alive.

    And my chest still hurts. Even though it was tossed into a bonfire, my chest still aches, and I don't know why.

    And so I hang there, helpless, eyes lolling helplessly in my own personal Hell. I've failed. I've failed and all my knights have betrayed me, and I don't know why.

    I've failed. And now, I'm alone again.

    "My King."

    I try to look up, but I can't. All the same, I see him.

    I don't recognize him, this strange knight with the silver arm, but he seems familiar. And kind.

    "I'm sorry." He sighs, shaking his head in frustration. "I suppose that doesn't cover it."

    I manage to raise an eye to look at him, straining all my muscles to do so. He doesn't look surprised when I manage to look him in the eye.

    "I figured as much. Rhogomyniad didn't seem inclined towards letting its victim go, after all." He begins uncoupling his arm from his shoulder. "I'm sorry, my king. I'm sorry that I failed to return Excalibur to you before. I'm sorry that I didn't try to correct Flynn when he pulled out that idiotic theory of his. I'm sorry I let them hurt you, all the while ignorant that they were doing so." He starts crying. "I'm a poor excuse for a knight, aren't I? Always failing you." The arm warps in his grasp, as he offers it to me. "Please, my king. I am not worthy of your forgiveness, but I beg that you take back your blade."

    That's... Excalibur. My old friend. I feel my soul embrace it, leaving Rhogomyniad behind, and suddenly, I feel myself begin to fade, even as Bedivere- oh, loyal Bedivere how could I forget you?- begins to do the same before me.

    One of my knights was loyal. One of my knights forgave me for my failures. I think... I think I can.... live with.... that....
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Silver W. King said:
    Can you please stop trying to make me cry for the antagonist? T_T

    Seriously, it's like you want to make Flynn, the bad guy or something?
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    Not precisely. It's just that, well, Flynn is, in a lot of respects, more of an Average Human Being than Ritsuka. And part and parcel with that is the ability to do terrible things for what you think is a righteous cause.
     
    Charles Flynn said:
    correct Flynn when he pulled out that idiotic theory of his
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    You know from a certain point of view Flynn's claiming that Artoria is really Morgan can be seen as somewhat truthful.

    Morgan was basically responsible for the Mordred thing and Mordred rose in rebellion against Artoria, but this version of Artoria managed to kill Mordred without dying.

    However she eventually went all evil.

    The Lion King can in a way be seen as Morgans turning/cursing of Artoria from a benevolent monarch into a evil tyrant.

    Morgan made Artoria like she is, an evil person and total bitch.
     
    One of the things I like about this fic the most is Flynn's hypocrisy. He has stated before that he hates Magus' because of how they act, and then he proceeded to act exactly like how a proper Magus would. The best part is that the average non-magus crew of Chaldea easily recognizes this.

    He's as cold and callous as any Magus, but I don't think he realizes that.
     
    Limbo said:
    One of the things I like about this fic the most is Flynn's hypocrisy. He has stated before that he hates Magus' because of how they act, and then he proceeded to act exactly like how a proper Magus would. The best part is that the average non-magus crew of Chaldea easily recognizes this.

    He's as cold and callous as any Magus, but I don't think he realizes that.
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    I think that he may realize it, but doesn't care all that much since while he is a bastard at least he's being a bastard because he needs to act like that to save the world.

    He needs to be manipulative and interested in his own safety because he's juggling a number of different Servants with varied personalities who may clash with one another and if he gets injured then thy may lose the whole thing.

    Magi tend to act like bastards for their own benefit, while Flynn acts like one for the benefit of an entire species.
     
    Limbo said:
    One of the things I like about this fic the most is Flynn's hypocrisy. He has stated before that he hates Magus' because of how they act, and then he proceeded to act exactly like how a proper Magus would. The best part is that the average non-magus crew of Chaldea easily recognizes this.

    He's as cold and callous as any Magus, but I don't think he realizes that.
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    True. But there's two major difference between him and the magi. The magi are cold, calculating and ruthless as part of their constant pursuit of more power. Flynn, on the other hand, is cold, calculating and ruthless in the defense of humanity. He might enjoy it a little more than is proper, but he acknowledges his actions as wrong, and only acceptable in the extreme circumstances he finds himself in. His dislike of magi isn't because of their methods, it's because of their goals.

    And also because they aren't even particularly good at reaching said goals. It's why they're still heading towards extinction. Their entire social order and hypertraditionalist, feudal mindset both doom the Association to a slow, ignominious death.
     
    What's really funny is how Bedivere calls his theory idiotic. What's more idiotic, that Morgan who survived the Arthurian Legends was responsible for this, or that the great King Arthur became an unfeeling monster? But that's not the funny thing. The funny thing, is that the events that led to the Lion King via Arturia striving to bury herself into being the perfect king? He never noticed that, and took Excalibur to her on her deathbed with no idea of it, or her true gender.

    He's being a hypocrite in trying to prove himself a better person. The very things that they don't see, neither did he.
     
    EVA-Saiyajin said:
    What's really funny is how Bedivere calls his theory idiotic. What's more idiotic, that Morgan who survived the Arthurian Legends was responsible for this, or that the great King Arthur became an unfeeling monster? But that's not the funny thing. The funny thing, is that the events that led to the Lion King via Arturia striving to bury herself into being the perfect king? He never noticed that, and took Excalibur to her on her deathbed with no idea of it, or her true gender.

    He's being a hypocrite in trying to prove himself a better person.
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    A bit, sure. He's also a bit bitter at having had to sit back and watch as Flynn psychologically tortured the Lion King so hard it restored her ability to feel emotions again, all while Flynn had no idea he was doing it. And he didn't intervene for the same reason he didn't initially return Excalibur: He hesitated. He let himself be consumed by doubts, and, for a moment, those doubts held him back from doing what he believed to be right. He was afraid that if he told the truth, they'd lose. And then his king would remain this way for all eternity. So he hesitated. And he hates himself for that.
     
    If and when this story has a bad ending, I simply want to hear this from Flynn:

    With what I had, I did my best. I crushed every speck of decency and every silver of my consciousness to do what I believed was right and I did not fail till this end. If you have even the tenth of guts of what I have, either give me a clean death or send me home.
     
    Charles Flynn said:
    "Hm. I suppose he'll do." She walks past us, maintaining a safe distance. "Now, can we please hit the road? I haven't slept in a week, I've been tortured, and maybe of all, I've had to sit through these idiots' laughable excuse for an interrogation. If one of my recruits was as laughably amateurish as this sorry lot, I'd have killed them on the spot."
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    Serenity is surprisingly hardcore shes not mad they did it, She mad they did it badly.
     
    Hey has Mozart befriended Fergus and the Chul kids?

    I know that a friendship between a brilliant composer and what is essentially a bunch of frat boys is unlikely, but Mozart once wrote a song asking people to lick his ass, so it isn't exactly that difficult to imagine that they'd somehow make the friendship work.
     
    Chapter 139
  • Threadmarks
    • The staff meeting post-Lion King is... less celebratory than we anticipated it being.

    "It's hopeless," Tom mutters, holding his head in his hands. "It's hopeless!"

    "Hey!" I snap. "This is just a setback. We're still saving the world, no matter what it takes."

    "Really?" Sara asks, looking pissed. "Because that's what we thought when we first set out to face the Seven Singularities. But here we are now, seven fucking Singularities later, and the planet is still on FUCKING FIRE!"

    "And we're still here," Roman interjects in a tone that brooks no argument. "In the company of an army of some of the greatest heroes in history, in a mountain fortress staffed by the UN's best and brightest, armed with top-of-the-line equipment from both the UN and the Mage's Association. The Incineration might not be over yet, but neither are we, not by a long shot." He looks at each of us, and we rise to meet his gaze. "So let's stop looking at the task ahead of us, and start focusing on how we're going to do it."

    That shuts them up. Shuts me up too. They hate me, but every last man, woman and child of Chaldea's human staff would follow Roman into the gates of Hell, me included, and we all know it. After all, without him, we probably would have just given up under the weight of the impossible task before us, before we cleared a single Singularity. Well, we had cleared a Singularity by then, Fuyuki, but... wait, maybe that's the problem?

    "Roman, I had a thought."

    "I'm listening."

    "What if we've been looking at this the wrong way?"

    Everyone's looking at me now. "How so?"

    "Well, we've been assuming that Fuyuki was counted among the Seven Singularities Lev mentioned. But what if we got that wrong? Remember, he wished us good luck clearing the Seven Singularities. Fuyuki was already as good as cleared, so maybe he didn't include it in the Seven."

    "So you think we missed a Singularity?" Roman raises an eyebrow. "Well, it's worth a shot."

    A holographic representation of Chaldeas appears, and thirty-two dots appear on the globe.

    "As some of you may already be aware, this is the map of all the Singularities we've detected that we think Solomon made," Roman says, pacing around the map. "The reason we've only resolved eight of them so far is because the other twenty-four were all resolved on their own, either by the Counter Force, or by the inhabitants of the Singularity's time period, in the same way that the one in the time of Augustus was already halfway done when we got there."

    Nods all around.

    "Now, the only weak point in Chaldeas is that it can't scan the Age of Gods." He continues to pace about. "I remember Solomon mentioning seventy-two Demon Gods, and each Singularity we've encountered has had a Demon God in it."

    "Allegedly."

    "Flynn being terrifyingly skilled at killing people before they can pull out their trump card aside, I had a thought: What if Solomon sent out thirty-six Demon Gods to make Singularities?" He turns to face us, a confident grin on his face. "That would mean that the remaining four Singularities are all within our Age of the Gods blind spot, including, presumably, the Seventh."

    Now, people are smiling with him, hope starting to grow in all our hearts.

    We've got a chance. It might be a slim one, but it's better than nothing. And we might still be able to do something.

    "So." All eyes turn to me, with less hostility and more tolerance. We're comrades again, after all. Brothers and sisters in arms, struggling to save the world. "How do we upgrade our equipment so we can reach the Age of the Gods?"

    "We're going to need more Grails," Da VInci interjects. "Our current problem isn't infrastructure, it's simply how much power we have."

    And then the discussion begins in earnest, with everyone chiming in.

    And afterwards, once our new raiding pattern has been decided upon, we go our separate ways, all ready to advance Chaldea's mission.

    We'll be going after the lesser Singularities, as many as we can, in order to secure as many Grails as possible.

    And once that's done, the Age of the Gods awaits.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • ~Meanwhile, back at the sixth singularity~
    Nitocris: My king, the Chaldean's just rayshifted out.
    Ozy: But of course! If they want the grail that I have, the one they need to officially end the singularity, they'll need more reinforcements!
    Nitocris: Ah! Of course! Thank you for educating this lowly pharaoh! They could not have possible forgotten your magnificence....right?
    Ozy: -shrugs, wears grail as a hat-
    Amun-Ra: -cries in corner-
     
    Charles Flynn said:
    "And we're still here," Roman interjects in a tone that brooks no argument. "In the company of an army of some of the greatest heroes in history, in a mountain fortress staffed by the UN's best and brightest, armed with top-of-the-line equipment from both the UN and the Mage's Association. The Incineration might not be over yet, but neither are we, not by a long shot." He looks at each of us, and we rise to meet his gaze. "So let's stop looking at the task ahead of us, and start focusing on how we're going to do it."
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    Nice to see some of the qualities that made him a great ruler.

    Charles Flynn said:
    but every last man, woman and child of Chaldea's human staff would follow Roman into the gates of Hell,
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    Given his life and what he did the chances of his people literary going to Hell with him wouldn't be too surprising.

    I mean this in a positive way due to his association with demons him going into Hell during his life wouldn't be too weird and if his people loved him then some of them may have gone with him to help him with whatever he was doing.

    Charles Flynn said:
    We'll be going after the lesser Singularities, as many as we can, in order to secure as many Grails as possible.

    And once that's done, the Age of the Gods awaits.
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    Now time for a bunch of small, or not so small adventures, before the crew meets The Goddess of Tsunderes.

    Please tell me that Charlie and company are going to encounter Attila and Duryodhana at the same time.

    The sheer hilarity that would ensue would be glorious!
     
    Potates said:
    ~Meanwhile, back at the sixth singularity~
    Nitocris: My king, the Chaldean's just rayshifted out.
    Ozy: But of course! If they want the grail that I have, the one they need to officially end the singularity, they'll need more reinforcements!
    Nitocris: Ah! Of course! Thank you for educating this lowly pharaoh! They could not have possible forgotten your magnificence....right?
    Ozy: -shrugs, wears grail as a hat-
    Amun-Ra: -cries in corner-
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    Holy shit, wait! They still didn't get it? :eek:
     
    Potates said:
    Nothing says they got it. I want to say Flynn (the asshole MC, not the author (I hope)) and everyone else got so caught up in defeating the Lion King they completely forgot. It just goes from beating the Lion King to Chaldea, nothing in between.
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    They did, in fact, forget the Grail.

    Which means that their first stop on the gotta-secure-'em-all train is going to be really embarrassing.
     
    Charles Flynn said:
    They did, in fact, forget the Grail.

    Which means that their first stop on the gotta-secure-'em-all train is going to be really embarrassing.
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    Please, please make Mata Hari be the one to bring it up. After all she did, the sheer rage from Flynn that she of all people reveal his major goof in front of everyone, I need it.
     
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