Judgement_Incarnate Snippets & Ideas

[Desdinova_Incarnate]

Human Order Incineration

​

In 2015, human history was interrupted, the past, present, and future had been incinerated. The "Light of Civilization'' projected by the Simulated Global Environment Model CHALDEAS darkened and the Near Future Observation Lense SHEBA predicted humanity's destruction. Tracing the source of the incident to a distortion in the year 2004 in the city of Fuyuki, Japan, the Chaldea Security Organization develops a proprietary technology capable of traveling through time and begins plans to send 48 Master Candidates along with their partnered Heroic Spirit to solve the singularity: Rayshift.

Due to an attack on Chaldea's headquarters, only one candidate—A hapless UN volunteer—and 20 members of staff remained alive to undertake the operation. And so began the Grand Order, the operation to restore Pan Human History from the brink of incineration.


The First Singularity—Secret War of the God-Kings: Diadochi. In which the scattered remnants of the Conqueror King's legacy fight over the right to carve the future. I learned that the true meaning of immortality lies not in an ageless body but an inherited will that shines across time everlasting.

The Second Singularity—Infernal Theatre Conspiracy: Domus Aurea. Wherein the empire of Rome was engulfed in a twisted stage of comedy and error. The jester mocks the prideful nobility, leading them astray towards extinction. Beside the idealistic girl-emperor, we faced the ghosts of the past and the demons looming over the future. I learned the nature of what we call "history" and confronted the Beast of Depravity's regret.

The Third Singularity—Primordial Ocean Mirage: Bermuda. Wherein the terrors of the seas, which spurred the Age of Discovery, are brought to life in the Devil's Triangle. Greed, ambition, ideals, and wonder fill the legendary Ark. We sailed with the Navigator of Storms and cleared the new oceanic frontier of its obfuscation and phantasm.

The Fourth Singularity—Numeric Grimoire of Prophecy: Renaissance. Seeking out the traces of the hidden enemy, we traveled to the Renaissance era when Europe began its first steps out of the Dark Ages. Lost knowledge springs from the annals of history and geniuses speak of riddles in numbers, piecing together the foundations of the future with hushed whispers. It was here that I came to understand the drive of the human order.

The Fifth Singularity—Phantasmal Nightmare War Engine: Angrboda. Following the traces of the hidden enemy, we traveled to No Man's Land amidst the chaos of the Great War. The horror's of the new technology reveals itself, turning the Rhine Front into a ritual ground that threatens to swallow the world in an eldritch fog. I understood the depth of humanity's capacity for cruelty, and yet a brilliant light of hope shone through.

The Sixth Singularity—Plundered Crown of the Round Table: Logres. An ocean wind blows from the East. Roaring waves march on the distant utopia, meeting the Sword of Victory's challenge. I learned to live without regret and look beyond what has been lost for what was created. This is also when we first met the Great Detective, soon to be an indispensable ally.

The Seventh Singularity—Warstorm of the Ancestral Sea: Mare Nostrum. Cherish the present and hold the future close to your heart. Valiant heroes sing an ode to the myths of old and gods fade into a collapsing mirage. Bronze flakes turn to rust, swallowed by the planet's inner sea. Amidst the darkness, we found the light of civilization's flame and found the beginning within each ending.

The Final Destination—Grand Temple of Time: Solomon. After facing our struggles and restoring the Human Order, the final obstacle lay before us. The flame that threatened to incinerate our future. We faced the Beast left behind by the King of Mages. We confirmed our answer as humans, the value of life and death, hardship and fortune. The juvenile Beast accepted the worth of our battle, and a dear friend of mine faced the enemy's answer head on.

With only a scant few remnants left, the Chaldea Security Organization had successfully averted the destruction of human history and the Human Order Incineration was resolved. However looming over the horizon was an investigation from the Mages Association and the United Nations.

Remnant Orders​

In the midst of the final battle, four Demon God Pillars escaped the Temple of Time, each of them hiding in a Pseudo-Singularity while biding their time and making plans of their own. Chaldea must eradicate these threats that have yet to fully blossom, meanwhile, the clues for the next great battle are cast to light.

The Star-gazers follow the breadcrumbs and challenge the vengeful wrath of the First. They reunite with the Great Detective and trace the end of the Spider's Web, unveiling the King of Crime's deception and his self-inflicted weakness.

Following this victory, the Chaldea Security Organization, with the Detective as their guide, hunt down the remaining Demon Gods to their hiding places and ended the legacy of the Beast of Pity. The next enemy lurks in the shadows of this conflict, taking the last Master to a realm of possibilities on the verge of a cataclysmic dead end. The raven headed demon beckons from a city covered in darkness, seeking to spread his voice to the shadows between the stars. Once all the roadblocks had been overcome, it seemed that nothing but a merry new year's eve awaited the star gazers before facing the Mage Association's scrutiny.

​

Human Order Revision

​

January 2018, the year that human history came to an abrupt end. What should have been a tense but otherwise innocuous audit from the Mage Association and the Holy Church's representatives was in truth an infiltration by enemy forces hidden in plain sight. The pink haired secretary led an army of masked soldiers with her along with the beautiful Grand Duchess. After narrowly escaping the attack on their headquarters on board the armored vehicle Shadow Border, the remnants of Chaldea, consisting of 11 staff in total; use the experimental Zero Sail technology to dive into the Sea of Imaginary Numbers. As the snowy landscape of Antarctica vanishes around them, the last survivors of the human race hear an ominous declaration from the enemy: the Crypters—the seven Master candidates whose lives were cut short during the attack on Chaldea HQ in 2015.

"This is a message for the remnants of Proper Human History," The voice on the other end of the communication device proclaimed, "We will be the ones to inherit the new world."

And so, the Earth had been bleached of its texture and invaded by an Alien God from beyond the stars. Seeds of fantasy sprouted across the land, filling it with inhuman mystic secrets. The seven mages initially tasked by the Chaldea Security Organization with restoring the Human Order have been turned against Pan Human History. The Trees of Emptiness scattered across the land anchor dead-end histories to the Earth. Chaldea's only hope, the Rayshift technology, has been disabled. Thus begins a revolutionary journey through void space to prove our existence once and for all! And yet… secrets and questions pile up.

3 months after their escape, the Chaldeans resurface from the Imaginary Number Sea into the Russian Lostbelt, a post-apocalyptic world in the aftermath of an asteroid impact that put the world in an eternal winter. Society thrives on survival of the fittest and everyone lives for themselves after the last remaining humans used magecraft to fuse with animals. Here, the Chaldeans discover the truth of the Lostbelts that have covered the planet's texture: dead-end timelines that have been "resurrected" by the Alien god and artificially prolonged into the modern day. I was forced to confront the reality of bringing an entire civilization to an end. In truth, they didn't do much to save for living the second chance they had been given.

It felt pointless helping them through their problems and trying to understand them, but somewhere inside of me, I felt it would be… disrespectful? Callous? To thoughtlessly end their world.

'The very least we could do is remember their stories, and put them back to rest with grudges resolved."

Something like that.

The Chaldeans faced each of the Crypters, for this was a battle without good nor evil. This was a battle for survival. From the walled villages of the Norse apocalypse, the blissful world ruled by the transcendant emperor, the ever repeating cycle of the Yugas, the great ark of the Machine Gods, the fantastical isle of the fairies, and the subterranean underworld of the Deinos. Along the way, Chaldea reunited with the late Director Olga-Marie, playing the role of the Alien god. In the end, it would be the Crypter Daybit Sem Void who reveals the true face of the enemy, Marisbury Animusphere and the Sphere of Human Order Assurance, CHALDEAS. Or so it would normally be. This is where the cracks become visible. The accumulating divergences create a butterfly effect, stirring a "storm" that is soon to collide with the Star Gazers.

The battle has ended, but the Earth remains bleached. The Alien God sacrificed her Saint Graph in the battle against the Ultimate One, leaving a damaged human soul without a vessel. The opposing Apostles, with their mastermind long since vanished and their leader gone, chose to settle things on their own terms and disappeared in a blaze of glory placing their faith in some future successor. Rejecting the purpose designed by the mastermind, we will face the future head on. It was here that Novum Chaldea was truly born, with its purpose clear. The same yet different, in all the ways that mattered.

All that remains now is to piece together the clues left in Traum with the facts revealed by Daybit Sem Void to determine the solution. And yet, the end goal still remains muddled in mystery. The whydunnit is half answered and riddled with holes.​

---

An FGO story I've been cooking up in my head for a while. A hypothetical part 2.5 and part 3 AU set after Lostbelt 7, replacing Ordeal Call. The basis of it is that Marisburry's death causes his plans to end anti-climactically after the Lostbelts end, and instead of facing the Ordeal Calls, Chaldea just fixes the whole bleaching thing. But the Lord of Astromancy is not one to die without leaving behind a backup plan. Part 2.5 would explore simulated worlds that contain "clues" left behind by Marisbury for a successor ot inherit his schemes. This would then lead directly into part 3 where said successor's scheme would go off. To truly exemplify the AU-ness of this story, I took a page from Fate/Grand Order: Alternative and did a breif recap of part 1 and 2, with completely different singularities (At least in Part 1). As always, feedback is apprectiated.

 

[Desdinova_Incarnate]

Epilogue / Lostbelt​

Section 1: Final Cosmos Denial​

A lifeless wind howls, sweeping across the barren landscape. In its wake, thrusters shooting out bright blue flames push an armored airship across the sky: the Storm Border, Novum Chaldea's mobile headquarters.

Ritsuka Fujimaru stirred from his sleep and sat down on his bed, firmly planting his feet on the ground as he took in his surroundings. It had been a while since he had been in the air and the feeling took some time to readjust to, especially so soon after the Border had crash landed in Mictlan. He was glad things were finally settling down for a bit as the Border set course for Antarctica.

The desperate confrontation with the ORT had been the most harrowing moment in his life so far. That thing really did earn the title of Ultimate One. It truly felt like no matter what they did, the crystal spider just wouldn't die. It always had one more transformation, like the final boss of some RPG. It was more intense and hopeless than the fight against Cernnunos or even Tiamat. They really made it out by the skin of their teeth. If it weren't for the Alie— the Director's sacrifice to power the Holy Sword Proof and Kukulkan's finishing attack, Chaldea would have been completely overwhelmed by the Ultimate One which had hijacked the Throne of Heroes.

'The director… that's right, this had been sort of a second chance at life for her,' Ritsuka pondered to himself, 'Well this one was kind of better than the last one, I guess. She went out on her own terms too, with our praise and gratitude. So it wasn't like last time at all.'

He wondered if she was content. The Priest had allowed them to keep the fragments of her Saint Graph as a parting gift and assured Chaldea that it was still in a somewhat salvageable state. The process is incredibly delicate, but Chaldea's arctic base would likely have the necessary equipment. Ritsuka couldn't help but notice the hints in the Priest's words. Chaldea's original headquarters had likely been the Apostles' base after the raid. That fact alone meant that things there were likely already prepared for their side of the plan. Did Dabybit discover all this too? Just how deep did Marisbury's plans go and what other—

"Attention all available staff! This is your captain speaking! We will be holding a meeting to confirm our next course of action, please gather in the cockpit."

The voice of the ship captain, Nemo, rang on the intercoms. Ritsuka got up and did some light stretching before making his way to the door. He would put those thoughts away for later then.

As the eleven remaining staff of Chaldea gathered in the control room, Da Vinci approaches the map projection at the center of the room and eyes it up and down with a calculating expression. Facing her in a semi-circle were Ritsuka Fujimaru, his Shielder Class Servant Mash Kyrielight, the current Director Gordolf Musik, and the former Crypter Kadoc Zemlupus. The helmsman, Meunière, stood at the very front of the room. The rest of the operators and Da Vinci's assistant engineer sat in any available chairs.

"Right… everything fits together," She mutters silently to herself.

"That it does. With all the puzzle pieces gathered, I think we can finally piece together a solution for our bleached Earth problem."

The last person to walk in was the purple haired alchemist, Sion Eltnam Atlasia. She adjusted her glasses and fixed everyone in the room with a confident smirk. Gordolf jumped back in surprise while Kadoc's face took on a serious expression.

"So soon after we've cleared the Earth of the final Lostbelt?" Gordolf asks.

Sion nods and brings out a small tablet.

"Mhm! I've finished analyzing the data recorded on the operating room and Subject: E," She declares, "Without a doubt, the facility which you found yourselves in was a place that existed in Proper Human History, the American military base known as Area 51."

"W-Wait, that Area 51!? The one where the US government hides alien technology?" Fujimaru asked while trying to hide the excited glint in his eyes.

"It's such an odd fit for that Singularity though," Kadoc chimes in, "Also, it should have been impossible for it to have survived the bleaching. "

"But… is it really that unbelievable?" Gordolf asks cautiously, "Tunguska was right as rain, wasn't it? Exceptions can exist."

"Mmm, but that was part of the Reality Marble created by Beast IV," Muenière points out, "U-Unless…"

Sion nods and points to the window at the front of the control room.

"Unless Area 51 was in a similar situation," Sion smirks, "Not necessarily a Reality Marble, but some sort of projection."

"I'm going to take a wild guess here," Da Vinci says, "If Area 51 could not have come from Pan Human History due to the bleaching, it must have come from a planet that is nearly identical to that of Pan Human History: the Simulated Global Environment Model CHALDEA!"

"Correct!" Sion snaps her fingers, "I'm not surprised you came to that conclusion, Ms.Genius. But so soon? Doesn't it sound a little impossible?"

Surprisingly, it was Mash whose face lit up at Sion's assertion.

"The Holmes Fallacy! When all logical explanations have been refuted, then the only answer left is usually the right one no matter how absurd" She says excitedly, "I think if he were here, he would say that! Right, senpai?"

Ritsuka scratched his chin as if trying to remember the great detective, though his expression looked somewhat pained.

"Yeah, I think that sounds like him," He says with a distant but amused look on his face.

"Well I do have evidence, it's not absurd at all!" Da Vinci pouts, "Substitution Magecraft! A type of magecraft that swaps the locations of two nearly identical targets. Like if we were to take Gordolf and clone him. Because they have nearly identical makeup and information, one can be substituted for the other, sometimes without either one noticing."

"That's all quite reasonable given the resources Marisburry had on hand to power Chaldea's major equipment," Gordolf nods, "But can we not use such examples next time? It's giving me an existential crisis! I won't be able to sleep at night."

"All jokes aside, if that's the case, then I guess the cosmic corridor we passed through was to transport us into the world that was once inside CHALDEAS," Mash asked.

Sion nodded to confirm but Ritsuka raised a hand hesitantly.

"But… isn't the Earth simulated by CHALDEAS 100 years in the future?" He says, "The technology inside the operating room looked fairly contemporary."

"That could easily be answered by assuming the equipment wasn't kept to date," Sion shrugs, "The same happened to Area 51 in Pan Human History in the early 2000s so it isn't entirely unbelievable."

"So with all this in mind… that means we have our solution to fixing the bleached Earth, right?" Da Vinci says eagerly, "If the surface of CHALDEAS was bleached and switched with Earth's surface, that means our history is still safe within CHALDEAS right now and the situation can be reversed."

Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief, taking in the information they'd just been presented.

"The only question left is… why?" Ritsuka said, filling in the silence.

"Ah, that's right," Mash said, "Goetia wanted to recreate the world in his image, and Daybit was willing to go so far as to destroy the Earth to stop Marisbury's plan. But there's nothing to say about the mastermind himself, is there?"

The staff who had been with Chaldea the longest all stopped to think, trying to remember anything about Marisbury that might have hinted at something like this.

"Nothing I can think of on the top of my mind," Da Vinci said, shaking her head, "I suppose, with the threat practically averted, we can leave that for when we reach Antarctica. Speaking of which…"

She looks over at Captain Nemo who has been monitoring the computers at the front of the control room for some time.

"Oh? Yes, we'll be arriving in Antarctica soon and TRISMEGISTUS II predicts no immediate danger for the rest of the day," He says, "Brace yourselves. We'll be landing in a few short hours."

With this, the meeting was adjourned and everyone went about slowly preparing to disembark while going about their morning routine. Soon enough, the Antarctic Headquarters was visible as the Storm Border began its descent. Ritsuka looked out the window in awe from the Bridge while holding on tightly to the Spirit Origin briefcase. Mash stood next to him, holding an excited Fou in place.

"Hey, do you wonder how this place is still standing?" He mused.

"Hm? Maybe we'll have to pass through another cosmic corridor? Or maybe a vast cosmic sea!" Mash said ominously, "...Ah I was kidding, senpai. I don't actually know, but maybe because it's the center of whatever Marisbury was planning? Or its proximity to CHALDEAS?"​

---

The second chapter of this FGO part 2.5 AU. Looking over what I've managed to write so far on my google docs, I've got about 4 chapters including this one. I remember having a bit of trouble getting down the feel of Ritsuka for a while. His dialogue can be pretty generic in game, and I hadn't read Turas Realta or Mortalis Stella yet at the time. I've had that on the shelf for a while actually, come to think of it. Some of the dialogue here is iirc like word for word the Ordeal Call prologue. Of course, instead of bumping into the Human Order's firewall, Chaldea instead makes it back to Antarctica, now with more questions than answers.

 

[Desdinova_Incarnate]

Epilogue / Lostbelt​

Section 3: The Old Man of the Jewels​

'Why couldn't the Association send this guy over the first time?' Ritsuka thought.

The grandfatherly old man toured the premises with the air of an alumni visiting his alma mater. Ritsuka knew that Goredolf was a good leader. It just took a few life or death scenarios to see underneath all the aristocratic posturing and warm up to him. This new guy on the other hand, seemed to radiate in equal parts a down-to-earth approachability and professional sternness. Yes, it was like an elderly veteran, demanding respect and teasing you humorously in the same breath.

"So~ what brings you here, Lord Kischur," Goredolf awkwardly tried to placate someone who was beginning to look like a bigger and bigger deal, "I can assure you, whatever sort of anomaly was behind our… disappearance? We have resolved it! As the replacement director, I can vouch for the excellent service of everyone here. We even have the records to—,"

The old man merely raised his hands, motioning for silence with a slow shake of his head.

"Well in that case, there's no need for reassurances!" Zelretch replied with a mischievous sort of glint in his eyes, "You don't have to worry, I won't bite. I make it a point not to involve myself with… the outside unless absolutely necessary. In fact, I'm sticking by my convictions even now. I'll be so uninvolved you can act as if I'm not even present… unless absolutely necessary, of course."

The man who called himself Zelretch seemed more amused and fascinated by the facility than anything. It was the curiosity of someone who already knew what was going on, but just wanted to see everything with their own eyes. Chaldea's technology was impressive, a successful combination of bleeding edge science and magecraft. Seeing the funky magitech that Atlas was capable of through Sion, he figured it was a step in the right direction. Given the little he was able to pick up about the Association, he figured someone this supposedly high up the food chain would be disturbed or dangerously intrigued by their Rayshifting technology. This distant curiosity caught Ritsuka completely off guard.

Eventually, the "tour" ended at the command room, where the staff were still anxiously awaiting for a crisis to blow out. It was as if the Terminator stepped into a bar of the toughest bikers. It wasn't guaranteed that anything would happen, but two explosive forces like this clashing was bound to create tension. The infamous Magician who had achieved the pinnacle of Magecraft, and the Human Order Security Organization surrounded in mystery and all sorts of rumors. Had these people saved Human History like they claimed? Had they really discovered some sort of time travel? Had there really been a gap year that had been forgotten by all but these surviving few? Wasn't there a conspiracy theory book that was released several years ago that told this exact story? Such were the type of things spoken of in regards to the Chaldeans by onlookers from the Magecraft world. This Looking Glass-type story was grounds for a lot of suspicion, and conveniently, just as the organization's backers were about to investigate; they were sidelined again with the Human Order Revision. Those involved knew they were innocent, but the outside saw things from a completely different perspective. This is why this old man, who was widely respected in the Clock Tower, was sent to judge Chaldea's intentions.

"Hmm… so this is it… the Alien World festering on Earth," The old man hummed quietly to himself as he gazed upon the crown jewel of Chaldea.

The luminescent replica of the planet stood regally as the centerpiece of the command room, but for everyone in the room, there was an ominous mood to its presence.

"Wait, the what!?" A sudden cry of surprise came from Kadoc who had been following the team of Enforcers cautiously since the tour began.

"Ah forgive my musings. I wouldn't have spoken of it so directly if it still mattered in the grand scheme of things," Zelretch reassured her, "Actually, it might be better if you still followed the breadcrumbs yourselves. And before you get eager, I have no idea how things will play out from this point on."

"What exactly is going on here?" Da Vinci spoke up.

Her tone betrayed no outright hostility, rather it was the speech of someone who was subtly trying to confirm the solution to a puzzle. The answer was likely already forming in her perceptive mind, but immediately jumping to the assumption would be embarrasing.

"I don't make it a point to get so closely involved in big incidents, you see. Usually a few words of advice to the Twelve Lords or a nudge in the right direction here would suffice," He casually explained, "However, given my area of expertise and the situation at hand, I couldn't help it. Ah, good job by the way. Give it a few more centuries and some restructuring, I'm sure you'll have lifted quite the burden off of the Counter Force."

Everyone blinked at the off handed comment.

"Hm? Oh… disregard that statement," The old man coughed.

He began inspecting the giant Mystic Code from different angles, muttering some aria or other as he examined the object with a loupe. Once he was satisfied, Zelretch stood before the silent audience as if he just remembered he had one.

"Now, there won't be such a future in store for you if you fail this negotiation,"He stated rather bluntly, "So let's get to it. Show me what you've learned these past years."

And so, for the next several hours, Chaldea went into heated negotiations with one of the Clock Tower's most headstrong and principled alumni; a man who imposed his ethics on the younger generation while sitting back setting off dominoes from the safest possible distance. Of course, for a man whose very presence confirmed the "central" timeline, such caution was in good conscience. And so, while the Enforcer team brought forth the concerns and requests of the Clock Tower Nobles—both reasonable suspicions and the clear grabs for power—Chaldea responded with mission reports, among them the Remnant Orders which followed the deployment conditions set forth by the sponsor, and personnel files; putting on their strongest front without appearing like a direct threat gunning for some sort of political foothold. "Novum Chaldea's mission statement was the protection of humanity from large scale paranormal threats and cataclysms" was the bottom line. All of this was done while Zelretch observed from the sidelines. One other suited individual stood out, exchanging hushed whispers with the aged magician. A young man with wild brown hair and a small goatee. Was this person another enforcer? Certainly, they felt more at ease around the Wizard Marshall than any of the others, who exerted an air of nervous professionalism.

Zelretch and the young man were exchanging… heated? Words while pointing at the CHALDEAS globe and making grand gestures. It didn't look like their conversation was going to devolve into violence, but the old man seemed to be goading the younger one into joining the negotiations. Kadoc was the first to notice, but couldn't muster enough willpower to break the tension. Ritsuka picked up on this but was making a point not to stand out, and so he gently informed Da Vinci—Chaldea's representative in the negotiation—who chose a pause in conversation to speak up.

"Excuse me, young man, do you have some concern to add?" She said politely, "I would hate for this to end with some unspoken mistrust."

The young man huffed and adjusted his tie before pointing his finger in accusation.

"Your mission record and diligence is impressive and all, but isn't there something you forgot to address?" He glared, "There's a topic that's been quietly avoided! That of course being the nature of the two major incidents."

Everyone raised their brow in confusion. What was going on? It was like the twist in a detective novel where a surprise culprit is revealed during what looks like a dead end. The young man raised two fingers suddenly.

"This emergency called the Human Order Incineration was brought to your attention when CHALDEAS failed to see a future beyond 2015, and when you traced the source, you found Singularity F," The man all but spat, "Which was the burning remains of Fuyuki City. This is the same city where the Holy Grail War took place. And pray tell, just what were the causes of the subsequent singularities?"

It took a moment for the young man's words to register with everyone. There was an accusing tone to his voice, an underlying statement he was building up towards. The Chaldeans were already aware, but the thought was still left as an unspoken anxiety. That it was being addressed right here, so directly, so soon after the reveal was a matter of discomfort.
"The so-called singularities, divergences in human history brought about by miracles granted by the Holy Grail upon an individual of that era. The emergence of a Holy Grail would be a one-time occurrence were it not for the King of Mages you speak of," The young man continued, "That would be the 2004 Holy Grail War, and the victor who made a wish on that grail… was Marisbury Animusphere."

The young man turns to the enforcers.

"The mysterious disappearance of this facility, the unexplained distortions in spacetime that led us here in the first place," The suited young man began once more, "Those things are all centered around Chaldea. Let's forget whether these incidents were fabricated to cover abuses of Time Travel technology. I say these incidents DID happen. But I find their very occurence suspicious!"

This young man who had yet to reveal even his name seemed like the center of the room now. The enforcers were waiting with baited breath to see what he would do, what his final conclusion would be. Could they use his words as a follow up to push an advantage against Chaldea? The young man turned sharply to face the Wizard Marshall.

"Old man! If you're here in the first place, doesn't that speak volumes of how unusual this situation is?" He says, "How often does this sort of thing happen?"

Zelretch remained silent, pointing a chiding expression at the young man as if to stop him from pushing further. It was clear the old man was truly adamant against intruding his presence into the current events. He didn't want to leave, he had to see what was going on. But didn't wish to stretch things further. The young man's face strained for a moment as if weighing his options before sighing.

"We are both aware that the Simulated Global Environment Model is related to this whole incident. You were quite straight forward with your accounts of the Incineration of history, but it's clear there are some uncomfortable truths involved in what you call the Lost Order," the young man said, "It's clear you don't want Chaldea's recourses in the wrong hands. But what will you do with it going forward?"

The next few seconds felt much longer. Nobody spoke, waiting for an answer. Da Vinci broke the silence with an almost blasé response.

"Well we're going to shut down the CHALDEAS globe, for one. Without a doubt, it's the source of all this chaos," She said without a hint of hesitation, "Afterwards, we restructure. We're as disturbed by Marisbury's ambitions and actions as you are. We are aware that Chaldea's history isn't exactly the cleanest, but after undoing two world ending threats, none of us want to stop protecting humanity—albeit we all deserve a good long rest. You could say, we hope for an honest restructuring.``

The young man was speechless. It seemed as if he hadn't expected this answer. Almost as if he was hoping for some veiled threat or subtle PR move. The 12 remaining staff of the Chaldea Security Organization all gave various nods and shrugs in support of the universal genius' words.

"Eh, I'd like to retire. Frankly I've had enough of world ending disasters and reality bending adventures."

"Same here, although I'd like to find some replacements first. I'm proud of what we've accomplished."

"If we have to train some newbies, I'll stick around for a while. Somebody's gotta keep Goredolf in check, heh."

These were the kind of words that were exchanged between staff. With these concerns addressed, the negotiations went back on track. As a priority, investigations into Chaldea's assets would be conducted with the cooperation of the staff. Specifically, those assets that were closely guarded by the first Director. Anything that could shed a light on his true plans would be the priority. A return to the deep sea ocean rig Seraphix or various observatories and astronomical facilities were planned. Chaldea would be receiving a thoroughly vetted array of new staff and Master Candidates, to fill in those lost during the two attacks on the headquarters. This would take time, as it seemed the massive loss of personnel had scared off everyone. Quite a number of Mage families still suffered the loss of heirs and talent, despite reparations paid during the negotiations before the Human Order Revision. It would take some time and marketing to convince anyone that the risk was worth it. Ritsuka hoped that Goredolf and Da Vinci's combined charisma might help, they each had their own strengths, after all. It took a day and half before everyone regained their bearings and started any earnest work. Everything from the restoration of the bleaching to the arrival of the negotiators happened in such quick succession that nobody really had time to process it.

The enforcers stayed—some out of genuine desire to help, and some following orders— while Sion claimed she would be going back and forth between Chaldea and Atlas to check on things, as part of Marisbury's contract with Atlas. Ritsuka liked to think she had been endeared to the organization, but it was always hard for him to tell what was earnest in regards to her. Zelretch and the eccentric young man who had called a bluff on Chaldea's intentions left together, continuing their heated discussion.

"You brought quite a bit of heat near the end, John Titor," Zelretch teased.

"Tch… it's always the same. I still have a hard time recognising it," The young man now revealed to be John Titor scoffed, "I-I don't know if I can trust them. Or rather, I don't want to trust them."

"And yet you must," Zelretch replied gravely, "Or rather, there is no other way it can end. Chaldea will survive one way or another."

John Titor's face twisted in discomfort. It didn't seem like he disagreed, but that he didn't like voicing agreement out loud. It was like accepting a disconcerting reality, so he kept quiet.

Within a few days, Ritsuka and Mash were confronted by Director Goredolf. He was being sent back to Japan. He always knew it would have to be brought up eventually: how he was practically kidnapped into the organization. But given everything he had gone through with these people, that fact was always a blurry future he didn't like to think of. It wasn't that he didn't want to go back home. The mundane everyday life he used to live was a reward he always strove to regain, but part of him who had grown to enjoy meeting all sorts of enigmatic people or fantastical places. He just hoped he wouldn't be locked away from that world forever. That it wouldn't be like waking up from a dream he would be barred from ever remembering. So he was worried when his superiors approached him and broached the topic.

"I thought you would make that kind of face," Goredolf said awkwardly, "You have been with Chaldea longer than I have, after all. You fought and bled to protect humanity with these folks even before the Lost Orders further trimmed the personnel."

"..."

Mash was trying her best to keep a reassuring and encouraging face, but there was a subtle melancholy to her expression. Or rather, Ritsuka was pretty confident she wouldn't be entirely happy about it. She had truly grown as a person since that day he had met her in the headquarter's hallway. She got along great with the staff. But everything the two of them had gone through had really given a different sense of closeness. He mentally slapped himself back into focus on the situation at hand. The looming return to mundane life has been shifting his mindset since the conversation with EMIYA.

"Worry not, you aren't being let go permanently," Goredolf said, "Hah! Once you step in—short of a secret assassination or memory erasure—you're stuck in the world of Magecraft forever. And nobody here wants you out of it. 100% rayshifting compatibility and Master candidate aptitude, and an affable personality. Heheh. Ah that is to say, you're getting compensated vacation. It's long overdue."

"Geez, I-I don't know w-what to say boss," Ritsuka said, doing his best to appear dignified but he couldn't hide his embarrassing relief.

"I know I should be yelling for retirement or something, but after everything I've been through, It's scary to say that I might have some restless wanderlust in me," Ritsuka said slowly.

Mash's conflicted expression only shifted. They now shared the same mix of hope and embarrassment. Was it right to yearn for more adventure? Was that an insult to all the tragedy involved? After everything, they all deserved a long break. He couldn't say whether he would miss Chaldea if he went back to a normal life, whether or not he should. Could he have his cake and eat it too?

"Ah… our sincere apologies, lad!" Goredolf replied while awkwardly scratching his head.

"One thing before I leave, though," Ritsuka said.

He fidgeted with his uniform before shaking off his nervousness. This wasn't the time to act like a kid asking to be spoiled after getting good grades. He had more than earned some personal requests. Besides, this wasn't entirely his decision to make either. He just had to bring up the possibility.

"I can… may I… bring Mash along too?" He asked, "I had promised I would show her the outside world, before shit hit the fan. The world beyond the Antarctic base I mean. I kinda owe it to her, you know?"

There was a slight red tint to his cheeks. He was supposed to approach this from a professional angle right. Or broach it as a matter of integrity. Goredolf's eyebrows rose in surprise and then he chuckled and patted Ritsuka on the back amicably. Mash's conflicted face changed to one of clear surprise. And then she wasn't able to hold her excitement any longer.

"You really mean it, senpai!?" She blurted out suddenly, "You deserve a break from Chaldea, from the world of Magecraft. Maybe even a permanent one, it would be well deserved after all. But I can't exactly… I mean, as a Demi-Servant…"

"Ya ya, of course. Your contract still stands after all," Goredolf said, "A respectable man needs to keep his promises too, after all. Although, I trust you not to let anything confidential slip to your folks, right?"

Ritsuka nods automatically, and Mash cheers. It was hard to pretend to merely accept it solemnly. Such was human nature after all.

"Now go on and enjoy your break, you two. You'll be back to a slew of greenhorns clamoring for your wisdom," Goredolf chuckled, "Kadoc has eagerly volunteered to cover you until you return. There's a manic eagerness to his eyes, you know. It may not be long before he realizes the immense responsibility, heheh. In which case, I'll pitch in with my legendary charisma."

It was Mash who adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat.

"Yes… legendary indeed," She said, "Goodbye for now then, Director Goredolf."

And so, with a relaxing family reunion in wait back home and his adorable "kouhai" by his side, Ritsuka stretched his legs in his helicopter seat and promptly fell asleep.​

---

This section feels a bit contrived, rereading it. A bit like I was just eager to wrap up Chaldea's initial unfinished business with the Mage's Association. I had this wild idea that since the progression of humanity is all about replacing magic with science, Chaldea would almost be like a replacement for the Counter Force with what they were doing, which was why I decided to get Zelretch involved. Plus, he's like, one of the biggest cheeses around who can strong arm a fair negotiation. The mysterious tag-along he brought with him is someone I had vague plans for way later on into the story once part 2.5 was over and it moved into part 3. But I still haven't figured all that out yet.

 

[Desdinova_Incarnate]

Eventually, the helicopter landed in Tokyo International Airport–far removed from the rest of the runway. Ritsuka's feet touched the ground of his homeland for the first time in nearly 3 years; only this time, Mash walked up to join him.

---

This is how you know this story is just a snippet. I wanted to do a family reunion scene with Ritsuka and his parents but was stuck on how to characterize them, and how to pace the whole thing. The google doc just has a comment here that says "Insert Family Reunion SoL Fluff" as a placeholder.​

---

The Antarctic continent was deathly quiet at night. It was a place no nation was permitted to claim as their own territory. It was a place steeped in mystery, a rarely explored land that has been the source of some major conspiracy theories since its discovery. The edge of a flat Earth, an entrance to a lost underground world, secret government facilities, the corpse of an ancient beast, etc.

Unbeknownst to anyone but the highest governing bodies of the world, it was also home to a technologically advanced observatory. A facility that combined the bleeding edge of science with the pinnacle of Magecraft. Here, brave souls once looked into the future of humanity to predict and resolve potential threats to the timeline. This was all in the past. In line with agreements made with the Mage's Association and the United Nations, the Simulated Global Environment Model was shut down and the late Director Marisbury's personal files and research were in the midst of being investigated. Chaldea relayed the accounts of the Crypters and the information they were able to glean about the first Director's ambitions. It was quite clear at this point that Marisbury wished to hold some sort of control over human history, although the method and exact details of the plan was still in question. Restructuring of Chaldea's modus operandi and reexamination of their equipment was being undergone with utmost scrutiny. An expedition to the Deep Sea Oil Rig was still being planned.

And yet, with an organization created from a single miracle granting wish, there were bound to be details that slipped. And this is where our story truly begins. With the CHALDEAS globe's sudden and quiet reactivation. It was not by the actions of any one person, but likely a contingency planted into the system from the very start. As if anticipating its deactivation, the Mystic Code's computation engine had isolated a "fragment" of itself from the rest of the system that would trigger when certain conditions were met. To escape detection, it ran slowly and quietly in the background, patiently completing its protocols as the dim, lightless globe played at being dead.

Performing regular processing check up

(This may take a few minutes)

…

Check up complete. System is operating at 8% processing power.

…

Continue Contingency Protocol E? Y / N?

…

Calculating Rayshifting coordinates.

Locking back-up reactor cores.

Unsummon Program, start.

Spiritron Conversion, start.

Counting down to Rayshift. 3… 2… 1…

Paradox check, confirmed.

All procedures cleared!​

Somewhere across Space and Time, a colorful waking dream paints the surface of the underground library.

Somewhere across Space and Time, a mighty city of stone stands tall against a torrent of rain and lightning.

Somewhere across Space and Time, a towering pillar pierces the veil of the heavens and connects the Earth and Moon.

Somewhere across Space and Time, a pitch black ark floats above a roaring lake of fire and cosmic rays.​

---

Beep… Beep… Beep…

A faint beeping noise repeats across an empty gothic classroom. The evening sun filters through the window filling the room with a warm, orange glow. Footsteps echo across the cold marble floor as the room slowly fills with people. First comes A brawny, wavy-haired man dressed in cow leather who takes a seat at the back of the room, lazily resting his head back on the chair and slamming his legs on the table. Next arrives a girl dressed in a white military uniform. The giant mechanical sword she carries and the coat draped over her shoulder like a cape exude an heroic atmosphere. In strong contrast, she skips up to the front of the room and takes off her admiral cap as she takes a seat, revealing a mop of short green hair. She is followed by a tall, chiseled man dressed in a purple and green uniform, indicative of the Atlas Institute. His black hair was streaked with gray, showing his age and his stitch covered face provided a menacing visage. He takes a seat next to the uniformed girl and straightens his back. The last two arrive together, seemingly in the middle of a heated argument. One is a blonde young man wearing a white vest and an ornate red monocle. The other is a tan skinned man with light pink hair wearing a black, colorfully patterned shirt. The latter takes a seat near the window, while the blonde man places himself behind the teacher's desk.

"It seems we're all present and accounted for. Nobody has had any run-ins with the enforcers. Alas, our brilliance remains a curse yet." The blonde boy declared, "Thus I beseech ye, thou who have vanished from the Earth's surface, the time has come to honor our creed. Roll call time!"

"Treasurer?"

"I'm here!" The wavy-haired man barked.

"Club Scribe?"

"Present and accounted for!" The uniformed girl chirps excitedly.

"Field Researcher?"

"Reporting for duty," The gray haired man said.

"Vice-President?"

"No confirmation needed. Let's get on with it," The pink haired man said.

The blonde young man nods in contentment. He picks up a remote on the desk and clicks the button, lighting up the electronic blackboard behind him. On display was a globe with four red dots, under which was a timeline marked at various points.

"As your duly elected President, I—Lou Rgisgaia—call this meeting of the Elysium Society to order. The subject for today is displayed on the screen behind me," He said, "I'm sure you are all aware of what this entails?"

"Shame his plan was cut so short, especially given the resources involved," the Club Scribe lamented.

"Ah, to hell with your half-assed eulogy," the Treasurer said while playing with his mustache, "That just means we had it right. I'm just glad he decided to pass the torch gracefully."

"The pieces that Marisubury has laid out for us will prove useful," the Vice-President nodded, "But what of Chaldea? How do we approach them?"

"Intel from Ruler suggests that they have already deviated severely from the mission the last time he saw them. The Alien God's elimination only proves this," The Club President states.

"Approach with caution then?" The Field Researcher asked, "What a shame."

"I am explicitly saying this because of our upcoming outing," The Club President explained, "That is to say, we will be exploring Simulations left behind by our late Club Secretary. Any objections?"

The room was silent with anticipation. It seems this was a unanimous decision.

"That one, right over there. I demand permission to investigate the Persia," The Club Scribe waved her hand with determination.

"If everyone is in agreement, the rest of you may choose any of the other locations to investigate," the Club President said, "That being said, I will be accompanying whosoever chooses to visit Colorado. Prior to this meeting, I received confirmation from our collaborator on the agreed rendezvous location."

"WHOA! You mean we'll finally get to see the face of this mysterious friend of yours?" The Treasurer spoke up.

"Yes, hopefully it will prove to be a fruitful exchange," The Club President said, "His technological insights have been a great asset to our project. We may have spent these past few years studying the Human Order Incineration and Marisbury's own machinations, but even with the necessary magical energy, achieving such a large-scale metaphysical restructuring of reality would normally be impossible for us mere humans. And yet, here we stand… on the verge of a new future."

"A toast! To Elysium, to a new Horizon for humanity!" The Treasurer said merrily. Everyone joined in on the cry of encouragement.​

---

And this is where this story idea ends for now. I have a vague outline of a brief timeskip and Ritsuka's return to Chaldea, but that's all. The mysterious guys at the end here are supposed to be the overarching antagonists of part 2.5 and 3. That is to say, Marisbury's successors. I characterized them like some eccentric social club of whack-jobs bent on controlling humanity's future.

 

[Desdinova_Incarnate]

Prologue | The Light that Split the Heavens

New Year's eve is seen as a time of change. One discards the habits of the previous year and takes on commitments for the year to come. Some say that if you break your resolution, you're destined to form a bad habit that will last the entire year. In summary: New Year's eve is a portent that sets the course of destiny.

There was something to be said, then, for the city of Millennia, Nevada; when midnight of December 31st​, 1996 would end with a fire that set the home of a prominent family ablaze. Nobody really knew how it started or who had set it off. The superstitious folks of this bustling desert oasis spread stories of shadowy devils dancing in the light of the fire, wails of the damned, and scratched out pentagrams found in the mansion's ruined basements. For days, people oohed and ahed whenever they walked past the municipal gardens where the wealthy estate used to stand. Some swore they saw monstrous figures stalking the ruins at night, others attributed the fire to a dreaded curse.

And so, that blazing fire on New Year's eve 1996 would forever be remembered as the first in a chain of bad omens. The resolution for the new year was 「Disaster」, spiraling into a crescendo which reached its peak on April 1, 1997. As the brightest comet in history passed its perihelion above the Northern Hemisphere, the citizens of Millennia witnessed an altogether different light. This was no celestial object, but a radiant pillar that split the heavens and shook the earth. It was a cataclysm of equal parts majesty and terror; a mystifying incident which would resonate in the hearts of the city's inhabitants for decades to come.

For some, this single, eventful night would mark the end of a long and sordid tale. For others—those who rose from the ashes of ground zero reborn—this would merely be the beginning.

All of this proves an important piece of context for the tale to come. This was the moment in which the gears of history would come to a grounding halt for Millennia. But a curse, once placed, cannot be stopped until rights are wronged or until everything crumbles to dust. And so, the gears must eventually start spinning again. Now, after 25 long years, the cyclical drama of fortune and misfortune would start again.​

---

And this is an original Yu Gi Oh Story that came to me in the shower. A few flashes and dramatic story scenes here and there and I was like "I have to put this to paper". The idea is a mystery heavy story set in a town in Nevada USA. There's something about a major disaster affecting the town and Link monsters showing up on the Dark Web. I think the whole thing came to me after I watched Fate/Strange Fake.

 

[Desdinova_Incarnate]

Dragon x Devil | part 1

September 7, 2021

Let us, then, set the stage of this tale. On a large scale, it is a fantastical world in which the card game 「Duel Monsters」 has grown to such prominence that it encompasses nearly every aspect of everyday life. From recreation to small scale conflict resolution, this simple card game has permeated society on many levels. Created in the late 1800s by the casino tycoon Pegasus Rosewall Crawford as a derivative of the popular Tarot divination cards, it has since evolved in complexity and popularity and continues to be enjoyed by people of all ages, genders, and from all walks of life. In such a world, the career of professional dueling has become a major, respected sport.

On the smaller scale, the stage is Millennia City; a beautiful resort city located in Nevada, USA. It is the sort of bustling, lively metropolis which attracts wide-eyed vacationers, rowdy youths, and wealthy elites who find Las Vegas too seedy and decadent for their tastes. The clear blue waters of Four-Winds river are perfect for swimming and fishing; the beaches are popular for those wishing to catch the sun's rays; and rustic, storied trails of Dead Man's Mountain are a mecca—second only to the Grand Canyon—for hikers all over the midwest, not to mention the historic sites which litter the city. But those aren't the focus here. This oasis built on the legacy of the gold rush has also been a favorite destination of up-and-coming duelists in the Midwestern United States since the 90s. And it was for this reason that a hotblooded young man wearing a red sports jacket and jeans stepped out of an elevator into a lush indoor park. The hotrod flames that decorated his outfit spoke of a passionate competitive spirit. The winds of a new destiny blew across his messy brown hair. This is one of our protagonists: Scotland Dvino Aria, or "Scott" for short.

His steps were shaky as he took in the scenery. He was in an underground complex, the only sunlight coming from the large gaps in the dome covering the giant crater in which this combination of shopping mall, residential district, and memorial garden was built. This was 「Magellan Gardens」, a major center of Millennia's tourism industry; built in 1998 as the next generation center of commerce. The beautiful park on its third and lowest level was called 「Hesperides Park」, a well known spot in the dueling circles.

Through his Duel Gazer, Scotland saw holographic smoke rush down the street. It seems a duel was already in progress.

"Daedalus, stop, what are you— gwah!" A terrified voice shrieked out.

A young boy, about late elementary school age, wearing a t-shirt and cargo shorts stepped back. Save for a field spell which had covered the surroundings in a watery visual effect, and a single face-up continuous spell, his field was empty. Facing opposite of him stood an older boy, somewhere in his early teens, wearing a red shirt and a leather jacket as a cape. His icy blue hair and the glow of his red tinted glasses from the sun's rays proved a menacing appearance to his opponent. The wide smile and dramatic laughter would seem silly on anyone else, but the fearsome sea-serpent and the red haired vampire with sharp claws flanking him helped to give an altogether different impression.

"From the very start, my prophecy was set in stone," The bespectacled boy declared loudly as the sea-serpent drew back from its previous attack.

"H-how in the…? I w-wiped your entire field clean, dude," The younger boy said in dismay.

"I told you I'm a completely different level of opponent, didn't I? I made it clear from the very beginning the kind of trouble you were getting in," The bespectacled boy sneered, "Curse your own hubris for seeking a blessing from this place. With that deck of yours, locals at El Dorado should have been fine. But you—who probably nabbed some spare coin from your mommy for the bus fare—went out of your way to journey here!"

With this arrogant declaration made, the blue haired, glasses-wearing boy pointed his fingers, commanding his vampire to attack. The monster grabbed its serpentine ally with the long metal claws of its bone-like gauntlet and crushed it in a wave of velvet flame before swiftly lunging at its target who was wide open. A scratch from hands covered in hellfire dealt the attack, reducing the opponent's life points to 0. As the field spell and monsters dissolved, a portrait of the victor flashed in the air with big, fancy lettering.

"Winner: Aleister Salvatore!" The game system announced.

"Earning a win here means guaranteed success in your next tournament, or so the legend goes," The boy called Aleister mused, "Doesn't that mean a loss would signify a guaranteed failure? But hey, maybe you won't meet anyone stronger than me, right?"

The other children spectating the duel looked on in a mix of awe and terror.

"Eek, he lost?"

"What a scary comeback. Aleister won again."

"Dark Lord Salvatore's strikes again!"

"What a meanie!"

Aleister basked in their slack jawed reactions like he was the star of the show. It seemed he was the type who didn't really care whether his reputation was positive or not. He had indeed won, but his unsportsmanly swagger and sadistic constitution in battle projected the air of a bully.

"You don't have to feel bad about your skills though, rest assured. It's the mystical curse I've placed on you which will seal your fate tomorrow," Aleister said.

Apparently, this statement was the straw that broke the camel's back. Kids in Millennia were more superstitious than the average, it seemed, and so the declaration of a curse from a menacing stranger who had just dealt his opponent a crushing defeat sent the little boy running. Scotland was sure he heard a sniffle as the boy sped past him. In that moment, as Aleister walked down the tiled street, their two eyes met. The winds of destiny blew, Scotland could feel it. The black mage and the red dragon crossed paths… and a proverbial spark was ignited.

"The denizens of the netherworld whisper to me! They speak of a red hot flame from the West," said Aleister.

The bespectacled boy likely thought that his dramatic declaration was impressive, as seen by how intensely he pointed at Scotland; who intentionally picked out a jacket that would advertise his own personal aesthetic loud and clear. As of on que, Scotland pulled at the fabric of his jacket and looked up at Aleister with a confused expression.

"Yeah… how can you tell? No seriously?" Scotland asked sarcastically.

"Mfufufu, well you s—"

Aleister looked like he was about to gloat. A confident grin briefly graced his face, but it fell off pretty quickly; turning into a thin, disappointed frown.

"Hey! You're making fun of me, jackass," Aleister whined, "Was that kid your brother? Are you here for revenge? That sure was quick."

"Well, not really. Although, you did make the poor kid cry," Scotland said, "I had a friend back in California who was from here. Before I moved, he said this was THE place in Millennia for a pro duelist to start their journey."

"Oh, so you're a newcomer too? Aha aha ahahahahaha!" Aleister roared enthusiastically, "It really is like a fateful encounter!"

"I guess. Ah, look, I don't really care about your supervillain bit," Scotland said while scratching the back of his head awkwardly, "If you're a bully who can only duel kids, I don't have any time for your crap. But if you're a real duelist…"

Aleister adjusted his glasses and clicked a button on its side—activating its Duel Gazer function— while trying to pour as much malice into his expression. It was so forced, it came off more as cringey than menacing. Scotland had to stop himself from breaking out into a laugh.

"Heh, as if! That poor unfortunate soul challenged me out of his own hubris," Aleister said, "I'll gladly duel you and crush you with the weight of my dark powers."

Aleister raised his duel disk arm in front of him and clenched his fist in a determined manner. The disk—a tablet-shaped device strapped to Aleister's arm at the wrist—released a deep purple, hard light panel. Scotland could only stare in a mix of awe and hilarity at Aleister's dramatically serious pose. He raises his own similarly modeled duel disk up and casually activates it, releasing an orange, holographic panel.

"Now we're seeing eye to eye. Challenge accepted!"

"Wah— no no no, it was your challenge! You're the challenger," Aleister stuttered, "Argh, whatever."

The two faced each other with determination and shouted:

"Let's DUEL!"​

Turn 1

A game of rock-paper-scissors decided the turn order: Aleister was up first. He hissed quietly but took a deep breath as he looked over the five cards he had drawn. He should be able to hold out for a turn without incurring any losses if he played his cards right. He just needed his opponent to build a plentiful lineup of monsters for him to sacrifice.

"I begin by calling forth my hellish servant: 「Retainer of S•I•N, Hell's Draw」!" He declared theatrically.

Aleister placed a monster card down on the duel disk board; an indigo haired girl with large, leathery bat wings rose out of a pentagram on the ground. Her form fitting leotard was lined with bits of metallic armor and her boots were also made of a sleek black metal.

Scotland was left at a loss for words. What kind of deck did this little weirdo play? I-Is that a succubus?

"She is my guide to forbidden knowledge. Her effect allows me to retrieve a Spell or Trap with 「S•I•N」in its name from my deck."

"Pfff, your guide to forbidden knowledge?" Scotland says while stifling his laughter, "Gross dude. You don't have to phrase it that way, y'know?"

"Shut up! You impudent fool," Aleister said, "I'll show you not to disrespect the dark powers."

"I activate 「S•I•N Full Fusion」! I offer a monster in my hand and Hell's Draw on the field to the spiraling abyss."

Aleister raised a green framed card in the air and slid it into the Spell/Trap slot on his device as a vortex of dark clouds began forming in the air. In a swift motion, Aleister scooped the monster on the field and a card in his hand; dropping them into the Graveyard slot on his device as the virtual field on his duel disk screen updated itself. Hell's Draw dispersed as two shadowy red streams flew into the vortex.

"Two souls, steeped in corruption! Become the key that opens the hidden gate. Come forth from the circle of binding…"

As Aleister's chant reached its end, the clouds parted to form a hole in the sky like a solar halo. White feathers began slowly raining in small numbers as a monstrous figure descended from the heavens. Its upper half was skeletal and corpse-like, with a haunting skull framed by long white hair for a head. Meanwhile, the lower half—covered by tattered robes and a ring of spiky bones—resembled that of a dragon; complete with a tail. Two pairs of feathery wings unfolded behind it, one red and one white as the demon let out a cackle.

"I Fusion Summon, 「Wings of S•I•N, Astaroth」!"

Scotland took several steps back and gulped as the Fusion Monster's talons touched the ground. He would never truly get over the unsettling appearance of Fiend and Zombie monsters when using the solid vision. The more cartoony looking monsters were fine, but he swore the boss monsters were designed by entirely separate people; likely pro horror artists with an imaginative eye for detail. The duel gazer's digital crosshair locked on to the hideous monster, revealing its stats.

[DARK|Level 7|Fiend/Fusion/Pendulum/Effect|Scale 1|ATK 2500|DEF 1700]​

"Astaroth's effect lets me set a 「S•I•N」 Spell or Trap directly from my deck when he's Fusion Summoned. Be thankful that the first turn does not allow me to attack," Aleister says.

Aleister set a face-down card in the Spell/Trap slots and swiped tapped something on his duel disk's screen. Then, without a word, a compartment in the side of Aleister's duel disk opened up as he proceeded to look over the monsters in his Graveyard. Satisfied, he added one card to his hand and summoned a card from his hand.

"Then, the effect of 「Servan of S•I•N, Pick-Up」 that I used as Fusion Material allows me to retrieve a 「S•I•N」 card from my Graveyard," Aleister explained, "But that's not all! Hell's Draw lets me Special Summon a 「S•I•N」 monster from my hand."

A gray skinned demon with elf ears and a bunny suit emerges from a magic circle, holding up a tray nervously.

"I call forth 「Servant of S•I•N, Hold 'Em」in defense position, and pass the turn to you."




Turn 2
Seeing the indicator for his move, Scotland draws a card with fiery determination. He gulped and composed himself. He couldn't let Aleister's horrifying Fusion monster distract him. Scotland took two cards from his hand and placed them onto the hard light board in quick succession.

"Alright, from here on, I'll begin destroying everything. I Normal Summon 「Kusarik Almazur」, and since I control an 「Almazur」 monster, I can also Special Summon 「Dabrut Almazur」 from my hand to join him!" Scotland declares.

[Kusarik Almazur|Level 3|FIRE|Dragon/Tuner/Effect| ATK 800/DEF 200]

[Dabrut Almazur|Level 4|FIRE|Dragon/Effect|ATK 400/DEF 200]​

At once, two beings emerge from a pillar of flame. One: a tan skinned young boy with long red hair and dragon horns wearing colorful baggy pants, and the other: a skinny, red dragon covered in sealing bandages wearing a black, stone crown.

"Ah, I see. A corruption of the Arabic word for 「Forbidden」," Aleister said, "So you are also a wielder of dark powers? I applaud you for taming them."

"Uhm… wait what?" Scotland asked, "A-Are you serious?"

"Why not? Are you calling me a joker, buddy?" Aleister said indignantly, "I'm the real deal. A master of the forces of darkness, reincarnated lord of Hy-Brasil!"

This kid was beginning to speak nonsense. Didn't he threaten his previous opponent with curses too? What was the deal with that? Scotland chose to ignore his theatrics which felt more at place at a special Action Duel event and continued playing.

"When he's Special Summoned, I can add an「Almazur」 Spell or Trap from my deck to the hand," Scotland said, "I'll activate that spell right now, 「Almazur Horn」!"

A bolt of lighting from Dabrut's crown struck his deck, causing a card to pop out into Scotland's waiting hand. Scotland then raised the card he had retrieved into the air as it was engulfed in a golden glow and replaced with an ivory horn. Scotland blew the horn as an image of three cards appeared before him.

"This card lets me pick one of three cards from the top of my deck. If it's an 「Almazur」 monster, I can Special Summon it, then I send the other two cards to the Graveyard," he explained, "Come on out,「Mushu Almazur」!"

One of the cards flew onto the field and erupted into flames from which an armored, sword wielding dragon emerged. Just from seeing this action take place, Aleister knew what was going to happen. With a Tuner and a non-tuner on the field, it was all too obvious.

"I activate Kusarik's effect to increase Dabrut's level by 1. And then, I gain 200 Life Points," Scotland said, "With the conditions cleared, I tune level 3 Kusarik with level 4 Dabrut!"

Scotland D. Aria LP: 8000 → 8200​

The two monsters faded into balls of light that flew high into the sky as a bright ring of light surrounded them and Scotland began to chant.

"Deep down, six feet under, raging flames are sealed in a sandstone tomb. Come on out, rampage and cry your heart out until you're satisfied!"

The ring imploded into a surging pillar of light as a loud roar rang out through the park. The light was engulfed in a tornado of fire and burning, red glyphs, only for a pair of sharp, metallic claws to tear it all away. In the fire's place stood a tall, imposing dragon with skin like black metal. It was covered in spikes and lines of molten lava.

"I Synchro Summon, 「Girtablu Almazur」!"

[Level 7|FIRE|Dragon/Synchro/Effect|ATK 2400|DEF 1200]​

The duel between Aleister and Scotland had attracted spectators quickly. The former had recently gained a reputation as a tyrant amongst the local park kids while the latter was an unknown variable who came out of nowhere. The sight of two intimidating monsters staring each other down, both summoned in a single turn, was a spectacle for the youngsters. It was like a scene out of an action movie for them.

---

Oh god, I forgot I had a breif phase where I was obsessed with using those Japanese brackets. Habit carried over from a JoJo fic on AO3. Anyways, this chapter was supposed to introduce the first of three protagonists, a typical hot headed shounen protag named Scotland. The other two protags iirc were an amateur detective girl and a delinquent chasing after some "archenemy" of his. In this scene, Scotland meets a LARPing edgelord and befriends him after a heated duel. I think he's important at some point.

 

[Desdinova_Incarnate]

Dragon x Devil | part 2

"When Girtablu is Synchro Summoned, I can banish an 「Almazur」 Spell in my Graveyard to destroy one of your monsters!" Scotland said with a grin, "The choice is an obvious one though! I target your Fusion Monster, Astaroth."

As the horned dragon Girtablu fired a flaming ball from its mouth, Aleister cackled and swiftly slid a card in his hand into his duel disk's Graveyard slot.

"As if I could make it so easy for you, fool!" Aleister said, "I activate Astaroth's effect by offering a card from my hand. By doing so, I can negate your monster's effect…"

The four winged demon raised a single finger to meet the blast, turning searing red to a radiant purple. The corrupted ball of fire is redirected, and crashes into Girtablu, covering it in a dark aura.

"And in doing so, I can also place a Curse Counter on your monster," Aleister said sinisterly, "Cursed monsters become corrupted by my demonic horde! They are treated as 「S•I•N」 monsters in addition to whatever name they have."

"It's really just about aesthetics when it comes to you, isn't it?" Scotland huffed, "A fancy name change seems kind of silly, doesn't it?"

Aleister only responded with a confident grin. Scotland wasn't about to give up just because Girtablu's effect didn't land, there was still one more volley left after all. He tapped an icon on his duel disk screen.

"It's not over just yet!" He said, "I activate Dabrut's effect from my Grave. When he's used as a Synchro Material, I can target one of your cards and destroy it! Here's the second shot!"

At Scotland's command, a dragon shaped flame rose from the ground and rushed at Aleister's Fusion Monster. In response, Aleister cackled as he swiped at his screen again and thrust his hand forward

"Foolish FOOL! I activate my Trap Card,「S•I•N Full Corruption」. By banishing a 「S•I•N」 card in my Graveyard, I can negate one of your monster effects. Not only that, but I also get to draw a card. Are you quaking in terror yet, at the overpowering might of the abyss?"

The revealed Trap Card released an arc of purple lightning which struck the spectral dragon, causing it to vanish with a screech.

"Grrrr OH YEAH!" Scotland cheered, "That's the spirit. I'd be a real shame if you talked so big and got your field blown to smithereens right away. Now, see how you like this!"

Kusarik's card shimmered into view in front of Scotland, before vanishing like a vortex into yet another fireball.

"If I have an 「Almazur」 Synchro Monster, I can banish Kusarik to destroy one of your monsters," Scotland said, "Do you get it now? All my monsters are raring to let loose their destructive flames. Just because you stopped one, doesn't mean you're safe."

"Hah, so you've defeat but ONE of my demon generals," Aleister said arrogantly, "But you'll need more than that to defeat me!"

"Don't get disappointed just yet," Scotland said with a shake of his head, "If a card was sent to your Graveyard by a card effect, I can Special Summon 「Lahmu Almazur」 from my own Graveyard in Defense position!"

A pillar of fire erupts from the ground, and a quadrupedal dragon leaps out of it. Its body is covered in red armor and a long mane of golden hair. Scotland doesn't look satisfied, a frown marring his face. He taps something on his screen.

"Still not enough. I activate Girtablu's final effect to Special Summon another 「Almazur」 monster from my Graveyard to join Lahmu," Scotland said confidently, "Come on out, Dabrut!"

As if right on que, a pillar of flame erupts from the ground, from which the crown wearing dragon crawls out of. Scotland wipes his hand across the field with a triumphant grin.

"It's battling time! Girtablu, attack Hold Em and wipe his field empty!"

With a mighty roar, the molten dragon leaps at the bunny suit clad demon and tears her to shreds with flaming claws. As if on cue, the trio of dragons roar as they are covered in an aura of golden flames.

[Girtablu Almazur|ATK 2600] [Dabrut Almazur|ATK 600] [Lahmu Almazur|ATK 1800] [Mushu Almazur|ATK 2100]​

"With your field empty, my monsters all gain a 200 ATK point boost!" Scotland explains, "And Mushu specifically gains an extra 500 from its own effect. Go and attack Aleister directly!"

The two remaining attack position Dragons, Dabrut and Mushu, rush at Aleister and strike with claw and sword respectively. The virtual projects "pierce" through his body, signaling a successful hit.

Aleister Salvatore LP: 8000 → 5300​

"So, I heard you recovered pretty easily from a nuked field," Scotland said, "Let's see it then! It's your move."

Scotland slid two cards in his hand into the Spell & Trap slot and pressed an icon on his screen. And with that, it was Aleister's turn once more.

Turn 3

"Heh, I'll show you just how foolish you truly were," Aleister said with a smug grin as he drew a card, "Firstly, I shall banish 「S•I•N Full Corruption」 from my Graveyard to place a Curse Counter on Lahmu."

The golden haired dragon twitched and hissed in pain as it was covered in a hazy purple aura. Aleister then grabbed a card from his hand and swiped it into the Spell & Trap slot, causing a small masked bird to descend from the sky. The bird flies over to Aleister's deck and picks out two cards.

"I activate the Spell 「Pre-preparation of Rites」," Aleister said, "It allows me to retrieve two cards: a Ritual Spell and a Ritual Monster, from my hand. Prepare yourself, for you are about to become a sacrifice for the abyss."

A vortex of clouds once more appeared over the skies as Aleister raises his Ritual Spell up high. This time, the cloud rumbles ominously with lightning.

"I call upon the Ritual Spell 「S•I•N Full Collapse」 and offer 「Servant of S•I•N, Pick-Up」 in my hand and the corrupted Lahmu unto the altar of the abyss!" Aleister calls out.

In that moment, a bolt of lightning strikes both the card in his hand and the dragon Lahmu. Both cards disperse into wisps of light which fly into the cloud. The clouds rumble and darken further as a deep belly of laughter resonates across the battlefield once more.

"Frenzied claws that harvest blood for power, consume these two souls and awaken! Come forth from the circle of binding," Aleister said.

A low rumble comes from the cloud as a large bolt of lightning breaks the ground. In its light, a figure in spiky, imposing, bone-like armor emerged. The monster had horns and a face covered by a helmet, while its right hand sported a large clawed gauntlet.

"I Ritual Summon, 「Talons of S•I•N, Marcochias」 !"

[DARK|Level 8| Fiend/Ritual/Effect|ATK 2800|DEF 2400]​

Scotland looks on in complete shock. Aleister had just used Scotland's own monster as a tribute for the Ritual Summon. But how!? His mind raced for possibilities until he noticed a key detail. The target for the tribute, Lahmu, had a Curse Counter on it. Besides fitting the level requirement, this was currently its main stand-out feature, one it shared with only one other card on the field. Once again triggering the effect of Pick-Up, Aleister recovered a card from his Graveyard and gingerly slipped it into his hand.

"I'll go into battle right away. Marcochias, attack Dabrut!" Aleister said.

The armored demon rushed at the spindly dragon with its gauntlet reared back, prepared to strike. Before Scotland had time to process, Aleister tapped his screen and called out.

"When he attacks, Marcochias' effect activates," Aleister says ruefully, "By sacrificing a 「S•I•N」 monster on either side of the field, it can gain a temporary attack boost equal to the power of the sacrificed monster. Do you know any monsters on your field that have been corrupted?"

Aleister cackles madly like some sort of gremlin as the armored demon beckons with its regular arm. Girtablu erupts into black flames and disperses into energy which flows into Marcochias' gauntlet. Such was the ghastly strategy Aleister's deck employed: using the opponent's monsters which had been infected with Curse Counters as tributes to increase their power.

"And before you get trigger happy with those Trap cards…," Aleister said, "If the monster that Marcochias devoured is level 5 or higher, effects cannot be activated in response to its attack."

"Go, Evil Red Right Hand!"

The demon's gauntlet is covered in black flames as it slices and dices at Dabrut, dispersing the monster and unloading a massive amount of damage onto Scotland. In terms of Life Points, Aleister had just taken the lead. And yet, his monster was outnumbered, and he was put at a disadvantage by Scotland's rapid-fire monster destruction. Unlike his previous opponent, whose strategy provided Aleister some breathing room to build a recovery contingency before wiping the field with a single monster effect, Scotland seemed to have card after card that destroyed only a single monster each, but it forced Aleister to burn through his defense quickly. Had he not set up his Curse Counter trick the turn prior, he would have had little in the way of options to counterattack.

Scotland D. Aria LP: 8200→4700​

"That was for getting rid of my Astaroth and making me waste my disruption," Aleister said, "I'll set a card and end my turn. Over to you, dragon from the West!"

Turn 4

Scotland could feel his blood pumping. He had seen the end of the previous duel, but the obvious difference in age and experience between the two opponents was so clear that it had honestly looked like some third rate chump punching down at rookie elementary school kids. It was only now, after having his life points cut down so quickly that he felt Aleister's real power. The way he took advantage of his opponent's every move to set up his own comeback. Scotland smirked and wiped the sweat off his brow and drew a card.

"The name's Scotland, but you can call me Scott," He said

"Hm? So you finally deign to reveal your identity?" Aleister scoffed, "Your name is Scott? Are you claiming your rule over the great country?"

"W-What the— no! I just figured it would be rude not to introduce myself," Scotland replied, "I feel like I've misjudged you a bit, and I sort of just rushed into this duel without a greeting."

"O-Oh, very well then. Although you likely already heard it…"

Aleister poses dramatically, basking in the tension of the atmosphere. One hand held up in front of him with his palm stretched out, and the other holding onto the wrist. With his macabre monsters and tenacious assault, Aleister cut an imposing presence on the battlefield; but when he posed dramatically like this, it was hard to take him seriously.

"I am the heir to the isle of dark creatures which holds the last gateway to the netherworld. My right arm holds the stigmata of my cursed bloodline, Airgetlam, the stolen divine relic. I am Aleister Salva—"

"Ok, I think I've heard enough. Let's just go back to the duel," Scotland interrupted the dramatic monologue.

Aleister frowned a little but ultimately relented. Scotland tapped his screen and revealed a Trap Card as the ground started to rumble.

"I activate the Trap Card 「Almazur Apocrypha」!" He said, "It's effect allows me to Special Summon an 「Almazur」 monster from my Graveyard but its effect is negated."

A hole opened up in the earth and Lahmu Almazur crawled out of it with a victorious roar. Following this, Scotland slid another card into this Spell & Trap slot, manifesting a glowing dragon statue in the air.

"But that's not the only monster I intend on reviving," Scotland said, "I activate 「Return of the Dragon Lords」; this Spell lets me revive a level 7 or 8 Dragon monster from my Graveyard. I choose to revive Girtablu."

The dragon statue glows and shatters, revealing the form of the molten dragon. Just like that, Scotland's field was practically reset to its previous state, minus the Curse Counters. He liked this back-and-forth with Aleister. It was rare to find an opponent who could match his rhythm back home. Scotland tapped his Duel Gazer in frustration as he stared at the armored demon Marcochias.

'2800 ATK points… and an effect that not only gets rid of troublesome monsters, but raises its power even further,' thought Scotland, 'If I can't get rid of that thing now, and Aleister gets another Curse Counter on Girtablu… I'll be toast. I've got nothing I can use in my hand or field right now so…"

"I activate Lahmu's effect. While I control an 「Almazur」 Synchro Monster, I can destroy one of your monsters but in return, Lahmu can't attack this turn," Scotland said, "And it seems like you don't have any effects to deal with it like you did last time!"

Aleister clicks his tongue as Lahmu fires a blast of fire from its mouth at the armored demon which, lacking any disruption to protect it, was destroyed in an explosion. With his field empty and two high level monsters on the field, Aleister knew he was likely done.

"Next, I activate Girtablu's effect to Special Summon Dabrut from my Graveyard," Scotland said, "And when Dabrut hits the field, he can fetch me an 「Almazur」 Spell from the deck."

Scotland drew a card from his deck and slid it into the Spell & Trap slot. A group of horned dancer girls in fancy silk robes appeared on the field; a bonfire appeared in the middle of the circle they formed as they began to dance around it.

"I activate the Spell 「Sacred Dance of Almazur」 !" Scotland declared, "It lets me add an 「Almazur」 monster from my deck to the hand at the cost of 400 Life Points."

Scotland D. Aria LP: 4700 → 4300​

"Check it out. The card I added is my ace in the hole. If my opponent controls no monsters, he can be Special Summoned by tributing one of my Dragons," Scotland said, "Roar, lord of dragons. Standing at the apex above all predators with dignity!"

Dabrut is engulfed in a tornado of fire as Scotland chants. He rarely got this engrossed in the dramatic atmosphere of a duel. But the rising tension really had him hyped up. He raised this card, which had reliably turned around games all throughout his middle school years, and slammed it onto the monster board.

"I sacrifice Dabrut to Special Summon 「Kingu Almazur」!"

[FIRE|Level 7|Dragon/Effect|ATK 2500/DEF 2000]​

From the fire, a tall, bipedal dragon appeared. It wore red and gold armor and had its wings folded like a cape behind it. The Dragon's head was angular with a blade-like beak and two red horns.

"Now, it's time for battle!" Scotland said, "Kingu attacks you directly, Nammu Duranki!"

[Kingu Almazur|ATK 2500] [Dabrut Almazur|ATK 400][Girtablu Almazur|ATK 2400]​

Kingu rushes at Aleister, its wings unfolding in magnificent fashion as a white hot ball of fire appears in its hands. The dragon throws the fireball at Aleister, making him wince at the virtual explosion. Hearing the ringing of his Life Points dropping, Aleister checked his duel disk screen and grimaced.

Aleister Salvatore LP: 5300 → 2800​

"H-How could this be!? My strongest demon fixer… felled by dragon's breath?" Aleister wailed dramatically.

Scotland only stared in confusion. What was going on? This kid was so bombastically confident up until this point. He figured Aleister would begin running a temper tantrum when his edgy power fantasy was broken. Instead, it seemed that the wannabe thespian was playing up his defeat. Gears ran through Scotland's head as he reconfigured his impression of his opponent.

"You put up a pretty scary counterattack too, y'know?" Scotland said, "Goes to show my dragons can dish out nasty vengeance. A thousand fold, specifically. I'll deal the finishing move with Girtablu! Kingu's effect gives Girtablu a 1000 ATK point boost when he declares an attack while the field is empty."

[Girtablu Almazur|ATK 2400 → 3400]​

The molten dragon was surrounded in a golden aura as it charged up a massive blast of dragon's breath.

"Finishing move, Solar Flare Altinyn!"

And with that command, the blast was released filling the field with a bright orange light. Aleister covered his face dramatically as he was engulfed in a virtual beam of mystical fire.

Aleister Salvatore LP: 2800 → 0​

As the smoke from the blast parted, the crowd of children erupted in cheers. The results of the duel flashed in the air, displaying a portrait of the brown haired duelist with the congratulatory message underneath.

Winner: Scotland Dvino Aria!​

"Whoa, no way! Dark Lord Aleister's reign is over."

"I can't believe he lost!"

"Cheers for Scotland, the Dragon Tamer!"

"His dragons are so cool. Rawr!"

Scotland felt a little awkward under the admiring gazes of the spectators. It's not like he challenged Aleister out of some sense of justice. Then again, he did want to start off his dueling "legend" in Millennia with a bang. Scotland sighed. He scratched the back of his head and walked over to Aleister. The leather clad boy seemed to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder, and Scotland didn't really want to hurt his pride. It seems the timing was perfect; Aleister stopped his dramatic third act breakdown and stood up. His expression was one of dignified resignation, although there was a barely restrained frustration to it as well.

"Well done… fellow newcomer. Although it took some strain on your part, you managed to power through my dark servants," Aleister said, "I suppose your dragons were sealed away for a reason. I've lost today, but mark my word—"

"That was pretty intense, man," Scotland said as he approached, "Do you hang around here often? Do you know a shop with other strong players?"

From the barely disguised look of shock on Aleister's face, it seemed as if this wasn't exactly what he expected. This confirmed it for Scotland. Despite what the boy had said, it seemed as if he made it a point to terrorize his opponents. Being shown this sort of sportsmanship and friendliness after being defeated was likely the last thing he thought he would receive. Of course, Scotland chalked it up to the fact that he enjoyed Aleister's theatrical flair.

"Huh? W-Well… there's a pretty fancy place in this district, Cardshop Atlantis," Aleister said, "From my experience, they've got a good stash of limited edition cards and oldies. It gets plenty of traffic from outside tourists visiting the park and tournament veterans."

With his guard down, Aleister's demeanor seemed more casual and relaxed now. With his impression confirmed, Scotland offered his hand.

"It was fun playing with you, Al. You probably just heard it, but my name's Scotland," He said, "But you can just call me Scott. Way less weird, right? I've got no magic powers or secret bloodlines or anything by the way. My folks just had a weird naming sense. I take it you're from around here?"

Aleister shook Scotland's hand hesitantly. He schooled his expression and made a show of nodding.

"Y-Yes. I've wandered the New World far and wide, and settled here a few weeks ago," Aleister explained, "I've got a room in the Magellan apartment district."

Scotland's eyes widened at this admission. It really was like fate. He didn't fully believe in the urban legend about Hesperides Park, but he could see where it came from. A cardshop and a residential district conveniently nearby? It was as if Magellan Gardens—and by association, the park—was built for such fated encounters.

"Same here. I'd be down for a rematch again sometime, if you wanna have a go," Scotland said, "Oh, and about that rumor: the one about tournament success. Don't think I've heard anything about a curse before. Wasn't it that duelists who meet here and become friends have a bigger chance at making it big in the tournament circuit? You know, because the National Champs met here?"

Aleister looks away with embarrassment. It seems as if he wasn't fully aware of the details to that particular legend, as a relative new arrival to the city. Scotland only knew from a former resident, but he wondered how he managed to convince the kids of the curse. If this was the start of his "legend", Scotland couldn't wait to meet more opponents.

---

This is the last thing I wrote for this story. The end of the Scotland vs Aleister duel. And that's about all the story ideas I've had recently. Obviously, I've been a bit distracted with other more self indulgent projects to rlly think about these two, but I felt like I wanted to put them out there anyways. Lemme me know what y'all think! Signing out.

 

[Desdinova_Incarnate]

So recently, I was bored and decided to scroll through my history of fanfics on the FFN app and found Fate's Gamble in my downloaded fics. I used to reread that fic a lot but that became more and more exhausting as time went on and I got used to reading better stories. My last reread of it back in highschool left me disappointed that such a fun premise as "Harry gets adopted by Nasuverse powerhouses, shenanigans ensue" ended up the way it did. I really wanted to like it. Anyways, all other good fics I've found with a similar path to FG are discontinued so my brain got to working and I decided I would simply provide what I was lacking. So here's a some notes of a Harry Potter x Nasuverse crossover idea I had, with a foundation loosely inspired by the premise of FG.

---

Case Files of the Boy Who Lived​

Goals: OP protag, keep as much of the original found family as I can (Zelretch, Euryale & Stheno, Altrouge), trim down unnecessary edge, trim off FG!Harry's sue-ness & pay-off his arc, no Troll!Zelretch, entirely new plot, no bashing, keep personalities mostly close to canon, setting fusion

Initial Premise

• A supernatural mystery story based on *The Case Files of Lord El-Melloi II*. Severus Snape runs into Sirius Black and Hagrid just as baby Harry is to be taken to the Dursleys. Instead, Snape suggests his old mentor from his time spent at a certain magic academy during his years before the war against Voldemort but after his time at Hogwarts. This takes the trio to the doorsteps of the Wizard Marshall, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, a member of the enigmatic Clock Tower, a hidden college steeped in infamy amongst Wizarding society.​
• Years later, to pay off this dept, Snape becomes a freelance investigator taking requests mainly from Zelretch. Might work parallel to Waver? Rivals? Waver works for the El-Melloi and the Department of Law, Snape works for Zelretch, and the Department of Botany? idk yet.​
• When Snape checks up on Harry years later before the start of Philospher's Stone, the latter somehow ends up as his apprentice, being homeschooled in magic, while following along on adventures in a similar manner to Gray in the LNs. I was loosely inspired by the fic The Best Revenge here. Tho Harry will likely not endear himself quickly like in that story; FG!Harry making a good impression on the jackass Potions Professor and getting passed the latter's bias was interesting for me, but it'll be an arc in this story I think.​
• The main antagonists are the Crimson Moon's worshippers.​
• Harry will be the main protag, unlike in Case Files proper where the investigator/mentor is. Since he was never raised by the Durselys, but instead spent his entire childhood under Zelretch, seeing how this has made him will be a focus. I had some idea that'd he would start out as the kind of character unaware of his strengths. A bit of "crouching moron, hidden badass" where the crouching isn't deliberate but more like naivete from his environment. Kind of like Soujuurou from MahoYo.​
• I'm keeping the super special wand! Olivander told Harry early on in FG that his wand had a proficiency in healing and the dark arts. I wanna explore that​
• Debating how much focus I'll put on Hogwarts school life stuff. Probably not a lot after the first two arcs. Harry would be kind of like a "revolving door student" mainly there following his guardian, and sticking around mainly to form bonds with people his own age.​
• Voldemort is either eventually replaced by or is "competing" with the 23rd Dead Apostle Ancestor: Zuckham Eri Ruthvan (His full name is left hidden in Arcueid's list in Tsukihime, so I improvised and gave him a full last name) for the seat of reoccuring antagonist. Crimson Moon's zealots like Gransurg Blackmore will be something closer to greater scope antagonists who don't show up as often but are the architects of the overarching plot.​

Other Setting Ideas

• Degradation of Mystery is may or may not be less severe in this fused setting. Depends on whether or not I wanna write an arc dealing with Pureblood Wizard prejudices and the whole "muggles are stealing/diluting magic" thing they believe which probably would have a kernel of truth to it in a fused setting. Of course, it's not rlly the direct fault of the muggles or anything related to blood, but yeah. Reading Crosswinds of Fate was what actually got me thinking about this.
• Association Mages ARE differentiated from the HP Wizards tho. The lore behind this would become a big thing at some point I think? Basically, Solomon taught some secret art (probably involving Goetia and Demons) to students who were muggles which would eventually evolve into the Nasu style magecraft with Crests and replication of natural phenomenon. Meanwhile, HP Wizards would be a descended from immortal Nasu!Witches. How that happens involves either a wandering Merlin or Yumina, and interpreting Nasu!Witches as being immortal and powerful but bound by certain restrictions like the Fae are. So some of them devised a way to trade immortality and their restrictions for a more human-like existence. There was an idea I had that the Elder Wand and the other Hollows are Ploy Kickshaws, with wands being mass produced, degraded copies of the original.
• Some really old witches and wizards might still have a few Ploys lying around, handed down from family or self-made due to their vast experience.