«Hmm, is there any power here?» — I remarked dryly, watching the flickering lamps.
Walking with a light step through the ruined corridors, I gloomily observed the monotonous hallways and identical rooms that looked like someone's personal quarters.
Each room was virtually the same as the next, with only minor differences — some had plants, others held strange objects, and in one I even found a damn haystack and a small horse pen.
«Who in their right mind would keep a damn horse in their room?»
Something moved imperceptibly in the shadows, but neither Nomat nor Serdolika noticed it.
The straight corridor led me to a large room. Apparently, this space was used for briefings?
As I stepped a little closer, a hologram suddenly appeared — and…
Seeing who was standing before me, I gasped in astonishment and, mouth agape, started pointing at her while turning to Serdolika.
«No freaking way! That's the damn Mona Lisa! Serdolika, can you believe it? I've seen her in a museum before! Unbelievable!»
She was dressed in an outfit that quite, quite accentuated her figure. She had a mechanized arm and carried a large staff topped with a big blue crystal.
While I stood there stunned, trying to explain to Serdolika who Mona Lisa was, the hologram began to speak.
«The Organization for the Preservation of Human Order, or simply — Chaldea. Chaldea is a research organization dedicated to the study of anomalous phenomena and artifacts. Their goal is to prevent threats associated with unexplained events and maintain balance between the ordinary world and what lies beyond the scope of scientific understanding. They operate in secret, relying on science and ancient knowledge…»
Four hours later.
«I see. So, an ordinary civilian, Ritsuka Fujimaru, happened to see a job posting at the train station, made a call, got hired, and that's how he ended up in the Chaldea Security Organization. I don't know if he's lucky or not. But judging by what he's been through, probably the latter», — I said when Mona Lisa finished speaking.
«And despite all his efforts and losses, he failed to accomplish his mission», — I added dryly, having seen his fate in the last singularity, when he fought that Solomon — or rather, Goetia.
I was about to leave when suddenly the date of humanity's extinction flashed through my mind — 2017. And the first singularity had appeared in 2016.
«The year I woke up in that damn coffin…»
Instantly, raging streams of mana enveloped me. The walls creaked, stones crumbled under the fierce pressure of my magic. The air trembled, as if ready to tear apart. And into this chaos, the hologram's voice cut through once again — clear, бесстрастный, as if cast from ice:
«Given the gravity of our mission, we have prepared a backup option. Desperate. Nearly impossible to execute».
These words struck me like an icy wave. I clenched my will into a fist, suppressing the raging magic — and it retreated like a tamed beast. Slowly, I turned to face the hologram. At that moment, it seemed as if her ghostly gaze pierced right through me, dug into my single eye, and dragged out all my fears and doubts.
«There is a chamber in Sector Four. It holds the 'True Grail' that we managed to preserve. It is attuned to a single wish».
The silence hung between us — heavy, viscous, like fog frozen in the air. I felt time slow down, and within me, fury began to rise — fury over what had been taken from me that day.
Then the hologram spoke the words that made my blood boil:
«The desire to stand before Goetia on the day Ritsuka Fujimaru and Chaldea failed».
«Interesting. You're asking me to do what the last master of humanity couldn't — even with dozens of Heroic Spirits at his side», I said.
«That is correct», the hologram replied, unperturbed.
I tilted my head. Given what I'd just been shown, this was — to put it mildly — going to be difficult. Impossible, even.
Goetia. Above that bastard's head floats a damn orb filled with magic — an orb bigger than the freaking moon. And Goetia can tap into that mana at will. Hell, he even has an ultimate ability — a goddamn area‑of‑effect blast of concentrated magic.
Plus, he regenerates faster than I do — at least twice as fast.
True thing though… in combat, he's mediocre. He's got power, no doubt about it — monstrous power — but he wields it clumsily.
In a fight without magic, I could take him — even unarmed. Hell, the Heroic Spirits could've overwhelmed him too, if he didn't have magic.
If he hadn't nullified the summoning of the Heroic Spirits, they'd have worn him down eventually.
Wait a minute. I can disrupt his control over magic. I won't be able to strip it from him completely, but I can stop him from casting freely. Maybe I can even prevent the Heroic Spirits from being dispelled — and then we can swarm him.
«Magical Berserk» — I can keep hammering him under that magic. If I manage to channel it into my hand and shove it into him, the effect won't vanish right away! Two minutes might not sound like much, but in a fight, it's a hell of a lot!
From my thoughts, I was jolted by the hologram's voice.
«But remember: the True Grail will allow you to enter that temporal point. However, I must warn you — this is not time travel in the conventional sense. You will find yourself at the very heart of a reality rift, where the laws of causality are distorted. You will have only fifteen minutes», it intoned.
I stared at the hologram in disbelief.
«Are you out of your mind? Fifteen minutes? In that time, I'll barely have time to tickle his toes!» I blurted out.
«There is no other way», the hologram replied coldly.
I lowered my head, clenching my fists. My fingers trembled — whether from impotence or from the mana boiling inside me, I couldn't tell.
This… doesn't really mean much to me. Why?
It's simple.
Goetia.
In my first world, I lived an ordinary, peaceful life. I had loving parents. We weren't rolling in riches, but we weren't struggling either — most importantly, our home was always filled with warmth.
My parents supported me in everything. Any hobby, any endeavour — they were there for me. Of course, when my desires grew too ambitious and pride swelled within me, they gently brought me back down to earth. They didn't scold — they explained. Calmly, patiently, without shouting. They showed me where I'd gone wrong, why my actions might harm others.
At first, I was angry. I pulled away. I thought they just didn't understand me. But by the time I turned eighteen, I realized they were right. And then I grew close to my family once more.
Why am I telling you all this?
Goetia took it all away from me.
I can't be 100 % sure that this «Chaldea» is from my world. But there's a chance. Even if that chance is just 1 %, I can't let the people I care about stay dead.
All I have left are memories.
Sometimes I catch myself thinking I can't clearly recall the features of my parents' or friends' faces. Everything feels like it's shrouded in fog. But there are things etched permanently into my memory: their words. Their thoughts on right and wrong, on the importance of staying human even in the darkest of times.
These phrases echo in my mind like a mantra:
«Strength isn't about breaking things. Strength is about protecting».
«Even in the deepest darkness, you can find light — if not outside, then within yourself».
«You are not alone. There's always someone who believes in you».
I raised my gaze to the hologram.
«Fifteen minutes, you say?» I whispered.«Then in those fifteen minutes, I'll make sure he regrets ever coming into my existence».