Investigate the Bridge

Stop. Before we start exploring the city, Fujimaru, isn't there something you want to say to me?

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...You're not very smart are you? Remember what happened in the Command Room?

Senpai, it's probably about when you dozed off in the Command Room.

It'll come back to you if you focus. That was, you know

We made it in time. Senpai, your number is... A single digit, in the front row.

Please take any available seat in the front row. Right in front of the Director, what a bad luck.

...

Let's cut the chit-chat. It's about to start.

Not quite on time, but it looks like everybody's here.

Welcome to Special Organization, Chaldea. I'm the director, Olga Marie Animusphere.

You have been selected, or discovered from each nation for your rare talents.

By talent, I mean your aptitude for Spiritrons. People with magical circuits capable of becoming Masters.

I'm sure you can't even imagine it, but be sure to keep this in mind.

You are about to be reborn as cutting-edge mages, in an unprecedented fusion of magecraft and science.

That said, although all of you possess special talents, none of you are special.

Understand that you're all inexperienced rookies, standing at the same starting point.

In particular, the mages sent from the Association still seem to be acting like students. Fix that immediately.

Chaldea is my domain. Family heritage and personal achievements have no meaning here.

Always remember that my orders are absolute. My position is completely different from yours.

I won't allow arguments. You're all mere tools to protect humanity, nothing more.

...What's that commotion? Didn't I just tell you that I wouldn't allow any arguments?

You there. The one who came in late. Do you have a problem with what I just said?

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Uh... Am I seeing this right? Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me?

Sleeping while standing... No way, right? Not in a million years...

Hey, I didn't sign up for this! We're experts who were summoned here because of our skills!

We came all this way on your insistence. Absolute obedience? That's ridiculous!

She's right, you're way overstepping!

Lineage is the most important asset for a mage! How can you brush it off?

Quiet! No talking! That's why I say you're still acting like students!

I'm only telling you what's going on right now. If you don't like it, leave Chaldea at once!

Not that there are flights to send you home.

Though if you're ready to trek down a snowy mountain 6,000 meters above sea level, that would be commendable.

Very good! Nobody's dropped out. Seriously, don't make me waste my time on such matters.

I wish you'd realize that's how dire our, no, humanity's situation is now.

Look. He is a good example. No argument, no opinion. Good and obedient.

...Now, then, back to the topic. Are you listening? Today is

Do you remember now, Senpai?

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Remembered... You weren't really listening after all, were you?

Honestly! Sit yourself down! How could you come to a Singularity not knowing the situation or your mission?

I'm going to have to explain it to you again. Listen up! We at Chaldea

Director, leave that for later. Enemies are incoming!

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Hey, come back here! Listen to what I have to say!

...Phew. Good work, Mash Kyrielight. Now I can pick up where I left off.

Resume... You mean there's more, Director?

Why, certainly! Fujimaru! Don't tell me you forgot already!

I'm only half way through! In fact, it's the latter half that's important!

Make yourself remember! Make...your...self...re...mem...ber!

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Now, now, don't be like that. Director's ramblings can be useful, Fujimaru.

Why were you Master candidates summoned to Chaldea? This will explain that.

Listen up. Today of all days, we at Chaldea will achieve something that will be written in history.

The science of learning. The invention of religion. The acquisition of navigation. The focus of communication. The voyage into space.

Our legacy will be on par with the "Pioneers of the Stars." No, it will surpass them.

Rather than expanding civilization, we will be the hands of God protecting it.

Stabilizing human history, we will transform the future into a solid resolution.

The principles of mankind in other words, to ensure the continuation of humanity.

That is Chaldea's, and now your only and absolute purpose.

Chaldea has achieved many results to date. The development of observation cyber daemon, Laplace.

The Global Environment Model, Chaldeas. Completion of the Near-Future Observation Lens, Sheba.

The Heroic Spirit Summoning System, Fate, and the launch of the Spiritron Calculation Engine, Trismegistus.

With these technologies, we at Chaldea have observed humanity's progress one hundred years into the future.

We do not predict the future, but observe it. Like many who observed celestial bodies, Chaldea has been observing the future.

Whatever it sees, our job has been to ensure that humanity will survive 100 years into the future.

Look up. That is Chaldea's proudest achievement

Created with advanced magical theories, the Global Environmental Model, our Chaldeas.

Planets have been defined as beings with souls. We copied them into this miniature Earth.

Because of the difference in scale, we are unable to read each single human mind.

But whatever's on the surface, the city lights that can be seen on land, can be observed through Sheba.

Currently, it's been set to reflect the Earth one hundred years from now. Chaldeas may very well be the future of Earth itself.

As long as the light of civilization shines within Chaldeas, we can guarantee humans will exist a century further.

As long as there's light people will live in cities, and serve as proof of civilization's survival.

But Lev, could you normalize Sheba's polarization angle?

This is the current state. Starting six months ago, Chaldeas changed color, and it's become difficult to observe the future.

The light of civilization, our beacon till now, has become largely unobservable to us.

Hmph, the right response. Good to see you've got some sense.

That's right. The lack of light means that civilization has become extinct.

This was considered highly classified, but you have the right to know.

Our observations indicate that the light of humanity is only visible up to the year 2018

In other words, we've observed, no, proved that humanity will become extinct in that year.

Obviously, this future is not possible. It cannot happen, and physically speaking, is impossible.

There's neither an economic collapse nor some sudden seismic event. We can't explain how humanity would suddenly just disappear.

Over the past six months, we've found the cause of this strange phenomenonthe disappearance of the future.

If the reason is not in the present, then it is in the past.

Using Laplace and the Trismegistus, we've reviewed all data for the past 2000 years.

We tried to find something that didn't exist in history, or was on Earth until this point in time.

As a result, we finally found something new. It's this

Spatial Singularity F, a city in the Japanese countryside in 2004.

We discovered an "unobservable zone" that did not exist in history up to the year 2017.

Chaldea hypothesizes that this is the cause for humanity's extinction. We proposed the Rayshift experiment to the U.N. and received approval.

The Rayshift process transforms a human into spiritrons, sending them into the past and allowing them to alter it.

Simply put, it's time travel. But not everyone can do it.

Only people with exceptional magical circuits, and the ability to become a Master, can be transformed.

Now I'm sure that cleared things up. Your task is the investigation of Singularity F.

You'll travel 13 years into the past, find Singularity F, and destroy it.

We are now entering unknown territory. There's no telling what you might find there.

But you've been selected from among people all over the world. You can do this, and we have high expectations for you.

The higher-ups want to know the cause of this immediately. We don't have time to waste.

We'll be performing the first Rayshift experiment in an hour. I'm sure you've all had enough training.

For the first experiment we'll send Team A, the top 8 scorers, to Singularity F.

I haven't told the later groups, but they're Master candidates who have been chosen from Chaldea.

Team A has been active for a month now. You can call them trained warriors.

Team A will go on ahead and establish a base camp at Singularity F, guaranteeing your safety.

Teams B and below will monitor their situation and prepare for the next experiment.

Let's register your information with the Klein Coffins, the arks that will send you to the past as spiritrons.

There's one for each person, and there are no spares. Be very careful with them.

Teams B through D will be on standby, in case of trouble with Team A.

What are you doing? I told you what you have to do.

You were brought here as a potential Master. You're practically a soldier now.

You will obey orders and be ready for a fight. Do not make me repeat myself.

Or do you have more questions? Hey you, the one who was late!

You look confused. I'll give you the chance to ask one question.

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... Does the word "Singularity" mean nothing to you?

The singularity we found doesn't exist in any of our observation records.

It's like a hole that just appeared out of nowhere. The hole itself is cut off from the proper temporal axis.

The 2004 singularity exists apart from the past and future. There's no need to connect it to our present.

It's more stable than regular time travel, and whatever happens the timeline can still repair itself.

Singularity F is like a tiny stain on the dress that is human history.

It ruins beauty just by its presence. Your job is to extract it.

That's what will return humanity to its proper, observed course of history.

...What is the Association thinking, sending me someone who doesn't know basic spacetime theory?

I told them this plan was a Grand Order, the highest possible duty in the world of magecraft...

Well, it doesn't matter. What team are you with? ...Show me your ID.

What? You're in the wrong spot! A civilian, and with no combat or training experience?

Chaldea is much too important to be wasting valuable slots on people like you!

Lev! Lev Lainur!

I'm right here, Director. Why the yelling? Is there a problem?

There're problems everywhere! Just get this amateur out of my sight!

Oh...so that's it? Director, he is a chosen Master candidate.

Sure they lack experience, but it's inappropriate to be that rude...

Having an inexperienced amateur here is a problem! What if something happens to my Chaldeas?

Let Romani handle this! At least get some basic training in!

...Hmm, I don't think she likes you. All right, orders are orders.

Mash, show Fujimaru their room.

All right, understood. I just need to take Senpai to their room, right?

Yes, thanks. I'm busy with the Rayshift experiment and can't.

Don't worry. This experiment will be over in 2 hours. I'll drop by your room then.

No need to thank me. You're really lucky, after all.

That's unusually kind of you, Dr. Lev. Do you know each other from somewhere?

Not at all. I was just thinking things like eternal rivals and fated encounters are very important.

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Come this way. I'll show you to your room.

And that's how you were removed from the Command Room. Remember?

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You little... You look quiet, but you've got some nerve, don't you?

Anyway! Do you finally remember how much of a mess you made at that critical moment?

Um, Director Marie? I think that's going a little too far...

Like hell it is! Thanks to the time I wasted on your question I didn't have time to change!

Uh... You weren't planning to dive, so I'm not sure you needed your suit...

I did! I most certainly did! I had a special Mystic Code made for this mission.

Jeez, I didn't even get to wear it once... Well, it doesn't matter.

Anyway, you understand your responsibilities and duties as a Master candidate now, right?

Very well, Fujimaru. I'm ordering you to be my bodyguard. Work hard.

W-What? That's creepy. F-Flattery will get you nowhere!

This is who I am! I was just in a hurry back there! Once we get back to Chaldea, you're in for it.

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...Good to see you two getting along. Let's move before more enemies show up.

By the way, the type of being we call Servants, you know what they are, don't you?

Just as I thought. It can't be helped. I'll tell you as we move.

Think of a Servant as the highest-ranked familiar in the magical world.

Various historical heroes. Noble acts. Concepts. They're all summoned as spiritual bodies.

Whether or not a hero truly existed, he or she is still "information that was produced on Earth," right?

To summon a Heroic Spirit is to convert the information stored on this planet into something for the good of mankind.

People today have the right to use legacies of the past, and with that right, the duty to leave behind a future.

Do you see? What you made your contract with is greater than a human, and yet is a tool to serve humans.

That's why they're called Servants. Even if they're gods, they exist only to serve their Masters.

Director. Your line of thinking may be extreme. My cells are not agreeing with what you just said.

Hmph. Meaning the Servant you fused with must be an Earth-type Heroic Spirit.

Glad to hear it. Now I won't have to explain rudimentary things like what a Heroic Spirit is.

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Servants are heroes of the past made into familiars. Those who enter into a contract with them and use them are Masters.

There are seven classes of Servants, which vary depending on a Servant's legends and abilities.

It's incredibly difficult to copy a Heroic Spirit entirely. Human mages do not have enough resources or memory to achieve such feat.

That's why only one aspect of a Heroic Spirit is fixed in our world, resulting in the seven classes

Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Berserker, Assassin.

Every Heroic Spirit will manifest as one of these classes.

That's the true nature of Servants... It's also a way to hide their True Names, as well.

They hide their names because they are famous. Take Achilles from Greek Mythology.

Achilles is an invincible Heroic Spirit, but his weakness is extremely famous, right?

When a Heroic Spirit returns, their weakness returns with them. That's why Servants hide their names behind their class names.

If you don't know their identity, it's harder to figure out their past or weaknesses, right?

That's not all. There's another reason for hiding one's True Name.

A Servant has a secret weapon worthy of their legend. The crystallization of that Heroic Spirit's miracle and existence.

Director, sorry to interrupt you while you're having fun but we've detected hostiles. Entering combat.

What! T-Take them out right now! I-I'll be hiding over here!

I can feel the tension across the screen... The Director is grumpy as usual.

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Well, I can feel some sympathy for the Director's ill temper.

Excuse me, but Fujimaru Senpai, there's too much about Chaldea you don't know.

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I really don't know what to do with you. It's like you're a lost little kitty.

Well, not that I'm any different.

It's been about two years since I started here, and I still don't get it. I kind of sneaked in. Almost like an alligator.

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Yes, I've learned as much as I can from the database. But I'll share it with you.

Chaldea Security Organization. Or more accurately, the Security Organization for the Preservation of Humanity, Fenis Chaldea.

A research observatory with the purpose of continuing and strengthening human history, with researchers, scholars, and mages from all around the world.

They watch a world that magecraft couldn't observe, and science couldn't measure.

We're a special organization with national support, created to prevent humanity from reaching a "bad end."

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Anyway, that's pretty much it.

Fou!

It's true that Chaldea receives financial support from across the globe, but the majority of that comes from the Mage's Association in London

From the the Animusphere family. Director Olga Marie's family.

Chaldea is a research organization, but due to its importance, it operates on a military level.

There are extremely strict rules and punishments for everything, so the Director's attitude is actually reserved.

The Director isn't a villain, but she is evil. She'll get rid of any staff member she doesn't like.

Well, I'm not sure if it's okay to call someone who's got a bad attitude, evil.

...Sorry, I wanted to give you some encouragement, but I'm not used to cheery words.

Kyu. Kyu, kyu!

Whaaaaaaat? Hey! What are you guys doing?

Behind you! Behind you! The e-enemy's found us!

Prepare for battle!

They're so close! Senpai, give me your orders!

Sigh... Please keep an eye on your surroundings.

Even if Romani is monitoring us, this is a Singularity. There's no telling what might happen.

Come here, Kyrielight. You're hurt, aren't you? I can heal something like that.

Oh... right. Thank you very much, Director Olga Marie.

Really, now. When the director is calm, she can be dependable...

Fujimaru, you should know... The director is in a complicated position as well.

Initially, Marie was like you all, a Master candidate.

Three years ago, the previous director, her father, passed away and she had to take over Chaldea when she was just a student.

Since then it's been one tense day after another. She had to take over as head of the Animusphere family.

It was all she could do to keep Chaldea running. Around that time, an anomaly was found in Chaldeas.

We could no longer see into the promised future of 100 years from now. There was huge criticism from the Association and our sponsors.

She was ordered to get the situation back to normal as soon as possible.

To make matters worse, they found that she had no aptitude to be a Master.

The noble Animusphere family, one of the Twelve Lords, the dominating faculty of Astronomy at the Mage's Association.

Oh the scandal that would occur if the head of such a family was found to be unfit to become a Master.

You can imagine the level of gossip happening behind the scenes. I'm sure those rumors reached Marie too.

She still worked to be her absolute best as Director. This last half-year, she's just barely been hanging on.

She's worked herself so hard, I'd like her to come for counseling, but with how things are...

In any event, she's been emotionally stretched to the limit. She doesn't hate you, or anything like that.

I'm glad you think so. But you know she is evil, right?

She isn't cruel, nefarious, and dishonest, that I can promise you. She's just a rather serious person.

Hey, that's not nice! But I understand how you feel.

The Director wasn't allowed to go out much growing up, so everything she says is honest and innocent...

But make sure you don't say that in front of her. She'll just hate you more.

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Anyhow, you're the only three I can trust right now. I want you to continue investigating without fighting.