Prologue/Dec 31st, 2019

That's right. This is where Chaldea stores various kinds of equipment, and disposes of materials it no longer needs...

But that huge shipping container didn't used to be here! What could it be...?

Fujimaru! Mash! Ms. Da Vinci!

I'm so glad you all made it! Check it out! This is the container we're using as shelter!

I'm well aware, Meunière! Good to know you guys are safe and sound too!

Let's go inside, Fujimaru.

That container is made of a special, highly durable material. It'd take a tank shell to even dent it.

What's more, we set it up on some rails that'll eject it from the hangar in the worst case scenario.

It might be a bumpy ride, since we'll have to make the trip by sledding all the way down the mountain, but at least we should be able to make it to the bottom.

You got it! Now come on, everyone else is already on board!

You three are the only ones left! Let's get going before they find us!

So you're all safe! That's wonderful! I knew Holmes could do it!

W-well...all of us who escaped to the west hall, anyway...

？！

...There's a wall of ice blocking the way to the east hall. Everyone who escaped there is frozen solid.

What!? But how...!? That shouldn't even be possible!

Maybe not, but it's true. I saw it for myself back in the Command Room.

One girl froze the entire east hall single-handedly. Hard as it is to believe, she's a Servant.

She must be a Heroic Spirit who was summoned outside of Chaldea.

She headed to the Command Room after freezing the east hall, so that might be frozen solid by now too.

？！

Fooou...

But still... How...?

Doctor Roman said it was impossible to summon Heroic Spirits without this shield, let alone outside of Chaldea...!

I know. Which is why the circumstances are so precarious. That Heroic Spirit shouldn't be here; this whole situation shouldn't even be possible.

They caught us completely by surprise. We have nothing at all to go on at the moment.

Which is yet another reason why we should beat a temporary retreat. We can call the Mage's Association for help, gather intel on who we're up against, and

...Uh... S-somebody! Anybody...!

If anyone's hearing this, please, answer me! Anybody at all!

？！

That was...

That was a survivor! I'm sure of it! He needs help!

But...which block could he be in...?

...

C'mon, what're you waiting for!? Holmes is yelling for us to go already!

We're out of time! We have to go now!

I feel for whoever that is, but luck just wasn't on his side! We've gotta forget about him!

You heard the man. Holmes is right, and of course, I agree.

We just don't have time. The only thing we can do for him now is pray that he makes it out alive on his own.

Unless...you two are willing to stay behind to help someone you don't even know?

I...

？！

Oh God, they're coming! They're coming...! Ah... Ahh... Aaaaaah!

Somebody! Anybody! Argh, why does this sort of thing always happen to me!?

Dammit all! Who do they think I am!?

I'm Goredolf goddamn Musik! The eldest son of the Musik family!

I was going to lead Chaldea to glory! Yes, glory! That's what was supposed to happen! But now...!

？！

So it's that Musik bastard, huh? All the more reason to forget about him! He's got no one to blame but himself!

Why should we help a guy like that after everything he did to Chaldea!?

？！

Aaagh! Ow, owww...! Ah... Aah... Ghnnn...!

...Why. Why do things always turn out like this? Why do they always turn on me in the end!?

This always happens to me! Always! Nothing's changed at all...!

No matter where I go, no matter what I try, I was always an outcast. A loser. A social leper.

I knew what everyone was thinking! I knew they all hated me! But what was I supposed to do about it!?

I don't know WHY they hated me! I don't know HOW to get people to like me!

But I tried! I did the best I could!

I never had my sights set on first place, you know? I would've been happy with second or third!

But, haha, just look at how things turned out. Forget third! I didn't even end up placing at all!

Ah... Ow, owww! Stop it! Stop iiit!

Dammit! After a life of failure, I thought this would finally, FINALLY be my shot at success...!

But a loser is all I'll ever be, no matter where I go or what I do. Dammit... Dammit...!!!

I don't wanna die! I'm not ready to die! After all...

No one's ever praised me before! No one's ever loved me before...!

？！

Understood, Master! Let's go rescue Goredolf Musik!

Huh!? Have you guys lost your minds!? Why would you risk your necks for a jerk like that!?

...Sorry about this, Meunière. Tell Holmes to wait until we get back!

Once these two have made up their minds, they won't budge an inch! But don't worry! My limitless universal genius will see us back safely in no time!

？！

Let's just say today is Goredolf's lucky day. 'Sides, I have to admit, you can't hear all that and then not help.

...So, nothing ever went right for him, huh.

Then, this time...this time for sure, we make sure we get there in time. Isn't that right, Fujimaru?

？！

Mr. Meunière, please watch Fou while I'm gone! Don't worry, Fou, I promise I'll be right back!

...Fou. Fooou!

... ...

O-oh God, oh God... I'm doomed... My magical pistol is out of bullets, and I've used all my talismans...

Oh God, this is going to hurt, isn't it...? That one sickle hurt like hell... They're probably not going to kill me quickly, either...

(I've seen these things in the old records... They're the tsar's Oprichniki.)

(They're soldiers expressly designed to make humans suffer. Demons in human clothing.)

(I don't know why they've come back to life here and now, but... Oh God, this is going to hurt so much... I guess I'm going to die as unlucky as)

Well, well! I'm impressed you've managed to stay alive this long, Goredolf!

Wha...!? You're that Caster! And, you're that Demi-Servant girl...

...and that third-rate Master, Fujimaru!? Wh-wh-what are you all doing here!?

We're here to rescue you, believe it or not!

Don't thank me, though. This was entirely Fujimaru's idea!

Not that I can really see a prat like you ever thanking someone!

Four black-garbed soldiers are headed this way...! Your orders, Master!

The battle is over. Goredolf Musik is safe now.

？！

Grrr, what are you doing here!? Do you actually think you've helped me just because you've saved my life!?

I'm the REAL victim here! They should have broken up Chaldea after all!

The Heroic Spirit Summoning System turned out to be a broken-down piece of junk, and the supposed star of the show, Chaldeas, overloaded the moment I got here!

Then I go and lose contact with the outside world, I can't find Koyanskaya anywhere, and to top things off, I run into those Oprichniks!

What sort of wickedness have you brought upon us now!? Don't tell me you went and destroyed the world AGAIN!?

Destroyed the...? Um, I'm afraid you're greatly mistaken... We weren't the ones responsible for the Incineration of Humanity, but

Don't you DARE talk back to me! Just shut the hell up and start fixing this mess you made!

Oogh, just thinking about it is giving me the shakes! C-c-c-come on then, get to work!

You see? I knew this would be more trouble than this coglione is worth. Anyway, we REALLY don't have time to explain everything right now.

For the moment, let's get back to safety. I'm sure everyone else is on pins and needles waiting for us.

You're right. We'll need to apologize to them. Still...

I'm glad we weren't too late. Aren't you, Senpai?

？！