Published in TYPE-MOON Ace 11
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Fate/Grand Order
Excerpt from Prologue: Load Chaldeas
Original work by TYPE-MOON
Comic by Kurose Kousuke
215
Mashu: (It's all I can do just to stand my ground!!)
Mashu: (At this rate I can't beat her! I have to go on the offensive somehow...!)
216
Cu: My magic is a prison of flame--
Cu: A green giant, akin to thorns
Cu: You've held up well, missy.
Cu: Return to the earth!
217
Cu: Wicker Man!
Gudao: All that's left is the Saber at the center of Singularity F,
Gudao: plus Archer and Berserker. Is that right?
Cu: Yeah.
218
Cu: Though, it probably won't be a problem if we leave Berserker alone. It doesn't feel like that thing has any desire to go after the Holy Grail.
Cu: As long as we leave it alone, it won't bother us.
Gudao: I see.
Gudao: Then, how about Archer-
Olga Marie: Hold on.
Olga Marie: Something's wrong with Kyrielight. (As a Master, take proper care of your Servant!)
Gudao: What's wrong, Mashu? Were you wounded in the fight-
Mashu: Ah!
Mashu: No, not at all...
Mashu: I'm completely fi-
219
Mashu: No...
Mashu: I'm terribly sorry, Senpai!
Gudao: Huh? Mashu?
Mashu: I'm a disappointment to you...
Gudao: No, you're not- Hey, calm down and tell me what's wrong.
Mashu: Senpai, you're always at your wits end trying to help me grow stronger.
Mashu: I'd definitely call you the Master of the Year.
Mashu: But I still can't use my Noble Phantasm... and I don't even know my true name.
Mashu: I'm a failure of a Servant...
220
Gudao: Mashu! Don't talk about yourself like that!
Roman: That's right!
Roman: A Noble Phantasm is the trump card of a Heroic Spirit. It's a super move!
Roman: No one would expect you to be able to use it on a day or two-
Cu: Huh?
Cu: Of course you should be able to use it right away.
Cu: Servants and their Noble Phantasms are one and the same.
Cu: Missy, if you can fight as a Servant, you should be able to use it.
Cu: The fact that you can't is... how do I put it? You haven't "unlocked" it because you haven't shouted really loudly while practicing it.
Mash: ...! I...
221
Mash: I SEE NOW!
Olga Marie: Hey! Don't suddenly scream like that! You'll destroy my eardrums!
Cu: It's great that you've got spirit...
Cu: ...but that was just an example!
Cu: A Noble Phantasm is a Heroic Spirit's instinct. It's your own self, missy.
Cu: Even if you deny it-
Cu: To the south.
Mashu: Huh?
222
Cu: On your guard!
Mashu: Master! Director! Get behind me!
Gudao: Where are they attacking from!?
Gudao: Is it Archer!?
Cu: Yeah.
Cu: But to think
Cu: he'd be using a bow.
223
Archer: Two Servants. Two magi.
Archer: I've seen one before. Caster.
Archer: The other is a new Servant.
Archer: Is that huge shield a Noble Phantasm...? How unusual.
Archer: I suppose that would make her a Shielder.
Gudao: Cu Chulainn, do you know where Archer is?
Cu: Generally, yeah.
Archer: The Master... seems like the woman,
Archer: but that Shielder is prioritizing the man's protection first. The man is the Master.
Cu: He's there.
225
Archer: An anomalous Servant and an uncharacteristic Master.
Archer: Well, that itself isn't all that rare.
Olga Marie: Where's "there"!?
Cu: Allllll the way that way, on top of a building. Probably. (Guess you can't really see him.)
Olga Marie: Probably!?
Cu: Anyway, we're sitting ducks up here! Take cover behind the buildings!
Gudao: Okay!
Gudao: ...Cu Chulainn?
226
Cu: This might be bitter medicine, but it's a good opportunity.
Cu: Missy.
Cu: I won't help you.
Cu: Show me you can activate your Noble Phantasm in this fight.
Olga Marie: Huh!?
Cu: He's a superior foe, but he should be maddened like the others. You have a fighting chance if you use your Noble Phantasm.
Olga Marie: H-Hold on! What are you saying at a time like this!?
Cu: No matter what, defeat is certain if you face Saber as you are now.
227
Archer: Caster pulled back from the battle line...
Archer: Is he not their ally?
Archer: Well, fine.
Archer: (...I'm "fine" with it?)
Archer: Pft.
Archer: Such petty fancies are the death of a bowman.
228
Archer: I don't mind the... unexpected.
Archer: So this is the high of being maddened... an effect of that mud, eh?
Mashu: How should we proceed, Master?
Gudao: We don't know his combat strength, so we can only try to close the distance without exposing ourselves. This is going to be a long fight...
229
Olga Marie: Seriously, what's with that guy and his "bitter medicine"!?
Mashu: Director, it's dangerous. Don't get too far from me.
Olga Marie: I'll be fine if I stay behind cover! Don't order me around.
Olga Marie: Ah!
Olga Marie: Ouch...
Olga Marie: That hurt! Come on, already!
230
Gudao: This is bad! He's targeting us!! We have to move.
Gudao: Director, can you stand!?
Olga Marie: O-Of course I-
Olga Marie: Argh...!
Gudao: Pardon me!!!
Olga Marie: Wait-
Gudao: We can't stay out here! We'll run deeper inside!
231
Gudao: WHOOOOA!
Mashu: This arrow...
Gudao: (What's going on!? We're still taking accurate fire even inside the building!)
Gudao: (He's tracking us somehow!)
Mashu: Master! These arrows are extremely dangerous! They're homing missiles... I can't read their trajectories! It's risky to stay indoors!
Gudao: Right, sorry! Let's regroup outside.
232
Archer: They're inexperienced, but put up a good defense. It'll be hard to finish them with arrows alone. But...
Archer: That shield Noble Phantasm.
Archer: A Noble Phantasm is the Servant itself. In that case the Servant's essence is the "power to protect," and "loyalty to one's lord."
Archer: If either wavers, your vaunted shield will turn brittle.
Archer: Isn't that right, Shielder?
Mashu: The attacks stopped... Did he lose sight of us?
Gudao: I wonder?
233
Gudao: Don't get careless. We'll find out how he's tracking us without letting our guard down.
Gudao: If not, we'll never close the distance.
Mashu: Yes.
Olga Marie: What's that? Why is there a truck on top of that building?
224
Gudao: Oh, crap!
Gudao: We fell into his trap!
225
Mashu: Master! Get back!
Mashu: We'll retre-
226
Gudao: (There's no end to the magical beasts and arrows...!)
Gudao: (At this rate...!)
Gudao: Mashu!
227
Olga Marie: I'll take the beasts!
Olga Marie: Mashu, you fend off Archer's attacks!
Mashu: Yes!
Olga Marie: (As if I'd be mere dead weight!!)
Olga Marie: More to the left!
Olga Marie: Carry me properly!
Olga Marie: Next!
228
Gudao: Director! Behind us!
Olga Marie: If you knew they were there, you should've said so earlier!
Gudao: (!! Don't tell me...)
Gudao: (He can even do that!?)
229
Olga Marie: Hey, what are you spacing out for!?
Olga Marie: There's still more of them!
Gudao: I figured out how Archer knows where we are!
Olga Marie: Are you sure?
Gudao: Probably...
Gudao: He's tracking us by our reflections!
230
Olga Marie: Huh!?
Gudao: There are mirrors positioned around the area. He probably calculated all of this.
Olga Marie: How many crazy preparations did he make!?
Gudao: So, Director...
Gudao: I need to ask you a favor.
Gudao: Mashu!
Mashu: Yes!
Gudao: We're going to defeat Archer.
Mashu: Yes.
231
Archer: (So they even fended off the beasts.)
Archer: (I would have liked to break down Shielder's defense, but that lady magus had a few tricks up her sleeve.)
Archer: Haha.
Archer: (A flash of magical light.)
Archer: (Did they catch on?)
232
Archer: (If that was a desperate attempt to blind me,
Archer: I'll shoot through it in an instant.)
233
Archer: (So the Shielder's charging in on her own?)
Archer: (The Master and magus are... nowhere to be seen.)
234
Archer: (They must have hidden themselves during the flash.)
Olga Marie: It reeks in here! (Eww!)
Gudao: Just put up with it for a few minutes.
Gudao: Though, I'm sure he'll figure out where we are right away.
Olga Marie: I know that! I'll Reinforce this to be as hard as a nuclear bomb shelter!
Gudao: (We're counting on you, Mashu!)
Archer: The Master conceals himself while sending his Servant out on a frontal assault. Truly a desperate move.
Archer: Still, it was the correct choice to force an engagement and avoid a battle of attrition.
235
Archer: After all, I'm just a lone Archer.
Archer: I've got no chance in a protracted melee.
Archer: Now, how to play this?
Archer: The Master's goal is simple. Yet...
Archer: This one is more interesting.
Archer: Shielder.
Archer: Did you accept this plan to charge in?
236
Archer: The instinct of the Servant of the shield is to protect.
Archer: Doesn't this go against your nature?
Gudao: Mashu, when the Director releases a flash, I want you to close in on Archer as quickly as you can.
Mashu: !? But Master, you'll be defenseless-
237
Gudao: We'll hole up in the container the beasts were in and Reinforce it.
Gudao: Please. You're the only one who can take down Archer.
Mashu: ...I understand.
Gudao: Even if he focuses fire on us, you absolutely must not turn back.
Olga Marie: There! Come at us if you can!
238
Olga Marie: Wh-Wh-What was that explosion?
Olga Marie: GYAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!
Archer: What now?
Archer: Your precious Master is in danger.
239
Archer: You can turn around right now and save them.
Archer: That's your instinct. It's what you should do as a Shielder.
Archer: But if you worry about your Master and stop,
Archer: you'll betray your loyalty to your Master, and lose your power.
240
Gudao: Just a little longer! We have to hold on!
241
Olga Marie: Keep your head down!
Archer: Their cover is destroyed.
Archer: All they have left is one magus.
Archer: Now, what you do, Shielder? If you turn back now,
Archer: you might still protect them.
242
Mashu: I trust you!
Mashu: Master!
Archer: She sped up even more.
243
Archer: Heh.
Archer: Haha.
Archer: This is pointless.
Archer: I can't stop something like this.
Archer: The utter faith to force down one's own instincts.
Archer: No, conviction?
Archer: Forgive me, Saber.
Archer: It's your fault
Archer: for doing this to me.
TRACE,BEGIN
ONPROJECTION
244
Gudao: Director!
Mashu: That's- That energy is...!
Mashu: Just what is he...!?
245
Archer: Hmph... This forgery of mine is shoddily made.
Archer: Yet, it's not something that mere magic can block.
246
Olga Marie: Don't tell me he's going to shoot that much power at us?
Olga Marie: There's no way we...
Olga Marie: can block...
Olga Marie: that...
Archer: Will you vanish along with your Master? Or...
Mashu: It'll all disappear...
Mashu: That light will swallow everything up...
247
Mashu: What... can I...
Mashu: Argh! There's still something I can do!
Mashu: I'll activate it!
248
Archer: (So that's your Noble Phantasm!)
249
Mashu: AHHHHHH!!!
250
Mashu: Please
Mashu: In this shield
Mashu: Humanity's future--
252
Archer: Well done making it this far.
Archer: Shielder.
Mashu: (His body!?)
253
Archer: It's the result of your attack.
Archer: My body is broken and shattered.
Archer: You avoided an unnecessary duel.
Archer: Victory is yours.
Archer: You'd like it if I admitted defeat so easily, I'm sure.
Archer: Sadly, I have one arrow left.
Archer: It really is my last remaining arrow.
Archer: And now, I
254
Archer: can see your defenseless Master.
Archer: (Saber.
Archer: I'll fulfill this obligation, at least.)
Archer: Stop me if you can.
255
Mashu: MASTER!!!
257
Cu: Well done, missy.
Gudao: Cu Chulainn!
258
Gudao: Mashu! Thanks! You did-
Gudao: Mashu!? What's wrong...
Mashu: I'm sorry, Senpai... I...
Mashu: I let Archer fire that last arrow...
259
Gudao: What, that's all? I told you, we-
Mashu: That's not all!
Mashu: It was an attack I should have stopped.
Mashu: I let down my guard once I reached Archer. If Caster hadn't come, you and the Director would have...
Gudao: Like I said, Mashu, what are you talking about?
Gudao: We're alive because you protected us with your Noble Phantasm, Mashu.
Cu: That's right. You should be proud.
260
Cu: Missy, your used your Noble Phantasm against a superior opponent, crossed blades with him, and won.
Cu: I'd call that a spectacular victory.
Cu: Be glad, kid. Your Servant is a first-rate Heroic Spirit.
Cu: Praise her.
Gudao: We owe this victory to you.
Gudao: Thank you, Mashu.
261
Olga Marie: (Ahem.)
Olga Marie: So do you know your true name now?
Mashu: I... When I activated my Noble Phantasm, all I could think of was protecting you.
Mashu: In the end...
Olga Marie: ...It was thanks to awakening your feelings, rather than learning your true name.
Mashu: I apologize...
Olga Marie: I'm not blaming you.
Olga Marie: It's a moving story.
Olga Marie: But it'll be inconvenient to use a Noble Phantasm without a true name.
Olga Marie: That's right... it was a pseudo-deployment of a Noble Phantasm. In that case,
Olga Marie: try naming it.Load ChaldeasFoundation of Human Truth
262
Olga Marie: Chaldea is a name that holds meaning for you. It's a good spell word to activate your Saint Graph with, don't you think?
Mashu: Thank you so much, Director!
Cu: Let's go. There's one Saber left.
Mashu: Senpai.
Mashu: I will become stronger.
Gudao: Yeah.
Load Chaldeas.
Its name belongs to a proud Servant.
The End
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Originally Posted by Arashi_Leonhart
