Fate/Marvel: Chaldea Descend

( 3rd POV )

The dining hall of the Chaldea base, once alive with lively banter and the clinking of utensils on porcelain plates, now sat in a heavy, oppressive silence. The dim light from the ornate chandelier above cast muted shadows across the long wooden table.

The air felt stagnant, carrying the weight of unspoken thoughts and emotions, as if the very atmosphere mourned the absence of the usual crowd.

Only a handful of figures remained like Hassan, Ushiwakamaru, Mordred, Mash, Daisy, Anna, and a weary-looking Waver Velvet. They sat scattered along the table, each lost in their own thoughts as the faint clink of utensils against plates punctuated the stillness.

Mordred, ever the glutton already attacked her fifteenth serving with the vigor of a warrior on the battlefield. The growing mountain of plates beside her was a testament to her legendary appetite, just ike her father. She ate voraciously, her gaze fixed on her plate, as if the act of eating could drown out unspoken frustrations.

Ushiwakamaru and Hassan, both poised and quiet, focused on their meals with an almost meditative calm, though neither seemed inclined to start a conversation.

Anna, on the other hand, sat apart from the others, her demeanor has become distant and cold. Her once vibrant eyes now seemed hollow. Ever since she had awakened from that nightmarish dream, her personality had taken a darker turn, a change that had left even her closest companions concerned. She ate in silence with her fork moving mechanically.

Waver watched her with a furrowed brow before he sighed heavily, setting his teacup down with a faint clink. He was used to handling the eccentricities of students like Grey or Flat, but this—this was different. He was a magus instructor, not a god damn psychiatrist.

'This was above my paygrade..' he thought bitterly, his hand absently rubbing his temple. But before he could spiral further into thought, Mash's soft voice broke the silence.

"Um... Waver-san," Mash began hesitantly, her gentle tone breaking the silence like a ripple across still water. "When do you think Senpai and the others will be back from HQ?"

Waver glanced up, his tired eyes meeting hers. Seated beside Mash, Daisy looked equally curious, her youthful face expectant. After a brief pause, he replied, "If everything goes smoothly, they should be back by tomorrow morning. But honestly, I doubt it. This time, the summoning ritual might encounter a hurdle."

Recalling the time when the Director and her team returned to Chaldea HQ to fulfill their mission of summoning servants, Waver had a sense that things wouldn't go smoothly. Even Ken shared this sentiment before their departure.

Because this time, it wasn't Ken using his old account in his inventory for the summoning, but Olga and Sion. Numerous variables could arise during the summoning process, and even if they managed to summon the servants, the servants themselves were random and might not cooperate as the previous ones did.

"Is that so? Hmm, I hope they'll be fine. Besides, there are Dr. Romani and Da Vinci with them." Despite her concern for them, Mash still chose to believe in them.

Daisy, who had been listening intently, tilted her head in confusion. "Summoning? Like how Ken summoned Mordred?" Her eyes lit up with childlike excitement. "Does that mean we'll have another hero joining us?"

Mash chuckled softly, her amusement evident as she glanced at her eager friend. "More or less," she said with a faint smile.

"Wow! That's so cool!" Daisy exclaimed, practically bouncing in her seat. "I want to try summoning too! If I'd known, I would've gone with them!"

The room, which had just begun to buzz with conversation, suddenly fell silent. Every movement stopped as all eyes turned toward Daisy. The intensity of their collective gaze caused her excitement to waver. Her shoulders tensed, and her once radiant expression dimmed. Nervously, she glanced around, her voice trembling as she spoke.

"D-did I say something wrong?"

For a moment, the tension held—until a loud, boisterous laugh shattered the quiet. Daisy's wide eyes darted toward the source of the sound, finding Mordred doubled over in her chair, her sharp toothy glinting as she laughed unabashedly.

"Wahahaha! You're killing me, kid!" Mordred managed between bursts of laughter. "That was a hilarious joke, Ahahaha!" She was clutching her stomach in mirth, dying from her own laughter.

Her laughter was infectious, drawing soft chuckles from the others. Ushiwakamaru's melodic voice joined in, her tone is full of teasing. "Fufufu, what an interesting kid."

Even the stoic Hassan of Serenity allowed a faint grin to cross her lips, her calm demeanor momentarily breaking at Daisy's innocent proclamation. Daisy, however, remained thoroughly confused, glancing between them with furrowed brows.

"Hey, Mash," she whispered, nudging her friend's arm. "What's going on? Why are they laughing?"

Mash hesitated, clearly trying to find the right words to explain without embarrassing Daisy further. But before she could speak, Mordred cut her off, her grin widening into something almost predatory. "You? Summoning a Servant?" she repeated, leaning forward with a mocking glint in her crimson eyes.

"Kid, you don't even have a speck of mana inside of you and the qualification to become a Master. You wouldn't even know a catalyst from a kitchen knife. Heck, do you even know what a Servant is? Hah! You're aiming for the stars without even knowing how to climb a hill."

Her words were brutally blunt and laced with a biting amusement, but there was a hint of admiration buried beneath the teasing. "Still," she added with a smirk, "I gotta admit, you've got guts dreaming big like that."

At this time, the bluntness of Mordred's words hit Daisy like a bucket of cold water. She blinked, stunned, but not by the mockery, but because she barely understood half the terms being thrown around by the lion cub. "Mana? Master? Servant?" she mumbled, her voice small and uncertain.

In the end, seated at the head of the table, Waver finally decided to intervene. Letting out a weary sigh, "That's enough, Mordred," he said, his voice firm but calm. "There's no point in confusing her even further."

Mordred shrugged nonchalantly, her grin unfaltering as she resumed her meal. "Whatever."

Waver's sharp gaze turned to Daisy and Anna, especially toward the latter of whom had been silent throughout the exchange. "And as a newcomer to Chaldea, both of you have a lot to learn," he began, his tone measured yet authoritative.

"Tomorrow, at 8 a.m. sharp, report to Room 6 in the east wing. I'll be holding a class to teach you about the basics of Chaldea and the magus world. This is also a direct order from the Director herself."

Daisy's jaw dropped, and she let out a groan of protest. "Whaaat!? A class? But it's the holiday season, Mr. Waver..." she exclaimed, her tone bordering on a whine. "School's on break! Why do I still have to sit through lessons?" She slumped in her chair, muttering to herself about the unfairness of it all.

In stark contrast, Anna, who had been quiet and detached, suddenly straightened in her seat. Her icy blue eyes regained a sharp focus, and a rare seriousness settled over her otherwise stoic expression.

"No buts," he said, cutting off Daisy's murmured complaints. "And call me 'Professor' from now on. This isn't up for debate."

With his Discerning Eyes, he could clearly see the potential of the two of them. Even though he found this task that Olga asked him to do is troublesome, as a qualified instructor, he will definitely make his student to be able to stand their ground in this unknown world.

.....

( Ken POV )

"And here we are now," I said, gesturing dramatically toward the cafeteria's gleaming expanse. The two new arrivals stood behind me, their faces a mix of bewilderment and confusion the entire time.

"To put it simply," I continued, spinning on my heel to face them, "both of you were essentially yoinked from the Throne, resurrected in this shiny new world, but still bound by the Master-Servant contract to your summoners. Sound simple right?"

They didn't respond immediately, their silence a testament to how overwhelming this must be. With a shrug, I walked over to a nearby vending machine. Its soft hum filled the quiet as I tapped a few buttons and grabbed two bottles of iced tea. Gesturing for them to follow, I led them to a table in the corner, away from the bustling cafeteria crowd.

Sliding the bottles across the table, I grinned. "Here, try it. You know it's real once you drank it." I said with a smile.

The shorter guy snatched the bottle like it was a lifeline. He chugged the tea in one go, his throat working furiously as if the liquid might vanish if he didn't finish it immediately.

The taller one with his calm demeanor simply stared at the bottle in his hand. His eyes flickered with skepticism before he finally spoke, his voice low and deliberate.

"So there is no Holy Grail War?"

"No, not quite." I paused, "But there is also something more dangerous in this world, and that's why Chaldea needs your help."

I mean, as long as we defeated that purple potato guy, the system would give me The Holy Grail...

Let me recap things here real quick. After we arrived at the Chaldea HQ, Dr. Romani, who was already waiting for us and knew about our plan, immediately led us toward the summoning room that I used back then.

He also reported his analysis about Olga and Sion's circumstances. I know that every single one of us had our bodies 'reconstructed' once we arrived in this world, and Romani has been paying attention to this.

He said that Sion still has the possibility of being a master candidate even after the reconstruction. It could even be said that her data from the past has been elevated to a certain degree.

But Olga, who had no qualification as a master in the past, surprised him the most. Because of the reconstruction event, she got the qualification she always wanted, and even her talent as a magus is almost catching up with Sion, a true genius.

Even I, who saw the data of her improvement, feel that it is absurd. Lost in thought, I feel this matter may not as simple as it seems. I remember in one of those Lostbelts, there is also a being that has a similar appearance to her, but too bad I never reached that stage and don't know much about it.

As these thoughts raced through my mind, I felt a wave of panic. My heart pounded, and my breath quickened. The feeling when you faced the unknown.. But I forced myself to calm down.

'Things are different now.' That's what I said to myself.

Anyways, after hearing the report and after Da Vinci checked the Fate system one more time, Olga and Sion started the summoning ritual, each using their own blood as a catalyst.

The moment the ritual started, the real Fate System inside my head suddenly gave me a notification whether to allow both of them to summon the servant or reject it.

Just as I guessed, if someone wants to summon a servant, they still need my permission to do it. This is also why they failed the ritual when I was still in a coma back then.

So, without any hindrance, the summoning ritual was successful, and they managed to summon each of their servants. The preparation of having me and Da Vinci to guarantee their safety seemed to become redundant as soon as we knew that their servants were not hostile.

The two new guys who just arrived showed the same puzzled looks as Waver and the others when they first came. Olga and Sion talked to both of their servants briefly before they put them under my watch and left with Romani and Da Vinci to the Coffins room.

Yes, that Coffins room where the most dangerous people are currently still sleeping. Honestly, I was against the idea of awakening them this early without any powerful servant on my side, but Olga and the others persuaded me to agree.

I understand that we are low on trustworthy and capable partners, but... In the end, I had to agree. Remembering Anna and Daisy's mental problems after that disastrous finding about their family.

'Yeah, let's just call the professionals.'

After almost spending an hour explaining Chaldea's current situation while also ending the tour of this facility, we're back in this cafeteria.

The guy who just asked me the question just stay silent before he calmly takes a sip of his tea. While the short guy beside him... 

"Puah! The sensation of coldness, bitterness, and a hint of sweetness as it slid down my throat... It was real! I thought I was just hallucinating, but now, hahaha! I bet Bradamante, Roland, and even His Majesty would be jealous of me... Oh, how I wish they were here with me now."

The short servant who had just finished his drink in one gulp displayed a whirlwind of emotions. Happiness, surprise, sadness, and anticipation all danced across his face. If any ordinary person saw this, they might think he was mentally unstable.

Watching this scene, the corner of my right eye twitched, leaving me speechless. This sakura pink-haired guy, clad in knight armor and a fur cape, was the servant Olga had summoned with her blood as the catalyst.

(A/N: Info dump incoming!)

[ Servant

1. Astolfo

Master: Olga Marie Animusphere

Age: ?

Species: Human, Servant

Title: 'Sailor Paladin', 'Rider of Black', 'The Greatest Trap'

Class: Rider, Saber

Condition: Healthy

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Stats:

Strength: C+

Endurance: C

Agility: A

Mana: B

Luck: A++

NP: B

Personal Skill:

- Grandiose Triumphant Return: EX

- Casseur de Logistille (Strong): B+

- La Black Luna: C

- Monstrous Strength: C-

- Instinct: D

- Trap of Argalia: D

Class Skill:

- Magic Resistence: A

- Riding: A+

- Independent Action: B

Noble Phantasm:

1. Hippogriff: Otherworldly Phantom Horse

Rank: B++

Type: Anti-Army

Range: 2 - 50

Maximum Targets: 100 people

Hippogriff: Otherworldly Phantom Horse is the favored mount used by Astolfo. Astolfo secured Hippogriff from the evil magus Atlante. More specifically, it was obtained from Atlante by Bradamante and then she later loaned it to Astolfo.

The true power of the Hippogriff takes advantage of its "impossible existence" nature and amplify it, allowing it to perform short bursts of dimensional shift continually and only for an instant. That dimension is the home of the Phantasmal Species, where only beings that are purely non-physical souls can go to. It is the Reverse Side of the World, which the Hippogriff, when summoned as a Noble Phantasm, can never reach even if it can temporarily glimpse it.

This feature allows both the mount and its rider to be non-observable and immune to damage for a very short period of time within this World by phasing through every single attack. However, it also drains mana rapidly, equal to that of an A-rank Noble Phantasm.

2. Vulcano Caligorante: Fortuitous Netting 

Rank: B

Type: Anti-Unit

Range: 1 - 5

Maximum Targets: 1 people

Vulcano Caligorante: Fortuitous Netting, it was a net set up by the giant Caligorant to capture a god. However, Caligorant was sent into a panicked flight by Astolfo's horn flute and subsequently caught in his own net. Astolfo would later take the net and add it to his wide arsenal of magic artifacts and Vulcano Caligorante became a whip-sword.

3. Irrational Idol Going Berserk (Crazy Trip Drive Idol)

Rank: B+

Type: Anti-Unit (Self)

Range: 0 - 99

Maximum Targets: 1 people

Numerous imaginary beings appear everywhere, disturbing enemy lines. More specifically, it results in multiple copies of Astolfo, and even if they're immaterial, they can attack like the real deal. Even worse, after a certain amount of time, Astolfo increases twice. Hundreds of Astolfo chattering incessantly and rioting seems like a nightmare for some Servants, especially his fellow Paladins.

4. La Black Luna: Magic Flute That Calls Panic

Rank: C

Type: Anti-Army

Range: 1 - 50

Maximum Targets: 100 people

It is a hunting horn granted to Astolfo by the good witch Logistilla of Avalon to drive away a large flock of Harpies. Considered the most extreme of his Noble Phantasms, it emits a magical sound similar in nature to the roar of a dragon, the cry of a giant bird, and the neighing of a divine horse, slamming targets within range with the force of an explosion of sound.

Rather than emulating "The harpies that ran away in fear after hearing that sound" as told in the legend, it is a weapon of wide-scale destruction. It is kept in a small size that can be hung from the belt on his hip, but increases in size to encircle his entire body when activated. The true fearsomeness of this Noble Phantasm is the chaos and confusion caused by the shock of its overblown sound. If someone skilled with the flute blows it, it's capable of even taking away all hearing from the targets.

5. Casseur de Logistille

Rank: B+

Type: Anti-Unit (Self)

Range: -

Maximum Targets: 1 people

It is a thick magic-binding leather book specially given by and inherited from a witch, Logistilla, to Astolfo, after the former was charmed by the latter. It contains records of the means to shatter any magecraft, granting its owner the passive ability to deal with magecraft of A Rank and below. Though his Magic Resistance is normally D Rank, it is greatly elevated to A Rank, effectively making him immune to all modern magecraft. ]

Who would have thought Olga's desperate summoning ritual would pull this peculiar wild TRAP into our midst?

When Astolfo first appeared, his Rider-class Saint Graph was unmistakable, glittering with his usual playful energy when he first appears. Yet, before I could even process what was happening, a strange phenomenon occurred—an ethereal light descended upon him, weaving into his body.

It felt like two timelines were colliding, and in a flash, his Saber-class version whom I still saved on my old account fused with him, making him close to his peak.

While his eccentric personality is off the charts, it is also true for his array of Noble Phantasms. His number of NPs is the highest so far, making him very versatile as a combatant.

'I don't know if it is considered lucky or not for Olga to summon this kind of existence...'

"You were asking about the Holy Grail before, so I'm curious, do you have any wishes you want to fulfill?" I asked the other servant.

The man pondered for a while. "Hmm, not really. It's just... I hope I could see my previous lord and ask him if I managed to bring glory to his name," he said with a melancholy tone. "And maybe seeing my other friends and sharing a bottle of wine would be fantastic."

"Haha, I guess for me I don't need to think too much. I believe my fellow comrades will also come here in the near future. For now, I just need to enjoy my new life and help my master achieve her objective! So, no need to be pessimistic, Zilong-san."

The pink trap laughed nonchalantly before tapping his fellow servant beside him on the shoulder, trying to comfort him. The other servant, Zilong, fell silent before his expression became firm and he replied with a smile on his face.

This man with red hair, lime-colored eyes, and wearing traditional Chinese armor is one of the servants that never appeared in FGO or any FSN storyline. He is none other than Zhao Yun, one of the great heroes of the Three Kingdoms Era.

Zhao Yun put down his bottle of tea before cupping his hand in a salute gesture. "Hmm, let's do our best in the future, Astolfo-san, Ken-san." He gave us a Chinese standard salute while still smiling brightly.

"Yosh, leave it to me! Also, I can't wait to meet the other servant that Ken-chan mentioned before, ahaha." Astolfo winked in my direction in a playful manner.

I shuddered after seeing his action. 'This bastard...' Trying to ignore the trap, I simply returned a smile to the great general.

'Based on his deeds in history alone, even though I don't have any information about this servant from any Fate series that I know, I'm willing to bet on him.'"

(A/N: Another info dump! And because of the lack info on this servant, I'll use some Fanon in the mix.)

[ Servant

1. Zhao Yun/Zilong

Master: Sion Eltnam Sokaris

Age: ?

Species: Human, Servant

Title: 'The Loyal Warrior', 'The Fearless General', 'One of Shu Han's Five Tiger General'

Class: Rider, Lancer (Sealed)

Condition: Healthy

Alignment: Lawful Good

Stats:

Strength: A

Endurance: B+

Agility: A

Mana: D

Luck: B

NP: B+

Personal Skill:

- Bravery: A

- Charisma: C

- Dragon's Blood: C

- Eyes of Mind (True): B

Class Skill:

- Magic Resistence: D

- Riding: A

- Independent Action: C++

Noble Phantasm:

1. Lone Charge at Changban

Rank: EX

Type: Anti-Unit

Range: 1

Maximum Targets: 2 people

It is based on an anecdote from both official history and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. After his lord, Liu Bei, fled the Changban battleground, Zhao Yun went in search of Liu Bei's wife and son. 

While this Noble Phantasm is active, Zhao Yun can negate all action impediments, including those produced by spells. Until he arrives at his destination or otherwise accomplishes his goal, he receives stat bonuses that exceed even a Berserker's Mad Enhancement. It is said that, when this Noble Phantasm activates, a golden streak of light pierces the battlefield. This Noble Phantasm is exceptional in it's ability to deliver Zhao Yun's Master to a secure location.

"All in service of my lord. May my life be a brilliant flash of light."

2. Hakuryuu

Rank: C

Type: Anti-Unit

Range: 1-3

Maximum Targets: 2 people

It's a horse tamed by Zhao Yun. Hakuryuu, the name of the horse is literally translated into White Dragon. Zhao Yun can summon Hakuryuu as mount after he becomes a Heroic Spirit. While riding on Hakuryuu, Zhao Yun receives a temporarily boost on Agility. Hakuryuu is capable of reaching over hundred kilometers per hour as top speed.

Hakuryuu can hardly be called as Noble Phantasm because it is a living being. The better term for this is Living Noble Phantasm. Living Noble Phantasms have some differences compares to normal Noble Phantasms. Needless to say, Living Noble Phantasms are living beings. What truly differ them is that Living Noble Phantasms possess their own Noble Phantasms. 

Hakuryuu own Noble Phantasm is called White Flash: Travel through White Cloud, once it get activated, the user will be able to travel at the speed of sounds, can fly in the air and while charging, it is able to penetrate any defense blocking it's way.

3. Gaikakusou (Sealed)

Rank: A++ (B)

Type: Anti-Army

Range: 1-55

Maximum Targets: 500 people

Gaikakusou: Invincible to the Ends of the Earth is one of the strongest spear originated from China. A Noble Phantasm from his Lancer class. Gaikakusou is a Divine Construct, thus being rank A++ Noble Phantasm is justified. However, Zhao Yun had never been able to master it due to personal limitations. On Zhao Yun hand, its rank drop to B.

Upon activation by shouting its name, it quickly absorbs prana from the owner. The prana transfer window lasts only a few seconds before the tip of the spear explodes, causing a large explosion of prana. The spear could absorb extremely large amount of prana. When it is fully filled with prana, it can deal roughly A++ ranked damage. However, Zhao Yun could never do it due to many circumstances.

First and foremost, the transfer window lasts only a few seconds and cannot be extended unless one has the blood of higher beings (Divine Being or Phantasmal Beast). Next, Zhao Yun is not a skilled magus so his transfer rate of prana is slow. Zhao Yun at his full strength; with the help of his master (multiple uses of Command Seal) and also his personal skill "Dragon's Blood", could only increase it from rank B to rank A. ]

While the three of us were spending our time in the cafeteria, exchanging our own adventure stories and sometimes listening to Astolfo's nonsense, The Chaldea Interface Device (CID) on my wrist vibrated.

A holographic screen projected above it, and the familiar face of Dr. Romani Archaman appeared, his messy orange hair looking more disheveled than usual.

"Ken-kun, could you come to the medical room right away? They've been awake for about half an hour, and the Director is just wrapping up her briefing with them, but... well, let's just say the atmosphere in here is about to boil over. It'd be great if you could show up before the 'gunpowder' explodes."

I sighed heavily, feeling a pang of sympathy for Romani. I didn't need much imagination to guess why the situation was tense. "They" must have learned the truth about the Singularities—and the revelations would not sit well with them.

"Sigh, what's comin' will come, an' we'll meet it when it does," I murmured before getting up from the table. Astolfo and Zhao Yun also heard the message just now.

"General Zhao, I would like to hear more about your adventures, but as you can see, the situation is calling for me." I felt sorry to be unable to listen to the Three Kingdoms gossip.

"It's okay, Ken-san. We can talk another time." The man just smiled with a look of understanding on his face despite his suffering because of a certain pink succu- devil beside him.

I turned toward the pink-haired troublemaker. Astolfo was now holding his chip bag upside down, letting the last few crumbs tumble onto his tongue. He looked up at me with an exaggerated pout.

"You're leaving already Ken-chan? And just when I was about to tell Yun-chan here about that time I wore my cutest bunny-girl and JK outfit! His Majesty, Roland, all got blushed before fleeing the scene, but can you believe nobody praised me for it? Not even my paladin members! What an uncultured guy... Only Bradamante-chan understood me."

Zhao Yun froze, the faint blush on his face deepening. His usual stoic demeanor cracked for a moment as Astolfo leaned closer, acting all chummy.

Even I couldn't help but wince. 'Poor guy' I thought, sending him a silent prayer of encouragement.

"I'll leave you two to... uh, bond," I said quickly, turning on my heel and hurrying toward the exit.

As I left the cafeteria, the lively hum of conversation faded into the sterile quiet of Chaldea's hallways. On my way to the medical wing, I shook my head, already feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over me. 

"Sigh, what a mess..."

.....

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A/N: Sorry for not updating. I was busy with things during the day and barely had enough time to write at night. Even if I had time, I used it to play Mahoyo and Fate/Extra...

But now my schedule is quite free for this week, so I'll start updating again. I hope you guys stay tuned for the next ride, but if you can, please throw your stones at me!

Oh, by the way, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, folks!

Please donate your power stones and leave more reviews for my story, I appreciate it and thank you for your support!