Kazuya took a deep breath, and his breath formed a small cloud in front of the frosted glass.
"…Let's begin."
The voice in his mind sounded firm, resolute.
[Yes]
His eyes rested on the translucent screen before him, and with a more serious gaze, he decided to scroll to seek the answers he had long been searching for: why had he been reborn in this world? Why did he possess the [Fate Gacha] ability? Trusting his heart, he used [Telos Karma] to obtain the answers to these questions.
…!
To his surprise, that scroll consumed exactly one hundred of the two hundred and seventy Saint Quartz available, a high price that left him momentarily in shock. His heart raced, tension taking over as he awaited the verdict of that risky bet.
Before he could even formulate a question, a sharp, subtle sound echoed in his ears, a "ping" that announced something important.
Then, before his eyes, a notification appeared:
[Congratulations to the user for restraining the insatiable desire to use their rolls and reaching one hundred! And even more, congratulations for the desire to uncover the mysteries surrounding your reincarnation. The requirements to know "the truth" have been met…]
[The user has acquired "The Crystallized Truth."]
Those words hung in the air, heavy and full of meaning. It was as if an invisible door, guarded by countless secrets, had finally opened before him. The name of the prize left no doubts: now, he was about to face a truth that could change everything…
A mix of apprehension and determination formed in his chest.
Instantly, a translucent crystal, shining like a fragment of a star, appeared resting in his open palm. The soft light emanating from it seemed to pulse in rhythm with his racing heart.
An almost ironic smile escaped his lips, and he murmured to himself, with a lightness bordering on disbelief:
"I bet 'the truth' won't be anything simple… But at least, it'll be crystal clear."
No sooner had he finished the sentence than the crystal began to vibrate and, in an instant, shattered into hundreds of tiny fragments, like a contained explosion of golden light. That shimmering energy condensed into a single beam that shot toward his forehead.
The impact was like an electric shock that coursed through his mind, and Kazuya felt a wave of knowledge and images flood his senses, as if a curtain had been torn from his existence.
He remembered everything…
At the end of the Lostbelts, he had reached the limit of what a human could endure. After countless battles, betrayals, farewells, and the certainty that his body no longer obeyed as well as it once did, he faced the final obstacle: ORT. The final confrontation was not a glorious victory but an inevitable sacrifice. In the decisive moment, when death advanced like an inescapable embrace, he saw all his Servants around him as he slowly faded away…
Before, this memory had been somewhat blurry, but now it was entirely clear in his mind.
After bidding farewell to Mashu and being taken by the embrace of death, his vision was consumed by a spiral. It wasn't something that could be described with simple words. Then, a blinding yellow light filled his entire field of vision. And then, without warning, his consciousness faded.
When he awoke, he was no longer in Chaldea but in a familiar hospital, seeing the sweaty face of a woman who held him in her arms… Wait! He had been reborn into what he always believed was his first life?! The shock left his mind numb…
Now everything made sense…
His passion for the Nasuverse bordered on the unusual, especially because he had found in it an unexpected refuge in creating modifications for an electronic game. A game that, in a strangely precise way, seemed to narrate his past life as Chaldea's Master.
But that wasn't all.
He created modifications that told stories never seen in the "official material" of that reality. He always wondered where the ideas that came to his mind—so vivid—came from, but he always did his best to create them and valued them greatly…
And then, he died…
He was reborn in this world and lived here while his mind was slowly prepared to awaken the memories of his two past lives, thanks to the power of the 'Fate Gacha.' When he turned seventeen and returned to Japan, all the memories finally came flooding back at once.
His unique ability not only preserved all the memories of his previous life, making him believe he had been reborn at that exact moment, but also revealed, disguised among the "prizes" of this gift, the complete memories of his existence as Ritsuka Fujimaru.
As for the origin of his unique ability, it could be considered a kind of Pseudo-Noble Phantasm. When he died as Ritsuka Fujimaru, somehow, he acquired a "Crystallized Concept," the essence of his existence as a hero who saved humanity twice, and it became a 'miracle' when his soul crossed the [Root] and went to another world.
Later, upon coming into contact with the game Fate/Grand Order and dying while playing it, this miraculous concept mysteriously absorbed the material in the form of a cellphone and took the form of a [Fate Gacha].
The reason he considered it a Pseudo-Noble Phantasm was that Noble Phantasms are "crystallized mysteries," powerful weapons forged from human imagination, belonging to Heroic Spirits. They embody the supreme mysteries of a hero, symbolizing their existence through historical deeds and legends. They can manifest as physical weapons, such as swords, spears, and bows, or support items, like rings and crowns. They can also be abstract concepts: unique abilities, exclusive forms of attack, curses, or even alterations to the environment and the properties of matter.
He called it "Pseudo" because, although this unique ability had the same origin, it became a miracle when he crossed the [Root]…
To be more specific, thanks to all the conditions, his [Fate Gacha] granted unrestricted access to the [Root] itself, the primordial origin of the world, and with it, the power to permanently acquire anything in existence. His ability could be described as an "all-powerful wish-granting device," also being the source of all supernatural phenomena in the Nasuverse…
The reason his ability had a faint trace of consciousness was that it resembled the Third Personality of Shiki Ryougi, the Void, essentially an administrator of Akasha itself. Finding his addiction to Gacha distasteful, this consciousness imposed a limit: only by accumulating one hundred Saint Quartz would he be able to uncover the entire truth…
He blinked a few times, trying to absorb everything that had just been revealed. The immensity of that truth overwhelmed his mind, as if an ocean had opened within him, flooding every corner of his consciousness. The weight of existence, of rebirth, of intertwined fate, everything made sense now and, at the same time, seemed cruelly too heavy for a single being to bear.
His eyes, shining with a mix of disbelief and acceptance, began to fill with tears…
These tears were not a sign of weakness but the reflection of a profound realization, the definitive understanding of his own purpose, even if it came with overwhelming loneliness. The part of him that had always rejected the wonderful life he had lived as Chaldea's Master dissipated like leaves carried by the wind. Gone, too, was the guilt he had always carried deep down for believing he had manipulated all his Servants and allies to gain their friendship, become their lover, or even hold him in such high regard…
He clenched his fist against his chest, feeling the racing rhythm of his heart, which seemed to want to both explode and calm down. Each fragment of that revelation made him more aware that his existence was not by chance and gave him greater certainty of who he truly was…
A feeling he hadn't felt in a long time…
"So… all of this… is real," he murmured to himself…
Kazuya remained there, motionless, for long minutes after wiping his tears.
The sound of his own heart was all he could hear, drowning out any noise around him. The avalanche of memories and the suffocating weight of finally understanding his existence… everything blended into a chaotic whirlwind that threatened to engulf his sanity.
Gradually, however, his breathing began to slow.
The knot in his throat eased, and the pressure in his chest melted away like ice under the sun.
He closed his eyes for a moment and let his mind settle. When he opened them again, a cold focus replaced the previous turmoil.
He let out a slow sigh.
If that ability was truly an "all-powerful device" connected to the very origin of everything… and if he now knew the whole truth, there was no point in standing still. A gentle, kind smile appeared on his lips; if his Servants were there, they would recognize that smile as one of the pure smiles their Master used to give in his time at Chaldea…
A slight smile curved his lips, filled with determination.
"Alright… let's see what else you have for me…"
With a simple mental command, the [Fate Gacha] activated again, and he also pushed the [Probability Manipulation] of his [Telos Karma] to its maximum limit. Every possibility, every invisible thread of fate, was carefully aligned so that the result was exactly what he desired: the other true magics.
He chose four rolls, exactly.
A golden flash exploded before his eyes. It wasn't an ordinary light, but the intense projection of his summoning interface, vibrating in the air.
[Congratulations! You have received the "First Magic – Denial of Nothingness."]
[Congratulations! You have received the "Second Magic – Operation of Parallel Worlds."]
[Congratulations! You have received the "Fourth Magic – Black Hole."]
[Congratulations! You have received the "Fifth Magic – Blue Magic."]
Without hesitation, he clicked on fusion, feeling his mind being pulled into a familiar spiral, the same sensation as the first time he received a true magic. Time seemed to stretch, as if that compressed eternity held all the weight of transformation.
When he came to, a slight smile appeared on his lips.
Each of the Five True Magics carried absurd power. The First violated the law of energy equivalence, allowing the creation of anything from nothing; the Second opened portals to infinite parallel worlds, enabling travel between alternate realities; the Third, which he already mastered, manipulated souls and granted the power of resurrection; the Fourth expanded his perception, processing the exact moment and place of every atom in the universe, revealing their past and future values; and the Fifth commanded time, with abilities like event manipulation and BFR.
Kazuya felt a certain growing excitement to use these magics, but first, he had to use the rest of his chances.
After a few minutes reflecting on what he truly wanted, he decided to use a little over half, about thirty, of the remaining fifty-two rolls on things he had always found interesting and desired to have. The rest he would reserve for summoning his old companions.
Without hesitation, he gave the mental command.
In an instant, ninety of the remaining Saint Quartz he had disappeared.
A loud ping rang in his ears before his vision filled with notifications.
[Congratulations to the User for receiving "Reality Marble: Tatari"!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving "Potnia Theron"!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving "Domina Coronan"!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Sword of the End, Enki"!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Gate of Babylon"!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Divine Core of the Olympian Gods"!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of Lightning" of Zeus!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of Love" of Aphrodite!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of the Earth" of Demeter!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of Water" of Poseidon!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of Atoms" of Hades!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of the Sun" of Apollo!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of the Forge" of Hephaestus!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of the Moon" of Artemis!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of Victory" of Athena!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of Fire" of Surtr!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of Fenrir" of Surtr!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Noble Phantasm: Loptr Laegjarn: The Sword of Flames that Shines Brighter than the Sun" of Surtr!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Noble Phantasm: Lævateinn: The Sword Like the Sun that Causes Calamities" of Surtr!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Branch Destruction" of Surtr!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Wind of Niflheimr" of Surtr!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of Brahma" of Arjuna Alter!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of Vishnu/Krishna" of Arjuna Alter!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of Shiva" of Arjuna Alter!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of Vāyu" of Arjuna Alter!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of Sūrya" of Arjuna Alter!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Authority of Saraswatī" of Arjuna Alter!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Servant Experience Card of the Pretender Class, Oberon"!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Servant Experience Card of the Grand Assassin, King Hassan"!]
[Congratulations to the User for receiving the "Servant Experience Card of the Lancer Class, Romulus"!]
He obviously aimed for the Authorities because he had always found them incredibly powerful since they were introduced. Authorities are special powers distinct from Code Casts, Noble Phantasms, and Skills, as they achieve results simply because the user has the right to do so, rather than relying on some logical process or principle. Authorities are world-building-level powers and can include abilities like event manipulation, time manipulation, causality manipulation, manipulation of the concepts they embody, kingdom construction, and other powers at that level. The Gods originally used their Authorities during the Age of Gods to shape the world, build kingdoms, and advance civilization.
The 'Divine Core of the Olympian Gods' was more of a test to see if he could obtain the Divinity of the Machine Gods, which he remembered struggling to face.
BB's abilities and the Reality Marble were a must-have to become truly powerful. Of course, not to mention Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon and Enki, which he always thought were insanely awesome!
As for Surtr's Noble Phantasms, his abilities, and the Experience Cards of the three Servants at the end, he chose them because he always thought King Hassan, Oberon, and even Romulus were awesome.
Kazuya didn't waste time.
With a simple and precise mental command, he selected "fusion"…
The world around him seemed to fall completely silent; he couldn't even hear the sound of his own heart anymore. Then, the Authorities, the Noble Phantasms, and the legendary existences of King Hassan, Oberon, and Romulus crashed onto his soul like a cosmic avalanche.
The weight on his mind was so immense that he was forced to step away from the summoning interface and sit in the wide sill of the closed window. The cold glass against his back did little to ease the sensation of burning from within.
Five minutes passed.
When he finally absorbed everything, a sigh of relief escaped his lips.
"…That was intense!" he murmured to himself, before opening the transparent summoning screen again.
Now it was time to summon his Servants…
He admitted he was anxious…
Finally, to be able to meet Mashu again!
_________________________
📜 Writer's Notice – Balance? Never heard of it.
So, folks… remember that fragile concept called "narrative balance"? Yeah… it went straight to hell the moment the origin of the Fate Gacha was revealed. I hope it's crystal clear to you all how it was created, because there's no turning back now.
And about [Telos Karma]… well, when you have an ability that manipulates probabilities to an absurd level, it's practically impossible not to end up with a truckload of insane stuff. I swear I tried to hold back and focus only on: a few Authorities, some basic Noble Phantasms (light stuff), a Reality Marble here, some slick Skills there… and obviously the Experience Cards. Later, I'll have to make a detailed profile with all of this — and yes, I'm already crying in advance. 😭
But hold up! Don't worry thinking the story's gonna get boring, because, honestly, for me, the story only truly starts now. Everything up to this point was just the warm-up — I was cooking you guys slowly. In the next chapters, we'll explore the life that turned our "pure" Ritsuka Fujimaru (Ryougi Kazuya) into the creature you know today, but from the perspective of the Servants. And then comes the fun part: I have 22 slots (not counting double summons) for Servants. I'm even thinking about bringing in some who don't remember him as their Master, some Servants introduced in the Ordeal Calls, just to spice up the plot. This arc will wrap up most of the conflicts with various factions, and in the final arc, it'll be time for the Ex Gods to shine — after that, off we go to other worlds. Not just Tensura, but also Masadaverse and, who knows, maybe DC, Marvel, or any other universe you guys suggest.
So, what do you think?
Which Servant do you want to see summoned first?
Mashu's pretty much a lock… 👀
Also, if you want to read up to 15 advanced chapters of the story and support the project, check out my Patreon:
My Patreon: patreon.com/Adam_Kadmon
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Thank you so much for your support, and see you in the next chapter!