Fate/Outer Code: Another Order

Singularity F (III): Singular Point

Coupled with that smile that just refused to leave his face no matter what, the Master felt... off.

(Y/N): My, I didn't realize that such a beautiful face like mine could give you the creeps, missy. Is there anything wrong with a guy just having fun?

He did not help himself with that remark, seemingly reading her thoughts while his smile became a tad bit wider. Looking anywhere but those eyes of his seemed like the best course of action at that moment.

Olga: ...Hmph. Who do you think I am? I'll be just fine. Just stop throwing yourself into danger and make us pay the price for it. That's an order.

(Y/N): Hmm... Sure thing!

Of course, with his track record (or lack thereof) in following orders, she was skeptical about his sudden obedience. She gave Mash a discreet look to keep her Master at bay for the upcoming battle.

Cu: All that aside, you need to steel yourselves for Saber. Once again, she won't be like the other corrupted Servants. One swing of Excalibur could level an entire squadron, let alone a single person.

(Y/N) hummed at this information, wondering how much stronger would Saber be if she had an unlimited mana source. He never had a full-on fight with her aside from that one distraction almost 20 years ago.

Mash: I still can't believe the enemy is King Arthur... I mean, this is King Arthur we're talking about. I just can't see such a chivalric hero become a villain...

Romani: There's no surefire way to be certain of that.'Hero' means something different now than it did back then. You can't hold the figures of old to the standards that we carry these days.

(Y/N): That's cancel culture and social media for you. 

Mash: I-I know that... But even so, King Arthur is virtuous even today. He-I mean, she worked tirelessly to provide for her kingdom and protect it from all enemies. She embodied everything people admired about knights, and some even said she was the perfect king.

Cu: Yet Camelot still fell.

The Caster's blunt remark drew a flinch from Mash. The Shielder was an earnest girl who admired the heroes she had read about in stories, so it was rattling to see her come to terms with the brutal reality.

Cu: Look, I never became a king myself, but I've known my fair share, including my uncle Fergus. It's not an easy job, by any means. You've got the pressure of an entire kingdom, every single life within your walls watching your every move and expecting the world of you. It's like they say. 'Heavy is the head that wears the crown.' So imagine how heavy the crown of the perfect king would be. If you screw up just once, even a little, it all comes crashing down. Lo and behold, things inevitably reached a breaking point.

Mash was left staring wide-eyed at Cu Chulainn, slowly realizing just how grim the situation surrounding the King of Knights had been. He watched her digest the horror he described and then asked his final question.

Cu: Can you look me in the eye and tell me that, if it had been you in that situation, you wouldn't end up becoming something you thought you wouldn't? That you wouldn't end up going down a path you'd consider 'villainous'?

Mash didn't voice any response, instead simply looking sadly to the ground again. Meanwhile, (Y/N) had a wildly different reaction, what with his smile becoming a tad bit wider than usual as he casually spoke.

(Y/N): Hot take: I say "good riddance"! If something as complex and wide as an entire nation can crumble by losing a single individual, then it was never a stable one. By all means, it should have been destroyed sooner and save everyone else the trouble of dealing with the fallout.