Fate/Eclipsed Stars (Project Moon/Fate Grand Order)

The flames of Fuyuki burned at the night sky, casting an orange glow that illuminated the ruined city. Buildings stood as skeletal remnants of their former selves, their shadows stretching across the cracked streets. Ritsuka watch through the ruined city, glancing nervously at Mash, who walked beside them with her shield at the ready.

Trailing a few paces behind them was the newest addition to their party, summoned from Mash's shield in a burst of light. Angela. Her golden eyes shone with cold intensity, scanning the burning horizon as if searching for something—or someone.

Ritsuka slowed their pace and turned to Angela. "Um, Angela, right? I know this situation is a bit... intense. But, welcome to the team. We're—"

Angela cut them off, her voice sharp and clipped. "Your explanation is unnecessary. I've already pieced together the basics."

Ritsuka blinked, momentarily taken aback. "O-Oh, okay. Well, I just thought—"

"You thought I would be curious? That I would cling to you for answers, like a lost child?" Angela's tone softened, but only slightly. "I am neither dependent nor inexperienced. Save your breath for someone who needs it."

Mash frowned slightly but kept her voice calm. "Angela, we're all on the same side here. If we're going to make it through this, we need to work together."

Angela's gaze shifted to Mash, her expression unreadable. "Unity is an admirable goal, but misplaced trust is the downfall of the weak. I will assist you only as much as necessary to achieve my freedom."

Mash bit her lip, exchanging a worried glance with Ritsuka.

The group trudged forward, the oppressive heat of the fires around them weighing heavily on their shoulders. Angela's mechanical movements contrasted starkly with the more natural motions of her companions. Her presence felt almost alien, a cold efficiency amidst the chaos of Fuyuki.

Suddenly, a ripple of knowledge surged through Angela's mind. She froze, her breath catching for the briefest of moments. The mechanics of the Holy Grail War, the rules of Servants, and the weight of her own classification—Caster—etched themselves into her consciousness as if someone had forcibly uploaded knowledge into her core. Her eyes flared with realization, but the newfound knowledge only seemed to sharpen her disdain.

"A war? For a wish?" Angela whispered to herself. Her tone then hardened. "How utterly absurd."

Angela stopped in her tracks, her hand instinctively reaching for her head.

Mash noticed her hesitation. "Angela? Are you okay?"

Angela didn't respond immediately, her mind processing the influx of information.

"So that's how it is," Angela muttered to herself, understanding the new information. Her voice cold and distant.

Ritsuka stepped closer. "What do you mean? What's wrong?"

Angela turned to face them, her gaze piercing. "I've been assigned a class in this so-called class system. A 'Servant,' bound by a system that reduces individuals to mere tools. And my designation…" She paused, her voice tinged with disdain. "Caster. How fitting."

Mash tilted her head, curious. "Caster? That makes sense, considering your abilities. But is something bothering you about it?"

Angela let out a humorless chuckle. "Bothering me? Let's just say I have a long history of being bound to roles I did not choose. And this 'Caster' designation is just another cage to add to the collection."

Ritsuka hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "Angela, I know this isn't ideal, but we're in this together. Maybe we can—"

"Spare me your optimism," Angela snapped, her voice like ice. "It won't change the reality of this situation."

Mash placed a hand on Ritsuka's shoulder, offering silent support as they continued their journey.

The air grew heavier as they ventured deeper into the ruined city. The shadows danced and twisted with an unnatural rhythm, the heat of the fires mingling with an otherworldly chill.

Angela's sharp gaze swept across the landscape, her mind calculating probabilities and potential threats. She could feel the dread in the distance, a beacon of danger hidden within the ruins.

"This place…" Angela murmured, her voice low. "It's saturated with malice. The dead cling to it like a disease."

Mash gripped her shield tighter. "Malice? Do you mean the flames?"

Angela shook her head. "No. Something more insidious. Be on guard."

Ritsuka nodded, their nerves on edge. The group pressed forward, the oppressive silence broken only by the crackling of flames and the occasional groan of collapsing structures.

Then, without warning, the shadows began to move. Out of the smoldering ash and flickering light emerged skeletal figures, their hollow eyes glowing with a sickly green light. They dragged rusted weapons across the ground, their bones clattering with each step.

Angela's eyes narrowed, her mechanical hand flexing instinctively. "It seems this city's malice has taken form."

Ritsuka swallowed hard, their hand trembling as they reached for a command spell. "Angela, Mash, get ready!"

Mash raised her shield, her stance firm. "Understood, Senpai!"

Angela stepped forward, her presence commanding despite the danger. She opened her book-like artifact, its pages fluttering as lines of glowing script began to form.

"Do not falter," Angela said, her voice steady and cold. "This is merely the first chapter of our struggle. Let us ensure it is not the last."

The skeletal horde surged forward, their eerie cries echoing through the burning city. The battle was about to begin.

The oppressive air of the burning city was thick with smoke and ash. Skeletal soldiers clattered forward, their hollow eye sockets glowing with a faint, malevolent light. Angela's golden eyes remained fixed on the advancing horde. Calm, calculating. Without breaking her stride, she opened her book, the familiar glow of light spilling out like tendrils of energy.

"Stand back," Angela ordered, her tone sharp and absolute.

Mash hesitated, her shield raised protectively, but Ritsuka gently tapped her arm, signaling her to comply. They took a step back, watching Angela as the light coalesced into something new.

A faint ripple of energy emanated from the book, and the form of "One Sin and Hundreds of Good Deeds" emerged. A skull-like figure formed of brittle, fragmented light hovered above Angela's hand, its jagged edges glinting like fractured glass. The entity's hollow eyes seemed to peer into the abyss, and its faint aura gave off an overwhelming sense of regret and judgment.

Angela reached toward the skull-like apparition, pulling from it a weapon. Her hand grasped the hilt of a thorned club—a grotesque, bone-like weapon studded with jagged thorn and pulsating faintly with the same ethereal light. Angela gave the weapon a testing swing, the weight of it effortless in her grasp.

The skeletal warriors lunged at her all at once, their rusted weapons raised in crude arcs. Angela stepped forward with mechanical precision, swinging the thorned club in a wide arc. The weapon connected with the first skeleton, its spiked surface crashing against brittle bone. The creature shattered on impact, its remains dissolving into ash before they hit the ground.

Another skeleton rushed forward, and Angela pivoted smoothly, the club coming down in a brutal overhead strike. The thorned spikes punctured through its skull, lodging the club momentarily. Angela yanked it free with a sharp, efficient motion, sending fragments of bone scattering.

Ritsuka winced at the violence but couldn't look away. "Is she… enjoying this?" he muttered under his breath.

Mash, her shield still raised, replied hesitantly, "I… don't think so. She looks too detached. It's like she's just going through the motions."

Another wave of skeletons charged, and Angela's movements became a blur. Her strikes were methodical, each swing of the thorned club shattering another foe with terrifying efficiency. One skeleton managed to get close, its rusted blade slicing through the air toward her. Angela caught the blow with the club's shaft, twisting sharply to disarm her opponent before delivering a crushing blow to its ribcage.

The skeletal warriors' numbers began to dwindle, but Angela showed no sign of slowing. With each strike, the light of "One Sin and Hundreds of Good Deeds" seemed to pulse and glow brightly, as though feeding on the destruction. Her movements remained cold and precise, her expression betraying no hint of exertion or emotion.

At last, the skeletal horde fall, their numbers reduced to scattered remnants. Angela lowered the club, the light fading as she released it back into the pages of her book. The spectral skull that had floated beside her flickered once before vanishing entirely.

"Is this the extent of what this war has to offer?" Angela asked, her voice sharp and unimpressed. She turned to Ritsuka and Mash, her gaze piercing. "If so, you may not need me for long."

Ritsuka stepped forward hesitantly. "Angela, was that… magic?"

Angela's gaze met his, sharp and distant. "Magic? No. It is the light—an essence far more potent and absolute than your limited human understanding could comprehend. And it would be wise not to question it further."

Mash lowered her shield, panting slightly as she glanced around. "That… should be the last of them. Are you alright, Senpai?"

Ritsuka nodded, though his gaze lingered on Angela. "I'm fine. Angela did most of the work. Honestly, I'm not sure if that's impressive or terrifying."

Angela, holding the faintly glowing book in her hands, turned to face them. "Idle talk will not aid us in uncovering the purpose of this war. If the enemies here are so pitiful, I suggest we move forward quickly before something stronger appears."

Her words were as sharp as her actions, leaving no room for rebuttal. Yet, before anyone could respond, a sharp cry echoed through the air, cutting through the oppressive heat and smoke.

"HELP! Someone, please—HELP ME!"

Ritsuka's eyes widened. "That voice…!"

Mash's expression turned serious. "It's coming from ahead! It's the Director voice!"

Angela tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. Without a word, she stepped forward, her heels clicking softly against the cracked pavement. The light from her book shimmered faintly as though responding to her resolve.

The trio hurried toward the source of the voice, weaving through the smoldering ruins of Fuyuki. As they approached, the sound of heavy impacts and shattering debris became clearer, accompanied by a figure darting frantically between the remnants of buildings.

The figure—a young woman with long, white-blonde hair and a sharp, aristocratic demeanor—was dodging and firing gandr desperately as a towering shadow loomed over her. The shadow form of Medusa, her lithe serpentine grace twisted into a menacing form. Her weapon, a jagged blade on a chain, lashed out with deadly precision, carving through the rubble as the woman barely avoided each strike.

"Director!" Ritsuka shouted, recognizing the director of Chaldea.

The woman turned toward the sound of his voice, her face a mixture of relief and fury. "You!? What are you—NO, NEVER MIND! HELP ME, NOW!" she screamed as she dove behind a shattered wall, the blade of Medusa's weapon slamming into the ground where she had just stood.

Angela's gaze fixed on the shadowy form of Medusa. The corrupted Servant's eyes glowed faintly with malice, and the dark aura around her made it clear she was no ordinary opponent. Angela's lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible frown. "A corrupted Servant… how intriguing."

Mash stepped forward, raising her shield. "Senpai, we have to save her!"

Angela's cold voice cut through Mash's urgency. "Her life depends on whether we act with precision. Charging in recklessly will accomplish nothing." She opened her book, the faint light radiating outward once more. "Prepare yourselves."

Ritsuka clenched his fists, determination overcoming his hesitation. "Angela, Mash, let's go!"

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A/N: How did the fighting scene go? Is it good? So anyway because I'm going back to school I can't upload new chapter regulary but i try to keep up to 3 chapter per week.

Feel free to let me know what you think of how the stories are going and where it should go. I'm always eager to hear from you. Leave a powerstone or a comment to support me ;)