Fate/ I Am Humanity Last Hope!?

It was a spring morning, and several students were passing through the school gates. Some were excited about the start of classes, while others looked sleepy. Various noises could be heard, like chatter, laughter, bicycles, footsteps, and the hustle and bustle... And amidst all this chaos stood a young girl with a bright smile in front of the gate.

The light spring breeze blew, making her shoulder-length red hair, tied in a side ponytail on the left with a usually yellow headband, and a swirl dance. Her light orange eyes sparkled as she walked confidently towards the beginning of her new journey, her first year at the college of her dreams.

Or at least, that was what was going on inside her sleepy mind.

Sunlight streamed through the curtain's gaps and partially illuminated the young girl's room. The alarm clock rang, but the morning laziness kept her from getting out of bed.

"Just five more minutes..." she said, rolling to the opposite side while reaching her arm toward the dresser, searching for the beeping noise that was preventing her from resting.

She turned off the alarm and curled back up in her blankets. Normally, the girl would wake up earlier, but she had been so excited about her first day of high school at her new school that it took her too long to fall asleep. After a while, she heard knocking at the door.

"Gudako! Are you awake?"

A grunt escaped her lips.

"Come on, get up! You're going to be late for your first day of school!"

As soon as she heard those words, Gudako immediately opened her eyes. Realizing that her clock read 7:40 AM, she quickly got out of bed.

"Oh no!"

Her red hair was a mess, with some strands falling in front of her face, and her light orange eyes didn't have that bright spark; instead, they showed the tired look of someone who had just woken up.

Ritsuka Fujimaru began to get ready at an impressive speed, considering she had left her room as if she'd taken time to prepare calmly. Within minutes, she managed her morning hygiene, put on her uniform, accessorized, and brushed her long hair.

When she left her room, she looked like a different person. A beautiful girl in a rush to get to school.

She dashed down the stairs and ran into the kitchen, where she grabbed a piece of toast from the table and hurried out.

"Good luck on your first day, Gudako-chan! Be careful!"

"I'm on my way, Mom!"

And off Ritsuka Fujimaru went, showing that typical scene often seen in mangas: a girl running with a slice of toast in her mouth. Suddenly, she saw someone turning the corner and, luckily, managed to stop before colliding with them.

"Ah! I-I'm so sorry, sir!"

In front of her stood an older man with white hair and a somewhat eloquent appearance, a strong jawline, and a sharp gaze. He wore strange clothes that someone at a cosplay event would typically wear. He was impeccably dressed and exuded a hint of lavender perfume, which, although not very strong, marked the presence of its wearer.

"Don't worry about it; you didn't even hit me," the man said with a smile on his face.

Ritsuka returned the smile, bowed, and continued to run.

Watching her disappear from his sight, the mysterious man let out a light laugh, lightly tapping his cane with his fingers. "She seemed like someone really fun..." he thought.

For a moment, his figure became elusive and disappeared with the wind the next second.

Ritsuka had no idea about this bizarre event; she hurried to her school.

Upon arriving in front of the school, she, having finished her breakfast in time, found the gate still open with some students arriving. But not as many as in her dream, especially since there were only a few minutes left before the entrance ceremony began. Her smile also resembled more of a desperate look to avoid being late than a confident one, as in her fantasies.

Even with the scarcity of time, Ritsuka couldn't help but stop and admire the pink trees blooming at the school's entrance.

It was the start of the new school year at Ikusei College, meaning it was the peak of spring when cherry blossoms bloomed, showering countless petals into the air.

Ritsuka calmed herself from her rush and walked slowly while enjoying the flower petals swirling around her. Fortunately, the little time she had left was still enough to savor this moment. But...

"Ritsuka-chan!"

"Eh?"

She looked to the side and saw a familiar face. Someone who had bothered her a lot during middle school and high school, but with whom she had spent great years during that time.

"Long time no see."

"C-Chika-chan?"

"It's me! I haven't seen you since you moved during middle school."

Chika exclaimed while striking her typical introduction pose.

"What a surprise! I'm happy we ran into each other."

It was indeed a pleasant surprise to meet up in this place, but she couldn't help but wonder one thing, and it seemed Chika was thinking the same.

"But what about you? Are you studying at Ikusei too?? What's your course?"

"Ah..." Ritsuka looked herself up and down, "I guess so... If not, my dad bought the wrong uniform, and that would be a tremendous embarrassment. I'm going to major in business administration..."

"Yay!! We'll be taking the same course; we're classmates again!"

She cheered in celebration of this information, raising her arms high. Shortly after, Chika rushed towards Ritsuka and gave her a warm hug.

Ritsuka gladly accepted the hug, a bit shocked by the sudden gesture, and then wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders while giving her light pats on the back, wearing a goofy smile in the process. Apparently, her friend hadn't noticed what she had said, and she decided not to say anything about it.

It had been a few months since they parted ways. It was a sad moment in both of their memories, but it had just been overwritten by their happy reunion. They then walked together towards the school gym, where the opening ceremony would take place, chatting along the way.

"Tell me, tell me. What happened during these months?"

"Eh... Nothing too interesting, though..."

The months Ritsuka spent away from Chika were quite monotonous, in fact. She didn't have the company of her cheerful and energetic friend, so there wasn't much to do. She also didn't have enough time to form new friendships, as most of her peers her age, just like her, were focused on exams to get into a good college.

"But what about you? Did you meet any guys...?"

"Well, of course... There were several boys in my prep class for college admission..." Ritsuka said, tilting her head in doubt about the context of the question.

"That's not what I'm talking about~"

"Eh? What do you mean...?"

"You know, hehe~"

Her insistence didn't seem like it would end anytime soon. Her gaze at Ritsuka had a hint of mischief. Even after a period apart from her friend, Chika knew she was still very easy to read.

Ritsuka tilted her head, still not understanding what her friend meant. She tried to process the meaning behind her words, and after a while, her face instantly turned a shade of red.

"E-eh?! N-no! None of that!"

"Are you sure~...?"

"Y-yes!"

With a determination and iron mindset, Chika tried to extract sensitive information from her friend to make up for the two lost years. Especially considering they were passing by various boys on their way to the gym. Chika enjoyed a bit of drama, so seeing her friend so flustered was indeed very cute.

They continued walking to the gym, just chatting away.

After the whole ceremony, the two went to check the registration board containing the classrooms. Although they were both taking the same courses, Ikusei was a large college that had separate classrooms even for students taking the same course, but by luck or fate, they ended up together.

"Yay! I was really worried thinking we might be separated again... Ritsu-chi."

"'Ritsu-chi'...? Well, whatever, I'm also glad we're together this year. I'm counting on you."

"The same goes for you!"

Chika seemed to shine with a smile on her face, and as if it were contagious, Ritsuka also broke into a wide smile at her friend. Thus, they proceeded to their classroom.

When they arrived in the classroom, astonishingly, there was an air conditioner. The refreshing atmosphere became even more pronounced as they entered the room.

"Alright, everyone, take your seats!"

A woman entered the classroom; she was elegant and charming, with long brown hair cascading in soft curls over her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep blue, expressing both wisdom and compassion. She had an upright and confident posture, dressed in formal clothing with a touch of her own style. This was the Mathematics teacher, Takahashi-sensei.

With her words, everyone immediately sat down, placing their belongings on the desk as she introduced herself to the class.

"Alright, class. Welcome to Ikusei College and the business course. My name is Hanabi Takahashi, and I am your Mathematics teacher and the teacher responsible for this class. I hope we all get along well this year... Any questions?"

Observing the sudden opportunity to delay class, Chika raised her hand excitedly to ask.

"Teacher, are you single?"

Takahashi-sensei immediately looked at Chika.

"For you? Definitely not... But if I meet a handsome and kind gentleman, then the answer would definitely be yes."

Everyone in the room started to laugh. That teacher definitely seemed like a cool and fun teacher that everyone would get along with.

Ritsuka realized it would be a good year, unlike the previous years of high school when all the teachers were boring and strict.

Soon after the teacher's introduction, it was time for the students. Before the teacher even asked who would go first, Chika raised her hand, looking eager to introduce herself.

"Nice to meet you all, my name is Chika Yamada! I love hanging out with my friends, shopping, playing video games, reading manga, and having sleepovers. When it comes to sports, I really enjoy beach volleyball, but I also love basketball. Last year I was in the art club because—"

"Okay, okay... That's enough. She's quite enthusiastic... Next?"

She seemed annoyed in a good way, as if she was just bothered by her rambling on forever. The other students also appeared a bit embarrassed by the chatter, which was worthy of a 'normie.'

"Hehe~ sorry..."

Fiddling with her hair, a bit red in the face and with a smirk, she sat down and quieted down.

Many times, an introduction is what gives you the first impression in the classroom. Generally, the content of what is said is just a portion of what is being conveyed. The way you speak, the level of enthusiasm, how much you talk about yourself, among others, are attributes that demonstrate your personality.

Apparently, Chika was able to show the others who she was through her animated and endless chatter. Her classmates noticed this and let out soft, relaxed laughs.

This show of introductions continued for a while, until only a few students were left. Ritsuka raised her arm, and with permission granted, began her introduction.

"Good morning everyone, my name is Ritsuka Fujimaru. I like reading and eating donuts, and I'm not very good at sports. I'm counting on all of you!"

After her introduction, the girl seemed a bit shy. The class cheerfully applauded, just like they had for everyone else. Still standing, looking around the room, she felt somewhat comfortable. - It seems like a very nice class. - she thought relaxed.

As always, she was used to moving frequently for various reasons. Her father was one of the leading researchers in a bioscience program with an extremely high salary. Her mother was an ordinary lawyer. Her life should have been great since she was born into a wealthy family, but unfortunately, she didn't have all that luck. Because of her parents' work, she moved several times during her childhood and adolescence. That's why she never cared much about forming bonds with the people around her, to the point that Chika could be considered a rare specimen in her life. However, for the first time, she noticed something different, as if she belonged to that place in some way, even without fully understanding what it was. With all this in mind, she sat down at her desk and waited for the rest of the class to finish their introductions.

She wanted to try to change her life a bit now in college; that's what this emotion caused, she didn't want to be so lonely anymore...

As she had been in her childhood...

Luckily!

Luckily, she had her books and the internet.

Books and the internet gave her a "mental world" that allowed her to avoid the fate of having a twisted personality. Through books and the internet, she voraciously acquired knowledge about the world, and her heart slowly grew, making her more rational in the way she viewed the world.

She was pulled from her reflections when the teacher started explaining the subject that would be covered in the first semester.

The class continued without issues; the school was normal, and she made friends just like any collegiate student with a slight social skill would. When everything was done, she returned home with Chika, the two parted ways as usual, and everything proceeded normally that day.

When she returned home, she immediately went to her room and opened her laptop, ready to play her favorite game as always. Then, she put on her headphones and immersed herself in her "little world," but just as she was about to click on the game, a strange advertisement message popped up in the Google search bar.

"Want to discover the truth of the world? Do you want to prevent the extinction of the human race?"

Ritsuka felt a bit lost. An indescribable force drew her to click the "YES" button. She made her choice and then shrugged, seeing that nothing happened. She played a bit more on her computer before starting to feel restless—taking a shower and putting on pajamas, she lay down in her bed and slowly fell asleep.

Anxious for her life in college.

But fate had different plans.

... ...

Ritsuka heard a voice calling from afar, waking her from her light sleep. At first, she didn't understand more than a few disjointed sounds—she wasn't fully awake yet to comprehend.

"Senpai..."

The second time was different.

"Senpai..." The voice sounded insecure, then corrected herself: "Master, please wake up, if you don't wake up, I will kill you..."

Her bright orange eyes lit up with the smoky environment and the smell of burning. As soon as she opened her eyes and contemplated the surroundings for less than a second, shock filled her heart. What was happening?

Flashes of recent memories came to her mind. How she woke up at Chaldea with no idea how she got there, how it was briefly explained that she would be part of a team responsible for saving the world, and some basic notions of how the Moonlit World worked. Confusion was the only thing she could make of it all, then she was thrown into a battle simulation as a Master, and after coming out of it, she went to an orientation where she was reprimanded for being sleepy. There was an explosion, Mashu being crushed by debris, a mysterious and handsome Senior who helped the two, and then everything seemed like a canvas smudged with dark paint...

When she remembered everything, she looked with relief toward Mashu, feeling a bit confused by the whole situation—especially upon seeing what the girl in front of her was wearing.

Originally, her design was quite beautiful, pleasant, and somewhat simple. Even though she was part of the Chaldea team, she did not wear a conventional uniform; instead, she had a black dress with a red tie featuring the organization's symbol, black tights with brown boots, and a white-gray jacket paired with glasses. But now her appearance had drastically changed; she wore a black chainmail with purple details in the form of a swimsuit and black armor on top, which accentuated her figure with a good physical build, having well-defined curves for a young girl her age.

Her eyes then fixated on the lifeless city burning around her before shifting her attention back to the girl and speaking: "Mashu, is that really you? What is happening? Where are we?" She paused to catch her breath. Then she added: "And why are you wearing that kind of outfit?..."