How I Saved History (Fate/Grand Order SI)

[Whenever Possible]

You see Flynn, you're not dealing with the average Enkidu anymore. That's right Chaldea, he has realized the legend. He has become the legendary Super Kingu!

Seriously, he overlooked the fact that Enkidu normally is a match for Gil in his prime. This Enkidu is powered by a grail. His only hope is Kingu going along with his bullshit (which seems to conveniently happen often enough) and not skewer him or his servants on the spot or Quetz lucha her way into the party mid plan. Speaking of, my guess first he'll use Shakespeare's Folio to traumatize him into shock then use Medea's Rule Breaker to gank the grail or some other magical fuckery to imprison him. How well that will work on Kingu is yet to be seen.

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While an absolute monster in combat against opponents mortal, divine, and bestial, Kingu is vulnerable to social-fu. If Shakespeare had a week of prep time knowing he was fighting Kingu, I could see him soloing this fight.

Truly, First Folio is a cruel phantasm

 

[EVA-Saiyajin]

Hmm, if Kingu inherited Enkidu's weaknesses and the aspects of his legend he could actually have a very critical weakness.

 

[Potates]

Kingu is vulnerable to social-fu.

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The flipside is that he might not go with social-fu and decide to use chain-impalement-fu...who are we kidding, he'll get cocky, gloat, and get caught.

 

[Whenever Possible]

The flipside is that he might not go with social-fu and decide to use chain-impalement-fu...who are we kidding, he'll get cocky, gloat, and get caught.

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He willingly went along with a plan that explicitly involved his own obsolescence.

This is a being with an amateur's understanding of warfare.

 

[EVA-Saiyajin]

Did Holmes have anything useful to report following his absence?

 

[Charles Flynn]

Did Holmes have anything useful to report following his absence?

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Not much, actually. He's still investigating Roman, and took the opportunity to interview two separate seers. He died in the Atlas Institute without Chaldea there to save him, and, as a result, he never got to TRISMEGISTUS.

 

[EVA-Saiyajin]

Not much, actually. He's still investigating Roman, and took the opportunity to interview two separate seers. He died in the Atlas Institute without Chaldea there to save him, and, as a result, he never got to TRISMEGISTUS.

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...what?

Investigating Roman? Seers in Babylonia, where only one city remains that's under the protection of Gilgamesh? Atlas? TRISMEGISTUS?

I thought he wandered off a few updates ago and Charles was lamenting how he'd been largely useless?

 

[Charles Flynn]

...what?

Investigating Roman? Seers in Babylonia, where only one city remains that's under the protection of Gilgamesh? Atlas? TRISMEGISTUS?

I thought he wandered off a few updates ago and Charles was lamenting how he'd been largely useless?

Click to shrink...

Holmes only became summonable after Shinjuku in canon, because the main version of him had finally wrapped up his investigation into the Incineration, and moved on to Chaldea.

This timeline's version of Holmes wasn't quite so lucky in his investigation, and died during the Camelot Singularity, which was why he was summoned by Chaldea.

However, his investigation into the Incineration hasn't ended yet, and he's extremely suspicious of Roman, which is why he's been playing the lone wolf ever since he was summoned.

On a separate note, Interlude: Kingu should be coming in some time between 11:30 and midnight.

 

[Charles Flynn]

I soar above the jungle, towards Quetzalcoatl's domain.

Gorgon might get into trouble without me around to look after her, but all the same, I can hardly stand back and let Chaldea live. There is, after all, the chance, however slight, that they could disrupt Mother's plans, and that cannot be allowed to come to pass.

My hostess looks startled when I land in front of her, before assuming a combat-ready stance and ordering her little charity cases to hide.

"Oh, relax, Quetzalcoatl," I say, waving my hand airily. "If you really thought that I didn't already know about this little… hobby of yours, then you're sadly mistaken. I'm well aware of your little… wrestling league, and this isn't about them."

"Then what is this about, Kingu?" she asks, shooing away some curious soldier that got too close with one hand. "I doubt it's a social call."

"Perhaps it is!" I offer with a smile. "After all, your sunny disposition never fails to brighten my day."

She glares at me, but I keep going. "And that energetic jaguar of yours never fails to amuse. Where is she, by the way? I was rather looking forward to her cat puns."

That was a bald-faced lie.

"I'm afraid she can't make it at the moment. Dreadfully busy, and all that." Quetzalcoatl doesn't let her iron control over her features slip as she looks me in the eye. I almost respect her for that.

"Really?" I keep a friendly smile on my face. "I'd be happy to help her with that. After all, even if we're all competing, we're aiming for the same goal, aren't we? We all want the humans dead, and the gods reigning supreme once more."

"Oh, absolutely," she assures me, not letting her affable mask slip as she lies through her teeth. "But Jaguar was very insistent about not needing any help. It'd hurt her pride if you went and tried to aid her."

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry to hear that I can't help." I smile, watching her relax ever-so-slightly, before I go in for the kill. "Although I've always thought that you work her a bit too hard. After all, she's so loyal, and eager to please! Really, I heard a rumor that she was killed by the Master of Chaldea. Wouldn't you be heartbroken if that had actually happened?"

"What do you want, Kingu?" she asks, her face hardening.

"I wish to hunt down and kill the forces of Chaldea."

"They're not here anymore," she says with a sigh. "They left after they killed Jaguarman."

"Really?" I lash out with one hand, and my chains pierce straight through the chest of the guard who was eavesdropping early, dragging him towards me before I crush his skull with one hand. The body dissolves into the telltale golden motes of a Servant. "Does that include him?"

She sighs. "Just go."

"A pleasure talking with you as always, Quetzalcoatl. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and deal with your vermin problem."

And then I'm off in the air again, ready to swat the flies of Chaldea.

It takes me nine minutes to reach the sniveling little cowards. They're waiting for me, out in the open. Their master, next to some sort of night in purple, and a bearded fellow in colorful finery. Easy pickings.

"First Folio."

What the Hell?

I'm not in the forest anymore.

Lacquered wooden planks lie below my feet, and a red curtain hangs before me.

The Master of Chaldea, Flynn, I think his name was, is standing about five feet away from me, looking at me expectantly.

I blink in confusion. What… what just happened?

He edges a bit closer to me, and then whispers, out of the side of his mouth, "Dude, it's your line."

I do the only rational thing and shoot a clay sword at his face. It hits, reducing his head to a bloody paste.

Right, all of this should fade any second now. With the Master dead, the Servants will start running out of mana, and-

"Are you okay?"

There he is, the Master of Chaldea, hale and hearty as ever, looking at me with genuine concern.

Right, right, everybody has the occasional off day, I know that. I shoot him again, and this time, I don't take my eyes off of-

"Look, Director, I think Enkidu's sick!"

SON OF A WHORE!

"Can we please send him to a doctor? I'm not sure what's going on with him, but…"

"No!"

I turn, and I see the bearded man, sitting in the front row the countless seats below this elevated wooden platform Flynn and I are on.

"I will not coddle a defective tool," the man says coldly. "Mary, this one's no good! Dispose of him like the rest!"

The floor drops away beneath me, and I find myself falling, at least until I land on something soft.

Seriously, WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?

I look down to see what I just landed on, and I freeze.

My own face stares back at me. Again, and again, and again. A thousand empty eyes stare sightlessly into the darkness, and a thousand broken bodies lie limp and lifeless. I stand atop a mountain of broken tools, left to rot in the silence beneath the stage.

Just like me.

---​

"Alright, welcome to the land of the living, Enkidu!" Flynn says, and I start. "Whoa, easy there, buddy. I get it, born less than a minute ago, but we've got a job to do!"

"I… did I die?" I can't stop staring at my hands. I'm here. I'm alive. As an afterthought, I shoot Flynn in the head. It doesn't stick, but it does shut him up for a second or two. I was… I was in the darkness, but now I'm here. Alive. Did I die down there? Or…

"Am I the replacement?"

"Um… yeah." Flynn scratches the back of his head, while I stare at him in silent irritation. "Look, I make no promises, the director's a total prima donna, but you can do just fine as long as you remember your lines. You've got this, Enkidu."

"My name is Kingu, I snap, giving him a glare.

"Right, getting into character already!" Flynn slaps me on the back. "You're gonna do great. Alright, script's on the table, and your cue is in another couple of minutes. Try not to miss it, you know how the Director is."

What is he even… ugh. Whatever. I look at the sheaf of paper he pointed to, out of curiosity alone, mind you, and I feel the bottom of my stomach sink.

The Chaldean Theater Group Proudly Presents:​

The Death of Kingu
A Tragedy in Four Acts​

WHAT IS THIS?

"And I… I have just the plan," Flynn announces dramatically from the direction of the elevated wooden platform we were on.

There's an uncomfortable silence. I suppose I was supposed to enter, but frankly, I can't be damned to play along. I'm too busy flipping desperately through the paper, reading as it almost seems to… illustrate some sort of chronicle of my demise.

"Worthless piece of crap!" the Director roars. "Mary!"

The floor falls away, and I am in my graveyard once more, discarded and-

---​

"You doing okay, Enkidu? The last you kind of flaked out on us," Flynn says. I pay him no mind. It's time to end this farce.

I storm out onto the stage, look the Director in the eye, and then I smite the insolent human down. I rise, my chains weaving about each other, bringing ruin to all. And then I hit. "NAMMU DURANKI!"

Then, I'm back on the stage, and nothing has changed.

"NAMMU DURANKI!"

"Is there a point to all of this?" the Director asks, looking bored.

"I AM KINGU, YOU INSOLENT HUMAN FILTH, AND WILL NOT PLAY YOUR GAMES!" I scream. "NAMMU DURANKI!"

"Splendid. This one's both defective and crazy." He looks up. "MARY!"

I try to jump out of the way, but the floor still drops out from under me, and I am in Hell once more.

---​

"Enkidu?" Flynn asks, looking worried. "Are you okay?"

"I…" Am I losing my mind? "I'm fine."

"Look, if you're not up to going out there and giving your lines, then I'll do my best to stall so you can get your head on straight."

I don't need his… Wait. "Lines?"

"Yeah, for the play?" he looks dismayed. "Oh, Jesus, it's worse than I thought."

"What?" I follow along in bewilderment as he leads me along to some sort of… padded bench and sits me down on it.

"Listen. You and I are actors. We pretend to be fictional people to act out plays. We read lines of dialogue out loud, and perform predetermined actions in order to tell stories, all according to the script. Any of this reading a bell?"

"I suppose?" I say weakly. Nothing I do seems to change anything, so… maybe if I play along with the insanity, it'll all be over quicker? Or am I insane? Am I the crazy one?

"Good, because if you flub your lines, the director's going to chuck you into the Failure Pit." Flynn shudders. "So here. Read through the script. I'll stall for time."

"Thank you."

"No problem. It's the least I could do to help."

---​

The play continues on, and Flynn is as good as his word. He helps me rehearse my lines, and he's there for me when I get tossed into the Pit.

I get tossed into the Pit a lot.

Flynn does too, once or twice. I'm there for him when he wakes up.

It's when we're practicing our lines, one night, between the endless rehearsals, when he asks me.

"So, I noticed that you keep fumbling your lines. What's tripping you up?"

"It feels wrong." I blurt out without thinking.

"What does?"

"The whole play," I admit reluctantly. "It feels like… well… like… Um. A while back, I thought I was Kingu."

"Any idea why?"

"No, no, it's just… some stupid reaction to the stress, I think. I had a whole different version of the script that I thought was reality, and, ah, I'm probably boring you right now."

"No, no, go on, I wanna hear what you came up with."

"Well…" I hesitate, before dismissing my fears as silly. It was just a dream, anyways. Just a stupid dream. "In… well, in my version of the script, the Tiamat up in the north? She wasn't the real Tiamat. The real Tiamat was sleeping under the sea, and she created me to help her wake up so that she could make a new version of humanity."

"What?" he sounds legitimately shocked.

"Yeah, I know, pretty stupid, right?"

"Dude, THAT SOUNDS AWESOME!" he's beaming at me, and I look down. "What else happened? I want to hear everything! It sounds so much better than the script we've got!"

I blush. "Y-You really think so?"

"Yeah. Hold on, I want to take notes. I'm going to try and talk the Director into using your version of the script." He fumbles around, and eventually produces a notepad. "So, underwater Tiamat, huh? So where does the Tiamat in the north fit into all of this?"

"Well, that was my doing, actually…"

---​

It's the last scene, and I feel like I'm about to puke. Flynn actually did manage to talk the director into revising the script, and since then, we've actually been making progress! We're almost out of rehearsals! Just this one, final scene to go.

So of course I'm terrified that I'm going to get chucked back into the Failure Pit. Flynn's here with me, though, talking me through my anxiety.

"All right, Enkidu, you've got this! You know you've got this!" he pats me on the back as we sit backstage in our costumes, him in the white uniform, and me in my white gown. "Come on, let's go over the scene again."

"All right. So, I confront you after leaving Quetzalcoatl behind, and then, I deliver my dramatic threats, you give your one-liner, and then I get stabbed in the back by Suzy." I sigh. "And then I give my dramatic dying monologue. Okay, you know what? I'm just going to stay it: This ending sucks."

"I know," Flynn says ruefully. "The one-liner's not very good either. But we've been at this for weeks, and I for one, really want this damn dress rehearsal over."

"True that," I say with a tired grin. "But still, why would Rule Breaker kill Kingu in one shot? I t doesn't make any sense."

"Hell if I know," Flynn says. "I think the Director said something about her breaking it or something? I didn't really get it. But I do know that once we ace this on the first try, and the Director finally lets us leave, we're getting drinks to celebrate, and the first round's on me."

I grin, and we start to make our way up to the stage, when I catch sight of the prop in Suzy's hands.

"Um, Flynn?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure that's a collapsible dagger?"

"Yeah, pretty sure."

"It's just kind of, well, twisted, and I can't help but worry…"

"Hey." Flynn gives me a look. "Would I lie to you?"

"Yeah, you're right." I give him a smile. "I trust you."

And then it's out onto the stage, and everything's going smoothly.

"Fool!" I roar, hamming it up as I gesture wildly. "So long as I hold the Grail within me, I will never die!"

"So you say, dear Kingu," Flynn says, but it's missing his usual energy. "But my teacher is a mighty witch, and she's not one for rules."

I feel the dagger sink into my back, and I'm in the forest again, as the Director shuts his book, and my best friend, the man who was playing me from the start just stares at me sadly.

I feel the world crumble around me.

"RULE BREAKER!"

And then I feel no more.

 

[K70Amam()to]

sadistic much?

well there are reasons most si fics go off the rails.

let's see how this act REALLY ends though...

 

[arktos]

Jesus Christ. That was....something

 

[Raphaim]

This one is a real gut punch. Like. Damn...

 

[HelloThereItsMeGeralt]

See the game plays it all in regrets, sad words and "It will be all fine next day" but I do find these responses appropriate. And the best part, Flynn knows he is wrong. If only my writing skills were good enough I would have written an omake where Flynn dies off in Solomon temple, and comes back as A Grand Avenger who summoned himself without the world's power [Basically struggled for eons for the same and time travelled back, to the next moment after his death] like Archer Gil.

Tangents aside, you have made me realise, Nasu verse lore nerfs its own characters to write stories. Not bad, but reduces many chances of doing good stories too, like yours.

 

[Marix Reaver]

That was horrifying. But awesome. Holy shit I didn't know that Shakespeare could be that terrifying. I kind of feel bad for Kingu now.

 

[HelloThereItsMeGeralt]

Well apparently they used to be much more powerful but some alien came to Earth and destroyed their ability to interact with mortals so they relied on the likes of Gilgamesh for the connection to mortals, as well as needing to possess people to interact with humans.

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Honestly, the bow thing had me thinking of the myth of Rama for a sec. The gods have different origin story in Nasuverse with some being parasites, some machines(Nanomachines Son!) and some being nature/ celestial spirits.

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Where do I read about these gods?

 

[Whenever Possible]

sadistic much?

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Shakespeare is hands down the most sadistic bastard of a Servant in the entire nasuverse

 

[Bear_Mint]

The high Medea compatibility is starting to show.

 

[EVA-Saiyajin]

Holmes only became summonable after Shinjuku in canon, because the main version of him had finally wrapped up his investigation into the Incineration, and moved on to Chaldea.

This timeline's version of Holmes wasn't quite so lucky in his investigation, and died during the Camelot Singularity, which was why he was summoned by Chaldea.

However, his investigation into the Incineration hasn't ended yet, and he's extremely suspicious of Roman, which is why he's been playing the lone wolf ever since he was summoned.

On a separate note, Interlude: Kingu should be coming in some time between 11:30 and midnight.

Click to shrink...

Thank you. I haven't actually played FGO, I just like the story...generally speaking.

 

[HelloThereItsMeGeralt]

Thank you. I haven't actually played FGO, I just like the story...generally speaking.

Click to shrink...

The game is hell if you have bad luck in gacha, but it has an excellent story in spite of its issues.

 

[EVA-Saiyajin]

Wow, that's NASTY.

Shakespeare is probably burning paper from the sheer speed he's writing.

 

[FourthPear]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[EVA-Saiyajin]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Yeah, I was snickering too.

 

[Me. Joka-r]

Where do I read about these gods?

Click to shrink...

https://typemoon.fandom.com/wiki/Divine_Spirit

Or you can see the light novels and fgo.

 

[Silver W. King]

You know, I really shouldn't be surprised that Flynn would never allow the Singularities to go shounen. It makes sense that he'll always focus on destroying the enemy's plan before they work, or try and get a win out of left field rather than go straight forward like Ritsuka.

And it makes sense given his rant at Ozymandias. He has no confidence in myself or his abilities other than to lie, cheat and steal to win, and he would throw away anything starting with his pride in order to secure victory.

But the more I read the story, while I'm entertained by the twists and plotting he uses to win, I can't help but feel that his lack of compassion will lead to losing come Solomon Temple.

Maybe the varies Servants from the Singularities don't come to aid him. Maybe Galahad doesn't manage to stop Goetia's first attack because Mash isn't willing to die. Heck, maybe that ignoring of Mash and loss of identity comes to bite them here with Goetia secretly appealing to Mash on their shared abandonment and wins her to his side.

I like reading about how Flynn pulls an unexpected win, but...I don't...want to see him win this with his usual methods. Rather I'd want this whole approach of absolute pragmatism to be the reason why he fails to save mankind in the end. It would feel wrong if he won...but thinking on how I'm feeling like this makes me a bit disappointed in myself. Like I'm an elitist about how the world can be can saved and should just be glad it was saved in the end.

Yet, the means should never justify the ends...right?

 

[Darko]

Well...

...

... Grampa Hassan is probably going to have a bit of competition on who is the scariest Servant.

Seriously Shakespeare is one scary ass motherfucker.

 

[Me. Joka-r]

Just a thought, but MAYBE Gilagmesh might be a dick about the whole killing Kingu through heart break and trickery thing. He have a soft spot for him in the game and anime so..... he gets angry or a little annoyed with Flynn.

 

[Darko]

Just a thought, but MAYBE Gilagmesh might be a dick about the whole killing Kingu through heart break and trickery thing. He have a soft spot for him in the game and anime so..... he gets angry or a little annoyed with Flynn.

Click to shrink...

A little?

I'm predicting Gil is going to want to do things to Flynn that will make Hell seem pleasant.

 

[Potates]

A little?

I'm predicting Gil is going to want to do things to Flynn that will make Hell seem pleasant.

Click to shrink...

Don't worry about it. I'm sure Flynn has some plan that will work perfectly and nothing will go wrong. I mean, it's not like it happens all the time at this point.

 

[EVA-Saiyajin]

You know, I really shouldn't be surprised that Flynn would never allow the Singularities to go shounen. It makes sense that he'll always focus on destroying the enemy's plan before they work, or try and get a win out of left field rather than go straight forward like Ritsuka.

And it makes sense given his rant at Ozymandias. He has no confidence in myself or his abilities other than to lie, cheat and steal to win, and he would throw away anything starting with his pride in order to secure victory.

But the more I read the story, while I'm entertained by the twists and plotting he uses to win, I can't help but feel that his lack of compassion will lead to losing come Solomon Temple.

Click to shrink...

I'm not so sure that one can define it as lack of compassion.

That said, I've gotten a little tried of vigorously debating how "bad" a person he is, so I'll bow out of a true rebuttal.

 

[gjsponge]

Damn, that was brutal.
Kingu literally got brainwashed worse than girls in hypnosis doujins.