Author's Note: Credit goes to Ryumori (for inspiring and discussing the ideas for this fic), Mae (for helping me work out some paragraphs), and Plague (for going through the entire chapter). There are many others that helped me write this - they're all from the discord server on my profile.

Pain was the first thing Issei noticed.

A permeating headache grinded his forehead, arresting him of any will to move. A simple twitch ignited the wounds, aches, and sores throughout his body. It was best for him to not move. Stillness offered an escape that he savored. Then a wet something streaked across his cheek, jolting a groan from him.

"Kyuu! Kyuu!"

The assailant's wet lashings sizzled upon his inflamed skin. What was this thing that refused to grant him any reprieve?

"Fou! There you" —a girl's voice called out— "wait a moment, who did you jump on this time! Oh no, what happened to him?"

He could hear footsteps rushing towards him. Each step intensified his headache. A hand — like a breeze on a summer day — pressed against his forehead.

"He's running a high fever, and his clothes are such a mess — is that blood? I need to bring him to Doctor Roman."

" — Mashu! Did you find Fou yet? Oh my, what's going on?" Another girl called out.

"Ritsuka-senpai! He's hurt, we need to bring him to the infirmary," Mashu pleaded.

This time, two fingers pressed against his wrist. "His pulse isn't irregular, despite his heavy fever. All this blood on his clothes, did he get attacked? Is he conscious?"

Issei opened his eyes, wincing at the bright lights from the ceiling. Few tears rushed out to soothe his aching eyes. All he saw a shade of pink and red. Weary blinks settled the shades into two people: a short pink haired girl with glasses and a red haired girl. Something wet, perhaps a lick, drew his attention to a white furred animal at his hand.

"Who are you?" Issei struggled to form coherent words. "Where am I?"

"Easy now, I'm Ritsuka Fujimaru. And this is," The red haired girl pointed to her companion, "Mashu Kyrielight. We'll get you to Doctor Roman. Can you stand?"

"I'll try." With a shaky nod, he staggered to his feet. His knees buckled — if Ritsuka and Mashu didn't hold onto his arms, he would've fallen. They set off down the hallway, one step at a time.

He grimaced, "Thanks."

"Don't strain yourself," Ritsuka said, "do you recall what happened to you?"

"I don't know." Confusion fueled his aggravating headache. His breaths were labored, limbs hungry for rest. Still, he marched on if only to lessen the burden on his newfound companions.

"Never mind, you're not in any condition to answer. The infirmary is just around this corner," Ritsuka said.

Issei noticed the sign: Medical Care, Doctor Romani Archaman.

The door slid open to reveal a smiling man eating a slice of cake at his desk. He savored each bite with closed eyes before noticing the trio's arrival. With a gulp and a clatter, he jumped from his chair and dashed towards them. "Here, bring him to the bed over here."

The elevated bed creaked under Issei's weight, his body rejoicing at the softness. Romani activated machinery that began to scan Issei at all angles.

"Several torn muscles, various internal injuries, some bone fractures, and superficial wounds that need to be dressed. Did you two see what happened to him?"

"Fou and Mashu found him lying on the floor," Ritsuka answered, "he said he doesn't remember what happened to him."

"Strange, it looked like he was attacked, but there's no report from security about any incidents. His clothes don't look like one of our uniforms, hmm," Roman turned to Issei. "Hi, I'm Romani Archaman, the chief doctor here, but you can call me Doctor Roman. What's your name and rank?"

"My name is Issei Hyoudou," Issei frowned. He was Issei Hyoudou, but what else? "What do you mean by rank?"

"You don't know where you're assigned in Chaldea?" Ritsuka asked.

"Chaldea? What is that?"

Mashu and Ritsuka shared a look, while Roman kept his eyes on the results on the monitor.

"This is unusual," Roman said, "he doesn't possess any Magic Circuits, but an immense amount of od is circulating within his body. Astonishing, it appears to have a draconic signature when referenced with the database. I can barely believe it!"

"What?" Ritsuka exclaimed as she rushed to the monitor. "A human with the energy of a dragon? Not just Chaldea but nearly all of the magic organizations would've leapt to grab ahold of him."

Issei winced at their excitement as his headache intensified. His vision flickered; he was no longer on that bed. He stood there alone with the barest of any light to illuminate beyond what he could see before him.

Then a gigantic being stirred before his eyes. Its scales gleamed as bright as fire, blinding him with its brilliance in the midst of this dark realm. But what held his attention was its eyes — they were glittering emeralds, alluring yet passionate. It was a dragon yet he was not afraid of it. He knew this was a friend.

Yet something felt wrong. He wanted to say, to ask something. No words came out of his mouth. The dragon breathed out a dull growl as it collapsed to the floor. He cried out as he saw the life in its eyes fading away like a leaf throughout the seasons.

What happened there? He didn't know the answer, and that frightened him. That he should know, yet he doesn't. That he needed to know what was real and what was fake. That he wanted to know that everything will be right and not wrong.

"I don't understand — I don't know — I don't remember — I don't — "

"Oh dear, he's hyperventilating," Roman reached forward, placing a hand on Issei's shoulder. The gentle touch brought him out of that mysterious world.

"Calm down, you don't have to say or think anything. Breathe with me. In. Out. In. Out. There we go."

As his breathing settled, their smiles held his gaze. He felt safe and warm next to them. He wasn't alone.

"Mashu and I will go to the Director to report about him. It's strange that no one briefed him about Chaldea before bringing him here. That aside, something happened to him, and we need to figure out what," Ritsuka said.

Romani nodded, "Go on ahead, I'll look after him."

Issei's vision blurred, unable to keep his eyes open any longer. With that, he gave into the world of dreams.

"You said Issei Hyoudou? No, there's no record of Chaldea enlisting such a person."

Ritsuka frowned, "Then you mean he got inside Chaldea without authorization, Director?"

"Frankly, this concerns me, especially when our first major Rayshifting is about to commence. The fact that someone, even an unauthorized person, was attacked is worrying enough."

Olgamarie Animusphere drummed her fingers atop of her desk. She stared at her screen before sighing. "You said Roman discovered he had the od of a dragon?

Ritsuka and Mashu nodded.

"Once he recovers enough, we'll question him. Then if there is nothing suspicious, we'll test for his compatibility to become a Master. Ritsuka, I'm tasking you with Issei Hyoudou since you're not involved with this Rayshifting mission. In the meanwhile, keep an eye out. I've already informed everyone of a possible threat inside Chaldea."

"Understood, Director," Ritsuka said before turning to Mashu. "Good luck out there, Mashu."

"Thank you, Senpai."

As soon as Ritsuka exited the Director's office, she exhaled, uncoiling the knot that wound up her stomach. The first Rayshifting mission would be a momentous start for Chaldea. A step forward for their initiative to protect humanity's future from abnormalities in the timestream. Ritsuka hoped nothing went wrong.

She turned her thoughts to the mysterious boy, Issei Hyoudou. His arrival was foreboding and welcoming. The Director expressed her frustrations trying to find suitable Master Candidates. In order to even be applicable to be a Chaldean Master, they must be capable of enduring Rayshifting. She was the latest one to be recruited, but there were only forty-seven others.

Ritsuka shook her head. Imagine that — out of all the Magi in the world, only forty-eight were capable of becoming a candidate. Then here comes Issei, someone who has an immense amount of draconic od. Dragons, now gone from the Earth, were considered the pinnacle of Phantasmal Species. A human possessing the energy of one had untold magical potential. He would be the strongest Master in Chaldea — if he was one.

Her excitement faded when she recalled his wounds. Every staff member in Chaldea had extensive background checks before they were recruited. There was little chance that someone attacked him in Chaldea. Aside from the fact that he possessed something no other human has, he popped out of nowhere. The circumstances revolving around him are just too suspicious.

Whatever the case, it was her job to find out. She wished that he wasn't an enemy to Chaldea.

She slid into the Medical Ward, only to find Roman typing away on his laptop. She glanced at Issei, who was sleeping on the bed. Her heart leapt at the sight of his better complexion. His skin wasn't as flushed; his face wasn't as tensed. That's good, she could never stomach someone in pain, even if he was a stranger. A shiver ran down her spine at the sight of the wrappings around his torso.

"How is he, Doctor?"

"Oh hey, Ritsuka!" Roman waved with one hand. "He should be fine, just needs some rest. I hooked him up to an IV and dressed his wounds. His wounds are actually healing at such an astonishing rate that I would've thought he was a Servant! Might be due to the draconic od or something. At this rate, he should be good to go within a few days or so."

Ritsuka smiled, "That's great. I expected it would take longer."

"Amazing, right?" Roman laughed, taking a sip from his coffee. He turned to Issei's bed, sighing. "I heard from the Director that Chaldea never recruited him, so how he got here is still a mystery. We'll need to question him about all of this when he wakes up."

Ritsuka frowned, "I'd hate for him to be an enemy. The Director and I were hoping he could become a Master."

"Yes, I thought so too," Roman nodded. He turned around his laptop so she could see the screen. Some of them were notes on his wounds — Ritsuka winced at their severity as she glanced through them. What caught her eye was the synchronization percentage for Rayshifting.

"I ran the preliminary tests for Rayshifting compatibility. You can see it, right?" Roman exclaimed.

Spiritron Dive Synchronization Rate — Over 100%.

Ritsuka gawked at Roman, "Over 100%? How is that even possible? Even for the Candidate Masters, the highest we could maintain was a 90% synchronization with our spiritual self."

"I'm sure you know that Rayshifting involves the Master projecting their spiritual form into the timestream," Roman stated, "From that point, Masters delve into the abnormal realities dubbed Singularities and investigate the source of the problem. While they're in the field, Chaldea constantly monitors the Masters so that their very existences do not get altered or fade away. Your synchronization rate is the foundation of the connection between Chaldea and your spiritual form."

"Thus, the higher the rate, the more stable their existence will be, and the more power they can use if necessary," Ritsuka concluded. "Then that means if Issei Rayshifts, he'll be able to utilize a lot more magical energy than any of the current Masters?"

"That's what our theory indicates," Roman nodded, "If he were to summon a Heroic Spirit, their parameters would increase by several ranks. Far more than any of our current candidates."

Ritsuka laid back into her chair, trying to let it all sink in. The majority of Chaldean Magi were all from prominent families; the research of several generations were at their disposal. Those from Magus families had superior quality Magic Circuits, and they inherited cumulative knowledge via Magic Crests. Civilian Magi such as her were at a disadvantage. It was naive to think otherwise.

She couldn't deny that a small part of her was envious. But there was no point to lament about unchangeable circumstances, she would push onward as she always had. She wanted to help the world with her Magecraft, and there's no better place than Chaldea. So what if she couldn't supply her future Servant with as much mana than the others? She would compensate with other regards. Everyone had their strength and weaknesses; everyone had their own role to play.

A groan jerked Ritsuka's attention towards the bed. Roman was already up, rushing towards Issei's side. As she walked over, Issei opened his eyes, blinking away the sleepiness.

"Water? Can I have some water?" He rasped. As soon as the glass was in his hand, he chugged it down, not caring if some of it dribbled out of his mouth due to his shaky limbs.

"Easy, drink slowly. You can have all the water you want," Roman smiled, pouring him another one.

"Ah, sorry, I was just so thirsty," Issei laughed and wiped his mouth. He glanced around the room, browsing over the machines and equipments. "Um, you are Doctor Roman, right? And Fujimaru-san?"

"Yes, I'm Ritsuka Fujimaru. You can call me Ritsuka." Ritsuka offered her hand to Issei. It was larger than hers, full of callouses. He was used to physical work, it seems.

"Then you can call me Issei then. Am I in the hospital?"

"You're currently in Chaldea's Medical Ward," Ritsuka answered.

"You mentioned Chaldea before," Issei recalled.

"That's right, Chaldea is an organization. Do you remember how you arrived here?" Ritsuka asked.

"I…," Issei paused, his face scrunched up, "I actually...don't remember anything."

"What?" Ritsuka exclaimed as Roman consulted his laptop again.

"All I can remember is my name. Everything is a blank, the only thing I can recall is meeting you and Kyrielight-san," Issei apologized.

"Amnesia?" Roman suggested. "I didn't see any symptoms of a concussion, but it could be caused by other reasons. Perhaps a traumatic event could cause it? It might be related to how you were discovered."

Ritsuka sighed; she didn't expect for this turn of events. His apologetic gaze dismissed any notions of lying. He seem to be an honest person to Ritsuka.

"As of right now, we have no idea who you are. We ran a search for your name, and nothing came up. We also have no idea how you arrived here, you practically appeared out of nowhere as the security cameras didn't see anything."

Only the small hums and beeps of the various machineries can be heard for a while.

"Then, what does it mean for me?" Issei asked.

"For now, rest and recover. We'll talk to Director Animusphere about it — "

Roman's watch beeped as a call came in. It was Professor Lev Lainur, Chaldea's chief engineer.

"Doctor Archaman. I see Ritsuka Fujimaru is also with you as well. We are about to begin the Rayshifting Mission. Could you two come down towards the control center?"

"Ah, Professor Lev. Is it necessary for us to come? All the required personnel should be there, correct?" Roman replied.

"Team A is ready to go, but Team B and under are showing slight unease due to their unfamiliarity. I'd prefer for nothing to be amiss, especially concerning the mysterious circumstances of our guest, hmm? It should take the two of you no less than two minutes to arrive from the Medical Ward, Doctor."

The call ended. Ritsuka's heart pounded against her chest. The first mission was just moments away from starting. Her excitement dwarfed her sadness — so what if she couldn't go this time? If this was successful, it'll open the path for future missions!

Roman checked his watch before turning to Issei. "Well, I'm sure Professor Lev is just being overly cautious, so we should have some time beforehand. You're probably wondering who exactly we are. There's no real point in keeping it a secret since you're here now, and there's a high chance we'll be looking to recruit you."

"Recruit me? What exactly does Chaldea do?" Issei said.

"In short, we're an organization of magic users seeking to protect humanity's future," Roman explained.

"Magic, huh?" Issei murmured.

"You're not going to ask if magic is real or not?" Ritsuka asked. Magecraft was hidden from the general public after all.

"Magic sounds, uh, feels familiar to me. Like I think I know about it, but I don't know why I know it?" Issei glanced down on his left arm.

"Hmm, we did have a theory that you were a possible Magus," Roman said. "You actually qualify to become one of our candidates for missions like one you just heard about. For example, Ritsuka here is a candidate. She wasn't assigned to this mission because she just arrived before you did."

"Is that so? Do you think I can help? I mean, I don't remember much, and I'm not sure if I can use magic and — "

" —- Issei, it's fine," Ritsuka said, "I know everything must be confusing for you right now. Our first priority is your recovery. Then we'll talk about your options, okay? Just rest here now, and we'll check on you later."

A rumble shook the walls as the lights went out, and all the machines died along with it. Cold sweat laced her forehead. The mission was about to start! Why are these random complications happening today?

"A power failure right now?" Roman exclaimed, "Chaldea shouldn't have any power outages!"

He stumbled towards his laptop in the midst of the darkness. "Hmm, even the wireless connection is down. I can't seem to access any controls from here."

A klaxon startled everyone. "Emergency Alert — Fires have broken out in the central power plant and central control room. The central division bulkhead will close within 240 seconds."

Ritsuka's heart drummed against her rib cage, her breathing hasty. Her mind was blank. She didn't know what to do. She was lost in this darkness, the only light of the path illuminated Issei's profile — and his eyes were watching, waiting, and willing. She almost snorted. Just a few moments ago, she was the one who reassured him. She exhaled out, slapping her cheeks. To be a Magus, one must walk with death. She had a ways to go.

"We need to get down to control room now," Ritsuka said, "Issei, it's probably safer for you to remain here, but — "

"No, I can help! I think I recovered enough to move! Please let me help!" Issei pulled his IV and leapt off the bed. He took his tattered shirt and threw it on without buttoning it. There was no time to dispute otherwise.

The three of them rushed outside and down the corridor. The Masters. The Director. Mashu. Please let them be safe. They have to be safe. They must be safe. It was an eternity before they reached the main door towards the control room, and Ritsuka couldn't suppress her gasp.

The entire room was in shambles, chunks of debris littered the area like a spilled trash can. Ritsuka coughed, covering her mouth with her arm as sweat dripped down from her forehead. A sea of flames enveloped everything, dying the world in a bloody red. The billowing smoke seared her eyes and nose. Only CHALDEAS, the replica of the world used to observe the Singularities, was unharmed in the midst of it all.

"This much destruction, a possible act of sabotage?" Roman murmured.

"Sabotage? What would anyone stand to gain from doing this?" Ritsuka yelled, clenching her fists.

"Warning — Insufficient Power Generation. Unable to automatically switch to reserve power supply. Personnel, please manually switch to reserve."

"This isn't good, we can't afford to let the light of CHALDEAS go out!" Roman started to run back outside. "I'll head to the basement power plant! The two of you get to some place safe!"

It was only Ritsuka and Issei left in the room, but neither of them had no desire to leave. There must be something else they can do.

"What about survivors?" Issei asked, scanning the room as he shielded his eyes from the smoke.

"We can check. There has to be some! There must be some!"

Ritsuka and Issei navigated through the treacherous terrain of burning debris as they descended into the middle of the room.

"180 seconds left until the bulkhead closes for the Central Room."

"The Masters!" Ritsuka gasped, "No, why? Why!"

Her cheeks were wet and sticky at the sight of the cybernetic coffins, the ones designed to safeguard and facilitate the Candidate Masters during Rayshifting. The people inside were unmoving as if they were undergoing funeral rites. This will not be a graveyard for them!

"Rayshift system transferring to the final stage. Setting Coordinates: January 30th, 2004 CE. Fuyuki, Japan. Masters, please prepare for the final adjustments."

"Ritsuka! Over here! She needs help!" Issei pointed to a familiar pink haired girl with a white furry creature at her side. No, please, not her! Ritsuka rushed over, stumbling over loose rocks before righting herself midway.

"Mashu!"

Ritsuka knelt down, grasping the hands of her friend. It was cold as the snow outside of Chaldea.

"Ritsuka-senpai, Hyoudou-san — "

"It's okay, Issei and I will help you. You'll be okay, Mashu. You'll be fine!" Ritsuka sniffed, willing herself to ignore the growing red pool coming from Mashu's torso. Mashu would be fine — if there wasn't a giant pillar crushing the lower half of her body.

"We have to get this off of you somehow!"

Issei attempted to lift the pillar before yelping away in pain. It was heated by the intense fire. Issei tore his shirt off, wrapping his hands with the scraps while Ritsuka did the same with her uniform. There was no time to preserve modesty. Ritsuka and Issei took their places at opposite sides, attempting to lift the pillar just enough so Mashu can move out.

"No, it's too late for me. Please get to safety! Please!" Mashu pleaded.

"We will never leave anyone behind!" Ritsuka yelled, trying again to lift the pillar. It was too heavy, too large. A groan drew her attention towards Issei, and she gasped as his dressings darkened.

"Attention — the condition of CHALDEAS is changed. Humanity's survival on Earth for the next 100 years cannot be confirmed. The future of humanity cannot be guaranteed."

"CHALDEAS. No," Mashu whispered. Ritsuka followed her gaze towards the model. Her heart plummeted. Instead of a serene blue as the model was before, it was now bright orange. The world itself was engulfed in a fiery orange. Was all of their hopes were to be incinerated away here?

"The Central Bulkhead will now be sealed."

The heavy doors of their entrance locked down, trapping them inside.

"Sorry. Everyone. Because of me," Mashu apologized.

"No, it's not your fault, Mashu. Never think that," Ritsuka said, as she nodded to Issei. They abandoned their attempts to move the pillar, settling down on opposite sides next to Mashu.

"We'll find a way out somehow," Issei reassured.

"Scanning for qualified Masters within the area."

"Did you know? That you can't see the sky here in Chaldea?" Mashu asked.

Chaldea was located within the alpine tundra of the mountains, six thousand meters above sea level after all.

"Yeah. I promised that I'll show you the sky one day, didn't I, Mashu?" Ritsuka said, taking one of Mashu's hand in hers.

"I know the sky is beautiful," Issei sniffed, reaching out to Mashu's other hand. "When you get to see it, you'll be happy."

"Confirmed Masters within Area, Designee 48 and Unknown Designee."

"Thank you everyone. I'm glad to have met you two."

Ritsuka couldn't hold back it any longer — the ocean of her soul surged through breaking apart all levees and dams. Again, someone else was going to die in front of her, and she couldn't do anything. Why was so she weak? What was all of her training for?

The last thing Ritsuka remembered was the flaming chunk of the roof falling downwards towards them. The corner of her eyes saw movement as Issei stood in front of her and Mashu. No, not him too!

"Commencing Rayshift Program. Beginning Spiritron Conversion. Rayshift successful."

The last and first thing he saw was fire.

He groaned as the smoke stung his eyes. He hoped that waking on the ground wouldn't become a new habit. As he staggered to rise on his feet, his nose crinkled: the air was intoxicated with ashes and death. This was too familiar of a smell.

He stepped out on the veranda, mindful of his footing. It was just as dirty and tainted by soot as everything else in this house. Broken remnants of sliding doors and tatami mats told him that this was once a Japanese home. From there he peered outside into the backyard with caution.

A lone shed remained, riddled with so many holes that he wondered why it didn't collapse yet. Behind the dilapidated walls of the border, more burning houses were torn asunder and aflamed. It was like looking at streetlamps of the burning Hells — they carved into the night sky and dyed it malicious crimson.

There was so much destruction. If this entire block was destroyed, then there was little doubt to what happened to the rest of the town. He brushed aside some soot and sat down on the edge of the veranda. He needed to figure out what happened. He was in Chaldea. The last thing he remembered was that gigantic rock: he needed to protect both of them. Then it was all a blank.

Issei sighed. There was no answers for him here. His dressings needed to be changed, but they should hold up for now. To his relief, none of his wounds were opened. He should see if there were people still left in this desolated place. As he jumped off onto to the ground, a loud sound crackled into the night. He jumped onto the balls of his feet, eyes snapping back and forth. He had no idea what that was.

"▃▃▅▅!"

This roar — it was bestial, full of rage and wrath! The ground shuddered, and the walls trembled. Thunderous footsteps echoed through throughout the street. Something huge, no gigantic, was coming! His instincts shouted at him. Whatever it was, it would be hostile. A cold sweat broke out on Issei's forehead as he sought for anything he could use to defend himself.

The shed! There must be something left inside of it. Issei rushed towards it. There was no need to open any doors: the holes in the walls were large enough to fit through. Come on, what was in here? A rake, a hoe, and what's this? A shinai with a tiger charm on it? Issei knew he had some proficiency with a sword, but would this even help in a fight?

A meteor crashed into the backyard, sending chunks of dead grass and dirt everywhere. The shed shook with the impact. Parts of what's left of the roof came tumbling down. Damn, he needed to get out of here. He leapt through the gap in the wall — he hissed as a sharp piece of wood nicked his arm. As if he didn't have enough wounds to worry about.

"▂▂▃▃▅▅ーーー！"

The dust settled, revealing the horror inside. Red eyes sought out Issei's. There was no emotion in them besides violence, anger, destruction! He grimaced as he saw the monster's physique — it was as if someone carved muscles out of a mountainside. A gigantic and jagged slab of stone fit inside its chiseled hand.

"Shit!"

There's no way to fight back against such a ridiculous monstrosity. He gritted his teeth. Can he even run away from this? It cleaved downward with its weapon; the sheer windforce ripped apart the ground and knocked him off his feet. He tumbled around several times before stopping. He tasted iron as he struggled to push himself off the ground.

He was not strong enough to move again. Another attack was incoming. This was it for him. Damn it, was this how he was going to die — lost in a foreign place without any idea who he once was? And what about Chaldea? What about Mashu, that girl who wished to see the sky? What about Ritsuka, the one who wanted to save people?

"No, it can't end like this. They all had dreams. But what about my dream? What dream did Issei Hyoudou wished for? I don't know, and I won't know if I died here. I want to live!"

As he braced himself for the eventual impact, something blue rushed before his eyes. It was a blond hair woman wearing armor.

Her gauntleted hands wielded something — the giant's axe grinded against her invisible weapon. With a battle cry, she battered the axe with several swings. The giant, unable to handle the ferocity of her attacks, took several steps backwards. With a heavy slash across its torso, she sent it flying through the remains of the neighboring house.

He gaped. He wasn't sure what it was about her that entranced him. Was it her strength? Her lithe frame would've fooled anyone. Was it her demeanor? She didn't even broke a sweat when dealing with that monster's blows. Or was it her appearance? There's no doubt of it — she was beautiful. Ritsuka and Mashu were attractive, but this woman was beyond that.

Her green eyes, a shade that reminded him of the dragon, met his. She asked, "I ask of you, are you my Master?"