The Golden Child

Death was a part of life, as life was a part of death. Death came for everyone. There was no escaping it. Even the Gods feared death, even if they didn't display such fear. It was a natural occurrence that happened to all sentient life. You'd think immortals would be free from death, which wasn't the case. Death still followed those who couldn't die. It was merely biding its time, waiting to savor the soul of that person it was following.

"That's odd…why is it cold?" A whisper called out in the void. The voice was weak, with no hint of defiance for the current situation. They seemed to embrace the chill of this pitch-black void. There was a sense of beauty here. It was oddly sublime. The voice finally regained shape, it was human, but the darkness cloaked them, limiting the visibility of the person and those who would be watching from a distance.

However, despite all this, a flash of gold suddenly appeared in the void, sucking up the darkness like a man who hadn't eaten in days. The figure's body was lying, or well floating, lifelessly. It was a young man in his early twenties with raven-black hair that reached their shoulders. It was smoothly combed, with glitter to it. They had a round face with dark skin. They sported jaded cerulean-colored eyes.

"Fool!"

A voice boomed throughout the void. Their tone was loud and crisp, filled with arrogance and curiosity. The golden light covered the source of the voice. At least, that's the person who was floating through. He didn't think to question it. It must've been a god to give him his judgment.

"Tell me, will you let your insignificant life end here?" The voice continued. It sounded quite disappointed, like the tone of a disappointed parent. "I'm under the impression that you want more out of your life. If so, what will you do for your unattained goals?"

The shining light of gold was beginning to piss off the dead man. He was dead! What else can he do but wait to pass on to the afterlife? That's all that awaited him after his meaningless existence. It was dull, as bleak as untouched paper.

"I'm not ready to die. I didn't even get to eat before that explosion happened."

The light seemed to distort with a visible glitch as if it was baffled by the answer. Silence reigned over the void again before laughter, a vociferous laugh that seemed to spark life into the jaded eyes of the floating man. The young man felt the laugh resonate with him, causing him to fix himself and float cross-legged.

"I must admit. You'd make a fine jester if you were around during my time. Let's make a deal, mongrel!"

Mongrel? What the hell? Even in death, he can't escape insults. However, the young man was quite curious about the deal. He couldn't exactly complain. If this is some way to return to the world of the living, he should jump at the chance. If this is some trick, at least he showed compassion to continue living.

"Fine."

"Tch, have some enthusiasm! This is a privilege I don't just toss around, not even to the whores at the brothels."

"Are you calling me a whore?"

"I will bestow upon you my powers. However, only until you impress me enough will I give you the most treasured item I have in my collection," The light spoke with authority, reminding the man he was going to make a deal with this unknown entity.

<i >"ignored…"

"But why do all this? If you're god, why choose me?"

The gold light flickered for a minute, and the pregnant pause began to unnerve the cross-legged man, but he refused to rush the supposed god. He didn't know what powers he had in this boundless void. A whisper of a chuckle resounded in the area.

"I require entertainment. And you interest me the most out of everyone else from your little group. I'm aware that you think yourself normal, but in truth, you've yet to discover your worth. You're a treasure that needs polishing, and I fully intend on crafting you myself."

"You make me sound like I'm some god-created gem!"

"It matters not! Do you accept? Otherwise, you're free to rot here for all I care. I'll wait another century if I have to."

"My name is Mars Goldwyn, not mongrel or anything else!"

Now named Mars, the sentient burst of light was thrown into a fit of laughter, expressing an airy sense of joy. Mars didn't know what came over the light, but he waited for the laughter to die.

"It seems you've finally regained that spark! Wonderful! Now you're the soul I felt calling out to me of all people. Your journey shall be filled with trials befit of a growing god, but I hold a tiny bit of prayer for your success. Who knows, we might cross paths somewhere down the road!"

"Wait-"

.

.

.

"AH!" Mars shot up from his spot and quickly studied his surroundings, not even bothering with the fact he was shirtless, wearing a golden hooped earring, with a red waist cape and black pants with golden plated armor running up his legs to his waist, and gold boots. Mars's hair was shorter, only mid-length now, and his once cerulean-colored eyes were replaced with a blood-soaked, crimson color with ringed pupils. To end it, he wore a golden armband with red markings present. [reference here]

The area Mars found himself in was lifeless and reaching the dystopian term. The sky was clouded in a thick blanket of darkness, with the moon barely shining on the planet, and the smell of smoke and fire filled Mars's nostrils, irritating him. Mars was getting sick and tired of the dark, the light that shined with him earlier was gone, and that cocky laughter wasn't ringing in his ears.

He found the laugh to be quite addicting. He may end up copying it for himself. But alas! He was not that god! He was Mars Goldwyn!

"Hmm. I feel powerful. Am I a Demi-Servant? I never thought that was possible," Mars glanced at his new appearance with a speculative gaze. He could go without the majestic gold armor and pauldrons, though. He was glad it wasn't over his torso. That'd be ridiculous.

Mars felt something amiss in the air, and the sound of metal hammering metal filtered in the noxious air. Mars could also feel a slight connection to whoever was fighting. If he was a Demi-Servant, he must have a master!

But that would mean that Gudako would be his master, considering she was the only one present before that explosion happened. Oh! He was rayshifted along with her and Mash.

Mash!

Mars got up quickly and began to run toward the sound of battle. He could feel a slight tug calling out to him. It must be Gudako. If that's the case, she was in trouble. He was no longer a regular human but a Demi-Servant, yet he had no idea who made a contract with him. He could only decipher that it was an arrogant but good-hearted bastard!

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"I must say, this is an interesting turn of events," A feminine, fiendish laugh happened after the sound of a blade clashed against an opposing force.

"Master! Any ideas on how to handle this," A delicate voice spoke, but given the situation, they sounded firm, trying to keep the enemy at bay.

A young orange-haired girl stood a safe distance away from the fight standing next to a taller ivory-haired lady. [All Character References]

"I can't come up with anything now, damn!"

"It can't be helped. You were not supposed to be a Master."

The orange-haired girl seemed to deflate as the ivory-haired lady spoke, but that was nothing but the truth. She was in a precarious situation she never thought she'd find herself in. This altered Servant was wielding that scythe with brutal efficiency. She was helpless to help Mash, a Demi-Servant with a large shield.

Mash jumped back to recover her bearings while the scythe wielder spun her weapon with finesse. Her purple hair danced to her crazed hum, and her light skin and yellow eyes added an air of beauty that should not be a thing to be talking about right now!

"You're in a dire situation with a weak master. That's a shame. All you had to do was comply, and we wouldn't be fighting now, would we?" The yellowed eye lady teased with a playful grin on her face.

The scythe wielder was about to charge in again but found herself jumping back. Her right cheek had a wide cut, blood quickly spilling out like water from a faucet. She froze, as well as her enemies. She looked down to see an odd, drill-like sword on the ground.

Archer?

"Sorry for that. I was taught not to discriminate!"

From what the scythe wielder could tell, the tone was quite casual, given the circumstances, which would make anyone conclude the newcomer was arrogant. And, they'd be slightly right as the figure appeared on a lamppost, with a few golden portals behind them with various weapons flaring.

"W-Who are you!" The white-haired lady demanded before taking a closer look. "Mars? What is going on?"

Mars looked down at the ragged-looking trio. His lips curved into a confident grin, and his aura exuded a blanket of clarity and reassurance to the group.

"Olga, I made a deal with some god and became a Demi-Servant! I'm Archer class," Mars answered honestly, with his red eyes becoming fixated on the rogue scythe wielder, which Mars thought was a Lancer-class, but her appearance was…different. She seemed to be altered.

And her hair moved like they were sentient. Mars was a slight history geek. He knew who this was.

"Medusa?"

"Oh? You knew who I was at first glance. You're well educated, Archer."

Mars had his arms crossed before scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "I merely did my research. So, why do you look like that?"

"Mars, why are you talking with her? She's our enemy."

"Director is right, Senpai. We shouldn't be talking," Mash agreed. Her voice remained curt, and her eyes also fixated on the Lancer.

Mars closed his eyes and shook his head. "I agree with you both. However, I feel it would be better to drain her of information before killing her, yeah?"

"And what makes you think I would comply with that? You're just going to be another stone for my collection."

Mars cupped his chin as he gazed at Lancer. The altered Lancer didn't know why, but she felt a hidden powerlessness creep upon her. This Archer had no qualms about being so close to the fight. Most would fight at a distance.

He was an Archer, right? So why was he so confident to fight at close range? The altered Medusa took a moment to glance at the sword she was almost killed by. It was clearly a sword, but with the way it was thrown at her, it was like the Demi-Servant shot it with a bow.

"You're an oddity indeed, Archer. For some reason, you make my bones tingle, in a good and bad way."

<i >"What the fuck is going on?" Mars deadpanned at Medusa-Alter's words. It was like she was complimenting him, but at the same time, her mind was in the gutter from the blatant sultry tone. If Mars knew becoming a Demi-Servant was all it takes to make girls act like this. He would've done so a long time ago!

"I suppose I can tell you what happened," Medusa-Alter began. "It was like any other Holy Grail War. However, something intervened. It started with Saber. She appeared different. She went on to defeat the other servants, yet before we could disappear, some black mud made us into this. Afterward is self-explanatory."

The group took a moment to digest the erroneous situation. Nothing made sense here. It was mind-boggling.

Mars kept looking at Medusa with a distant gaze. He knew her story, full of nothing but pain and cruelty. All because a God couldn't keep it in his pants, and another whose temperant clouded her judgment. Of course, people would blame Medusa for all the misdeeds she did after the fact. History is created from someone suffering, something Mars wished to understand why.

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"Senpai…"

"It's clear even after death. You're still suffering. I will defeat you and free you from that suffering," Mars's words were soft but held the conviction of a judge. A bright portal to the left of Mars held what seemed to be a halberd with white and gold decor.

"You're weird, Archer, no matter. I don't need your pity."

Mars shook his head. "It's not pity."

"Master!" Mars called out to Gudako, who looked at him with a newly invigorated gaze. "I will fight her to the best of my abilities. I am an Archer, yes, but I'll need you to trust me ito handle this fight! I will bring us victory!"

"Wait-"

Mars closed all the portals behind him, gripping the halberd like he had years of training. Mars did not have training with it, yet he could feel the thoughts behind this finely crafted weapon. It radiated with sheer power, the power which its original user perfectly honed.

Mars jumped from the lamppost, with Medusa-Alter rushing forward, kicking up small pebbles. The two fighters engaged in a battle of weapons, with Mars wielding the halberd with finesse, clashing against Medusa's scythe. Mars sidestepped, avoiding a chain from the ground. Thankfully, his leg armor saved him from getting cut. Medusa clicked her tongue in annoyance as her trap failed.

Medusa-Alter placed chain traps as they were conversing, she was utilizing Mars's naivety, but it seemed she was in for a much more prolonged fight. She also had to worry about the other Demi-Servant, the shielder. Medusa was confident she could destroy the lavender-haired Demi-Servant, but this Archer was her main priority. The aura he gave off was exuberant, almost like he was blessed by the sun.

Medusa aimed her scythe for Mars's shin, but the Archer-Class Demi-Servant slammed the halberd into the ground, blocking Medusa's scythe. A shimmer of gold appeared behind Medusa. The altered Servant activated another trap, causing a chain to pop out from behind Mars, hoping to send the chain through his heart. However, the portal behind Medusa shot a dense red spear, piercing some of the altered Medusa's midsection and stopping her trap from piercing Mars.

Medusa and Mars continued to lock eyes as Mars caught the slim spear with his left hand and spun it rapidly before going for an arcing slash at Medusa's torso. The spear's tip pierced Medusa's pale skin, drawing more blood, but Mars continued his onslaught. He slashed and jabbed with the confidence of a pro, getting Medusa on the defensive.

Medusa-Alter felt her emotions run rampant. She had no clue what was happening. This Demi-Servant Archer should not be the one in control here. Why was she on the defensive? It made no sense to her. Her hair came to life, hoping to ensnare Mars, but he made the good call by jumping back a good distance.

That also added fuel to Medusa's fury. "Don't run from me!"

Mars was quickly assaulted with various chains and Medusa-Alter's scythe. Her eyes clearly showed that she was on a fever pitch, her anger clouding her rational thoughts, making her swings predictable to Mars. He didn't feel pity for Medusa. He knew that this wasn't her, and whatever happened to the Grail War was responsible for her becoming in this altered state.

With that in mind, Mars's resolve was solidified, and the outcome of this fight was assured. He was going to win. Even if he had to play a little dirty. Mars allowed himself to fall into a trap. The chains quickly wrapped around his ankles and wrist, binding him in place.

Medusa-Alter wore a scowl on her face as she stopped her scythe from cutting Mars's stomach. She smiled deviously as her she took a few steps to look Mars in the eyes. Pale yellow eyes met blood-like red. Medusa could've petrified Mars long ago, but she was too caught up in her hunt to do so.

"Now that I look at you, those eyes aren't normal."

Mars furrowed a brow. He was expecting some torture, but this could work too. He just needed to stall.

"I used to have blue eyes, but the servant I made a deal with seemed to have affected me more than just giving me his power and skills."

Medusa-Alter brought a finger to Mars's cheek and slashed down near the edge of his lips. The Demi-Servant refused to yell. He wanted to, but now he knew that the scar would be permanent.

"You're very naive. But I do find that to be part of your charm."

"Do you usually flirt with your food before eating it?"

Medusa-Alter felt her brow twitch, and she moved her scythe to Mars's neck. She could end his life right now, yet something in her was holding her back.

<i >Herself.

She was having an inner struggle with her very soul. She didn't know why. She should be enjoying herself with all these kills. Yet, she felt hollow. Her anger twisted to that barren emptiness in her heart, and flashes of her former life appeared in her head. Medusa wondered why she was seeing her life flash before her eyes.

Before Medusa knew it, she felt something pierce her heart. Her gaze went southward, and her eyes looked at the glowing spear that punctured her heart. Her pale eyes were stuck on the spear for a short period of time. She saw her blood coating it, with some of it dripping from the tip of the spear and onto Mars's golden boots.

"Huh?" She didn't scream. She was motionless, and her position beside the Demi-Servant remained the same. Her lips opened a bit, but no words left. Her eyes returned to Mars, and she saw something else this time. It was like she was looking in the mirror. Why did he have such empty eyes as well? She didn't understand; she wanted to understand, yet she never could.

"Sleep."

.

.

.

Medusa-Alter's pale yellow eyes reverted back to a clear, alluring set of violet as her body began to fade.

"What is…your name?" Medusa's voice was different, empty, yet filled with appreciation and longing.

Mars didn't hesitate. "Mars Goldwyn."

"I see…perhaps you're not so naive, Golden Child," With those parting words, Medusa disappeared in particles of flickering gold lights. Mars felt his restraints release, and he looked up to see the particles disappear.

"Rest well, Medusa," Mars spoke softly, but inside, he also felt his emotions act on fumes. He didn't expect to be put in a tragic and unpleasant situation. Mars knew what he had to do after he signed up to work at Chaldea, but perhaps all this was too overbearing for him.

"Senpai!"

Mars turned around to see Gudako, Mash, and Olga approach, with Olga frantically looking around the place for any other signs of trouble. She was scared, and rightfully so. She could die here, and that'd be the end of her existence.

"Glad to see you're all unharmed. Worry not, I will get us through this trifling singularity we find ourselves in."

The trio of girls blinked at the conceited tone Mars. It was unexpected, and the way he crossed his arms with his body posture becoming more poised and relaxed only accented to that smugness. Mars had a lithe body but with a nice set of muscles that seemed like perfect cubes, and his dark skin with the gold, hooped earrings gave him a majestic look as his red eyes bored into theirs.

"Um…Senpai? Why're you talking like that?" Mash inquired, her voice sounded faint, like a passing whisper in the wind, but everyone still heard it.

Mars blinked at that. His eyes sparked like headlights at night. "Sorry about that. For some, something within my conscious ordered me to speak… pompously."

"That's beyond the point! How did you enter a contract with a servant? Was it the third servant that Chaldea summoned before my time as a director?" Olga demanded. She had no intentions of staying out of the loop for so long.

"I don't think so…but I was sure I was dead before the Servant made a contract with me. All I can remember is the fact he wanted me to entertain him. I believe he will dissolve the contract once I fail at that."

"Hmph, quite an arrogant Servant, no matter! You've shown exceptional skill. I have no worries about getting through this singularity."

Mars looked at Mash, who seemed to be downtrodden about something. He didn't need to be an expert to know the reason why. She felt like she was a burden. Mars appeared and made defeating Medusa seem as easy as breathing. Mars could only pat Mash's shoulder, getting lucent lavender-colored eyes to stare at his deep red eyes.

"Mash. I can tell what you're feeling. Don't sweat it, okay? I can't lead us all to victory on my own. I will need your assistance in this singularity as much as you need mine. Think of it like a cog. It can't run on its own. It needs a partner to work at full throttle," Mars saw Mash's dullness disappear instantly, replaced with the brightest of the sun.

If Mars was the Golden Child, Mash was the Golden Maiden.

Does that even make sense?

Eh, Mars could care less! They'll succeed, no matter the cost.