Fragment 59 Insight

The Mother’s Day fragment was pretty chipper and cheerful because it’s been a bit since we’ve had some silent angst.

Because of last week’s teaser, it should have been obvious that this would be a unique case for a berserker. However, because of the scales of madness and sanity that were alluded to, the answer was fairly evident if one is aware of the final singularity. Caligula had a brief moment where he broke through his mad enhancement to speak his pure mind, and that’s where the idea for all this started.

An intelligent and keen mind, trapped behind the mad enhancement with only limited control.

Fate went with the idea he was originally a wise king who fell into the madness he’s often associated with in true history only because of Diana’s blessing/curse. Following that, I tried to depict the sane, tired, yet resolute king behind the mask while showing the struggle with the body. It’s like riding an untamed horse while you’re an exceptional navigator: Not everything is going to go according to plan.

So I stacked the evidence to showcase this as a lead up to the ending’s gut-punch. He’s barely able to do simple tasks. He can’t do anything alone. Only in the close presence of the Romans, Artemis, or the masters does he not go ape-shit. His senses are practically garbage, and any control can be lost at certain fire-starting stimuli… yet despite all this, he chose to delay it all further until after the final battle so he can do his part to help his allies.

It’s along the same vein as Vlad, which is why I included a bit of his backstory and circumstance. There’s no doubt Vlad does not like being seen as Dracula, so being forced to ‘accept’ and live with that on active is likely demeaning and aggravating to him. Yet, even with the class shift available to him, he does not switch to his lancer form because in the berserker form, he’s stronger. Strength is one of the easiest ways to improving one’s abilities to aid allies in conflict. Dealing with the personal issues that come with that power to help others just shows how considerate and selfless their thoughts can be.

It makes even more sense for Caligula, who has A+ Mad Enhancement. It’s not like Kiyohime who is EX, which means her loss of combat power can be variable since her condition simply doesn’t fit along the usual rank slider. Caligula’s, since it’s so high and he was so weak, provides an accurate guess of just how weak he might be if it’s removed… maybe even combat incapable, whereas currently, he (arguably) can go toe to toe with Heracles since he has A+ strength. Obviously parameters aren’t everything, but it’s a fair indicator of possibilities.

So, the entire fragment, by showing how difficult his daily life is, offers a glimpse of his overall resolve and belief. As terrible as it is for him, he endeavors because he knows what must be done, and is even willing to push back his chance at sanity (his own wish for the grail) for their sake. I believed this was a fair way to represent Fate’s portrayal of a maddened, former wise Emperor thanks to that one little glimpse from Solomon’s Temple.

Next week: He had believed she was his saving grace, but he had been wrong. Life was a cruel play; He always knew this. Yet Chaldea had been challenging that belief, for even if he had been mistaken, they still offered him a chance at acceptance, and even stardom.