Full title: "Fifth Singularity - North American Myth War: E Pluribus Unum [Steel Robe]". Written by Yuichiro Higashide.
The Singularity was located in North America in year 1873 A.D. Using the power of the Holy Grail, Medb created a twisted version of Cù Chulainn as her wish for him to rule alongside her as her king. Leading an army of warriors that she can endlessly produce, Medb and her Servants began to conquer America to create a new Celtic nation; killing everyone who isn't Celtic. The Americans attempted to repel the Celts, but they were easily overwhelmed by the Celts.Edison took control of the broken American armies, becoming their President-King. With the aid of Edison's robots, the Americans were able to hold their ground against the Celts, yet they were still unable to completely defeat them. However, his mind affected by the accumulated thoughts of the presidents, Edison became so obsessed with winning the war that he turned into a despot. He had the army force civilians to work in his robot factories.
Due to the actions of both the Celts and Edison, Geronimo formed a resistance against both of them. His resistance eventually got into a skirmish with Cù Chulainn, who easily wiped out the resistance soldiers and gravely injured Rama (a member of the resistance) with Gaé Bolg. By the time Chaldea arrives, the Celts have conquered the eastern half of America while the Americans remain in control the western half.
Prelude
Feet on the Ground, Eyes on the Stars
The Lady with a Lamp
Fragment of the Star
King of Presidents
Cool Hand Florence
Rama Got His Sword
Young Guns
My Fair Lady
A Star Is Born
Ambivalent States
The Rock
Sympathy for the Soldier
Over the Rainbow
The Running Man
The King in the High Castle
The Fellowship
War
The Killing Fields
North American Myth War (Beginning)
North American Myth War (Middle)
North American Myth War (Ending)
Tropes:
- Adaptational Deviation: The Arcade version does this far more severely here than it did in previous chapters. The chapter subtitle is changed from North American Myth War to North American Myth Erosion, Merlin is replaced by his Prototype counterpart, Rama is Adapted Out while Sita follows our entire journey, and Karna and Arjuna are fighting together on the Celt's side.
- Anachronism Stew: Set in 1783, but takes a lot from the nineteenth century, including numerous cities and towns that hadn't been founded yet.
- Arc Villain: Queen Medb and Cú Chulainn Alter.
- Big Damn Heroes: Just when hope seemed lost against the Clan Calatin Demon Pillars, Tesla appears and helps out the servants that aren't with the protagonist and Mash in D.C. And then, Arjuna arrives to destroy the Pillars
- Call-Back: When discussing how to heal Rama, Mash uses their healing of Siegfried in Orleans as an example of the technique they need to perform to break the curse on Rama’s heart.
- The Cameo: Merlin makes his first appearance in the game by saving Mash's life towards the end of the singularity.
- Contrived Clumsiness: Tesla's lightning "accidentally" leaks and hits Edison. Edison, in turn, accidentally punches Tesla. Hilarity Ensues.
- Debut Queue: Queen Medb, Cú Chulainn Alter, and Thomas Edison are all unlocked in the story gacha after completing the story.
- Decoy Protagonist: Geronimo is set up as the unofficial leader of the Resistance, only to be the very first allied Servant to die.
- Denser and Wackier: The first half of the chapter has a lot of humor and silly moments (Nightingale carrying a dying Rama, the reveal of Edison, Fionn and Diarmuid being a Straight Man and Wise Guy pair) but after the failed assassination attempt with Cu Alter killing off Nero Bride, the tone is now darker; to the point that fellow comic relief Elizabeth decides to act seriously.
- Dragon Their Feet: Queen Medb ends up being defeated well before Cu Alter is.
- Foreshadowing:
- One thing that stands out with Cu Chulainn Alter is that he is in his Stage 1 appearance, whereas every other NPC and enemy Servant up to this point has been at least Stage 2. Sure enough...
- Mash mentions that Dr Roman was previously married, explaining that she saw something when he had his gloves off washing his hands, but was cut off before she could explain what she saw, with the implication being that she saw him wearing a ring.
- Gameplay and Story Integration: In the final battle, Cu Alter actively uses the Ascension mechanics against you to keep him going, first Ascending to Stage 2, then to Stage 4, and finally turning himself into the vessel for the Demon Pillar Halphas.
- Heel–Face Turn: Both Arjuna and Beowulf pull one once the 28 Demon Pillars are summoned by Medb to act as ‘Clan Calatin’.
- Hero Killer: If somebody goes up against Cú Alter that isn't currently with the protagonist, that person is going to end up dead (Nero Bride, Karna) or beaten within an inch of their lives (Rama, Scathach).
- Heroic Sacrifice: Arjuna, who uses all of his energy to destroy the Clan Calatin.
- Historical In-Joke: The whole concept of Americans vs. the Celts may come from the fact that in the early ~200 years of the U.S. there were some Anti-Irish sentiments (Hibernophobia) towards immigrants from Ireland.
- Let's Split Up, Gang!: Twice.
- The first time was so that Rama could see Sita before he succumbed to his wounds in Alcatraz while the remaining group went off to try assassinating Medb and Cú Chulainn Alter.
- The second time was an all-or-nothing gamble so the resistance could provide a distraction while the protagonist's group could try to defeat the Medb and Cú Chulainn Alter before the resistance was overrun.
- Let's You and Him Fight: Because of Edison's ego, this ends up happening between his faction and the protagonist's several times, until he gets straightened out.
- Meaningful Name: The chapter title "E Pluribus Unum," an old motto of the United States, means "From Among Many, One," which is a reference to Edison, the lone man the collective will of all the Presidents of the United States empowered to save America in the Singularity.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Nightingale delivers a very comprehensive one to Edison after he's defeated by the party. More accurately, she was delivering one to an Edison driven mad by all the Presidents of the United States of America’s power.
- Redheaded Hero: Rama, unlike most interpretations, is shown with red hair rather than blue skin.
- Sole Survivor: Robin Hood is left as the only survivor of the Resistance’s assassination attempt of Medb, thanks to his Noble Phantasm and Scathach’s intervention.
- The Worf Effect: Both Scáthach and Karna, two very big deals in both Fate lore and source material, are defeated by Cú Chulainn Alter, leaving the surviving characters to dread their eventual showdown with him.
- Wham Shot: At the end of the chapter, after Mash and the protagonist return to Chaldea, Mash suddenly starts coughing up blood, implying that her Demi-Servant powers have had a very adverse effect on her body.
- Worst Aid: Nightingale chews out Dr. Benjamin Rush
over his historical propensity for bleeding people. Her own medical techniques aren't the most modern, either.
