The Infinite Order

by Vaati Star

Welcome back everyone, this time, I present to you the official Grand Order Infinite Loops compilation. The stories beyond time that cross many worlds. Welcome to Yggdrasil, and the Infinite Loops Project, presenting our Heroes of Chaldea across all of space and time. What will their stories be? Find out, here in the Infinite Order!

Requiem of Fate: The Grand Order

Fate/Grand Order Activation Loop

[Fate/Grand Order] [Adminspace]

Adminspace

Skuld, head debugger of Yggdrasil, looked over the report with a rather great deal of trepidation… "Why has no one brought this to my attention before?"

The one who had brought the report, an oft forgotten god from the distant past, Manu frowned. "We only discovered this due to, well due to Hecate collapsing. She's in medical right now. It seems-"

"She was overworking herself again… why has she been trying to keep this going?" Skuld questioned as she read the report. "Sure, they're all part of the same Branch as separate timelines, but… Shirou Emiya has only the most nebulous of connections to most of these Loops. I'm surprised we haven't lost them yet," she frowned at that, before looking at Manu. "Who's watching the Nasuverse right now?"

"I believe Odin decided to take action when he heard of this. I saw him practically rushing for the door when he heard Hecate had collapsed." Manu muttered, and Skuld frowned.

"Odd… he's got the Fantasy Loops, what's so concerning about this Branch in particular…" she shook her head. "Doesn't matter, Manu, I need to know something?"

Manu raised an eyebrow. The Chaldean God of Fate already knew where this was going and Skuld started her offer.

"This, to put it mildly, is a complete mess. Hecate is already watching over so many Branches, and this one is far away from the Nintendo Branch. I'm overing the Nasu Branch on standby while you figure out how to fix this mess, starting with the new main Branch?"

"You are referring to the Grand Order, which has massively overtaken the original Branch." Manu muttered, thinking back to some Hub documentation he'd looked at before, indeed twas fate.

"Yeah, we'll get around to the other offshoots later. I'm authorizing sending the Loopers and Anchor on travel until this mess is sorted out." Skuld ordered, and Manu nodded, "If you get this to work without losing anything, congratulations on your promotion."

"I certainly believe I can," Manu offered the goddess of the future. Now, there was work to be done.

Activation of Grand Order

Ristuka Fujimaru certainly believed he'd seen it all before… Of course in his many adventures, he'd faced off with gods and myths, traveled through time to various locales. He'd been trapped in a time loop, brought into a dream of another war for the grail, heck, he'd even technically been a woman once. He'd met and worked with people from history and myth, grew to knew them as friends and partners. He'd lost many in the pursuit of bringing back humanity's future.

But here he, or rather, she was, surrounded by flames. Fuyuki, the place that started it all. Singularity F, the Accel Zero mission. The origin of the Holy Grail War. After facing off with Fairies, and the queen of Fairy Britain… Here Ritsuka Fujimaru was once again.

And for some reason he was now a girl. "This is… new," she muttered, before holding her head… memories reaserting themselves… fragments of the past… wow Mnemosyne had done a number on her back then… But then there were the new memories. Memories of a little girl, who'd come to Chaldea now…

Come was a strong word, more like kidnapped but who was she to complain. She looked forward, and before her stood Mash, her beloved friend, his partner, fighting off a trio of skeletons. Instinct honed by hundreds of battles and dozens of missions kicked in. "Mash, left!" she ordered, snapping her fingers. She recognized her old uniform, the spells within. An Instant Enhancement had Mash, raise her head as she smashed one skeleton to powder, and then followed up with slamming her shield, very ungracefully, into the last one standing, sending it flying before it shattered to a pile of bones.

"Thanks Senpai!" Mash, she said, a sad smile on her face. Before she looked down at herself. "I had my worries but we made it somehow." Ritsuka looked Mash over, taking in the sight of her old combat outfit. The power of Galahad still clearly flowed through her, at least now. But it was untapped.

She could only infer that perhaps she really had gone back in time. Which and not by Rayshift like she usually did. "Are you hurt Senpai? Does your stomach hurt, or does it feel heavy?" Mash asked her.

"I feel pretty good Mash, thanks." she said, just responding with a smile. Gosh, Fuyuki had been so long ago, she only really recalled the broad strokes. Mnemosyne playing with her memories that one time had not helped that mess… "You did really good Mash." She said, offering encouragement to her friend. She didn't… seem to remember.

That was fine. Mash was her friend, no matter what. They'd been through thick and thin together… She'd make new memories. Saint George had said that memories were perhaps the greatest gift of life, or perhaps she was recalling it wrong. The saint had loved his photography, that was for sure.

"You… you think so Senpai?" Mash questioned, blush red as Ritsuka chuckled and put her hands behind her head.

"Yeah, and you're only gonna get better." She offered, and Mash just returned the smile.

It was only a few moments later, the thing that she'd forgotten arrived, something she didn't watch to confront, just yet.

"Right, I finally got through! Hello? This is the Chaldea Command Room? Do you read me?" Oh she did, she heard him, and saw the hologram loud and clear.

And she could not stop the tears at the sight of the good doctor, Roman…

"This is Mash Kyrielight, a member of A Team. At this time I've completed the shift to Singularity F. My sole companion is Ritsuka. Mind and body both intact." Mash responded to him… she just kept quiet, trying to hide the tears.

She'd missed Roman… and 'the Chaldean' was no replacement for him. Their goofy doctor, and her boss. Mash was still reciting, but… she'd tuned her out. Just, trying to process what was going on. She'd been through a lot… but there was one thing she knew.

She'd been given a second chance.

Roman was alive, and he was safe. But that meant here, there was one other person. Olga Marie.

Someone she knew was little more than a ghost, a soul that had formed a body around it.

Someone she had to try and save.

As Roman chastised his daughter over her current outfit of choice, and Mash rebuttulled with having him check her status, Ritsuka looked towards the flames. She held her hands together, looking down at the command seals on the back of her hand. They were different from the previous set she'd held… the first time around she supposed.

As Mash and Roman's conversation came to speaking of Mash's unknown Heroic Spirit… she kept quiet. She knew who was within Mash. Galahad, a Knight of the Round. But… she kept that quiet. This was something Mash had to learn herself, Holmes' observations of 'it was obvious' be damned.

"Ritsuka," Roman calling out to her brought her out of her thoughts, and she turned towards them both. She steeled herself, prepared for what may come. "It looks like you're the only one who Rayshifted there safely. Also, I am sorry. Forcing you into this without any explanation."

"It's fine Doctor, we'll make it work," she said, nodding to Mash, the shy, timit girl of the past looking surprised, before nodding alongside her.

"Well, you seem ready to go, don't you. Good, keep that confidence. And know that you've already got a powerful weapon. Humanity's most powerful weapon, Mash." Roman said, smiling as Mash blushed at the praise from the doctor.

"I-I don't know about most 'most powerful.' I'm the one who gets blamed later." Mash muttered and Roman laughed. Ritsuka just… she smiled.

"Now, now, as long as Ritsuka understands that's what a Servant is, it'll be fine." Roman stated, and Ritsuka started thinking about that.

Servants… were far more than weapons. They were people. And so many of them are her friends. She'd met them, bonded with them. Helped them find solace, or peace, or just treasure. She'd helped them grow stronger, forging legends beyond their original. After all, Astolfo never visited El Dorado before to face off with Hercules, nor had Henri Sanson given his life to save a little girl in the town of Salem. Those were legends of Chaldea.

They were her memories of her friends.

"I know what Servants are Doctor Roman." She said with confidence. She was a mage who specialized in summoning Servants, commanding them… and being friends with them. She'd made friendships that would last a lifetime. Perhaps beyond that as well if what some had said held merit.

"Oh, good, so you're aware of your contract with Mash?" he asked, and she smiled.

"Yep," Ritsuka held up her command seals, her proof of contract, something she'd used on servants, and even herself once.

"Alright, good. She's your first Heroic Spirit, and hopefully won't be the last. Now, the current mission has two new goals." he said, his voice going more crackled as the connection started to fray.

"Doctor, you're break up. Ten seconds until the connection is lost." Mash pointed out, and Roman sighed.

"Huh, so Sheba's output is unstable because we switched to the backup generators? Oh well, I'll brief you later. Both of you, I'm getting a strong leyline reading about two kilometers from where you are. Try to get their somehow. That way, it will stabilize our connection. Listen don't do anything reckless, will you? I'll try to bring the power back up as soon as-" He just started belting out words at high speed, until the connection finally cut, leaving her and Mash alone amid a flaming city once more.

"I suppose it can't be helped… Let's get going Mash," Ritsuka said, starting to walk, before turning and offering her hand to her friend. Her old, new friend.

Mash just beamed as she reached out to take her hand. "Right, Senpai… you're so dependable, and brave."

"Mash I'm terrified, but we have to keep moving forward," she said, never dropping her smile. She had to keep that brave face up. She wasn't one to laugh in danger's face… but to smile at it? To show that she could stand up to it despite her fears?

Mash just… smiled to her, as Fou jumped onto the pinkette's shoulders. Ritsuka just smiled at the little critter, as she and Mash looked towards their path through a burning city. Holding hands.

The girl who remembered the future, Humanity's Last Master. And the Demi-Servant, the girl who became a Servant, humanity's great protector.

Together they walked forward, towards the future once more.

Adminspace

Manu was calm as he walked into the office, and only barely raised an eyebrow at the sight of the Allfather typing away rather furiously at the keyboard.

"Odin?" Manu started, walking towards the terminal. The one eyed god only looked to him for a moment before huffing.

"Good, you're back, we have a problem." Odin started, straight and too the point.

"What else is new?" Manu jested as Odin nodded towards the terminal, allowing Manu to see what was going on.

"Looper activation? Already?" Manu questioned, Odin standing up and allowing the Chaldean God to take the seat, before looking at the terminal.

"I looked through the code of the loop just before it started, in case Hecate missed something. She did," he pointed out, and to that, Manu looked towards said code.

"...That's the very beginning of the Loop." He muttered, already looking it over. "Oh… that's not good."

Odin just nodded. "That's why I took the liberty of activating the one Looping candidate I had authority over. Even better, he's already inside that mess. And well… look."

Manu looked, and just… stared. The loop had been activated… just as an expansion had come. He reached for his chin… oh dear lord that code was messed up. Just how had this gotten out of hand so badly?

"Who's the Looper, and how the heck is he going to help this mess?" Manu started, and Odin just huffed.

"You'll see. Now, all we can do is hope things don't go too far… at the very least, it will be an interesting first loop, no?"

"Here hoping we don't have a repeat of the Megaman Branch." Manu muttered, and Odin raised his head.

"Have some faith, Manu. If you're going to be an Admin, you'll need it when it comes to your Anchor." Odin advised.

And like that, they both fell silent, to watch, and wait. And hope that things would turn out alright.

---

Grand Order

'Really Odin! Now you're dumping all this on me?' Cú Chulainn thought to himself as he dodged another dagger. He grit his teeth as the black Servant kept to the shadows. He'd had a lot of time to sort through his memories, or the additional power that he was packing from the future, having been thrust straight into battle from the word go.

He wasn't sure who the Assassin was yet, but he knew damn well it wasn't Cursed Arm like the first time around. He grit his teeth, before slamming his staff into the ground, a gust of wind appearing around him as the storm of daggers from all directions was flung into the air.

That settled it, only one it could be. "Ansuz!" he ordered, a circle of flame appearing around him, before spreading out. He saw several shadows leaping around, yep, just who he expected now. Hundred Face.

Well, he was pretty good at fighting armies, so this should be a cakewalk.
Deciding to go on the offensive, he lit his staff ablaze, rushing towards a figure and ducking under its' attempt to stab him. He pierced the shadow, lighting it ablaze before spinning his staff around and firing an array of flames at a building. The building burned, the rune of fire building straight though stone, and through his targets. He spun around, ducking under a massive fist before kicking off the large assassin, following up with a root summoned directly from below, ripping through the giant's chest.

Three assassins tried to jump him, before he snapped his fingers, two wolves appearing before leaping forth, tackling two of the assassins and ripping out their throats as he turned his staff into a javelin of light, throwing it straight through the third, and then catching it as it returned, spinning it around and throwing it at another he just barely caught sight of.

He had some time, but not a lot of it.

He had to eliminate all one hundred assassins before he could meet up with the Chaldeans. A time consuming task at the best of times. And he didn't have time.

He threw out several runes, looking around before sighing. "Well, I guess there ain't no choice…" he muttered, before leaping forward, into a building and grabbing an Assassin by the neck, immolating them with a rune of fire from his palm. He tossed the body aside and spun around as an assassin tried to plant a dagger in his back, only for him to put his staff head to their chest. He smirked, and then blasted them through the chest with a gout of fire.

One more, a purple haired girl, the 'main body' as his memories told from interactions in Chaldea. He snapped his fingers, rather than rushing forward, the hand of the Wicker Man sprouting up and grabbing her by the leg as she tried to jump away from the flames. With that one moment he lit his staff ablaze again and rushed forward, jabbing it straight through her skull.

He dismissed the Wicker Man as she fell, dissolving into blue as he huffed, and looked around, he then leapt from the building. He had somewhere to be.

Ritsuka was running, alongside Mash and Olga, panting as they were running, with Romani's warning for them to get away. Mash was explaining the situation, Fuyuki 2004, sight of a Holy Grail War.

"But the conclusion of those events isn't recorded. Did the ritual succeed? Or did it fail? Whatever did happen, the Servants actions ended without anyone knowing about them, that's all we know." Mash recited, and Ritsuka muttered.

"Ah come on, that makes no sense," she muttered. She damn well knew who won the 2004 grail war… at least she thought she did. Then Fou started squeaking, and Mash came to a stop, and Ritsuka skid to one as well, alongside Olga… they watched as chains manifested… this wasn't anything like last time.

"Chains?" Ritsuka muttered, but didn't dare venture closer… and then the voice spoke. A woman's voice.

"Too bad… fresh prey managed to slither away," She looked up, alongside Mash and Olga, towards the voice as the Servant revealed themselves. Ritsuka gasped at the sight. A tall woman in a cloak, purple hair… and a familiar scythe at her side.

Medusa, but not the normal Medusa Lancer she remembered from Babylonia

"A Servant and Master I've never seen before… oh my, how young and fresh they are," the woman, Medusa Lancer she assumed. Mash ran forward, hefting her shield.

"There's the Servant, but I don't see her Master anywhere," Mash observed, and Olga scoffed as she raised her finger, ready to fire an Gandr.

"Don't forget, this is a world gone mad. A Servant without a Master shouldn't be too surprised," Olga retorted as Ritsuka raised her hand, ready to cast either Instant Enhancement or Emergency Evasion as needed. Fou stared down the Servant as well as she went up to a statue… a frozen stone boy screaming in agony, hair like seaweed turned to rock.

"Those are people…" Ritsuka muttered, taking a step back, wary of Medusa's Mystic Eyes… and she looked around… an entire courtyard of dozens of people, turned to statues. She gulped, this Medusa wasn't playing around… like Gorgon. "Why did you do this?"

"You don't approve?" Medusa asked, standing up taller as she laid a clawed hand across the statue's face, using it as a rest for her arm. "As I see it, if you carelessly wander into my hunting grounds… I'm free to treat you… as I please!" She said, smiling as she ripped the statue's head off.

Blood sprayed everywhere, causing Ritsuka to blach in disgust as the head clattered to the ground nearby and shattered… she swore she'd seen that person before… that honestly just made it worse. "Aw… don't worry. I may have lost one statue… but soon I'll have three new ones to add to my collection…" she said with a giggle, licking the blood off her face, even as it dripped and drained from her cloak.

"The only thing to do is fight," Mash started, and Ritsuka looked between her, and Medusa.

"Are you sure?" she asked, concerned just how big the difference in power was… she knew how Medusa worked. Blood was an energy source, she hadn't just decapitated that statue to unnerve them, she'd done it to recharge her magical energy, hence why she had absorbed the blood.

"Can you take her?" Olga asked, raising her finger away, but still ready to shoot off a Gandr at a moment's notice as Mash started to inch forward.

"I can." Mash declared, and Medusa chuckled.

"Ooh? How very bold and fresh," Medusa posited and chuckled as she stepped forward. "This wouldn't happen to be your first time fighting as a Servant would it?" Mash grimaced, and Ritsuka gripped her hand. "Well then, let the veteran give you some advice!" She spun Harpe around threateningly, ending by turning the blade towards Mash. "Be careful what you say and do, for once you say the word 'fight', the battle before you has already begun!" she leapt forward, vanishing into thin air and reappearing in front of Mash, Harpe raised. Mash raised her shield to meet the blade, scythe clashed with the shield as dust went flying from the impact alone.

Ritsuka grabbed Olga and moved away as Medusa kept up a relentless assault on Mash's guard, unable to attack back… or perhaps unwilling. "You're desperate? Excellent!" Medusa screamed as Mash stuttered.

"Watch out! That Scythe is Harpe!" Ritsuka shouted, deciding now was not the time to keep quiet on what knowledge she held. "If she hits you, it's not going to heal!" Ritsuka alerted Mash, which only had her holding up her guard further.

"How did you?" Olga questioned, since she herself hadn't figured it out, and Ritsuka looked towards her.

"I'm a bit of a mythology buff ok? I've figured out who she is… that's Medusa, fairly obvious from the stone statues, but the scythe is Harpe, the immortal breaker," she said, delivering a bit of exposition to the director for once. She wasn't sure what was up with the chains though, she'd never thought to ask Ana about that.

"I'm flattered, little girl, that you recognized me so easily." Medusa gave in slight surprise, as she continued to assault Mash, taking a swing for Mash's head around the massive shield.

But she missed, barely, and Mash retorted by ramming Medusa head on. She leapt away, landing atop the wall of chains she'd set up between a pair of lampposts as a trap. "Well, your Servant is a bit too fresh. It grates on my nerves." Medusa chuckled as she pulled her hair out from her hood, chuckling as it first turned into snakes… and then into chains. Rituska grit her teeth. This Medusa… she's wasn't one…

She was all three of them she knew. Ana's class, Medusa's body… and Gorgon's mind… oh… shit. The chains wrapped around, forming a cage as Mash got in front of both her and Olga again to guard from the front. "What do you think of my hair? Really sweeps you off your feet doesn't it?" Medusa… no, Gorgon asked as she locked eyes with Ritsuka, licking her lips.

"I'm no match for her… I suggest you try and get away." Mash warned, and Ritsuka shook her head. She wasn't leave Mash behind… Oh what she wouldn't give for Caster right now!

"Well… you've got guts, you're a little girl no matter how you slice it… but your a brave one." Everyone, even Gorgon looked around for the voice, but Ritsuka… she smirked. That was Caster… She recognized that voice easily. Well, what perfect timing. "Sorry that I'm a little late."

'Wait, what?' Ritsuka thought. Caster thought he was late?

"Who are you?" Gorgon questioned, not moving, but simply looking around for the source of the voice as someone landed nearby.

"Who am I? Look at me and you'll know 'old friend.'" Caster said as he stood up, hood on and smirking as Gorgon glared at him.

"I should have known… Caster!" she retorted as he removed his hood "Why do you take the side of these castaways!?" Gorgon demanded.

"Why?" Caster chuckled, before throwing up an array of runes. "Because its better than your side of course!" he launched the flames with lightning speed, Gorgon grunting, and bracing as the bolts of fire exploded, shrouding her in smoke. The chains flailed around as she jumped away, landing on the ground as Caster walked over to the group of three.

"Well hello you three. Sorry it took me a bit to get here. I'm a Caster, and for my own reasons, this chick's my enemy. Probably pretty obvious, right?" he started, leaning back and looking forward. "Get ready young lady. Experience aside, your courage is second to none." he added, and Mash thanked him, standing a little taller.

"Caster?" Ritsuka questioned, and the man turned his head, only showing him one eye and part of his face, only to him.

'Later' he mouthed, rather than spoke, turning back towards Gorgon just as quickly. That one word said more than enough.

Caster remembered, how she wasn't sure.

"Hey Kid," he said, and Ritsuka looked towards him herself now. "I'm leaving orders up to you, we'll make the contract in a bit."

"Right," Ritsuka nodded, and Caster smirked as Gorgon finally spoke.

"That works for me, it means I'll kill you earlier than planned." she started, spinning Harpe around as Caster huffed. "Why wait? I'll take your lives while you're still flesh and Blood!"

The sound of chains. "Caster, both sides!"

"Good ears!" he leapt, just before the barrage of chains could pierce him from both sides, but they shot into the air, chasing after him in an attempt to either pierce or bind.

Caster focused, dodging as he could, several lengths of chain coming up above him, and then coming back down. "Evade!" Ritsuka ordered, magic circuits alight as Caster phased out, mere moments, but just enough to avoid getting bound by the chains. Gorgon grunted, before leaping upward after Caster, swinging Harpe mid jump. He blocked with his staff, being forced to the ground, and then instantly on the defensive as he kept blocking and dodging backward to avoid Harpe cutting him at all.

He leapt around statues, Gorgon cutting them to pieces as he dodged around her wild swings. She was packing a lot of power, but he could tell her technique was lacking… he kept his big mouth shut for once, this was serious, more serious than last time where it was merely shadows. These were actual Servants blackened by mud.

"I see that all you can do is run!" Gorgon said with a giddy smile, closing in on her prey. "You don't even have time to cast a spell, do you!" Caster landed, and then flipped away as she impacted the ground behind him. He placed his hand on the ground, before landing in a kneeling position, his trap set.

"This is what happens when you open your big mouth… I think its about time someone shuts it." She turned Harpe towards him as she sauntered forth. "For good."

"Mash," Ritsuka ordered, and the pinkette ran forward, Gorgon's attention entirely on Caster meant…

"Now young lady!" Caster ordered just as Mash skid into Gorgon's view as she brought down Harpe, the tip impacting her shield as Caster stood up, looking at where Gorgon had landed.

"Word of advice. You don't need to chant to you runes. Now learn your lesson!" He threw out his arm, and Gorgon looked down… at the now glowing rune she was standing over. Flames burst forth, and she screamed in pain as it burned her alive. When the flames were done, she was standing there, doubled over in pain, but alive.

Caster didn't even bother with chanting as he launched an entire array of flames at the Lancer, and in the ensuing explosion, as Ritsuka covered her eyes… Gorgon vanished, defeated and killed like any other Servant.

"I think that counts as a win," Caster said calmly as Mash bowed to him.

"Thank you for stepping in, you saved us when we were in a tight spot." Mash thanked the Servant as he chuckled as he threw her arm around her.

"Nice work little lady. Without you that wouldn't have gone anywhere near as well." he complimented her as Ritsuka led Olga closer, the director still wary of the new Servant as Cú let go of Mash, and then looked both Mash, and Ritsuka up and down. "I gotta say, nice bod, both you and your Master."

Ritsuka frowned, and sulked, and Mash blushed as Caster laughed, leaving Olga to scoff as Fou hissed at the offending Servant for his leering.

"And… our only ally is a pervert…" Olga complained as she pulled up Roman on the communicator.

"Let's just ask him about the situation. He seems like a decent heroic spirit, all things considered." Roman stated, and Caster smirked.

"Well let's cut straight to the point then, but not here. It's a bit too hot, if you catch my drift." he offered, pointing towards the bridge over the water. Ritsuka nodded, and they talked as the group walked.

When the group arrived, Ritsuka listened, with rapt apt fascination as Caster spun his tale.

"Well I didn't lose the Grail War, if that's what your asking. Somewhere along the line, our Holy Grail War was switched up with something else." He started, and Olga scoffed.

"And what does that mean?"

"I don't know the details myself. But the city was blanketed in fire overnight. All the humans vanished, probably turned to ash and bone, the skeletons we see wandering around. The only beings of high function remaining were us Servants." he started and took a deep breath… as he pulled from this timeline's memories.

"The first one to rekindle the fires of the Holy Grail War was Saber. And she was already an odd one to begin with before this whole thing turned into a mess. A black knight wielding an unholy sword. She's been rampaging with wanton abandon. Already she's defeated Archer, who was a Blacksmith Heroic Spirit, Lancer, who we just saw, Rider, a king who conquered much of the world, Berserker, a Greek Hero known for his twelve Labors, and Assassin, a hundred individual assassins that fight together." Caster revealed, and Ritsuka gulped, processing all those identities.

"After they fell in battle, these conquered Servants became corrupted by a 'dark mud' that spewed forth from the grail, bringing them back under Saber's control. I've already disposed of Assassin, and together, we just defeated Lancer. Leaving Rider, Berserker, Archer, and Saber all still standing against us, even if the black Berserker seems to be staying put by the ruins of the old castle." Caster admitted, and Ritsuka nodded.

"So then, if we defeat one of the remaining Servants, either Saber or yourself?" Roman started, and Caster nodded.

"The Holy Grail War will be over." he finished, looking to Ritsuka, who nodded.

"There's a high likelihood of sorting out the singularity F abnormality too. Tell me Caster, where can we find Saber?" Olga asked, and he looked towards the mountain.

"Yeah… at the heart of this land, protecting the corrupted Greater Grail, with Archer by her side, and Rider wandering the streets," he replied, a little uneasy.

Ritsuka was as well, the scenario was similar, but… there were differences, like Rider. Last time, there had been Medusa as 'Shadow Rider', but now they were dealing with full on Servants, only… turned black by the corrupted grail. And Rider was still out there.

"Caster?" Ritsuka asked, and he looked towards the young girl, who took a deep breath. "Would… Rider happen to be… Iskandar, or Alexander the Great?"

Olga, Roman and Mash gasped at the name, as Caster gripped his staff, and huffed. "Well I ain't gonna lie here… yeah, Black Rider is Iskandar, King of Conquerors." At that, Ritsuka winced, hard.

"Iskandar would have been a top class Servant… and to have been defeated by Saber?" Roman asked, and Caster huffed.

"Whatever rank of Servant he was doesn't matter, what does is he stands between us and Saber. So we're gonna have to deal with him, as much as I want to go after Archer." Caster admitted as Ritsuka walked up next to Caster. "So then 'Master'," he looked down at Ritsuka. "You got a plan?"

"You're asking her if she has a plan? To take down Alexander the Great?" Olga complained, and Caster turned to her.

"Well I don't see you offering anything, and my Contract is with her, not you." he explained, forcing Olga to sit down and fume for a moment as Mash looked towards both of them as Ritsuka put her hand to her chin.

"Iskandar… his greatest strengths… that Chariot… and…" she muttered, uncertain that she had any reason to know that he possessed a Reality Marble that summoned an entire army to his side.

"And his sheet physicality, obviously," Caster amended, already taking up a position with her, leaving Mash, Olga and Roman wondering why the two were already working together so well.

"Do you think your Noble Phantasm could smash his Chariot?" she asked, and Caster shook his head, before she hummed, and then snapped her fingers. "The bulls."

"Those I could deal with, but the hard part is going to be-" he started, before a rumbling sound came from above. "Quick, hide!" he ordered.

The group took to the ground, hiding behind the pillars as something shot across the sky… a large chariot, pulled by two massive bulls, and standing within it, a mountain of a man wearing a tattered cloak. Ritsuka grimaced she realized just how badly this could go.

They were going to have to face down Iskandar… one way or another. And after him, EMIYA… and Saber Alter, and without a third Servant as backup to boot.

This… was already going to be much harder than last time.

Adminspace

Odin took a sip of his coffee as Manu was working at the terminal, furiously typing away, gathering data, and compiling what he could.

"This is a mess." Manu complained as Odin huffed, just taking another chug of his coffee, and Manu continued. "I don't think a simple Ouroburos Patch is going to fix this Odin." he added.

"How so?" Odin asked, raising an eyebrow as Manu sighed.

"I'm still trying to figure that out so far my plan is to limit the number of singularities that can be active over the course of any loop between two numbers. The fourteen that occur in Baseline and the second number I've yet to figure out, but I'm believing a good solid starting point would be nine hundred, to be raised or lowered as needed." Manu positited, and Odin hummed.

"I believe that minimum should be raised, Manu." Odin pointed out, and Manu turned towards Odin, who continued. "Said singularities are the only resource that the people in that loop have for a long, long time to keep their observatory running. Too few, and they won't have enough to complete the baseline."

"I'll bump it up to a hundred minimum then, that should be a fair number," Manu said, editing the code as Odin looked at another screen, one which showed the current happenings inside the loop as Manu continued to find and correct errors, even as more and more new messy code kept piling in from the ongoing expansion…

"Good luck for what's coming to you," Odin mumbled, and turned to assist Manu once more in this mess of a universe that had been left for far too long.

---

Grand Order

Ritsuka's plan was fairly basic, as far as plans went by Cu's standards. But he supposed he couldn't judge. The kid hadn't technically even completed her first loop yet, from what he knew, she already had nerves of steel.

It was a pretty bold plan to take down Iskandar, and she didn't even know he wasn't from here yet. And he'd yet to get a chance away from the two girls to actually talk to her about what was going on. To her credit, she seemed to be taking it well.

"Very least this'll be fun." He mused as he stood up on high, watching as Ritsuka dealt with Olga, who was currently browbeating her for this 'stupid plan.'

While pinkie wasn't able to use her Noble Phantasm… technically they only needed her to defend against Iskandar long enough for him to take them out. The Black Lancer Medusa had been rather chatty… so Ritsuka planned to bank on that to see if they could goad Iskandar into fighting them on foot. It was his job to be the hammer that struck this hammer down.

So he watched, and waited, as the Rider rumbled through the sky.

Down below, Ritsuka tossed the stone she'd taken from Olga Marie up and down. And she watched as Iskandar rode up above. Mash was beside her, nervous, but ready, while Olga had hidden nearby, close enough to save, but not close enough she could get caught up in something destructive.

She lined up. Tossing the stone into the air. It got maybe twenty meters before it exploded in a flash of light, and like a charm, the blacken Iskandar turned towards it, and actually came to a halt up above.

His cloak was in tatters, and black veins criss-crossed his form. It was disturbing, but she'd seen worse.

"Servant Rider!" Ritsuka called out, pointing directly at the man in the chariot… who listened with a blank expression. "King of Conquerors!" that… got something, a very, very small smile of recognition. There was a chance! "Iskandar! We challenge you to a battle! Servant against Servant!" She bellowed, for several moments there was a quiet calm.

And then, a laugh, a hearty laugh that was punctuated by dark energy. "You, little girl, challenge me? Knowing who I am?" he continued to laugh… and then he leapt down from above, cracking the very ground as he landed and looked up. "You would face the King of Conquerors in open combat?"

Mash stepped up, hefting her shield. "We do," she declared as Ritsuka raised her command seals.

The black Servant paused, and tilted his head… and then he smiled again, with mirth in his voice. "Oh, you two got spunk! Challenging me head on! Knowing who I am! What are your names girls, so that I may know-" he drew his blade. "Who I am about to conquer!"

"Ritsuka Fujimaru," Ritsuka declared, taking a deep breath as Mash stood strong.

"Mash Kyrielight, her Servant." Mash said in response, moving forward as Iskandar raised an eyebrow.

"Never heard of that name before… a new conquest then! HAHAHA!" He shouted… and then shot forth light Lightning, Ritsuka gasped as Mash raised her shield, just barely blocking the swing of his sword, she grit her teeth as he, like with Gorgon, assaulted her relentlessly.

And with every swing he laughed. "Come on girl! Fight back! Defend forever and we shall get nowhere. At least until I cut you like I did the Gordian Knot!" Iskandar bellowed as he pulled his sword back, summoning a long cavalry spear and spinning it.

"Now!" Ritsuka ordered, and Mash charged the opening, slamming her shield into Iskandar's stomach and continuing forward, even as he planted his feet and grit his teeth. They got maybe ten feet before they settled into a stalemate, with Iskandar pushing back against Mashu's shield.

Ritsuka looked up above, nearby she could see Caster, already scaling the building before landing on the ground with a soft thump, hand in the dirt as he walked forward slowly, placing his hand down several times before standing up tall as Iskandar and Mash broke away from each.

"Hehe, tough little girl aren't you. And brave as well!" Iskandar complimented, and Mash just raised her shield, steeled for the next battle… as Caster spun his staff and pointed it directly at Iskandar's back.

A blast of flame shot him in the shoulder, and instantly he turned. "Well hello old friend, miss me?" Caster taunted, and Iskandar laughed.

"Oh, you again Caster. You couldn't wait your turn could you?" Iskandar laughed as he crossed his arms.

"And miss out on all the fun? Come now, did you expect anything less?" Caster retorted before slamming his staff into the ground, summoning an array of roots around Iskandar, who grunted, before summoning Lightning, frying the magical plants before launching himself at Caster… and Ritsuka threw up her arm. "Evade!"

Caster smirked as his form went blurry, before vanishing, Iskandar grunting as he skidded to a stop, Caster reappearing a few meters away from Mash, who ran up to join him as Iskandar smirked. "Very well… I'll just run you both over then!" He bellowed, Prana gathering around him as he summoned the Gordius Wheel.

"Well little lady, here's hoping that shield of yours can hold him long enough." Caster warned, before jumping back, allowing Mash to take the front as Ritsuka came closer. Olga and Fou watching as Iskandar raised his arms.

"CHARGE!" Iskandar bellowed, snapping the reigns for his bulls, which ran forward, prepared to trample the little girl before them and all behind her.

"Come on Mash…" Ritsuka muttered. Everything was riding on this. She just needed to hold him still…

Mash grit her teeth… and stood up as lightning crackled around her, before the bulls brayed and rushed her. For a moment, she saw her death, and the deaths of Caster, of her Senpai, the director… even Fou.

Something that she would not allow to happen.

Everyone watched, three in awe, one with a smirk, and one in surprise, as that heavy shield, bigger than the girl who held it, glowed blue.

And when Iskandar's chariot hit something, it was not the shield, but a wall. As strong as a castle, built by a young girl's will. "Well I'll be damned…"

"Caster now!" Ritsuka ordered, and Caster just chuckled, before speaking.

"Well Rider, it may have been short, but its been fun. Next time you might want to check the road!" Caster taunted, and Iskandar gave a look of surprise as both behind him, and beneath his chariot, an entire line of runes lit up.

"Well played…" Iskandar muttered, moments before the flames consumed him, his chariot, and his bulls. A large explosion taking up the entire street as said explosion pounded at the wall Mash had conjured forth… and when the smoke clearly, only Iskandar was standing there, covered in dust, and the shattered remains of his chariot, and the corpses of his bulls already fading away. "Lot of power behind those runes Caster."

"Yep, now let's end this." Caster shot pass Mash as she finally let go of the wall, panting as Ritsuka grabbed her friend from behind, both of them watching as he lept towards the weakened Rider… and Ritsuka wasn't taking chances.

"Enhance!"

Caster struck with his flaming staff much harder than he'd been pushing for, which was more than enough as Iskandar's sword shattered in its attempt to block the wooden cudgel, and pierced his heart, Caster smirking as Iskandar went lax… and faded away.

"Well, well Master, your plan worked like a charm." Caster offered, and then looked towards Mash. "And the little lady unlocked her Noble Phantasm, imagine that. Was that part of your plan too?"

Ritsuka could only chuckle in response, Mash smiling as Caster walked over to Ritsuka, and pat her on the back. "You're going great kid. You might need this later." Caster whispered as Ritsuka felt something drop into her back pocket. She didn't check it as he pulled away. "And now that we've got that out of the way… only Archer and Saber remain in our way. And I've got a score to settle with the bowman." Caster mused.

"Are you alright Mash?" Ritsuka questioned, and Mash sighed, mostly in relief as Fou lept onto her shoulder.

"I think I'm alright Senpai, for now at least." she responded, Olga joining them as…

"DOWN!" Caster suddenly shouted, pushing Ritsuka out of the way as some sort of arrow shaped sword passed them by, hitting a building and detonating. "Son of a! Why now!" Caster complained before dragging Ritsuka into a building, Mash and Olga joining them as another arrow detonated, this time on the street.

"Caster! Why is he shooting at us now?" Ritsuka asked, and Caster growled, looking towards the three girls before sighing.

"Knowing him, probably defending Saber preemptively. Our little assault on Iskandar wasn't exactly quiet, so now we're going to have to get creative just getting to Archer…" Caster muttered. "Alright, you three are going after Saber. I'll draw Archer away." he decided after only a moment's notice.

"But," Ritsuka started, only for Olga to grab her shoulder.

"We have to deal with this now. Let's go," Olga ordered her, and Ritsuka nodded, Caster bounding out of the building, rushing towards Archer's position, out in the open, dodging arrows as he went. And Ritsuka had Mash lead after the arrows stopped coming towards them, the trio and Fou rushing out to begin making their way towards Saber.

---

Cu Chulainn was having the time of his life. Sure, he wasn't in his preferred class, but the old looper had only had a few of these loops before. And the last few times, they'd been fun.

But this? This was the first time he had a chance to go against EMIYA with nothing but his abilities in this loop alone. And no one between him and kicking his ass. With that little trinket, he'd ensured his own survival, well technically, but Odin had given him a duty.

'Help the Master of Chaldea. Your job is to make sure they survive this loop, if you don't this entire branch may suffer the consequences.'

To say it was a lot of pressure was an understatement, but he did always enjoy orders. And he'd gotten some new powers as well. Apparently from what his memories told him, he was a mix of himself and Odin, a Pseudo-Servant. Wasn't sure if that was baseline or not, but that was a pretty impressive bit of power he'd been entrusted with.

'Alright mister Admin, let's see if your trust wasn't misplaced.' he thought to himself, flipping his hand and causing another Calabolg to vanish into dust. He could get used to this… maybe next time he could try this trick on goldie?

First he had to survive this fight of course. For many, a Null Loop could be boring, but this? This was something he relished.

Cu Chulainn loved challenges, and this would be his greatest challenge of all.

He took cover behind a tree, planning out his next move… only for an arrow to detonate near him, sending him flying. Quickly he righted himself, grunting as he landing and set a healing rune to work by smacking his side. Alright, so the bastard was predicting him now… he had to admit, knowing EMIYA, he was kinda surprised he was using the bow this much. He was a much more up close and personal fighter, so what was the trick here?

Well, he had to form each sword and then modify it so he could fire. That meant he could only shoot so fast. If this was his anchor EMIYA, he wouldn't have such an issue… on the other hand, this wasn't the anchor of the fifth Holy Grail War, or his soul bound counterpart.

No, this was just EMIYA, corrupted and blackened, deadly as all hell… so he decided he'd just walked towards him, or rather… run.

Cu smirked as he rushed out of cover, arm up as he began rapid casing the dispersal spell, arrows flying at him one at a time, packing a lot of power, but their volume was low, so erasing them was easier than letting them detonate. It took like like five minutes of rushing through trees, dodging the occasional Caladbolg and erasing anything else before he caught sight of the red bastard.

"Oh shit, that's Excalibur." he deadpanned at the sight of EMIYA holding the holy sword in one hand, eyes trained directly on him… ah… this was going to hurt if he didn't do something quick.

The archer didn't speak, simply loading the sword into his bow and morphing it. Excalibur Image… he hadn't seen that outside of the Moon Cell, so what the hell was this random Blackened EMIYA doing with it!

Rather than just sit and get shot at, he returned fire with an array of, well fire. The Archer was quick to dodge, and just as quick on the draw, firing his Excalibur Image arrow, forming a beam of light heading right towards him.

Cu grunted as he dodged as fast as he could, his cape getting caught by the blast. He chucked it off, it was only going to get in the way as the red bastard summoned another Excalibur Image. Cu grit his teeth, but then smirked… that was an idea.

He summoned a wall of roots, and bolted towards the temple, he needed at least three seconds to get set up for this. Behind him, said wall of roots exploited in a laser of golden light, but he was already gone. EMIYA searched for his prey as Cu danced through the trees, rushing up the mountain before getting close to the temple.

Rushing up the stairs, he fired a flare into the air. He wanted that red bastard to come to him, not the other way around. Going through the gate, he started throwing down ruins, just as another arrow shot by him, not an explosion one though. It merely bounced off his wind barrier, Protection from Arrows proving its worth as he leapt into the air, throwing a few runes in the air before returning fire at EMIYA. He watched a shape jump out of the forest, leaping high into the sky and firing downward. Raising a dome of roots, he prepared his final contingency, he'd gotten all he could in the time he'd gotten… now to see if it was enough for this one…

He slid out of the remains of his dome of roots, grinning as he landed on the temple's roof. An Excalibur Image already primed to fire… Cu smirked as he unleashed his arrow, the beam of light heading straight towards him. "Now I've got you!"

He slammed his hand into the ground, activating the first rune. His own imitation of the Gate of Skye… the beam of light stopped inches from him, and the arrow vanished into thin air as the other runes began to light up, creating a circle of entrapment. EMIYA grunted, and leapt into the air, only for him to him one of the traps he'd laid for the Archer and be knocked to the ground, right where he wanted him, his bow fading away as Cu stood up.

"You put runes in the air above us?" EMIYA both asked and stated, and Cu chuckled at that.

"Oh, you noticed, did you? This spell is a copy of one of my mentor's, Gate of Skye as it were. I will say, it's rather impressive you pushed me to use it Archer, but when you can fire Excalibur on repeat, what's a Caster to do?" Cu jested as EMIYA frowned at him. He spun his staff. "But let's finish with this song and dance. What do you say, you and me, just like the good old time! Head to head!"

"Really now Caster?" EMIYA asked as he traced the familiar Kashou and Bakuya, "I assumed you were brighter than that, to take someone on in melee."

"Well learn this! Just because it ain't clever!" he roared, rushed towards EMIYA as the archer readied his swords. "Doesn't mean I don't enjoy it!"

---

Ritsuka had managed to lead them around to the entrance of the cave. And with Archer nowhere in sight. Now the only thing between them and beginning this journey in true… was Saber Alter.

A battle that now raged, with Mash's shield being beaten at by Saber's sword. She grit her teeth… there really wasn't anything she could do, no matter how much she wanted to help. Olga had even had to stop her from going out there to help.

"Let me help her." She demanded of Olga, it hurt to watch as Mash was knocked around, and finally knocked off her feet. Why had they done this? Why hadn't they summoned another Servant? Why hadn't they gone to help Caster!

"No Fujimaru," Olga's words snapped her out of her thoughts, leaving her behind the director. "Let Mash do her job."

They and Fou had to watch… as Mash picked herself up slowly. "Look… I know how you feel, painfully so."

"Then let me help her Director!" Ritsuka shouted, as Saber Alter slowly walked towards her friend… Oh god, she was going to lose Mash!

"But you are that girl's Master, and she's your sworn Servant." Olga said, Mash picking herself, and her shield fully off the ground. Only for Saber Alter to swing downward, the mere act of her swinging kicking up enough force to send Mash sprawling once again. She couldn't watch… "Don't look away from her efforts!"

Ritsuka's eyes shot open as Olga continued. "Look straight ahead!" She did so. "Hold your head high!" She did so. "What are you doing as a Master, that is your only concern Ritsuka Fujimaru!"

She didn't respond or retort. She couldn't. So she watched… and she believed. As hard as she could. Mash had done the impossible before. She'd blocked Rhongomyniad, She'd blocked an attack that could destroy the planet. She'd been by her side against everything the world had thrown at them and more. This was a girl who would later shoot down gods.

Her Kouhai. Her best friend.

She would beat Saber Alter, no matter what. She just had to believe. For it was in the most dire moments… where her friend shined her brightest.

Saber Alter raised her sword above her head. "I'll respond to those eyes." she spoke, as Mash stared down the darkness. "To the heart that means to protect its Master." The sword lit up with black, raised towards the cavern's ceiling.

"No!" Ritsuka had enough, she ran about Olga's shield. If Mash was going to take this… she was going to have her help!

"EXCALIBUR MORGAN!" She swung down, the beam of darkness racing towards Mash's shield. She'd seen this before, where she'd tried to take a Noble Phantasm once without her own. Did she not have enough energy for Lord Chaldeas? She was going to fall!

But as the wave of pressure watched over her, and the dust cleared, what Ritsuka saw… shocked her. That Mash was still standing, Excalibur Morgan clashing against her shield.

This… was new.

---

Cu was quiet as EMIYA held his blades to his neck… he… might have gotten a bit careless in his excitement. Letting the red bastard get the upper hand.

"Looks like this is the end Caster." EMIYA started… gods even now he could hear the smugness, but he had to talk.

"Will that shield you feared resist the sword?" Both of them looked towards the purple glow coming towards the mountain. "Or will your beloved sword pierce the shield?"

He was actually surprised the blackened Servant humored him, but given what Ritsuka had proven… These guys loved to talk. "I heard something similar a long time ago." of course he would have, they'd clashed over this little fact multiple times. His spear and the red bastard's shield…

"Oh yeah? And what was the answer?" he posited. He knew it, and knew it well. Even in baseline, of course in his baseline it was a spear, not a sword.

In every case… the shield won, at least in baseline, but…

"The answer was… a Paradox." There it was, the old adage. And unstoppable force, and the immovable object. "Only a contradiction is produced."

He chuckled at that. "I wouldn't say that pal." EMIYA hummed at that, humoring him further. Good, just had to keep talking. "I think the same thing about that story. When both things are equal, why wouldn't it come down to skill, of who wields which better?" He liked to think he was the best, but he knew he wasn't… not by a long shot. There was a whole Multiverse out there who gave him a damn good run for his money, and many more who'd beaten him, even in spearwork. But he had some other tricks…

"But if its the weapon's performance that falters. A human just has to compensate with wisdom, right?" flick.

EMIYA gasped as the stone was launched from Cu's thumb. One of the bunch he'd 'borrowed' from the white haired girl when they had a moment to make them. It exploded in EMIYA's face, Cu knocking him away, activating his final contingency…

And was stabbed in the back.

EMIYA smirked in victory… but that victory was short lived, as wood crawled up his blades and arms, the rest of Cu's body turning to wood as he phased out of the wooden shell he'd prepared. "Surprise! You underestimated me again Red!" He leapt away, now shirtly, has he'd had to engrave those runes on his shirt. EMIYA grunted as he let go of his sword, but didn't get far enough away for the explosion to not catch him, knocking him back.

Cu landed on the roof, smirking as he held his staff. "Sorry pal, but I've got some new tricks to show you. Here… have a taste!" his staff flashed, a circle of flame appearing around EMIYA, before a hand of wicker reached out from the ground, crushing the Archer within, burning him, before smashing into the stone… and when the hand faded… he too faded away to dust.

He tossed his remaining stone up for a moment, before catching it, and looking back towards the mountain. "Hang on kids, I'm coming. You ain't dying on my watch."

---

Mash was faltering… falling to her knees as she stood against Saber Alter's relentless assault. Her Noble Phantasm against her shield… she was… going to fail her Senpai.

But a warm hand… a now familiar hand, grasped hers. She opened her eyes, to see Ritsuka above her, orange hair waving behind her from the sheer force of the pressure. Her Master having snuck around, and crawled under, to get to her side. "I'm here Mash… I believe in you." she said, looking down…

One command seal glowed, and magic circuits burned to life. Ritsuka pouring both her First Aid spell, and that command seal into Mash. She had to help… and this was her choice.

Mash stood up, emboldened by her Master's belief, and the command seal's prana flowing through her. "I can do this… watch me Master." And once more the shield glowed blue.

Saber Alter's eyes went wide in realization, as the little girl and her master stood before her… ready to turn the tides.

"LORD!" A blue shield of energy sprung of first, the dark power of Excalibur Morgan, rather than going around the girl… now being flung all over the cavern as it was being deflected.

"That shield…" Saber Alter muttered in disbelief

"CHALDEAS!" The wall emerged, built by a young girl's determination and will. And just as quickly from deflection… the wall now reflected! Straight back at Saber Alter.

Ritsuka sighed in relief as Saber Alter swayed on her feet, gritting her teeth… but Mash was doing the same, barely standing. "Easy Mash." she cautioned… as the wall began to fade.

Saber Alter however, was done with games. Once more she raised her sword. "EXCALIBUR!"

"I… can still stand." Mash struggled, but she stood, Ritsuka hold her tight as they stared down the Noble Phantasm together with a fading wall between them and it… Ritsuka didn't close her eyes. They were going to stand together, she still had two more seals…

"MY SPELL IS THE COFFIN OF FLAMES!" But a voice echoed, a familiar voice. "A GIANT BIRD AND THORN OF RETRIBUTION!" Both she and mash looked to the side. "A SHRINE THAT WILL PURIFY HUMAN MISERY!"

Caster, now both capeless and shirtless shot past them. "I made it, just in time… good job."

He landed between them and Saber Alter, clutching his staff tight as the jewel on it glowed red. "And now the Wicker Man! Befall!"

Beneath Saber Alter, the golem of flames rose, reaching out to grasp her without giving her a moment's reprieve. The moment it got her hands on her, it threw her within its cage. Falling to the ground and exploding into a pillar of flame, so bright that the entire cavern was illuminated as if it was day.

Caster sighed as the smoke cleared… and instantly tensed up as Saber Alter was still standing, if covered in burns. "...Victory of the power that protects. I see now." she looked past Cu and towards the Master and her Servant. "Indeed, its just as I expect." and then she smiled…

"Ultimately no matter how fate may change, whatever the outcome, the fact that I face it alone remains."

"Wait… what are you talking about," Caster started, in his mind that was a massive red flag. Like crimson. Did she know what was going on?

"Does she…" something Ritsuka said vocally, rather than keeping it in her head.

"Hold on, what do you mean?" Caster wanted answers. "What do you know?"

"One day you'll know the answer, Ireland's Child of Light. The Grand Order… and our Infinite Time."

'Oh… crap.' that was the very first thing that shot through Caster's head.

She knew about the Loops.

"My part in this struggle has ended. But your battle has only just begun." she answered.

"Wait a second, what are you!?" he started, before noticing the golden glow coming off of him. Instantly he turned towards Ritsuka. "Kid, I'll catch up with you soon. That thing I gave you. Use it when you get back. For right now, I'm leaving the rest to you."

"Cu!" Ritsuka shouted, finally using the first part of his name. Cu smiled… for the moment, he was content… but he knew his work wasn't done yet.

And so he faded away, back to the throne for now, but not to the next loop. Not while he was still needed, and would return… he'd insured that.

But that left Ritsuka, Mash, Fou and Olga, as the lesser grail formed…

For Ritsuka, a haunting scene she could do nothing to stop from repeating played out. For Mash, she watched the director fade away for the first time. For those at Chaldea, they heard it happen to…

And up above, it was pandemonium

---

Adminspace

Both Manu and Odin were scrambling as the data flowed in, something that neither had anticipated… and had both of them checking to see if it was even possible.

How had they missed the Altered Saber being aware of the loops!

"I've got her data," Manu proclaimed, Odin budging in as both of them stared at the compiled data… with both confusion, and perhaps mounting horror.

Altria Pendragon (Alter)- Looping Status

Pending

Adminspace

"This… should not be possible." Odin muttered as they stared at the code before them.

"And yet here it is," Manu muttered as he looked at the code… it was a complete and jumbled mess. From what he could gather, this iteration of Saber Alter was clearly Loop Aware, that much was clear. More than that… she seemed well aware that things were quite screwed up. The expansion data was still coming in at a rapid pace, and he still hadn't gotten to looking through it all.

"Technically it is your call what happens from here." Odin advised as Manu looked back at the pending activation. How this had occurred… he smiled.

Perhaps it was Fate.

He knew her goals. This version of the Altered Saber was firmly a 'Dark Hero'. It was her who'd given them a chance. Her revelation that she was well aware something was going on, and had decided to allow them to go forward, rather than end it all right there, was a blessing. He knew she would appear later in this loop. The city of Sin, among other places, nevermind being summoned to Chaldea at some point.

He could have taken this jumbled mess of code and pretended it never happened. To prevent this woman from looping. Once everything was repaired he didn't doubt the mass of errors that compiled to reach this point would never happen again without some severe damage to the system.

Instead… he approved.

Altria Pendragon Alter - Looping Status

Active

Odin hummed. "I hope you know what you've done Manu." Odin warned, and he nodded.

"Come what may, I shall take the judgement as it comes. But Fate is my domain after all… hence I believe this to be no accident. Infact, she could be quite a valuable ally…" he mused, before going to work.

He knew she was going to show up again… so why not give her a few instructions. If this loop was going to activate, they needed all the help they could get.

He looked to the left, and winced as the newest pile of data came in, even Odin stared at it with trepidation… What the hell was happening at the edge of the Loop?

---

Grand Order

Chaldea's condition was, to put it mildly, absolute shit, a fact Ritsuka was critically aware of as she wandered the halls. Thankfully, Da Vinci was already hard at work, repairing what could be fixed. Which so far, was to be a pair of Rayshift coffins, and one of the most important pieces of their fight for the future.

The Servant Summoning System.

Ritsuka looked to her hand, and the earring within it. The earring that Cu Chulainn had slipped into her back pocket after their fight with Rider.

A catalyst to summon him, hopefully without fail.

"Use it when you get back…" she mumbled to herself, before clutching it tight in the palm of her hand as she continued her march towards the summoning chamber. She wanted answers, and she wasn't waiting any longer.

Like why she was back in time, after all, that was the biggest question. And why Saber Alter had said what she had… honestly it was kinda creepy just how aware of stuff she was. Maybe if she summoned her, she'd pry some answer out of the Black Saber.

She entered the Summoning Chamber quickly, and quickly spotted Da Vinci, the adult Da Vinci, waiting.

"Ah Ritsuka, I was wondering when you'd be stopping by." the woman said with that ever present smile, and Ritsuka smiled back. Da Vinci looked at her hand. "Got something I assume."

"Uh… yeah," she admitted, before holding up the earring, leaving Da Vinci to 'hmm' in interest.

"An earring?" she questioned, and Ritsuka nodded.

"A Catalyst, Caster gave it to me, and asked me to use it to summon him as soon as possible." She gave, and Da Vinci nodded.

"Well, we are short on help… another Caster would be amazing at this point," she sighed, before winking. "I'll deal with Romani, you go ahead and set that inside. We're gonna need a lot more help soon, and we've got to start somewhere."

Ritsuka sighed in relief, glad Da Vinci was willing to let her do this. "Thanks Da Vinci."

The Caster nodded as Ritsuka went inside, gently placing the earring inside the summoning chamber as Da Vinci came in as well, carrying three familiar little crystals. Saint Quartz. She placed them down alongside the Catalyst.

Together they walked outside, as Da Vinci nodded to Ritsuka, motioning for her to pull the lever to summon Chaldea's newest Servant.

---

"Will you answer the call to save Humanity's Future?"

The question was literally answered in less than a second.

"Hell yeah."

This was Cu Chulainn's response as he was pulled from the Throne of Heroes once more. That had been an interesting experience, dying and then coming back in the same Loop? He was lucky… and he probably wasn't going to get a second chance with that. So as he felt his body form (an interesting experience to say the least), he got the details of his latest summoning, still Awake from literally like eight hours ago.

He was a Caster (Again, gods dammit), and he was still a Pseudo-Servant of Odin (duh), and his Master was one Ritsuka Fujimaru, the Last Master of Humanity and 48th Master of Chaldea. His duty? Help her save the world. Simple enough

'Cept I got this packet from Odin already,' he mentally complained as the prana around him began to fade. He stood tall, resting his staff across his shoulders as he opened blood red eyes. And smirked as he saw his new Master, and the woman by her side.

"Hey there, I'm Caster, Cu Chulainn… ya miss me?" he jested and Ritsuka chuckled as the woman hummed. He hopped down from the platform he was standing on, walking towards the door, which Ritsuka opened for him. "Thanks."

"Interesting, you remember what happened in Singularity F?" the woman asked, crap, bullshit time.

"Yeah, I mean I gave her the Catalyst directly from it for a reason." he said, leaving out 'what' that reason was. Which was to ensure that she'd resummon him as soon as possible so that he could get to his actual job. Making sure that his little Master got through this Loop alive.

The woman didn't press, but he got the idea she didn't exactly believe him, and Ritsuka just smiled at him. "Da Vinci I'm going to show him around, is that okay?"

"Sure. Best he get situated before we put him to work. This place is a damn mess still." the woman, Da Vinci, responded, allowing Ritsuka to drag him out the doors and down the hallway before speaking.

"Alright… what's going on." Straight and to the point she was.

"Well… you're gonna want to take a seat for this. So, you got anywhere private we could do that?" he asked. The whole 'Welcome to the Multiverse speech' was not exactly something he had ever expected to give someone, nevermind a potential Anchor candidate.

She… looked at him, but nodded, dragging him towards her quarters before locking the door. Something he aided by throwing a rune on it to make sure no one would disturb them… hopefully.

"So Cu Chulainn, what's going on? Or am I talking to Odin?" she asked, and he chuckled.

"Nah, I'm Cu Chulainn, but not the one you probably know. See this is gonna sound complicated, but welcome to the Multiverse, Ritsuka Fujimaru. I'm Cu Chulainn, from what's known as the 'Stay Night' branch of the 'Nasuverse', and I've been brought here basically to make sure your ass doesn't get fried, as well as to show you some ropes." He started, motioning for her to sit on the bed… this was going to be a long, long… long talk.

It turned out to be exactly that. Several hours of questioning, proof that he wasn't bullshiting her (the best he could provide without his pocket). As well as debunking several of her (rather clever she might add, Time loop caused by BB again, or one of the Fairies in Avalon having put her in an exceptionally deep lucid dream) theories about what was going on.

"So… let's recap. The world Tree, Yggdrasil, is broken, and because it is, pretty much every world has been put on permanent repeat while repairs are being made, which have been going on for untold eons with no end in sight?" Ritsuka recapped, and he nodded.

"That's part one yeah." He nodded.

"And apparently, I'm to be this place's 'Anchor', its buoy to make sure it isn't lost forever," she added, and he nodded again. "And the reason this is happening now is because… why?"

"Don't ask me, I'm not an Admin. All I know is this Loop has gone exceptionally badly, to the point they pretty much dragged me into this to make sure that you would have a chance at this. And, sadly, I don't have access to my other powers from outside this loop. So aside from what's up here." he tapped his head. "I'm just a Caster, a damn good Caster apparently, but I don't have any of my more fun powers." He groaned as he sat up. "I mean, I've been a Caster before, but the last time I was here with my original Anchor, who by the way is part of the problem with this mess, my powers were nowhere near as comprehensive or fleshed out. So there's a lot of new stuff I don't know about. Like, these Lostbelt things?" Cu asked and Ritsuka took a very deep breath.

"Complicated, painful, and many, many other things. You were there, in Avalon, before everything reset." She admitted, and he hummed.

"Well, it seems we got our endpoint. So you just have to survive till Avalon, solving any problems along the way. Since this is an activation loop, we're probably going to be going through your entire baseline so… that's going to be fun. How long does that last?" he asked… only to receive a blank stare from Ritsuka as she waved her hand.

"Time is… fiddly." she admitted.

"Oh… great," he muttered, taking a deep breath before breathing out loud and hard, like a deflating balloon. "I'd teach you about how to perform a Ping and make a Subspace Pocket, and I will, but you'll have to put that to practice in the next loop to actually make it. But right now we have a few bigger problems. From what I can tell… this place is apparently a buggy mess."

"You mean like how Saber Alter seemed to know something was going on too?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah, that… that was weird. Is she like that in Baseline?" he questioned, and she shrugged.

"I mean I wouldn't exactly know that yet but… I do remember from Shinjuku that… she… remembered Singularity… F." she started slowly.

Both of them stared at each other for a moment, and Cu sighed, rubbing his hair, which was longer than normal. "Great so something's up with her, Admins only know what. Guess we'll make it up as we go along…" he complained before leaping to his feet and looking down at her. "So guess what Master, I ain't leaving your side unless I absolutely have to. I've got a job and I intend to keep it." he held out his hand to her.

"Thanks Caster." She said with a smile, accepting his hand and allowing him to pull her up from the bed. "I'm gonna go find Mash, you going to help Da Vinci?"

"Well we're in this for the long haul, so might as well." He laughed, it was strange he thought. To be escorting someone through their first loop. And it was odd to see such a fresh new looper, and Anchor no less, and of their own branch.

Well, things were going to be interesting, that's for sure.

---

"Well that was fun!" Cu exclaimed, a big grin on his face despite the burns on his body, and his tattered cloak. Ritsuka just laughing as Mash also giggled. It hadn't been the brightest idea he'd ever had to mouth off to a very pissy woman who had powers over fire, but hey, it had allowed them to take her down with no one dying, so he considered that a win.

Now they were back in Chaldea, Holy Grail in hand, and a with a decent pile of loot to boot! Dragon fangs and several scales off of Fafnir's back.

"Who's the Dragonslayer now!" Cu cheered, laughing as he recalled shoving his staff straight down Fafnir's throat in an attempt to recreate what Hiccup and Toothless did in their own Baseline against the Red Death. Thankfully it did in fact turn out that Fafnir was not so fire proof on the inside.

Of course Ritsuka having to burn a Command Seal to save his stupid ass was totally worth it.

"Savior of France, truly you are." Ritsuka jested as she hefted an armful of Saint Quartz alongside the recovered grail in her other hand.

"So we're going to be performing some more summons now, Senpai?" Mash asked, and Ritsuka nodded.

"Yep! We got quite a surplus after that. Sure we don't have any catalysts, but we'll make it work!" Ritsuka cheered, her mood greatly increased after the surprisingly relaxing, if hazardous, Singularity.

Cu had certainly had fun facing off with new opponents, that was for sure. The trio continued to chat as they entered the Summoning Chamber, Ritsuka ready to call upon more heroes to aid their question to un-incinerate Human History.

---

"Will you answer the call to save Humanity's Future?"

She thought long and hard about that one. Within that formless white void, she mused on if she should accept that call. She'd already accepted her part was done for now. She technically didn't need to do anything else unless she was called again during this 'Baseline' Loop.

Knowing that something was wrong, and acting upon it, were two very different things she realized. But… she was being called to act.

Her current status gave her a great deal of knowledge. Of what had occurred, and what may come. She was not the Artoria Pendragon that looped within another branch. She technically should not exist as she was now.

But she wanted to.

Memories of a small white dog. Of a young man who accepted her for who she was. That same young man who was currently a young woman, like such a thing concerned her. Of a woman, a false image of a holy saint, who she both hated and enjoyed the presence of.

She longed to experience such feelings again. And as a Tyrant, she would take what she desired. And currently, said desire was simple.

She wanted to see it all to its end. Not live as a mere black image of another reality.

She would make her own Fate.
"I, King Altria Pendragon, accept the call." She demanded, shouting out to the void.

She could feel her body begin to form. Excalibur Morgan reformed in her hand. She planted the sword in front of her as her golden eyes stared dead ahead. And when the prana had all faded, she was surrounded by objects. A motorcycle, sets of church keys, a depiction of a young man, holding a holy shroud around his arm, the depiction of a wizard marshall who wielded the Kaleidoscope's power, a magical crystal, a picture of a woman in white, tofu, a wire bird, and a vial of silver mercury surrounded the ground around her. And in the window before her was a familiar trio.

Their eyes went wide as she spoke the immortal words.

"I ask you, Ritsuka Fujimaru! Are you my Master? Now and Forever?" She ordered the girl behind the glass.

Even she had been honest… her simple, but truly honest answer surprised her.

"I am."

---

Adminspace

"Huh… that went better than expected." Odin muttered as Manu hummed. On the other screen, the Black King and Cu Chulainn were already engaged in a pissing match at each other in Fujimaru's Room, the poor girl having to deal with two Servants who were ready to spar with each other at the word go. Thankfully they didn't do that, most for the sake of not blowing up Chaldea. Which would have crashed the loop if they did.

"You were expecting that to fail." Manu implied, and Odin didn't rebuke the Chaldea God of Fate.

"What else have you dug up?"

"So far, everything seems to be… alright. Things are different from baseline, obviously, but outside of the broad strokes and key points, that itself seems to be highly variable in general from what I'm gathering. That darn Septem Singularity is incredibly buggy. And they're about to plunge right into it." Manu complained and Odin looked at the code before nodding.

"Seems like something's been lost here." he muttered.

"It's not irrecoverable, but that's going to take a long time. For now it seems the loop is filling in the blanks as it goes. So its not a big issue. It'll just be more variable from loop to loop than others if I just leave it. And there are bigger problems right now." Manu said as he pulled up a long, long… long list.
"...I'll go get a new pot of coffee." Odin muttered as they both stared at the utterly massive list of potential looper candidates… and the currently massively corrupted code.

"Please do. We're in a bit of a safe zone, so I might as well get this fixed before we end up with another Amiya." Manu complained. This branch could be hellish, not unlike that one. And that anchor had snapped, hard due to his lack of loopers and fused loops.

"Alright, first up… you miss Kyrielight, better get this fixed before long. You're going to be one of the first…" Manu muttered as Odin left to go get that pot of coffee… and probably a peanut gallery with this ongoing mess.

Glitches

Septem: Battle between King and Khan

Altria frowned as she revved the engine of the Motorized Cuirass. Just moments before, Lev had turned himself into a one of the 72 Demon God Pillars, before being beaten down by the combined efforts of Caster, Kyrielight, the living Nero, and the servant Jing Ke. Ritsuka had ordered her to remain outside, and she was well aware why. With Lev's defeat as Flauros, he would summon a berserk Altera, better known as Attila the Hun, or to her enhanced knowledge, the remnant of the White Titan, Velber-02 in third stage, Sefar.

A dangerous foe who, in the previous iteration, after killing Lev, had made a beeline for Rome in order to destroy it, and empowered by the Holy Grail. It was to be her job to stall her for the others to arrive.

Altria smirked, she did relish a good challenge. A battle between her and the white titan's remnants was to be a glorious one indeed.

She was brought out her thoughts by a crash… and then left to stare as a familiar emperor of Rome was chucked through a wall. The woman in red skidding across the ground… and Altria watched as with every bounce, the world went… weird. Every time Nero Claudius was heavily hurt, the world itself glitched out.

She frowned again, before riding towards the emperor, dodging a laser that fired out of the castle without bothering to look for its source. She knew the cause. Nero Claudius was, in simple terms, this Singularity's focal point. This was the living Nero, who was now slowly picking herself up off the ground despite her great pain. If Nero died, then Human History would collapse here. And if that happened

The Loop would crash from their failure. And in the world's current state, that could not afford to happen.

Driving up alongside Nero, she didn't even wait for her to get up completely, simply throwing her on the back of her metal steed. "Hang on and keep your head down!" She ordered the emperor before finally turning her head, still driving away from the castle.

'You have got to be kidding me.' Altria thought dimly as, it was not Altera that came out of the castle like she had expected. No, something far more dangerous did, with every step it grew in size, raising its hands towards her, and she prepared to make her evasive maneuvers.

As the White Titan Velber fired upon them, and walked towards them, with a single goal in mind. To kill the Emperor, to destroy Civilization.

"What is that monster?" Nero asked, with none of her normal haughty attitude. Altria frowned.

"What it is doesn't matter. Take the handles, I'll hold it off." She ordered, allowing Nero to take control of the Motorized Cuirass before leaping off herself, resummoning Excalibur. "Now keep going and don't stop!"

"Be safe Black Knight!" Nero shouted, before riding away, dodging lasers as Velber aimed a hand towards the emperor.

'Oh no you don't' She wanted this monster's eyes on her, raising Excalibur Morgan to the sky. "EXCALIBUR!"

The moment she shouted that proclamation, the White Titan's head whipped towards her, eye glowing. She grit her teeth and adjusted her neck on Instinct, just as the laser fired from the titan's eye nearly took off her head.

Said laser impacted the ground, melting all behind her for a mile into molten magma. But worse than that, the mere laser caused the air above the titan to glitch, as if inside a computer code. She grit her teeth, this was already a problem.

So she would tackle it head on, before this monster could crash the loop, to buy time for her Master and the others to arrive. So she rushed forward, the titan seeing this, raised an arrow, ready to bring it down as the Black Saber.

She dodged the massive hand that came down upon her, leaping over the her arm and slashing with her blade. A deep gouge of black ran through the white skin from that cut, the White Titan pulling its hand back and attempting to kick her away.

She brought up her sword to block. The kick hit Excalibur Morgan dead on, and she was launched from the force of the impact. Skidding to a stop she raised her arm, speaking into the communicator. "Master, where the hell are you?"

"We're alive. Jing's dead, as is Lev, but… we weren't able to even scratch that thing before it threw Nero out." Ritsuka reported, and she could barely make them out far away, standing in the hole in the castle.

"You listening girl?" Caster called over the communicator as well.

"Busy dog!" She spat at him, before rushing forward again, dodging another set of lasers that gouged the earth begin her, her could feel her armor practically melting from the heat alone.

So she ditched it, going light by dropping her armor. Defense wasn't going to matter when a single hit would kill her anyway. Her dress fluttered in the wind as she leapt over another laser, landing in a run a Caster continued.

"Listen to me! You're the only thing we've got that can hurt this thing! I'm going to try and draw its attention. You put everything into the one shot I'm going to give you!" Caster belted over the communicator, only for Ritsuka to add her own two cents.

"Then by these command seals… Strike down the White Titan!" She ordered.

Altria huffed as she ducked under a swing, slashing Excalibur Morgan across the monster's palm and leaving another dark gouge as she did so. She felt the explosion of air pressure that was presumably Caster launching himself towards the battle as well.

It would take him twenty seconds by her calculations to arrive. Twenty seconds she had to survive.

She leapt around the White Titan's legs, slashing at an ankle before leaping to the left as the lumbering beast tried to smash her. This white titan was still a mere facsimile, powerful, and perhaps unstoppable like the original save by anything but its one weakness.

The very weakness she held, Excalibur.

She didn't bother firing anything directly at the White Titan, if it wasn't her dark blade, it wasn't going to stop this beast, let alone harm it. As she ran around the Titan's legs, leaping over now rapidly swinging arms, she caught sight of Caster's great Golem of Wicker and Flame, lumbering towards the White Titan. She didn't care of course. It couldn't harm her.

Of course, just because it was ineffectual didn't mean it wasn't distracting, as she went to swing, the Wicker Man grabbed her left arm from behind, using the other to grasp the White Titan's neck, forcing her to look towards the stars.

It was a distraction, but it was enough. She slid to a stop and raised her sword, enveloping it in darkness as she faced the White Titan.

It struggled, breaking free of the neck lock, put enough that an eye caught glimpse of her, an attempt to make her dodge, or perhaps kill her, so that the White Titan could break free.

"ORDER CHANGE!" Space warped with that order.

She found herself suddenly not where she had been standing, still channeling the dark power as Mash blocked the laser with her mighty shield. She was standing beside her Master, who was wearing that new Orange Combat uniform of hers.

She could praise her efforts later, now there was a titan to slay.

"EXCALIBUR!" she bellowed the pillar of darkness rising from her sword shooting towards the sky. The command seal's power flowing through her the White Titan broke free of its binding, shattering the Wicker Golem with its might.

But far too late. "MORGAN!"

The great beam of holy darkness was unleashed, rather than the limited release she performed before, this was her Noble Phantasm, activated as best she could at the moment. The seals on her sword were strong, but certainly, for this moment, a lot of requirements were fulfilled.

The Enemy was more powerful than her -「Bedivere」

The Enemy was not an elemental-「Lancelot」

This battle was one against Evil -「Mordred」

This battle did not involve Personal Gain -「Galahad」

This battle was not against Humanity -「Gaheris」

This battle was not inhumane -「Gareth」

This battle was to defend the Human Order -「Artoria」

Seven restraints released, more than enough to envelope the White Titan within darkness' embrace. A pillar of darkness climbed towards the sky, and when it faded, there was no titan left standing, only a Holy Grail that clattered to the ground, sparking with dark lightning from her attack.

The singularity ended with little fanfare, aside from the Emperor's return on Altria's bike. The seals returned to her sword. And the holy grail reclaimed. But it wasn't over, not yet.

---

"Good job Saber," she looked across from her meal towards the Caster that sat there. He had a smirk on his face, and she huffed, before returning to her burger. "Ah come on, can't engage in a little small talk?" the looping man asked as she swallowed.

"What is there to say. Things are not as they seem. After all, the White Titan should not have been there." she admitted, before taking another bite, and when she swallowed she continued. "You saw what I did, no?"

"The world going all freaky? Yeah. A sign just how unstable this place is. Hopefully our friends upstairs can beef up this place's stability as we go forward. That was only the second Singularity." Caster mused as Ritsuka came to join them.

"Hey you two," she said with a smile, and Caster waved, smiling at her as Altria continued to munch on her burger. "That was… uh… something?" she asked.

"I'm pretty sure that was far from a normal circumstance Master." Caster pointed out and she nodded.

"I mean last time it was just Altera… not… whatever that was," Ritsuka muttered, and Altria toyed with the idea of informing her about 'Velber' but decided it didn't matter right now. There were more important things, like this burger.

"That was still her, just an alternate version of her," Caster however decided to shed a little light on the situation. "Nothing we need to worry about right now. We just keep doing what we're doing, going forward, 'kay?"

"Alright!" Altria took the moment to look at her Master's smile… before looking away. Just because she had proven herself once, didn't mean she still didn't have more to prove she was worthy of not only being Altria's Master, but being this Branch's Anchor.

Just like how she had to prove she was worthy of looping at all.

---

Okeanos: A Battle of the Seven Seas.

Ritsuka smiled as she stood beside Barthlomew Roberts, the Rider they'd managed to recruit to their side this singularity alongside the living Drake, Artemis, Asterios and Euryale. Mash, Altria and Cu were still here of course, alongside two other new summons from Chaldea, Andersen and Henri Sanson.

So far, they'd sailed a good portion of Okeanos, and repaired the Golden Hind. Now their fleet of ships, Bart's Noble Phantasm alongside the Gold Hind, were sailing to face down another ship, one far stronger than theirs.

Edward Teach, or Blackbeard had a much stronger crew this time around. The devious pirate having managed to recruit a Caster in the form of William Shakespeare, and an Assassin she'd been… surprised to see. Okada Izo, who'd already made his presence known as Assassinating an ally while they'd been on Asterios' Island, the loss of the rogue Europa (Another rogue who really, really shouldn't have been here), having caused Talos to rampage across the island, something that had put Cu in his current condition below the Hind's deck, like many others, nursing their wounds.

Now they were aimed directly at the Queen Anne's Revenge, ready to do battle amid a pair of whirlpools.

"I'm going to transfer to Hind. You know your part in the plan Bart?" Ritsuka asked, looking at the brown skinned pirate captain, who smirked and nodded.

"Aye, aye Master. I'll see it through." Bart responded, and Ritsuka went running as the Royal Fortune came alongside the Golden Hind, she swung to the other ship and landed on the deck, rejoining Mash and the rest of her servants as Bart pulled his ship away from the Hind.

"Everything ready?" She asked, and Mash nodded.

"Yes Senpai, we've got it all prepared." Mash reported as Andersen scoffed as Sanson came up from below deck.

"Master, everyone's as healthy as I could managed given the circumstances, I hope that will suffice." Sanson reported, and Ritsuka just smiled at the Assasin.

"You did your best Sanson, we'll make due with what we have now. You're going to be up against their Assassin, you think you can handle it?" Ritsuka asked, and her Assassin nodded.

She'd planned this out as best she could. Sanson was to fight Okada, the executioner taking down a man who'd been executed in life, which she hoped would make his Noble Phantasm strong against Okada. Bart was going to make sure this time, Hektor didn't get away with the Holy Grail. Because if Blackbeard's crew was this loaded, how bad was Jason's going to be?

For Shakespeare… he was mostly a threat in terms of prep, but in combat the man wasn't even going to be an issue so long as someone killed him (Probably Asterios, given he seemed to be nursing a grudge against the playwright for some reason), while the rest of Blackbeard's crew was fairly standard.

Everything was ready. So she went to the helm of the Golden Hind, to stand alongside Drake and the helmsmen, and gave the order. "Full speed ahead!"

---

Things instantly started going wrong the moment she saw Bart's ships beginning to vanish. They'd already rammed the Queen Anne's Revenge with the Golden Hind, and in the chaos they'd manage to catch Shakespeare and throw him overboard, while Anne and Mary had been cut down like last time with relative ease. But the newest problem as something she hadn't accounted for.

The Argo was coming towards them, and Bart had been killed already. Which was pretty damn bad. She caught sight of Sanson and Okada dueling, a duel that the executioner was losing… "Mash, help Sanson!"

She loyal friend obliged, leaping into battle and blocking Okada's following swings, allowing Sanson a moment of respite before pointing his sword towards the manslayer. "La Mort Espoir!" he declared, the guillotine forming around the assassin as shadowy hands kept him still. She could hear the curses of Okada as the blade fell, and he too, fell silent, fading away.

That left only Blackbeard and Hektor, something Hektor clearly noticed, as he disengaged from his duel with both Altria and Cu, rushing Blackbeard in an attempt to steal the grail. But she'd had a backup plan. Her new Mystic Code, modelled after the Atlas Institute's uniform.

"Dust of Osiris!" she encanted, casting the strongest spell she had to shield Blackbeard from the attempted assassination. Durindana clashed with the golden magic shield, and Blackbeard turned towards Hektor before attempting to shot the Trojan with his pistol. His chance gone, Hektor jumped backwards, landing in a lifeboat and cutting the lines, dropping into the churning sea.

"We've got incoming! Look!" She pointed out, all the fighting stopping as everyone, ally and enemy, turned towards the oncoming ship. A glorious vessel of ancient design. The Argo.

"Oh… shit." Cu complained as he caught sight of all the Servants at the ship's front.

Thinking fast, Ritsuka turned to Blackbeard. "Parley?"

The pirate was quick to respond. "Aye."

A temporary alliance secured with a few words, and she'd gotten everyone to embark on the Queen Anne's Revenge. They were going to abuse the Noble Phantasm's little quirk, getting stronger as more Servants were on board.

Last time, Ritsuka recalled that with just himself, Hektor, Eric, Anne and Mary, the Queen Anne's revenge had beaten the Golden Hind. Now there were eight Servants on board, and quickly fishing Shakespeare out of the water made that count increase to nine, as Drake returned to the Hind and both ships sailed together towards the Argo.

She took command quite quickly. "Teach, can we do a long range bombardment?" She asked, the pirate at the helm looking down at the young Master, before huffing.

"We can. But it'll probably just get blown out the sky." he advised, before Ritsuka looked at her command seals, and then up at him, offering her hand.

"I'm sure we can come to an agreement after this? Can we make a temporary Contract, I have a way to make this work?" she asked, and Blackbeard regarded her hand, before shaking it.

The contract quickly made, she raised her hand, command seals glowing. "Edward Teach, I give the order. By this command seal, we shall prevail!" she recited, Blackbeard laughing as he turned the ship to give a different kind of attack. A long range broadside.

"Incoming Noble Phantasms!" Cu shouted, and Ritsuka looked skyward. A rain of arrows, preceded by a golden spear, flying towards them. She threw her hand towards Mash, spending another Command seal. "Mash! Shields up!"

"On it Senpai!" Mash returned, rushing to the front of the ship and slamming her shield down, the Hind covered by the Queen Anne's Revenge, and both ships about to be protected…

"LORD CHALDEAS!" Mash declared, the shining blue shield forming over the Queen Anne's Revenge, Durindana smashing straight into it as Phoebus Catastrophe similarly aided it. Mash gritting her teeth as another Noble Phantasm fired from the Argo, a blast of light from up above, shot from before the sun.

"I've got you kid!" Cu shouted, spinning his staff and slamming it into the Revenge's deck, the smaller arrows vanishing, banished by the Gate of Skye, but Durindana and now Trioa Velos were hammering away at Mash's shield.

"Andersen!" Ritsuka ordered, and the little Caster, oft ignored, just smirked.

"Well I suppose this is a good occasion. Very well. Allow me to pen a tale, just for you." he said, blue pages forming out of mana before flying to Mash's side. The single wall began to grow larger as Mash screamed, determined not to fall as another Noble Phantasm fired from the Argo. This time an arrow straight from the stars.

Altria huffed as she dropped down, landing on the water and running outward, her blessing from the lady of the lady allowing her such freedom to run on these churning seas, the waves kicking up as a grand battle was being decided above her. She could feel something coming… and she was right. She raised her sword, blocking a strike from a yellow haired young man's strange orb, and then spinning around with Vortigern active to stop a similar looking yellow haired one from stabbing her in the back. It seemed Jason wasn't willing to bang just on firing Noble Phantasms, as indeed, yet another smashed into Mash's shield, totalling up to four now, and the faded form of an entire castle forming behind the Gold Hind, walls of blue forming from the ocean's water.

And Image of Camelot that no one was looking at, formed out of the sea. That little dastard Andersen was sharp.

But she had her own battle, as the two twins continued their two pronged assault on her, only for a roar to erupt as well. A familiar form leaping out of the water, red eyes glowing, and stone sword raised.

Heracles.

She panicked, firing off her Mana burst and leaping as far away as she could from the three Servants as arrows and bullets started to pelt the water around her, the others having decided to get involved in her battle (thankfully) while a fifth Phantasm, or rather a magical spell on par with one, struck as Mash's shield, the Argo still on rapid approach.

Heracles leapt out of the water again, only this time Asterios jumped off of the Queen Anne's Revenge, slamming his axes into the Berserker's back as they both hit the water with a splash, and began to duel, axe and against sword beneath her as the male blonde flew at her again. She swung upwards, and he used his orb to block the swing, the girl leaping over him and plunging downward… only for a golden laser to slam into her, sending her sprawling into the water with a splash.

Drake laughed as she fired again, the male having to dodge that attack, and she took the moment of advantage to strike him across the back, sending him into the water as well. She then lept backwards as the girl, singed but alive, tried to stab her from below. She landed on the churning waters once more as yet another attack slammed into the shield. Seriously how many Noble Phantasms were they going to fire at that girl's shield?

They should learn, nothing would break her.

As the Argo closed in, Blackbeard finally ordered the broadside. A barrage of cannonballs launching at the greek vessel with speed unmatched. One smashed through a magical barrier, another doing the same to a second. And the rest all smashed into the Argo's hull, setting off an array of explosions up and down the ship as a second broadside was fired.

She mused that Jason had been so focused on the offensive, he'd neglected his defensive measures as the second, and then third broadside from the Queen Anne's Revenge smashed the wood of the vessel. The Noble Phantasms hitting Mash's own finally faltering… as yet another occurrence happened.

Medea Lily, floating above the Argo's wreckage, raising her staff. The little girl glaring as behind her, a demon pillar rose from the sea. She leapt out of the water, abandoning her duel with the two twins to aid her Master. This was it.

Ritsuka tried to call out to everyone to return, apparently she hadn't been the only one fighting an offensive on the waves. The two twins leapt onto the ship, only for Ritsuka to shout them both down and point out the demon their leader had become. Asterios was flung into the ship, and Heracles joined them, which was where perhaps the most impress thing thus far occurred.

Ritsuka started down Hercules, the Berserker's axe already raised to strike her down, before ordering him to save Jason from Medea. To her surprise, the Berserker did pause. And he did look at the oncoming assault as a new barrage of lasers hit Mash's still holding shield. The Golden Hind was firing a return barrage as Ritsuka held up her last command seal.

"Heracles… Please, help us save the world… for her."

She honestly didn't expect the Berserker to recall a damn thing about Ilya. The girl wasn't even part of this timeline. But… she did know one thing. The little homunculus had made a big impact on Heracles, strong enough that the mere memory of her could bring him back from the dead, when even God Hand was unable to.

Something she knew of other timelines. And something she knew forever bound the Greek hero to any version of the little girl he called Master.

Ritsuka's last Command Seal did fade, and rather than strike her down, the Berserker took a running start, leaping off the ship and through Mash's shield, straight towards Medea Lily. She could see the look of shock on the Caster's face as she was suddenly face first with a very, very angry Berserker, and two seconds later, taking the plunge as he went down into the water with her.

The battle against Forneus was… interesting to say the least. It wasn't nearly as long, but with so much help, and Ritsuka's preparations and very, very quick thinking, they'd faced down the demon pillar as a force far larger than the one in the original timeline had been. It seemed that this glitch had worked out in their favor, amazingly enough.

After that battle, Negotiates were struck, and Blackbeard, albeit reluctantly, handed over the Holy Grail. Servants began to fade away with their jobs done, and Ritsuka's thanks for their help, even if they'd been enemies just minutes before. It was here Altria realized, perhaps she was wrong.

Her Master wasn't strong when it came to strength, but her heart was certainly a strong one. Strong enough to sway enemies to their side, and command Servants with well placed words and a heartfelt plea.

She did wonder about Heracles though, was him remembering that normal?

---

Solomon: King of Mages, King of Demons, King of Men

Cu Chulainn was worried, scratch that, he was beyond terrified. He was stuck here, defending Chaldea and the staff from demon pillars galore, while his Master, the little lady he'd spent this whole loop protecting, was alone.

Alone because Mash had been burned to ash. Defending Ritsuka, and even Chaldea, against Goetia's great assault, an attack that could destroy the world.

He was here, still fighting as Ritsuka was going fist to fist with the King of Demons, with shield in hand, and command spell burning through her body.

Altria was out there, facing down the demon Pillars who refused to give up the assault alongside every Servant they could muster.

He just needed Ritsuka to hold on. So that he could come to help. He needed to help the kid, this was serious, seriously bad!

---

Ritsuka grit her teeth in anger as fist clashed against metal. She held strong as a barrage of pounding fists struck against Mash's shield.

The shield she now held, because Mash had died.

Her arms burned as she struck back, swinging with one arm as she batted away a punch. She grit her teeth and roared, not spoke, as she rammed the shield straight into that eyeball in Goetia's chest.

The King of Demons slid back mere feet. Goetia declaring her acts futile. Because of course they would be.

But as she raised the shield again… someone stepped up. She turned her head towards it, the thing she knew was coming, the thing she'd dreaded, just as much as losing Mash.

"Roman…"

"Ritsuka, you need to calm down…" Roman started as he walked up the steps, a smile on his face "Save your strength for the moment. Take a rest, just for a minute." he offered, before turning towards Goetia.

"You're done well, fighting to get this far Ritsuka. I'd hate to steal the thunder that you and your team have been rolling with… but this is where I take the stage for a moment." he walked past Ritsuka… and she cried.

She cried for what she knew was about to happen.

"Romani Archaman? How did a mere human gain access to my throne room? Even after all the precautions!?" Goetia sputtered, before looking closer. "Wait… no… that Spirit Origin!?"

"Apparently you were so blinded by infinity, you still didn't look inwards… how sad." Roman chuckled as his form began to shift. "Of course, it's only now that I see this as well. And I must say… its quite beautiful."

"It's disgusting! An entire Multiverse of pain! Endless repeats and Suffering! How can you dare call such a thing 'Beautiful!'"

"Perhaps you'll figure that out, but here I've forsaken my wish upon the grail. From here on out, my actions and words are from my original self," Roman said as he slipped his gloves off, his skin already darker than normal. Upon a single finger, a familiar, golden ring.

"The Tenth Ring of Solomon, the one he lost…" Goetia admitted, and Roman shook his head.

"I'm sure you've heard this story before Ritsuka, so instead, let us take the moment to reminisce. This world is… fragile at the moment. And I fully expect this will be the first, and last time either I or he glimpse it all like this." Roman started as Goetia looked down up him.

"Of course it will be the last time. I am going to unmake it all!" Goetia proclaimed as Ritsuka raised the shield, Roman throwing his arm out.

"You're going to need all your strength Rits, so save every last bit of it." Roman said, before turning back to Goetia. "You could have seen me, easily perhaps. You certainly used all these 'Glitches' in our world to make things so much harder for my friend. And yet you didn't find me out, once more. Perhaps it was fate? Or were you too busy searching for every little flaw in every other world?"

Goetia didn't answer that, instead choosing to speak his own question. "Then you should know just how bad it is. The very gods above still toil endless, to fulfil a mission that we can never see the end of! You see the same as I do! That within a hundred million Eons, they fulfill little more than a fraction of a percent!"

"And yet they progress Goetia. It's not the end that makes it beautiful, but the journey. The only shame is that you and I are not going to live to see that end, or the journey."

"Then I shall strike you down, and end that journey! Here and now!"

"Ritsuka… Thank you, for being so strong. And I suppose I should thank you for continuing on. Your journey forward will be a tough one… but you've got good friends by your side. I wish I could help you more… but this is where it ends. I reclaim my name." Roman said quietly, as his transformation finished, long white hair flowing behind him.

"I am Solomon, King of Mages. And in the defense of this branch, and of Yggdrasil, I will make you see the truth, Goetia. I might not be able to tell you the tale of time, but here I'll give you a glimpse of it."

Goetia moved to speak.

"You believe that you, as a mere Heroic spirit can stop me? How foolish! How so very foolish! I will blast off that empty head of yours! I will take the Master's Life! And I will MAKE MY PLAN WORK!" Goetia started.

"Oh how little you know, my creation." Solomon muttered as Goetia sped towards him. "I'll be your turn in a moment Rituska. Once I'm done, show him the strength of not only the human heart, but of those who have the will to stand the test of time."

"...Okay Doctor,"

Solomon smiled as he looked forward, and began to incant.

"...All life must come to an end. Life is a pilgrimage in which we stockpile suffering. However, it is by no means a tale of death and partings. Goetia, shame of my years. Beast born of my corpse. Here and now I will pass my judgement of your evil with my own hands."

"You cannot stop me Solomon! What can you do!? BUT NOTHING!?" Goetia sped forth, and Solomon raised a magical barrier with a mere wave of his hand, the King of demons pounding away at it as he continued to screech. "YOU INCOMPETENT KING WITH TALK AS EMPTY AS HIS DREAMS!"

He smashed the barrier, blasting Solomon with a beam of light, and Solomon grit his teeth as Goetia spread his arms. "DIE! DIE! DIE DAMN YOU! DIE AND TAKE YGGDRASIL WITH YOU!" He laughed, screaming in delusion as lasers peppered Solomon, who continued to stand despite the relentless assault.

"Nothing but empty words, and broken promises. Nothing but talk, as always!" Goetia roared as he charged up for the final blow. "I'll send you and this world to oblivion with your own Noble Phantasm!"

"True, that is the plan, minus the world part." Solomon said softly. "To be extinguished by my own Noble Phantasm. This is where 「King Solomon」ends."

"...What?"

"Goetia, allow me to teach you one last magecraft." Solomon started as he began to glow. Ritsuka watching the battle she could do nothing to interfere with play out before her. "You knew of Solomon's final Noble Phantasm, but you didn't know its True Name. You never could, after all." He raised his hand, his tenth ring.

"My third Noble Phantasm, The Time of Birth Hath Come, I Am the Remedy of Eternity: Ars Amadel Salomonis." he started.

"My second Noble Phantasm, The Time of Coronation Hath Come, I Am the Beginning of Eternity: Ars Paulina."

"And now… O Heavenly Father, I return to you your blessings. Omnipotence is too much for humans to handle. My work shall be done within the limitations of Mankind. Recreating First Noble Phantasm…" he closed his eyes. "The Time of Parting Hath Come, I Am He Who Surrenders the World: Ars Nova." And with a snap of his fingers, there was a flash of light.

At first, nothing seemed to happen, but then the shaking started. Goetia… began to crumble. "Its gone… What have you done! How could you make such a choice! How could you do such a thing! Eternity! Infinity! Omnipotence!? Why are you even capable of making that decision!? You, the very incarnation of laziness and compromise in this world! Nah, in all!" Goetia screamed, the sights of the Multiverse no longer open to him anymore.

The same of Solomon… or rather, Romani Archaman, the fading ghost of a man who stood before Ritsuka. "True it's strange, we saw the same things, sat on the same throne, and spent the same time together. And yet you and Solomon reached antithetical conclusions. If there was a difference between us it would have to be…" The ghost spoke, putting a hand to his chin. "Freedom. I didn't have the freedom to get mad. That was what most separated us. That was what separated us before. Now, that we saw beyond, and saw the infinite scale. You for eternity, and me for a brief moment… Well all I can say is I liked what I saw. It's not perfect, nor will it ever be, but it's a beautiful thing. If anything, I wanted to protect that, the one chance I had. I would have done this before… and I did it now, with no regrets… well, one regret." Roman stated as he turned towards Ritsuka.

"You were willing to abandon your very existence… everything? To stop me from doing this? From going beyond my original plan? You know that King Solomon's works, the works of him on this world, will never appear again! You've doomed this moment to repeat forever! Every time it will be this, again and again you shall cease for eternity! You will never advance beyond this moment. You will disappear not just from the throne of heroes, but from Yggdrasil!"

"I doubt that second part. After all, if this is going to happen every time, then…" he chuckled. "Then it means I must exist, no? Even if it will always reach the same conclusion. I may never see it all again, nor will I ever get to experience it for myself. Nothing baring a true miracle will change that."

"Roman…" Ritsuka muttered, just trying… and somewhat understanding just how big a sacrifice he'd made. "Does this mean you'll never…"

"I suppose it does mean I'll never get to experience infinity alongside you Ritsuka. But this was the right thing to do. You and Mash… as well as Cu and Altria, you four taught me that, even if only three of you are currently on that path."

"But that's not fair! Roman you can't." she cried, she was wrong, this was worse than the first time. Far worse than what she remembered.

"Is it not fair? ...No I suppose it isn't. Inconsiderate right to the end I suppose." He looked towards Goetia. "But now, all the seals are gone. Goetia, not only is your immortality no more, but so is your ability to affect Yggdrasil any further. Originally a spell woven to watch over mankind, you decided to destroy its future, and then go even further, to rewrite it all, and even to try and take it all down, this fragile, beautiful world. You turned away from your duty, and now you'll be paying the price."

"You call that a duty!? For me, an omnipotent collective, to merely watch!? Do you think being forced to watch the lives of humans an interesting task, one worthy of me?" Goetia proclaimed.

"I mean, the gods above do it. And they seem to enjoy it. Even more, they go out of their way to make sure those humans… no, not just humans, that their charges enjoy their lives. No matter what race they may be, or where they are from." Romani said with a chuckle, leaving Goetia to sputter at this flippance. "But you failed to understand, both in this world, and in the bigger picture. Even with infinity, nothing is eternal. Pain is something we all experience, over and over again in the case of those who experience it so much. But that doesn't make life a story of despair. No, those lives are journeys of triumph, the repetition of meeting and parting, despite knowing there is an end. A loop's end is fairly similar to death, so I suppose that similarity is what allows me to understand it." he chuckled again. "But what do I know. I'm not a looper. I don't get to experience such a thing. But all these stories, they're dazzling, these brief journeys that twinkle like stars. Stories of love and hope. That is what the Loops are."

"Love.. and hope?" Ritsuka muttered softly… and Goetia spoke once more.

"No. I refuse this utter nonsense. Your deception will not sway us." The crumbling king stood tall once more. "Die. Die humans, no all races Die. Yggrdrasil will die. Our great deed remains incomplete, but we will complete it." it raised its fists. "I will kill you, Ritsuka Fujimaru, and be rid of it all! I only need to activate my Noble Phantasm once to end it all! Before the last of us is gone! I will get rid of all these worthless, painful stories!" His proclamation came with a glitch in the world… but there was no warning to those on high. This was how it should be.

"It's time. Ritsuka. Please grant this selfish man one finally wish. This is my final order as Chaldea's commander. Don't worry about me. Fight until you claim total, perfect victory. And see what I could no. Go, and experience it all." he smiled. "This is not the end of your journey, even if everything has let to this moment. Go forth. Okay?"

She wiped the tears from her eyes… The shield at her side felt so much lighter, even though that command spell had burned out so long ago. "Thank you… director. For everything."

The last thing she saw of him was a perfect serene smile.

She turned to Goetia, raising the shield with only one arm, the other hand clenched in a fist. "Just you and me, Goetia. Let's end it."

"One way, or another this ends here!" Goetia roared… before rushing forward, and Ritsuka did the same to meet the King of Demons. A mere human against all that.

---

She was watching, in awe. Alongside so many others. Altria just… watched the impossibility before her, as heroes cheered the battle on.

Her Master, going shield to fist against the King of Demons, without a single servant in sight.

She wanted to intervene but… at the same time, she didn't. This was her moment. And so she planted her sword in the stone beneath her feet… and watched as Cu Chulainn leapt up.

"What the hell's going on, why is everyone cheering?" the Caster asked, looking at her, but she did look at him.

"Perhaps if you opened your eyes you'd see it hound." Altria pointed out, and he turned, and watched the battle ongoing.

It was fairly piss poor, on both sides. Goetia bashing his fists against a metal shield, slowly breaking apart, and Ritsuka, roaring in anger, tears in her eyes and covered in bruises, either blocking, punching or smashing against the Beast with unbridled fury, and a strength he honestly hadn't expected out of her.

"We should-" She grabbed his arm.

"This is her fight Cu Chulainn. Let her end it." She said, before letting go. He didn't jump into the fray though.

"I was wondering why I'd awakened here, of all places."

Both Cu and Altria turned in surprise at the voice, one so similar, yet different to Altria's. They both looked up, Altria in confusion, and Cu in mounting horror at the sight above them on another rock.

Artoria Pendragon looking down upon them. Excalibur in hand.

"Uh… hi? Why are you here?" Cu started, slowly getting behind her and Altria. He knew that Artoria had a… complex about her altered self, and this was not the time to have such a battle occur.

"You tell me Cu Chulainn, why are you galavanting around with her!" She pointed Excalibur directly at him, and more correctly, at the woman behind him.

"You are my other self?" Altria asked, poking her head around Cu's arm, and frowning. "I'm not impressed."

Artoria growled as Cu pointed his staff at Artoria, a fierce look in his eye as he spoke.

"Saber, I am saying this on Authority from the Admins, this Loop is in a very precarious situation, and she has been an integral part of making sure we've been getting through it. You two can fight later, but right now I am asking you to stay that blade and let things play out." he said as calmly as possible. He really didn't want to deal with this right now.

"You're serious Cu Chulainn… where is the Anchor?" Artoria started, slowly lowering Excalibur as Cu slowly pointed his staff out towards the ongoing battle.

"This loop is in the middle of its Activation, and that girl is the Anchor. She is also my friend, and so is Altria here. So either help us out, or hit the road." Cu started, and Artoria scoffed.

"You two are doing a wonderful job of 'helping' if you're just letting your Anchor-" before she finished, there was a sound of shattering, and all three of them turned to look at the sight below.

The King of Demons, Goetia, laying dead, head shattered, and one Ritsuka Fujimaru, standing right in front of the corpse, having just completed her swing.

"Nevermind." Artoria muttered, before looking around at all the other Servants that now were starting to disappear. "As much as I would want to help, I don't believe I can. From what I know, I'm just one of hundreds who came in response to a call for aid, and will be returning to the throne shortly… I will expect you to explain everything the next time we meet, Caster."

"Yeah yeah, come on Altria, let's get back before we make her worry about us." Cu offered as Artoria began to fade. But she looked at her alter with disdain.

"Stay away from her." Altria ordered, and Artoria blinked as she watched her alter look back towards the battlefield, where Ritsuka was slowly walking away, probably on return to Chaldea.

"And why should I, you corruptive tyrant. If anything I should remove your influence from her." Artoria shot back, only to get a glare in return.

"You'll know soon enough. But I hope you won't. But for her sake I'll bare your presence if it comes to that." Altria added, before walking after Cu Chulainn, leaving Artoria to look at her back in confusion, before she too faded away to golden dust, back to the throne… yet still awake should she be called on again…

---

"We finally understand each other…, Ritsuka Fujimaru" Ritsuka was quiet as she hefted Mash's shield… as Goetia, King of Men, floated before her. "What it is he was speaking of."

"So what, are you going to fight me again? You're gonna damn the whole timeline for yourselfish wish?" Ritsuka asked.

"...No. If this had just been a battle for something far lesser, I would. But this very loop is a battle for survival. The survival of our place in Yggdrasil." the King of Men took a deep breath.

"My dream is in ruins. Everything I did, here in this temple, all the planning… all for naught. I've lost. And now, just like Romani, outside of a Miracle, or another Glitch. I will never be Aware of the Loops like this again. I am too dangerous for the Admins to allow such a thing." he looked down at Ritsuka.

"So what is it you want?" she asked, slowly raising her head to look up at Humanity's perfect king.

"I wish for a meaningless battle. An unthinkable choice before. But…"

"You have your pride… and I would do the same."
"Yes, Ritsuka Fujimaru. With my newfound pride, my newfound mortality… and my newfound understanding. I wish to commemorate my first, and final existence. For me, three thousand years have led to this moment. In a way, I want to stop you to protect what I refused to relinquish, and you will need to stop me to return home alive."

"Winner take all."

"Indeed. I have said what is needed. Let us bring an end to this chapter." he raised his hand. "O Master who will be bound by time. You who has overcome my plan, the Seven Singularities of Seven Worlds. This Grand Order was at first about Human's incineration, and now is about this Timeline's Preservation. My name is Goetia, he who used humanity to destroy humanity. He who strove for what lay beyond… At this moment, no one is watching us. Not even the Gods. This battle shall be without resolution or reward. But I place everything on the line… to give my meaningless existence some meaning."

"My sworn enemy, my hatred, my destiny. Witness me, witness this. The brief moment that is now my story. This story that shall never come again. My true life. Short as it may be."

And so, once more they engaged. Ritsuka Fujimaru, against Goetia, the now King of Men. A short fight, between a powerless girl and a man halfway in the grave. Not a graceful battle, or a meaningful one… in the grand scale of things, it was a battle that meant nothing.

But they fought it anyway. Ritsuka fulfilling Goetia first and final wish. One that she would carry on.

To be remembered, to remember him and to remember the beginning of her grand journey.

She returned to Chaldea, with Mash in tow. The girl returned from beyond the grave. She met her friends, she laughed with them, and together they celebrated Chaldea's success.

Together they stood, at the edge of a mountain, looking out over endless ice and snow at the rising sun.

The first chapter of their journey… which had only just begun.

Fate/Grand Order

The Epic of R̷̺̝͋̈̊͋̆̊̃̈́͂́̍̚ĕ̸̡̜̘̩̊̋̈́̄̕m̷̨͔̟̰̺̦̻̲̜͇͎̥̫̰̒̎̃̾̓̓͠ͅn̸̗̤̖͕̺̪͙̰̯͎̰͎͉̜̒̎̑͂̇͛̎̓̍͊̄a̴̝̙͋͊̋̿͗͋̂̾͜n̶͚̳̗̻̙̺͍̣̞̣̭̐͜ͅṱ̴̛͉̟̬̹͋̀͋̈́͆͠

Adminspace

Manu banged the terminal out of frustration. Since the 'Solomon' Singularity had started, the terminal had started spitting out errors, and frankly, quite worrying bits of code as time went on. It had started with a report of another Looper active inside the loop, which had given him a heart attack before managing to compile the data into figuring out just who this looper was. Thankfully it hadn't been anyone problematic… yet.

Artoria Pendragon, afterall, was a fairly sane and stable looper from her branch. But last he'd checked, she alongside all the other Nasuverse loopers had been put on an extended run of fused loops. And indeed, pulling up their locations on the terminal had told him the rest were all in various loops, some of which were more vacation than anything.

Artoria was the only exception. At some point, she'd been sucked into this mess Mid-Loop, which had been when the Solomon errors had started being spat out and he'd lost visual on what was happening inside the loop.

The peanut gallery was not helping matters. "Are you all going to help or just watch!?" the Chaldean god of fate complained as he looked to the two other deities currently in the office with him. Odin was sitting in a chair, his one eye closed and clearly not listening, and Loki was just standing against the wall drinking coffee.

"You seemed to be faring rather well before the feed cut." Loki noted, taking a sip of his coffee as Manu groaned, rubbing the bridge before looking back at the code again.

"I swear the further this loop runs the more damn glitches that occur. The White Titan, all those extra Servants inside of Singularities. I can barely tell what's a variant and what's baseline at this point," he complained before shaking his head. "Could you go get Ganesha? I'm going to need tech support here at this rate."

"No." Both Manu and Loki turned towards the Allfather as he opened his eye. "This situation is perfectly solvable, even at this rate."

"Father? What were you doing?" Loki questioned as Odin stood up, and walked over to Manu, and then laid his hand on the currently not streaming terminal. It sparked for a moment, before revealing a first person view from someone's perspective… Cu Chulainn's to be exact, as the Child of Light was pointing his staff at Artoria, speaking in Altria's defense.

"There she is," Manu muttered, finally able to get a read on their visiting looper, and pulling up Artoria's current file and status… and noting the new page. Loki walked over, and just chuckled.

"Well, this will certainly be interesting, will it not? Now she has something in common with that Anchor of hers besides the bed!" Loki laughed as Manu sighed, grabbing his own cup of coffee and downing it.

It seemed that Altria and Artoria were Soul-Bound now. Thankfully that made the Alter's code much more stable, so that was a bonus, even if Yggrdasil was now spitting out more errors. Bits of each other's files getting spewed into the other that he had to clean out as he went. Slowly, after Cu had started to walk back to Chaldea, Odin removed his hand from the screen, and it went right back to the snow channel.

"Ritsuka is proving to be remarkably tough, all things considered. They're adapting well to the situations presented to them." Odin noted and Loki hummed, Manu tossing Artoria and Altria's files off to the side of the screen for a moment as he pulled up the next segment.

"Well that means we're out of the first Grand Order. Now comes the next part… the Epic of Remnant…" he muttered, pulling up the code for this next segment, and as one all three gods winced.

"...That's… nasty." Loki noted, seeing all the errors that were currently in the data as Odin nodded slowly. Manu just swore as he got to work on this newest mess.

The First Order had been fairly stable. But they were out of the safe zone now… All he could do was keep bolstering the Loop's durability and stability, and hope that the loopers could pull through this.

"Uh… Manu you might want to look at this." Loki called out, and Manu turned his attention to what the trickster god was showing him.

Ok, now he had to pick up the phone. "Hello, tech support. This is Manu the Great. I need a crackdown on the Mythos Hackers NOW!"

---

Grand Order

S̴̨͔̠̟͋̑̈̀̏͗͋̑̉̋͐A̴̹̪̲̲͖͎̅́͛̀̀͛̀̉̉̎̾̓̎͗͌̿͘͜͝L̴͚̙̺̩̋̌̏͂̉̇̄͊͗̋̚͜ͅÉ̸̡̨̨̠̭̦̝̺̾̂͆̌̃̏̚̕ͅM̶̡̬̹͔̥͇̯̣̮̦͍͙͓̼̭̻̱̣͛̌͊̄̏̄͒͐͆̓́̒̄͘͘͜͝:̶̛̪́́ ̴̰͇̳̤̓́͒̿͛͋͋̍̐̽̂͗̐̿͜͜͠͝T̶̟͍͇͇̜̜̱̰̭͗̉̇͒͋̌̓̑́͆̿̀̒͊͂̉͘͘Ḩ̴̫̺̘͚̭͍̼͖̦͙͔̈̄͂̉̃̈́̐̓͋͠Ę̶̢̳̱̳͕̤͖̝̩̳̋͛̚͝͠ ̴̢̨̢̛̦̰̟̟̲̥͍̮̹͎̠͈̔̍̂̊̅̌͊̆͒̍̽̽͒̈̅͘S̶̟̦̪͓̙͙͍̳̱̲̮̖͚͖̗̀̀̓̿̒͑͊̽̐͆Ḯ̸̳̣̫̬̱̂̈́͗L̶͍̟͓͕͎͓̜̟̽͆V̸̝̤͍͇̬̘̞̜̰̯̦̱͈͎͒̂͛̃͐̽̅̐̓͒̚͝E̴̡̢̧̧͚̣̼̤̹͇̣͔̝͗͘Ŗ̶͚̟͕̪̞̣̣̮͔̗̺̝̞̩͒̽̏̄͗̀̈̾̃̕͜͜͝͝͝͝ͅ ̵̡̢̤̝̗̞̼͈̠͖̫̭͇̜̍̍̆̅̌͋̐́͘͘Ķ̸̛̫̹̭͇͇̻̞̳̩̽ͅĘ̸̧͙̠͕̪̭̟̖̗͓̝̇́̀͂͑͂̌̀́̊́͑̅̕͜͜͜ͅẎ̷̞͖̱̺͔̝͚̼͔̫͔̎͌̅̽͑́͊̒̀̎̈̇͂̆͝͝

Much to her surprise, outside of some… interesting changes, the Epic of Remnant hadn't gone too bad.

In Shinjuku, Altria had been replaced by Artoria, giving her a bit of time to interact with the Looping Saber. Who was apparently not very happy with her, but had promised Cu she would assist in making sure things went smoothly. And while it had been a bit touch and go in Shinjuku, overall, things had gone rather well.

She did however, make a point to not attempt a summoning directly afterwards. As much as she wanted Moriarty back, she could do without the walking detonator that was Artoria at the moment. She had the feeling someone was really eating at the Saber, and it was probably the mere presence of her Alter in Chaldea. The feeling was fairly mutual, all things considered, and Cu hadn't protested to 'waiting' to attempt to summon Moriarty given her reasoning.

Then SERAPH had happened, and she'd been forced to play double time. Dealing with not what Kiara was up to, but saving Kingprotea from the abyss as well. There was a lot of panic when the BB punishers had failed to activate for some reason, forcing her to fight a full powered beast with only the rogue Tristan, Robin Hood, Passionlip, Hans, and the heavily damaged Meltryllis for backup… At least, that's what she had assumed to start with. Kingprotea had been the one to save them all, rising up from the depths to fight the gigantic Kiara alongside him, and with Hans acting as backup for both Meltry and Kingprotea (Really, his Noble Phantasm was extremely useful when the conditions lined up for it to work properly), they'd managed to barely eke out a win.

Both Alter Egos had burned themselves out to save her, and she'd given them both a lot of hugs before she returned to Chaldea with BB at her side. She'd had to stop Cu from kicking himself, and promised him that next time, he'd be right there with them in the next adventure…

Oh how right she was, as when Agartha came about, Cu had been one of the Servants kidnapped by the singularity, prompting a rescue mission for them with Altria backing her up this time, and D'Eon and Astolfo sneaking along for the ride.

She did however have to stop Altria from laughing her guts out at the sight of Cu Chulainn as a little boy. Whatever had happened to him had severely scrambled his memories, looping or otherwise. At times throughout Agartha it seemed like he was only half himself, and half that little boy Setanta. There hadn't been too many changes otherwise, and they'd even managed to stop Columbus from taking Mega-Herc as his servant. She wasn't falling for that trick again… Phenex being beaten to paste by Herc had been rather satisfying to watch. Afterwards, a quick summon of Scheherazade, and a lot of work afterwards, had managed to return everyone they'd brought back to normal, with Cu deciding he really didn't want to talk about that ever again. And trying to swear both her and Altria to secrecy about the incident. She'd agree… Altria had not.

Shimosa however, had been exceptionally dicey. That damn Caster Limbo had managed to summon another two Swordmasters and corrupt them. Which had forced Musashi to duel with both Watanabe-no-Tsuna and Okita Souji at the same time. Thankfully Edmond had decided to stop being a cryptic arse/fake missionary and help them with that one, so it hadn't been exceptionally bad overall. She got to bare witness to Sasaki and Musashi's duel again, which was treat to watch.

Then came summer, and they'd been trapped in Hawaii for like five months… Mostly because Cu had decided that, with things going so shit and out of whack, they would be doing training on top of Manga writing. By the end of it all, she was fully capable of building rifles from spare parts and kicking a Caster through a wall… admittedly said Caster had been Hans, but it was something. Of course the moment BB started using eldritch powers, the world had started to melt. Which had been so concerning Cu had basically started shouting to the sky.

"FOR THE LOVE OF YGGDRASIL! WHY ARE THEY HERE! ODIN!"

After that… meltdown, and subsequent beatdown of BB-hotep with help from the... very wacky Mysterious Heroine XX, things had gone back to normal for a time. She'd had to swear all of the Servants to silence on Cu's outburst. Even she didn't completely understand what he'd been shouting about regarding 'they', but all she knew was that it was very, very bad.

Then came Salem. Oh boy… Salem.

This was where it all went wrong.

As Ritsuka sat in the control room, listening to the Servants and Mash talk about the Singularity that had appeared in the modern day, she thought back to what Salem had caused. This one single Singularty had allowed Goredolf to byout Chaldea. And from there, everything had went to hell.

And there wasn't a damn thing she could do to either stop it, or change that fate. According to Cu, if that's what she remembered, that was 'baseline'

But that was the future. What mattered now was Salem.

And Abigail.

This time… she'd ordered both Cu and Altria to let her do this on her own. She needed to… both had protested, Cu claiming it would be too dangerous, and Altria not wanting to leave her side after all the recent scares they'd had. She smiled, and she hugged them both.

She loved having friends like them. Even if Cu claimed it was 'just his duty', and even if Altria claimed that 'she was her Master, and if anything happened to you-'.

She could see the fear and concern in their eyes. And she could tell. For Cu this had gone from a mission assigned to him by deities beyond her current understanding, to a personal quest. For Altria, it was much the same, except in place of a mission, she'd wanted… to reach for her own future. And to stand alongside her. As Roman had said, over a year ago now.

Towards infinity.

---

Adminspace

"So we were panicking for nothing?" Loki asked as Manu groaned, and shook his head.

"No… they didn't have anything to do with this, Yog-Sothoth came out and admitted it even… That backdoor was being generated in-loop." Manu explained as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "The Mythos could access it, if they wanted to, but…"

"Doing this sort of damage would be suicide for them." Odin pointed out. "On the other hand,"

"The Nasu-verse has its own set of Outer Gods… ones that give far, far less of a shit about the situation than we do. With all the glitches that are going on, it seems Salem has been bloated over… because there's three of them currently screwing around in there, not one." Manu revealed, pulling up the code for the three 'In-Loop' Gods.

Sut-Typhoon, Cthulhu, and Vulthoom. All three of them were currently actively influencing Salem, in different… competing ways. He couldn't tell exactly what each of them was doing, but… well.

"So, we may have a problem… a big one." Manu said as he pulled up his tablet. "That last one, Vulthoom, has a record for 'attempting' something very, very dangerous in this loop."

"And that would be?" Loki questioned as Manu held up his tablet.

"Later on in the loop, Vulthoom has a plan, a plan to turn all the various Foreigners recruited by Chaldea into gods… by Ascending them with a Noble Phantasm." Manu stated bluntly.

"But that's an in-loop ascension right?" Loki asked as Odin looked to his adoptive son.

"...Do you think we want to have even that happen here? With how glitched this loop is, if you haven't noticed, quite a lot of things have been attempting to wreck the loop from the inside. We don't know the scale it may attempt. It could try for an In-universe Ascension… or it could try and go further. And attempt to force one of those." Odin pointed out.

Loki went pale at that. "So we're currently looking at best case… the loop crashes, and that takes down the Grand Order branch or…"

"Worse case, this thing causes a full scale Ascension of someone to Adminhood, which would obliterate the entire Nasuverse branch." Manu amended. "And it clearly either doesn't know, or doesn't care."

"Probably the latter, given what sort of being we're dealing with." Odin remarked. "I already contacted Hephaestus, Ganesha and Hermes. They're making a fix for the backdoor problem, just so none of the hackers get any bright ideas in the future, as well as to patch the In-universe ascension so that, even if it does happen, it won't threaten to crack the loop."

"But we still can't do anything but hope…" Manu admitted as he watched the terminal. "You all better keep things from going too far…"

For now, all they could do was watch as the Grand Order branch was yet again threatened, this time, on a far more metaphysical level.

---

S̴̨͔̠̟͋̑̈̀̏͗͋̑̉̋͐A̴̹̪̲̲͖͎̅́͛̀̀͛̀̉̉̎̾̓̎͗͌̿͘͜͝L̴͚̙̺̩̋̌̏͂̉̇̄͊͗̋̚͜ͅÉ̸̡̨̨̠̭̦̝̺̾̂͆̌̃̏̚̕ͅM̶̡̬̹͔̥͇̯̣̮̦͍͙͓̼̭̻̱̣͛̌͊̄̏̄͒͐͆̓́̒̄͘͘͜͝:̶̛̪́́ ̴̰͇̳̤̓́͒̿͛͋͋̍̐̽̂͗̐̿͜͜͠͝T̶̟͍͇͇̜̜̱̰̭͗̉̇͒͋̌̓̑́͆̿̀̒͊͂̉͘͘Ḩ̴̫̺̘͚̭͍̼͖̦͙͔̈̄͂̉̃̈́̐̓͋͠Ę̶̢̳̱̳͕̤͖̝̩̳̋͛̚͝͠ ̴̢̨̢̛̦̰̟̟̲̥͍̮̹͎̠͈̔̍̂̊̅̌͊̆͒̍̽̽͒̈̅͘S̶̟̦̪͓̙͙͍̳̱̲̮̖͚͖̗̀̀̓̿̒͑͊̽̐͆Ḯ̸̳̣̫̬̱̂̈́͗L̶͍̟͓͕͎͓̜̟̽͆V̸̝̤͍͇̬̘̞̜̰̯̦̱͈͎͒̂͛̃͐̽̅̐̓͒̚͝E̴̡̢̧̧͚̣̼̤̹͇̣͔̝͗͘Ŗ̶͚̟͕̪̞̣̣̮͔̗̺̝̞̩͒̽̏̄͗̀̈̾̃̕͜͜͝͝͝͝ͅ ̵̡̢̤̝̗̞̼͈̠͖̫̭͇̜̍̍̆̅̌͋̐́͘͘Ķ̸̛̫̹̭͇͇̻̞̳̩̽ͅĘ̸̧͙̠͕̪̭̟̖̗͓̝̇́̀͂͑͂̌̀́̊́͑̅̕͜͜͜ͅẎ̷̞͖̱̺͔̝͚̼͔̫͔̎͌̅̽͑́͊̒̀̎̈̇͂̆͝͝

Ritsuka took a very deep breath as she felt herself reorient… they had arrived within Salem. By her side was Mash, for the first time since Solomon she'd been directly involved in something so major. And alongside her was Robin Hood, Henri Sanson, Nezha, Mata Hari, and 'Medea'. The air was… fresh. A surprising change from the past few Singularities, major and minor alike.

"Senpai, we appear to be in a forest," Mash noted, and Ritsuka nodded. It was always good to get a bearing of their surroundings. "Time appears to be…" Mash scanned the forest, "Just before daybreak, I can see the sun starting to come up, just barely. But it's so dark"

"Everyone make it here safely?" Ritsuka called out, opening her eyes to look around. She could feel their contracts, but it didn't hurt to make sure.

"I'm alive, but this place feels weird," Robin Hood noted. "I thought it would be pitch black, but it's still brighter than I expected." he noted, the Archer scanning the forest as Mash nodded.

"You've got great night vision Robin… I can't really see anything." Mash said softly, and Ritsuka put her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Yeah and neither can I, so we're both in that boat." Ritsuka jested, getting a small smile out of Mash as Robin huffed.

"Guess I'll take guard duty then. I'll also check our watches against the stars, make sure we're all synced up, alright?" Robin said, deciding to be proactive. Ritsuka nodded to the Archer, she'd gotten to know him pretty well over the course of the 'Serva-Fest', so she knew just how dependable he was. "Well well well, looks like we've already got someone suspicious however, definitely a witch." Robin noted with a bit of mirth in his voice.

"You're talking about me, aren't you?" Sanson responded, the 'old' Assassin by Chaldea's standards becoming just a bit more noticeable as Ritsuka reminisce on him. He'd been with her since Okeanos, and while not the strongest, Sanson was reliable, and always capable of helping out just when you though there weren't any better options. In London he'd provided the means for them to traverse the demonic fog, in America he had acted as a much more stable doctor than Nightingale had been, and in turn had provided the care to keep Rama alive long enough to reach Alcatraz. While in Camelot he'd faced off against Mordred, bravely standing up to the Knight of Rampage, refusing to fall despite how outclassed he'd been. And in Bablyonia he'd saved many people during the Lahmu attacks, and kept many who could have, and perhaps should have died, alive.

"Stop that you two." Mata Hari sighed, her orange and yellow garment part more visible than Sanson's black or Robin's green. "At least try to act like performers. What it someone overheard you?"

"Yeah good point, you with us Nezha?" Robin called out.

"Indeed. I am. Here." Nezha noted, the lancer, the newest member of the team if they were going by 'summon date' was currently the only Servant here summoned during the original Grand Order. "What is. That you need."

"Just wanted to know you were with us still." Robin muttered.

"Medea you there?" Ritsuka called out to their resident 'witch'.

"I am." said witch responded, before holding her forehead. "Rayshifting… whoever thought to combine magecraft and technology… I don't think I'll ever get used to it."

'And there's the red flag…' Ritsuka noted in her head. Cu had been an effective teacher in the art of 'noticing when something was wrong'. Medea, their Medea, was actually quite used to Rayshifting, and had even participated in helping Da Vinci and several other Casters in making the adjustments necessary to Rayshift all the way to Bablyonia's time period. Of course she wasn't certain how much of a flag that actually was…

She only really knew it was a 'red flag' as she also knew this wasn't Medea, but Circe.

"That's all seven of us, including Senpai. Everyone, make sure you have all your things, then we'll be on our way." Mash ordered, and Ritsuka hefted her backpack, as the rest of the Servants, and Mash, did the same.

"Right, to Salem."

The next few hours of walking were filled with small talk… most of it between Robin, who wouldn't stop complaining, and Sanson who was trying to placate the Archer with facts and logic. But amid it all, Robin spotted something.

"Quiet. I see light," the archer noted, everyone turning towards him, and then following his gaze. "A campfire."
Slowly they moved closer to listen to the chattering of people. Ritsuka knew it well. Abigail Williams, leading a bunch of 'witches'. It was around this time were Medea notified them of the Servant's inability into their… honestly almost never used spirit forms. When was the last time she'd actually seen one use that?

Ah, Gorgon, all the way back in Singularity F… wait no, Wu Zetian had used hers as well.

Robin was quick to point out their 'temporary incarnation', when Sanson had caught sight of someone.

"Who goes there?" the assassin called out, and a little girl revealed herself. Pale as a sheet, an albino in black clothing with a horn sprouting from her skull

Lavinia Whateley…

They spoke to her, but didn't actually learn her name. Sanson accidentally scaring her off with his accent, just like before… nothing had changed. Not yet.

Beasts surrounded the campfire. The children rescued from savage wolves. Even partially incarnated, her friends were still stronger than the normal person, a few beasts was nothing to them. They meet Abigail, a quick and short introduction, before… he appeared.

And it was with his appearance, where everything started to go wrong.

---

Altria frowned as she felt… a disturbance of sorts. Caster instantly shot up from his chair and ran for the command room. And she was quick to follow.

"Caster, what was that?" she questioned, chasing after him, and the man seethed.

"Something horrible… Dammit we shouldn't have let her go without us!" he complained, only for her to grab his shoulder, stopping him.

"What was it, Cu Chulainn."

At the use of his name, he turned to her, before closing his eyes, and facing her. "It felt like some sort of great evil… I hope to god it isn't what I think it is…" at that, she tilted her head in confusion.

"Right, don't be cryptic… To put it simply… That felt like a Hacker. They're a group of malevolent beings that are capable of affecting Yggdrasil… I don't think I need to explain why that's bad. But it wasn't exactly like that, similar, but not the same. Either way, its bad." he informed her, and she glared at him.

"So what can we do to stop it?" she asked, and he looked away.

"...Basically, all we can do is get ourselves to Rits to help fix this mess, but right now, we don't have a chance in hell of doing that…"

"But there is still a chance." she stepped forward, and he looked to her, that determination on her face. Ritsuka was in danger… so they had to do everything in their power to save her.

"Well then, let's get going shall we?" he turned, and started running again, this time away from the control room.

"Where are we going now?" she questioned, chasing after the Caster as he looked towards her.

"Depends, do you think you can fly a jet?" he asked.

She wanted to say no… She knew she didn't actually possess the Riding skill, like her counterpart. But Ritsuka needed them. "I can."

"Then we're about to do something pretty damn stupid."

---

Ritsuka was… unnerved and uneasy every step of the way. None of the others seemed to notice, as 'Carter' led them to his home. She was… it felt wrong to even be in his presence.

It hadn't felt this way last time…

She could feel that… this wasn't going to end well… not at all.

But… nothing happened. Nothing yet at least. That general feel of unease continued as they explored Salem. They put on their first play. The tale of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.

The very next day, Hopkins had 'Tituba' ready to be hanged, they'd 'convinced' him to put off the execution in exchange for a play… but he'd executed her anyway.

The story continued to play out, and she felt like there was nothing she could do to change it. She knew something was going to go wrong.

Oh how right she was… when that night, something came. Not the walking dead she remembered… this made her wish they were.

"What the hell is that!?" Robin screamed as he put several bolts into the beast. Ritsuka slowly backing away from the… thing she couldn't even describe. But she could also, just barely. Put a shape to it.

A monster that had crawled out from the sea. Twelve feet tall and covered in scales and slime. It had no face, nor any eyes. It slithered on tentacles uncountable. Just being near it… she could feel her grasp on sanity slipping away…

'Close your eyes,' a dark voice spoke. A familiar, but warm darkness… a raging black flame. She listened, for it was all she could do. But she could still see the creature, imprinted in her mind…

But before she could remember, all there was, was a pile of flame, and ashes without meaning. Her guardian, her warden. And her fellow prisoner.

"Do not open your eyes, if you do it will imprint itself again. This thing's purpose is to get to you, and only you… Ritsuka Fujimaru, you must run. Five steps back, spin to the left. Keep on running." the shadow told her. She didn't question his commands.

Edmond Dantes was many things, but she knew that he defended her mind's sanctity with all his might. Five steps back, and spin to the left. Then she kept running, eyes held shut as people screamed and screeched.

"Ringmaster!" Nezha shouted, but she didn't respond.

"It's after her! Keep running!" She heard Robin shout.

They weren't strong enough, that she knew. This monster without understanding was going to chase her, to the world's end.

"They come Master, Keep on running, and they shall find you." Edmond cautioned as she lowered her head and kept running.

She didn't know how long she ran. It felt like eternity, or perhaps no time at all. The world felt wrong as she heard the monster behind her, slithering, or was it crawling? She didn't want to comprehend it.

But then there was a voice, a familiar voice… a voice of a man she'd asked to stay behind, to let her do this on her own.

"Sowilo!"

Even with her eyes closed, it felt like the sun had lit up in front of her. She heard the beast's screeching, she didn't know what was occurring… but then she heard the wisps of flame. The crackling of fire, and the stink of burning fish.

"Keep those eyes closed Rits… Until there is naught but ash." she felt a pair of arms wrap around her… and she listened to her elder's commands. She could hear it, the screams dying down. She waited, and waited patiently until he spoke again. "It's gone… thank the gods I got here in time."

She finally looked up, to see Cu looking down, a smile on his face. "Real troublemaker ain't you Rits. Can't go anywhere with a chaperone can you?"

"Thank god… how did you get here?" Ritsuka asked, hugging the man tightly. He chuckled as he rubbed the back of her head.

"Bit of a secret. Eyes, up, we aren't done yet." Cu started and she turned to look… oh great, there was the zombies now. And she was separate from everyone except Cu now…

"We have to get back to the manor!" Ritsuka realized, and Cu looked confused. "Tituba, no, the Queen of Sheba, she's going to attack it!"

"Well then, let's get going shall we!" he proclaimed, firing off several runes of ice instead of flame, before grabbing Ritsuka in a bridal carry. He lept, before taking off to a run.

"How haven't you been incarnated?" she questioned, and Cu huffed as he ran, Ritsuka pointing him where they needed to go.

"Got here the hard way. And what's this about incarnation?" he questioned, he was familiar with the term, Gilgamesh did that in baseline after all.

"Everyone else was incarnated partially during the Rayshift." She pointed out, and he nodded.

"Well I guess getting here the hard way had merit then didn't it." He jested as he skid to a halt. A horde of ghouls outside the manor, and Sanson holding the door.

Cu didn't hesitate, throwing out an array of fireballs to blast at several ghouls. His weakened power making quick work of said ghouls, burning several to ash as they turned towards him. Ritsuka watching the horde before pointing. "There!"

Cu narrowed his eyes, a woman, with fox ears and tails, clad in a dress fit only for a servant. Tattered and covered in dirt and blood. "Don't kill her, we're going to need her later."

He looked to his Master, and nodded. She had good instincts, and given she knew about these events, that meant she actually was important. And so he rushed forward.

Already, despite how small it had been, a plan began to unravel.

---

Altria was quiet as she sat in silence, remembering her companions' words.

'You're our trump card here. You have the sword that is conceptually strong against beings from beyond the stars. And be it Hacker or simply an Outer God, they're at their best when you're floundering against them. When the true mastermind reveals themselves, that's your cue.'

Of course, she hadn't actually been told how to figure out who said 'true mastermind' was. Just to remain hidden until the right moment…

So why not strike while she was still hidden? Why would this villain dare to follow the script anyway?

So she stood up, and began to wander the outskirts of the village of Salem. She looked towards the sea. That feeling of general unease was strongest at the cliffside… as if the sea itself was the culprit?

Perhaps it was.

She wasn't going to wait for them to strike out. That was too dangerous. So she was going to cut right to the source's heart.

Thankfully, when Cu had gone to procure that jet for her to fly them here (Which she hadn't crashed, that was the field disintegrating it!), she'd made a small stop in Chaldea's vault.

She held out her hand, the small golden cup forming above it for a few moments before she absorbed it again. She had the advantage, and she was not going to squander it. A dark holy sword, strong against beings from beyond. A magical grail to girl her power. And the might of her newest ability.

Her Twilight Star.

She leapt down the cliff, landing atop the water. The lady's blessing giving her the ability to stand on the sea. She'd used this before in Okeanos to do battle on the ocean's surface, and against in Bablyonia to fight unhindered on the Chaos Tide. Now she was using it once more in search of a foe that threatened all of time.

As a Tyrant, it was her duty to squash any who would get in her way after all.

And so she walked forward, the unease, but she squashed it down. Her mind was made of steel, and would not be so easily swayed. She had to do this, and she would, without hesitation.

So she continued to walk, until she reached the edge of the mist, even as night had already fallen. She could feel something stirring beneath the waves, beginning to make its move.

So she made her wish.

Her wish to remain undetected by this beast. An imitation of 'May King' She watched the great form swim beneath the waves, and scoffed. Whichever 'God' had decided to play a role did not know what subtle meant. The fact it seemed to somewhat resemble an 'Octopus' only made her anger boil further.

She raised the sacred sword as the creature rose from beneath the waves, ready to make its attempt against Salem, to reach her Master.

It was ready to act, but so was she… and she had prepared better than it.

"Releasing Restraints. Checking battle conditions." she ordered as darkness began to gather around her once more.

The Enemy was more powerful than her -「Bedivere」
As a being from beyond this reality, it certainly qualified.

The battle must be one-on-one -「Palamedes」
She was alone against this storm, another reason she had decided to act first.

The Enemy was not an elemental-「Lancelot」
Twas some sort of 'code' created by a being from beyond. It certainly was no elemental.

This battle was one against Evil -「Mordred」
This beast was created with one sole purpose, as far as she knew. To ruin their reality, to drag it screaming into non-existence for their own sick amusement.

This battle did not involve Personal Gain -「Galahad」
Her goal was simple, to save Ritsuka, and to save this world.

This battle was not against Humanity -「Gaheris」
Well it clearly was not human, and it was a threat to all humanity.

This battle was not inhumane -「Gareth」
She indeed to make this quick and decisive, as was her right.

This battle must be for Truth -「Agravian」
She didn't want this thing to interfere in the world's order anymore. It was a 'False' in this world that had to be removed.

This battle must be to Live -「Kay」
If she did not act here, then her world would most certainly die.

One's comrades-in-arms must be courageous - 「■■■■■」
Her mind turned to her Master, to that hound she privately called friend. To the many Servants that had come to join their cause to save humanity, a battle most courageous.

The Battle was not against one Pure of Heart - 「■■■■■」
This monster was most certainly not that. It was an abomination after all.

The battle must be an honorable one - 「■■■■■」
This was the test she failed… and she knew it. She was going for a sneak attack. There was little honor in such a strategy after all.

This battle was to save the World -「Altria」

Twelve of Thirteen Restraints unleashed. The darkness exploded around her. She could feel the world around her cracking… This power she was unleashing from her sword was not meant to be used, not yet.

But she had to, for the consequences of not doing so were far more dire. "EXCALIBUR!"

The monster, rising out of the water, now turned, she kept her eyes straight on it. She felt her mind begin to fray at the mere sight of its true form. But she only needed to see it for a second to fire. "MORGAN!"

The monster raised a tentacled arm, intending to block her beam of holy darkness. To bad for it… such a thing was not possible. The darkness washed over it, unseen beneath the stars. She could feel the grail she held within… burning out. That was how much power this had used, that a source of near unlimited prana had been drained dry.

When the darkness faded, the monster… was gone. She raised her head, and closed her eyes. It was… anti-climatic in a way. But she much preferred the assured route of destruction, over a harrowing battle where one wrong move could have ended all of reality.

She was not going to take such a chance. Even if she was to be berated for it later.

And now, to wait for the next moment to strike.

---

They have come to the church, to face down Raum. Beyond that one scare the second night… nothing else had gone wrong. The feeling of unease… it had lessened after the third night had passed.

Ritsuka was confused that things weren't going worse. And she could tell someone, 'Carter' was a bit agitated for some reason. What had happened?

Cu had been unable to provide any answers, just as stumped as she was over what had happened. Today, or rather tonight, was Walpurgisnacht, night of Witches.

Sanson had died, well and truly died, thanks to Raum's machinations. Ritsuka was angry, Abigail had snapped.

And as they entered the church they saw monsters, monsters everywhere. For everyone in Salem had already been a Ghoul.

"Evil. Evil. Evil everywhere. Spreading. Overpowering! Rampant!" Nezha declared as they stepped through the church doors. Mata Hari made to drop her digiuse… but Nezha pointed out all the Ghouls to them all, of those who had been executed, and those 'still alive'.

"Even those I burned to ash are here.." Cu muttered, gripping his staff tightly, and gritting his teeth. He'd had his fair share of zombie loops… but it was a lot more creepy when all the dead he'd killed had come back again… but were sitting awaiting court.

"Sanson is not here…" Nezha noted as well… Ritsuka kept her mouth shut, but internally she was relieved… she'd rather not fight him… Not Sanson…

"Its technically daybreak now, but the sun hasn't come up… and this place is looking more and more like the set of a zombie thriller by the moment. What'd the Bible call this again? 'The Last Supper'?" Robin commented, and Mash corrected him.

"No, that was one of Da Vinci's most famous paintings," then she continued. "Perhaps you mean the Last Judgement, from the Book of Revelation?"

"Recreating scenarios has power in this world…" Ritsuka muttered. Last time, she had been in prison. This time, a Magecraft double made by Cu had taken her place. She was under cloak as the proceedings continued, and Circe was called to the stands.

Then 'Carter' took center stage, and stapped his fingers. The very church and court shifting in an instant at his beck and call. There was a cawing of a crow… outside perhaps. The pretense was over…

"Where's Altria? I know you wouldn't have come without her?" Ritsuka whispered as Raum began to speak on stage, reciting the 'Sins' of Abigail. It tore at her heart, but they needed to be ready for this.

"I had her wait for when shit hit the fan Rits… but now I'm just hoping she'll know when it does," Cu muttered, quite confused.

When Lavinia entered, Raum was clearly surprised. A ghoul made to try and eat her.

But Robin stopped it. "Back off pal, no one's laying a hand on our witness while we're around."

And so she walked forward, this one little girl. A part of the story… and also only playing part of her intended role.

"M-Mr Carter? I-I've got some evidence too." Lavinia started, and Raum raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? If it will help these proceedings go smoothly, I would be happy to hear it." he said, intrigued as the little girl walked up to him.

"Sure. Here it is!" the little girl threw her 'Evidence' in his face. A powder. As Raum began to choke, she kept talking. "I-it's Powder of Ibn-Ghazi… Designed to make spirits materialize!"

'Damn, gonna have to get some of that next time I'm here,' Cu thought to himself. That really would be useful honestly, but now was not the time to muse on what could be. Now was the time for action.

"Want to know who's corpse I made it from!?" Lavinia shouted, as the true form of Raum, the Raven headed Man appeared. "If you're going… to hold a trial… it needs to be… on even ground. It's not far for you to be the only one in a mask. Now reveal yourself!"

"WHATELEY!" Raum cawed at the little girl, but a gust of wind tore through a window.

"Coming in! Now with this bounded field dispeled! I can enter in my true form!" Sheba proclaimed, landing in the courthouse in the middle of the isle. "I haven't handed a Demon God in a long time. But don't worry, its just like riding a bike. Now then! Demon God Pillar Raum, If you are going to show your true identity, and use your full power… Then I have no qualms about expanding the scope of negotiations!"

Sheba turned to Ritsuka. "Everything's set, and the playing field has been made square."

WHAM!

Everyone blinked and turned as the courthouse door buckled… before shattering, wood splitters flying everywhere as the light of the sun began to shine in on the courthouse. Fittingly, Raum screeched as it did.

Even if the figure basking in that sunlight was a woman in armor of the purest black. Altria Pendragon, she stepped forward through the threshold, as Raum cawed, the door behind her repairing itself, but not preventing the tyrant's entry.

"Well you're late…" Cu complained, and Altria huffed.

"I was just dealing with something important. That little problem we came here for. I annihilated it." she proclaimed.

"...What." Cu muttered… in disbelief. When would she have?

"What?" Ritsuka added herself, confused as well.

"What problem?" Mash questioned.

"Something that would have aided our enemy had it not been dealt with… after all. Where does one get power…" Altria started, as she pulled something out.

"YOU STOLE IT!?" Raum shouted as everyone stared at the cup between her fingers.

"I did… the gift given to you by that monster made of flowers. Which I have also destroyed. Your allies' avatars, shattered, both the squid and the flower" She said, before crushing the grail between her fingers, the pieces shattering to the floor… and everyone watching as they faded into blue sparks… tiny ones and zeroes, before those too 'glitched' out.

"Well damn… you're a natural at this." Cu muttered to her as the ghouls started chanting. He turned, smirking. Outside of his and Altria's presence, it seemed everything was back on track… well how about that?

So long as nothing else went wrong… they were in the clear for this place.

---

Adminspace

"...That… was not good." Loki commented as they watched the feed. Odin stroking his beard as Manu was already going through the data again.

He was really glad that Altria was efficient, because she'd gone and smashed both the Cthulu Avatar, and the Vulthoom Avatar. And with Cu having killed the In-loop monster intended to corrupt Ritsuka, that one was already out of the picture. Altria having gone to the heart of the forest and murdering the avatar of Flowers for its holy grail had been a bonus.

The problem was the fact that said Grail had shattered into code. Code which was now swimming around Salem and focusing itself on…

Abigail.

"Wasn't Vulthoom the one who kept trying to force ascensions?" Odin asked again as Manu grit his teeth. Apparently these things were more aware of the loops than he'd assumed if one of these in-loop gods had prepared a code trap.

Damned if they didn't, dammed if they did. He watched and observed. "That Vulthoom was prepared for this… The grail was programmed to fire off a Noble Phantasm. De Sterrennacht. That In-loop ascension method I mentioned earlier. The good new is, now its not an instant win button for the outer gods… the bad news…"

"What the hell's the bad news then."

"The bad news is that upon shattering it, the trap activated. Abigail's code has been infected with the currently inactive De Sterrennacht… and its amped up her mana draining capabilities."

"How amped up?" Loki questioned.

"Let's put it this way, from what I'm reading, in baseline, her being taken over by her outer god was draining the continent of North America dry of mana. Now… if I've calculated this correctly… She's going to be draining mana from across the globe."

"That… is a lot of power." Loki winced. The Nasuverse had a lot of spare power flowing around on Earth, and if someone was to drain all of that? To ascend?

This was going to go poorly.

"What's the status of the third?" Odin questioned, and Manu pulled it up.

"Sut's still inactive. He's the one here normally. But with all this extra power…"

He left the answer hanging as they all turned back towards the screens.

"Is there anything we can do to bolster the loop's durability. Because it's fairly obvious at this rather, she's going to go full on deity at minimum." Loki pointed out as Manu closed his eyes… and picked up the phone.

"...Sothoth, I need to call in a favor."

---

Ritsuka had thought everything was going well. They'd face down the ghouls, beaten them back. And Abigail had began to channel her powers, like she had once before…

Crack.

"Not again! How many times has it been? I'm sick of this! Sick of it!" she was screaming as tendrils of white began to pour out from behind her… and cracks formed with her no… on her?

"What the… Abby!?" Ritsuka called out as Lavinia walked forward.

"Such power… it's more vast than last time… but… Abby… L-look at me." the little girl, doubled over clutching her head, looked up. To see the similarly age girl of white, Lavinia, her eyes practically bulging as cracks ran across her face.

"Her fourth sin! Was inviting the souls of Sinners into Salem! She summoned those who took part in humanity's witch hunts here, and did so… oh so mercifully." Raum recited, apparently having recovered from his earlier breakdown somewhat before the bird headed man smirked in a such an impossible way. "Traitors who let their fears get the better of them and sold out their own families. Instigators who succumbed to the sick thrill of entrapment. The Double-Crossers who refused to face the truth of the torture machine in which they were complicit. Hypocrites who went and haraganed all who would listen about invisible demons only they could see… Yes… they were all irredeemably greedy. So greedy even I can no longer saitie them!"

As he continued, and Ritsuka heard the speech contiune… a disturbing, and very real fact she had forgotten crossed her mind.

...Raum was one of the 72 demon god pillars than had made up Goetia. Goetia had possessed the clairvoyance so powerful, that it allowed them to look beyond, at the mutliverses beyond this one. Quite a bit of that fight had changed, just because Goetia and Roman knew about the loops, as Cu put it, not from being 'Loop Aware' as Artoria had been, but from their baseline ability of clairvoyance just allowed to see beyond this world's fragile veil.

So… why hadn't Raum flipped the script? Bael and Phenex had done so, even if their attempts to do so failed quite spectacularly, especially in Phenex's case as he had been unexpecting of Megaros… but…

Raum had done nothing new. He was following 'the script' outside of his outburst regarding that extra grail. He'd gone from panicking back to normal, trying to break Abigail.

He was up to something.

"And so, they entrusted their wishes to a false grail!"

"Abigail!" Lavinia screamed, only for the sheer power emanating off of Abigail to knock the albino off her feet. Almost everyone else, save Raum had to brace themselves, with Ritsuka and Mash skidding back a few feet. Then she raised her head.

Abigail was standing there… in her witch's outfit, but she was still broken. Cracks running across her skin. They healed, and new ones formed. "Kid!" Robin called out, before the girl raised the key she was carrying-

A beam of light shot from the tip, piercing Robin Hood through the shoulder. Everyone else began doding, except Altria, who raised her sword and outright blocked a beam of light with little more than that, deflecting it towards the ceiling of the church and standing guard in front of Ritsuka and Mash, the two most vulnerable in this situation.

Cu ran forward, staff ablaze. "Don't hurt her!" Lavinia either shouted, or warned, but Cu didn't have time to listen, this kid was going so unstable right now it wasn't even funny.

What he hadn't been expected was for her to dodge his first swing, outright grab his flaming staff without a care in the world… and then for it to start dissolving into ones and zeroes.

He let go instantly, leaping away in shock as the girl looked to her hand, the two halves of his staff clattering to the ground before dissolving in their entirety. Circe unleashing a blast of magical lightning from her own staff at Abigail, which the little witch just raised her metal key to, grasping the lightning at the tip and pointing it at the church's sealing, blasting a hole through it… but no light filtered in.

Altria, actually nervous, kept back as Nezha left forward, clashing flaming spear against the metal key, before the Lancer grit her teeth and rocked away from the extremely short clash throwing her own spear to the side as it too was now fading away into digital code.

"This is not normal." Ritsuka muttered softly…

"What gave you that idea!?" Cu complained as he drew up several runes, creating an array of roots to entrap Abigail… and the moment they touched her, they started to fade away in a similar fashion...

"She's a witch with digital powers?" Mash questioned, confused as Lavinia stepped forward.

"Abigail… does it hurt…?" Lavinia questioned, before sniffing the air. "...Roses. This is not the descent… no it is a reversal?"

Those words had Cu's blood run cold.

Ascension

"We must put. Her back to normal!" Nezha proclaimed as Lavinia looked up at Abigail… who's body was still cracking under the strain.

'She isn't a looper… but a little girl from this world… infused with power beyond her reckoning, her body and soul can't take it… it was likely just going to be a bootleg that would fail. There won't be no ascension…' Cu thought dimly. But even just causing the loop to Crash would mean their erasure, and his failure.

"Abby is still here… but she… is already looking beyond." Lavinia noted as everyone watched the little witch with trepidation. She was looking skyward, towards the hole she'd blown in the rooftop.

Raum frowned, this would not do.

"Judge Hawthorne, continue the trial!" Raum snapped. "You will see this through once again! You WILL sentence these witches!"

The ghoul groaned in the affirmative as Raum raised a hand, blocking a bolt of fire from Cu as the judge banged his gavel to call order… and rather disgustingly broke his arm doing so. Viscerally.

"Oh I'm gonna be sick…" Ritsuka muttered as she grabbed her mouth, Mash averting her eyes as Raum kept giving orders.

"Uphold the honor of the holy court. Continue this trial." Then the bird grinned once more.

"Continue to pass judgement in this 'Godforsaken Salem' until a God worth worshiping is born!"

With that proclamation, blood went cold, not just in the loopers, but in everyone still alive.

"...A God being born?" Circe asked as Cu glared.

"You bastard… you know…" Cu started, and Raum decided to finally drop the pretense.

"I will admit, my backers' first two plans have failed. But one has paved a way, past this 'lock down'. This plan has been in the making for far too long. Older than even I." Raum explained… and then a blast of magic slammed into his back, knocking the bird man forward.

"Then we'll shatter said plan, of whoever these 'backers' are! There will be no more judgement! We're taking this court out of session." Sheba started, before Circe continued.

"You do realize that birthing a God takes more magical energy than all of Salem could have provided, and you're already running dry. Especially with that grail shattered. Your plan to turn her into such a thing has failed." Circe proclaimed… and Cu did look around. Sure Abigail was unstable but…

Well the loop wasn't going glorp yet. Nothing was outright cracking or shattering, everything was still stable… save the girl in question.

"It does not matter. I may return to the void, never to appear again in such a fashion. But not yet. Not while I still have a part to play… to send this entire world screaming into oblivion with me!" Raum declared, spreading his arms. "Now the fifth sin shall be reviewed!"

Raum didn't stop as Cu, Circe and Sheba all fired on him with various magical attacks. "The most grievous of them all! To place trust in others, such a foolish, and naive thing to do."

"Like hell that is!" Ritsuka blurted out at the demon god in man's skin.

"She's right, we only got this far thanks to that trust Raum." Mash offered, taking her place by Ritsuka's side.

"You did… This is why it is a Sin, and with Abigail's unshakeable faith has shrouded Salem in a veil of light. It was this very thing that completely obviated guilt, and with it, any distinction between good and evil. Thus the sinners stuck here in purgatory. Without punishment or forgiveness for their foul deeds. So great was this veil, even the Witchfinder General thought he could find redemption in this place of evil! But Abigail has sinned once again…" Raum's form shifted, bloated and everyone took a step back, except Abigail, the witch still staring towards the sky… as if nothing around her mattered at all.

"It was because you are a sinner that you trusted me." The demon god Raum formed in full, his form shifting around the church, rather than straight towards the sky. It was being contained?

"Ritsuka Fujimaru of Chaldea… Queen of Sheba… Cu Chulainn of another Realm… Altria Pendragon who should not Be." Each of those called out bristled at their titles proclaimed. "If you want her so badly… come and claim her! I shall protect this newborn with my existence!"

But as the Demon revealed himself, the comms came back on. "Ritsuka! Mash!" Da Vinci called.

"The comms are working again!" Mash said with a smile and Da Vinci smirked.

"Damn straight! And that's not all. In case you haven't noticed yet… the Mist, the bounded Field around Salem is rapidly dissipating. I'm looking at the area your in right now, and we're finally getting data about your battle… Also, you two are in trouble by the way, stealing a Jet like that!"

"It was important Da Vinci, everything had gone tits up!" Cu explained, and Da Vinci huffed.

"Well explain why you did it later, but let's get you lot some reinforcements!" Da Vinci amended.

"We could certainly use them right now…" Ritsuka muttered as Da Vinci frowned.

"There is a small problem. The US army is on its way."

The conversation very quickly started going back and forth as Geronimo brought up a fact of… terrifying proportions, even as the others were fighting Raum.

"Magical Energy is being consumed at an astonishing rate… across the globe. The very underpinnings of Magecraft are becoming fractured at this very moment." The native American revealed.

"Well we've got the heretic right here!" Cu shouted as he lept out of the way of a laser from Raum, firing at the demon god pillar as Da Vinci spoke up.

"He might be the cause, but that's now where the energy is flowing! If I'm reading this right, its all flowing into-"

Crack.

The world lurched before she could finish, the ground quaking as Raum laughed, and laughed some more. Da Vinci put out the alert of the Heretic, and gave them the new plan. To seal Salem off again to save the world, leaving them trapped inside.

"Do it," Ritsuka complied, without hesitation.

"The ascent is almost upon us…" Raum declared as the Bounded Fields went up around Salem once more… and the battle joined once again.

And Abigail, in the middle of it all, unmoving, cracked, and exerting power beyond her original intent. Raum's fall was quick… quicker than last time. The pillar fading back into a shrouded bird-man… before the bird's head ripped itself off the human body.

"ABIGAIIIILLLLL!"

"Robin shoot it down!" Ritsuka ordered, and the archer nodded.

"On it!" He fired… just as Raum hit his actual target.

Lavinia…

With that, things began to shatter.

The church around them began to vanish as Abigail's eyes locked with the bleeding, dying Lavinia… and Raum, with an arrow through his throat, as little more than a crow on the ground… laughed.

"The… space time gates… are increasing in number… No… nonfictional mage can hope to stand against this threat… this threat that I have unleashed…

The entire group looked around in horror and shock, and the darkness above them… split.

Gates, rips in time and space, mere windows that tore into other realities… tears that leaked ones and zeroes. Holes and bypasses to other worlds.

They saw a battle of ninjas against a goddess.

They saw a village, filled with ponies.

They saw a mountain, beneath which a skeleton faced down a murderous child.

They saw a planet being destroyed by a weapon the size of a moon.

They saw a war between realities, cards that decided a universe's fate.

They saw all this, and many more.

"Oh… by… Yggdrasil…" Cu muttered. This, this was bad… but…

How had this not crashed the loop yet?

"Surely… she will abandon everything… the gods… believe it so…" Raum spat out… his final words…

Only for Abigail to crush him under heel. The first emotion on her face.

Rage.

"What is going on Senpai!?" Mash screamed as Ritsuka turned to Cu.

"Kid… I have got no fucking clue at this point." the caster admitted bluntly. Could they even begin to fight this? What could they do?

"...Lavinia…" Abigail started… and she searched, looking around the various portals. "Is she gone… is she dead?" the little girl asked, the center of all this power… Power enough to crash everything. To render this one universe from it all…

And she was merely searching for her friend.

"Her humanity is gone…" Sheba noted, and Altria raised an eyebrow. It didn't seem like it, in her mind, but she was no mage.

"Then we take her out." Robin muttered as he aimed.

"Robin don't!" Ritsuka ordered, but the bolt had already been launched.

Only for the bolt to strike a barrier, and subsequently be destroyed, rendered little more than ash on the non-existent wind.

"What the hell was that…?" Robin muttered, in disbelief at what he saw, and Cu took a deep breath.

"There's no fighting, is there?" Ritsuka asked, and Cu looked to her and shook his head.

"Nothing we've got can touch her… the only thing we have left are words," he admitted… and words were better than nothing.

Afterall, words were Ritsuka's greatest strength.

"Abigail…" Ritsuka stepped forward slowly, everyone watching as the girl turned towards her.

"Ritsuka… hello again… or perhaps… for the first time," the girl started, holding up her hand. "A battle, rages inside. Two deities, one greater, one lesser… both with a connection to me… they're fighting a battle for control… to determine if I am in control." She muttered quietly… before looking back through the tears in reality.

"...But is that what you want to do?" she asked, coming closer, until she was standing beside the girl, her presence allowed as Abigail looked to the worlds beyond… and so did Ritsuka, for the first time.

They watched a castle, moving through the countryside.

They watched a family, ever growing… all centered around a Red Hooded girl.

They watched little girls facing down monsters, a play orchestrated by a little white being.

They watched a young man bonding with his very first friend. A black dragon that soared the skies.

They watched a robot, facing down an army of masters, concocted by a mad doctor.

And as they watched… others grew close. Mash had taken the first step, until she to was watching alongside them. Then Nezha, Mata hari, Altria and Circe. Only Cu and Sheba standing back.

"Its… beautiful," Mash admitted as they watched so many things.

"Such adventures…" Altria muttered, almost in disbelief. It was even more than she had dreamed of.

"It is. Interesting…" Nezha supplied.

"Its chaotic." Robin noted, but with a smirk on his face.

"...It's like an endless tale." Mata hari added, and Circe remained silent.

Then Abigail spoke.

"I don't wish to… Even if the code inside screams for me to do so, to go above this earthly form. I see it all… and I want to see more." Abigail said… crying softly as she picked up Lavinia's body slowly. "I wanted you… to see it with me…"

She exploded with power once more… shifting from a normal looking girl in a witch's outfit, to a true, evil witch. And everyone took a step back as she lay down her friend's body.

"The Flowers... they thought my will was breakable… To be a Foreigner is to see the madness… and consume it. The Flowers and the Space… they thought they could overload me… they were half right… I can still hold back. With this other god keeping mine in check… only one has any form of influence." Abigail noted as she turned to face Chaldea. And smiled with a mouth full of fangs.

"I ache, and I suffer… but I want to see more… and I see beyond… my 'Father' is already raging, at not being allowed to cause the chaos he so desires. My 'Grandfather' is holding him back, standing in the tree's defense. Ritsuka… My friend… The story must reach its end… end my part in it… so that one day I may join it." She raised her hand. "So that one day we both may…" she looked at the corpse of Lavinia.

She took a deep breath… and opened glowing purple eyes. As one, the gates shut, the church reappearing as Abigail raised her key.

"The gates reach across all of time and space." she recited, as if quoting something. "It appears I am still not accustomed to using them." she reached for the bounded fields. "This Bounded field obstructs my aim. I can't inflict enough pain." She offered, clearly lying.

"...So we're doing this right?" Robin asked, and Ritsuka closed her eyes.

"The story ends when we defeat her… so we must… once she engages." Ritsuka offered the archer in green, who just shook his head, still trying to understand all the things he saw. The things that had intrigued him so.

They all watched as Abigail continued her half-hearted spiel, even calling out to Ritsuka, to which she responded. "You don't have to do this."

"You understand, Mr. Ringmaster. Even with all these people searching for salvation. Your happiness…" She actually smiled. "Is my happiness too."

"I'll be happy, once I've saved you," Ritsuka declared.

"...I can't continue with this farce. They cannot make me wish for what I don't want to do. Ah… the future, this timeline's me, the me of now, is so strong. Her will. My will… they underestimated what they deemed a plaything."

"Shall we. Do battle?" Nezha asked.

"...Did you know you were invited, for a future Sin?" Abigail questioned suddenly, almost offhandedly. And Ritsuka blinked. "You wished to save everyone… ah, perhaps not yet. Or perhaps already. Salem's doors will always be open to you." Abigail noted as both Circe and Sheba wove their bounded fields further, to bring her down to 'beatable' even in this state.

"This shit is just so weird…" Robin complained. For Ritsuka it was both on and off the script…

Was this what it was like for both sides to be Awake? Even if Abigail wasn't? But… she still wanted to.

"Let me show you what's outside this walled garden Abigail." Ritsuka offered, holding her hand.

"Towards the future." Abigail raised her metal key. "Save me, Master, that is my wish."

"Hecate… please see us through this…" Circe muttered, praying to her goddess as she threw up one more bounded field. Even though they had been talking, Abigail's power was still leaking, seeking to drown the world in torment, as the story went.

"One final part." Ritsuka started, and even Abigail raised her eyebrow.

"Abigail." She began, and everyone watched the show.

"Mr. Ringmaster, the time for playacting is over."

"Aha… 'Oh Abigail'." she recited, "'You can be so willful sometimes, can't you'?"

"...Yes… Yes I am very willful… which is why I can't wait any longer. For I am dying to forgive you before I forgive anyone else."

"I'm even more willful… remember?" Ritsuka said with a smile, tapping her head as Abigial looked to her. "I'm dying to see what new friend's I'll meet."

"...Hmph" she smiled, as everyone gathered around for the final battle. The spell weakening those who'd rayshifted in lifting as she gave her response… "Then perhaps I am too."

What followed was a battle, one that had heart put into it. A nascent girl, who could have ruined it all, instead deciding that she would be no pawn. A girl who all the gods aimed against her had but one thought about.

"Certainly, this false little girl will break?"

But they were wrong, for she had a will so strong that she had changed a world. In some timelines, this one little girl was the reason an Alien God recruited disciples. To stop her from coming to the aid of her friend. And eventually even that would fail.

"Certainly, there can be no chance for this world? Broken? Battered? Beyond disrepair?"

That is what this loop the Outer Gods had thought. But still those outside…

"Every world is sacred, no matter how damaged."

Three gods stood watching as a fourth had acted. The girl with an unbroken will, rather than facing the wills of three gods, faced one. Her 'Grandfather' gave her a chance to save, instead of damn.

---

Abigail slid back as her witch form faded, closing her eyes as her body returned to normal… the gods, no, the code, was gone.

She was all that remained.

"Abi..gail…" She looked down, at the corpse by her feet. Eyes open… heart barely beating.

"Lavinia…" she knelt down, everyone watching as she was about to lose her friend again…

She would have to thank Circe, the first time she remembered, for giving her these moments.

They spoke… and this time, as she held her friend in her arms… she grasped at something. Slowly she pulled… This would be the first, and last time she did this. Any more, and she would threaten it all.

She was a selfish girl… she didn't wish to wait.

She hugged Lavinia, uncaring of the blood that stained her dress. She had what she wanted… but she saw something else.

In all that chaos, someone else had been lost.

That wouldn't do… he was her friend as well…

Aha, all this power… she didn't deserve it.

But as a selfish little girl… she was at least going to curry some favor.

When Lavinia passed and Singularity began to fade. She went and visited Carter, the real one. The nameless gentlemen who'd aided her so much…

His existence was too minor, to be more than a speck in the code. And to be capable of what she was about to do, he would have needed a bond with Ritsuka.

Something he'd never formed. Not like her, not like Lavinia.. Not like he who was now drifting between branches.

Without her aid, he may never wake again.

All of time and space was open to her, just like the gentleman had instructed her. But she doubted even he was aware of this… or perhaps he was. He certainly didn't stop her.

In fact, he encouraged her.

So as Ritsuka and her friends returned home. She began to act.

But first… a friend needed her aid.

---

Adminspace

"That… could have gone so much worse…" Loki said as he collapsed in the chair. He was fairly sure his heart had stopped several times during this entire mess that was 'Salem'. He'd wondered what the hell Manu had been thinking, calling on Yog-Sothoth for aid… but the Outer God of Time and Space had accepted instantly and had got to work.

That same backdoor the loop had produced on its own, had worked in their favor. It had allowed Yog a level of access that had worked two fold. He'd strengthened the loop massively, to prevent the original, in-universe ascension from shattering the loop. In addition the outer god had hacked the area around the Church, and isolated it from the rest of the loop while Abigail was having her meltdown and peering into other loops with wanton abandon.

He'd even gone above and beyond in fighting Sut-Typhon, his Nasu-verse counterpart, for control of Abigail. And being as he was a good few magnitudes stronger than the in-universe Outer God, even during all his multitasking, he'd kept the angry god at bay.

Normally such intervention was frowned upon, but this had been some… exceptional circumstances.

New Message

Manu opened the email the moment he saw the sender ID. Yog-Sothoth, and both Odin and Loki gathered around to read it with him.

Manu

You made a good call. I'll say that. Normally I'd charge for my services, but I suppose that old favor was payment enough. Now, I need to inform you of what's going on.

I've dealt with the three Outer Gods for now, but you need to seal that 'Backdoor' sooner rather than later. They're much more volatile than we are. I've beefed up the loop's durability as much as I can as well. Hecate really let this place go, you know?

But I need to inform you about Abigail Williams. The girl's been messed up, badly. And not just her. I've already pulled out the code from here that the plant had infected her with, helped by the work your Anchor did beating her down to 'end the story'.

The girl ended up grabbing her friend's code and went after another individual's code. I followed her and caught her trying to drag Charles Henri Sanson back up from the depths between worlds.

So I gave her a bit of a push. She wanted to save her friends and see the world, we needed to make sure she didn't have the power to do this again. Win-win. So I've sent her and her two friends on a bit of a journey. I soul bound the Whateley girl to Abigail, and tagged Sanson's data to keep him following her as she's going around.

Yes, I activated the girl as a Traveling Looper after taking the non-baseline power out of her, and I activated the servant as well. And before you start screaming, if she hadn't done that, Sanson's data would have been purged like the Loop-that-Never-Was. And that happening would be quite bad for the Nasu-verse in general no? I couldn't just put him back with all the mess going on, so I sent them on their way as you sort this mess out.

Consider this my price for saving this loop. Keep up the good work.

Yog-Sothoth

As they finished reading the message, Manu sighed… well at least he hadn't gone for something completely stupid. Yog was one of the more reasonable of the Mythos Hackers, and him keeping his antics to activating a pair of loopers and soul-binding someone to another? Given the circumstances, he could have done a lot worse.

"...Hey… wasn't she calling him 'Grandfather?'" Loki pointed out as Odin laughed. Manu sighed and rubbed his forehead. Great… just great…

"Where are they right now?" Odin asked as Manu pulled up the data. He didn't even blink at the current designations of Sanson and Abigail as he looked it over.

"Cardfight Vanguard it seems… Because of course their first loop had to be a problem…" Manu complained as he closed the data. He'd get those two and that girl back later.

But with the current crisis passed, he supposed it could have gone much, much worse. But now?

The Epic of Remnant had been passed. Now it was onto the home stretch.

The Lostbelts awaited.

Fate/Grand Order

Cosmos Origin

Grand Order

Chaldea

December 25th, 2019

23:55

Ritsuka as quiet as she roamed the hall. She'd just saved Ereshkigal from vanishing to darkness, and returned back to Chaldea before the clock had struck midnight. But there was no time for celebration.

For at Midnight her beloved friends were to vanish. And she didn't want them too go.

But she had to let them go… The Mages Association demanded it, as did time itself.

"You look like a zombie Rits," she looked up, turning her head towards Cú Chulainn, one of her best friends, one of her most reliable allies, and her mentor… all in one. "...Of course, we don't exactly have the time for small talk, do we, as much as I know we'd both love some brevity." the Caster frowned as he said that.

"We only have five minutes, probably less, before you're forced to go." Ritsuka said softly, and Cú walked up to her, neither speaking as she wrapped her arms around the Caster, holding him tightly as he rubbed her bright orange hair.

"I know Rits… after all we've been through, you'd think this would be where the journey ends… but we know better, don't we?" Cú Chulainn asked rhetorically as Ritsuka sniffed, her tears staining his cloak.

"Why does it have to happen like this… it hurts more…" she gripped his cloak tightly. "Knowing what's going to happen."

"Don't worry Rits… we'll make it through this. I promise you. We've come this far… and you've already grown so much." Cú Chulainn scoffed, he was an eon's old cynic, and here he was, comforting a little girl over her own Baseline. "We'll be back, I promise."

"I know you will… but…"

"But nothing Rits." he broke the hug with her, bending down to be just at eye level with her. "You're strong. Amazing for someone so young." he wiped a tear from her eye with his finger. "For a short time… you'll be without me. You'll be without all of us. But I know you can make it. Remember, you just have to reach the Wandering Sea."

"And from there…" She raised her head. "We fight to win."

He smirked. "Bingo Rits. And I'll be right there with you. I know you can make it."

"...Of course you would try to spend the last of our time here with her."

Both Cú Chulainn and Ritsuka turned as Altria walked towards them. Clad in only her dress. The pale Alter walked towards Ritsuka, who just smiled.

"I didn't forget you, Altria." Ritsuka stumbled towards the Saber, tired from the events of the day. She fell, caught by Altria as her eyes faded, and sleep embraced her.

As she held her Master, Altria closed her eyes… "You put her to sleep."

"Was it that obvious? She's going to need all the energy she can get." Cú admitted, before sighing. "Eleven fifty-nine… I'll give you the rest of my prana. Get her to bed."

"Leaving without saying goodbye?" Altria asked.

"This isn't goodbye, Altria. We both know that."

"You know that, for yourself."

Her proclamation left him silent, and he turned away, golden dust starting to fly off of him as he spoke.

"True… I know that I still have a part to play. Technically, there is no guarantee that she will summon us again."

"I'm not leaving."

"...I'm not asking you too. You're a resourceful shit, you know that? I fully expect you to be the one welcoming me, next time we meet." he said softly as half of him had already faded away.

She remained silent, and he chuckled.

"I didn't just give you my prana so you'd see her to bed… I know your plan. So go on then, prove to me that you've got what it takes to see this loop to its end. To protect her."

"I'll see you on the other side, Cú Chulainn."

He turned towards her with a smile on his face. The last thing she saw before he completely faded away. Altria hefted her Master, her friend, into a bridal carry, walking towards the girl's room.

The clock had struck midnight, and he had given her minutes extra.

She was going to turn those few minutes into eternity.

As she entered Ritsuka's room, and then laid her on the bed, she saw Fou, the little critter sleeping as she grasped her master's hand, the one holding the command seals she regained every deployment.

"Take heed Master… your will creates my body… my sword creates your destiny." Altria started to incant as she held her friend's hand. Her plan was simple, but effective.

She was to transfer her contract from Chaldea, to Ritsuka. Ritsuka had always been her Master, but Chaldea provided her prana. Now… she was making that bond more formal.

Her only method of survival. "I heed the grail's call, I obey your will and reason… I will answer you." she could feel the back of her hand heat up, and a smile, hidden from all, crossed her face. "I share my destiny with you. Forever. In the name of Saber… you are my Master, and I… your Servant."

A title she would share with no one else. There was only one person deserving of that title to her.

A girl, who while not strong in body, was beyond strong in will. A girl who's words could give life to stone. Who's smile lit up the night. The girl that any Servant would want as their Master.

That was Ritsuka Fujimaru. Humanity's final… and Greatest Master. She actually thought of a quote, that Cú had stated once… but she changed it a little as she let go of Ritsuka's hand.

"You are mankind's last hero… and its final hope Master… though this tale may end before we reach that lofty goal… again and again we will fight across eternity. One day, we will save the world. And on that day, I will be right at your side."

To think that she, the Tyrant King of Knights, had found someone she could care for.

Someone who accepted her for who she was. She was no copy, nor some dark parody.

To Ritsuka, and even to Cú Chulainn, in fact to many here in Chaldea, she was it's sword to go alongside its brave shield.

Perhaps one day she'd grab Bedivere and Mash and form a new round table. Her alternate didn't deserve the Girl at hers, she could keep Galahad, the arse.

"Sleep well Master…" Altria said softly as she took a deep breath, before fading into blue dust, into the Spirit Form she never used.

She was her Master's Secret Sword for right now.

---

She had been in spirit form for five days straight. And she'd remained in this room for just that long.

Today was December 31st, 2019, the last day of the year. To be specific.

"It's 4:30 PM… that gives us less than eight hours until the year ends." Mash relayed to Ritsuka, and the rest of the staff who'd been trapped in this room.

"Yeah…" Ritsuka muttered as she looked towards the door.

Altria had to bite her non-existant tongue as a very dead man entered the room.

Kirei Kotomine, with that smug ass grin on his face…

The man didn't look any older than Cú had described him.

This man she knew from Ritsuka, was a Pseudo-Servant. Rasputin. But in her body, she knew and felt it.

This was Kirei Kotomine, one hundred percent. And man only her alternate had ever met.

"Hello there Ritsuka. Mr. Meuniere. Ms. Demi-Servant. I hope you don't mind my stopping by. I just wanted to chat with you again, one last time."

"Father… Kotomine?" Mash asked as Ritsuka remained silent.

"My name is of no great consequence. 'Father' will be more than sufficient." Kotomine provided, maintaining the image of civility. The 'Father' smiled. "Very soon, your four day house arrest will come to an end. The investigation will continue until tomorrow, but you have been cleared of suspicion."

He smirked. "It seems the Mages Association wishes to have you arrested Fujimaru, but we at the Holy Church feel otherwise. We see the battles you have fought and the contributions you have made, and recognize them for what they're worth." He went from smirking… to smiling.

Altria thought it was unsettling to see the closest thing to a genuine smile from this man. "My superior, Pontifex Noi, commended your accomplishments personally. He also told me to keep you safe from the Mages Association's concealment system, saying it was the least we could do for those to whom we owe our lives."

A young blonde, Meuniere. Started to stutter in joy. "R-really!? Does that mean we're fully acquitted?"

The smirk returned to the priest's face. "It does. I talked to Musik and he agreed to release Chaldea's entire former staff from their confinement in just a few more hours."

"What about Da Vinci?" Ritsuka asked carefully, and Altria remained silent still. The Caster was indeed still out there. She was a useful ally, if a bit on the silly side at times. But much could be said of any ally they'd made.

"That's right, the investigators called her in last night, and she still hasn't returned. Where is she?" Mash questioned the priest.

"Leonardo. She is a Servant, so we can't afford to release her. We will unsummon her once she finishes helping us with our current task." he recited, before chuckling. "This world is meant for the living, It has no place for the lingering dead, like Heroic Spirits."

She wanted to just appear and deck the man right then and there. She was alive dammit! And so had all the others been! They weren't tools to be discarded and thrown away.

...Perhaps being around Ritsuka and Chaldea's atmosphere had poisoned her mind. Or maybe it was just her innate desire to survive that made her think that way… but she listened as the priest continued. "Even the saints are no exception. The remnants of days past have no place in today's world, no matter what they may be."

In Ritsuka's mind… she probably should have paid more attention to his words the first time around. Then again, with the benefit of hindsight and literal future knowledge, made what he said here make more sense when put into context.

In her mind, just another mystery to the man known as Kirei Kotomine and his actions throughout the Lostbelts. Disciple of the Foreign God, enemy of humanity… killer of Da Vinci.

"So you don't think Servants are valuable? Are you telling us that only the Holy Church is on humanity's side, and that Mystics must be opposed in all their forms, no matter what?" Mash questioned… almost as if suspicious. Or perhaps she was worried. Mash herself was a Mystical existence, the Demi-Servant. Her closest friends, and even family in the case of Romani and Da Vinci, were Servants.

"Not at all. Servants are useful tools. What I hate is the very concept of Heroic Spirits itself." oh he was looking serious now. Those words had struck a chord with him. Good on Mash.

"You hate Heroic Spirits?" Ritsuka asked… and Altria huffed in her head. Stupid priest.

"Quite. But that is my own opinion, I do have my reasons after all. Quite personal, I assure you."

The fact that most people in that room knew exactly what said reasons probably were went unsaid.

Even in this timeline, or at least, according to her memories from Singularity F, Kirei Kotomine had been a Master in the 2004 Holy Grail war. She didn't have many details of him, but she knew that at one point, he had been Assassin's Master.

"So what's Da Vinci working on?" Ritsuka ventured to ask, despite knowing the answer, hoping that the man would be a little more talkative than last time.

He was actually less, but more to the point. "She is working on completing the process of unthawing Team A. It began a little bit ago. With the coffins repaired, they were scheduled to be unthawed at four pm today, so we'll be hearing word of their success shortly. Leonardo will be dismissed afterward, but she will be granted a final supper for her efforts."

"And then what?" Ritsuka questioned, and he closed his eyes.

"Following tonight's dinner, I will be escorting you to my helicopter, and from there, to your family. I am, after all, charged with your safety." he said softly.

Altria didn't trust that.

And neither did Mash, or Ritsuka, the later didn't surprise her, the former did though, she could see it on her face. "That's for me to decide, not you." Ritsuka said with a soft glare.

The smirk returned to his face. "Of course. If that's your decision I will respect your wishes. Indeed, part of me expected you would say as much."

Before anyone could retort, the P.A system came online.

"Operation Complete. Coffin thawing: Successful. The coffins will be released in three minutes." The automatic voice of the P.A system alerted everyone. Then someone else's voice took over the intercom. "Father Kotomine, please report to the command room. We are about to begin the resuscitation process."

Altria recognized that voice… that was a Servant who'd spoken over the intercom, it was just barely noticeable and only because she knew of his tricks of altering his voice to match his disguises.

Holmes.

Mash didn't catch it, and she doubted Ritsuka actually knew that someone familiar had spoken. "So the thawing was successful… Da Vinci did it! I knew she could." Mash cheered as Kotomine frowned for a brief moment, then went neutral again.

"Indeed, she is quite gifted. Wish that I could overlook her secrets out of respect for her capabilities, but alas… At any rate, this brings us to an end, doesn't it, Ritsuka Fujimaru?" Kotomine said, ending with a smirk. "I admire your hard work, your restraint and your patience. More's the pity…" he started again.

"...What do you mean?" Ritsuka bristled, and Altria got ready to form at a moment's notice. If he was going to attack…

Then he glared, with eyes wide and a grin on his face. "Oh come now, you really don't know? All of the miracles you have performed are about to be destroyed at the hands of the very paragon of mediocrity."

Ritsuka knew just who, and what, he meant.

Kadoc.

The alarms started to blare.

---

At the front gates of Chaldea, an army of faceless men marched. Heading towards their goal. At their head, a tall man with two swords, one red, and one yellow. Near the center, a woman with hair as white as snow, as imposing as a winter storm.

The destruction of Chaldea was upon them.

---

"What's going on!?" Mash cried out as Fou scampered around in a panic. "What were those gunshots? Who's shooting inside Chaldea?"

"Hmm… it has begun. Well Ritsuka, much as I hate to say goodbye, this is where we part ways." He turned and walked away, before opening the door. "Those hunters react to anything that moves, so perhaps you all should stay in here for a little while." he then closed it.

Meuniere was quick to try the door anyway. "It's locked!? What gives! He was supposed to let us go! What the hell's going on here!? Hey guard! Who's shooting the place up!?" he shouted through the door.

"Shut up! I don't have time to deal with you!" the guard shouted before speaking loudly into his radio. "This is Three of Clubs! Roger request for backup! En route to the Spade Brigade now! Hang in there till I arrive. If any Chaldea staff try to stop you! Shoot them!" he ran off.

"...That's a bit excessive." Ritsuka muttered under her breath as Meuniere turned to Ritsuka and Mash.

"He ran off without unlocking the door! What do we do now Ritsuka!?" he cried to her, turning towards the other real authority figure in a crisis they had.

"We have to find a way out of here…" Ritsuka muttered.

"Speak no more Master."

Everyone in the room turned in surprise as Altria finally dropped her spirit form. Clad in armor black and visor on, she appeared slowly, fading in from blue sparks.

"Altria!?" Mash cried out in surprise.

"What are you doing here!? Weren't you-"

"I never faded away Ritsuka. Do you not recall our contract? I am your Servant… not Chaldea's." she said, leaving out the fact she had changed said contract a few days prior. "I had been waiting for the right moment to reveal myself. And with that man gone.'' She raised Excalibur. "Now is the time."

Just as she said that, there was a bang at the door, and attention went from the Saber, to that. "Crap! The door's been dented inwards! What the hell!?" Meuniere started panicking.

"There are several entities in the hallway… their magical energy density is…" Mash started as Ritsuka grit her teeth. So much for sticking to any script.

"They're like Servants… Altria, we'll talk about this later. Door, now!"

"Understood," Altria got in front of the trio as Mash turned to Ritsuka.

"Senpai, let me fight too!" she demanded, as the door was suddenly bashed rapidly by many attacks.

"Go for it!" Ritsuka commanded, using a command seal to give Mash power, and Mash transformed as Altria charged the door. Mash… however, started panting, barely able to stand despite her new form as the first Oprichnik entered, intent on murder.

It only got a single step forward before being cut in twain, but it was not alone. Two more entered, one already raising its crossbow at Ritsuka, the other charging Altria to engage her, and kill her.

The bolt was fired, and with all her strength, Mash leapt in front of Ritsuka, blocking the bolt… and nearly collapsing in doing so as Altria decided to cut loose. The hammer of the vile king encased her sword, and she cleaved clean through the one that dared to face her, before holding out her hand to the second and firing a beam of black energy straight through its skull.

Another two entered, and Altria was on one in an instant, grabbing it by the head and dragging it out of the room before smashing it into the opposing wall, the creature turning to dust from the impact that had crushed its skull. Inside the room, Mash spun her shield around, blocking the swing of an axe before kicking that one out, sending it skidding out the threshold to the hallway. Altria answered that by stabbing it through the back with her sword, the thing falling slack before fading to dust.

But the moment she looked inside, Mash nearly collapse, her powers from Galahad fading as Ritsuka caught her. "Mash!"

"I… I did it Senpai…" Mash muttered, sweat dripping down her face as Meuniere joined in the panic.

"Mash what were you thinking! Altria had it covered!" he retorted, he looked her up and down. "That was barely anything… when I watched you doing the Grand Order, even before London, you had so much more strength. This!? This was barely a fraction of that."

Altria internally admitted, the man had a point. She was fairly sure that Ritsuka, with a bit of help and probably wielding a black key, could have taken at least one or two of these creatures with far more ease. Mash… was barely capable of fighting.

And she knew why.

"Galahad!" She demanded, Ritsuka and Mash looking to her as she started down Mash. "As your King, I DEMAND you allow Mash the use of your abilities. Now is not the time to be difficult!"

...Several seconds passed with no response, and that ticked her off. What was that stupid, airheaded, foolish knight thinking!? Was he trying to get them killed!?

"He… he's not answering…" Mash supplied and Altria grit her teeth, spinning on her heel. They didn't have time for someone who was going to be nothing but trouble.

She had turned just in time as well. More marched down the hallway and directly for the now open threshold. She raised her sword again as Mash broke away from Ritsuka, transforming again… and nearly falling over. "Why… is it so heavy… even…" she started panting.

Was that stupid knight actively stopping her from fighting!?

"Once we pushed them away… start running the other way… Find Da Vinci." Mash said, forcing herself to stand as Ritsuka got beside her.

"No way. We're going nowhere without you." Ritsuka retorted.

"But…!" Mash started, before another voice joined them.

"Why not take your Master up on her offer Miss Kyrielight? I do admit, it is a surprise that the Black Knight is here… but I digress, it is the first time in a year you've stood side by side as comrades."

A figure darted out from behind the squad of Oprichnik. He stabbed one through the chest with his cane before spin kicking another into the wall. The remaining three hunters turned on him. Holmes grinning as he leapt back towards them, and his array of magnifying glasses flew out from under his coat, sending a torrent of light down the hallway, burning the three hunters to ash as he landed beside the group of four.

"Holmes!" everyone, except Altria replied, glad at the man's appearance as he chuckled.

"I hope I didn't keep you all waiting to long. My apologies, but like our friend the Black Knight, I had to bide my time as well. But this is, how they say in modern parlance, how we great detectives roll." he said, holding up his pipe and nodding towards Altria. She nodded back, any help at this juncture was appreciated.

He filled the group in more on the current situation. He instructed them to find a shipping container in the underground hanger. They had four other staff members already going there thanks to Holmes' intervention.

But neither Ritsuka or Mash were leaving Da Vinci behind. Ritsuka more determined than ever not to lose her again. Meuniere was sent down to the hanger, and Holmes took off to rescue more staff members where he could. Altria was going with Ritsuka and Mash to go save Da Vinci.

At least… that had been the plan… before she sensed something amiss.

"Master," Altria started, as both Ritsuka and Mash were climbing the stairs. "Something is coming… something dangerous. I trust you can make it to Da Vinci, yes?" she started, before turning around.

"What is it Altria?" Ritsuka asked before she looked her her, eyes covered by her visor.

"...A Servant. Now go." she ordered, rushing back down the hallway, sword raised.

Her instincts were right, as a man flew down the hallway at her after only twenty seconds of running towards him. She blocked with Excalibur, the man bouncing off her blade and landing in front of her, swords raised.

"...We weren't expecting any other Servants… and least of all I was expecting you, Black King of Knights." the man responded.

"Knight of Fianna. What an unpleasant surprise." Altria lowered her sword into a swinging position, ready to strike or guard at a moment's notice.

"The same. But I suppose it should be expected. My master did summon me, after all, specifically to deal with you or that Caster. He was actually expecting the latter… a pity. I had hoped to duel the Child of Light myself." he said, placing one sword on his shoulder and pointing the other at her.

"I would say I'm sorry to disappoint, but that would make me a liar, now then." she raised her sword, ready to aim for his throat. "I'm afraid your Master is going to have to live with the fact that he summoned an inadequate Servant to face me."

"Really now? I expect to be returning to him with your head." Diarmuid added as Altria scoffed again.

"No. I will be returning to mine… with yours…"

That ended their conversion. Diarmuid sparking green before leaping down the hallway at her. She actually was surprised at this sheer speed. She wreathed her sword in darkness, drawing on her Master's limited mana supply to 'increase' the length of her blade, his red and yellow blades smashing against her enhanced sword as she pushed him off herself… and rocketed towards him.

She swung, and he parried, the hallway becoming more and more damaged with each clash of their swords. She didn't let her frustration show on her face as they both kicked at the same time, their legs clashing mid air and causing the hallway beneath them to crater.

He then kicked up his other leg, wrapping them both around her own exposed leg. With a small gasp, he spun, lifting her into the air before smashing her into through a wall and into another room. She crashed through several boxes… Craft Essences going flying as she grit her teeth and pulled herself up. He certainly was stronger than expected…

"Is this all, Black Knight?" Diarmuid stepped through the hole he'd made in the wall. "My Master has a much greater supply of prana than yours. You're weak… a shame, I thought I was facing a challenge."

She looked down, before smirking. "Perhaps, but I have one advantage you don't."

"And what's that?"

She didn't respond, instead kicking a box of Black keys into the air, sending them all spinning into a nice neat line of swords. She slashed their hilts, smashing them but sending the blades rocketing forward, covered in darkness. Diarmuid similarly slashed with his yellow blade, cutting the keys out of the air, but it gave her a moment to grab a long red shroud from another box. A holy shroud of Magdalene. She wrapped it around her arm quickly before he rocketed at her. She flipped, grabbing a gun off the ground as Diarmuid spun, and his eyes went wide as she smirked.

She fired the loaded Contender, and he ducked to avoid the Origin Round, which impacted the wall behind him and turned to powder as she rushed forward, throwing the empty gun at his head. He tilted out of the way, but was forced to bend down, as if limboing, as she smashed Excalibur down with an overhead strike. The ground cratered beneath them again before he kicked upward. She spun out of the way to avoid being knocked into the air, landing near red card, depicting a young girl in a red sweater.

She smashed the card, an array of ones and zeroes flowing around her as the Code Cast took hold, Diarmuid launching himself towards her with a look of concern on his face as she swung her sword to meet him.

This time they collided, and objects went everywhere from the shockwave, but she held firm, even as he was pouring more prana into his assault as she looked behind him at a puddle of liquid metal. She raised her free hand, Diarmuid seething and leaping back as she blasted him in the exposed stomach with a beam of darkness, not that it did much, but it was distracting. Enough of a distraction for her to reach the large puddle of liquid mercury.

She flared her Prana as she landed in the center of it, red lines of her mana entering the mystic code as it to, flared to life, Diarmuid suddenly having to dodge out of the way of extremely rapid striking tentacles of mercury as she commanded the Volumen Hydrargyrum to follow her.

"I'll take it back!" Diarmuid said, a wild and fantastic smile on his face. "You are quite a resourceful Black Knight!" he ducked at she swung over his head, he moved to stab her, but the liquid mercury caught his blades, if only for a moment before he easily pulled them out, but she followed up by slashing him across the chest, or rather, attempting to as he left back towards the threshold of the room. She grabbed another Contender as she rushed out after him, both of them intent on killing the other…

Or that had been, until the ice started to form. Crawling up the hallway… Diarmuid suddenly chuckled. "It seems our battle ends here, Black Knight. Enjoy being frozen for eternity." He leapt backward as she grit her teeth. She needed to reach the hanger now, as the enemy saber was running towards that same location, or at least the general direction.

So she went for the most direct route, as always.

She leapt upward, reaching the ceiling, before aiming downward with her sword, darkness enveloped the black as she strapped the one Contender to her side in a hurry. She grit her teeth before activating her Mana Burst.

She kicked off the ceiling, and smashed downward, directly into the Hanger, landing of top of a large shipping container with a massive thunk.

"Altria!" She looked down as Ritsuka waved, her, Mash, Da Vinci and that fool Goldorf running for the shipping container's door. "Get inside!"

She obliged, leaping down, and scaring the crap out of Meuniere before pushing the man into the shipping container. Sliding in herself to get ready for whatever was coming, as ice crawled up the container.

"The enemy Servant is closing in! I'll fight her off Master!" Mash declared, trying to spin around on her heel, only for Da Vinci to push her forward.

"No need for that! They'll never catch up to use at this pace! One more step, and Victory is ours! I'll bring up the-

Altria's head shot up as she ran for the door, at the very sudden appearance of another Servant…

Kirei Kotomine.

"Indeed, you were just one step short."

By the time she made the door, she, Mash, Ritsuka, and Goldorf were left staring in shock. "No!" she heard Ritsuka cry… her failure coming back…

Da Vinci was standing behind them, a hand straight through her heart and out the other side of her body.

"I'm sorry, old habit of mine." Kotomine chuckled. "You left your heart open, and that seemed the fastest way to end you."

Da Vinci, in pain… saw Ritsuka, already trying to come reach her… before speaking. "Altria… Grab her…"

She was already dead, or at least a dead woman walking.

Altria did not want to leave her, but she obliged, grabbing Ritsuka by the shoulder, and physically holding her Master back from charging forward into danger. "Servant or not, you can't survive once your spirit origin core has been shattered." Kotomine commented, almost as an afterthought. "Farewell Leonardo Da Vinci, with you gone, Chaldea's head is well and truly crushed."

"DA VINCHI! NOT AGAIN!" Altria had to wrap both arms around her red headed Master, pure fear, and adrenaline trying to pull her towards her friend that she didn't want to lose… not again… not like this… Tears were flying, turning to ice as they flew from her Master's face.

Da Vinci, grunted, forcing herself back to pin Kotomine down. The priest sounding impressed as he spoke. "You've got guts Leonardo, instead of pulling away, you're pinning me down?"

It was then, Da Vinci threw the suitcase she had been carrying, and almost on instinct, Ritsuka, still crying, caught it, and hugged it close. Altria could feel why she would.

After all, it held everyone inside. Close friends and dear allies, all waiting to be called back again. "Now go! Hurry, and don't let them ever get their hands on it!" she ordered as Mash tried to push past Altria to get out.

"No! No! No! We can't go without you!" Mash tried screaming… her body, her fists against Altria's armor felt so weak… she'd been straining herself far too hard.

"Yes you can! I wouldn't have helped you save him if you two weren't the sort of people you are." Da Vinci, still pinning Kotomine down, winked. "Goodbyes always have that way of surprising you. Even for people like me."

She smiled. "This time… I'm going for real. Not going to get lucky like we did in the holy land, are we?" and then the genius looked to Altria. "Take care of them for me… and all of you, take care of what's in that case. Not just because it will be useful… but because its proof of the journey we all shared together. That it really happened." and she smiled even brighter. "Its our pride and joy, not just for me, but for everyone who put their heart and soul into it. Our friends."

Kotomine, having enough of this, tried to pull his hand out. Only for Da Vinci to use her now free hand to grasp his, holding it right there, still poking out of her chest. "Oh no you don't. You might have just killed a genius, but don't think you'll be getting off that easily." She looked to Ritsuka once more. "Go… Ritsuka. Hurry now. The Chaldea you knew is gone now… but as long as you and Mash are alive, this isn't over. I'm positive, in the future there will be a new Chaldea." She winked.

Altria knew that such a genius would have overheard them at some point… and she'd never called them on it before. But now, with her death?

Ritsuka was still crying… so it fell to her to give the Caster her final words.

"Ci vediamo, Uomo Universale."

Da Vinci just smiled one final time at her imperfect farewell, just as the ice crawled up her legs. If her fate hadn't been sealed before, it was now. "Farewell Altria… Ritsuka, I know its a lot to ask, but don't give up. Just do your best. That's all I can ask of you."

Altria dragged both her crying Master, and the Demi-servant, in Ritsuka's case literally kicking and screaming, into the container, and shut the door behind them… the moment it had closed she heard Da Vinci finally dissipate.

"Altria Pendragon, Ritsuka Fujimaru, Mash Kyrielight, Goldorf Musik… that's the last four! We're all in here now!" Sylvia, one of the other staff members shouted, as Fou cried out in probable indignation.

"Four? Don't you mean five? Where is Ms. Da Vinci?" Holmes asked, confused, apparently having been too busy messing with all those darn buttons to notice what had happened.

Mash tried to choke out what had happen, but it was Goldorf that spit it out. "She's gone! That Servant was killed in the line of duty! She went out in a blaze of glory! Both of you, shut off the waterworks!" he shouted, directing that last bit towards Ritsuka and Mash, the former sitting on the ground where Altria had dropped her, clutching the suitcase full of saint graphs tightly, the latter leaning against a wall, still trying to get a hold of herself. From what had just happened.

"...I see." Holmes turned away. "In that case all we must do now is survive."

"W-well sure, but how exactly do we go about doing that Holmes!?" Meuniere asked in a panic. "This shelter is only going to last so long! The temperature outside is dropping fast, it's nearly subarctic now!"

Holmes looked to the side. "We go about it like this, naturally. See those pipes on the wall? Hold on tight, and keep your mouths closed. It's about to get rather… bumpy in here." he said as he grabbed one himself.

Altria grabbed Ritsuka, he socked her in the mouth as lightly as she could. "Get a hold of yourself! We need to do this!" she leaned in "We'll get another chance, now hang on." she ordered.

Ritsuka, finally, ceased her crying, grabbing a pipe with one hand, and holding the suitcase tightly in the other as Holmes hit the release, the container lurching forward with a lurch.

"You're telling me we're escaping in this container!?" Slyvia questioned as Holmes huffed, holding up his pipe as they began to slide.

"But of course, that was the entire purpose in making it after all." Holmes admitted, and took a hit of his pipe, before breathing out some smoke. "We've already prepared it for changes into atmospheric pressure, so don't worry about that."

"Least of our concerns detective." Altria snapped at him.

"Ah, just sit back and enjoy the six kilometer sled ride!" The responded with a smile.

---

Back in the hanger, Kotomine frowned.

"Confirming their Caster's Spirit Origin is gone. This just about completes our operation…" but he winced. "But… I didn't expect them to have another Servant up their sleeve, let alone two. You really can't trust everything you read in reports can you?" He looked towards his compatriots.

Diarmuid, who had just arrived from the long way around the frozen hallways. And Koyanskya.

"I had been intending to catch anyone in the hallways… I hadn't expected the Black King of Knights to still be around. Especially since she was reported to have been unsummoned. One of the last to be sure, but she wasn't registered to Chaldea anymore. Da Vinci was the only one."

"Oh?" Kotomine asked as the Saber frowned.

"She is directly contracted to that Master of theirs, I'm sure of it. The only question is how did that occur. Or when. But I suppose it doesn't matter now." he admitted as Anastasia was slowly bringing up the rear.

"Hmm… You're the one who planned this operation Koyanskya, what do you think?" Kotomine turned to the pinkette, asking for her opinion.

"Hey, this isn't my fault. I said all along that I suspected they weren't telling us everything." Both of them nodded, that was why they'd had their ally summon a second Servant, Diarmuid, after all, to act as backup. Evidently, it had not been enough. Koyanskya did raise an eyebrow. "Although I don't think any of us expected them to go slid down the mountain in a shipping container." She closed her eyes then, sighing. "That must be how they threw away their trash, right? The trip must have reduced those humans to just red smears on the container walls, right?"

"Please, this was obviously their plan from the start, and they managed to keep those two extra Servants secret. They must have something else up their sleeve." Kotomine said calmly.

"Indeed madam Koyanskya, perhaps they even knew about me. That Black Knight had been ready to intercept me, surprisingly enough… though I suppose that might have been me using my Mana Burst to leap around the complex before it froze over." Diarmuid admitted as Kotomine took a count.

"The Master Ritsuka, The Demi-Servant Mash, Goldorf…" he frowned at that, as if confused, but he continued. "And the eight surviving staff members. Add the two servants, and Chaldea has thirteen people in their ranks. But only eleven such precious human lives… can I trust you to take care of them, Koyanskya?" He smirked at that, as Koyanskya pulled out her rifle.

"You can," she walked forward to the hanger door, and taking aim. "This is a bit beyond the scope of my job here, but I'm willing to make an exception. I have my pride, after all." And she smirked as she got her sights directly on the container. "Besides… we need to make sure those humans are completely wiped out, don't we?" she said with a smile as she pulled down on the trigger.

---

The explosion rocked the container, and everyone but the Servants screamed as the container began spinning.

"Dear god we're spinning! The container's spinning around on its side!?" Meuniere screamed.

"What the hell hit us!?" Sylvia shouted, hanging on for dear life as Fou flew through the air… and Slyvia was hit in the face with said little white creature.

"Did we just get sniped!? Where could they have shot us from!?" Goldorf shouted as metal began to creak. "Oh god! The container's falling apart! If we get thrown out at this speed!" Everyone watched as the man went purple in panic.

"Holmes!" The shock had finally shook Ritsuka out of her stupor. Eyes practically alight with anger. Sadness could wait for now, but they had a job to do.

To see this through to the end, to save this timeline, this universe.

Holmes said nothing… but someone else did.

"Don't worry! It only looks like a container from the outside! We WILL survive this! I planned for exactly this situation! I haven't spend the last six months modifying this thing for nothing!"

An engine roared, and wheels began to spin. Lights flared on as the container burst open, revealing Chaldea's secret weapon.

The Shadow Border roared to life once more. Ritsuka had gone from crying, to angry… to grinning in excitement as the rest of the staff, and Mash took in their surroundings now. And as the new, little Da Vinci looked up at them all.

"Hello and good morning, fellow Chaldeans! I suppose it's nice to meet all of you! I'm Leonardo Da Vinci, but since we're all friends here, call me Da Vinci." She said with a smile that beamed like the sun.

"...It's good to see you again." Ritsuka offered as Da Vinci grinned.

"Yep, and I've got a new look! I'm a genius after all! Can't expect me to keep the same style forever now can you?" she said in response before Holmes piped up.

"Allow me to explain. This here is a spare body Ms. Da Vinci created for herself in case of emergency. It was a relatively low cost solution, though unfortunately it has a commensurately low output. However, she is able to behave as though she is simply picking up where the former Da Vinci left off… even if she is a low ranking Servant that only just awakened." Holmes relayed.

And Altria looked down at this tiny Da Vinci, glad her visor was still hiding her eyes as Da Vinci proceeded to browbeat Holmes over his bad driving before turning to Mash, Ritsuka and Altria. "Right, this may be the 'second' time we're meeting, but I already know all about you. By the way, Caster needs to learn to shut his big fat mouth."

"I'm going to stab him." Altria muttered as Da Vinci grinned, and Goldorf blinked.

"What is she on about?" he questioned

"Oh nothing you need to worry about, right Holmes?" Da Vinci chuckled.

"Of course… We can speak of it later, no?" Holmes retorted to her.

"...I'm really, really going to stab him." Altria muttered, and Ritsuka sighed.

"Please don't."

"Now, I've got all the other me's memories, and I've been looking forward to the day I could help you two out, Mash, Ritsuka, as well as meet you in person. Now I might not be as capable a Renaissance Woman as the old me, but you can count on me from now on!" Da Vinci said with a smile and the laugh of an angel.

"Anyway, enough introductions for the moment. Back to the controls with you. You're needed to make this All Terrain Void Transport run at full capacity." Holmes pointed out, and Da Vinci nodded, returning to her little pod to get back in control of the Shadow Border, but not before a final word.

"We'll talk later, once things settle down. Have a good night Mash, a good night Ritsuka… a good night Altria."

"Good night I suppose." Altria said dimly.

The Border then leaped, and Holmes and Goldorf struck up a small conversation about racing, the latter bragging a bit about his title as 'The Phoenix'. Ritsuka, remembering last time, recalled not believing him.

That had been before Goldorf really did prove he was an absolutely amazing driver and a great man, many times over. One did not simply outdrift an apocalypse while also being fired upon by a near omni-potent god. Nor did they also negotiate with a murderous divine spirit with nothing more than a fluffy Croissant. He was rough around the edges… but Goldorf truly was a man worthy of the title of 'Director'.

Just not yet.

And as they journeyed through Antarctica, as things played in familiar fashion to the memories burning into her mind… they watched the roots of fantasy descend…

"Are those meteoroids!? But we didn't get any report from Panama!" Meuniere shouted again as Ritsuka was holding Mash's hands, her poor, poor best friend crying for Chaldea's loss. And the memories within. "If there were meteoroids too big to burn up in the atmosphere heading this way, we would've heard! And those trajectories, they're falling straight down!"

Holmes took a hit of his pipe, breathing out a bit of smoke as he stared out the window. "An occurrence that defies human understanding, hm?" he asked, raising an eyebrow to none as he continued. "That tells us that cannot be meteoroids. I believe we can rule out debris as well." He gripped his pipe tight. "Which means this can only be something once relegated to fiction. For example…"

"An invasion from the stars," Altria amended as she looked out the window as well, the holy shroud still wrapped around her arm as she held her hand to the Thompson Contender, loaded with a single bullet. She'd had to leave Volumen behind, the Mystic code having frozen solid when the ice had taken over.

"Y-you're joking right? How can you two say that with a straight face? Goldorf said, going purple out of panic again. "I-I mean, that would just be absurd, right?"

"You've read the reports right?" Ritsuka brought up and Goldorf nodded slowly. "Then you know that's not true by our standards."

He paled as Holmes amended her statement. "Indeed, in my time working with Chaldea, I've learned that anything can happen when it comes to our mission. As fantastical as it is."

As he said that, the radio blared to life. A message for all of humanity to hear coming through.

"We have a message for all of humanity. This planet will soon be reborn as an old-brand new world. Human Civilization was a mistake. The path of our growth was incorrect. And so I have made my decision. I will revolt against all of human history." the voice amended that statement quickly. "Proper Human History. We are about to fill with inhuman Mystic secrets. We will restore the Age of Gods. To that end, the gods have descended from a far off galaxy, and in their wisdom they have used seven seeds to select new leaders. These leaders will remake this planet as they see fit. And the one who reigns supreme shall be given the right to renew the world itself."

Everyone listened, some in shock, others in disgust. To Ritsuka, she closed her eyes.

Kirschtaria… he sounded so cold.

"The life-forms from Proper Human History will not be permitted to take part in this war, or even view it from the sidelines. The roots of Cosmic Fantasy have descended upon us. Trees of Creation have sprung up all across the land."

The shadow border drove onward as Altria listened closely as well.

"Now, all of the old Humanity's endeavors shall be set aside, frozen. Thus shall you atone for your sins. Twenty Nineteen. The year that Proper Human History came to an end."

"My name is Wodime. Kirschtaria Wodime."

"On behalf of the Seven Crypters. I have a message for those of you who escaped from Chaldea. No… rather I have a message for the Master of Chaldea."

"We will be the inheritors of the Future. And of this world's history."

For the briefest moment, over that radio transmission, two words came over that only one person could hear.

"Good Luck."

And then it cut.

Ritsuka was quiet as she processed those two words, but no one else seemed to have heard those two words. And everyone else was caught up in the revelation of Kirschtaria apparently doing this.

Ritsuka was fairly numb as they began their newest journey. A tale of fantasy, of worlds woven from 'bad ends'. But the moment they began their dive into the void imaginary… she processed, and started to smile once more. The thrill over taking her fears, her sadness, her rage and her doubts.

It was time to save the world.

"Just another day at the office!"

Forbidden taboos were broken, and the journey truly began. This time… this time. She had hope.

She knew her journey was guaranteed, not to be a meaningless one. The goal was in sight. For the moment, it wasn't the annihilation of the Lostbelts, or returning Proper Human History.

It was making sure her world, and many other worlds, lived to see another day.

And so the next chapter opened.

The Cosmos in the Lostbelt.

Corruption

Adminspace

They were resourceful, he had to give them that.

Manu typed away at the terminal as, on screen, Chaldea's remnants entered Infinite Numbers Space. A highly unstable region in the code, and in-Loop. But not only had it been their only option, it was the Baseline one.

However, a few things had caught his eyes as the Lostbelts began.

The first was the presence of Diarmuid, or at least the Saber version. The in-Loop code had him pegged as the second Servant of Kadoc Zemlupus, which was… quite odd. From what he gathered, Baseline was the Master only had one Servant, Anastasia, so why did he have two?

That line of thinking had him checking the statuses of the other Crypters, which had revealed a fairly concerning thing, not in terms of loop stability, but just something… odd.

Some of them had two Servants, the exceptions being Ophelia Phamrsolone, who only had Sigurd/Surtur, Beryl Gut, who for some reason had a 'Terminal' header on his file (Already concerning in it of itself), and Myuorenji Arou, better know as Scandinavia Peperoncino, or just Pepe for short. He only had one Servant, and it was still his Baseline one. Beryl apparently didn't even have a Servant at all.

For one, this state of affairs was normal, Krischtaria Wodime, but for the others… it was an oddity. Darn glitches, why did some of them have two Servants? The Crypters weren't ones to screw around, and more than a few of them were out for Ritsuka's head, or would be in the future. If she died, and the loop crashed, that was it.

"So have you found out why this newest oddity is going on?" Loki questioned, pouring himself another cup of coffee from the fifth batch of it total that had been brought into the office. And Manu shook his head.

"I currently have theories but nothing concrete, for all we know, one of the many glitches just affected their number of Servants, but seeing as how that's a fairly stable thing in Baseline, I doubt that's the case entirely. It's obviously a glitch that caused this, but…"

"You are aware that a majority of these glitches have been coming from the expansion right? So perhaps the reason lies there?" Loki suggested, and Manu nodded. He'd look in a moment, but he had one more thing to deal with.

Krischtaria Wodime.

He'd figured out the man was currently Loop Aware the moment he'd pulled up the files to check the 'two Servants' things, but… as far as he could see, he hadn't deviated from the Baseline at all. Far from it actually.

He was sticking as close to it as possible. Down to the words he said, even as other Crypters said different things during their current meeting that he had pulled up on screen. About the only things he'd said different were two things in his address to Humanity. Calling out Chaldea's Master in particular, and a hidden 'Good Luck' directed at Ritsuka Fujimaru.

That had been a speck of good news, one of the few that had occurred as he sighed. There was a very… interesting glitch that had been going around the Lostbelts, as he'd discovered.

He pinched the bridge of his nose as he brought it up the data again, leaving Loki to stare and raise an eyebrow. "Manu… care to explain?"

"Data corruption I believe. I dug through some old loop files to figure out what was going on here. Apparently… well, way back when, during some fused Loops, there had been some data corruption. For example, this." He pulled up an image of France this loop, where a rather… an interesting thing had occurred, not that anyone had cared apparently. Heck, Ritsuka hadn't even batted an eyeball, actually no one had, not even the other Servants.

The image was of the Berserker Lancelot… piloting the Lancelot mech from the Code Geass loop. Loki just stared in… not really shock he suppposed. Bemusement perhaps.

"So I decided to do some digging into the Root, and figured out at least part of the problem. I don't have the full picture but it seems that traces of other Loops have been retained within the Akashic Records, specifically records of past Fused Loops with the Nasuverse." Manu started.

"And what about them?" Loki questioned as Manu sighed.

"It seems like Yggdrassil is not the only entity keeping a record of what's going on in the Nasuverse. There's a significant storage cache of data that's denying me access rights, so until we get someone with higher access privileges in to take a look I can't get everything, but it seems like the Nasuverse is… making Syncretic connections, for lack of a better explanation. Attempting to find parallels between details drawn from the stored information normally present in the Branch and the data left behind from previous Fused Loops."

"Connections such as the one that gave Lancelot a mech he shouldn't have, and which are now doing who knows what else." Loki mused in understanding as Manu pulled open a file.

"These are the files I was able to access most readily, probably because I had a bit of in-Loop help. Those Phantasy Trees, during Cosmos, they apparently dig into this big data source to do their work, so it's clearly something in-Loop. But they happened to also grab some… other things." Manu explained.

"Such as?" Loki questioned as Manu slid over to show him the screen.

"We have data from, Code Geass, obviously, Yu-Gi-Oh, Star Wars, and Final Fantasy, specifically the seventh universe, so on and so forth… all being pulled out of the Root, which I figured out due to this.." Manu said, as he pulled open several files.

Loki just groaned as he muttered a curse under his breath… He'd originally come here to just watch, and now he'd been sucked into this madness. "So you're telling me, several individuals and objects from the Lostbelts Era have had their code altered due to this data backup pulled from past Fused Loops?

"I have a theory. In-universe, 'The Root', the goal of all Magi, is stated to be the Akashic Records, and we know the other parts of the Nasuverse are all recorded there as well as alternate timelines… perhaps the Root is the cause of this data leak problem we're looking at." Manu offered. "This is just a theory right now, I don't have Hecate's access to the Root, so I can't do a deep dive here."

"I don't see how that relates at all to completely different people developing strange personality quirks, and abilities or items acting like objects from other Branches," Loki pointed out, and then Manu sighed.

"Well then allow me to point out that 'The Lostbelts', specifically the Phantasy Trees in them, are ripping out information from Gaia and using that to generate entire alternate histories. Imagine what happens when that grabs something that doesn't belong, but has just been sitting there the entire time." Manu continued, and Loki facepalmed.

"God I hate this loop." Loki muttered as Manu chuckled.

"I'm finding it quite interesting, all things considered," Manu said as Loki looked at him.

"So… what are the points of corruption again?" Loki muttered in complaint.

"There's some objects that have properties similar to items from said Branches. For example, in the Russian Lostbelt, the Fabergé Eggs have functions similar to Materia, complete with in-universe explanations for how they function and how they came to be. Long story short, they have pieces of meteorite inside, with said meteorite having mystical properties that allowed separate shards of it be used to perform 'magecraft' with. It's mostly similarities here, but… there is one very important point of corruption I'm worried about," Manu started before pulling up a picture of the third Lostbelt's King… before he'd turned himself into a giant super computer.

Loki was unamused. "Manu, that's Lelouch in a chinese getup."

"That is exactly the problem."

Loki processed this… then proceeded to look at his coffee, put it down, and went to go find alcohol. He was going to need it by the end of this.

As he went for the door, Odin came back in… carrying several bottles of Aesir wine. He handed one to Loki without a word, and went to join Manu at the terminal. Loki looked at the wine, and pulled out a shot glass, and began to pour.

Now he knew why Manu had asked Odin to go get the good stuff. And he had a bit of insight now on why Odin had probably come running the moment things had gone south at the beginning of this mess...

---

Anastasia: Saber vs Saber

It was not often that Altria felt she could indulge herself in battle, not with what was normally on the line in this world. This one loop, her first, was a battle for her very universe's survival.

On the other hand, she was armed to the teeth with mystic codes Ritsuka had summoned, and tasked with destroying Diarmuid before he could give Kadoc the upper hand.

So she'd decided to challenge him the only way she knew how. Having a bit of awareness of another version of the man gave her a pretty good idea, and having fought him in Chaldea, she thought this might work.

She'd issued him a formal challenge, specifically by grabbing Avicebron and having him send said message, for Diarmuid's ears only.

Now, there was a very high likely-hood this would have backfired. He could tell his master about the message. It could have never reached him at all. Actually finding the man was probably harder really. But she did have one advantage.

He wanted a fight. Their previous duel had ended with a completely undecided victor.

So here she sat in a frozen field, alone amid a blizzard, and awaiting the man she wanted to fight. She took stock of her weapons of choice.

The week in Void Space had given Ritsuka plenty of time to perform minor summons. Nothing capable of summoning another servant, but enough to summon some craft essences. And when they'd summoned Avicebron, he'd ended up bringing a large amount of craft essences with him. Some familiar, others not.

So here she was, wearing the Shroud of Magdalene as a cape, the red contracting her black armor as it waved in the wind. The Contender she'd brought along was strapped to her side by a makeshift belt, a full array of nine black keys, an Azoth Blade and two Fragarach orbs ready as well. But it was the newest object that had been summoned that had given her pause.

She tossed the single jewel up and down in the palm of her hand, before stowing it away. The thing had enough mana in it for an A-ranked attack. This hadn't been something the craft essence had shown.

No, she knew this, because she had seen one of these gems before. Wielded by a black haired girl who'd spent years pouring prana into them in preparation for a Grail War. Now, she had one of these jewels, ready to aid her in this upcoming battle.

She looked ahead, waiting… before something appeared amid the blizzard. A dark shape amid the ice and snow. As it got closer she realized that it was him. He was wearing something interesting…

Diarmuid was wearing a large white cape, something he hadn't been during their earlier duel. In fact he had a near entirely different outfit, of a much brighter blue mixed with a lot of white… but it was what he was carrying that interested him.

He was carrying a small chest with him.

"Saber," she started, Excalibur planted in the snow as she stared him down.

"Saber," he nodded, putting the chest down before kicking it open gently. "I see you've prepared for this duel far better than our last… good, I wouldn't want anything but your best."

"I'm surprised you came alone, Diarmuid da Duibhne. But I did ask for a duel. It seems you do retain a shred of honor," she said calmly, and he gave a huff, smirking.

"Oh please, a letter of challenge directly from the Black King of Knights? How could I refuse? I get to have the battle my other self never did." he said with a smile.

"You refer to the Grail War of nineteen ninety-four. I'm surprised you know of it, given you are not Lancer," She commented.

"As am I surprised you know of it. But I assume we both know of it for the same reasons, no?" he asked, pulling someone out of the chest, a jewel encrusted egg.

"If you are referring to the memories of our alternates, carried between summonings in this strange world. You would be correct," Altria assumed, and he nodded.

"As I thought. A shame, the other me died in such a pitiful manner, in the middle of his duel as well," Diarmuid reminisced as he popped the egg open slowly and carefully. "I see you brought more of those Mystic Codes. Such a novel idea I will admit. And it gave me one as well." he pulled something out of the egg… a small green orb.

"May I ask what that is, Diarmuid da Duibhne?" Altria questioned, and the knight of Fianna smiled.

"You may. But I give no guarantee of an answer," he retorted, and she huffed.

"Those would be the Fabergé Eggs of the Russian Royal family no?" She questioned, and he chuckled as he placed the green orb in the slot of a small bangle on his left arm.

"They would be, but they are a bit different from Proper Human History… care to know why?" he asked, pulling out another egg.

"As you are preparing for our duel, you may as well indulge me in such a history lesson," she responded as he cracked the next egg open, pulling out a purple orb and slotting it into the bangle.

"I'm not sure if you've learned yet, but this ice age… it was caused by a meteor impacting the planet four-hundred and fifty years ago. Did you know that there was something inside that meteorite? A power from beyond this planet?" he asked as he pulled out a third egg and popped it open, pulling out a red orb and placing it inside his bangle.

She gripped Excalibur upon healing that. From beyond the planet? Good. "I assume those 'things' would be the orbs you are currently handling."

"Yes. I decided to borrow them after our last encounter. Especially after receiving that letter. My Master has simply been giving me orders, and while I follow them, I long for something better than merely dealing with beasts and commanding soldiers. I hunger for a true battle," He grinned. "But I digress. Allow me to finish this little lesson before we begin. After the meteorite impacted, these little orbs flew all over the planet. Very few ended up here in Russia, and all four of them ended up in the Royal Family's hands. The Tsar decided it would be best to hide them away, in a place he considered safe… and what better place than within the treasures no one would ever think to steal?"

"We you stole them," Altria noticed and Diarmuid shrugged as he pulled out the last egg and popped it open, within was yet another green orb that he slotted into his bangle.

"I did say I was borrowing them, I have every intent on returning them after my victory," he said, closing the chest and leaping away for a moment, returning a few seconds later without the chest. At least he was thoughtful enough not to leave the chest and jewels in the blasting zone.

"And if you don't win?" Altria asked as she raised Excalibur and pulled it back, ready to go.

Diarmuid summoned his swords, holding one over his head, the other below his waist. "Not happening."

Silently, they stood there, waiting for their unseen signal for their duel to begin. Saber against Saber.

A duel their other selves had only dreamed of having.

And it began… with the crack of thunder.

They both launched forward, Diarmuid grinning as he swung with both swords, Altria flipping over his swings and slashing 'overhead' given she was upside down. He bent backward, before flipping, attempting to kick her as she passed him over. She spun as best she could, avoiding the kick and skidding through the snow as she landed before leaping back into the fray.

Diarmuid aimed his red blade, lightning gathering across it as one of the green orbs in his bangle glowed. A mere second later, a bolt of lightning shot from his sword, Altria getting blasted dead on and sent spinning through the snow. She grit her teeth. The attack had hurt, but it was clearly magical, and with the holy shroud she had been hurt even less… but that attack was still clearly quite dangerous, whatever it was. Diarmuid however was quick to follow up, leaping forward with the yellow blade out first. Altria leapt to her feet, pulling out one of her black keys and surrounding it in dark energy, tossing it towards him.

He didn't care, simply spinning around the thrown object mid air, but the lose in momentum mattered just enough, Altria bringing up Excalibur just as he rammed into her blade first. The force imparted pushed her back several dozen meters, but she was unharmed. Diarmuid landed and leapt forth again, smiling as he swung both blades downward.

Altria waited, and then shrouded her blade in darkness, bringing it up and blocking his crashing swings, the ground beneath her cratered down at least three feet, all the snow surrounding them being launched into the air as Altria took one hand off her sword, blasting Diarmuid point blank in his side.

Like before, it merely pushed him back, but it got him to back off slightly, a single mark on his side as the two of them began to circle each other. Two beasts waiting for the other to make their move first.

Diarmuid did, vanishing into thin air with blinding speed. But Altria spun around on instinct, swinging upward with her darkness shrouded blade, a plume of snow being flung skywards. Diarmuid was flung out of the snow, smirking as he landed before launching himself forward again. She swung her blade again, kicking up even more snow blasted with darkness. He sprang from it, ignoring her swing and going for her head with his twin blades, both of them held together, forming a blade of yellow flames as he swung downward.

She flashed red, bursting with Mana, enough to slow him just enough for her to raise her blade. Once more, holy sword met demonic blades, the resounding clash sending snow everywhere. The landscape around them, once blanketed in permafrost, now was bare, revealing the dirt and dust beneath it for the first time in hundreds of years.

They leapt away from each other again, before rushing outwards into the snow once more, Altria drawing several of her black keys, three between her fingers and shrouding them in dark energy once more. She turned on her heel and launched herself at Diarmuid, throwing them, one at a time at differentiating angles at the Saber.

He flipped over the first before shattering the second before he landed, the third being obliterated by a crack of lightning as he raised his red sword once more, shrouding his sword in Lightning as he smirked, before lightning struck from the sky.

She dodged the first bolt, and the second, but deciding to try something, she raised Excalibur to the sky, just as the third bolt came down. It struck the tip of her sword, an electrical charge entering the blade as she swung downward, firing a beam of darkness towards the Saber. With a look of surprise, he raised both his blades to block her attack red in front of yellow.

'Gottcha.' She whipped up the Contender as he was still blocking her attack, cutting it off, but firing a bullet shrouded in black the second she did so.

The bullet impacted his chest, doing little, but it did enter his body. He grit his teeth as she tossed the now useless gun away. She'd been on the defensive for long enough.

Of course, an Origin Bullet was not going to kill her opponent. Hinder him severely… Hopefully, but…

"In the name of the Knight of Fianna! Come forth! Arise from your prison, being from beyond the stars!" Diarmuid suddenly belted out, wincing as if in pain as the red orb on his bangle glowed hot. She raised an arm defensively as something shot out of the snow, and very quickly found herself being chilled. She looked up at the creature… it looked like an Effreti spirit, only it was blue and made of ice, rather than yellow and made of flame.

The creature flung its arms forwards as Diarmuid stood back, trying to dig the Origin Bullet out of his chest as she was forced into combat with the snow creature. It began to summon spears of ice, flinging them towards her. She smashed two with a single swing, dodging the third and rushing towards the creature as it dove down into the snow. She skid to a halt, whipping her head around before a blade of ice ripped through part of the Holy Shroud. She spun, blocking the second swing as the creature sprung up from the snow, a sword and shield made of ice in hand.

She swung, the creature raising its frozen shield and blocking her swing before attempting a counter thrust. But it bounced off her armor, which was actually useful for once. She pulled her sword back and swept under the creature, taking a leg off as it flew backward. Summoning more ice crystals and sending a storm towards her, dropping the weapons as it did so.

She rushed forward against the storm of dust, ignoring the dusts to her skin as she leapt upward, bursting towards the creature and swinging her sword, cleaving it in twain. There was a shatter before it felt to pieces, returned to ice and snow as she spun around, only for her to be met with a foot directly to the face.

Her visor shattered on impact, and she was sent flying backward maybe a hundred feet, Diarmuid already leaping after her, lightning shrouding his swords as he rushed her. Incanting as he did so. "The boundary that divides life and death!" he became a speeding bullet, just as she got to her feet, she had to block two strikes at once. This was it! He sped past her. "I shall see even that!" he came back and she only blocked one swing, he slashed her armor, blood spraying into the snow as she winced.

The saber continued to scream as he blitzed her with all his speed, his swords sheathed in lightning as he did so. She blocked, again and again even using the Azoth Dagger, which saved her from a blow that would have removed her head as the Saber leapt into the air "I See it!" He shoved his swords together, his Noble Phantasm "Móralltach! Surge of Fury!"

Time went slow as he came down towards her. A meteor coming for her life. A sword that could cause her death. And her enemy's ultimate attack…

But she hadn't come into this battle unprepared. No, she had waited for exactly this moment.

She grabbed one of the metal orbs at her side, and it morphed into the head of a spear as she shouted its name. "Fragarach! Gouging Sword of the War God!"

This Noble Phantasm wasn't hers… yet it had decided now was the time to arrive, alongside Avicebron. She wasn't about to ignore such a trump card, not when her life, and her Master's were on the line. With her proclamation, and declaration, Diarmuid's attack faded as he past out blood, still falling towards the earth with a hole through his heart. Altria smirked as he landed. But she wasn't about to take chances with him getting back up… but she had not needed to worry.

Diarmuid laughed from his position on the ground. As he flipped over… and began to fade into golden dust. "Heh… hehe… Nevermind… it did happen…" he said with a smile on his face. "...That… was a good fight…" he said with a smile. "Everything… I could have asked for…"

She breathed deeply, holding her side… she had a lot of cuts and wounds on her now, but nothing life threatening… "...You were tough… the toughest fight I've had since my summoning."

"Really? Hehe… I heard… the reports… I guess I should be proud then… that… not only was my wish fulfilled… but" he closed his eyes. "I was your strongest opponent yet… Good… I'm glad… Sorry Master… But… I ain't cut out… for killing Proper Human History… It's far stronger than you believe…" he finished before fading away completely, leaving behind only the bangle of magical orbs.

She picked it up slowly… this thing was a great source of strength in this Lostbelt. But… it had also been part of the thing that had damned this world to non-existence…

In a way, he had fought with a Lostbelt's Weapon to defend it. She had fought with tools from proper human history. A fitting battle.

Crick.

And a fitting end. She crushed the four orbs to dust. Their enemies would not reclaim them this day. Just leaving them out here would have been a terrible idea.

So she began to walk… and as she healed, began to run. Proud of her victory. And proud of herself for that victory.

She knew that if her counterpart was looping, that meant she'd probably had that duel with the Knight of Fianna at one point in time. Perhaps it had been even better than hers.

But she'd never get to say she'd done it to save the world, rather than fighting over a golden cup.

When Altria returned to her Master's side, the rest of the Lostbelt went fairly smoothly. The fight with the Thunder Emperor had been a close shave, and Kadoc had been pissed to realize that his Saber had gone and gotten himself killed to satisfy his urge for battle. Ritsuka… hadn't frozen up completely, upon the realization of what she was doing, but upon realizing that she would be doing this for eternity… she'd froze then.

She was grateful for Paxti's sacrifice, the heretical yaga. They'd captured Kadoc in the end, and soon enough they were on their way. Mash restored to at least fighting condition, and her down several Mystic Codes… at least for now. With what they were doing, relying on nothing but the basics was going to get them killed.

---

Gotterdammerung: Queen of Games

Ritsuka had been expecting a lot of things when they'd emerged in Scandinavia. She was half expecting Surtur to already be out of the sun. Sigurd/Surtur to be waiting for them as soon as they emerged… or even for the extra Servants she'd grown accustomed to just showing up at the worst of times.

What she hadn't expected was Sigurd/Surtur to show up and challenge them to some sort of card game for the Paper Moon.

"Pathetic Master of Chaldea, intruder upon this land. I challenge you to a duel for the ownership of Paper Moon!" the masked saber declared, holding up… a deck of cards. That looked like Craft Essences.

"...Wat?" Goldorf was the first to respond from the coms… everyone else silent in… confusion or just shock.

"...A duel?" Altria questioned in utter confusion. She was fully prepared to have fought Sigurd, not face off in a card game!

"Yes. A duel in the Queen's Game. How all disagreements are settled here in this world," Surtur started again as Ritsuka rubbed her forehead in confusion.

"But uh… what if we don't have any cards?" she questioned and Sigurd seemed to pause at that.

"Hmm. That could be an issue. Very well, we shall settle this the old fashioned way then," he put the cards away in a little pouch on his belt before raising his sword. "Now! You fourth rate Master with third rate Servants! You shall hand over the Paper moon!"

"Much more, my speed," Altria complained as she raised her sword, and Mash her shield, Holmes began making preparations to join them in a moment.

Fighting Sigurd/Surtur… had went about as well as last time. Which was to say he handed Holmes his ass, tore off his arm, and spouted something about how the man's wits were subpar, and other such nonsense. Altria had been thrown several hundred feet away into a nearby hill at some point during the fight with Sigurd, again, declaring her a fourth-rate Servant while pounding away at Mash, the last line of defense. Goldorf ended up giving up Paper Moon again, which had gotten Sigurd to back off with a declaration that their strategy of battle was Invalid in this Lostbelt. Civilized people dueled with cards, and warriors fought monsters, as was how it went.

Ritsuka, for her part, was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on by the time Altria had limped back.

"Stupid… Saber… Anti-Dragon…" the Black Saber complained as Mash looked at her with a look of concern. "I will be fine."

"Hey Da Vinci… did you get anything about those cards?" Ritsuka asked, as Goldorf blanched.

"Now is not the time for games Ritsuka!" he complained, "We need to begin making a plan to take back Paper Moon."

"And that's exactly what I'm doing," Ritsuka admitted as Da Vinci frowned.

"From what I got, the deck was magical at least. It seemed to have the same signature as a lot of craft essences, but…" Da Vinci started as Ritsuka laughed.

"We'll figure it out. Let's get to work!" Ritsuka declared as Holmes was brought into the Border and placed in stasis.

They met Gerda, and saved the girl from giants… and here was where Ritsuka managed to get some answers… and to say they were strange was… an understatement.

"This is insanity Master, pure and utter insanity," Altria pointed out as Ritsuka just smiled.

"It is, and that's why we're going to play along until we can fight the right moment to strike normally. Also, this is interesting, and it means we might actually have a chance of doing this a bit less lethal than last time," Ritsuka pointed out, and Altria sighed… great, just great.

At least Ritsuka wasn't being completely insane. As Sigurd had said, monsters cared not for games, and the Jotnar certainly didn't either, so actually having Mash and Altria along made things easier.

Apparently, from what they'd gathered, the queen Skadi had come up with a game, one that was to be used to settle arguments in place of violence. If someone took umbrage, they could duel, and the winner was 'right' in the end. Simple enough. Gerda had spent a good deal of the trip talking about her deck and the rules, saying that everyone in her village had one (Which they'd confirmed that like Sigurd's the cards were magical in nature), and no two people had the same deck.

Honestly, Ritsuka was both confused, and highly intrigued. Of course she doubted that Ophelia would play by these rules the more she thought about it… Then again Sigurd had sounded completely insane and was very disappointed he hadn't gotten to play the card game or something… and then she asked Gerda a very important question.

"So… Do you know anything about 'Sigurd?', Gerda?" she asked, and Gerda closed her eyes and smiled.

"Ah! The current King of Games! He goes around dueling everyone he can! In fact the only person they say he hasn't beaten in a duel is the Goddess!" Gerda explained cheerfully. "I dueled him once too, I got beat!" she said, still smiling.

"...There is something wrong here," Altria complained.

"You mean the fact that Sigurd likes card games, or the fact he's going around dueling little kids?" Ritsuka questioned.

"Yes," Altria retorted.

"So Senpai, what are we going to do about this?" Mash asked as Ritsuka hummed.

"Hmm… Hey Gerda, is there a rulebook for this game anywhere?" she questioned, snapping her fingers.

"Yes! I have a copy at my home," She revealed, and Ritsuka smirked.

"Da Vinci, I have an idea," she said through the communicator, and she got a sigh in response.

"Well, guess we're doing this now."

The moment she got the rulebook, she'd sent Altria back to the Border with it, with the details of the plan in tow. When the valkyrie arrived to take the adults away… They didn't have any other choice but to fight to save the people. And so they did. Things progressed as normal when Napoleon appeared to aid them, who was thankfully still quite normal. Their Good Fellow of Everlasting Flame.

It was when Altria returned, annoyed, but carrying the pieces of Ritsuka's plan, did she finally smile. A deck of cards.

A deck she'd asked Da Vinci to make by analyzing the rulebook, the readings from Sigurd's Deck to make a convincing set of fakes, and the briefcase containing the Spirit Origins of all her friends… as well as a lot of craft essences as spells and traps.

If this Lostbelt wanted to have fun, she was going to have some fun dammit!

And she had zero clue if this was even going to work, so she just went through the deck as they walked alongside Napoleon, towards the Goddess' palace… And hoped to hell this would work.

---

This was going to suck.

Sigurd's eyes had flashed the moment they'd met, the mask doing nothing to hide the excitement. "You! You now possess a deck!"

Ophelida facepalmed, while Skadi was sitting on her throne, completely unfazed by the Saber's excitement. "Uh… yeah?" Ritsuka offered weakly… already she was regretting this.

"Those cards… they were not made by me," double shit, Ritsuka thought as Skadi called her out on the crap she was trying to pull. "My child. Hand over the deck for a moment."

"Why are we doing this?" Ophelia complained as Sigurd was already shuffling his deck, the red glow behind the face beaming as Skadi hummed, looking over the deck of forty cards.

"While these counterfeits are not mine, they do follow the rules. A deck created from Proper Human History. I will allow it." the Goddess decreed, using her magic to float the deck back over to Ritsuka.

"Then we shall duel. I must!" Sigurd commanded as Ritsuka gulped.

"This is your fault." Altria noted, and Ritsuka winced. Welp… this was going to end well.

Ophelia tried to object again, but both Skadi and Sigurd overruled her, to her annoyance. Mash however, decided to try and strike up conversation as Ritsuka and Sigurd stood on opposite ends of the throne room.

She was deciding the fate of the world… over a damn card game.

Well, reap what you sow.

---

Adminspace

Manu sighed as Loki munched on popcorn, sitting in the chair he'd pulled up beside the desk, Odin was still standing though.

"You know, I take it back, this is interesting," Loki said, taking another piece of food and throwing it into his mouth.

"Indeed… I do wonder what has caused the data that has been pulled from Yugioh to turn Sigurd into Kaiba and… why Skadi likes card games so much." Manu muttered. This was more than enough for his taste.

Why did everything involving card games have to somehow result in world destroying consequences?

"I wonder if Thoth will want to see this?" Odin mused as Manu just began the recording… if nothing else, it would be good for a laugh if she prevailed.

If Ritsuka didn't, there was always the backup of 'try and follow the script'.

---

Sigurd vs Ritsuka

TURN 1

Sigurd - 4000 LP

Ritsuka - 4000 LP

"I shall go first," Sigurd declared, looking at his hand of cards, the magic deck he had floating next to him as he nodded. "And I shall begin by summoning the Luster Dragon in attack mode!" he declared, the masked Saber throwing the card forward, where the magic card glowed.

When it landed on the floor between the two duelists, the blue dragon rose, roaring as it stood between them, pointed right at Ritsuka, but Sigurd wasn't done. "And for my next card, I play the Mountain Field Spell!" He proclaimed, throwing the card upward, the magical illusion of mountains springing up around him as the card floated in the air, keeping the illusion going. "And next, I play the Trade In spell card, discarding one level eight monster card, in return for drawing two cards!" he said, pulling a card out of his hand as he did so before putting it in his graveyard area, which was a now floating pile opposite his deck. He had four cards in hand now. "Your move, Ritsuka Fujimaru."

"Right…" Ritsuka started nervously. As she started down the field. Sigurd's monster had 1900 attack normally, but with Mountain active, it was at 2100 attack. She looked at her hand. Five cards, and she drew her sixth.

"Well then… For my first card, I'll play-" Ritsuka pulled the card out of her hand. "Heroic-Spirit: Hektor, in attack mode!" she said, throwing down the card. It landed on the field, and from it, the illusion of Hektor sprung up, the illusion staring down the Luster Dragon as Ritsuka looked at Hektor's description.

'Hektor's attack is lower than his defense. Being 1400 and 1700 respectively, but that's not what matters, what matters is his effect.' Ritsuka thought as she read the description for herself again. 'Once per turn, when this card is attacked, you can return it to your hand, negate the attack. Hopefully that'll but me some time…' Ritsuka thought as she pulled out her next card. A spell card.

"Next I play the spell card, Golden Millenium Tree!" She said, throwing down the spell card onto the field. The Golden Millenium Tree was a continuous spell. 'Every turn, on either player's turn, I can place one counter on this card. And I can spend a number of counters equal to the level of a Heroic-Spirit monster in my deck and special summon it in defense mode.' She noted mentally as the form of the blue haired man on the card stood over it as an illusion, a single star above him denoted how many counters were currently on it.

"I'll place one more card, face down, and end my turn." She finished, setting the card on the ground before standing back up. Sigurd nodding.

TURN 2

Sigurd - 4000 LP

Ritsuka - 4000 LP

"Very well! Then first, I draw!" Sigurd declared bombastically, pulling a card off the top of his deck and adding it to his hand. "First, I shall play the spell card, Monster Reincarnation!"

He pulled a card out of his hand, throwing it to the graveyard, and grabbing the card he'd sent their the previous turn. "Now, I return this Monster to my hand, and the effect of the monster I sent to the graveyard activates!" Sigurd declared grabbing the card and revealing it. "My Roc from the Valley of Haze, when sent directly from my hand to my graveyard, is resuffled into my deck." He added, shuffling his deck after adding the monster back to it and then pulling out another card. "Now I'll play my Pot of Greed magic card, to draw two cards!" he added, putting the Pot of Greed into his graveyard, and drawing two more cards. "Finally, I shall summon the Blizzard Dragon! In attack mode!" He commanded, throwing down a new monster card.

The Blizzard Dragon arose with a roar, standing beside the Luster Dragon with a nice large 2000 Attack points. "Now I shall activate the Blizzard Dragon's effect." he decreed, pointing at Hektor. "Blizzard Dragon, freeze that Hero!"

The Dragon reared back, before breathing down on Ritsuka's monster, she grit her teeth as Hektor was frozen solid. "Until the end of your next turn, you'll be unable to change the battle position of your monster, or attack with it." He declared, before smirking. "Now onto battle phase."

"Luster Dragon! Attack the Heroic Spirit Hektor!" Sigurd declared, the Luster Dragon roaring as Ritsuka snapped her fingers.

"Then in response, I'll activate my Trap Card, Instant Evasion!" Ritsuka declared as Sigurd glared at her. "When this trap card is activated, I can target one monster on my side of the field. For the rest of the turn that monster cannot be destroyed by battle, and neither side takes any damage that would have resulted from battles involving this monster." Ritsuka said, sliping the trap card into her graveyard as the Luster Dragon breathed a beam of light down upon Hektor, to no avail as the frozen hero was kept safe by her trap card.

"Hmph. Then I'll lay one card face down and end my turn." Sigurd decree, passing over to her.

Ritsuka drew a card, nodding as she added it to her hand. The Golden Millenium Tree had three counters on it, so it was time to try something new.

"I'll activate my Golden Millenium tree, spending three counters to summon one level three Heroic-Spirit Monster from my deck." Ritsuka declared, the illusion raising its staff, causing the three lights above its head to vanish, her deck glowing as she declared her summon. "With this, I special summon the Heroic-Spirit Gilles de Rais in attack mode!" She ordered, the card flying from her deck as it was shuffled. It landed, and from the card rose an illusion of the knight of Jeanne D'Arc, rather than his caster variant.

Gilles was a rather weak card, with only 700 in attack, and 500 in defense. But like Hektor, it was his effect that Ritsuka was after. "Now, with Gilles on the field, I activate the Ritual Spell, Heroic Spirit Summoning!" She declared, pulling the spell card from her hand and holding it up. "This card allows me to perform a Ritual Summon of a Heroic Spirit Ritual monster in my hand. And Gilles' effect allows him to act as the entire cost of summoning for the Heroic Spirit Jeanne D'Arc or Heroic Spirit Jeanne D'Arc Alter." She revealed, the Gilles illusion summoning Jeanne's standard and raising it skyward, shouting in silence as a ring of orbs surrounded him, before engulfing the Saber card. "And I'll be summoning the Heroic Spirit Jeanne D'Arc Alter!" Ritsuka declared.

Sigurd watched as the light on the field died down, and in Gilles place was a new monster. A woman with long white hair, wearing black armor and carrying a battle standard, flames licking the ground around her as Ritsuka smirked.

Jeanne Alter's defense may have been crap, but that didn't matter when her attack was astronomically high. With 2700 Attack, but only 1300 Defense, she was a solid card with a decent effect as well. If she were to be destroyed by battle or by card effect, Ritsuka could spend 500 life points to prevent her destruction.

"Alright, let's move on to battle. Jalter! Attack the Blizzard Dragon!" she ordered, and the Avenger illusion raised its sword. She pointed at the Blizzard Dragon, spikes being summoned before flying at the dragon, which roared in pain as it was ripped apart, Sigurd not reacting as his monster was destroyed, and his life points dropped.

"Very well. With the destruction of the Blizzard Dragon, I activate my trap card, Time Machine." Sigurd started, his Trap card glowing and summoned a large machine which gave off a lot of mist. Its door opened, and the Blizzard Dragon stomped out again, roaring as the time machine faded.

Ritsuka winced, but ended her turn. She had an advantage, but it wasn't a big one…

TURN 3

Sigurd - 3300 LP

Ritsuka - 4000 LP

Sigurd huffed as he drew his card. "First I shall activate Blizzard Dragon's effect on the Heroic Spirit Jeanne D'Arc Alter." he ordered, and it was done, her monster frozen in a block of ice, unable to attack or change positions now. "And with that done, I first reveal my card." He said, revealing a card, the Blue Eyes White Dragon, in his hand. "Having done that, I can special summon the Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon." He declared, throwing down the card and summoning a massive monster as Ritsuka gulped. That thing had 3200 attack… "Then I shall tribute both my Luster dragon, and my Blizzard Dragon!" Sigurd ordered, the two dragons roaring as he held up his card. "Now come forth! BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON!"

He threw the card upward, and from it came the illusion of another massive monster, a second 3200 attack point behemoth that landed across from both Hektor and Jeanne Alter. Ritsuka taking a step back in shock at how quickly this had gone to shit. "Now, I shall activate Blue Eyes Alternative Dragon's effect, I target your Heroic Spirit Hektor, and annihilate it!" Sigurd declared as the alternative dragon roared, raising its neck before breathing down on the hero of troy, sending him to the grave with no battle damage done, but no chance for him to activate his effect.

"Now, Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack her pathetic Heroic Spirit!" Sigurd ordered, as the other Blue eyes roared, breathing down on Jeanne Alter.

"I activated her effect! I spend five hundred life points to prevent her destruction!" Ritsuka shot back, and when the smoke cleared, her card was still on the field, but she was now 1000 life points less. She needed to find a way to turn this around, fast. She drew her next card…

"Hmph, very well then." Sigurd said, his red eyes practically flashing with bothe malice and excitement. "Draw your last pathetic card! Summon your last pathetic 'Servant'!" he roared as he ended his turn.

"Right… let's try this." Ritsuka muttered, before raising her head. "I activate the Golden Millenium Tree to summon a level two Heroic-Spirit Monster from my deck!" She declared, and she threw out her hand. "So I'll summon the Heroic-Spirit Arash!" She declared.

Like with Gilles, the card flew from her deck, landing on the ground and summoning Arash from within. The illusion of the archer holding his red bow as it stood down two dragons. He had no defense to speak of, but his attack was 1300. But like with every Heroic Spirit, he had an effect unique to him. "Now." Ritsuka pulled a card from her hand, holding it with two fingers. "I'll play the spell card, Black Grail. This spell allows me to target one Heroic-Spirit monster on the field, and increase its attack by a number equal to the amount of Life Points I'm willing to spend for one turn. With this, I'll spend two thousand life points to increase Arash's attack by two thousand!"

She threw the card up, summoning the image of the corrupted grail. It floated over Arash, laying its hands on his shoulders before vanishing as a corruptive black effect overtook him, signifying his increased attack. "Now I'll summon one more monster, the Heroic-Spirit Bedivere!" She said, pulling her last monster from her hand, summoning Bedivere in Attack mode. She was going to win this, here and now. "And finally, I play my last card! The Spell Card, Code Cast! With this spell card, I can target one Heroic-Spirit Monster and increase their attack and defense by one thousand for one turn." She said, playing her quick-play spell, Bedivere being surrounded by code as she sent to last card in her hand to the graveyard. Bedivere had 2500 attack right now, and Arash 3300. But now it was time for their special effects.

"You told me to summon my last 'Pathetic Servant'. And you keep calling me a third-rate master. But I'll show you. First, I'll activate Bedivere's effect. Once per turn, he can increase the attack of all allied 'Heroic-Spirit' monsters by three hundred for the rest of the turn!" She revealed, as Bedivere raised his rapier, causing his own, Arash's, and the still frozen Jeanne Alter to gain an increase in attack power, a small boost, but everything counted. Now Arash had 3600 attack, while Bedivere had 2800.

"Your saber is still to weak to destroy my dragons 'Master'," Sigurd scoffed but Ritsuka smirked.

"Yeah, but he's not the one who needs to. As now as we move to battle phase, I'll activate Arash's effect. When I activate his effect, He can attack all monsters on the enemy side of the field once each, but he'll be destroyed after doing so, and I'll take four hundred damage to my life points for each monster he attacks. Seeing as how you have two monsters, I'll be taking that eight hundred point penalty to destroy them both!" She shouted, Arash raising his bow as she snapped her fingers. "Now! Fire your Noble Phantasm!"

It was more for flavor than anything else, but the illusion did so anyway. With a shout of "STELLA!" A large explosion engulfed Sigurd's side of the field, Arash fading away after firing that single shot as Sigurd's Life points fell by 800, since Arash had beaten both of his monsters by 400 each. Ritsuka smirked as Sigurd looked to his little life point counter.

"...Well played you little-"

"Bedivere! Attack him directly!" She ordered, snapping her fingers as the illusion dismissed his rapier, bending his arm, setting it alight with a golden glow before flying forward. Sigurd actually raising his arms in defense as Bedivere 'struck' him, his life points falling from 2500, all the way to 0 with room to spare.

And with that final attack, all the various illusions faded away, the cards flying back to their respective decks as Ritsuka grabbed hers with a smile. Sigurd grabbed his before putting it away, and looking down at Ritsuka.

She knew Surtur was behind that mask, but that didn't matter. She'd won.

Skadi clapped her hands. "An excellent duel I must say. It's about time someone knocked you off your high horse sir 'King of Games." Skadi chided, and 'Sigurd' huffed as Mash cheered.

"Amazing Senpai!"

Ritsuka smiled as Ophelia facepalmed. This entire thing was stupid…

"Well played, I guess." Altria muttered as Napoleon laughed, patting Ritsuka on the back as Ophelia glared, Mash going over to rejoin the rest of the ground as Ophelia looked to Sigurd.

"Alright, you've had your fun. Sigurd!" She ripped off her eyepatch. "Take them down!"

Ritsuka pouted… had she done all that for nothing!?

---

As it had turned out, not exactly. After getting trounced by Ophelia and Sigurd, due to her mystic eye, Skadi stepped in, preventing Ophelia from killing any of them. And while she did have them stay in the dungeon, it hadn't exactly been hard to escape afterward. Sure Caenis had showed up, but she hadn't been allowed to do anything to them, even after Napoleon nearly put a cannonball through her.

Of course, being caught had been part of the plan, the duel had been more of an outlet and a hope than anything else. Sucked that it hadn't actually done anything to aid their position outright.

Sigurd, once they'd met the real him, turned out to still actually enjoy cards, and had even somehow taken his deck with him as he and Byrnhildr departed for the throne together in death. Surtur… well they'd never had a chance to ask, nor would they ever. But overall, the boons of that little duel had been none.

At least… it hadn't until after Surtur had been defeated. Everything else had gone as normal… until the very end.

There it was just her, Mash, and Altria, against Skadi and her final Valkyrie Ortlinde.

"Your Majesty." Ritsuka started as Skadi took a deep breath, all of them looking towards the Phantasy tree together.

"...You know… its not right." She said softly, Rituska walking up beside the goddess as they looked towards the tree together. "I realized it. Nothing like my little game ever existed in proper human history." she started, before looking at Ritsuka. "Do you want to know where it came from?"

"...Sure?" she guessed, as Skadi looked towards the tree again.

"As you are no doubt aware Chaldean, I am capable of seeing Proper Human History. Its myths, its legends… and things that happen within it… and things that have already happened." Skadi pointed out as Ritsuka remained silent.

"I know, I could have done something to change my fate… or tried to, at least. But…" the goddess looked away. "I could see no other way. It's not right, for my world to not even have a chance… I know it doesn't, not even a fleeting hope…" she started before looking at Ritsuka. "At least, it wouldn't, if I didn't let you go. I can see that if I kept you here, or killed you now. Not only would your world end, but so would mine, forever."

"...You know, after hearing what Roman and Goetia had to say… I was kinda expecting more people to notice…" she started, and Skadi gave a very soft smile.

"As you should have. Those that do are few and far between. This world teeters on a knife's edge… and the counter force will do nothing to aid it from falling into the void… that task, falls to you of course. The sole path forward… Aha, but I didn't explain the origin of my game." Skadi said.

"Yeah that was kinda how this started." Ritsuka returned, and the goddess smiled.

"...I am very aware of all this world's myths and legends. Of its myriad timelines, such is my connection to this world. But unlike the world, I can recognize, when something is 'wrong'. When it actually doesn't belong." she said with a frown. "For example…a large tin filled with playing cards from another world. One that I cannot see. I only know it came from another world, because a visitor from one left it behind by accident. I don't know who this person was, and I doubt any of you do either. Perhaps you will, one day but that was far from the only visitor… Fuyuki, two-thousand four, and nineteen ninety four. Those two periods of time are where these visitors kept coming in, and a few left things behind… like say…"

"Orbs of magic from outer space." Altria piped up, and Skadi closed her eyes.

"Perhaps, but I do not know exactly either… When my Lostbelt was formed, I actually discovered this 'game' had been integrated into it. I don't know why I did it, but I did. Perhaps it was a way to pass the time with something interesting from another world…" She amended before shaking her head. "But it was not the only thing left behind. Another time, someone gave the Master of Berserker in the fourth grail war a mechanical monster from another world. Something called 'The Lancelot'. And then someone did it again, and this second one was left behind."

"How fitting," Ritsuka muttered as Skadi nodded.

"Indeed. But said robot came with its own information. The orbs from outer space fit seamlessly into their world. My game of cards was a bit more out there, but I can understand a reason for doing it. Another object, a sword made of light, had found its way into the Fourth… but it managed to change nothing, so small was its worth. No, the robot has caused the greatest changes within the third." Skadi revealed as Ritsuka winced. That wasn't good.

"So are we going to fight?" Mash asked, still unknowing of the whole mess going on that Skadi was talking about. She had a general idea, that they had to save the world, and that things were 'wrong' somehow, but not why.

Skadi frowned. "...In a way, yes, in a way, no." Skadi said as she waved her wand, summoning something.

A small metal tin, emblazoned with a name across it.

'Duel Monsters'

She grabbed it. "This tin contains every card that I know of. I don't know how many others there are, but I doubt this one small box contains them all." She smiled. "Instead of a duel for the fate of the world, I instead request a friendly duel. Win or lose, I will allow you to destroy the tree. Win, and I shall aid you in doing so, though I know you don't require such aid."

Ritsuka smiled. "Sure." she offered, as Skadi popped open the metal tin, waving her want to arrange a deck of forty out of the few hundred inside of the tin. She grasped it with her own two hands before placing the tin down on the ground.

"I'm afraid unlike my copy cards, these have no magic. So if you don't mind, we shall simply use a table to play.

Ritsuka agreed, smiling at the levity as they went to find a place to duel.

---

With how light hearted this even was, those on the border had elected to come watch, especially with Skadi's agreement that, win or lose, they would be allowed to destroy the Phantasy Tree. Ritsuka instead had asked, instead of her fake cards, she could use a deck made out of those from the tin. Skadi had agreed, and now, inside of Gerda's house, the little girl was watching, alongside many others, as her Goddess was about to play a game with the nice people she'd meet.

TURN 1

Skadi - 4000 LP

Ritsuka - 4000 LP

Ritsuka was going first, and the orangette smiled as she pulled a card from her hand of five. "Alright, I'll play this Marauding Captain in attack mode, and with his special effect, I'll special summon this Wind-Up Soldier in attack mode, from my hand." Ritsuka started, looking at her remaining three cards before shrugging. "End."

Skadi drew her card, marking her sixth in hand. "I shall first play the Spellbook Star Hall, and then I shall summon the Spellbook Magician of Prophecy in attack mode." She said, slipping the two cards onto the table before tapping the spellbook magician. "With my magician's effect, I can search my deck for one Spellbook Spell Card of my choice." She said, picking up her deck and quickly finding the card she was looking for, adding it to her hand before shuffling her deck and putting it back down on the table.

"Then, I shall play the card I just grabbed, the Spellbook of Power, targeting my Magician, increasing his attack power to one-thousand five hundred, while also placing a counter on my Star Hall, increasing his attack by an additional one hundred points for sixteen hundred." she said, before smirking. "And while my Spellbook of Power is face up on the field, I shall play this Spellbook of Knowledge, sending the face-up Spellbook of Power from the field to the graveyard to draw two cards." she said Ritsuka blinking as Goldorf frowned.

"Is that legal?" He questioned as Skadi nodded.

"I can explain. The Spellbook of Knowledge only requires that I either tribute a Spellcaster monster, discard a Spellbook Spellcard, or use one that is face up on the field. With Spellbook of Power's effect resolved while still on the field, I could activate Spellbook of Knowledge, using Spellbook of Power." She said.

"That's… a bit convoluted." Ritsuka muttered, and Skadi giggled.

"I will admit, I did find this game amusing for a reason. Now I shall draw my two cards." she said, doing exactly that, and adding another counter to her Spellbook Star Hall. She had five cards in hand again, after using four. "Now with my battle phase, I shall have my magician attack your captain, since his effect means he is the only thing I can target, so you take five hundred points of damage, and the secondary effect of spellbook of power activates, allowing me to search out another Spellbook Spellcard from my deck." she said, Ritsuka going pale as Skadi smirked, pulling out another card as she shuffled her deck again, back up to six cards before tapping the table. "My turn ends."

TURN 2

Ritsuka LP - 3500

Skadi LP - 4000

Ritsuka drew a new card. "Alright then, First I will play Wind-Up factory, then I will summon the Wind-up Magician in attack mode." she said, sliding the card from her hand to the field. "Then I will activate Wind up Soldier's effect, increasing his level by one and attack power by four hundred, making his attack twenty two hundred, and activating Wind-up magician's effect, allowing me to summon a level four or lower Wind-up monster from my deck in defense position." Ritsuka started, grabbing her own deck and pulling a monster out of it after a few moments of looking, placing the monster, Wind-up Warrior, on the field. "Then because of my Wind-Up factory, I can also add one level four or lower wind up monster from my deck to my hand." she said, grabbing another monster and adding it to her hand, taking her hand up to three again.

Then she tapped the table, "Now I'll have my Wind-Up Soldier attack for Magician, taking him out, because of his increased attack power, you only take fifteen hundred damage, but then I'll have my Wind-Up magician attack, dealing another six hundred damage. Then I end my turn.

Skadi kept her smile as she drew her seventh card, and began to make her come-back play. "First, I will play the Spellbook of Secrets, allowing me to search for a Spellbook card from my deck, except another Spellbook of Secrets." She said, adding another counter to her Star hall, with three now. She then went to her deck and added another spellbook card to her hand. "Now I'll play the Temperance of Prophecy, then activate its effect. Because I have activated a Spellbook previously this turn, I can tribute it to summon a level five or higher light or dark spellcaster type monster from my deck, but this will prevent me from summoning another during this turn. So I will summon the World of Prophecy from my deck." She proclaimed, chuckling as she put it on the field. Ritsuka looked over, and paled as Mash winced.

"I believe that this might be game already." Holmes pointed out, smoking his pipe as Skadi smiled serenely.

"It is. Now with World of Prophecy summoned from my deck by the effect of Temprence, I can take two Spellbook spells from my graveyard and add them to my hand." she noted, grabbing the Spellbook of Power and Spellbook of Knowledge from the graveyard. "Now that I have done so, by adding cards to my hand by World of Prophecy's power, I can reveal four different spellbook spell cards to you." She did so, pulling out the Spellbooks of Power and Knowledge, as well as a Spellbook Library of the Crescent, and Spellbook of the Master. "By doing this I destroy every card on the field except World of Prophecy, so while I do lose my Spellbook star hall, and cannot activate its effect due to World and Temperence's effects, it doesn't matter." Skadi pointed out as Ritsuka winced, removing all her cards from the field to the graveyard.

Skadi just smiled. "Then I shall activate my Spellbook of power and having world attack your Lifepoints directly. And that's game." she said with a smile as Ritsuka sighed.

"...Did you keep doing this to Surtur?" Ritsuka asked as she handed the deck she'd borrowed back over to Skadi, who giggled as she shuffled her own deck as well.

"Perhaps, but you cannot prove as such." she admitted, putting the cards back into the metal tin before closing it and banishing the metal tin.

"I guess this means I won't get getting your help?" Ritsuka asked as Skadi shock her head, leaning back in the wooden chair.

"I'm afraid not, but I know you can handle this." Skadi commented as Ritsuka got up, and shook hands with Skadi, before leaving with Altria and Mash, while also dragging Holmes along to assist, despite his complaints that he still wasn't fully healed.

When the four of them returned, the tree had collapsed. Leaving Skadi to do one last thing before the crew of the Shadow Border left her world.

"Ortlinde… hand her your shield." Skadi commanded, and her final valkyrie did so, handing her shield off to Ritsuka before she left on the border. Both her and Ortlinde waved, watching the border drive away without leaving for Void Space, since the wall of storms had vanished.

So Skadi cast her final spell, and looked towards the night sky alongside her final Valkyrie… and a little girl who danced through the fields. And before she was erased from existence again. Skadi smiled with one last sentence.

"Perhaps we shall play again, another day." The Queen of Games proclaimed.

---

SIN: The Light

Emperor Qi Shi Huang had lost.

They'd seen the light of Proper Human History, the foes that they had faced… even with their authority as emperor, the power to command others' minds, they had failed to beat them. Of course… trying to command the Master had ended fairly poorly for them this day.

That defense system inside the girl's head had been violent about explaining what was going on.

That the world was in danger. Well, they had decided that Proper Human History deserved to live, but it went beyond just that.

"Hey, Emperor, I got her."

They turned to look at the man, the Assassin summoned by one Akuta Hinako, or Yu Meiren as it were. A man from a fictional, confucian text, the Water Margin. They had thought about simply burning him away, but he had his uses.

Such as right now.

Koyanskya, the still weakened monster, was once again at their mercy.

"Why!? Why can't you just let me leave! I said I would leave you stupid emperor!" She complained, trying to back away, only for the Assassin they had managed to convince to aid him in this endeavor, kicked her again.

"Because we have a purpose, and a part to play. You do as well Da Ji."

"What the Emperor is saying is they've still got use for you, or rather, now has a use for you." Yan Qing translated as the Emperor bent down, and looked Koyanskya dead in the eyes.

He was going to stack the deck.

And spend all of his remaining authority doing so.

"Listen to us, and listen well Da Ji!" The emperor belted out in her face, trying to close her eyes, only for her to have them forced open. "By our Authority as Emperor, the True Human, we give you this order, and you shall obey." They opened their eye.

Their Geass shining brightly.

"In their darkest hour, you will be Chaldea's Light. Your task is to save the world!" They proclaimed, the symbol of their Geass appearing in her eye.

"And why should I listen to that!?" Koyanskya belted at him, and they huffed and turned.

"You already have." They turned and walked away, Yan Qing running after them as Koyanskya was left to stare, shivering… before vanishing to the next Lostbelt…

Qi Shi Huang was not one to leave things up to 'chance'. Better to turn that Joker… into an Ace.

---

Adminspace

"...Well that went rather well, all things considered." Loki pointed out as Manu sighed in relief. He'd been quite worried… but by comparison, at this point these three Lostbelts had almost been a relaxing stroll compared to everything that had come before them.

He'd been surprised when Edmond Dantes had defended against Qi's Geass, but he was the Master's protection against mental attacks at least.

"Nothing has gone wrong in India, correct?" Odin asked as Manu nodded.

"Yep, perfectly stable, which is a surprise given the place is literally being remade every week in-universe. It seems that Arjuna didn't fancy the lightsaber that popped up in universe." Odin chuckled at that. They hadn't been able to figure out why there had been a lightsaber just sitting there, but it hadn't done any harm, so no foul.

"I'm more surprised at that Skadi woman's awareness. Is she Loop Aware?" Loki questioned and Manu sighed.

"Ok… this is going to sound weird. Technically she isn't, not in the traditional sense I don't think. That wasn't the result of any glitch or what not… that was just her Baseline. She actually is aware of Proper Human History and other timelines normally… so it was fairly easy for her to catch the Loops once she was brought back using the Phantasy Tree.

"And summoned again by Chaldea," Odin pointed out, and Manu nodded.

"She's also surprisingly goofy." Loki pointed out, actually pulling up the screen to show the former Mother of Scandinavia… eating a bowl of Ice cream while schooling Cú Chulainn in a game of Duel Monsters. The Caster was currently beating his head against a wall while his friends were having a good laugh about it.

"This really isn't Baseline at all anymore is it?" Loki muttered as Odin tapped his adoptive son on the back.

"Hasn't been since it started, for whatever 'Baseline' is for this place." Odin pointed out as Manu nodded.

"I was actually working on that. As they've been going on, I've been compiling the timeline to try and focus it down into a more… comprehensive Baseline. Its still a complete mess mind you, but at least its not so out of control that there's no sense of cohesion between events." he explained.

"Speaking of compiling, did you ever put that patch together to trim down on Loop Aware entities, specifically those Outer Gods so that they don't keep going on rampages?" Loki questioned, and Manu nodded.

"Already done, just have to wait for the Loop to end before I put it in alongside all the others." Manu stated as Odin hummed.

"You're getting good at this so quickly Manu." Odin said as Manu nodded.

"Indeed…Tis as if I have done it before…" he muttered, before shaking his head. "Nevermind."

None of them questioned that, allowing the Chaldean god to get back to work on the world he was working so hard to maintain. But Odin took Loki out into the halls for a moment.

"You going to suggest to Skuld that Hecate's Adminship of the Nasuverse be transferred to him?" Loki questioned, and Odin nodded.

"That girl needs to not overwork herself so much. Besides, Manu is taking to it so well. At the start of this first Loop he was a wreck, now look at him, making patches ready to implement as soon as the Activation Loop is over. He believes that its going to work." Odin said with a smile.

"This Branch is so scattered and corrupted that he'll have his work cut out for him." Loki noted.

"Well I suppose is should be someone so capable to handle such a Branch. And Focus all of their efforts on it, not some." Odin pointed out.

"Shall we pay Hecate a visit then?" Loki asked.

"Let us. Manu can handle this."

And so they walked, confident in the Chaldean God who had already thrown himself into saving and maintaining this Branch as best he could.

The Day That Gods Were Shot Down

Adminspace

Hecate woke up to bright lights shining in her face.

This wasn't quite familiar to her, in a lot of ways. She wasn't used to waking up at all, to be honest- she much preferred staying awake as long as possible. But normally when she did awaken, it was to candlelight. Not the bright, almost fluorescent lights of… where was she?

Hecate glanced around, blearily taking in her surroundings. An actual bed, a lot of white, monitors everywhere…

Ah, she was in medical, wasn't she. The one part of this situation she wished wasn't familiar.

A knock at the door. "Hecate? Are you awake?"

"Odin?" Hecate rubbed her eyes, trying to force them as wide open as she could. "Yeah, I'm here. What happened?" She had a good idea of what had happened, but still wanted the full context.

"You know I'm surprised she's already awake." That was Loki. It seemed Odin hadn't come alone.

"I'm more surprised it took her this long to get up. I was expecting her to have burst into the office sometime a few hours ago," Odin said as he opened the door, the Allfather entered her room alongside his adoptive son. They both looked tired, Odin more so than Loki.

"Hecate blinked. "A few hours ago? Wait, hold on. How long was I asleep?" She rarely slept longer than a week at a time, with her usual rests lasting a day or two at most. Considering some Admins could sleep for years on end, it was a relatively short time to sleep. Still, she didn't like that they had expected her to be awake earlier. That meant there was likely something that needed doing.

"Well, to put it bluntly, you've been out of it for almost two days, give or take a few hours," Loki stated quite bluntly, crossing his arms. "About time you got some sleep, girl."

"Two days…?" Hecate sat up, glancing around her. Given that she was in medical, she clearly hadn't intended to fall asleep, but it still didn't sit well with her.

"You've missed quite a bit," Odin said, offering a hand to her, "and I imagine you know things we don't about the situation as well."

Hecate carefully untangled herself from the blanket and grasped Odin's hand. "I've been asleep for two days longer than you, Odin. First off, what specifically are you talking about? If it's something I know, then which Branch is it about?" She suddenly blanched. "Don't tell me Hades Activated. Or that nasty Variant returned to Punch-Out. Or- Nightmare is in Total Drama! Don't tell me he's traumatizing Duncan to get back at Meta Knight! Oh, of all the times to pass out-"

"It was the Nasuverse Branch Hecate. Things went really, really bad there." Loki pointed out before shaking his head. "I wanted to ask how you, of all people, got it into this mess."

"To be a bit kinder than my son, we've spent the past two days trying to stabilize the Nasuverse Branch by activating the Grand Order as a separate segment, with plans for it to become the main Loop of the Branch, given its sheer size in comparison… There are quite a few questions we have to ask you about your running of the Nasuverse." Odin revealed, slowly letting go of Hecate's hand and going into a position, standing tall and straight with his hands behind his back.

"My… running of it?" Hecate rubbed her chin. "Well, I watch over it, organize the occasional Fused Loop, keep Archetype-Earth flagged for non-Activation and slap down every random attempt… It's my side project, so I can't afford to pay it much more attention than the Nintendo Cluster, but I make sure it doesn't collapse."

Loki blinked. "I'm sorry, run that by me again. Your side project?"

"It…" the Goddess of the Crossroads sighed. "Look, I love my Cluster, but between keeping all the Fire Emblems in line, watching Porky and Ridley like a hawk and juggling expansions left and right, it's stressful. So the Nasuverse is my side project. I work on it whenever the rest of my Branches are getting to me. It calms me down."

Odin took a deep breath. "So, in other words… your solution to being overwhelmed by your work… is more work."

"It is." Hecate didn't see anything wrong with her setup. It got work done, calmed her down a bit, and removed the need for unproductive sleep. Win-win, and she only got sent to medical every so often! What was the big deal?

What Hecate didn't account for was that the ideal number of times to be sent to medical was none. A small oversight.

Loki just slowly put his hand to his face. "Oh for the love of…" the God of Mischief took a very deep breath. "Ok… so, were you aware of the Grand Order part of the Branch at all?"

"Yeah, it's a fairly common Variant." Hecate waggled her hand. "Kind of like the Paper Mario Loops in the Mario Branch. They happen pretty often."

Odin, very slowly, put his hand on her shoulder. "Hecate… I'm going to say this once, and you are going to give me an answer afterward. Grand Order is not a Variant Loop."

Loki nodded. "We actually had to go check. The Grand Order part of the Branch is so massive it has completely overtaken the rest of the Nasuverse Branch in size. It's that big."

"What? No it's not," Hecate scoffed. "It's bigger than most Variants, but it's only…" she trailed off, thinking about the Grand Order Variant. "Okay, it's actually pretty big… When was the last time I took a good look at it? Probably Cosmos of the Lostbelt, which was..." She paused. "Hold on, didn't you mention Activating it as its own segment earlier? And you'd only need to do that if…"

Hecate was silent for a long, uncomfortable ten seconds, before glancing at Odin and Loki. "Excuse me for a moment."

She slowly, mechanically turned to the bed she had gotten out of a few minutes ago, faceplanting onto the pristine white mattress. Luckily for Odin and Loki, the pillow did a fine job of muffling her scream.

"That's about what I expected," Loki stage-whispered to Odin, who just nodded sagely.

Hecate rolled off the bed, climbing back to her feet. "Alright. Grand Order's big. Really big. What does that mean for Yggdrasil?"

Odin was silent for a moment, before speaking. "It means a lot actually. When you first went under, I had to personally come to the terminal and start the Loop. There was, and still is, a very real chance of losing the entire Nasuverse at this point."

Loki scoffed. "Not helping matters is the stupidly high amount of glitches, data corruption, abnormalities in general... we had to get Yog involved earlier with a near miss on an Ascension attempt by the In-Loop version of the Mythos yesterday. Oh, and an Expansion was happening at the same time father Activated the Loop, so everyone inside is going in extra blind on that part."

Hecate watched him as he listed off the problems, counting on his fingers as he did so, her eyes growing wider and wider. She rapidly glanced back and forth between him and Odin, balking as he nodded in affirmation. She turned back to the bed, but Odin grabbed her arm, stopping her. "No more screaming," he said gently. "That won't help the issue."

Hecate opened her mouth as if to say something, before closing it again. It felt uncomfortably dry. She needed a drink. Was there any water around? Was there anything heavier around?

She took a breath. "I think…" She stopped and tried again. "You know, I…" she trailed off again, and looked down guiltily. "There aren't any problems like that in the Nintendo Cluster," she whispered. It was less of a defense, and more self-assurance.

"Hecate," Odin said to her. "I don't think you should Admin the Nasuverse any longer. I think it should go to someone else."

Hecate deflated, but nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I… you're right."

Loki chuckled. "Well, it's a good thing we've got someone capable on the job. He's been hammering down problems almost as fast as they pop up, at least the major ones at least. There's so many that it's not even funny, but he's got a lot of promise."

"I'm still surprised he didn't have his own Branch to administrate yet. He's a natural at this." Odin commented towards his son as well.

"Well, that's good, at least," Hecate muttered. She shook her head, slapping her cheeks twice. "Right, no more of this. I flipped up, but just gotta move past it."

"Flipped up?" Loki whispered to Odin.

"The girl Admins Nintendo Branches," he whispered back. "It's an understandable habit."

"If he's good at it, maybe he could take the Branch," she continued, looking at the two other Admins. "Who is it, anyway? Kāne, maybe? His brother's a fine Admin, it makes sense he'd be too."

Odin put his hand on his chin with a small smirk. "Manu the Great. A very, very old fellow you might recall."

"Manu… the great?" Hecate blinked. "Wait, wait. I think… doesn't he go back to the days of Nyx and the other primordials? How is he not retired?"

Loki shrugged. "Don't know, but he's got energy most of the other oldies don't." He clicked his tongue. "Also, it's Great. I heard that lowercase g."

Odin looked to Hecate. "It's more than that, he's been getting faster, better, as I mentioned. He actually looks a good deal younger. Despite the stress, I'm fairly sure he's gone from grey to black again."

"I still think it's silver," Loki commented in turn.

Hecate tuned them out, rubbing her chin. "Manu the Great…" He was a name she hadn't heard in a long, long time. An old God of Fate. One of many, but easily one of the most ancient. If he'd come back to Yggdrasil proper to do work on a Branch of his own…

The Goddess of the Crossroads smiled. "Perhaps he would be the one to take the Nasuverse Branch." Perhaps it was always his, and she was just keeping it warm. "I'm sure it will be safe in his hands. And who am I to challenge Fate?"

Odin chuckled. "Who indeed," but he shook his head. "Beyond that issue, we did come to ask questions. Loki, I believe you had the list."

Loki nodded. "Yeah, the first of those questions being that of the Data Corruption. How did you not catch that, even if it was, as you say 'a side project'?"

Hecate frowned. "Data Corruption? I'd have noticed any thrown errors or mismatched variables, I get alerts for those. Hold on…" She pulled a 3DS out of her pocket, grinning when it lit up. "These things hold battery power so well."

"Does she just… carry that everywhere?" Loki wondered.

Yes. Yes she did.

"Alright, log in, Nasuverse…" Hecate murmured, tapping on the screen with her stylus. She quickly scrolled through the code, tapping to stop at a certain point. She read the screen for a moment and frowned, before adjusting the 3D slider. As soon as she raised it, she groaned. "Oh, that would do it."

"What would?" Odin asked.

Hecate turned her screen to show them. "The Nasuverse essentially has an in-universe backup, in the form of the Akashic Records. Archetype-Earth remembers and records everything that happens in these Records. I've been using that backup as a sort of crutch, to make sure everything lines up. Like when you tie a stick to a sapling to make it grow straight.

"The problem is, Archetype-Earth records everything. Which means when there's a Fused Loop, data of that Fused Loop is recorded alongside Baseline. Then, whenever conditions are similar enough to the conditions met in the Fused Loop, the Records pull data from the old Fused Loop rather than Baseline. The more similarities there are between a part of Baseline, like an entity, and an outside data point, the more likely the data will be used. Look here, there's data from the Code Geass Branch. The Lancelot seems to have popped up, I take it alongside this Branch's Lancelot?"

Odin nodded. "Very early on, in Orleans, the Berserker Lancelot summoned it, and it was dealt with without much issue."

Loki coughed. "Yeah… uh… we had another incident earlier relating to Code Geass. Someone was all but literally turned into Lelouch. Not actually, but he looked the part before his death, and he kept the Geass."

"That would be the Lancelot's doing," Hecate said. She scrolled through the screen a bit more. "It seems to only be pulling data when there's a significant parallel for Archetype-Earth to draw from. There's bits and pieces of memory from a few different Branches here, but I don't think we'll have to worry about most of them. Five Nights at Freddy's, Star Wars, the new Fire Emblem…" she trailed off, looking at one point of data in particular. "Hmm. I'm trying to figure out if this part will be a problem."

"Which part?" Odin questioned, coming up alongside her to look.

Hecate adjusted the 3D slider, causing the data to expand into a three-dimensional view. "We've got RWBY data here. RWBY is such a notable Branch, there's probably at least a few things Archetype-Earth can think of." She tapped her chin. "Think, think, is there anyone important that uses scythes…?"

Odin pinched his nose. "Yes… but I doubt that Medusa will be the one who we'll have to worry about. Tell me, what do you know of Ushiwakamaru?"

"Father, what are you talking about? She was perfectly normal," Loki asked as Odin shook his head.

"The first time she showed up, yes, but I looked at the data for Heian-kyō, there was… something interesting, and I think I can explain why," Odin muttered.

"Ushiwakamaru… you mean Minamoto no Yoshitsune? I guess she's similar enough to Ruby," Hecate mused. "But if that's all the Record needs to draw data…"

Odin shook his head. "It's worse than that… it's not just her personality similarities, their stories are similar, in the broad strokes at least. She was trained by a Crow, was a young girl destined for greatness because of her legacy. She's a fighter who heavily emphasizes speed, capable of near flight and even appearing in multiple places at once. And she happens to have been a sheltered child who became a warrior at an exceptionally young age, even for the time period… this sounding familiar at all?" he pointed out.

Hecate tapped the Y button twice, pulling up a picture of Ushiwakamaru. "I imagine that would do it. If the connection between the Kurama Tengu and Qrow isn't enough, the rest will be."

Odin reached over her shoulder and hovered his hand over the device for a moment, before tapping the R shoulder button. The image shifted from Ushiwakamaru to the Future Servant from Heian-Kyo, the Adult Yoshitsune. "If the data will alter Ushiwakamaru, it will come into play here. At least during this Loop."

The trio looked at the image… and it was fairly obvious what was wrong after about maybe two seconds of staring.

"...Yep," Loki muttered, holding his face. Because of course it was going to go this way.

"As I figured," Odin sighed, looking over the image of the Servant wielding Crescent Rose. "Hecate, can you remove the mask off her face? We'll need to see if she has those as well."

Hecate rotated the circle pad to spin the image of the Servant, before dragging the mask off with the stylus. "That looks like a yes," she sighed, noticing the distinct Silver Eyes the Servant possessed.

"Well this is just great… now we're going to have to deep dive just to find out which Servants have connections to other Loops or Loopers," Loki complained as Odin shrugged.

"Or perhaps we just wait and see what the Variants of the Loop pop out in the future," he commented in turn.

"Not like we'd be able to do much mid-Loop," Hecate nodded. "Right. You had other questions for me?"

"Yes, we did." Odin took a deep breath. "So, we have a question as to why you never notified anyone about all the glitches that have been piling up in Grand Order in general. After you collapsed and we began a deep dive, we found stuff as early on as the beginning of the Loop in terms of glitches."

Loki huffed. "It gets better, it's so bad we're barely able to piece together what Baseline is, and only in very broad strokes."

"Um… I maybe didn't..." Hecate cut herself off and sighed. "I wasn't paying the Branch as much attention as it deserved. It's likely the glitches started off small and early, and I got so used to seeing them that I didn't register them as glitches, but just an oddly defined Baseline. From there, I saw bigger glitches as simply Expansions to said odd Baseline."

Odin raised an eyebrow. "That would explain it. I'm surprised you were so forthcoming with that, Hecate."

Hecate shook her head. "As you said before, there's no more time for screaming. No time for shame. I'll beat myself up over it later."

Odin smiled. "How mature. Now there are a lot more questions and not many answers, but now that you're awake, we're going to need your help. The Activation Loop is entering its final stretch soon. And into the expansion that happened during said Activation." Odin finished, a serious look in his eye. "And from the moment we hit go, that expansion has been spitting out errors and glitches like no tomorrow."

"I understand." Hecate met his eyes. "I can't afford to put my full attention on the Nasuverse, I'm afraid. I've been asleep for way too long, and I need to check on the Nintendo Cluster again. The most I can give you is a third of my attention."

"I'm afraid once we hit the expansion we might need your full attention," Loki pointed out. "These Lostbelts are no joke, we've had to keep improving the Branch's durability the further we go along because of how it's been escalating, and if the expansion is spitting out stuff this bad, we're going to need as many hands on deck as possible." Odin nodded solemnly at that.

"I'm sure it's serious," Hecate said, before letting a cocky smirk settle on her face. "But how long have you known me? I think you're underestimating just how far a third of my focus can go. Do not forget, I am intrinsically ambivalent and polymorphous. I am the Goddess of the Crossroads. I am Hecate, the Triple-Faced."

Hecate stretched her arms wide, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. From the sides of her face, two more faces sprouted. Two more sets of eyes, two more mouths, all set in a peaceful expression.

With a soft exhale, a muttered incantation, and a flash of candlelight, One split into Three.

"I think you'll find this will suffice," Hecate said, enjoying the look of shock on Loki's and Odin's faces.

"I'm most comfortable in one body," Hecate added, stretching her arms above her.

"But I can work with this just fine," Hecate finished, glancing at her two other bodies to her sides. "You don't get as good at multitasking as me with just two hands."

"No, I suppose you don't," Odin commented as the shock faded. "Now, we've got work to do, I expect Manu will have dealt with whatever the in-Loop Outer Gods have come up with this time by this point. That means next up is one of the biggest points in the timeline."

Loki snorted. "You're just happy because it means we get to see Zeus shot in the face."

"I would be lying if I didn't say that was a bonus…" Odin admitted with a small chuckle.

"And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to it at least a little," Hecate giggled. "Right, lead the way. If things turn out really bad, I can spare an extra third of my focus, but hopefully it won't come to that," Two of her bodies strode out into the hallway, before practically sprinting back to her office to get back to her Cluster as soon as she could.

"Should you be running like that so soon after waking up?" Loki asked.

"But I'm not running," Hecate said with a grin. "I'm standing right here."

Odin snapped his fingers. "Enough dawdling, we have somewhere important to be," He too strode out into the hallway to lead the charge back to the Nasuverse Branch office. Loki followed close behind with Hecate on his heels.

Just as they arrived, they watched Hermes leave the office. "Alright, that should be it, everything good on that?" he asked before he could close the door.

"That should be the last of the things that needed to be patched immediately regarding the Outer Gods in this Branch. I believe so," Manu replied as Hermes nodded and turned to leave, waving as he passed the trio returning to the office, or just arriving in Hecate's case.

Manu was sitting at the terminal again, drinking another cup of coffee. His hair was most certainly silver at this point, and he looked to be in quite good health. A far cry from the shriveled old man that had first entered this office when this mess had begun.

"Manu the Great," Hecate greeted, bowing at the hip. "I apologize for the state I've left this Branch in. I regret that this is the welcome you got returning to work."

"Tis interesting to say the least. You've certainly left quite a mess behind, but there's been a good deal of progress in at least getting things stable enough for the next Loop, once this Activation is over. Rise, granddaughter of Phoebe, all will not fall to ruin," He chuckled. "Ah, it feels good to be back."

"You seem far better than before Manu," Odin commented as the man at the desk nodded.

"It's been an experience, to say the least. They just finished the Nautilus test run, and Van Gogh has made her appearance. The poor girl who's been the cause of all our Outer God problems because of that power of hers. A shame, she's such a good friend of Ritsuka already, most people are, but not many can say they tripped through reality to return to their friend's side… in bed even," Manu said with a hearty laugh.

"Wait, in bed?" Loki questioned and Manu nodded, pointing to the screen where, quite literally, Ritsuka was helping the fully clothed Van Gogh out of Ritsuka's bed.

"They both just appeared there a few moments ago," Manu amended. "Clytie Van Gogh… we managed to save her name, or rather, Ritsuka and her friends did." he mused.

"That's the girl that can turn people into deities?" Odin asked as they watched Ritsuka lead the poor girl through the Wandering Sea's hallways. She was pale, thin, and unsteady on her extremely unwieldy shoes… but she was happy.

"Indeed, and now that we got that patch in, we've rendered that ability Read-Only. Even if she ever Loops, she won't be able to do it outside of her home Branch," Manu commented as he turned to them all, and nodded to Hecate again. "So, now that you're finally awake, what do you have to say for this mess we've got here?"

Hecate glanced at the screen, showing the Loop's progress, and at Manu, the Admin who had been dragged back to work. This was her fault. It was all her fault, and she wanted to do nothing more than curl up in the corner and hide her head. Hide her head, hide her mistakes, hide her shame.

Hecate didn't do those things. Instead, she sat down at a nearby terminal. "What needs to be done first?" was all she said.

Manu hummed as he spun around in his chair. "They'll be going to Atlantis in a little bit. A few days at most. All our new problems are going to start there. What do you know about the situation in that Lostbelt segment?"

Hecate ran a finger over the unfamiliar keyboard. "Loki and Odin gave me a rundown of how things have developed. Beyond that, I don't know much. I'm planning on learning as I go," She tapped a few keys in, opening one tab in the corner, another window on the side, and a string of text running along the bottom of the screen. "And so far… from what I'm reading, one 'Krischtaria Wodime' appears to be Loop Aware. I don't have him noted as being a Loop-Aware entity. That an Expansion, a Variant or a glitch?"

"Glitch, we believe," Manu muttered. "I suppose the good news is that he is acting normally."

"Isn't he on that list of potential Loopers?" Loki asked as Manu huffed.

"It would be easier to list who isn't on that list in this Branch… Actually no, it wouldn't, they're both equally massive lists." Manu complained.

Hecate at least had the decency to blush. "I probably could've trimmed them down a bit…"

Odin actually laughed at that. "Oh you think you could have… ah…"

Loki shook his head. "Let's put it this way, from the word go, Ritsuka Fujimaru has been forming bonds with her Servants, lots of them, and very strong ones. And they're willing to go to the ends of the earth alongside her to fight for Humanity's Future, in Baseline. Short of the ponies I haven't seen this many people sharing such strong bonds with one another, and even they fall short, as there are well over a hundred potential Loopers even, heroes and villains alike." he muttered, looking at the list.

"Most of that list is still filled with glitches, so none of them are anywhere close to being activatable. I've still yet to finish cleaning up Ms. Kyrielight's code, and I expect it to take a few dozen iterations, at best, before I can get her Looping," Manu explained.

Hecate hummed. "We'll deal with that when the time comes. For now, this Loop," She looked over at the data pouring from her screen. "There's Looper activity at the Nautilus. I'm not noticing any major glitches. Standing by."

Manu glared as they all settled in to watch. "It begins…"

---

Atlantis - All the Lights in the Sky Are Stars

"All Servants to battle stations! We're under assault!" Sylvia's voice came over the intercom on the Nautilus. And the pounding of feet began as Servants who had just been waiting for the action to start, got a nasty surprise.

They'd barely entered this Lostbelt less than five minutes ago, and they were already under attack.

"Let's go! Assault team, follow me!" Altria ordered as she grabbed her team, the one Ritsuka and her had worked out together for the action.

She was to be the Assault team leader, since most of this Lostbelt was an ocean and she could walk on water. Her team consisted of herself, Edward Teach to provide a ship, Scheherazade to provide backup in the form of little minions, Elizabeth Bathory, who was capable of flight, and Robin Hood, who was capable against armies as well as for some range.

"Right, Defense team, form up, we've got a job to do!" Cú Chulainn shouted similarly, waving his staff towards the ladder that led to the Nautilus' deck. He leading a squad who had been entrusted with the Nautilus' defense, himself, Nobunaga Oda for range and both Anti-Divine and Anti-Riding properties, Ushiwakamaru to give the defense squad some rapid response time, the Valkyries that Ritsuka had summoned using the shield Skadi had given her before leaving Scandinavia, Gilgamesh the Caster, alongside Florence Nightingale.

Ritsuka herself was already up there, leading Mash, Bedivere, Tesla, Beowulf, and Merlin (Who had been forcefully dragged along from the Wandering Sea), against the current assault.

"COME ON! YOU THINK A MONSTER LIKE THIS IS GOING TO STOP ME!?" Beowulf proclaimed as he was wrestling with one of Cerberus' heads atop the Nautilus, keeping the beast's jaws from closing around him. Bedivere was at a second head, deftly weaving between rapid bites and trying to stab for the eyes, Mash was dealing with the third head, which was currently battering her shield with its skull.

Tesla wasn't fighting alongside them, he was busy shocking the ocean itself, trying to stall the tide of monsters coming towards the fleeing Nautilus, and Merlin was firing off magic spells at a rapid pace.

"Oh, I so detest work, but I'll have to make an exception… gee, this is already getting out of hand isn't it," Merlin complained as Altria shot up and ran for the water.

"Save your prattle Merlin! We're going to break this siege at the sea," Altria proclaimed as she hit the water, Bathory taking to the sky as Scheherazade hid by the Nautilus' hatch, already sending out little familiars while Robin Hood joined in on fighting the first wave of enemies. The moment she hit the water, Altria engaged with a chimera, ramming Excalibur through the beast's skull before ripping it open, blood spilling into the sea as she rushed down a lamia, cleaving it in twain as a pair of wolves flew off the Nautilus, leaping at a Chimera, ripping out its throats, both head and tail alike, she turned, seeing her comrade Cú Chulainn leading his team out of the Nautilus.

"Mongrels, the lot of you, daring to impede us!" Gilgamesh belted out, snapping his fingers and summoning up an array of magical staves around the Nautilus, firing at the various monsters running along the sea towards them, blasting the weaker ones back, but barely doing anything to faze the larger, more powerful monsters. The Caster glaring as he proceeded to redouble his assault.

That had been the first time she'd actually seen the Caster's normal method of attack be ineffective, rather than complete overkill. Amid all the magical lasers, Ushiwakamaru leapt into the fray, her blade like a flash of light as she spun like a saw blade, cleaving a Chimera clean in two before bouncing off its corpse towards the next monster, vanishing with each step, and taking heads with each appearance.

"Link up," Ortlinde of the Valkyries ordered, her and her sisters taking to the skies alongside Bathory and beginning an aerial diving run on the enemy monsters, dropping their Gungnir replicas on any monster they could safely reach before pulling them back, preparing to go on another attack run as Bathory belted out a screech, stunning a large group of lamias with her superpowered voice.

An opportunity that Gilgamesh took to obliterate them with a large Gate of Babylon opened directly above said group's head, blasting them into oblivion and sending seawater everywhere as the ocean surged to fill in the large hole he'd caused in the sea. The golden Caster clicked his tongue. "These beasts are strong, but they are not invincible."

"Hey, give us an inch and we'll go a mile, keep pushing them back!" Ritsuka ordered, snapping her fingers to Enhance Beowulf's attacking power as he unleashed his Noble Phantasm upon Cerberus… which only managed to fling the thing out back to sea as the Nautilus began to turn to begin attempting to break the siege it was quickly being entrapped in.

"We've got incoming! Everyone brace for-" Nemo called over the comms as something white streaked through the sky. Elizabeth yelled in fear as she was rammed, dead on, by a spear, spitting up blood before being flung away, far enough that no one could reach her in this chaotic firefight.

"It's her! Fire!" Nobunaga ordered, summoning an array of muskets and firing them in a large volley towards a single target, diving at the Nautilus with a smile on her face.

Caenis had arrived to turn the battle's tide.

She completely ignored Nobunaga's volley fire, as Da Vinci and Holmes ran out to join the party, Scheherazade panicking and ducking back into the Nautilus as those who weren't engaged with the monsters trying to swarm them were forced to instead move to engage Caenis. Ushiwakamaru leaping from a Chimera directly at the Lancer, aiming to take her head, only for the Divine Spirit to punt her out of the air with her shield, slamming the Rider into the Nautilus' deck as Usumidori clattered to the ground, only to be snapped in half with a stamp of Caenis' foot on the deck.

The white Lancer sneered as Gilgamesh helped the Rider to her feet, and even pulled out a copy of Usumidori, handing it to the Rider without a second thought or a spared glace as she joined those facing off against Caenis again.

"Well, ain't this a surprise," Robin snarked, aiming his crossbow as he and the rest of the crew of the Nautilus stood against her, the battle still raging on in the sea… but it was fading, the current wave of monsters being slowly beaten back, even if they kept coming.

"No need to introduce myself, I did that in Scandinavia anyway… but that scared look on your face?" Caenis smirked. "I'm in a good mood, so I'll do it anyway," her ears perked up as she roared at all who opposed her. "My name is Caenis! Divine Spirit Caenis! A lightning bolt that rips through the fucking sea!" She pointed her spear directly at Ritsuka. "Servant of Kirschtaria Wodime, the envoy of the end that will bring about your annihilation."

"Yeah that's cute, get in line, you ain't the only one who'd tried that sort of schtick," Nobunaga complained as she summoned her minigun, revving it as Caenis chuckled.

"I know that much, but that's how it is. Sorry for being so hostile, but you bastards ain't welcome here. Russia, Scandinavia, China, India. I thought you'd be dead by the third one, but…" she glared at them all. "You resourceful little shits have managed quite a lot. But now that you've made your way here? Armed, loaded, and ready to rock? Just as he said you would be?" She started laughing. "I can't stop laughing! Oh, I can't wait to start crushing those Pseudo-Tritons back there. Now who wants to get skewered and who wants to get sliced to ribbons."

"Try neither," Beowulf retorted, raising his fists. He'd already dismissed his blades, no need to bring them back for this fight. Mash stood alongside him as Holmes similarly put up his dukes.

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to hammer in the power of the gods to you all personally!" Caenis roared before launching herself forward. The first to meet her was Mash, quick to intercept the white Lancer's attempted strike against Ritsuka, spear meeting shield and being deflected as a spray of bullets bounced off of Caenis' skin. Nobunaga clicked her tongue as Beowulf leapt at Caenis, the Lancer blocking a haymaker with her shield and ignoring the blow to her stomach; instead simply smashing her own head into Beowulf's skull, causing him to grunt in pain and be forced back, blood dripping down his head from the impact. Ushiwakamaru and Bedivere both leapt at her, Bedivere going straight for Airgetlám, rather than using his rapier, and Ushiwakamaru dashing around Caenis at blinding speed, fast enough that the Lancer wasn't able to block all her strikes, but she wasn't caring about it, as the blade didn't cut deep enough to even pierce her blessed skin.

Bedivere on the other hand, clashed his golden arm against her lance, actually beginning to push Caenis back for a moment. She grinned before kicking the knight backward, Mash charging forward with a scream and spinning her shield. Caenis blocked with her own shield as Ushiwakamaru and Cú Chulainn both leapt in to engage her, flaming staff and Usumidori clashing with her spear… as Bedivere launched himself back into the fray.

"Dead End! Airgetlám!" The Saber roared, slashing his arm across her stomach.

Much to everyone's surprise, he drew blood, his arm embedded in her skin, perhaps maybe a few millimeters deep, but deep enough that a single drop of blood escaped her body.

"I see. So you're the one who I have to kill," Caenis announced, instantly pulling her spear away from the clash with Cú and Ushiwakamaru and making to run Bedivere through the chest with it.

"Order Change!" Ritsuka cast, both Bedivere and Mash flashing with light and swapping positions, causing Caenis to slam her spear tip first into Mash's shield and giving Bedivere the moment he needed to leap away from the fight to prepare for engagement again. Caenis was blasted from every direction by bullets, beams of light and magical blasts as those who'd been fighting on the sea returned, joining the battle.

Yet despite the vast array of Servants against her, none could pierce her skin to cause her damage, and Altria was still busy engaging Cereberus, the hound of the underworld having recovered from Beowulf's Noble Phantasm and back on the chase, the Valkyries her only aid as Caenis scoffed as even Gilgamesh's magical treasures failed to deal anything meaningful to her.

"Such powerful divine protection, mongrel." The golden Caster noted, clicking his tongue and wishing he had Ea right now, but that weapon was sealed away in this form...

Caenis scoffed. "In this ocean, I'm invulnerable, that's just how it is. But-" Caenis closed an eye, a single ear raised before she sighed.

Everyone bristled as Ritsuka looked to the sky.

"It's time. Man, you're good at babysitting," Caenis complained before turning her back towards them all. "I'm gonna fall back, like Odysseus said." She looked back. "Too bad I couldn't kill you, Fujimaru, and that fake Triton with my own two hands, that wouldn't be fun enough to trade my life for. At least you'll have the mercy of a painless end," she said, before leaping away.

And Ritsuka knew what was coming. "Cu… you know the plan."

The Caster closed an eye. "Yeah, doesn't mean I don't like it. We're hoping it doesn't come to that."

"It is still better to prepare, now get it done… I don't know where Liz has gone… This is an order, Valkyries move to disengage, fly, flee, and take Altria with you," Ritsuka commanded as she was the last one into the Nautilus, Cú Chulainn looking towards the stars… before taking a deep breath and warping away.

In case of the worst… They were to continue the fight and find her later. So long as she didn't die here, they had a chance.

Thus when the Master entered the Nautilus, she did so with a single hope in her mind.

She had sent her friends away, not for her own sake.

But to save them from the destruction that was to come.

And when the Nautilus was chained down, when all exits had been cut off, Ritsuka looked towards the stars.

She remembered one girls' words, words she'd never gotten to speak in this timeline.

"You don't have a chance at defeating him as a mage. So go gather stars. Numerous, dazzling stars."

"Stars that can remain bright, even within a storm, and light up the sky."

Those had been Medea Lily's last words, last time. And now, Ritsuka had done so.

She had gathered the stars, but Artemis, the goddess above who fired down upon them, was the goddess who shot down stars.

She only hoped that by the end of this Lostbelt… she wouldn't have lost all her stars.

---

Altria Pendragon - The Darkest Star that Lights the Way

When she had landed, Ortlinde gave her the situation update, the hooded Black haired Valkyrie putting Altria down, burns across her body, her clothing torn, and shield shattered.

"...Both Hildr and Thrúd have been destroyed… They drew the attention of our enemies away so that I could escape with you," Altria caught the Valkyrie as she fell to the ground, unable to keep floating. "...All Advent Maidens… all Valkyries have been terminated… only I remain… it is quiet… it's cold…"

"Stay with me Ortlinde, Ritsuka still needs us, she still needs you," Altria ordered, picking the girl up.

"...I know… but… my own capabilities have been diminished… Divine Iron Shield, shattered. Gungnir copy… shattered… and of the three Valkyries… I am the weakest… The other Advent Maidens… would have been more useful," She muttered as Altria hefted the Valkyrie over her shoulder.

"Then we'll just have to fix that, won't we? I doubt this Lostbelt has any shortage of divine objects for you to wield," Altria commented as Ortlinde remained silent. They'd landed on an island. Alone… as far as she knew.

So she walked inland, in an attempt to search out either people or a shelter.

What she found was… both good and bad.

"Edward Teach… what are you doing here?" Altria questioned when she found the man, bleeding in the dirt.

"..." he remained silent as she slowly set Ortlinde down, leaving her leaning against a tree as she flipped Blackbeard over, revealing his gaping chest wound. Altria frowned, before closing her eyes. He was alive, likely due to his exceptionally strong Battle Continuation, Pirate's Glory, but that would only keep the man alive for so long.

So she searched. Looking for anyone, or anything else.

She thought of the explosion, the Anti-World Noble Phantasm that Artemis possessed. That had been used to obliterate the Nautilus…

But she knew it had failed to claim the life of a single one of its intended targets.

What she found was a machine that surged with power, and she quickly went to grab the two Servants she'd left behind.

"Ortlinde, you are capable of interfacing with machines, are you not?" Altria asked as she forced the Valkyrie to walk, and she carried the bleeding Blackbeard.

"I am, though I doubt I can be of much use…" she stated, her doubt palpable as Altria brought her and Teach to the machine.

"Ritsuka told me about these machines. The Klironomia dispensers. You need to interface with this thing and get it to dispense some, or we're going to lose Blackbeard." Altria said, slightly disgusted with her own words.

Blackbeard was a leech, and often a Servant who caused more problems than he solved. And yet…

And yet when Ritsuka had needed him most, the most infamous pirate on the seven seas always delivered, with a smile on his face, and a perverted comment at the ready.

The process was slow, with Ortlinde believing she could not do it. Altria ordered her, nay, encouraged the final Valkyrie to do so; for she was the only one available who could.

"Divine interface… these systems are far different from my own but…" Ortlinde muttered softly as she had her hand on the dispenser. "In a way… I recognize them, something that feels like something I've broken before."

For the Valkyrie, created by Odin from the body of the White Titan, the technology of Olympus was something she recognized; something to be removed. To be purged.

"Something unbroken…" the Valkyrie muttered as she traversed the code, an attempt to force the machine to dispense its contents.

"Please, refrain from breaking it, we require it." Altria cautioned.

"I know Altria… and I shall refrain until after we have what we require." she said softly, before there was a small 'ker-chunk'. A metallic fluid began to drip from the machine, and they moved Blackbeard beneath the thin flow of liquid; the Theos Klironomia knitting his body back together and healing his wounds.

When he stood up again, there was not a speck of silliness in his eyes.

It was there that their journey began, a search for other Servants, and to improve themselves.

---

Cú Chulainn - The Hunter Who Seeks the Stars, He Who Honors War

Cú Chulainn was quiet as he and his group climbed the mountain on this island. Looking back towards those who stood alongside him this day.

Robin Hood and Beowulf, two warriors who had lost their way. Their arrival to the island had been, to put it mildly, an eye-opening experience.

For all their precautions, Cú Chulainn had not been prepared for the savage brutality with which they were pursued.

Cerberus had wanted Beowulf's blood.

So they continued to walk. They had beaten the guardian of the underworld back again, but now they were following the path before them.

The path Odin laid out for them, guided by one raven amid this deadly sea. They scaled a mountain, searching for something. When they reached the top, Cú was quiet.

"An arena?" Robin questioned, confused as Beowulf huffed.

"Well the bird led us here, so something has to be here for us," he stated, moving to take a step forward, but the moment he did a great howl, echoed three times over, sounded out over the island.

"Dammit, not again, that thing just refuses to give up!" Cú complained. He'd take the Disney Cerberus over this one any day at this rate. At least that one knew when to give the hell up… and, of course, be reasonably killed.

Beowulf went quiet again. "...You two get to work, I'll hold it off," he said, turning to leave, cracking his knuckles.

"No you don't, I'll do it!" Robin ordered, turning to fight as well as Cú looked at them both.

"No, if either of you do this you'll die. Ritsuka is going to need us." Cú started before proceeding to walk down the mountain path. "Now fly you fools, find whatever we were being led towards!" He ordered, and before either of them could protest, he tapped his staff to the ground, blocking the two Servants behind a barrier of fire, in the arena.

It wasn't a real barrier, but a declaration of his intentions.

"The same to you. Don't you go dying yourself Cu," Beowulf responded over the roaring flames as he went to leave.

"Good luck…" Robin offered, following Beowulf into the arena proper as Cú started running; staff glowing gold as he leapt into the trees below.

He met Cerberus with a grin on his face, and a wicked look in his eyes, staring down the literal jaws of death with a smile.

Ah, how wonderful it felt to be alive! How fun it was to do something like this again!

---

Inside the arena, both Robin and Beowulf walked towards a statue in the center. A red statue wielding a rainbow sword.

As they approached the statue began to move. And without a word between them, Robin Hood and Beowulf raised their weapons to fight the statue of Ares, for whatever it would give them should they prevail.

Beowulf leapt forward first, swinging both his swords simultaneously, only for the Statue to block them with its diminished blade. The Berserker swung wildly, as Robin Hood pelted the statue with arrows.

The Ares robot then went on the offensive, Beowulf taking hits and spilling blood as he roared a challenge to the mighty statue while Robin continued his bombardment.

The statue's eyes began to glow red and Beowulf's followed suit, Robin staring in shock as the Berserker threw away his swords; charging the statue with his bare fists, as if Madness had taken over, something the Berserker was infamous for not being.

"Beowulf what the hell!" Robin complained as he went for Hrunting, grabbing the demonic sword and throwing it over his back as he spun around, firing at the statue as Beowulf kept punching away.

But the stone would not crack; even a mere facsimile of the God of War would not fall so easily. In the depths of his madness, he had been forced to give his all in this duel.

A man who could beat dragons with his fists, had hunted monsters and killed giants… a mortal man fought the God of War, pound for pound.

Against many other opponents he would have won.

But as Robin Hood watched the battle rage on… he watched the King be pierced by Ares' blade, blood spilling across the ground as the Berserker tried to stand, the red glow in his eyes starting to fade before the statue lopped off his head.

Robin stared in horror at the mighty Beowulf falling so easily, as the statue turned to him.

He grit his teeth and raised his crossbow. This was the type of battle he'd both always wanted, and never wished to engage in.

An honorable, one on one duel to the death, and as the statue raised its sword at him, the Archer took a deep breath. And closed his eyes, removing the sword from his back… Hrunting was as good as useless in his fight. A statue had no blood to spill or seek out.

And yet it was a Demonic Sword and perhaps that was enough.

He gripped the blade with both hands and, with a shout, charged forth to meet the God of War in an honorable duel. The Faceless King finally getting the battle he'd always wanted but never sought.

---

Cú Chulainn was grinning as he dodged away from a hound's head, smashing his burning staff into the beast's skull with little more effect than anything else had had. But it was distracting, and that was what mattered.

He'd been fighting for five minutes now, and neither Beowulf nor Robin Hood had returned. He didn't want to fear for them, but he did. And as he continued his one man war against the underworld's guardian, his dread continued to grow.

He leapt away, summoning roots to try and tie Cerberus down, but the hound smashed through them with ease. He kept running, as fast as his legs could take him enhanced by runic magic. If he ever looped into Hercules or Kingdom Hearts again, he would be happy as hell to face that Cerberus instead of this one.

But as he ran towards the mountain, he saw it for just a moment.

A man standing atop the arena's edge. Clad in green… and wielding a pair of swords.

Robin Hood stood tall, his cloak flowing behind him like a cape. In one hand, he held Hrunting, the blade empty of blood. In the other, a rainbow sword, a replica of a weapon of the God of War.

He watched the 'Archer' leap into the air, aiming downward with the swords, with a serious look in his eyes, but a grin on his face.

"Demonic Divine Drive! Replica: Photon Ray!"

The Archer kicked off the sky, and Cú Chulainn watched as he dove down towards the enemy; towards Cerberus, the beast looking towards him as the cone of spinning light surrounded Robin Hood. The hound's heads howled, before it charged towards the sky.

Cú Chulainn watched as, with an almighty crash, the two swords the Archer held clashed with the heads of the Underworld's Guardian… and it was at that moment he realized something.

"Wait… Divinity? Servant Class. SABER!?" he proclaimed in surprise at the wisdom granted to him as the hound fell to the ground and Robin Hood landed near him, placing Hrunting on his shoulder, and holding Photon Ray in the other hand.

Robin started to speak. "Beowulf's dead, he wasn't worthy apparently."

"Worthy of what?" Cú asked as Robin Hood chuckled.

"In the arena, there was a statue, an imitation of Ares. It wanted a duel, and Beowulf lost when the Statue forced him to fight at his best. It forced me to do so as well. I won, barely," he looked towards Hrunting. "This blade was the only thing that let me do so, due to it's Demonic nature. Because I won, I have received the Kilironoma of Ares… a Replica of his sword, and an alteration to my Spirit Origin by this Lostbelt's Ares authority."

"Hence the Divinity and the new class," Cú muttered as Cereberus started to move again.

"Yep, I doubt it will stick forever though. This could have never happened in normal history."

Cú chuckled, oh if only he knew. "Well that doesn't matter… we may have lost Beowulf, stupid bastard I told him not to get himself killed… but I think this might make up for it," the Caster spun his staff again, turning it into a lance of light as Robin Hood chucked.

"Well then, let's raise some hell and make the God of War proud!"

Both warriors charged as one towards the hound. And in the end… they were victorious, slaying the first of many such enemies to come.

Thus they began to push back against the forces that conspired against them.

---

Altria Pendragon - She Who Soars the Skies Above, He Who Blazes the Path forward.

Their journey had taken them to several islands. And together they had fought off both monsters and soldiers alike. They had found Bathory, alive but wounded under Scheherazade's care, the Caster slowly losing ground until they had come to her aid. They learned of Drake's fate, cursed from the sea and obliterated by Artemis.

That was the moment she saw Blackbeard go from serious to utterly determined.

Thus their current situation.

She stood at the head of the Queen Anne's Revenge, Ortlinde behind her, carrying the new weapon that they had created for her. Scheherazade had discovered some sort of pool of liquid, a large amount of silver that had been unrefined.

Ortlinde had decided to ask the Caster to forge her a weapon from it. And much to their surprise, Scheherazade began to spin a new story, one that she said would only end when the Valkyrie did.

With her Swan Mystic Code, created by Odin, they had imbued the unmixed Klironomia with a new legacy, Odin's own. Thus, 'Gungnir Adventus' had been created for Ortlinde, who wielded the new silver spear with both hands, the small wings atop her head free to wave in the wind.

"Do you think it will be enough, Saber of Black?" Ortlinde asked as Altria huffed, raising her sword.

"Oh, it will be. No one's going to be able to ignore this," she said with a smile, Ortlinde nodding as she turned ahead.

"My blackened sword of Promised Victory… let's make that true," Altria started, raising her sword, enveloping it in darkness.

As one, the ships turned towards them, Blackbeard ordering the cannons ready to fire as storm clouds began to gather above.

"EXCALIBUR!" She cried out, taking aim with her dark blade. "MORGAN!" She fired, burning the energy given to her by the Theos Klironomia she had taken, blasting a ship with her Noble Phantasm, entirely disregarding the distance between them.

Mighty vessel of this Lostbelt it may have been, but the Sword of Promised Victory was stronger still. The vessel sank along with all hands on board. Ortlinde raised her new spear, summoning the Valknut and raising a shield before their ship, just as the vessels returned fire; a pillar of darkness rising towards the sky.

A rallying cry that she was still alive.

Across this vast ocean, several people stirred, turning towards this rallying point.

A Caster, and his group of three, the Archer who'd passed the test of battle, and the Rider who'd found a new weapon to wield, one she'd found on a beach, awaiting its owner, blade first in the ground.

An Avenger, who looked towards the darkness with a grin on her face, her new form prepared, the might with which to slay gods within, a Caster, who refused all attempts at improvement, and a Berserker, who had found the fallen staff of a herald god.

A trio of ships, the Argo, the Lucky Fortune, and the newly forged Storm Border, plowed towards the darkness, towards the Isle of Nemesis. The storm began to rage… as the battle to decide the ocean's fate began, heralded by a sword that promised victory.

---

Ritsuka Fujimaru: The Day the Gods are Shot Down.

They had lit a fire.

Ritsuka was silent as the battle began to rage. The Storm Border, newly built, was sailing towards destiny.

They were sailing towards Altria.

Achilles was facing Chiron and an army of monsters.

Chiyome was giving her life to destroy Echidna.

And now, she was awaiting the final battle with Odysseus.

But their deaths would not be in vain, no matter how much it hurt to lose such important friends… They sailed towards Nemesis Isle, ready to bust the blockade. She was on the Lucky Fortune… They had everything prepared. But would it be enough?

Yet shortly after the battle had begun… she realized…

This time, there might be a much more happy ending.

Nobunaga had been the first to appear, the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven ablaze with all her glory. Any Soldiers that dared to face her fell to her might. For they were empowered by gods, and she was the God's Slayer.

Then it had been Gilgamesh, a rain of arrows coming down upon ships. The King of Heroes barraging them from an island afar, laughing even as Artemis fired down upon him from the stars. The King of Heroes giving them precious time to come together.

The Queen Anne's Revenge was charging forward, any ship that came within its range being blasted to shrapnel. She could see Blackbeard, burning himself just as Bart was. For a brief moment when the Fortune and Revenge passed each other… There was a moment of shared understanding between the two pirates, before they continued on their paths.

Ushiwakamaru had arrived next, wielding a scythe she did not know, a red blade that cut through monster after monster, a smile on her face as she came to her Master's aid. Then Cú had appeared, alongside a very different Robin Hood, the May King charging into battle with two swords, doing to soldiers what Ushiwakamaru was doing to monsters, cutting them to ribbons, and growing stronger with each foe slain.

There had been Nightingale arriving alongside Achilles, the nurse of steel wielding Caduceus riding a chariot to war. Then came Bedivere alongside Merlin, cheerfully apologizing for his late arrival as Bedivere went straight to battle alongside him, pausing only to give Ritsuka his apologies.

There were those who were dying, those who had died, and those who would die… but this time…

She felt that she wouldn't despair as she entered Olympus.

They fought a fleet of ships until Odysseus had come forth. Charlotte returned and took his life, as he took hers in turn.

Blackbeard and Bart died together, having burned out their cores, one who safely delivered hope, the other giving that hope a path to follow.

Now on Nemesis island… they all rejoined those who remained.

---

Two arrows had been fired. And neither had worked. They needed more time.

She was numb.

Hektor had been summoned, Artemis had already fired before he had come.

"It can't be helped."

Nobunaga had died, the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven smiling as she brought it all to bear. She burned, to nothing more than ash, to stop a single attack. The might of the woman who could fell gods, used to stop just one shot. Her Pāpīyas Metamorphosis, a reality marble, against an arrow that could destroy a world.

She was numb.

Paris had declared his intent, he was to be the arrow.

"Ah, so this is what it's like, to feel friendship?"

"Yes… We'll give it all."

Merlin and Bedivere had died, for a brief moment, Excalibur had been reborn. Altria had watched her knight and the Magus of Flowers work together. Merlin summoned his tower, his garden, and Bedivere swung the golden blade with all his might. They had died to the second shot, Bedivere burning himself to ash once more as Merlin faded away. Perhaps he hadn't died, but he wasn't here anymore.

She was numb.

Hektor gave his life, and he forgave Mandricardo. Her friend, one of her newest, said his goodbyes as he fulfilled his vows.

"It's not because I'm a Servant that I'm able to do it now! It is because I'm your friend!"

Mandricarado died, a smile on his face as he swung the sword he'd strove for all his life, his declaration still ringing in all their ears.

But then… it wasn't Altria, it wasn't Cú Chulainn. It wasn't Ushiwakamaru, or Mash, or even Robin Hood who struck her from her unthinking haze.

It was Goldorf.

"Ritsuka! What are you blabbering on about! You have a command spell, don't you? Let Orion rise up, even if it's all spent! And let him shoot the arrow!" he commanded, nay, demanded.

"He's right Master," Cú started, a smile on his face. "We've come this far. You need to see it through to the end," he said with a smile as he turned towards the stars. "...but we've wasted enough time," he added, frowning now.

"Cu?" Ritsuka asked, choking up as the Caster turned towards her, a sad smile on his face.

"...This is my last stop. At least, for this Lostbelt… I can't be there… you know where, if I am here," he explained softly as Ritsuka stumbled towards him, only for Altria to pull her back. "She's going to fire again… remember Ritsuka, we still have so much more to see." he proclaimed, pulling back his hood and letting his hair flow free again.

It had been one hell of a journey to this point. And he was sad…

He wouldn't get to see the end here… he'd have to wait a long time to meet her again, to meet them all again. Such was how Avalon le Fae functioned… as Odin, this world's Odin, told him.

"Odin… I beseech your authority. Requesting access to the eighteen runes." Cú started as Ritsuka tried to stop him. "Don't! You have to keep going! Make a promise to me! Promise me, that no matter what, you'll see this through to the end! No matter who you lose! No matter what happens!" he shouted, spinning his staff, drawing all eighteen runes in the air as Artemis' laser charged once more.

"But- But!" Ritsuka started as Cú chuckled.

"Altria… take care of her. Sorry that I'm leaving you both again," he added, not bothering to look back as he got his request back.

Access Granted.

"I'll see it through to the end Caster," Altria proclaimed as she looked at Ritsuka, helping the Master stand alongside all those who still remained. Cú smiled as he looked to the stars.

"Ochd Deug Odin: Great God Carved Seal!"

They watched as the explosion lit up the sky, the eighteen runes forming a layered defense as Cú Chulainn smiled. Behind him… Ritsuka began to fulfill her promise.

Orion stood up once more as Cú felt his body burn away. He wouldn't vanish, not yet.

Not until the arrow had fired.

"Artemis!" Orion declared as everyone who remained watched, ready to witness the first death.

The first God to fall from the heavens.

His call to the faraway was like the roar of a lion… The man who would shoot down the goddess looked onward.

"I hereby give up my crown so that I may truly strike down the Goddess of the Moon! Artemis!" Orion belted out, glowing as his true form came about. His final stand.

"No one else is going to drop you from the sky but me! No one! I was summoned by my will, and I will shoot you by my will!"

They watched him pull back the arrow as Cú Chulainn finally gave away, his body shattering to dust as the Grand Archer… no, just an Archer, looked onward.

"Artemis… brace yourself! I'm going to hurt you now!"

"And I'm going down with you."

All kinds of heroes had fulfilled their destinies to get here. They had died, and given their lives, to help their friends reach this point. Francis Drake, Charlotte Corday, Chiyome Mochizuki, Bartholomew Roberts, Gilgamesh, and Blackbeard. Achilles, Nobunaga, Merlin, Bedivere, Hektor, Mandricardo. And now, Paris and Cú Chulainn. All of them had died for this single moment.

"The Treasure…"

The Third Noble Phantasm. The Divine Bow, The Arrow of the Heroic Spirit, and the Title of Grand discarded. There was no hatred, no fighting spirit, or hostility. Indeed, such negative emotions would have rendered such a Noble Phantasm powerless.

It was powered by Love. The Love Orion held for his Goddess of the Moon.

"ORTYGIA AMORE MIO! HE IS THE HUNTER THAT PIERCED THE GODDESS!"

He fired the arrow, its target in sight. Its goal, the Goddess Artemis. Indeed, that was its only purpose, and it's only target. It would only ever shoot down Artemis.

When Orion began to fade… Ritsuka approached him.

"...How can you?"

"Shoot her down? The same way you can keep moving forward like they wanted you to kid. I know it's hard, I know it's painful, I know it's sad, but still…" he waited for her to finish.

"We move on."

"That's right. We move on. Life doesn't end when our friends die… it ends when we forget them. You carry all our memories with you. Remember that kid… The sky no longer belongs to the goddess. I'll leave you one word of advice…" she listened.

"In order for a Grand Servant to be summoned, a requirement. You know it well… and you know what it means." he pointed out, and she nodded. "Good. I can't help you any further… but you've still got friends who'll help you move forward." he held out his massive hand.

She reached up and took it, and together, before he faded away… they shared a smile, and her tears.

"You don't have to not cry. You don't have to keep looking back. History is spun through repetition. One day, you'll pass on that baton to someone else, like Drake did. Heck, like we all did."

He declared his love for the history that had given birth to her, and to them all.

"You took the baton from us, and your determination got us here kid. I'm sorry I can't be there all the way… like how I'm sure your other friends are sorry they can't be either. But I'm certain of one thing. You, Mash, Altria… all of you, some of you I just met, I can see the friendship you all share. I believe in you all… we all do. Now go, towards Olympus. I'm going back to Artemis.

"Goodbye, Orion," Ritsuka said with a tearful smile as Mash and Altria came up by her sides.

"Yeah… farewell everyone!" Orion finished and with a tearful farewell from all… he vanished. His last sight was that of a girl, surrounded by her friends. A Saber in Black, a Shield in Purple. A Rider with a Scythe, a Lancer with a Silver Spear and a second with Dragon Wings, an Archer turned Saber, a Caster of Stories, and a Berserker with a Staff. Her friends from the place called Chaldea.

He wondered, if one day, he would be a part of such a thing, alongside his beloved.

---

Wodime: He Who Saw The Path Of The End

It had been done.

Here he was, the conclusion he had seen. The correct path, blood, dripping down his shirt. The Alien God before them, and Chaldea awaiting judgement. Sure there were a few more than he expected, but this was it.

And as Holmes declared it over… he finally broke his silence.

"It isn't like you to come to a conclusion so prematurely. Or is it that placing 'An Organism from Another Star' into the role of culprit is sufficient to throw off the conclusions of the famed detective."

"Krischtaria!" Ritsuka called as the man smiled… he'd had to wait oh, so long for this moment.

"To think, how much we've narrowed the distance between us… What I've seen was a surprise for me… but I'm glad I saw it," he started as Kotomine starred in shock. Ah. So the priest, and the goddess, had not seen what he had. Good, it meant he could speak a bit more freely. Finally.

"Krischtaria Wodime? You were alive?" Holmes questioned as Altria muttered something about 'curses'. Ah yes, the curse Zeus had placed on the Detective. But that didn't matter.

"My heart won't stop so easily. Sherlock, you claimed that there was no possibility of overturning the present circumstances… you are right, so long as the present conditions remain. If anyone has failed… it is I, as all my conditions of victory have been removed or destroyed. It is impossible for me to overturn my present circumstances… but your loss condition is death. The victory is survival, just as it has always been, isn't that right Fujimaru." Krischtaria said, nodding to Ritsuka.

"Right," she nodded, holding her fist tight. Beating the Alien god wasn't the goal here. It was surviving to the end.

The end of this loop they both saw. "At this present time, you all can do nothing but escape. Escape alive, and you have victory. Therefore, the means to overturn this remains. At this moment, we have yet to 'lose'." He slipped a little, the control he'd been keeping to stay perfectly on the path he had seen faltering.

His death was always part of the plan… but it felt good to know that, even if it wasn't going to break the gods, it was going to save this world.

He was glad.

"I may have brought forth the Alien God… but that is because this 'path' is what was set out for us. This was the only method of victory for you that I could see. I offer my trump card. I will hold back the Alien God. And you will escape. As it is written." Everyone stared at him in shock, except for Ritsuka.

"I trust you know what must be done?" he asked.

"Yeah. Even with your body broken… I know you can do it," Ritsuka said with a smile.

He returned it. "Oh, you know it well. One day, we will settle things for real. But that day will never come if the Alien God claims victory here. So I entrust you with a final task. My apologies… I would have done more if I could," he said once more.

"It's not the end yet Krisch," Ritsuka pumped her fists, despite the death looming over them… this was nice.

"Mr. Holmes?" He looked to the detective to secure his vow.

"I understand, I vow to commit the entirety of my strength as to provide Chaldea with the means to turn the tables," Holmes responded. Good, it continued as written.

"How reliable, then I'm afraid that here is where we part ways Ritsuka; for now at least. Mash, a word of advice. In my time as a Crypter, I endeavored to eliminate both you and Ritsuka, as you possessed the capacity to stand as the greatest obstacles in my way. Humans are simply incapable of finding the correct path forward, and for this reason I considered my actions to be appropriate. Just so, you must continue to tread lightly, for the purpose of bringing to pass the outcome you most desire. At the very least, this is the conclusion I draw as a Human." He smiled at her. "Know that guilt and atonement have no place in combat. With this in mind, journey forth from Chaldea to render unto yourself the greatest possible benefit permissible to you," he recited. Ah, how relieving it felt to say. To say, and know it was true.

This was indeed what he had been waiting for, everyone evacuating… and him and Caenis alone. This moment where he could finally, finally, make a change.

His vision was gone, he'd been running entirely off of memory. "Is everyone gone?"

"...Yeah, they are," Caenis admitted, knowing her Master's 'condition'.

"Priest, you will not stand in my way?" Krischtaria asked, and Kotomine huffed.

"No, unless the Alien God commands me to remove you. I'm only watching the cause and consequence of an event. It will be a good lesson for her since, no matter how powerful any one being may be, this planet has its own rules. It will be a good opportunity to learn about them," the priest recited, just as he had previously.

"Nothing to hold back then… Caenis you know what you must do," Krischtaria told his loyal Servant, his one sole companion who had similarly played the role he intended. She didn't know it all, in fact, she knew only that this was the intended outcome.

'Should I fall, you will aid Chaldea.'

That had been the final alteration he had made in their contract. One she agreed to, one he had explained what very little he could.

"Stars. Cosmos. Gods. Animus. Antrum. Unverse. Animus. Animasphere!"

He held nothing back indeed.

"What illuminates the land, in the heavens, the beacons in the sky doth indicate… O Light of Chaldea, may you serve as a guide unto Wayfarers of Time and Space once more."

'Farewell, Ritsuka Fujimaru.'

'I hope we meet again. In another life.'

Those were his last thoughts as he struck out at the Alien God. He was dead before he'd even finished his spell.

As it was written… as he had intended.

This world would live on.

Fate Grand Order

Grand Order Activation

Darkness Before Dawn, Journey's End

Adminspace

"...I've confirmed it, Wodime's header is Terminal," Manu admitted as they watched the man's final stand against the Alien God, beating it back with the last of his life.

"That's certainly a hell of a way to go out when you think about it," Loki muttered as they turned their attention back to Chaldea, where Caenis had just joined up with them, as Wodime had intended. The one difference he actually made in the entire timeline, despite being fully aware of the Loops before his death, the only thing he changed was something that came after it.

"To save a future he would never see…" Hecate murmured. "What a wonderful soul he is." She typed into her terminal. "We can't let his sacrifice be in vain. What can we do from this point?"

"At this point… I don't know, we're about to hit the Avalon Expansion… also did anyone figure out why Crescent Rose was just laying around in the sand?" Odin asked.

"The Phantasy Tree pulled it out, among other things that they never found. But I do wonder why it was on a beach like that, waiting for her, rather than at the bottom of the sea like all the other objects…" Manu muttered. The Atlantis Tree of Phantasy was an odd one, mostly because it had contained Atlas within. Had Atlas the Titan done something? His data was so broken up it was impossible to do anything more than get a vague outline of him. He stroked his chin in thought.

"Speaking of that," Hecate said, scrolling through her terminal. "Have we found out any hints about how the other data might manifest? I've been looking for mentions of that Fire Emblem data and can't find any. If we could get advance warning on how things might go…" She paused. "Well, we might not be able to do anything. But it'd put my mind at rest."

"I've already confirmed the data… the Fire Emblem data was originally pulled out in the Avalon area, but it's been… destroyed? Removed is a better word. Whatever it was, it isn't there anymore, even if there is still Fire Emblem data in the system," Manu admitted as he pulled up relevant files to Avalon le Fae.

Hecate leaned over his shoulder and clicked her tongue. "Okay, so I've been looking for nothing. That's fine. That's…" Her complaining slowly trailed off, as she and Manu noticed a very interesting file among the bunch.

Beryl Gut's file, marked with a Terminal header, despite the fact they'd seen the man multiple times, and even watched him flee back to Avalon. "What's going on here?" Manu muttered in confusion.

Odin hummed. "Perhaps he is dead and what we're seeing is some sort of ghost?" Odin positited.

"He would at least be marked as active in some manner if that was the case. But no, the file is very clear that Beryl Gut is dead," Manu pointed out.

Loki covered his mouth as he muttered, "And yet he's still acting throughout the timeline… didn't he have that header all the way back when the Lostbelts began?"

"He did, but now I'm wondering more and more about what's going on…" Manu pointed out as they swapped off Chaldea to look at the man himself, currently chilling in a small house… and torturing some poor man to death before looking away. "...Yeah he's very much still active."

Hecate frowned. "Are we sure that's him? It could be an… impostor of some kind?" She double-clicked the man on her screen and opened his file, reading through the data. "This is… maybe him? Could someone interpret this? I'm not used to this style of terminal. Something looks off, but these numbers..." Why couldn't she be using one of her terminals? This keyboard and screen were completely foreign.

Manu leaned forward a little, "Hmm…" he grabbed Beryl's file and put the two side by side. "Identical… except for after the point where the original's cut's off and this one continues. It seems we have our culprit." He pulled open another file with nary a flick of a finger. "Morgan. That's her signature in it, magical that is. This one." He pointed at the new file. "Is a clone so perfect that aside from the lack of a soul… it is Beryl Gut."

"That… is highly concerning that she could make something so perfect that even Yggdrasil sees them as that similar," Odin admitted, leaning back and taking a sip of his coffee. "What sort of power bracket are we dealing with when it comes to Morgan? The clone did boast 'she was the strongest king.'"

"Well let's see," Manu muttered before pulling open Morgan's file further… and everyone watched as it proceeded to go on, and on, and on… and on… "Oh… that's… a lot of data. She has easily ten times as much data in her memories alone than anyone else's file, if not more… what?"

Loki looked serious. "If I didn't know any better… I'd say we were looking at a Looper's file."

Hecate scrolled up for a moment. "I… think I remember this. In a sense, we almost are. Look here, on this line." She highlighted a specific line of data. "Time magic. She was sending her own memories back in time, over and over again. That's why her memories are so large- they compounded over several cycles."

She opened a new tab, showing a simplified timeline view. "Notice this segment?" she asked, pointing at a very bold loop-de-loop. "That's her, repeatedly sending her own memories backwards. It's a stable time loop within the Baseline." She returned to viewing Morgan's personal file. "She's only lived for so long, but she has the memories of an immortal. With all that it implies."

"...She's effectively a Looper who snapped," Odin mumbled with a wince. "Only instead of her memories being stored separately in Yggdrasil, they're all packed into her own file."

"Such a thing would drive anyone mad eventually… I guess that's why her Servant form is a Berserker," Manu admitted before sighing. "Ok, so powerwise… we're looking at someone who can not only make perfect clones of people so well we didn't catch it until just now, but who can loop herself back through time, oh and she's the reason that the Lostbelt still exists without its Phantasy Tree as well, and she wields Rhongomyniad, a divine weapon, almost casually," Manu listed off. "And that's just the basics."

"Add on her years of experience from the time nonsense, and she's experienced too," Hecate added. "If this is Ritsuka's Activation Loop, it doesn't matter that they're an Anchor. Morgan is older than them by orders of magnitude."

"...Well shit…" Loki complained as he put his hand on his head and started rubbing. "Cu's older, but he's still stuck with Baseline powers… I don't think that's going to do a damn thing against this."

"In terms of pure experience and power, It's likely Morgan actually trumps many other Loopers in some of the other, younger Branches… and this is what Ritsuka has to face down. And thanks to Avalon's mechanics, she's doing it with nothing but the help she procures in the Lostbelt…" Odin muttered.

"To put it bluntly, this doesn't look good," Manu amended, "And this is before even getting into the Expansion."

"Oh for Yggdrasil's sake, there's more after this?" Loki questioned in an exasperated manner.

Hecate let out a breath. "I know it comes sometime after Morgan's defeat," she said. "That's where the Loop ended for a while. Do we know what comes with it?" She frowned at the terminal. "I wouldn't know where to look."

"What we have is data that keeps spitting out errors and warning symbols, but all the Expansion data finally came in… a lot of big things are apparently going to happen… because there were four really, really large files with very clear names," Manu said, pulling up said files.

Four files, clearly named… with literally burning text.

Albion: Calamity of Flames

Barghest: Calamity of Beasts

Cernunnos: Calamity of Curses

Oberon: Insect of the Abyss

"...Those are some unique headers," Loki noted with a very nervous chuckle.

"And foreboding ones," Hecate added. "In my experience, anything that's called a calamity is bad news." She thought for a moment, and then reached forward, pressing her finger to the flaming text. She immediately pulled it back, shaking her hand and wincing. "Good news, Yggdrasil's being funny again. At least something's in good spirits." She sucked on her finger.

"And the bad news?" Odin asked as Manu took a deep breath.

"From what I'm seeing… the first two, Albion and Barghest are powerful, but seem relatively stable… it's the last two that have me worried," he said trying to open their files… and instantly being met with error flags. "You can see why."

"So we can't even get data on the last two?" Loki questioned.

"No, but we can make some inferences… notably that they're clearly in an order, likely in order of appearance. Albion, Barghest, Cernunnos and Oberon…" Odin said as Manu took a deep breath.

"...And Oberon is the name of one of the biggest allies Chaldea has just before the expansion hit," Manu said to… incredibly dawning horror.

"So if he's being listed alongside the others…" Hecate's eyes widened. "You don't mean-"

Manu was quick to try and open Oberon's previous file, the one from before the expansion data had hit… and was met with an error flag, denying access. The others watched him try to grab several other files. Fairy Knight Gawain, Fairy Knight Lancelot, anything beside Morgan from Avalon.

Every attempt was met with errors as he tried to pull the files open, only getting their titles.

"...Fuck."

Hecate opened her mouth, but shook her head. "Whatever this Expansion is, it's retroactively changed… everything. Stability is at an all-time low, and we might as well be blind. If the Loop crashes in this state, the whole Nasuverse is going down, and I really don't think Yggdrasil can handle losing another Branch." She slammed a fist into the desk. "Dang it… what are we supposed to do?!"

"...At this point we pray," Manu said softly. "And get as many people here to keep this Branch from collapsing under the sheer weight of what's occurring."

"Hey, they're out of Heian-kyo… it's time," Loki pointed out, motioning them all to the screen following the Anchor candidate Ritsuka, and her triumphant return to Chaldea over Ashiya Douman with some… interesting changes to one Ushiwakamaru who'd gone with her. "Huh, she awoke her Silver Eyes, that's good."

"Here's hoping whatever Ritsuka has planned is going to get them through this," Odin muttered as he clenched his fist. His trump card, Cú Chulainn, was already in play, and now he wasn't sure it would be anywhere near enough. Experienced Looper or not, locked to only Baseline powers, even with all his experience… this was going to be hell.

"Wait and Hope…" Manu muttered, leaning back.

"I hate this… powerlessness." Hecate rubbed her forehead. "But… what else can we do?"

"I'm going to get some other Admins, this has gone from a manageable threat to something that they need to know about," Loki stated, standing up and… almost robotically walking away from the office to find Skuld.

Less than ten minutes later, came the shout that the three of them had been rather expectant of. Skuld.

"IT'S GOTTEN HOW BAD?!"

---

Avalon le Fae - The Curtain Rises

All their preparations had been for naught.

She'd told them of Avalon, of the oncoming storm… the battle that was going to occur. Altria had backed her up. They'd listened… but they'd been unable to come up with a solution to her problem.

"There really isn't a way to make Heroic Spirits of Human History register as Heroes in a place Human History does not exist."

That had been Holmes' response, and while Da Vinci did bring up that she had counted… They also noted that not only was she an exception, but they didn't have the resources to make another body for even a single Servant to inhabit… as willing as Altria had been to even attempt that option.

Then the topic had turned to the round table, and to the summoning of Tristan. Sion had pointed out that he may have been summoned, but that was due to his strong connection to Cornwall, in Cornwall. So while giving her more summoning arrays was also an option it meant that the spirits she could call upon were… limited. She would have to summon them in their origin locations.

Tristan in Cornwall.

Boudica in London.

King Arthur in Tintagel.

That last one, they quickly learned, was not going to be an option as most of that region, including Tintagel, had been overtaken by the nameless forest in her memory… but she did reveal importantly that, despite the setbacks, she'd found the aid to make it to Morgan, to face her down… and beat one body before getting stomped into the ground, only for the fairies to betray Morgan and strike her down.

With no other real options… they could only just follow the script. In a way, like Wodime had done, following what had happened before was their safest bet to reach the true conclusion. So instead, they turned their attention to the border, beefing up its power supply to make it last longer should it be forced to drift out at sea.

Even Caenis hadn't been able to offer much about the British Lostbelt, the Divine Spirit having joined them on orders from her now dead Master.

"I was never allowed into it. And from what you're saying, even I would have probably died if I'd managed to get in. A land with no godly protections or even human or divine spirits? Save one? That's not exactly a place I'd probably last long," she had admitted.

That Caenis had admitted as much, after hearing of the British Lostbelt, had really driven the point home. This was going to be their toughest challenge yet, and perhaps ever.

So when Ashiya Douman popped up on their radar, she took the chance to eliminate him with extreme prejudice.

About the only hiccup has been Ushi dueling with an older, possessed version of herself, wielding the same scythe she did, much to everyone's confusion. Otherwise, with the aid of the warriors of the era, the Golden Bear was called down, and Douman's false Phantasy tree destroyed, along with the man himself.

Caenis and Altria alike had taken a particular enjoyment in bashing his smug face in.

Now, the time had come for the British Lostbelt...

They'd loaded up the Storm Border, and prepared to breach the wall of light. Sion had informed them of the time dilation aspect once more, but instead of joking around, she had been quite serious. If this was their last stop, they needed to make every moment count where it could.

Even if they couldn't help directly, many of her Servants had elected to come along, for moral support, if nothing else.

Altria had demanded she come along, like she always had, and Ritsuka wasn't one to deny one of her best friends.

Caenis had done much the same, she had been ordered to help them, and with what was at stake, the moment she could, she would do so.

Ushiwakamaru had come along as well. She'd wanted to be there for her Master, and for Mash as well, with a grand smile across her face, her eyes, both silver, from their clash in Heian-kyo, where she had dueled herself and had 'synced' with her future self, at least a little bit.

The fourth to come along… had been Van Gogh. Little Clytie, the Servant who had fallen through space and time to be here, had wanted to aid… in whatever little ways she could.

Oh many others had offered, many others had tried to come, but it had been these four, alongside the original crew, that had set out on the Storm Border together, towards the journey's end. Anyone else was loaded into the Saint Graph container suitcase. The only way anyone else was going to be summoned, was through a miracle.

The night before they had gone to Britain, a Magician had appeared in her dreams, amid a field of flowers to give her a prophecy.

"From now on, I will tell you of a future. The fate of a mysterious island which became the land of fairies."

"The innocent return. This infinite castle of the queen."

"Like rain, like ashes, it accumulates. Like snow, like lies, it fades away."

"Our hopes are at the ledge. Even now we remain in the palm of the queen's hand."

"But we only need endure it a little longer. The morning when two thousand years have passed the child of salvation will appear."

"The one who joins fairy and human. The child of salvation who will save the World."

"Like a moth to a flame. Even if it begins as a small spark, even if it cannot be seen."

"A city of iron, a sea of soot. When the calamity was repulsed, the pilgrimage can be welcomed."

"Guided by the Staff of Selection, watched over by the Foreign Traveler, the child of salvation will reach the throne."

"The true king takes their place on the throne. The bloodstained crown is received."

"Ring, ring, thunderous anger, fiery lamentation. Herald with the six bells. Make way for the true king."

"Before the red calamity reaches us. Before the black calamity bites."

"We may be a bit lazy at our job, but we are descended from free fairies."

"Hope is still missing. A shining tomorrow is desired."

She still only understood half of it this time. Her friend that awaited her arrival, the city of soot that awaited its salvation… the bells they had rung. The people they had lost.

The Loop had ended after Morgan had died.

And so, they'd waved Sion goodbye… and she wished them good luck. This would be the last time they saw her, so she'd done all she could.

For the last time, they said their goodbyes to everyone, who would be waiting for their success.

They boarded the Storm Border, and rode towards destiny.

---

Ritsuka stood, alongside her friends, as they looked out the window as they flew towards the bastion of light. The dimensional boundary.

"So this is it huh? This is what both you and Krischtaria were working towards reaching?" Caenis questioned.

"Indeed, white Lancer, this was the goal all along… how fitting its name is…" Altria mumbled to herself.

Avalon le Fae.

"I wish there was more we could do, it doesn't feel right, knowing that we're only going to be here for moral support while Fujimaru-dono is going to be risking her life yet again," Ushiwakamaru complained.

"That's more than enough for me. Just knowing that you're all waiting for us gives me the will to see this to the end," Ritsuka said to them with a smile. Clytie was the only one who didn't speak, instead she was just smiling.

They talked, and talked some more. Nemo proclaimed their intent to use the Storm Border as a gigantic drill in order to pierce the wall of light. To pierce 'The World's End'. When Nemo had declared everyone return to their stations, Ritsuka knew…

It was time.

And she made her choice.

To follow the path she felt would lead to victory.

Her condition for victory was survival.

Her condition for loss was death.

That was the plan she engraved on her heart. She was going to survive. She was going to save the world.

She was going to save her friends. Everyone was counting on her.

She took her seat as Nemo nodded.

"Good. Professor, begin the final checks. Storm Border, commence Zero Coating. Triton Engines 1,2 and 3, parallel operations all green. Calculating the time difference to the drilling target is complete," Nemo began, running through their final checks. "I'm entrusting the protection of the armor to Da Vinci in the computer room. We of the Nemo Series will be focusing our attention on maintaining our course."

"We've got acknowledgement from the computer room Captain! Chances of success ninety-nine point ninety-nine percent!" Meuniere proclaimed, holding his hand to his headset as he received word from Da Vinci. Nemo nodded.

"Dimensional boundary piercing warship Storm Border, launch!" Nemo declared, throwing out his arm, pointing towards the wall of light. "From here on, we storm the sixth Lostbelt!"

Everyone braced and looked ahead as the operation began, the almighty Storm Border, their flagship and final hope, striving forward. Through the light… and unto darkness.

---

Altria grit her teeth as she slumped in her chair… Ritsuka's words had not done justice to how hard it was to stay in this Lostbelt, this world. Even in China it hadn't been this bad. Da Vinci had informed them of every other Saint Graph being in a dormant state, from the most normal to the most divine. Not even the Lostbelt Kings they had summoned, such as Skadi or Arjuna Alter, had been active.

She, Ushiwakamaru, Caenis and Van Gogh were all struggling to stay maintained, just like Holmes and Nemo.

As Goldorf had put it. "There is no sufficient foundation for the Heroic Spirits to be active. For instance… Robin Hood. That heroic spirit should be able to exist in any Lostbelt. He's a faceless man that exists as long as there's something that corresponds to a 'human who's skilled with a bow, regardless of identity or background.' But you are saying that even such easy conditions can't be met in this Lostbelt?"

"Yes, that's right. Thank you for the good analogy Goldorf!" Da Vinci said with a smile to him, the Director returning it.

"No no, I remain a solitary director who has enjoyed reading your reports. While I would normally proclaim myself better at understanding the Lostbelts… Fujimaru is the one doing this again. But still… a history that doesn't even include the concept of 'People can be good at archery'..." Goldorf paled. "What sort of history even is this!? Even in a Lostbelt that continues to exist beyond the year twenty-seventeen? Can such a human history exist?" Goldorf asked, and Ritsuka… also wasn't fully aware of why this world was the way it was.

"True, it's not possible. Even if it is a Lostbelt, as long as it's still human history, it will follow a certain pattern. As long as you build a civilization in the human format, there will always be technical breakthroughs to be made," Holmes began to explain, still slumped in his own seat. "The way we breed animals, and thrive from it… if our culture and living standards don't reach a certain level, we cannot survive for more than ten thousand years. Naturally, the many responsibilities of an occupation will eventually be divided, and thus, optimized," Holmes continued, raising his hands and counting on his fingers.

"Even if the titles are different, swordsmen, archers, spearmen, craftsmen, soldiers, kings and detectives are born," Altria pointedly ignored the man's ego stroking at that last one… but she assumed he meant 'researchers' when he said detectives.

"And the lack of such things means that there is no Human History at all?" Ushiwakamaru questioned as Ritsuka shook her head.

"There are humans but…" Ritsuka started, before closing her eyes. "They aren't as we know them."

"Thank you for that answer Fujimaru. While the simplest conclusion is that 'humans' don't exist here, knowing that they do in some capacity does give me some thought, likely, they are the reason the six of us have not simply been scattered to the wind as dust," Holmes pointed out, referring to the six normal Servants on the Storm Border.

"...Even the one who made me, and gave me my power, is unable to reach us here…" Van Gogh muttered softly. That had actually been her hope, that her Outer God, her Evil God of Flowers, Vulthoom, would be able to maintain her existence here… but it seemed that was not the case.

"Yes… even in this Lostbelt, it seems even those from beyond space cannot penetrate it. Which leads me to the conclusion that they, and perhaps other gods, have had no influence on this world." Holmes grabbed his pipe, and took a small puff from it.

"Then why are the technical advisor and Mash not affected in the slightest?" Goldorf questioned as Mash spoke up.

"It's because I'm a demi-servant, it has to be. My spiritual base may be that of the Heroic Spirit Galahad, but I'm not actually him…" Mash said softly as Altria scoffed.

"Please, you are many times the person he was as far as I am concerned as your King," she recited. About the only thing the stupid airhead had managed was to reach the grail and wish for nothing from god. Mash had reached the holy grail, multiple of them, across time and space and had done the same, even if God hadn't come down to ask what she wished for. As far as she was concerned, Mash was the superior Grail Knight.

There wasn't any hatred towards the knight for just abandoning them and actively hindering them the moment the Lostbelts began, forcing Mash to crawl and scrape her way to perform even greater feats, no sir. She clearly felt nothing for him.

…

Nothing but contempt.

That actually made her think of whether Mash's own legend was that of 'A traveler across time and space, who can enter and defend any place.' That would certainly allow her to function normally, wouldn't it?

Of course that was her own crackpot theory, she was no detective.

"Yes, exactly. And I'm not Leonardo da Vinci himself, either. Technically speaking, I'm a homunculus," Da Vinci giggled. "Well, I'm even more of a genius than he is! We should consider ourselves lucky!" Altria didn't have an answer as to why Da Vinci could function beyond that, so she elected to ignore it and think about it later when her mind wasn't so sluggish.

"In other words, it's just as Fujimaru claimed. You and Mash are the only Servants who can operate in this Lostbelt," Nemo amended softly as he sat down against a wall.

"But didn't we prepare those extra-" Meuniere started as Da Vinci nodded.

"We did, but we don't even know if they will work. According to Fujimaru the only Servant that appeared to their aid was Tristan, in Cornwall, the place he was born and raised. And since this is the issue, we can't expect any other heroes of Proper Human History to join our ranks," Nemo pointed out as Sylvia came over and picked up the small submarine captain, moving him to a chair. "We'll have to seek out locals… Da Vinci, status report, what's happened while we were unconscious?"

"Immediately after the Storm Border passed the wall of Light, all systems went down, all electronic equipment stopped functioning, and the Storm Border crashed. Nemo Engine underwent a last ditch effort to get a single Triton engine running again and the Storm Border broke free of the island's airspace, we crash landed somewhere off the southwest coast of Britain. The generator's down too, so we're running on backup power for now," Da Vinci relayed.

"Well this situation fucking sucks," Caenis pointed out bluntly as she stood up, using her spear as a support as she looked at Ritsuka. "How in the hell do you plan on fixing this mess?"

"I think that's going to fall to us who remain here on the Storm Border to prepare to fix it," Holmes pointed out as Da Vinci winced.

"Yeah that's part of the problem, the closer to the British Isles we get, the worst the Storm Border functions," Da Vinci complained before sighing. "It's just 'stopped'. Nothing has been damaged or destroyed. Just like the Heroic Spirits, the Storm Border can't function anywhere near the British Isles."

"...Even based on the Nautilus, it can't get close to the 'Mysterious Island'..." Nemo mused.

"Right, because the Nautilus can go pretty much anywhere, conceptually, can't it?" Ritsuka asked, and Nemo nodded weakly.

"Exactly, it was this trait that Storm Border has inherited. And we all know that the Nautilus could go anywhere, from crossing the sea of Poisoned Milk, to the depths of Imaginary Numbers Space, to even Olympus, situated underground and under the sea. Yet if it can't reach this island?" Nemo asked back.

"Something is wrong, but it's likely the same as we have deduced. 'Heroic Spirits of Proper Human History' cannot function in this Lostbelt," Holmes admitted, before amending his statement. "Of course, we have four Servants here who all have their own unique circumstances. The Black King Altria Pendragon, who really should be able to enter here on that principle alone. The Divine Spirit Caenis, imbued with the power of Poseidon. The Fake Heroic Spirit Clytie Van Gogh, who runs off of the powers granted to her by forces beyond our World. And the mysterious entity that has granted Ushiwakamaru a portion of her current powers, the Mystic Eyes of Creation and the scythe we now know as 'Crescent Rose', an advanced weapon which we now know is conceptually strong against creatures of destruction and darkness alike. Both powers we have deduced as not native to our world as well. And none of these four unique existences are capable of existing in this Lostbelt as it stands now," Holmes explained.

"Well that's highly concerning… just how 'Alien' is this place that none of us can enter at all?" Ushiwakamaru posed, closing her 'Mystic' eyes as she said her piece.

"What of the Shadow Border? Can we use that?" Nemo questioned.

"Not gonna work, it'll stall the moment it hits the island," Da Vinci admitted, going off of what they knew at the moment.

"Seriously… even the Shadow Border won't work. Let me guess, comms aren't going to work either."

"Not really. Once I'm off this boat, that's pretty much it unless something changes," Ritsuka admitted.

"Well guess we're using primitive methods then. Holmes, get the carrier pigeons!" Da Vinci giggled as Holmes chuckled in response.

"Right, so how much time do we got here, I know this boat can't last forever," Caenis pointed out.

"Exactly. The Storm Border can last approximately thirty days as it is currently, fifty if we cut back on what we're powering on the ship, which would involve cutting off backup power supply. Despite the eighty day limit Sion gave us, our max is fifty," Da Vinci provided.

"Well it's a good thing we have plenty of board games then," Altria complained, as she sat up in her chair a little better.

"As soon as we're done, we'll move the Storm Border away from the British Isles and restart the engines. Once the Triton Engine's mana stabilizes, we'll be able to break through the Wall of Light and leave the British Lostbelt again," Da Vinci, then she turns to Goldorf. "Now, I've prepared the briefing regarding our current plan. New Director Goldorf, if you would."

He took a deep breath, before addressing everyone. "As long as the Storm Border keeps away from the island, there's one policy. Fujimaru is to land secretly on the Isle of Britain with Mash Kyrielight as her escort. While investigating the area, they will investigate the cause of the 'collapse' observed in Novum Chaldea. At the same time, if possible, contact the 'Lostbelt King' and obtain Rhongomyniad," he took a second breath, and continued on strong. "Contact with the Storm Border may be too difficult during the operation. Each of you will make your own decisions on the ground and return with results in forty, no make it forty-five days." He ordered.

"But director!? Just Ritsuka and Mash? I mean they aren't in tip top shape but, can't we send at least one other Servant with them? I mean they're still here right, they can still fight?" Meuniere protested, and Caenis spoke up.

"Listen here brat, I don't like being the one to say this, but the closer we've gotten to this damned island, the weaker I've been getting, and I'm sure it's the same for the others as well. We step foot on that island, we could go poof at any moment," Caenis argued, standing up a little straighter as she adjusted to how weak she was currently, rather pissed.

"Then at least let me or Sylvia go with them! I mean, I'm scared too, but come on!" Meuniere argued and Goldorf shot him down.

"Alright you idiot, how is Mash going to defend both of you? She's strong but she is not some Panacea for our problems! If there is only one servant present, I'm going to need that Servant to support Rituska!" Goldorf sent back at the staff member, putting his foot down.

"New Director Goldorf…" Ritsuka muttered with a soft smile… it was always nice to know he cared.

"Alright you two," the new director turned to them. "Recite the mission statement!"

They both saluted him. "Roger! Mash Kyrielight, I will assist Master in surveying the area!"

"Roger! Ritsuka Fujimaru, I will locate the cause of the 'collapse' and survey the area!" Ritska belted out, and smiled.

"Hmm. Well then, let's get to work, after all there's a forty-five day limit. Great Britain is large, if it were up to me I'd head to Oxford first…" Goldorf recommended as the others watched Da Vinci, scurrying around and grabbing objects as she went. "What are you doing technical advisor!?"

"...She's packing… oh… are you going somewhere… can Gogh come to?" Van Gogh asked softly from her position, laying on the floor, the pale girl having raised her head, her straw hat having fallen off while she was laying on the ground.

"Well I am going somewhere, but you can't come sadly. I'm going with them on this little field trip!" Da Vinci declared, before chuckling. "After all, someone's got to do the back and forth messaging! Writing letters and sending them back here to the Storm Border via familiar, thank you!" the child like Rider declared.

"...Oh god this is going to be Camelot all over again," Altria muttered, face palming as Goldorf went completely pale.

It took a few moments, but he okayed it, mainly on the grounds of keeping Ritsuka safe… which everyone agreed to, as keeping Ritsuka protected was of utmost importance after all. So Nemo took them out on a small life boat, taking Mash, Ritsuka and Da Vinci to the shore of the British isles.

And together, overlooking the white cliffs on Cornwall… Tristan quite literally appeared, ;right on schedule, and asked what was going on, summoned by Cornwall with Mash's shield as the Catalyst. Their first ally, and first friend in this wonderful yet horrifying world.

It took them about two hours to get hopelessly lost in the Nameless Forest, not surprising as the damn place took up the entire south western part of Britain… no way around it at all… Their memories were going to vanish from the effects of the Nameless Forest no matter what path they took.

And Ritsuka ran forward, ready to meet the challenges ahead.

---

Avalon le Fae - King of Fairies, The Child of Prophecy

"Excuse me."

Ritsuka watched as the rapier struck light lightning, diving into the back of the Mors, dissolving it entirely into ash. The remains of the Nameless Fairy that had saved them from the fairies of the Nameless Forest. The shadowy form of a winged man stepped forth, the killing blade in hand.

"Forgive my rudeness. Delivering the stroke of mercy must have been too heavy a burden for you. So, as someone who knows the Mors, I delivered it myself." The man stepped forth, as Tristan gasped, his closed eyes somehow glaring at the man from the sensation of his blade and presence.

A man with hair, white as snow, and pale fair skin fit for a prince. Soft blue eyes with a yellow crown of stars. Two large moth wings sprouting from his back, having slipped through the fine blue dress and cloak he wore, said cloak emblazoned with the symbols of the royal brand of Scotland on the inside. "...I'm sorry. May you rest in peace. May your next life be rewarding."

"No way… you are…. You are…" Artoria started stammering in shock.

The man looked at Ritsuka and smiled. "Hi. Good to see you, Ritsuka Fujimaru, and sorry it took me so long to get here," the man, the Fairy King Oberon, chuckled at the sight of Ritsuka still blinking in confusion. "Although, I guess you're a bit confused why I've come to meet you. Fufu, I can see it already on your face." he shrugged, still holding the rapier loosely. "Alright, it's a bit strange for a king like me to do this, but since I don't have any subjects with me right now, I'll introduce myself."

"My name is Oberon. I'm a heroic spirit summoned by the Human Order." He bowed with a grand wave of his free hand, and a smile on his face. "I'm the only Servant destined to help you in this Lostbelt." he stood up again, winking, a small smirk on his face. "Call me Oberon, King of the Fairies. Waddya think? Pretty cool, huh?"

With his final proclamation, Ritsuka took a deep breath, shaking her head. She wasn't sure why the Nameless Forest had failed to claim her memories like how she had remembered last time, but she hadn't gone off track… too far she thought. Now here they were, the point where she should have remembered, even though she already did. But now she didn't have to act dumb.

"Right…" she looked at her hands and then looked at Oberon with a smile. "My name is Ritsuka Fujimaru, and Tristram… the Knight of the Round Table Tristan!" she recited, recalling what had happened last time and keeping to the script as it were.

Tristan nodded similarly. "Right, I recall my name as well. Tristan of Lamets, Knight of the Spectral Strings. I finally remember everything…" he said, before frowning. "And Mash…" he turned towards the blonde haired girl that Ritsuka knew quite well, wielding a staff that looked similar to that of the Magus of Flowers. "You… you aren't named Mash."

The girl that Ritsuka knew as Artoria Caster made a confused face. Seeing her again, since it had been a while, she seemed to be similar to Altria in appearance, but her eyes were a verdant green. "Oberon…? Not Merlin, then?" She seemed confused.

"Merlin?" Oberon questioned with a frown.

"No no… sorry. I have the wrong person or the wrong image in my head." She looked at him. "You are… similar to the person I had envisioned," she commented before looking at both of her companions. "Right, ahem. I remember too." She grabbed her staff with both hands, and bowed to Tristan and Ritsuka. "My name is Caster. Artoria Caster!" she stood back up with a beaming smile across her face. "It's a… long and embarrassing story. Caster was my name back in the village, but please call me Artoria."

Oberon laughed with a grand smile across his face. "Ah, it's such a relief that you all have your names back." He then turned back to the forest. "Ah, but if we aren't quick, we'll get swallowed by the fog again." He started walking, motioning everyone to follow him, and sheathed his rapier at his side. "Come on, make haste! Our goal is just beyond those trees."

As they walked he turned around, throwing his hands behind his head as he walked backwards. "You should see the real Britain first. We'll catch up afterwards."

"Yeah let's get out of this forest first, shall we?" Ritsuka chuckled, still uncertain of what had been up with the Nameless forest, since it had worked on Artoria and Tristan but not her… the memory part at least, she'd still eaten dirt from being knocked out by it.

"Yes!" Artoria grabbed Ritsuka's hand and started running, dragging her past Oberon, who just smiled as he spun to watch them run together. "Let's go Ritsuka!"

"A utopia loved by wind, earth, life, poetry and rain!" She pointed her staff forward as they ran together. "To Britain! The twilit island of the fae!"

Together the two passed through the trees. They came to a stop together on a cliff, overlooking a field of green stretching out before them for miles, as far as the eye could see. A city sat in the distance amidst the roots of a burned down tree, the sun rising over them. The land coated yellow from the eternal sunrise.

This was Britain, Land of the Fae, just as Ritsuka remembered it.

Oberon walked up beside them, laying a hand on both their shoulders as Tristan brought up the rear. "Beautiful, don't you agree? These are the heartlands of the British Lostbelt." He then waved in the direction of the city; or, now that they were looking at it clearly…

"If you look to your right, you'll see what looks like an evil castle. That's Camelot," he admitted, rather blase about it. He then spun around the pair, putting himself in front of Ritsuka and Artoria. "Today's Britain is divided into north and south, with Camelot at the center." He nodded, and Ritsuka nodded at his explanation. "Most of everyone lives either in the south or where we are right now, the middle."

He then began to list the cities off on his fingers. "We have the cathedral city of Salisbury, the port town of Norwich, the trendy city Gloucester, and the great dining city of Oxford." He then winked. "However I wouldn't recommend the food though, it can be a bit loveless." He stood up straight again. "Those are the four main cities. Each of them is governed by what you could call a clan 'head' fairy."

"But… where are Da Vinci and Mash?" Ritsuka questioned the King of Fairies

The small butterfly that had found its way onto his shoulder as he had talked flew away as the fairy frowned. "Ah… I see. You came here with other friends from Chaldea…" he took a deep breath. "...I'm really sorry. You're the only one I could find." The man looked down at his feet, kicking the dirt before looking up. "As you can see, I was the only one taking action. I had my hands full looking for one person." He looked to Ritsuka before nodding, placing a hand on his chin. "But this is perfect, maybe you can tell me about this Mash kid. If you can tell me what she looks like, we can track her down. I'll have Blanca look for her."

"Blanca…?" You said you were by yourself, but you had other friends?" Tristan asked as he came up to join them. Oberon winced.

"Well… in a manner of speaking. I'll introduce you," he whistled, and they watched as a small white moth, though one larger than normal, flew over towards them before stopping in midair. "Isn't she cute and fluffy? She's my advisor… or should I say friend?" Oberon rubbed Blanca's head with a smile, the little moth buzzing at his touch. "She's tidy, smart and above all else, a hard worker. I'm sure she'll find this Mash of yours." Ritsuka nodded as the Moth landed on the ground… and sat kinda like a dog. It was adorable.

"Now then, with that settled, let's exchange information. You tell me about Chaldea, I'll tell you what I know." Oberon suggested.

---

They had talked for a while, and when she finished spinning her tale, Oberon was frowning as he put his hands together in front of his face, the tips of his fingers touching his nose. "I see then… you've conquered five Lostbelts up to now and Britain wasn't the target of an attack, but a need to investigate this 'collapse', and your party consisted of Mash, Leonardo, Tristan and yourself, Ritsuka Fujimaru," he gave a raspberry as he pulled his hands away from his head and tilted his head, lifting his right hand palm up. "The four of you made landfall in Britain, but then lost track of each other in the Nameless Forest."

He sighed, shaking his head. "That's… an issue. No, it's my fault." he rubbed the back of his head. "It's not just you who was lost…" he looked back to her seriously. "...If I had been paying more attention, then I may have been able to go after Mash and Leonardo. I was so excited I found you that… I kinda forgot about everything else," the King of Fairies chuckled nervously.

"I mean with how the fog was rolling in I don't think you had much of a choice Obe," Ritsuka said, smiling as Oberon blinked at the nickname, before huffing and smiling back.

"Thanks for that. You're probably right, but there's something I need to check first. Mash is your contracted Servant right? Then you're connected through a path of magical energy. So long as she's all right, you may not know where she is, but you should know she's still alive." He looked her up and down. "Well? As a Master, you should be able to do that much, right?"

Ritsuka nodded and held her command seals with her other hand. "Yep, she's still alive, and I'm still connected to her." she said with a relieved smile. Good, that was very good. And her connection to Altria was still there as well.

He chuckled and snapped his fingers, pointing his index towards her after doing so. "Good! Then all that's left is to find her." He then put his other hand on his hip. "Leonardo's a Servant as well, right? Then a little thing like that shouldn't be a problem," he said, tapping his head with his right hand. "Fortunately the fairies here can't tell the difference between fairies and Servants. As long as you're not human, it's not that dangerous. Trust in your friends and don't lose your head." He gestured to Artoria and Tristan, and then turned to Artoria. "Right, next. Artoria, anything you want to say to me?" he asked with a friendly smile.

The girl, surprised at her name being called, and the attention on her, chuckled nervously. "N-no, not right now. Chaldea… the pan-human history, the Lostbelt…" she grabbed the back of her neck with her free hand. "I've… never heard any of this before, so it's all over my head…" she chuckled again before looking back to them. "But, um, Servants, was it? A Heroic Spirit… is it like a human who becomes a fairy after death?" she asked.

"...You know that's not the worst way of putting it," Ritsuka mumbled, recalling the time that she'd gone to Vegas with the others and a very wacko Hokusai who believed she was a fairy. "Someone like Tristram… no I mean, Tristan here?"

"Rituska I believe I should be leaving this sort of explanation to you, both about Heroic Spirits and Servants. She can do it on the road." He nodded, looking between them, before grasping Ritsuka's left hand and Artoria's right, pulling them together before setting their hands together. "A citizen of the Lostbelt and a Master from the proper human history. You two can fill the gaps in each other's knowledge." He smiled as Tristan spoke up.

"On the road… do you have somewhere to go Oberon?" The Archer asked, and Oberon nodded, spinning on his heel to face Tristan.

"Yeah, we do. If we're looking for someone, we have to go to a big city." He put his hand on his chin looking Tristan up and down. "You and Ritsuka need to get used to the rules of a fairy nation."

He pointed towards the fields in an eastern direction. "We're headed for Salisbury, biggest city in the south." He then proceeded to list things off his fingers again. "We can get food, clothing, and all the other basics there," he mused, before casting a glance at Ritsuka. "From here It'll take a whole day. You… look like you've been up all night, can you walk Fujimaru?" He questioned.

"I can still walk, I've got some energy left in the tank!" she said back to the Fairy King, who laughed.

"Ah such enthusiasm." He then shook his head. "But you need to hold on just a little. I know how you feel, but remember, keep your head on straight. Britain's a big place. If you're not careful, you'll collapse before you find Mash." He smiled before pointing at her command seals. "Just as you can confirm she's safe as a Master, my instincts tell me she's safe as well." he put one hand on his hip and tapped his heart with his right fist. "After all, I'm the Fairy King. My hunches are spot-on." He then turned and once more pointed out to the field of grass. "First up! Salisbury!"

"S-Salisbury, you say?" Artoria stuttered before steeling herself. "U-um! Is it alright if I accompany you!? I was the one who used Mash's name by accident, so I'd like to hear all about Fujimaru's circumstances and about pan-human history!"

Ritsuka blushed before rubbing the back of her head. "Uh, right sorry, I kinda assumed you would be coming along…"

And like that, Artoria's face lit up like a tomato. "Ye-yes I am! Why am I acting so brazen…! Yes… Nobody would like a bumpkin like me around…" she then realized someone was still gripping her hand. "Huh?"

"And who said that? I'm always happy to make new friends," Ritsuka chided as she shook Artoria's hand, surprise crossing Caster's face as she smiled at her.

"Y-you mean I can come along?"

Tristan smiled as he strummed his harp. "I don't see why not miss Caster."

"We'd be glad to have you along, Artoria," Ritsuka said, closing her eyes and tilting her head as Tristan walked over to her, putting his hand on Caster's shoulder while Oberon looked on with a smile.

"Yeah… What a beautiful friendship." he looked away, before muttering under his breath. "I was on edge in Cornwall, but it turns out I made the right choice by not helping. It's a theatrical way of saying 'All the actors are assembled, now raise the curtain!', don't you think?" he asked Blanca before looking towards the sky.

"Chaldea can't do it alone. And just the Child of Prophecy won't be enough. Yes… it will take both of them to defeat the all-powerful Morgan… and what comes after." he motioned for Blanca to fly off, the white moth taking to the skies in search of his target as Oberon rejoined the trio of new friends himself.

---

Avalon le Fae - The Last Lament

The journey to reach Da Vinci hadn't been especially long, but it had been concerning. They'd found her, and… the head of Salisbury, had tasked them with a problem that needed to be dealt with. The Calamity of Norwich. Oberon had gone after giving them a list of errands to perform, in search of… something, Ritsuka wasn't sure what exactly.

Da Vinci had explained the situation with the 6 calamities and refreshed her memory on the legend of King Arthur, before bringing attention to Artoria Caster, who shared the name of the King of Knights. About how the Artoria of the fairy kingdom remained unrecognized by anyone, alone as the 'Child of Prophecy' with the 'Staff of Selection'. Same name, same face and same fate as Da Vinci had put it… but something bugged Ritsuka about that.

As Cú had put it before upon learning of the King of Knights, who's Awake self she had run into in Shinjuku previously, apparently Artoria Pendragon and Altria Pendragon were Soul-Bound loopers. One couldn't be around without the other in some manner… If one was Awake, both of them were.

And yet… Artoria Caster was not. If anything, if she paralleled Artoria that well, shouldn't she have been here as her? Or shouldn't Artoria Caster have been 'Awake' in some manner? And yet, she was still just herself.

Tristan, helpfully pointed out that she was a bit late, by over 1500 years in fact, and Da Vinci admitted, yeah that was odd. And that the 'Child of Prophecy' was apparently the reincarnation of the 'Savior Tonelico' sent to save Britain once again. The fairy who had saved Britain many times during the Fairy Calendar before Morgan had taken over, and revealed the names of several other supposed Reincarnations of Tonelico. Ector, Wryneck, Grimm, and Tom Tit Tot.

Fairy Britain was so confusing.

After some more discussion about Artoria, including Da Vinci's pointing out that if they were going to work with her that they might alienate themselves from the Queen and thereby prevent themselves from obtaining Rhongomyniad as Sion had begged them to do they eventually decided they would continue working alongside Artoria Caster (not that Ritsuka was just going to leave the poor girl out to dry). They rejoined her the next morning to go out and do some errands, where they eventually learned of the Fairy Knights.

Ritsuka remembered them. Gawain, Tristan and Lancelot… She knew the true names of Gawain and Tristan, Barghest and Baobhan Sith, but Lancelot was still a mystery to her. They'd called a meeting to discuss the knights, their origins as Fairies empowered with names of knights from another world. The Queen's Knights of the Round Table.

Of course trying to tell Artoria of herself in Proper human history had… literally caused her to freeze herself in shock. And after unfreezing the poor girl, she'd told her side of the story. How she had been born with the Staff of Selection before proclaiming she was going to follow in Pendragon's footsteps and save Britain.

Tristan of course, approved, and the moment Artoria had explained about Tristan the Fairy Knight, Tristan had banged his head on the table mumbling about how 'Jeresalem continued to come back and haunt me.' For indeed, the Fairy Knight that shared his name was a bloodthirsty killer, slayer of fairies, and his expression only got worse as more was explained about her various atrocities against the fairies. That night… he had gone to speak to Artoria.

---

"...The white dragon who called for the destruction of Britain when it was an "old and mysterious island", the Vile King, Vortigern. The wrath of Britain… the incarnation of the will that tried to reject the age of man," Artoria recited. "And created to oppose him, raised as the incarnation of the red dragon, Artoria Pendragon. The King who protected the people of Britain and preserved the country and established the world of man. Afterwards, fairies and mystery faded from the island, but the result was the preservation of Britain's culture, passing it onto future generations," she smiled at the man across from her. "...King Arthur didn't become King because she was strong, but because she fought for the future of Britain. That is why the Knights of the Round Table ceased fighting and sat at the same table."

Tristan nodded softly at the apparent alternate of his king. "Yes. Each and every one of us saw hope in the king. Level headed in war, yet just in rule. She cherished all of Britain. With her small body, she was willing to fight and be injured by enemies many times stronger than her," he admitted, holding up his harp as he thought back to those days. Those simple times of adventure where they had fought side by side. And now here was his chance to journey again… with a different King.

She just didn't have the same… feel of his king, but he couldn't put his finger on why she felt familiar somehow. "That's… she must have been an amazing king." his companion responded.

He thought about that, about his harsh words to her… that the 'King did not Understand the Human Heart'. His words that had begun Camelot's downfall. "...Yes. She was the bravest, most poignant, and pious person I ever knew. However, the king was not flawless from the onset. She spent the years after pulling the Sword of Selection training with Merlin and Sir Kay." Perhaps that is why she felt different? Her lack of training? "As such, there is no need to be in a rush now… or so I believe." He smiled at her, opening his eyes softly to look down into those bright green orbs.

"You do not just share her name, Artoria… you have her eyes. That same determination," he said, before closing his eyes again, she was nervous… she needed someone to rely on and to guide her, perhaps a little. "Please believe in yourself. I believe you can do it." He stood up, strumming his harp as he went to return to the room he was sharing with Ritsuka and Da Vinci, sparing one last glance to the little mage who would be king.

He hoped that he would be able to help her all the way.

---

He was going to have to break that promise.

Tristan managed to push Ritsuka Down just as the flames arrived, the sound of chains heralding her arrival.

The Fairy Knight Gawain.

In a single move she crushed most of the Round Table Army alongside them. The right hand of the Queen.

For Ritsuka it was like she was standing before the gates of the Holy City once more. As the Fairy Knight proclaimed the Queen's intent to capture the master from Human History, once more the question did arise.

She commanded them to draw their swords.

And Tristan answered with his bow first. He was currently their first, and only line of defense. The Master, Genius, and little Mage behind him.

And so he danced, strumming Failnaught as he deftly dodged her wild swings. Oh, her power was amazing, it was like standing next to the sun. But…

She was nowhere near as skilled as his fellow Knight of the Round. However, as they fought, a skirmish which would in many cases resolve itself in mere moments lasting for a good three minutes and counting… Ritsuka grunted in pain.

He saw from the corner of his eye, a light on her hand… ah, Gawain was absorbing her Command spells. Or at least removing them from play.

He was not sure how she had such a power, but he put it out of his mind as she dove for Da Vinci; the little Rider just barely blocking as Gawain coated the ground with flames.

He fell to his knees alongside Artoria, the pure heat alone was getting to him. But Da Vinci was by Fujimaru's side as the knight loomed over them.

"Hang on Rits!" Ritsuka was unable to reply… she was… so drained. "No good, you're way too weak!" Da Vinci lifted Ritsuka onto her shoulder. "That Fairy knight, the Command Spells, she… she ATE the magical energy!? What kind of sense does that make!?"

The Fairy Knight seemed… intrigued. "...I've never tasted resistance like this before." She started down Ritsuka, despite her inability to speak… still she was trying to stare down Gawain. "Weak yet not, powerless yet not...hm?"

Further reflection was put on hold however as she caught sight of Artoria. "What's with that look you bastard… it's not fear, or despair. Is that...hate?"

Arotoria stood up, using the Staff of Selection as a crutch. "...Good, you've learned to understand that much." She then stood up taller. "It's been a while. I can't believe we meet again, though I had hoped we wouldn't."

Rituska knew they knew each other. For Artoria was the one who held the Fairy Knight's true name.

"I don't know you… I wouldn't remember inconsequential small fry like you. Are you a weed I stepped on somewhere?" she looked down… past the massive breastplate. "Whoever you are, grow up a little before speaking to me. Looking down on you is hard on my neck. Though with your body, you'll likely never have to deal with such issues in your entire life."

…'Was that a quip about her own massive rack, or a shot at Artoria for not having one?' Ritsuka pondered, despite the death that stood her down.

Evidently the latter, as it clearly offended Artoria. "Y-you!"

"Enough joking around. I have no compassion to extend to aggressors." She raised her sword. "You'll die here with the human, Servants. I won't waste my time on you all." She took a heavy step forward.

And found her path barred by sound as a Knight plucked his harp.

"Hm? Is that… a string?" Gawain asked, confused as Tristan stood up tall.

"...That it would be." He put his fingers to Failnaught. "That is my unrestricted, inexhaustible, and indestructible magical bowstring. No matter your persistence, you will never be able to get past it."

She seemed a little bemused as she looked down at it. "So it would seem. Is this the Wing Clan's magical thread? I'm surprised it's still around." She stared down the Knight of the Round. "To what end? You're not saying you'll beat me with this, are you?"

Tristan glared at her without ever opening his eyes. "No… but it should suffice to restrain you." He strode forth with a smile on his face. Ah… he didn't like to break promises…

How sad.

"Da Vinci. Artoria. I shall hold her off here. Use this opportunity to get Ritsuka out of town and to safety."

Da Vinci grunted as she hefted Ritsuka up. "...Yeah, no problem. Honestly, it'll be tough, but getting away is our responsibility."

"Tristan?" Artoria asked… saddened.

Ah… so this King did possess a human heart. Perhaps that was what was different.

"Artoria… you know of destiny. Do not worry about me. I am about to meet my own, my death." he said, striding another step forward as the fairy knight prepared to ignite her sword.

"Why!? Are you seriously saying that? Talking about getting killed so casually!? And in such condition?" She tried to get him to stop, but he would not.

"What? When your opponent is Sir Gawain, you get accustomed to this. I have already devised a trump card against her. If all goes well, we shall meet up with each other soon," he lied… he didn't like to lie. "But I cannot use it while you are all here. Hurry now, my little King. Your journey is yet to begin."

He was sad that he would not be able to follow them on their journey. And so they left, Da Vinci ordering Artoria to run… leaving just him and Gawain standing there.

She finally broke her silence. "Let me guess. You are going to sacrifice yourself, aren't you?"

"You think to mention something so obvious?" he chuckled. "I see, you truly are Sir Gawain. Both your body and mind are as dense as rock." Tristan mused as the knight asked him a question.

"...Answer me this. Is this what a Servant is? A mere puppet that will throw away its own life for the sake of its Master? Not fearing death, nor ever really knowing life?"

What an interesting question. "...Well, I don't know about that. I think we all want to avoid death, Servant or not." he frowned. "No, if anything, my fear of death is even greater than when I was alive. Heroic Spirits know what a miracle each summoning is. A one-time opportunity. A posthumous dream that is inherently unattainable." He took a deep breath.

"We are all familiar with the sensation of death. Dark, painful, cruel… and sorrowful to the bitter end. It is not something that is so easily endured from having tasted it once already. As far as life is concerned, death can only be handled once." After all, most people had only one life to live. He was lucky. A lucky man, to have this third chance. A shame it had to end, so soon.

"To experience the pain of your own death over and over. Forcing the grief of your death onto others again and again." He moved to pluck the strings once without sound. "I cannot bear it. So, to be honest, I am hoping you will have failed to notice."

"That is your choice. I will only kill your Master," the Fairy Knight of the Sun declared. "If you retreat here, I'll turn a blind eye to it. Your skill is impressive," she admitted, continuing her offer. They were alone of course. She wanted to see what he was like in the dark, even amid the light of the flame as he tapped another string. "Even if your Master dies, there are other ways to sustain yourself in the Land of the Fae."

"No. Above all, I shall stop you here, Fairy Knight Gawain." he spun his bow. "For the sake of those who fought beside me in my weakness, and placed their trust in me as a 'Knight.'" he finally opened his golden eyes, basking in the radiance of the woman before him. "I have no knowledge of your circumstances, nor any interest in your justice. I plan to lay down my life for those I love. In a manner more ruthless than anyone else!"

That little girl who would be king, the King of Fairies who was guiding their path. The little rider who beamed with enthusiasm… the maiden with her shield who had taken Galahad's place, and the Master who had stood alongside him, despite the atrocities his past self had committed without even a hint of concern or any lack of trust. Prepared, he strummed the full harp, an entire web of strings enwrapping the Knight of the Sun; his trump card.

"What!? When did you have time to do this!?" She grit her teeth. "No, if you think you can restrain me with human strength!" She raged against the magic string… yet it held firm. "How! How is this even possible!?"

"You've strung up the whole city without moving or using magic!?"

His arm was torn to shreds from how hard he had pulled the strings of his bow… only one remained now. "You're right. What binds you is not sheer force, but restraint through weight. What seals you is the very mass of this city itself… that is to say, the accumulation of human technology," he took a deep breath. "I grasped your power during the previous battle. Your body will not be able to simply shrug this off."

He moved the bow to his mouth. "My right hand may be lost… but I still have my mouth." He opened his eyes, wide and true, wider than for any opponent he had before. For a moment they stared at each other. The Knight of the Fae staring down a single, Human knight. "Prepare yourself to receive the full force of my assault!"

"The weight… of Human technology…? I see, you'll die foolishly after all, Servant!" She began to try and move again, but failed. "Along with your hubris, having faith in such petty tricks!"

He lept into the air, holding Failnaught to his mouth and pulling on the strings, striking her with even more as his teeth were frayed. Landing before her he slashed with his one remaining arm at the restrained knight, using his bow as the blade and drawing blood from where he had torn away her armor with his strings. He then leapt back, pulling a string once with his mouth, summoning an attack from above that struck her head…

She didn't even flinch from it. Ah well. Might as well give it one last shot.

"The song of my pain and the sound of my grief," he recited as he spun his bow, tossing it through the air and pulling the strings with the hand that had been holding it before catching it again, his now bloody fingers staining the once pristine weapon with his blood as she was entrapped within even more string.

He pulled back with his teeth on the bow string, blood running from his mouth. He could not speak… so he spoke with his heart. "Failnaught." His final, and strongest, arrow. And with it, she actually grunted in pain… as the strings of his bow snapped and he fell to his knees, dropping his bow; his right arm mangled, his left fingers torn to shreds, and even the teeth from his mouth torn loose.

"I see… very well then." Now free, Gawain strode forth. "In response to your resolve I'll give you a taste of my true power." She raised her hand, grasping a horn on her head and pulling it, blood running down her face as she grew to an enormous size. He looked up… with a smile as she roared in anger at him.

"I shall show you my true form. Pan-Human History, you are nothing. Your diminutiveness and weakness knows no limits! You aren't even a stain on my sword!" She swung down with her massive blade, setting the entire city alight in flames… and he died for the third time he could remember.

'Good luck to you all… I bought you all the time I could.'

---

The explosion rocked the earth. "What was that noise?"

"I'll explain later! We're being chased by fairies right now! Can you stand? Run?" Ritsuka gave the affirmative. "Then I'll let you down. Run as hard as you can!" And so she did so.

It did not surprise Ritsuka that she was just a bit faster than Da Vinci and Artoria.

"You're fast for a human!" Artoria commented before looking behind him. "Ah! Da Vinci! They've caught up!"

Da Vinci grit her teeth, clutching her staff. "Despite the opportunity Tristan gave us!" She looked around, and groaned. "We're out of options! There's nowhere to hide on these plains."

The sound of galloping rose suddenly, accompanied by that of something being drawn by wheels. "Ok what's that noise?" Ritsuka asked as they ran… just as the thing crested the hill.

A chariot, pulled by an equitaur, and Oberon at the reins in a white outfit and fluffy coat. "Alright, made it just in time!" He saluted like the dork that he was. "Fairy King Oberon, making his appearance to save you all!" He paused as he got a good look at the three… "Uh… where's Tristan?"

"He's holding back Gawain!" Ritsuka shouted to him and he nodded.

"Well then! Get on, Get on!" he hastened as he ushered the three of them to the door of the carriage. "We'll talk about this later!" He cracked the reins. "Let's go!"

Once they were all inside the carriage took off and Artoria just blinked in awe around them.

"A carriage? That carriage!? The thing only clan fairy heads are allowed to ride inside!?" she asked in shock as their steed answered her.

"Yes. Tools that exploit animals are forbidden in Britain. However, there are also fairies that voluntarily enter the working world. I am the Fairy Horse, Redra Bbit of the Fang Clan, enthralled by the culture know as the 'horse-drawn carriages.'" The equitar nodded. "I serve Lady Aurora, but have neigh'd a special exception for Lord Oberon this time. I hoof a feeling this is a most fateful encounter, so please enjoy the splendor of my carriage." The equitar smiled at them.

"Lots to say here, but perfect timing Oberon!" Da Vinci admitted. "Now let's ride!"

"AWAY!" Oberon ordered and Redra Bbit took off, riding wildly to shake off the soldiers pursuing them. And as they rose, the burning camp of human slaves was put behind them… and with it the loss of Sir Tristan of the Strings.

But they had gained a chance to continue onwards.

---

Avalon le Fae - Auction Antics

After their daring escape, they made their way to Gloucester; the place where everyone who enters, even Morgan, would return to their level of strength at birth… to be honest, Gloucester and its lord Muryan made her nervous. A place where everyone was stronger than her by birth. The small team of the three girls and one Fairy King split up, and Ritsuka was with Artoria, awaiting the night's Auction for the 'Child of Prophecy' they were holding as a slave.

She knew it wasn't Mash, but getting Muramasa on their side was such a boon she still wanted to do this. That it was also the right thing to do was simply a given.

Oberon had apparently gone to drag Da Vinci into what was effectively some sort of vomit chamber like the dork he was, with Da Vinci trying to drag him elsewhere; leaving her and Artoria to explore Gloucester on their own.

"And… off they go," Ritsuka muttered as Artoria nodded dimly.

"S-Seems so… They're… Lively?" she asked and Ritsuka shrugged. She liked Oberon, even if he could be weird.

"It's just me and you now, Fujimaru.." Artoria started before Ritsuka pat her on the back.

"Ah come on, no need to be so formal, we're friends here, so come on, call me Ritsuka!"

"Well… I guess there's no point in coming all this way just to hesitate!" She smiled at Ritsuka. "We're finally in Gloucester, so let's enjoy ourselves, Ritsuka! Let me show you around!" The blonde lit up like the rays of the sun, a smile that threatened to swallow her face as she took Ritsuka by the hand.

However, as they entered Ritsuka noted something… off.

"Uh… something's not right here," she mentioned, rubbing her head as she looked through the streets. What was closer was smaller, what was farther was larger… It wasn't head hurtingly bad, but it was kinda weird to get used to (Granted, her experience dealing with Outer Gods probably was why it didn't hurt at all. Compared to that, this was nothing).

"Yeah I thought so too, the first time I was here. In Gloucester things in the distance appear larger, and things that are near appear smaller," Ritsuka hummed as Artoria explained looking up at the sky. "Sometimes it rains pink, or the main street is covered in rainbows." And then she blushed massively and muttered something under her breath.

"What was that Artoria?" Ritsuka asked as Artoria squeaked.

"B-boys turning into girls, girls turning into boys…" she said softly with a note that spoke of… experience.

Having been a boy before in the previous iteration, and now having been a girl for several years, she could understand why that would probably be very, very disconcerting…

She shoved her growing interest down her brain, now was not the time for the gutter.

"ANYWAY!" Artoria shouted, clearly wanting off said topic "What's trendy here changes rapidly. When I came before… when I came I…" she gulped and chuckled, looking away. "I uh… scored a zero in a princess contest… and was stripped of my clothes… by a girl wearing a scarf made of worm silk..."

"Ok not the worst thing I've heard of, hell I've had worse happen to me," Ritsuka admitted as Artoria looked at her in surprise. "Ask me about the time someone called Nobunaga thought it was a good idea to hold a 'who's the most sexy' competition and forced as many people into it as she could," Ritsuka mentioned, gaining a very far off look at that…

Never had she thought Servants would be capable of near death-experiences via nosebleeds before that moment. They'd nearly lost half the Round-Table, Blackbeard, Okita, Medea, Kintoki and Salieri that day.

"But… why your clothes?" Ritsuka asked and Artoria gained a very dark grin.

"...What I was wearing was unfashionable...I wonder what she's doing now…" her grin went manic as she gained a far off look in her eye. "...If she's doing fine I'll be devastated… I have to get revenge next time…" she started, already chuckling as Ritsuka raised an eyebrow.

She… was very different from either King of Knights Ritsuka knew. Even Altria wasn't one to swear wanton revenge if someone was doing 'okay'.

Thankfully they were both drawn out of their dark and… probably quite evil thoughts by a passing fairy that informed them of the current 'trend' in Gloucester. "Possessions that make others envious." The fairy had told them, and had complimented them, claiming that Artoria's 'idea' of going for a plain look while having her 'human squire' be eye-catching was a great idea.

When Artoria had gone into her 'Ah…' face, Ritsuka was starting to understand what made Artoria Caster tick… and it was similar to the King of Knights… but also far different… from either of them.

"Sorry… I just froze up. I was supposed to ask her for information…" Artoria admitted as Ritsuka put her hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, it's alright. Just take it easy. I'm sure one of the four of us can figure something out about this invitation problem." Ritsuka offered.

"Then we have no choice," Artoria declared silently, bringing Ritsuka close and whispering into her ear. "We have to sneak into the auction venue."

Rituska was about to bring up Oberon probably being able to just get an invitation when she had started boasting. "Don't worry, infiltration is my magecraft specialty!" She beamed, all excited. "All riiight! This time I'm going to show you how cool I am~!"

Last time, Oberon had secured them an invitation and ruined Artoria's mood.

This time, she was going to suggest something a little different.

"Artoria, you know Oberon is probably capable of just getting an invitation right?" Artoria froze at that as Ritsuka threw her arm around the Caster's shoulder. "But there is one small problem. I am human, so…" she started to insinuate as Artoria unfroze and started thinking.

"You… need me to disguise you as a fae?" she asked, and Ritsuka nodded. Artoria smiled, a bit more weakly but-

Someone called for aid, something about rats escaping their cages, and receiving a reward if they caught them.

"Ah! Some kind of small creatures coming from over there in droves. What do we do Ritsuka?" Artoria asked as Ritsuka cracked her knuckles… they may have been in Gloucester, but… well while she wasn't physically strong? She was certainly skilled enough to aide in catching some rats.

"Let's get to work shall we!" Ritsuka proclaimed as Artoria smiled.

"Wow, you're getting the hang of this Ritsuka. I'm surprised you're willing to fight now."

"It's a bunch of rats, how bad can it be?" Rituska pointed out. Artoria hummed, before shrugging, probably not that bad. She did however hand Ritsuka her dagger and clutched her staff tight as they ran towards the swarm of… 'Rats'

---

As it turned out. It could be… well, not bad, but very, very weird.

"Huh… I guess this is what they call rats with wings," Ritsuka muttered before coughing, shaking some soot off of herself as Artoiria giggled.

"Big things look small and small things look big. Things like this happen here in Gloucester. Did you learn something from this?" Artoria asked as Ritsuka handed back the knife she'd been given.

"Yeah, don't punch 'rats'," Ritsuka admitted, leaving Artoria to laugh a little as she went and got the reward. A Coupon from the 'Safe and Amazing Knocker Company' or 'S&C'. Spriggan and Capless. That left Ritsuka frowning a bit. She remembered Spriggan, the ass. And she still wasn't sure if he was human or not.

Part of her wanted to try and rip those ears off him for the stunt he'd pulled… but that could wait until after it happened again.

Artoria dragged her around to a few stores, ogling the various wares… But then they met Tristan. The Fairy Knight that is. Arotria had been telling her how good Japanese clothing would look on her when the Fairy had spoken up.

"I know what you mean. You've got a pretty good sense of style, but could you pipe down a bit?" Both Ritsuka and Artoria turned towards the fairy that had come to stand alongside them looking in the window. "I'd rather not stand out. I came here in secret."

"Oh… I-I'm sorry… I was born in a small village, so I just…" Artoria started to mumble as the fairy, Tristan huffed.

"Ah, I see." She raised a finger to her chin, tapping it with a polished pink nail. "What, with your village about to be hit by the Calamity, you escaped to the city before you died?" She asked, before nodding. "You're lucky. You're not just another cocky Gloucester fairy."

Now that she had the time, and a bit of context, Ritsuka thought about that once more. Tristan was… unhinged, obviously, but in comparison to some other Fairies she'd met later on, she almost came off like another Countess she knew… It was like dealing with Carmilla if she was less sane and wearing Elizabeth's colors.

"Also, your ankles aren't to my taste. Be thankful you've got such awful boots." Ah right, she also had that… thing regarding feet didn't she.

"Oh… is that so?" Artoria chuckled nervously. "T-they're unfashionable huh? I see… but they're practical though… you'd be fine if you got bitten by an Awd Goggie…"

Now that she thought about it, Ritsuka didn't think she'd ever seen one of those.

Tristan laughed. "What kind of country bumpkin story is that, being bitten by a Goggie!" She then looked Artoria up and down. "Judging by your looks, you're with the Wind Clan, right? And not bad-looking even by their standards." She started to circle them on her high platform shoes, nodding as she went. "And you're working in a field despite that? Well, there aren't many slaves on the frontiers…" She looked directly into Artoria's eye, standing up tall. "At least… hmm. Strange. Too strange. Isn't this conversation a little weird?" she noted, before turning her eyes towards Ritsuka, a look of suspicion in her eye.

"I-i-it's not that strange is it?" Artoria panicked, having clearly caught where the fairy's attention had been drifting. "Ritsuka and I, we're just not used to city fairies yet…" she proclaimed in a panic as Ritsuka chuckled nervously.

"Not used to city fairies yet huh? I see… that's why you're not scared when you see me." she turned to look away, musing for a moment. "But what is it? It's not just that…" After a few moments she shrugged. "...Well, I guess it's an off day for me. I'm headed to the auction later today." She easily caught sight of Artoria's surprise. "Oh, you're interested in the auction? But, do you have an invitation?"

"Uh… yeah! Actually we came all the way here for the auction," she responded to the fairy's question with a technical lie… and now Ritsuka hoped Oberon would get that invitation like he had last time.

"I'm surprised… a bunch of bumpkins like you have an invitation. I would ask where you got them from but it doesn't matter I suppose. You kids may be a hundred years too young to be partaking in an auction but… well everyone has to start somewhere, I suppose. You two may be low-class fairies that should be crawling around in the dirt on your hands and knees, but it seems you really are lucky," she noted, before turning on her left leg and strutting away, and leaving both of them to breathe a sigh of relief from the encounter.

"...I think we should get that disguise ready now," Ritsuka mumbled.

"Agreed."

---

Ritsuka nearly burst out laughing the moment she saw Oberon's face when they met up with him and Da Vinci again. And she could see that Da Vinci was also having trouble holding it in just as well. Artoria was simply smiling at her handiwork as Oberon just clicked his tongue, trying to find words to say.

"Uh… hmm…" he started tapping his index finger to his chin, while slowly raising his left hand, before lowering it again. "...May I ask what prompted this sort of disguise?"

Ritsuka finally let the giggles through as she wore the spare Holy Shroud of Magdalene she's brought along. The damn thing was powerless, but it was perfect for this, as it had all the small gemstones and little runes carved into them that she'd fashioned into a crown.

Coupled with the some-what illusory small moth wings she had coming out of her back at the moment, and a spell to dye her hair to silver from Artoria, she looked somewhat like a more futuristic, bootleg and female Oberon at the moment. Hence, the perfect disguise. "What's the matter Oberon? I can't look like my favorite Fairy King when we're going to a fairy filled auction?"

He laughed at that, finally finding his voice. "Well, I guess you were more prepared for this than I thought!" he smiled, walking over to Ritsuka and throwing her arm around her shoulders. "Well I guess we won't look out of place in VIP now. I'd managed to get Muuryan to let us in, so that's all good. So uh… I guess we'll call you my advisor then?" he suggested and Ritsuka shrugged, that would probably work.

"I'm just glad it's holding up so well," Artoria admitted as Da Vinci nodded.

"I think that's because you're only dying her hair and making the wings, the rest is just stuff Ritsuka has fashioned into a costume," Da Vinci admitted, it wouldn't really pass a close inspection probably, but it would work well enough.

"I mean I'm also masking her… signature," Artoria admitted, and Oberon patted her on her hat.

"You're doing great Artoria," he said with a smile before pulling away from both Ritsuka and Artoria and crossing his arms over his chest. "Now, the real problem is going to be with the auction itself. Mash is the main lot, so she won't be brought out until the end." he explained before reaching behind his back and producing a bag he had… somehow been hiding. Somewhere. "Now I've got seventy million molpounds on me, and just like our dear Ritsuka's disguise, they're counterfeit" he said with a wink, taking his own small jab at the fact her costume was indeed a bootleg of him. "But so long as they don't figure that out tonight, we'll be in the clear," Oberon admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Before you ask, that's what we did after a bit of sightseeing," Da Vinci admitted, and Oberon just bowed to her, still holding the bag of counterfeit cash.

As he straightened himself he handed the bag to Ritsuka before lazily swirling a finger around in the air, twirling it softly. "Now, the question is if we'll be able to compete with the other bidders." He sighed before grabbing a strand of stray hair and twirling it around his finger. "I can't afford to lose more money, but this time, with what the product is…" He groaned, putting his hand to his face. "This is gonna be a rough one. If we're unlucky, I might have to remortgage the entire Welsh forest," the King of fairies complained before flipping his hair back and wrapping his cape around himself further.

"But… Seventy million is enough to buy an entire estate with a full suite of servants, isn't it?" Artoira asked, and Oberon nodded, even as he put a hand up and rested his hand on it. "If even that isn't enough, then what the heck are they advertising this fairy as?"

He pointed to both Artoria and Ritsuka with a grin for a moment. "Well try and keep your crown and hat on when you hear this," he said before taking a moment to cough before reciting like a certain playwright. "A fairy armed with iron weapons, a traveller from another world, and 'The new 'Child of Prophecy.'"

While that description did fit Mash, Ritsuka knew it was Muramasa from future events, but… hey she wasn't going to complain about getting gramps back in some fashion. Artoria on the other hand was literally trying to keep her hat on as Oberon began to lead them towards the venue.

---

"The auction is starting! I see, you have to announce your bid directly…" Artoria noted as the group of four sat in their private booth. Ritsuka's disguise had gotten them past quite a few people, though they had given Oberon some strange looks he'd shrugged off with pride, leading the way as he was wont to do.

"Normally, the buyer signs secretly, and the one who bids on the item is generally an agent of theirs. I guess this auction doesn't recognize agents, you've gotta voice your bid yourself to the bitter end." Da Vinci noted as Oberon was reading a catalog… and trying to remain calm.

"Something the matter Oberon?" Ritsuka questioned as the King of Fairies showed her the catalog.

"Look at lot number three! 'Shakespeare's Dead manuscript!'" he muttered to Ritsuka, barely able to keep a grin off his face as his wings began to flutter restlessly. "It might be flotsam washed ashore from pan-human history in the exchange..." he murmured as he closed the catalog. "I need to, I can afford to spend just a little, no now I have to… alright here comes my bid…" Oberon began to stand up to belt to the whole hall his desire for Shakespeare.

"Oh no you don't you goof! We're here for lot nine, the 'Child of Prophecy', and if you bid on something now, they'll know the money is fake by the time they bring her out!" Da Vinci grabbed him, pulling the King of Fairies back down into his chair by the cape.

"But… Shakespeare…" Oberon protested weakly as he puffed out his checks.

"Patience Oberon, patience! I mean, if you're an artist too then one of my works should be enough." Da Vinci offered as a bribe to keep him from wasting their counterfeit cash.

Oberon's eyes boggled at Da Vinci at that. "Wait seriously!? I thought I'd look too much like a fanboy if I ever asked, but you'd really do it!?" Oberon asked, stars practically twinkling in his eyes as Ritsuka chuckled, Artoria blinking in confusion as Oberon smiled at Da Vinci. "Promise me Da Vinci! Make it a portrait of me, please!"

"Wow Obe, didn't take you for a superfan of the arts." Ritsuka commented as Artoria chuckled, Da Vinci and Oberon beginning to animatedly haggle over what the picture should be.

"I guess he's used to this sort of thing. I was pretty nervous, but thanks to him, it's really not so bad anymore." she commented as Oberon and Da Vinci shook on it for their little deal. One portrait painted by her of him. An official Da Vinci work. "We should keep a low profile until the end. It'll be bad if we stand out too much."

And so they waited out the auction, Ritsuka noting with mild interest that the other lots, one, two, four, five, six, seven, and eight, all had different objects from what she remembered. She thought she caught sight of a raised eyebrow from Oberon, but that was likely just him trying really hard not to bid on anything in return for his self-portrait.

Then came the last lot, the person they were here for.

The auctioneer began to hype up the lot, the crowd beginning to murmur as all four of them leaned forward as he cage rose from center stage…

To reveal Muramasa, sitting in it, looking bored and pissed at the same time.

"...huh?" Artoria blinked, confused. Wasn't Mash a girl?

"Whaaaaaaat!?" Da Vinci screamed, smashing her hands into the front of the VIP booth as she leaned over the railing, recognizing the man inside.

"Old Man!" Ritsuka shouted, waving to him amid the deafening roar of the fairies, the red headed blacksmith raising his head, and blinking as he looked around.

"Well, I'm SORRY for bein' a geezer!" the 'Muramasa of Prophecy' shouted, standing up and rattling the bars of his cage as he looked around, trying to find whoever had called him by that title. He knew his body looked young, so that had to mean…

As the fairies tried to figure out what kind of shit the auctioneer was trying to pull, the four of them looked at each other. Da Vinci in particular looking to Ritsuka. "What's he doing in Britain? No wait, why is he up for auction!?" she questioned as Ritsuka looked to Artoria.

"You know him!? Then, that person isn't Mash?" she asked Ritsuka nodded.

"Yeah, he's definitely not Mash, but we know him," she admitted then looked back at the cage, where Muramasa was still searching for the one who'd called him an old man. "Drop the disguise, the hair at least," Ritsuka ordered, Artoria blinking as Ritsuka nodded. "He's not enough of a stranger for us to just ignore."

"So… he's a Servant then?" Oberon asked, putting a hand to his chin. "Well then… The fairies here don't know what Servants are, since they can't tell the difference between Servants and themselves," he recapped before snapping his fingers. "Comes from the outside world, armed with iron weapons, a traitor who opposes the Queen." he stood up, looking over the venue as he joined Da vinci at the railing. "How could that not be the Child of Prophecy? But this all just feels like a scam!"

All three of them just looked at the King of Fairies with a bit of a deadpan, as it had been his debts that had gotten them into the whole 'Norwich' situation alongside the fact they were currently bidding with counterfeit cash. Shaking her head, Artoria snapped out of it. "What are we gonna do? The bidding's already begun!"

Ritsuka sighed as her hair went orange. "Well, it ain't Mash, but we've gotta save him. We bid!"

Oberon cleared his voice. "Got it, just leave it to me! Good thing the other folks are all 'what, were you expecting someone different?'" he nodded, before looking at their bag of cash. "Seventy million is more than enough to compete in this atmosphere." He smirked, already holding out his arm and a smile on his face. "Let's test the waters with a one million opener!" He decreed, holding his other hand to his chest. "Artoria bids one million molpounds!"

All of them listened as the bids started coming in rapidly. Jumping from 2 million to 4.5 million in seconds.

"Five million molpounds!" Obern shouted again, and Artoria practically raged at him.

"Why call me out like that you crazy king!?" she complained angrily as Oberon winked at her.

"What? It's more exciting this way right?" he offered as an excuse before chuckling and poking her in the forehead. "The Child of Prophecy, bought personally by none other than the Child of Prophecy." he started giggling like a maniac. "A hilarious twist of fate like that will definitely go down in the history of Gloucester!"

"Well this has gotten exciting," Ritsuka admitted and Da Vinci nodded solemnly as Artoria grabbed Oberon by the collar, snarling his name.

Before she could do anything worse to him as he raised his hands in surrender, the bid jumped, doubling to ten million, and Oberon suddenly went pale.

"Shit! This is bad. Stop, stop! Seriously, we've gotta fold here!" Oberon started up waving at Artoria as the real Child of Prophecy punched her fist out into the open air with her angry decree.

"Twenty million! Twenty million!" She then seethed before anyone else could bid, she wasn't even going to give them a change. "SEVENTY MILLION!" she pointed her finger and waved it across the crowd. "HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW HUH!?"

"Oh dear she's… gone…" Da Vinci started as Oberon grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back down.

"Artoria!" he turned her towards him. "Are you sure you ain't Fang Clan!? Are you nuts!?" the King said to her face as she seemed to snap out of it for a moment.

"If you hung around a bit more you'd see she can get like this sometimes Obe," Ritsuka pointed out, having sat back in her chair at this point as the auctioneer nearly sold to them.

Only for someone that Ritsuka knew as Fairie Knight Tristan to go to one hundred million molpounds flat. And she called out directly across the venue to Artoria. "I don't know what sort of nouveau riche clan you come from, but you should know your place. If I'm outbid by someone like you, it'll be the end of Britain."

"Da Vinci, how quickly can you mass produce counterfeits?" Ritsuka asked as she saw Artoria's face light up again with anger.

"...How many?" she asked as they both watched Artoria scream out her next bid.

"One hundred and one million molpounds, putting Oberon's land down as collateral!"

"Bout forty million-ish." Ritsuka said bluntly as Da Vinci took a very, very deep breath.

"...I can try." Da vinci admitted as Oberon panicked.

"Are you insane Artoria!? My land isn't even worth ten million!" Oberon started, beginning to pull his hair out as Da Vinci ducked below the banister to start production of more counterfeit molpounds, just to try and keep up with the insane bidding.

Then Muryan took over, as the auction had fallen from the auctioneer's control, as Oberon looked down at Da Vinci's rapid creating of counterfeit cash.

"This is bad… this is really bad…" Oberon muttered as Muryan called for the two bidders to come up to the stage.

"Is this even an auction anymore Oberon? This another of Gloucester's quirks?" Da vinci asked from down on the ground, not looking up as Oberon gulped.

"I've never seen this before, damit Muryan what are you up to." he closed his eyes and turned towards Artoria. "Artoria, take your seat and calm down. This is some kind of trap. Once you get onstage, this is going to turn out very bad…" He opened his eyes and then went wide with shock as Da Vinci looked up. "Uh… where did she go? And where's Ritsuka?" Oberon asked, very bluntly, without any of his normal theatrics.

"Too little, too late, Oberon, now get down here and help me with this. She's already taken his hand and gone up to the stage," she said before getting back to work.

"That was like two seconds! You're acting on the first thing that pops up in your head girl!" Oberon complained as he ducked down to begin assisting. If they were going to really do this, they may as well be able to pay, even if it was in counterfeits.

---

"What have I done to deserve this?" Ritsuka asked as Artoria dragged her onto the stage, still wearing most of her disguise, minus the hair color illusion.

"Please, fight by my side. I'm hopeless all by myself." Artoria admitted before letting go of Ritsuka's hand, Ritsuka taking a deep breath as she prepared herself. No command spells, but her Mystic code would have to do.

Muryan spoke from on high. "Then, would you be so kind as to introduce yourself Lady Spinel? Or perhaps I should refer to you as Lady Tristan, the Fairy Knight?"

Artoria suddenly gulped as she realized just what she'd pulled them into as Tristan strutted onto stage with all the grace and authority of a queen, looking between the two before her as she spoke. "I have no issue with that name." she threw out her arms, revealing herself for all the world to see. "Daughter of Queen Morgan, and the expression of blood. The fairy clad in the most gorgeous of dresses. Fairy Knight Tristan. Daughter of the Queen, who will one day come to own all of Britain."

Muramasa, who was still in his cage, deadpanned as he recognized Ritsuka. "Kid you're gonna die."

"I noticed, old man," Ritsuka muttered as he grit his teeth.

"Oh so it was you!" he complained.

"Your turn sweetheart," Tristan pointed at Artoria. "Why don't you share your shabby name with us?"

"What kind of sick plot twist is this!? Morgan's daughter and a Fairy Knight on top of that?" Artoria whispered to Ritsuka in a bout of panic as Tristan took it as a lack of introduction.

"Well, it's no wonder. There's no fairy with greater pedigree than me, after all." Tristan noted smugly as she noted something. "Hey… you're the ones from earlier today." She looked at Ritsuka. "Winged and not Wind then? Intriguing…"

"I shall introduce them. The blonde girl is a fairy from Tintagel, and will be turning sixteen this year." Muryan announced. "The miracle child who escaped Woodwose's siege and taught herself magecraft just like Her Majesty." A spotlight shone down at both Ritsuka and Artoria, Ritsuka raising her hand to cover her eyes as Muryan continued. "Ladies and gentlemen, please take a good look. The staff in her hands is the Staff of Selection. Her name is Artoria. The true Child of Prophecy."

Up in the stands Oberon cringed as the 'trap' was sprung. "We'll deal with it later, come on, we've only have six million made!" Da Vinci seethed, dragging the king back to assist her.

And the crowd surged with conversation as Muryan audibly snapped her fingers, Ritsuka's fake wings fading away. "And the servant standing beside her is a traveler from another world. The traveling star said to guide the Child of Prophecy. One of the lights that will save Britain."

"...oh… poo." Ritsuka deflated as Tristan gaped at them both. Jig was up.

"A Master from 'Pan-human history', a human named Ritsuka Fujimaru."

Ritsuka choked and then made a sound like a steam whistle as she held in the curses she wanted to let loose… Curse words that was.

"Wh- how? They know about both of us!?" Artoria asked as Tristan summoned her Failnaught, and began to pull its strings… only for Muryan to call her out.

"Please do not get violent, Lady Tristan. The bidding has not ended yet. Once you two step onto the auction stage, you are obligated to bid on the item." Muryan chuckled. "How troublesome… the Fairy Knight, Lady Tristan, and the Child of Prophecy, Lady Artoria Caster. Your worth has been assessed as roughly equal."

Both Tristan and Artoria bristled as Muryan continued. "Competition between wealth and dignity is no longer possible."

"Me, the same as her!? Have your eyes turned rotten!?" Tristan shouted to the platform Muryan's voice was coming from. "I'm better in every single way! She can't compete with me in strength or beauty!"

"So you say… What do you think, our guest from another world." The spotlight now shone down directly on Ritsuka, the rainbow of gemstones that made up her false crown positively sparkling in the light. "In your eyes, who has more merit, Tristan or Artoria?"

"Artoria," she proclaimed without a second thought. They were in this together now.

"I'll kill you! You impudent little girl!" Tristan screeched as Muryan clapped her hands.

"Then, what of magecraft?" Both Artoria and Tristan blinked as Muryan continued. "Both of you are practitioners of magecraft, considered 'useless' in Britain. Magecraft on its own has little value, however the fairies who practice it are few and far between."

"The Child of the Queen and the Child of Prophecy. If both possess equal worth, why not determine superiority by use of magecraft? After all, for you two, that is what is truly valuable. Isn't your attitude towards magecraft the one thing you won't lie about?" Muryan asked as both Tristan and Artoria remained silent before Tristan scoffed, dismissing Failnaught.

"Fine. So I just have to kill this little shit with magecraft? All right, I'm in. You're just going to screw up anyway, aren't you?"

Artoria steeled herself before responded. "If you're the Queen's daughter, then I bet you've been living life cooped up in a grand castle, sheltered away from any slight discomfort!" Artoria declared as Tristan grit her teeth, baring her fangs. "I'll never lose to someone like that! Fairy Knight or not!"

---

With Artoria's declaration they had engaged. Artoria leading with explosive baubles as Tristan retorted with spikes of blood, explosions filling the air as Artoria charged through the spikes of blood, flipping over Tristan and kicking her in the back with a reinforced kick. The Fairy Knight skid forward, spinning on her heel before leaping into the array and firing a barrage of 'Gandr' type bullets at Artoria, who spun her staff and threw up a shield to block those that would have hit her.

The moment the shield fell she aimed her staff, tip first at Tristan, firing a laser, only to be met with more 'Gandr' bullets. But as the battle raged on before her… Ritsuka noted something.

Tristan was expending far too much to do far too little. That, and her magecraft appeared to have zero defensive options, allowing Artoria to slowly beat her back with her combination of magical shields, spells and surprisingly, a very, very large amount of explosives.

Tristan was pushed back, surprise and shock across her fate as she fell to a knee, before standing again. "That doesn't count, I need a do-over! I wasn't ready yet!" The fairy knight grit her teeth. "I can do magecraft as much as I want back at the castle! This isn't my true strength!"

Artoria, confident in her victory, pointed the Staff of Selection at Tristan. "Magecraft is built on steady preparation. Even if you don't have any magic items on hand, there are heaps of things in the venue here that can be used as substitutes." she admitted, with her other hand she was tossing a pair of rocks up and down… no wait those weren't rocks.

Those were pieces of the very stage they had been fighting on, engraved with small explosive seals. She had used a variety of tricks, lighting a carpet on fire, turning one of the lamps around the area into a magical bomb. (Ritsuka noted she seemed to like explosives a lot). "And yet, now that you're out of tools, you're too clumsy to do anything about it." She shoved the 'rocks' into her pocket. "Now listen up, you got it!?" Tristan looked at her, eyes filled with hatred as Artoria continued. "You're a hundred years too young for magecraft," she gave Tristan the pointer finger, directly at her face. "So go back to school and start from scratch!"

Tristan grit her teeth, summoning Failnaught. "You can't talk to me that way, you goddamn brat!"

'Pot calling the kettle black aren't you Baobhan?' Ritsuka noted in her head as Muryan called it.

"That's enough, the victor is decided, the one who is superior in magecraft is lady Artoria. Therefore, the false Child of Prophecy will be purchased by her."

Said 'false child', just looked at Ritsuka. "Is… this for real?" Muramasa questioned as she nodded slowly. The blacksmith heroic spirit turned disciple of an Alien God just hung his head and groaned.

Tristan ended up leaving after a bit more of a temper tantrum, as well as Muryan pointing out she was supposed to be under house arrest in an entirely different city. So she left as Da Vinci and Oberon came down through the backstage now carrying a significantly bigger back of most certainly fake cash.

"Now that that's over with, the only problem left is," Da Vinci started as the cage around Muramasa vanished, which he had been holding onto while standing, causing him to stumble forward a bit.

"Oh, everything's fine and dandy now, cage's gone." he grumbled as Da Vinci sighed.

"And… now Muramasa's out of the cage." She shook her head. "Artoria, Oberon, I haven't explained this to you yet but…"

"He's a Heroic Spirit from the 'outside world' but he's not exactly a friend of ours at all times." Ritsuka provided despite smiling at Muramasa, who huffed and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, he's an apostle of the Alien God. A Servant of a force hostile to pan-human history," Da Vinci amended to that statement, Muramasa snorting.

"He's… your enemy? But Ritsuka called him 'old man' earlier?" Artoria asked as Muramasa rolled his eyes.

"Long story kid," the man said before shaking his head. "Let's just say we've had a bit of a connection up till now," He pointed at Ritsuka. "We ain't out to kill each other, but we ain't exactly friends either. To put it bluntly, we've got a bit of a troubled relationship, wouldn't you say Fujimaru?"

"I didn't think it was that troubled…" Ritsuka mumbled as he scoffed.

"Look, if you want a fight, I'll fight, if not then that's that." he smirked a little. "Sure, maybe we can make some tea to pass the time. But the fact of it is, that it just so happens we've bumped into each other again," he stated bluntly before turning to look Artoria over, causing the mage to chuckling nervously as she clutched her staff. "More importantly, little girl… That staff, that… figure."

She was expecting a scathing comment.

What she got was a smile. "Quite the show you put on! You even got the last pose right! A true master of your craft!" she blinked in confusion at the praise. "British magi sure are something."

"S-sure. Uh… thanks…" she blushed before gulping and looking at Ritsuka and whispering. "Ritsuka, what's with this man? He looks so young, but he's an old man on the inside. He has a very bad air to him, but he isn't hostile at all!"

Before the 'old man' could comment on the fact he could still hear her, Da Vinci spoke up. "Hold it right there Senji Muramasa. The fact remains that you're still a threat to us. And on top of that, I just have to know. How in the heck did you get here?"

He closed his eyes. "Well, I'd rather not say… but I guess I owe you now. All right, I'll make it brief."

He then spun a tale of his boss, the alien god, giving him orders to deal with the Lostbelt king because Rasputin was occupied and Limbo was missing (dead). He made a surprise assault on the castle and nearly made it to the throne before some sort of flying knight attacked him, the two dueling for about ten seconds on their way down the massive pit behind the castle… and proclaiming that he got his ass beat twelve times over in said ten seconds. It took him three days of falling before crawling out of the hole by grabbing the sides, while still falling mind you, and climbing. He then settled in a village for another three days to let off some steam making swords... then got lost, collapsed in a strange forest for another three days and got captured by a bunch of rowdy fairies, losing yet another three days. He'd spent the last five days stuck in Gloucester, being forced to show off his skills. All in all, he'd been here getting his ass wupped for about seventeen days.

"Yeah yeah, pretty pitiful story I know," Muramasa muttered.

"But, you made it all the way to Morgan's throne! Something no warrior has done in the entire Queen's calendar!" Artoria proclaimed.

"...Is that so?"

"And the catalog said you could make anything!" she said with visible excitement.

"...I mean I guess."

"Only the best blacksmith ain't you Muramasa?" Ritsuka jested to him.

"Well you've got that right."

Artoria frowned. "But… you're an evil Servant… so I guess we have to kill you right now, just to be sure." Oberon chose this moment to step in and save Muramasa.

"Woah now," the King of Fairies started, putting himself between the two. "Come on, good Servants, evil Servants…" He looked to Da Vinci for the first, and then to Muramasa for the second. "What matters is what you've done up to the present."

He looked Muramasa up and down, putting a hand on his chin and nodding. "Servants are like mercenaries, you know." He snapped his fingers with a smile. "The important thing is who their current contract is with and what they do from then on!"

Muramasa looked Oberon up and down. "And who are you? From the looks of it, you're a Servant."

The King of Fairies bowed to Muramasa. "I'm Oberon. Servant summoned to Britain one step ahead of you." He tapped his fingers together thoughtfully. "So Senji Muramasa, from the looks of it, you're after Queen Morgan."

Muramasa hummed as Oberon continued. "So it looks like we all want the same thing," he said brightly before raising a single finger and pointing at Muramasa. "How about that? Yesterday's enemy is today's friend!" he trailed between Muramasa and Ritsuka. "Or so they say?"

"So you want us to work together?" Muramasa asked as Oberon shrugged.

"Until Morgan's defeated at least." He gestured to their current team of four. "Wouldn't it be better to present a united front?"

"I… guess so." The bladesmith sighed. "Not like I can expect any backup. Makes your proposal a bit of a godsend."

"...I know that look Ritsuka." Da Vinci said, looking up at Ritsuka who chuckled before speaking to Artoria.

"What about you Artoria? Are you alright with bringing him along?"

"EH?" She looked surprised. "He's coming with us?" Muramasa blinked as she ran up and hugged him. "Welcome aboard! There's no such thing as an evil blacksmith!"

"Hey! Easy, easy." He pried the blonde off and him as Ritsuka looked between the two. She swore she'd seen this before…

And so Muramasa joined them there in Gloucester, increasing their party up to five. An old and new friend who would be working with them at least until Morgan's fall… if they survived Muryan receiving all their counterfeit cash.

---

Avalon le Fae - Night of Calamity

After another week of travel they had finally reached Norwich, having picked up a new friend along the way; Gareth, a fairy girl who idolized Artoria and who quickly joined the circle of friends. They met Peperoncino, who was currently going by the title of 'Count Peperon'. Their old enemy, and technically friend, informed them of the oncoming Calamity and Spriggan's plan to get rich off the destruction that was wrought from it.

Now they were battling Mors amid a storm, so many of them that Oberon was helping in his own… special way, namely just providing a bit of magical energy to the actual fighters.

Muramasa cut down another pair of Mors, shattering his current blade. "Dammit! How many more are there? They just keep coming, and I ain't gonna count past fifty!" He cut down another, gritting his teeth as even more just surged forth. "My flank's about to fall apart over here! What's up with you all?"

"I-I'm good!" Ritsuka started, her head was pounding as Oberon supported her. She'd been firing off spells left and right from her mystic code. Gandr, Reinforcement, Healing, Dust of Osiris, She'd had this code enhanced by Cú a lot just to cover every base imaginable, and now it was being put to use.

"No you're not Ritsuka! Hold on, take a deep breath!" Da Vinci ordered after blasting a few more Mors away with a magic spell.

"Seriously Ritsuka, listen to her!" Oberon ordered as he helped the Master stand, forcing her to use him as a crutch.

"You're relying too heavily on your Mystic Code and exceeding the limits of your Magical Energy Life-Force Conversion!" Da Vinci practically screeched at Ritsuka. Oh was that why she'd started feeling like someone was trying to rip her heart out?

"Oberon, get her back and force her to rest! She needs immediate administration of her active ampoule." Da Vinci ordered.

"Right, come on Ritsuka," Oberon started to drag Ritsuka away from the battle as Gareth yelped.

"There's another swarm of Mors coming in from the harbour! No way… There are probably over five hundred, no even more!" the Fairy Gareth declared as she reloaded her lance.

"Damn Spriggan finally pulled the trigger!" Muramasa complained as he cut down another ten Mors. "Da Vinci, how much time do we have!?"

"We have about an hour, but there aren't any residents left to evacuate, so we should retreat to the shelter ourselves." Da Vinci answered as Gareth caught sight of something.

"There's more fairies coming from that building, why are they fleeing this way they were inside the…" Gareth went silent as Ritsuka pulled away from Oberon to look towards the harbour.

"Okay! That's not cool!" Oberon complained as they all turned to face the monster that loomed out of the water. A massive beast of black with horns reaching towards the clouds. Gareth collapsed in pain, clutching her head as the monster loomed over the harbour.

"Gareth!?" Artoria screamed, getting down and trying to pick up her friend, only for Oberon to jump in.

"She looked directly at that thing! She's not actually hurt!" he picked her up, the fairy mumbling incomprehensibly as Ritsuka's vision started to clear. "It's causing some sort of mental disruption in the fairies."

"What, are we starting at an Outer God then?" Ritsuka questioned, she thought it was pretty damn similar. She wasn't exactly sure what the Calamity of Norwich was, but it certainly ticked the boxes both times around.

"No, because it's only affecting the fairies," Da Vinci noted as she grit her teeth. "With all these people in a panic… we can't fit them all into the shelter."

"Uh, bigger problem! That thing makes landfall this city's going to go up in smoke." Muramasa proclaimed as Da Vinci groaned, both of them either slashing or blasting more Mors as they argued.

"This is the Calamity? Then, what about the rain clouds in the sky!?" She asked, the rain and lightning beating down in the distance.

"That's to figure out later. Artoria, Ritsuka, either of you got a plan?" Muramasa questioned and then complained. "Earlier, we decided to ignore the northern district, but that's no longer feasible. We can either stay here and go down with Norwich or prioritise our own lives." The Alter Ego suggested, as their only two options. "Remember, our job is to cleanse the Calamity, protecting Norwich is a bonus."

But Ritsuka knew better. They weren't leaving.

Mash was about to arrive.

"Look, I know how you feel, but we have to retreat now!" Oberon started running with Gareth. "We couldn't win even if you could fight properly!" He looked back. "Withdraw! We need to find out its weak spot! Norwich is going to fall, that's the way things have to be!"

"That… may be so but… we'll take that thing down… somehow…" she started before something caught her eye. "Take it down…" She clutched her staff.

"Artoria?" Ritsuka asked, standing up a little taller as the woman shook in her boots looking towards something.

For the Child of Prophecy may have gained confidence and friends… but she still was unreasonable. She thought of herself as lacking in… everything. That saving Britain was but a dream. But when she looked to her side… There was a friend there. The girl from another world. The traveler… the same as her. Scared, but determined. Forced to do things they couldn't possibly do, sent into battles they didn't have the strength to fight.

And yet neither of them could turn down these expectations forced upon them. And so here they stood. She planned to tell them to run, to choose in her friend's stead, so that she wouldn't be forced to bear the guilt of the order. That they should run so that their weak human Master and friend wouldn't die.

But then she had seen it, a girl pushing through the sword, black armor and a heavy shield. A star running straight towards that thing in the harbour with determination unbound, and fear swallowed down. The other Child of Prophecy, so propped up by the fae.

And the moment Ritsuka had seen this girl, she went from struggling to stand, to serene, the power they'd been spending practically surging back to them.

"Mash…" Oberon noted, and winced. "What a shame…. Doesn't she have any friends to stop her from sacrificing herself?" the king of Fairies hung his head. "But… it can't be helped. She's already a 'Child of Prophecy'." He turned and continued to walk away, carrying Gareth. "This is what the people around her wished for, and what she has chosen to do… I guess dying here is the story she's chosen to tell." Oberon looked to Ritsuka. "Ritsuka… I don't know how to say this but…" he looked pained as Gareth tried to open her eyes.

But Ritsuka ignored him. "All of you, hold down the fort." she strode forth, and Oberon blinked in surprise.

"Ritsuka!? What the hell!?" Oberon gasped as Da Vinci chuckled, walking forward to join Ritsuka.

"Sorry Ritsuka, but I'm coming with you! Oberon, we're leaving the evacuation to you. Can you do that!" Da Vinci ordered and Oberon just blinked in shock.

"I… wasn't expecting this…" he murmured… but then smiled. "Well then, you get going! Sometimes just a whole helping of brute courge is what's needed to face a storm!" He laughed in the face of the danger to come. "I believe in your power, Chaldeans. After all, you've made it this far haven't you?"

With those words Artoria watched as both Da Vinci and Ritsuka took off at a run, pushing through the crowds of panicking fairies towards the titan looming over the harbour. "Well it's coming towards us, that's the big idea Ritsuka?"

"Where's Mash! I just saw her!" Ritsuka shouted, looking around for her beloved friend.

"Down there!" Da Vinci tapped Ritsuka's shoulder and pointed her towards the edge of the pier. Where Mash was standing, shield raised. "Is she trying to take that thing on herself? I know she can't handle that kind of weight!" Da Vinci looked to Ritsuka. "Well my suggestion as your technical advisor is to turn back now, to save yourself Fujimaru… Is there really any reason for you to win this fight?" Da Vinci asked.

Ritsuka remembered Oberon's words, how the King of Fairies had explained Mash was being thrust into a role, how the fairies were molding her into the 'Child of Prophecy' that may never remember Chaldea… or her.

"I have a damn good reason to!" Ritsuka took off at a run, full belt.

---

The monster split, from a single solid form, into an array of hands, living curses.

'This is…' the girl realized she could not stop this on her own. Even if she gave everything she had towards doing so, she could not stop the inevitable destruction.

"Even so!" She raised her shield as a hand came down towards her, the wild monster beginning to bash its limbs against her blue shield. Perhaps… could she mitigate the damage? The harbor would be destroyed, but the damage could be lessened, and the residents be saved.

That prospect was enough for the girl, but when she deployed her shield, she saw something unbelievable.

"That person…" Running towards her, across the pier, dodging the curses that lanced out, was a human. A human girl with bright orange hair, the girl she had met in the town's square. At the sight of this person… an inexplicable surge of joy and relief overflooded her heart. And so she raised her voice.

"Run away! Don't come over here! I can't hold it off for more than a few more seconds!" she had shouted, desperate to save this one human girl. Yet she did not slow, she did not turn back. This one human ran towards her, with a smile as bright as the sun. Perhaps they could not hear her voice over the clash of the curses battering her shield?

"I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU LOSE!" The girl shouted as she ran across the pier, reaching toward her… a warm hand touching her back and supporting her, as if to say that they would not be leaving her side.

"Ah…" The concern for her filled the girl with so much joy… she finally remembered.

She was human.

Indeed because she was human she felt the pain and the fear. The fear that she would let those who believed in her be hurt. "I'm the Child of Prophecy, leave me be! I'll be fine, just run away!" She tried, one last time, to get the girl she wanted to save away from her; to leave her to her fate. So she held on strong until the very end. Saying that it would be alright, like a child telling a lie they knew was poor.

The girl at her side just looked alongside her to the beast before them. "I proclaim through my Command Seal!" the orange haired girl cried out, the warmth intensifying. "I don't care whether you're the Child of Prophecy or not…" The second burned, the voice resounded beside her. From her heart to her fingertips, her fiery blood pumped through her veins. "Mash…" the girl smiled at her. "Give us all a show we'll never forget."

All three Command Seals burned. A prophecy of destruction… overturned. Even the premonition of Ainsel could not have foretold this scene, it was unthinkable to a fae's mind.

'I get it now… I'll do that, Master.' Mash thought as she put it all forth, the surge of power that came from the human beside her. Her master, her friend… Ritsuka Fujimaru. The wall of chalk repelled the cursed hand. The thing could never stand against the Walls of Camelot. Here, the thing recognized the creature in front of itself as its enemy, attempting to thwart the collapse. Something that would prevent the Calamity. A small-scale adversary, standing there to save the Fairy Kingdom.

"Come on Mash! Push it back!" Ritsuka ordered. This familiar voice awakened what resided within. Neither Annis nor the Child of Prophecy that was found inside. It was the Knight who had inherited the holy shield. A Servant of Chaldea.

"Yes Senpai! Please, lend me your strength! I'll do everything I can to purge this place of the Calamity! Because… Because! I may not be the Child of Prophecy, but even so!" She raised her shield once more. "My heart cries out to protect this city!"

This girl's name was Mash Kyrielight. She, who everyone had believed to be the Child of Prophecy, was finally allowed to be selfish.

And two others came to her side. A young girl, smiling at her friend's return. And a swordsmith, smirking at the scene he had just witnessed.

Together these three Servants, alongside one human girl, would beat back a Calamity that every seer, every prophecy had foretold 'Norwich will be destroyed.'

Together they beat the Calamity.

They celebrated, and two young girls, Mash Kyrielight and Artoria Caster, met for the very first time. And they wouldn't meet again for a long time, as the Water Mirror shot down towards them, and Mash protected them all from being sent away.

The journey of the First Fairy Knight had only just begun. But now, she would do it, not as Galahad… but as Mash.

Habetrot joined them, and Spriggan informed them of Morgan's invitation to meet. And together the party of six, Ritsuka, Oberon, Da Vinci, Muramasa, Habetrot and Gareth went to visit the Queen. They had been cornered with a formal invitation with every assurance of their safety. Artoria's reluctance to ring the bell had worked in their favor. They were to be led by Gawain to Camelot.

---

Avalon Le Fae - Oberon

"No, Morgan is a monstrous queen," Oberon declared, following Fujimaru's lead as they looked towards Artoria, who was currently faltering. "It's just like her to do something nice for you to make you think she's a good person!"

"Oberon?" Artoria questioned, snapped out of her thoughts by the King of Fairies as he took a deep breath, dropping the theatrics for but a fleeting moment… For everyone to hear.

"Remember the fairies in my territory, the Forests of Wales?" He… frowned. "It's the only land in Britain with the color of autumn." He looked to the sky. "All the fairies driven there are weaklings." Everyone stared at him as he continued.

"Those without a place in the Fairy Kingdom. Those that fled to escape harsh treatment." He thought of them, the insects that made up his 'kingdom'. "Those that were persecuted simply for being, told not to 'spread their evil influence.'" he continued with a sad shake of his head. "Insect-type fairies who lost their homes due to Morgan's hatred of bugs."

"Insects?" Da Vinci asked as Oberon nodded.

"Indeed. Small, simple-minded fairies of low intelligence, unable to enter the society of the Fairy Kingdom focused on mimicking human culture," it… hurt, it did, to tell them this tale.

Not because he cared for those insects. But because he was ruining their innocence, to drive them forward. "All these fairies gather, cling together, and die without hope in my forest."

"That's true… Her Majesty's Britain does not suffer the weak or those without worth…" Gareth continued for him. "She's a ruler who values not the fairies living in the country, but the country itself."

"Yeah," Oberon agreed, taking the talk back. "But it's not like you're unwanted because you have no worth. Those that have no place to go anymore." It was their curse. "Those that can only rot away, hated and forgotten." He pointed to himself. "In the middle of their forest, I was summoned." He, the King of Fairies, had come forth. Their beautiful prince…

Their Insect of the Abyss.

"In a land that won't permit any sort of intervention by pan-human history, my summoning was especially dangerous," Oberon began, recalling the darkness from his summoning. It was one of the few things he had left from before. That darkness. "I couldn't move my arms and legs, and had to sleep it off." Indeed, he had, for he had been without identity.

Until the identity of 'Oberon' had been given to him that is. "If I had been on my own, I would have likely disappeared then and there." he pointed at Ritsuka. "Remember when I told you before that I had only a cape when I came here? Well that was a lie." He had arrived buck ass naked in the middle of a forest. No weapons, no armor, nothing but his body, not even his entire mind.

Something he had been piecing back together over the course of this journey. The more he did… the more he realized that he was one big liar. "But it wasn't scary or lonely." That, at least, wasn't a lie.

His entire identity was a lie. The fairies of the forest had thought him a prince. They believed him their king. "They couldn't touch me, but they formed a tight circle around me, trembling in excitement, waiting for me to open my eyes." He chuckled. "What, don't you perk up when someone helps you out?" He knew Ritsuka did.

He wasn't sure how he felt about Ritsuka Fujimaru.

"I used the sound of their voices to stay conscious, and eventually my Saint Graph stabilized to the point I was able to wake up," Oberon continued as he recalled it.

He knew he wasn't Oberon, but he wasn't sure who he actually was before. "That's why I'm so much more invested in Britain than I probably should be, because they're here." His beloved, disgusting, beautiful, repulsive subjects. "It's ridiculous to think that because they're worthless, they can't do anything. Those helpless ones were the only ones to help me."

Those helpless fairies had been the ones to seal this world's fate.

Oberon knew he had two goals. He'd learned it very recently. But…

He wasn't sure if he wanted to follow the entire thing. "So I gotta return the favor. That's why I'm working so hard to overthrow Morgan." That was why he was working so hard to end this world.

"The same as your Ritsuka Fujimaru," He smiled… he wasn't sure it was a genuine one, but it felt as such. But he did know... "I may be powerless and a king of the weak, but I'm not going to half-ass it." Just like how she was powerless, and yet she half-assed nothing.

He hated her, for how much she reminded him of himself.

But he loved her, for how much she did it for everyone.

Ritsuka Fujimaru was a unique human. However, if there was one thing Oberon knew from the bottom of his heart and soul, at his very core, whoever he was 'He hated Humans'.

But he supposed… he could make an exception.

"So I'm putting in my full effort. Even if it means I can't save anyone!" he said with a smile. He knew from her stories of the five lostbelts, she had done his job five times before.

"You never did tell us how you were summoned Oberon…" Ritsuka looked at him with… was that pity on her face? He hated it.

"Yeah, that's how it went down. I was summoned to this land… A while before you even arrived here."

He didn't tell them exactly how long it had been. What he had done. His role in giving Artoria the teachings she needed.

He was her Merlin.

He both hated that fact… and perhaps enjoyed it. Everything she knew he had taught her. From behind the veil of 'Merlin'. That was how the story went. Artoria was to be taught by Merlin. But there was no Merlin in this world… so he'd taken that role himself. To be her Merlin.

He certainly knew he was good at 'Pretending'.

Just as he was pretending to be from 'Proper Human History.'

"I was summoned at the same time Beryl Gut arrived in this Lostbelt. When he intervened here, pan-human history probably noticed the danger," he lied with a straight face. He had their trust… and he trusted them. Despite it all, despite his own lies. He knew one truth.

He could indeed trust the people around him. They would never harm him, so long as he did not harm them.

...He wasn't sure how he felt, having such trust placed in him, when he was the one who was 'false'.

---

When he'd heard that his forest was being advanced on, he had panicked.

"Sorry. I have to go, I'm leaving the rest to you Percival." He had tried to take off in a flash, shifting to his little fairy form… but Fujimaru called him back, having taken his own advice to heart.

"Oberon! There's no point in going by yourself! You'll only get killed!" she called out to him before he could even hit the door.

He stopped, and he grew back to his 'normal' size again. She was right, and he wasn't one to argue here. Unlike her, he didn't have that same drive and determination that she had, to overturn prophecy and fate. "You're right…" he crossed his arms. "If I head off by myself, I might make it in time, but I wouldn't be able to do anything." It hurt to admit that he was so powerless. Gawain was bearing down upon his forest…

Despite both his love and hate of that place, it was still his… so he had to ask.

He had to ask his friends for help.

"Would you lend me your strength, Ritsuka? Artoria?" He stood up tall. "I'm going to save the fairies in Wales. They never had anything to do with me in the first place." He was taking some responsibility.

Oberon was not his real identity, this he knew.

But it was the only one he had.

"I'm the only one who should suffer Morgan's wrath." He thought that was true.

"They've helped more than just you Oberon," Ritsuka said quietly, walking up and putting her hand on his shoulder. He smiled… this one he knew was genuine.

"Yeah, they sure did. It's been so long, I'd forgotten about that." He looked to Percival. "Percival, go talk to the fairy horses. Redra Bbit won't be enough by himself. We'll need four of them, fully harnessed and up to speed. Count me out since I'll be flying," he ordered the commander of the Round Table Army. The Percival of this world.

"The six of us; Fujimaru, Artoria, Muramasa, Gareth and da Vinci will all go together."

"I'll arrange it immediately," the rebel leader wielding the sacred lance noted. "But there are seven of us. I'm going too, along with Kundry."

"Guess I'm staying behind… well, it can't be helped," Habetrot noted from her seat on her little airship loom. "I can't fly all that well right now. You need to keep the carriage as light as possible."

"Don't worry, we'll be back soon," Gareth noted, already holding her lance. "Don't push yourself too hard while we're gone Habenyan!"

The little fairy smirked. "Worry more about yourselves. You're going up against a Fairy Knight. A fairy whose true name has been transformed is a tough opponent. Got any sort of plan?"

"Of course," Artoria noted, clutching her staff and hand to her chest. "If anything, I've been anticipating this moment." She steeled her expression. "I won't let Gawain get the best of me again… For Tristan."

"Heh, what a promising Child of Prophecy. Then there's only one thing left to do. Listen up, whatever it takes, just get under her skin once! That's your chance!" Habetrot ordered, the tiny fairy throwing out her arm. "Uncover the cracks in the armor of her gifted name! In the end, she's just acting like a Fairy Knight! All you have to do is get her to deny that!"

Percival came, atop Kundry, the horse-drawn carriage ready as everyone but Oberon boarded, the Fairy King flying away on Blanca as Artoria left Habetrot with one final smile. "Thanks for your straightforward concern and advice! We're off, Habetrot!"

---

"Barghest! The black dog fairy from England!" Da Vinci proclaimed after Artoria had burst out Gawain's true name. "The one who heralds disaster in cities, the fairy with shining horns and eyes of fire!"

The woman in shining armor stood before them. "That's right. That's how I should be in pan-human history, isn't it?" She questioned as the group stood amongst the flames, Gareth and Percival nowhere to be found. "You've shared your accursed knowledge with me. You have my thanks girl. That helped calm me down."

She raised her foot, and stamped down on the ground, rattling her chains and glared at her foes. "But don't think too highly of yourselves, weaklings! Revealing my true name won't change anything!" She raised Galantine with pride. "Sir Gawain's 'Morning Light,' the 'Numeral of the Saint' that gives power during the day, is nothing but a hindrance to a creature of the night like myself!"

She pointed her sword at them with conviction. "I may be a fairy-eating beast, I may have lost my Gift!" she closed her eyes, before putting a hand to her chest. "BUT I AM STILL A KNIGHT!" she roared, the flames of the forest exploding with purpose.

She was not Gawain.

She was her own Knight.

"My horn, dedicated to the Queen, is undimmed! And I will use your lives to prove it!"

Artoria took a step back, nervously laughing. "Uh… wait a minute… we revealed her true name… shouldn't we win? Bageko just got stronger than she was before!?"

"Seriously!? This is where you get cold feet? You really just get high off the moment don't you!?" Muramasa complained as he crafted another blade in his hand.

"Do you not see the literal power coming off her!?" Ritsuka questioned as Da Vinci held up her staff.

"No, I get why she's panicking. I can't gauge Barghest's magical energy! What's going on? Now that her true name has been revealed, the additions to her Saint Graph should have vanished, and she should be weakened. It's as if..." Da Vinci realized something she elected not to share.

"We can't afford to run away now."

Oberon agreed. "No. We won't retreat. We take down Barghest here. Unless one of the Fairy Knights are defeated there will be no rebellion." He glared at her. "And… it may have only been for a short while… but I am the Lord of Wales, Oberon, King of the Fairies! Artoria! Ritsuka! Lend me your strength! Let us show the Queen's dog who trampled this forest the pride of the Weak!"

"Right!" Both Ritsuka and Artoria said in agreement, Muramasa getting up beside Artoria and Oberon as they moved to engage Barghest together.

---

By the time the battle had ended… the forest was no longer ablaze, but they had done it.

"We defeated a Fairy Knight!" Ritsuka cheered as Barghest panted on her knees, Oberon smirking as Artoria and Muramasa nodded.

"Yeah! How's that!?" Artoria pumped herself up, leaping up and down before pointing at Barghest. "Now you know the resentment I've held for so many years!" the angry mage proclaimed.

Barghest grit her teeth. "You didn't just win on your own! Oberon, Muramasa, and that foreign magus…" she forced herself to stand. "You won only with Fujimaru's help! Don't act so high and mighty, you little brat!"

Artoria gulped and clutched her staff as Barghest stood. "E-even so!"

"Barghest." Everyone turned to Da Vinci. "We may have forced you to your knees, but I can see you've still got a lot of strength and will to spare." She put a finger to her chin. "I suppose we could keep beating on each other, but do you really want to keep at this until we're all dead? We've managed to exchange words several times by now, but we don't understand everything yet."

Barghest glared at her, but the little Rider continued. "You're one who will listen to what a victor has to say. So I'd like to speak to you."

"You're quite the chatterbox, Servant. Fine, I'll listen." She planted her sword blade first in the ground. Still the very image of a 'Fairy Knight'.

"We at Chaldea have no intent of attacking Britain. Because so long as the Phantasy Tree is destroyed, this Britain will eventually disappear." She held her free hand to her heart. "I believe that the fate of Britain should rest in your hands, the fairies' hands."

"You're speaking nonsense." Barghest said back. 'Your argument is contradictory to begin with. So long as you're assisting the Child of Prophecy, you are enemies of the Fairy Kingdom. That isn't any different from attacking the isle of Britain."

"You're wrong, Barghest," Ritsuka offered, and Da Vinci nodded.

"She's right. We're working with the Child of Prophecy to save Britain. Morgan is the aggressor here. She and Beryl Gut have no intent on saving you fairies. Even if every fairy dies out, Morgan will just turn a blind eye to the Great Calamity, because she's going to invade our world with it." She then moved to a fact. "That's why she didn't help Norwich. You know the truth, don't you?" Barghest remained silent as Da Vinci continued. "This may be Morgan's justice, but her methods cause nothing but suffering for fairies."

"...I cannot deny this." Barghest admitted, looking away from the Servant and inhaling through her nose deeply.

"Then can we work together?" Ritsuka asked, actually interested. Barghest, or Gawain, it didn't really matter, the woman before them was a knight all her own.

"Don't even start. I'll admit, you have a point, but that doesn't mean I approve of it." She pointed a finger at her. "Let your guard down, and I'll kill you without hesitation. Do not forget what I have done here." She gestured to the forest with her one hand, the darkness and the dead trees. There were a few moments of tense silence before she spoke again.

"However, I have a question for you all as well. You just said you were here to save Britain, but Beryl Gut said differently. He says that Chaldea has destroyed many worlds while claiming they were right." That wasn't a point either of them could refute, just as she couldn't refute theirs. "If that is the case, then you should have come here for the same reason." She glared. "You won't raise your hand against us because we'll destroy ourselves? That's not a reason to 'save' us."

She put her hand to her breastplate, and lowered her head. "I ask you this, Ritsuka Fujimaru and your wise and beautiful Servant. Let's put the Child of Prophecy aside, why would you, from the outside world, protect us?" Then she raised her hand and two fingers. "First in Norwich, and now this. You should have just left the fairies to die."

Both Oberon and Artoria were silent at that.

"We saved them because we wanted to," Ritsuka admitted to the golden haired Black Dog. "Because, even if this world is gone tomorrow, I won't let that be reason enough for today to be ruined."

Abruptly Muramasa called out her name, only for a dark mist to overtake her.

"What's going on!" Ritsuka muttered in surprise… this hadn't happened at all last time.

Then one of Morgan's horse headed knights arrived… Aiming for Barghest. "Barghest! Look out!"

With her proclamation, the knight's head turned to her, and just as well so did the spear. Everything went slow as Ritsuka gasped, the knight's speed immense… But Barghest was faster, grabbing Galatine and blocking the spear before it could impale Ritsuka.

"Bageko!? You protected Ritsuka!?" Artoria asked in surprise as Barghest rounded on Ritsuka, but kept one eye on the knight.

"What the hell are you doing!? Do you want to die!? Why are you trying to save me!" She then growled and turned to the knight. "What are you doing, Portunes? You're attacking me?"

"I should be the indignant one Barghest." Portunes noted, and everyone could hear the disgust in his voice. "Not only did you listen to their nonsense, but you protected the foreign magus." The golden eyes of the helmet glowed. "An obvious treason against her Majesty. If you have proof otherwise, show it now." The knight pointed at Ritsuka. "Kill the human beside you. It should be easy for you, just reach around and snap her neck."

Ritsuka waited as Barghest looked back and down at her, before the woman turned away from Ritsuka. "To return the favor… of fearing for my life." She didn't even attempt to go for Ritsuka.

"Then you will suffer her Majesty's punishment. May your sleep in terror, you foolish Black Dog!" The knight vanished, leaving them alone once more.

"He's getting away! Is this really alright? If he gets back to Camelot won't you be found guilty of treason!?" Artoria panicked and Barghest huffed.

"It doesn't matter. I was true to myself, that's all," the knight in shining armor proclaimed, as if it was as clear as day. "If her Majesty is going to pass judgement on me, then as a knight, there is nothing I can do." She took several steps away from Ritsuka again. "A traitor who sided with the Child of Prophecy. The sweeping of the Autumn Forest, Oberon's hiding place, is complete. My mission is over, so I'm withdrawing. As soon as I get back to Camelot, I'll probably be dismissed." She smirked towards them. "And at the same time, it will show that Fairy Knight Gawain was defeated in battle. You've won, Round Table. Celebrate to your heart's content." And then she took her leave, the haze following her as the oppressive atmosphere vanished… replaced by a much more solemn one.

"Oberon…" Ritsuka looked to the King of Fairies, who had a far away expression on his face. He sighed.

"Good. Whatever the outcome, the forest is finally at peace." He tapped his head with one hand, and pointed to them all with another. "Defeating a Fairy Knight puts a huge feather in our cap." He… smiled very weakly. "I'm glad at least something good came from all this."

"Oberon…" Da Vinci repeated, her own expression one of a young girl nearing tears.

"I… think I would like to be alone right now. Sorry, but… do you mind heading out to the road ahead of me?" The King of Fairies asked as he looked longingly at his hand, raising his finger and waiting for someone to perch… but no butterfly or fairy came. "It's… going to take some time to say goodbye to each and every one of them."

Muramasa took a deep breath and put his hand on Artoria's shoulder. "Yeah… We'll go wait in the carriage."

Artoria grabbed Ritsuka's hand. "Let's go Ritsuka… if we're here then…"

Ritsuka looked to Oberon, the fairy king now without any subjects to rule. "Yeah…"

And together they all left, leaving Oberon on his own.

---

He followed after the knight with murder in his mind. He had no intention of saying goodbye to those who had turned him into this.

The 'King of Fairies' was gone. At least, somewhat. He knew that now.

He was not Oberon.

Somehow, that hurt a little, he knew he wasn't Oberon before, but now that they were all dead. No one but his friends (Such a foriegn word), believed he was Oberon, and that was because it was the only side of himself he'd ever shown.

There were several reasons, pragmatic and… not, for why he was doing this right now. Oh, the pragmatic side of him said that killing the knight would remove a dangerous obstacle, as well as put Barghest in a better position to aid them in the future.

The not so pragmatic side was pissed this knight had tried to off Gareth and Ritsuka. He didn't care too much for the former, but the later… she was far more important to him, in many ways he didn't understand. Now, he was a mess.

With the burning of Wales, the death of the weak. His memories had returned. He knew his true identity and mission now.

His goal was to destroy Fairy Britain, obviously. But… Now there was a second goal. One that he both accepted and rejected.

As he caught up to the knight, he cursed him to dissolve with a snap of his fingers. The knight dying trying to run for his precious 'Queen'.

The man didn't care to listen to his screams.

He knew who he was now. He knew his mission. And he knew what he had to do to achieve it.

'Just kill the Girl,' the voice in his head proclaimed.

'That won't make a good story,' he argued against it, and the voice agreed.

The story was only going to end when he told it to.

The man once known as Oberon thought about many things… and one of them was a shadow of his former self. And he needed to make plans to spread the news of Gawain's defeat.

"I wonder if I can get Muramasa to make me a katana? That would be quite nice."

---

Avalon le Fae - Grimm the Wise

It was finally time.

Cú Chulainn was quiet. He'd been quiet for a long while. But now? Here in Orkney, he could make his appearance.

He watched them all travel up the road towards Orkney proper. Geri and Freki lounged alongside him as he watched them all.

He saw Ritsuka, Artoria Caster, Da Vinci, someone who looked a lot like Shirou Emiya, like down to a tee, and Habetrot. All coming up the stairs.

He was both surprised and not that Altria was missing. A shame, he was expecting the Black Knight to have found a way to force herself into this place somehow, but it apparently wasn't meant to be.

He'd waited long enough.

He leapt down from his perch, landing on the ground and causing a cloud of snow to erupt around them.

"What was that!?" Da Vinci asked as he heard someone Project a blade. Was this actually Shirou?

"Woah now…" he started, getting into a very familiar pose, his staff across his shoulders as the snow fell around them. "I ain't looking for trouble. Quite the opposite."

"That voice!" Da Vinci gasped as Cú smirked, the snow falling away.

"Hello everyone Gri-" he didn't get to finish his introduction as an orange haired missile tackled him at full force, actually managing to knock the wind out of him.

"CU!" Ritsuka proclaimed, crying tears of utter joy as he laughed, letting go of his staff and letting it clatter to the snow as he rubbed her hair and hugged her back.

"Yeah… It's me Rits… I'm back, I can see you missed me didn't cha?" He jested as Da Vinci blinked in confusion, before frowning.

"Alright buster! Now's the time for some answers! I've been wondering this since the day we met, how the heck do you remember everything!" Da Vinci shouted at him as he laughed, letting go of Ritsuka and stomping his food on his staff, spinning it into the air and grasping it with his left hand.

"If you want the answer from this world, thank my boss for that, both of him. By the way, if you're wondering how I was summoned here, it's because of the name I've been summoned under. You know me as Cú Chulainn, but currently, you can address me as Grimm the Wise." Cú revealed, deciding to cut the crap as Ritsuka just giggled.

"It's so good to see you again…" Ritsuka offered as he nodded.

"This is your friend Ritsuka?" Artoria asked, as Habetrot had her mouth hanging wide open in surprise.

"Yep, ever reliable. He'll help us." Ritsuka said with a smile as Da Vinci huffed.

"So your 'boss' is the one allowing you to keep your memories whenever you're summoned?" she asked as Cú nodded.

"Yup," he said outright. "And he's the one who's tasked me with helping you all see this to the end, got it?" Cú asked as Ritsuka nodded.

"So Grimm the Wise is your friend…" Artoria mumbled as the Caster nodded.

"...I feel like I should hate you somehow," Muramasa admitted bluntly as Cú smirked.

"Not surprising. Hell, I even recognize the body you're using, Shirou Emiya. Good kid, though a bit of a pain in the ass sometimes. I fought him in a Grail War once upon a time," Cú admitted outright with a challenging grin, Muramasa directing a dirty look at him.

"...Please don't start you two?" Ritsuka asked gently as Muramasa and Cú walked up to each other, Cú grinning as Muramasa scowled.

"I have to say, this is an interesting opportunity," Cú admitted as Muramasa huffed.

"It is Hound, so… you up for one spar?" Muramasa asked as the Caster chuckled.

"Oh hell yeah."

With those words, they instantly clashed, a swing katana against Cu's staff, faster than anyone else could follow, before the two sped off into the snow, leaving the rest of the party behind.

---

"So!" Cú swung his staff, Muramasa barely avoiding getting clobbered on the head with it as Cú dodged the return swing of his katana. "How's it been, going around with Rits?"

Muramasa swung his katana again, only for Cú to light his staff on fire and spin it, shattering the katana before trying to stab the Alter Ego with the tip of his burning staff. "It's been interesting, that's for damn sure."

Muramasa summoned another katana and then a second in his off hand, trying to cross slash Cu, who flipped backwards before launching an array of fireballs at Muramasa, who lept into the air to dodge them as Cú smirked. "Really? Do tell, she done anymore impossible things yet?"

Muramasa huffed as he charged at Cu, the two locking blade with staff again as Muramasa smirked. "With that girl, there ain't no such thing as 'impossible'. She keeps trying to spit in the face of that word." They broke off, Muramasa dismissing the two katanas before summoning his smithing hammer.

"Well given how you're still alive-" he dodged around Muramasa's hammer swings, and then bent over backwards to avoid getting stabbed in the back with a projected dagger. "It seems she's been quite busy."

Cú tapped his foot, bringing up a root between them, catching the knife in the tree root as it ascended skyward. "You probably don't know the half of it," Muramasa provided as he dismissed his hammer and summoned another katana, Cú and him rushing at each other and clashing wood against steel several times; weapons pressed against one other as they squared off, face to face.

"Try me," Cú said, and then was quickly on the receiving end of a headbutt from Muramasa, causing him to stumble back as a sword went for his gut. He jumped, leaping over the blade and landing on it, standing on it before flipping off the sword as it detonated from the rune he'd placed on it.

As the smoke cleared Muramasa shook his hand. "Let's see. Broke a prophecy, defeated Woodwose, ah, and she's managed to get my sorry ass on her side as we journey to defeat Morgan." the smith admitted as he drew a new blade.

"Yep," Cú said as he spun his staff. "Just another day at the office for her."

They charged at each other again, and again. By the time they had finished, neither were… heavily wounded by their standards, and they sighed as one.

"You're pretty damn good," Cú admitted and Muramasa smirked.

"Ain't half bad yourself," Muramasa said, the two shaking hands before going back to rejoin the rest of the group…

And they'd found the other four all looking a bit beaten up as Ritsuka looked between them both with an annoyed look. "Alright, you two done?"

"Uh… what happened" Cú asked as Ritsuka pointed to the now very dead corpses of three knights that reminded him of the knights from Camelot; well the Lion King's Camelot.

"There something you forgot to tell us, Cu?" Ritsuka asked, annoyed as the Caster chuckled before sighing.

"Right… you all are here seeking Mash and the bell, ain't you?" Cú asked, remembering what he was supposed to be doing. "Well… it's not as simple as just walking up to it."

"We noticed Grimm," Artoria complained and the Caster looked to Muramasa, who shrugged.

"So, we've got two more things ahead of us. The defenses here are strong, placed by Tonelico herself. But seeing what we've got here, and the fact you've clearly been through some harrowing shit, it shouldn't be any harder than what you're used to," Cú pointed out as he and Muramasa rejoined the group to go face down the next trial together.

The copies of the three knights of the round.

The moment Artoria had seen the fake Tristan… she deflated. "Tristan…"

"Dare I ask little lady?" Cú asked as they prepared for battle.

"...He was the first person we lost that truly believed in me," Artoria admitted, before closing her eyes.

"...It's strange how long ago that was at this point, and how much has changed," Ritsuka admitted as Muramasa frowned before nodding.

"How did he die?" Cú asked, wanting to know, curious.

"...He's the one who helped us truly begin our journey. None of us saw how he died but… I like to believe he went down fighting," Artoria said before steeling her resolve. "Like a true knight."

"If you want, I'll face him," Muramasa offered as they stepped forward, and Ritsuka snapped her fingers.

"Cu, handle Gawain. Muramasa, Lancelot. Da Vinci, take Tristan," the Master ordered, and the Servants all listened to her orders. But then Artoria stepped up.

"I'll fight Tristan," she said, lowering her staff as Ritsuka nodded to her.

"Da Vinci-" she started before Artoria scoffed.

"I need to do this myself," she pointed out before Ritsuka nodded.

Together, the team of three charged forward, Cú and the false Gawain meeting staff to sword, Muramasa clashing katana after katana against Arondight, and Artoria flinging spell after spell, as well as various objects at the Tristan replica.

Needless to say their battle was quite destructive. And by the time they were done, the entire building around them was wrecked.

"See, not that hard," Cú said, Muramasa humming and Artoria closing her eyes as the replica of Tristan faded away.

Ritsuka walked up beside Artoria, laying her hand on her shoulder. "You've gotten stronger Artoria," she finally said, stating the simple fact as Artoria looked at her.

"You really think so?" The mage asked as Cú walked forward.

"This entire world has been your journey hasn't it? Since the day you entered it and started traveling together," Cú stated, rather than asked.

"It's been a heck of a journey, and we're only just now finally making the preparations to face Morgan," Da Vinci stated as they began to walk again, reaching towards the top of Orkney.

There, frozen in ice and crystal, was Mash.

And standing before her were two shadows.

"That…" Artoria started as Cú frowned.

"Well, from what I know, these are shadows of Uther and Tonelico. So we're going to have to beat them if we want the bell and Mash," Cú admitted as everyone readied themselves.

"...Ok, so I'm going to ask, why does Tonelico look like…" She looked between Artoria and the shadow of Tonelico

If it wasn't for the fact the other had no color to them, she'd say she was looking in a mirror.

"Don't look at me, I don't have the answer for that one," Cú admitted bluntly.

All of the heroes gathered, they stood together, as the protectors of the original Fairy Knight stood silent. Artoria stepped forward first, spinning her staff. "Alright then. We'll beat them anyway, no matter what they look like!"

"I've got you all covered," Ritsuka admitted as she sparked with magical energy, her Mystic code thrumming to life as Da Vinci nodded.

"Don't tax yourself too hard, you've been doing that a lot this adventure," the Rider warned Ritsuka as Cú huffed.

"Don't worry, so long as she ain't dead we'll get through anything," Cú said with a confident smirk. Such was the case this entire adventure.

His little friend wasn't a crybaby anymore.

When had she grown that spine?

He wondered this as they battled the shadows, his mind drifting away as he thought about what he had missed.

He realized very quickly what it was.

She had friends by her side once more. And she was fighting to save even more.

He wondered… would he get to meet them again?

In the Infinite Loops, anything could happen. But he doubted something like this would happen again.

As the blonde fought her predecessor, the shadow of Britain's previous savior, he and Muramasa dueled with Uther's shade, the image of a knight in silver armor with golden hair.

The battle wasn't easy, but nor was it hard, and as the knight of londinium fell again the shade of Tonelico fell shortly after.

And then the crystal shattered. Mash awakened from her long, long slumber. The bell was rung. And Cú decided he'd join them on the last leg of their journey, as far as he could go.

They'd been waiting for him, and this had been what he'd been chosen for.

It was time to prove Odin right.

---

Avalon le Fae - Melusine

They walked side by side through a street that had been set ablaze, soldiers and fairies rioting through the streets around them as two men walked size by side, a calm amidst the storm of the upcoming battle.

Cú knew that they had to hold Melusine here for those fighting Morgan, and to keep her from retreating to the throne room to aid the real one that Ritsuka had told him was the real target. In a way, they were just a big distraction.

He didn't like it, but he knew it had to be done. That was how the Witch Queen fell, and with the chaos and carnage amid the streets, he knew it was already working.

"So you told me how you lost the first time you fought her?" Cú asked as he and Muramasa walked down the street. Camelot was in shambles, the Round Table army and the forces of Morgan fighting amid the streets alongside the rioters as he and Muramasa walked together towards their target.

Ritsuka and Oberon had agreed on this, sending Grimm and Muramasa to face Melusine, to prevent her from joining the battle with Morgan or saving the one in the throne room (that second one was Ritsuka telling him in private). Muramasa had been eager for the rematch and Cu, admittedly, was also excited. It meant he got to face off with a brand new challenge.

Down at the end of the street, illuminated by the sun, was their target. The Fairy who had been the imitator of the Knight of the Lake. Easily, the strongest of the three Fairy Knights, and she was currently in the process of killing a group of rioters that were trying to attack her with various tools. She snapped a rake in half and impaled the fairy on its broken shaft, she took a dwarf's hammer and beat his skull in with a single swing, and she smashed her gauntlet into the elf who dared to try and attack her with a pocket knife before Cú called out to her.

"Oi! Lake Knight!" Cú shouted as they strode towards her, and the violet blonde glared at them both.

"You again, traveler from another world… and a mysterious man in a hood. Who are you?" the girl asked as Muramasa summoned up a katana, and Cú spun his staff.

"Call me Grimm the Wise, and I'm here to help kick your ass," he said bluntly. There was a look of surprise in the girls' eyes before she put up her fists.

"Well if we're doing introductions again…" Muramasa said, resting his sword on his shoulder as he smirked. "Senji Muramasa, Blacksmith."

"A sage and a smith have come to face me, alone? Haven't I faced enough common folk? Are you sure that you are enough to stand before me?" Melusine glared at them as the two men looked at each other and nodded.

"Yep."

"More than enough."

"How foolish of you both," she said simply as they both leapt forward.

They came at her from different sides, and she raised her gauntlets, blocking a sword with her left and a staff with her right. Both of them leaping back before she could turn those blocks into punches. Then she leapt forward, charging for Cu, who slammed his staff into the ground.

She rammed straight through the roots he conjured, only to find herself face to face with a sword blade. She grit her teeth as she reangled herself, only just barely dodging Muramasa's swing and then having to dance away from Cú Chulainn as he leapt out at her, spinning his flaming staff wildly as Muramasa leapt over him, trying to assault Melusine from above and behind.

She ducked under the sword blade, but was smacked by the staff in her armor plating. She dodged the sword that was attempted to be shoved through her back, only for the Caster to throw a javelin of light at her. She blocked it, knocking it skyward as the blacksmith summoned a pair of blades, clashing with her as she raised her gauntlets. She then pulled back… just in time for the javelin of light to rebound, landing in the ground beneath her and exploding in a pillar of light.

Melusine screamed, mostly in surprise, but her armor was singed as she grit her teeth and charged forward, Muramasa summoning his smithing hammer and smashing her with an uppercut swing, sending her skidding backwards as the Caster threw an array of fire bolts at her.

She launched herself into the air, only for the Caster to point his staff at the blacksmith, who nodded and threw himself skyward as well; a glowing rune on his shoulder as he engaged her in an aerial dogfight, with anti-air support coming from the blue haired man on the ground.

She shattered swords, and he kept making more, she dodged fireballs, only for more to be thrown at her. But as they dueled, she finally caught him again, jabbing the red haired warrior in the stomach and smashing him towards the ground. He hit the street hard, causing a crater as she dove for the blue haired man, who raised his staff and created a barrier of roots around himself.

She smashed straight through them, and put her blade through his chest, only for his body to turn to wood as he stepped out of the nearby roots behind her, the dummy exploding in her face as he engaged her again with that flaming staff inside the dome of roots.

Then the man chuckled and leapt upwards, just as a massive sword cleaved through the roots horizontally, smashing into her and dragging her out of the barrier of roots and into a building. The sword shattered as the Alter Ego and Caster got back together.

"She's a tough one, I'll give her that," Cú admitted as Melusine pulled herself out of the rubble, angrily deploying her dual Arondight.

"And she's pretty mad," Muramasa noted as she rushed them both, appearing in a flash and swinging for their heads. Cú ducked, Muramasa jumped, summoning another blade and bringing it down as she raised her twin swords, his blade shattering on contact before she cross slashed him across the chest, flinging the Alter Ego into a nearby building as Cú rolled backwards, setting off the rune he'd laid beneath her feet.

She exploded in a plume of fire, but the second it ended she was revealed to be nearly unharmed and glaring daggers. She rushed him again, grabbing him by the hood and dragging him across the street and up a building before flinging the caster into the ground, hard.

"Ow…" Cú muttered as he pulled himself back up, the Fairy Knight looking down at him as Muramasa pulled himself out of the rubble, rubbing his already healed chest as Cú hummed. "I think we've got to take it up a notch."

"You have an idea, Hound?" Muramasa asked as Cú spun his staff.

"Yeah, how big a sword can you make?" the Caster asked as he shouted his proclamation. "ARISE! WICKER MAN!"

Melusine dodged out of the way as the flaming giant rose from the streets, Muramasa humming as she went for an arm, only to be smacked away and further into the air. He leapt for the flaming giant and summoned his anvil and hammer. With a smirk on his face, he based the hammer against the anvil to summon a mighty sword.

When Melusine charged again, she was met with a flaming giant wielding a massive katana the size of a building, already swinging at her. She raised both her gauntlets, blocking so as to not be cleaved in twain and was pushed away again. She grit her teeth as she pulled her swords around again. "INNOCENCE ARONDIGHT!" The Fairy Knight roared as she put her blades together and charged the flaming giant.

Cú realized that, yeah, this was really damn fun. He just hoped the others' fight was going well.

---

Avalon le Fae - Morgan

Before them stood the Queen of Fairy Britain… her face hidden by a black veil. She, who had raised the fairy country.

She, that they now knew, had tried her hardest, and had snapped. But just because something was sad, just because they felt sympathy, did not mean they did not have to fight.

So it was written that they were to do battle with Britain's Queen. Rituska, standing alongside Mash and Artoria, with Da Vinci, Percival, and Oberon at their backs.

The all powerful, former, Child of Prophecy.

There was only so much to say.

A battle that could only be decided through who's magecraft was superior.

This battle, that would only be described once.

It had begun with fire, Mash blocking a casual shot from the queen of Fairy Britain with her Noble Phantasm. Percival charged forward with his Lost Longinus, swinging the holy spear at the dark queen, only to be met with a barrier of magecraft created with barely the wave of a hand.

Da Vinci fired an array of bolts into the sky, followed by a small magecraft drone. The bolts spiralling around before firing on Morgan from different directions and at different intervals. Each one was blocked by its own personal shield, with only the twitch of a finger, the drone detonating when she pierced it with a spear through a portal with a gentle stab.

Artoria threw an explosive and shot it, detonating it, but the Queen merely stood there and took it with nary an eyebrow raised. She had an almost bored look in her eye.

Which is why it was time to change things up a bit.

The only way they could win would be a single strike, to strike down the fairy Queen.

Ritsuka looked to Oberon, who nodded and vanished with the speed of the wind as Mash summoned Camelot's walls once more to block the might of Rhongomyniad. Da Vinci fired again as Morgan summoned an array of spears, her Roadless Camelot.

Artoria and Mash met it together, Lord Camelot with Around Caliburn backing it up, their defensive power was more than enough, but… their offense was lacking. Only Percival truly possessed the power to strike down the Fairy Queen, at least in this battle.

So she gave the order. "Fire!" Artoria and Da Vinci fired as Percival spun the Lost Longinus, Morgan raising a barrier to block both their magical assaults, and maintained it as Percival charged his strike.

Then Ritsuka snapped her fingers. "Order Change!"

Morgan raised an eyebrow as Percival vanished, replaced by a smug looking Oberon before she looked up, just as the laser from the Lost Longinus shot downward, a golden beam of light. She moved her barrier to block it, and actually kept her focus upwards.

More than enough time for Artoria to roll no less than fifteen explosives beneath the queen's feet, and detonate them with a single blast of the Staff of Selection.

An almighty explosion rocked the street, the barrier around Morgan dropping as she actually stumbled, and was hit dead on by the Long Longinus' beam of light. Just to take it even further, Artoria aimed and charged, firing her own laser of pure mana, only an inch thick, all the power focused in one spot at Morgan's heart.

The beam pierced as Percival's Golden laser died down, Morgan having been standing until the little blue laser pierced her heart.

"Oh… how… commendable." Morgan noted softly as Ritsuka breathed a sigh of relief. They all did as Percival landed, Morgan closing her eyes as she faded away into golden dust.

"...Holy shit we did it," Artoria said with a crazy smile, and a laugh of relief as Oberon clapped his hands.

"Well well, yes you have!" The King of Fairies said with a smile as Percival breathed a sigh of relief.

"We did it… that was a surprisingly genius plan you had Fujimaru. Also Artoria, language," Percivial noted as Ritsuka chuckled.

"Hey, they rarely expect the Order Change," she noted with a smile. It was one of her favorite tricks, but she only used it when she was sure it would result in a kill in some manner. She knew that with Mash and Artoria here, their defensive power was through the roof, but offensively, they lacked the ability to harm Morgan while she was even the least bit focused on them.

So, instead, giving her something she had to focus on blocking, with Percival's help, had allowed Artoria to get that little shot that ended the queen's life.

"We did it Senpai, Artoria!" Mash proclaimed with a smile.

"Well… it's a bit of a shame we couldn't negotiate for Rhongomyniad but-" Da Vinci started before Oberon suddenly went pale.

"Artoria!" he launched himself forward, pushing her out of the way as a blue spear came from the sky. Artoria and her staff clattered to the ground in a heap… when the explosion cleared Oberon was nowhere to be found. Mash looked up, and ran over to Percival, quickly raising her shield and blocking another shot from the sky, gritting her teeth.

"A pity… I only got one of the two insects," Everyone looked as, coming down the straight, Morgan walked slowly towards them.

"What!? But we just confirmed your death?!" Da Vinci questioned as Artoria stood back up, shock on her face as Morgan spoke.

"Oh, you did kill me," she said, as suddenly Artoria gasped, raising a large shield as another large explosion enveloped them, they looked up at the rooftop… where Morgan, another was standing.

"But you only killed one of me," the new second noted as Ritsuka spun around and fired a magical Gandr, as overcharged as she could, towards a building, just as a third Morgan walked out, raising her spear. She stalled, before shaking off the small stun.

"Impressive reflexes, Master of Pan-Human history. Far better than he said they would be," this third Morgan noted as all three came together, and talked in sync. "Now then, before you had my amusement. Now, you have my interest."

"Morgan…" Mash muttered softly, recalling the young girl she had worked alongside before being sealed away.

"...You, my Fairy Knight Galahad, even you stand against me now," the Morgans noted before frowning. "Now, I will show all of you the folly of standing against me."

Against one Morgan, their defenses had been sufficient to match her output.

Against three… there wasn't even a fight. Their defenses overwhelmed from all sides before they could even mount one.

Ritsuka, the only one who hadn't been attacked, was also the only one not on the ground, lying in bleeding pain.

The middle Morgan smirked. "So, just as you defied the prophecy of Norwich's destruction, I have defied the prophecy the Child of Prophecy shall defeat me. After all, she did, and then I came back. No?" the Queen mused as Ritsuka gulped, before slowly picking up Artoria's staff. "Really?"

"Yeah, really, I can't afford to die here," Ritsuka said bluntly, anger in her eyes. She'd just killed Oberon, so now… Now she was pissed, even if she was standing against Morgan times three on her own… there was one going thing she did know

She knew this was how it went last time, even if it pissed her off, this had been the result she'd been searching for. So long as she didn't die then Morgan was going to go down after they did either way. The Queen, betrayed one final time by her subordinates, the people she'd tried so hard to save.

Ritsuka knew it was sad, but she also knew… it was the only way it could go. So as she raised the Staff of Selection she'd picked up off the ground, her very first act was to throw up the strongest shield she could; the Dust of Osiris, boosted by the power of the Staff of Selection.

That was pretty much the only thing that kept her from being flattented into paste as she was flung through several buildings and knocked unconscious with a sad smile on her face. Just like before… yes, this had all happened before. Just the same as last time, they'd beaten one, gotten beaten by the rest… and when she awoke, the Queen was dead from the betrayal of her own people.

She hated it, she hated that the woman known as Queen Morgan had to die this way… this time at least. But with the world at stake… This was one sacrifice she had to make. She was too strong to be beaten any other way.

And so, under all that rubble, holding a staff that Morgan had discarded with she'd abandoned her title of 'Avalon le Fae', she was to wait, unconscious, for her friends to dig her out after Morgan's final fate was decided… one last time.

---

In the throne room, the real Morgan was awaiting execution.

They had all betrayed her once again.

Woodwose had struck the first blow, believing that she had betrayed him… She had forgiven him as he died.

Spriggan had her daughter hostage… the one she couldn't bear to lose again.

Aurora set the crowd on her, the fairies coming to rip her to shreds.

Countless millennia of planning, looping herself through time again, and again and again… she had failed, once more, like always. She'd only delayed the Fairies' betrayal.

Queen Morgan died… not knowing her death had been in vain. Her dying daughter was thrown down the pit of the abyss, and her clones falling, unable to kill the child of Prophecy with the original's demise.

She died, not a grand, epic death in battle. But the death of a poor, poor woman, who'd been betrayed so many times, she could do nothing but plead with her killers as she was ripped to bloody shreds.

So fell the Queen of Fairy Britain.

And so began… the new era.

The final act.

---

Adminspace

Loki was the first to speak. "Well, that's done. More surprised there weren't any tomatoes."

They had just watched Morgan's demise. Her pitiful, and rather… disturbing demise.

"Most people don't die such savage deaths in return for attempting to save the world," Odin noted solemnly, they knew it was supposed to happen, but that didn't mean it wasn't a terrible thing to watch.

Manu took a deep breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Ritsuka had… very nearly died against the three Morgans, but thankfully her being knocked out had saved her life long enough for this tragic scene to occur. They'd reached the end… at least, the end point before the Expansion.

Hecate held a handful of herbs to her nose, repeatedly breathing the fresh scent in. She was used to dark, tragic scenes, but it had been a while since she'd had to deal with brutality of that sort. She wasn't a stranger to it by any conceivable stretch of the imagination, but it just wasn't the direction her Branches tended to go. Nor did her experience with the matter make her any more comfortable with it.

The minty smell was the only thing keeping her from recalling numerous memories of dark rituals carried out with her blessing in damp crypts filled with rot and mold. She definitely preferred the less occultic aspects of her divine portfolio; probably why she'd never been as devoted to the Nasuverse Branches as she probably should have been.

"Good news," she got out. "One boss down."

"At minimum, four to go," Manu muttered as he looked at the four files he'd kept in the corner of the terminal's screen, their titles still ablaze. He knew Oberon hadn't died from that blast, the sneaky little man had survived and gotten away. He'd done… several things behind Ritsuka's back that had furthered their goal of reaching this point.

If it wasn't for that file with burning text, he'd say the man was just a dorky, if cunning manipulator trying to aid his friends. But now?

Now he wasn't sure what was going on.

Odin took a deep breath, as he looked at the files again. They'd been watching Ritsuka's journey and at this point… he wasn't sure anymore.

Barghest was currently their ally, she'd been for a while now.

Cernunnos was still asleep, a corpse in the pit.

Albion was dead, his body turned into the isle of Fairy Britain.

And Oberon was… a manipulative dork who'd just faked his own death.

"We're still locked out of the files," Manu complained as he rubbed his head… aside from the utterly brutal demise of Morgan and Baobhan Sith, it seemed like they were heading towards a happy ending. The coronation of Knocknarea was coming, and otherwise… everything seemed ok. "Skuld, do you have anything for us about this?" he asked the expert in the room.

"If you don't have access, what makes you think I do?" Skuld huffed before shaking her head. "Sorry, I shouldn't be snapping at you, but this is tense. I'm trying all files by sequential order, regardless of relevance or connection. The only ones I've found that are fully available are files on irrelevant areas and already-dead entities. Including Morgan, now." She hovered her mouse over the now-accessible file and highlighted the Terminal header.

"She's up again," Loki noted, drawing everyone's attention to the screen showing Ritsuka as she walked alongside the rest of the group she had spent most of the Lostbelt in, icepack to her head, heading for Morgan's former throne room. "They're going for the coronation."

Odin frowned, and closed his eye… listening. Before wincing. "Cú can hear the fairies… they're going into a frenzy."

Manu blinked, "What do you mean?"

"They're glad Morgan's dead… and happy they can begin slaughtering each other again."

Silence.

Hecate gave a sigh, before finally putting her herbs away. "She was the only thing keeping them from rampaging. Ritsuka and the others already have a lot to deal with, with the Flaming Files in play. I'm not sure they can afford even a little extra resistance."

Manu kept his eyes on the screen, worry in his eyes as he took a deep breath… the final stop. It was now or never. They could only watch what happened…

And what happened was the first sign of everything going to hell.

Knocknarea, stabbed from behind by the fairy Aurora, dying in Artoria's arms… and the entire cathedral descending into utter madness.

"That… is a lot more than a little." Loki noted grimly.

"Hopefully they have some good AOE," Hecate said with a weak smile.

"Do you really think this is the time for jokes?" Skuld snapped.

Hecate shrank into her chair. "That wasn't a… sorry, Skuld."

"Come on, you can make it through this," Odin mumbled as the battles began. The battle for the fate of the Nasuverse, starting with an assassinated queen.

Manu remained silent. He had to believe in them, that they could do this.

---

Avalon le Fae - War of Mors

"Knocknarea… Knocknarea!" Artoria screamed as the fairies began to go wild. With the new queen's death, it all descended into madness.

"Senpai! We have to go!" Mash ordered, shield raised as Ritsuka ran for Artoria, grabbing her by the shoulder.

"Come on! Artoria!" Ritsuka shouted at her, the mage looking up at her with dead eyes as something began to loom over them.

A knight in armor, a fairy practically beaming as he held up his halberd over the two girls.

"Oh no you fucking don't!" Cú roared, and the knight fairy suddenly screamed in pain as his armor erupted into a plume of fire, baking him alive as Cú ran to the two girls. "The rest of you! Get Out! I'll get them out of here!" The sage of the forest roared to the rest of the team as Percival jumped out a window with Habetrot and Da Vinci, and Muramasa grabbed Mash and rammed his way through a wave of knight fairies that were attempting to butcher themselves and each other.

With them out, Cú slammed his staff into the ground, flames spreading from around him in a circle of flames, setting the fancy carpets and tapestries of the Cathedral ablaze as all eyes turned towards him.

"Artoria! If you want to live, stand your ass up! We've gotta move!" Cú shouted as Ritsuka hugged Artoria, the now blood covered girl crying as she grabbed her staff, a looking of utter rage settling over her face as she looked out at all the fae before them, bows raised towards Cu, and sword wielding knights butchering other, less well armed fae before turning to those at the pedestal.

"Let's light the bastards up," Cú ordered as he spun his staff, leaping into the fray as he turned his staff into a javelin of light, using it as a spear in replacement for Gae Bolg, no more fooling around, whatsoever. He drove the javelin through a fairy's helmet as Artoria blasted directly for headshots at any archers, piercing their heads with pinpoint lasers of mana as Ritsuka grabbed a sword and hefted it with both hands, swinging it at a fairy who tried to leap off a pillar at them; cleaving it two and showering her in blood.

They were in hell.

The Cathedral began to fill up with smoke, but Artoria blew the roof off by chucking an explosive at it and lighting it, blasting away the smoke as the crowd of fairies thinned enough for them to make a dash for the window Percival and Habetrot had jumped out of.

What they found was an army of fairies fighting each other and an army of Mors, crawling throughout the city of Salisbury. "By Yggdrasil this place went to hell real fucking quick!" Cú swore. He didn't care about watching his language at this point. This was beyond bad.

Suddenly there was a beep, and Ritsuka pulled up her communicator. "Everyone!?"

Goldorf's voice answered. "Ritsuka! We have power back! The Wall of Light disappeared! Where is the technical advisor! Where is Mash!?"

Altria's voice sounded out next, sounding utterly panicked. "Where are you!?"

"We're a little busy right now guys!" Cú shouted as he blasted a Mors with a barrage of fireballs, flinging it into a building and setting said building alight.

"Caster!?" Goldorf practically shouted in surprise as Artoria kicked away a fairy wielding a knife and blasted it in the chest.

"I'll explain everything later! Right now! Little busy!" Cú shouted as an explosion went off further into town, and a building collapsed from being sliced clean in half, heralding Mash and Muramasa's arrival.

"Sheesh! Can't catch a damn break can we!?" The Blacksmith complained as Mash bashed away a Mors, Muramasa following her lead and slicing another in half as Cú rammed his javelin of light through several more.

"All of you! Make your way to the coast! We're coming to pick you up!" Nemo ordered over the comms, before they cut the connection.

"We need to find Percy, Da Vinci and Habetrot!" Ritsuka ordered.

"Agreed, we need her for that ship of yours," Muramasa explained. His contract may have been over but at this point?

At this point so much crap was going to hell he didn't care he was technically still their enemy, even if he went alone he was probably gonna die.

"Do we even have a real idea what's going on!?" Mash asked, and no one could provide an answer, leaving her wincing as they went straight back into battle.

They found Percival bleeding, battling Mors with his spear while Da Vinci and Habetrot backed him up; the little fairy blasting away with buttons from her airship while Da Vinci was using her staff as a bludgeoning, smacking away Mors that tried to get too close.

"EVERYONE DOWN!" Muramasa ordered, and Da Vinci and Percival hit the deck, Habetrot doing the opposite and flying upward as the Alter Ego gave a wide slash with his sword, cutting nearly twenty Mors in half to give them something of a path towards their friends. But as the Mors started to pull themselves together, Cú slammed the blunt end of his javelin of light into the ground, creating a cordon of flames that Percival, Da Vinci and Habetrot used to come towards them.

"We're making for the coast, no time to explain, move it!" Ritsuka ordered as the party ran around the fighting, making for the fields outside Salisbury.

But as they hit the open fields, they were greeted with an immense sight.

Mors, as far as the eye could see, rising from the field. "...Right… the entire landmass of Britain is made up of fairy corpses," Ritsuka muttered with a dead look in her eyes.

"Then we keep fighting, they're waiting for us," Cú ordered, spinning his staff. "RISE FLAMING GIANT!" The Wickerman arose once more, the massive golem alight with power as Mors started crawling towards it. With each swing of its arms, Mors were sent flying as corruptive curses stuck to the golem.

Mash screamed as she charged forward, pushing through with an enhancement spell from both Ritsuka and Artoria, and they made their push… but there were just so many.

"Goddamnit, why are they-" Muramasa swore as Da Vinci blinked.

"Hang on!? Are they slowing down?" She questioned as they looked at the horde, which was indeed becoming slower.

Or rather, it was both that, and turning its attention away.

"CHALDEA!" A proud, resolute voice barked as everyone looked towards the edge of the city. "Get running." Barghest ordered as she raised Galantine, even as a dark expression fell over her face.

"Barghest…" Ritsuka muttered as the knight roared, before rushing back into the city, and like a surging tide, the Mors tried to flood the city after her.

"...I would ask why they're going after her, but we don't have time to speculate, let's move!" Da Vinci ordered as the team began running, the Wicker Man falling in the background, destroyed by the Mors as they ran for the forest.

"Ok, so how are we going to reach the coast before we get swarmed. Even Barghest can only hold for so long," Habetrot pointed out as Ritsuka called the Storm border.

"Storm Border, this is Fujimaru, we're all here together, but we've got a problem, the sheer amount of enemies between us and the coast," She alerted them as Holmes came over the comms.

"That's quite the predicament, but if you're asking for us to come pick you up, we don't have the time. We only just got a single engine running, and we're doing maintenance on the go to make sure they're all functional. Ushiwakamaru has also collapsed, screaming about how there were 'so many of them' and crying about… something, which I assume is related to this seething mass of enemies?" Holmes asked.

"You would probably be correct, but what's going on with Ushi?" Ritsuka asked in a concerned panic as Holmes took a deep breath.

"We don't know. Her Saint Graph started morphing the moment we got the power back. Van Gogh is with her in our medical room trying to figure out what's wrong. But we can't just drop everything for her," Holmes pointed out as Ritsuka nodded.

"If only we had Kundry here… I could at least get one of you to the coast…" Percival muttered softly, the teen who had been going from white hair to black slowly said softly.

"Well we don't have a lot of options so we're hoofing it." Muramasa noted…

"Did someone call?"

Everyone was surprised at the voice that came calling, pulling a carriage towards them… an old friend. A horse with a burning red mane, wielding a spear despite his position as a transporter.

"Redra Bbit!" Rituska called out, surprised that he was still alive… and even sane in this world gone mad.

"Aye, it is me. It's pretty dangerous right now, but I believe I should be of assistance no?" Redra Bit informed them as he gestured to his carriage, which was fairly beaten up. "Just tell me where you need to go?"

"You're willing to help us!? Just like that?" Muramasa questioned as the equitaur nodded.

"I made a promise to Gareth. That I would 'safely deliver hope'. I don't know what that means, at least I didn't, but when the world started to go mad, my only thought was finding you all," the horse admitted before neighing, padding the ground with a hoof. "I will deliver you with hope!"

"Can you even carry all of us in that thing? At speed?" Cú asked the strange beast that had come to their apparent aid.

"It doesn't matter if I can or cannot physically. All that matters is that I bring you where you need to go. That is my purpose. No matter what stands in our way, I will bring you there!" Redra Bbit declared.

"Everyone in!" Ritsuka ordered, climbing into the carriage, indeed, everyone piled in, or in Cú and Muramasa's case, they got on top of the carriage as Redra Bbit brayed. The mighty horse who would keep his promise to the fallen squire of hope. And so… they charged for the Nameless forest, to run the mist and beat the gauntlet towards the coast.

---

Avalon le Fae - The Darkest Hour

The moment they had reached the coast, the Storm Border had been there to meet them. As had reinforcements.

Altria had drawn her blade, standing on the shore as she fearlessly ravaged the hordes of curses that came for them.

Caenis, much the same, was laughing as she ripped through Mors like butter, her golden trident commanding the waves to sweep the Mors back onto land when they dared to try to sneak onto the border.

Van Gogh was atop the Storm Border, sunflower raining down lasers that sent the Mors fleeing back for the forest, or straight into Altria or Caenis' waiting grasp.

But there had been one missing person from this war going on.

"Hey! Altria!" Cú called as he waved from atop the carriage, firing off an array of explosive fireballs into the sea of black, blowing Mors into the sky. The Black King smirked as she leapt into the air, slicing the targets to ribbons with her blade before plunging down into the sand as Muramasa leapt off the carriage down to join her in battle.

"What's going on?" Artoria questioned as Ritsuka smiled, looking out the carriage window as Redra Bbit came to a screeching halt, the horse stopping as soon as he reached the coastline. Ritsuka sprung to her feet as she went for the carriage down.

"Our friends are here! Come on, we're almost to the Storm Border!" She ordered, leaping out of the carriage and rolling into the sand. Mash was out next, rushing out the door and into the fray.

"Oi! Brat! Is this what you've been up to!? Why'd you wait till now to bring the party to us!" Caenis declared with a smile as she rushed the beach to act as their escort, Muramasa and Cú forming up alongside her as the tide of Mors moved to block their path.

"It's a longer story than that Caenis," Da Vinci admitted as she too began blasting away at Mors, Percival helping Artoria out of the carriage. "But we'll tell it after we make it out of here alive!"

"Agreed. Damn, Krischtaria was right, things really were going to go to shit," Caenis admitted, not even questioning Muramasa's presence as the blacksmith leapt over her, cleaving a Mors in twain. She returned his efforts by piercing one that tried to pile onto his back on her trident, flinging it into the air as Percival joined them.

"We still don't know the full situation, all the fairies seem to have gone mad after Morgan and Knocknarea died," Percival admitted as he swung the Longinus, joining the offensive towards the strange vessel parked at the coastline.

"We don't have time for fighting!" Van Gogh shouted from atop the border, leaping down from her perch and landing on the sand before raising her sunflower to the sky. "Hele Gele Huis! The Yellow House!"

With her declaration of her secondary Noble Phantasm, a storm rolled in… a protective one. Caenis laughed as she raised her spear, a bolt of lightning striking it, charging her weapon as she spun through the enemy forces. "Good job you crazy bitch!" Caenis complimented Van Gogh as they finally pushed their way through, Redra Bbit recovering and waving farewell as the entire crew bordered the Storm Border once more, and it began to make its way out to sea again.

Inside the Storm Border it was chaos, the Nemo Marines running around carrying supplies as Ritsuka ran for the command room. "What's the situation!?"

"Not great… oh not great at all," Goldorf admitted, already turning purple as he gulped. "I mean aside from our low rations, but we're still only at about half functionality here." The New Director admitted as Altria spoke up as she came in.

"Ushiwakamaru is still in medical. It seems that she's calmed down the farther away we've gotten from the Isle," the black king admitted as Artoria looked her up and down in awe and confusion.

"You… look familiar?" Artoria asked as Altria huffed.

"I am Altria Pendragon, not Artoria Pendragon. We may look similar, but we are not the same, understand it," the Saber told the girl simply, and she nodded. Things were still going so fast that all she really knew was they were… well they were allies.

"Hey guys, I'm back. Holmes shed some light on what I missed," Cú said, acting as if he'd never really left as Da Vinci ran past everyone for the computer room to go get hooked in again.

"I'll be brief, we don't know. The Wall of Light suddenly fell and power was restored maybe an hour ago at this point. Hence why we contacted you as soon as we could," Holmes admitted. "Now, from what little we understand, Morgan is dead. The fairies have gone mad, killing each other to their heart's content. Mors are overrunning the Isle of Britain. Ushiwakamaru has been having her Saint Graph start to adjust as we've gone forward, and multiple large energy signatures have been picked up. Three to be exact."

"Well where are they?" Mash asked as the Storm Border suddenly lurched, and picked up speed.

"Second Triton engine online!" Nemo relayed as he continued to command his army of mini-Nemos.

"Manchester, Camelot, and one that's currently moving around rapidly." Holmes said, ignoring Nemo as Habetrot spoke up.

"What are these energy things like?" she asked as Caenis spoke up.

"Magical ones, big bad ones. And they're all growing at an incredible pace," Caenis admitted as everyone who understood what she meant winced.

"We'll be arriving at the edge of Manchester shortly, to get a better look at the situation on the ground," Holmes alerted them.

"Ugh… This place… hehe," Van Gogh muttered as she sat down. "It's dark…"

"Clytie?" Ritsuka asked, Artoria joining her friend as they went over to the young Servant who chuckled darkly.

"Gogh feels the curses… All the curses…" she muttered quietly as Percival took a moment to leave and do something.

"Curses?" Mash asked as the straw hat wearing girl nodded.

"So many different curses. They gather. Gogh thinks they're coming together into one big curse," she said softly as Holmes nodded.

"We'll have to trust you on that one. Now, everyone new here, welcome to the Storm Border. Apologies for the sudden action, but we're running on a bit of a tight schedule," Holmes admitted as he motioned Goldorf to take the wheel of the Storm Border. The man was their best pilot when it came to vehicles, even with Riders present.

"Well hi there, I'm Artoria," Artoria muttered as Habetrot nodded.

"Habetrot, friend of brides."

"You all know who I am, but I'll say it anyway, Senji Muramasa." The Alter Ego of the alien god said.

"Well we've got a lot of help here, and somehow we've gotten not only the Storm Border's functionality returned, but the Saint Graphs are coming back to us. Outside of Ushiwakamaru, we can access all available Servants at the moment. I noticed you never even used the summoning catalysts we gave you."

"Never got a chance to, even when we went to London, Boudica didn't come forth, and we never even went to Tintagel, nor did it respond in Camelot," Ritsuka admitted sheepishly. Leaving Holmes to raise an eyebrow before nodding.

"Well good news, with those boosters we'll be able to call two Servants. We'll figure out who we'll need as we go. Now then-"

"We have a visual on one of the energy signatures! Putting it up on screen now!" Meuniere called, throwing up the holographic screen for everyone to see.

"Barghest!?" Everyone who knew the woman exclaimed in shock, seeing the woman rampaging, barely holding on as she was practically surging with power, cutting down Mors… but the knight in shining armor was gone, replaced by a woman covered in black… it couldn't even be called armor.

"But she was fine the last time we saw her!" Cú admitted to those in confusion. "In fact, she helped us make our getaway."

"Perhaps the Mors got to her?" Altria suggested darkly, and everyone winced at such a thought. That was a possibility.

"No, I doubt it. The Mors aren't very strong, and she's growing stronger by the second. Meuniere, do we have visual on either of the other two signatures!" Holmes ordered.

"Negative, not yet!" the man at the computer said in response as the door to the bridge opened.

"I fixed her," Percival suddenly declared as Ushiwakamaru walked in beside him, the Rider smiling as she opened her eyes…

Her two vibrant silver eyes, now alight with even more power..

"I'll have to thank you later, after we avert the current crisis Sir Percival," Ushiwakamaru noted as Percival nodded. "The Knight here managed to stabilize me with his holy lance. And with his help, I have gained even greater strength. I know what we fight for, and what I have to fight for," she then looked at Ritsuka. "I am however an Alter Ego now, a compromise between the various Classes I have become, Master, use me as you see fit," she replied, looking to Mash with a determined gaze in her eyes.

"Well that's one bit of good news," Ritsuka noted with a raised eyebrow. What had her so focused on Mash?

"Nemo, what is our status?" Goldorf asked as the head of the Nemo series looked at him.

"We're up and operational. Flight capabilities have been restored, and we're back at full power.

"Then commence take off!" Caenis ordered, gritting her teeth. "We ain't doing any good out here in the water."

"The angry one is right," Muramasa said with a smirk as Goldorf pulled back on the controls, the Storm Border raising itself up, skimming the water before shooting off into the sky.

"Alright! Now we've got eyes… WOAH what is that thing!?" Meuniere started.

"On screen, now!" Altria ordered, the technician pulling up the object he'd noticed.

It was massive, a white giant, fluffy white fur covered its entire form, save the two horns that sprouted from its head.

Da Vinci's voice came over the intercom. "That's the thing we saw on the mural…" she noted.

"Cernunnos," Mash confirmed, before looking down softly. "Fairy kind's second great sin…"

Holmes raised an eyebrow, and indeed everyone looked to Mash as she explained. "The Horned God, when I was in the past I got a look at him in the pit, and nearly died just from being near the concentrated curses that it had within… and that was two thousand-four hundred years ago."

"Well… shit," Cú muttered as the map of Britain practically exploded in flame in a matter of seconds. "...wow that went to crap fast."

"Is that the collapse Trismegistus II noticed!?" Goldorf questioned as Holmes shook his head.

"It isn't, but at the same time, it's still a threat capable of destroying the world." Holmes noted.

"Well then, where's the third-" Cú started as Artoria pointed at the lake.

"There, at the lake district," the mage pointed out, Percival blinking before his mouth went ajar.

"That…" Percival winced, before closing his eyes. "That's… my home."

"Wait, are you saying the third energy signature is?" Ritsuka started as Percival nodded.

"Only one person it could be," Percival said softly as he looked down. "Sister…"

"Great, so we've got Barghest, Cernunnos and Melusine. Three targets and we know at least one of them is capable of destroying the world right now, what are we gonna-" Cú started before the Storm Border rocked, everyone who was standing stumbling on their feet.

"Status report!" Holmes ordered and Da Vinci answered.

"We tried to get closer to the island. The sheer amount and power of the curses on the ground are lashing up at us! Even at ten-thousand feet!" Da Vinci answered as Goldorf spoke up.

"Beginning evasive maneuvers," the Director, and pilot, of the Storm Border began. "Everyone, strap in."

Anyone who was standing scrambled for a seat as the Director grabbed the stick shift that he'd had Nemo install in the Storm Border, and pushed it up, going from Cruise to Drive as the engines whired. They stalled for less than a second before rocketing forward, Goldorf's eyes on the sky ahead and the various screens of what was coming at them from below, deftly dodging as curses began trying to shoot at them from below. Massive black arms, flames of angry red, big ass lasers, he flew by them all.

For those less used to such movements, Percival, Artoria and Habetrot, they nearly hurled.

"There's so many of them!" Nemo cried out as yet another massive energy signature appeared, a familiar one.

Suddenly, a familiar, and normally unwelcome voice came over the comms. "Calling in, this is Koyanskya, don't ask how I got this," the Tamamo clone said as she came up on screen. "Before you ask, I'm helping. I've got orders, and I've got a promise to keep… Muryan's dead, and she asked me to help you all. And I'm much more willing to do this than listen to that stupid king, even if I have to. I'll handle the curses," she gave a sly grin. "Let's see just how dark it is."

Suddenly, at the front of the Border, a shield in the form of a flower sprung up. Five white petals, no, tails, acting as the barrier for the Storm Border as it charged through Britain, smashing curses rather than simply avoiding them.

"Well, seeing how everyone else is pulling their weight, guess I can't afford to sit on the sidelines anymore either," another familiar voice said before the bridge was filled with light.

"Merlin," Altria noted while Artoria blinked when the strange white haired and white clothed man appeared on the bridge.

"Hello everyone! Now, I'll be brief. We don't exactly have a lot of time, so we're going to have to do a bit of exploring and explaining, now get ready," Merlin spun his staff. "We're taking a trip to Avalon!"

---

Avalon le Fae - Excalibur

Muramasa was quiet as they made their last steps towards the selection grounds.

After Merlin had appeared on the Storm Border, he'd taken Mash, Ritsuka, Ushiwakamaru, Artoria, and himself down into the hole Albion had dug in the world in his attempt to reach the reverse side.

The newly crowned 'Alter Ego' revealing her new Noble Phantasm, [Vijñaptimātratā: Mystic Eyes of Creation] had been a boon against the various Mors that tried to stop them. Memories of the seasons that had invaded Avalon.

Together they had walked and fought, as Merlin explained the story of the world to them all.

...In a way it pissed him off.

Actually scratch that, it most certainly had pissed him off. The entire world having already been destroyed because a bunch of fairies got lazy rather than do their jobs? To take pride in their work?

It definitely pissed him off.

They learned how Cernunnos had died, having taken pity on the six bastards that had fucked up and gotten the world destroyed. Acting nothing but nice to them.

And for that, they killed him just to get a bit of extra land.

Muramasa had learned a lot about fairies over the course of this adventure. And what he'd already learned left a sour taste in his mouth.

They weren't good people. Scratch that, some of them were, like Gareth, or Redra Bbit, and Artoria. They were damn good people he was happy to refer to as friends. Not all of them, but most fairies were bastards who couldn't see the bigger picture.

If it wasn't about them, it didn't matter. If it didn't increase one's personal benefit, it didn't matter. They didn't care who died, they murdered each other on a whim. He realized now, why they'd all gone mad when Morgan had died. They hadn't actually.

They'd just been free to return to how they always were. A bunch of bastards who wanted nothing more than to kill each other and try their damndest to feel good for no reason other than 'it was fun for me'.

He had finally learned the purpose of Artoria, the 'Avalon le Fae'.

She was to die.

Well, her body wasn't, but her mind was. All her memories, they were to go up in smoke. She was to atone for all the fairies' sins, and forge Excalibur in their place.

But what good was a sword with no one to wield it.

Thus, as they had walked up the steps to the place of selection, Muramasa made a choice.

Rather than let her lose all the memories of her short, sixteen years of life… he was going to forge excalibur in her place.

After all, he was the world's greatest Sword Smith. In a way this was his dream, a chance he'd never have again.

A chance to forge a sword above the realm of the divine!

So as Artoria had walked towards the light, he had grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Sorry, but leave this to the expert." Everyone, even Merlin, looked at him in surprise and shock as he pushed Artoria back into the waiting arms of her friends.

He smiled. "Come now? We're forging a sword aren't we? And the sword at that," he felt his body, the borrowed body, practically hum in delight, as if it was returning to something… ah right he remembered now.

This body had served as the Sheath of Avalon for years on end, having held the legendary sheath inside. Indeed, it was that very fact that made his body the perfect material for this.

His body was to be the sword Excalibur. "This is my chance to make a mark on the world. After all, I've dreamed of such a moment. You remember what I told you, back in Shimosa, right Ritsuka?" he asked the orange haired girl.

"...Yeah, your dream."

"Well," he chuckled. "I always wanted to make a sword that could sever fate. And if it is fated for her to die making this blade, well then, this is the fate I will sever by becoming the sword!" He stepped into the light, and set his body ablaze.

Before him was nothingness as he summoned his hammer. He swung once, his right arm exploding as the image took hold. He grabbed his hammer with the other hand. "Heh, of course you wouldn't be easy, but that's just what makes this a good challenge."

"Old man!?" Ritsuka cried out as he turned to her.

"Kid, this is my choice. Now if you don't mind," Muramasa started as he raised his hammer with his remaining arm. "This body, made of swords, now has one singular purpose," He brought the hammer down once more, smashing it against the light. His forge… the best forge in the world, after all… this forge was the world.

His left arm exploded, and his hammer along with it, but the hilt had been forged, perfectly crafted, exactly how it should be, but the blade was missing.

He would become that blade.

"Muramasa!? How are young going to forge with no arms!?" Ushiwakamaru asked.

"With my heart and soul kid, something that those fairies never put into this blade. I haven't seen the Excalibur of our world, but I know this." he grinned. "I doubt those bastards put anywhere near as much effort as I did into this."

They all watched him, and he smiled, before turning away, the light blinding them all as he closed his eyes.

The sheath now returned to become the sword. He didn't need some divine proclamation, or epic last words… He was a smith, and this was a job.

A job he was beyond happy to do.

"Goodbye everyone. It's been one hell of a trip."

---

They had gained Excalibur… and Merlin had informed them how late it was. That they were, indeed, 'too late'. At least if one used conventional time.

"But the world as it is, I think we might be able to break a few rules," Merlin had said, beginning a grand spell.

They were going to go back two hours. Mash and Ushiwakamaru to Manchester, and Ritsuka and Artoria to the Storm Border.

They were going to face down the calamities of Flame and Beast before turning their attention to Cernunnos. And they hadn't been able to protest Merlin's argument as he began to turn back the clock.

With Excalibur in hand, they began their grand plan.

They would destroy all three Calamities to save Britain.

---

Avalon le Fae - Calamity of Flame - Albion

"Incoming aircraft!" Da Vinci alerted them all as soon as Merlin had vanished with the four he'd chosen. Nemo ordered the shields to full power just as something smashed into the shields and nearly shattered them in one go.

The Calamity of Flames, Albion had come for them.

"Sister!" Percival shouted in pain, knowing just who it was that had become this monster.

"All Servants to the deck! We have to hold on!" Goredolf ordered as the shield of tails in front of their vessel shifted to downward protection, since now they weren't going to be able to perform the aerial maneuvers needed for such evasion.

The red dragon roared and started raining lightning and flames down upon those who ran to the deck, Altria, Caenis and Van Gogh all rushing to battle. Altria surrounded her blade in darkness and fired at the dragon, only for it to completely ignore the black blade's assault and rush forward. It attempted to grab the Black King, only for Caenis to slash at the arm with Posideon's trident.

"This damn thing is covered in curses. Your black sword ain't gonna do shit," She pointed out, and Altria grit her teeth.

Caenis lept forward as Percival ran out to join them, the Lancer roaring as she tried to ram the dragon with her trident, only for it to shift gears and vanish in an instant. Van Gogh closed her eyes, channeling more power from her patron into her form..

"Second Form, release limits…" Clytie ordered, surrounding herself in paint before vanishing. She reappeared behind Albion in her second stage, her skin having turned blue, and her normal outfit replaced by a black dress as she summoned her sunflower paint brush.

As Caenis tried again to leap off the Storm Border at Albion, it once more struck the deck with lightning; not strong enough to break through the shields and damage the border, but certainly disorienting.

Seeing as how speed wasn't going to work, as the damn thing was practically a jet, if not even faster, Van Gogh decided to try a different tactic as Caenis continued to rage at the dragon.

One couldn't evade if the attack happened right on top of you. So she summoned a portal, ordering her jellyfish creature to strike through it. The tentacles of paint reached through the portal and grasped at Albion for a moment, sucking out some of the cursed energy that coated its form. Clytie winced, but steeled herself. She wasn't immune to curses but they could not kill her, so long as she held true to herself.

With a bit of its white flesh now exposed, Altria leapt forward, bouncing off the deck and trying to plunge Excalibur Morgan into the beast's vulnerable hide, but Albion just vanished into the air again before flying away from the border and building up an attack with its powerful breath.

"Oh no you don't!" Caenis roared, leaping off the border and dropping down. "Fly, fly, fly! I can reach it, regardless of where that place may be!" She glowed golden as she fell, before suddenly shooting upwards towards Albion.

"Ain't that right!? Soar, My Great Golden Wings: Lapitai Caeneus!" she roared, the phoenix she became ramming straight into Albion, knocking its breath attack of course and into the sky above before the phoenix broke off, taking to the skies again as Albion took up pursuit.

Van Gogh vanished into paint, grabbing Altria and then vanishing with her and reappearing on Caenis' back as the Lancer turned phoenix soared above the clouds. Albion rose up right behind them and attempted to strike her down with lightning, but Van Gogh was ready. "Het Gele Huis! The Yellow House!" Van Gogh ordered, the clouds bending to her will as lightning struck out at Albion.

The dragon quickly began evading, flashing between locations to dodge bolts of judgement. It was so fast as to seem to teleport between flashes. Caenus spun around as Van Gogh summoned her jellyfish again, grasping at Albion and absorbing more curses off the black dragon, returning bits of its flesh to white as Altria nodded, Albion roaring as it tried to ram them at speed.

Altria leapt off of Caenis, charging her vile hammer and swinging it downward just as Albion tried to ram her. Her sword clashed with the Dragon's skull, but she was easily flung away, beginning to fall from the sky as Caenis and Van Gogh circled around only to be engaged by Albion again.

The Phoenix was grappled by the dragon, letting out a strangled cry as Van Gogh vanished into paint again, appearing before Altria and catching her before vanishing and causing them both to tumble into the deck of the Storm Border again as Caenis exploded into flames, trying to get Albion to release her as the dragon charged up for a point blank shot against the firebird.

"ORDER CHANGE!"

Suddenly, Caenis' phoenix form was on the Storm Border, and Altria watched as Artoria rammed a golden sword into Albion's mouth, the dragon's charging attack detonating in its face as Artoria was blown back. She gasped at the sight of Excalibur, clutched in one hand, and the Staff of Selection in the other. As she was falling, she suddenly vanished, teleporting onto the deck with a roll. Albion shot around like a comet, wreathing itself in red as Artoria slammed her staff into the deck. "Around Caliburn! The Ray of Hope That Embraces you!" She commanded as Nemo screamed for the shields to be raised to maximum power.

Albion rammed the shields provided by Artoria and Nemo with full force, everyone feeling the heat wash over them… and Albion broke first, spinning through the air as Ritsuka raised her arm. "Altria! Fire!"

"My weapon won't work, that is why Cú is also not present, having assumed fire would be ineffective against a dragon." Altria admitted as Percival grit his teeth. He was being so useless right now, and could do nothing to help his sister… there had to be a way to get through to her.

"Well we've got to try something, she's going to just keep ramming us until the Storm Border falls out of the sky," Caenis admitted as she returned to normal, cracking her neck as she grabbed her trident, Albion roaring as it appeared on the deck again.

"MELUSINE!" Percival roared, rushing forward towards the dragon as he held up the Lost Longinus. "Sister, stop! You don't have to do this!"

The dragon seemed to regard him for a moment, before soaring into the air, raining down a barrage of lightning on the deck, sweeping everyone off their feet… except Percival who stood strong.

"Very well… Sister, I'll bring you back… even if I must-!" He raised the Lost Longinus again, the spear growing in size, going from gold to red, resembling the weapon of a certain King of Heroes on a stick. "Use the last of my life!"

Albion roared, charging up one more attack as Percival charged forward, screaming with tears in his eyes as his body began to turn to dust, leaping for the dragon as Ritsuka raised her arm. "Conviction of Victory!" She burned her prana. "Mana Burst!" She grit her teeth as Percival glowed brighter. "Knight's Oath!" She burned all three of the spells she could on short notice, Percival roaring as his body stopped turning to dust, his spear reaching for Albion's heart.

"My sister! Melusine! I will reach out! And pull you from the Dragon's body! Even if your body is gone! Even if mine shall turn to dust!" He pierced Albion's side, the dragon roaring in pain as Percival continued to scream. "I WILL SAVE YOU! MELUSINE!"

There was an explosion that rocked the deck, a pillar of light that soared towards the sky. Albion roared as it was engulfed in the light, and when it cleared… Percival and his spear were gone.

But his voice remained in the wind. "...Take care, my friends… please, save this world, save my Sister…" it said before it faded, everyone looking to Albion as it weakly roared. Before… taking to the sky and flying away.

"...Her power output has dropped significantly," Altria noted as Ritsuka ran inside, everyone following her in as she roared.

"Oi! Goldorf, make for Manchester! Mash and Ushi are waiting for us!" She ordered as the five tails of Koyanskya readjusted to shield them from the front again.

"You've been gone for like five minutes! What happened!? Where is the Alter Ego!?" Goldorf screamed as Holmes banged the wall.

"You heard her! Manchester, now!" Holmes proclaimed, there was no time for questions, even he, the great detective, knew this.

"Right! We're off!" And the Storm Border shot for Manchester, as fast as its engines could take it.

---

Avalon le Fae - Calamity of Beasts - Barghest

Barghest had begged them to kill her the moment they had appeared before her. She'd recognized Mash, but not Ushiwakamaru. The massive black dog before them had roared and tried to devour them.

Ushiwakamaru had started screaming, blasting Barghest back with her new mystic eyes, actually causing the monster to skid back as Mash raised her shield. Ushiwakamaru spun her scythe out from behind her back and started firing, blasting bullet after bullet into Barghest before speeding away amidst the flames.

The Black Dog tried to give chase, but Mash ran forward, raising her shield and stopping its advance with a shout of triumph. She held firm for several moments before being knocked aside, Barghest shooting after Ushiwakamaru as the Alter Ego vanished constantly, only to reappear on new buildings to take up new positions.

She got maybe three shots off before the Black Dog barreled through the buildings she was standing on, forcing her to relocate multiple times before just straight up leaping onto the Black Dog's back and shifting her sniper scythe to scythe mode, spinning like a buzzsaw across the Black Dog's back, shaving off hair before vanishing again as Barghest spun around to try and find her.

Mash picked herself up, gritting her teeth as she raised her shield, ready to charge right into battle once more… but as she stood up, her shield began to glow. She looked to her own shield, confused as Barghest turned towards her, the Black Dog growling before howling as it dove for her.

Mash raised her shield to block the oncoming attack, prepared to shove her now glowing shield into the monster's mouth if need be.

"EXCALIBUR GALATINE!" the roar of a knight's voice came, Barghest howling in pain as a massive blade of light was brought down upon it. Mash looked to the side, seeing someone standing atop a building with pride, his sword still glowing bright with flames.

Gawain,the one from proper human history.

"What?" Mash questioned as another roar came from behind her.

"CLARENT! BLOOD ARTHUR!"

The voice of Mordred screamed out as Barghest was blasted in the face with an angry red laser, sending the beast of calamity staggering backwards as one more massive attack joined the three.

"EXCALIBUR!"

The third beam, a beam of light, smashed into Barghest before shooting for the sky, the King of Knights, Artoria Pendragon, standing there, clad in full armor and cape billowing behind her.

"Get up my daughter," A hand reached down for her, and Mash took it, allowing herself to be pulled up by Lancelot, who was wearing pure white instead of the normal purple armor he'd worn otherwise. "And be thankful."

"You called us here," she turned towards the fifth and final knight that had joined them, Bedivere, a smile on his face and silver arm of glowing with brilliant light. Mordred, Artoria and Gawain all leapt down to join them as Ushiwakamaru appeared by their side as well.

"This battle is to save the world," Artoria Pendragon noted as she, and the others, watched Barghest struggle to stand up from the assault of three different Noble Phantasms at once. "I wish I could say more, but our time here is fleeting," Artoria noted, unamused that she had only been called back from the throne at the end of the Loop.

Well, at least she had been called at all.

"You all think you can handle Barghest?" Ushiwakamaru asked as she spun her scythe around.

"You kidding?" Mordred said with a cocky smirk as she rested Clarent on her shoulder. "Of course we can!"

Ushiwakamaru smiled. "Then I leave her to you. I will prevent any Mors from joining the battle," she said, before vanishing in a flash, leaving the Knights of the Round Table to stand before their foe as it finished pulling itself to its feet.

Mash smiled, slamming her shield against the ground, as Bedivere and Mordred rushed forth together. Barghest tilted back, gathering energy in it's mouth as Mash raised her shield up again. "LORD! CAMELOT!"

The Walls of Camelot rose once more, the flames and curses around them faltering easily against the pristine white walls. The laser Barghest had fired, being caught and rebounded, blasting the Calamity of Beasts in the face with its own attack as Mordred slid under its stomach, dragging Clarent across the underside of the massive monster, scratching its belly as Bedivere raised his arm.

"Switch on!" His silver arm lit up even more brightly, a shining ray among many others here. "Airgetlám!" He charged forward, dragging his arm along the same path Mordred had taken. The beast howled in pain as Gawain and Lancelot roared their challenge, charging forward and swinging their swords in tandem. Artoria charged with them, smashing the beast in the face with her shoulder before raising Excalibur to its mouth and firing a laser down the beast's throat.

It screeched in pain as Mash leapt into the air, screaming as she slammed her shield downward like a meteor onto Barghest's head, the Black Dog being slammed face first into the ground practically whimpering in pain.

Against two Servants, it was an unbeatable monster.

Against the united front of the Round Table, the great Calamity was just another beast.

Arondight took off a foot as Clarent shaved off part of its tail. Galantine burned the monster's mane while Airgetlám took off a tooth. Excalibur however, did the most damage, blasting the monster head over tail and through a building.

The Knights of the Round were quick, efficient, and deadly and Barghest kept trying to rise…

Then a silver eyed warrior appeared, leaping up onto the Beast's neck and delivering the death she had desired, wrapping Crescent Rose around Barghest's neck and pulling the trigger.

The report of the sniper was coupled with the sound of bone being cleaved, as the Beast of Destruction was decapitated by a weapon strong against her very being. Blood spilled as the beast roared, its head trying to continue to swallow whatever it could.

Ushiwakamaru leapt off the beast's body and landed before its head, the still living monster trying its hardest to rip her to shreds… only to instead be met with a sad declaration. "Sleep now, honorable knight. Vijñaptimātratā: Mystic Eyes of Creation." Ushiwakamaru declared, snapping her eyes open as the Knights of the Round covered theirs to avoid the blinding light that came from the warrior before the beast.

When it had cleared, the monster's head had turned completely to stone, clattering to the ground before starting to crumble to dust, alongside the rest of its body.

Mash sighed in relief and sadness as the Knights began to fade, their job done with the beast slain.

"Well, that's one more monster down," Mordred noted before she vanished.

"Good work, lady Kyrielight," Bedivere smiled as he too faded to golden dust.

Lancelot didn't speak, merely hugging her before vanishing, and for the first time she returned the man's love for her.

"I suppose these were beyond exceptional circumstances… I hope to see you again soon lady Kyrielight," Gawain added with a smile as he too faded.

The last knight, the King of Knights, simply huffed as she began to fade again. "For such a short time… Lady Kyrielight, give my regards to Ritsuka and Cú Chulainn. Tell them I was at least here for what little time I could be… again," she ended, a little annoyed as she vanished once more.

Mash blinked as Ushiwakamaru walked up to Barghest's head, resting her hand on it as it completely faded to dust. "Such a sad fate, would you not agree?"

"...Yeah. She was… a Knight to the end, as far as she could be," Mash added as Ushiwakamaru nodded.

"...But she wasn't the thing I saw that awoke these," the Alter Ego noted before spinning around, slashing her scythe and cutting a laser out of the air, Mash blinking in surprise as she spun around, shield raised as Ushiwakamaru continued. "They awoke in response to seeing your death, at this moment, the future that should have been. One I will not allow to happen!" the samurai shouted as the form of the Black Wolf, Beryl Gut, stumbled towards them, arm still raised.

"Hehe… Mashu… where are you going?" the deranged bipedal wolf asked, curses still visibly steaming off of him from Peperoncino's final attack at the traitor giggled again. "Your place… is right here with me," he roared before launching himself forward.

Before he could assault Mash, Ushiwakamaru rushed him with her scythe, sliding underneath him and taking out a leg with a slash. However, to her surprise that didn't even slow him down. He just grew a new leg, continuing to run as Mash raised her shield, blocking the heavy slash from Beryl while Ushiwakamaru roared. Beryl grunted as a pair of beams of pure light slammed directly into his back, turning the flesh where they'd struck to stone. He vanished for a moment before reappearing, firing another laser from the palm of his hand, this time at Ushiwakamaru, who screamed. "I WON'T LET YOU!"

Rushing for him again, she dodged the various beams he fired at her before spinning Crescent Rose around, trying to take off Beryl's limbs as the cursed wolf continued dodging out of the way; despite the immense amount of pain he was in.

"Ushiwakamaru!?" Mash screamed in confusion at the sheer savagery she was using to assault Beryl Gut. The black wolf tried to fight back, getting his arm ripped off only to regrow it once more, before losing another leg, which also grew back.

"I won't let you take my friend! Not again!" Ushiwakamaru roared.

---

Ushiwakamaru was many things.

She was a loyal samurai, and a good friend. A warrior to the end, who'd died many a death in the name of the protection of humanity. She's always been the first to die in every Singularity she had been called to.

She hadn't had things she felt the need to protect. She was a savage warrior who sent men to their deaths for her own glory.

And yet, when the wall of light had fallen, she had felt something painful. Something that had wracked her very soul.

The fact that she had lost something. She had remembered something.

She remembered being flung off the Storm Border, alongside Mash outside Manchester, as they'd had to escape a dragon chasing their allies through the sky.

She remembered battling through the streets in a panic as Mash was flung through several buildings, before managing to call the Knights of the Round to their side to battle the Calamity of Beasts, Barghest.

She remembered the Mors that had assaulted them during that battle, eyes sparking with disgust for the creatures of destruction and decay as they'd forced Bedivere and Mordred to do battle with them instead of Barghest, drawing them away from a battle they could not afford to not be away from.

The battle with Barghest had ended with the monster dead, yes, but so were most of the Knights of the Round, she had been tired and Mash had been bleeding, but alive.

And then the wolf appeared, impaling Mash on his wicked claws with savage glee, declaring his twisted love for her friend as life bled from Mash's eyes.

She remembered her pain, the pain she had felt, and the shock at watching someone close to her die. She remembered the explosion of light that had followed it, a black wolf turned to solid stone from it.

But she was not sure what that feeling had been, as she'd actually been on the Storm Border, convulsing in pain from the memories of the past; or were they future?

Then the knight had arrived, holding over her a sacred spear. The young man Percival had joined her in her head.

He had asked why she was crying.

She said she didn't know.

He asked what had occurred before she had started to cry.

She told him of Mash's death, and of the light she had unleashed from it.

And then he'd give her his answer, the one as he understood it.

"You are crying because you couldn't protect someone you loved. Just as I could not protect my sister, you could not protect your friend."

That had explained her sadness, but it did not explain the light.

"But then where did that power come from?"

"I don't know, I didn't see it. But… from how it sounds, you unleashed it out of grief over your failure to save the one you loved. That light that shone from your eyes, born of love and the need to protect."

She'd never had something she'd loved and lost before. Allies yes, but never had she felt such pain before.

But she knew, deep down, if she had seen any of her friends die, that she would have unleashed that self-same light.

She could only unleash such light in a response to love. The loss of a friend.

A desire to defend that whicht she loved.

Thus when they had gone to Avalon, she had been dragged along. When the Mors had tried to hurt her friends, she had unleashed her eyes of silver. When Ritsuka had nearly been swallowed by winter's Mors, she had turned them into solid stone in a panic for her friend's life.

She had no friendship with Artoria Caster, or Muramasa. She had felt little for the latter's death, save perhaps for respect.

But then when Merlin had dropped them back in time, in front of Barghest just before she had turned into the great beast, she knew it then.

She had someone she wanted to protect.

When the knights had come, she'd gone to fight the Mors, to protect the Knights from being distracted.

When Barghest had tried to eat her friend, she had turned her head and body to stone.

And now here she was, fighting the man that made her feel such pain.

She wanted him dead, for his killing of her friend. To protect her from this creepy man.

As she continued to try her hardest to kill him, to prevent the future from coming to pass, she knew now how her power worked.

So long as there was something that Ushiwakamaru wished to protect, her Silver Eyes would help her save it.

She wanted to protect this world. She wanted to protect her friends. She wanted to protect Mash, just like how she had protected so many others.

At the ends of the earth, as she summoned her various copies, surrounding Beryl from all sides. She understood that there was more worth fighting for than glory and blood.

She turned the bastard to stone to protect her friend from his clutches, as the Storm Border came to pick them up. She had lied to her friends quite often, and with Percival's death she would continue to do so to protect them.

She had found something truly worth fighting for.

---

Avalon le Fae - Calamity of Curses - Cernunnos

They rode towards Cernunnos with Cú at the front of the Storm Border. Koyanskya's power had been completely expended, and they'd ended up picking her up at the same time they'd picked up Mash and Ushiwakamaru; the latter of whom seemed especially pleased with herself.

And as they rode towards this destiny, Cú closed his eyes, the unlimited arms of curses rising towards them as he held a hand up to his eye.

"...I see, so this is what I've gotta do huh? Heh… guess I see time as Kakashi in my future then," Cú joked as he received the instructions from the in-Loop Odin… on how to fully unleash Ochd Deug Odin, not as some merely powerful explosion, but as the great seal it was meant to be.

The trump card that Odin had prepared for this very moment, and given to him.

With the powers of 'At the Fountain' and 'Sacrifice to the World Tree', he was to sacrifice his eye to beat back, and hold back, Cernunnos' thousands of arms.

"Well then," he smiled as the arms began to rise towards them; coming after the Storm Border to drag it towards doom, as Cú began to channel his magic. "At the Fountain," he ordered, setting off the timebomb that was to be his life. He was about to use the powers of a god to face down a being greater than most other gods.

He relished the challenge. "Matrix set!" He spun his staff, summoning the 18 runes once more, like he had in Atlantis, this time… this time they were going to be used at their full power. "Yggdrasil, tree of the world, hear me and accept my offering! In return for knowledge, in return for wisdom! I offer up my eye! Mimir! God of Wisdom who guards the fountain! Give me the wisdom of the waters in return!" Cú channeled as he felt his eye begin to burn. Good. He could feel the power beginning to flow through him.

He took another deep breath. "Eighteen Runes Primeval! I invoke thee! Uruz! Purisaz! Ansuz! Raido! Kenaz! Gebo!" the arms were curling around the Storm Border now, ready to grasp them and force the world to swallow them. "Wunjo! Haglaz! Naudiz! Isaz! Jaran! Pepra!" The arms grasped the Storm Border as he raised his staff! "Iwaz! Algiz! Sowilo! Tiwaz! Berkanan! Ehwaz!" His eye burst, blood spurting from his now empty socket. "Ochd Deug Odin! Great God Carved Seal!"

His staff exploded with power, a benevolent light shining upon all. The cursed arms reeled back, trying to hide from the light of the Allfather. The arms of curses turned white from the light evaporating into less than dust as they were dispelled, white petals filling the air as he panted. Blood dripped down his face as the Storm Border plowed towards Cernunnos to engage him, to wound the god enough for their trump card to work.

For Artoria Caster to use Morgan's thirteen Rhongomyniad to kill the beast. Behind him, running out onto the deck, was Mash, Ushiwakamaru, Caenis, Van Gogh, Holmes, and Ritsuka. Artoria and Altria were on the ground, the Black King guarding the Mage as she was preparing their ultimate weapon.

"Alright you lot! I'm going inside! Good luck!" Cú called as he staggered off the deck and into the Storm Border, leaning against a wall in pain.

Ok, he had to admit, that was pretty fucking cool what he'd just did.

---

"This thing is nothing but curses!" Caenis complained as the Border circled the Horned God's corpse. The thing roared as it spat out lasers of red curses towards them. Ushiwakamaru roared out as she met the lasers attempting to blast them directly, a beam of pure white clashing against the angry red for a scant few moments before both petered out, Ushiwakamaru breathing heavily as she fell to her knees.

"Ushi!" Ritsuka shouted as the Alter Ego slammed her fist into the Border's deck, standing back up.

"I can keep going! My eyes will keep you all safe!" she proclaimed, before following through on her promise once again as another laser of red light blasted down on them, meeting it head on with the power of her Silver Eyes.

"That's nice and all, but just smacking this thing is cursing us," Caenis said with a wince as she once again spun her trident and made her point by summoning a bolt of lighting, blasting Cernunnos with it; wisps of dark energy flowed off her as she struck it, even as she continued to strike.

"If that is the case! Gogh will bear that burden!" Van Gogh, still in her second form, announced, throwing out her arms. "Fight! Fight to your heart's content! Give Van Gogh the pain! Soul of Water Channels!" The Foreigner cried out as the wisps of cursed energy flowed off the combatants, wafting towards her… even the curses from Cernunnos starting to directly drain into her.

"Van Gogh! Your Spirit Origin can't take too much more!" Holmes pointed out as he shined down lights upon Cernunnos' fluffy body, causing a bit of smoke to rise from it as Van Gogh grit her teeth.

"No! Gogh can take it! I will take it!" she declared, before crossing her arms over her chest. "The Outer God will not stop me! The Horned God shall not kill Gogh! Rise Arise!" There was a shattering as the Foreigner shifted once more.

Her skin turned pale white as her arms blossomed into flowers, unleashing the full power that she could take from her patron Vulthoom as the curses continued to gravitate toward her. Caenis laughed.

"WELL THEN GIRLIE! GUESS I JUST HAVE TO RAGE EVEN HARDER!" The Divine Spirit cried out, flashing brightly as her armor turned gold. "Poseidon! I take your lost Authority! I Caenis, Proclaim myself the new God of the Sea!"

She completed her proclamation with the summoning of a storm from above, rain falling down upon them all as lightning struck the Horned God's head. The body groaned as Caenis raised her shield, blocking a large array of lasers with her golden shield alongside Mash's purple.

"Ushiwaka! Groundwork for Survival!" She ordered, throwing a powerful protective enchantment on her to prevent curses from leeching onto the Alter Ego as she nodded.

"Alright! Wandering Tale of Shanna-o!" Ushiwakamaru raised her head to the sky, spinning Crescent Rose behind her before rushing towards Cernunnos, running up the Horned God's body as curses tried and failed to stick to her thanks to Ritsuka's mystical enchantment. "Dan-No-Ura!"

She leapt off the god's head, soaring into the sky before suddenly summoning seven copies of herself, each streaking with white light and falling into formation around one another as they all started to dive downward. "Eight Boat Leap!"

Crescent Rose gleaming in the light provided by the storm's electrical surges of thunder. They dove in a circular pattern, the real her aimed for where the Storm Border was going to circle in just mere moment. Her seven copies slashed at each side, ripping fur out of the monster before vanishing from a grudge fueled laser in response. Ushiwakamaru herself slashed once before kicking off of Cernunnos, landing back on the border and growling. "Vijñaptimātratā: Mystic Eyes of Creation!" she roared, following up her first Noble Phantasm with a second, blasting Cernunnos with her eyes. She had to protect them, and what better way than by striking out at this undead god!

Cernunnos groaned as Van Gogh collapsed, Ritsuka trying to rush to her friend's side as Mash pulled her back. The Foreigner grit her teeth as she floated back up, reactivating the Soul of Water Channels, running on pure determination as curses continued to flow to her.

As she did so, the communicator beeped. Ritsuka picked it up, Altria appearing in a small hologram. "We're ready, pull the Border away," the Black King commanded before cutting the call.

Holmes was quick to rush back inside at that, everyone feeling the Storm Border lurch as it broke away from its circling of Cernunnos, shield's raised to full strength as they awaited the oncoming explosion.

Ritsuka, for her part, hoped it would be enough.

---

Altria and Artoria heard Cernunnos roar in pain from the assault that Chaldea was bringing to bear upon it. Sure, six Servants wasn't a lot, but when those six were damn good Servants, it tended to work out a bit.

The two of them were in Camelot, in Morgan's throne room, the god approaching them slowly, crawling out of its bottomless abyss.

"You have control of them?" Altria asked as the mage beside her nodded to her.

"I should, I… The throne accepted me as Morgan," Artoria admitted as Altria closed her eyes. Ah, so that had been the truth? Artoria Caster wasn't her.

She was Morgan reborn, in some manner at least. Funny, that they got along so well in the short time they'd known each other.

"That doesn't answer the question," Altria continued as Artoria pulled out Excalibur, the sword Muramasa had gladly given his life to forge, its light like the sun amid the storm as Artoria held both it and her Staff.

"I do," she then said, determination in her eyes as they looked towards the god. Altria raised her communicator, calling her Master.

"We're ready, pull the Border away," she ordered before cutting off the connection. She saw said massive ship start to fly away, a very visible shield and the five tails of the fox around it as she took a deep breath.

"You might want to stand back," Artoria cautioned as Altria huffed.

"Not happening, let it never be said that the King of Knights retreated from danger," the Saber offered as Artoria nodded, not arguing any further as they stared down the god together.

"Cernunnos. The pain and labor of thousands of years rests here. The Queen who spent so long preparing for your arrival has died. In her place, I meet you, with her weapons and at her throne. I am here to not accept the sins of our forebears, but to destroy them. I'm sorry for what has happened to you," the mage recited before taking a deep breath. The god merely roared in response, raising shadowy limbs from the depths of the abyss to come and kill her.

"Horned God! Calamity of Curses! Here you will taste the end! The Power of the World's End!" Artoria roared as her staff lit up. "Rhongomyniad!"

Altria watched as thirteen Rhongomyniad appeared around the mage who should have been king. The Caster practically exploding with power as Altria felt her hair, and her clothes, waving in the wind created just by her mere presence. She, mentally, admitted defeat. This King of Mages was far stronger than she. But she wasn't sad about that. Her journey had been even more harrowing in turn. No, she was proud, proud of her growth.

She watched all thirteen Rhongomyniad launch at Cernunnos, a wide array of magical explosions arising, petals blooming from each impact, explosions of light that would have knocked anyone else off their feet. Yet neither the King of Mages, nor the Black Knight fell as the radiance overtook them… and when the light had cleared…

All that power, packed within thirteen divine weapons, had failed to cause even a scratch on the Horned God's surface. At best, from what they saw, all that the thirteen greatest feats of Magecraft had managed… was to cause some singing on the Horned God's fur. Even Ushiwakamaru's Silver Eyes had done more, if not by much.

"No!" Artoria gasped as Altria raised her sword. So much for that idea. A cough drew Altria back to the Caster, as she spat up a torrent of blood.

"Artoria," Altria stepped to her side, helping the mage stand again.

"I… it didn't work?" she questioned softly before the Horned God roared at them in defiance.

Death loomed over them as Altria closed her eyes. "Unless you have another plan?"

Artoria's eyes looked around, before they laid on Excalibur, the thing at her feet. She picked it up again. "Just one," she stood up again, wincing as she began to channel.

"...You're going to die," Altria noted, her body was already spent from her casting but moments ago.

"Yeah, but at least this way I'm the only one who does. Better to try, and fail, than not," she mused, accepting her fate as Altria stood beside her, rather than behind her. They, who had only known each other for maybe three hours, stood together like sisters.

The first, and last, time Artoria Pendragon and Morgan Le Fay would do so, in completely different incarnations.

"I know you can be defeated… they defeated you before," Artoria recited, recalling Norwich, where Chaldea had repealed the Calamity, saving the town from destruction. They'd already defied fate many times…

It was time she did so willingly.

"Two thousand, four hundred years of magical energy for this single moment," she ordered, channeling the entire stock of magic Morgan had stored within her throne. She raised Excalibur, analyzing it, copying it.

Both King and Mage watched as thirteen images of Excalibur filled the sky around them. With her staff alight, Artoria roared, pointing the original, the one true Excalibur, and all thirteen others at a singular point.

They all fired together, rather than the barrage before, this was one concentrated blast; striking together, the images of Excalibur pierced the flesh of god. A single massive explosion of light, a flower of pure blue, of eight petals, blossomed. An explosion so massive that the previous ones had looked like mere firecrackers in comparison.

When the dust cleared once more… there was a single hole in Cernunnos, exposing the Horned God's heart.

"Well you did something Artoria…" Altria prepared to congratulate her as she turned her head… and noticed only one hand held Excalibur now. Artoria Caster was gone, having spending her entire body channelling two-thousand, four hundred years worth of magic taken from Fairy Britain. No final last words… just an outline of golden dust that scattered to the wind.

Altria looked at the sword she now held alone, and then summoned Excalibur Morgan… she tossed her black holy sword to the side as she held Excalibur aloft in defiance. If there were no other options, she would be the one to strike it!

---

"We've confirmed it! There's a hole in the Calamity's defenses!" A Nemo marine confirmed as everyone inside the command room looked as they brought the Storm Border around Camelot, so that it was facing the Horned God's corpse.

"That… is a bit more than just a hole," Cú noted, his face still wet with blood as he wore his new eyepatch with pride.

"But we have no means of assaulting that core," Holmes noted as everyone present either winced or glared. Mash in particular looked very downtrodden, since she had been the one who had lost the Black Barrel.

The immortal-slaying weapon that had served them well in Olympus, had ended up lost when she'd been left without her memories; meaning that it was probably destroyed.

"Ritsuka you give me a command seal, I could try it!" Ushiwakamaru instantly declared as everyone looked her, the panic on her face evident. With Van Gogh currently 'detoxing' after having absorbed so many curses the only thing keeping her alive was pure willpower, Ushiwakamaru was the only one who had a powerful Noble Phantasm that might be able to do some damage. Even Caenis' authority as the god of the sea didn't have the power to kill another god.

With the Rhongomyniads having failed, and the Excaliburs having only just managed to blow open a hole in the Horned God, rather than kill it, they were out of options.

"Without the Black Barrel… it's hopeless," Holmes noted softly as a small voice, someone who'd been quiet for a while, finally spoke up.

"The Black Barrel you say?" Habetrot asked as everyone turned to the tiny fairy and her little airship loom. "I suppose you wouldn't happen to mean this?" She tapped her loom and everyone watched as the balloon popped.

And the Ortinax shield, complete with Black Barrel, fell to the floor. "I've been holding onto it since I found it among Baobhan and Beryl's stuff. I knew who it really belonged to… I'd just been waiting for the right time to return it," Habetrot said softly as she looked at Mash and smiled.

"Habenyan!" Mash declared happily as she grabbed the Ortinax shield and ran for the deck, Ritsuka running after her as everyone looked at Habetrot quietly.

"...You do realize you're turning to dust, right?" Caenis asked bluntly as the little fairy hung her head, her arms and legs already fading away as she chuckled.

"Oh, I knew I was gonna die eventually… that thing's mere presence poisoned me, nevermind carrying it around. I'm just glad," she raised her head with a wide, beautiful smile. "I'm glad that I was able to help you all, and to help Mash in the end…"

"...Rest easy, Habetrot," Goldorf said quietly as the little fairy looked out the window, where they could see Mash and Ritsuka already prepared to fire; the Black Barrel charging, aimed directly at the Horned God's core.

"Hehe, I'm just happy to know we won, in the end," she said softly before completely fading away, coating the bridge in her remains as the wind from the open door picked up the dust.

"...How selfless," Ushiwakamaru noted sadly, before everyone turned to watch the Horned God's end.

An almighty bang resounded through the world, as the Immortal-Breaker, the Black Barrel, fired. The Storm Border shook as the beam of black energy rammed straight into the exposed core of the Calamity of Curses.

An explosion so loud that the world itself went deaf, and color itself inverted, turning day into night in an instant as the Horned Gold ended up exploding from its own energy… within seconds of impact, it was gone… oh, and all of Camelot around the Storm Border was on fire.

Altria suddenly leapt up, landing on the deck of the Storm Border as Cú Chulainn went out to join Ritsuka. They all sighed in utter relief at the rising sun.

"...I think we did it," Cú said quietly… before laughing in relief. "Oh by Yggdrasil we did it!" He cheered, grabbing both Altria and Ritsuka wrapping them in a big ass hug.

"Hmph," Altria huffed as she just accepted, but did not return the Caster's affection. "Was there ever any doubt Hound?" she retorted, but there was no venom behind it.

"Where's Artoria?" Ritsuka asked, wondering where the explosion nut of the hour was as Altria held up Excalibur.

"She vanished, her body likely gave out upon using all the magic energy Morgan had built up below the castle," Altria revealed, leaving Ritsuka and Mash to frown in sadness as Cú sighed in disappointment.

"Well… either way, want to know how I know we did it?" Cú asked as the team looked at him, golden dust beginning to flow off his form. "Because I'm leaving, the Lostbelt's over… we did it."

"You have a bad habit of making sudden exits, Caster," Ritsuka noted, but smiled as Cú laughed, the now one eyed Caster smirking as he looked to them.

"I doubt the Loop's gonna last much longer. Probably just long enough for you all to get back home…" he smiled, "I'll see you again soon, either amid a city of flames, or in Chaldea proper."

"Thank you, Cú Chulainn, for being our friend," Ritsuka offered with a smile, and then hugged the Caster just before he completely vanished, and he gave her one last headpat for the road.

"Now the role of Grimm the Wise as your only ally from Pan-Human history is done," Cú recited.

And with that, Cú Chulainn was gone once again.

Altria looked to Excalibur, looking it up and down with a smirk. "An Excalibur to call my own?" she questioned offhandedly as Ritsuka's gaze went serious.

"Senpai? What's with that look?" Mash asked as Altria raised an eyebrow as well.

"Pan-human history's only…" Ritsuka started as the communicator beeped.

"What's going on out there? The flames and curses have stopped, but the tremors haven't!?" Da Vinci proclaimed over the hololink as Ritsuka took a deep breath.

Only one more person to see.

Her friend, or at least who she thought of as one. The man who happened to be so cheery and jeery. A jester, and a King, the man who'd done so much to help them… The man who constantly went behind their backs, had held information, and at the same time had asked for their help and talked with them with genuine smiles.

"They're increasing!" Da Vinci screamed as a Nemo Marine came over the comm line.

"It's as if there was a drop below! I don't get it! Everything is falling apart!" there was a beep on the other end. "Warning received from the Observation Lense Sheba! This is an estimate but in an hour the Earth itself is gonna be in big trouble! It's a 'Collapse'! It's the start of the Collapse Phenomenon!" the marine supplied.

Everyone went silent as Ritsuka took a very, very deep breath. He'd vanished and Woodwose's reinforcements had never come. He had vanished always at the best of times, when something proceeded to go 'right' for them. A con-man who made millions in counterfeits, a man who had been believed by the Welsh Fairies to be 'Oberon'

She hadn't realized it the first time around, because she hadn't thought of it, but there was something sinister about him, about how much colder he became following the burning of the Forest.

He had vanished without a trace during the battle with Morgan, when no one else had been killed. Not one single member of their team…

Even him, she knew now.

"But we've cleansed all the Calamities! There shouldn't be any danger left to Britain anymore, so then why is its Destruction imminent!? There's no enemy left to fight!" Mash screamed in questioning as someone familiar spoke.

"Oh, but there is. There's been one since the very beginning. You just haven't noticed, that's all. Remember the tablet from Londinium? It depicts a 'Prophecy of Destruction' that comes after Cernunnos' main body is destroyed. 'The newer the world becomes, the more its roots age and without anyone even realizing, this is the result. It all crumbles with a single bite of a worthless little insect.' That bit isn't talking about Britain's future. No matter how stable human history is, this is what happens when you gnaw at the roots long enough. What disappears is the entire world."

"So it was you after all," Ritsuka noted, the only person left who could have caused the collapse they had detected.

---

Avalon le Fae - Insect of the Abyss - Oberon

"Hmm, you knew I was coming Rits?" Oberon asked, before chuckling and sighing. "Well shucks, in that case I'm a bit embarrassed, since I went out of my way to get the timing just right... " he nodded as Altria looked at him in confusion, as did Mash. "But I suppose it doesn't matter. It's not like I was really trying to hide from you in the first place," he said, summoning a small chess piece, a pawn, from black dust. "Even amongst all the other inconsequential pieces on the board, you were the one I truly could care less about," he said, before chucking the pawn over the side of the Storm Border.

"...And what about Blanca?" she pointed out, prompting Oberon to look at the little moth hanging to his shoulder.

"Oh? What's wrong Blanca? There hasn't been a single twitch from those lovely antennae of yours." he tapped her head. "Ah, I see, You died. The black blemish of the Mors… all the poison turning towards me from across all Britain, you've been accepting it in my stead?" he nodded. "Thank you, but it makes no difference to me Blanca." he said before grabbing her body, and like the chess piece moments before, chucked it off the Storm Border.

"Oberon!? That young man? He definitely has the appearance of the King of Fairies but… what's going on here, Da Vinci. Your report stated that Obeorn was a residential ally, a Servant summoned to this land from pan-human history. However, his Spirit Origin is not one of Pan-human history at all! He's neither human, nor fairy, or rather it's as if there is nothing there to analyze!" Holmes shouted over the comms as the pounding of footsteps came from behind them, Van Gogh, Caenis, and Ushiwakamaru running out of the ship to join them, or floating in Van Gogh's case.

"Is that truly Oberon? King of the Fae?" Holmes questioned.

"Of course, I've checked it as many times as I…" Da Vinci stopped before suddenly panicking over the comms. "The Border's radar can't pick up on his magical response!? No, I can but…. There isn't any matching data! It's as if the signature is constantly changing! As if his spirit Origin didn't have a singular stable form! But that's no different from a phantom who exists and doesn't exist at the same time!" Da Vinci concluded.

"B-but, then who exactly is the person standing in front of us?" Mash questioned as the mystery man remained silent, and still.

"Ritsuka! We're trying to make sense of the data!" Holmes informed them as the rest of the team finally came out, weapons all raised. Posideon's Trident, Mash's shield, Excalibur, newly forged, and Crescent Rose all pointed at the man who wasn't Oberon. "Ritsuka! We just got something on radar! Do you see anything."

She nodded as the massive black swarm of insects came into view. "I see it, it just came in."

"What the actual fuck," Caenis muttered as Van Gogh chuckled darkly.

"It's… what is it?" Ushiwakamaru asked as a very, very horrified look fell over Altria's face.

"It's… something resembling a black haze that is sucking up the earth… no! It's eating the Island! What in the world is that creature!" Mash screamed as they watched the massive monster begin to rip chunks out of Fairy Britain, tearing apart and consuming the world itself; Akin to a living blackhole writhing its way through the dying Lostbelt, feasting upon its death, the final nail in a massive coffin.

"It's an insect." Ritsuka noted as 'Oberon' , chuckled.

"You're sharp. It's just a single insect, or rather the general concept of one, as you can see. An infinite pit that serves to destroy Britain and turn the planet inside out. You can think of it as an endless cavity, a hole to the void. And finally, it is also me, although I'm not sure which of us is the main body, and which is the shadow," he mused as Ritsuka stared him down.

She pointed at him. "Reveal your true name, Oberon!"

He nodded darkly. "Alright, it is a request from none other than you, after all. I shall grant it." And as he spoke, his form began to distort, a dark haze swarmed by bugs; as he changed, he began to muse.

"I swear, the fae are truly incorrigible. The surface of the earth disappears by their own blunder, so they kill a god to create a small island atop it. When they grow fed up and find that insufficient, they fill the waters with corpses to create more land. Such a shameless, foul way of living is just sickening, don't you agree? Even a human like you should think it's quite messed up."

She actually nodded as he spoke, and he smirked at her. "From the perspective of the original British Isles that were returned to zero, it's nothing but disgusting to the point of wanting to eradicate it all, regardless of how many Calamites were scattered," he rambled as he put a finger to his chin.

"Oberon…" Ritsuka started, and he shrugged.

"But, Cernunnos was a special case. Despite everything, he was still a protector of the fae. As long as he remained, I couldn't come to the surface. Morgan never intended to defeat Cernunnos, her goal was to seal it away. Really, quite the pickle. I couldn't defeat Morgan, so…" he waved dramatically toward Ritsuka "I waited for someone who could.

"Someone who would also break the seal on Cernunnos and bring him down. The prophecy simply guided me to that end. Things were starting to get interesting, so I cooperated, just a little. To have the Child of Prophecy depart on her journey and succeed in her pilgrimage…" he frowned. "In the end, everything came to be your own doing," the man pointed out.

"State your name, Oberon!" Ritsuka called to him.

He smiled wickedly at that. "Very well. I am a fantasy created by pan human history, the one who attained this form based on Oberon, King of the Fairies. I am the incarnation of the will of Britain itself to fall into ruin, together with the age of mystery. My name is-"

---

As the Admins in the room were watching the horrific show of the monster beginning to eat the world, there was the sudden chime of a bell. As one, they turned their heads towards it. The terminal blinked as the file labled 'Oberon- Insect of the Abyss' stopped burning. It turned black, the entire file name starting to droop as it melded and meshed. And when it appeared again it was no longer a burning header on the file. No, it was a pure black name with a void of red behind the name on the file. And Manu sucked in a breath as he recognized the name.

"Oberon… Vortigern…"

---

"I am the Insect of the Abyss that has destroyed the Fairy Kingdom of Britain… and now will destroy all of you." Oberon-Vortigern said calmly, gently raising his arms towards them with a wicked grin.

"..Was it all a lie then?" Ritsuka asked as the man, Oberon-Vortigern, hummed.

"In a way, my very existence is a lie," the man admitted as the Storm Border shook.

"What's going on!?" Mash asked as Ritsuka turned around, the various Servants doing the same. What they saw was the massive insect, the hole to the void, sucking them in, and the Storm Border's engines going at full blast to try and escape its grasp.

"The damn Ship ain't fast enough!" Caenis complained as Oberon-Vortigern shrugged.

"Well you are trying to escape a black hole to the Abyss," he pointed out quite bluntly as the Storm Border was suddenly enveloped in a shield. "Oh good, that little man at least had the sense to throw the shields up."

"Everyone brace!" Ritsuka ordered, grabbing Mash as the insect roared… and everything went dark. Even the bright light of Excalibur in Altria's hand, reduced to little more than a faint dimness that only barely illuminated the deck of the Storm Border, like a constantly sputtering flashlight.

"You know, I lied to you about how I had been summoned, but Ritsuka has clearly figured that out… I wonder how much else you have." the man stated amid the darkness.

"It wasn't peaceful… but they did call me prince. I was Vortigern, before I was Oberon. They forced me to become Oberon," he informed them all as the bright light of the only exit in the abyss grew ever farther away.

"Let us go you cuck!" Caenis roared as Oberon-Vortigern hummed.

"Now, now, we aren't done talking yet, so sit pretty girl, and let me talk some more," the man mused as Van Gogh hissed, and Caenis tried to rush him, only for Mash to grab her by the shoulder.

"Don't, he wants us to attack him," she said, and he chuckled.

"My eyes…" Ushiwakamaru winced in pain as she fell to the deck, the man chuckling as he spoke.

"Though it would have been easier if you'd all just been crushed by the pressure like everything else has been upon entering the Abyss, I can explain. Welcome to the Vile King, the Noble Phantasm that will swallow all light, the world, and after that… the entire Branch,"

"You have got to be fucking-" Altria complained as she raised Excalibur. Loop Aware or not she was going to beat Vortigern's ass!

"Hey Vortigern," Ritsuka started as the man raised an eyebrow, even though none could see it.

"What is it, Ritsuka Fujimaru?" the Vile King asked as Ritsuka pointed over his shoulder.

"If that's the case what's that light?" she asked. He hummed curiously as he turned around, before his face contorted in rage and he leapt out of the way with an aborted curse.

"Oh fu-"

The tunnel of the Abyss lit up like the sun, as a pillar of light shot down. They could see that they were sinking deeper into the void now, but the pillar of light slammed into the Storm Border's deck. It didn't speed up their descent into the abyss… but everyone stared at what appeared within the brilliant light filling the void.

"You!?" Altria called out first as the woman… no, the King appeared.

As their eyes adjusted to the brilliant light, they took in the sight before them. Standing strong upon the Storm Border's deck was the very image of a King of Mages, a massive divine blade in her hand and behind her, a set of magical daggers. She wore robes as white as snow, decorated with golden diamonds. A crown sat upon her head, and a ribbon of blue tied back her hair as she looked at them all.

"I am Artoria Avalon," she spun her weapon before pointing it at Vortigern. "The concept of the Holy Sword Wielder made manifest… but you knew me better as Caster. From Avalon I have called myself, to help you all engage in this one final strife."

"NO! I'll take everything into the void, I can just speed up the consumption!" Oberon-Vortigern roared as the very beast they were inside did the same. But then he calmed. "No… explain how you are here." The tones in his voice were very different, Ritsuka noted.

"Simple. I summoned myself, it is nothing that hasn't been done before. After all, if the King of Heroes, who is no mage, can do it, then I should be able to as well," she decreed as Ushiwakamaru stood up, her eyes aglow with rage and Altria raised Excalibur, its almighty glow returning alongside the light within the abyss. Artoria Avalon smiled at Ritsuka and to Altria. "And with a beacon, it was even easier, no matter how dim it had become."

"The holy sword… damn," Oberon-Vortigern muttered before closing his eyes. "Well, I've already started, I guess I'll have to deal with you all myself then," he said, before, with a rumble the tunnels around them began to expand.

"Ritsuka! The Vile King's form is expanding! He's planning on swallowing the entire world at once!" Holmes called over the communicator.

"Fun fact, I'm not going for just the world everyone," he smirked. "As I'm sure literally everyone here but Artoria knows, I've got my sights set on a bigger goal. The Roots of the World Tree await!"

That had been the ice breaker, as Caenis roared and attempted to rush the man down, spinning her trident as he raised a clawed hand, blocking it with ease as the void continued to expand.

"Nemo! Put some power in the engines! If we go too far we won't be able to get out!" Da Vinci ordered as the battle on the deck raged, Ushiwakmaru rushing Oberon-Vortigern with her scythe, only for him to create one of his own to match, Crescent Rose meeting a blade made of mantis legs.

"We can't! Nemo Professor has already reported; as the void's getting bigger, the pressure is somehow getting more intense, the same the deeper we go! We move any power to the engines and we'll be crushed when the shields give away." Nemo reported over the comms, no longer even bother to hide the transmissions at this point.

Artoria Avalon and Altria Pendragon attempted to attack Oberon-Vortigern from behind, the man leaping away from the combined assault of the four and summoning a group of massive insects from the void, two Pillbugs, a dragonfly and a hercules beetle, sending them at the group. Caenis dodged a Pillbug as Ushiwakamaru leapt at the dragonfly, blasting it with her Silver Eyes and then kicking the now stone statue out into the void, where it was instantly crushed into dust. Altria rushed Vortigern, clashing Excalibur with his chitin covered arm as Mash smashed the hercules beetle away, knocking it off the edge as well. The other Pillbox worm Van Gogh just teleported into the void without a care.

"Well we have to do something!" Da Vinci cried out, before Van Gogh spoke up.

"This void is a reality…" She chuckled darkly. "Gogh knows what can be done. Just like in the sea," she said with a laugh as Ritsuka looked at the crazed Foreigner, who most certainly looked the part of an alien being of another world. Nearby, Caenis slashed the pillbox engaging her to pieces before leaping in to join Altria as Artoria gave the two fighters a boost, Oberon Vortigern having to break off and dance around the deck to avoid their combined assault.

"Clytie?" Ritsuka asked as the Foreigner looked to her.

"Whatever you do, don't look down," she said with a smile, the void into space she called a mouth wide as she vanished into a cloud of paint. Ritsuka was already reaching out to the Foreigner as she appeared well below the Storm Border, the pressure nearly crushing her as she grit her teeth.

Yet she was the Avatar of a being from another world, an alien who did not have to regard the world's rules, at least entirely. She chuckled… she would only have a few seconds.

"The world bends to the will of Gogh, for my power enhances beings from between and distorts reality. Thus… I shall break this reality. This Abyss is a reality I shall break!" She screamed into the abyss before laughing, and set herself alight. She would expend her entire spiritual core here, to give them a chance!

"O' distant and formidable minister of water, O' scion of wind. Turn into the madness of one drop from the large flower of the summer day star, and guide the celestial bodies to the throne of eternal slumber once more." The Void lit up with stars of paint, as a gigantic painting began to form. And as it did… the expansion began to slow, as reality started to bleed petals of flowers from how much power she was putting into eroding it. She wasn't aiming to enhance… she was aiming to break. "The Starry Night! De Sterrenacht!" She commanded as the painting formed completely, her spirit Origin burning away as flowers began to fill the void… flowers from beyond the stars, sprouting from the painting that glowed, illuminating the void from below with red light as Clytie Van Gogh laughed and cried at the same time.

She did so… as she would be the only one not going home.

Oberon-Vortigern grit his teeth as Mash Kyrielight blocked the swing of his scythe. The void's growth, and the world's collapse had been temporarily halted by that damn Foreigner. His Abyss was literally growing flowers out of the 'walls' It wasn't supposed to even have walls!

She'd given nothing definition, and now pieces of Britain were starting to fall around the Storm Border as the engines kicked on. "We have thrust!" Nemo ordered, and they stopped falling.

They began to ascend as the Abyss tried to reassert itself, attempting to crush the thing that was making it bleed, the Starry Night that had been forced upon it.

Oberon-Vortigern grit his teeth as he summoned more bugs to distract them, but before he could throw them…

A gunshot rang out, and a large bullet shot straight through his stomach. Everyone looked at what had just occurred…

Koyanskya, wielding a large sniper rifle, was standing in the door. "Well now that stupid King's order chooses to activate. Pheh, you, Master, get ordering, we don't have much time," she reported, rushing out to join them finally as Ritsuka caught sight of the strange symbol in her eye.

The symbol of Qin's Authority.

"You…" Oberon-Vortigern growled as the combatants all lined up to face him again… he hadn't been expecting the fox to return…

He raised his hand, gathering power. "Very well then! I'll send all of you to the Abyss personally!"

"You already did!" Caenis shouted as he summoned a mass of insects, sending them streaming across the Storm Border's deck… curiously away from Ritsuka as Artoria raised her spear.

"ROUND OF AVALON!" the summoned form of Artoria Caster commanded as Mash moved to stand in front of her.

"LORD CAMELOT!" The two defensive barriers raised, the Vile King's attack was stunted as the Storm Border picked up speed even further.

"Defensive measures enhanced! Swapping over to speed!" Nemo ordered as engines two and three kicked up, the Border going into full vertical as Ritsuka and the others began to hold on for dear life, at least until Artoria cast a spell to stick their feet to the deck of the ship.

And there they duelled again.

Ushiwakamaru constantly blasted anything he tried to summon and turned it to stone, or it got shot by the fox. Meanwhile, the Black King retreated toward the back of the Storm Border as Artoria Avalon snapped her fingers, nearly skewering the Vile King on her magical daggers and forcing him to shift into a swarm of insects to evade, only for the Golden Lancer to blast said storm of bugs with lightning; forcing him to reconstitute himself before it could shock the insects that made up his form to death. All the while, Ritsuka's skin was alight with blue, her magic circuits burning as she kept screaming out enhancement or defensive spells for her friends.

Oberon-Vortigern grit his teeth as bullets, blades, bolts of lightning, Mystic Eyes of another world, and magical spells continue to drive him back. He dove off into the void, intent on retreating or dragging them down with him to get them to stay here longer. He was at the end of his rope.

'Oh, now you're retreating?' the voice in his head asked smuggly, the one he had swapped places with.

'Shut it! We would have won if we had just killed the girl when we had the chance!' he argued with himself, ignoring the light coming from the Storm Border as a Black King stood on the deck, aiming down as the rest of them all piled back into the ship.

'You're the one who wanted to do it yourself, said it would be more thorough, how is that working out for you?' the voice jested as Oberon-Vortigern seethed at himself, just as the light came for him. He looked back…

What he saw was Altria, the Black King, Excalibur raised above her head, a completely unsealed sword, freshly forged with the goal of saving the world.

"EX!" her voice carried through the void as the Vile King looked skyward in… awe. He could evade, he had to evade.

But he couldn't move. 'You aren't going anywhere'

'WHY!?'

'Because unlike you… I see that there are things in this world worth preserving.'

"CALIBUR!" the beam of Holy Light, the Light of the Planet, sped down towards him. With part of him holding himself back, and his void still bleeding and stalled from the Foreigner's sacrificial painting… there was nothing the Vile King could do to stop what was coming for him.

Half of him watched on in anger and rage, the other smiled and accepted what was coming.

He watched, consumed by the light, as the Storm Border rocketed towards the hole that denoted the world above, the small speck of light of the world he had tried to swallow.

'I accomplished my goal Oberon, Fairy Britain is no more, and the light I care about still remains.'

'VORTIGERN!'

Oberon-Vortigern died, at war with himself, as the Storm Border, powered by divine providence and given a boost by the sword of the planet, shot out of the Abyss; behind them, the now beyond massive Vile King beginning to fall apart with the death of itself. The hole in the world to the void it represented, far beyond the scale of what had originally been intended… crumbled, and closed.

Beneath the Storm Border, there was a wound in the planet, all of Britain was torn out of the land, much of the sea had been swallowed up. Reality was slightly cracked, from the outer god's power that had leaked out from the Abyss.

Said 'crack' was the thousands of sunflowers. On the deck of the Storm Border, Altria held out her hand… catching a falling sunflower, one of thousands that fell from the sky. She looked towards the sun… holy sword in hand as she held the flower to her chest, Ritsuka coming out onto the deck to join her as they flew away from the remains of the British Lostbelt. The Cosmos Denied.

"Thank you… Clytie Van Gogh," Altria said softly as she handed Ritsuka the flower.

"...We'll see her again, right?" Ritsuka asked as Altria chuckled.

"Of course we will…" she admitted. She was certain of it.

They stared towards the sun, a dragon had roared, and everyone aboard the Storm Border watched as the dragon Albion… or perhaps the dragon Melusine, flew by them, soaring like a jet through the sky, roaring before flying past them all and into the sunset; Fairy Britain's last survivor. They watched until Ritsuka grew tired, Altria carrying her back inside to rest… It had been a long, long, long few days for her Master and friends.

Ushiwakamaru was passed out on a table, and Caenis similarly was snoring away. Koyanskya was nowhere to be found, while Artoria Avalon had faded after they'd left the Abyss, shortly after Oberon-Vortigern's demise. Mash had gone to fall asleep in her room, and possibly cry about not being able to save anyone from Fairy Britain… honestly Altria thought they probably should have grabbed Redra Bit, the poor horse had given his all to get them to the Storm Border, and clearly was a friend of theirs.

Maybe next time.

And as she went to her room on the Storm Border, she slowly sat on the bed, dismissing her armor as she held up Excalibur… a soft smile on her face as the golden blade continued to thrum with power. Even as the Black King of Knights, this blade was still hers… and of course it was Caster's as well.

Her only regret was that she wouldn't be able to keep it.

And as she lay on the bed to fall asleep, she kept the golden blade in her hand, a precious reminder, like the many other things she had collected over the course of their many adventures which lined the walls of this room. Pictures of her and her friends, objects that told of the past. Stories penned of the battles they had fought.

Altria Pendragon fell asleep, clutching the sword, a smile on her face.

The next time she would wake up, would be amongst a city of flames.

---

Avalon le Fae - Curtain Call

Ritsuka blinked her eyes open and softly sat up. Beneath her laid a field of grass… She was in a forest. Above her there were all sorts of insects fluttering about… and they were chattering about their king being back. She recognized this forest.

She was in Wales. It was the only place she could be.

"Hey everyone! I'm home. Did you all manage to survive today? Hah, did you all burn up and die already? Yeah, wouldn't that be a fitting end for you lot sooner or later, really! Well, I'll tell you about the outside world in a bit. Honestly, it's not like I have anything new to tell you all either." The footsteps she could hear in the grass drew closer as a hand reached down for her. "Heya Rits."

Oberon-Vortigern was looking down at her, smiling. "Sorry, it seems I fell asleep," Ritsuka said softly, allowing herself to be pulled up by the Insect of the Abyss as he smirked at her.

"I noticed, but you looked so peaceful, one couldn't help but want to disturb that slumber," he jested before gesturing over to a table, where there was a teapot and a pair of teacups. "Come now, why don't we share one last cup of tea."

He led her to the table, and she took a seat, a group of fairies flying over and dropping a crown made of rocks on her head… a copy of the crown she'd made to imitate Oberon in Gloucester. Slowly she reached for the teapot, only for Oberon-Vortigern to grab it, pouring a cup of tea for himself before setting it down, allowing her to take it for herself as he took a sip of his drink without adding a damn thing. Dark, black and bitter.

"Now, it seems the audience up above wants to know why it hasn't ended yet." Oberon-Vortigern chuckled as Ritsuka blinked in confusion. "The Loop you dimwit."

"It's because we're here in this dream isn't it?" Ritsuka asked as the Vile King nodded.

"I figured as much. Now there is something you want to say to me?" he asked, or was it stated as she took a sip of her tea.

"Yes actually… There's something I haven't heard yet, not that I'm thinking about it again." she said softly as the king nodded.

"So what is it that you want? I've told you my background, my purpose and the part I played, what more is there to talk about?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest as she looked deep into his dark eyes.

"I want to know what you're thinking… you liar," Ritsuka noted, Finally calling him out on his bullshit. She wanted answers.

"Ah… well I thank you for that. Congratulations Rits… you've won. And technically, I've lost and won at the same time. Now that you've called me out, I can finally get something off my chest," he started, taking a sip of his tea as Ritsuka raised an eyebrow.

"Then… may I ask why?" she questioned as Oberon-Vortigern took a deep breath after putting down his tea, looking to the trees above.

"That's a long story… So let's make it a bit quicker. It starts with who I am. I was born as this world's Vortigern, but I became Oberon. Now, what do you know of those names?"

"Vortigern is the uncle of King Arthur… and the fated destroyer of the British Isles, the tyrant king who tried to make sure the Age of Mystery remained," she repeated and he nodded.

"I am Vortigern, fate of the British Isle, born to destroy Fairy Britain, ironic isn't it?" he revealed, before looking at her. "But only Fairy Britain, originally."

"So why go further?" she asked, and he rubbed his head.

"You can thank my 'better half' for that one. Oberon, the identity that was forced upon me, gave me a much bigger goal. Indeed," he smirked. "It was only possible for him to force it upon me because of my hatred of humans, he wanted to destroy the world… and go beyond that." He shook his head. "Let's back up a second. Since you've called me out, I've got no choice but to actually tell you the truth."

Ritsuka took a sip of her tea again as the man before her tapped the table slowly, black ash coating where his fingers tapped. "Let's start with Fairy Britain. Here, everything is a fairy tale. A story. It was a fourteen thousand-year old picture book drawn by Morgan, one that had no place outside of anything but fictional histories, and you've denied it, like the other Lostbelts. A story that you've ripped out…" he took a deep breath. "Is what I would say, if I didn't have these," he pointed two fingers at his eyes. "Meet the reason that I was able to see what was going on. My 'Fairy Eyes of Truth'. They allow me to see the truth in anything or anyone I look at. And the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew of your mission, your 'infinite story' to come. Originally when we first met, I despised you, Ritsuka Fujimaru, before I remembered I was Vortigern," he chuckled. "But… I also saw the truth. How much love and effort you put forth into everything. To us all, who do not 'Loop' we're basically puppets for you to toy with… and yet you don't," he pointed out.

"I don't plan on toying with people Oberon… or is it Vortigern?" she asked, and he chuckled.

"You get old enough kid it'll happen eventually," he noted before chuckling. "You know, I never did get that portrait…" he mused before frowning. "Or that katana."

"You're still a dork," she noted as he huffed.

"I hate you, Ritsuka Fujimaru, but I also like you. That is the contradiction I am. That's why I gave you a chance to save this world," he huffed.

"...I was wondering why, for someone so pragmatic, you suddenly dropped the ball so hard," Ritsuka admitted and he huffed, puffing out his cheeks.

"But let's get to the crux of the issue. I hate humans, and so does my other half. That is why we cooperated. However, one of us wanted to take things a bit too far. You see… I glimpsed what may come the moment I saw mister Chulainn. He glimpsed the same, he thought differently than I. I saw the stories that may come. If it had been any different, I would have just let him do it, and end it all." the Vile King admitted as Ritsuka looked at him.

"So why didn't you?"

"...The fact that I found people to care about. I never knew this thing called 'love'; my other half did, in a way. During that journey we shared… this past month-ish… I experienced many things I had never experienced before. I learned friendship. My other half saw that and scoffed, for he hated all the other stories being tossed away by these 'Infinite Loops'. I decided… you know what… Perhaps it won't be that bad?" he chuckled, raising a hand as an imitation of Blanca landed on his fingers, a tiny version of her at least.

"See, a lot of things made me upset, but they also made me happy. Seeing your journey begin? You didn't want to leave a single person behind. And even knowing that they all won't remember, you still trek onward with them at your side. You place so much trust in them… you placed your trust in me, even as you suspected my actions," he chuckled.

"Well… in a way, you are still my friend," Ritsuka commented, and he laughed.

"Ah, even after that, you still believe that… I won't lie, I like you, my other half hates you. I'm a walking Contradiction, Ritsuka Fujimaru. A Pretender, the first of a new breed of Servant. And promise me that you won't forget. Everyone has value, from the most vicious villain to the most forgettable side character, unspoken or not." he smiled, a genuine smile on a liar's face.

"You know what, I'll take you up on that," Ritsuka said with a laugh, and she shared it with the Vile King.

"Well then, my friend, my enemy," he slowly stood up. "I won't be seeing you. So you Chaldean Bastard, no thanks for the dull trip. One filled with expected twists, and I hope your journey towards the future is a terrible one…" he smiled. "From the bottom of my heart, I wish you the worst." He lied, they both knew he was lying, and it was an absolutely terrible one.

"Well then…" Ritsuka started to recite. "I will be seeing you. So you great Fairy… I thank you for the exciting journey we shared, one that was filled with so many unexpected things. I hope that your journey is a great one." she smiled to the liar king. "From the bottom of my heart, I wish you the best." She also stood up.

The Vile King and the Chaldean Master shook hands, before the King let go, and wandered back into the forest of their dreams, the Welsh Fairies following him as he gave her the middle finger. She shot him one in turn before he turned away, a smirk on his face as he vanished into the trees. And she looked up towards the sky, and closed her eyes. The dream was over… and it was time to wake up.

When she Awoke again, he was standing in the middle of a hallway, looking out into the ice and snow, and he just smiled.

---

Requiem of Fate: The Grand Order

The Journey Begins

Epilogue

Everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief as the loop ended peacefully, with Oberon-Vortigern and Ritsuka having their final conversation in a dream. "Thank Yggdrasil it's finally over," Loki noted as he slouched exhaustedly in his chair.

"Don't thank the Tree," Skuld muttered. "Damn thing probably got a kick out of this." Despite her words, there was a soft smile on her face.

"Impressive work by everyone involved… This went far better than the Megaman activation did," the Allfather said as Manu began loading up patches, and began making a new one.

Loki snorted. "Yeah, high bar that."

The 'Oberon' situation was kinda one that needed to be solved pretty much instantly. Thankfully that short little conversation Ritsuka had with the Vile King had revealed quite a few things that needed to be fixed. Like making sure at least one half of Oberon-Vortigern was not going to suddenly become Loop Aware again from just looking at a Looper, and to put a hard cap on what he was capable of. "This Branch is so much trouble, I hope everyone knows that," Manu muttered with a chuckle.

Hecate sighed. "Yeah… I know that now." She glanced at the God of Fate. "I'm sorry again, to burden you with this."

"Oh, are you?" Skuld asked quietly, dangerously.

Hecate flinched, but steeled herself. "Are you willing to accept this Branch, Manu the Great? It would be safe in your hands."

"As it was written, so mote it be. Consider me back from retirement," the Chaldean God of Fate offered as he brushed a strand of silver-grey hair out of the way. No one commented on how it made him look a little similar to the 'person' that had nearly wrecked the entire branch in a rage fuelled hissy fit.

"So then… what happens now?" Loki asked as Manu coughed.

"What happens is I get all these patches loaded in, make a hotfix for Oberon-Vortigern, and the Calamities, and prepare to send our newest Anchor off to her next loop after I make sure that this Loop won't suddenly be completely wrecked if something goes out of control… again," Manu complained, but there was little venom in his voice.

"...Manu, that girl broke reality, the terminal was spitting out errors all the way to the end," Loki pointed out, referring to Van Gogh's little stunt inside the Vile King where she had started literally eroding the fabric of reality.

"And may I point out that said stunt is also what probably saved the planet from being eaten, followed by the entire Branch, and if his boasting was to be believed, Yggdrasil was next," Odin pointed out.

"He probably was overhyping himself on that last one, but he most certainly could have completely destroyed the Branch." Manu amended Odin's statement.

"Only because of the Branch's already-critical condition," Skuld amended. "During standard loops without errors all over the place, it shouldn't even be enough to crash." She paused. "Prepare a patch to limit his capabilities, though, Manu. Just in case."

"Already working on it Skuld, despite the numbers… or lack thereof on his Noble Phantasm, Lie Like Vortigern. I'm putting a hidden hard cap on it," he revealed, showing them all the specs of the Noble Phantasm, pre nerf.

"Ouch… Range unlimited, Targets unlimited… EX-Rank Anti World? Jeez," Loki complained. "There are some older Loopers with less ridiculous crap than this," the God of Mischief noted.

Hecate frowned. "Some Branches are… unbalanced. There are some older Loopers that can't do any of the nonsense the Dragon Ball Loopers get up to. ...But I will admit, unlimited range is a bit extreme. You think it should be Read-Only?"

"Skuld?" Manu asked, looking to the head debugger.

"As it is currently, yes," Skuld said. "But depending on the patch, possibly not. If it's scaled down enough, it's no less dangerous than any other black hole. And plenty of Loopers worth their salt can make those, no problem."

"I planned on making that 'Anti-world' title a bit more literal. Only the range of about a planet at best," Manu admitted, basically altering the definition of World to Planet.

"That probably should be fine," Odin admitted. "It'll certainly be a shock to him if he ever manages this again,"

"About that… I decided to pull up the list of Possible Loopers again… and look what I found at the top," the God of Fate said, pulling out the list and scrolling all the way to the top.

All the way up there was not only the three Fairy Knights and Morgan, but Habetrot, Artoria Caster, Percival… and Vortigern.

"Only Vortigern? Isn't his name 'Oberon-Vortigern?'" Odin asked.

"He was Vortigern before he was Oberon. And let's not forget, it was his Vortigern half that prevented Oberon from taking advantage of the many, many opportunities he had to destroy the Loop right then and there by killing Ritsuka, and caused him to grasp that Villain Ball so tightly at the end," Manu pointed out.

Oberon was unstable, Vortigern, while clearly a 'Villain' was far more reasonable, exceptionally more reasonable. "Of course, he's way up here at the top, basically at the bottom when it comes to time of Activation," he amended.

"He'd hardly be the first antagonist to start Looping," Hecate added. "And if we applied the Grima Patch to keep him free of Oberon's influence, he'd really be of no more concern than anyone else with that arrangement."

"You heard the man, he hates humans, he's probably liable to go on a rampage anyway," Odin did point out as Manu scoffed.

"And so is Cath Palug, most other available loopers of the Evil alignment in this Branch without Ritsuka's influence, and pick your favorite vampire Looper," the God of Fate said. "We actually saw his real face in that dream. He's an asshole, a liar… and he actually gives a shit about some people. There are Loopers who are worse."

Skuld crossed her arms. "Apparently, Yggdrasil likes villainous Loopers, but after what we saw... Keep him flagged for non-Activation for now, Manu. Once you've had enough time to get an accurate grasp of who he is, decide if him Looping is acceptable. I'll trust your judgement."

"Understood, for right now I'm just going to keep a lock on his ability to go Loop Aware as well. As well as anyone else with 'Fairy Eyes' apparently," he sighed. "There are a lot of powerful entities in this loop who are actively malicious who are liable to be Loop Aware, so I've already got a blanket patch to apply to keep most of them from being Loop Aware on the regular, just so that we don't end up having a disproportionate amount of crashes… from non-Loopers."

"That's fair," Loki admitted.

"Now, there is one other problem. All the stuff the Root has recorded. It still has that record of all the Fused Loops, and now we as know, the Loops are liable to use them without an actual Fused Loop in play," Manu started as Loki waved his hand.

"And Loopers pull crap from out of Loop from their Pockets all the time, it's probably gonna be fine, even if there's the occasional weird thing like 'Ushiwaka Ruby'," Loki said.

"She was actually incredibly helpful with those tools she gained. She even managed to figure out her Silver Eyes… I give eighty-twenty odds on her being adopted by the RWBY Loopers after she wakes up," Odin said with a smile.

"No deal," Hecate chuckled. "Taking a bet like that, when there's so much of infinity left to wait? That'd be a big mistake."

Skuld cleared her throat. "That actually brings me to something I wanted to talk about, Hecate?"

Hecate blinked, and let her guard down. "About what? The RWBY family?"

"No." Skuld's eyes bored into Hecate. "Mistakes."

All of a sudden, Hecate's mouth was completely dry. "Ah."

Skuld swivelled in her chair to look at Manu. "I take it you have no more need of me," she said in a businesslike manner.

"No, I've got everything under control now," Manu the Great said, getting straight to business as well, as both he and Skuld turned to Hecate.

"Welp, see you later," Loki decided, making himself scarce as Odin nodded, taking his leave as well. And thus, the only three Admins left were Manu, Skuld… and Hecate.

Hecate took a deep breath. "I know what happened was-"

"Entirely the fault of your negligence," Skuld hissed.

Hecate winced. "Yes, and-"

"That you are solely to blame, with no excuse for the millenia the issues built up."

"...Yes, Skuld."

"Hmm." Skuld raised an eyebrow. "You say that like you understand, but I don't think you do." She glanced at Manu again. "Don't let me keep you, feel free to start work on the Branch. This might take a while."

"I'll be getting to that. Hecate, I'll be speaking with you later… or whatever's left of you," Manu noted, giving her a sympathetic look before rolling off in his chair and getting back to work.

Skuld watched him return to his desk on the other side of the room, before turning back to Hecate. "I have a few choice words for you, Hecate, so listen well."

"Yes, Skuld," Hecate said, hanging her head meekly.

"Raise your head and look at me," Skuld commanded. "Look me in the eyes as you listen to me." Hecate flinched and looked up at her boss. Skuld's eyes were dark, any sympathy that may have existed buried beneath a layer of steel as cold and hard as Jötunheimr itself. Wincing to herself, she mentally braced herself for a very long discussion.

"Can you please have this discussion outside my office?" Manu asked quickly, and Skuld obligingly dragged Hecate out of the office as the newly crowned Admin, the Chaldean God of Fate chuckled and began to put his coding skills to work once more on his new Branch.

It was good to be back, and with such an interesting set of Loops as well.