Chapter 33 : Chaldea

Hades sat down as Nyx brought him the report. It was looking dim. An hour after everything had transpired and Oneiros still looked like shit. It wasn't a pretty sight.

Burns covered his body and craters had formed on his back. The growths had taken their toll using small sections of his skin to grow out. It didn't help that his body was suffering from several days of malnutrition which had never been seen on a God, ever. The fact that he was still capable of being healed through a combination of ambrosia and several bottles of Phoenix tears which had been smuggled into the underworld was the only reason that he was still breathing. The death of a god shouldn't have been taken lightly even if it was the closest it had ever gotten to with this incident.

"So he'll live?" Hades pointedly stared down at Nyx who was still scowling.

"Well, yeah. But that doesn't change the fact that we didn't deal with the one who did this. That was at best a shell of what it was going through the motions to keep their connections." Nyx contested, a slight twitch of her eye giving away the frustration she felt.

"It has been dealt with." Hades cut off anymore discussion.

"Like hell it has!" Nyx shot back before grimacing. "Forgive me Lord Hades."

"It is understandable but it has been taken care of. I made sure of it." Hades let his magic flare out just for emphasis.

"Of course. My apologies. I'll be keeping an eye on Oneiros. By your leave." Nyx quickly mentioned and with a quiet flick of his wrist she left.

Left with his thoughts, Hades mentally chuckled. He hadn't finished the job but he was certain that the deed was done. He couldn't tell how but he knew it had happened. And so he waited, he needed to discuss things over with Hypnos. A matter that only took a couple of minutes.

"Lord Hades." Hypnos stepped forward.

"Explain." Hades stated.

"Of course. The soul in question, one called Ritsuka Fujimaru, doesn't seem to be of this earth. We have examined his soul from your own impressions and have found that there are slight differences between his and the souls we have here. Coincidentally, the particular point I have found to make matters strange are the countless seals covering his soul in protection." Hypnos explained as his magic conjured up dream-like projections before him.

"And these?" Hades waved his hand over them.

"Uncertain. These are merely the patterns I have been able to discern. Fourteen based on what I have seen." Hypnos continued.

"Describe them then." Hades ordered.

"At best there are the seven core seals and seven outer seals. The core are of a blade pointed upward, a spear tilted to the upper left, a bow with an arrow pointed to the left, a horse head or knight, a staff pointed to upper right, a skull, and a cow skull. These core seals seem to form the brunt of his defenses and are the most numerous out of all the seals I found." Hypnos started, recalling what he had seen in as much detail.

"And the others?" Hades twirled his hand.

"This seemed to be the strangest honestly. There was one that seemed to be more powerful than the rest and the focal point of his defenses: a seal with a shield emblazoned upon it. There was only one of them though." Hypnos trailed off lost in his thoughts once more. A quick snap broke off those thoughts.

"Hypnos that accounts for eight. What of the other six?" Hades quickly pushed for more.

"Ah yes, these were the more esoteric symbols. There was a scale, a face in flames and chains, a cube with a flower growing at the bottom, a pierrot mask, a comet falling to the lower left, and a devil mask. There were far less of these symbols and only seemed to float around the core symbols, orbiting them like a secondary defense. Though…" Hypnos shook his head. "No, it's nothing."

"Leave nothing to ignorance. All information so we are better prepared." Hades urged his friend to speak.

"Well… there were a few that looked weird, even if only for a few seconds. There were small flashes of what looked like a tree of sephirot or whatever the humans called it when it came to exist. They never lasted long, seemingly forced back to what they originally were. Though I don't think I could tell you which ones those were." Hypnos admitted. There had been far too many symbols.

"So as far as we can tell this human has several layers of protection upon his soul, far more than any one being has ever had in the history of our world. And this person more than likely has no connection to this world at all." Hades summarized what he had suspected.

The demon that he fought felt strangely familiar. Though it wasn't the wistful nostalgia that one would look back on with favor. It felt as though a nightmare had reformed back from the brink of the void tormenting them once more with their illogical thoughts of supremacy. He could remember the Great War that had spilled into their neck of the woods due to the fights between the bats, crows and pigeons. It had felt to that level when he fought within the dreamscape.

Though, to be fair to the situation, he had been limited given the circumstances.

"So what shall we do Lord Hades? Shall we hunt them down and take care of this problem?" Hypnos suggested, as was their usual plan when dealing with unknown variables.

"Are you an idiot?" Hades found himself saying. "As far as I'm concerned, that is an asset in the making. A human that can't be swayed by blasphemous reincarnations from those fools. No, we merely keep an eye on this being and assist them as we see fit."

"Assist them my lord?" Hypnos questioned, taken off guard and completely confused he had to know why.

"Yes. Assist them, and by that I mean sway them to our side or make sure our interests align." Hades clarified. "The one thing we noted during our conversation was their drive for humanity. He did not idolize nor worship me. He treated me with respect but from a position of an equal. Ludicrous and completely outrageous, but I found it funny enough to acquiesce to such an outcome."

"Ah. How funny." Hypnos chuckled, though it sounded empty and uncertain.

"Do you doubt me?" Hades turned his gaze down, dispassionately staring at Hypnos.

"Not at all." Hypnos answered immediately.

"Then as of now, no one but you and I shall know about this. Keep that in mind Hypnos." Hades dismissed his fellow god who quietly exited the room. He stared back a couple times as he left still unsure of what to do about the situation.

After he left… Hades finally let himself relax. If he could borrow a phrase from modern humans it would be that this shit is bananas. He didn't know why that would be a comparable euphemism but it just felt right. Things were more complicated than they should have been.

A demon had found a way to not only capture a god, but possess them. A demon, not a devil like he would expect. All the bats had been left to survive over the actual dangerous things. The motive was even more ludicrous. All for one, single human. A solitary being in a seven billion drops pool which made the fact that it had accomplished its preliminary plans all the worse for it.

That wasn't even the tip of this particular iceberg when he met said human. Magic that didn't use that stupid formula that one of the devils had proliferated across the pantheons. Said human had spoken the truth about his fight against a demon who had regenerative abilities that would rival some of those stupid dragon kings. They needed a power source, yes, but it had been using a god as it's battery!

Hades had a conundrum now. There was something else out there that could get in his way of wiping away the filth of the world. The crows and bats and maybe the pigeons as well if they got uppity. That something also was willing to hunt humans and drag any god that got in their way as collateral.

The Hero Faction was still a viable action given their human basis even if they used other pantheon gifts to accomplish their goals. They were merely pawns.

'I'm glad you are the one helping me.'

Thus the issue of his conundrum. A simple phrase echoing in his blasted head filled with genuine gratitude. The arms of his chair cracked as fingers clenched in frustration. Helping the Hero Faction would eventually harm the human he had just told Hypnos that they were to assist.

Even then there were strange little visions dancing in his head. He didn't know what they were, he couldn't fathom them in their entirety even with his godhood. That vision was of him, a giant robotic shell that had fought for humans… only for Zeus to put him down. He didn't know where that vision came from, only that it started when he had met Fujimaru. Though when he looked closer at it he could tell that his other self died on his terms and no one else's.

'It doesn't make sense. It doesn't fit what I know… ' Hades felt his palm fall down his face. 'It wasn't him but it was, all at the same time. A confusing mess entirely that makes me want to lean against doing something stupid…'

For the moment, he would turn away the Hero Faction. Ever since the constant incursions of something killing pure devils they didn't have the manpower or confidence to actually make any waves anymore. It didn't help that the rumors of Rizevim's body being found mutilated into meat meant they weren't a factor anymore.

'Yes… let's be pragmatic. They don't have a leg to stand on and this new human is an unknown.' Hades nodded to himself. It was a pragmatic decision. That was all he told himself.

Ritsuka stared into a white void. The wounds he had received had faded into bruises. It still didn't mean he could handle those wounds long term. While wounds in dreams weren't technically real, his dream walking tendencies had muddled that distinction. Phantom pains were still a thing that plagued him in the waking world. Merlin had been clear it was in his head… but that didn't mean it didn't happen since the same incubus had also told him that dying in his dreams was the same as dying in real life.

"Seems as though you've had a shitty time, my accomplice. Have you been well then?" Dantes derisively chuckled as he flung a match to the ground snuffing it out beneath his heel. A trail of smoke flowed away from the pair.

"I guess so. Can't reach Chaldea though so my anxiety has been building." Ritsuka answered as he let out a long suffering sigh.

"Mhm. I don't know what has occurred in the past five minutes since I left to find you but it seems like you've taken a beating since then." The Count muttered. His gaze scrutinized his master poring over the burns and cuts he had received. The smoldering corpse and burning landscape had long since vanished to a white void… meaning that master was most likely in REM sleep.

"I've been here for almost forty days, Count. I'm glad that we've finally made contact." Ritsuka finally stated only to stop his smile when Dantes peered into his eyes.

"Forty days…?" Dantes muttered.

"Y-yeah… is something wrong?" Ritsuka felt his breath hitch.

"It seems that there are still problems at hand, worse than could be imagined in a sense." Dantes sighed as stepped forward, offering his hand to his master. Ritsuka took it and was forced back onto his feet.

"Is it really that bad…?" Ritsuka muttered, a feeling of dread crawling up his back as he waited.

"It has been thirty seven minutes since you were whisked away on this reyshift from Chaldea." Dantes admitted as he saw the terror take hold of his accomplice. He didn't scream, out loud at least, but he did cover it into his hands as he realized what that meant.

"That's strange." Meunière looked over the gauges that kept track of Ritsuka's vitals and temporal integrity.

"What is it?" Goredolf looked over his shoulder. The vitals had dipped for a few milliseconds before correcting themselves. The small graph that had printed out had only the most minute dip but it was a change.

"Hm… it is probably nothing. Just overexerting himself once more to accomplish a goal." Holmes chuckled as he took his own look. 'Better to keep that his life was in danger to myself unless I wish to shake that hornet nest awake.'

To say that was the best idea he could fathom was an understatement of the grandest magnitudes. In the past twenty minutes since the Chaldean Master had disappeared all hell had broken loose for five minutes… then everything had calmed down immediately after that. A sudden calmness had wafted over the complex.

Within the course of those twenty minutes every single genius had been brought into a project to figure out how to get communications back online with Ritsuka… to varying levels of success. Verbal communication, Visual communication, both had returned static. Surprisingly vitals were still being transmitted though their own wavelengths were shorter, with much higher frequency.

Whatever had happened had caused some sort of temporal effect which was doing something to their Master. Whether it was speeding or slowing his temporal existence was the baffling part.

Holmes took another puff of his pipe and stepped out of the control room. The confines and lack of space would have made the smoke an annoyance for the hard workers of this veritable dream team. Though his own thoughts were mired by the statements that their clairvoyants had mentioned.

"Master? Ah don't worry about that he'll be back by tomorrow. As for what's happening? Oh that. Hm… for some reason all I see is a giant red dragon swimming across the galaxy. It'll be fine." Merlin chuckled.

"What the fool means to say is that while we can't see the specifics, the mongrel will be back on the morrow. The fool always seems to be dragged into the folly of others regardless of his own attempts to impede them. By tomorrow he shall return." Caster Gilgamesh mentioned as an aside if only to stop Mash from completely losing it.

"Even so…" Holmes took another puff. It didn't take a genius to note how some servants were taking it.

His admirers Kiyohime, Minamoto no Raikou, Hassan of Serenity, and Clytie Van Gogh were the ones hit hardest by the act. The wails from the draconic nadeshiko were nearly loud enough to rival Elizabeth Bathory… not to immediately stop two minutes later. Holmes was thankful, alongside every other servant and staff in Chaldea, that master had the foresight to use the gift they had all worked to give him.

It still didn't stop the fretting and declaration that the three would swim through time and space to reach master but it helped deal with the fallout of the incident at least. It didn't mean that everything was fine on the home front.

The Knights of the Round and those of Uruk had come to a shouting match about their actions afterwards. Given Gilgamesh and his clairvoyance it looked as though the God King didn't care, at least to the untrained eye. He merely didn't put energy into worry and placed it entirely on faith for the master, returning with tales of his excellence to tell. A tale of triumphs and danger as always was the case. That at least petered out into nothing. Then came the Faerie Knights' own complaints.

That led Morgan to wanting to declare herself as the master of Chaldea through her self claim of being master's spouse. She didn't specify on being the wife or husband apparently. That was stopped by Mash personally who said it would fall to her first.

Morgan had scowled for a moment but didn't fight her on it any further. No one could tell the reason for it though. Holmes thought he heard her refer to Mash as Faerie Knight Galahad but he wasn't certain. It was from there that the constant cavalcade of servants growing antsy and being pacified by those that knew them best. Honestly had he had a living body, Holmes was certain he would have been driven to his… recreations faster than the Artorias on beef days. That was a morbid sight with how ravenous they turned…

Disturbing thoughts aside he had one more thing to look at. The machine broke… but no one could tell why. So that was where the investigation turned to first. His feet led him where he needed to go, an eyebrow raised as he met the first problem to overcome.

"So… Professor, I take it you have been examining the scene of the crime. Your thoughts?" Holmes coolly started taking another puff of his pipe.

"Hmph, don't take that tone with me Holmes. You and I both know I would never endanger our Master like this. To say something is just insulting, even if it is entirely in character for me." Moriarty sneered as he kept examining the connections upon the coffin. It was a risk to let him see such things but answers were needed and expertise was needed.

"Indeed. But you know I shall never give you an inch after all." Holmes let out a derisively joyous chuckle before his face returned to stone. "Setting aside this banter, your thoughts if you please."

"Hmph, isn't it always like that." Moriarty gleefully sneered before schooling his expression once more. "Back on track, there has been no sign of any physical tampering of any form. Since I know you wouldn't trust me to do the physical investigation, Lord El-Melloi II took it upon himself to do the physical labor. Sima Yi assisted as well though it was evident that she was merely there to press her brother's buttons. That was the impression I got at least."

"Hm… well I can trust that Melloi's investigation was thorough then. How about the mystical aspects?" Holmes continued on twirling the pipe allowing the acrid smoke to waft around the professor. He merely waved his hand though the look of disgust remained regardless.

"Ah now there is the true crux of the matter. We had both the Assyrian Empress and the Queen of the Fae to look into that. Surprisingly they found a thin thread of magic that seemed to be interacting with the machine… however it has since dissipated. The working theory is that someone was performing a spatial or temporal ritual at the exact same moment as we were to perform our own reyshift. It wasn't open for long but Master was more than likely pulled into that aberration we found." Moriarty verbosely explained. Both Semiramis and Morgan had been adamant when Ritsuka had been spirited away before the mission had been started. At the very least Semiramis did so out of professional pride. The less said about the Berserker the better in his mind. There was already enough crazy gunning for Master in his opinion.

"So someone was either summoning something or doing something to affect space time or something like that. At least that's what we observe from an outside perspective. Perhaps there is more to it than that, after all we know that karmic bonds can be used to their fullest to pull someone towards another can't they?" Holmes surmised as he looked over the connections personally. The Professor was telling the truth, for once, but it was better safe then sorry. Moriarty merely shook his head in exasperation, though kept his mouth shut. There were more important things to handle.

"I've placed my bet on it being accidental rather than malicious. Albeit it was more than likely a malicious plan which merely swept Master up into it." Moriarty claimed, harrumphing in certainty.

"Is that your opinion on the matter then?" Holmes pointed the tip of his pipe at the Professor. "And what do you think of this Miss Kyrelight?"

A small gasp escaped as Mash stepped into the room. Mash lowered her gaze feeling extremely sheepish at being caught.

"D-did you know… " Mash trailed off.

"How long you were there?" Holmes finished with his usual bluntness. "Indeed, for the last two minutes I suppose. You could have joined us at any time my dear."

"I didn't want to disturb you from your deductions." Mash answered, remaining slightly subdued.

"Now, now Mash, you should know if you give this jackass an audience he'll just keep it to himself for the right moment… which is usually two minutes before it is revealed to everyone. At best we only have one half of the puzzle at the moment." Moriarty explained. "And even that is hindered by our lack of communication. We cannot verify or deny any single thing at this point which leaves us merely with speculation."

"There's at least something… isn't there?" Mash questioned, desperation danced upon her features.

"The only thing I can state is what Da Vinci told me when she was going over the data. At the moment, our Master seems to be trapped within a bubble." Holmes stated, closing his eyes in thought.

"A bubble? What do you mean Count?" Ritsuka opened his mouth in confusion.

"Since you've been gone, the nature of your imprisonment has shown you to be within something akin to a reality marble, a bubble outside of the human order." Dantes admitted. "Da Vinci has been unable to make sense of these revelations since Reality Marbles aren't exactly an actual realm of research that mages usually put effort into."

"But the time discrepancies?" Ritsuka barked out, wincing as he realized that he was letting his emotions get the best of him. "I mean… Do you know who controls it?"

"No… but there is something acting like a magical generator for it. It seems to be constantly swimming at the very edge of the bubble surveying it's realm. I haven't physically seen what it is because despite the best efforts of the one you summoned, he has not managed to cleave a path within yet. I am the one who remains beyond love and hate to keep your soul safe. Which means that unfortunately I cannot step into your waking world and assist. The other me shall work tirelessly though but it will take an entire day for him to make it within… a day by Chaldea's temporal axis it seems." The Count explained snuffing out the small light that had been building upon Ritsuka's face. "Still you are not without our protection."

"Right… the cards. I'm glad… so all I have to do is wait and hope?" Ritsuka asked.

"Yes and no. Certainly that is all you can do as a human but there are grave threats surrounding you at the moment aren't there?" Dantes drew out the conversation. "I can only manifest in your dreams when you have been driven to the very limits of madness… a side effect of whatever is circling the bubble."

"A side effect?" Ritsuka wondered aloud.

"Yes. Whatever it is is drawing things in. A moth to flames would be an apt comparison. It's strength compels those of comparable strengths to challenge it. I care not for its defense mechanism but it has made finding a stronger connection to you difficult to maintain. As of now your stress and frustration has made you easier to find, a mental beacon for the me not within Chaldea to support you easier. Regardless, that is not what is important. What is, is the threat you face." Dantes quickly brought the conversation back to what was needed.

"A Demon God Pillar manifested… and knew me. Baal, the one who set up Shinjuku." Ritsuka explained.

"Indeed. That can only mean something has brought about their manifestation as well. A bond which was carved out because of something that has changed." Dantes nodded.

"The cards!" Ritsuka looked down as the deck finally formed in his open hand, the curse which had been limiting him finally passing.

"Hm… I see. A balance was forced to be made due to your connections. You who have seen all those that have come about as evil. A bond was forged and forced into existence because of it." Dantes shook his head. "Which stands to reason that perhaps responsibility falls to you."

"I don't think I can do this alone though…" Ritsuka muttered.

"No you can't." Dantes agreed. "But… when has that stopped you."

Ritsuka slowly nodded, understanding what he was getting at. It didn't fill him with the most confidence since it took several dozens of servants just to keep it at bay. He didn't know what would happen to the beings of this world.

"I suppose words of warning are necessary." Dantes huffed.

"Warnings?" Ritsuka tensed up when the words left the count's mouth. "What kind of warnings?"

"We come from a texture where beliefs can be forged into concepts. A sword that slayed a dragon can always slay a dragon. That sort of warning. Though that doesn't mean that it is one way either. Surely while in that world you'll be seeing things that have become standard there becoming a reality that is upheld by their own order. The two of you have a lot more metaphysical weight if that is the correct term." Dantes continued.

"Am I changing things?" Ritsuka questioned.

"I don't know." Dantes admitted. "It is murky even for my eyes to see what is happening to you outside of your dreams. It feels more as if you are doing exactly what is expected of you. A plan was made. As for why it fell to you… I can only speculate."

"Urgh… it's always something isn't it? Well… that is my life after all." Ritsuka sighed. "I guess I just need to keep moving forward."

"Indeed my Accomplice. All is as it is. Continue moving forward and your goals shall be reached. All you need to do is wait and hope." Dantes let out a boisterous laugh before becoming solemn once more. "Beware Master. It shall take me more time to complete a physical link with which Chaldea can reach you from. And I don't doubt that the one who orchestrated this will attempt to speak with you eventually."

"Right… I should be prepared for that as well." Ritsuka closed his eyes as the world became blurrier by the second. "What?"

"Seems we didn't have as much time as planned. Your body has gone beyond the point of exhaustion. I expect you'll be hitting a deep sleep for a bit. I'll only make contact again once I have reached a substantial point of progress, my Accomplice." Dantes huffed slightly, sneering at the situation most likely. "Until then, wait and hope Master."

And with those words he faded back into shadow, laughing up a storm as he left his cryptic warnings.

Ritsuka fell back to the ground sitting in that white void, eyes growing heavier by the second.

'I wish he would have stayed longer… there was much more I needed to talk with him about.' Ritsuka pondered as sleep finally came. The nightmarish hell that Baal, the Demon God Pillar, had wrought upon his psyche had faded leaving nothing but dust and echoes.

"He's been dragged into a reality marble!? But shouldn't we be able to reyshift into it… I mean once we've checked over the machines." Mash quietly amended, her worry had nearly rushed her.

"That was our first option but as I told you. We are unable to get a lock on Ritsuka's position." Holmes pointed out. He had stopped smoking his pipe merely chewing the tip as he cycled through his thoughts.

"Oh…" Mash answered. Crestfallen and downtrodden she took a step back. "I'll go see if Da Vinci needs any more hands on deck then."

"Indeed. We shall continue our investigation here." Holmes politely nodded as Mash sped walked out of the room.

"At least you have some level of tact, you hack actor." Moriarty growled.

"Hmph, as if your acting skills would be sufficient. Suspicious is only the kindest way to phrase it when looking towards you." Holmes laughed off the stress.

"What did you find then?" Moriarty decided that it was time to cut the bullshit.

"Master has been through several heavy combat situations. His most recent was nearly enough to drop his vitals to death range. They've picked up once again but should any other geniuses look through that data then a panic would ensue." Holmes muttered. There was little need to banter at the moment.

"I see. So Da Vinci, you and I are to be the only ones to look over his vitals from now on?" Moriarty stifled his outburst. There wasn't a need for it.

"At this point, yes. You can see the importance of keeping this quiet." Holmes stated. "I don't need to remind you of your own transgressions when poking the hornet's nest. Both the dark king and dark saint if I needed to add the caveat."

"I don't need to be reminded. My memory isn't shot." Moriarty huffed. "Be that as it may, we should stop dallying here and make ourselves useful elsewhere."

"You first." Holmes waved his arm allowing Moriarty to take the lead out. He shook his head grumbling but understood the gesture.

Shinjuku did teach the detective about turning his back on others that he didn't trust.

"Well… we're out of the woods now." Ajuka looked down at his… patient. It was hard to say what else he could call this situation. 'Fucked beyond all comprehension would be fitting.'

He had pried the evil piece out of the wall where it had been embedded. Examining the piece more closely he could tell the extent of the damage was far more extensive then they should have been. The enchantments that usually ran the reincarnation function had been shattered, the shell was cracked and splintered and whatever had been used to combat it left it with the acrid smell of hellfire. Hellfire should never have been in the hands of a human… ever.

It wasn't that big of a setback since he could just create a new piece. That wasn't what was bothering him. A soul had been protected in ways that he didn't know about. The scholar in him was intrigued while the inventor within was a bit offended that his own creation was easily swept aside. He would have to look in on it on his own time… and probably see if he could get test data from any future battles that the human would get subjected to.

'Hm… a soul based magic… maybe…' Ajuka closed his eyes, refocusing on the task at hand. "Rias do not allow anyone to disturb your… associate. He needs actual sleep and he hasn't been able to get any."

"But what about the-" Rias started.

"Whatever it was, it is gone. His heart is no longer strained, his breathing is steady, and there is little left that could affect him… so long as you let him sleep." Ajuka explained as he took out the IV drip. There was no more need for it… at least so long as he didn't sleep for weeks on end. "I mean it, he needs to sleep."

"I understand. I'll have Kiba keep an eye on him then." Rias nodded, though she didn't argue there was a little pout marring her face.

"Also when he does wake up keep either the bathroom open or a bucket nearby. Magic power isn't meant to be fed into a body like you did. I didn't want to say anything since it seemed to be working at keeping him stable but that magic is going to come out of him. One way or another." Ajuka sighed as Rias blanched at the implication.

"He's going to puke." Rias bluntly stated.

"Yes he's going to puke as you so bluntly stated. It'll look like black ichor, that is normal, and will need to be out of him. So bucket or toilet, it doesn't matter so long as it is out of him." Ajuka rubbed the bridge of his nose as Rias stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Feed him broths or chowder, nothing solid until he has evacuated the last of the magic that you all pour into him."

"Understood… otherwise, he's fine." Rias carefully peered up at Ajuka's face looking for any deviations from his normal behavior.

"Yes he's fine. He will survive apparently. Would you say the luck of the devil is on his side?" Ajuka peered back, his mask completely void of emotion.

"I suppose." Rias let her eyes narrow. When she found nothing telling she turned and let out a sigh of relief. "Good news at least."

Ajuka kept his reply from exiting his mouth. There was the good of this situation to be certain, but at the same time unknowns that defied the common sense of the world had popped up. Things he didn't understand had come up. Things that infuriated that part of him he kept focused on rebuilding their society.

"I shall be going back then. As I stated, sleep then bucket and liquid food for a day or two. Understood?" Ajuka turned once more, keeping his eye on Rias as she nodded. "Good. Then by your leave."

"Thank you Ajuka for coming so quickly." Rias called out as the sigil formed beneath his feet. He merely nodded with his head turned away.

She didn't notice the gritted teeth and piercing eyes staring at the ruined Queen piece clasped in his hands.

Kiba continued to sharpen his swords, honestly a pointless gesture since he could form blades at peak condition at any time. It had become a habit during his time training with Okita Souji, his mentor and one of the most dangerous of the Shinsengumi. He had neglected the act recently until his training with Ritsuka had reawakened the spark he had once let be snuffed out.

And that was what this really was. A spark being lifted back to life after finally being taken out of the darkness. It had been a day since Ajuka had left. Ritsuka was still sleeping, snoring softly actually. He was once again keeping an eye on him mostly for security reasons. In truth it was because Akeno, Rias, and Asia were being very aggressive in keeping an eye on Ritsuka.

A small chuckle escaped his lips though it was quiet enough to not be disturbing. His friend was something else.

'My friend, huh?' Kiba stopped moving his hand across the blade. Polishing it to a pristine glow seemed… as far from his thoughts as could be possible.

'How long has it been since I've actually given friends a second thought.'

It was a legitimate concern. Ever since he had swore vengeance for the death of his friends, the idea of having more friends never even crossed his mind. The pain would have been… unbearable. Even after his Master had beaten the heaviest hatred out of him it had still festered within. The sight of that priest…

It had given him an outlet. A chance to end it on the terms he decided on. Now though… now was where his problems truly started.

'Now what?' Kiba turned to his friend… remembering what he had talked about. 'New enemies, new threats. A whole world is out there and a Holy Grail, not the holy grail, could be out there corrupting everything.'

He returned to polishing the blade. There wasn't anything he could help with, at the moment, but eventually there would be. After all, he had more friends now. He had his chance at a new life. So he might as well make the most of it.

Ritsuka opened his eyes. He wasn't on a bed, he was for some reason in a field of flowers. It had Merlin written all over it, he had this feeling in the pit of his stomach. He was tired after all and regardless of how hard they tried his mental defenses always had holes in them due to the number of heroic spirits he contracted.

"Oh? Looks like you've found your way here once more. Quite the troublesome human, aren't you?" A voice called out behind him. It was wrong. It was female. He knew that there existed a female Merlin, Arthur had told him as such. This… wasn't it. It sounded too formal, too elegant unlike the scumbag Merlin usually played at. You could tell just by his tone of voice.

As he craned his head back his eyes widened in shock. Behind him was the same elegant Japanese woman dressed in an ornate kimono. She radiated big sister energy as she called it, her eyes alight in a rainbow of colors.

"Shiki!?" Ritsuka called out. He was surprised since she always seemed so out of reach, but there at the same time.

"Oh so you do remember me. Or at least the me I portray. It is complicated but that is neither here nor there." Shiki pouted playfully before a serene smile took over.

"I- Shiki what's going on?" Ritsuka asked as he stood up. He didn't take a step towards her, he knew doing that now seemed too forward.

"Do I need a reason to do so?" Shiki tilted her head.

"Well, no. It's just that I thought I was blocked off from all of Chaldea. Dantes is still trying to make a path for them to lock on my signal." Ritsuka explained from what he understood.

"Ah that." Shiki pointed at him with a small smile on her face. "Yeah I did that."

Silence stretched out. Ritsuka blinked as he stared at Ryougi Shiki, the mysterious onee-san that appeared on a moonlight night. His mouth gaped open and his lips tried to force out some form of sound.

"Oops. I meant to say that better." Shiki held her hand against her mouth in faux shock yet her expression was always calm.

"W-why!?" Ritsuka shuddered out. He couldn't raise his voice. It felt wrong for some reason.

"Reason? Reason. Ah yes. It's very important actually. Master of Chaldea I ask of you for a favor. Strengthen the human order in this world. It doesn't matter how it is accomplished, we merely need you to create as many bonds as possible. Without it that world will perish." Shiki announced with all the enthusiasm she could muster.

"Perish? Strengthen the Human Order? Bonds? What?" Ritsuka, who usually handles these strange events well, was completely and utterly taken off guard. "What!?"

"Yes. I ask you to do that. We have noted that these two entities are keeping the reality marble active just by existing. We need you to strengthen the human order so that the bubble can finally create a foundation with which that world may finally stabilize." Shiki coyly explained as she lazily traipsed up to Ritsuka, a confident smile on her face. "I believe you're the right human for the job."

"I don't understand… you want humanity stronger there?" Ritsuka asked the first thing that came to mind. Being sideswiped by Ryougi Shiki's admission that she was keeping him here for a reason as big as that was… daunting, if a single word was all that was needed to speak on such a matter.

"Mhmm. Indeed. That is important. Do your best, okay? Whatever means necessary to keep your humanity intact are welcome, though I know you wouldn't go that far into violence. Create a path for humanity to follow." Shiki nodded before a small frown appeared. "It seems like it's time for you to wake up. Make sure you race for where you need to go."

"Wait, I have more questions, clarifications really, about all this!?" Ritsuka snapped as he realized what was happening.

"Bye Master-kun, I'll talk to you later." Shiki waved as the fog grew denser in their field of flowers. The boundary was closing once more and Ritsuka could only flail helplessly as he was returned to the waking world.

Ritsuka sat up, causing Kiba to rush over. Before a word could be spoken a bucket was placed in his lap. Ritsuka looked down… and his insides began churning. A certain burning in his gut was the only warning he got as he buried his face in the bucket and began wretching his guts out.

Kiba patted his back, if only to offer some level of comfort. It didn't help as much as one would think as it made the process a bit faster… and more painful.

Twenty minutes of dry heaving and emptying his stomach of the wanton magic power that was channeled into him left him wanting desperately to die.

"Ritsuka you can't die. It was just a little puke." Kiba attempted to downplay the incident.

"Say that again… after you get pumped with magic… then we'll compare notes." Ritsuka gasped for breath between coughing fits. The bucket was only half full but that was worse than his own worst case scenarios.

"I'll keep that in mind." Kiba chuckled as he leaned back and waited. The black ichor that Ritsuka coughed up made him turn his head a few times but he remained as knightly as possible. A difficult task when the sound of retching had been the background sound for the past twenty minutes.

"So.. anything happen… while I was out…?" Ritsuka peered up from the bucket lid.

"Well…" Kiba trailed off.

She continued wandering the field, the boundary that she had claimed as her resting ground. Compelled to keep moving she soon stopped and looked off in the distance. She had found her other half in a sense.

"Well, I have told him what to do. Whatever happens now rests on his shoulders." Shiki, the avatar, spoke.

It was quiet. Though Shiki remained attentive to the spot she was looking at, nodding at certain intervals.

"Indeed, I suppose you could call him a champion but that seems reductive of his role." Shiki shook her head. "He is merely doing what he always does and moving forward. It just so happens to assist us."

The air crackled slightly causing Shiki to glare. Her fingers tensed. Her eyes aglow.

"You could have spoke to it as well but decided to let it do what it wants. That is not my problem." Shiki crossed her arms.

The air chilled but calmed once more. The field of flowers once again had few drops dripping off their petals.

"Yes, that gives us what we want. Let us try something new once this is over." Shiki smiled as the air stilled once more.

With the conversation over, Shiki walked off, humming to herself as she did so. The boundary was still a beauty to behold and something new that could flourish lay just on the horizon.

Author's Notes:

Noodleboss: You're fine. I don't think anybody took offense for that. Did they?

Thomas92: Yeah I do have a lot of work sometimes. I've been lethargic given how summer was.

Sugoijack9: Easy there. You are right but we don't need to rub their face into it.

Loveless: You are correct. It's in their nature and while Rias is more human in her action but end of the day she is a devil through and through.

everyone: Yes updating finally lol