NOW! I am still allowing PMing as long as it is RESPECTFUL! If you guys do anything like what those assholes did to me in the previous story, immediate block. No warning, nothing. Immediate block is what you get when you decide to be an asshole. Ahem, don't be afraid of lengthy comments, I tend to enjoy those the most and I do hope you all enjoy this story.

Onishin Tsukitenshi helped with one of the comments!

A WEEK LATER

Uugh, damned sports festival starts today," Ritsuka bemoaned as another notification went off on his phone. "I'm going to toss this thing into the wall."

"Hahaha! No need to get violent," Ashiya smiled as the roars of the audience from the TV rang through the air and more notifications buzzed on Ritsuka's phone.

'Like I care," he snarled, slamming the phone down and turning around to grab a mug.

"No need to throw anything either brother dearest," Kingu hummed as he stopped the boy.

'Ughh."

Just then frantic knocking, like the kind you would hear in horror movies sounded through the room. Eyebrows were raised as Edmond opened it to reveal a gasping Melissa.

"What's all the fuss about," Ritsuka sighed as Melissa barged into the room, yelping and squawking for him. "I thought you'd be at the Sports Festival Party."

"Yeah...but this happened," she gasped, moving to show a news station reporting on the festival.

"I find it quite shocking the revelation that Katsuki Bakugou dropped on his speech at the Sports Festival! Let's show it again," a bright eyed reporter stated.

Ritsuka pursed his lips as the foul mouthed wannabe hero who was closest to Heroes in terms of Chaldean standards took the stage next to Midnight.

"I pledge...that not only will I be Number 1...but I'll be the first hero to get into Chaldea. Mark my words."

Melissa shut off the TV turning to Ritsuka who had an unreadable on his face as he clutched his glass tighter and tighter in his hand.

"Well...I hate to be the crusher of dreams but that is never going to happen," Ritsuka gave a slightly off-tune giggle. "Chaldea is very strict on who we let in."

"Rumor has it that 4 more heroes joined recently," Melissa found the courage to speak. "And that more are to come….?"

"Special exceptions...they meet our standards. None of them meet them," Ritsuka laughed, eyes blown wide and crazed as he tried to get those little shits words out of his head. "That little...little shit!"

"Director...we have a slight problem," Moriarty coughed as he handed the phone to him. "It's the UN and Heroes Commission," he whispered.

"Fucking great.."

He stomped off to deal with them as Melissa watched on, unsure of what was going to happen the last few weeks leading up to I-Expo. She coughed, escusing herself as screaming was heard from the next room.

"He has guts," Ashiya hummed just as a crash sounded in the next room. "But he's not going to even reach our level."

"More like he's an idiot," Oberon shrugged petting Blanca.

"Hey...look at this," Musashi murmured as she pulled up a video.

"Isn't that Mandalay and the Izumi child," Ashiya commented. "What is this all about?"

"Seems like there's been some...problems with the Japanese media," she murmured.

"WHAT NOW," Rituska roared, looking tired as he turned to them.

"It's in our favor," she explained.

"Huh?"

"Look," she turned the phone to him as the tear stained face of Mandalay came in to view.

"This...this is my cousin," she was on the verge of a breakdown as she continued. "And I cannot thank them enough for allowing them to live. Shiki and Enma protected my older cousin and...and allowed her to see her son to continue to grow and become a good man!"

"They nearly killed muscular!"

"They would have been killed themselves," she yelled back. "Is the life of a mother with a young son worth more than the rage filled life of a villain that cannot be redeemed? Chaldea even gave them top of the line Medical Treatment that wouldn't have been covered by heroes insurance! They..their back on their feet with compensation time! How can you they are monsters!"

"Muscular may never walk again! His left eye is permanently blind! His life is forever changed-"

"SHUT IT," the young voice surprised Ritsuka as...Kota? As the boy came into view.

"Kota-"

"Your all stupid," the boy roared, tears running down his face as he glowered down on them all. "So your saying that my mom and dad have to die to be good heroes? Shiki and Enma hurt that villain to save my mom and dad," fat tears ran down his face as Mandalay held him close. "I still have my mommy and daddy," he began to hiccup, turning back to more childish terms for his parents as he thought about the what if. "Mommy and Daddy are still here because those two heroes hurt the villain! You...you say it was wrong for them to do that...then your telling me that my parents should have just died," he accused, fat rivers flowing down his face as he accused them of what they where saying.

"And not to mention your quite the popular professor. One of your most fervent believers commented on the news site as well," Moriarty smiled.

"Huh?"

"And I quote 'Two heroes, who are parents to a little kid, were about to be killed, and you don't care. But when two Chaldean heroes hurt a villain who thrives on murder, you whine about how they could have ruined his future. That's just disgusting. I mean, Muscular was about to kill the Water Hose duo. Why should Shiki and Benienma consider his future more important than the Water Hose duo's lives and their kid's childhood? As far as I'm concerned, people who think a villain's health is more important than a hero's life and a kid's parents are villains themselves.' And that comment was from Monoma! Ah, he's the one that can copy right? You wanted him to work on copying more at a time right?"

"He is going to get in so much trouble," Ritsuka breathed.

"And one from Hitoshi stated… "Heroes are people too. Not everyone can stop themselves from getting angry when they see a hardworking mother and father in a situation that is faced with certain death. The Water Hose duo knew that Muscular would never stop and have gone on record saying how they would have to cripple him just to ARREST him. So the Chaldean heroes did what the Water Hose Duo where going to do...with POLICE PERMISSION, I might add. So what makes it so different that Shiki and Enma, who held in much restraint I might add, did the same thing they where going to do."

"Those two…"

"Oh it's not them...they are the most commented comments...but some Support Students….Business...General Ed and all other fascets of UA have come in support of Enma and Shiki," Moriarty smiled.

"Oh god…"

AT UA

"I can't believe he went to say he's gonna go to Chaldea,' students whispered as they were led to the waiting spot on the field for the first event to start. All students were forced to participate, only after the event could they forfeit or drop out...but it was highly discouraged.

"What if they decide to disbar UA students from the Chaldean Fest! They said that Sports Festival Winners and participants will receive no tickets for winning!"

"Look!"

The students looked up to see the head of Management, the Consulting Detective Sherlock Holmes smoking his ever present pipe as he overlooked them all. His eyes raked over the students as the whole arena held their breaths before they locked eyes with Bakugou. He took out the pipe, blowing out smoke with ease; his lips twitched up in a smirk before his face went back to neutral.

'You hear me,'' Bakugou yelled as the others bemoaned the fate of being kicked out of Chaldean Fest. "I'll be so good you'll have to take me to save your shitty reputation."

"My dearest boy," he sighed, his voice smooth and undeterred as the entire stadium went silent. "If we were only stopping potential heroes from entering because of skills, then we wouldn't be allowed to operate...certain...attributes are needed to be even considered to be a Chaldean Operative," he grinned. "Of which I assure you, you do not have."

"What the hell do we need to do," he yelled just as he was smacked on the shoulder by Kirishima. "Butt out!"

"Haaa, the joys of youths...but my dear boy. You reach for the impossible...so indeed it might be possible for you to enter," he smiled, he looked like he said something that would help them get into Chaldea but hat only served to piss Bakugou off more."

'Arrgh! Fuck your riddles!"

The man seemed undisturbed by the cursing of the student as he blew out another puff of smoke before turning to leave. He stopped, turning back to them with an intense burning gaze and some choice words.

"May the Goddess Nike lead you to the finish line and may the Goddess Athena lead you all to great revelations," he yelled out, staring them all down as the buzzer went off. "GO!"

They all rushed without a word.

"Perhaps there might be heroes in you yet," he murmured, uncaring of the stares he received or the television time he was racking up. "Or perhaps...you'll fall like all those that came so close, yet so far."

He began trending on Twitter within 30 minutes.

OUTSIDE OF THE UA STADIUM

"Hello! It's us the Water Hose Duo," the two entered the Chaldean cafe that was set up next to the raffle booth.

"Oh, welcome! Welcome," it was a English Chaldean Hero! "My name is Bedivere. From the Round Table group," he smiled, wiping off his hands to offer it to them. "I flew in to help with the cafe. Along with the rest of my group."

"Ahaha! This is fun, no," that was the Sun Knight Gawain! Beside him was the Black Moon Knight Agravian who was wiping down glasses with a bit of solemnity.

"I do say this will be an eventful day," the Lamenting Archer Tristan was in the corner, pulling up cutlery. "I find myself eagerly awaiting it."

"I don't get why I have to be here! I wanted to do some booths with Fran," the Red Knight Mordred! Wait...the Daughter of Machinery Frankenstein?!

"Uhh! Ahh," the girl pointed to the tables to which Mordred grumbled before going off to wipe them down.

'Thank you Fran!"

'Ahh!"

"I see everything is going well," that was the Excalibur Knight! Arthur! "Ah! The Water Hose duo and their son," he smiled at the boy who hid behind his father at the attention the hero gave him. "A shy one," he giggled. "Well, thank you for volunteering. I hope that you will work hard!"

"Of course," Mae gasped as her husband Hiro bowed. "We owe the fact that we are alive to Shiki and Enma!"

"Don't worry about it," Mordred sighed. "It's what we do."

"I...I take it this is a butler cafe?"

"Yes," Arthur nodded. "We didn't see another one and well...we thought it would be fun!"

The area was ornate to be sure, but when they were in the medical unit of Chaldea's Japanese Headquarters, they knew that they just did ornate. The whole thing was like some old tiny cafe that was considered homey and retro. The tables had the fancy floor table clothes that alternate in a circle pattern of white, black and deep maroon red all around the room. There were tables that held 2 and four people, fancy folded napkins already set out on some of them as the other tables were still in need of being wiped down. They had candelabras on the walls that were gilded in gold and chandeliers lit the rest of the place. The counter for ordering was made up of marble and fake flowers littered the room.

Each staff member was dressed up in traditional butler costumes, pocket watches to boot.

"You wanted this father," Mordred dryly commented as the man flinched at being caught.

"Wait...father?!" The two gasped. "You...you...but!"

"I'm older than I look," he sheepishly offered up. "Mordred just turned 19!" He looked so proud of saying that as he turned to face his child who merely rolled their eyes.

"19!" They looked faint now.

"Father takes care of his skin! It's a blessing he isn't old looking," Mordred puffed his chest out as Gawain came beside them and watched them upside the head. "OI!"

"Focus on cleaning," he stressed, pointing to the tables. "Fran agrees with me," he huffed as the Hero nodded with a grunt.

"I'm going, I'm going," Mordred huffed. "My own damned girlfriend is betraying me!"

"Waaagh," the girl grunted out before moving to sweep the front of the house.

"Lively," Hiro commented.

"Well we have about 2 hours before the Lunch Rush and before we're allowed to officially open," Arthur coughed. "So we'll take you back to get changed and your duties. And you," he kneeled down to Kota's height. "How about a snack for now and then we can have you in the booth with the Hero Students."

"We just ate," Hiro began. "And it's really unprofessional for us to eat-"

"No! No," Beni suddenly appeared, a steaming plate of gyoza in her hand. "Here you go! Some snacks for you while they explain everything!"

"Thank you," Hiro gasped as his wife bowed deeply before Kota went to hug the Sparrow Hero. "KOTA!?"

"Thank you...for keeping them alive," he whimpered. "Thank you so much!"

'Chirp...of course," Beni smiled, patting his head as he finally met one of his heroes. "Losing family is the worst feeling in the world."

"Yeah…" The boy looked up to Enma who smiled more tenderly.

"Now," she chirped. "How do you feel about making bread? It's really fun!"

"Yeah!" He nodded, giving a watery smile as the woman took his hand.

'Come on," she motioned for him to follow as Arthur sighed.

"Enma-San," he shook his head. "Well," he clapped his hands. "How about we head back and explain your duties?"

"Yeah!"

Like Parents, like a child, Arthur mused.

"My King," Bedivere spoke up. "Are you sure master is okay with leaving the investigating to the Fairy Knights of Morgan while we are here," he fretted.

"Master actually brought us here for the purpose of seeing if any heroes are speaking of going to Nabu Island," he informed the knight. "He doesn't want any more interference than needed and he's worried about people going to the Island for whatever reason."

"We've been taking refuge in the old ruins," Percival sighed, placing down the dirty dish tray he was holding as he placed the clean ones out. "But there is a chance those two might have leaked something about our presence there. Oberon is with master at the moment so he can't influence them and Merlin is gone as well."

"The two siblings," Bedivere jolted. "I...you think they would sell us out? They didn't know much about us because the sister dislikes heroes…"

"It's not a risk master is willing to take at the moment with all the things going around," Arthur admitted. "And I can't say I don't blame him. The group the searches for grail fragments, the duo that has Galahad within in and that man...the duo who seem to be taking over Moon Cell without even BB knowing...even All For Ones's forces are split between those with their own self interest and those masquerading to be helping him," he sighed. "We've dealt with stuff like this but...with so many sides."

"All For One and the two factions of servants he unknowingly has...Moon Cell Duo...and then the two helping Chaldea. It's an all out three way war if master is unable to play his cards right," Percival began before the laughter of his fellow knights drew him out of his thoughts.

'You might no fully remember, but master is very aware of much that is happening around him," Arthur winked. "David informed him long ago that the forces of Heaven and Hell had their eyes on him. To which Jeanne D'Arc confirmed. He's very well of aware of what happens around him and knows how to turn tables in his favor despite his usual attitudes."

"Wait…" Percival suddenly seemed like death warmed over. "That story about him gambling against the devil for his soul and winning...was true?"

"Well they did have 665 games before that, to which master won all of them. The devil may be cunning and tricky, but we have a our fair share and he was able to see what tricks that he might have been using," Bedivere shrugged liken it was no big deal. "He's begged multiple times for master to become the demon lord of gambling because he has never won a game against him...despite trying."

"Amazing…" Percival coughed.

"Come! The lunch rush approaches us," Arthur clapped his hands, smiling as he moved to grab the others.

"The devil comes back to try again?"

"It was a monthly thing. He most just comes to try and convince master to be the demon lord of gambling, the real gmabling he long since stopped caring about," Bedivere hummed, moving to go to the growing semicircle forming.

"Wow…"

HEROES COMISSION, JAPAN

They were really lax on security, that's for sure.

"I certainly didn't expect this to be as easy as it was," Serenity murmured as Hundred faces nodded. "But then again..they aren't the smartest," she giggled.

"Indeed they aren't," Danzo nodded as she appeared. "One would think that the warning of 'one more spy, we send their head back' would enforce the idea that we would really do it."

"I don't think they understand that old threats of war are true threats," Fumma sighed, approaching as the four looked around in silence. "I would have thought they'd at least have something to detect others in the shadows...but then again maybe not. They rely on the fact that people must register their quirks and modify them as follows."

"That's how you get attacked," Hundred grunted before they moved into the more secure areas of the Commission. "They were smart to send their toughest at us at first, but then again having her arrested shortly after didn't help when they gained nothing."

"Lady Nagat? She was tough, but she had no heroic spirit. Her quirk was indeed dangerous, but her specialization was only long range. If you get in close and you're fast she is practically useless," Danzo hummed. "Besides, her bullets had no magic in them. They were merely composites of DNA she was shooting at us. Not to mention that she was too afraid to come after us again after Count...well...after he did what he did to her."

"She is in Tartarus, correct?"

"Yes, along with every other extremely dangerous criminal in Japan."

"I thought it was the world."

'That does not make it any better," Danzo sighed as they entered a file room. "In Fact that just causes us, master especially, more problems."

"The Nautilus is currently monitoring it at all times and some casters are always on it in case there is a breakout to form a barrier to prevent them from getting out."

"I feel as if it would be better to let them escape. This world has gotten too comfortable with it's own comfort and safety."

"Come now, that's a bit mean," Danzo scoffed at Hundred's words.

"Perhaps we should go to Master's with the idea. It would be something interesting at least," Fumma smiled. "And it would be like old times, watching as things go up in flames while we decide the best course of action!"

"Master would have your heard for such words," Danzo warned her son who deflated at her tone. "Yes, it's true they rely on the strength of that fortress...and Master knows one day it shall fall; but it's not our place to interfere with it."

"I don't see why he's not doing anything about that place," Fumma argued. "It's expected that the more they stuff into it the sooner it will burst!"

"No matter how interesting that seems my boy," Danzo explained. "We have enough with Seraphix. He doesn't want anymore to worry about."

"There is the sports festival, I-Expo, our Chaldea Fes with three events that are sure to give the master both a stroke and an aneurysm. I think we are good and interesting at the moment," Hundred sighed, grabbing onto a locked file cabinet and ripping it off with ease. "I would rather our master not have a stroke at his age."

"I do have a question about that," Fumma hummed as he leaned onto a cabinet as his mother began to scan the various documents. "How old is the master? It was never really addressed in Chaldea. I know he turned 16 when he arrived...given that first incident lasted 2 years, the other 1 year and then the whole Lostbdelt debacle was another 3 years...and then he's been with Chaldea for another year," he listed off. "He shouldn't be 26! He should be 23."

"Rayshift messes with his body and his biology more than anyones willing to admit," Hundred sighed, crossing her arms as she turned to her fellow assassin. "He is supposed to be 23, but the cells in his body are aged to 26 though his cells also keep his youthful teen looks. All the time spent helping the world has either shortened his life or lengthened it...it's complicated."

"Indeed."

"Let's not focus on that. We need dirt on every Commission that has tried to shut us down. They want chaldea for whatever dumb reason that they can think of," Hundred snapped. "This is everything they have in Asian Countries. Let's keep going."

"Right."

"We shouldn't be bothered," Danzo noted. "The head...well it's not getting as much attention as we thought...though they did throw a fit."

"We warned them."

"Serenity," Hundred called. "Take the Cursed Arm and head to the Armory. Get Masters things back."

"They will notice though," the girl began to protest. "Master will be under mor-"

"We don't have time to recreate those items. Get them back," Hundred hissed, pushing her two fellow Old Men to the side. "Go!"

"Understood," Cursed Arm nodded, grabbing the young Assassin by the arm and vanishing into the shows.

"Master needs everything he can if he's to fight with us," Danzo sighed, closing her eyes. "And with the threat of the Papers being released during I-Expo...or Chaldea Fest…"

"Indeed."

NAUTILUS, OUTSIDE OF TARTARUS PRISON

"How is it looking Captain," Nemo turned to see Archer or Nameless as he liked being called, come up. "Anything happening?"

"Not really," Nemo shrugged. "They are all in there like sitting ducks at the moment. And the casters are making use of their powers to keep a boundary up if they ever did escape."

"Hmm." The man crossed his arms while he looked up at the monitor.

"You know...after hearing everything about you I would have thought that you would have loved a world like this...try and escape master...become a hero-"

"Being a hero is about hurting people," Nameless snapped, making Nemo stop. "As much as I like to tote around being a Hero of Justice the moment I accepted being a Counter Guardian there was no going back. I was merely a fool at the time and too idealistic to see it."

"I will admit I do admire you for admitting it...must be hard with Muramasa being around and seeing the face of your younger self," Nemo hummed as his Marines (LOL, I'm sorry but every time I think of Marines like my dad, USMC! OOO-RA! Semper Fi!) worked around them with ease.

"I don't mind as much now. Shirou Emiya is completely overshadowed by Muramasa so it's not too much of a problem for me," he shrugged. "Besides, he is more of a recluse than me so it works out."

"I heard that he found a Temple close to where he forged back when he lived. He's in Ise Province if memory serves right," Nemo hummed.

"Yeah. He's making a special blade for master at the moment. Since most of his weapons were confiscated when we moved back here to Japan," Archer grunted, leaning back on the rail as he continued to look at the monitors. "Something along the lines of it not...being proper for a director to have them."

"Nothing was spared?"

'Everything, every gift that he received from us was taken...Assassin...Kiritsugu quickly got him his weapon back but others are going back to the drawing board to reforge the weapon...but it's getting harder."

'It should be easier now since Lady Nagant is in prison...I will admit that her attack on our forge was a bit of a setback in terms of weaponry…for master." Nemo pouted. "He has very little in terms of weapons right now compared to his old items."

'We can't even decorate our outposts because everything we would have is too expensive," Archer brushed off. "Everything we are used to is something meant for the rich or those stuck in the past."

"Well we have been called the most 'ostentatious agency' and the 'most pretentious in interior design' since we officially became one," Nemo shrugged. "America is slowly turning to liking our style though. They've adopted a similar mindset as well, showing no mercy to murderers that show up. This world has a bad habit of hiding them when evidence shows one has happened."

"Yeah...people are noticing and the papers showing up aren't helping."

"That's right, the MNEMOSYNE papers are showing...radar shows some of them in the ocean but they're gone before we can even get to them. They gather them for some reason and it's not going to be pretty. Master was only able to resist it's lull because forgetting meant getting rid of us," nemo sighed. "Humans...they aren't meant for this type of pain."

"No...and neither is master, but he's a different breed in the end," Archer sighed, closing his eyes.

"He is...but he's still human and he will die as one," Nemo nodded as Archer looked silently into the cells.

'No,' he thought. 'He's long past the point of dying like a human.'

UNKNOWN

"Hey Shielder," the servant turned to his current master with a curious face. "I have a question about...about the crypters." The man was in one of the sitting rooms, hours after a meeting filled with accusations, curse words, actual curses and undeniable tension in the air.

"What about them?"

"Only two managed to live, correct? After everything was said and done?"

"Chaldea didn't know about Daybit. Beryl for sure died in Avalon Le Fae, but considering who he is, they really don't put too much stock into that and Daybit...well Daybit was always a mystery that only Ritsuka was privy to. But Kadoc and Scandinavia lived, yes.``

"Hoe did Pepe live? I heard he died when fighting in Avalone le Fae?"

"Don't know," he shrugged. "He kept secret about it and Ritsuka allowed him. Seems he was just happy to work in Chaldea after coming back...why?"

"Records show that there are 2 more humans than need be in Chaldea."

"Oh…" Galahad sighed. 'Right...they...they took a plea deal to work under Ritsuka for the rest of their lives. Basically they got freedom since Ritsuka isn't one to force people, and they worked in Chaldea as advisors for him with the Alter Egos of the Foreign God as their assassistancts."

"So they lived and worked in Chaldea...they lived and they lived lives like normal humans? Even after all that was done?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "They were close friends with Ritsuka, ones that helped him through the episodes that he would go through whenever something triggered him." He then sighed as he looked out the window with a forlorn look. "I wasn't really trusted due to the fact I abandoned them a long time ago...too stubborn to help them restore the proper human history."

"Galahad..you had your reasons...I'm sure that it was all in good in the end," Wodime assured him, smiling in an attempt to help the stricken Shielder.

"Maybe...but I won't be able to work in Chaldea once this is all over...not without my king demanding my head," he sighed. "I betrayed Humanity and Chaldea because I did not want to kill humans…"

"Galahad...Ritsuka is a caring person. He will understand. He always understands…"

"I know he does, but after Camelot...those Fae's messed with his mind with those contracts," he scoffed. "They do whatever they damn want even now...even after all this time. You saw how he reacted to Oberon. He's used to being betrayed and stabbed in the back...I think he expects it...maybe finds it more comforting now"

"Galahad, this world opposes everything Ritsuka fought for in the end. They do not fully reach for the peak of human possibility...and it hurts him. It hurts him very much, and he's vulnerable at the moment," the man sighed. "That Caster wants a powerful puppet under her control and we barely escaped with our lives. All for One doesn't know he's being played at the moment. She's just using him as a means to an end. All of his servants are."

"The Borgia Siblings and Hannibal Barca...I don't know their end goal," Galahad sighed. "They are variables that we can't calculate. But not ones we can ignore either. Something tells me though leaving Longinus to them is the best thing to do. "

"The Foreigner of London has a bone to pick with Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty," his master hummed. "But that leaves a variable number of people that it could be. Any person could fit...Sherlock was known for dealing with the best of the best and worst of the worst. Moriarty as well."

"The Alter Ego of Astrology is someone who is rooted in Japanese Lore," Galahad began. "But I don't know who he is...he's from the Heian Era for sure. But there is so much overlap with them. He has targets..but he's going the roundabout way of doing it to throw us off."

"The Caster that is contracted with All For One...she's rightfully insane. She has plans for Ritsuka and I don't like them at all."

"You mean turning him into a beast?"

"It's possible," his master defended. "Who saves humanity for so long before it turns into genuine selflessness and love? Yes, he saved the world the first time because he *lived* in that world. But after that? It was all determination to set things right and give people a chance at life that was taken," he pressed. "He loves humanity and he is capable of being a beast candidate…"

"I don't think that Chaldea is capable of even noticing it at this point...I don't even think they'd do a damn thing," Galahad huffed. "He's not Beast Candidate Material yet. He hasn't come to care about the humans here," he pointed down to the ground to show his point. "The moment he does it's game over and now it's waiting game of when."

"Have you forgotten it's Ritsuka? It's not game over or a waiting game so long as he has a goal. He might even be able to delude himself into thinking he's not becoming a Beast."

"Yeah...he might," Galahad sighed, leaning back. "He's not too far gone now but we can't let Caster get to him. She'll have a field day with him...no matter how strong his mind is...he's still a human to their heroic spirit."

"Yes, yes." He hummed. "I can only wonder how All for One managed to summon her of all people? She's not known to him or the world anymore. And she sure doesn't have a connection."

"Chaldea has been having problems with the FATE system. It's been summoning servants without alerting them," Galahad explained. "Of course Caster and all these were summoned before Chaldea came into the picture...I'm sensing no Holy Grail either."

"I seriously doubt you would. And if there was one the magic would be near depleted because of how much the world has been bled dry of mana." He scoffed. "Something brought this problem to this world and it's forcing the players to all line up."

"Moon Cell is almost completely under Chaldean Control. Beryl and Daybit haven't been seen in ages. Pepe and Kadoc are working for Chaldea. There's no Holy Grail. Mana and Ley Lines are nearly gone. Chaldea's stuck in a world that opposes them...what is to be gained...from either side," Galahad scoffed.

"I don't know," his master admitted. "This world becoming a lostblet is not as bad as some would assume, but it is happening. Quirks have made people lazy and uninventive in many aspects...evolution had a large leap and then a slow trickle after," he breathed out.

"For now we should focus on getting to Seraphix and healing the staff during I-Expo and Chaldean Fest. It's our best shot."

"Chaldea will be getting a lot of publicity too as Pepe and Kadoc will be revealed to the public as Sub Directors," the man smiled. "Good for them."

'Ritsuka can't keep up the facade of being Vice Director anymore," Galaad admitted. "People are targeting Chaldean Outposts because the director has never made an appearance. He's revealing himself to draw attention away from them so they can get back to the search for the papers and the rogue servants."

"Oh! And that third group! The one searching for Grail Fragments to make a complete Holy Grail…"

'Their con Chaldea's side for sure...it's Archimedes that we have to be careful of when we get to going to Chaldea. Everyone has to be wary of him," Galahad sighed. "It's not making things easy especially with the prortests…"

"That's right! They've been stopped on the street and barricaded into the agencies multiple times this month!"

"And it's continuing to happen to the point that people are thinking of breaking in to get the 'teleportation tech' and get I-Island to mass produce it," Galahad rolled his eyes as he explained it. "Idiots."

"While I agree...storming chaldea is a recipe for disaster...which places are they most likely to head into the agency," he demanded.

"India, Great Britain. Norway and New Zealand."

"Gods…"

"We can't stop them...Chaldea has made it very clear that if they storm in they will be met with force," Galahad assured him. "They even say it every day when they go to the barriers. It will be their fault for their deaths after so many warnings."

"Not in this world Shielder."

It was silent between the two of them.

I-ISLAND, SECERT ROOM

"You do realize what you are demanding of me to agree to do," Ritsuka scoffed as he talked with the man of Seraphix.

"I am merley stating the idea of stepping back and allow the heroes to take over what you have done," he shrugged, the two of them across from one another.

"Do you know the holes I had to jump through to just get this holographic meeting done without these people knowing," he huffed. "And now you demand we go into secret, in a world such as this."

"You could have told me to wait. You had no trouble in forcing me to wait when you had something on your chest," he hummed. "As for going back to secrecy...it would have been better if you stayed secret in the first place, but then again with the people you have currently, most likely it wouldn't have worked.

"Stuff it," Ritsuka snapped. "I was a 13 going on 14 year old kid who was confused about whether they where really gay or not."

"That's not what I'm talking about," the man sighed, leaning back in his chair as he looked to his former charge with curious eyes. "I remember distinctly the day your father came to get you and get you into those special camps to help 'people like you'. I told you that it wasn't what you thought and yet you…"

"Was it so bad for me to want to believe that my father finally accepted me? That he finally understood me," Ritsuka whispered, he didn't even look at the man but he knew he was upset about him bringing up the incident.

"No...it's not bad to hope for that...but you where foolish to believe his words."

"Are you here to insult me or demand things of me," he snapped, getting up from his chair to turn to the wall.

"I'm not demanding anything of you. I am merely telling you that your best course of action is to pull back for now. Abandon the people...but the fallout won't be yours."

"Are you kidding me," he hissed, whipping around to face the opther. "Did you not see the fall out I got when I sent the child servants out on a mission not to long after the whole Shiki-Enma debacle?"

"They are idiots in the end," he shrugged. 'Hans, that foul mouthed Caster of yours you seem to like punishing with putting in the public eye, does a good job in throwing off the blame and ideas they are all children."

"We are pushing it, using hypopituitarism as an excuse as yo why they look like children. Only 300-450 people in a million are likely-LIKELY-to have the genetic disorder to the severity that we claim. And we're claiming to have around 20! Not to mention their personalities, god why did I send them out..."

"You worry too much...I see that much about you hasn't changed in the time that you have been away from me."

"You make it sound like I had anything other and respect for you," Ritsuka spat out in disgust, face pulled upward into and unflattering sneer. "And even now, that is dwindling. I have heard of what happened in the...other timeline from our records. And I swear, if you have threatened my servants in anyway-"

"Are you in an realy position to threaten me at the moment? With the power and skills I possess?"

"I cna send Altera on you. You won't be able to dismantle her before she kills you."

"Your right...but I'll be able to get rid of more than half of your weaker forces before she does."

'They are not weak!"

"But they fall short of the others in your roster...stop kidding yourself and be the ruthless leader I know you can be," he grinned as Ritsuka slammed his hands on the table.

"Shut your mouth."

"You like to be the equal and loving master to all, but even you play favorite-'

'It's a matter of trust. Which you don't even know that the damn word means!"

"I do know what it means. Becasue you trusted me, and even if I barely knew you; I never betrayed you; you know that much."

"What do you want me to do."

"Pull back and focus on Chaldea. Don't worry about this world anymore, being heroes...don't suit you at all, and besides. It gets the commissions and All Might off your back for the time being," he shrugged. "I know that Nabu Island and the Grail fragments are you best chance at getting home. You need to worry about that before you think about worrying about anything else."

"You think they will just let us go-"

"They will be too busy trying to keep up the upkeep that you are doing to do anything against you. They've seemingly gotten too content with not having to organize relief aide, food, shelter and protect that you all do. They seeming forget the dark underbelly that lies in the rural areas, rampant and disgusting. OPull back, and allow this world to fall into chaos."

"I could destroy that prsion that holds all the worst 'villains' in the world, show them true Chaos,' he snapped. "If i had been the old me...the mee before Remnant and Lostbelt...I would...I would have adored this place. The peace it has and the heroes that protect humanity...but all I can see is darkness and greed. Greed ina way that is too different from our own, yet similar."

"What is your plan then," he asked.

"Before I tell you, can I ask why you even came here? Why help me...if your even doing that at all?"

"...When the S.E.R.A.P.H. singularity happened, BB kept me under lock and key. During Servant Fes when the S.E.R.A.P.H version of me and the one you knew merged? She kept me out, I couldn't contact you and I couldn't see if my words on that night you went back home stuck with you," he smiled.

"Thats what all this is about," Ritsuka scoffed, turning to the man with a raised brow. "You seriously came all this way, did all of that just to ask iud what you said that night still rings true?"

"Look," he sighed, pushing up his glasses. "I'm not one to care about people, but you were so lost in that year you lived with me. I felt bad that I couldn't be the support that you needed, but we were passing aquaintinces that saw eachever everyday at the crosswalk. I offered my home to you in a moment of unconsciousness, my empathy which I had long since believed to have lost took the better of me."

"I thought of you as a friend in the end too,' Ritsuka murmured.

"I'm glad you turned out well...even if this whole mess you've gotten yourself into dragged me into it. So long as I can see you flourish and be who you are destined to be," he pressed, eyes steely as he gaqzed into Ritsuka's unusually bright ones. "Then I am content."

"Who knew the bastard man of Seraph would be such a softie for a...and I quote from my father 'ungraftful faggot,'" Ritsuka smiled as the man sighed.

'My name is Twice. Twice H. Piecemen and I would like it if you would begin to use it more."

"Of course Dr. Twice."

"Brat."

"Good to see you again...it's like old times."

The two sat across from one another and they couldn't help but see the other from that time all those years ago, both younger and unsure of themselves as they sat at the table, gazing into the others eyes. Unsure of what lied ahead of them now.

"I guess so…."

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