I finished Lostbelt 5 on July 31 2022 at 2:53 am... and seeing her leave with a happy face broke my heart. So I knew I had to do this. Forgive me for all the spelling errors, English is not my mother language, but Spanish.
Fate/Grand Order.
One-shot.
Ritsuka Fujimaru x Miyamoto Musashi.
"Live to Remember"
.
.
.
-[Prologue: It starts with pain]-
Ritsuka Fujimaru opened his eyes in the middle of the night, for the eleventh time that week. The man with blue eyes looked around his room; no one but himself, then his gaze went straight for his window; the dark blue ocean of the Wandering Sea greeted him. Grabbing his phone under his pillow, Master forty eight saw with an empty stare that it was indeed 1 am in the morning.
His sleeping schedule was fucked beyond any hope of repair at this point, but it wasn't just because of his own nightmares or atleast... not anymore.
It didn't had to do with him reminiscing of Patxi's stare as he grabbed him from his collar, cursing his name as he bleed out in front of his very eyes. Neither Gerda or Asha's smiling faces, or the people in Qin Shi Huang's version of China who lacked any will or desire whatsoever. It wasn't regret for being a murderer of five worlds, but rather...
Pure raw sadness.
Curling up his face on his legs to not look at the empty darkness, his teeth were shown as his lips started to tremble immediately. The veins on his reddish eyes for crying nonstop whenever he was alone wouldn't go away in a long time, even if he stopped the moment a new dawn came. As much as he loved Mashu, as much as he cared about Da Vinci, Director Goredolf, Nemo, Muniere, Sion, Da Vinci and the others... he just couldn't look at them.
He didn't wanted them to ask how he was feeling, even if his lies were slowly but surely killing his kohai's heart.
"Senpai, please talk to me..."
She would beg him, trying to grab his hand in a loving manner, but he would take it away. Seeing those purple eyes so filled with sheer agony at being rejected, it only made him feel worse. Mashu was way too naive to understand what he was going through, but even so... she could have an idea, seeing as both of them lost Doctor Roman many years ago when facing Goetia.
But this was different, a pain Kyrielight didn't knew... and wouldn't as long as he remained alive.
And it was precisely that why he couldn't stop but sob once again, her cheerful expression, those blueish eyes so filled with joy and innocence yet determination, the way she looked back at him one last time before disappearing in an orange light, and then turning everything into pure dark from one slash that saved the entire world.
The left hand went straight for his chest, right where his heart was. The "Bump bump" of his organ beating blood through his veins exploding in his ears, yet hurting so much as the rhythm accelerated. For the first time in his life some days ago he tried drinking alcohol, yet Mashu's poison resistance worked on them too. Not only he was severely reprimanded by everyone the moment they found the half-empty bottle under his bed...
He was also seen with pity.
She loved alcohol...
Almost as much as she loved eating and killing, as bad as that sounded...
In fact, it was that how they met.
.
.
-[Fragment 1: The first time.]-
Waking up with the smell of sea and the unmistaken sound of waves, made him raise his head in confusion back then. Of course he would, where the hell did he ended up? last thing he remembered was eating some new year food cooked by Emiya, Boudica and Tamamo Cat, while everyone was having a toast to honor Doctor Romani Archaman's sacrifice. For he ended up being the true hero of the Grand Order.
A hero that no one except Chaldea would remember, same for director Olga Marie Animusphere.
So why?... why was he once again in Onigashima, long after solving the incident with Minamoto no Raikou and Sakata Kintoki?
"Ugh... Hmmm... Arg, my head hurts..."
But he wasn't alone. A voice came from his left, nearby. Walking down a little, there she was, in all her majestic glory. A woman completely soaked in water and sand, yet covered in red and blue Japanese styled clothing he had never seen before. Fujimaru tilted his head, kneeling down at the female with pink hair. She wasn't completely unconscious, but she wasn't entirely conscious either.
A Castaway?
One who seemingly hit her head, if the blood coming from her nape was anything to go by. Luckily Nightingale and some of the medics at Chaldea taught him a thing or two about first aid for both himself and others, which is why he had no problem in breaking some of his uniform for an improvised bandage. He had to admit, this woman was extremely beautiful.
Finishing his touch, he made sure that the knot was tightly enough for it to not fall off. Only then, the Master of many caressed her shoulder, she was alive alright, that much was obvious.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Slowly, the eyelids got opened, revealing the most beautiful pair of eyes he had ever seen. It were similar to his own, but they were less dark, more similar to an early morning. Many things crossed his mind at that very moment, who was she? was she a human or a servant? did she really came from the ocean? yet... neither of them would be answered.
"!"
For the girl stood up, grabbing one of her swords to point it at his throat.
"THIS IS NOTHING! I CAN STILL FIGHT!"
She screamed, her face having changed completely. From the confused expression to one of pure anger and determination; frowning, not caring a bit for the blood running down her forehead. Ritsuka, of course, mainly felt fear, but also fascination. He had met many heroics spirits, heroines and heroes from all kind of eras in those last years... but this woman was different.
Slowly but surely, her expression changed from one of anger, to one of confusion, as she saw his arms raised up, lacking any kind of weapon to defend himself. That face, looking back at him with genuine curiosity but also completely clueless to everything around herself... it confirmed his first thought.
The aura surrounding this woman was way too... humane. Not like one of a mighty warrior or warrioress, which of course she was... but one of someone who was more easygoing, who didn't demanded respect with her presence alone.
"Huh? Who... are you? Where's that scary old geezer?"
Obviously the only thing he could do was be as submissive as possible. Not only he didn't had any servant with him, but he also lacked any real intention to fight. If anything, he wanted to go back home.
"... You... You were about to kill me..."
Her eyes went down, silently. Seeing the gaze going directly at the place where he ripped the fabric from made him blush, for she had a small peak view at his torso. The pink haired swordswoman caressed her head, only then connecting the dots, before she closed her eyes and smiled, placing her right arm on his shoulder and letting out a laugh.
Such friendliness out of nowhere took him aback immediately. First she was just about to slice his throat open, and now she laughed and patted his back? what kind of woman was she?
"Sorry about that! Y'know, if you tell me what's going on, I'll be even MORE apologetic: I'll buy you a bowl of udon after! but think you can answer something for me first?"
Ritsuka raised an eyebrow, but nodded. Her being so close to his face, this was an actual woman who he had no relation with whatsoever. It reminded him of his first interactions with Mashu.
"Sure, what is it?"
"Do you know who I am? and where exactly are we?"
. . .
That was not something he expected to be questioned about. Most likely, the injury in her head made her have some sort of amnesia, but she seemed to perfectly remember her sword skills if the way she pulled that katana out of her sheath so quickly and effortlessly was anything to go by.
"You lost your memories apparently..."
Laughing as her hand caressed the already reddish fabric, she couldn't help but nod in agreement. It was a weird but cute expression that reminded him greatly of those heroines that appeared in animes. How old was this lady? she seemed to be in her early twenties at the very least. If she was wearing something else and lacked the swords, he could say without confidence she would still be in high school or college.
"Yup! I must have hit my head hard, and forgot who I am. So I'd appreciate it if you could tell me my name. Oh, but if you don't know that's fine too! just point me to the nearby tea shop, I'll handle the rest myself. So? do you know my name? or anything about this place?"
Of course he knew about Onigashima. This was where he met Fuuma Kotarou, fought countless Oni and made a contract with Sakata Kintoki. But could she believe any of those stories? No!... or so it seemed. Not like he could reveal any information regarding Chaldea, or else Da Vinci would choke him to death with that claw of hers. As much as he didn't wanted to, Ritsuka was forced to lie.
"I'm sorry... but I don't know either..."
The sigh of disappointment she let out made him feel bad. He had never been an expert liar, his older sister was better in that regard. This was a woman who needed help... yet he was denying her request.
"I see... Yup, then nothing I can do. This stuff happens. Sorry for asking so much, what's your name? my memories don't matter, but I can't call someone I just met Hey You right?"
... Now everything made sense. The way she looked at him, and how easily she accepted the situation around her without any mind whatsoever. She was a complete airhead without anything remotely similar to a worry. Happily smiling at her face, he extended his hand, grabing her own. This was their first meeting, and if there was something he was proud of, was being a gentleman as much as the average guy.
"My name's Ritsuka. Ritsuka Fujimaru Emiya Tohsaka."
Pleased with his answer, her fingers squeezed his entire palm. Nodding happily, his new friend remained silent for a couple of seconds, even if she couldn't introduce herself, at least she could show him she cared.
"Okay, Ritsuka. I'm sorry about slashing at you just now. You revived and bandaged me, right? after I passed out?... well, looks like no one stole anything off me, it seems luck is on my side again this time. For someone as cute... no, for someone as pure-hearted as you to wake me up."
.
.
A small laugh came out of his mouth, this time, a genuine one. He would never forget that day. For that was the moment they met for the first time, yes... but it was also the moment the one and only Miyamoto Musashi, his "Haru-chan" as he once called her in Las Vegas, took his heart without any effort whatsoever. If his father or mother could see him now in such a pathetic state they would most likely hug him and reassure him, even Gudako would.
They were his family and loved him, yeah... and by their stories, both his mom and dad were accustomed to loss.
Shirou lost his father, Kiritsugu Emiya, and his mother lost both of her parents when she was very young.
But was it the same... ? losing a parent, and losing the person you fell in love with?
Watching her go despite you screaming desperately for her to stop, and then seeing her entire body reduced to nothing but ashes after saving your life?
.
.
The day at Onigashima was proving itself to be quite... funny, to say the least. More so because...
"Altough I can't remember what kind of person this Musashi is... well, she's probably a good-for-nothing person!"
"All I want's money and fame. Killing my opponents will only make people hate me!"
"Right! Since I know my name now, let me reintroduce myself. I am Miyamoto Musashi!... Probably? Nice to meetcha, Ritsuka!"
He was completely right on his predictions about her personality. Musashi, his newly found friend, was not only the most known swordswoman to have ever lived, but she also was a completely brain-dead woman, as she described herself. How long had he spent telling her all his adventures as he saw her drink her tea and eat as many dumplings as she could for the past...
Thirty?... fifty minutes? maybe even more?
Her stomach seemed to be infinite.
Yet even while she was eating, she kept her cheerful attitude. Never once taking her eyes off him, always attentive, always smiling, until he shut up for two minutes straight. Only then, Musashi finally opened her mouth to do something else besides swallowing or drinking more tea.
"I see! Chaldea, Servants and Rayshifts, Oh my... I've never heard of any of those, but I have an idea of who you are now. So you think I'm one of those so-called Servants?"
That was the first red flag that he noticed. Didn't servants knew about their lives? The three versions of Gilgamesh knew all about their past, present and future, for example. So why? was Musashi... actually alive?
"Yeah. Musashi was a famous hero and Swordsman."
Even while hearing him say something of the sort, and saying everything he went through, she couldn't accept it. Miyamoto scratched her left cheek, closing her eyes and then smiling without any idea of what to do or say.
Musashi: That doesn't sound right. I definitely don't remember getting treated like a hero, or a famed swordsman. I can just feel something about that's a bit off. I don't think I am the same swordsman you know of, Ritsuka. That's for sure but... Eh, the little stuff can wait! -raising an arm, looking back directly into the small establishment, the female on the inside raised her head from the table she was cleaning- Miss, bring more dumplings! also, bring me some udon! plain or not doesn't matter, just gimme what you got!
The yell that came out of her mouth in response made the swordswoman smile. He on the other hand carefully looked at all the plates and empty teapots on her side, despite everything she was still hungry? it reminded him of his Nee-sama. Guess he had to take on the role of the responsible adult, even with someone like Miyamoto Musashi facing him right here.
"Do you have any money?"
And the air suddenly changed, as the woman with pink hair frowned.
Musashi: Don't tell me... Ritsuka, you don't have any money? -she asked, with a serious tone, giving him the worse kind of thoughts possible. Sure, Musashi Miyamoto was Musashi Miyamoto but... that oni said before that he didn't spared anyone, even if he was surprised she didn't cut off his head. Did that meant a massacre? would make sense considering she herself said she wanted money and fame, maybe- Hmmm... Okay! let's just sell the shop owner something of ours! this sword guard is quite well crafted, no? Don't worry, if I sell it, it'll cover travel expenses for a while. I'll share some with you too, Ritsuka!
.
.
"What's your goal for your journey?"
Hours later, when he asked that question as they kept walking to the peak of the mountain, he genuinely mean it. She had said she wanted fame and money, basically glory. And that was one of the most mundane human motivations he could think of, really. It was utterly adorable, yet was she serious about it? Because he couldn't help but think that she just said the first thing that came to her head.
"My Journey's goal?... Um, that's-"
For the first time ever, he saw her deep in thought. How much had they been together? four? seven hours? yet all she was doing was being cheerful, smiling, being a complete and total badass, and crushing everything that got in their way.
"Yes. I would like to know as well. Shinmen Musashi, what do you seek?"
The female rubbed her chin, her right foot going up and down in light steps, and then her voice came out in a thoughtful moan. Sukeroku and him, most likely were thinking a similar idea by how much she was taking herself to answer. Because, how long had she been traveling from world to world? no answer whatsoever, but all this time and all she did was just fight anything and anyone she found, eat and smile?
A complete troublemaker drifter.
That was who Miyamoto Musashi was, apparently.
"My Journey is just to perfect my skills, so there's no real goal. I guess if I had a goal, it's to get home to my world. And to master my bladework! my dad, Munisai's blade was about "one." A perfected "one". A One that reached heights that could never be exceeded. But I HAAATE that damn old man! So I want to surpass him no matter what it takes! I want a sword that can exceed one."
As she spoke, she walked towards the cliff, not wanting to jump of course. But just to look at the horizon; the cloudy sky, and the sound of the waves hitting the island, the wind blew softly, caressing Saber's face. All he could see was her back. Yet it was beautiful.
SLASH
Taking out one of her weapons, Munisai's child admired and squeezed the grip of her companion, before turning around to face them both. Yet, he felt she was looking at him. Cheerfully smiling, even as she talked about something so precious as her motivations to keep going forward, the swordswoman pointed his blade at him, not the oni, or them both, but him alone.
As if making an oath.
"Before I die, I want to reach the Throne of the Void. I want to achieve Zero."
... Thinking about it now, he realized immediately back then. Because there was never a way in hell any hideous act could've been committed by those beautiful hands with evil as her motivation. One moment he was hearing her, and then he wasn't: watching her talk so passionately about a dream so relatable as surpassing her father and going back home...
It was motivating.
Because he didn't felt he was talking to a heroic spirit. But to a friend of his age. A childhood friend, that is. Everything about Musashi, from her voice to her face and personality screamed at him that she was nothing else but an everyday woman who dedicated her life to the sword.
Maybe it was... that why she made him fell in love without any effort or even wanting to.
.
.
"GWAAAH!... MUSASHIIIIIIII!"
The dark spearmaster screamed, as the dual blades of the female fighter effortlessly cut down his very soul and existence. Not his flesh and blood, but everything that was left from when he was a human. His weapon, falling to the floor without leaving any trace; the arms hopelessly detached as they disintegrated in the wind. The battle was over in a flash.
Yet, even when he was vanishing, he smiled.
"Haha- but, how futile. Poor Musashi. How sad, Musashi. The desire to return home... you cannot return anywhere. You are the same as the Heroic spirits. I'm sure you've realized it already; your world disappeared a long time ago."
Miyamoto, still with her guard up, looked down on the floor at the man she defeated twice. All the master of Chaldea could do was stay by her side, silently hearing his words, filled with pity, with disgust for her existence, but also victory. And it horrified him, for what had happened to her was exactly what Chaldea, doctor Roman and him fought so hard to regain.
"You were ejected from your vanishing world, and you are going up a creek without a paddle through the worlds of others... You'll be an outcast, forever and ever. There is no world left for you to belong to."
It was comical and sickening, how the rain falling from the leftovers of Raikou's battle seemed to accompany the depressing mood. Nowhere to belong to? all the people she had ever known... her family. Her life. Fujimaru turned his head to face his friend, obviously worried about her.
Her facial expression was unreadable, and yet... he could feel the sadness in her heart.
Something Sukeroku quickly noticed. Motivating him to laugh once again, even if it sped up his death.
"You will never be able to return home, and your journey will continue forever. That is, until the time you meet the greatest foe of your life. Thus, I pity you, for such a master of the arts does not exist. To a swordsman, the greatest foe is one who has mastered the path, the Origin opposite to their own. The swordsman of the Heavenly Eye. That path where zero rivals one is, in other words, infinity. But... but, that will never be fulfilled, for such a person doesn't even exist."
Everything made click then and there. So much time mesmerized by her beauty, the man with blue eyes and dark hair had forgotten completely about the most crucial part about Miyamoto Musashi, the day her paths crossed with the one and only who almost took his life, yet ended up falling to his sword like many others. A Heroic spirit who he knew pretty well, for he saved his life in France alongside Siegfried.
Sasaki Kojirou, the master of the swallow reversal.
It made sense to him back then, that she didn't knew about the purple haired man's existence. She was a human, after all, and a part of him wanted to prove him wrong.
She had a world to belong to.
Both of them saw Sukeroku dissapear. Maybe it was a hunch, or he knew better than that, but he had the feeling that she wasn't happy after this last duel. Turning around to face her, even if he couldn't see the portal neither her, they knew this was their farewell.
"... Musashi... I-"
What could he say? there were many things yet so little time. "You have a rival out there", "I think you're beautiful", "I am happy I met you", "I am going to miss you", "You can always come with me", and so many other things she would most likely love to hear, yet nothing came out. Smiling as she had been doing all the time, the woman with four blades sheathed them away.
Musashi: Now that the pain in the neck is gone, it really is time to say goodbye. That oni said I can't go back to my old world, but don't let it bother you too much. If nothing else, I can go back to the world I was in before I came here. Just like how you'll wake up in Chaldea. -unlike many times before, it wasn't her who was dissolving in golden magic particles, but him. Her, on the other hand, was surrounded by a blue greenish light.
Looking at each other, face to face, he felt the urge to hug her.
His heart ached, and if she realized it, she didn't say a thing.
"If you do make it safely back, immortalize me in a journal or something. Well, we were companions for a while. A really, really short while though... so I don't know if I deserve any place in your memory at all."
How can you say that?
"I want to remember you..."
That wasn't what he wanted to say, but it was his own prudency that stopped him from saying his feelings out loud. Not like it would change a thing. As Musashi disappeared, the first day of January 2019 was getting closer and closer. The Master of Chaldea saw his friend laugh happily, yet with a tone that did nothing but push him to tears even more.
"Ritsuka... this was the first dream you had in the new year... it's time for you to wake up."
.
.
A woman without any sort of shame, despite her sweet and caring attitude. No wonder Mashu found him crying at Seven AM that morning. It took him a while, but he managed to remember their adventure completely, doing as she asked. She immortalized her on his journal, where all his adventures ever since he came into Chaldea rested... even if said book was lost when Koyanskaya and the Crypters invaded them on new year 2020.
But Ritsuka Fujimaru truly fell in love with Miyamoto Musashi, to the point he couldn't stop thinking about her and cursing himself.
There were so many things I wanted to tell you...
At first, after that fateful encounter, he truly believed her to be a dream. A fleeting thought that would never return, which depressed him but not to this point of course. Even if she would've been a dream, she seemed happy. Yet every single time they touched their hands, she touched his shoulders and laughed, he could've sworn he was feeling her.
She had to be real.
He... wanted her to be real.
And somewhere in the endless sky, a god answered his prayers a couple of months later.
.
.
-[Fragment 2: The Flower's second coming.]-
The next time he opened his eyes, neither Kojirou nor Mashu were in front of him, and Shuten-Douji was completely shut. Instead, the beautiful and bright blue sky stretched above him. The chirping of the birds invaded his ears, and so did the delicious smell of grass. Apparently, it was summer.
"Huh? Already awake?! I thought you'd be out for at least another day!"
The moment her beautiful voice so filled with disbelief went through his ears, he completely forgot everything else. There she was, sitting in a blanket with some rice dirtying those pink lips of hers, looking at him with half her mouth full. Exactly as he remembered her: those eyes identical to the sky above them, that long pink hair, and her cheerful attitude greeting him as if they met since childhood.
The dream he immortalized and he said farewell to.
Of course, ignorant to all the emotional turmoil her best friend was going through, the swordswoman kept nibbling her lunch, raising a finger to get his attention. She had to admit, that expression of pure shock suited him quite well, it made him look adorable even.
Musashi: Let me tell you what's going on: seeing it's such a nice day, I decided this was a good time and place to eat. I unwrapped my meal and was just getting ready to eat when you suddenly fell from the sky -moving her hand down while twirling her finger in a dummy way, Miyamoto laughed a little as she reminisced the blackhaired male falling like a rocket- I caught you purely on instinct, tried calling to you and slapping you awake, but you were out like a lantern, so I decided to stay here and wait until you woke up! I see your luck is still as strong as ever... or maybe Lady Kannon has taken you under her protection?
Giggling a little as she gave one last bite to her food, the saber class human put her hand on her chest.
"Anyway, let me introduce myself again. I'm-!"
"MUSASHI!"
His arms surrounded her as if his life depended on it. But she welcomed it regardless. Miyamoto's arms embraced his body as well, leaving him overstep his bounds without any consequence whatsoever. Truth be told, she was just as happy to see him again after such a long time, even more... because the mere fact that he said her name without needing a reminder, showcased her he was a man of his word.
"That's right! I'm Shinmen Musashi-no-Kami Fujiwara-no-Harunobu, but you just call me Musashi, like you've always done. I'm so glad we were able to see each other again!"
.
.
The dream he had been searching for so long came back, and this time, once again, they were on their own. But this wasn't a fleeting dream like their last adventure, even if he somehow ended up in a parallel timeline after falling victim to darkness, both him and his beloved trusty companion spent many days and nights fighting side by side, having each other's back.
MUNCH~ MUNCH MUNCH~
Spending the night in Onui and Tasuke's home to celebrate Lancer of Purgatorio's defeat was, to say the least... a warm experience.
Muramasa Senji, however, sighed at the view with a face of disappointment.
"You have no shame whatsoever, don't you, Musashi Miyamoto?"
The man who used the face of his father asked, and Ritsuka smiled as he saw Saber looking back at the swordsmith with her mouth full. The Udon still falling from her lips, the cheeks completely filled up like a squirrel. An absolute mess indeed, apparently it was her who took out all the appetite of Muramasa's stomach, despite the fact that he himself cooked dinner.
They looked like a happy family.
"Ehhh? Shame? what for?"
Was her question, only then biting her noodles to swallow up everything. Certainly, it had been a hellish time and apparently they had six more opponents to strike down, but as long as they could have times like these... even if this wasn't Chaldea, or the Emiya Household, Ritsuka felt at home. Maybe it was because she was here? Maybe it was because Onui called Muramasa "grandpa" and Tasuke giggled every time he got closer...
It didn't mattered.
"Are you ok, Ritsuka?"
Questioned the user of Niten Ichi Ryu, looking directly at his face, making him blush the moment she put a hand on his forehead, because that was the kind of action he'd expect from someone with feelings for him already, not from a friend... atleast, from her point of view. After all this time thinking about her, finally finding her, Fujimaru had come to terms with the fact that she stole his heart and mind completely.
"You don't seem to have fever, yet you're as red as a tomato. Hey grandpa Masa, think you got him poisoned or something?"
Of course, the growl he let out made him and the couple of children burst out in laughs. Slowly but surely, his hand removed hers, denying her worries. Seeing her genuinely care for him increased the rhythm of his heart, and the blood on his face.
"It's nothing, Musashi-chan... I'm fine, really!"
Because you're here
Yet that thought remained as such.
Truly... those few moments of peace were immortal; which is why he remembered Las Vegas with such love and nostalgia. But Love wasn't just about the good times, but the hardships too.
Kojirou was the living proof of it.
.
.
"... Get out of here, Ritsuka. Don't worry about me. Leave."
For the first time ever, as he could barely see a thing because of the fire and the ashes, the youngest child of Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka felt shivers down his spine. Her voice had changed completely, having lost any trace whatsoever of her cheerfulness and naiveness. And he knew why, he would recognize that face and those clothes anywhere.
And even if he had never told her about him... she most likely felt it in her soul.
"Musashi... ?"
Yet she completely ignored him, taking a couple of steps forward. She seemed nothing alike the woman he had been fighting with until that very moment, but then again... she lost an eye. Fought against seven spirits swordmaster to save her very soul from the abyss, and now she was facing up against the one and only man who she'll happily die against.
"I can't believe I've met two exceptional swordsmen on the same day. This Samurai's skill is truly godly. I can tell... you're several times stronger than me."
His smiling face, as the flames seemed to open a path to him. The murdering aura emanating from both of them was something he had never seen before, not even when Enkidu and Gilgamesh had one of their matches, because they were friends having a sparring at the end of the day. Yet, this was different.
Musashi: I don't know who you are, or where you came from, but it looks like you've got some business with me. -as she had always done, she took out her katanas, putting one in front of his body. Even now, when she barely could pay any mind to him, she was taking the duty of protecting him seriously. Her grip increased, despite her words trying to convince him to let go, her actions said otherwise- You sure you want to do this now, amid this blaze? If we don't get out of here soon, we're both goners.
"Indeed, I don't want to throw my life away. I am well aware of the situation. Once I have finished with you, I will quit this place and retire to safety. Beautiful as you may be, I do not intend to perish with you here. Prepare yourself, Lady Musashi."
He wouldn't leave, no matter what. Not because he couldn't, with her skills, it wouldn't take long for her to take some of the fire away with a swing so he could leave and never look back. Yet, as the one who had been with her right through the end, Ritsuka felt obliged to stay here, by her side. Even when he was afraid this was going to be her last day.
A part of him... a small selfish part of him, wanted to stay with her to either live, or die together at the mercy of his blade.
"You're right. I take it back. We have all the reason in the world. We may have never met before, but I know your name. It looks like my destiny finally caught up with me. Now the only thing left for to do is put everything I have into this fight. Thanks for waiting me all my life, Sasaki Kojirou."
It didn't matter where, neither when. Even if this fight lacked any meaning, he wanted to be here for her now, at the most important moment of her life. Because ever since he knew her name all those months ago in Onigashima, the moment Sukeroku pitied her existence as he laughed because she would never return to her home again, he knew this day was fated to come.
His swords resonated on his mind once again, as he saw the woman he loved from the bottom of his soul wield her swords as he took his sword out of his sheath.
"Your journey will continue forever."
"THE TIME HAS COME!"
Tears started to run down his cheeks, and the adrenaline cursed through his veins. For that very moment, he felt like he was in sync with her. This was her battle, yes. But as her friend... as the man who loved her, Ritsuka was happy to be here, with the fire devouring everything around them. Oh, how much that airheaded woman had grown up in such a short span of time.
"That is, until the time you meet the greatest foe of your life."
"NEITHER HEROIC SPIRITS NOR SWORDSMASTERS, WE ARE BUT TWO CREATURES THAT LIVE AND DIE BY THE SWORD!"
"Thus, I pity you, for such a master of the arts does not exist."
"IT IS THROUGH THIS, THROUGH HISTORY'S GREATEST DUEL, THAT WE WILL PROVE WHO WE ARE!"
"To a swordsman, the greatest foe is one who has mastered the path, the Origin opposite to their own. The swordsman of the Heavenly Eye."
"THIS SHALL BE THE ULTIMATE DUEL"
And the moment their blades clashed, all he could see were the sparkling coming out of each hit, the sound of the metal, and how the flames receded at each movement they were making.
"MUSASHI!"
"That path where zero rivals one is, in other words, infinity."
He yelled, preparing the technique Ritsuka had seen hundreds of times, while at the same time, she herself prepared to unleash her own. The Swallow reversal, ready to receive each and every strike of Kurikara.
"KOJIROU!"
"But... but, that will never be fulfilled, for such a person doesn't even exist."
Right there and then... he was proven wrong.
.
.
And yet... the price was too high.
Were the tears coming down his face because of the sadness, or because they hurt so much due to the fire and the smoke they required any sort of relief? at that precise point in time, he couldn't care less about the answer. Not when he was moving her blood covered body over and over again, trying to wake her up.
"Musashi, come on! OPEN YOUR EYES!"
Despite how roughly he was shaking her, he was holding her as gently as a glass figure. And in truth, she could indeed shatter in any moment if he wasn't careful. At least he could tell from the air coming out of her mouth, as she breathed in tiredly, that she was still alive. But how could that make him feel better, when he couldn't think of any way to take them out of there?
"Nhgh... oh, I must have lost consciousness... So I guess this means... that swordsman is gone?"
Even in such dire situation, she was still a complete good for nothing idiot with udon for brain. The way she kept talking like she always did, letting go of the seriousness that took over her entire being for a couple of minutes shocked him. What was she thinking? she was bleeding out and could barely stand after losing so much stamina and blood.
Yet... the first thing that came out of her mouth was saying-
"It's ok. You don't have to say anything. I know he's gone. If he was still alive, he'd be here smiling as he watched me sleep. So that's what Sasaki Kojirou is like as a swordsman, huh?..."
Smiling with her one eye opened, he could see the light leaving her pupil. So filled with life, so filled with joy, yet all he could see when Fujimaru ignored the reflection of his own face, was... resignation. Now more than ever he would wish to wield any of his parents abilities or the mystic codes from Chaldea to enhance his legs and jump with her to safety.
"Ritsuka... Thank you. You inspired me to try fighting for what was right. But in the end it looks like I'm going to die by the sword, I guess. Yeah, that do sounds like me."
Ritsuka: Since when have you been one to just give up? come on, let's get out of here -"Please don't leave me alone" was what he would've liked to say instead. This wasn't a dream, not after the small talk he had with Holmes after their communications were back online. So why? why now that he found her again, that he spent a couple of days with her, living together.
Eating together. Laughing together. Fighting together. Surviving together...
Why everything had to end up this way?
Instead of using her strength to lift up and thrown themselves out of the window in hope that any of the others could catch them, she laughed. How much of a dumbass this man was? yet again, she wasn't one to talk. She spent every single amount of strength she had left fighting in a burning castle just because she could. But even so, among all the ashes burning up her lungs and the blood coming from her skin and throat, her happiness was immeasurable.
Because he was there.
"You know... as long as I reached Zero I thought I would accept anything that came my way... even if people pointed and laughed at me, I'd give it my all to see where it led. Of course I didn't think everything would go this perfectly overnight... or that someone as cute as you would be here with me through it all... I never thought things would turn out like this. You've been watching me right to the end now, huh?... so..."
Just as she raised her left hand for what he thought was her allowing him to carry her to the stairs, Miyamoto grabbed the collar of his shirt. Fujimaru opened his eyes seeing and feeling how her arm trembled trying to carry him, something she didn't struggled to hours ago. She herself compared him to a feather, yet now it seemed like her bones were breaking.
They already were in fact.
"This is the least I can do to pay you back... Thank you for everything Ritsuka..."
Next thing he fell and saw, were the stars and the wind on his back. She had threw him to the outside at the cost of her last barely working limb. Even through the flames, he could see her silhouette in slow motion falling to the floor. He couldn't reach her out, no matter what he did.
"MUSASHIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
The scream he let out was what saved him from falling to his death, for that was what Fuuma Kotarou would use to grab him just in time.
.
.
A good for nothing airheaded dumbass, that's what she was when she was alive... and what she was until the bitter end in Olympus. Ritsuka found it funny, that he cried about losing the same person not twice, but thrice in fact. At first because he thought she wasn't real, then he cried when she got turned into nothing but dust... and lastly, what completely shattered him to the point of no return.
The fact that she had been erased from existance, just like it happened with Doctor Romani.
That's what broke his heart the most. That he couldn't stop thinking about all the moments he had. The opportunities; the dates they went through whenever she visited Chaldea. Why didn't he say anything the moment they were alone not once, but twice on Valentine's day?
Because he was afraid...
Every single time, even after he knew that thinking about her made him go mad in love. Even when he perfectly hid it from her and everyone else to the point where all he did was blush... he could never bring himself to cross that gap. To say those three words that maybe, just maybe could've changed everything. Maybe giving her a grail, make a wish upon any of them for her to reincarnate could've saved her.
But he didn't.
He kept smiling, laughing, eating dumplings by her side whenever they could, and lying to her face.
The only time where she actually asked him to go on a date, it ended up being her who almost died of embarrassment, drowning in the pool. Musashi was one of the greatest swordmasters he had ever seen, even after all the heroic spirits and sword wielders he had under his command, but something so simple as being a normal girl celebrating 21st century customs was too much for her.
"Gosh, there's nothing left for me to be embarrassed about, but I'm still blushing! My heart won't stop racing!"
"What do you think of the giant chocolate parfait? don't you think it'll be fun eating it together?
Everything with her felt and was like a dream, wich was ironic. Despite their first meeting being one where he woke up, and the second one the dream where she proved her eistence and died in the process, he never fully woke up.
No... it was Musashi who ended up waking up.
.
.
-[Last fragment: Her last strike back.]-
"I might not've been able to beat Zeus on my own, but I can totally take this Chaos thing!"
Even in such dire situation, where any sort of miracle or intrusion would be greatly appreciated... there was something in those words that sounded wrong, extremely wrong. Not only he, but everyone else doubted Saber's skills. The blackhaired man opened his eyes the moment Holmes said the word Void, everything made sense then and there. Chaos was looking at them through a void in space.
That is to say...
Anything that somehow went closer there, would never come back.
"Now you've got it. I finally figured out why I've kept popping up around you guys all this time. Haha, I know I said there was something out there I've still yet to slice, but I never thought I'd find it here!"
He had seen Musashi-chan come and go as she pleased hundreds of times. Every single one feeling like a fleeting dream that always came back whenever he least expected her. But in the depth of his gut... something dark and primal quickly got raised in the deepest parts of Ritsuka Fujimaru's stomach. Something was born and raised in mere seconds.
Fear. Terror. Shivers.
Unlike every single time...
"H-hang on!"
Musashi: Nope, sorry! no time to wait for permission from some high-and-mighty official, not my style. Every heroic spirit here gave everything they had to save proper human history. I might not be from there myself, but it's not like I have anywhere else to go right now. -Wasn't Chaldea her home? weren't the others her family? even if they barely saw her? Musashi was one of them. A Chaldean, and that's all she required to be part of Proper Human History in their eyes.
Her beautiful body covered by the orange light took him back to the day he saw her back, talking about surpassing Minusai. Just as she made an Oath in front of him and the ocean that she would overcome everything her father achieved, in here, she was preparing herself for the last stand.
"Remember what I told you before? About how I got to Olympus ahead of you guys?... I've tried lots of times to get back to my own world, only to end up drifting into all sorts of others. When I get to the boundary between worlds, there's a light field I always end up falling through. You can see hundreds of entrances to all sorts of worlds there beneath your feet. So I'd always pick one and jump in, thinking that would be the one that finally gets me home..."
As she spoke, her face contorted in one of sadness, ending up with her gaze on the floor. She was sad, yes but... what was she exactly going through? in the end, Sukeroku was right. She experienced it, time and time again, knowing people, losing people. Making friends, losing friends. So many worlds, so many travels, so many stories she had been a part of.
Yet no matter how much she tried...
"I always ended up in a different world each time. That's how I managed to met you in Shimousa. The more I drifted, the fewer entrances were left with each trip. I always knew eventually there wouldn't be a world left that would accept me."
There is no place for you in any world.
His exact words were what came out of her lips, and as the tears fell down her eyes, for the first time allowing herself to cry in front of others, the truth was revealed. He always had the idea that maybe she forgot about him, and their first meeting, a simple "Oh, I met you on an island and fought a guy, right?" but all these years... she couldn't forget the Oni's speech.
"It makes sense, right? I must be the last remnant of a Lostbelt; a mistake that kept barging into all sorts of worlds under the pretense of finding my way home, and kept getting kicked out... sometimes, when I found myself in a really nice world, I'd even try to settle down there."
Her smiling expression as her heart shattered with the cold hard truth was enough to drive him to a state of madness, if it wasn't because he was blaming himself for all her suffering. All this time, her smile had been a lie? he thought she stopped caring about her homeworld a long time ago, as she never mentioned it again. But he was wrong.
How could I be so stupid... ?
Thinking over and over again on how to hide his feelings for her out of respect... yet that was exactly what she had been looking all along. A place to belong to. An actual home. Something Ritsuka felt from time to time, reminiscing of his own family and how, despite loving Chaldea, the fact that neither his mother Rin, his father Shirou or his sister Gudako were there always lingered on his mind.
The same mind that from time to time tried to project Ishtar or Ereshkigal as such, shattering their hearts in the process every day.
"Then.. when you said you'd stopped ending up in other worlds-"
Holmes: She meant that this one would be her final stop. Coming here was her fate. -cold and stoic as always, Holmes let out a small sigh, nodding to confirm Mashu's thoughts and Ritsuka's worst fears. Taking out his pipe, he gave it a long drag, letting the smoke go from his lips- When I first heard about her condition in Russia, and how this was the only world she had ever visited via Shimousa... I knew that this would happen someday. Sadly, Miss Miyamoto's world-hops are not infinite, but-
"Shut your fucking mouth Holmes."
This was beyond anything he could ever bear. The pain in his gut, the emotional and mental stress of having fought for so long against Zeus, and now he had to go through the worst punishment life could give him. He had lost too many people already after having cared about them. Servants who would never return after Chaldea's destruction, that could only be summoned as brief shadows in short timed battles.
Friends he got close to, only for them to die again after their contract was fulfilled.
She was the only one left, and one of the most important people in his life.
Musashi: Oh my so angry!~ -what hurt him the most, was the fact that she didn't wanted to fight back. She had resigned to not only keep her distance from him at this final moment, but also avoid giving him any sort of affection that weren't words. Looking back now, he wondered if it was because she also felt reluctant? did she loved him too? her words in their date in Las Vegas weren't just mindless acting?- Thank you, Ritsuka, for getting so angry on my behalf, but this is my karma and my time to shine. Plus, you know how I am!
She waited patiently.
One year ago, they were laughing and teaching Saber Ooi Hokusai how to learn the art of swordsmanship in Las Vegas, and even longer than that they were side by side avoiding Archer of Inferno's arrows as she ran like a lightning through the battlefield, willing to risk everything in order to keep themselves alive. Maybe a remark of how strong she was?
Was she waiting for a compliment? a thumbs up? or was he supposed to get closer to her, obey his heart and take her lips in front of everyone as he begged her to stay?
"Ritsuka... Now that you and I have formed such a close bond, I'm going to make sure I do you proud with this one last thing."
Only then the tears stopped, being replaced by a shiny smile.
"WAIT A JUST DAMN MINUTE, MUSASHI!"
Never in his entire life he had hated the Shadow Border and Goredolf so much as he did the moment the rest of their team appeared in their sky. The frightened expression on his face as he saw her jump into the rooftop of the vehicle they used to cross the void and the Lostbelts as if it was her mount. Her body disappearing alongside it, as Quirinus used the last of his energy to forge a direct path.
"GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT! WE CAN FIGHT IT TOGETHER, PLEASE!"
At this point, all he could do was beg. Beg, as his heart kept bumping blood into his system, yet it felt like Poison. Because that please wasn't one saying "let me fight by your side until the very end"... not even as Mashu tried to support him.
In reality... what that please meant was a desperate plea to make her give up. Because he was ready to die, as long as he was with her. Please, let me die with you by my side. There was no better ending he could ask for. Anything would be fine as long as they remained together.
"Suck it up, both of you! You're being delusional! you think I want this?! it's the best option, the only option! everyone not dying here is a lot more important to me! So please... just... let me go... do you really want to take the only chance I've ever had of doing something truly meaningful away from me... Ritsuka?"
...
There was nothing he could say. And even if he had done so, she wouldn't have liked his answer. Because even with all of his redeeming qualities, at the core of it all, Ritsuka Fujimaru Emiya Tohsaka was a selfish man. A good one... but a selfish. His desire, his only desire, was to keep by his side the woman he loved, the person he never said those three precious words that held so much value to anyone with a rational mind.
Please...
His loved one raised her swords, and soon after, he couldn't distinguish neither her nor the Shadow Border thanks to how little they were in comparison to Chaos's eye. A black dot that never let his view. But despite all that, after having seen her noble phantasm so many times during their journey together, his mind was in perfect sync with her movements and her body.
I've always loved you...
Raising not two, but just one of her four blades, Shinmen Musashi no Harunobu, the swordswoman without a home executed the last swing she would ever perform, not for his sake, but to save the entire world that destroyed her home and everything she once hold dear.
So please...
Just like it happened in Shimousa during her battle against Kojirou, for the second and last time, she claimed the entire sky as her domain. Olympus became a black void, where only one shining star resided. Something not even Chaos managed to resist.
"Ritsuka... it's time for you to wake up."
Her words resonated in his head, the moment he couldn't see anything past beyond the realm of emptiness. Yet, such a magnificent view lasted for only one moment, before everything returned back to normal.
Don't leave me...
.
.
Ah... Nemo is talking...
His Kouhai's hand caressed his shoulder, most likely asking him if he was ok. His empty stare saw nothing but the Child's face, noticing just now that it was night time in Olympus. The stars were beautiful, a nice celebration for the day they brought down the entire Greek Pantheon. God Destroyer alliance managed to secure it's victory, despite everything they lost in the way.
The branches of light, apparently coming from Atlas, shone brightly now that it was dark.
[I should tell you that the signal for the Servant who handled the Chaos situation has been... lost.]
Until now, Ritsuka had always been doing the best he could to keep his feelings for the swordswoman a secret from the world. Nothing but blushes and good friendship, nothing more, nothing else.
On that day, humanity brought down the gods. The god destroyer alliance was victorious, and soon after, Kirschtaria Woodime would sacrifice himself to cast away the Foreign god using his Sirius light. But before all that...
The first roar of agony Chaldea had ever heard coming from Master number forty eight, loud enough to echo through the skies themselves.
For it came from his very soul.
.
.
-[Epilogue: Live to Remember.]-
Finishing his trip down memory lane, Fujimaru walked towards his desk. At this point in time it was pretty clear that he wouldn't have any sleep whatsoever, it was 3 AM. He spent two hours recalling all the past events from the very first moment to the last one they shared. Most likely he would have to drink some coffee and eat some chocolate to keep himself awake next morning.
"Immortalize me in a Journal or something."
There were some people that recorded their experiences in paper, like Anna Frank for example, or even Emiya Alter himself. His original one that he made day by day back when the Grand Order first started had been lost two years ago, if it wasn't destroyed by the Oprichnik the winds of the Artic would've taken it out.
He would grow old and die one day, which was a fact. Nothing he could do would bring back a woman who didn't existed anymore, and as much as he wanted to kill himself to escape the suffering he carried on his shoulders, humanity depended on him.
Ritsuka chuckled in the dark, as he grabbed an empty notebook and a pen, turning on the light.
He had a lot to write.
If nothing else...
He had to keep living, because there was once a flower called Miyamoto Musashi with a beautiful pink hair and eyes colored like the sky in summer days, who wielded four blades, reached the Void and stole his heart, sacrificing herself to ensure Proper Human History could live on until the end of time.
The end.
