Chapter 7: The Plan

"Who's the one who destroyed the library?"

"…I am."

"Who's the one who created a new hole?"

"…I am."

"Louder!"

"…I AM!!!"

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU SERGEANT!"

"…I AM!!!"

Ritsuka relentlessly repeated her questions as she walked back and forth, with her hands behind her back and her chest puffed out like a drill captain. She has already repeated the warned to all of her Servants that they could not reveal their abilities when their too many witnesses to see. Scathach did it out of her Master's safety but still, she acted recklessly.

How unbecoming of her being a teacher of Setanta.

Scathach repeatedly weep as she was forced to kneel down before Ritsuka. On her head were stacks of books that she must kept from falling as her head ears were repeatedly nailed with Ritsuka's awful rants. She was crying earlier, that's why her nose were now reddish because of it.

"Good… we can't repeat this scenario, don't we?"

Scathach repeatedly nodded, which is fascinating because no matter how tall the stacks of the books resting on her head, not one has fallen. As expected of the teacher of Setanta. Scathach readily learned her lessons today.

Suddenly, a tug on Ritsuka's cloth caught her attention and it was Jack. She looked incredibly saddened as she remain holding on her clothes.

"Mommy, am I bad Assassin?" Jack felt conflicted too, since she was involved in taking down that Spirit. Does that mean Mommy is angry too?

However, Ritsuka looked beyond and just headpat Jack.

"No, Jackie. You've done a great job. You protected Mommy."

"Yay!" Jack leaped for joy as Ritsuka was focused on headpatting on her daughter. Even Scathach was a little jealous. Unfortunately, Ritsuka noticed her on the spot.

"Scathach-san, you know why I am doing this to you."

"Y-yes, I do, Master. We are not under any obligation to reveal our abilities and identities unless Master said to do so."

"Good, you still remembered. Also, thank you for arriving on the time and saving me too from that individual."

Scathach just smiled weakly as she heard her Master's praise. Maybe, she indeed did a mistake back at the school. Ritsuka might have been right, its an overkill on what she did. She blamed herself for being a battle nut Servant. Honestly, she wanted to face a capable 'Spirit' here in the world and she couldn't help it unleashing all of it when she spotted Kurumi threatening her Master. When she and her Master realize that it was very weak, she felt disappointed.

*knock* *knock*

A visitor just knocked on their door. If its their fellow Servants, they have no problem opening or destroying the door on the whim. Where Caster agonizingly created a new door and berated everyone.

Scathach immediately fixed herself and opened the door, revealing Shidou in all his glory. Scathach was feeling suspicious.

"Hello there, Ms. Scarlet." Shidou greeted her.

"What do you want, Shidou?"

'I'm just telling you that the classes are to suspended today due to a gas leaks or something."

Scathach just sighed. "I already knew that; that's why I already left the school premises already. I'm not that dumb."

"O-ok then. I'm just seeing you if you are ok." Shidou fumbled as he fiddled his fingers in anticipation.

Scathach squinted and realized that a subtle radio voice can be heard by her sensitive ears and that Shidou has an earpiece. Could it be—

Scathach immediately glanced to her Master, who just smirked contentedly, as if she knew what Scathach was thinking as she gave her a thumbs up. What the heck? She looked back to Shidou, who was whistling a tune as he waited for Scathach to answer.

Seeing that he won't budge by the entrance, Scathach decided to let him in. "Have a seat. I'll prepare some tea." She said as she retreated to the kitchen and she couldn't help hearing Ritsuka snickered.

"Hey there, Shidou."

"Oh, Ms. Ritsuka, nice to meet you."

"pfft, don't call me that, were the same age."

"O-ok. Ritsuka?"

"That's it my boy."

Shidou was already inside the dorm as his eyes danced around. Maybe he forgot something.

"You sure you don't want a seat?" Ritsuka asked him in wonder. Shidou widened his eyes as he immediately flushed.

"I honestly forgot." He immediately chose the sofa and sat on it comfortably. While waiting for Scathach in the kitchen, Shidou was tapping his fingers once more just to busy himself.

Ritsuka just stared at him curiously. If her hunch is proven right, then he's aiming for Scathach now, which is just hilarious and frightening at the same time. Shidou must have an ability that could seal a 'Spirit'. She wondered if the 'Spirit' can be the same as 'Heroic Spirit'. She hoped it wasn't since thinking of it was very terrible idea.

However, its entirely a different issue when Shidou was now trying to deal with Scathach.

"Is there anything I could help, Shidou?" Ritsuka asked him warily.

A beat of silence before Shidou replied. "N-nothing, Ritsuka." He immediately yelped when Ritsuka decided to sit beside him and have her arms wrapped around his neck. He blushed immediately when the Master of Chaldea was smirking at him, as if she figured out something.

"Hmm, you're really concerned about Ms. Scarlet, don't you? I've heard that a gas leak explosion has caused the campus to be suspended temporarily."

Shidou was nodding furiously. The feeling that a girl this close was just intimidating. This is very different from Tohka since he already knew about her but Ritsuka here was a total stranger and yet they were very close enough. Her smug looks was just confusing him a lot.

"It's rare that Ms. Scarlet's student was worried about her so much that he ended up checking her in her house, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"N-no?" Shidou was trying to act oblivious but he thinks that he was too late.

Scathach immediately appeared out from the kitchen, carrying two steaming teas on a tray. She spotted her Master and Shidou closer than ever. It infuriated her even further that Ritsuka was taking initiative over her 'student'. Even though this is just her disguise on this world, it was somewhat disturbing.

"Ah, Ms. Scarlet is here. That means I need to get busy for no reason." Ritsuka said as she stood up and retreated to the door, opened it before she gets outside. Shidou and Scathach were the only left in the living room.

It was awkward as it gets and Shidou was blushing harder as he could get.

"Uhm, Ms. Scarlet?" Shidou asked softly and warily, as if Scathach in front of her was like a predator, seeking whom it may devour. It doesn't help that Scathach decided to sit in front of him, with her legs crossed to each other while still wearing her uniform skirt and dark stockings. He couldn't help it but it emphasizes her legs more than enough.

"Yes, Shidou? Is there any problem?" Scathach asked him as a matter-of-fact. She swung her free leg back and forth, as if it was hypnotizing for Shidou.

"It's just that when I first see you, It's that—"

"Boring! Straight to the point, kid."

"I-I have a crush on you and I want to treat you for a dinner this Saturday!" Shidou threw himself down in front of Scathach's feet, bowing as deep as he can as he told him the 'facts'. He expected her to have a violent reaction, especially he can see her prowess. It doesn't help that he must humiliate himself in order to see if Ms. Scarlet, was well according to Ratatoskr's hypothesis, a dominatrix.

Is she? He was still trembling from that awful thought and he couldn't live himself from seeing her disgusted face.

Nothing happened as well and taking a careful peek, Shidou could see Ms. Scarlet was somewhat disinterested. He either expected her to act herself as a teacher and scolded him for the unrequited crush but instead, Scathach was acting formally.

Scathach just sighed "Stand up, Shidou. It takes a man to confess his love to me and congratulations, you're the first one to do it bravely in front of me."

"R-really, I thought you have already a boyfriend or a husband at your ag—" Shidou felt choked for a reason, as if his body actively avoided that word for some reason or else his life might as well forfeited and saw that Scathach was glaring at him wickedly, as if his very soul was drilled by her sharp eyes.

Immediately the hidden death threat was ceased. "I'm getting tired of this. Shidou, I need to rest."

"Does that mean that you—"

"Just wait for my text whether I will accept or not." Scathach sighed.

"O-okay then… see you tomorrow, Ms. Scarlet." Shidou bowed down before he went out of the door promptly.

The assurance that Ms. Scarlet recognized Shidou's crush on her without any repercussion was already a success for Ratatoskr. That means they can now plan for step 2 for Ms. Scarlet's date between her and Shidou and Kotori can feel they could succeed this ordeal. The Ratatoskr firmly believed that Ms. Scarlet was a 'Spirit' and for a 'Spirit', she's damn good for hiding her mana readings and acting like a human.

"I don't feel confident about this…" Shidou suggested as he was still trembling. He was immediately teleported to the ship in order to discuss the aforementioned plans for Ms. Scarlet.

"Don't worry, Shidou, I knew you can do it all the time, the Ratatoskr got your back." Kotori, the Captain of Fraxinus and currently wearing her black ribbon, slapped the back of his brother like a man. It caused Shidou to coughed involuntary.

"Shin. Her emotional levels are still low." Reine Murasame, the head analyst, reported to Shidou. Her eyebags are visibly blackened due to lack of sleep. A teddy bear can be found on her chest pocket.

"That means you need to prove yourself more on your date! She was obviously expecting more from you." Kotori argued.

"But how are we certain that Ms. Scarlet will accept my proposal?"

"Ratatoskr decided to make your confession straightforward and seeing that there is no violent reaction. We could confidentially say that Ms. Scarlet will accept your invitation in no time."

"But there's also a chance that she might flop my invitation too."

"Are you really pessimistic this time, Shidou? Did you hear what she said? You are the first one to invite Ms. Scarlet to a date and it takes a guts according to what she said. So don't you dare jinx this chance Shidou or I'll really do something worse…"

"Captain Kotori is right, you should not lose hope to this upcoming Saturday's date. Although we have already a back-up plan in case she won't bite the bait." Reine said as she wrote something on the a task board.

"I-I'm good, so there's that."

Kotori was smirking then.

"It's time to conquer Ms. Scarlet. This Saturday, will be a date/war."