AN: After this it is obvious that I will continue to the [Diva] Spirit but I'm just asking if you want me to still include the crossdressing Shidou or not. I just want your opinion about it. It might depend on the reviews on how I will proceed [Diva]'s story.

Chapter 45: The Revelation

Origami, Tohka, Yoshino and the Yamai Twins were now being led by the head maid Priscilla for the basics. They were so giddy and excited about it that they promptly forgot Ritsuka, Shidou, Kotori, Reine and the Tohsaka Twins back at the visiting room. Ishtar just sighed when they are finally out of her sight.

The large doors where the former Spirits sans Origami entered were closed, silence befall upon the visiting room. Never have they thought that all of the noise originated from those maid volunteers.

Ritsuka then stretched her arms, joints popping from reflex, seeing that she still has to continue her role as a 'clueless human friend', Ritsuka must still retain her façade as an ordinary human being for a meantime though, despite the Ratatoskr and possibly, the DEM, has suspicions about her. "Ah, it seemed that I've already done my job here and seeing that all of you are busy, I'll be going home now." Ritsuka finally decided.

Everyone looked at her for a meantime before Ritsuka slowly approached Ereshkigal, faced Kotori and Shidou and elbowed the Goddess of the Underworld not so blatantly. Ereshkigal immediately understood the situation and flail her arms in panic.

"O-Oh, I mean I'll be the one who will be the one to lead Ritsuka-san to the gates, hehe." Ereshkigal said softly as Ritsuka joined arms together and walk away from them until they were now outside. Then the ones who are left on the visiting room was Shidou, Reine, Kotori and Ishtar. All eyes are immediately set on Ishtar once again. It doesn't make Ishtar nervous for she was used for this kind exposure.

The reason why Ritsuka backed out was because it felt complicated and the Master of Chaldea seemed to be not ready to completely trust the Ratatoskr so she left the decision to Ishtar at this point.

Ishtar immediately went to her private room, which is beside the visiting room. Kotori, Reine and Shidou just stared at her contently until she motioned them to follow her.

The room was somewhat small but still accommodating. It has an office table, some comfortable chairs enough for five individuals and a moderate window. Ishtar went behind the table and have the maid close the door.

The visitors waited until everyone was settled and with Ishtar's snap of her fingers, a strict bounded field was set upon to preserve the privacy within the small room. Even the connection from the Ratatoskr was cut, much to Kotori's dismay. They wanted to record a proof if Ishtar was really a genuine Spirit or just a ridiculously powerful Wizard. Even the intercom wasn't working at this point so Reine better removed it away from her ear and put it in her pocket. Kotori just crossed her arm underneath her chest. A small camera might suffice as Kotori luckily managed to hide it within her uniform.

From the ship Fraxinus, the feed that came from Captain Kotori was unfortunately cut off. Kyohei, the currently managing Captain on the Fraxinus, was worried for their Captain and Analyst Officer.

Back to the secret room, Kotori decided to become blunt of all things.

"Let me guess, you're a Spirit?" Kotori's tone was unusually serious. Shidou stood guard.

As if answering their question, Ishtar's eyes glowed mysteriously as she set it on the unflinching Kotori.

"Better keep away that li'l device of yours, Captain." Ishtar said nonchalantly. It seemed that she decided to show off herself as a Goddess but she was careful not to reveal the entirety of herself, including her Master, can't let the Master worried a lot. She was also aware that Ritsuka and Ereshkigal were now currently eavesdropping on them from afar whilst Ereshkigal was still pretending to lead Ritsuka back to the dorm.

The Ratatoskr was still focused on the mansion, particularly the room where they are currently talking. Remembering that the room has a window, Kyohei decided to send a drone to spy on them. They will not hear anything but a video surveillance might suffice. Ishtar will allow it.

Ishtar also knew that Kotori has still a camera hidden somewhere in her uniform and she would not talk until Kotori remove it from her. Kotori guessed that she has no choice but to disable the camera, a few sleigh of hands and voila, the camera was off.

Ishtar was satisfied, with a big grin in her face.

"Depending on how you interpret it then I am indeed not a human."

"A Spirit then." Reine concluded.

"I guess so." Ishtar just shrugged it off. Kotori was getting impatient but remain consistent.

"Why bother reveal yourself now?" Kotori was the who questioned it.

"Hiding it from you is a pain in an ass." Ishtar scratched the back of her head. "Especially from the Ratatoskr."

Kotori was alarmed. Ratatoskr was a secret organization; no one should suppose to know it exist? Where did Ishtar get her information? Did she have some kind of ability to know it beforehand?

"Please calm down, Captain. We are not savages." Kotori was annoyed for some reason.

"How did you know that we are from the Ratatoskr and that I am its Captain?" Kotori's questioned Ishtar abruptly.

"I have my source, Captain." Ishtar said smugly then she looked at Shidou. "I wonder if you still remember, me." Cue, beautiful eyes.

Shidou thought that she was joking but it got him thinking and widened his eyes, it is as if Ishtar showed him a revelation. If Shidou looked at her very carefully, he could see a slight resemblance. Then he widened his eyes when he indeed remembered who she was.

"A-are you the one who helped me when Origami became berserk?"

"Yup." Ishtar just grinned mischievously. Shidou was gasping from surprise. "Origami was so bothersome that time, but I managed."

Kotori was wide eyed too because she remembered the day she lost control. Reine was there to comfort her for a moment but Kotori immediately recovered.

"You do all remembered me." Ishtar was now giggling in delight as she concluded.

"You're the [Goddess, I presume?" Reine was the one talked.

"Is that my title? If yes, then you are not well creative." Ishtar concluded.

"Then we apologize why it happen." Reine was the one who confronted her. "Indeed, the codename was rather bland for your taste but it is necessary for identification."

"In that case, we have no choice then." Ishtar just huffed. "and no, I am not smiting you because you've got my codename not so pretty we are being civil here, right?"

"We are grateful, then." Reine said.

"That's alright." Ishtar assured them. "So let's get to the business then."

They were already sitting so there's that.

"So tell me what the [Goddess] want and it shall be receive." Kotori was it with a mocking tone.

"Just, don't." Ishtar said. "I've already enough. Anyways, what I am asking for was that for me and my twin sister to be left alone."

Kotori just raised her eyebrows in suspicion. "Why wouldn't we?"

"Because pretty much I knew what Ratatoskr is all about: it's about saving the Spirit and making them human at the cost of sealing their powers through Shidou. In short, I know how you operate."

"But what makes you think that you are an exception, huh?" Kotori challenged Ishtar.

Ishtar then just gave her a threatening smile. "Take this with a grain of salt, what if Kurumi has this the information the same one I'm bearing currently? What if I told you I have known your organization for almost two months? What do you think will Kurumi do those last month?" Ishtar mocked them as she put her thumb on her neck and make a shlick sound as she let the thumb ran sideways as her eyes glowed again. "You're all dead by now."

Kotori didn't question on how Ishtar managed to know Kurumi because she already said that she knew something but she actually gets the notion of it; they were lucky that Ishtar has this knowledge connected to Ratatoskr and just became passive for it. Ishtar didn't even do anything until this day.

"…see. I can easily kill you all here." Ishtar made her eyes glow again to emphasize what she was saying. "But I will not because we are being civil here."

"That's terrifying…" Shidou off commented. Kotori, Reine and Ishtar all nodded in agreement.

"So I have made my point. Do we have a deal?" Ishtar said as she spread out her arms.

"What agreement?" Kotori tilted her head.

Ishtar just sighed. "That Shidou wouldn't try to take advantage on us, sisters, other than we just inherently hate it, it was just so cringy and embarrassing." She remarked.

This made Shidou's face redder and redder by a minute Ishtar listed his undesireable qualities.

"Also attributed by the fact that Shidou still needed some assistance from the Ratatoskr itself." Ishtar said as she maintained a gaze toward Reine, who seemed to be conscious of what Ishtar was trying to say.

Ishtar just chuckled. "C'mon, he's just so awkward—"

Kotori then finally interrupted Ishtar, ending her teasing to Shidou. "Ok, I get it, Shidou has no chance in dating you."

"Uhum." Ishtar nodded in agreement.

"*tsk* so it seemed that we have no other choice but to comply to your deal." Kotori was exasperated.

Reine was sure that Kotori, her Captain, readily agreed according to her defeated tone. It's alright, Kotori was being wise in her decision. The Spirit in front of them has an imminent knowledge against the Ratatoskr and decided not to act on it, not sure if she has the same knowledge against the DEM too but that's another story.

"If you know about us, Ms. Ainu, then what about the information regarding you?" Upon Reine's recommendation, Kotori just looked at her in disbelief.

Ishtar was just confident as usual. "As a benevolent [Goddess, I gave you the permission to keep it in order to be inspired but I'm expecting it not to be have any additional information anymore. Even if I do say that I want you to erase it, I can still expect that you will have a roundabout method to secure my data."

Reine just half-closed her eyes in certainty. This does mea that the [Goddess] is not omniscient as she expects but still they knew don't want to belittle the [Goddess] abilities.

"Then we will agree to it." Kotori concluded.

Ishtar was just happy. "That's a relief then." Then she brought out a paper of some sort and a pen. Kotori, Reine and Shidou just looked at it with curiosity.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you geas scrolls."

Everything was concluded by the time they exited the room. Kotori, Shidou and Reine were urged to seal the deal using a drop of their blood on that special kind of paper. No matter how it looked ordinary, Kotori and Reine felt that it was something more since it came from the [Goddess]. Witht the geas intact, they felt something different, no matter how subtle. Kotori skimmed the contract before fully committing on it.

It is said that on the Ratatoskr side, they would not involve Ishtar and Ereshkigal in their dating missions and nothing more. On Ishtar's side, she would never reveal herself as a Spirit to the entire world unless it is absolutely necessary or involve herself in any Shidou's mission as a Spirit. Seemed simple right?

Ishtar just smirked because the geas was rigged at the beginning. The [Goddess] was clever afterall. Of course, Ishtar did NOT consider herself as a Spirit, but a Heroic Spirit, drastically different from a Spirit, not that they deserve to know her true nature.

On the other hand, the former Spirits are back from head maid Priscilla, who seemed to wholly exhausted. Ishtar has this assumption that the former Spirits and Origami were naughty as a kids in the classroom. Overall they were just amazed and now couldn't wait to go home and wait for tomorrow in order to join Shidou's temporary job as a butler.

Now they are going home. Ratatoskr offered a ride and almost everyone obliged, except for Shidou who felt walking alone. Origami has already left first so there's nothing to be bothered about. This time, the former Spirits were just so tired that they were sure that they wouldn't keep up with him if they were decided to walk with him. The Ratatoskr would keep an eye on him for safetly.

Shidou felt relieved that he could walk alone this time. Its not that he hates being in the company of the Spirit but rather he's having a time of his life even for a moment.

Tohsaka's mansion was located above a hill so when the dusk comes the he could see the subdivision's multitudes of lights. Shidou just observed it and was fond of what he saw.

Along the way, he could hear a beautiful voice out of nowhere and it seemed to be enticing him, to the point he paused for a moment. Perhaps it just so far away but Shidou could pinpoint exactly where it came from.

Nevertheless, he still continued walking, he woud rather prioritized going home than investigating that noise. He's just that tired.

The sound of a lady singing was still present in the air and Shidou hopes he will find it the next day.