Chapter 50: The Equinox

"So what made you think that I am not as it seemed?"

Kotori then smugly replied. "We have been scurrying the database and the internet in order to search your identity and other information connected to you…"

"The result?" Ritsuka asked as she was curious about whether she has a counterpart here in this world. Just a wishful thinking for her.

"Almost a hundred entry of individuals with the same name and surname as you, albeit entirely different. That is if I assumed that you are in a preference of using a false name. A screenshot of your face bare no results too. There are many things that are unexplainable. Just who are you? Why you do not exist over the database?" Kotori even emphasized her own words.

Ritsuka was a little disturbed because Kotori revealed that she took some pictures of her own face without her permission. What the Master of Chaldea meant that she's happy to give her own portrait image if Kotori properly ask her with permission. Now, she's in a bad mood.

"Simple. I'm Ritsuka Fujimaru and nothing else, and nothing more." Ritsuka was now curious about those individuals that bears the same name as hers. "Anyways, I'm curious; what took you so long to figure this out?"

Kotori gave Ritsuka strange looks. "E-eh?" She has her moments of embarrassment which partially made her broke out of her persona. "I-It's just that are you're so ordinary that I we don't bother searching you all of the sudden until and besides, where busy dealing with other things."

"Then that would make you a bad captain." Ritsuka mockingly concluded.

Kotori became defensive all of the sudden. "It's not your obligation to gauge my performance. It's thanks to your dorm mates that I noticed that you are out of ordinary."

Ritsuka then sighed. "I think it is bound to happen to me sooner or later, so I have no regrets." She shrugged her shoulders. "Anyways, why bother calling Shidou over here in the first place?"

Kotori was being embarrassed again for a moment, her cheeks became rosy all of the sudden. "I thought that I could get some tip from your 'harem'."

Ritsuka scrutinized her. "Eh? So you've gotten that far with your extensive research? I retract my previous conclusion; I should applaud you as well."

From what Ritsuka was trying to say, Kotori realized that Ritsuka didn't even retract or deny the accusation. Did this meant that Ritsuka really did have a harem? That's… absurd even if she thought that she is, Kotori expected for Ritsuka to deny.

Kotori just became a being of expectations and confusion. "B-but r-really? How? I mean I shouldn't be surprised, because I've expected it but I now I'm really shocked." She was now mumbling to herself.

Ritsuka pouted. "… you've said it now recently, what's wrong with you?"

Kotori became serious all of the sudden. "Forget it. Answer me right now. Just who are you? Are you a Sp—"

Kotori didn't manage to finish her words when a knife in front of her appeared out of nowhere. She didn't even have the time to react properly as the knife was heading right between her eyes, might purposely try to drive it deep and killing her instantly.

Having no choice, Kotori shut her eyes instinctively.

*SHLUCK*

An ugly sound emanated out of nowhere. Blood sputtered out and some of it stained Kotori's cheeks. She could feel it warm and icky as she couldn't comprehend it any further. She widened her eyes when everything was revealed as she opened her eyes.

Jackie, who shimmered into existence, was trying to murder Kotori out of cold blood and her knife already plunged deep into something, although not Kotori's head. The tip of the stained blade was too near to Kotori's eyes, who remained frozen all over.

It was Ritsuka's hand that managed to block Jack's knife unlucky and barely, and she even managed to gripped further into the knife's handle, halting it from its vicious advance. Ritsuka winced from the pain it created but she would be damned if she didn't so since Kotori didn't deserve this fate. She managed to save the commander of Fraxinus at the cost of her palm severely stabbed through.

Jack was shocked when this happened as the Master of Chaldea trembled from the pain she endured. Assassin didn't predict that her Master would block her attack against the meanie Kotori.

Ritsuka was already aware that Jack has been present all of the time inside the café but she never expected that Jack would react violently per Ritsuka's emotion compose of uncertainty and suspicions over Kotori, to the point Assassin has designated Kotori as her target and maybe killing her would ease her Mother.

Despite the pain she was struggling with, she endured it throughout. She even pulled Jack, who was visibly stressed, and hug her tight as she could, a reminder that no matter what she did, Ritsuka couldn't ever hate her.

"M-Mama?" Jack was clearly distressed as she buried her tearing face into Ritsuka's chest.

"It's alright, Mama's alright…" Ritsuka cooed her like a baby while her voice was mildly cracked. Like a doting mother, she caressed her head more, despite her injured hand has a knife present and bleeding profusely.

Hesitating for a moment, Assassin pulled away her knife and dematerialized it quickly. Ritsuka could see through her injured hand and it was both cool and terrifying at the same time. Blood was still leaking out of it and she was lucky it wasn't her hand that bear her command seals.

Immediately, Jack proceeded to perform surgery on her Master's injured hand on the spot. No one knows how Jack managed to produce some materials necessary for this operation but the Assasin do what's the best as she can, even improvising materials she found inside the café.

After several seconds, the crude operation was done. Ritsuka's hand was now covered in the bandages. No matter how crude it is. Ritsuka felt little to no pain when moving her punctured hand. Assassin's surgery was amazing and beneficial.

The attempted stabbing and the operation all happened in a lone table apart from the other occupied tables and luckily, during this time, the customers are sparse and are quite ignorant at this time.

"H-hey, don't you dare ignore me, Ritsuka." Kotori interrupted. She was already down on the floor. The Master of Chaldea instinctively tried to help Kotori.

She attempted to touch Kotori but the commander of Fraxinus just slapped away Ritsuka's arm. She crawled away from Ritsuka as much as possible. Her voice was filled with terror and pity. Ritsuka was hurt when she saw Kotori's genuine reaction.

"S-stay away!" Kotori pleaded, face was obviously contorted in fear, even though she was trying to make herself brave as she can.

Ritsuka was hesitating for a moment, especially when Kotori viewed her like a monster.

"I am here." Another female has entered the premises. It was Nightingale herself still garbed in her nurse outfit from a local hospital. Without any hesitation, Nightingale approached Kotori and helped her stood up. Kotori despite being cautious and frightened already from Ritsuka, she has no other choice but to receive aid from the Nurse of Steel.

As soon as she was able to stand, Kotori instinctively remained a respective distance away from Ritsuka, as well as from Jack the Ripper. Luckily, despite Jack's hateful gaze remaining on Kotori, Assassin didn't even make a move on the commander of Fraxinus and was content on remaining behind Ritsuka.

"Nice to see you again, Nightingale, what brings you here though?" Ritsuka was really trying to liven up their conversation.

"I've sense a disturbance coming from here so I came." Nightingale then look at Kotori. "You haven't suffered from any injuries but clearly, trauma has made you ill. I'll recommend—"

"No amputation." Ritsuka concluded.

"Pardon?" Nightingale questioned her.

"No amputation." The Master of Chaldea repeated.

"Eh?" Kotori was confused. She didn't understand what the two are trying to say.

"Understand, I shall not recommend it now." Nightingale complied, a rarely act that Berserker agreed to Ritsuka.

Then, the door opened again. It was Reine this time, who seemed to be in a hurry. She immediately the whole room until her eyes was set immediately on Kotori.

"Commander Kotori." Reine exclaimed, due to relief that Kotori was not in danger somehow. Upon further inspection inside the café, aside from the other unfamiliar individuals inside the café, she could identify Florence Nightingale and Jackie.

Something seemed to be going on.

Everyone involved were now outside of the café. As far as they know, no civilian went in or went out during the entire time during their confrontation. They are certain that the civilians inside the café treated what has happened recently as something normal occurrence which is just plain weird.

As a precaution, Ritsuka sent Caster inside the café and mind wipe all of customers inside the café. After the deed has done, Caster went out of the café and joined Ritsuka's band. It seemed that Rituka no longer cared hiding her works from Kotori and the Ratatoskr.

"Eh, Master decided to reveal herself right now?" Circe commented as she subtly stared at Kotori and then at Ritsuka. Ritsuka was holding Jack by her hand while Nightingale was beside her.

"Circe-san, please don't complicate things for us sake." Ritsuka whispered at Circe. Caster just covered her mouth with her hand in embarrassment. In front of them were Kotori and Reine, who were also staring at them suspiciously.

"Master? Does that mean the relationship between all of you are more complicated than we could imagine? I-I mean I'm not judging you of course." Kotori innocently thought they have just a simple lovey-dovey relationship but it turns out it is much deeper than she could imagine.

Ritsuka knitted her eyebrows in confusion. "You've got some guts saying that, although it is indeed complicated."

Ritsuka just confirmed and it made Kotori mouth gaping in surprise. Later on, Kotori fixed herself.

"Then maybe could I invite to the Fraxinus?" The commander of the Ratatoskr invited all of them casually.

"Fraxinus? That's some kind of cool ship, right? That's neat." Not sure why but Ritsuka was really excited upon the prospect of riding a ship, especially with her experience of riding the Garden of Babylon temporarily.

"I knew it."

"Knew what?"

"You already knew about the organization beforehand." Kotori concluded.

"Won't deny it." Ritsuka concluded too.

Kotori seemed to be on the verge of getting angry because Ritsuka answered her blatantly without any hesitation. If Kotori brought up any argument, she was sure Ritsuka would readily agree to it any moment. Reine also noticed that Kotori was now scratching her head in confusion but made no movement.

Eventually, Kotori calmed down.

"So this is the place?" Ritsuka said as she looked around seeing all of the interior and whistled in delight. Even though it was indeed amazing, she couldn't even compare it to the Chaldea.

"I thought you already know about the Fraxinus and the Ratatoskr?"

Ritsuka just waved her off. "No, no I didn't witness what was the inside of the ship but my Servants did. They reported to me."

Kotori wanted to cringe from what Ritsuka was saying but she did expect it after one of her dorm mates refer Ritsuka as 'Master'. Better Ritsuka have explanation for this because it seemed little by little, Ritsuka and her group where getting exposed.

As if Ritsuka could read her mind, she added. "I have an explanation for that, I promised earlier right?"

All of them were already inside of the ship via the teleportation pad. Ritsuka was amazed by the piece of technology that could rival Chaldeas. Ritsuka, Nightingale, Jack and Circe were all in this together.

Despite all of the things that are happening right now, Jackie remained hostile toward Kotori, whom everyone is now aware of the Jackie's hateful projection.

They were currently walking through out the halls as Kotori guided toward the safe room. She easily navigated the inside until they've reached their destination. Ritsuka quietly cooperated together with them as well as her other Servants.

The room was rather spacious.

"We're here." Kotori said as she stopped walking and faced Ritsuka.

Ritsuka once again looked around, as if checking for something.

"You know that you can't exactly contain us here, right?"

Kotori just sighed. "You're wrong, defending me from her at the cost of your hand was enough to warrant trust and faith, particularly that you don't want me to die." Upon saying that, Ritsuka instinctively wrapped her injured hand with her free hand. "Even if I am forced to, I believe it is beyond our powers to imprison all of you."

"That's … a good point by the way." Ritsuka remarked confidently. "Maybe, I could trust you after all."

"You mean the Ratatoskr?"

"No. Just you. For Ratatoskr, they needed an extra mile but there's a progress." With that, she snapped her fingers and eventually, two new individuals emerged out of the nothingness and appear near Ritsuka.

…or Ritsuka was just showing off, seeing that she can just mentally command them to move out of their ethereal forms.

It was Rider and Lancer, whom at the moment their Master arrived inside the ship, joined them as well, providing a back-up when needed until Ritsuka no longer need to.

Drake was repeatedly scratching the back of her head in confusion. "Man, that was just anticlimactic…" Rider thought that she could whip up her axe and pistols for some brawl but as usual, Ritsuka veered toward peaceful talks.

Scathach meanwhile huffed from resignation. "I suppose I could respect Master's decision." Then she turned toward Kotori and Reine and glowered at them. "But do note that we will remain vigilant all of the time."

Both of them were already garbed in their usual battle suit attire. Which made Kotori once again shocked upon seeing the familiarity of them.

"Y-You!!!" Kotori became speechless after that, trembling upon her realization that Ritsuka somehow wasn't an ordinary Wizard after all, especially if [Lancer] and [Kapitan] were in line with Ritsuka. Ritsuka just made herself a thousand leagues more dangerous due to her association with the other Spirits.

Then she turned toward Ritsuka with grim expression. "D-don't tell me, most of the 'Servant's you have are also 'Spirit's as well!?" Her voice was just squeaky and alarming.

If Ritsuka did not deny the accusation that was thrown to her, Kotori might as well lose her mind from that moment. If proven true, then Ritsuka single-handedly defied her expectation toward the majority of the Spirits.

First, Ritsuka gathered her breath and Kotori quivered and finally, Ritsuka finally spoke. "Of course no."

Is this Kotori's time to calm down since the entity in front of her known as Ritsuka, an ordinary individual yet has managed to possess extraordinary qualities?

There's a moment of silence and it is an awkward one. Kotori was still waiting for some unexpected answer.

For Ritsuka, she thought that is enough. It seemed that even though Kotori was a literal commander of Fraxinus, it seemed that she still need some time to process the information she just recently given. She can't just give Kotori a heart attack no matter how prepared she is, she is after all naïve of what was truly happening, despite the fact she's the true ally here.

"Yes, there's nothing more." Ritsuka assured her. "So anything else?"

Kotori looked at Assassin at first, and confirmed her begrudging stare but this time Ritsuka was the one who was holding her back. "Then please let me confirm that I am wanting to at the first place: are you a Spirit?"

"Nope."

"I…see. Then it confirms then." Kotori answered casually she was thinking deeply. Revelations after revelations, especially when Shidou was still in the process of encountering the Spirit [Diva]. She was not prepared for the revelations of Ritsuka.

"First things first." Ritsuka interrupted her line of thoughts.

"What is it?"

"Before I can further reveal anything, can I ask for Mashu Kyrelight to be transported here?"

"What for?"

"She is the best in explaining in situation, unlike me."

Ritsuka thought that maybe this is the best time to reveal everything, properly and yeah, Mashu was best in this explanation. Also, there is a chance that Kotori might not have a heart attack from Mashu's explanation.