Alone Together.
"You two are determined to have this mission all to yourself, aren't you?" - Da Vinci said as she laughed at the request of the ones in front of her.
One morning, a strange Singularity was discovered, with this one taking place in what seemed to be modern times Japan. The Holy Grail inside had created a field which encompassed the whole country, which made it hard for the sensors to track down its location. Like always, Ritsuka had been called to deal with this mission, but when it came time to select the ones that would travel together with him, Mashu came into the room and said.
"Let me and Senpai go together on this mission!" -
However, the Rider, although amused, wasn't surprised. It had been a while since Mashu and Ritsuka had some alone time, only for themselves, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity for them to make up for that lost time.
"Are you really sure about this Mashu? I mean, wouldn't it be better to have more support before going into a mission like this?" - she said to tease the girl.
"N-No, Senpai and I can handle it ourselves, trust me. We've been through worse together after all" - she said with a smile and a small blush on her face.
Ritsuka meanwhile said nothing at this, yet he had a smile on his face at the prospect of going on a mission alone with Mashu.
"Is that so… Very well, you can go together" - she answered with a smile - "Come here, I'll tell you what we know about this new Singularity" -
She then walked the two towards the main computer of the Command Center, and pulled out a hologram of the location they would be traveling to - "The Singularity encompasses all of modern Japan, by our calculations it's set in 2020" - she explained as the hologram switched - "Because of the Holy Grail, Japan has been overrun by ghosts and spirits, making nightlife pretty much hell on earth for whoever wants to go out" -
"Poor people, they're trapped in their homes as soon as the sun sets…" - Mashu said as she watched the holograms.
"Right on that Mashu. While we don't know the location of the Holy Grail itself, we have the locations of what we have called 'Bridges'. These bridges are forming a connection between the human realm and the afterlife, and it's what's bringing all the spirits and creatures during the night. According to my theory, the energy that the bridges give are what's stopping us from tracking down the location of the Holy Grail, so if they all close, then we could find where it is and retrieve it, putting a stop to the Singularity" -
"Sounds like a plan to me. All things considered, I'm happy to return to modern Japan, even if it's only for a mission" - Ritsuka said as he looked at the Command Seals in his hand.
"Lucky for you and compared to the Shinjuku Pseudo Singularity, this place should be much more like how you remember it. Well, during the day at least, things will get crazy during the night" -
"Nothing we haven't faced before Da Vinci. We're ready to deploy" - Mashu said as she cracked her fingers.
"I like your optimism Mashu, and make sure to enjoy the time you'll have for yourself" - she said and winked at them as the two got in the coffins - "After we confirm your successful arrival, we'll send you two some items that will help you while you're there" -
"Thanks Da Vinci. By the way, do the rest know about this mission?" -
"Not yet Ritsuka Kun. I figured that telling them that you left alone with Mashu while you two were still here would spell disaster. They will be told later on" - she explained as the rayshift process started.
"Thanks Da Vinci!" - Mashu yelled from her coffin.
"You're welcome. Now you two go and enjoy your time together. Don't forget about the mission however, that's important" - and with those words, the rayshift took them from the Storm Border to the location of their new mission.
Nation Where Life and Death Meet
Neo Yomi - Japan.
Despite nighttime being the most dangerous time to rayshift the two into Neo Yomi, it was also the safest as to avoid detection, which meant that some sacrifices had to be made. The pair ended up in an alley in at 1:43 AM, and slowly made their way out of it.
"Is everything clear?" - Mashu asked as she prepared her shield, while Ritsuka charged a Gandr spell in his hand.
Before Ritsuka could answer, the pair heard a spectral wail coming from behind a building, and all of the sudden the ghost of a woman came floating straight at them. Before it could touch them, Mashu hit it with her shield, destroying it immediately.
"Now it is" - Ritsuka answered as the ghostly apparition disappeared, yet a few seconds later the items around them started to float, and the laughs of what seemed to be childrens started to surround them.
"woUlD YoU lIKE tO PlaY wIth US!?" -
"Better clear this place before we contact Da Vinci. Are you ready to do this Mashu?" -
"With you at my side, I'm always ready, Senpai. Let's do this!" - with that, the couple launched themselves against the enemy specters.
A RitsuMashu story because I really like that ship. This story will replace Under the Same Sky, which I will be turning into a One Shot later down the line.
This story takes a bit of inspiration from Ghostwire Tokyo, and that's because I think the plot is really cool, and I wanted to use something similar.