Chapter 4: SIN
Leonardo's medical tests had determined that the cake which Goredolf and Ritsuka both ate had indeed been laced with poison, and that both men had received a fatal dose. Goredolf would be dead within a week, while Ritsuka would have a few days longer to live thanks to his Poison Resistance. Since the poison that was used in the cake did not exist in Proper Human History, it was theorised that an antidote could exist in one of the remaining Lostbelts, specifically the Chinese Lostbelt.
It was also deduced that the culprit was none other than the infamous agent of the NFF and former secretary of Goredolf: Koyanskaya. Goredolf hypothesised that Koyanskaya managed to infiltrate Novum Chaldea through an old lipstick container that the Director held onto for safekeeping (much to the frustration of everyone else). Ironically enough, Goredolf helping himself to half of the cake may have saved Chaldea indirectly. If Ritsuka had instead eaten the entire cake slice by himself then the dosage of poison would have killed Humanity's Last Master before Chaldea could do anything about it.
With both the Director and Humanity's Last Master's lives at stake, there was no time to waste: a team was assembled to infiltrate the Chinese Lostbelt and secure an antidote for Ritsuka and Goredolf. Jing Ke, Spartacus, Mordred, Nezha and of course Mash were all selected by Ritsuka for this important mission. Ritsuka himself was already dreading the task ahead.
Not only would Ritsuka be deployed into unknown territory to once again stain his hands with the blood of the innocent, this mission would result in both his and Goredolf's death if not completed within the aforementioned time limit. More importantly however, Ritsuka was ashamed that he had to cut his day with Jack short, especially after he swore that he would spend more quality time with her and the rest of their family.
After the mission briefing was finished, Ritsuka made his way down to the Docking Bay to say his goodbyes to his family. Kiyohime, Jack, Aki, Kentaro and Gudako were already waiting in the Bay, ready to see Humanity's Last Master off before this next mission. Once Ritsuka reached his family, Jack looked up at her father with a look of absolute misery on her face.
"Jack..." Ritsuka began to speak as he tried to find the right thing to say. However Jack said nothing; she just wiped the tears from her eyes, turned around and ran away from her father. "...I really fucked up this time, didn't I?" Ritsuka asked aloud as Jack disappeared from view.
"If you must blame someone, then blame Koyanskaya." Kiyohime stated, breaking her husband out of his self-loathing. "Do not worry. I'll talk to Jack once we're done here." She reassured him. "Now, ordinarily I would be reprimanding you for going back to work so soon, but I feel that it is justified in this case." Kiyohime said, as she understood that procuring an antidote for Ritsuka and Goredolf took priority. "There will be another chance to fix things with Jack, but you need to come back alive first. Now then." Kiyohime said before she reached out to Ritsuka, pulled him into an embrace and kissed him.
"I'll be going now." Ritsuka said after he broke the goodbye kiss. Kiyohime smiled sadly as husband and wife looked each other in the eyes.
"Have a safe trip." Kiyohime replied, finishing their routine. She then left to offer what comfort she could to their daughter. Ritsuka turned to the rest of his family to hear their goodbyes.
"We couldn't even reach lunch time before you got sent out to fight again." Aki said bitterly. Now that she knew how dangerous Ritsuka's job was, Aki was more afraid for Ritsuka's safety than ever. "How does Kiyohime put up with this..." She muttered to herself, although Ritsuka could still hear her thanks to his sharp senses.
"Well, we were going to save this Lostbelt for later since it was a lower priority target." Ritsuka explained. The Indian Lostbelt was originally to be Chaldea's next target, in preparation for the assault on the Atlantic Lostbelt. "However this is a matter of life or death: if I don't get the antidote then the Director will die in a few days." Ritsuka said. Gudako raised an eyebrow as something did not add up.
"Didn't you eat that cake too?" Gudako pointed out, to which Ritsuka held up his hands in reassurance.
"It's okay. I've got a bit more time to figure something out for myself. My body isn't affected by poisons." Ritsuka revealed to his family. For reasons unknown, the Poison Resistance granted to Ritsuka by his contract with Mash (and by extension with Sir Galahad) had become a permanent part of his being over the years. After Mash's link with Galahad was broken following the confrontation with Goetia, Ritsuka's Poison Resistance became apparent after Circe tried to control his mind with poison during the Salem Pseudo-Singularity. This was later confirmed when Ritsuka found that he could still directly touch Hassan of Serenity without any side effects (which pleased the Hashashin greatly). Gudako raised her eyebrows.
"Really?" Gudako asked in surprise. It seemed that ever since she arrived in Chaldea, her brother had a new secret to reveal every day.
"Yes." Ritsuka confirmed, before he decided to elaborate further. "Well, to be more specific, my body is resistant to poisons: not immune. If it's strong enough or in enough quantities then I can still be affected by it." Ritsuka explained. "It's the reason that I don't drink alcohol: my body breaks it down before I get a chance to feel drunk. I need an ungodly amount of the stuff before I start to feel anything." He added as he remembered that time he binged on Drake's literal endless supply of rum during the Okeanos Singularity. Gudako whistled in amazement.
"Must be nice." Gudako remarked. Ritsuka grimaced as he remembered more alcohol-related incidents.
"Not really. It's no fun being the only sober person in a room full of drunks." Ritsuka recalled. Despite his Poison Resistance being common knowledge among Chaldea, many Servants insisted that their Master join them for drinks from time to time. "Apart from that, it's nice to know that I don't have to worry about second hand smoking or getting food poisoning." He said. Ritsuka's Poison Resistance also came in handy during extended deployments into the wilderness, allowing Ritsuka to survive on otherwise poisonous plants or rotten meat. Ritsuka's thoughts were interrupted when a familiar white ball of fur hopped up onto his right shoulder.
"Fou!" Fou cried out happily as he nuzzled against Ritsuka's cheek. This made Ritsuka smile for the first time since he ate that poisoned cake.
"Hi Fou. Good to see you feel like joining me on this mission." Ritsuka greeted the Cath Palug. He reached up with his left hand and scratched Fou's chin with his index finger. "Oh, that's right! I haven't introduced you." Ritsuka exclaimed when he realised that he had neglected to inform his family about the Beast of Comparison. "This is Fou: my Familiar. His hairs are a useful Material for my Magecraft, but we mostly just treat him like a pet cat." Ritsuka introduced his companion before he resumed his petting. "This little guy woke me up on my first day in Chaldea, and he's been with me ever since. Although, you haven't come with me lately, have you?" He asked Fou, which made the Cath Palug glare at Ritsuka.
"Fou. Fou. Fou fou fou. Fou kyuu fou. Fou fou fou fou fou fou kyuu fou. Fouuu kyuu!" Fou responded in a stern tone. However, even when reprimanding Ritsuka, Fou's voice still sounded just as adorable as his regular voice, so his criticism of how Ritsuka's recent obsession with work will only lead to a mental breakdown fell on deaf ears.
"Can you actually understand him?" Gudako asked as she tried to restrain herself from fawning over the most adorable destroyer of humanity. Ritsuka stopped stroking Fou's chin and adopted a sheepish look on his face.
"Sort of. Fou's just as intelligent as you or me, but I can only understand what he's saying when we're both dreaming." Ritsuka answered. It did not happen often, but sometimes Fou would appear in Ritsuka's dreams, and when he did he spoke with perfect clarity. To Ritsuka's bafflement, the Cath Palug had quite the foul mouth that belied his cute appearance, particularly whenever Merlin was brought up. Fou then hopped off of Ritsuka's shoulder and ran towards the Nautilus. "Anyway, while the Director, Leonardo, Holmes and I are gone, Sion will be in charge of Chaldea. So make sure you do whatever she says." Ritsuka told his family. Gudako stared at her brother
"Yesss..." Gudako jokingly droned in imitation of the Fujimaru Patriarch. The two siblings then shared a laugh at Gudako's impression. Their laughter stopped when both of them noticed their father staring at them with his usual unreadable expression on his face.
"I should get onboard." Ritsuka said sombrely. "Goodbye." With the dangers that were associated with Lostbelts, this may very well be the last time that Ritsuka's family ever saw him alive.
"Give them hell." Kentaro stated suddenly. Unlike his son, Kentaro felt no sympathy towards the Lostbelts nor the Crypters for their part in the Bleaching. Not that he knew anything about the Crypters personally, nor that they were even called Crypters in the first place. As far as Kentaro knew, the Crypters were traitors to humanity and Ritsuka was going to give them what they deserved. With that, Ritsuka turned around and made his way to the Nautilus.
Before Ritsuka stepped inside of the submersible, he took one last glance at his family and lamented that he had yet to reveal just what exactly destroying a Lostbelt entailed. He wondered what his family would think of him. Would they accept his actions as necessary? Would they disown him as a genocidal monster? He did not blame them if it turned out to be the latter. However now was not the time for such thoughts: Ritsuka had a Lostbelt to destroy. He then strapped himself into his designated seat on the Shadow Border just in time for the Director to announce their voyage.
"Launch the Shadow Border!" Goredolf declared as the Shadow Border began its Void Sail. With his announcement, yet another Lostbelt was sentenced to death.
In a certain room in Novum Chaldea, Kiyohime had just returned home. Upon first glance, she found no sign of the whereabouts of her daughter, however she did hear the faint sound of sobbing from Jack's room. Kiyohime opened the door to Jack's room and entered as quietly as she could, so as not to disturb her daughter. The Wraith Child was on her bed, curled up under the bed sheets as she cried. This was not the first time that Kiyohime had found Jack like this, and she was certain that this would not be the last.
"Jack, my dear." Kiyohime said gently to her daughter as she slowly approached the bed. "I know that-" Her attempts to comfort her daughter were interrupted by Jack once she heard her mother's voice.
"Mommy always leaves Us!" Jack cried without coming up from the covers. "He always says that he'll stay with Us, but then he goes away! And when he comes back, he's always got more scars!" Jack continued before she lifted her head out from under the bed sheets to look at her mother, with tears streaming down her bloodshot eyes. "We hate it!" Jack yelled before she broke out into more sobs into her pillow. Kiyohime sat down on Jack's bed and stroked her daughter's hair to reassure her.
"I do too." Kiyohime agreed as she let her mask slip to expose her true feelings for a bit. "But your father's work is very important-" Kiyohime's explanation was cut short by her daughter once again.
"Why does Mommy keep doing this? Is it because of Us? Does he want to get away from Us? Does Mommy hate Us?!" Jack asked just as she was on the verge of another breakdown. Kiyohime's eyes widened in shock.
"NO! No no no no!" Kiyohime cried in a panic, horrified that her daughter would ever think such a thing. "Never ever say that!" She admonished as she grabbed Jack's shoulders and forced the Wraith Child to look her in the eye. "Your father loves you just as much as I do." She tried to reassure her daughter, but Jack was having none of it.
"Then why?!" Jack choked out. "We've been a good girl! We eat Our vegetables! We always say 'please' and 'thank you!' We even stopped stabbing people!" Jack ranted as she vented out several months' worth of frustration. "We don't get it! WE DON'T GET IT!" Jack cried as she thrashed around in her bed and broke down into sobs once more.
Kiyohime wanted to pull her own hair out in frustration: it seemed that nothing she said would get through to Jack. Kiyohime then did the only thing that she could think of: she lay down on the bed beside Jack and held her still crying daughter tightly. That got Jack to stay still, at least.
The Shadow Border had successfully completed its Void Sail and safely arrived in the Chinese Lostbelt. Leonardo wasted no time and used the Shadow Border's external sensors to examine the conditions outside. If the states of the previous two Lostbelts were any indication, the environment of a Lostbelt could be anything from difficult to survive in to outright hostile to human life. A beeping noise from a console near Leonardo signalled the completion of the tests,
"Okay, analysis complete." Leonardo stated as she took a moment to examine the data on her terminal. "Looks like the air outside is perfectly safe to breathe." Leonardo announced. Everyone in the Shadow Border collectively gave a sigh of relief at the news.
"Excellent. The Shadow Border was starting to get stuffy." Goredolf remarked. "Time for some fresh air, everybody." He announced, eager for a chance to stretch his legs after sitting down for so long: being the Director of Chaldea was hard work, after all. "Ritsuka! Commence your investigation at once." Goredolf commanded Humanity's Last Master. Ritsuka nodded and stood up to address his Servants.
"Alright, Nezha, Mordred, go outside and secure our perimeter. Mash, Spartacus, you two are with me." Ritsuka ordered his Servants before he walked over to the hatch and opened it. The light from the morning sun stung Ritsuka's eyes a bit, but he still stepped forward and lead his Servants into enemy territory. Mordred and Nezha were the first to follow Humanity's Last Master outside, before the two then took off in opposite directions to scout out the area. Mash and Spartacus came out and stood by their Master's side. While his Servants carried out his orders, Ritsuka could not help but admire the scenery.
"Well, this is certainly different from the last two Lostbelts." Ritsuka remarked as he took in the clear skies of the Chinese Lostbelt. The sun shone brightly, the temperature was pleasant, the air smelled fresh, there were no Phantasmal beasts present, and the Mana Density in the air was comparable to that of Proper Human History's air. All in all, this seemed like a serene landscape that was miraculously free of the chaos that had gripped the rest of the Earth.
'This would've been the perfect place for a picnic with my family.' Ritsuka thought to himself as he continued to look around. He imagined his wife beside him admiring the natural landscape, his daughter running happily through the fields, his mother sipping some tea on a picnic blanket, his sister dozing off under some shade, and his father... being present. 'Maybe I should bring them into the Simulator when I get back?' Ritsuka thought as his mind drifted. He then suddenly shook his head to break out of his daydream: he could not afford to be distracted in a Lostbelt of all places.
This peaceful scenery belied the slaughter that would soon take place at Ritsuka's hands.
By now, Jack had cried herself to sleep, so Kiyohime had decided to keep herself busy with housework in the meantime. Washing the dishes, sweeping the floors, cleaning the laundry, taking count of the ingredients in the kitchen and polishing her Naginata were all done to help take her mind off of Jack's depression and Ritsuka's absence. Kiyohime had finished putting away all of the bed sheets when a knock from the door caught her attention.
"Oh my, who could that be?" Kiyohime asked aloud as she walked over to the door and opened it. Standing out in the hallway was none other than Kiyohime's in-laws; Aki, Kentaro and Gudako. "Good afternoon everyone, and welcome back." Kiyohime greeted politely.
"Hey, Kiyohime." Aki greeted her daughter-in-law. "Do you have a few minutes to talk?" She asked, to which Kiyohime nodded. Kiyohime then moved out of the way to let her in-laws inside.
"Of course. Please come in. I must ask you to keep your voices down: Jack is sleeping right now." Kiyohime requested as she held a finger up to her lips for emphasis. Aki nodded in acknowledgement.
"We understand." Aki replied as she entered the room along with her husband and daughter. The three sat down at the table while Kiyohime left to fetch the tea set form the kitchen.
"So, what can I do for you?" Kiyohime inquired once she returned from the kitchen. She poured out a cup of tea for everyone before she sat down herself. Aki was the first to speak up.
"Actually, we came here to see how you and Jack were doing, since you-know-who is off again." Aki said as she held her tea cup. Kiyohime smiled gently at her mother-in-law's sympathy.
"Your concern is most appreciated, Mother. I am keeping a close eye on Jack, but I am certain that Jack will recover from this." Kiyohime stated calmly. "She will sulk in her room for a few days, but eventually she will come out and reconnect with her friends." She explained. Both Kiyohime and Ritsuka were very appreciative that the other Child Servants were friends with Jack. "Jack has always been a fussy child." Kiyohime muttered before she looked away from her extended family and gave a mirthless chuckle. "You know, with Ritsuka away on such an important mission, I am reminded of when Jack was born." Kiyohime mentioned. "Would you care to hear of it?" She asked the others as she looked back towards them.
Due to Kiyohime's Madness Enhancement, she was under the delusion that Jack was her biological daughter with Ritsuka, complete with fabricated memories of a nine month long pregnancy. Kiyohime's Berserker mind conveniently blocked out the fact that Jack had stayed the same physical age ever since she was Summoned. Kiyohime even believed that the first time she and Ritsuka slept together on that Valentines Day had resulted in Jack's conception. The irony of a woman who was so opposed to lies falling victim to her own lies was completely lost on Kiyohime.
"I'd love to hear about my granddaughter's birth!" Aki said with enthusiasm. It upset Aki that she had missed out on so much of Jack's life, so she was more than eager to hear about her granddaughter. Kiyohime cleared her throat before she spoke next.
"It happened back when Ritsuka had been deployed to the Fourth Singularity." Kiyohime said to begin her tale. "That was the one with the poison fog over London, by the way. I could not join Ritsuka on that mission, as I was already in the last week of my pregnancy with Jack at the time." The Dragon Woman continued, as her Madness Enhancement completely blocked out the fact that Servants cannot conceive children from her mind. "Do you remember that big scar across Ritsuka's chest? The one that starts at the collar bone and ends at the hip?" Kiyohime asked as she traced her finger across her own torso diagonally. "He got that scar in London. Thankfully, Ritsuka came back alive and well despite his injuries, just in time for Jack's birth the next day." She added, unable to realise that Ritsuka had merely used the Saint Quartz from the Singularity to Summon Jack the following morning. "I remember when Ritsuka held our daughter for the first time. He said it felt like all of the pain he went through was worth it for that moment. From then on, we were parents." Kiyohime (falsely) recalled fondly. Her story lifted up everyone's spirits.
"I can't even imagine what raising Jack during all of this must have been like." Aki said. She and Kentaro already had their hands full when they were raising Ritsuka and Gudako during peacetime. Kiyohime sighed in response.
"It has not been easy to raise a child in the middle of a war zone." Kiyohime said as she remembered her experiences as a mother. "Not that I think that parenthood should be easy, mind you." She added. "Some of the others here who already had experience raising children were of great help, but Ritsuka and I still needed to figure out much of it on our own. Ritsuka even joked that fighting a Demon Pillar was less stressful than trying to get Jack to go to bed on time." Kiyohime continued as Aki nodded in understanding, even though she had no idea what a 'Demon Pillar' was. "Regardless, neither I nor Ritsuka regret having Jack, and I would very much like to have at least two more children with him after all of this is over." She added with a smile and a slight blush on her cheeks. If Ritsuka's frequent Mana Transfers with his wife were any indication, then he and Kiyohime would have no trouble giving Jack plenty of fire-breathing younger siblings once Humanity was restored. Gudako grinned at Kiyohime's implication.
"I'm sure you'll be happy when Ritsuka come back victorious-" Gudako tried to say before Kiyohime interrupted her.
"Victory brings me no joy." Kiyohime said sternly to her sister-in-law before her expression softened. "It pains me to have to hurt others. It is a sentiment that Ritsuka shares with me, and one of the reasons why we were so drawn towards each other." Kiyohime stated solemnly as she thought about her husband.
To most of Chaldea, Humanity's Last Master was an infallible commander who confidently secured victory time and time again. However, Kiyohime knew the truth: Ritsuka was just as human as anyone else, with his own insecurities and fears regarding his mission as Humanity's Last Master. As Ritsuka's wife, Kiyohime was the only person who Ritsuka confided in. She remembered the countless nights in bed when Ritsuka would cry into Kiyohime's chest while she tried to comfort him to the best of her ability. He would pour it all out to her; his grief over the comrades he had lost, his guilt over the lives he had taken, his shame at feeling inadequate for the ordeals ahead and most heartbreaking of all: his fear was that he was a bad father to Jack. The atmosphere in the room was awkward after Kiyohime's outburst.
"You avoided Aki's earlier question." Kentaro suddenly stated. "How are you holding up?" He asked, intent on getting a straight answer out of the Dragon Woman for her own sake. Kiyohime raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"That is very observant of you, Father. I can see where Ritsuka gets his perception from." Kiyohime remarked, as she did not expect anyone apart from Ritsuka to see straight though her. "Well, here is my answer: I am Ritsuka's wife, and it is my duty to maintain the household while my husband is away." Kiyohime recited. Aki noticed that Kiyohime's tone was much less confident then the last time she heard her say that.
"Kiyohime, you don't have to carry everything by yourself: you can rely on us too." Aki offered to her daughter in law. "You're part of our family." She added, to which Gudako and Kentaro both nodded. Kiyohime was touched by their acceptance.
"That is very sweet of you, Mother. I can see where Ritsuka gets his kindness from." Kiyohime said with a small giggle. " I suppose that the only thing left to do, in the words of one of my co-workers, is 'wait and hope.'" Kiyohime stated. The Fujimaru family would take Kiyohime's words to heart and try to stay positive while Ritsuka was away.
It had been a few days since the invasion of the Chinese Lostbelt began. By now, they had discovered that the divergence point of history in this Lostbelt was Emperor Qin Shi Huang successfully attaining immortality, rather than dying of mercury poisoning like in Proper Human History. Currently, the Chaldeans had reconvened back at the Shadow Border to discuss a certain detective's latest findings.
"What did you just say?" Ritsuka asked angrily as he glared Holmes. Holmes however was not intimidated by Humanity's Last Master.
"My tests aren't wrong: Sage Wheat kills those over a certain age." Holmes reiterated for Humanity's Last Master. Ritsuka fell back into his seat and buried his face in his hands as the full implications of Holmes' words sank in.
"Why? Why would the Emperor do this?" Ritsuka asked aloud. This reminded him too much of the Scandinavian Lostbelt. At least in the Scandinavian Lostbelt, those people were sacrificed in order to keep the Jotnar dormant. Here however, Ritsuka could not see any clear explanation for why the lives of these people needed to be cut short.
"Perhaps Qin Shi Huang considers old age to be an ailment, and perhaps he considers Sage Wheat to be the cure." Holmes deduced. His cold analysis did nothing to ease Humanity's Last Master.
Ritsuka's self-righteous nature urged him to put a stop to this system, to overthrow the tyrant and save these people. However, his mission was not to save these people: he was sent here to eliminate this Lostbelt and preserve Proper Human History. A very small part of Ritsuka was glad that this Lostbelt would be destroyed, much to his everlasting shame.
"Man, Ritsuka's really been gone for a while, hasn't he?" Gudako asked aloud. Since Leonardo had left for the Chinese Lostbelt with Ritsuka, that meant that Gudako was on her own to manage Da Vinci's Workshop. Fortunately, Leonardo had the foresight to write up a set of instructions for Gudako to follow every day while the genius was away. With her daily duties fulfilled, Gudako was finally free to take up Tomoe Gozen's offer in the Rec Room. The redhead was beyond ecstatic to finally scratch that itch for video games.
"That's just how it is with some missions." Tomoe replied to her new friend without pausing the game nor taking her eyes away from the screen. Currently, the two were playing Super Italian Party; a spin-off of the Super Italian Brothers series for the Ninstation 64 gaming console.
Super Italian Party's game play consisted of two phases; the Board Phase and the Game Phase. During the Board Phase, players roll dice to move their characters around a selected game board and receive (or lose) Coins or Stars depending on which spaces they land on. Once all players have had their roll, the game moves on to the Game Phase. During the Game Phase, players compete against each other in a randomly selected mini-game to earn more Coins. After the mini-game is complete, the game moves back to the Board Phase. At the end of the game, the player who has collected the most Stars wins. Right now the game had just transitioned into the Game Phase.
Gudako had chosen Dinosauro as her player avatar: the faithful reptilian steed/friend of the game's protagonist, Fratellone. Tomoe had chosen Fratellino, Fratellone's younger brother who wore green overalls in contrast to Fratellone's red. The randomly selected mini-game was Tug of War, wherein each player must attempt to pull their opponent over by rapidly spinning around the joystick on the game controller. Neither Gudako nor Tomoe were pleased with this outcome.
"Ugh, I do not like it when the mini-games require spinning the joystick around and around." Tomoe muttered as she prepared herself for the pain that was to follow. Gudako also winced in anticipation.
"Yeah, I know." Gudako agreed as she too readied her palm above the joystick. "There was actually a lot of controversy when this game first came out because of that. You quickly figure out that the most efficient way to quickly spin the joystick around is to use your palm instead of your thumb." Gudako explained. She demonstrated this by placing her own hand over the joystick of her controller. "Although, this fucks up your hand if you keep doing it. The game devs even got sued because so many kids got the skin on their palms torn up from spinning it around so much. And that's why none of the other games in the Super Italian Party series uses that game mechanic any more." Gudako summarised. Tomoe was surprised that Gudako was so knowledgeable about the Super Italian Brothers series of video games.
"Well, I'm glad that no more children had to suffer through that." Tomoe remarked before she furiously spun her joystick around once the match started, with Gudako following suit. After about a minute, Gudako actually managed to beat the Archer of Inferno in virtual Tug of War. A sharp pain in Gudako's hand made her look at her right hand. A blister had formed in the middle of Gudako's palm from spinning the joystick so much.
Such was the price of victory.
Panic ran throughout the people of the farming village. A meteorite was on its way to annihilate the village, as the Emperor had seen it fit to condemn these people. The people's crime? Reading poetry given to them by Chaldea. While this overreaction both horrified and confused Ritsuka, there was no time to question the First Emperor's 'wisdom:' stopping the meteorite took priority. Surprisingly, it was Spartacus who had come up with a solution.
"Master." Spartacus said calmly (or as calmly as a rebellion obsessed Berserker could manage). "Use a Command Spell to order me to jump." He requested. With few other options available, Ritsuka had no choice other than to grant Spartacus' request.
"Spartacus. By my Command Spell, JUMP!" Ritsuka ordered as he held up his right hand, and one of his Command Seals disappeared. Spartacus' maniacal grin grew even wider as he leapt up into the air, rebelling against the laws of gravity itself. The former slave soared higher and higher, until not even a speck of him was visible to the naked eye. A bright flash then followed, indicating that Spartacus had successfully intercepted the meteorite, thereby protecting the other Chaldeans and the local civilians with his sacrifice.
"Goodbye, Spartacus." Ritsuka said solemnly. That was just one more comrade who had given his life so that Ritsuka could complete his mission, and Ritsuka was sure that many more would follow Spartacus' example.
Aki once more carried out her routine of serving customers in Chaldea's Cafeteria alongside her co-worker and fellow housewife, Irisviel. While Aki would have liked to say that she was getting used to the veritable menagerie of 'unique' individuals in Chaldea, those who came down to the Cafeteria still managed to surprise (and bewilder) her. Her most notable customers today were the muscular man who ranted about 'Roma' and the man with half of a mask who mistook Aki for the mother of someone named 'Christine' (although Aki did not know anyone by that name). By comparison, Aki's current customer was quite mundane with his black suit, glasses and long dark hair.
"I'll just have a BLT sandwich and a cup of tea with milk." The long haired man requested. Instead of simply taking a seat once his meal had been paid for, the man remained at the counter for some conversation. "Waver Velvet. I'm a professor of Modern Magecraft back in London. I taught Ritsuka how to use his Magecraft." Waver introduced himself as he held out a hand for Aki to shake.
"Nice to meet you, Professor Velvet." Aki replied after she shook hands with him. "Thank you for taking care of my son during his time here at Chaldea." She added curtly. Aki did not have the faintest idea of what learning Magecraft entailed, but if what Ritsuka implied was true then perhaps she was better off not knowing. Waver simply gave a small nod at Aki's words.
"You're welcome." Waver replied before his eyes narrowed a bit. "If you don't mind me asking, I've got a question about Ritsuka." Waver asked in a serious tone. Aki tried not to roll her eyes at the request, as so many Servants had already come up to her to ask about their Master's life before he joined Chaldea.
"I'll try to answer as best I can." Aki replied with a sigh as she steeled herself for what was to come. Waver straightened up and looked at Aki straight in the eyes before he spoke.
"What the hell did you feed him when he was growing up?" Waver asked in a sharp tone, much to Aki's surprise. "I've seen that man run across the entire United States, coast to coast, without breaking a sweat." He revealed as he remembered the American Singularity, when Ritsuka's unusual physical capabilities were first noticed by Chaldea. "And then there's his Servants. Most Masters struggle to maintain one Servant Contract, but Ritsuka has over a hundred!" He continued. It was unheard of for a Master to not only maintain multiple Servants but to have the genuine loyalty of each and every one of them. "Just what in the hell is he?!" Waver asked in exasperation. If even half of Ritsuka's feats were discovered by the Mages Association, then he would surely be given a Sealing Designation and dissected for research purposes. Aki meanwhile did not know what to say.
"I... Can't think of anything in particular." Aki said after some deliberation. "I mean, I guess he was always good at sports in school, but he's always just been Ritsuka to me. I didn't even know he was a Mage until he told me a few days ago." She added. Not once in all of her years as Ritsuka's mother did Aki ever suspect that Ritsuka was anything other than a regular boy with a bizarre tendency to garner the affections of girls (and boys). Waver took a moment to process this new information.
"Hmm. On that subject, are you sure that your family doesn't have any ties to Magecraft?" Waver asked. He had a hard time believing that Ritsuka was just a First Generation Mage. Aki shook her head.
"Not as far as I know. Literally the first time I saw Magecraft was when Ritsuka cast a spell on my morning tea to make it taste better." Aki explained. Waver gave out a disappointed sigh.
"Oh well. Thanks anyway, I suppose." Waver said as he turned around a began to leave. "And thank you for saying 'Magecraft' instead of 'Magic,' by the way. There is a difference between the two, and what we do isn't Magic." Waver called out from over his shoulder. As a professor of Modern Magecraft, it mildly annoyed him whenever a First Generation Mage came to his lectures with such erroneous preconceived notions. Aki suddenly straightened up.
"Ah! Professor!" Aki called out as a question came to her mind. "Before you leave, do you have any idea why Ritsuka keeps attracting girls by the dozen?" Aki asked. With so many experts on the supernatural in Chaldea, Aki was hopeful that someone could answer why her son drew in women like a harem anime protagonist. Waver merely looked over his shoulder to address Aki.
"Oh. That. No, I don't have any idea what's causing that either." Waver dismissed. With nothing else to say, Waver left to wait for his sandwich and tea. Aki sighed in disappointment.
"And here I thought I could finally get an explanation for that." Aki muttered. "Oh well. At least Kiyohime isn't bothered by it." She said with a shrug.
"Aki, it's time for our lunch break." Irisviel suddenly said, breaking Aki out of her musings. "You're welcome to have lunch over at my family's room." She invited her co-worker. With that, the two left the cafeteria.
The tension in the Shadow Border was palpable. This edge was brought on by the presence of Chaldea's newest guest: Koyanskaya Tamamovitch. The Chaldeans had encountered Koyanskaya in a SIN prison facility being tortured under the First Emperor's orders. Ritsuka had realised that the easiest way to get the antidote out of Koyanskaya would be to simply hire her services. The proposition was rather straightforward: Koyanskaya's freedom in exchange for two doses of antidote. It did not take long for Koyanskaya to agree to those terms, and once she signed a contract she would follow it through to the end. The NFF agent smiled smugly as everyone else on the Shadow Border glared daggers at her, not that any of that bothered Koyanskaya, of course. Ritsuka then stepped in front of Koyanskaya.
"Koyanskaya. I got something I need to say to you." Ritsuka said as he looked down at the sitting woman. Koyanskaya simply met his gaze.
"Oh? What would that be?" Koyanskaya replied as she smirked evilly, ready to throw down with Humanity's Last Master should he do something that he would regret. Ritsuka took a deep breath before he spoke.
"That cake was absolutely delicious!" Ritsuka exclaimed with a wide grin. "Everything about it was perfect! The sponge cake was soft, the cocoa intensity was nice and strong, the chocolate flakes melted in my mouth, and the icing had just the right amount of sugar!" He practically jumped in excitement as he fondly remembered the best dessert that he ever ate. Koyanskaya blinked.
"...What?" Koyanskaya stated. Of all the things that she thought Ritsuka would say to her, a complement to her cooking skills was by far the furthest thing from her mind. Koyanskaya quickly regained her composure. "I-I mean, of course! Agents of the NFF always perform above and beyond, even when it comes to baking." She hastily said in an attempt to save face.
"Look alive people! We're coming up to the target." Leonardo announced before any further discussion on desserts could take place. Everyone in the Shadow Border looked towards the front screen and saw the Imperial Capital in the distance. Koyanskaya's attention however was focused on Humanity's Last Master.
"He liked my cooking." Koyanskaya thought to herself as her heart rate began to skyrocket, much to her confusion. She continued to steal glances at Ritsuka as she wondered why her body was acting this way.
It seemed that not even Ritsuka's mortal enemies could resist his Charisma.
"Please make yourself at home!" Irisviel sang out cheerfully as she lead Aki into her family's room. As Aki stepped inside, she took a moment to take in her friend and co-worker's home.
The Emiya family room had been furnished to resemble a typical middle-class family home one would find in a suburban neighbourhood. There was a carpeted floor, a rectangular dinner table in the centre of the room, a couch by a television towards the back, a small kitchen to one side and three beds towards the other side. A bookshelf and a closet separated the larger bed from the two smaller ones. The only thing out of place was a weapons locker in one corner of the room, which clearly belonged to Kiritsugu. Sitting on the two smaller beds were none other than Irisviel's own daughters; Illyasviel and Chloe. Illya was reading one of her mangas while Chloe tapped away on her phone.
"Good morning, Mrs Fujimaru." Both Illya and Chloe said in unison once they noticed their Master's mother. Aki gave them a small wave.
"Good morning, dears." Aki responded in kind as the children resumed their activities. Aki sat down at the table while Irisviel fetched a bowl out of the refrigerator in the kitchen.
"Leftovers made by Shirou are still as good as his regular meals." Irisviel mentioned as she placed the bowl in the microwave oven and pressed some buttons to reheat the meal. Emiya often let Irisviel take back leftover food for the rest of their 'family.' "By the way, how's Jack doing?" Irisviel asked as she leaned against the kitchen counter and waited for their lunch to reheat. Aki tapped her fingers against the table.
"I actually don't know. I haven't seen her leave her room since before Ritsuka left." Aki replied. While she and her family had visited Kiyohime daily during Ritsuka's absence, none of them had seen Jack during that entire time. Irisviel nodded in sympathy.
"Hmm. I see." Irisviel said before she turned to address her daughters. "Illya, Chloe, could you come here for a bit?" She called out. Illya and Chloe put down their respective possessions and walked over to their mother at the kitchen counter.
"Yes Mama." Illya and Chloe said together. Irisviel gave the two of them one of her signature smiles before she spoke.
"Would you two be dears and go check up on Jack for Aki here?" Irisviel requested the two Magical Girls. "If she doesn't feel like coming out of her room then let her be." She added, being mindful of the Wraith Child's mental state. Her daughters nodded.
"Alright Mama." Illya said simply. "It's not like I have anything better to do." She added under her breath with boredom. Her twin by contrast was far more enthusiastic towards their assigned task.
"Yeah. I'd love to check up on our dear friend Jack." Chloe said with a devilish grin. She could already taste Jack's Mana. Irisviel held up her index finger and a glowing white wire-framed fist appeared above Chloe's head, which immediately wiped the grin off of her face.
"Chloe, nothing inappropriate, sweetie." Irisviel warned without losing her chipper demeanour. This was the first time that Aki had seen the Einzbern Homunculus use Magecraft, and it terrified her. Chloe knew better than to test Irisviel's patience.
"...Yes Mama!" Chloe squeaked out in fear as she and Illya both ran out of the room. With that out of the way, Aki decided to resume waiting for her lunch. Her mind drifted to her daughter-in-law while she waited.
"I really admire Kiyohime, for being able to keep it all together with Jack holed up in her room and Ritsuka out on a mission." Aki muttered aloud to her self. Irisviel however overheard Aki's mutterings.
"I can understand what Kiyohime is going through." Irisviel spoke up from the kitchen. "Kerry was the same way: always out on a job." Irisviel recounted with an almost fond tone. Aki nodded with understanding.
"Yes. I'd imagine that being married to a soldier would be like that." Aki replied. Irisviel held up a hand to correct her friend and co-worker.
"Ah, Kerry isn't a soldier: he's an Assassin!" Irisviel revealed cheerfully. "Back in the day, Kerry was quite infamous among the Mages Association. They even called him the Mage Killer, because of how good he was at eliminating Mages." Irisviel added with her ever present smile. Her casual attitude towards the Mage Killer's profession disturbed Aki.
"O-oh. I just assumed that he was a soldier or some kind of mercenary." Aki stammered out nervously. Irisviel seemingly did not pick up on Aki's apprehension.
"He does mercenary work too. In fact, that's how he and I first met." Irisviel stated with a beaming smile that was even more radiant than usual. Her words piqued Aki's interest.
"Really?" Aki asked with surprise. She was very curious about how someone as upbeat as Irisviel ended up together with a dour professional killer like Kiritsugu.
"Oh yes. My family hired Kerry as a bodyguard for me. Over time, we fell for each other and ran away to elope. Afterwards, we had the kids." Irisviel recounted briefly to Aki with a wistful expression and a loving tone. As a result of her status as a conduit for the Holy Grail, Irisviel's memories were a jumbled mess from different alternate timelines. Irisviel also chose not to mention how in the timelines where she and Kiritsugu chose to raise Illya, they killed off the rest of the Einzbern Family save for two Homunculus maids who were still loyal to Irisviel. Aki nodded as she took in this information.
"I assume that Chaldea hired your husband and son, then?" Aki asked. As far as Aki knew, Kiritsugu was a gun for hire while Emiya was a professional chef. Irisviel shook her head slowly.
"Not quite. It actually started with Shirou." Irisviel revealed. "My son was actually the very first Servant who Ritsuka Summoned." The Einzbern Homunculus revealed with pride. While Mash was the first (Demi) Servant whom Ritsuka formed a Contract with, Emiya was the first Servant who he actually Summoned using a proper Summoning Ritual after he escaped from Singularity F. Aki's eyebrows shot up when she heard this.
"Your son is a Servant? Then does that mean you're also a Servant?" Aki suddenly asked incredulously. While she may have thought that Irisviel was an odd person, she never suspected that Irisviel and her family were supernatural entities. Irisviel nodded.
"Yes. Yes I am, and so are the rest of my family." Irisviel said cheerfully. A light bulb went off in Aki's head at this new information.
"Wait, if you're all Servants, then does that mean-" Aki tried to ask before Irisviel preemptively answered her question.
"My family has already died." Irisviel said in a sad tone that Aki had never heard from the Einzbern Homunculus. Aki's eyes widened at Irisviel's words.
"Irisviel, if this is too painful for you then we can talk about something else." Aki said with sympathy. She had no idea what kind of effect dying had on Irisviel mental well being, but she guessed that reopening the old wounds of her friend may not be the wisest course of action. Irisviel simply shook her head.
"It's alright: this is something you need to hear if you want to understand Ritsuka." Irisviel said as she looked Aki straight in the eyes. The Einzbern Homunculus took a few deep breaths to compose herself before she spoke next. "I was the first one to die, after my body gave out when my health declined. Then Kerry died from a curse a few years later. Illya blamed Kerry for my death, and when he passed away she started to resent Shirou instead. Illya was murdered years later. Chloe sacrificed herself to stop a maniac from destroying the world. And then Shirou... He threw his life away on the battlefield after Illya died." Irisviel's voice began to quiver as she reached the end of her story. Aki's heart swelled with sympathy towards her friend.
"Irisviel, I had no idea." Aki said quietly. She had no idea how to react after having heard the story of Emiya family's demise. At the very least, it helped explain why Irisviel looked so young compared to her husband and son. Irisviel quickly regained her usual smile.
"But, that's all in the past now that we're Servants." Irisviel dismissed, almost too cheerfully for Aki's liking. "I'm eternally grateful to Ritsuka for giving my family a second chance at life." She said with sincerity. Aki found her mirth contagious.
"Well, it makes me happy to know that Ritsuka was able to help your family." Aki replied with just as much sincerity as Irisviel. The Einzbern Homunculus' expression then turned serious.
"Yes, that's why I need you to help Ritsuka." Irisviel said without her usual cheer. "With how his life is now, I can very easily see Ritsuka going down the same path that led to my son giving up all hope." She added. "I'm going to tell you what I told Kiyohime: you, and the rest of your family, need to be there for Ritsuka. Give him a reason to come back from the battlefield alive." Irisviel advised Aki. The Fujimaru Matriarch looked the Einzbern Homunculus in the eyes before she responded.
"That goes without saying. I'm his mother after all." Aki said resolutely. Irisviel seemed satisfied with this answer. A beep from the microwave signalled the start of lunch.
"Ah, lunch is ready." Irisviel remarked as she moved to deliver her and Aki's lunch to the dinner table. She brought back two bowls of (leftover) Katsudon, and the two friends began to finally eat. The dish consisted of slices of battered deep fried chicken (which were cut into smaller cubes for convenience), with some slices of daikon radish and broccoli on the side all served on a bed of rice. The whole dish was topped with a sweet soy sauce and mayonnaise to give everything some extra flavour. While the outer coating of the fried chicken was not as crispy as it would have been fresh and the rice was a bit soggy because of the microwave, the chicken meat itself was still tender and flavourful.
Outside of the room, the two Magical Girls made their way through Novum Chaldea's hallways towards their assigned destination. While Illya was focused on carrying out their mother's request, Chloe meanwhile was lost in her own little world.
Chloe's fear of her mother's retribution had worn off by now, and her craving for Mana had started to take a hold of her. Chloe considered taking some Mana from Jack during her visit. Just then, a more depraved thought entered the Archer's mind: what would Ritsuka do to her once he found out? 'I've been a naughty girl. Please punish me, Master.' Chloe thought to herself with delight. She imagined Ritsuka angrily grabbing her by the neck, forcing her to bend over in his lap, raising a hand to strike her defenceless-
Chloe was broken out of her lewd fantasy when Illya suddenly smacked her on the back of her head, as Illya had already deduced that her twin was thinking of something very inappropriate.
Chaldea's assault on the Imperial Capital was in full swing. With the defenders outside already dealt with, Humanity's Last Master and his Servants pushed on into the main building itself. Ritsuka strode through the ruined halls of the Imperial Capital. The smell of smoke, charred flesh and blood filled his lungs as he pushed forwards to his objective. Dead bodies littered the area, works of art lay broken on the ground and flames reached up high.
Ritsuka suddenly jumped back, just in time to avoid a thrust from a certain spear woman, who had been waiting in ambush. Those who had spent years spent on the front lines of battle often developed something of a 'sixth sense' that warned them of danger, and Ritsuka was no exception. He levelled his own forked spear at his newest opponent.
"Your rampage ends here, intruder." Qin Liangyu announced. "I am not going to let you slaughter any more innocent people of SIN." She declared before she closed the distance between herself and Humanity's Last Master.
"That's true. Your people did nothing wrong: you were just born in a timeline that shouldn't exist." Ritsuka admitted, more to himself than to Liangyu. "However, your people can only have their quiet peaceful lives by robbing my family of their future." Ritsuka said as a declaration of his own. There was too much at stake for Ritsuka to stop here.
"H-how, how...Selfish!" Liangyu cried out. "The Emperor has achieved world peace, and you're destroying all of it just so your family prospers?!" She let her guard down in her indignation, which gave Ritsuka the opportunity to thrust Remnant into the Ming General's throat. She dropped her spear once Ritsuka withdrew Remnant and clutched her own neck, desperately trying to stop the flow of blood before she bled out, but to no avail.
"Yeah. If putting my family's survival over the Lostbelts makes me selfish, then I am a selfish person." Ritsuka admitted as he stared down at Liangyu's twitching body. Whatever retort the Ming General had in mind was drowned out by the gurgling of Liangyu's own blood in her throat. "It doesn't stop the guilt, though..." He muttered as he watched Liangyu expire in front of him.
It was a shame. Ritsuka had the feeling that he and Liangyu could have been friends under different circumstances.
Emiya had decided to cover for Aki and Irisviel while they were on their break. He felt like he needed a change of pace after weeks of being holed up in the kitchen. Besides, Tamamo Cat was a competent enough Sous Chef in Emiya's absence, despite her Madness Enhancement. Emiya's first customer was a Servant who was hauntingly familiar to him.
"Old Man." Emiya greeted tersely. With their shared skin, eye and hair colours, as well as their surnames, many assumed that the two Counter Guardians were father and son (which was not far off from the truth).
"Nameless." Kiritsugu greeted in kind. Kiritsugu himself felt no attachment to the Wrought Iron Hero outside of being co-workers. While both of them shared the same surname that they insisted on being referred to, Kiritsugu and Emiya had taken to calling each other 'Old Man' and 'Nameless' respectively.
"One hamburger and regular fries." Kiritsugu requested without changing his facial expression. Emiya was amused that this version of Kiritsugu also apparently lived off of fast food.
"You keep eating those and you won't make it to retirement." Emiya joked while he wrote down the Mage Killer's order.
"As if any of us will live that long." Kiritsugu replied as he placed his QP down on the counter and left without another word. Emiya could not blame his not-father for being so antisocial: if this version of Kiritsugu's life had been anything like the Kiritsugu who Emiya was familiar with, then of course this Mage Killer would have his own issues. Emiya was broken out of his musings when the next customer arrived. What greeted Emiya was an all too familiar face.
"GAH!" Emiya exclaimed as soon as he saw Kentaro, stumbling backwards into the wall as he did so. It was bad enough that Ishtar, Ereshkigal and Aki all looked identical to a certain Mage whom Emiya once knew. Now there was a man whose appearance could best be described as a middle-aged Emiya Shirou; with the same physical build, the same red hair, the same eyebrows and the same golden eyes.
"Hello. I'm Fujimaru Kentaro." Kentaro replied with a voice that sounded uncomfortably similar to Emiya's own voice, albeit in a much more droning tone. Emiya stepped up to the counter before he responded.
"Fujimaru? As in, Ritsuka's father?" Emiya asked in astonishment, to which Kentaro simply nodded. A Shirou look-alike who happened to also be married to a Rin look-alike, and both of whom just so happened to be Ritsuka's parents? What in the world was going on lately? 'I don't get paid enough for this shit.'Emiya thought to himself.
"Is something wrong?" Kentaro asked monotonously. His question snapped Emiya out of his shock, which allowed the Wrought Iron Hero to regain his composure.
"It's nothing. You just... Look like someone I used to know." Emiya tried to explain. "Say, this is a weird question but you wouldn't happen to have wanted to become a Hero of Justice?" He asked in an attempt to dispel his own suspicions. If the question had any affect on Kentaro, then he did not show it on his face.
"Yes. When I was a child. Then I grew up, and had actual problems to deal with." Kentaro replied, which made Emiya breathe a sigh of relief. Emiya decided that he preferred Kentaro over a hypothetical Pseudo-Servant possessing the body of Emiya Shirou. Emiya prayed that he never encountered someone like that: seeing Ishtar, Parvati and Jaguar on a daily basis was bad enough.
"Anyway, what can I get you?" Emiya asked when he remembered that he still had a job to do. If Kentaro had any opinion on Emiya's behaviour then he did not show it on his emotionless face.
"A hamburger and a six piece nugget meal, please." Kentaro requested. Emiya felt oddly reassured by the Fujimaru patriarch's order. There was no way that Emiya Shirou would ever stoop so low as to eat cheap fast food like burgers. The months spent living off of greasy fast food when Kiritsugu first adopted him had completely killed off Emiya's interest in eating any more hamburgers himself, even decades after the fact.
"And done. This won't take long." Emiya said to Kentaro. Kentaro then sat across from Kiritsugu, not because he felt any particular pull towards the Mage Killer, but because the seat happened to be the one closest to the counter. For a few minutes, the two men simply stared at each other quietly.
"We have both ordered hamburgers." Kentaro remarked, breaking the silence between them. Kiritsugu did not change his posture nor his facial expression in response.
"So it would seem." Kiritsugu replied. He paused, as if to consider to what to say next.
"How are the hamburgers here?" Kentaro asked. He might as well continue down this conversation while the two of them waited.
"If there's a dish that encapsulates man's true nature, it would be the hamburger. Meat, vegetables and bread that are all the result of thousands of years of selective breeding by human hands. Created not for the pursuit of culinary arts but for cheap fast food. Sold to line some bigwig's pockets with the money of middle class citizens. All the while, the burgers themselves are so loaded with cholesterol and chemical additives that they slowly kill the eater through obesity." He gave a mocking smile. "For an Assassin like myself who makes his living through ending the lives of others, it's only fitting that I eat hamburgers as often as I do." Kiritsugu finished grimly. Kentaro's expression did not change at all during Kiritsugu's monologue, as per usual.
"You like the burgers here." Kentaro stated bluntly. Kiritsugu actually smiled a bit at Kentaro's observation.
"Hmm. Yeah. I do." Kiritsugu admitted. "Everyone here's eating fancy high class food; Tiramisu, Boeuf Bourguignon, medium rare steaks and so on. I can't blame them: we could all die at any moment, so we want our last meal to be a good one. None of that for me though: just give me a big greasy burger any day." Kiritsugu explained. This was probably the longest dialogue that the Mage Killer ever had with another person ever since he was Summoned into Chaldea. "Emiya Kiritsugu." Kiritsugu introduced himself as he held out a hand to Kentaro.
"Fujimaru Kentaro." Kentaro replied as he shook Kiritsugu's hand. With that, the two men resumed waiting for their hamburgers in silence.
Neither man had any idea what kind of butterfly effect this meeting would have on Chaldea in the near future.
Ritsuka and his Servants had just reached the great doors of the Royal Chambers. In contrast to the areas prior, this section of the Imperial Capital was untouched by the devastation that Chaldea had wrought during their assault. Two dozen Imperial Guards, who were quite possibly the only remaining combatants of the Chinese Lostbelt at this point, stood at the door in a defensive formation. The enemy's vehicles had all been demolished hours prior at Leonardo's behest, along with all of their Terracotta Soldiers. At the front of the formation was none other than SIN's greatest practitioner of Bajiquan: Old Li Shuwen. Ritsuka knew what he had to do.
"Li Shuwen." Ritsuka said as he stabbed Remnant into the floor and left it there. "I challenge you: your Bajiquan against mine." He declared as he pointed a finger at the alternate version of the same man who taught him Bajiquan. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity: Ritsuka's pride as a student of Li Shuwen compelled him to issue this challenge.
"Bajiquan? I'm surprised that your so-called Proper Human History has our martial arts." Old Li remarked in astonishment. He felt a strange connection to Humanity's Last Master. "Very well: I accept, Humanity's Last Master. No one interfere." He commanded his subordinates. Both men stepped forward while their respective forces stood back in silence.
Ritsuka and Old Li raised their fists in preparation for their duel. For a while, neither combatant made a move: they were to busy studying the other for an opening. Then, they both stomped on the ground, propelled themselves forward and struck. Old Li's fist was the first to connect, however Ritsuka managed to block the punch, much to Old Li's surprise.
Ritsuka took advantage of Old Li's shock with a punch to the face, which Old Li managed to dodge regardless. The two broke away from each other and once more held their guards up as they studied each other. Both men felt familiarity from their brief clash. Ritsuka recognised Old Li's moves, having been subjected to that same punch by the Li Shuwen of Proper Human History countless times during his Bajiquan training. Old Li meanwhile was astonished at how efficiently his attack was blocked: it almost felt as if he were fighting himself rather than a foreign invader. Ritsuka and Old Li circled each other slowly for a few moments before they suddenly dashed towards each other for one more clash.
Their fists connected with their respective opponent's chests simultaneously. A loud crack was heard as bones broke under the force of the punches. The two combatants both collapsed to the ground and lay still for a while. However, Ritsuka mustered up the strength to rise back to his feet while Old Li remained on the ground.
"Hmph. Victory is yours. Who trained you?" Old Li asked despite the pain of his shattered sternum. Ritsuka's fighting style felt far too familiar to the Bajiquan Master. "On second thought, don't bother answering. I wouldn't know who he is anyway." Old Li added once he realised the futility of his question. Ritsuka's eyes glowed with a mystic green light as he mended his own wounds with his Magecraft.
"You might be surprised." Ritsuka replied snidely despite the pain of his own broken ribs. Old Li gave a mirthless chuckle at Ritsuka's response.
"Oh well. Whoever he was, I'm sure that he's proud of your skill." Old Li said before consciousness failed him. With his opponent finished, Ritsuka moved to retrieve Remnant and push on to the Royal Chambers. However just as Ritsuka turned around, Mash suddenly ran to Ritsuka and blocked a strike from an Imperial Guard with her shield.
"Senpai! Look out!" Mash cried out as she pushed the Imperial Guard away. Mordred and Nezha quickly reached their Master's side, ready for his order to continue the assault on the Imperial Capital.
"If the Master of Chaldea is killed, then the invaders are finished!" Ritsuka's attacker yelled to rally his comrades. Cries of "Avenge Master Li!" and "Kill the Chaldeans!" Rang out among the defenders before they all charged in unison. With no time to retrieve his spear, Ritsuka instead drew Someone's Sword to deal with the Imperial Guards.
They stood no chance against Humanity's Last Master.
Jack sulked in her bedroom. For the past few days, Jack only ever left her room to eat or go to the bathroom. Even then, she brought her meals back to her room to eat alone, much to Kiyohime's dismay. Ritsuka's absence had robbed Jack of any motivation to do anything other than lie down in bed.
Now however, Jack felt that she was ready to leave her room. She stood at her door and breathed deeply to try and get her emotions under control. With all of her strength mustered, she opened the door and took a look around her parents' room.
Jack expected to see Kiyohime doing housework or drawing, however she was surprised to see that was completely alone. Jack thought that her mother must have left to get some ingredients for dinner. With nothing else to do, Jack gathered her courage and opened the door to the hallway. By sheer coincidence, standing just outside of the room was none other than Chaldea's resident Magical Girls; Illyasviel and Chloe Von Einzbern. The sisters were startled that the door to their Master's room had opened before they could even knock.
"Oh! Hey Jack." Illya said with surprise once she saw the Wraith Child. "Are you feeling okay?" She asked. Even without her mother's pressing, Illya and the rest of the child Servants had been concerned about Jack's emotional well being lately. Illya in particular sympathised with Jack, as she too knew what having a frequently absent parent felt like. Chloe had similar sentiments to her twin, although she currently had her mind on something else.
"If not, I can make you feel better." Chloe added with a devious smirk. The Archer was always hungry for more Mana, whether it be from her dear Master or from her fellow Servants.
"Ughh..." Jack groaned in response to Chloe. 'We should have just stayed in bed...' She thought to herself in irritation.
The Royal Chambers had fallen into ruin, just like the rest of the Imperial Capital. Hours prior, Jing Ke had moved on ahead of the rest of Chaldea to assassinate Qin Shi Huang. Astonishingly enough, she successfully managed to upload a virus that had destroyed Qin Shi Huang's mainframe. Her victory was short lived however, as she was killed shortly afterwards by a backup body of the First Emperor. That remaining body was currently engaged in battle with Humanity's Last Master.
With neither Chaldea nor Qin Shi Huang willing to reach compromise, the First Emperor had proposed a duel to determine who would decide the fate of the Chinese Lostbelt, and by extension the fate of Proper Human History. The fight did not end in the First Emperor's favour.
"So We are the first to kneel." Qin Shi Huang remarked as Ritsuka held the tip of Remnant up to the First Emperor's neck. Qin Shi Huang smiled. "Very well, We concede victory to you, Proper Human History." He declared with grace despite his defeat. Ritsuka withdrew his spear and held out his hand to Qin Shi Huang. The First Emperor accepted Humanity's Last Master's hand and was pulled up to his feet.
"Welcome aboard." Ritsuka stated as he let go of Qin Shi Huang's hand. He then turned around to the (now open) gates of the Royal Chambers. "Our next objective is to secure the Imperial Treasury. There's something in there that we need" He stated. Qin Shi Huang took the initiative to offer his aid.
"Our Treasury is this way." Qin Shi Huang declared as he lead the Chaldeans out of his Chambers. With that, the Chaldeans made their way to their next objective.
The First Emperor was certain that humanity would be in good hands.
Despite the best efforts of Leonardo, Holmes and Sion, Novum Chaldea was not an impenetrable bastion. As the countless bizarre Events that befell Chaldea on a near weekly basis had proven, it was certainly possible for a third party to infiltrate Chaldea. More often than not, Chaldea would only know that they had been infiltrated after the intruder had already made their move. Unfortunately for Chaldea, this newest interloper had no intention of blowing their cover just yet.
Currently, the spy observed the relatives of Humanity's Last Master, who each enjoyed the company of one of the Servants. While Ritsuka's family may have been a source of strength and motivation for him, they were also a glaring weakness that the intruder was all too happy to exploit. After a while of internal deliberation, the spy decided on which of Ritsuka's relatives would be used as their pawn in the near future. The interloper had a plan in mind for this person, and once their plan was enacted, Fujimaru Ritsuka's death would be ensured.
The Imperial Treasury room held many valuable relics. Among the treasures was the antidote for Ritsuka and Goredolf. However, what the Chaldeans (and Qin Shi Huang for that matter) did not expect to find in the Treasury was the Lostbelt's own Tree of Emptiness, placed there without the First Emperor's knowledge (nor with his consent) by the resident Crypter: Yu Mei-Ren (formerly known as Akuta Hinako). Destroying the Tree of Emptiness would not be an easy task as both Yu Mei-Ren and her husband Xiang Yu had arrived to defend it. Fortunately, their battle against Chaldea had ended with their defeat.
While Xiang Yu may have dominated the first few encounters with Humanity's Last Master, Ritsuka had enough learned from each battle to turn the tables in their most recent clash. Xiang Yu was on his knees a short distance away from the Chaldeans, his outer hull covered in slashes, stabs, bullet holes and dents.
"Hull integrity: thirty-three percent. Internal battery: nineteen percent. Combat capability: thirteen point five percent." Xiang Yu recited as he struggled to raise his sole remaining sword, which had also been broken in half by Ritsuka in the previous battle. "Probability of victory: three point four seven percent." He finished as vital fluids leaked from his injuries. Despite Xiang Yu's heavily damaged state, the Chaldeans did not let their guard down
"Stand down, Xiang Yu. If you surrender, then I'm willing to let you and Hinako leave peacefully." Ritsuka offered to his opponent, although he still kept his forked spear pointed at Xiang Yu. He already used up a Command Spell to reduce Xiang Yu to this state. "Spend what time you have left with her." He suggested in a softer tone, feeling empathy towards his opponents.
"Xiang Yu! I'm begging you, please retreat!" Yu Mei-Ren implored her husband as she clung to his side. She had just been reunited with her husband, and she was not about to waste this opportunity. Xiang Yu however shook her off as he suddenly rose to his feet.
"My wife. I cannot obey that order." Xiang Yu said despite the difficulty of maintaining his balance with his broken body. "This is a world where you may finally find happiness, and it is my duty to defend it until my dying breath. This is a decision I have made not as your protector, but as my own man." Xiang Yu declared as he mustered his remaining strength. "My strength shall lift the mountains, and my might shall conquer the world." He recited as he entered a stance in preparation for one last all-out attack. "I will demonstrate my military prowess here and-" Xiang Yu's incantation was interrupted when Ritsuka drew his Calico and opened fire at the construct until his magazine ran dry. Of the dozens of rounds that Ritsuka unloaded onto Xiang Yu, one of them managed to damage a critical part of Xiang Yu's internal mechanisms. Xiang Yu then slumped to the ground and let go of his sword.
"Reactor core critically damaged. Internal battery level dropping. Twelve percent. Eight percent." Xiang Yu listed off during his final moments. Yu Mei-Ren could only look on in horror as she was made to witness the death of her husband all over again. "Yu Mei-Ren, my wife. I'm... Sorry... I failed." Xiang Yu managed to utter before he ceased functionality entirely. Yu Mei-Ren collapsed to her knees at Xiang Yu's side as she buried her tear-stained face in her hands. Ritsuka could only look on in sympathy.
"It didn't have to be this way..." Ritsuka muttered sadly as he reloaded his Calico. "But.. I would have done the same thing for Kiyohime's sake." He thought to himself. He then turned "Alright, time to move on to the Tree of Em-" Ritsuka's orders were interrupted by an inhuman scream, courtesy of Yu Mei-Ren.
"GRAAAAAAAAGH!" Yu Mei-Ren howled in grief, pain and rage. She suddenly stood up and drew her blades. "YOUR KIND ALWAYS RUIN EVERYTHING GOOD IN MY LIFE!" Yu Mei-Ren screamed with fury before she lunged at Ritsuka with lightning-fast speed.
There would be no negotiation with Yu Mei-Ren in this state: the Chaldeans would have to defeat her if they wanted to reach the Tree of Emptiness.
While nearly all of the Earth's surface had been converted into a lifeless bleached wasteland, the waters that surrounded the Wandering Sea still held animal life. Of particular interest were the fish and other sea creatures that could be eaten by those in Novum Chaldea. One Servant had actually made it his self appointed duty to catch these fish and supply them to Chaldean personnel in exchange for a modest amount of QP as compensation. Today, Cu Chulainn had just sold some freshly caught squid to a certain Dragon Woman.
"Thank you, Setanta." Kiyohime said politely to Ireland's Child of Light as she received her seafood wrapped up in butcher's paper. Cu Chulainn gave her a wide grin.
"No worries, Kiyohime." Cu Chulainn replied in kind. So long as Cu Chulainn did not disturb her husband's rest, Kiyohime had quite the cordial relationship with the Lancer. After all, most of Chaldea's cooking ingredients were supplied by Cu Chulainn, so it was wise to remain on the Celt's good side.
With no further business with Ireland's Child of Light, Kiyohime began to make her way back to her room to prepare dinner. However, shortly after she began walking, she felt that something was amiss: Jack was not in their room. Kiyohime then walked briskly to where she felt her daughter's presence, ready to take her back to their room if need be. There were few beings more protective of their young than a mother dragon, after all. After a few minutes of walking, Kiyohime arrived to where she felt Jack's presence: the Summoning Chamber.
Kiyohime saw Jack chasing Chloe with her signature knives in her hands while Illya was crying out in distress in the far corner of the Summoning Chamber. Kiyohime smiled at the sight of her daughter going out and having fun with her friends... Either that or Jack was genuinely trying to kill Chloe. Knowing Chloe, Kiyohime assumed that the Magical Girl probably declared that she wanted to have Ritsuka transfer Mana to her, which must have set off Jack's stabby nature. Either way, this was far better than Jack staying holed up in her room all day.
"Now all that is left is for Ritsuka to come back home." Kiyohime said to herself with a smile as she walked back home to prepare dinner. That salt and pepper squid was not going to cook itself, after all.
"Cosmos Denial." Leonardo announced sadly as yet another timeline was destroyed. The mood in the Shadow Border was sombre, to say the least. Spartacus and Jing Ke had both died during the mission. The Crypter Yu Mei-Ren, who was once a valued member of Team A, had also met her demise. While Goredolf had been cured of Koyanskaya's poison, the antidote for Ritsuka had not been recovered. Over time, Ritsuka's remaining strength would be drained from him and eventually he would die. Leonardo was already trying to think of a way to keep Ritsuka's body in working condition going forward despite the poison's effects. However, the poison was the furthest thing from Ritsuka's mind at the moment.
Ritsuka stood up from his seat and left the command deck without saying a word. The others in the Shadow Border allowed Ritsuka to have some time alone. Ritsuka entered his private chambers, locked the door and immediately collapsed onto his chair. Almost all at once, the guilt from his actions crashed down upon his shoulders with the weight of an anchor as Ritsuka buried his face in his hands.
How could Ritsuka kiss Kiyohime with the mouth that ordered this massacre? How could he hold Jack with these blood stained hands? Now more than ever, the Calico seemed to call out to him. How easy it would be, to draw his gun from its holster. To aim the barrel against his head. To gently squeeze the trigger. To end everything. Ritsuka felt that he deserved it, after all. However, Ritsuka did not even touch his gun.
When all was said and done, Ritsuka did not want to die: he wanted to live. He wanted to restore the world to the way it was before the Bleaching. He wanted to give his wife and daughter a peaceful life. To raise more children with Kiyohime and grow old with her. To give Jack a happy childhood and eventually watch her raise a family of her own. When Ritsuka finally died, he wanted his death to be at the end of a long and fulfilling life, surrounded by his loved ones. None of that would ever come to pass if he gave up here. A knock from the door broke Ritsuka out of his self-loathing.
"Senpai." Mash's voice came from the other side of the door. "Are you alright?" She asked, her voice full of concern for her Master. Ritsuka remained seated in his chair.
"...No." Ritsuka confessed, to Mash's dismay. "But I can't stop now." He said resolutely. For the sake of his family's future, Ritsuka could allow himself to suffer for a little while longer. There were still four more Lostbelts out there. Four more obstacles standing between Ritsuka and his family's happiness. Four more times he would need to become Death Incarnate. This was Ritsuka's Gruelling Journey, and he was going to see this ordeal to its bloody conclusion. Ritsuka only hoped that he did not become something abhorrent by the end of this. His words did little to ease Mash.
"Just... Remember that you're not alone, Senpai. We'll always be here for you." Mash said with sincerity. It was true: there was not a single Servant in Chaldea who would not happily give their life for Ritsuka's sake. Even unrepentant monsters such as Kiara and Gilles de Rais cared for Humanity's Last Master. Mash then left to give Ritsuka time to grieve, and Ritsuka was alone with his thoughts once more. His then mind drifted back to the first two Lostbelts that he destroyed.
The Russian Lostbelt was far too cold for any human being to survive in without some form of Magecraft for protection, or through extensive body modification. Ritsuka could feel the frigid cold of the Moscow air, even through the protection of his new Arctic Combat Mystic Code. However, even if this Lostbelt had the same climate of Proper Human History, Humanity's Last Master would still have felt cold as ice on the inside.
The Oprichniki had surrounded Ritsuka and his comrades, and the Servants tried their best to defend their Master from incoming attacks. However, Humanity's Last Master payed them no mind. The full implication of what the Tree of Emptiness' destruction would entail had just dawned on Ritsuka, courtesy of Ivan the Terrible.
Genocide. In order to restore Proper Human History, Ritsuka would need to destroy this time line, thereby killing every man, woman and child who called the Russian Lostbelt home. Worse still, he would have to repeat this six more times in order to thwart the Crypters and Foreign God, thereby exponentially increasing the amount of innocent blood on Ritsuka's hands. The revelation had understandably caused Ritsuka's mind to 'shut down,' as he was a compassionate man at heart. Ritsuka was brought back to his senses when a recently joined comrade of his suddenly grabbed him by the collar.
"-Don't lose to this world where only strength matters." Patxi said, although Ritsuka was too out of it to have heard the first part of Patxi's rousing speech. With his final words said, Patxi loosened his grip on Ritsuka's collar and slumped over to the ground, dead. Ritsuka drew Remnant and prepared to face the Oprichniki.
"I have to do this." Ritsuka muttered to himself as he tightened his grip on Remnant. "It's the only way." He muttered as he thrust the forked-spear into an Oprichnik. "My family won't survive if I don't." Ritsuka ranted dodged a crossbow bolt from another Oprichnik. "I don't have a choice." He tried to convince himself as he drew the Calico and open fired on the remaining targets.
With his adversaries defeated, Ritsuka moved on to destroy the Tree of Emptiness, and by extension every inhabitant of the Russian Lostbelt.
Following the destruction of the Russian Lostbelt, Chaldea had received a signal from the Wandering Sea: one of the three pillars of the Mages Association. That was to be the Shadow Border's next destination, and until their arrival the Shadow Border was to be their new temporary home. While most of Chaldea's surviving personnel had to share rooms to save space, the new Director Goredolf Musik had a room to himself. Ritsuka meanwhile shared his private quarters with Kiyohime and Jack. Currently, Ritsuka and Kiyohime were tucking in Jack for bed.
"Mommy, do you wanna sleep in the bed tonight?" Jack asked as her father pulled the bed sheet over the Wraith Child. Ritsuka shook his head.
"It's alright. What kind of father would I be if I forced my daughter out of the only bed?" Ritsuka answered with a smile as he gave his daughter a headpat, although both Jack and Kiyohime could tell that his smile was forced. "Get some rest, Jack. I'm sure that the next Lostbelt will be warmer." Ritsuka said as he pulled the bed sheet over Jack.
"Good night, Mommy. Good night, Also Mommy." Jack said sleepily before she closed her eyes. After a few minutes she was soundly asleep. Jack seemed so innocent to Ritsuka. Kiyohime meanwhile had something important to discuss with her husband.
"...Honoured Husband-" Kiyohime began to say before she was interrupted.
"I killed them, Kiyohime. I killed all of them. Men. Women. Children. Good. Evil. Everyone." Ritsuka confessed as he buried his face in his hands, too ashamed to look his wife in the eye. "These people were just trying to live their lives before I came along and ended everything. Am I any different from the Foreign God? From Goetia?" Ritsuka asked out of self-loathing. Kiyohime grabbed Ritsuka's face and forced him to face her.
"This is a war, Ritsuka." Kiyohime stated in a stern tone. "By destroying that Lostbelt, you have kept all of us safe. You have kept Jack safe." She insisted in a gentler tone as she let go of her husband. Ritsuka looked away from her.
"How many of the Yaga had a Jack of their own, before I ended their lives?" Ritsuka asked rhetorically, more to himself than to his wife.
"The Yaga failed to protect their families: you successfully protected yours. Your actions were justified." Kiyohime tried to convince Ritsuka, but she had failed.
"I've committed genocide: nothing I do will ever be justified!" Ritsuka said with a raised voice, to which Kiyohime's hand immediately shot out and covered his mouth to silence him. Thankfully, Ritsuka did not disturb Jack's rest with his outburst. Kiyohime then let go of her husband.
"We will continue this discussion tomorrow." Kiyohime stated before she climbed into the bed next to Jack. "Good night, Honoured Husband. You should try to sleep." Kiyohime said gently before she wrapped her arms protectively around their daughter under the bed sheets. Ritsuka leaned back into his chair as he tried to follow his wife's advice and get some rest. Ritsuka's dreams would be plagued with nightmares of what he had done for months to come.
The Scandinavian Lostbelt felt warmer than the previous one, but not by much. Ritsuka was once again thankful that his Arctic Combat Mystic Code was able to regulate his body heat in such extreme temperatures. Currently, Ritsuka and the Chaldeans were staying in a quaint village inhabited by children. They had even found an ally among the locals: a young girl named Gerda.
"Wow. Being able to grow old. I can't even imagine what that would be like." Gerda remarked innocently with wide eyes. Unlike with the Yaga, the children of the Scandinavian Lostbelt spent their days working their farms free of harassment. However the cost of such 'peace' was that all villagers who reached adulthood were sacrificed to the Jotnar. Ritsuka felt sick to his stomach. Gerda was barely any older than Jack, but she was condemned to a horrible fate though no fault of her own.
What a cruel joke; either do nothing and allow these children to be devoured by Jotnar, or fulfil his duty as Humanity's Last Master and destroy this Lostbelt in its entirety.
Ritsuka sat in his designated chair on the Shadow Border. The Scandinavian Lostbelt had been dealt with, and currently the Shadow Border travelled across the Bleached Earth to the source of the signal from the Wandering Sea. However, the possibility of other survivors was the furthest thing from Ritsuka's mind at the moment. Once again, Ritsuka buried his face in his hands out of guilt and shame in his chair.
"Shirou." Ritsuka said in a low voice that Emiya could barely hear. Emiya instantly knew that this was something serious: Ritsuka never called Emiya by that name. "Does it ever get any easier?" He asked Emiya in a remorseful tone.
"Does what ever get easier?" Emiya asked. Ritsuka kept his face covered as he spoke.
"Killing." Ritsuka replied. While he had certainly killed people already before and after the Incineration was resolved, the destruction of the Lostbelts was the first time that Ritsuka had truly ever committed murder on such a scale. Unlike with Singularities, there was not even the comfort of knowing that these people would return to their normal fates after the anomaly was resolved. Emiya looked away from Ritsuka.
"...No." Emiya answered after some deliberation. He recognised the 'dead inside' look that Ritsuka currently wore. As an agent of the Counter Force, Emiya was all too familiar with the guilt that his Master was suffering.
Ritsuka was snapped out of his memories when something unusual caught his eye: he had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he had failed to notice what was already on his desk. Right in front of him was a familiar looking bottle with an NFF receipt next to it. It seemed that Koyanskaya had kept her word after all. With no reason to look a gift horse in the mouth, Ritsuka drank the bottle's entire contents in one go.
"Things are looking up already." Ritsuka said to himself mirthlessly as he felt his strength returning to him. Soon he would return to his peak condition, ready for more missions resolving Minute Singularities and dealing with the remaining Lostbelts. However that would come later: right now Ritsuka just wanted to go back home and see Kiyohime and Jack.
Sorry that this chapter took longer to write than usual: work has gotten busier this time of year.
I hope that the angsty bits involving Ritsuka don't contrast too much with the comparatively light hearted segments with the Fujimaru family. Fun fact: the scene with Ritsuka alone with his thoughts in the Shadow Border was actually the first scene I wrote for this chapter.
Please feel free to leave a review, and thank you for reading.
