Beloved of the Nile

by Cosmic Sky

Sometimes it took a lot to prove yourself in the eyes of royalty. There were some people who did it without even knowingly trying. Cleopatra would say Ritsuka was one such person. He'd done more than that, he'd absolutely amazed her. He'd gone on to occupy a place in her heart that had been empty twice before. She hoped this third time, the ending would be different.

Hey, everyone. My last Halloween one didn't quite go as planned thanks to some issues with the website, which I'm hoping won't be a problem here. Now then, this story's leading lady will be one that I've planned on doing for Halloween for some time, that is Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt as well as one of ancient Egypt's most iconic figures!

Now let me start with some preface, I am not a fan of how Grand Order presented Caesar. No disrespect to anyone that is, but…some of that may bleed through into this writing. In the context of this story, Cleopatra will be in the process of moving on; I'm sure you can all take a guess at who she'll be moving on with. That said, as usual, expect some snippets of real world mythology and history. Also, expect some references to certain Egyptian-themed movies and series. Now then, without further wait, I hope you all enjoy the story!

I do not own anything.

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Beloved of the Nile

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"Huh? Master, is something wrong?"

It would have been easy to tell a complete lie; Ritsuka knew that said something about everything he'd been through. "Yeah, sorta. I guess I'm getting the shakes already before we even step inside of the pyramid." Instead, he went with a half-lie, and a half-truth. He was getting the shakes as they walked down the path toward "Cleopatra's Haunted Pyramid".

Of course, she'd given it a more grand name, but everyone just called it "Cleo's Haunted Pyramid". He laughed remembering how the black-haired queen had turned away to quiet pout. She always looked so cute when she was angry and trying to hide it.

She'd gone all out in designing the trapes and scares this year, no doubt because she didn't want to be outshined by anyone else. The Queen of the Nile wanted tonight to be her time to shine; Ritsuka hoped that it was. He'd certainly helped with designing some of the trapes. Some, but not all of them.

"With all due respect, Ritsuka, no. I cannot allow it. You must experience the perils of my pyramid fresh and new the same as other visitors!"

"Not to mention you want the chance to actually scare me too, don't you?"

"…Yes. To draw a scream from you, oh, what a prize that would be. I shall be looking forward to hearing it, Ritsuka Fujimaru, and as you know, as queen, my desires are made manifest."

Looking back on the conversation, he smiled, and sighed in relief. Ritsuka could think of several people who'd have had an incredibly sharp and sarcastic rebuttal to her statement. In the analogues of history, Cleopatra was one of the many whose desires had been her undoing.

Over the last week, Ritsuka couldn't help but wonder if Cleopatra was testing him then to see how he'd react. She'd no doubt heard how he'd grown a bit…sassier in his almost two years of being at Chaldea. He'd even learned how to backtalk some of the scariest Servants…and walk away whole, quite a feat.

Tonight though, the only feat he was focused on accomplishing was navigating Cleopatra's Halloween haunted house.

Well, that wasn't exactly accurate. After all, he wasn't leading his "party" to a haunted house, more like a haunted tomb created by none other than Egypt's last queen. Exploring it would no doubt be the perfect way to spend Halloween, as he and several of his Servants had decided on doing.

One of whom was quite eager to get to it. "Hey, Master! Shielder! Hurry up, or else we'll be tomb raiding without you, which means no spoils of either of you!" Boomed Nobunaga's bombastic voice. Ritsuka lifted his eyes and smiled back at her. "If you want to keep up, how's about shedding that stupid armor!"

"This armor's going to be what keeps me on my feet while the rest of you on wiggling around screaming your heads off!" The human teenager shouted back. Smiling back in Mash in assurance, he took several steps forward. "Come on, we can't fall behind the others, Mash!"

"Right!"

"GAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

The scream of pure terror froze the group as they looked up toward the evening sky. In unison, they all watched something go flying off into the heavens, twin voices of terror practically propelling them all the way.

"Master," Mash spoke. "Was that-"

"Astolfo and Billy? Yep." He could just barely see them, the Paladin and the outlaw clinching each other in terror as they shot off into the sky before disappearing from his enhanced gaze completely. Chuckling, he turned back to mash still wearing his amicable smile. "Sounds like Cleo's prepared one hell of a haunted house for us, huh? Let's get going!"

He'd dressed up as a knight once, when he was about ten or eleven years old. At the time, he'd something of a binge, watching a lot of shows about knights and even helping out in a school play featuring them. Ritsuka never would have imagined he'd not only meet real knights, but be trained by them, including learning how to move in genuine knightly armor. He was sure without the training, he'd have felt like a boulder trying to push itself up hill. Hell, without any of the training he'd been through, Ritsuka knew he'd be running far in the other direction.

Just over the hilltop, painted blazing orange by the sunset, lay Cleo's Haunted Pyramid. With a name like that, one would have expected a bombastic building that looked more at home in a theme park. Well, the best attractions were perhaps the most authentic ones; that described the Egyptian pyramid that lay before his group. Up to a point. Real tombs didn't have a ring of hieroglyphs floating around the tip. Maybe they once did in ancient Egypt; that's what Ritsuka felt like he was looking at from atop the small hill, albeit it had some things to break the marriage.

Right before the entrance was an encampment of Servants and Chaldean workers. Some of whom had advanced deep into the pyramid and others who were debating it. As they passed them by, Ritsuka spied the delicious candies and treats that the former had procured from their venturing into Cleopatra's Halloween attraction.

Ready, Master? Came the queen's voice in his head as he took the "scarab key" that was used as entrance to the thematic haunted house.

"You know it, Cleo." He whispered back. Ritsuka turned back to face the group that he'd assembled for his trick or treating. It went without saying it was a major contrast to the group of school friends and neighbors that he'd normally go with. Instead of them, he was going with his faithful Shielder, the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, the legendary defender of Troy, Iran's most famous archer, and finally an Amazonian queen of legend. None of them were playing dress, they were who they were.

Nobunaga met his eye, eagerness blazing in her scarlet orbs. She'd heard him, and now she wanted to be heard as well. "Hey, Cleopatra! You better not go easy on the traps! The greatest trick-or-treat party in Chaldea's history is being led by the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven! There will be no forgiveness if your little tomb isn't up to snuff!"

"Led by the Demon King? Hehehe, last I checked, wasn't Master Ritsuka our party's leader?" Hector jokingly challenged.

Feeling eyes on him, Ritsuka shrugged his shoulders in nonchalant amusement. "We could put it into another vote."

"Ritsuka," Penthesilea barked. "Lead on. You are this war band's leader, not Nobunaga." The Berserker glared back at the Archer, the two women sharing a silent stare down that caused a murmur of laughter in the rest of the group, especially their resident Lancer. Penthesilea broke her gaze from Nobunaga to look back at Ritsuka, the hardness in her eyes having receded. He'd noticed it always did over the last few weeks, when they'd undertaken a couple more missions together. They'd certainly came a long way since Agartha where they first met.

"OH!"

He felt like there was something a little…peculiar about Cleopatra choosing that moment to make her grand entrance. Two sets of golden eyes glowed bright like torches amidst the swirling sand. It was undoubtedly a great projection of the Last Pharaoh's face. It focused not exactly on the group but on him.

"Such boastful words from such a…ragtag party. Greater tomb raiders than you lot have entered my tomb, and never made it past the first floor. I look forward to seeing how far you are able to guide this…ramble." Spoke the Assassin through her sandy projection.

"Wow, Cleo, you sound a little frightened we're going to make it all the way to the tomb's heart, where I'm guessing we'll find the Treasure of Cleopatra waiting for us." The human boastful declared, placing one hand atop the hilt of his sword. Like the rest of his costume, it was real, and Ritsuka was more than willing to use it on anything dark and scary that came his way.

"Again, such boastful words, especially from one who's still barely a boy out of his adolescent." Boomed the pharaoh's projection. "Very well then! Step into the Pharaoh's Tomb, and face the terrible curses that lie within! Show me your courage, adventurers, and let it fall before the might of ancient Egypt!"

At the sound of her voice, the stone slab opened up, its rumble shaking the earth. Before taking a step forward, Ritsuka looked back at the horizon. The sun had set completely and night had set in. It was the perfect time to enter a haunted house, or in this case, a haunted tomb. Excitement bubbled up within him as he saw numerous torches go up in an attempt to illuminate the darkness. He looked back at the tomb entrance, the glow of torches cast a dimly light over the steps. Sucking in a breath, he stepped forward, leading his "party" into the depths of the earth.

Down the flight of steps, they entered into what was still the entry chamber. Before them lay a vast stone wall with Cleopatra's ancient effigy painted upon it. In the center sat a particular stone slap with a scrab-shaped keyhole. He casually tossed the key he'd been given up and down as he walked toward it, anticipation swelling within him.

Ritsuka was three feet away when that anticipation turned into something else. All the hairs across his body stood on end, some of them stabbing against his clothes, even his armor.

"Master!" Several of his Servants shouted. Their warning came just as he jumped backward, away from the stone door. It exploded into dozens of pieces of shrapnel which were deflected by Mash's shield.

From behind her, Ritsuka took note of something-the door had been blown from the inside instead of the outside. The shiver that he'd gotten before as they were on their way to the tomb returned. It was like a needle continuously pressing against the back of his neck.

"Well, well, seems Cleopatra couldn't wait to invite us in, could she? Or perhaps there's a few folks in particular she wants to show off to." Hector mused in his same nonchalant tone. He merely grinned as he was the receive of a harsh but silent glare from his old wartime ally.

Beside him, his gaze met Arash's.

Master,

Yeah…you…getting that feeling too?

The silent conversation they had was drowned out by Nobunaga's boastful shouting. She clearly took the incident as a challenge, and an opportunity to impose her leadership on the group. Pumping her fist into the air, she walked forward, commanding the rest of them to do so.

Ritsuka followed, his trained ears registering the sounds of panic coming from the outside. A sandstorm had been kicked up. Given the circumstances, it wasn't too strange, but that prickly feeling continued to stab at Ritsuka. It only got worse as he stepped through the door, his lungs filling up with cold dry air.

---

"Blasted reptiles! Just die already! Be good little handbags and die!"

"You know, shouting at them isn't going to make them go down any easier, Nobu!"

When it came to any creature, be it human or even the living dead, it was typically acknowledged that one aimed for the head. When it came to the dead, the rule was pretty much all people held onto in the face of a seemingly unstoppable, undead horror. Did zombies fall under that category? Arguably yes. Mummified crocodiles? Again, probably so.

The first floor had been nothing but spooks, the second floor? That's when the real mummies had shown up and they started having their first go round with vengeful spirits. A hidden passageway beneath a pool had led them to this third floor which was water themed. So it was only natural they found themselves fighting off crocodiles. Giant, mummified and ghostly crocs.

Which apparently, Nobunaga wasn't a fan of.

"Die! Die! Die, dammit all! In the name of heaven, die, all of you!" she screamed, unloading shot after shot from her arquebus rifles, one from both hands.

Maybe it had something to do with one of two of them ripping her cape off, then her boots, and finally her hat.

"Hahahaha! Come on, guys! Can't we talk about this! We've got some nice juicy treats you'd enjoy way more than our flesh! Honest!" Hector comically argued as he deftly dodged flying jaws before splitting them in half with his spear.

Arash was covering him, and the rest of them with his archery. Even if his trade was long range combat, the ancient Iranian hero was absolutely no slouch in close combat. Especially when he had the physical strength to wrestle several of the larger crocs to the ground and snap their necks with his bare hands. That was the fighting style likewise employed by Penthesilea, who took visibly joy in tearing the enemies apart.

Her War Cry had been used several minutes earlier and Ritsuka still felt its effects coursing through him. It gave his attacks extra force, and his defenses received a much appreciated boost.

Sparks lit up his left arm as one mummified crocodile tried and failed to wrench his arm off with a bite. The enchanted armor bit back, stunning the beast long enough for Ritsuka to throw if off, then drive his sword into its throat, from which he dragged it upward.

"Nice work, Master!" Came Mash's voice. "That's the sixteenth crocodile you've killed!"

"Hey, Cleo! Do I get any special prize for reaching twenty, or even thirty?" He shouted. When there wasn't a response, he felt that tingling feeling returning to him. She'd praised him after his first ten leading him to wonder if her praises would come at intervals of ten. That theory had just been disproven. That shouldn't have been cause for concern, but for whatever reason, it was for Ritsuka.

That concern stayed with him as he and his team crawled out of the water, literally, onto dry land. Odds were pretty good that their reprieve wasn't going to last too long.

"Guess we can say you're not a fan of crocodiles, are you, Nobu?" Ritsuka leisurely asked. He never let it slip that she still had it in her to be the brutal Demon King she was always proclaiming herself to be. She'd manifested a little fireball to dry herself off, and everyone else. In doing so, she illuminated what dotted the pathway to the door.

The statues were incredibly lifelike, maybe because they were once alive.

Ritsuka felt a knot forming in his stomach as he walked up to the nearest one and slid his hands across it. "Fergus."

"For his Magic Resistance to be overcome like this, Cleopatra's really pulling out all the stops, isn't she?" Arash offered. He looked to Ritsuka with an aside glance, one with a hidden meaning that he caught. "We're going to have to be careful. More careful than we were before."

"Yeah…definitely." He murmured. Fergus, Medusa, and Saber Diarmuid. "She wasn't kidding about her curse being powerful."

"But not powerful enough to stop us. I only hope that Cleopatra has more in store for us then some paltry curses like this." Both men shared a small smile. They'd expected nothing less of that sort of response from their team powerhouse.

Her words gained a reaction from the tomb's overseer. "You wish for more, Amazon? By all means, step through the door. Progress deeper into my abode, and see how far your might gets you."

"My might is that of the god of war! It has crushed countless heroes before! The powers of Egypt mean nothing to me!" In a blur, her arm was raised then shot forward, demolishing the door separating them from the next room. A ghostly gale exploded outward from it as the dust and shrapnel forced the others to avert their eyes.

"Hey, Master, this is just a suggestion, but how's a out we let Penthesilea take point on this one." Hector offered.

The Greek Lancer had a point, one that Ritsuka almost took. He could have let Penthesilea go off alone, but he didn't. Sword and shield in hand, he hurried after her through the door, the rest of the group following after them.

What they found going down the halls were more of the same, deathly traps and statues, some of which were quite surprising. And disheartening as Nobu went deathly quiet when they came upon Okita's statue. All the while, the unsettling feeling within Ritsuka continued to build. He exchanged several glances with Arash, seeing that he was very much getting a similar vibe. In a sense, the unease they felt added to the experience. They were progressing deeper and deeper into a haunted tomb beneath an actual pyramid, the spirit of an ancient pharaoh watching their progress. Could there be a more ophitic Halloween experience?

They certainly got their fill of monsters. Monsters seemingly manifesting out of stone tablets, which also served as some freaky decoration. Ritsuka had seen a handful of them before in Ozymandias' temples. The sun king had informed him that amongst Egyptian magicians, trapped monsters in stone tablets then summoning them into battle had become a favorite trend at some point. Even he indulged in it, as did Nitocris and as he eventually learned, Cleopatras herself.

She had a fondness for monsters that looked flashy and those of a serpentine nature, not to mention a few warriors, one of which bore an uncanny likeness.

When he saw the Greek-styled monster summoned from a stone tablet, Ritsuka felt a sudden upsurge of panic. He recognized the armor, having seen it enough times in the dreams of Hector and Penthesilea herself.

As the Achilles-like warrior stepped toward them, an aura of blazing rage swirled around Penthesilea, her eyes turning bloody red and her fangs elongating.

"Beautiful," murmured the summoned spirit while readying its spear. "As beautiful as Aphrodite herself."

"You…YOU-"

"PNETHESILEA!" Ritsuka yelled. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a mummy coming at him with a massive battle axe. He could have avoided it, but calling out to his folding Berserker was more important. She needed him, and he knew he had teammates watching his back.

SWOOSH!

Hector cut down the approaching mummy and turned to his old ally, a look of panic on his face. "Listen to our Master, Penthesilea! Remember your oath, your oath of loyalty to him! An oath stronger than your hatred for Achilles!"

Her wrecking ball was out, swinging about in a wild fury and generating a miniature cyclone. In the enclosed space, it'd bring down the entire chamber on the. Under normal circumstances, that wouldn't have stopped the Queen of the Amazons, but in this case it did. That was because just as Troy's valiant defender had spoken, she had an oath of higher priority than her vengeance.

Bloody red eyes turned back to Ritsuka. The first time he'd seen them, he'd been the target of their ire. He hadn't flinched then, and he didn't flinch now, not as he mentally called out to his Berserker.

CRASH!

"Nobunaga, Arash! Give us some cover! Everyone else, move to the left side door!" The armor-clad human shouted.

The two Archers unloaded their respective shots, blowing away the approaching horde of monsters and penning the warrior monster down. Just long enough for the group to make their escape. As they did, Nobunaga took a shot at the ceiling, blowing chunks of debris down and barring the path, at least for a little while. Using that time wisely, the group ran, their feet pounding against the stone beneath them until they reached another massive chamber. It was free of danger long enough for the group to take a breather, something that one person sorely needed above the rest.

An aura of heat still lingered around Penthesilea as she attempted to calm herself. She redoubled her efforts as she looked to Ritsuka. He stood up straight and looked back at her, bracing himself for whatever she had to say to him. He'd learned quite well that getting between a Berserker and the object of their anger could be suicidal, but sometimes it had to be done.

"Master," began the Greek woman. Her voice was gruff as if speaking had suddenly became difficult for her. Compared to screaming at him, it probably was. "I…you…I…apologize for…"

"You don't have to." He replied.

"Yes, I do." She near growled. "Had I embraced my impulses, I'd have brought down that entire chamber, killing us all, including you."

"Which we're very grateful you didn't do, Penthesilea. Thanks for that." Hector jokingly remarked. He turned his gaze to Ritsuka, his smile going from joking to more genuine. "And you, Master, seriously showed your chops out there. Just goes to prove that-"

It happened in a flash, one that came from below them. Just as the light illuminated the ground beneath them, Ritsuka felt that shiver up his spine. His mouth opened in a scream of alarm, but it never made it out. Beneath them a giant hieroglyph manifested. Ritsuka recognized it as the one for the desert. What furthered his alarm was the scarlet color in which it glowed. From it came a stirring sandstorm that pushed them all upward toward the ceiling.

"Ahhh crap! How in the hell aren't we seeing these traps coming! Arash!"

"I'm on it!" The Archer yelled having already readied his bow. He and Nobu took a joint shot, shattering the ceiling before they could all be slammed into it. That just meant they were all propelled even higher. Knowing that the source of their dismay lay beneath them, he flipped himself over as best he could and readied another shot. Before he could, something else caught his attention, something more alarming.

Feeling his nerves ablaze with warning, Ritsuka held up his shield, a barrier spell being projected from it. It protected him against the foul spirits the foul spirits that had snuck into the windstorm, or perhaps that had been summoned by it. They bounced off against the shield, howling in outrage as they did so. "Everyone, watch out! There are ghosts hidden in the sand storm!"

Two bright red flashes turned his attention upward. Through the howling sands, Ritsuka saw something tumbling downward. It made no sound as it fell downward. Also going downward was an arrow that caused an explosion of sand and light from down below. In seconds the sandstorm ceased and the group found themselves falling back down.

For the Servants, it was easy to land on their feet. Hector stabbed his spear into the ground and moved to catch Ritsuka, who readied himself for a sudden landing. Thanks to his superhuman strength, the armor-clad teen was comparable to a basketball caught in hand.

As he was lowered, Ritsuka took note of the grim look on the Trojan's face. At his indication, he turned to his left and saw why.

Penthesilea, Queen of the Amazons and adamant hater of Achilles, had been petrified, frozen stiff in a combat-ready position. It indicated that she'd been ready to put up a fight or had tried to, but her efforts were for naught.

"Just like the others." Ritsuka sorrowful murmured running his hands across the stone surface. As with the others, there was something in it that made his skin crawl in unease.

"Dammit, we're now down a powerhouse." Nobunaga grunted. "What the hell was that anyway? Something about that sandstorm felt…hot, dry."

"Coming from you, that's saying something. Supposed Cleo's really going all out on us this year, isn't she? She's already outdone Elizabeth, that's for sure."

Despite the gloom of the situation, Nobunaga chuckled in agreement. "Yep. I'm definitely having more fun here than I would be stealing the show at her so-called, vampire rock festival."

"If you'd been there, I'm pretty sure we'd have gotten a…different kind of show, Nobunaga."

While the two jovial Servants conversed with each other, Ritsuka continued to examine the petrified status of the Berserker. He wasn't alone in doing so.

"Master, something is amiss here." Arash whispered.

"Yeah, I know. You could feel it, didn't you? In the sandstorm." He replied.

The Archer's face was grave as he nodded. "That…odor. It was unmistakably that of chaos."

Before their conversation could continue, a rumbling caught their attention. Going on guard, they turned to their right, where they saw a stone slab sliding open.

"Well, I suppose we are one level lower, thus closer to the heart of the tomb." Arash offered.

"Ritsuka," Nobunaga called. The slight change in her voice signaled that she was now taking things a tad more seriously. The change in demeanor was rather warranted. "I know how you feel about Penthesilea, but we can't do anything for her. We've got to go on."

"I know." At least it wasn't like she was actually dead. Ritsuka had seen enough of these movies to know after the first one, the rest of the party started dropping like flies. He took solace in the fact that Cleopatra wasn't actually killing them. "Alright, everyone. Onward we go. We've got a treasure to find."

Before leaving, they moved Penthesilea off to the side, where hopefully she wouldn't get in anyone's way. Just before leaving, he looked back at the sand that had once been a towering storm attempting to crush them against the ceiling. Using a touch of Reinforcement magecraft, he saw that some grains sprinkled red.

---

Obviously, they ran into more traps past the next three floors. Including, of course, collapsing floors, spiking shooting up from the ground (and the wall) alongside the occasional monster bursting from the shadows. Annoying, challenging, but not enough to stop the group as they made it past the next three floors. As they descended a torchlit stairwell, a sense of anticipation overtook all of them. Looking between each other, then as one pushed the doors open.

If there were a few things historians could agree on regarding Queen Cleopatra, it was her pride. Such a thing was on full display as they stepped into the massive, auditorium-sized chamber whose highlight was a perfectly carved statue of a seated Isis. Her wings were folded behind her, no doubt to make room for the two pillars on either side of her. Twin cobras were wrapped around the tops, their gazes positioned squarely on them. Lining the walls were various statues of gods, in both their animal and their human form.

"Well done, mortals." Boomed her voice from the subterranean statue.

"Mortals? Hah!" Nobunaga barked. "Alright, we've braved the worst you've had to throw at us to get here! Your treasure is ours, Cleopatra!" Malicious glee rolled off the Japanese Servant's sudden smile as she twirled one of her rifles, the tip flickering with red light waiting to be expelled as a beam of energy. "Unless you've got more trials waiting for us. Gotta say, this place is sizable enough for us to have it out, provided Egypt's last pharaoh has it in her for one more go round."

"As tempting as that would be…no. You lot have made it further than those before you, some of whom wallow in despair above you. Perhaps some of them may reach this innermost chamber…but for now, that honor solely belongs to you five. Especially you, Ritsuka Fujimaru."

A tingle raced up his spine at the mention of his name. Simultaneously to it was the manifestation of the voice's owner. Cleopatra appeared in a hailstorm of sand that forced a slight shielding of the eyes. For Ritsuka, he didn't look away for too long, he didn't want to.

When he first met Cleopatra, he was stunned for numerous reasons. Looking back, that had actually been a common reaction to a couple of Servants, especially those who'd been…not what he was expecting. That somewhat applied to Cleopatra. Rather than dressed in ancient clothing like her fellow pharaoh, she was dressed in more modern clothing. It was a prelude to her interest to fashion, an interest that had genuinely amazed him.

He was amazed now, standing before her as she was dressed in a regal white dress befitting of her homeland. Chaldea's Laster Master was speechless as she approached him, a near genuine mystical glow coating her. Ritsuka was utterly mystified by it, until he looked into her eyes.

On the surface, they were normal, but there was something about them that threw him off. His instincts were screaming at him not to let his guard down, even as he felt his heart becoming enthralled by the flowery words of the girl whom he'd developed a smoldering hot crush on.

This…isn't her. This is-!

"Master? Ritsuka?" her hands felt hot, hotter than he believed they should have been. Seemingly green eyes stared at him while glossy pink lips frowned at him. "You have reached the heart of my tomb after braving ordeal after ordeal. You have proven yourself more valorous than Caesar and Antony. Surely, you understand what that means, do you not?"

Turning his head, she laid an arm out and pointed to the sparkly chest filled with gold and gemstones. They were real…and Ritsuka had already been given permission to take them with him when he left Chaldea. Just one would be enough to pay his way through college. Hell, just a few might be enough so that he'd never even have to work a day in his life.

And all that was before he could sink his teeth into the delicious chocolates that he was sure were intermixed with the gold. He knew that Cleopatra certainly knew how to prepare some delicious treats.

All of it was his, all of it earned.

"Ritsuka," Cleopatra called again. His fast-beating heart slowed to a crawl as he looked back at her. The distance between them was diminishing. "You are now my new beloved."

Clenching his fists, he whispered a response, "I wish I could say the same." In a sudden move, he shoved the green-haired woman away, his hand going to his sword while his left arm rose in a guarded position.

Rage contorted her features. "You are to reject I, the great and powerful Cleopatra!"

"Where is she!" Barked the black knight. He heard the notching of an arrow; it was all he needed to hear to know that his Servants, his friends, had his back. "What the hell of you done with her?" The seethed the normally laid back teenager.

At first, "Cleopatra", failed to respond…but then she did. Cold laughter spilled from her lips as her once pristine skin seemingly grew paler. Upon closer examination, Ritsuka could have sworn he saw cracks in it, pieces of it falling off like…grains of sand. They magnified as the woman threw her arms out and her laughter increased tenfold.

"Um, anyone else feeling it getting a little…hotter in here?" Hector spoke.

"It's not just you. I feel it as well." Arash affirmed. "Be ready, everyone. It seems we've been tricked."

"Yes, you have, and now you're all about to be dead, truly dead." Spoke the woman that had masqueraded as Egypt's last native ruler. "But not you, Ritsuka Fujimaru. You have proven yourself befitting of a grander fate. Look around you! See the army that we shall lead!"

The unearthly wails were enough to bring the temperature to sub-zero levels despite the rise in heat. Quite an irony, then again, so was undeath, a state of being that could suit the hundreds of mummified warriors that emerged from the walls. Their bandage-wrapped bodies and sharpened weapons were bad enough, but what truly sent chills down the group's spines was the swirls and whisps of red sand that trailed off their bodies.

"U-Um, wasn't there a mention of an army of the undead in Cleopatra's advertisement?" Mash whispered keeping her shield up. She had a feeling it was going to get some more usage, major usage.

"Yeah, we've been fighting off scouts at best. Now, this is the main force." Nobunaga addressed. "Granted, I have a feeling it's not Cleo's army anymore."

"No, it isn't, then again, I'm making far better use of it than she ever did." The lookalike cackled. Her disguise had fallen away completely to reveal something else beneath. It was a mummy, a female one, but one who was wrapped in graying bandages from hand to toy. In parts of her exposed body was decayed skin that was written upon in black ink. Rather than Cleopatra's flowing long hair, hers was short, just barely past her shoulders. Not to mention it was quite unruly, as would be befitting of a mummy who'd spent ages trapped sealed away. Red energy danced around her palms as she smile down upon the group. "So, Ritsuka Fujimaru…is it to your liking? I have a lovely set of armor awaiting you. Far more fitting than that European mess that you currently sport."

"Oh, I don't know, this costume's been everything I'd hope it'd be." His response was almost entirely free of malice. Almost. "It looks cool, comfortable, and lastly, it's done its job of protecting me against your magic…Set."

"Hehehehe! That's only because I haven't been trying. Now that you're here though…" She spoke in ancient Egyptian, a language that Ritsuka could never imagine himself understanding. He wouldn't have if he hadn't been taught by native pharaohs themselves.

Thanks to them, he understood that the Egyptian god of chaos and the desert was seeking an army of undead animated by his own magic upon them. It was done in such a grandiose display that any Hollywood special effects director would have given an arm and a leg to replicate.

And that went for Cleopatra's entrance.

"HOLT! YOU HAVE DEFILED MY PYRAMID AND NOW YOU SEEK TO HARM MY MASTER! I WON'T ALLOW IT!"

It all happened in seconds. One minute the mummified warriors were leaping at them, running into arrows and mana-infused lead bullets, and then they were being scattered about and burned alive. Crashing through the chamber was the gigantic, mystically empowered serpent Noble Phantasm of the true Cleopatra. Once Ritsuka laid eyes upon her, he was captivated. He knew in an instant it was her. His heart fluttered in joy seeing her mostly unharmed. Then it screamed in alarm as her attempt to dive kick her imposter ended in failure.

"Hang on! I'm coming!" he shouted running after her. Even with an infusion of magic, her kick wasn't able to penetrate the imposter's barrier. She was sent hurling backwards; she'd have hit the ground if Ritsuka hadn't made a diving save to catch her. "Cleopatra, are you alright?" he immediately asked.

She froze staring back at his face. "R-R-Ritsuka? Ritsuka, it's really you, right?"

"I think I should be asking that question." He replied, a bit of mirth in his voice.

Cleopatra's frantic face transformed into a brimming smile as she reached forward and removed his helmet, feeling up his face. Her touch was warm, but not the smoldering hotness that her imposter's had been. That and the look in her eyes immediately told him that it was her.

"Hey, Master! Show her your undying admiration later! We have a god to slay!" Shouted Nobunaga. She had a flintlock in one hand and her katana out in the other. Her overall red and black clothing went perfect with the red aura of the mummified she was fighting, one would question why they weren't on the same side.

"Killing a god, huh? That'll make one hefty treat for this Halloween! I'll give it a shot!" Hector proclaimed after a three-hundred and sixty spin that cleaved an approaching squad of mummies in two. As it ended, he hefted his legendary spear up, magical energy exploding around him in preparation for his Noble Phantasm.

Cleopatra pushed Ritsuka aside. "Hector, no! Stop! Your Noble Phantasm is of no use here, not to mention it's what Ahmanet wants!"

Her warning came too late as the divine golden glow was blown away by swirling red sands. Troy's legendary warrior prince screamed in alarm as he was beset by ancient magic, magic far beyond what his Class-based resistance could defend against. His spear cluttered to the ground as he screamed in agony.

"You, defender of Troy, I will personally drain." Came the female mummy's voice. In the blink of an eye she was in front of the struggling Trojan, grabbing his face and bringing it close to hers. "Rest assured, I will make all of Greece pay for the annihilation of your city and people. Merely give in."

Before Ritsuka could move, Cleopatra grabbed him. Ancient Egyptian flew from her lips and the power of her spell manifested in his sword. It glowed with a bird-like hieroglyph that went with a golden shine to his weapon. Knowing what he had to do, he jumped to his feet and ran toward the two. With his downward swing, the pair were separated. Hector dropped to his knees, drained of power but alive, the mummy, on the other hand, eyed him with annoyance. She manifested a blade of sand and glass which clashed with his own sword. His won.

Hissing, the mummy retreated back to the statue that lay at the center of the room. Its true form had been revealed. Not a statue of Isis but of her mortal enemy, the slayer of her husband and brother. Alight by red cracks, it raised its fist and would have slammed it down had Cleopatra's snake not slammed into it. They crashed into the back wall leaving a massive hole in it.

Hovering in front of it, the female mummy scuffed. "Know this, you may flee this tomb, but there is no escaping me! I will return! This pocket dimension shall become the center point from which I, Ahmanet restore Egypt's lost glory! Should you pathetic peons have a shred of wisdom, bow to your knees and pledge your allegiance to me!" Encased in a swirl of sand, the mummy disappeared down the hole. With her vanishing came the retreat of her army. As they faded into the darkness, the glow of their crimson eyes lingered, as if promising death or a fate even worse if they met again.

Recovery began immediately. While Mash and Arash tended to the downed Hector, Ritsuka faced Cleopatra. She looked ashamed, more shamed than angered. For the sake of the situation at hand, she pushed those emotions aside and remained composed as she explained what happened.

"While I was constructing my pyramid, I…I…I linked it, and by extension this dimension, to the Daut in order to channel more power for my pyramid. In doing so, I opened a door for…shall we say, wicked forces, to come about. We just met them. Ahmanet, a would-be pharaoh from the Old Kingdom."

Hearing that last part made Ritsuka's eyes widen. "Was she another contender for the throne?"

"You could say that. Had she succeeded, her official title would have been queen, but she'd have been the true power behind the throne. A shadow pharaoh if you will. Also…Egypt would have been ruled by Set, and I don't need to tell you how that would have turned out." The fashionista Servant affirmed. Much like her imposter, she was dressed in white regal robes; that was no doubt because she'd planned on meeting them "in-character". Here she was though, explaining to them her shame and another one of Egypt's darker secrets.

Nobunaga snorted. The story was all too familiar to her. It wasn't unique to Egypt as every country with a system of monarchy had something similar happen to it. "Obviously she failed, but thanks to you, she's now got a second chance."

"Not for long." It was rare for Cleopatra to lose her temper, but the look of pure, barely contained rage on her face was a sight to see. Ritsuka rather wished he hadn't, but he was witness it with his own two eyes. "I unleashed her into the world, and it is my job to stop her. No one else's, certainly not the other pharaohs."

The Japanese warlord laughed, a harsh, mocking sound that caused Cleopatra's eyes to narrow. "What? You don't want backup, or you don't want the others learning of your colossal blunder. I'm sure they'll-"

"Nobu." Ritsuka cut in. The Archer went quiet, her normally fiery and rebellious attitude culled by his stern gaze. At her nod of submission, he turned back to Cleopatra. "We're going to stop her. Nobunaga, take Hector and the others back upside. Form a perimeter around this pyramid. Nothing gets out. Also, send word back to Chaldea about the situation. That includes to the other pharaohs." Upon saying that, he looked back to Cleopatra. He could see the rebellion mounting in her voice, her urge to tell him no such thing would happen. That's what one would have expected of the proud and capable queen.

What happened instead was her nod of affirmation of his words. She was keeping cool, focusing on the impeding disaster they had to avert. Personal pride had no place in such a defense.

"There is a spell that can banish Ahmanet and Set back to the Duat where they likely came. It's hidden in a spell book just a few levels down beneath us. Upon receiving it, I'll go to the lower chamber and use it banish them."

"You mean this isn't the central chamber?"

"It used to be, Ritsuka. When they…hijacked my pyramid, they warped it, adding additional levels of their own while warping some of mine. As you all just saw, the usage of Noble Phantasms is hampered. This place is heavy with the magic of ancient Egypt. Unless one is blessed with such magic, they will find their abilities hampered. Even your powers will be diminished, Nobunaga."

The declaration didn't sit well with the Japanese Servant, and she let it show in her eyes. Still, like the Assassin, she kept her temper in check. Turning to Ritsuka, she gave him her input. "If you two aren't back in thirty-minutes, we lay siege to this tomb. I swear, we'll bring it crashing down, and if need be, we'll dig both of you out."

"Thirty minutes," The teenager mused.

"More than enough time for us to end this. Come along, Ritsuka. It seems it'll be the two of us from this point onward." As soon as she was finished speaking, she was walking forward, her dark green hair swaying behind her. She was clearly not waiting for Ritsuka to follow her; it was quite befitting of a queen eager to cover up a shameful mistake.

Ritsuka looked down at his Halloween costume, chuckling at the coincidentally nature of it. Afterward, he glanced back at the group assembled around Hector. Mash and Arash nodded in sad but willing understanding of their new plan of action. They'd no doubt be amongst the first to assault the tomb to rescue them. Ritsuka just hoped they'd have everything all finished up by the time the thirty minutes were up. Lastly where was Hector…who shot him a wick and a grin; the hidden meaning was received and it made Ritsuka blush. He suddenly wished he still had his helmet on. Based on what he heard, it might not come in handy, but he'd learned better safe than sorry.

Quickly catching up to the Assassin, he found her unusually quiet. He knew that she had a flood of thoughts ripping through her mind, few of them positive. The once proud queen had been brought low.

Without a word, he gently gripped her right hand with his. Cleopatra was surprised, she was temporarily freed of her inner turmoil thanks to his sudden move.

Her surprise melted into heartfelt appreciation. Tears seemingly welled up in her eyes as she looked to him with a smile.

"Thank you, Ritsuka."

"You're my friend, Cleo, I'd help out even if you tried to send me away. I'm just hoping I'll be able to help you."

The next thing he knew, her arms were wrapped around his neck, their bodies pressing together as she seemingly held onto him for dear life. "You already have, Ritsuka Fujimaru, my Master. My…hehe, my knight from the land of the rising sun."

Alone in the darkness of the cave, their respective blushes could have illuminated all the shadows of the tomb.

---

As he stood alongside figures from history and myth, Ritsuka realized he'd best learn some of their stories. He had not only the best modernized sources available, but the sources themselves.

Ancient Egypt had been an alluring and mystifying place, even to the far east. In Japan though, there was one medium that no doubt deserved great credit for. He'd always known though that there was more to Egypt than just the pyramids, or magicians able to summon monsters to fight with.

"The glory of the Old Kingdom was like the sunset. Sinking by the second, yet everyone telling themselves it had not yet dipped beneath the horizon." Cleopatra had begun to explain. "Then you had those who believed they could somehow keep it held up. How it was done so was a point of contention between several, especially amongst the priests. That's where Ahmanet's family came from. They married into the royal family and quietly schemed to take power; they were simply one of many, but Ahmanet came dangerously close."

"I have a feeling she wasn't doing it for her family though, was she?" Ritsuka inquired.

Cleopatra nodded. Holding up her hand, a hieroglyph manifested. Its divine power disabled the traps in the passageway that they were heading down, as it had several before. "She'd broken from the rest of her family and worshipped Set. While that itself wasn't a crime, it was certainly something to be worried about. Her usage of his powers had inflated her already large ambitions. According to the records passed down, she planned on reincarnating him into the body of the pharaoh…her brother, who she skimmed to make king."

Ritsuka remained quiet on the fact that her brother would also be her husband. Whereas the modern world heavily frowned on incest, back in the time of the pyramid builders (literally), it was quite normal. Especially amongst royalty.

"As I said before, Ahmanet would have been a shadow ruler, or at least a major benefactor from Set's power inhabiting Egypt's ruler. While the Old Kingdom may have been restored…"

"It would have been a case of tyrant takes the helm."

She gave a short, humorous laugh at his witty remark. "Yes, which is why it was agreed upon that she had to be stopped, even by squabbling rivals." The short silence that ensued told Ritsuka a couple of things. Chief among them was that the alliance put together to stop Ahmanet had likely crumbled after it'd accomplished its goal, further weakening the kingdom and spelling the end of the era. As they jumped over a chasm and came upon a scorpion-painted door. They could sense something behind it, something ancient and powerful. "Ahmanet was stopped, and her entire family killed for her actions. It was seen as somewhat harsh, even by my era's standards, but necessary to keep Set's chaotic influence from taking hold of Egypt. It did…for a time."

As the door opened, torches lit the chamber, albeit upon looking around, Ritsuka could see it was more like an arena. One also adorned wit a giant, stylize scorpion. It took all but a second for Master and Servant to realize what this was.

It took that same amount of time for the former to formulate a plan. "Cleo, go. I'll hold whatever…comes out off."

"Ritsuka," she began.

He looked right at her. "You know I can handle myself. I've got a job to do as your knight."

The green-haired woman turned around to completely face him. "That you do, but you have a duty to live through this as well. I will not allow you to break that promise, do you understand me?"

She was trembling. "I will." He affirmed, his hands going atop hers. "I promise."

They held each other's gazes, neither of them saying a word, yet having no need to. Not caring about the metallic helmet he wore, Cleopatra touched her forehead against his.

In the next breath she was gone, moving fast across the outer layer of the arena. Ritsuka, meanwhile, dashed to the center of it, shouting out a challenge to undoubtedly scorpion-natured spirit that guarded the spell book they needed.

And true to form, another stone tablet arose, radiating wicked golden light as the creature chiseled on it emerged. While it was indeed scorpion-themed, it was also humanoid, from the waist up.

"Oh, awesome. A scorpion-man. You know, I was actually thinking I'd get a giant monstrous scorpion, not something with a visible head I can hack off." The human half-jokingly laughed. While he did so, the scorpion-man lifted his head up and roared. It sounded more monstrous than human. At the end of it came a beast-like lunge that Ritsuka parried with his shield. The next claw swipe he parried with his sword. Finally came the scorpion tail, which he just outright dodged. "Cleo!"

"There's a barrier protecting it! Give me a second! You can give me that, can't you!" She shouted back.

Almost simultaneous to her retort, the scorpion-man swung his tail in a three-sixty spin. Ritsuka simply jumped, easily reaching a good ten feet despite the weight of his armor. Stabbing its legs into the ground, the monster went for a second attack with its tail.

CLING!

Ritsuka had an idea to throw his sword at the monster, hoping he'd get lucky in stabbing it through the head. That'd be a one-hit kill he could probably make.

Unfortunately, the sound of sizzling made him realize that such an idea was off the table. Raising his shield, he projected a barrier strong enough to weather the next attack, and the next one. Ritsuka rolled across the ground, his armor protecting him, but he still felt a dull aching across his body. Quickly looking at his sword, he saw it hadn't been completely melted away, he still had enough of a sword left, for maybe one more swing. He had to be careful with his usage.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! KA-CHIIING!

Acidic poisons continuously ate away at his shield. While it was keeping him alive, Ritsuka knew that wasn't going to be the case for much longer.

The scorpion-man seemed eager to get to that point fast. It'd likely never met a human as tenacious as him, and that angered it. Stabbing its legs into the ground, it roared, powering itself up before going in for a charging attack. It seemed like a move torn from a video game. Ritsuka had played enough of those to know that in the move's aftermath he'd have an opening, provided he survived it.

Just as he was about to dodge the attack, he realized one key aspect of doing that-remembering the tail.

He was right as Ritsuka jumped to his left, and the monster man's tail struck out at him as he did so. Deciding to go for broke, he unlatched his shield and threw it like a boomerang, watching it hit the scorpion tail. It succeeded in knocking it off course. Between that and the temporary loss of energy from its charging attack, the scorpion-man was stunned; Ritsuka had his opening.

Beneath his leg armor. His legs lit up with turquoise Tron-lines. He kicked off the ground as he dashed toward the scorpion man. Ritsuka didn't know if its blood would be poisonous as well, but he needed to bring this thing down.

SCHUUK!

Bloody gurgled from the monster man as Ritsuka flipped his blade around and pulled it aside. Dark purple liquid ate away at the blade giving Ritsuka reason to drop it before the poison could consume his hand. He didn't stare at it though, he focused on the half-decapitated scorpion-man. It stumbled about, swinging its arms as its head hung onto its neck by a few fleshy strains. Definitely not the cleanest decapitation he'd ever done, but it seemed to have worked.

"R-Raaarggh!

Thunk!

Ritsuka tasted blood in his mouth as he was sent tumbling backward. He felt aching pain in his chest, but he also felt like nothing was broken, or at least he hoped nothing was. Nothing belonging to him anyway.

"Ritsuka!" Cleopatra called.

"I'm okay!" he yelled back. His armor had protected him, and that'd been its final deed. The steel plates had protected him from the barbs that would have pierced his flesh and likely left him crippled, or even dead. Stripping it off, he gasped for breath, feeling the rising and falling of his chest with each one he took. "Tell me you're almost done cracking that barrier!"

"Patience is a virtue, Master!"

As if to spite her, a serious of ghostly wails rolled into the chamber. Looking to the door they'd came in through, Ritsuka saw undead troopers streaming in. Some looked to him, but a majority of them had their eyes on Cleopatra atop the pedestal. One of them barked something to the rest, an order to go after the most pressing target.

"No, no!" The human snapped. Frantically looking around for anything he could use, he spotted the remains of warriors who'd came before him. Many of them had their weapons broken with their bodies likely following suit. "Come on, come on, all I need is something! Anything!" Looking back, he saw the mummies approaching the steps behind Cleopatra, then there were those approaching him. Looking back at the pule, Ritsuka spotted the hilt of what looked to be a sword. Praying it was in one piece, he grabbed it and swung behind him as he heard the ghostly wails of his pursuers.

SWOOSH!

Wisps of red flew from the severed mummies. Ritsuka only paid miniscule attention to it, and the blue glow of the khopesh he now wielded. It was an effective weapon, and that's all he needed it to be.

Screaming in what Egyptian he knew, he caught the mummies attention. That gave him enough time to start hacking into the approaching horde. One after another he cut them down, slicing them apart in all ways. Dust and sand began to pool at as he made quick work of the attack squadron. As he took a break atop the steps, he looked back at the entrance where he and the mummies had came from. More unearthly moans rose from the dimly lit darkness. With a huff, Ritsuka gripped the khopesh with both hands and charged forward.

He'd cut down several mummies when he heard the voice of Ahmanet in his ears. "Quite impressive, especially for a peasant from an island nation at world's end. No, you have proven yourself to undoubtedly be amongst the best warriors your nation has ever produced. Worthy to stand at my side and rule the world."

"Thanks for the flattery, but no thanks! I'm trying to save it, not rule!" The teenager shouted as he found himself encircled.

"Why? Why fight to save something you have no claim to? For all you have done, you are deserving of it! You are deserving of happiness! I can give it to you! More happiness than you could ever hope to imagine!"

"I'm sure you can, but still, no thanks!" The black-haired boy retorted.

"Do you genuinely believe that failure if a pharaoh will be able to give you what you seek!"

Ritsuka briefly paused, and in that pausing he left himself up to being grappled. He shook it off and got back to hacking and slashing. This was what he was afraid of; he could only hope that Cleopatra was too focused on her sorcery to listen to the conversation, or that only he could hear Ahmanet's voice.

"She is a petty, vain woman. You deserve more than her, far more. If anything, she is the one who is unworthy of you. I am, if you'd only allow me to show, Ritsu."

"Don't call me that. You don't have that right." He seethed. An azure glow was emitted from his sword as he swung it about in an horizontal swing, a swing that was halted by a pair of fingers. Ritsuka's blue eyes widened as he realized the one holding the blade was Ahmanet herself. "Y-You,"

"I want you, Ritsuka Fujimaru. Set himself sees you as worthy. Not just any mortal could take on Tiamat and live. You are exceptional, you are incredible, you are-"

"HE'S TAKEN, YOU TRAITOROUS BITCH! NOW, TAKE THE HINT AND GET LOST!"

It was the sword that saved him, pulling him away like he was a chain and it was the ball. That was a good thing since it got him out of the way of the magical blast that incinerated Ahmanet's mummy, and most of the hallway they'd came down. Ritsuka watched the blast incinerate rock like it was nothing. He as grateful that the blast didn't cause the hallway to collapse.

As he caught his breath, he looked back at the one who'd unleashed the blast.

In a word, Cleopatra was not happy. At hall. She held in one hand a golden ankh with a ruby jewel while in the other was the spell book they'd came for. Gnashing her teeth, she approached him, divine power rolling off of her like heat from a furnace. "Ritsuka," she whispered.

"Cleo," He said getting to his feet.

"Come. We're ending this madness. Now!" She sounded like the dreaded queen some less flattering stories had made her out to be.

He silently followed after her, not wanting her wrath directed toward him, and worried about where her wrath would lead her.

His next move was partially fueled by that, but it was also his innermost feelings. "Cleopatra." Yet again, he grabbed her hand as they walked, though this time he felt the pulsating magic of the ankh she wielded in her right hand. He didn't focus on it though, but on her face. As she looked into his eyes, the anger slightly drained from her face, turning into enforced calmness.

After a deep breath, she looked back at him, a near shameful look in her eyes. "I…"

"You're not a failure of a pharaoh. You were one of the best, you just…everything ends, Cleopatra. Even empires, even the great ones. You just…happened to be there at the end of Egypt's, but what happened wasn't your fault. Cleo, you were one of Egypt's best rulers, you turned it into a thriving empire at the end of its reign. You made sure that the first great empire the world had ever known went out in style."

The ankh between their hands glowed brighter as a single tear slipped from the queen's eyes. "Th…Thank you, Ritsuka. I…I needed that."

"No problem. That's what…friends are for." He responded. A small part of him choked up at that last part. Ahmanent had reminded him just how much he wanted to be more than friends with the woman in front of him.

"We are not simply friends, we are comrades, allies. I am a queen and you are my knight, and you're going to look the part of an Egyptian knight." She said with a glint in her eyes.

"Huh?"

---

There were a lot of things that could be attributed to Ritsuka's confidence. The sword he now held, a sword seemingly carved from the horn of a blessed bull, the Egyptian armor he now wore which would protect him against his enemy's chaos magic, a powerful spell book that could give them the edge they needed to stop Ahmanet, and finally Cleopatra's very presence. He'd simply answer that it's all of the above, especially concerning Cleopatra's presence.

They now looked the part. She looked like an Egyptian ruler dressed in her golden jewelry and white robes. As for him, the blue and gold-colored armor made him look like some Egyptian warrior, albeit Cleopatra told him the armor he wore was one of a commander instead of a common foot soldier. She told him it fit as he was a commander, and her personal attendant. Completing the look was the divine sword strapped to his side. The guard was that of a bull, the bull god Apis, who'd been a long honored deity in Egyptian world.

"The fact that its power was invoked means that Lord Apis favors you. I can certainly see why, Ritsuka."

Cleopatra had held out her book and begun chanting as they approached Ahmanet's chamber. After the length of time it took for her to break the barrier around it before, he felt like she was doing the pragmatic thing. Ahmanet wasn't going to be an easy opponent; she certainly looked the part of the "final boss" as they finally entered her chamber.

The statue of Set loomed above her, the red glow of its body filling the room as she sat upon a red stone throne. She sneered as they entered the chamber.

"The pharaoh who ended Egypt's glorious reign. At last, you have come to me to atone for your mistake." The undead former royal spat.

Knowing how important her casting was, Ritsuka moved in front of her, his sword unsheathed and ready to be used.

"Step aside, Ritsuka."

"No." he coolly fired back. "And don't you dare call her a failure again. You don't have any right, especially since you never became pharaoh yourself, Ahmanet."

"I will be, pharaoh of an Egypt mightier than before." She retorted as she rose to her feet. "We will oversee it together, Ritsuka, and pass it along to our children."

Taking up a thrusting stance, Ritsuka gave a single, clipped response. "No." Kicking off the ground, he charged straight at the rogue priestess, his khopesh aimed at her. It was blocked by the sudden downward fist of her statue guardian. Still his blade dug deep into the statue's skin. Gnashing his teeth, he lifted the blade up, just as the statue lifted itself upward. Ritsuka quickly moved to slash at the other hand as it came at him. He wobbled as he stood up atop the statue's arm.

On the side he spied the battle between Cleopatra and Ahmanet. The former glowed with a radiant golden and yellow aura while the latter was ablaze in a red one. Ancient Egypt flew from their lips nonstop as the battle of sorcery cracked the ground around them. It was a battle of wills that he knew Cleopatra was going to win.

"Are you so sure about that? This is the same woman who decided death was preferable to surrender."

Jumping onto the shoulder, he ignored the blistering pain in his hands and stabbed at it. "She did what she felt was the right thing. I…I don't ever want to imagine myself in that position, but if I were…I wouldn't roll it out. I'd rather die on my own terms than be someone's trophy! I'm sure you know that feeling, Set, so try a new angle!"

The statue laughed, the dark god whose power inhabited seemingly agreed with him. That didn't make Ritsuka feel any better.

"Alright, here's one. Do you really want to go back to an 'ordinary' life after everything you've been through? Ritsuka Fujimaru, you have fought legends and slayed gods! Such actions are warranting of the highest honors, not a return to mediocrity! That is what awaits you at the end of this! With my power, no such fate awaits you! Only glory!"

Ritsuka could tell he was running close to the end of his rope. His breathing was harder than before and his grip was looser, if only a little. Regardless, he knew he had enough strength left in him to take this statue down. "I'd say I've got all the glory possible. I mean, after this, I'll be adding you to the list of gods I've taken down."

Set laughed at his boast, though it was hard to tell if he found it amusing or if he was just humoring him. "Ah, you will make a wonderful host to my powers. I will show you all there is to be had in this world, Ritsuka Fujimaru!" His right fist was raised, red energy swirling around it before it was rocked forward.

In the seconds that followed, Ritsuka poured all his power into the sword he'd gained. Practically all of his soul. Doing so made the weapon blaze with azure energy, energy that manifested into a bull's head.

"Forward. Forward. Always pressing forward, toward the light beyond the distant horizon. To where life shines bright."

With a roar, Ritsuka kicked off, feeling pure energy flowing through every vein in his body. The feeling continued as he smashed into the oncoming punch and felt like a mountain was trying to crush him. Gnashing his teeth, he let the feeling continue to circulate through him, empower him. Ritsuka pushed, and pushed, and eventually he broke through. Roaring, he smashed through the statue's chest, seeing swirls of red around him. Again, he simply kept on going, feeling like he couldn't stop even if he wanted to.

Upon seeing what lay on the other side, he didn't. He saw Ahmanet still battling Cleopatra. In seconds, he knew what he had to do.

Sensing his approach, the undead mummy turned toward him, shock on her face. Her mouth opened in a scream, yet he couldn't make out her words. There wasn't a need to as he was tired of listening to her.

She was screaming, screaming at the giant, ethereal bull heading toward her, and the blast of pure magical energy speeding her way from the other direction.

Ritsuka didn't remember which of them hit first, which would annihilated Ahmanet first. What he was certain of was that he heard her dying scream. He tried not to take enjoyment in causing his enemies pain, even killing them, but in the span of a few short minutes, he'd learned how to feel that way with the evil priestess.

Opposite of her was Cleopatra. His vision was blurry and his ears rung as if they were bleeding. They probably were along with the rest of his body, some bones probably broken too. Looking up at Cleopatra's face made him not care about those things, not even as the pain from them pulled him into the darkness of unconsciousness.

---

Waiting was nerve wrecking, yet sometimes it was all one could do. Even the most powerful could do nothing but do so when thrown into such situations. Cleopatra knew that all too well, and it was something she hated.

Waiting on loved ones was especially taxing.

She'd waited on the return of loved ones only to be given the heartbreaking news that they weren't returning to her. She'd suffered that paint twice before; Cleopatra knew that she didn't have the strength in her to go through that a third time. That's why she let tears of joy split from her eyes when Ritsuka showed signs of waking up.

"Just a little longer. He expanded much of his body's life force, not to mention the damage done to his body was quite severe. It's taken three days, but he's on the road to recovery. That includes waking up."

Those words had given her glimmers of hope that she'd desperately held onto. The irony of her current situation wasn't lost on her.

"As you've…no doubt seen in my memories, I have terribly luck with lovers, Ritsuka." She spoke to his still unconscious form. Alone in the infirmary, keeping watch over him, she could let her innermost feelings out. Those feelings that had been building up for quite a while. "I have a thing for men of ambition…yet also men of great capability. Your abundance of the latter has won me over…along with your unwavering determination, and kindness." She reached out and gently caressed his cheek, feeling a sense of warmth from it.

Every day for the last three days she'd been beside him, sometimes to the contusion of others. Cleopatra honestly didn't care. The attachment she had to the Japanese teenager was too strong for her to step away, even for a minute. Even for Caesar.

"Cleo…I want you to know that I am genuinely hoping he wakes up. Ritsuka Fujimaru has been more than just our Master, he has been humanity's champion, the finest it could ask for. He is the man that I perhaps respect more so than any other, even my own successors. He is a man that…he is a man that would undoubtedly make for a fine husband."

If permission were needed, that was it. Cleopatra would say that it wasn't needed, but it was appreciated. Her former lover had recognized that what they once had wasn't coming back. She'd known it herself, she'd known it for a while; personally, she'd say as far back as America, where she witnessed Ritsuka's bravery firsthand.

It was a cliché story, but one that had unfolded, and to her of all people. To be fair, both Caesar and Antony had been experienced, battle-tested men. They also both came from the higher ends of Roman society, their names having weight behind them.

Ritsuka Fujimaru? None at all. The ordinary son of a car designer and a finance manager. His family did have an affinity for the modern horseless carriages called cars. Ritsuka himself had an interest in machinery as well, and architecture. In that regard, Cleopatra supposed she was following after Hatshepsut, who'd been her predecessor in many ways. She'd honestly give away a fortune to have the intimate relationship she had with her personal architect, and for Ritsuka to be her personal architect. Just as he'd been her personal knight.

She wasn't surprised that Ahmanet had set her sights on Ritsuka. He would indeed make an ideal husband to both a ruler and an ordinary housewife. Albeit Cleopatra doubted that's what she'd become.

Even if she couldn't rule an empire, she'd at least rule a fashion empire. Surely that dream could coexist with whatever future career Ritsuka pursued. And surely he'd help her by modeling for her when she asked him to. He'd already done it before, countless times in fact.

"You have me dreaming of a shared future with you, Ritsuka. Do you have any idea how rare that is? What that means? Hmm, I suppose you don't…since you can't even hear me." A humorless laugh tumbled from her lips. Her hand went from caressing Ritsuka's cheek to cradling it. "When you wake up, I want you to hear my voice. I want you to hear those words and know that I, the…the great and powerful Cleopatra, has fallen for-"

Contrary to her words, she went completely silent as her Master's eyes open. His turquoise orbs gazed directly at her, she being the first thing he saw.

"Cleo-"

"Don't you ever scare me like that again! Your valor is impressive, but I value your life more so!" She shouted while throwing herself atop of him. In retrospect, she knew she should have been more careful, but the relief of seeing him alive overwhelmed her. It overwhelmed the sense of dignity and composure she so often tried to hold onto. What she held onto was Ritsuka, whose arms quickly wrapped around her waist. He held her as she let fall several tears that made her makeup run.

Ritsuka held her until her tears stopped falling, which wasn't for a while. By then, the commotion had attracted onlookers. Cleopatra didn't care about them. Her, the fashion-obsessed, high-class, and peppy queen of Egypt, cared naught for how she looked in front of others.

All she cared about was her Master, her knight, and her beloved.

-O-

She made sure to grab him as soon as dinner ended, albeit Cleopatra felt slightly nervous in doing so. All eyes had been on them since Ritsuka awoke earlier in the morning. Since then, he'd caught up on everything that had happened. It went without saying that this year's Halloween had been…unexpected, and blame for that squarely laid with her.

Not that he saw it as blame. "You definitely made Halloween memorable, I mean, that one isn't one I'm going to be forgetting any time soon. It was probably the coolest Halloween of my life, so thanks, Cleopatra."

Her composure had returned to her since his awakening earlier in the morning. With it came her ability to slip her mask of aloofness back onto her face. "I see, well then, I'm glad to hear that. I…gave you a treat that will undoubtedly live on in your memory." Looking away, she attempted to come off as cool and collected; Cleopatra knew that she was likely failing at it. She could feel Ritsuka's face beaming at her. It was too much for her to bear. Sighing, she turned to face him and smiled back at him. "Words can't express how sorry I am you had to help me clean up that mess, but I'm so immensely grateful for you for helping me do so."

"Well, I'm sure you remember what I said." He replied.

"I do…and I've been…thinking it over. As a queen, I'm not the sort to have friends, even though like any living creature, I need them. Also like a living creature, no, as a…human being, I long for companionship." Cleopatra knew she could beat around the bush, or she could take the clear and direct push. Being the kind of woman she was, her choice was clear. She looked straight at him, standing up as she did so. "Ritsuka, you proved that you are the companionship that I seek of, the sort that I want for a life time."

Expectedly, his eyes went wide. "W-W-What? Cl-Cleo, a-a-are-"

"I am assuring you now, I am perfectly in my right mine. In fact, I've never had a more grounded and clear perspective than I have now." Walking around the table, she grabbed his hands, hoisting him to his feet. Ritsuka stood up shakingly, his mouth agape and his cheeks rapidly turning red. "Ritsuka, I do not fall in love easy, contrary to what has been written about me."

"B-But you're-"

"Caesar and I have been broken up for a while. And if Antony were to be summoned…I would refute his advances." His eyes widened at those words. She was willing to guess somewhere inside, he wanted to hear those words; however, being the moral person he was, he'd likely refute such a thing. That morality was another trait of his she found enticing. Smiling, she reached forward and caressed the back of his head, feeling his black spikes. They were so unlike those of her previous lovers-they were exclusively Ritsuka's. "As you know, Assassin isn't exactly my best Class. If I'd been a Caster or Rider, we'd have likely had an easier time. I cursed this Assassin container for not giving me the power that I felt I needed. In its place though, I had you. You who gave me unwavering support alongside the full scope of your abilities. You did your best, Ritsuka Fujimaru." She pushed his head down, letting his forehead bump against hers. "And your best was worth ten-thousand men, it was enough to push me into realizing yet again, I am in the presence of a great man. I am in the presence of a man worthy of my heart…and I can only hope I'm worthy of his."

"…Why wouldn't you think that, Cleopatra?" Though blushing, his face was calm, focused.

A half humorless chuckle left her lips. "You missed on Halloween because of me and spent three days in a coma. On top of that, I…I worry about if you'd have someone who's lain with other men. I am a twice married woman."

He shook his head, gently squeezing her left hand. "Cleopatra, if I accepted that if I fell in love with any girl here at Chaldea, it'll probably be one that's been…in a relationship before. I mean, I'm surrounded by people that lived hundreds, potentially thousands of years ago. They all had their lives, including their own love lives. Some of which…didn't turn out so well."

"True. Loving someone can be a frightening thing." She affirmed. "But in the end, I like to think it's worth it. Don't you believe the same, Ritsuka?"

She could hear his heartbeat alternating between fast and slow, as if he were internally struggling to accept the reality before him. Cleopatra didn't blame him. It wasn't everyday a man was told he was loved by one of the most famous women in history, especially a woman infamous for her seductress.

Cleopatra believed she hadn't seduced him though, he'd somehow seduced her with his heroism and his kindness.

It's why she all but squealed in delight when he spoke two simple words. "I do."

"Then it is settled then!" Grinning, she took off, pulling him alongside her. They rushed out of the cafeteria and down the hallway. Yet again, she didn't care for who saw them. One look at the smile on her face and the blush on his and the pieces would have instantly clicked together. When they did, Cleopatra wouldn't deny it, and she hoped Ritsuka wouldn't either.

She only came to a stop once they reached her room and she closed and locked the door behind her. She watched Ritsuka take stock of his new surroundings, after he'd had the chance to get his legs to stop quivering. To him, it must have seemed like she flown him from one part of the compound to another. In truth, she practically had. Maybe a little magic had gone into her legs. She'd waited and waited for her Master to wakeup so she could make her feelings known to him. Could she bear to wait anymore?

The answer was sort of. She watched him be drawn to the artificial outside that lay beyond her window. Before the balcony stretched a desert lit by the moon and the stars.

"You want to see it again, don't you?" He whispered with his hands on the balcony.

"Yes, amongst many other things. The pyramids, the sphinx, Alexandria, I want to see all of my homeland, even if it no longer worships its native gods. Egypt is still Egypt, and it is still my home. Partially." She proclaimed as she joined him on the balcony.

"Partially?" he asked turning to her.

The rush pumping through her hadn't came in ages. Its presence was perhaps another sign that the man facing her was hers to be, and this time, she was certain their story wouldn't end in tragedy.

"I believe my true home…is now wherever you may be, Ritsuka. After all, a woman is never complete without her lover beside her, or perhaps her beside him." Like the cobra that once took her very life, she struck his lips. His eyes lit up, yet his mouth instinctively responded. He kissed her back, furthering the amorous rush that had been present within her. She pulled away to give him a second of relief. "Because of me, you missed out on your Halloween treats…so please, allow me to make up for it, Ritsuka."

She started that by kissing him again and grinding against him. The Master's body couldn't help but react in the most natural way possible. Said response reddened Cleopatra's cheeks, and made her all the more motivated. Her kiss became harder, her tongue dominating Ritsuka's mouth in seconds. He was just barely keeping himself upright as the Egyptian Servant all but humped him. Ritsuka wouldn't exactly say that he was against it.

The railing was all that kept him from falling off his backside, and really, all that kept them from tumbling over the ledge. It was dangerous, something that his rational mind fervently cried, alas, those cries were being muffled by the growing storm of bliss. Ritsuka felt the call within him-he wanted the storm to grow.

It was fast growing and already all-consuming within his Servant lover. Cleopatra knew what this moment was, it was well and truly the start of a new beginning for her. As footprints were erased by the desert sands, so too was her past moved on from; however, it wasn't entirely forgotten. She was simply deciding not to look back on it, not let herself be bound by it. Pulling away for air, she looked at Ritsuka Fujimaru-her future.

He now seemed more handsome than he had been before. His face so flushed and his eyes becoming hazy with erotic desire. Cleopatra knew that her own eyes mimicked such a feeling. It'd slumbered deep within her, waiting for the day it would be released. As celestial moonlight shined through its prison, excitement swelled up and forced it into action. Exactly as wind blew, the Egyptian Servant surged forward, capturing her Master's lips in a kiss. She held dominance over the kiss, enforcing her rule, her claim, to Ritsuka's mouth. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her body resumed its aggressive grinding against his. She could feel the body heat rolling off of him. And she could most certainly feel his manhood rising in his pants.

Explicit thoughts danced in her mind, energized by the hidden desires that were now running wild within her. She'd always pondered what her Master's manhood would be like. Those times she spent spying on him while he was training, surely they'd borne fruit, hadn't they?

An unexpected answer came to her as the Egyptian woman suddenly found herself hosted into the air. "A-Ahh! R-R-Ritsuka!" Her legs kicked out before wrapping themselves around his waist. Within seconds she realized what had happened. She stared at him with an embarrassed blush as he held her in his arms. Cleopatra already knew he was strong, strong enough to lift a full-sized boulder, to say nothing of another human being. Of course, he was far gentler when dealing with the latter, especially her. "Hmm~" She softly giggled. As he laughed, she leaned forward and resumed the kiss. This time, her dominance was opposed by his tongue. Cleopatra felt jolts of pure ecstasy running up and down her spine. She became so enthralled in the kiss she hardly noticed that they were moving.

Only when she felt her back touch something solid did she realize they'd moved. Her right hand dislodged from his neck to feel whatever it was they were now on. The couch. Good enough. Thought the ancient queen. Eyes flashing, she returned her arm to its place around Ritsuka's neck, her lips doing the same to his.

Cleopatra felt her head hit something soft yet hard, no doubt the couch's arm rest. Ritsuka was atop of her, clearly in control of the kiss. His sudden dominance actually excited her. Her bare legs began to sensually rise and grind against her Master's sides. Cleopatra felt it, the growing hardness between his legs that continuously poked at her. Knowing her own mind and body well, she knew what this growing feeling was. She was a little amazed at how she'd kept from tearing Ritsuka's clothes off, or downright ordering him to remove his clothes.

Her mind played the imagine spot over and over again. This certainly wasn't the first time she'd thought of this. Likewise, this moment wasn't the first time she'd thought of stripping for him.

He deserves that, doesn't he? Oh, Ritsuka, you' have gone above and beyond to earn my favor. You deserve something so worthwhile and precious for all that you've done.

Do I?

The human pulled away, his chuckling unending while the last pharaoh of Egypt was left gasping in shock. Her eyes stared at his snickering face as he sat up atop of her. "R-R-R-Ritsuka, I-I-I…I never gave you permission t-t-to intrude upon my thoughts!"

"Hmm, I'm pretty sure you did. In fact, I remember you telling me that your mind was an oasis that I was always welcome to." He unabashedly retorted.

Quickly regaining her composure, Cleopatra sat up as well, her arms slowly wrapping around his neck. "Yes…I remember now. I told you that my mind…and my presence would always be an oasis you could seek shelter in." Her right hand rose and daftly combed the back of his head. Though his hair was dark, it reminded her of leaves. Fresh, vibrate leaves teeming with life. As pharaoh, it was her duty to make sure they remained as such, and that same vibrancy flowed through the rest of his body. "Ritsuka…have no fear of what happens next. If you are lacking, then I will teach you, and I will enjoy all the time that we have together." His hold on her grew tighter as he moved his head back and looked into her eyes. Just as he whispered her name, she took his lips in a kiss. She didn't overwhelm him; she made this kiss soft and tender; it was the gentle affirmation that she knew he needed.

In throes of their unleashed passion, she'd forgotten that her Master-turned-lover was a novice in sex. Truthfully, Cleopatra found something enticing in that. He was a virgin despite the advances of almost half of Chaldea's occupants; some of them had tried hard to change that. She took pride in the fact that she would be the one to claim his innocence, and his heart.

She heard it beating several ticks faster as he lifted her up. This time, she was fully aware of it. Her Master's blue eyes shimmered with reassurance that transformed into heartfelt joy. Giving her a small but warm smile, he began to move. Cleopatra didn't have to look back to know where he was going. She knew Ritsuka well, she knew that he was a gentleman, and he wanted his first time to be special. Frankly, she agreed with his thinking. Sex was better done on a bed than on a couch, especially when it was one member's first time, such was the case with Ritsuka.

The second that her back touched the silken sheets, she flipped the two of them over. It was Ritsuka's turn to be surprised. Giggling, she traced a manicured nail down his face. "My, my, what is it about you that lures me like a moth to a flame. Such innocence, such kindness. Such things are unfit for a warrior who has been through all that you have…yet you've held onto those precious traits, Ritsuka Fujimaru. Oh, how the gods have blessed me to have you all to myself…now and forever."

"C-Cleo,"

The use of her pet name enticed her. She fell on his lips in the next breath, eagerly and passionately sucking his mouth. Her white-clad body began aggressively grinding against his, their respective lower halves meeting one another in a sensual dance. The presence of clothing grew incredibly restrictive on both of their parts. "Aaahhh~" Called the green-haired woman as she felt a pair of hands on her ass. "That's it, let those naughty desires out, Master~" her grinding intensified, and with it came Ritsuka's throaty groans.

D-D-Damn. I-I'm really doing this. I-I'm…really in this position.

Yes…you are. Miracles can happen, eh?

Chuckling, he reached up and gently grabbed the left side of Cleopatra's head. With his left hand still on her buttock, he flipped the two of them over. The Egyptian Servant giggled during the brief break they had, then resumed the kiss. Ritsuka did the grinding this time, pressing his lower half against hers. "You're wet down there, aren't you, Cleo?"

"Such foresight, my beloved." Came her amusement laced response. "Now then, let me showcase some of my own. You're hard, harder even than the mightiest obelisk, but you are aimed in the wrong direction. Hmm, no, perhaps you are not just an obelisk. You are a piece of a stone, a perfectly carved block longing to be inserted into its rightful place. Yes, that's it. You long to find the place you rightful belong to, to be inserted there and remain, squeezed and secured by the warmth of such comfort." Almost every word was punctuated by her legs, as if moved by wheels of continuous motion. If Ritsuka's restraint was a dame than she was sure it was on the verge of breaking, allowing a glorious flood to douse her. Cleopatra shivered in delight at when that flood would come. Oh, how she looked forward to it.

Alas, she would have to wait a while as her lover shot upward. He was panting as if he'd just ran a marathon. Given the surprising stamina Ritsuka had demonstrated, Cleopatra couldn't help but feel proud at how her foreplay was reducing him to such a threat. It left her looking for to more nights of intimacy such as this one. She had an entire book filled with things she couldn't wait to try out on him.

His heavy panting was arousing. Cleopatra found herself rising up, her fingers stretching toward him with the intent finally do something about his clothing. It was past time that they started losing some clothes, and she was more than happy to start with Ritsuka's shirt. She'd seen his naked upper body numerous times, but finally the honor of touching it would be hers. Clawing it, kissing it, marking it…all hers.

"Not yet." Ritsuka's voice surprised her like a clap of thunder in a clear sky. She blinked at him, only realizing that he'd grabbed her arms as he moved them above her head. "I want my Halloween treat now, Cleopatra." He declared in a dusky voice that sent shivers down the ancient monarch's spine. Her entire body was visibly trembling with anticipation.

His near predatory gaze could rival her own. "Then devour it whole, Ritsuka. You've more than earned it." Came her own lust-addled voice. Her heart pulsated, nearly exploded within her chest as he took her in a fierce, dominating kiss. Cleopatra wrapped all her limbs around his body, hellbent on making this kiss last seemingly until the end of time. Alas, it ended, though she wasn't left disappointed for long. His hands went to the straps of her dress, gripping them hard. In the blink of an eye, they were gone and her breasts were exposed. Cleopatra felt the cool night air tickling her harden nipples. That tickling sensation went all the way down to her core. "Ritsu-aaaaahhhh~!" It wasn't his mouth but his fingers. A craftsman's fingers shouldn't have felt so good, yet they did. They twisted and rubbed her nipples sending a flood of euphoria through her body. The pharaoh's erotic cries were muffled by her Japanese lover's lips.

She'd told him to do more, but with her mouth occupied, she couldn't say much. Neither was she interested in speaking to him using their minds. There was no fun in that. That was to be had in using their bodies.

Cleopatra could only scantily remember the last time that she'd felt such physical pleasure. Touching herself could only provide so much bliss, and even loath as she was to admit it…Caesar had lost his touch. Almost quite literally. With Ritsuka though…

"Mmmmm~ Mmmmm~ Aaahhh…hyaaaahh~" Just a simple word, "more", yet she couldn't get it out. Not that she needed to. Every second that passed was a second Ritsuka was kissing her while fiddling with her breasts. Or even kissing them. Her green eyes fluttered open to stare at the darken ceiling feeling the gentle pinch of his teeth on her tit. She didn't know which one it was as she was almost entirely drunk on pleasure. It was amazing; they were just getting started, but she couldn't believe how far down the depths of ecstasy she'd fallen. Cleopatra wanted to go deeper though, and she wanted to drag Ritsuka into the depths of this sensual pool with her.

He was practically the one dragging her down; like her, he was relishing every second of it. His tongue leisurely dragged across her right-side nipple, his teeth leaving small bite marks on it. "Woah," the human whispered as he pull away to examine his handiwork.

"R-Ri…tsuka…" Whispered the Egyptian Servant.

Shuddering as her hands rubbed his black spikes, the Japanese youth moved to her left breast. A short but sharp cry burst from her lips. So, her left breast is the sensitive one. He noted as he began giving it his tender care. His assignment was further proven as he felt Cleopatra's grip on his head tighten. She was urging him to bite down harder, and that's exactly what he did. A longer, more explicit moan fell from her lips. Ritsuka's cock twitched in his pants, angrily beating against the confines of his pants as he felt her bare legs brushing against his sides. He dragged his tongue across the nipple while tenderly biting it. In pulling away he saw the mark he'd left on it, as well as the utterly disheveled state of Egypt's last pharaoh.

With his pulling the straps of her dress, her breasts were exposed, and marked…by him. Cleopatra's hands lay on both sides of her, her ring-covered fingers twitching and her mouth split open in an endless pant. Her captivating face was flush red and her enchanting green eyes rapidly glazing over, especially as she stared at him. The infamously shred woman was now an open book to read. Her mouth opened in a wordless pant, a cry for more of the bliss she'd just experienced. Laughing, Ritsuka answered the pharaoh's plea. His right hand squeezed her breast as he kissed her. Their joint moans filled the room, rising above the nightly breeze blowing in from the balcony. They didn't care about it or what lay beyond their bedroom. As far as they were concerned, they had the whole world in each other.

Cleopatra whined in protest when Ritsuka departed from her lips. Still, she was willing to take his surprisingly skilled mouth attaching itself to her left side nipple. His fingers pinched and twisted her right one ensuring that both her glorious peaks were given their due attention. It was enough to make her shed tears of joy.

"Yes, oooohhh, by Ra's glorious light…it's been far too long!" Ritsuka grinned against her breast. He supposed he could certainly take that as praise. Not that he needed the extra motivation, but it certainly helped keep him going. He moved over to her right breast, his right hand rising to continue the work of his mouth. "Ritsuka~ I…never knew that you were so skilled. Surely you have…not been holding out on me, have you?" Whispered the Assassin.

"Nope." He quietly answered back. "Maybe I'm just showing you how much of a natural at this I am." Cleopatra's squeal of delight was turned into a sharpen howl as he planted a kiss atop her nipple. "Do you believe me?" he calmly asked as he pulled away and smiled at her.

She knew a dare when she saw one, especially in the bedroom. Cleopatra had to give Ritsuka credit. Behind his kind and docile outer layer lay a shred and skilled lover. "I do, and such knowledge makes me all the happier than I have chosen you to be mine, Ritsuka Fujimaru." She paused, gathering the will to speak her next words. It caused a blush to overcome her face. "And it…also feels me with joy to know that you chose me to be your lover." Once they were out, Cleopatra felt a sudden but gratifying sense of relief. For a woman like her, honesty was hard. At times it felt like poison, but other times it could be like fine wine.

No, that was Ritsuka's lips.

Immediately recognizing them, she returned the kiss, her hand rising to caress his cheek. The kiss became all consuming, at least it did to her. What broke her out of it was the sensation of something foreign massaging her lower lips. Cleopatra immediately recognized his fingers- they'd dipped beneath her undies to touch her vaginal lips. Oh, yes, her lover was indeed a natural, and he needed no instruction on what to do. Granted, there were still some things he needed to be taught. One of which was that two could play at this game. Just as he'd moved his fingers below to her sex, she moved her free left hand to his. While it was a bit of a squeeze, she could feel his erection. Smiling against his lips, she began to do to him as he was doing to her.

"Mmmm~ Mmmm~ Ahhh~"

At the rate they were going, control was going to be lost. It was only a question of who would cum first, the Master or the Servant. They both would make a mess of their clothing, but it'd be worth it in their eyes.

Worth it, but not quite what Cleopatra had in mind. She'd promised her beloved a reward for his help; he'd received a portion of it. The rest of it was yet to be given to him.

When the kiss ended, their positions changed. Ritsuka was on his back, blinking in surprise as he stared at the smirking face of Egypt's last native ruler. She at upright, running her hands along her hair while puffing her chest out. It put her breasts on evident display, especially the markings he'd left on them. Unable to control himself, Ritsuka found his hands rising up, drifting toward them. They were helped by Cleopatra guiding them onto her tits. A hot moan flew from her lips as their flesh finally connected. The human immediately palmed the fleshy orbs; they were spurred along by the pharaoh's hands and her continuous cries of bliss. Each one made the human's member twitch and groan in his pants. Ritsuka's eyes suddenly slammed shut as he pinched her nipples and made the Egyptian woman throw her head back and moan.

Biting his lips, the Master slowly brought his face upward, his tongue reaching out and tickling her left side nipple. His hands fell away so his tongue could completely take over. Next came is teeth, once again gently biting down on the harden mountain top. The Servant's arms wrapped around his head while her waist began to sensually grind against his. Ritsuka sealed his eyes even tighter, another mini-orgasm on the verge of overtaking him. He already knew that a small mess had been made of his boxers. In feeling that wetness, curiosity nipped at him; what of Cleopatra's undergarments? Surely she was just as wet as him.

Why not find out? After all, you have permission to do so, don't you? Beckoned a side of him that was slowly creeping to the surface. Ritsuka felt his breathing grow heavy as he pulled away from her left nipple. Instead of immediately going to her right nipple, he considering taking that option. His member grew even harder at the thought of seeing Cleopatra's undies, stained with her juices.

Thump!

He looked up into the seductive, alluring smile of the last queen of the Ptolemaic Dynasty. Ritsuka got a single breath in before he felt her lips on his mouth. The kiss was over with before he could truly savor it, something he actually whined about. His whines became sharpened gasps as he felt sharpened nails tapping against his chest. Looking down, he saw two pumps beneath his shirt. Silently, he looked back up at the ancient monarch; her alluring smile was still there, but a message was being sent. No, not a message, an order.

Slowly smiling, he lifted his arms up. Cleopatra purred in delight at what she saw. She'd bedded warriors before, namely the great Julius Caesar himself along with the famed Marc Antony. The truly great warriors had physical fit bodies, perhaps sporting a scar or two…or a dozen. That was Ritsuka's body, honed after ordeal after ordeal where humanity's future rested on his shoulders. He'd grown physically and mentally strong enough to carry that burden. Cleopatra relished in the former, her fingers tracing large and small scars that had accumulated onto him. Surveying them up close also caused a ping of worry to sprout up within her heart like a weed.

Loving a warrior wasn't easy, a fact she'd learned all too well. Still, it was worth it. She was firm in that assertion as her hands moved up to Ritsuka's face, his red cheeks which she so enjoyed clasping in her hands. Transiting her smile from seductive to heartfelt, she leaned down. This time, she allowed him to enjoy the kiss to his heart's content; Cleopatra did the exact same. She especially enjoyed it as she felt her lover's hands moving over her backside. Without saying a word, she decided to coax him in the right direction.

Her humping grew more intense, as did her kisses. Ritsuka could feel his mind spinning from it all, yet he somehow managed to keep a sense of clarity with him.

He found the bottom of her dress and began pulling. Each second of it was marked by his heart, beating at a hundred miles a minute. Cleopatra ended the kiss the stretched her arms out just as he had done. Once he was finished, she lifted herself up and gave Ritsuka a view of her now fully exposed upper body.

It was said that Cleopatra's true beauty was in her intelligence, not her looks. Ritsuka always disagreed with that hypothesis; as he gazed upon her, he whole heartedly disagreed with it. Cleopatra was the picture of beauty, of divine beauty. Her creamy, flawless skin glistened in the night, almost beckoning him to touch it as he had before. For a few seconds, he froze in realization that up until a few minutes ago, he'd been kissing and stroking that body. He'd already laid his claim to it as evident by her breasts. His eyes focused on them for a second longer before resuming their sporadic examining of the rest of her body.

"Such is the appropriate response." Cooed the green-haired woman. She'd been running her hands across her body, emphasizing it for his viewing pleasure. The queen still had her own pleasure though. Licking her lips, she reached down and grabbed at the tent between her Master's legs. He gasped. "I can smell it, Ritsuka. Don't be ashamed, it's perfectly natural to lose control in the presence of a beauty such as myself." As she spoke, she was leaning in close to him, all while continuously stroking his penis through his pants.

"C-Cleo…patra." He panted. "I-I…I can't hold out for much longer."

"Ah, so we've finally reached the limits of your resistance, have we?" She seductively replied.

"Y-Yeah, we damn well have." Breathing hard, he sat up, then encircled his arms around her waist. While the stroking of his penis was stopped, he felt the smoldering heat of her naked body against his own. That was invigorating enough for his penis. "Cleo," Ritsuka whispered. It was almost like a plea. A plea that was answered with a short but intimate kiss.

"Lie back and enjoy, my beloved." The Servant whispered with her eyes full of amorous intent. "For you are about to experience the greatest bliss the flesh can offer, and at the touch of Egypt's most beautiful queen." She didn't have to force him to lie back, he simply did. Quick as a viper, Cleopatra moved to his waist and sat about undoing his pants. In just a heartbeat she was pulling them along with his boxer's down. His cock sprung up like a mighty obelisk pointed at the ceiling. Though she tried to remain neutral, Cleopatra's mouth came open at the seven-inch tower of meat. Hard, pristine, thick, and ready to be claimed by one who was deserving; that was undoubtedly her, by the way.

"A-A-Ahhhh~" Cried out the Japanese teenager. His control was completely lost as spurts of cum came shooting out of his tip. Once his member tasted open air, it was a lost cause. When he felt Cleopatra's touch against his cock, Ritsuka felt himself come completely undone. "Aaaahhhh!" He felt his cum squirting out of him in a continuous stream. Stopping was impossible, especially thanks to the touch of the Egyptian woman's hands…and the gripping of his tip with her lips. "Cl-Cleo…p-p-patra!" The short gasps consumed his voice as Ritsuka angled his head back and shouted again.

As she took in his semen, the last pharaoh of Egypt felt her vaginal lips watering in anticipation. Oh, she was enjoying this. Ritsuka's cum tasted better than any candy or treats she'd had all night. Within seconds of tasting them, she knew she wanted more; her Master had a practically spring of semen built up for her. Thick shots of it poured down her mouth with more coming as she sucked and stroked his cock. Memories of past lovers briefly twirled about in her mind like dancers. The shouting of her young lover banished them like a disappointed monarch. Cleopatra moved her hands down to his balls and gave them an affection squeeze. The result was a bigger blast of cum that had her entire body shuddering in erotic bliss. She wanted more, and she worked his cock into giving her more.

At some point, the human's hips began thrusting upward. Cleopatra's eyes widened feeling the tip of his erupting cock hitting the rough of her mouth. That only made her more excited. Her mind raced with thoughts of how good it'd feel to have his masculine member inside of her, pounding away at her until she could hardly lift a finger.

"Mmmm~ Mmmmmmmhhh~!"

"A-Aaaagggghhh~! Cl-Cleopatraaaa!"

The sudden and powerful thrusting brought the Servant out of her lewd dreaming. Still, she was caught near totally off-guard as a powerful torrent of cum flooded her mouth. She found herself overwhelmed, gagging as she pulled away. That didn't stop her lover's cock from erupting, splattering her face with his juices. Thinking quickly, she swallowed then reattached her mouth to the gushing tip; she didn't want a drop of her beloved cum to escape her. She was aided by the sudden feel of a hand at the back of her head.

Ritsuka, she dreamily thought.

C-C-Cleopatra, I-

While still sucking him and gulping down his cum, she moved her right hand to the back of his head. It is alright, my love. I am your woman. Touch me however you please, especially when we are being intimate. Show me how much you love me while I do the same for you.

Those words made the next few seconds…heavenly. Ritsuka's eyes slid shut and his head slowly leaned back. He made a few more thrusts with his hips, shooting the last of his load into Cleopatra's mouth. She swallowed it with audible gulps before withdrawing her lips from his member. The Japanese teen could still feel the lingering warmth of her lips on his cock, it was like the warmth of the sun. When he found it in him to open his eyes, he'd have sworn Cleopatra's eyes were burning bright like it as well. They found his amidst his staring. Her cum-soaked lips curled into a tender smile.

A single finger rose to wipe away the residual semen that coated her lips. Ritsuka would have kissed her even with it.

They rolled across the bed a couple of times, smearing some of the pillows with cum. Neither of them cared though. Ritsuka certainly didn't care that some of it got on his face. His hands moved from Cleopatra's cheeks to her neck to her shoulders. Her naked, sweaty body was his to caress just as his was the same to her. He occasionally shuddered feeling her nails dragging across his skin, at times digging in. His body would impulsively respond with a thrust of his hips. He may have just came, but he wasn't finished yet. Far from it actually. That was a fact that Cleopatra was all too aware of.

Somehow, she maneuvered them so that they were back in their original positions, center of the bed with her atop of him. Master and Servant panted heavily as they looked into one another's eyes.

"Did you enjoy that, Ritsuka?" First asked the Servant.

He swallowed, feeling his member rising up again. Before answering her, he reached up and grabbed at her waist. Cleopatra gasped, an utterly divine expression that almost had him spearing her on his cock. "I did, and I'm looking forward to you doing it again and again, Cleo." Panting hard yet remaining focused, he began grinding his member against her still clothed pussy. Through his hands he felt the Servant trembling in endless ecstasy. "But more pressingly…I'm looking forward to finding out what your pussy tastes and feels like. I want to know." He whispered to her.

She was like him, just barely keeping it together amidst a storm of erotic euphoria. Given her sexual exploits, one wouldn't have expected her to come so close to the edge so easily, but these were special circumstances. Cleopatra looked at the man whom she was absolutely certain she was going to spend the rest of this life beside. The man whose side she'd never leave, and who in turn would never leave her side.

Leaning in close enough to kiss him, she whispered, "Then stop wasting time. If you want something, take it."

The husky tone had his cock pulsating. Ritsuka tightened his hold on her, coming dangerously close to ripping her undies off and spearing her on his member. He was going to do that…but after he'd had his taste of the Queen of Egypt's juices.

Holding fast onto her hips, he flipped the two of them over. Cleopatra's gasp reached his ears as he moved toward her chest. That gasp turned into an erotic scream as he bit down upon her left nipple. His name was intermixed with that scream of bliss. After he'd given her other tit a quick, loving bite, he turned his full attention to her dark green undies. Just as he'd thought, they were utterly stained through. Like him, she'd been fighting a steadily losing battle…and that battle was at an end.

Cleopatra found the strength to life her head up just in time to witness it. Her soaked undies disappeared in a single swift motion. That was also how a pair of fingers were inserted into her pussy, quick and precise.

"Hyyyyaaaahhh~!" Her walls immediately tightened on the two digits, now thrusting at her inner lips with commendable speed. "Yessss~! That's it, just like that, Ritsukaaaaa…" Self-pleasure only went so far. It was a mere temporary and lacking substitute for the touch of another, especially one who was loved by the body and the heart. For her, that was now Ritsuka Fujimaru. Her pussy would welcome him and him alone.

Caesar was the past, as was Antony and any other lover who may have found their way to Chaldea.

Calling out to him, she watched the once shy and anxiety-laced teenager smile at her with amorous affection. Cleopatra looped her arms around his neck as he leaned forward, squishing their lips together in a hot kiss. It grew hotter thanks to his fingers continuing their thrusting of her pussy. Cleopatra could already feel an orgasm approaching her, coming in fast like an archer's arrow.

"R-R-Ritsuka," she gasped when he suddenly broke the kiss.

"You told me to take what I wanted." He coyly remarked. "What I want is to taste you." Keeping his word, he dove toward her cunt, his tongue shooting into it just like his fingers had. Cleopatra grabbed at either side of the bed and howled, feeling the now triple penetration of her vagina. The squeezing grew tighter while the thrusting grew faster. "Mmmmmmh!"

"Aaaahhh! Haah…ahaaah…haaaahhh~!" She honestly couldn't remember the last time lost control like this. It was far from an unpleasant feeling; matter of fact, Cleopatra was tempted to say this was the best feeling she'd had since coming to Chaldea. It was thousand times better than anything she'd experienced with Caesar. "H-H-Harder, harder, Ritsuka!" her legs wrapped around his head, locking him into place and forcing him to heed her command. His tongue and fingers went deep, just as she wanted. "Yesss~! Just like that, baby~! Keep on going! Don't let up, don't stop! Make me explode like the River Nile!"

His fingers and tongue were jabbing at her pussy while her body rocked to the rhythm of his thrusts. Ritsuka was impressed, though not quite surprised. Cleopatra had been quite open in boasting of her sexual prowess. For him, that was reason enough to give it his best, to go beyond what he thought he could do. While that had been the case for practically his entire adventure, this was…something else. Something more personal.

He was eating out the pussy of the last pharaoh of Egypt, a truly ludicrous thing, but he was doing it, and based on how tightly she was squeezing him and shouting his name, he was doing it well. That filled him with a booming pride that helped full his thrusting. Ritsuka pushed deeper and deeper into his Servant lover, feeling her growing tightness around his tongue and fingers. Some of her insides were already coated in cum making his insertions easier. The ever-growing pressure told him that an orgasm was imminent. Ritsuka wanted his mouth to be there when that happened, so he pulled away from Cleopatra's lips.

The Servant was disappointed to lose his lips on hers, but she took him moving them down to her vaginal lips as a consolation prize. A very delicious one.

"A-A-Ahhhh~ Aaaahhhh~" Cleopatra's back arched upward forming a near perfect curve. "R-R-Ritsu…Ritsuka, oh, by Ra's radiant light…" It felt like that's what was pumping through her at the moment. The sun god's life-giving rays were being directly inserted into her with every thrust and flick of Ritsuka's tongue. That was the only possible explanation for why her body was shivering with such ecstasy while feeling warmer and warmer by the second. "I-I-I'm going to…I'm going to cum! By the gods, Ritsuka! Y-You're going to make me cum!"

Hearing that made the pride building within Ritsuka explode like a firebomb. He pushed deeper and deeper, his fingers hitting his lover's core. The teenager continuously hit it again and again, knowing that the bomb within Cleopatra was seconds away from detonating. Sensing it as well, the Egyptian woman tightened her legs around his head. Ritsuka actually welcomed the pressure knowing that it was a sign that he was doing alright. Better than alright actually, based on the screaming and thrusting of the woman before him.

Cleo...thank you. The Master mentally called out.

N-No…I am the one who should be thanking you, Ritsuka, my-

"HYYYAAAAH~!"

Like the river that had nurtured her country since its founding, Cleopatra's vaginal lips exploded. A torrent of sparkling white water surged forth, smashing directly into Ritsuka Fujimaru's face. Well, some of it. A great deal sped down his open mouth, her essence findings its way into his very being. He gave her the sizzling warmth of the sun, and she in turn allowed him to drink of the waters of creation. His body tingled and shivered as he gulped down the divine water, his moans rolling alongside Cleopatra's orgasmic screaming. Her back arched up even more, remaining a perfect curve for several seconds. Those were amongst the most wonderful seconds of her entire existence.

She tried to speak his name, but Cleopatra found she couldn't. Gasping, that's all she could do as her body was awash with the bliss of an orgasm. It completely displaced the previous ones she'd experienced since coming to Chaldea. For the first time since her summoning, Cleopatra felt…happy, satisfied. Even peering into her living memory, she recalled it being some time since she'd felt such a way. It left her speechless.

In the quiet vacuum that followed the orgasm, neither individual spoke, they all panted and swallowed. For Cleopatra, it was the former while Ritsuka did the latter. His mouth was occupied with licking up and swallowing the delicious residue of his Egyptian lover's orgasm. She moaned in response, feeling his tongue occasionally brushing up against a sensitive nerve. If he wanted to, he could have made her cum again. Cleopatra for her part knew that she had it in her. She still had so much left in her. Pushing herself up via her arms, she stared at the Japanese native who'd made her feel alive…and loved, for the first time in what felt like centuries.

A lustful passion was ignited within the Assassin, or rather, reignited. "Ritsuka," she whispered. It was enough to attract his attention. The second their eyes met, she was grabbing at his face, pulling him into a kiss. She seemed almost desperate for his lips, even with the taste of her essence on it. Cleopatra enjoyed it, but she simply felt like she needed Ritsuka's lips on hers. He seemed to realized that as he quickly fell into the kiss with her. His cum-soaked fingers slid across her backside making Cleopatra arch her body in ecstasy. Her lover moaned louder into the kiss as their bodies were pressed together. A minute later and they were rolling over. They laid flat near the edge of the bed, panting in unison.

Cleopatra hovered over her Master, feeling his left hand caressing her right cheek. His right fingers were coated in her cum, which he'd yet to wipe off. Seeing it gave her an idea.

"Ritsuka," the Egyptian queen called. "You did say that you would share your treats with me, did you not?"

His eyes widened at her sultry words. They moved down to his right hand; a shameless blush consumed his face. "Hehehe, I did, didn't I? Well, time to keep my word." To his internal surprise, he lifted his hand up and held it between the two of them. Giggling in amusement, she leaned forward, gently steadying his hand and began licking his fingers. Ritsuka felt a jolt of ecstasy shoot up his arm into his brain as he watched the Egyptian woman lick his fingers clean of her juices.

She paused to smile at him. "Aren't you going to join me, my love?"

Still beat red, he nodded, then did exactly that. Ritsuka knew it was an inevitability that their tongues would meet, and they did. Euphoria anew pulsated through him as he slid his tongue against Cleopatra's. She felt it as well, the ecstasy-laced tingling that went all the way down to her vaginal lips. Likewise, Ritsuka's member hardened as his tongue slid against the Servant's. the latter's residual cum being split between the two of them.

They felt how eager the other was when their free hands wondered down to those respective parts.

Saliva coated Ritsuka's fingers and connected it to his and Cleopatra's lips. Neither spoke a word, they only panted at one another as they felt the other's respective hardness and wetness.

Then, the last queen of Egypt struck.

Hitting the pillows with a slight thump! Ritsuka prepared himself for what was about to come next. He knew it, he knew it down to his broken and repaired bones. His member stuck up like a mighty obelisk to the Egyptian gods. One of their mortal representatives hovered above her, her womanly snatch dripping with love nectar. His hands went to her hips, holding her in place, yet waiting for the moment they could bring her down and they could connect in the most intimate way possible.

Dark green met turquoise blue. Two faces became adorned with amorous smiles as a mutual decision was reached.

"Hyaaaaahh!"

"C-C-Cleopatra!"

He was as thick and hard as a temple pillar while she was as warm and tight. Master and Servant felt a small struggle as they had to keep from cumming then and there. Breathless, they found themselves locking eyes with each other, sheer amazement twinkling in their eyes. And then they were lip-to-lip, their hips grinding against each other in chaotic rhythm. The tightness of the queen's cunt increased as it was continuously filled up by the former high schooler's cock. Each thrust he made rearranged it, indoctrinated it just as her pussy did the same. Cleopatra had given Ritsuka his first experience in sex, and as she bounced atop of him, she became even firmer in a resolution she'd already made. He was hers, and she was his.

"Mmmmm~ That's right, oooohhhh~ Yes, by the gods, yessss~!" Continuously whispered the Egyptian beauty.

It took several long minutes for Ritsuka to regain the ability to speak. Those were also perhaps the most wonderful several minutes of his life. "Y-You're…p-pussy…I-I…I love it, Cleo! It's so tight! And Warm! It's-" His heart temporarily stopped, then started back up again in the span of the ten-second kiss Cleopatra initiated. The human was left speechless as she pulled away from him, but not too far.

While continuing to bounce atop his cock and make him feel as high as a cloud, she gave him such a tender smile. "It's yours, Ritsuka. My cunt, my breasts, my body and soul…they're yours." She lifted herself up, ignoring the dismay that came with almost pulling completely out of him.

She was quite surprised when her womanly snatch was quickly filled back up again. Just as an erotic scream was ready to burst from her lips, it was muffled by Ritsuka's mouth. Cleopatra felt spurts of cum leaking out of her filled pussy, which danced in festive glee at the reinsertion of her lover's cock. It was pounding away at her with gusto, something that made her lose all traces of reason and throw herself into the sea of churning bliss.

Still, she was able to see in front of her, and what she saw was the gleam in Ritsuka's eyes. It was the gleam of a bull in the midst of a charge. The gleam of a man who knew what he wanted and was taking it. It was the gleam of true love that set her already racing heart a flurry. "Mine." Ritsuka singularly whispered in a husky voice that matched his powerful thrusts. Their speed increased as his Servant's vaginal walls tightened around his member. "Cleopatra," he growled.

"Yesssssss~! That's it~! Y-ou're doing…wonderful, Ritsuka! Don't stop! Don't you dare fucking stop!"

"I can't, and I won't!" he roared back. "Cleopatra…I'm going to cum!"

"I know, and I want it! All of it, Ritsuka! Spill yourself into me! Fill me to the brim!" She was going to cum as well. It was truly spectacular. The Egyptian queen could barely remember the last time she'd felt this fulfilled, not to mention this eager to cum. Had it been that long since they'd started? Five minutes? Ten? Longer than that? She considered it a positive when time was lost due to the sheer bliss of sex. That had certainly been the case for her first time with her new lover…and Cleopatra was all but certain it was going to be the case for every time afterward.

"CLEO!"

"ME TOO!" She screamed, already knowing what he was thinking. She could practically feel it, the fast-building eruption within him. Cleopatra one building up within herself as well. Her hands clawed at his backside, sinking into his flesh as she felt her end coming upon her. "R-R-RITSUKA, I, I-"

"I LOVE YOU, CLEOPATRA!" The young but brave human shouted, lifting his lover up in preparation for the final thrust.

His words reverberated through the Servant, giving her reason to let the accumulated tears in her eyes fall. "I LOVE YOU TOO, RITSUKA!" As she'd done numerous times before, and ass he would only do for him, she brought herself down atop his member. Her walls exploded in orgasmic joy as his cock was driven straight into her, his tip penetrating her core just as his own orgasm spilled forth.

"CLEOPATRA!"

"RITSUKA!"

Thick, concentrated streams of cum shot upward while smoldering hot waves of it burst from all sides. Nerve endings were fried as the blast of bliss swept up the Master and the Servant, the peasant and the queen, the man and the woman in love. Their joint voices rose, shaking the room just as their fucking shook the bed beneath them.

It seemed to take ages for the rumbling to cease but it didn't mark the end of the sexual intimacy between the Master and his loving Servant. That realization dawned on them as they gazed into one another's eyes amidst the short break from their shared orgasm.

He's…amazing.

She's…incredible.

They subconsciously drifted toward one another as they mentally spoke those words. The flickering embers were reignited into a great blaze. Ritsuka and Cleopatra let it consume them, putting their newfound energy to good use. Within seconds they thrusting their hips against each other, feeling the same erotic bliss they had moments earlier. Near immediately blossomed the desire to repeat their shared orgasm.

Before they could get to it though, the human needed another gulp of air. In that gulp he regained his wits. It would likely be a temporary repossession; the more he looked at her the more he felt his concentration flaying. "Cl-Cl-Cleo, I…you…I…really want to do that again." Embarrassment immediately burned his cheeks, its flames strengthened by the sultry but hearty laugh of his Servant.

"You, Ritsuka, as a seductress, I'm very happy to hear that." Her hot breath tickled his ear as she leaned into his right side. "As your woman, words can't describe how happy that makes me." Returning to her original position, she still saw that gleam in his eyes, the gleam that stoked the searing-hot lust within her. "For our next round, is there…something you'd like to try?"

"S-Something I'd like to try?" He gave himself away with that stutter.

Luckily, Cleopatra found it incredibly cute, and in this case, downright arousing. "Yes. Anything like say, a certain position or a kink you'd like to explore?"

At first, he was silent, no doubt contemplating how far she was willing to go. Surely he knew what type of woman she was, and by now he definitely knew that he was the sole owner of her heart. All he needed to do was ask and she would obey.

Of course, she'd expect the same of him, but she figured tonight she could cede dominion to him. He'd more than earned that pleasure.

"If I asked you to get on your hands and knees…" Ritsuka finally spoke.

Cleopatra sucked in a breath and grabbed at the back of his head. "Dammit, Ritsuka," far from angry, her voice was filled with lewd excitement. It was shown in her eyes as well, practically narrowed silts. "You know I like that position…but only if the man behind me can put up."

His nervousness clearly evaporated. Ritsuka rocked his hips forward making Cleopatra softly coo. "You did say I have a bull's spirit, the spirit of Apis. Maybe it's time I put that animal spirit to the real test."

She couldn't stop grinning. She couldn't stop smiling as she moved herself onto her hands and knees and poked her rear end out for her lover to gaze upon. Like so many men before, he was immediately taken with it. His soft hand rubbed the smooth surface of her ass…then came a light smack. Cleopatra moaned in painful pleasure. Perhaps her Master's lewder side ran deeper than she'd suspected.

The Egyptian woman watched him line up his cock with her entrance, his left hand steadying her bottom. After a final breath, he thrusted his hips forward; the moment it entered her, Cleopatra knew bliss the looks of which only the gods could give her.

"AAAAAHHH~! I-IT FEELS LIKE YOU'VE GOTTEN BIGGER FROM THE LAST TIME, RITSUKA~!"

He only grunted in response, his focus entirely on keeping his word. Within the first ten seconds, Cleopatra could proudly say he had. Both his hands were on her hips, steadying her as he rammed his cock in and out of her cunt at breakneck speed. The iconic queen was panting, her mouth open in an endless moan that occasionally morphed into a scream. She couldn't' find the words to describe the sheer quantity of pleasure that came with each of Ritsuka's thrusts. They were numerous as well, each one coming within seconds of the last. Quality and quantity, lust and love, Ritsuka had both and invoked both within her.

Screaming her ears out, she turned back to gaze upon the human who'd called her and her fellow pharaohs forth. A link, that's all he'd been to them at first. In time, he proved himself worthy of being called their Master. Beyond that…he proved himself worthy of being called a friend and confidant. To her, he'd proven more than that.

He was the love of this new life she now had. This life that she would spend with him.

"MORE~! HARDER~! HARDER, RITSUKA! TAKE ME AS I KNOW YOU WANT TO! FUCK ME, FUCK THE QUEEN OF EGYPT INTO A DELIRIOUS MESS!"

"THAT'S! EXACTLY! WHAT! I'M! DOING!"

It was absolutely amazing how he seemed to have such boundless energy. Even with his training, Ritsuka felt like he really could fuck the woman before him into oblivion. As he'd just told her, he was hard at work doing that. Every second he spent taking her filled him with pride and joy. Cleopatra screamed and begged for him, his body responded without any input from his brain. Speaking of which, it only had one singular thought running through it, She's mine. She's mine. She's mine. She's mine. She is MY girl!

"RRRRAAAAAAHHHH!"

"YESSSSSSS~! THAT'S IT, BABY~! JUST LIKE THAT! KEEP GOING! OH, FOR RA'S SAKE, KEEP GOING~!"

Once more the bed was shaking, this time perhaps more violently than before as the human took the Servant in the unapologetically primal position. Cleopatra clawed at the sheets, tears of bliss spilling from her eyes and drool from her lips. If she had a mirror before her, she knew how she'd look-like a taken whore. As she howled into the night, she realized she'd proudly take that description…so long as Ritsuka's name was mentioned. She was his, no one else's. Not any two-bit Roman, who'd likely have given anything to be the man to reduce her to such a state. Not Antony, who reignited a spark within her before it was snuffed out. And finally…not Caesar, who was not the man she once loved.

She loved Ritsuka Fujimaru, and she screamed for him to take her harder.

Suddenly, her upper body was yanked up and her breasts assaulted. "HHHAAAAAHHH~~! RITSUKA~!"

"FUCK! FUCK! CLEOPATRA, I'M NOT STOPPING! NOT UNTIL I'VE CAME IN EVERY ONE OF YOUR HOLES!"

Her walls clenched at the lust-fueled proclamation. "YEEESSSS~! MY BELOVED! YES, OOOOHH, HELL YESSSSSS~!"

Instead of flailing about, she wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss that followed was hot and intimate. Her Japanese lover continued to thrust upward into her while groping her breasts. The queen's entire body was his to do with as he pleased, not simply for tonight but for all the nights and days that were to follow.

Cleopatra felt her cunt squeezing on his cock with a familiar pressure. His next several thrusts intensified that squeezing.

She was breathless in separating from him. She stared into his eyes, his beautiful, strong eyes that would only ever look at her with such affection. Cleopatra felt a hand sliding against her cheek. Knowing whose it was, she smiled, saying nothing but speaking through her eyes and body. Ritsuka did the same, his own adorning smile telling her the same thing.

His hand fell back on her breast, his fingers pinched her nipple. Simultaneously, his hips made one final thrust that undid her.

"RITSUKAAAAAA~!"

"CLEOPATRAAAAA!"

Their juices intermixed, his cock blasting ropes of masculine essence upward while her feminine juices splashed about around it. As they mixed, they poured down his mast, dropping onto the ruffled sheets. The small stain tripled in size as the two lovers continued to cum into each other.

The human remained upright, still holding onto his mystical lover, their hips and lips connected. His hands roamed her naked front, all the way down to her quivering cunt. He gave her a gentle thrust and felt the reverberations travel throughout her body. As their kiss ended a lewd moan tumbled out of her lips.

They smiled at one another. "Cleo,"

"Ritsu," she responded while reaching up to stroke his cheek. "Still have some energy left?"

"For my lovely queen, I think so."

It'd be past midnight before they stopped for good, their tired, sweaty bodies pressed against each other. Such a thing was a first of sorts for both of them. For the Japanese teenager, the first time he'd had such an amorous night. As for the Egyptian queen, she hadn't had a night like this since coming to Chaldea. Thanks to her Master, who'd also granted her another chance at life and love, she would. She'd share both with him, illuminating his life as the sun did the world upon each new day.

When the artificial sky outside signaled the start of the next day, the new couple would rise to greet it. The Last Pharaoh and Humanity's Laster Master. From them would come a new beginning.

Fin

---

Admittedly, I tried to cram a touch too many ideas into this story making it longer than I intended. Suppose I just couldn't help myself since said ideas came from some of my favorite movies and a certain anime, which got me interested in ancient Egypt during my childhood.

As a millennial, I can proudly say I grew up watching the original Yu-Gi-Oh and to this day, the series holds a special place in my heart. Alongside it, Scooby-Doo. In particular Where's My Mummy was one of my favorite movies, and looking back, one of the first times I even heard Cleopatra. Years later, high school history would help expand on what I knew about her and the rest of ancient Egypt. It became one of my favorite ancient civilizations. By then, I believe I'd seen the original Mummy series. Fun fact, I ended up watching the trilogy in reverse order, starting from Tomb of the Dragon King then accidentally working my way back. Of course, it made it all quite funny when I learned that Imhotep was not only a real person, but quite the multi-talented man who was defied. The movie version was likely named after him, and his namesake definitely wouldn't have been too happy with him.

That said, I chose to grab a bit of the remake since I found its storyline jived more with this story. Speaking of story, I also mixed in some aspects of Where's My Mummy since its story focused on the Scooby gang heading to Egypt and confronting the supposed Curse of Cleopatra; seemed like a natural fit since the leading lady here was Fate's Cleopatra. I did debate back and forth as to rather or not making Cleopatra's Halloween attraction a standard pyramid or a sphinx as was the case in the movie. In the leadup to Halloween, I had Cleopatra and ancient Egypt on the brain. Mixing the two led to a story that turned out to be longer than I intended. If i tried to actually include everything, this piece would have became a multi-chaptered story.

Some historical facts mentioned, the Old Kingdom was the era when the pyramids were built, along with the Sphinx. It ended around 2200 BC, when the central government lost its strength due to a number of factors, one of which was local priests and local lords gaining more power. Along with that, Egypt started suffering foreign invaders, who played a part in Set's demonization I believe. This seemed like the sort of time period something like Movie! Ahmanet's plot could have taken place, or at least a prime time for Set to make a power play against his archenemy Horus.

Alright, that's enough. This story's made it past sixty-pages. Been a while since I've gone that far, at least for a story focused on only one girl. I hope you all enjoyed this Halloween-themed story and that you all had a happy Halloween. This definitely won't be the last time I write Cleopatra, especially for a holiday. I've been thinking of doing her for another holiday, arguably the first one of the new year, but hey, time will tell how that goes. Until next time, readers!