Hello, thanks to everyone who followed during the first chapter. Here's the second chapter. Truth be told this one was done for a bit already, but I wanted to do some revisions because I wasn't completely satisfied with what I had before. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Ritsuka was in her cabin waiting for them to arrive at this "new world" that Sion and Da Vinci had discovered. She was lying down on the bed and staring at the ceiling, processing all the information that she had heard just earlier.
"A new world, huh?" she asked herself. "I wonder what it will be like. Will its citizens look human? Or will they be more like the Yaga from the Russian Lostbelt?"
While Ritsuka was partially excited, she couldn't help but also be worried. Just like the Lostebelts, it was unknown what this new world would hold. What would the geography look like? What would the people be like? Would they be friendly? Hostile? How advanced is their technology if they were capable of creating such devices? These were the questions she asked herself that would hopefully be answered soon enough. Her thoughts were cut short when she heard the door open and saw Mash enter her room.
"Senpai, we're about to exit Void Space. Come on, let's go see." Mash said with excitement. Ritsuka got up from her bed and followed Mash to the bridge of the Storm Border. As they arrived, they saw Holmes observing the Captain and his crew as they worked.
Holmes turned back to them, "Ah, Ms. Fujimaru. You're just in time."
"Yes, we're getting close to our destination. We'll be exiting Void Space now," the Captain said.
Ritsuka and Mash looked on excited. Despite her worries, the Chaldean Master was confident that they would be able to take on anything that this world would throw at them. Ritsuka reached for Mash's hand, catching her Kouhai off guard. Mash looked over at Ritsuka, who was giving her a warm smile. Mash smiled back at Ritsuka, reinforcing the bond with her Senpai.
"Prepare to exit Void Space," the Captain commanded to his crew.
Some of the Nemo Marines began pressing buttons on the Control Panel. As they did, the Storm Border's exit from Void Space was quickly greeted by a sudden surprise.
"MOUNTAIN," one of the Nemo Marines shouted, which was followed by screams from the rest of Chaldea.
The Captain quickly reacted and managed to steer the Storm Border away from a direct hit with the mountain right in front of them. Unfortunately, the Nemo was not able to fully clear the surprise danger as the stern of the Storm Border sideswiped the mountainside, causing noticeable damage to the ship. The impact had sent the crew off balance.
"Brace yourselves for a rough landing, everyone," Captain Nemo warned.
Ritsuka and Mash had no time to fasten themselves in and took positions standing for the crash landing by grabbing anything that was sturdy. They were surprised when Scáthach and Emiya had exited their Spirit Forms and grabbed hold of them both to brace for impact. The force of impacting the ground threw everyone off their feet. After skidding on the ground for some distance, the Storm Border finally came to a halt and everyone could finally relax.
With the Storm Border damaged, it seems their mission was off to a rough start. The members of Chaldea groaned as they struggled to recover themselves from the harsh landing.
"Master, are you alright?" Scáthach asked.
"Yeah, thanks for the save," Ritsuka replied. "Are you alright, Mash?"
"Yes, I'm fine, Senpai," Mash answered.
Captain Nemo quickly began to assess the damage from his crew, "Status report, stat!"
"We've got major damage to the stern as well as one of the engines, Captain. Nothing beyond repair but it's gonna take some time to get us up and running again," one of the Nemo Marines replied.
The Captain placed his forehead in the palm of his hand then proceeded to fall back into his chair. He gave a loud sigh, "Well, you heard 'em. Looks like we aren't going anywhere for a while. Alright, let's get on those repairs, immediately."
"So what, we're just sitting ducks now?" Goredolf asked with concern.
"I'm afraid so," Holmes answered. "It is quite unfortunate, but it seems we have no choice at this point."
Goredolf had an annoyed look on his face, "Well, in that case I'm going to-"
Goredolf's words were interrupted by Da Vinci's voice that came up on the intercom, "Um, guys, I hate to make a bad situation worse, but we're picking up several unknown entities heading straight towards us."
One of the Nemo Marines activated the Storm Border's external cameras. What it captured surprised everyone on board. The crash landing had caught the attention of many Grimm that were in the area. They were all now heading straight for the Storm Border.
Goredolf's face turned pale. "Wh-what in the world are those things?"
"Maybe it's the local wildlife coming to greet us," Captain Nemo answered sarcastically.
"What kind of wildlife looks like it spawned from some sort of underworld? And why would they greet us?" Goredolf replied back in a frustrated tone.
"Well, regardless, I think we should take care of them before they do anymore damage to the Storm Border," Holmes suggested.
Ritsuka nodded, "Mash, Emiya, Scáthach, let's go!"
"Right!" the three servants said simultaniously.
The four of them exited from atop the Shadow Border. From above, they could see the hordes of Grimm closing in from their growls and the rustling of the trees as they ran past them. The three servants jumped from the Storm Border and charged head first into the oncoming Grimm. Ritsuka stayed on top to provide support and scout for stragglers. Emiya used his swords to slice through the Grimm like butter. Sphinxes tried breathing fire at them from above, but Emiya used his bow and several blades to quickly subdue them. Scáthach's spear easily impaled each Grimm it struck. As they slashed at her, Scáthach's Clairvoyance allowed her to easily see through her opponent's attacks. She quickly weaved and dodged through their slashes and bites as she struck them down one by one. Mash's heavy shield was able to block any of the Grimm's attacks. When she wasn't using it to defend, Mash was able to use her shield to send any Grimm she hit with it flying or easily crush under its weight.
While the servants were making a dent in their numbers, the Grimm were relentless in their attack. Beowolves, Lancers, Sphinxes, even several Beringals kept charging at the group of servants. Ritsuka did her part in the fight by firing minor spells at any of the Grimm she could hit. While doing so, she caught the attention of a Beringal. The gorilla Grimm grew irritated and began climbing up towards her from the side of the Storm Border.
"MASH! I COULD USE SOME HELP HERE!" Ritsuka called out in a panic.
Mash heard the call of her Master and looked back to see the Grimm climbing up the Storm Border. Once it reached the top, it roared and began to charge at Ritsuka. Ritsuka fired several spells at it, but they seemed to do little to slow the Grimm down. As the Beringal closed in, Mash jumped up to the top of the Storm Border. As she landed, Mash used the weight of her shield to slam the Beringal into hull of the Storm Border from above. She then followed up with another strike of shield, finishing off the fierce Grimm.
Ritsuka's legs began to feel like jelly for a moment, "Thanks."
Mash smiled knowing that her Senpai was safe now. She checked the radar on her Ortinax and saw the all the Grimm had been defeated. "Looks like all the remaining hostiles have been eliminated, Master."
With the coast clear, Emiya and Scáthach jumped back up to the top of the Storm Border. "Master, all the creatures of been taken care of," Emiya said.
"Good job everyone," Ritsuka cheered.
"Yes, a good job, indeed," Goredolf said over their communicator. "You sure taught those…things a lesson."
"Too bad they didn't stick around to learn that lesson," Da Vinci chimed in. "Did you notice how they disintegrated once they were defeated?"
"Yes, I took notice of that too," Holmes answered. "What curious beings that disappear after being killed like that. It may be some kind of evolutionary trait. Although, it is curious on what would cause such a trait to be necessary in the wildlife of this world."
"Well, hopefully we can learn more about these creatures later on," Da Vinci said. "Anyway, while you all were fighting, I made an interesting discovery. I've detected a major civilization located not too far from here."
Ritsuka and Mash looked excited about Da Vinci's discovery. A town of locals could be a step to learning more about the world that they were in. With the mysterious creatures gone for the time being, the group returned back into the Storm Border. When they arrived back at the bridge of the Storm Border, Da Vinci gave them the run down on the civilization she had discovered.
"So if you were to head there on foot, it should take you only a few hours," Da Vinci explained. "And from what I could see, it is quite big, so you'll undoubtedly be able to gather some information there."
"I think it might be a good idea to have Ms. Ritsuka and Ms. Mash head there for a bit while repairs are made and the Storm Border," suggested Holmes.
"Indeed," Goredolf agreed. "So, Ritsuka, Mash, while we are waiting for the Storm Border to be fully operational, your next objective will be head to this town and gather as much information about this world as you can."
Ritsuka and Mash nodded. "Yes, sir," they both said at the same time.
"Oh," Da Vinci said. "I would personally like to ask if either Emiya or Scáthach could stay behind, just in case any more of those creatures show up."
"I'll stay," Emiya quickly volunteered.
"Quick to volunteer there, huh? Very well, I shall escort Ritsuka and Mash then," Scáthach said.
With their next objective set, Ritsuka and Mash prepared for their journey through the mountainous terrain that, unbeknownst to them, was Mistral. While they packed, Da Vinci and Scáthach placed Bounded Fields around the Storm Border, just in case anymore Grimm decided to show up and to prevent anyone from finding out where they were.
Mash, Ritsuka, and even one of the Nemo Marines helped in packing for the trip. They brought along all the necessities: Emergency Food, some camping equipment, and even an extra Mystic Code for Ritsuka, just in case. It was all gathered and placed into the storage compartment of Mash's Shield. Packed up and ready, the three headed out towards the direction that Da Vinci had pointed them in.
The trip was mostly uneventful. They encountered a few Grimm along the way, but nothing that Mash or Scáthach couldn't handle. Several breaks were had as well to ensure that Ritsuka, especially, wasn't too burnt out from all the walking. After a few hours, they could finally see the city that Da Vinci had mentioned. After about another hour of walking, the three had finally arrived in the unknown town.
The three wasted no time interrogating the locals, trying to get any sort of information that they could out of them. Unfortunately, a lot of their requests were blocked by demandings of money or other things. With little to no luck, the group headed up higher into the city.
While they were questioning the civilians, Ritsuka took notice of something interesting. A lot of the residents seemed to be humans that featured animal traits as well. She pointed it out to Mash who replied, "Yes, I noticed that too Senpai. It reminds me a lot of Tamamo and Atalante."
After having spent about an hour gathering what little information they could, Ritsuka decided it was time to take a break. As they recovered their energy, Ritsuka contacted the Storm Border to relay what they've learned to Da Vinci and the others.
"I see," Da Vinci said. "So this planet is known as Remnant, ruled by four kingdoms. The one that we currently reside in is known as Mistral. They even have demi-humans on this world called Faunus. Most importantly, those creatures you all fought earlier are known as the Creatures of Grimm, or just Grimm for short. I gotta say, while this isn't much to go on so far, it certainly is a step in the right direction. I, for one, am curious to learn more about these Creatures of Grimm."
Sherlock added, "Yes, you three have done a fine job so far. If you learn anything else important, let us know."
"We will," Ritsuka replied before their conversation was disconnected. Ritsuka jumped up from the bench she was sitting on and stretched her limbs a bit.
"So where should we head next, Senapi?" Mash asked.
Ritsuka thought for a moment, "Hmm, maybe we could try-"
Before Ritsuka could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by someone who had crashed into her. The force of the collision knocked Ritsuka to the ground.
"Are you okay, Senpai?" Mash exclaimed while Scáthach quickly helped Ritsuka up.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" the young girl who knocked Ritsuka down asked.
Ritsuka, coming back to her senses replied, "Yeah it's…fine…"
The girl sighed in relief, "Oh thank goodness."
Meanwhile a girl with white hair walked up behind the culprit, "Ruby, you need to watch where you're going. " She then turned to Ritsuka, "Please excuse my colleague, here. She's a bit of a scatterbrain who doesn't pay attention to where she's' going."
"I said I was sorry," the red haired girl said.
"That's not the point, now come on. We're going to be late." The white haired girl dragged the other girl off with her to reunite with an even larger group of folks.
Ritsuka stayed staring at them as they walked off. She couldn't believe who she just met. It was her; the girl she had been dreaming about these past few days. How was that possible?
Scáthach sighed, "Some people truly lack discipline."
Mash nodded in agreement, "So where to now, Senpai?"
Ritsuka didn't answer. She stayed staring at the girl's group until they had gotten some distance away. When they did, Ritsuka began to follow them.
"Senpai?" Mash called out in confusion. Ritsuka didn't pay attention to her though and continued her pursuit. Mash and Scáthach looked at each other confused. What had gotten into their master? The two quickly followed after Ritsuka before she left them too far behind.
Ritsuka watched as she saw the girl and her group enter what appeared to be a train station. As Ritsuka observed from a distance, Mash and Scáthach caught up to their master. "Senpai, what's going on?"
Before Mash could even get an answer, Ritsuka was on the move again following the girl that ran into her for some reason. Was she still angry at her for knocking her down? It wasn't at all like Ritsuka to be spiteful though. "Senpai, please wait," Mash pleaded as they pursued Ritsuka again.
Ritsuka sat on a nearby bench as she continued to watch the girl mingle with what were seemingly her friends. Mash and Scáthach, once again, caught up to Ritsuka. Mash was growing a bit frustrated by her lack of answers, "Senpai, will you please tell us what is going on?"
"You see that girl over there?" Ritsuka asked. "With the dark red hair and the red cape?"
Mash and Scáthach looked to where Ritsuka was staring. "Yes, I do." Mash answered.
Ritsuka quickly explained the dreams she had been having recently. The ones she refused to talk about before. She made clear about how they always seemed to revolve around the same girl for some reason. A girl she had never met in her life. With the context of Ritsuka's dreams, Mash was quickly able to put the pieces together. "So that's…?"
Ritsuka nodded, "That's the girl I've been having dreams about recently."
The three looked over and watched as the girl and her group began to walk off and board one of the trains heading who knows where. Mash was surprised that such a coincidence could have occurred. Then again, Ritsuka was a known for such meetings of fate. Just like the day Mash found her passed out at Chaldea.
"Are you certain, Senpai?" Mash asked.
"Positive. I've had several dreams of her that I couldn't possibly mistake her."
"Well…in that case, what are you orders?"
Ritsuka had a look of determination. She knew that she probably shouldn't, but she wasn't going to let this opportunity pass her. "We're getting on that train. Let's go."