FateGruelling Journey

by neterlan

Shortly after settling into the Wandering Sea, Chaldea detects something unexpected out in the Bleached World: other human survivors. Ritsuka is shocked to learn that his parents and younger sister are among them. How will Ritsuka react when he reunites with the family that he was certain had died? How will his family react when they meet Ritsuka's wife and daughter?

3. Bring Your Daughter to Work Day

Chapter 3: Bring Your Daughter to Work Day

---

Ritsuka awoke, not in his wife's arms, but on a sandy beach. The smell of sea water filled Ritsuka's lungs. The sound of crashing waves reached his ears. The sensation of loose sand covered his back. The morning sun stung his eyes. Ritsuka then suddenly jumped to his feet to confirm that he was not imagining everything. It did not take long for Humanity's Last Master to realise what had happened.

"Seriously? Can I have one day without this bullshit?!" Ritsuka yelled in frustration. He then took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. "Okay, time to start the routine. Step one: try to contact Chaldea." Ritsuka said before he activated the communicator on his wrist, but all he got was radio static. "Well, that was a bust. That leaves three possibilities; I'm in a Minute Singularity but the signal is jammed, I'm in a dream, or I've slipped into a Pseudo-Parallel World." He sighed heavily. "I hope it's not the third one..." Ritsuka muttered before lightly smacking his own cheeks to keep himself focused on the task at hand. "Step two: investigate the surroundings." However before Ritsuka could properly begin his investigation, a familiar voice called out to him.

"Mommy? Where are We?" Came the voice of Ritsuka's daughter. Sure enough, lying on the sand not to far away from Ritsuka was Jack the Ripper. Overcome with paternal instinct, Ritsuka was instantly at the Wraith Child's side.

"I don't know, Jack. We're probably stuck in a Minute Singularity." Ritsuka said as he reached out to help Jack onto her feet. He smiled confidently to reassure her, however inwardly Ritsuka was beyond furious. Whoever was behind this incident was going to SUFFER for getting his daughter involved. Jack pouted at Ritsuka's words.

"Ugh, again?" Jack asked with distaste. Was just one day to spend with her father too much to ask for?

"Yeah, I know." Ritsuka agreed. He was just as disappointed as his daughter with this turn of events. "Oh well, no point in staying here. Let's move out." Ritsuka said before he whistled sharply. Golden particles appeared around the two and coalesced into an equine form by Ritsuka's side. Standing there proudly was Xanthos: the Divine Horse who pulled the Chariot of Achilles, and who currently was Ritsuka's personal steed.

"Yay! Mister Horsey!" Jack cried with delight. After all, what little girl would not be excited to ride a real horse? Even Xanthos himself seemed to be pleased to see Jack as he nodded in greeting. Ritsuka lifted his daughter onto the saddle before he climbed on behind his daughter.

"Come on Xanthos. Let's get out of here." Ritsuka ordered as he grabbed hold of Xanthos' reins. "Step three: just wing it." Ritsuka muttered to himself. More often then not, Ritsuka found himself able to resolve a Singularity by just picking a direction and moving forward. He would need to make do with just his Magecraft, Xanthos, Emergency Rations and of course, Jack.

"We were looking forward to today." Jack said sadly as Xanthos trotted along the beach leisurely. Ritsuka could not help but agree with his daughter.

"Yeah, me too, but at least we can resolve this Singularity together." Ritsuka said as he tried to hide his disappointment. "Just you and me on an adventure." He added assuredly to help brighten up Jack's mood. Ritsuka's years as Humanity's Last Master had taught him that the easiest way to keep everyone's morale up was to show confidence in himself, even if he was absolutely terrified. Ritsuka's plan worked, as Jack instantly perked up at her father's suggestion.

"Yay! We can't remember the last time We went out with Mommy." Jack said with newfound optimism as father and daughter rode on. However, her words struck a cord within Ritsuka: when was the last time that he took Jack out on a mission?

---

Ritsuka and Jack had been riding along the coastline for hours. If Xanthos had been a normal horse, Ritsuka would have made sure to stop regularly to give him time to rest. As a Divine Horse however, Xanthos was capable of running distances that would have caused a lesser steed to collapse from exhaustion. However as convenient as riding Xanthos was, it did not change the fact that Ritsuka and Jack had found nothing along the coastline except for more beaches.

"While we're riding, let me know if you see any Hermit Crabs." Ritsuka suggested to his daughter to help her pass the time. Hermit Crabs of unusual size often dotted the coasts of Singularities, and their shells were a valuable Material for Magecraft. Ritsuka was always on the look out for them whenever he was on a beach.

"Hermit Crabs can be fun to smash, We guess..." Jack muttered. So far, this adventure with her father was not as exciting as she hoped it would be. Suddenly, something caught the Wraith Child's eye. "Mommy! Something's over there!" She called out as she pointed to a blue shape in the distance. Ritsuka beckoned Xanthos to pick up the pace and soon the anomaly was close enough for Ritsuka to recognise what, or rather who, it was.

"Hans?" Ritsuka said in surprise as Xanthos trotted closer to the author. "Did you just wake up on this beach too?" Ritsuka asked Hans as he and Jack climbed off of Xanthos' saddle.

"Not exactly." Hans answered with his unusually deep voice "I was sent here, against my wishes might I add, by a certain creation of Alexandre Dumas." The author explained as he looked very annoyed to be there. Ritsuka nodded in understanding.

"If Edmond is involved, then this is definitely a Minute Singularity confined to my dream." Ritsuka concluded. The Avenger had taken it upon himself to protect Humanity's Last Master from his dreams, which was a service that Ritsuka was thankful for. "Did he tell you anything else?" Any bit of information was appreciated.

"He gave me one piece of advice before dumping me here: 'stay in Spirit Form unless the Master calls on you.'" Hans explained with irritation in his voice. Procrastinating on his writing deadlines was hard enough without getting roped into a Minute Singularity.

"Okay then. I guess you're going to be our ace in the hole for this mission." Ritsuka said. "Get in your Spirit Form wait until I say otherwise." Humanity's Last Master ordered his Servant.

"Wow, so my job is to 'hurry up and wait?' You spoil me, Master." Hans said sarcastically.

"Less lip, more invisibility." Ritsuka commanded. With that, Hans dissolved into golden particles. During their conversation, Jack continued to survey her surroundings out of boredom. Once again, something caught her attention.

"Mommy! We see a pirate ship!" Jack informed her father. Sure enough, out on the horizon was a vessel that looked like it had come right out of the Age of Sail. Ritsuka then heard the faint rustle of leaves and swiftly turned around to face the dense trees at the border of the beach. Strutting out into the open was a group of nine men: pirates, as evidenced by their stereotypical 18th century sailing garb.

"Oh ho! That Indian guy was right: fresh prey." The tall bearded man stated with a savage grin upon seeing Ritsuka and Jack. The pirate then confidently walked over to Ritsuka and circled around him so that they were both at the edge of the waves. Ritsuka however was not intimidated by the pirate.

"Oh. Hey Teach." Ritsuka greeted casually with a friendly wave. His sentiment was not shared by the pirate.

"Hey Teach? HEY TEACH?! The most feared pirate on the seas comes up to you on this beach and all you have to say is 'Hey Teach?!'" Blackbeard ranted with indignation. "Boys! Teach these kids a lesson." He ordered his men. The other pirates grinned evilly as they drew their swords, but Ritsuka was not intimidated.

"Oh goodie. Starter mobs." Ritsuka said with noticeable lack of enthusiasm. His comment only made Blackbeard more angry.

"Starter mobs? Who are you calling a start-" Blackbeard began to say before Ritsuka swiftly closed the distance between the two them and punched Blackbeard in the face with a Magecraft-Reinforced fist. "GAH!" Blackbeard cried out in pain as he stumbled backwards. "Alright, now I'm gonna-" Was all Blackbeard managed to say before a massive crocodile burst out from the waves and caught Blackbeard by the torso with its jaws. The crocodile then thrashed and rolled in the water to finish off the Rider.

"Goodbye Teach." Ritsuka said as the pirate captain vanished down the throat of the crocodile. The giant reptilian gave a short burp, golden particles escaping from its maw as it did so. The remaining pirates turned their attention to the crocodile.

"No reason for us to stick around and get munched." Ritsuka muttered as he realised that the pirates would make a nice distraction while he got Jack to safety. "Jack, fall back!" He ordered before he whistled to summon Xanthos. After Jack jumped onto the saddle, Ritsuka then climbed on to his horse and made Xanthos pick up the pace. After a few minutes of speedy galloping, Ritsuka looked back to see the reptilian behemoth right on Xanthos' trail.

"Surprisingly quick on land, for a crocodile." Ritsuka remarked. "Alright then. Jack, we're taking that crocodile down! Hans, back me up!" Ritsuka ordered as he and Jack both jumped off of Xanthos's saddle while Hans then materialised nearby, ready to support them with his Magecraft as necessary.

The crocodile charged at Ritsuka, intent on crushing him within its maw. Ritsuka channelled his Mana and Reinforced his arms in preparation. With lightning fast reflexes, Ritsuka caught the crocodile's jaws in his hands, although the sheer strength of the creature still pushed Ritsuka back. Hans then added his own Magecraft to further Reinforce his Master, and Ritsuka was able to hold his ground at last.

"Jack! Go for the throat!" Ritsuka yelled as his muscles and Magic Circuits screamed in agony. Despite the pain, he held the reptile's mouth open. A blur then whizzed between Ritsuka and the crocodile, and a torrent of blood soon gushed out from the crocodile's now slit throat. The crocodile thrashed around in Ritsuka's grasp for a few moments before blood loss started to settle in. Ritsuka kept holding onto the crocodile until he was sure that the creature was dead. After a while the crocodile became limp and Ritsuka let go of the creature. Ritsuka took a few deep breaths to calm himself after that encounter.

"Pirates and a killer crocodile. Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Master?" Hans asked as he came up to his Master. Ritsuka regained his composure before he spoke.

"Yeah. We're in some kind of Never Land inspired Singularity." Ritsuka answered. "And it's not even close to Halloween..." He muttered. Minute Singularities themed after pop-culture or classical literature tended to happen around October, and they usually involved Elizabeth Bathory. "The question is, who could be behind it?" Ritsuka asked. It did not take long for everyone to come up with an answer.

"Alice." Ritsuka concluded.

"Alice." Jack agreed.

"That goddamn book." Hans growled.

"She must have taken the Grail that I retrieved last night." Ritsuka deduced. He would have to talk to Leonardo and Holmes about tightening security over the Holy Grails when he returned to Novum Chaldea.

"What now, Mommy?" Jack asked. Killing that crocodile whetted Jack's appetite for murder, and she hoped that another opportunity was coming up.

"Teach mentioned an Indian guy. I guess that's our next lead." Ritsuka reasoned before he Summoned Xanthos in preparation for the journey ahead.

"You mean our only lead." Hans replied snidely.

"Yes. Now get back into your spirit form." Ritsuka ordered, to which Hans shut up and obeyed. Ritsuka then lifted Jack onto Xanthos' saddle and climbed on himself.

"Well, that's one way to kick start an adventure." Ritsuka muttered as he took one last look at the dead crocodile when Xanthos trotted past it.

"Mommy, killing that crocodile was way more fun than smashing Hermit Crabs!" Jack said excitedly. Any opportunity to sink her knives into living flesh was a welcome activity for the Wraith Child.

"It's only fun because neither of us got hurt." Ritsuka admonished. He then brought Xanthos to a stop. "If anything happened to you then I wouldn't be able to live with myself." Ritsuka added with sincerity before he let go of the reins and gave Jack a quick hug.

---

Ritsuka and Jack made their way back along the beach to where they had encountered Blackbeard. Ritsuka then steered Xanthos along the pirates' footprints into the tropical jungle ahead. The salty sea air soon gave way to the muggy atmosphere of the jungle, but Ritsuka and Jack still enjoyed the shade that the trees provided. Ritsuka then noticed a thin plume of smoke stretching up into the sky and decided to follow it to its source. After many minutes of walking, the Chaldeans stopped some distance away from the smoke.

Ritsuka tapped Jack's shoulder to get her attention. He then held his index finger up to his lips as a command to be silent for the task ahead. He quietly climbed off of Xanthos before he helped Jack down onto her feet. Xanthos took this as a sign that he was no longer needed, so he returned to his Spirit Form.

"Hans, get out of Spirit form but stay out of sight." Ritsuka whispered. Ritsuka decided to be cautious, just in case things turn violent. Ritsuka and Jack crept silently through the undergrowth until they saw a clearing in the jungle. In the middle of the clearing was a small fire by a bamboo hut. Sitting at the entry way of the hut was a certain red haired widower Saber, next to a pile of bananas. The Servant reached out to grab a banana, but suddenly stopped when he felt the gaze of Humanity's Last Master upon him.

"Welcome, Master and Jack." Rama greeted before he turned to address a nearby tree. "I wasn't expecting you here, Andersen." Rama said, having already detected the Caster's presence.

"And I was expecting Geronimo to be here." Hans called snidely even though his cover was blown. He was clearly familiar with a certain controversial scene from a certain animation company's adaptation of the Peter Pan story. The King of Kosala frowned at the author's words.

"Well, he isn't." Rama replied dismissively before he turned his attention to Humanity's Last Master. "Please have a seat, Master. I have something to talk to you about." Rama said as he patted the spot next to him.

"Hi there, Rama." Ritsuka greeted the Saber as he walked out into the open, with Jack following closely behind him. The two made their way to the hut and sat down as invited. "Jack, would you like a banana?" He asked his daughter, to which she nodded. Rama handed a yellow fruit to Ritsuka, who then gave it to Jack. Jack wasted no time to peal the banana, eager to have a snack after such a long ride on horseback. With Jack preoccupied, Ritsuka turned his attention to Rama.

"I'm happy for you, Master." Rama stated with a fake smile. "You are valiantly defending humanity. You have the sworn loyalty of your Servants. You have been reunited with your family. You are raising your daughter with love. You get to spend every evening with your wife. Your wife. Your wife. Wife..." Rama trailed off as his expression turned blank during that last part. He then suddenly snapped back to normal. "Some of us aren't as lucky as you, Master." Rama added. Ritsuka sighed deeply before retorting.

"Well, what do you want me to do? You know I have no control over which Servant gets Summoned." Ritsuka pointed out. Summoning a Servant was not as simple as tapping the screen on a phone or exchanging a ticket at Da Vinci's Workshop, as much as Ritsuka wished it so. More often than not, a Summoning Ritual just caused a bowl of Extremely Spicy Mapo Tofu to appear, for some reason. What a waste of perfectly good Saint Quartz. "Sita either shows up or she doesn't." Ritsuka stated firmly.

"I know, I know." Rama apologised. "It's just that I can't help but feel reminded of Sita when I see you having your quiet peaceful life. I guess what I'm trying to say is, please just...Don't take them for granted." Rama said sincerely.

"Don't worry: I won't." Ritsuka said with determination, which seemed to satisfy Rama. "By the way, Rama, do you know where the Holy Grail is? Or at least where Alice might be?" Ritsuka requested.

"I'm sorry, I don't know where either of those are. Try the lagoon down that path. I saw some people mucking about there." Rama suggested as he lazily pointed to his left. Sure enough, there was another path cut into the jungle that would undoubtedly lead Ritsuka and Jack to their next destination. "If you'll excuse me, I... need some time alone." Rama said sadly as he sat down. The King of Kosala then peeled a banana and began to eat, desperately trying to drown out his pain with the sweet taste of fruit. Ritsuka wisely decided to let the hero of the Ramayana mourn for his dearly departed wife.

With his business here concluded, Ritsuka whistled to Summon Xanthos. He and Jack departed on horseback along the path that was provided to them.

"Mommy, can't you just use the Holy Grail to Summon Banana Man's wife?" Jack asked along the way. Ritsuka shook his head.

"No, Jack. I'm afraid that even the Holy Grail has its limits." Ritsuka explained. If Summoning the Servant that he needed was as simple as spending a Holy Grail, Chaldea would have long since run out of the things.

"We hope Also Mommy's okay while We're here." Jack said. She was a bit sad that Kiyohime was not with them on this latest adventure. In the best of all possible worlds, Jack wanted to have quality time with both of her parents.

"I do too. We're both very lucky to have your mother." Ritsuka replied sincerely. He already missed his dear wife.

---

Ritsuka steered Xanthos down the path that Rama had suggested. Over time, the smell of smoke gave way to the familiar fresh air of the sea as the path took them down to the aforementioned lagoon. Ritsuka and Jack both took in the sight of the lagoon's crystal clear water that reflected the midday sun. However the natural beauty was ruined when they heard the voices of two people arguing. Sure enough, over in the distance along the sand were two people that Ritsuka recognised. The first person was a young pink haired woman who wore what looked like some kind of wedding dress. The other was a sharply dressed elderly man with a butterfly motif who carried a coffin with him.

"Papa, leave! Am not a little kid" Fran huffed with crossed arms. Her 'father' ignored her pleas and stepped closer.

"Nonsense! You'll always be my darling little girl." Moriarty told his daughter with an oblivious smile, which only worsened Fran's mood. Ritsuka and Jack made their way over to the two before Xanthos stopped just in front of them.

"Are we interrupting something?" Ritsuka asked jokingly as he climbed down from Xanthos' back to properly converse with the two. Jack however was content to stay in the saddle and continued to admire the lagoon. All of Fran's irritation at Moriarty disappeared once she saw Humanity's Last Master.

"Master!" Fran cried with delight as she leapt forward to give her Master a big hug. Ritsuka quickly returned the embrace before he spoke.

"Hi Fran. Hello Professor." Ritsuka greeted the Artificial Eve and the Napoleon of Crime respectively as Fran let go of him.

"Good day to you, Master." Moriarty responded in kind. Ritsuka could already tell that Moriarty had some sort of plan in mind, so he decided to make this quick.

"I just want to know if either of you have seen Alice or the Holy Grai-" Ritsuka tried to ask before Moriarty suddenly stepped forward and covered his face with his hands.

"Oh Master, it's just terrible!" Moriarty cried with fake tears. "It feels like only yesterday I became a father, and now my darling Fran doesn't want me around anymore. Says she's too old for that sort of thing." Moriarty explained with melodrama. Ritsuka could only roll his eyes at Moriarty's acting.

"You suddenly decided that Fran was your daughter out of nowhere one Summer..." Ritsuka pointed out.

"Semantics!" Moriarty dismissed with a wave of his hand before he suddenly grabbed Ritsuka's shoulders. "Heed my warning, Master: cherish these fleeting moments you have with your own daughter before it's too late!" Moriarty cried without any sense of subtlety. Ritsuka felt annoyed at how bluntly this moral lesson was being forced onto him.

"Yeah, that's great and all, but do you mind just telling me where Alice is so I can take the Holy Grail and go home?" Ritsuka asked once more. Moriarty was about to go off on another long winded speech before Fran stopped him.

"Follow dirt path. Lost Girls. Deeper in the jungle." Fran stated as she pointed to another pathway through the trees on the other side of the lagoon.

"Thank you for your help, Fran." Ritsuka said appreciatively to the Artificial Eve. Fran gave Ritsuka one last hug before he left.

"If things don't work with Kiyohime, Master can come to me." Fran said while she hugged her Master. "Could go further than hugs, if Master wants. Would do anything for Master." Fran whispered suggestively into Ritsuka's ear.

"That won't be necessary!" Ritsuka yelped as he quickly backed off from the artificial life form. Their interactions did not go unnoticed by Moriarty.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Master?" Moriarty asked, glaring at his Master while he brought out his signature coffin. Truth be told, he actually approved of Fran's attraction to Ritsuka. If the two ended up together, then Moriarty could leave both his daughter and his criminal empire to a worthy successor. However, as a father Moriarty was obligated to put any potential suitors in their place. The Napoleon of Crime was certain that Ritsuka would do the same if any boy showed an interest in Jack. Probably. Possibly. Maybe.

"Nope! We'll be going now. Thank you for all of your help." Ritsuka hastily said. Without hesitation he seated himself in Xanthos' saddle behind Jack. They ventured forth along the Lagoon's edge to the dirt path that Fran pointed out. As the two left, Moriarty and Fran resumed their earlier argument.

"We think it's sad that Electricity Lady keeps trying to leave Old Coffin Man." Jack said when she heard the Artificial Eve and Napoleon of Crime resume their bickering. It seemed that Moriarty was only partially acting earlier.

"It's part of growing up. Even you will want to leave me and your mother one day." Ritsuka said in a serious tone. Jack pouted in response.

"Nu-uh! We're gonna stay with Mommy and Also Mommy forever!" Jack declared with clenched fists. She simply could not imagine a life without her parents around, being the young child that she was.

"All children have to leave the nest eventually." Ritsuka stated solemnly. Just as Ritsuka left his own parents to be with Kiyohime, Jack would inevitably leave Ritsuka and Kiyohime to build her own life.

---

Ritsuka and Jack continued their journey through the Minute Singularity. By late afternoon the jungle was a much darker place, and it was then that Ritsuka remembered just how dangerous such an environment could be. A fallen log or sudden ditch could be obscured on the path ahead, dangerous or venomous predators could be lurking in the shadows, or a hidden assailant could be ready to strike from the trees. Ritsuka tensed up more than once whenever he thought that he saw something move in the corner of his eye. He gently urged Xanthos to pick up the pace and reach their destination before nightfall, for Jack's safety.

Eventually, Xanthos had taken the two to what looked like a small village of six houses, except that these houses were set up high in the trees. Ritsuka dismissed Xanthos after he and Jack climbed off the saddle, as a horse would not be able to climb up into the tree houses. Suddenly, a small figure dropped down from one of the tree houses to confront Humanity's Last Master.

"Chacha!" A familiar child Servant announced. The child's shrill voice actually eased the tension in Ritsuka.

"Oh. Hi Chacha." Ritsuka greeted Nobunaga's niece casually as Jack simply waved at her (sort of) friend. "Have you seen Alice anywhere?" He asked, which caused the Totoyomi Concubine to grin devilishly.

"Chachachachacha!" Chacha Chacha-ed. "Foolish Mage! If you wanna see Nursery Rhyme up in the tree house directly behind me, then you gotta get past me after overcoming three trials designed to test your Bond with Jack." Chacha recited with a theatrical flair. "For your first trial, you have to beat me in a game of-HEY WAIT!" Chacha cried out when Ritsuka and Jack simply walked past her. "You're supposed to stop! I built an obstacle course and everything!" She whined. Ritsuka and Jack did not even slow their pace.

"Sorry Chacha, but we're in a bit of a hurry." Ritsuka apologised in a dismissive tone. "Thanks for telling us where Alice is, by the way." He added as he reached the ladder to the tree house.

"We can play obstacle course together in the Simulator after We get back to Chaldea." Jack mentioned before she climbed up the ladder. Ritsuka was just about to climb up the himself when Chacha's anger reached its boiling point.

"Grrr. Lost Girls! Stop them!" Chacha commanded with furious flames in her eyes. Three more child Servants leapt down from the trees around Humanity's Last Master; Abigail Williams, Paul Bunyan and Jeanne d'Arc Alter Santa Lily Lancer. All three drew their respective weapons on their Master, intent on stopping him. Fortunately, Ritsuka had the perfect tactic prepared for such a situation.

"I will give you each a piece of chocolate if you let us pass." Ritsuka offered as he pulled out his Emergency Rations, which was what he called the chocolate stash that he kept on his person at all times. The three child Servants did not take long to come to a decision.

"Sorry Chacha." Jeanne d'Arc Alter Santa Lily Lancer apologised to Chacha. The child Servants then formed an orderly line to receive their treats. They also made sure to say 'thank you' Ritsuka like good little girls before enjoying their chocolates.

"Curses! Foiled by sweets!" Chacha swore. All of her plans were ruined; the obstacle course, the fishing minigame and the Daddy-Daughter Quiz Show would never see the light of day. Ritsuka actually felt a bit of sympathy when he saw how disappointed Chacha was.

"You can have one too if you want, Chacha." Ritsuka offered. It was not much of a consolation, but it was better than leaving Chacha to wallow in her misery.

"Chacha!" Chacha exclaimed in delight, her previous sadness completely gone and replaced with the taste of chocolate. With no other reason to delay, Ritsuka quickly turned around and climbed up to the tree house to reunite with Jack.

"Mommy, aren't you going to give Us some life advice? Like with the others?" Jack asked her father once he reached the top of the ladder.

"Yeah. Don't blurt out important information to your opponent when he's standing right in front of you." Ritsuka said sarcastically as he pulled himself up. "Anyway, it's time for us to have a little talk with Alice." Ritsuka stated before he opened the door to the tree house with some trepidation.

The inside of the tree house did not match the outside in the slightest. While the exterior looked to be made of wooden planks hastily hammered together to resemble a children's club house, the interior was a well furnished Victorian era styled room complete with leather seats, bookshelves and a plush rug in front of a fire place. Sitting at the back end of the tree house was none other than Ritsuka's target: Nursery Rhyme, who was reading a book of some kind. She put her book down on a nearby table and stood up from her chair once she heard the door open.

"You're probably wondering why you're here Mast-" Nursery Rhyme began to say before her expository monologue was cut off by Ritsuka.

"Yeah, yeah." Ritsuka said dismissively. "You were worried about the effect that my going away on frequent missions was having on Jack. So you used a Holy Grail to create a Minute Singularity in my dream based on Never Land where we could spend some time together. The other Servants were then brought in to teach me a lesson about appreciating my family." Ritsuka explained with his own expository monologue, clearly fed up with this song and dance. "I figured this out forever ago. Just give me the Holy Grail so we can leave-"

"I can't-" Nursery Rhyme tried to interject but to no avail.

"-because we can't stay in Never Land forever, you know." Ritsuka finished. Nursery Rhyme scowled as she took offence at her Master's statement.

"What's wrong with staying in Never Land?" Nursery Rhyme asked indignantly. "You can play with Jack forever and she'll never grow up and leave you." She tried to reason. Ritsuka took a deep breath before responding: it was time for him to enter 'Dad Mode.'

"I'm Jack's father. Everything I do, I do so Jack can have a future when all of this is over." Ritsuka stated with a serious expression. "Will I be sad when Jack eventually leaves me and Kiyohime? Yeah, of course I will. She's my little girl, after all." Ritsuka's face became downcast at that last part. Then he suddenly looked up at Nursery Rhyme with determination in his eyes. "But that'll be far outweighed by the happiness and pride I'll feel knowing that I've raised Jack to be able to stand on her own two feet and find happiness." He then gave his daughter a headpat. "Every parent worth their salt feels the same way." He finished as he looked down at Jack with a loving smile on his face. His explanation did not dissuade Nursery Rhyme.

"Ugh! I don't get it!" Nursery Rhyme yelled as she stomped her foot in frustration.

"Of course you don't: you're a child." Ritsuka explained. "Children almost never understand why their parents act the way they do. It's only when they become adults that they can appreciate what their parents have done for them." The years that he had spent raising Jack had allowed Ritsuka to fully understand what his own parents must have gone through when they raised him and his sister. Ritsuka was grateful for what they had done for him and he wanted to pass on those lessons to his own daughter. Ritsuka then held out his hand to Nursery Rhyme. "Now please, hand over the Grail." He asked again.

"I can't-" Nursery Rhyme once more tried to explain before she was cut off, this time by Jack.

"Alice." Jack spoke up with a sympathetic look on her face. "We know you're just looking out for Us, and We're happy that you care so much, but Mommy's right." Jack stated firmly. "The children that We're made of never had the chance to grow up with parents that loved them, but with Mommy and Also Mommy We can make their wishes come true. We really want to go home, because We can't help them if We're stuck in Never Land." Jack may not have fully understood why her father did the things he did, but she realised that if she stayed in this Minute Singularity then she would never come to an understanding with him. That did not sit well with Jack. "Please give Mommy the Grail." Jack implored her friend.

"I'm telling you, I can't-" Nursery Rhyme's pleas fell on deaf ears, as yet another person interrupted her.

"Stop wasting our time, book, and give us the damn Grail already!" Hans yelled after he suddenly materialised, his patience at its end. Ironically, Hans' impatience caused Nursery Rhyme's own patience to run out.

"I CAN'T! I DON'T HAVE THE STUPID HOLY GRAIL!" Nursery Rhyme shouted while she stomped her foot in frustration. For a full minute, nobody said anything. Everyone was certain that Nursery Rhyme was behind this Minute Singularity. It just made too much sense: who else would think that basing a Minute Singularity off of a children's story would be a good idea?

"Wait. If you don't have the Holy Grail, then who does?" Ritsuka asked after he recovered from his shock. Nursery Rhyme shuddered in fear.

"...She does." Nursery Rhyme whispered with a look of pure terror on her face. This did not bode well for anyone.

---

With no other leads, Ritsuka decided to circle around back to the starting point and repeat his investigation from the ground up. Thanks to Xanthos' speed, Ritsuka and Jack had reached their starting point by nightfall. It was the right call, as the pirate ship that had previously been out at sea was now washed up on the shore.

"Jack, how about we check out that pirate ship?" Ritsuka suggested to his daughter. 'It's not like we have any other leads.' He thought to himself. Jack's face lit up at the idea.

"Yay! We wanna see if there's any treasure on the ship." Jack said excitedly. "Pirate ships always have treasure." She stated confidently with a nod. Ritsuka could not help but smile at how adorable his daughter was when she was happy.

"If any of the gold is cursed then you'll have to ask your mother for help." Ritsuka joked. Xanthos then jumped up onto the deck of the ship. Fortunately, the lanterns on the ship were still lit, so Ritsuka and Jack could still see what was around them. "Xanthos, take a break." Ritsuka said to the Divine Horse after he and Jack climbed out of the saddle. Xanthos stomped in acknowledgement and trotted over to the railing to gaze at the night sea.

Ritsuka felt that the most appropriate place to begin the investigation/treasure hunt would be the captain's cabin. When Ritsuka opened the door, father and daughter saw a serviceable looking room with a small bed to one side, some drawers on the other side, glass windows at the back and a desk towards the centre. Sitting down at the candlelit desk was none other than Chaldea's resident therapist (who also happened to be Beast III/R), Sessyoin Kiara. She smiled serenely at the sight of Ritsuka, however the glint in her eyes clearly showed that she had something planned for Humanity's Last Master.

"Welcome, my Master. Please, have a seat." Kiara said with her usual honeyed voice. "Are you having fun in my Never Land?" She asked with her elbows on the desk and her fingers tented. Ritsuka and Jack stepped further inside to continue the conversation.

"Ehh. It's kind of boring here, to be honest." Ritsuka said with a shrug. For a Singularity that was (supposedly) based on Never Land, it barely had anything that resembled the Peter Pan story apart from maybe three or four elements. "I was not expecting you to be behind this." He stated, which caused Kiara to smile smugly.

"I'd imagine not." Kiara replied before her expression turned serious. "Master, I will have to ask your daughter to leave us for a while. What I am going to discuss with you should stay between the two of us." Kiara requested. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry that we have to do this." She added when Jack's face became crestfallen.

"Mommy..." Jack pleaded as Ritsuka gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Ritsuka knelt down to look Jack in the eye before he spoke.

"It'll be okay, Jack." Ritsuka said to reassure the Wraith Child. "Just try to have some fun riding on Xanthos until I come and get you." He said as he stood up and opened the door for his daughter.

"Alright Mommy." Jack agreed sadly. Ritsuka gave her one last headpat before he closed the door behind the Wraith Child. With Jack now gone. Ritsuka walked over to Kiara and sat down at a chair in front of the desk.

"Okay, let's get this over with. Go ahead and explain your motivation so I can give a counter argument that results in you giving me the Holy Grail." Ritsuka recited with a bored tone. He was getting too old for this. "Then I can go back home with Jack."

"You certainly have this routine figured out." Kiara remarked with a mocking smile. Ritsuka shrugged in response.

"Well, this is my job, after all." Ritsuka explained. At some point in the past, the wonder of travelling to different time periods and parallel timelines had worn off. Humanity's Last Master was not sure if he considered his duty frustrating or simply taxing these days.

"Yes, your job. How diligent of you, Master, to always put your duty first." Kiara complemented smoothly, although Ritsuka could detect some hidden mockery in the Demonic Bodhisattva's words. "My next question is simple: why? Why must you fight for Chaldea?" She asked as she placed her hands down on the desk.

"So that I and my family can live. I want to give my family a future, but I can't do that while the world is destroyed." Ritsuka stated with determination in his eyes. "I need Chaldea and Chaldea needs me." In an almost cruel (or perhaps Mage-like) way, Chaldea was a means to an end for Humanity's Last Master to achieve his own ambition. Fortunately for everyone involved, it just so happened that Ritsuka's sole ambition in life was to ensure his family's well being and happiness.

"So your family is what motivates you, then? Why is that?" Kiara pressed on. All emotion left Ritsuka's face at this question. This was no longer Humanity's Last Master standing before Kiara but Fujimaru Ritsuka: a human being.

"...Because without them, all I have left in my life is death." Ritsuka confessed sombrely. He thought back to those that he had lost during his time in Chaldea; Olga-Marie, Romani, Da Vinci, Patxi and Gerda, just to name a few. Then there were the countless lives extinguished each time Ritsuka destroyed a Lostbelt. "I've seen so many people die to get me this far, and I'll need to see more dead before I'm done." He added. If records of Chaldea's actions were ever made available to the public, then Ritsuka had no doubt that he would be remembered as the worst monster in history, by virtue of the sheer number of human lives that he was responsible for ending. Kiara had an almost sympathetic look on her face at Ritsuka's confession.

"I see, I see." Kiara said with a nod and closed eyes. "However, therein lies the problem: you keep putting your job before your loved ones." She pointed out with a grim tone. Ritsuka's sombre mood was quickly overcome with anger as he glared at Kiara.

"What do you want me to do? Quit?" Ritsuka asked with gritted teeth. "In case you haven't noticed: I am Humanity's Last Master!" He yelled as he vented all of his stress and frustration. "There is no one else who can lead Chaldea against the Foreign God! I need to fight or else humanity is doomed, my family included." Despite Ritsuka's outburst, Kiara's demeanour did not change.

"I'm not saying that you need to pick one or the other: I'm saying that you need to find a balance between your work life and your family life." Kiara explained calmly, much to Ritsuka's surprise. Why had he not realised such a simple solution to his problems already? "For all of your talk about 'building a future' for Jack, all you're doing is missing out on her 'present.' There's a saying about parenthood: 'the days are long but the years are short.' If you don't change your ways, then you're going to squander the time that you have left with your daughter. All the while, you're running yourself ragged." Kiara stated as Ritsuka's anger was replaced by contemplation.

Ritsuka then realised that Kiara was right. When the latest Minute Singularity appeared, Ritsuka did not even try to argue against going, even though he had just been reunited with his parents and sister. Ritsuka had been so focused on restoring humanity that he had neglected the most important people to him: his family. Somehow, the guilt from that realisation cut deeper than his guilt over destroying the Lostbelts. What good was saving the world if he only did so by alienating Jack, Kiyohime, Gudako and his parents? With this newfound revelation, Ritsuka had only one thing to say to Kiara.

"...Thank you, Kiara, for caring so much about my well being and my relationships." Ritsuka said with humility. "As soon as I get back to Chaldea, I'll tell Kiyohime about everything you just said to me and together we'll work something out." This impromptu therapy session may very well have been exactly what Ritsuka needed to reconcile with his family. The nun smiled, happy to have finally gotten through to her Master.

"I am but a humble woman of the cloth, Master. Helping you find peace of mind is my duty, after all." Kiara said, pleased to get some genuine recognition from Humanity's Last Master. "It will not be easy, but I'm certain you will find a way to be our salvation and keep your family happy." Ritsuka returned Kiara's smile before speaking.

"You really do pull through when it really counts, Kiara." Ritsuka said sincerely, before he straightened up with a serious expression on his face. "However, you still need to be punished." Ritsuka said firmly. "You've violated my privacy by putting this Singularity in my dream, and you put my daughter in danger by bringing her here." Ritsuka explained. As grateful as he was towards the Demonic Bodhisattva, Ritsuka's authority as Humanity's Last Master needed to be enforced.

"Oh? And how do you plan on doing that, my Master?" Kiara asked smugly. "You of all people should know that I would only end up enjoying any 'punishment' you give me." The former Beast III/R explained. Ritsuka smiled in response.

"Yeah. Nothing I do would affect you, so I won't do anything to you." Ritsuka said as his smile turned devious. "Hans, you know what to do." Ritsuka called out to his hidden companion. That last statement wiped Kiara's smile right off of her face.

"Wait, Andersen is here?!" Kiara asked in alarm, as she had not planned on the author's interference. Ritsuka payed no attention to the nun and instead stood up from his chair to leave.

"I'm going to spend some time with Jack and Xanthos. Let me know when you're done here." Ritsuka said aloud as he walked out of the cabin. Once the door closed, a certain foul-mouthed alcoholic author materialised from his spirit form in front of Kiara with an evil grin on his face. Hans cleared his throat before speaking.

"It's appropriate that you modelled this Singularity after Never Land: a place where no one grows up, because otherwise you'd immediately degenerate into the hideous old hag that you truly are." Hans said in a scathing tone before a gave a short bark of laughter. "Hah! Never Land... What a joke! A more appropriate name would be Gutter Land, because a trollop like you belongs in a gutter." He continued. "'A humble woman of the cloth,' really? More like 'a revolting harlot of the semen-stained dish rag,' and even that is being generous." Hans' grin spread a little bit wider with each verbal assault.

"Normally I'd puke at the sight of your saggy tits, but then my puke would be so disgusted by you that it'd crawl back into my mouth, just so it doesn't have to look at you anymore." Hans stated as he savoured his vulgarity. "I'd call you a 'walking venereal disease,' but that would be an insult to venereal diseases. All of them." The author was only getting started. "Bovines are considered sacred in Hinduism, but not even a cow like you would be welcome in India." Hans spat out.

"You should have come to the Babylonian Singularity with us: getting forcibly mutated into a Demonic Beast or Lahmu would have made you less of a repulsive eyesore. Or perhaps the Chaos Tide itself would have receded at the start because you're just that nauseating to be around. As you are now, not even Marquis de Sade would find you appealing in any way shape or form." Hans continued his verbal smack down without mercy. "Who knows, maybe you are the real reason that the Foreign God invaded: it took one look at you and decided that Earth was a mistake that needed to be erased." Hans then put up his hands as if to appease Kiara, but the author was not done yet.

"However, credit where credit is due: I must sincerely thank you for never volunteering to come on expeditions on the Nautilus: because once your wide behind steps aboard, the submarine would get the buoyancy of a gold brick and sink to the bottom of the sea." Hans ribbed Kiara before he broke out into laughter at his own joke. "Imagine it: all of Chaldea's hopes to restore humanity completely foiled because you just had to eat one more Ohagi, like the miserable glutton that you are." He managed to regain his composure when his laughter stopped.

"Now then, before you hand over the Holy Grail, I will first have to get some rubber gloves and some kind of respirator. Who knows what kind of diseases I might catch from the Grail after you handled it. Although no virus, bacteria, fungus, prion nor cancer would compare to the sickness that is your existence." Hans said with sadistic delight, revelling in the chance to verbally slaughter someone. Getting manhandled by that French convict earlier was worth it for this opportunity. "Are you feeling cooperative or should I continue? I have plenty more to say about you." Throughout all of Hans' rant, Kiara's face was neutral.

"...Just take the Holy Grail." Kiara conceded before she threw a familiar looking golden object at the author. "This is what I get for trying to help my Master..." She huffed.

"Master! We're done here!" Hans yelled once he caught the Holy Grail. As much as Hans would have liked to avoid his deadlines by staying in Never Land, there was not even a drop of alcohol to be found in this dream.

---

"Good morning, Honoured Husband. It's time to wake up." The soft voice of Kiyohime spoke into Ritsuka's ear as she gently shook his shoulder. Ritsuka opened his eyes to see Kiyohime's smiling face still resting on the pillow. Ritsuka then pulled himself out from under the bed sheets to stand up.

"Good morning, Kiyohime." Ritsuka greeted his wife, glad to be out of that Minute Singularity in his dream. Kiyohime smiled at her husband before she turned to the child sleeping at her opposite side.

"Good morning, my child." Kiyohime said to her daughter as she gently shook her awake. Jack then opened her eyes and sat up on the bed.

"Also Mommy?" Jack asked as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "We had a good dream. We dreamt that We went to Never Land with Mommy." Jack recounted with a smile. It seemed that once the Minute Singularity was resolved, Jack remembered the experience as nothing more than a pleasant dream. "Alice and the others were there, and so was electricity lady, and old coffin man, and banana man. We got to ride on Mister Horsey and Mommy punched Captain Hook into the Crocodile's mouth." Jack summarised excitedly.

"Oh my!" Kiyohime exclaimed as she put her hands on her cheeks, amused at the Wraith Child's imagination. "That sounds like it was a fun dream."

"Yep! But today's gonna be better, 'cuz Mommy's here for real." Jack declared. She then jumped out of bed and skipped over to the bathroom to freshen up. Now alone with his wife, Ritsuka took the opportunity to say what needed to be said.

"Kiyohime. I've been an idiot." Ritsuka confessed just as Kiyohime stood up out of bed, much to her surprise. "I've spent too much time resolving Minute Singularities when I should have been finding a balance between working and being there for you and Jack. What good is restoring humanity if I only end up pushing both of you away? That's not the kind of man I want to be." Ritsuka stated. He had taken Kiara's lesson to heart.

"Ritsuka-" Kiyohime began to say, but Ritsuka held up his hand to stop her so that he could finish talking.

"From now on, I'll show you and Jack how much I appreciate you being there for me, by being there for the both of you. Today I'll ask the Director for longer breaks between missions, and I'll devote that time to my family." Ritsuka explained. "I won't ask for your forgiveness: I'll earn it." Ritsuka said with sincerity. Kiyohime smiled.

"Mmm, yes! Now there is the man I married." Kiyohime said with satisfaction. "Now go on, Honoured Husband. Spend some quality time with our daughter while I prepare breakfast." Kiyohime shooed Ritsuka away as she made her way to the kitchen. Ritsuka quickly put on his Tropical Summer Mystic Code, sat down at the table and waited for Jack to come back from the bathroom.

"By the way Jack." Ritsuka said once Jack joined him at the table. "How was your first time meeting your grandparents and aunt?" He asked, thoroughly regretting that he missed his family reunion. Jack beamed at her father's question.

"We had lots of fun! Mommy's parents and Mommy's Sister told Us lots of stories about when Mommy was a kid." Jack recounted with a bright smile on her face. "Mommy's Sister likes Our knives, and Mommy's Also Mommy..." Jack paused as she struggled to remember what exactly her grandfather Kentaro did when he visited, apart from drink tea.

"Your mother thinks that my cooking is good." Kiyohime said with pride as she returned from the kitchen with breakfast, unintentionally saving her daughter from further embarrassment.

"Of course! Why wouldn't she?" Ritsuka responded with a smile. He never doubted for a second that his family would accept his wife and daughter with open arms. In a few trips back to and from the kitchen, Kiyohime had placed cutlery and plates out for Ritsuka and Jack. She even brought Ritsuka his morning coffee in a mug that had the words 'No. 48 Dad' printed on its side, a gift from BB that was meant to be a joke. With the table set and the food served, the Fujimaru family began to eat breakfast.

This morning, Kiyohime had gone all out by cooking a Full English Breakfast; a sunny side up egg, a rasher of bacon, a fried sausage, two tomato slices, a slice of black pudding, baked beans and two slices of bread for each person sitting at the table. It was a very filling meal that would keep Ritsuka and Jack fuelled for what would certainly be a long day of fun together. After he finished his breakfast, Ritsuka was about to get up to put the dish away before Kiyohime stopped him.

"Allow me, Honoured Husband." Kiyohime offered as she took Ritsuka's empty plate to be cleaned. Ritsuka then turned his attention to Jack.

"Hey Jack, what do you want to do first?" Ritsuka asked his daughter while Kiyohime was away. Jack closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair as she thought.

"Hmm..." Jack hummed in contemplation before she suddenly opened her eyes. "We wanna go see Mommy's parents and Mommy's Sister." She requested as she leaned forward.

"You know what Jack? That's a great idea. I'd like to see them too. In fact, why don't we invite them all over here right now?" Ritsuka took advantage of the opportunity.

"Yep. We'd like that." Jack affirmed with a nod. She wanted to hear more stories from her grandparents and aunt. Jack then left the dining table and went to her room to change out of her pyjamas. At that moment, Kiyohime returned from the kitchen.

"Your mother is in the Cafeteria, your father is in the Docking Bay, and your sister is in Da Vinci's Workshop." Kiyohime helpfully informed Ritsuka as she sat down next to him. "I get the feeling that this isn't just a little family get-together, Ritsuka." Kiyohime stated with a serious tone, sensing an ulterior motive from her husband. Ritsuka nodded in response to his wife's intuition.

"Yeah. I'm going to tell them everything." Ritsuka said. Nothing was going to stop him from revealing the truth from his family this time. Kiyohime nodded in acceptance.

"I understand, Honoured Husband." Kiyohime replied before she stood up once more. "I'll prepare some tea and snacks for our visiting relatives." Kiyohime commented with a bit more cheer in her voice: she welcomed this new chance to show her in-laws her hospitality. Kiyohime left Ritsuka alone at the table.

Ritsuka then noticed something unusual under the sheets of his and Kiyohime's bed, so he got up from his chair to investigate. Ritsuka reached under the sheet to pull the offending object out from under the covers and discovered a Holy Grail, which was no doubt the one responsible for the Never Land Singularity.

"I need to put this in storage before someone else gets the bright idea to 'help' me." Ritsuka muttered to himself. Normally Ritsuka would have just walked out and dealt with this himself, but then he remembered how excited Jack was about today. 'Find a balance between my job and my family.' Ritsuka recalled. There was no reason why he could not just take Jack along and drop off the Holy Grail while on the way to meet up with his parents and sister.

"Jack, are you ready to go?" Ritsuka asked his daughter once she returned from her room. Jack nodded enthusiastically.

"Yep!" Jack exclaimed, happy to spend time with her father first thing in the morning. She grabbed Ritsuka's hand and the two made their way to the door.

"We'll be going now." Ritsuka called to his wife as he left their room, hand in hand with Jack.

"Have a safe trip." Kiyohime replied from the kitchen. She could only smile as her husband followed up on his promise to patch things up with their daughter.

This happiness would not last.

---

It was breakfast time in the Cafeteria. Most of the staff and Servants were either ate their morning meals or waited to be served. At the counter in front of the kitchen, Fujimaru Aki had settled nicely into her new life in Chaldea, as she had already taken the orders of several customers. Aki's newest customer was a very tall man with dark skin and intricate tattoos covering his bare torso.

"Good morning. What can I get you?" Aki greeted cordially, as she had mostly gotten used to how bizarre certain inhabitants of Novum Chaldea looked. What emerged from the dark skinned giant's lips were not words but instead a series of guttural noises that Aki could not understand. Aki blinked in confusion. "...I'm sorry, could you repeat that please?" Aki asked after she got over her astonishment. The giant man once more growled his vocalisations, but to no avail. Aki simply could not understand what he was trying to say, so she decided to bring up the issue to her coworker. "Umm. Irisviel. Help." She pleaded to her 'Senpai.' Irisviel looked over to what Aki was talking about and instantly understood the problem.

"Good morning, Darius." Irisviel said to the Persian King. "Please excuse Aki. She's new to this." Darius grunted, perhaps in understanding, before he repeated the same grating utterances from earlier. Oddly enough, Irisviel actually seemed to understand what Darius wanted for breakfast. "Hmm-hmm! Dolmades with a side of yoghurt." Irisviel confirmed as she received the Berserker's QP. It seemed that Darius was in the mood for some Greek food this morning.

"It's okay, Aki. You'll get used to the Berserkers in time." Irisviel reassured Aki as Darius left to take seat. Before Aki could ask Irisviel what she meant by the term 'Berserker,' all of Aki's attention became focused on the next customer.

"Ritsuka!" Aki said in surprise. Standing there in front of her was none other than her son, holding the hand of his daughter Jack. "You're back." She noted with relief. Aki did not know if she could hold herself together if anything happened to her son so soon after their reunion.

"Good morning Mom." Ritsuka greeted his mother. "I managed to get the mission done around midnight last night." He explained. He felt no need to bring up the Minute Singularity in his dream that he solved together with Jack.

"Good morning Mommy's Mommy. Good Morning Illya's Mommy." Jack said to Aki and Irisviel respectively. The Homunculus and grandmother both practically melted at Jack's words.

"Good morning, Master, Jack." Irisviel greeted. "Thank you for bringing Kerry back safe and sound." She said appreciatively. Irisviel had found her husband passed out in the hallway on her way to work that earlier morning. She felt that it was best to let the Mage Killer have his rest, so she left him be.

"Good morning, Jack." Aki said with a loving smile. "What can I get you this morning?" Aki asked her son and granddaughter. She was certain that Ritsuka and Jack would have eaten breakfast made by Kiyohime instead of coming to the Cafeteria. Ritsuka held up his hand in response.

"Sorry, we're not here to eat. I have something important to tell you and the others back in my room." Ritsuka informed his mother. He then went around the counter and stuck his head through the kitchen window. "Hey Emiya!" Ritsuka called out to his Servant and friend. "Do you mind if I borrow my Mom for a little bit? It's family stuff." He explained.

"Alright. Just don't make a habit of this." Emiya called back. "Mrs. Fujimaru! You're free to go." He yelled loud enough for Aki to hear. With the Head Chef's permission given, Aki made her way around the counter to join her son and granddaughter.

"Let's go, Mommy's Mommy!" Jack said enthusiastically as she grabbed her grandmother's hand and pulled her along. Aki almost felt her heart stop at how adorable the Wraith Child was.

"Have a nice day, Irisviel." Aki called back to Irisviel as Jack lead her out of the Cafeteria.

"Goodbye Aki. Have fun!" Irisviel said as she waved to her co-worker. The customer who was next in line behind Ritsuka then stepped up to the counter. Standing in front of Irisviel was a tall and muscular red haired man who wore ancient Chinese armour. "Good morning Lu Bu." Irisviel greeted cheerfully, to which the Chinese Berserker gave an inhuman roar before he handed over some QP. "One order of scrambled eggs on toast coming right up." Irisviel noted.

---

Down in the Docking Bay, Kentaro diligently performed his assigned duty: to tighten any and all bolts that he could find. He decided that his next objective would be the fighter jet that was parked towards the wall of the Docking Bay. Currently, the aircraft was being tended to by a tall man with purple hair. The Fujimaru Patriarch decided that the appropriate course of action would be to go over to the man, introduce himself and ask if there were any bolts on the fighter jet that needed to be tightened. The purple haired man froze in shock and terror when he noticed Kentaro's approach.

'That determined pace. That single-minded stare. It's the Master's father!' Lancelot thought as his blood ran cold. By now, Lancelot knew that the red haired man with golden eyes was Ritsuka's father, and by extension the husband of Aki. 'He knows about what I tried to do with his wife yesterday, so now he's going to bash my brains out with a wrench!' Lancelot thought to himself in a panic. The Knight of the Lake was fully aware of what Ritsuka was capable of, so he erroneously believed that the man who raised Humanity's Last Master must have been just as skilled as a warrior or maybe even more so. Acting quickly, Lancelot fled for his life before Kentaro could make an example out of him. Kentaro blinked in surprise.

"I guess he must not have noticed me." Kentaro said to himself as he saw Lancelot disappear down the hallway. It was a shame: Kentaro would have liked to talk with him about the aircraft. Suddenly, the sound of clanging of metal broke Kentaro out of his musings.

He turned around to try and find the source of the noise and came face to face with what looked like a massive robot. The outer casing of the robot was dark grey with brass trim. In the robot's right hand was a gigantic metal club that it seemed to use as a cane. Oddly enough, the overall design of the robot almost made it look like it was wearing a dapper suit with a top hat, as if it were an English gentleman from the Victorian Era. This was just like something out of one of Ritsuka's Mecha Animes. Kentaro, being the stoic man that he was, simply raised an eyebrow at the sight.

"Mister Fujimaru." The robot said in a metallic voice as it stared at Kentaro with a single glowing red eye. "I am Professor Charles Babbage. I have been informed that your duty is to tighten bolts." The now named Babbage stated. Kentaro instantly understood what the professor wanted.

"Yes. I will tighten the bolts on you." Kentaro helpfully droned to the now named Babbage. The King of Steam turned around on the spot and knelt down to make it easier for Kentaro to perform his duty.

"Thank you, Mister Fujimaru." Babbage said monotonously to Kentaro as the Fujimaru Patriarch began to work. "I could not reach those bolts on my back."

"You're welcome." Kentaro replied in a tone that was somehow more monotonous than the literal robot who was standing in front of him. Soon enough, all of Babbage's bolts on his outer casing had been sufficiently adjusted.

"Good morning, Master and Master's daughter." Babbage suddenly said, which caught Kentaro's attention. Kentaro peeked around Babbage's large frame and saw Ritsuka and Jack, much to his surprise.

"Good morning, Professor Babbage." Ritsuka greeted. "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to my dad for a bit." He requested as Babbage stood back up to his full height.

"Permission granted. I no longer require Mister Fujimaru's assistance for maintenance." Babbage replied. "Goodbye, Mister Fujimaru." The King of Steam said to Kentaro before he walked away, his heavy metal feet making loud clanging noises every step of the way.

"Goodbye, Professor Babbage." Kentaro responded tersely. "Hello Ritsuka. Jack." Kentaro greeted plainly. Although he did not show it on his face, Kentaro was happy to receive a visit from his son and his granddaughter.

"Good morning, Mommy's Also Mommy." Jack said politely, although she had yet to fully get used to her grandfather's dull mannerisms. Kentaro nodded in response.

"What did you want to talk about?" Kentaro asked, as was his habit of getting straight to the point of things.

"I'd like you to come to my room: there's something important I need to tell you, Mom and Gudako." Ritsuka answered. Kentaro needed no further convincing.

"Lead the way." Was all that Kentaro said in response before he followed Humanity's Last Master in silence.

---

In Da Vinci's Workshop, Gudako was bored. That is not to say that Gudako was ungrateful for her situation: sitting in Da Vinci's Workshop with nothing to do but count the seconds was heaven compared to slowly starving to death out in the Bleached World. Still, she would appreciate some sort of stimulation to help pass the time. Leonardo meanwhile just used her terminal to type a report on something that Gudako would never understand.

"Quiet days like this are a rarity." Leonardo mentioned when she noticed Gudako's dissatisfaction. "No crisis on the other side of the world, no enemy forces trying to invade the base, no Elizabeth trying to have a damn concert." She listed off with irritation. That last part confused Gudako.

"Maybe I should take up Tomoe on her offer..." Gudako muttered to herself, although Leonardo's sharp ears picked up her words anyway. Leonardo deduced that Tomoe must have invited Gudako to play video games in the Rec Room with some of the other Servants who were interested in such a hobby. Leonardo had once been invited to do the same but she declined the offer, not out of disinterest but because she believed herself to be so talented in all fields that nothing that the resident gamer group offered would present a challenge to the genius. Speaking of which, a certain Archer of Inferno entered the Workshop at that very moment.

"Good morning, Miss Da Vinci and Miss Gudako." Tomoe Gozen greeted. "Seeing as we do not have an active mission at the moment, I was wondering if Miss Gudako would like to join me and the others in the Rec Room?" Tomoe asked. Gudako perked up at the invitation: something was finally going to happen today.

"Sure! That sounds grea-" Gudako's acceptance was interrupted when a familiar voice spoke out.

"Leonardo. Would you please send Gudako down to my room?" Ritsuka requested over the intercom. "I have something important I need to tell with her." Leonardo quickly stood up from her chair and walked over to press a button on the intercom before she spoke.

"Sure, sure. She's not missing out on much anyway. Ciao, Ritsuka!" Leonardo responded with a chipper voice. "Well, you heard your brother. Go right ahead." Leonardo said to Gudako, who stood up to leave.

"Sorry Tomoe. Maybe next time." Gudako apologised to Tomoe. If Ritsuka felt the need to request her specifically then this must have been urgent.

"It's quite alright. Family always comes first, after all." Tomoe said in understanding.

"Ciao, Gudako!" Leonardo called out as Gudako exited the Workshop. She tried to remember which way she needed to go to reach her brother's room.

---

"...Is this an intervention?" Gudako asked as she saw her entire family sitting at the rectangular dinner table waiting for her. At the far end of the table was Ritsuka. To Ritsuka's right was Kiyohime, and to his left was Jack. Sitting opposite from Ritsuka was Kentaro, and Aki sat at her husband's left, next to Kiyohime. Jack was currently stroking Fou's fur, who delighted in the Wraith Child's attentions.

"Have a seat, Gudako." Ritsuka said to his younger sister as soon as the door to his room opened. Gudako then nervously sat down at the available seat next to Jack while Kiyohime poured a cup of tea for her sister-in-law. Gudako tried her hardest to act natural, but she still came off as stiff. 'Ritsuka has killed people.' Gudako thought to herself. Fortunately, her father took it upon himself to break the ice.

"What did you want to talk about?" Kentaro asked in his usual even tone. Ritsuka appreciated how straightforward his father was.

"I want to continue our discussion from the other day, about why I couldn't come back home." Ritsuka explained. "Assuming that something doesn't suddenly come up and interrupt me." Ritsuka said as he glared at the intercom on the wall. After about a minute of silence, Ritsuka decided to speak up again. "First thing's first: the reason that I was drafted into Chaldea is because I'm a Mage." Ritsuka finally revealed to his family. Ritsuka felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His family however were simply confused about what Ritsuka meant by this secret. Aki was the first to speak up.

"A Mage?" Aki asked. While she had suspected that Chaldea was something out of the ordinary due to its connection to the United Nations, she did not expect magic to be brought up.

"Yes. I'm a Mage." Ritsuka reiterated. Ritsuka himself was also sceptical back when he was first informed about the existence of Mages, Magecraft and Heroic Spirits.

"As in, you can use magic?" Aki asked for clarification. She began to fear that Ritsuka's time spent working in Chaldea may have affected his sanity.

"Yes, I can use Magecraft." Ritsuka answered with particular emphasis on the word 'Magecraft.' He did not sit through countless hours of Waver's lectures on Modern Magecraft to get the terminology wrong. Ritsuka's family still looked unconvinced. "Perhaps a demonstration is in order? Mom, please hold out your tea." Ritsuka asked his mother. Aki obliged and reached out to present her teacup to her son.

Ritsuka's eyes glowed with a mystic green light as matching green lines appeared on his right arm before he lightly touched Aki's tea cup. "Now, please have a drink." He ordered. Aki brought the teacup up to her lips and her eyes widened in astonishment.

It was the best cup of tea that Aki ever had. It was rich, smooth, soothing and the perfect temperature for her liking. Aki could even feel herself being invigorated by the tea: as if she could handle twice the number of work hours at the Cafeteria without feeling tired.

"Reinforcement: it's a spell that allows me to 'strengthen' the concept of whatever I cast it on. For example, I can reinforce my spear to make it sharper, reinforce my legs to run faster, or reinforce my food to make it taste better." Ritsuka explained. He then turned to address Kiyohime. "Not that I think your cooking needs my Magecraft to taste good, Kiyohime." Ritsuka said sweetly to his wife.

"I never suspected that you would." Kiyohime replied with an equally sweet tone. Although her cooking lessons under Benienma were harsh, torturous, painful, excruciating, humiliating, maddening and plunged her into the depths of despair, her trials were entirely worth it to give her husband and daughter delicious meals every day.

"I still don't buy it." Gudako dismissed as she interrupted the couple. "You must have used some kind of sleight of hand to-" Gudako's rationalisation was interrupted when Ritsuka suddenly picked up his own teacup and slammed it onto table, shattering it into pieces.

Once more, Ritsuka's eyes glowed green as he cast a spell. To the amazement of the Fujimaru family (except for Kiyohime and Jack), the ceramic shards then came together and reformed into an intact cup. It was as if Ritsuka had never broken the teacup in the first place. Gudako stared in astonishment.

"Okay then. Magic exists." Gudako relented as she tried to re-assess her world view. Something in the back of Gudako's mind told her that this would be the least bizarre thing that she would learn of here in Chaldea.

"Magecraft exists." Ritsuka corrected his little sister. His slightly annoyed tone was ignored by Gudako, who suddenly perked up in realisation.

"Oh! Can I learn magic too?" Gudako asked hopefully. All warmth from Ritsuka suddenly left as he glared at his sister.

"No, you will not be learning Magecraft." Ritsuka answered sternly. Gudako stiffened under her brother's gaze.

"Why not?" Gudako asked innocently. Instead of speaking, Ritsuka stood up from his chair and began to unbutton his Hawaiian shirt. When all of the buttons were undone, he removed the Mystic and revealed the full extent of his scarred torso to his parents and sister. Aki's, Kentaro's and Gudako's eyes widened in horror at the sight. Kiyohime and Jack simply looked down sadly, as they were both quite familiar with Ritsuka's injuries.

As shocking as the scars on Ritsuka's back were, the scars on the front of his torso were far worse; a fist-sized wound in his lower abdomen, at least four slashes across his throat, several scars from surgeries around his heart and one long diagonal scar that began at his right collar bone and reached down towards his left hip were the most striking injuries. All across Ritsuka's body were many smaller scars from cuts, stabs, bullets, burns and teeth. There was barely any unmarred skin left, to the point that it looked as if Ritsuka's body had been torn to shreds and then stitched back together. Each scar was a record of those who had tried and failed to kill Humanity's Last Master. Such was the price that Ritsuka paid in order to protect mankind.

"In my time here in Chaldea, I've been bludgeoned, cut, stabbed, mauled, shot and burned. To be a Mage is to walk with death. You don't want to follow this path, unless you want to end up like me." Ritsuka stated gravely as his eyes glowed green with Mana. 'I'm sorry Gudako. I know this is cruel, but it's for your own good.' He thought. Ritsuka did not know if Gudako even had Magic Circuits in the first place, nor did he want anyone to find out. The only use for a second child like Gudako in the Moonlit World would be as cannon fodder, a source of bodily fluids or to marry her off to another Mage family for political gain. Ritsuka refused to subject his younger sister to such a fate.

Gudako could no longer handle the sight of her brother's scarred body. Gudako suddenly ran to the bathroom and emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. Ritsuka put his shirt back on and sat down while the rest of his family sat in awkward silence, with the only noise in the room being the sound of his Gudako's retching that echoed from the bathroom. Eventually Gudako stopped vomiting.

"Are you feeling okay now?" Ritsuka asked his sister when she returned. While he believed that his actions were necessary, it still pained him to act so callously to Gudako and his parents.

"Y-yeah." Gudako replied as she tried not to make eye contact with her brother. Leonardo's explanations the day prior did not prepare Gudako for the full implications of her brother's current state.

"How did that happen?" Aki asked out of concern, a sentiment that Kentaro shared. Like any decent parents, it pained both of them to know that their son had suffered. Ritsuka leaned back in his chair to get more comfortable, as this was going to be a long story.

"I should start from the beginning: there's a lot to take in." Ritsuka replied as he recalled the most tumultuous year of his life. "When I donated blood on that day I left, Chaldea analysed my blood. They discovered that I was a Mage, so I was taken to the old base in Antarctica-" He revealed before Aki's eyes widened in horror.

"Taken?! As in, against your will?!" Aki cried out in shock. She did not want to believe that her son just admitted to being kidnapped. Ritsuka just shrugged casually in response.

"Yeah, but I'm over it." Ritsuka dismissed. Compared to some of his other experiences as Humanity's Last Master, getting drugged and abducted was downright pleasant, as disturbing as that sounded. "Anyway, on my first day here in Chaldea, all of humanity was Incinerated." Ritsuka stated.

"What do you mean 'incinerated?'" Aki inquired. It seemed every answer that Ritsuka revealed simply created more questions.

"As in, every man, woman and child outside of Chaldea was burned to ash." Ritsuka stated, to which his family still had trouble wrapping their heads around. Gudako was pretty sure that she would remember that happening. "Back on topic, due to internal sabotage, a bomb went off in the Rayshift Chamber." Ritsuka recounted. "I survived the explosion because I was sent to my room after I fell asleep during orientation." Ritsuka said with a sheepish look on his face. The old director, Olga-Marie Animusphere, had not been pleased by Master Candidate 48's lack of punctuality. "By the time I reached the Rayshift Chamber, everyone there was either dead or dying. The Rayshift Chamber then automatically Rayshifted me into Fuyuki City, 2004." Ritsuka paused to drink some tea, being mindful to prevent a dry throat while speaking.

"Rayshifting is essentially time travel." Kiyohime piped up casually as she poured more tea into her husband's cup. Her words piqued Gudako's interest.

"Wait, time travel is a thing?!" Gudako exclaimed in shock. Endless possibilities ran through her mind as she thought of the applications of such technology. Ritsuka took another sip of his tea before he responded.

"Yes." Ritsuka stated bluntly. By this point, Rayshifting (and other such inventions used by Chaldea) had become mundane to him. "And no, you can't borrow it." He preemptively said to his sister in a deadpan tone.

"But there are so many people from high school that I want to get even with!" Gudako whined playfully. Aki ignored her daughter's ramblings.

"So when you're out on missions-" Aki began to say as she processed this new information.

"-I'm actually in the past: that's my job as the Master." Ritsuka finished for his mother. "After I got out of Fuyuki, we learned that the Beast responsible for incinerating humanity did it by creating seven irregularities in the timeline, which we call Singularities, so that humanity would be extinct in the modern day. As Humanity's Last Master, it was my new duty to Rayshift into each of those time periods and fix everything." Ritsuka said before he brought his teacup to his lips and took a sip.

"How did you do it?" Gudako asked. So far, there was little to explain how her brother had become so badly injured.

"Each Singularity is sustained by a power source we call a Holy Grail. I resolve Singularities by Rayshifting into them, securing the Grail and Rayshifting back to this time period. That usually means having to fight whoever used the Holy Grail to create the Singularity in the first place." Ritsuka explained as he began to lose himself in his memories of his early adventures. "Those first seven Singularities were rough; dragons overrunning France, Rome invading itself, the Ark of the covenant lost at sea, London covered in a poisonous fog, Celts conquering America, Camelot destroying Jerusalem and then there's Babylon." Ritsuka recounted as his face darkened. "You don't even want to know what happened in Babylon." Ritsuka stated gravely. It had been years since Ritsuka resolved the Seventh Singularity, but he still had nightmares about the Lahmu.

"Chaldea was outnumbered, outgunned, outmatched in every way. My only choices were to pick up a weapon and fight or lay down and die." Ritsuka continued as he stared ahead blankly, now lost in his painful memories. "So I fought; battlefield after battlefield, Singularity after Singularity. I slowly restored the foundations of Proper Human History, but I lost a lot of good people along the way." He added with a saddened tone. So many companions and innocent people had been sacrificed to get him this far. "After I killed the Beast behind the Incineration, the timeline was restored and the end result was the Missing Year." He said. A light bulb went off in Gudako's head at the mention of the Missing Year.

"Oh. That explains what that was..." Gudako remarked. She remembered that a few years ago there was a lot of commotion on the internet and other media questioning why everyone's clocks were suddenly set forward by one year. "Wait. Why didn't you come back home after the Missing Year?" She asked when she realised that the timeline of events did not add up. Ritsuka grimaced as he remembered the events of Shinjuku, Agartha, SERAPH, Shimousa and Salem.

"The Incineration was only the tip of the iceberg. Minute Singularities pop up on an almost daily basis, so I still needed to go out on missions. Not to mention that I was contractually obligated by the UN to stay onboard." Ritsuka said bitterly. "Anyway, that's basically what my job is." Ritsuka finished. Kentaro, who had been listening in silence, was the first to respond.

"Your job is awful." Kentaro stated bluntly, getting right to the point as usual. Had it been Kentaro in Ritsuka's position, he would have returned home to his family as soon as the Incineration was dealt with and let someone else carry on Chaldea's mission. If the world was going to end anyway, then at least Kentaro could spend his final moments with his loved ones.

"Yeah. It is." Ritsuka agreed. His words did nothing to comfort his family. "Any questions?" He asked.

"Why on Earth would you keep working here after everything you've been through?" Aki asked. She simply could not understand why her son was so adamant on mutilating himself by staying in Chaldea. Ritsuka gave a bittersweet smile to his mother.

"There are five reasons, and they're all sitting down at the table with me. Getting more scars than skin is nothing if it means keeping all of you safe." Ritsuka stated with sincerity. His explanation did little to comfort his family, who all felt guilt at the pain that Ritsuka went through for them.

"Ritsuka. You've been through too much for one person to bear on his own." Aki said with sympathy. Hearing about her son's self-sacrificing habits only made Aki feel distressed, and she suspected that Jack and Kiyohime felt the same way.

"I wasn't alone." Ritsuka responded with a genuine loving smile as he reached out to hold Kiyohime's hand. "I had Kiyohime and the others with me on missions." Ritsuka said as he gave his wife's hand a gentle squeeze, who returned his smile.

"Oh! I didn't realise that you went out on missions too, Kiyohime." Aki remarked. She had assumed that Kiyohime was part of Chaldea's support staff like Irisviel, helping to maintain the base while agents like Ritsuka were out in the field.

"Oh yes. I used to go out on missions with Ritsuka quite often, back in the day. You should have seen us fighting side by side." Kiyohime recounted fondly. "Between Ritsuka's forked spear and Magecraft, and my Naginata and flames, we were unstoppable." Kiyohime then sighed wistfully. "That's all in the past now." She muttered with some measure of disappointment in her voice.

"What changed?" Aki asked out of curiosity. Kiyohime seemed to get lost in treasured memories at the question.

"We had Jack." Kiyohime explained as she looked at her daughter with a loving smile. "She's our pride and joy. It was our responsibility to raise her, so I chose to stay behind. That way Jack would at least have her mother around." Once more, Ritsuka felt ashamed that he could not be there for his daughter: Jack deserved much more than he gave her. The pieces then started to come together in Aki's mind.

'A life of near constant combat missions must have been very stressful for Ritsuka and Kiyohime, so they found comfort and relief in each other's arms. When Jack was born, Kiyohime had to retire from active duty and take care of their daughter. With Kiyohime out of commission, Ritsuka needed to fight twice as hard to compensate for her absence, which must be why Ritsuka is now covered in scars.' Aki thought to herself, as she was still under the assumption that Jack was Ritsuka's and Kiyohime's biological child. This was all completely wrong, of course, but Aki did not know any better. On a similar note, it finally made sense to Gudako why Jack would be so obsessed with knives: she too mistakenly believed that Jack had been born and raised in what was essentially a military base.

"It may seem cruel to you, but Ritsuka really does do all of this so that Jack and the rest of you never have to go through the same hardships that we did." Kiyohime said solemnly in her husband's defence. Her words made the atmosphere of the room feel tense.

"You mentioned that you're still trying to fix the world." Gudako said in an attempt to change the mood. Ritsuka finished his tea before he spoke.

"Yeah. Remember how I said that a bomb went off on my first day? Well, seven of the Mages who survived the bombing have sided with the entity responsible for Bleaching the world." Ritsuka revealed, once again surprising his family. The thought that seven traitors to humanity were responsible for the apocalypse made them feel uneasy. "They stuck seven alternate timelines where humanity failed to prosper, which we call Lostbelts, onto our own. If left unchecked, the Lostbelts will overwrite out own timeline completely." Ritsuka explained before he paused for a bit to let his family process this information.

"The good news is that I've already dealt with two of them." He added, although he felt no pride in his 'accomplishment' of genocide. "Right now my objective is to gather enough resources so that we can mount an assault on the next Lostbelt." Ritsuka explained, although he did not wish to reveal the full implications of his actions just yet, out of guilt and shame.

"Are you sure that you can handle this?" Kentaro asked. Ritsuka straightened his posture in response.

"I need to. I already lost all three of you during the Incineration, and I'm not letting something like that happen again." Ritsuka said with determination. "So just stay here, where it's safe. I'll restore the world outside, and then we can all go back to living our lives when it's over." Ritsuka ordered his family. Aki, Kentaro and Gudako were taken aback by Ritsuka's commanding tone. Was he always this self sacrificing, or this self righteous? Ritsuka then softened his expression. "But I'll sort that out later. Today is my day off, and I'm spending the whole day with Jack." He said with a warm smile. The family was silent for a while after that.

"So Kiyohime, I take it that you're a Mage too?" Aki asked in an attempt to make small talk. Kiyohime shook her head.

"No, I am not a Mage." Kiyohime answered. "I am a dragon." She clarified. Ever since Ritsuka accepted Kiyohime, she took pride in being a dragon. Kiyohime was no longer an avatar of rage but a protector of the household. Her family was the hoard of treasure that she would guard until her dying breath. Aki raised an eyebrow in response.

"Okay, now you're just pulling my le-" Aki's scepticism was interrupted when Kiyohime suddenly breathed out a gout of blue flame from her mouth. "Alright then. You are a dragon." Aki relented as she tried to process what she had just learned. "That explains the horns, at least." Aki muttered in astonishment.

"Mrs. Sakamoto from down the hall is also a dragon, by the way." Kiyohime mentioned. Kiyohime had the utmost admiration for her fellow dragon Oryou. Oryou had such a strong bond with her beloved Ryouma that the two even shared a single Spirit Origin. Kiyohime wished dearly to have the same kind of existence with her husband Ritsuka one day.

"Okay, so we've covered Magecraft, time travel and dragons." Ritsuka summarised. "Anything else you want to know?" He asked his family. Kentaro had a pressing question to ask.

"Can you tell us about the other people in this base?" Kentaro asked. "It's obvious that the majority of the staff here aren't normal people, but they don't seem to be Mages like you." He stated. A child as an engineer, an inventor with a lion's head, a steam powered robot and Angra Mainyu, were all too strange to dismiss.

"Oh. Them." Ritsuka said nonchalantly. He had become so accustomed to Heroic Spirits that elaborating on their existence had completely slipped his mind. "They're my Servants, or Heroic Spirits." He stated. "Basically, they're people from history that I've Summoned and bound into my service with Magecraft." Ritsuka explained briefly.

"And you've lost me again." Gudako said. Just when she thought that she had everything figured out, her brother just raised more and more questions.

"Hmm. I think it's better if I show you what the Servants are." Ritsuka said as he stood up from the table. He walked over to the intercom by the door and pressed a button. "Leonardo, I'm heading down to the Summoning Chamber. I'm also bringing some guests."

---

The Fujimaru family followed Ritsuka out of his room, away from the Living Quarters and down the corridors to a chamber near the Command Room. The Summoning Chamber was quite spacious: there was no furniture nor fixtures save for the control panel by the door and a security camera in one of the corners. In contrast to the stark lighting that most of Novum Chaldea had, the Summoning Chamber but dimly lit (which Ritsuka suspected was for dramatic effect when the ritual itself took place). Drawn on the floor was a large and intricately detailed circle. Already in the Summoning Chamber was a certain Demi-Servant.

"Senpai, the Summoning Circle is ready." Mash informed Ritsuka helpfully. She then walked over to Humanity's Last Master and handed him a briefcase, which he set down on the floor at the edge of the Summoning Circle. He opened the briefcase to reveal thirty Saint Quartz crystals that sparkled brightly despite the low lighting. Ritsuka picked up three Saint Quartz crystals, stood up and began the Summoning Ritual.

"Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Repeat Five Times." Ritsuka recited as he held the Saint Quartz out with one hand and focused his Mana. "Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny." As Ritsuka spoke, the three Saint Quartz crystals shattered into dust and his Magic Circuits glowed brightly. "If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer my Summoning." The Summoning Circle on the floor began to glow with a mystical blue light at Ritsuka's words. "I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world, that I shall defeat all evil in the world." Aki, Kentaro and Gudako were all in awe as they watched Ritsuka's Magecraft. "Seventh-heaven clad and the great words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of Scales!" Ritsuka stated loudly as bolts of arcane lightning arced out from the centre of the Summoning Circle. The light grew then so bright that everyone had to cover their eyes.

When the light dimmed, everyone looked to the centre of the Summoning Circle. Standing there was a tall man in dark armour, and on his face was a horned mask with blue eye lenses. The Servant removed his mask before he addressed Humanity's Last Master.

"Servant, Saber. My True Name is Sigurd. Are you my Master?" Sigurd asked as he looked at his new Master in the eyes. Ritsuka stepped forward before he responded.

"Yes. I'm Humanity's Last Master: Fujimaru Ritsuka." Ritsuka declared confidently. Sigurd nodded in acknowledgement.

"Please give me your orders. I promise you they will be carried out swiftly." Sigurd swore to his new Master. Ritsuka had no doubt that Sigurd would be a capable Servant in the upcoming conflicts.

"In that case, your first order is to wait here." Ritsuka commanded. "I know someone who will be happy to see you." He then turned around, walked over to the control panel by the door to the Summoning Chamber and pressed a button. "Brynhild, please report to the Summoning Chamber ASAP." He spoke into the wall mounted intercom. Sigurd's attention was piqued when he heard the name 'Brynhild.' Mere seconds later, the aforementioned Valkyrie had arrived at the Summoning Chamber.

"Master." Brynhild greeted curtly upon entering the Summoning Chamber. "Brynhild reporting for dut-SIGURD!" She shouted in surprise when she noticed the Saber. Sigurd could not believe who he had just been reunited with.

"Brynhild! My beloved!" Sigurd exclaimed as the Valkyrie suddenly ran into his arms. He held Brynhild tightly and gently stroked her hair as she became overcome with emotion.

"I love you Sigurd. I love you. I love you. I love you." Brynhild cried into Sigurd's chest. "I love you. I must kill you. I love you. I love you. Father's orders are to kill you, Sigurd. I love you, and I must kill you." She ranted as her murderous compulsion began to take over her mind. Brynhild suddenly backed away from Sigurd's embrace, drew her spear and thrust the blade directly into Sigurd's chest.

"Gah!" Sigurd grunted out in pain as Brynhild's spear pierced his heart. Sigurd stumbled backwards a few steps before he fell to the ground on his back. The sight of her husband's apparent demise seemed to snap Brynhild out of the madness that had claimed her.

"Sigurd..." Brynhild muttered before her eyes widened in horror. "SIGURD!" She yelled once she realised what she had done. "Oh, forgive me! I didn't want to kill you! I love you! Please don't leave me again!" She broke down into sobs over Sigurd's bloody body.

"Dry your tears, my wife." Sigurd suddenly said as he lifted a hand to wipe Brynhild's eyes. "If murder is how you show your love, then I will endure the sting your spear every day and love you back twice as much." Sigurd declared as he rose to his feet with confidence, as if the spear sticking out of his chest was a mere annoyance.

"Stop it! You're embarrassing me!" Brynhild cried out as she covered her face with her hands. Their interactions brought out a chuckle in Humanity's' Last Master.

"Brynhild, I want you to show Sigurd around the base." Ritsuka ordered. "When that's done, you two can have the rest of the day off." Ritsuka added. His orders made the Norse couple happy.

"Yes Master! Thank you, for reuniting me with my husband." Brynhild said with sincerity before she and Sigurd left the Summoning Chamber. Brynhild's spear still lodged in Sigurd's chest, however.

"By your leave, Master." Sigurd said to Ritsuka curtly before he left to follow his wife. A trail of Sigurd's blood followed in his wake. Kiyohime smiled wistfully at the Norse couple's antics.

"A woman who is destined to kill the man she loves and a man who resurrects upon death. Truly, a match made in Valhalla." Kiyohime giggled. Her daughter was also entertained by the show, although for slightly different reasons.

"We liked the part where Mister Glasses got stabbed." Jack said cheerfully. "But if Mister Glasses gets back up after getting stabbed, that means that Wing Head Lady can stab him again later! Wow!" Her mind raced with the possibilities. Jack's aunt however did not share her enthusiasm.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST WATCH?!" Gudako exclaimed with her hands in her hair. Aki and Kentaro were similarly bewildered, although they were much more silent about it. Ritsuka had been so caught up with Summoning a new Servant that he had momentarily forgotten that his sister and parents were present. Kiyohime meanwhile, did not appreciate her sister-in-law's outburst.

"Language! There are children present." Kiyohime admonished Gudako as she covered Jack's ears. The irony of trying to preserve the innocence of a (former) serial killer was lost on the dragon woman. Ritsuka turned to his family before he addressed them.

"Those were Servants. Specifically, Brynhild and Sigurd from Norse Mythology." Ritsuka said to Gudako and his parents. "Humanity is facing the greatest threats of our existence, so Chaldea has built an army out of the best that humanity has to offer. Over the years, I've Summoned heroes from myth, people from history, and some Servants are even from alternate timelines." He explained. "Parallel Worlds are a thing, by the way." Ritsuka added as soon as he remembered that he had yet to actually explain the nature of Parallel Worlds to his family.

"Can all Mages do what you can?" Gudako asked. She suspected that Summoning must have been a rare talent among Mages, otherwise Chaldea would have recruited far more than forty-eight Master Candidates. Ritsuka shook his head.

"No. Only a select few Mages are capable of becoming a Master. That's the main reason that Chaldea was so... Insistent that I join up." Ritsuka held up his right hand. "These are my Command Seals: they mark me as the Master. So long as I have these, my Servants are obligated to follow my orders." Even among Masters, Ritsuka was a special case. Many had expressed amazement (and exasperation) at how Ritsuka was able to Summon and maintain over a hundred Servants by now. Medea in particular was practically frothing at the mouth when she learned that Ritsuka's Command Seals regenerated over time.

"How many people in this base are actually living people?" Aki asked. Ritsuka closed his eyes as he thought for a moment.

"With the refugees here, there are a little over thirty humans in Novum Chaldea. The rest are Servants." Ritsuka revealed. So many of Chaldea's staff lost their lives during the initial bombing during the Incineration, the loss of the Seraphix Platform and the Oprichniki's raid. "Anyway, I still have some Saint Quartz left over. Time for some more Summoning." Ritsuka said as he made his way back to the Summoning Circle. He knelt down to pick up three Saint Quartz crystals to repeat the Summoning Ritual.

"Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Repeat Five Times." Ritsuka recited once more as he held out his hand. "Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer my Summoning. I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world, that I shall defeat all evil in the world." As Ritsuka continued his incantation, his family were significantly less amazed at the light show this time around. "Seventh-heaven clad and the great words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of Scales!" Ritsuka finished as a bright flash of light engulfed the room once more. The light faded to reveal a tall shirtless man with a thick beard.

"Oh. Hey Teach." Ritsuka greeted the pirate captain nonchalantly. Blackbeard did not look pleased at this turn of events.

"You better not have touched my stuff while I was dead!" Blackbeard said indignantly as he pointed an accusatory finger at Humanity's Last Master. Ritsuka was not intimidated by the pirate in the slightest.

"I didn't." Ritsuka dismissed. "By the way, Jack and I finished that Magical Girl anime you recommended. Do you have anything else like that?" Ritsuka asked, which instantly put Blackbeard in a better mood.

"Sure! I'll go dig around the old VHS collection and give you a list of my recommendations." Blackbeard said with a wide smile before he made his way out of the Summoning Chamber. "Good evening, or morning, whichever it is." Blackbeard said to the Fujimaru family in greeting as he passed by them. With Blackbeard gone, Ritsuka continued his attempt to Summon more Servants to Chaldea.

"Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Repeat Five Times." Ritsuka recited for the third time that morning. "Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer my Summoning. I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world, that I shall defeat all evil in the world." Ritsuka maintained the serious tone of his previous two incantations. Gudako meanwhile wondered if there was a faster way for her brother to cast his magic spell. "Seventh-heaven clad and the great words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of Scales!" Ritsuka finished as the Summoning Ritsuka caused yet another flash of bright light that revealed...

A bowl of Extremely Spicy Mapo Tofu. Ritsuka tried to Summon another Servant and got more Mapo Tofu. Then another bowl. Then another. Eventually, Ritsuka ended up summoning no fewer than eight bowls of Mapo Tofu.

"And there goes all of my Saint Quartz..." Ritsuka muttered in disappointment as he stared at the now empty briefcase. Several weeks worth of scrounging for Saint Quartz was now gone, replaced by Blackbeard and Mapo Tofu. At least Sigurd was on board. Ritsuka then turned around to face his family. "Sometimes I get a new Servant, sometimes I get a Servant who died already, but most of the time I just get Mapo Tofu." Ritsuka explained to his family. "Don't ask why I get Mapo Tofu. I have no idea either." He interjected before anyone had a chance to ask. "The only way to get more Saint Quartz is to go out on missions." Ritsuka finished. Realisation then struck Gudako.

"OH MY GOD! Your life is a Gacha game!" Gudako exclaimed. "You're paying for the chance to get what you want with terrible success rates and you're surrounded by waifus who are into you!" She reasoned with cheerfully. Her enthusiasm died when she realised that her brother was still a married man. "Sorry." Gudako said to Kiyohime, unsure about Kiyohime's opinion on Ritsuka's tendency to make women fall for him in droves.

"It is quite alright." Kiyohime dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I am fully aware of how many women here are romantically interested in my husband." She added.

"Doesn't it bother you?" Aki asked her daughter-in-law. She was curious about how Kiyohime must have felt about being married to such a magnetic person.

"No. Not really. I am already Ritsuka's wife, and together we are raising our daughter." Kiyohime stated confidently as she placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. Both Aki and Gudako were impressed by how secure Kiyohime felt about her marriage to Ritsuka. Kentaro meanwhile had something else to say.

"Kiyohime is a keeper." Kentaro suddenly said, much to Ritsuka's surprise. Ritsuka then walked over to Kiyohime and Jack.

"Well, Jack. What do you want to do next?" Ritsuka asked his daughter. Jack closed her eyes and thought for a moment.

"Hmm... We want lunch." Jack requested. Ritsuka had spent so long explaining his duties to his family that it was already lunch time.

"That sounds lovely." Kiyohime said. "Would you like to join us?" She asked her in-laws. With everyone in agreement, the Fujimaru family left the Summoning Chamber as Mash went to work disposing of the Mapo Tofu. Along the way to the Cafeteria, a haunting thought gnawed at the back of Ritsuka's mind.

"My life is a Gacha game..." Ritsuka realised in disappointment and resignation. "A Gacha game that isn't Free to Play." He added as he contemplated all of the Saint Quartz that he no longer had.

---

The Cafeteria was bustling with activity during the lunchtime rush. Emiya's voice could be heard even from the tables as he shouted out his orders to the other chefs. Over a dozen Servants waited in line at the counter while Irisviel dutifully and cheerfully performed her job. Aki actually felt a bit guilty over leaving her co-worker to do so much work, but she opted to simply make up for it by working hard tomorrow. It did not take long for the Fujimaru Family to find a table with enough empty seats for all of them.

"Okay, what should we get for lunch?" Ritsuka asked his family after everyone sat down at a table. "Pick anything you'd like. I'm buying." It was a chance to show his appreciation to Kiyohime for always cooking delicious meals for himself and Jack.

"We want pizza!" Jack immediately exclaimed. Like so many children her age, the Wraith Child absolutely loved the taste of junk food.

"Yeah!" Gudako agreed with pumped fists. "I can't remember the last time I ate a good cheesy slice." Ritsuka chuckled at his little sister's enthusiasm as the others nodded in agreement.

"Alright then. Pizza it is." Ritsuka said as he stood up from his seat and made his way over to the counter. Along the way, he saw something, or rather someone, that caught his attention. Sitting at one of the other tables was none other than Chaldea's Director: Goredolf Musik. The Director waved Ritsuka over.

"Ah Ritsuka. Good job retrieving that Holy Grail from your dream." Goredolf congratulated. He thought it was almost frightening just how good Ritsuka was at resolving Minute Singularities, even when asleep.

"Just doing my job, Director." Ritsuka said curtly. His response brought a smile to Goredolf's face.

"Hah! Humble too." Goredolf laughed. With the Director in a good mood, Ritsuka decided that now was the perfect opportunity to ask his boss for longer breaks between missions. That way Ritsuka could fulfil his promise to spend more quality time with Kiyohime and Jack.

"Hey Director, I'd like to ask you-" Ritsuka began to say before his request was interrupted by his boss.

"-For some of this cake before you start your next mission?" Goredolf erroneously finished for Ritsuka. "Why, of course! Go right ahead: you've more than earned it." Goredolf held out the cake and a spare fork to his subordinate. Ritsuka was about to correct the Director, but then he noticed that the cake was a chocolate cake, and Ritsuka's fate was sealed.

"Mmm. Mmm. Mmm!" Ritsuka hummed with delight as he savoured the chocolate dessert. It was the perfect balance of sweet and bitter, of density and fluffiness. Drawing upon his encyclopedic knowledge of chocolate, Ritsuka deduced that this cake was in fact a Black Forest Cake. Three layers of sponge cake with just the right amount of cream between each layer. Thin flakes of chocolate were mixed in with the icing, which broke and melted in Ritsuka's mouth as he chewed to create a most wondrous texture. All throughout the cake was the taste of cherries: neither overpowering nor unnoticeable. It all came together harmoniously: each bite brought Ritsuka one step closer to Nirvana. The Foreign God could blow up Novum Chaldea at this very moment, and Ritsuka would have died with contentment. Not even his wife's cooking was this good.

"Nice. Very nice! Thank you. You really outdid yourself with this cake, Director." Ritsuka praised his boss. While Goredolf was a surprisingly good chef, this cake blew all of his previous creations right out of the water, in Ritsuka's humble (chocolate-addicted) opinion. Unexpectedly, Goredolf did not beam with pride at Ritsuka's complement.

"...Wait. I thought you baked this cake." Goredolf asked in confusion. He had found the cake in the cafeteria refrigerator along with a note that read 'Ritsuka.' Goredolf assumed that Ritsuka had been practising baking a cake for Kiyohime and Jack. A cold feeling of dread engulfed both of them.

"LEONARDO! We have a security breach!" Ritsuka yelled into a nearby intercom. It may have just been a hunch, but something told him that this was a matter of life and death.

---

Originally, this chapter was going to end with Ritsuka and Goredolf eating the cake right after Ritsuka and Jack wake up, but I wasn't satisfied with the word count so I added the whole lore dump with Ritsuka's family and the Summoning scene. I hope that this chapter didn't feel too long for readers at over 18000 words.

On the topic of Gudako: she will not become a Master in this story. From a storytelling perspective, I consider it redundant to have two characters fill the role of Humanity's Last Master, so I have something else planned for her.

Please feel free to leave a review and thank you for reading.