First Singularity, Part 4: Marseille
1431
Moments before
"You're cursed, aren't you?" Koleen asked, tracing an intricate pattern with her blood on Siegfried's back.
"Yes." He answered, leaning onto his sword that was planted on the dirt road.
The American Witch sighed, but she pushed through with her spell. The hand she used to trace on his back gripped onto him, nails digging into his flesh even though the Saber Class Servant wouldn't have felt it in the first place. A hint of red clouded the edges of her pupils, spreading outwards like branches, or tentacles. The blood mark on Siegfried's back pulsed with arcane heat, the only hint of it affecting him is the subtle flinch of his eye.
"G͟͠R̨̀̕OW̡!" a dark gurgle clouded her voice like a thick miasma.
A faint dark purple vapor began spreading from the mark, encapsulating Siegfried in a thin layer of its mystery. Despite its apparent malefic nature, it stayed true as some form of a healing spell. Unfortunately, despite its effect, it was not enough for the cursed Saber, whose shoulders slumped further down.
"Looks like it's not enough." Ritsuka commented, sounding way out of breath than the Witch. He gripped the combat suit on his chest, trying to catch his breath. "How do we deal with this?"
"Later." Ayako said, handing an empty potion bottle back to Koleen, having already replenished her reserves. "Kalls, how many Command Spells do you have left?"
"Only one left. Why?" the blonde asked back.
The young Japanese woman grimaced to herself, before facing Koleen. "Then I'll help Liz. Keep Caster out of trouble."
Koleen chuckled at the remark. "I'll try." She said, before her expression turned a bit more serious. "Be careful."
"I'll try." Ayako returned with a half-smile, making her way towards their Lancer.
As both Masters watched their friend leave, Ritsuka turned to her with furrowed brows. "What do we do now? What can we do?"
Koleen mulled over the answer, before she turned to Siegfried. "How weakened are you?"
"I can still fight." He said, pulling his sword out of the dirt. "Not enough to deal with Fafnir. But I can stand toe to toe with other Servants."
"That's good to hear." Koleen said with a relieved nod, turning back to Ritsuka. "Help Mash out, dealing with that Berserker. Siegfried and I will assist Marie and Mozart."
"But, what can I do?" he asked her unsurely.
"That Scandinavian curse, Ritsuka." She told him with a nod. "It's not much, especially coming from you. But it'll at least stun him."
"It could?" she nodded to him. "Alright, I'll do this. I won't leave Mash to fend for herself."
A rare, proud smile graced her face, her hand patting his upper arm. "That a'do, Ritsuka. Now get going."
"Right!" he moved closer to Mash and Jeanne; though still standing a good distance away from the fight; who were dealing with the onslaught of the Berserker Class Servant, while both Koleen ushered Siegfried towards the Berserk Sanson.
Specters created by Mozart's magecraft flew to attack Sanson, who struck them down easily with a heavy swing of his guillotine-shaped sword. He did not easily deal with the crystal shards that erupted from Marie's mount, blocking them with the flat of his blade. His maddened eyes noticed Siegfried and Koleen approaching him, bellowing out a command to the surrounding zombies that had wandered towards them. They shuffled towards the Saber, who easily dealt with the amassing horde. Not even Koleen was fazed by the undead, quickly tracing the shape of a morning star of the palm on her right hand. She held the head of one of them that had gotten close, and chanted.
"CŖ̶ƯS̷̢H͟!" and the skull erupted in gore, covering Koleen with its filth. Yet the sharp look in her focused eyes lingered, shifting towards two more that were attempting to flank her.
She wiped the mark off of her hand, and drew a new pattern. Evoking what looked like branches, she held her hand out, and closed it into a fist. "W͟͜͠I̷̧͢L͏̀T̴͜!̨̕"
The decayed flesh of the raised corpses began decomposing at a faster rate, succumbing to its fate as it fell apart, and scattering on the ground. Her free hand pulled out one of her concoctions, throwing the two-tinted liquid at the stragglers that were left. The already weakened flesh began to tear apart faster than she could imagine, as quick as she did on those skeletons she fought when they arrived.
When she turned back to Siegfried, she saw an even more of a massacre around the Saber. He made short work of those zombies, despite his weakened nature. They shared a nod with each other, before closing the gap between them and Sanson.
Meanwhile, the male Master helped in anyway he can. He aimed a Gandr spell at the Berserker, bolstered by the white plug suit he was wearing. The moment it left his fingers, he was already pulling out another one of Koleen's potions. The curse struck the Berserker, busy unleashing his rage upon Mash and Saint Jeanne before he found his movements slowed to a crawl. He screamed louder at them, but the two took the chance to strike. Jeanne pulled out her nameless sword, disarming the Berserker while Mash bash her massive shield onto him.
He was resilient though, taking their attacks like they were nothing. Even without a weapon, the moment he could move again, he began pummeling into Mash's shield, all the while screaming. "AAARRRTTTHHHUUURRR!"
"Why is he trying so hard to get me?" Ruler asked aloud, parrying his fists with her folded banner.
Mash glanced behind her, eyeing the Saint's face with a knowing look, before she moved between again. "I think I have an idea as to why!" she grunted as she took a particularly hard blow from the Berserker.
"What idea, Mash?!" Ritsuka asked from a safe distance, ducking as one of Cú Chulainn's fireballs sailed over him.
"Senpai, does Ruler look familiar to you?!" she said, trying to knock the Berserker off balance with a side kick, though she found her attempts failing.
He aimed his hand at the Berserker again, a small reddish black orb emerging from the tip of his fingers. "Gandr!" it flew off his fingers, stunning the Servant the moment it struck. As he gathered his breath, feeling like an elephant was standing on his lungs, he scrutinized the Ruler, eyes squinting as a look of familiarity graced his features. "Wait… she looks familiar…"
"She looks like the Saber, from Fuyuki!" Mash grunted in as she pushed Berseker back with a powerful kick. "She looks like King Arthur!"
"What? I do?!" the Saint exclaimed, flabbergasted.
"AAARRRTTTHHHUUURRR!" he roared, sidestepping Mash and once more, charging towards Ruler.
Mash held her foot out, attempting to trip him up, but once again her move barely fazed him. He picked the weapon that Ruler had disarmed, and swung it down on her. She parried it with her banner, before sinking her own sword into him, skewering his abdomen. He screamed louder, in pain and in rage, as he pulled himself out of the sword. With the distance he created himself, Mash took back her place between them, holding her shield up high.
Mash glanced to Ritsuka, keeping an eye to make sure that he was not in any direct trouble. "And if he's trying to get to Ruler so hard, because of who she looks like, then he must be-"
"Sir Lancelot." Saint Jeanne finished, her expression turning to one of determination.
He bellowed in rage, digging his blackened boots into the dirt before launching himself towards them. Mash surged as well, meeting the Berserker halfway and blocking his attacks with her shield. Even with his Madness Enhancement, his combat prowess was unhindered. Wielding unparalleled skill one would not see from someone with his state of mind, capable of dodging and weaving Ruler's attacks as she flanked behind him. It took Mash her all to keep his mind on her instead of Ruler, resorting to occasional use of her fists when needed.
Ritsuka, watching it all from a distance, clenched his fists on the last potion that Koleen had given him. His body was already reaching its limits, but he felt that he needed to do more. That he shouldn't just stand in the back, doing nothing.
"Hey Puppy." He let out an unflattering shriek when he felt a tap on his shoulder and someone speaking into his ear. At the corner of his eye, he could see Elizabeth just standing behind her.
"Li- Lancer." he croaked his words out. "Where's Ayako-san?"
"She's helping Kitten deal with him." She gestured with a nod towards the fight against Sanson.
Ritsuka shifted his eyes towards the other conflict, and saw the fight that was going much better than theirs. Unsurprising, as it was, with two Masters and a Saber helping deal with an Assassin. He grimaced when he saw Marie take a particularly hard blow that shattered her crystal mount, before turning back to his fight.
"Lancer, I'm going to stun him again." He said as he finally uncorked the potion, downing its contents as quickly as he could. The effects were wondrous to him, as he once again aimed his hand at Berserker. "Help them out, would you please?"
"Glady." She said with a confident smile. "When you're ready."
"Gandr!" He did not hesitate to fire the curse off, striking true to the Berserker's form.
That short amount of time was what it took for Elizabeth to rush forward with her wings spread, launching a kick straight to the Berserker's side, sending him off. With the maddened Servant rolling himself to a crouch, Elizabeth stood in between Ruler and Mash, with the tip of her own weapon planted on the ground.
"Hey! Tall, dark, and scary! Pick on someone your own size!" she taunted with a flap of her wings.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" he screamed, ready to retaliate in kind.
"Berserker! We need to retreat!" the distressed voice of the Berserk Sanson called out, backing away from the group he was caught in.
"AAAHHH!" he turned his rage to the Assassin, clearly displeased.
"It is the Dragon Witch's orders!" the Assassin said with growing urgency. "We need to leave! AAAHH!"
Large wicker fingers wrapped around him, emerging from the green grass, the form of the Wicker Man rising from the earth itself. Cú Chulainn, who had been busy dealing with everything else around them, ranging from the wyverns and the endless undead that followed the Berserk Servants, called upon his Noble Phantasm as it burned hotter and hotter. As the Wicker Man rose further higher from the ground; its form becoming more whole; so too did Berserk Sanson, being pulled along in its hands before he was shoved into the cage of its torso.
"You're not going anywhere pal." He declared with a sadistic smirk.
The Wicker Man then erupted in flames, its fire held back from spreading wildly by the Caster himself, even as it grew ever hotter. The wicker construct closed in on itself, crouching onto the ground, the heat trickling higher and higher before finally - It erupted. The Masters moved behind the many Servants around them, shielding themselves from the unbearable heat that they would not have been able to handle themselves.
It wasn't long until the fire receded, the ashes of the wicker construct disappearing into the wind. Within what was once its core, was the fading remains of the Charles Henri Sanson, his dead eyes staring lifelessly. The Masters breathed a sigh of relief when he began dematerializing into dust. Their relief was cut short both by the fact that Sir Lancelot was nowhere to be seen, and the approaching shouts of the French army.
"We need to get the hell out of here!" Ayako shouted. "Lancer! Carry Saber!"
"Aw, why do I get the heavy work!" she complained, though she moved towards Siegfried without hesitation, who offered a quick word of apology to her.
"Do you guys know where we can run off to?" Koleen asked the wounded Marie who had called upon another of her crystal mount. Mozart also got himself on the mount, barely fitting.
"South West of here!" the Queen said with a pained grunt. "Marseille!"
"Which will be quite the trek." Mozart commented as he gripped onto the mount. "We need to leave. Now."
Without further word, each Master held onto the rest of the Servants; Ayako with Cú Chulainn, Ritsuka with Mash, and Koleen with Ruler, thanks to Elizabeth handling Siegfried. Leaving behind the destruction that was caused by their battle, they left the scene before further conflict would arise between them and the French Army.
"My stomach hurts. My chest hurts. My everything hurts. God…." Ritsuka coughed to the side, laying on the floor on his side.
"Just hold on, Ritsuka. We're getting the supplies ready to be sent." The familiar voice of the Doctor echoed in the empty barn that the group had procured, echoed by the light rain that had assailed the country.
"It's going to be okay, Senpai." Mash said, crouching beside him and patting his shoulder. "We did great out there."
The tired form of Ritsuka looked up at her, his face grimacing as if he had remembered something that slipped pass their minds. "Where's… Fou?"
"Oh? I've tucked him with me." The small furry creature popped out from the back of her neck, walking on her shoulder and mewling as loud as it could. "It wasn't safe to have him out in the open."
"Oh, I thought you lost him, Mash." The both of them turned to Ayako, who had walked in with her now wet overcoat.
"I wasn't going to lose Fou, Ayako." Mash said back, flabbergasted.
The Japanese Puppeteer chuckled. "I'm just kidding. Aren't I, little guy?" her hand ruffled the small creature, before she moved towards the center of the room, where Mash had placed her shield.
The currently hatless Marie sat on a bale of hay, slowly being healed by Koleen. "Oh, have you erected the bounded field?"
"Mhm." Ayako nodded, crossing her arms and putting her weight on one foot. "No one's gonna want to set foot here, and the surrounding buildings."
"That sounds like it's a bit much." Koleen commented with furrowed brows.
"I say it's not enough." Mozart said as he walked into the area, followed by the Celtic Druid, with his hands holding the back of his head.
"How is our dragon slayer?" the voice of Medea spoke up, her figure appearing in to view.
"Still being looked over by Ruler." Chaldea's Caster answered with a shrug. "The brat's there, keeping the Saint company."
"Masters… Marie… I, need to apologize…" Sanson said, speaking up with a guilty look on his face.
"There's nothing to apologize for, Charles." The Rider said with a charming smile. "He is both you, and not you. We all have our sins, our deepest darkest secrets. Even me."
"Besides, he's no longer a problem, thanks to Caster." Ayako added, gesturing with a thumb to the Druid behind her.
Chaldea's Assassin was about to speak up again, before Medea's hand stopped him. "Save your apologies for later, Charles. We have much more pressing matters to attend to."
"Seriously though, this is unbecoming of you." Mozart supplied with a scoff and a roll of his eyes. "Show some more dignity."
"Please, everyone. We are getting distracted." The Doctor interrupted before things spiraled out of control.
Beside him, Medea nodded. "So what is going on with Siegfried? You said he's cursed?"
"Cursed upon cursed upon cursed." Koleen replied, turning to face the holographic display as soon as she was done healing Marie. "I tried doing something, but all my efforts amounted to nothing."
"I don't have enough runestones to attempt it myself." Ayako added with a disappointed sigh. "It's amazing that I didn't have to waste that many bullets in that last battle."
"And Ruler is attempting to heal him herself as of this moment?"
"Yes." Mozart answered, taking a seat beside the Rider. "With whatever God given gift she has."
"Is there anything we know of him? How much has he said to you of his conditions?" Medea continued questioning.
"He was one of the first Servants summoned by the Counter Force to deal with the Dragon Witch, but constant onslaught by the Dragon Witch and her army had put him in such a state." Ayako explained, massaging the back of her neck. "He then told us a Saint had saved him and placed him within the ruins of Lyon."
"Another Saint?" the Doctor interjected curiously.
"No, not another Saint." Ayako responded. "And he didn't exactly say it was a Saint."
"Yeah, what he said was that this person had the same aura as Ruler, and had a weird dragon turtle." Cú Chulainn further explained.
"Really?" Ritsuka sat up, his interests piqued by the newest revelation. "Saint Martha? How does… was she summoned earlier as well?"
Ayako, Cú Chulainn, and Mozart all shrugged. "Honestly, whether she's the same Servant or not doesn't tell us much. Except that her willpower is incredible for her character to shine through like that." She said with an acknowledging smile.
"Tell ya what, that dragon of hers was a pain in the ass, that's for sure." The Druid complained. "Ain't that right, lass?"
"Uh, yeah. Tarrasque wasn't easy to deal with." The lavender haired girl agreed with a nod, her free hand petting the creature on her shoulder.
Footsteps that were muffled by the straws that were strewn around the empty barn carried the Ruler towards them, her frown marring her pleasant face. Following behind her were the two draconic Servants, with one still appearing to be in pain. The Saint sat herself beside Ritsuka, with the Saber beside her. Elizabeth crossed the room to sit beside Koleen, snuggling closer with the Witch for warmth.
"I take it your attempts were fruitless?" Chaldea's Assassin asked with furrowed brows.
Saint Jeanne shook her head, her frown shifting into a grimace. "The curses have entrenched themselves into him. We need a Saint that's more powerful than I am. One who can perform the Baptism Rites."
Ayako scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "That would've sounded like such an impossible thing, yet we've been crossing Saints left and right."
"Yes, there might be another Saint-like Servant that was summoned as well." The Queen agreed with an excitable smile.
Koleen sighed beside her. "There's just so many things we have to do here." She said, her pink eyes shifting between Ayako and Ritsuka. "Was it like this in Fuyuki?"
Both Masters shook their heads. "As in over my head as I was, Fuyuki was far more straightforward than this." Ritsuka said, his hand massaging his aching chest. "Doctor, how are those supplies?"
"Sending them to you now, get ready in ten seconds."
"So let's list out the things we need to do, in order to fix this Singularity." Ayako held up her hand, with a finger drawn. "We needed to find a dragon slayer, which we did, but he was wounded and cursed."
"We need to find another Saint to get rid of those curses." Elizabeth said with a yawn behind her clawed fingers.
"We need the dragon slayer to deal with Fafnir, who is already wounded by Saber's weakened Noble Phantasm before." Mozart added with a hum.
"And then boom, the Dragon Witch is ours." Ayako finished, holding out three fingers.
"It doesn't sound so bad when you list it out like that." Ritsuka said with a smile as the barn was filled by a brief flashing light.
Above the shield that acted as their anchor, was now the supplies that they had requested. Mostly water and food rations along more of Medea's potions, though a few of Koleen's surplus concoctions were also among the pile. Mash wasted no time in reaching for the potions, giving them out to everyone in the barn. Koleen stood up from the bale of hay to gather her own concoctions, leaving a pouting Elizabeth behind. Ayako gathered the rations and divvied them among her fellow Masters and Mash. She opened one of her packs, pouring water inside it to let it heat up for later.
"Koleen." Ruler's voice froze the American Witch in place, her face shifting to that of concern. "What you said, earlier today. Did you mean it?"
"Oh yeah, I only caught the tail end of that." Ayako commented with a smirk, her golden eyes focused on her friend.
It wasn't just her eyes that were on Koleen; she got the attention of the whole room as they all remembered her stunt. For a brief second as she straightened herself up, there was nervousness in her features. She breathed deeply, exhaling the air for a good few seconds, before she regained herself. She met Saint Jeanne's eyes with conviction.
"Yes." Her pink eyes had never looked more determined before. "You, Ruler, even though right now you are influenced by how people have come to see you since your death, since I see none of the facets of your brash self that would lead the French with courage and confidence, or zealotry used to chase prostitutes out of cities with your sword…" a shade of pink colored the Saint's cheeks.
"You are still, very much… you." Koleen sighed, closing her eyes briefly. "Though I believe in God, I'm not religious. But what I am though, is a student of history." she raised her hand, pointing it vaguely in the direction they came from. "That, whatever that is, is not Jeanne d'Arc. The Dragon Witch is a mere imitation of you, who is far truer to recorded history, despite the few discrepancies."
There was mostly silence, as the group digested her words, most of them were still trying to match that vigor with the demeanor she often presents herself in. That silence was broken not too long after, by the clapping of a proud Elizabeth, standing herself as she walked towards the blonde Master.
The gap was closed, with the clapping replaced by the Servant hugging the taller Master. "Ah, Kitten. You really have such sharp steel that you hide often."
"The kid's right lass. You shouldn't hide it behind such a thick sheath." The Druid said with a nod.
"Eh, but then people will be expecting the steel." Ayako said, going along with the analogy. "It's best she keeps that sheath close to her."
"Alright, that's enough talk about steel." Koleen said, putting a stop to the conversation with a slight blush on her face. "Was that what you wanted to hear, Ruler?"
"It was." The Saint replied with a thankful smile. "Thank you, Koleen."
"Uh, should we talk about our plans, for tomorrow?" Mash asked the group before things could escalate again.
"We should." Siegfried agreed, who had been silent since he walked into the room.
"We should split up!" Marie said aloud, almost startling Mozart beside her.
2017
Her dinner was warm, and delicious. Not what she would have expected for hospital food. Granted, Chaldea was not a hospital, but she was still surprised that anyone could cook something up like this, even if it was as simple as chicken cream soup. Her body still ached from the weeks she had spent unmoving on the hospital bed. She sighed, mostly at herself and how useless she felt that moment, before her eyes moved around the room. A much more private room was given to her since she had fully awoken, all to herself. A room that was outfitted with monitors that allowed her to watch the ground team within the Singularity.
She saw the Rider smile an infectious smile with her suggestion. "France is big, but the war has been tearing her apart. It would be easier for all of us to search for the Saint if we can spread our search!"
The Servants; both the ones they had summoned and the ones they had come into contact with; looked at each other, while the Masters and Mash contemplated the suggestions.
The Aozaki looked up with a mixed expression. "I, really want to say no. But, I think that's our best option."
"What if we don't split up?" Fujimaru asked with clear apprehension.
"Then we're just letting the Singularity go on for longer than it would need to." Bertrand said with a small frown, before she turned and sat back herself.
"How are we going to split up?" Mash asked the Rider.
"Mmmm…" the Queen of France looked up with her finger on her chin in a cutesy manner. "We could draw ballots?"
"No, let's not do that." The Puppeteer said, shaking her head exaggeratedly.
"Aww…" the Queen pouted at having her latest suggestion turned down.
"Mash and Ritsuka will be in one group, while Kalls and I will be in the other." Aozaki added. "We have two Casters, so one for each group. Mozarth with the former, Cú Chulainn with the latter." She turned her gaze to the holographic display of the control room. "Doc, guys. Any suggestions for the rest?"
"Which city is closer, and which is farther?" Medea asked. "The one farther should have Servants that can travel the distance in a short time."
"So you're saying, Liz and Marie then?" Sanson spoke up, glancing to his fellow Servant beside him. "The one with wings, and the Rider?"
"Essentially."
"Yeah, that sounds like a solid team." Romani finished with a nod. "Team A, will consist of Ritsuka, Mash, Mozart, Siegfried, and Saint Jeanne. Team B will consist of Ayako, Koleen, Cú Chulainn, Elizabeth, and Marie."
"Okay, what does everyone else think of that lineup?" Aozaki asked the group.
"Sounds solid enough." The Druid agreed with a tap of his wooden staff.
"There's nothing much I could complain about, it is our best option." Mozart said with a sigh.
Fujimaru's blue eyes lingered on the Puppeteer for a second, catching his fellow Master's attention. "If our team is going to the closer city, then that means…"
"You will be going to Theirs, while we will be heading to Bordeaux." She finished.
"Is that it? I think that's a solid foundation of a plan, if no one else is going to say anything…" Bertrand spoke up, glancing around the room herself.
"It is a sufficient plan." The Saber said from his spot. "All we need to do, is prepare for the likelihood of it falling apart."
"Of course, as we should." The Saint agreed. "I think its better though, if you Masters rest. We've had a long day today, and you will need all that energy for tomorrow."
"I concur. Ritsu-chan's even struggling to stay awake." Aozaki said with a chuckle. "I'll drop dead as soon as I get some dinner." She gestured to the ration that's been heating up beside her.
The monitor shut off suddenly, startling her on her bed.
She turned towards the door, seeing the approaching form of the one armed Shaman. "You should finish up your dinner, Director." He said, nodding towards the almost empty bowl.
She looked down on the cream soup, seeing it congeal and cool in the bowl from the long exposure. She looked back up to him, seeing him standing at the foot of her bed. "I'm not hungry anymore." She said, turning her face away.
Though she didn't see it, Kagiso kept a neutral and professional expression on his face. "Alright. I'll call the nurses to pick them up." He moved the side of the bed, pushing the call button. "How are you feeling?"
She took a moment to answer, slowly turning to face the tall man. "Exhausted."
"Unsurprising. You've been on the bed for more than a month." He said with a growing smile. "We've got the gymnasium cleaned earlier today. We've reserved it for you."
Her golden eyes narrowed slightly. "For what?"
"Physical therapy." He answered. "Normally, procedures like this would happen later. But, you are getting antsy, aren't you?"
Her hands tightened, gripping into nothing on the table above her bed. "I am." She turned back to the now shut off monitors, the scenes of the ground team replaying in her mind. "They continued on, without hesitation."
"Says a lot about those three." Kagiso commented, glancing into a far off distance with a small glare.
"I don't want to just, lay on the bed all day. Wallowing in self-pity." She said, her hands opening and closing unconsciously.
The door to the room slid, followed by a metal cart that was pushed by one of the nurses; the one with the bright orange hair that went to her shoulder. "Good evening Kagiso. Director." She said with a pleasant smile.
"Good evening, Aine." Olga Marie replied absentmindedly.
"Aw, Director. You remembered my name!" the nurse said with a pleased smile as she took the almost empty bowl.
"Of course I would. You're a staff of Chaldea." Olga Marie responded with furrowed brows. "It would be rude not to."
"Thanks, Director. I'll be back tomorrow with your breakfast!" the nurse said, quietly leaving the room.
Her eyes lingered on the closing door for a few seconds, before she turned back to Kagiso. She saw an amused smirk on his face. "What?"
"You're much more personable, Director." He said to her.
"What's that supposed to mean." She asked, feeling her cheeks warm up just a bit.
"It means what it means, Director." He said before he too turned to leave. "Have a good night's rest, Director. You'll need it for tomorrow."
The door opened and closed, signaling his departure, leaving her alone in the room. She sighed, looking around the room again, her eyes landing on the clock. 10:49pm. It was late, compounded by the eternal darkness that surrounded Chaldea. She sighed again, dimming the lights before she finally laid down, bringing the blanket to just below her head. Her golden eyes stared at the ceiling. Pristine, sterile. Her hand covered her vision as she brought it up. She curled each finger, one by one, cracking them along with her wrist. They looked immaculate, perfect. She honestly forgot that she was in a puppet body.
She owed the Puppeteer a lot, for giving her this second chance. Most people wouldn't have gotten a first.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
and, back to the original schedule (hopefully)!
things started getting easier once i've committed to a vision, an idea. and coincidentally, things are also going easier for the protags! they both have the quality and the quantity compared to canon. things are heating up, and we might actually see the end of Orleans soon (thank god).
one thing i'm looking forward to though, is the summoning of new Servants. oh man, i can't wait for that.
the thing i'm not looking forward to though, is Septem. ugh...
anyways, there's not much else to say, so on to the reviews!
trexboy164: that's a good suggestion, but i don't think the manga is finished yet? i've just resorted to rewatching the CGs.
King0fP0wers: thanks man! and yeah, experience brings a lot to the table. and because of that, Ritsuka himself will eventually be a much better Master than he was in canon. and it was a damn coincidence that Marie's updated animations dropped before i got to writing again, so that helped tremendously. Koleen though, i'm hoping we can show more of this side of hers that she keeps under wraps. and hopefully, the other characters as well.
amerdism: you know, that's a good point. i'll try to come up with something for that.
well, with all said and done,
thanks for dropping by, and sharing your thoughts, and i'll see you all next time!