"…"
"…Oi…"
'…I can hear a faraway voice.'
"…wake up…"
'…? It's becoming louder…?'
"Wake up…"
'No, it's becoming closer-'
Before I could finish my thoughts a shout resounding on my mind awakens me.
"Wake up!"
"Ah-!" A low cry comes out of my mouth followed by coughs.
"Good riddance… To think that my master is still so sleepy after all this…"
After a set of coughs, the first thing I see is the red-fire mane of Kura above me.
"What the… Kura." I say a bit irritated while closing my eyes.
"…It's good that you are finally up Leo." He says while getting off me. "Come on get up fast."
Using his support, I slowly get up.
"Where are my glasses?" I say to him.
'I won't look at our surroundings without them. I don't want to see something which I shouldn't… Especially in here.'
"Here."
Reaching out my hand, I wait for Kura to pass them to me. After some seconds, I can feel them, although a bit sticky. After shaking the saliva off, I put them back on. Finally with the Mystic Eye Killers, I take a look our surroundings.
'This must be the singularity… Everything is destroyed beyond repair...'
Fragments of buildings scattered all over the street, fire coming through uncountable cracks, carbonized corpses and black clouds akin to a storm. Even though there is no sun, the amount of fire makes the environment look like its day.
'We should exercise caution.' I think as my gaze goes to the ground. 'There is a lot of bones and skulls around us-'
*Drip*
The sudden sound of something wet stops my thought process. As I turn around to look at the source, my heart almost stops for a moment.
"Kura!" I yell while getting closer to him.
"What? Don't shout so hard when you are right next to me, it stings my ears." He says nonchalantly.
"What happened?!"
From his head, legs, back and even the tail. His whole bloodied body was riddled by cuts, impaled arrows and purple spots. As I continue looking, I am able to find his left leg limping, making my heart feel heavy.
"A bunch of skeletons attacked me while I was waiting for you to wake up. So as a good familiar, of course I fought against them." He says while licking his wounds like nothing.
I see the broken skeletons surrounding us again.
"Kura…" I mumble yet again.
"Don't worry, these are just some scratches. I am more worried about you. How is your body?" He insists on changing the conversation.
I stay silent for some seconds.
"…For the moment it's better. At least I can stay up on my two feet." I continue after taking a deep breath. "This must be a City, however…"
"Yeah." He says while looking at his surroundings. "If the room we were before was an inferno, then this should be hell."
I nod to his words.
'…If this many skeletons came while I was passed out... We need to get going.'
"Let's move." I say.
"Yeah, let's- Urg!" Kura tries to get up but cries in pain.
"Kura!" I run to help him so he can stay on the ground.
"…Tch. I can't move as I'd like." He says while groaning a bit.
"…You can't continue like this Kura… I'll activate Papycry again." I say while I start flooding the magic crest with Od.
After some seconds of silence he nods.
"…Alright, however before that." He starts shaking his head, or better said his mane.
From there, a crumbled piece of paper falls. Upon closer inspection it's an origami of a little white coloured bird that looks like a little ball.
"It's Aurora…" I say picking up the origami.
The moment it's safe on my hands it starts jumping and caressing my hands.
"Master! I am sorry for-! Your fingers!" A childish voice filled with worry starts talking on my mind.
'…Why did you talk about my fingers? I was so concentrated on Kura that I forgot the pain temporarily… Ah it hurts…!'
"Thankfully you are here Aurora." I say while painfully smiling. "Let me undo Papycry."
With a nod from the origami I say a simple chant.
"Papycry, release."
Like before, the origami starts to unfold itself. As the magecraft is being undone Kura continues talking.
"I was able to see her just when I left that director of yours outside the burning room. Hurriedly I made her take my mane and came back to you rapidly. If I wasn't fast enough you'd be a red paste under that rubble, Hahaha- Aw…" Kura tries to laugh only to grunt a bit.
The moment he ends, the magecraft is over, and where an origami bird was before, now a Korean crow-tit is found.
"Master!" Aurora says while looking at me with teary eyes.
"Good to see you again Aurora." I say while caressing her with my good fingers.
"Ah! Don't move you hand! Let me heal it fast!" She says while looking at my injured hand.
Seeing how she starts her magecraft, I stop her.
"Wait, we need to get it back the right way first, If not it will heal badly."
As I say that Aurora flies to my shoulder.
'…Oh god this'll hurt a lot…'
The moment I end that thought I look at my bad hand again. As my gaze ends there, another bout of pain reaches it. Slowly moving my sane hand over my wrecked fingers, I take a big breath and-!
*Crack*
"…!" I just control myself not to scream from the pain.
I crouch for a moment.
'…Good lord… And I need to do this two more times… Oh god.'
.
.
.
"Thanks Aurora." I say while looking at her heal my hand and supressing a little tear coming down my face.
'I don't want to experience that again.'
"Don't worry master, as long as you are okay!" She says energetically while making a little green light appear on my hand.
'The pain is receding a bit, but still… I need to have more caution with my hands.' With that mental note, I look back at the injured lion. 'Unfortunately Aurora's healing skills aren't that powerful, if not we could help Kura more.'
"Same as always that girl-!" Kura tries to playfully trash talk Aurora a bit however he groans like before.
After seeing that I can move my hand without a problem I look at him again.
"I'll start the spell."
Aurora jumps and puts herself on my shoulder like before as I get closer to Kura.
"…Yeah do that, I need a bit of sleep after all of this." He says while putting his head on the ground.
I nod to his words.
While touching his bloody head I pour Od yet again on the magic crest.
Papycry is a magecraft only found on the Er-Meyer Family, especially its magic crest. It isn't that powerful but it's capable of converting things like objects or even living beings to origami. But it's so incredibly restricting for living beings that it's almost impossible. For now it only works on familiars contracted to the magus using it.
But I must say that it's convenient.
As a combination of Transmutation, and Flowing and Transferring of power magecrafts, if it wasn't for the magic crest, I wouldn't be able to use it because of its complicity.
"Papycry, repress." I say while caressing him.
"Don't die." He leaves those words as a light starts folding him into a red coloured lion origami.
I nod while grabbing him. Unlike before on the control room, his origami has dark red spots, and it's a bit torn on some parts. And the most important of all its not moving.
'…He must be incredibly tired.'
After taking him I chant the next part.
"Papycry, restoration."
With those words, bit by bit Od leaves my body and starts to go into Kura's origami.
'As long he is with me my Od will heal him… However I need to have the crest open.' The only real problem with the Er-Meyer's Magecraft it's the inability of using Formalcraft, meaning that for each and every single spell I need to use for my familiars, instead of ambient Mana I need to use Od or life-force. 'Which is pretty taxing.'
With a sigh I try to put him on my pocket-
'…This suit doesn't have any pockets… Well I'll let him in my hand for the moment.'
After seeing my surroundings one last time I talk to the bird nested on my shoulder.
"Alright let's move Aurora."
"Yes, master!" She says while snuggling towards my neck
'As cute as I remember.'
While thinking that I start moving down the street.
'This is Fuyuki city, or better said the singularity. The only problem is that I don't know where I am…And I can't connect with Chaldea in any- Wait I have the wristband from the Director!'
Pressing the button to connect to the control room, I am only greeted by static.
"As expected-"
The moment I was going to sigh, a hologram of someone seated on an oval chair appears.
'He is-'
"Hello? Director? Is this you?" Romani's face and voice appears in front of me. "Director, I am so happy- Wait, who are you?! You are not the director!" He points at me with an alarmed face.
"…I am Leonardo Er-Meyer the master No.19." I calmly say while looking at the surprised man.
"Leonardo Er-Meyer…? Wait a moment…" He says while typing something on the other side. "Ah right, here is your file. I forgot it for a moment."
He looks to the side for a moment then turns back to me.
"But how do you have the director communicator?" He asks with suspicion.
"I took it temporarily in the control room while I was trying to communicate after the explosion."
"Wait, you survived the explosion?!" He asks amazed. "No wait, that doesn't matter, what matters is the location of the director! What did you do to her?!"
I stay silent for a moment.
"…She is alright I think." I say to the mess of a man. "My familiar put her outside the control room safely."
"Ah that's- Wait again, familiar? How do you have a familiar inside there?!" He continues asking me. "In the file it says that you don't have any contracts with familiars!"
"…"
I stay silent again. After taking a deep breath I continue.
"I'll explain later Dr. Romani, right now I am inside of the singularity, and I don't know where I am nor where to go."
"Ah right, s-sorry!" After that he starts typing something. "Erm… There! Please follow the coordinates that I am going to send you. A master and a servant are in that location right now."
I nod to his words.
'If I can find Mash and Ritsuka then my survival capabilities will go up-'
"Master!" Aurora suddenly shouts. "Enemies are appearing!"
As she finishes her sentence I look at my surroundings. Skeleton soldiers slowly start to appear while clacking their jaws.
'It's like they are laughing.'
"W-What's that bird chirping?" Romani asks.
"Pass me the coordinates fast, enemies are closing in!" I shout to him in response.
"Ah, alright!"
*Ting!*
After some seconds a ting comes from the wrist band. Taking a look at it, a little red line starts pointing somewhere.
"I'll pass your coordinates to the others right now." He says while still typing.
"Alright." Just before I end the connection I add one more thing. "Ah doctor before I forget." I say while looking for a way to get out of the sudden encirclement. "Remember to go for the director just right outside the control room, and to cryopreserve the masters!"
"Eh…? Ah, Yes-!" He rapidly says while getting up from the chair.
Seconds later the connection abruptly ends.
Another sigh escapes from my mouth.
"...Aurora, do you have enough magical energy on you or do you need more?" I say while giving up finding a way to get out fast.
"I am alright master!" She says cheerfully while flying up.
In the air surrounding her, five pristine white feathers appear.
"Good. We need to make a way to get out." I say while firing up my magic circuits.
As I continue looking at the enemies I am able to see a part where there is less of them. Putting Kura on my right hand, I raise my left arm and shout:
"Finn Shot!"
A blackish spell is formed on my index finger then rapidly launched. Followed by it, the feathers shot by Aurora close in onto the group of skeletons. As my magecraft destroys a skeleton, another two go down thanks to Aurora's spell.
After that I start running towards where there is less enemies. I launch other Finn Shot trailed again by Aurora's feathers. This time four go down.
'I can only take down one at a time… Well not for nothing she is a Phantasmal Beast.'
While I near the part where the spells hit, the other skeletons don't fall short, as after seeing how we destroyed their friends, they start to pursue.
Afterwards another round of spells, a small way is made between the skeletons, but rapidly closes.
'…The line isn't too deep… If I jump while reinforced I can get past them easily.'
"Aurora!" I shout. "Hold onto me!"
The little bird comes down and positions herself on my shoulder. Seeing that she is grabbed I leap past the encirclement. As I touch the ground, I reinforce my legs again, and start to run without turning back.
Minutes later, I start to stop while taking a glance behind me.
'No skeletons, good.' With a nod on my part I look at the wrist band. 'The line is shorter. That means we are close to the others… Maybe we should stop a bit to wait for them.'
"Aurora are there any other enemies surrounding us?" I ask her.
"Let me see…" After some seconds she responds. "On a radius of 30 metres there is no magical energy detected. That means that there is nothing good nor bad nearby."
"That's great. I think we should stop to rest a bit, as I used to much Od just now."
'Papycry four times, three finn shots and reinforcement three times… Not to mention having the Magic Crest open for a good amount of time. Plus I am providing magic power continuously to Kura so he can recover…' I yawn. 'Although that isn't enough to put me winded, the amount of Od I used for reinforcement wasn't small at all. It was dangerous even. If it wasn't for the mystic code then maybe I would have exploded a muscle or something. I need to have more caution in the future.'
Meanwhile I put another mental note, I ask Aurora about stopping.
"We'll wait for a bit for the other master to come to us, okay Aurora?"
"Yep!" She says while snuggling back on my neck.
Looking around for somewhere to stay I am able to find a crumbled store. It doesn't look safe, but cover is cover.
Entering, I am able to see that it's more rundown than it looks. The walls are riddled with holes and debris is found everywhere. But not everything is bad.
'At least there is no fire inside.'
I continue exploring the building.
'There is still some canned food intact… Maybe I should Papycry some later just in case.' But I rapidly forget that thought. '…It's expired.'
With a bitter face and seeing nothing of danger in the zone close to the entrance, I go to the back.
'Everything is burned… Even the people.'
There I am able to find three carbonised corpses grouped up on the ground. Two big and one small.
'…At least you three died hugging between yourselves unlike the others.' I think with a bitter face while scanning the surroundings. '…This from Oscar's perspective would be incredibly gruesome but from Leonardo's it feels like a normal evening. More, this is like child play with what that family made Leo do to establish the contracts with the familiars. Maybe that's why I rejected a bit being Leo… Such a torturous and dreadful lifestyle of living…'
I shake my head.
'Better I just look at the problem right now. Latter I can find out who I truly am.'
With those words I go back, leaving the charred family behind.
.
.
.
After reaching what appeared to be the counter, I start making a small bounded field.
'As long as enemies don't detect us it's fine.'
The moment I finish it, I activate it without a second thought.
*Wong*
Nodding in satisfaction, I open my mouth to ask something to Aurora, but as I hear her soft breathing I stop myself.
'She must be tired too. She came from the room as an origami all the way to the control room with her small body.' As I smile at her sleeping form I slowly pet her. 'Let's just hide behind the counter for the moment while I wait for the others to arrive.'
Sitting on the ground, I close my eyes for a bit while I start to concentrate on the sounds surrounding me.
'I am tired…'
"Senpai, it's inside that run down convenience store!" A shout of a girl pries my eyes open.
'…Shit I slept.' I think while getting up. 'I can't believe I was so tired to sleep just now.'
"Aurora wake up." I say while moving my shoulder a bit.
"Eh? Ah… Master sorry I got a bit sleepy so…" She says while slowly opening her eyes.
"Don't worry." I say with a small smile.
After some seconds the first thing that enters the store is a gigantic shield.
'It's bigger than I thought.'
Then behind it a girl with short lilac hair appears. The moment we make eye contact she lowers her shield.
"Ah, its safe Senpai, the other master is here." She says while looking behind her.
"Alright, Mash."
Then finally he comes.
"Ah! You are-!" He says surprised.
"It good to see you in one piece, master Fujimaru." I say while looking at his startled face again.
'…His startled face is pretty funny I must say.' I think while repressing a small laugh.
"…It was Mister Leonardo…" Fujimaru says while trying to remember my full name.
"Er-Meyer. Leonardo Er-Meyer, however if you want you can call me Leo. It easier for the tongue than a full name am I right?" I say while extending a hand to him.
He looks at me with surprise, but shakes my hand nonetheless.
"…Alright Leo." He says with a small smile. "Then you can call me Ritsuka too."
"Alright Ritsuka." I nod to him. Then I extend my hand to the girl protecting him. "You too Miss Mash."
"…"
For a moment she looks at my hand but then she shakes it like nothing.
"Alright Mister Leo."
'Mhm. Maybe I shouldn't have incorporated the Miss…? It does sound a bit more distant than only saying the name... Oh well.'
Shaking my head I ask to the two in front of me.
"Now, what is the situation?"
"For that reason I am here Mister Leo!" Romani's hologram appears suddenly.
"Dr. Roman!" Ritsuka cries out.
After the warm reunion, Romani's face hardens.
"Right now Chaldea lost 80% of its functions." He says heavy words from the get go. "The moment we are capable of communication with the outside we'll re-establish everything to organize it all over again."
"…We could be worse." I say bitterly. "Then how are the masters and the Director?"
"Almost all the masters are already on cryopreserve. Just 3 are left for it." After saying that, a sigh comes out of him. "Then thankfully as you said the director was outside the doors. She had some minor injuries and a big one on the leg, but nothing life threatening."
"That's good news." I nod to his report.
"Is there something else Dr. Roman?" Mash says worried.
"Thankfully not. However I am intrigued by two things." He says as he raises two fingers. "First you Mash. A fusion between a human and a servant worked just now. A demi-servant." He says while looking at Mash. Then he turns to me while lowering one finger. "And secondly you Leo. How were you able to use a familiar there?"
The sudden question makes everyone look at me warily suddenly.
After taking a sigh out of me I open my mouth and say matter-of-factly:
"…I smuggled them on Chaldea."
"S-Smuggled?!" He says surprised and prompts the faces of the others to change too. "B-But how? No matter how small they should be the detector should have-"
At his stuttering I show Kura on his origami form.
"Like this."
A bout of silence appears as both Mash, Ritsuka and Romani look at me incredulous.
'…The paper isn't as rugged as before, and there is less cuts on it. Thankfully he is better.'
"Right now he is hurt but I can make things lose magical power temporarily and transform them on origami." I continue deadpanned.
'Of course the losing magical power is optional, if not Kura wouldn't be healing right now.'
Still seeing their doubtful faces, I show them Aurora.
"This is Aurora, she is another of my familiars." I say while bringing her closer to them as she poses on my hand.
After some silence, a shout suddenly happens.
"It's so cute!" Romani suddenly says. "How can that be a…"
"Ahem, I must say it too mister Leo. How…" Mash says while looking at her with some rosy cheeks. "Can she be a familiar?"
"Can I pet it- I mean her?" Ritsuka asks me with sparkling eyes.
"Are you okay with it Aurora?" I say only responding Ritsuka's question.
After she returns a nod, I nod to him to come closer, and like that he slowly caresses Aurora.
"She is so-" He tries to say, but is interrupted by an almost forgotten animal.
"Fou! Fou! Fou!" Suddenly Fou jumps to the counter and makes his presence known.
"Ah! I am sorry Fou, don't be jealous!" Fujimaru tries to calm Fou.
"You are cute too Fou!" Mash says right next to Fujimaru.
While both Mash and Fujimaru try to pacify Fou, I stay still for a moment. Because instead of the cute cries of a little animal, I heard something else resound on my mind at that moment.
"I am more appealing and stronger than that pet!" A grand and dignified voice spoke.
'That's…'
"Ahem." I clear my throat so the conversation doesn't derail more… And to forget that powerful voice.
Seeing that the attention of everybody is back, I continue.
"Dr. Roman could you please tell us how to proceed from here?" I ask while looking at his hologram.
"Yes!" He says more calm than earlier. "Right now you need to-" He suddenly stops before shouting. "Everybody get out of there! A servant is closing in!"
As that sentence stops, we start hearing noise on the distance.
After running some time we found ourselves next to the river.
"Is it still following us Roman?!" I ask him through the wristband but no response reaches us. "…Tch!"
I take down the urge to say a swear word right there.
The moment I was going to try for a second time, Mash and the group slowly stops. Rising my head I am able to see that our path is blocked by some chains.
"Are those chains?" Fujimaru asks while getting closer.
'Oh no, no you don't!'
As I think that, I grab him by the scruff of his neck and jump back. Moments later, the chains start to move towards us, but thankfully we are out of reach.
"Please have more caution with strange things Ritsuka." I say while taking my glasses off.
The moment they leave my face, everything turns a colour duller and strange clouds of colours appear. Ignoring those I look around and after some seconds I am able to see a figure on the high ground next to us.
"There." I say while pointing at her. "There is the servant."
As soon as I finish talking she appears right where I was pointing at, in the middle of the garden filled by statues of people.
"To think that someone would have a pair of Mystic Eyes capable of even seeing servants in their spiritual forms. That is truly unexpected I must say." She says while pretending to be on shock. "But still, one master, one servant and one magus... Oh and two familiars as well. Such a feast right in front of my eyes."
Her long purple hair and rugged robe makes me remember who she is.
'Medusa…' I think bitterly. '…However if I am not wrong the one in front of us is her lancer form from the movie… I don't know almost anything about her in that class.'
As she puts a combat position I get closer to Mash, just enough to murmur to her.
"Mash have caution. She isn't an easy foe." I say while preparing myself. "Have special caution with her eyes and lance."
A nod from her is enough to start the battle. The moment she closes in, Mash goes in front to stop her.
"Now, this is more shocking than before." She says nonchalantly while clashing with Mash. "To think that you would be able to see what my truly dangerous weapons are… Maybe I should get rid of you first." Medusa says while smiling sadistically.
'She heard me?!'
Then she puts more force on her last hit, making Mash stagger to a side.
"No!" A shout comes from the alarmed Mash.
Using that moment, she passes right by the shielder and closes onto me.
'Shit! Shouldn't have spoken!'
Reinforcing my legs rapidly I am able to dodge her swiping attack.
"And you are fast too." She says while preparing to do another attack.
"Aurora!" I shout trying to get farther from the servant.
Light starts to come from Aurora as white feathers appear. The moment the amount reaches five they are launched to the servant.
"Gandr!"
The five feathers reach her, but they are easily destroyed by some swings of her spear. The Gandr follows the same end, however as it is destroyed an explosion occurs.
'But that will do nothing to her.'
And as I thought, there she appears like nothing.
"That was pretty tricky I must say." She taunts with a smile.
"Oh I know, however the trick isn't over still." I open my mouth to distract her while I prepare myself just in case.
Looking at me confused for some seconds, she suddenly turns to the side but isn't fast enough.
"Aah!" Mash comes shouting with her shield and hits her fully.
"Urg!" A groan comes out of her, and she makes a big jump to escape to the chains. "Now it's becoming a bit irritating."
Her snake like hair moves and before we know it we have our exit trapped by chains.
'…This is becoming worse.' I think bitterly. 'Why the hell did we need to meet her?'
"Senpai, please leave right now, I am no rival for her." Mash says while positioning herself between her and us.
I look at her for a moment but I put my gaze back to the servant.
"Mash…" Fujimaru murmurs while looking at her.
.
.
.
'I feel like a third wheel in this situation…' I think in exasperation.
"I like those guts." Another voice suddenly appears from nowhere, surprising both us and the servant. "Even though you are a girl, it looks like you are strong. I can't abandon you."
Behind us, a robed figure appears.
"Caster you…" The servant says with evident scorn on her voice. "Why do you help these strangers?"
"Why else…?" He says while leisurely taking off his robe. "Because they are better than you people!"
As he finishes that sentence, orange glowing runes appear and spells are launch towards the servant in front of us.
*Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!*
A big explosion happens and a lot of the chains break. In the meantime he slowly positions himself in front of Mash while looking at our attacker.
"Servant Caster. For a lot of reasons I am in a complicated relationship with her." He says while putting himself in a relaxed combat stance. "The enemy of my enemy isn't your ally, but for now you can trust in me."
While the dust recedes we are able to see the servant again.
"Prepare yourself girly and magus. Although both of you lack a lot, you have guts!"
I nod to his words while Mash responds with a yes.
"Young man! Are you the master?" He asks to Fujimaru. "If you are then do the orders."
"What? But I-" He tries to reason but is interrupted by Caster.
"Be a man and use your courage!"
Hearing his shout Fujimaru becomes startled but rapidly changes his face to a more determined one.
"Good. This'll be a temporary contract."
The moment his words end, the servant attacks. Chains appear from our sides and target Caster, which he responds by swiftly dodging.
'She's only is going for him… We aren't a threat on her eyes.' I start to flare up my magic circuits again. 'That's good news, we can slowly prepare an attack easily.' As the servant continues chasing after Caster, I am able to see what he is plotting. 'He is leaving runes in a circular pattern…'
"Aurora start to slowly create feathers. I want you to launch your feathers with my Gandr." I murmur to her while giving her a bit of my mana. Receiving a nod from the bird I prepare my spell.
The moment Caster looks trapped, Fujimaru tells Mash to prepare herself to protect Caster.
'Look at him, learning to do orders. If it was myself at the start of my journey on magecraft then I wouldn't be able to do as well as he does right now… Especially in this situation.'
Just as a strike is about to reach Caster, Mash appears in the nick of time to block it.
"Runes don't need words brainless servant." Caster says while smiling behind the shielder. "Let's see if you learn!"
As he raises his arm, fire surrounds our assailant while she leaves a shout of pain. After a while the fire stops, and the servant appears damaged with burns all over her body.
"Aurora!"
The moment my words ends, 23 streaks of light and one dark closes in on the weakened servant.
Seeing it, she start to deflect them, however some are able to pass through.
"T-This-!"
*Boom!*
Without a second wasted, Caster conjures another set of runes and a grand explosion happens with the servant in the middle.
.
.
.
Only one thought passes through my head after the attack ends.
'…I want a Caster servant.' With those ending thoughts, the smoke is cleared and the servant in the middle of all that starts to disappear.
"…Ah I just-" Before she could even finish her sentence she completely disappears.
"One less." As Caster coolly says those lines, Mash comes closer to him.
"Thanks for helping us." She says while bowing to Caster.
In response he comes closer to her.
"Good work." He says while grabbing her shoulder and winking his eye extremely close. "We did it thanks to your support."
This of course prompts Fou and Fujimaru to separate the two. Then it ends with Caster laughing and adding:
"You have a good body."
.
.
.
"…I don't know how to feel about our new ally." I say with a sigh. I am only thankful that Aurora is here making me company.
"Let's hear him out." Romani suddenly says as he appears. "He looks like a decent Heroic Spirit."
Hearing his words I take another look at Cú Chulainn.
'…Yeah… I think…?'
Caster after noticing Romani, starts a conversation with him talking about what happened so far.
After hearing how the singularity came to be, we started moving towards the corrupted Holy Grail to confront Saber and Archer, however thanks to the hostile terrain and the long distance we needed to transverse, we stopped on a decayed school to rest in the meantime.
While on the rooftop I took some pebbles and sat on the ground inscribing them.
"What are you doing?" Caster appears crouching next to me while making a grin.
"Nothing just engraving some simple runes onto them just in case." I say not surprised at all that he appeared right next to me.
"I see..." He stays silent for some seconds, before throwing a glance at Aurora. "But you have your little friend right there to help you, don't cha?"
Following his gaze, I look at the sleeping bird.
"She looks pretty strong, and if you pair it with the other one in your hand, then I think you won't need the little pebbles."
I stay silent for some seconds while looking at Aurora.
"…Still. I don't want them to overexert themselves for trying to protect me." I say while slowly petting her. She makes a small satisfied noise at my touch. "Plus, there will be situations where I won't be with them, so although weak as these spells may be, they are better than nothing."
'I can even testify that on the control room. I lived thanks to my reinforcement and the rune I rapidly did. If not…'
After another bout of silence Caster gets up.
"Good answer." He says with a more sincere smile. "Familiars exist to complement a Magus, not for them to protect a walking battery. And you are right with that of not being always with them."
As he finishes that sentence, he raises his hand, and some of the pebbles I were preparing appeared on his hand.
"…At least tell me if you want-" I try to complain only to be interrupted by the beeping of the wristband.
After some seconds, a hologram appears.
"Romani what is the-" I try to say only to be stopped by the person on the other side.
"Leonardo Er-Meyer!" An angry female voice that I remember pretty well announces my whole name.
"Ah… Hi Director." I say while looking at the bandaged white haired girl with a bit of nervousness.
'…She woke up so fast, however her whole body is all bloodied… Didn't she take a bath?' I think as my gaze sees the amount of red spots on her bandages. '…Plus the one on the left leg looks the worst of all.'
"Hi, nothing!" Olga Marie says while closing in so much that it looks like she wants to strangle me. "Robbing the director is one thing, however taking familiars to Chaldea illegally is another! You know how troublesome that is if the Mage's association hears about it?!"
'…But even though she is all injured, she still cares for Chaldea… In her own way.'
"Sheesh, she is a feisty one, I must say." Caster comments eyeing the Director.
"And who are you?!" She says observing at Caster with murderous eyes.
"Servant Caster." He says while grinning to her. "Right now I am guiding the group of Chaldea through the singularity."
After hearing him, she calms down a bit. Seconds of silence pass but after a while Olga continues.
"Alright." The director says with composure. "From what Romani told me you helped the only remaining masters of Chaldea to survive, plus you imparted important information about the singularity to us. On behalf of Chaldea I thank you."
"No problem, Miss Director." He says jokingly, however the joke never reaches her.
"Now." After looking at Caster her gaze returns to me. "I want you to explain the reason for stealing my communicator and 'smuggling' familiars onto Chaldea." She continues coldly.
'…Yeah in her own way… I think I prefer it when she is angrier than tranquil.'
"I am sorry Director, however I had to." I say while bowing. "As a magus from the Er-Meyer family I would be incredibly weakened without them."
"Then why not use formal methods?" She responds immediately.
"Because then the total number I could take with me would be at maximum two. Although it would be better than nothing, it would become incredibly hard for myself to perform the Er-Meyer magecrafts with only two familiars."
"Then you could have consulted with myself at the very least." She says with her arms crossed. "We could have maybe reached an agreement."
"…"
I stay silent for some seconds.
'Leo you rash guy! Why didn't you state your case with her instead of smuggling them in?! Are you that distrustful of people?!'
As I curse Leonardo in my head I continue with my head bowed.
"I am ashamed of not thinking about that alternative, Director."
'…How many times do I have to bow my head in front of somebody today?'
After some seconds of silence, she opens her mouth again.
"Alright." She says while sighing. "For this time only I'll pardon you." She continues while moving his hand like calling for somebody on the side. "From what I heard from Romani, one of your familiars took me out before the rayshift started on the control room, so for that at least I am thankful."
After drinking a glass of water that someone fetched her she continues.
"And I am grateful that you told Romani to cryopreserve the remaining masters on the coffins. If they died, then forget about your problem with the familiars or my death, the Mage's association would probably edict a Sealing Designation to me." Olga says while hugging her arms tightly. "So as a thanks, I will ignore the problem with the familiars for the moment."
"…!" I become surprised at her words. "Thank you Director-!" I try to say with a smile but I am interrupted.
"However, when you come back we'll need to talk."
When those words end, the communication concludes there.
"Oh ho~ It looks like someone is in trouble~" Caster says playfully while entering his spiritual form.
"…You know I can still see you right?" I respond to his taunt by taking my glasses off.
"Tch. I forgot about that." He murmurs while I see him going down the stairs.
I laugh a bit before putting my glasses back and continue engraving the remaining runes.
'I should find a piece of cloth to store them or something. This suit is really inconvenient without any pockets.' As I think that, I get up.
"Oh right!" Caster appears close once again. "Aren't you a Master? Where is your servant?"
"…"
Hearing his words I stop for a moment.
"…I wasn't able to summon it for the moment." I say bitterly. "Right before I could try back on Chaldea, the first mission came, and so one thing led to another and now I am here."
"Ah I see…" Caster says with an understanding expression. "To tell you the truth if I wasn't so rash back then I should have formed the contract with you. Not to downplay the other guy, however you have better circuits than him. Putting two plus two, and you know what I mean right?" He says with his characteristic smile.
"Of course." I nod to him. "But right now it's impossible to change."
"Yeah… I really need to keep my excitement for battles a bit down." He says this type with a sheepish smile. "Let's go. I'll help you find something to carry those runes."
I nod one last time.
'…Yeah. I wasn't able to summon it.'
As those thoughts permeate on my mind, I look at the back of my right hand.
.
.
.
There is no trace of command spells.
"The Holy Grail is at the end of the cave." Caster says as we look in front of us. An enormous cave without an apparent end extends before us.
"Was this always in Fuyuki?" Mash questions.
"Maybe." I open my mouth while touching the wall. "It looks something that a Magus would do for a workshop, as some parts are artificially made."
While we were talking about the origins of the cave Fou suddenly starts to growl towards behind us.
"And as we are talking, the minion came." Caster says while putting himself in front.
There he appears. White hair, darkish skin, and a tight black suit with a rugged red cape on his waist. But unlike the one I know, red crimson lines are seeable on his skin.
"That must be Archer if I am not wrong." I say while preparing myself.
"Still protecting the one with the sacred sword like a guardian dog?" Caster talks mockingly, however Archer just scoffs.
"And what if I am?" He says still looking down at the group.
Seeing that his taunt failed Caster prepares himself.
"I don't know why you are protecting Saber, but this ends here."
The moment those words finish, Archer projects a bow and a sword.
"I am sorry, but I don't have the time!" He says while pointing towards Mash and firing the sword after being alternated.
Surprised by the attack, Mash tries to block it, but Caster invalidates the attack by reciting a rune. Taking advantage of Archer's slight surprise, he makes another spell and counter attacks him.
"Tch."
Seeing the attack Archer retreats.
"Go away!" Caster shouts. "Saber is inside!"
Nodding to him, we continue down the cave. Before long a grand explosion occurs behind us, but we continue nonetheless.
After some minutes of running we are able to reach the end of the cave.
"What… is that?" Fujimaru asks while seeing the gigantic thing in front of us.
A colossal cauldron pouring continuous violet coloured magical energy is visible before our own very eyes.
"…If I am not wrong it's a Leyline, however right now it's being used as the nucleus for a magical reactor…" I say while looked amazed at the size of it.
'It must be at least two or three kilometres wide.'
"Then this is…" Mash says surprised too.
"The Greater Grail."
The moment my words end someone makes itself known.
"Oh…?" A somber voice of a woman resounds through the whole cavern. "What an interesting servant."
Looking up at the top of the nucleus, the owner of said voice is visible.
"Is that saber?" Mash asked warily.
Her ghastly white hair and skin while cladding a jet black armour is enough to put anybody terrified by her mere presence.
I take off my glasses and what I see surprises me.
In front of me I am not capable of seeing a human form, but instead a cumulus of raw magical power.
"…This is bad." I mutter while putting them back on. "She has so much magical power that I can't even see her without the glasses."
Hearing my words, Mash puts herself on a combat position.
"A shield?" Saber says while hatred colours her face. "Prepare yourself unknown girl. We'll see which is stronger: Your defence or my sword!"
As those words ends, Saber prepares herself to attack.
"…That's…" Olga Marie says while looking at the screen in front of her.
"Excalibur." Romani ends her sentence. "Right now they are fighting against the one and only King of Knights."
On the monitor it's possible to see the hardship that Mash is passing through while trying to defend the heavy blows done by Saber.
"…"
Olga stays silent for some seconds, before continuing.
"Is there still no sightings of Lev?" She says bitterly while nervously moving her hands.
Looking at her, a preoccupied Romani responds.
"…Unfortunately not. All we know so far is that professor Lev was in the middle of the explosion." He says while leaving her on the oval chair for a moment. "The possibilities of him surviving is low, however we weren't able to find anything about him in here. Meaning that we have two possibilities-"
"That he is still alive or…" Olga tries to finish Romani's sentence, but stops herself.
Scared of continuing she looks down. After some deep breaths, she rises her gaze only to find a cup of coffee in front of her. Following the hand which holds it, Romani's serious face is found.
"Don't worry Director. Professor Lev is someone strong. I am sure he's still alive somewhere in Chaldea."
Seeing his face Olga slowly nods and accepts the cup.
"…I just hope that you are right." After taking a sip she continues. "…It's a bit too bitter for me."
"Ah. I forgot that you don't like it bitter Director, Let me-" Romani tries to take her cup but she refuses.
"No, it's okay. I'll drink it like this." She says with a small smile.
Seeing that she changed a bit for the better Romani smiles too.
"How are your injures?" He asks trying to change the theme of the conversation.
"For now a bit better, however I can't still move the leg as much as I'd like to" She says while looking at her left leg and in consequence the clothes she has now.
'To think that the explosion was so strong that it was even capable of passing through a mystic code made by Atlas-'
That thought is cut short because of Romani's almost quiet laughter next to her.
"The moment you appeared here all bandaged while grabbing the arm of a staff member shocked me." He says while trying to stop laughing.
'However what came after seeing CHALDEAS wasn't pretty.' He thinks without mentioning that certain part although it's in front of them.
Putting the cup down, she responds.
"Well, being the director and suddenly hearing about the problem that transpired is enough to make you unable to rest properly. Plus I needed to have a small talk with the Master No.19-"
"What are you doing Fujimaru Ritsuka?!"
Their conversation stops after a shout comes from the screen. Turning their gazes to it they are able to see the two masters fighting.
"What are you doing Fujimaru Ritsuka?!" I roar with apparent rage on my face. "Your servant is fighting with all of their might, and you think you can enter the battle just like that?!"
Protected by a barrier made by the runes from before, I yell while grabbing his shirt.
"You need to know that if you were to enter that battle not only you would die, but Mash too!"
Hearing my words Fujimaru stops for a moment but then looks at Mash on the ground then throws a glance of hate to myself.
"Then can't we do something from here instead of being behind a cover!" He shouts back. "Can't you use some magecraft to help her?"
Seeing his enraged self I stop for a moment.
'…I got too worked up for nothing.'
Taking a deep breath, I continue.
"I am sorry." I apologize to him, to his surprise. "It isn't like I don't want to do something. But that I can't. A battle between servants isn't something where one can affect so easily, especially this one. Even if I were to shot all my spells to Saber, her incredible amount of mana would render them useless. And there is the possibility of them being absorbed and empowering her even more."
"…"
Hearing my explanation he opens his mouth but seeing that no words come out, he closes his eyes and faces the floor while clenching his fists.
"…Don't you dare look down upon your servant Fujimaru Ritsuka!" I say startling him. "The battle isn't over, so raise your head and be firm."
After taking a breath I add some last words.
"Think in what you can do as a Master, then you and your servant will be able to prevail."
Seconds later I take a glance at him from the corner of my eye. I don't see the compulsive master of before, but instead a determined one.
'…That a good face too.'
"I'll respond to your gaze."
The sudden words of the servant sends chills down my spine. I put all my attention at Saber's posture.
"To your wish to protect your master."
'That's…!'
Mana becomes visible to the naked eye as a gigantic jet black blade slowly makes itself known.
"Mash resist!" I shout.
At my side Fujimaru Ritsuka starts to run towards the battle.
"…! Wait-!" I try to say to him, but I stop myself.
'…No. Unlike before, this is his decision as a Master, so I can't stop it.'
Looking at his back I start to gather the mana leaking from the leyline.
"Aurora."
"Yes Master?" She says while chirping happily.
"Help me make a bounded field strong enough to protect us and the surrounding terrain if the cave ever tries to cave in."
"Mh!" With a nod from her I start inscribing on the ground.
"Excalibur Morgan!" Saber says while bringing down the Noble Phantasm towards the shield of Mash.
*Swish*
Gusts of winds strong enough to be capable of lacerating the flesh are thrown as the clash between the shield and the sword happens.
'The problem isn't the noble phantasm, nor the gusts of wind. But what comes after it.' I think while looking at the ceiling of the cave.
As the attack of Saber continues, my gaze goes to the Master and Servant stopping it.
'…They make a good pair.'
While that thought passes through head, slowly the shield starts to flare up with magical power that it didn't have before. From the centre of it, Mash's Noble Phantasm finally appears.
'Lord Camelot… No, right now it's Lord Chaldeas… Seeing it in person I must say that it's pretty and... Incredible.'
"That shield…!" Saber's voice filled with hatred is cut short as Excalibur Morgan stops.
Although the attack finally stopped, Mash's noble phantasm starts to disappear.
'I need to continue the bounded field, but…' I think while clenching my fists.
"Excalibur-!" Saber starts to chant again, filling our heart with worry, but before the worst can come… She is interrupted.
"My magic is a cage of flames! Oh grand fiery giant!" Caster's voice starts to resound through the cavern. "Purify human's evils!"
From behind Mash and Fujimaru, Caster appears and puts himself between Saber and them.
"Destroy her, Wicker man!"
With Saber on the centre, an enormous magic circle spewing fire and an alight giant made of thin branches appears and traps her inside of it. Then with it's gigantic size he falls on the fiery floor, prompting at the end one last grand explosion.
"Urg!"
"Argh!"
Everyone is trying not to be blown by the sudden force of it. Especially Aurora, who in the nick of time was able to grab my hair before almost flying away.
'…This truly was grand unlike the other ones.'
After the smoke recedes, Saber stays still, looking at the pair in front of her. With a smile she starts talking.
"This shows, that I alone am not enough to change fate." She says while slowly starting to disappear.
"What do you mean?" Caster asks. "What do you know?"
"You'll find out, Irish child of the sun." She stops for a moment. "Grand order. You'll see that the fight for the Holy Grail only just started."
"Wait! What does that mean-?" Caster tries to ask, but stops himself after seeing that he is disappearing too. "Tch."
"Boy, girly and magus, I leave the rest to you." He says while smiling towards Fujimaru and Mash and glancing at me.
'I want a bit of smile too you know?' I think a bit disappointed, but still smiling.
"If we are able to meet again, then I hope you can summon me as a Lancer." While leaving those words behind, he and Saber completely disappear.
From where Saber disappeared, a strange thing glowing yellow appears.
'That's… the holy grail.' I think while seeing it. 'If I go and… No. It's a trap. Lev should be close, and the moment I am near the grail…'
The director being consumed by CHALDEAS comes to my head.
After replaying that sad memory, I look at Aurora, who already finished the bounded field.
"…I am sorry Aurora, I said you to help me, but at the end you made it all yourself."
"There is no problem Master." She says while a laugh resounds in my mind. "I am just a bit happy."
She says suddenly, surprising me.
"Why?"
"Because it looked like you had a bit of fun." Aurora says while looking at me with her little eyes.
"…Me?" I ask incredulous at what she said.
"Yes! Normally Master would be all somber and inexpressive, but recently it looked like you were enjoying yourself!"
"…"
At her sentence I am left with no words.
'…Now that I think about it Leo was like that… Maybe it's the influence of Oscar's memories?'
"…I see."
I stay silent for some seconds.
"…Leo?"
When I heard Ritsuka's voice, I turn my head to him.
"Are you okay?"
Seeing his worried tone and face, I force a smile.
"Yes, I am alright, thank you." I say while looking at the two of them. "I must say, you proved me wrong in the best of ways mister Fujimaru." I smile towards him more sincerely.
"Eh…? Ah… Eh-" He mumbles a bit trying to find words but I stop him by putting my hand on his shoulder.
"Continue like this."
Hearing my response his eyes start to sparkle.
"Yes!" He says with determination.
Turning my gaze to Mash I continue.
"Mash, you did a great job at protecting your Master, even if what he did was as dangerous as going against the Mage's association. Continue helping him like this in the future."
"A-Ah Yes!" Seeing her grab harder the shield with rosy cheeks is enough to make me satisfied.
"Now-"
*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*
I am interrupted by someone clapping.
*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*
After what appeared to be an eternity an eerie voice appears.
"I never thought that you'll reach so far." A man says while being right next to the nucleus. "The plan didn't foresaw this, and my tolerance doesn't permit it."
"You are-!" Fujimaru says in surprise.
"Professor Lev!" Mash looks happily.
As they are about to go to him I stop them with my arm. Throwing a glance to me I ignore it and start to input mana on the bounded field while at the same time taking my glasses off.
In my eyes, the form of Lev disappears, and a gigantic and grotesque tentacle with red blood eyes coming through cracks on his skin appears. A Demon God Pillar with an aura greater than Saber's.
'…As long we don't touch his aura then we won't fly into CHALDEAS, I think.'
I put the mystic code back again, trying to forget that form of Lev.
Suddenly a hologram appears in front of me and from it, Romani and Olga appear.
"Lev!" Olga says almost with tears on her face.
"Hello Olga. It must have been hard right?" He says while smiling.
'I can't see his eyes.' As that thought comes through my mind, I accelerate the passage of mana to the barrier.
"Yeah Lev!" Olga says happily between coughs. "I didn't expect this at all, and I almost died, but as long as you are here everything will be okay!"
The moment I heard those words a part of my heart starts to feels heavy. Shaking the feeling off, I continue with the barrier.
"It's a bit irritating the unexpected of it all." Lev continues while putting force in his voice. "Romani I told you to appear on the control room immediately."
Hearing that everyone puts a strange face.
"Olga. I told you to be still in place. I put the bomb on your feet, however you moved when you shouldn't have done so."
Hearing those words, everyone starts to rise their guard up. Everyone but Olga.
"…What?" She says dumbfounded.
"Olga… My dear Olga Marie Animusphere… You were destined to die before even starting your very first mission as a Director of Chaldea." He continues without caring about her.
"…Lev, what are you saying…? It mustn't be true right…?" Olga looks at him with desperation. "Lev… Lev… please tell me it isn't true… please… If you tell me it isn't true I'll believe you so please… please…"
She looks down and put her hands on her chest, and then repeats the last words while whispering, akin to a prayer. Her face isn't able to be seen.
Moments pass in silence between everyone here, but then Lev's voice comes again.
"Even if I am telling you the truth right in front of you, you still choose to be ignorant until the end."
As his words finishes Olga Marie stops moving.
.
.
.
*Sob*
Seconds later, crying is heard through the communication.
*Sob*
She suddenly gets up, startling Romani next to her.
"M-Marie-?" He asks seeing the tearing girl, but stops his words as the Director slowly walks out of the room while using the wall as support. Subsequently he realizes the problem of this situation and shouts. "Somebody follow the Director and make sure she doesn't get hurt!"
"Yes!" One of the staff members says while running out.
"However… she survived." Lev continues like Olga's tears didn't even exist, making me feel more disgust to him in my heart. "All because of one person." As his eyes finally become seeable, the target of his gaze isn't Mash nor Romani nor Fujimaru.
But me.
"Leonardo Er-Meyer… How were you able to know of the bombs?"
.
.
.
Ending his words I throw him a glance of hate, but at the same time I unconsciously gulp.
'Right now I need to wait so that the Singularity starts to collapse, and he flees… Fighting him head on with only Mash in her condition is suicide. I need to buy time.'
I open my mouth.
'So I need to do as like in the control room.'
"The spirits surrounding Chaldea told me." I say with apparent anger towards him.
'Talk bullshit.'
Hearing my answer everybody except Lev looks at me astonished.
"…So not only seeing the unseeable, you can hear the unheard." Lev says still with his smile. "To think you had such an ace up your sleeve... But still, being able to hear spirits… I must say I am impressed…"
His grin starts to become bigger. Seeing that, Mash comes to the front both of me and Ritsuka.
"…As expected from a demi-servant. You were capable of seeing that I am a different living being, right?" He says while his grin becomes wider. "Candidates for master No.19 and No.48… The first one I thought that it would die, while the latter I let him escape thinking he wasn't going to be useful… But I was proven wrong… Why do humans always try to change their fate?"
After putting one hand back and one over his heart he continues.
"Let me present myself again. I am Lev Lainur Flauros, the one in charge of 2016, to destroy all humanity… Are you hearing Dr. Roman?"
Romani speaks with a grim tone.
"Professor Lev."
"As a companion of studies let me give you one final warning Romani Archaman. The future didn't disappear. It was incinerated. Chaldea should be protected thanks to the magnetic camp of CHALDEAS, but the exterior suffered the same fate as Fuyuki."
"So we can't communicate with the exterior not because of a fault but because there is nobody on the other side?"
The moment those words end gasps are heard.
"You won't be extinguished by evolution, nor fighting another species, but because of your own lack of meaning and futility." He says with a maniacal laughter. "You lost the favour of our king, then you'll burn until nothing is left!"
Black sparkles start to appear around him.
'Shit! We didn't do enough time?!'
I rapidly input the last part of mana to complete the bounded field, as an uncountable amount of spells impact the barrier.
*Crack*
Not even 10 seconds later a crack is seen on the bounded field.
*Crack*
Three seconds later another one appears.
"Mash!" Fujimaru shouts to which she nods.
*Crash*
A total of fourteen seconds the barrier endured the attack of Lev. A barrier made by pouring the mana comprised of the Leyline, a Phantasmal beast and lastly I, only took 14 seconds before going down.
As the sound of the bounded field breaking comes to our ears, finally the cave starts to cave in. Lev stops his attack seeing that.
'…At least he stopped, but… This is bad… I wanted to use the bounded field to protect us from the debris!'
"Romani start the rayshift!" I shout to him.
"On it!" His desperate shout comes through.
While debris falls onto the greater grail, slowly the mana contained on it starts to overflow.
"This singularity reached its limit… Saber… Even though we gave her the Holy Grail, she preferred to maintain this era uselessly." Turning towards us one last time he continues. "Goodbye, Romani, Mash, Leonardo and candidate No.48."
As Lev slowly raises to the air he becomes enveloped in light and disappears.
'Even the way he disappears is so-'
My thought is cut short because of an earthquake and a close falling boulder.
*Crash!*
Seeing how everything is going down, I make a choice.
"…I am sorry Aurora."
"Eh-?"
"Papycry, repress."
"What? No wait-!" She tries to talk but I stop her.
"Aurora like this I can protect you better alongside Kura." I say while smiling as she becomes an origami. "You did enough, let me try from here."
'…Plus you can't do anything. The majority of you magic power went to the barrier so…' I sigh while trying to input mana back onto the bounded field.
"Doctor!" Mash shouts in fear to the communicator.
"I know!" He stops for a moment "But know that the cave can cave in before it happens… I am sorry. If you resist we-"
The communication stops there.
Moments later, the grounds breaks and sends us flying through the air.
'Shit! Nothing goes my way today!' I think while looking at the other two. 'They need to survive, if not Goetia won't be-!'
"Mash!" Fujimaru says while trying to reach for Mash.
"Shenpai!" She says while trying to do the same.
.
.
.
'Even in this situation I feel like a third wheel!'
End of Chapter 1: Flaming City and Birds
Author's note: ON!
Hello!
I am back!
And this time I didn't take Half a Year! (I am not proud of this)
Well, I'll make this short.
Singularity F is only one chapter long because this part doesn't have much changes in comparison to future singularities. I didn't get started with the next chapter yet, however I already have a good idea of how to make it and Orleans. Rome needs a bit more polish.
Now the cover, I am having trouble with it (Who would have thought) so for the moment I am thinking of putting a character that I like a lot temporarily (And will not appear, like at all... Well maybe she will appear...).
Anyways, as there is no Reviews, I'll end this chapter here, so!
Author's note: OFF!
