Summary:

With 7 Servants summoned, Chaldea begins preparations to Rayshift into the French Singularity.

But while tensions are high, it's more important than ever to also find some time to relax...

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Chapter 9: The Calm Before the Swarm

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"There! Go, Archer!"

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Getting his signal, Emiya dashed past his Master and the Shielder keeping her safe, heading further into the forest. Before dematerializing, he gave one last glance towards the pair running for their lives, a horde of dark gray skinned wraiths in skull masks on their tail. As they'd hoped, the pursuers were dead set on Ritsuka, ignoring his separation from the group. Not that it gave the bowman any relief, seeing how his coming part was the most vital one in the entire plan. To put it mildly, their situation was quite troublesome.

'

A dense forest that already put his main proficiency as an Archer, long range combat, into a disadvantage, coupled with enemies that, while individually weak, were quick, agile and numerous, made for quite an obnoxious detriment. Still, he could hardly complain, since a battle like this was a very real possibility in the future, so practice for it was only natural. And ultimately, his Master was the one who came up with this training scenario herself.

'

Of course, she only chose the type of environment they were in and the types of enemies they faced. It would hardly make for good training if she'd devised the entire scenario herself, thus the actual geography of the area was as much of a surprise for her as it was for her Servants as they manifested in it. Now, it was up to the Servants to fight, while Ritsuka gave them support and came up with an effective plan to get them out of this mess of a situation. And the one she'd come up with had been quite a crafty one.

'

After all, unexpected tactics tended to be the most effective ones, and no one who was unaware of the abilities of Ritsuka's two Servants would be able to see the decisive blow coming.

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Exiting Spirit Form, Emiya landed on his assigned position, a cliff overlooking the forest, and readied his bow. While it may have seemed to be the most obvious position imaginable for an Archer, the density of the forest below made it both difficult to spot, and difficult to utilize effectively. But, for what Ritsuka had planned, it wasn't even a necessity, just a convenience that made his role a bit easier. No, the true cornerstone of the operation was what both the Master and Shielder were heading towards: a clearing in the forest.

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Spotting the duo through the foliage from time to time with his hawkeyes, he prepared his arrow. "I am the bone of my sword." Projecting the all too familiar spiral sword with his chant, he nocked it, elongating it into an arrow. An arrow aimed right at the clearing. Now all he had to do was wait for Mash and Ritsuka to reach their position, and he could fire away.

'

Still, Emiya couldn't help but be a bit impressed by his Master. As far as unexpected plans went, this was really up there, to the point most mages would straight up reject it as insane. Sure, there was no risk of dying or getting seriously injured in the Simulator, but failure still had painful consequences, especially considering who their enemy was. A strategy like this wouldn't be possible if she didn't fully trust her Servants, both in fidelity and skill.

'

And both the Archer and Shielder were fully prepared to reciprocate that trust.

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It was at that moment that the escaping duo entered the clearing, leaving Emiya to wait for the signal given by Mash. And as the Assassins started pouring into the area, he received it. Having reached the other side of the clearing, the Shielder, positioning between Ritsuka and the wraiths, raised her shield above her head, prompting the Archer to fire the second glimmers of light began shining off of it. "Caladbolg! [The Fake Spiral Sword]" Simultaneously, the Broken Phantasm and the protective barrier erupted to life. Of course, Lord Chaldeas would have no trouble withstanding the explosion, keeping both Mash and Ritsuka perfectly safe.

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Anyone else in the area though...

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KABOOOMMM

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In an instant, the green clearing was transformed into a fiery crater, expanding in size noticeably as a large number of trees were either splintered apart or ripped off by the roots by the explosion. As the smoke started to clear, Emiya proceeded with the cleanup duty, sniping down the few remaining stragglers that had survived the Broken Phantasm before they could disappear into the woods.

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Seeing the last of the Assassins struck down, Emiya turned his attention to the fading light of Mash's Noble Phantasm while still keeping an eye on any possible survivors. The first, clearest thing he saw was enough to bring a smile to his face: His Master, grinning at him with a thumbs up high in the air. All and all, the operation was a rousing success.

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[Established parameters achieved. Scenario complete. Gold stars for everyone.] As a slightly mechanical version of Dio's voice gave the confirmation of victory, the Archer finally dematerialized his bow. They really had gotten every single Assassin. With the training complete, both Ritsuka and Mash started to fade away, so he began to follow suit. After all, it was just faster to exit the Simulator than close the distance between them for an after battle briefing.

'

Exiting the Simulator was always a curious feeling due to its resemblance to entering Spirit Form, to the point where Emiya could only wonder if it was genuinely what Dio had based it on. As usual, after a few seconds his senses properly returned, coming face to face with his rather pleased looking Master and the equally gratified Shielder. "I take it that expression means that I performed my role satisfactorily?"

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Ritsuka's grin widened as she nodded. "Absolutely! You completely nailed it with the timing." But soon after, the smile made way to a slight sheepishness as she tapped her fingers. "Although, I wanted to know if you had any complaints on my part."

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"Complaints, no. You performed well yourself. You came up with a solid plan quickly, and efficiently gave us directives to execute it." As the redhead bumped her fist victoriously, Emiya added. "But I do have a question. While the plan itself was good, what would you have done if there hadn't been a clearing?"

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The girl tilted her head questioningly. "If there hadn't been one? Well, the plan would've been just about the same, with a possible additional step at the end. Your aim is definitely good enough that you would've made the shot even in a forest, and your Nuke Arrow would've created a clearing with its explosion, meaning that we'd still had an open area to fight any possible survivors in, making our situation that much easier."

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Doing his best to ignore the amusing nickname to his Caladbolg II, the Archer let out a sigh with a slight smile on his lips. "Hmph. Not the most elegant solution, but effective nonetheless. I'd definitely give you a passing score."

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"I agree, Senpai. If we'd had this option during Singularity F, we could've certainly dealt with Assassin much quicker," Mash nodded, though the smile on her face noticeably faltered before adding. "Of course, the main limiter for the plan would've been my inability..."

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The Shielder's comment caused the mood of the room to drop like a rock, and Emiya felt his lips curl into a frown. This was hardly the first time Mash had spoken like this, and it worried him. While she may have been partially a Servant, she was still a young girl. And even if it was true that she had yet to reach her full potential, she was still too harsh on herself. The Archer was very well aware where this type of thought process could lead a person. But before he could say anything, Ritsuka placed a hand on Mash's shoulder. "Hey, don't go selling yourself short, Mash. You're really starting to get a handle on your Noble Phantasm." Though her voice was firm, the smile on her lips was soft and encouraging as she rubbed the Demi-Servant's shoulder. "You unleashed it even faster than last time. I keep time, you know."

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"Oh..." A faint blush rose to Mash's cheeks as she started to smile bashfully. "I... Thank you, Senpai. I'm glad." Emiya couldn't stop a slight smile from creeping on his lips upon seeing the girl's reaction. She really was fortunate to have someone like Ritsuka as her Master, someone who clearly understood her limits and why people had them in the first place.

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But that didn't mean that he couldn't add a few words of encouragement himself. "Your movements have also grown a bit sharper in the last week. You react slightly faster to different actions and you hesitate less in your responses." Even if there was the issue of Mash's overprotective nature towards their Master, that was a discussion they could have on another day. For now at least, she should enjoy her growth a bit.

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The awkward smile persisted on the Shielder's lips, clearly not expecting more praise. "T-thank you, Emiya. But I still have a long way to go, so I'll keep counting on you and the rest of the Servants in the future."

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"Of course," the Archer nodded. "We are all Servants of the same Master, so supporting each other is only natural."

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"Well, that's a nice way to put it," Ritsuka smiled, before taking a look at her Multi-Appliance. "Hmm... I'm a bit early, but it doesn't hurt to get to the infirmary a little sooner than intended." As she turned back to the Servants, the redhead gave them a little wave. "Good job again you two. Go enjoy your breaks while I head out to get my medical results."

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"Will you be fine with the usual time for dinner, Senpai?" Mash asked, getting a nod in return.

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"Yeah. I'll be in my room until then, so feel free to come by if you need anything."

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"Yes."

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"Then I'll be heading out as well. Have a nice afternoon, girls." With those final words, the three each headed in their own direction. Though upon crossing an intersection, the Archer spotted a certain blue haired irish man heading towards the Simulator with his usual company. They exchanged their usual frown, but nothing further, seeing how he didn't have time to deal with the Caster at the moment. No, today he had something far more important on his mind. Walking through the long corridors, after a few minutes, the target of his interest was within sight.

'

Over the course of the week he'd stayed in Chaldea, Emiya had kept an eye on the place, carefully observing the happenings and people in it. He'd contemplated on whether he should intervene, if his involvement would be intruding on the workers, and a waste of time for him as one of the Servants responsible for saving humanity. And yet, as the days passed and the Archer found himself with more and more free time, those thoughts kept fading further and further, until his resolve grew strong enough to make the choice. Without a doubt, his involvement would only be beneficial to the organization as a whole.

'

With his mind made up, Servant Emiya entered Chaldea's kitchen.

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When he'd first arrived, he'd been genuinely shocked over the quality of food in the cafeteria. Given the fact that the facility was built for magecraft research, he'd expected it to be closer to an average street vendor with the higher ups eating their own specially made meals. And yet, much to his pleasant surprise, the food offered was both expertly made, and prepared with fresh ingredients, leaving the quality on par with an above average restaurant, even in this dire situation. From what he'd learned afterwards, due to its remote location, Chaldea had enough food stored to last for an entire year... while fully staffed. And given that roughly 90% of said staff were dead... Well, at least food running out wasn't among the many problems they currently faced. Nor was there an issue of the edibles spoiling, since the storage system in place was apparently keeping decomposition at bay through magecraft. And given what he'd seen on the day of his summoning, he suspected that Dio was responsible for that particular invention.

'

Inside the kitchen there were two people, neither actually preparing food at the moment. Instead, they seemed to be inspecting the space. One of them, a southern European woman by his guess, called out to the other while going through a closet. "You got the helpers fetching us a fresh batch of potatoes, right? We need them for the shepherd's pie."

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"Yeah, I sent them ten minutes ago, so they should be back soon. We've still got plenty of time until dinner," the other, a southeast Asian man replied.

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"Well, if there's one thing those things get right, it's punctuality." Closing the door, the woman turned to her coworker. "Did you already take the-" The sentence was cut short as she noticed the unfamiliar man by the door. "Hey, Preecha?"

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"Afternoon," Emiya greeted as the man turned to look at him as well.

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"You're..." The chef seemed unsure what to say, clearly not expecting someone like the Archer to just walk in. Granted, who would? "You're one of the Servants, right? I've seen you around the cafeteria a few times, but uh... I'm not really sure about your name."

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"...Emiya," he said after a moment of hesitation. Even though he was slowly starting to get used to it, introducing himself by his True Name really felt bizarre.

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"Emiya? That's Japanese, I'm pretty sure. Sorry, but I'm not that familiar with the country's history, so I don't know anything about you."

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"That's hardly surprising." He would've honestly been shocked if these people did know something about him.

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Exchanging an awkward look with his coworker, who had yet to say a word to him, the man gave Emiya a slight bow. "...Well, I'm Preecha Rakhang and my friend here's Cornelia Fabbri. Did you need something from us, or what?"

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"Yes. I wanted to ask you a few questions," he confirmed, continuing upon seeing the surprise on the workers' faces. "But only if I'm not interrupting anything. I chose this moment since it seemed like the most available, given its position between lunch and dinner, but if you are busy, my business can wait till later."

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As Preecha exchanged another questioning look with his coworker, she merely shrugged before motioning him to go on. With a nod, the man turned back to Emiya. "We've still got time before dinner preparations, so sure, go on ahead."

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"Very well, then." While he was already quite convinced of the kitchen staffs' competency, there were still a few answers he desired to fully understand how the place was run. All the equipment in the kitchen were state-of-the-art, which definitely helped, but more than that was needed to efficiently run it. "I can understand you managing the kitchen by yourselves now, but from my understanding Chaldea had over 200 residents before the... incident. How did you manage then?"

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"Well, we've got set menus and start preparations well in advance. Helps that basically all workers inform us of their chosen meal through the system, so we get just the proper amount prepared without wasting food most of the time," Preecha explained, clearing one of Emiya's doubts. He had seen that during each mealtime there were a few different cuisines available, but not how they were distributed. It was relieving to know that they weren't wasting food at the very least.

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"Also helps that we're competent at our job," Cornelia added with a smirk, also getting her companion to smile.

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"That too," Preecha agreed. "We also make some extra depending on the food, so that any who haven't informed us still get to eat. I know a few of you Servants have taken advantage of that."

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"I see." The attitude was certainly good. That latter also explained why he had been able to actually sample the food. Now there was only a single concern left in Emiya's mind. "I've seen some of the automata carrying both ingredients and tools around during meal times, but that's about it. Since a group of them works in the kitchen alongside you, I feel that I need to ask this: Do you let them cook?"

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The chefs looked almost insulted as Preecha shook his head. "No way."

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"Absolutely not," Cornelia added, with a huff. "They move things around and assist us, but the most they get involved in the cooking process is peeling and/or chopping vegetables if we're really busy. We take pride in our work, you know."

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Emiya nodded with satisfaction. That had been his biggest concern. "Good. That's what I was hoping to hear."

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"Look, could you just come out with it and tell us what you want?" the woman asked, growing impatient. "Do you need us to do something for you?"

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A slight smile grew on the Servant's lips as he replied. "Actually, I'm here to do something for you." As the chefs exchanged surprised and confused looks, he walked towards one of the stoves and dematerialized his red coat. "I believe a quick demonstration should clear things up."

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Entering the infirmary, Ritsuka found Roman working on his computer, not even noticing her. With a loud knock on the doorframe, she got the man to flinch. "Doctor? I'm here for my medical results."

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"Huh? Oh, Ritsuka," he blinked in surprise before taking a look at his wrist. "You're a bit early, but I don't mind. Take a seat and we'll begin."

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With a nod, the Master started removing her new Mystic Codes to make herself a bit more comfortable. Pushing her hands through the holes in the gloves, a quick press of a button sucked them out of the way. While the feature was handy, she was still getting used to the feeling of the skin tight garment covering her arms and shoulders, but at least it didn't chafe or restrict her movement in any way. Taking off the black robe and hanging it from the rack, she took a seat on the other side of the Doctor's desk. "So, how were my test results? Nothing weird showed up, I hope?"

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"Frankly, you're in extremely good shape, Ritsuka," Roman confirmed, letting out a depressed sigh. "It's honestly making me feel pretty self conscious. Like, back when we were running to the Command Room after the explosion, I could tell that you were slowing down just so I could keep up."

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Ritsuka laughed awkwardly. She'd hoped that he'd already forgotten that. "...Sorry about that. I tried not to make it noticeable."

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"Well, it's my fault in the first place," he sighed again before getting serious. "But still, there are absolutely no issues with you, physically."

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The redhead withheld a cringe. Sure, him bringing up something like this was both expected and sensible, but that didn't mean she wanted to talk about it. "...And you're wondering if there's something wrong psychologically?"

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Roman nodded, his expression slightly sad. "You can't exactly blame me for being worried. The pressure on you is incomparable."

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Ritsuka knew there was no denying that, but judging by the faint circles under his eyes, Roman had his hands full as well. She wasn't going to add to his burden by handing out her own. But if she said nothing, he would only get more worried, so she should at least share a little. "Honestly, yeah. The first night was the worst of it..." she admitted, gaze falling towards the ground. "I may have despaired alone in my room, just the slightest bit, wondering how we're going to even do this..." As she raised her head, the Doctor was looking at her calmly, with hints of sadness and worry leaking through. This next point was the most important. Making the most natural smile she could muster, Ritsuka added: "But ever since the summoning, that feeling of dread has been steadily diminishing. Like, I know this is still going to be rough, but with every day us actually saving humanity is looking more and more likely." In reality, she wasn't that optimistic, but she did actually believe they had a chance now. It'd just take a lot of blood, sweat and tears to accomplish.

'

And much to the Master's relief, Roman started smiling as well. "That positive attitude is good at least. But in case you do need to talk, don't hesitate to call me or Alena. That's part of our duties too." Of course she had considered that, but decided against it. They didn't have the manpower or time to give out dedicated therapy sessions. When this was all over and if she was lucky enough to still be alive, maybe, but not now.

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"I appreciate the offer, but I have my own ways of dealing with stress," Ritsuka declined, but continued after getting a raised eyebrow from Roman. "Mash and most of the Servants are also pleasant to talk with, so I'm not trying to isolate myself if that's what you're worried about."

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"I see," he nodded, appearing genuinely happy. "It's good that you're getting along with them. And that's actually something I also meant to ask you about. As in: how do you feel about Mash as your friend?"

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"Huh? Mash?" Ritsuka repeated, her smile broadening as Roman confirmed with a nod. This was actually a topic where she didn't need to think over her words and could just be straight with him. "Well, I think she's wonderful. She's always trying her best, even when it comes to basic, everyday activities, and it's just so endearing. She's obviously new to the whole 'having friends' thing, but she's just so cute that I don't really mind even if she can get a bit awkward." Roman's smile matched her own as she kept talking, raising the mood in the room considerably. But, even if she would've liked talking about Mash's good qualities, there was something she had to address with him. "Although, I do sometimes get a bit worried over her." The mood was ruined in an instant by the surprised look on his face, but this was something that needed to be said. "I know that it's in her class and all, but she often seems a bit too eager when blocking attacks aimed at me. There's a real difference when she's protecting herself and protecting others."

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"I see..." the Doctor mumbled, looking concerned as he nodded at her. "Thank you for telling me this. I'll be taking a closer look at it."

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"Thanks. I've mentioned it to her, but it might help if more people than just me said something about it."

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"You're a good friend, Ritsuka," Roman smiled in a way that combined with the words, got Ritsuka to look at the floor bashfully. She was pretty sure that no one had ever called her that before.

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"I mean, stuff like this is what friends are supposed to do, isn't it? Besides, Mash is always looking out for me during battles, so it's only right that I look out for her whenever I can." While it may have sounded like an excuse, that was genuinely how she felt. Since she had desired it, Ritsuka had started to treat Mash like any of the other Servants during battle, with only a hint of extra caution, but outside of it, she would do everything she could to make their time together as enjoyable as possible. Still, to be praised over something like that straight to her face... It just felt really awkward. She really wanted to switch topics right about now. "Anyway, there isn't anything wrong with my body, right? So is there anything more we need to talk about?"

'

Roman shook his head. "Nothing on my end, but since you were early, we need to wait a bit before Alena shows up. Dental health has its own dangers, and we want to make sure there are absolutely no issues." Oh, right. The woman that had been there during her examination, performing a part of them on her own. Specifically, the dental part, since while she worked as Roman's assistant, she was apparently a dentist. Although her actual name was Magdalena Manesse, she'd told Ritsuka to just call her Alena, because much like with Roman, basically everyone used her nickname anyway. The Doctor tapped on the desk with his pen for a few seconds, before seemingly getting an idea. "Tell you what, I'm sure you've still got some questions about Chaldea, so feel free to ask me anything, no matter how insignificant, and I'll try my best to answer."

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Oh? Ritsuka blinked in surprise at the change in topic. There were definitely a few things she was curious about, but as for what first... "Well, I have been wondering about this for a bit, but... what exactly does Dio do in Chaldea?" A question that clearly amused Roman, judging by how he rolled his eyes. "I mean, he clearly works here, but the way the Director talked about him made it seem like he wasn't really an employee. Plus he's not really wearing a uniform or anything, with the slight exception of that belt buckle with Chaldea's logo on it. And, no offense, but he really seems like someone with a higher standing than you, even though you became the acting director. It's just... kind of confusing."

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The Doctor chuckled, shaking his head. "No need to worry about offending me, since what you're saying is technically true. As for what he does... How should I put this?" Tapping a few times on the desk with his pen. "Well, if Chaldea was purely a military installation, I suppose he'd be something like an arms dealer. Someone who's not really under our jurisdiction, but assists and does business with us. A Collaborator, basically." Well, that certainly cleared a few things out, like how he interacted with the Director. Considering everything she put up with, Dio was a truly valuable Collaborator, further cemented by all of his creations Ritsuka had seen. "As for my current position... Honestly, I really wished that he'd taken on the role of acting director, but he just said: 'Come on, Roman, just think about it. If a well known slacker like you takes on the role and works their damndest, it'll definitely serve to elevate the morale of the remaining staff. Plus, since I'm not technically an employee, the responsibility falls to the highest ranking remaining member of the staff, which is you.' ...Seriously, I just can't win against that guy," the man admitted while shaking his head. From a morale standpoint, Ritsuka had to agree with the reasoning. Seeing Roman work as hard as he did, did have its way of inspiring her, and the effect was probably even greater for those who'd known him for a long time. "I really can't argue against it, since his logic is perfectly solid, but that doesn't exactly mean that I like it. Plus, I'm also completely aware that the real reason he doesn't want to take the role is that he just doesn't want to deal with the heaps of extra work that come with this position."

'

As the Doctor let out a deep sigh, his point fully dawned on Ritsuka. Obviously the acting director would have tons of paperwork and things they could be held responsible for, especially when it came to the Mage's Association. Dio had been smart in trying to avoid responsibility with them. Dickish, but still smart. "I see. I also get his logic, but that's kind of a dick move."

'

"The frustrating thing is, that's also for the better." Roman sounded truly defeated at this point. "His time is far better spent on things other than the heaps of paperwork and arrangements that fall on the acting director's shoulders. In that way, he's the same as Leonardo."

'

Oh, of course. Maybe the universe itself had just decided that Roman should shoulder this role. In that case, the least Ritsuka could do was offer some consolation. "Well, if that's really the case, then all I can say is to hang in there and not overwork yourself," she said, reaching over the desk and patting the Doctor's shoulder. "You can be kind of silly sometimes, but you also get things done if you try. Don't forget that, Roman."

'

Roman blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting her to respond like that. Though soon, his surprise melted into a grateful smile. "I won't. Thank you for saying that, Ritsuka."

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She returned the smile. "Overworking is a real danger, you know." If there was something she knew, it was absolutely that.

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Suddenly, the sound of a door opening turned their attention to the entrance, where a woman reading a tablet walked in. "Romani, do you have everything ready for..." Looking up, her sentence was cut off as she noticed Ritsuka. "Oh, you're already here, Ritsuka. You really are an expeditious and hardworking girl, especially for your age."

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"Thank you," the redhead nodded, keeping her eyes on Alena as she walked to the table. She was around her mid twenties by the Master's guess, and quite beautiful with her smooth skin and chestnut colored hair reaching her back. Her uniform was identical to Roman's, with the exception of switching the pants for a skirt. She was also by far the most pleasant dentist she had ever met. "So, about my teeth, were they fine?"

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"Hah! 'Were they fine?' This girl," the dentist laughed, shaking her head. "I've rarely seen teeth this healthy. You must take your dental care seriously."

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"Brushing and flossing twice a day, plus xylitol gum after meals," Ritsuka announced proudly. Though she left out the part where the reason for her strict dental care was that she just really hated going to the dentist.

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Alena smiled at her, clearly pleased with the answer. "That's good." She then turned to Roman. "I trust that nothing new has come up?"

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The Doctor shook his head. "No, nothing. We were honestly just waiting for you."

'

"I see. So we're able to move up our meeting with Mash, then?"

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"Yes, as long as Ritsuka has nothing more to ask."

'

Honestly, the Master still had a few curiosities, but nothing that would need immediate answers. She wouldn't use the doctors' time for something like this. With that in mind, she answered with a smile. "No, I'm good. Wish all my visits to a doctor were this quick."

'

"Then, I'll send messages to everyone," Roman nodded, tapping on his Multi-Appliance a few times. "We'll be seeing you later, Ritsuka."

'

"Yeah, take care." Giving a quick wave in response to both Alena and Roman, Ritsuka picked up her Mystic Code robe and folded it under her arm before exiting. Things had gone much quicker than she'd expected, giving her more free time for the day. As she walked along the corridor, the redhead began considering her options. She could use it to get ahead on her Servant history studies, but there was also a need to improve her skill in intertwining with the Servants' senses for long range communication. Choices, choices...

'

However, those choices would have to wait, seeing as she'd just come across a girl waving at her from the other end of the corridor. "Oh, Senpai!" Mash greeted as she made a short dash towards her. "Did you finish your checkup? There weren't any issues, right?"

'

Though she was smiling, there was a slight hint of worry in Mash's voice. Against that caring attitude, Ritsuka wouldn't have been able to stop smiling even if she'd seriously tried. "None. I'm as healthy as can be."

'

That hint of worry disappeared in an instant upon Ritsuka's reply. "That's a relief."

'

"You're going to one yourself, right?" she asked, prompting Mash to nod. "Then, let's hope your results are as good as mine."

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"Yes, I do too."

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Seeing how Mash had no worry for her own condition, Ritsuka decided not to push further. "Well, bye for now. I'll see you at dinner, at the latest." But before she could walk away, the Master remembered how the girl had skipped their meals together yesterday. She hadn't pried into the reasoning, but she wanted to make sure if they actually would see each other at dinner. "Unless you're eating on your own again?"

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"No!" she suddenly shouted, causing Ritsuka to flinch slightly. Realising how loud she'd been, Mash covered her mouth with a blush spreading on her cheeks. "I-I mean, no..." she redressed apologetically, almost whispering. "Yesterday was a special occasion, so I'll be joining you again today."

'

Ritsuka's curiosity on the subject had just increased tenfold, but given that Mash still had a checkup to attend to, she pushed that desire aside for now. "Alright, that's nice. I'll see you there."

'

"Yes. Goodbye, Senpai," Mash bowed gently before walking off, leaving Ritsuka by her lonesome again, free to consider her options for the afternoon. Hmm... Of the options, sense intertwining was definitely the most useful, but...

'

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"And the gang's all here!" Dio announced as he and Da Vinci entered the infirmary. "How're you doing, Mash?"

'

"Fine, thank you. No new problems have presented themselves lately." The girl turned to greet them, having arrived less than a minute earlier.

'

"Good, good," the man nodded while taking a seat. "In that case, let's get started."

'

"We've confirmed at this point that your body no longer changes," Da Vinci stated what Mash herself was quite sure of. "Your hair, your nails, your proportions caused by the amount of muscle and fat on your body, there's not even a micrometer of growth anywhere. They're absolutely identical to what they were a week ago."

'

"I suspected as much," Mash nodded. She knew her body well enough to notice the lack of growth on her hair and nails.

'

"Then, on to your own observations," Roman continued, looking at her expectedly. "First off, how was the sleeping experiment?"

'

Ah, yes. It had been a few days since then, so Mash focused on getting every last bit of relevant information conveyed from her memory. "Well, I skipped on sleeping for a single night, and didn't feel any notable change throughout the following day." The experience of simply not going to sleep had been bizarre to the Shielder. She had delayed her time for bed extremely rarely throughout her life, to the point where not sleeping at all had honestly felt a bit frightening. But, after focusing on studying any relevant information on the summoned Servants, the night had flown by shockingly quickly. Then she had simply followed her morning routine like on any other day. Unfortunately, the following day didn't go as smoothly. "After the second night, however, while my physical performance was identical I began to have trouble concentrating," Mash admitted, a blush rising to her cheeks as she remembered the event. "...It was noticeable enough that Senpai got worried for me. It was due to that and the drowsiness I started to feel that I slept the next night." The fact that Ritsuka kept such a close eye on her condition made Mash happy, but her getting so sleepy that the redhead had practically forced her to go rest was quite embarrassing.

'

At the mention of Ritsuka, Mash could've sworn she saw Roman's lips curl into a smile for a second, but in the blink of an eye, his expression was serious enough to fit the occasion. "I see. So your need for sleep isn't physical, but psychological. That certainly makes sense. Demi-Servant or not, you're still a 16 year old girl."

'

"But we now know that even that need has lessened," Da Vinci stated, scrolling through some data on a tablet. "It's also good to know that you can skip a night's worth of sleep in an emergency without much drawback."

'

"But that doesn't mean that you should skip sleeping just because it's possible. Like she said, you should only do it when it's absolutely necessary," Alena stated, the others nodding in agreement.

'

"Of course." Obviously, Mash agreed as well. Although since the possibility now existed, if she could use the time otherwise used on sleeping to become more useful to Ritsuka, then certainly it was worth it. She would just need to be careful not to overdo it to the point it would affect her performance.

'

"Well, it's good that you understand," Roman nodded while writing something. "On to the second part. Did you fast like we instructed, Mash?"

'

"Yes, I did." This part of the experiment had been rougher than Mash had expected, for several reasons. "Unfortunately, I had to skip breakfast, lunch and dinner with Senpai." Once she'd told Ritsuka that she'd skip their usual meals, the redhead had been surprised but understanding, not prying into the matter any further. Although, Mash had noticed the hint of disappointment in her bearing, making it difficult to leave the matter as it was.

'

The Doctor smiled at her apologetically. "Unfortunate, but you can make it up to her later. What were the results?"

'

"My stomach growled... a lot," she admitted, frowning as she remembered the last day. Aside from training, she'd stayed in her room the whole day as a result, since the noise would've definitely raised questions. And in her rather silent room, the noises had been all the more noticeably, to the point where she'd had trouble falling asleep. "I got very hungry, but endured through it, going about my day quite normally. And aside from the distractions brought by hunger, there were no notable changes."

'

"And what about when you finally ate?" Da Vinci leaned in closer, looking particularly interested in this part.

'

"At the following breakfast, I ate as much as I usually do, and was fully satisfied. No noticeable side effects." An outcome Mash had been quite surprised with. To have been fully sated by a normal breakfast after fasting for a day just felt... bizarre.

'

"I see. Not unexpected, but not the most likely result either." The Caster rubbed her chin, her curiosity not diminishing in the least. "It's like you have a properly satiable phantom hunger."

'

"I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand." While Mash was unfamiliar with the term, she had learned of the concept of phantom pain, assuming this to be something similar. Even so, she couldn't properly grasp the issue just by guessing.

'

But before Da Vinci could continue, Dio cut in. "Let me put it like this: You don't need to eat food, but your body doesn't realize it."

'

"My body... doesn't realize it?" Mash repeated. She'd figured that phantom hunger was unnecessary hunger of some sort, but not how her body was making such a mistake.

'

"Exactly. The reason is quite simple. While your body can survive purely through magical energy, that method of sustain leaves your digestive system with nothing to do, thus it reacts as if you were famished. Think of it like a car with two types of engines. After running out of fuel for one, it switches to the other engine, but the car still keeps reminding you that it's out of gas for the first engine."

'

So that was what they meant. Certainly, that analogy made the situation a lot clearer to her. But now, Mash had a different problem. "I see. Then is there something we could do to get rid of this response?"

'

Da Vinci, Roman and Alena suddenly looked concerned, but the Demi-Servant wasn't sure why. If this response was the only drawback in her not needing to eat, then it should be resolved as quickly as possible. After all, her not needing to consume food meant that all edible supplies they carried on the field could be used by her Senpai instead, considerably reducing the amount they needed to carry at once. The constant rumbling of her stomach would be distracting not only to herself, but for others around her. This was an issue that should be removed before it could cause any problems. "...Technically, yes," Dio answered, much to Mash's relief and surprise of the others. "If you just stay without eating long enough, your body should fully catch on to your current state."

'

While the rest of the grownups were frowning at Dio, Mash didn't even notice it over her own excitement. By going through with this, she could cut down the resources needed to sustain herself in singularities significantly, allowing those same resources to be used for Ritsuka instead. "Then, I should start right away to-"

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"But are you sure you actually want that?"

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The interruption was so sudden that Mash would have continued speaking if it weren't for the instantaneous change in the room's atmosphere. Dio had lowered his elbows on the table, his crossed hands covering his mouth and nose as his eyes were locked on to the girl in front of him. The Spaniard's eyes were usually a pleasing blue, much like pictures and videos of stars she'd seen, but now it seemed like they would burn a hole right through her body with their intensity. Mash had to raise her hands to her chest to relieve the feeling of being so exposed. "If I... want it?" she confirmed, getting Dio to nod, his eyes still piercing into her. She was growing confused again. Why was he asking her this? He was the one who had informed her of the possibility, so shouldn't he have understood the improvements it brought? "...What do you mean? Why wouldn't I want something like that?"

'

Without the slightest twitch, eyes focused on her like an unmoving statue, Dio continued. "The question I'm asking is: Do you want to be less like a human and more like a Servant?" The question halted every thought process going through Mash's mind, leaving her unable to think of anything other than the continuing speech, not even noticing the surprised looks the others were giving to the man. "In the past week, you've shown much more humane qualities than ever before, so do you wish to undo those changes and revert back to how you used to be or even further?" The words pierced into her without mercy, forcing Mash to consider points that she'd conveniently ignored until now. If she returned to like she used to be, before becoming a Demi-Servant, before the Incineration of Humanity, before... meeting her Senpai. Instead of spending her mealtimes in the cafeteria with her, she'd just sit alone in her room like she used to. Only doing tasks assigned to her, without any reasons of her own, and spending the rest of the time idly waiting. That used to be her normal, everyday existence until a week ago, but now that Mash thought about returning to it, it just felt... disheartening. And what would Ritsuka, her Senpai think of that? From everything thus far, it seemed quite clear that she enjoyed spending time together, so if she were to stop it suddenly, how would she feel? While Mash pondered these issues, the others looked at her with concern as Dio continued. "I think it's quite obvious that no one here would recommend that, but the choice is ultimately yours."

'

"...No," Mash muttered, having reached her answer. It would be tough enough to let go of everything that had happened over the last week, but she didn't even want to think how Ritsuka would react if she decided to go through with it. "I... I don't think I would like that..."

'

The others' worry was replaced by sympathetic smiles as Dio nodded with satisfaction. "You should be happy, Mash. That answer is proof that you've grown as a person."

'

Mash looked at him, confused. "Is it really?" She still felt conflicted over the subject, even if she ultimately agreed that her choice was right. If she'd really grown, shouldn't the answer have been obvious from the start?

'

"I think so too." Roman laid his hand on hers, rubbing it gently. "Had you been presented with the same option before all this, I'm pretty sure you would've chosen otherwise."

'

Mash reflected on the statement, at first dismissing it as Roman's usual defeatism, but was unable to disagree after putting some thought into it. "That is... likely," she admitted, laying her other hand on the Doctor's. A smile grew on her lips. While he had his less reliable sides, he did still know her quite well, so this was a case where she could trust him. "I suppose I have grown, at least a bit. But in that case, what should I do now?"

'

"I believe you should continue to live as you are now. If the need for change comes, you can always ask us for counsel," Roman offered, with others around the desk nodding in agreement.

'

A pleasant silence took over the room for a few seconds, until Dio hopped off his chair, stretching his back. "Right. But that's enough of the depressing stuff. We don't have any extra tests for you at the moment, so do you have anything you'd like to talk about, Mash?"

'

Yes, she had to agree that a switch in topic would be quite pleasing. "Well, there's nothing on the medical side..." Since there was nothing wrong with her, Mash did consider thanking everyone and leaving, but an earlier part of the meaning returned to her mind. "Although, returning to an earlier topic, I skipped meals with Senpai yesterday, so I was wondering how exactly I could make it up to her." A wave of surprise washed over the others, only for it to be replaced by smiles, but Mash didn't mind and just kept talking. "Since I am still a beginner when it comes to friends, I'm not exactly sure what I should do."

'

Alena shook her head, smiling at her in a way that she'd sometimes seen Ritsuka smile at Fou. "Oh, Mash. In that case, you should try doing something to make Ritsuka happy."

'

"Yes, that would be for the best." Her Senpai's contentment was always high on her list of priorities, so Mash had planned something of the sorts from the start. However, the problem was what that something should be in the first place. "Dio, Da Vinci and doctor Alena, do any of you have any suggestions on how to best make one's friend happy?"

'

"Hey, why am I being left out? You could always ask me for advice," Roman huffed, crossing his arms.

'

Mash simply blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting the question. Tilting her head, she looked him straight in the eye and asked: "You have friends, Doctor?" The reply struck him like a bullet train, nearly causing the man to fall out of his chair as he gawked at the sheer unintentional brutality of the words. Clutching his chest as if he'd been stabbed, Roman tried to compose himself as Leonardo and Dio's roaring laughter filled the room, and Alena did her best to suppress her own giggles. All Mash could do was look around in surprise. Had her words truly been that notable?

'

"Holy shit!" Dio cackled, nearly falling out of his chair as he kept slapping his knee. "She just destroyed this man's entire existence!"

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"Haa, the innocent always, pfft, have the cruelest words," Da Vinci shook her head, doing her best to speak without interrupting herself with laughter.

'

"Come, giggle, come on, Romani." Most successful in her attempts to hold herself back, Alena was the only one helping the stunned man sitting on the floor, lifting his arm while rubbing his back soothingly. "You know she doesn't mean anything by it."

'

The Doctor groaned, holding a hand on his chest as he was helped back onto his chair. "Are we sure I'm not bleeding? I really felt like I got stabbed."

'

"Oh, that was amazing," Dio chuckled, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "Very rarely have I been so grateful for a conversation changing topics as I am now."

'

As things were finally settling down, the Dentist gave Roman a few more pats on the back before turning to Mash. "But getting back on said topic, you could try having tea with her. A nice relaxing teatime can really help Ritsuka with her stress, especially if treats are involved."

'

"Tea?" she repeated, feeling as if something had just clicked in her head. It was so simple that she hadn't even considered it, but it was an excellent idea. Mash clenched her fists in excitement as she started going through possibilities in her head. "Yes, that is indeed something that friends do together! Thank you for the suggestion!"

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"You're just absolutely precious, you know that?" Da Vinci sighed.

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Dio nodded before continuing with a completely straight face. "My suggestion: You should invite her to the bath." A silence took over the room once more. As the others turned to look at the man in disbelief, Mash felt her mouth fall open. That... was certainly quite a leap from the previous suggestion. Alena was seemingly trying to find any hints that what had been said was a joke, but Dio just shrugged. "After all, there's also a sauna there, and unless Ritsuka is a very atypical Finn, she would love the chance to visit one."

'

After fully processing the request, the Demi-Servant tilted her head questioningly. "Wouldn't that just be sitting in some hot water and later in a hot room?" Her query was met with instant surprise, but she didn't mind. Frankly, Mash had never really understood the point of taking a bath. Compared to a shower, it just seemed like a slower and overall inferior way of washing oneself. While she had never taken one, as far as she could remember, she believed it wouldn't feel that different from properly washing one's hands, but with just the whole body. "I'm sorry, but I just don't think it makes much sense."

'

Although Mash had expected some sort of disapproval or rebuttal for her statement, Dio's grin only widened. "That's the fun part about life, Mash. Not everything has to always make sense." Her eyes widened at the latter sentence. "Sometimes you've just got to 'go with the flow'." As the Spaniard made wave-like movements in his arms, Mash's focus was still in the previous part. 'Not everything has to always make sense.' That... wasn't that the same with quite a few interactions she'd had with Ritsuka? Like the ultimately pointless discussions, or simply eating together. Even if she couldn't exactly explain what made these things enjoyable, she still enjoyed them. And that got her wondering... Perhaps bathing was simply the same? It was an experience she had yet to try, so going through with it personally could change her perspective.

'

"And I can't stress this enough: hot baths are marvelous," Da Vinci stated, surprisingly serious considering the subject. "The fact that you've apparently never had a proper one is basically criminal."

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Alena agreed from her side, her bearing equally severe. "Exactly, and it's an error that should be corrected. Preferably with a friend."

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"I enjoy them too," Roman noted, looking more awkward than anything in comparison to the women.

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Mash nodded in agreement. It seemed that her hypothesis on bathing was correct. "Very well. I will give it a try at least." Considering that everyone in the room was recommending it, it was the least she could do. And if Senpai would enjoy it, that alone was reason enough to try.

'

"You better." While Alena was smiling gently, her eyes still emanated a seriousness that would've gotten Mash to try out the baths even if Ritsuka weren't here. "But I think we've taken enough of your time. You have some plans to make, right?"

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Standing up, Mash gave those still sitting a short bow. "Yes. Thank you very much for all your advice."

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"Later, Mash." Romani sent her off with a wave as she walked to the door.

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"Have fun with Ritsuka," Da Vinci winked as she exited.

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And before the door closed, Dio's voice still just barely managed to reach her. "Go for the chocolate chips! Everybody loves chocolate chips!" A suggestion she would definitely be taking.

'
As the girl headed for her room, her brain was busy racking through a great number of possibilities. She was going to have tea with Senpai! There was just so much to think. What exactly would they drink? What would they eat with it? Where would they hold the teatime? Planning it all out was a bit distressing... but also so exciting. With these thoughts racing through her mind, Mash unawarely found herself skipping down the corridor, a wide smile on her lips.

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As Mash exited the infirmary, no one inside could miss the bright smile on her lips, or the pep in her step. Roman felt a warmth spread through his chest at the sight. Alena, who had already been smiling herself, had her lips curling even higher upwards. "It really is nice seeing her like this, genuinely happy."

'

The Doctor agreed without hesitation. "Seeing Mash smiling like that, running off to plan a tea time with her friend..." The quiet, serious girl he'd taken care of for all these years was now finally starting to find herself as a person. "It was hard to even imagine her doing something like that a week ago."

'

"It's good, but there's also something else about Mash that we need to discuss," Dio suddenly added in a surprisingly serious tone. Growing slightly concerned, Roman exchanged a quick look with Alena, who shared his reaction, while Da Vinci seemed more curious than anything. The Spaniard didn't use a tone like this too often, but when he did, the subject was not one to be taken lightly. "From the footage I've seen from both Fuyuki and her Simulator training, she's headed in a dangerous direction."

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"Dangerous?" The Caster repeated with a raised brow. "In what way?"

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Nodding, Dio's tone was severe as he continued. "She always, without question, puts Ritsuka's safety above all else. Sometimes to the point of excessiveness."

'

"Ritsuka also mentioned something like this during our discussion," Roman agreed, getting surprised looks from the women. He'd hoped Ritsuka had only felt overprotective, but apparently there really was cause for concern. "I'm fairly sure that this is about the same subject. Could you give us some examples?"

'

"Remember how during summoning, she immediately proceeded to shift into combat mode, despite the fact that all the security measures were in place, and Brynhildr was right there by their side?" That... Yes, now that he thought about it, she had been on guard throughout the event. While she had greeted both Kintoki and Cú Chulainn in a friendly and polite manner, showing some amount of trust, she had still been ready to act throughout it all. And when it came to fetching Saint Quartz, she'd done it extremely quickly, keeping an eye on Ritsuka all the while. "Even after several Servants were summoned, most appearing at least trustworthy, she didn't change back until the procedure was finished."

'

Da Vinci tilted her head, clearly not convinced. "Well, that's not really..."

'

"Here's some footage." As if anticipating something like this, Dio snapped his fingers, four of his prisms flying from his pocket and forming a screen. Said screen was separated into eight different parts, each playing a clip that lasted a few seconds of Mash blocking an attack. Although there were clear differences in the ones played on the right to the ones on the left. "See here. Compare the reaction when she's protecting herself, and when she's protecting someone else."

'

Roman took a close look at one of the clips, which depicted Mash fighting against what appeared to be a very large bear, most likely a demonic beast of some kind. As it proceeded to swat at the Demi-Servant with its massive paws, she did her best to keep her shield fully in front of her, twisting her body together with it to deflect the blows aimed at her. The Doctor watched it through a few times, not really understanding what was wrong. Certainly, there were hints of fear on Mash's face, but she was doing an admirable job in protecting herself. But then, on the clip next to it, a similar creature was rushing towards Ritsuka, only to be intercepted by Mash. And yet, as the beast unleashed a flurry of slashes with its claws, the Shielder was hunkering behind her cover noticeably less, maneuvering her shield to best keep the bear from advancing, even if it meant taking its strikes head-on. And throughout the exchange, the fear in her eyes was noticeably lesser than in the other confrontation. As he watched through the other clips, the results were much the same. Roman let out a sigh, now aware of exactly what Ritsuka had meant. Looking at it like this, it wasn't hard to see the problem. "...She's far more determined when it's someone else under attack. There's also some hesitation when she's just shielding herself."

'

"...Yes," Alena nodded, worry clear on her face. "I had no idea she was doing something like this."

'

"Exactly. And take a look at these ones as well." With another snap of Dio's fingers, the screen presented a new set of displays, and as the videos changed, they highlighted the other issue quite clearly. In a few clips, Mash got herself slightly injured by not fully dodging an attack she clearly could've, just so she could reach Ritsuka faster, even if there was no immediate reason for it. There was quite obviously time for her to dodge a single blow before she would need to rush closer to the Master, but she wasn't taking even the slightest chance. In another, a pair of beasts were heading towards Ritsuka, and Mash rushed to block them, despite the fact that Kintoki was already much closer and seemed perfectly capable of stopping them judging by the number of identical corpses surrounding him. If anything, she actually startled the Berserker a bit by rushing past him. A humorous image certainly, but it still displayed the issue. "See how she's being prioritized even if the scenario doesn't call for it? And in a dangerous situation, Mash would almost immediately throw her life away to protect Ritsuka."

'

Roman shared a heavy gaze with Alena, their mindsets being much the same. This was definitely something that would need to be addressed. But among all the worried faces, Da Vinci was an exception. Even if she was somewhat troubled by the presentation, the Caster still kept a cool expression as she eyed the videos. Letting out a sigh, she gave the others a serious look as she began to speak. "While I know that this sounds cold, that is better in the grand scheme of things." The dentist almost looked like she'd been slapped, but withheld from saying anything. He knew exactly how she felt, but stayed quiet as well. "Logically speaking, Ritsuka is nearly irreplaceable for the restoration of humanity. If the choice is between one of them dying, then Mash is just unfortunately a less consequential loss."

'

"As much as that sucks, I can't really say that it isn't true." Judging by his expression, Dio wasn't happy to admit that he agreed, much like the other two. With the stakes being what they were, none of them could disagree even if they wanted to. "But that aside, the problem is: there is not a sliver of conviction nor experience as a warrior in Mash's actions. She feels fear and confusion, but risks her life without overcoming either."

'

Da Vinci tilted her head at his words, now back to her usual picturesque smile. "I don't see a problem. In fact, I think it's incredibly heroic. After all, it just means that her dedication to Ritsuka outweighs both those emotions." Roman could understand how she would think that, but from personal experience, from everything he had seen, he knew the difference. Leaning on the table, the Caster gazed at the screen longingly. "I'm honestly a bit envious. I wish I could meet a dependable bodyguard like that."

'

In response, Dio let out a long sigh. "Seriously, sometimes you should dial down on your genius. I know it can be hard, but it's precisely because of that that you can't understand the issue here."

'

Da Vinci huffed, crossing her arms. "Rude. I understand quite well. Mash is a faithful Servant who embodies perseverance. I do worry about her offensive capabilities, but she's a reliable shield for Ritsuka."

'

"..." The Spaniard rubbed his left temple, the slightest hints of frustration visible on his face. "Do I seriously need to spell this out? If Mash were to give her life for Ritsuka now, she would without a doubt be happy to have saved her, but she would also feel unbearably sad for reasons she doesn't fully understand. In her mind, her main reasons for protecting Ritsuka is for our mission and because she's her Servant. But that's not enough. She should protect Ritsuka because she cares about her and wants her to be safe, and she should understand that." Listening to the reasoning, even as Da Vinci blinked in surprise, Roman was truly thankful he'd gone along with Dio's suggestion a week ago. As unlikely as it was, this man, one of the last remaining mages in the facility, actually understood the issue with Mash.

'

"So that's why you did it," Alena muttered, getting a confused look from the Caster.

'

"Did what?"

'

"I was wondering why you encouraged Mash to be friends with Ritsuka right on the night they returned." As the dentist spoke, her gaze shifted between the men of the group, getting Roman to chuckle. Guilty as charged, she'd figured them out. "Sure she was closest in age, but I'd still say that the Yuan twins would have been a far more human choice, especially that social butterfly Hualing. It was for Mash's sake just as much as Ritsuka's."

'

"She's too much like a Servant without actually being one. Yes, she's a Demi-Servant, but at her core she's still human. Letting that part of her go to waste would be a massive disservice to everyone." Dio's tone diffused a hint of sadness as he added. "...That's not how she should live her remaining life."

'

Da Vinci's eyes lit up, finally understanding the point he was trying to make. "Ah, so you're trying to help her get in touch with her humanity?"

'

"Yep. Displays of emotion are a strength of intelligent life. It's a waste to let them go unused. Even if she doesn't quite realize it, she's really advanced in that regard over the last week," Dio explained, almost getting Roman to roll his eyes. That was putting it mildly. She'd advanced in a single week more than in the last five years. "She clearly cares about Ritsuka, and is happy to spend time with her, even if she doesn't fully understand why."

'

"We discussed this before Mash's checkup after they had returned from Singularity F," the Doctor disclosed. "While I was somewhat hesitant at first, after the last week, I'm fully convinced that it was the right call." He still remembered almost dropping his coffee when Dio had come to meet him that evening, saying immediately after entering: 'Hey, Roman. Let's make Ritsuka and Mash proper friends. Back me up with this during her checkup.' Of course, he'd demanded a full explanation immediately, which had led him to agreeing with the plan.

'

"But why tell her that in the first place? Wouldn't it have been better to let her reach that point by herself?" Da Vinci asked, immediately followed by the Spaniard shaking his head. Roman knew exactly what he was going to say, given that this had been the point that fully convinced him.

'

"You know, personal relationships aren't Mash's strong suit by any stretch of the imagination. Giving her a little push in the right direction saved those two a lot of time, awkwardness, and contemplation on what their relationship actually is. Seriously, if we didn't tell her that and Ritsuka kept quiet about it, Mash might've spent the next couple of months just believing that their relationship was something of a Master and Servant." The accuracy of the statement was close to making the Doctor laugh and cry at the same time. While he wasn't entirely sure how long it would've taken Ritsuka, there was almost no way Mash would've been the one to initiate that conversation. And her believing their relationship to be one of Master and Servant? That was also painfully true, further endorsed by the faint cringe on Alena's face. "Just look at what happened between her and Ophelia. I don't think Mash ever realized just how much she wished to be friends with her..."

'

Alena's eyes noticeably widened at the words, a sharp gasp escaping her mouth. Roman had reacted much the same back then. It was a sad and rough point, but had sealed the deal with him. Seeing the eyepatch wearing woman looking longingly after Mash had always been depressing. While Ritsuka falling into a similar situation had been unlikely, he'd have done anything to avoid it. And judging by the look in the dentist's eyes, she agreed. "Fair enough," she muttered, appearing the slightest bit affronted by the comment. "I can't really argue if you use something like that."

'

"I see. You've really thought this through, haven't you?" Da Vinci hummed, with the Doctor wordlessly thanking her for moving the topic on quickly. Focusing on the dead at the moment would only distract them. "So, Mash is supposed to increase her fighting power as a Servant while simultaneously learning how to be more human? She really has her work cut out for her."

'

Roman let out a sigh. That was an understatement if he'd ever heard one. "True enough, but we're not exactly expecting her to learn all this stuff overnight. Relationships take time."

'

It was then that a sudden gleam appeared in the Caster's eye, giving Roman a bad feeling. "Although as far as her learning to be more human goes, clothes are definitely something she could improve on. Her regular outfit has its charm, but it gets stoic since it's all she ever wears. I've got so many options she could try to show off that body of hers, and I know for a fact that Pamphil from tailoring would love to make something for her." ...And that feeling was absolutely right.

'

Thankfully Dio put a sock in it before she got too into it. "Pamphil loves making clothes for anyone good looking," he reminded dryly, getting a mock glare from Da Vinci. "The idea isn't bad, but we should probably let Ritsuka be the one to suggest it. Mash's got enough on her mind as it is, so it's better if it happens somewhere down the line."

'

"Speaking of, could we move on, please?" Alena called out. "We still need to talk about Ritsuka, which was ultimately the reason all of us are here in the first place."

'

Dio nodded in agreement. "Of course. Roman, you should bring the subject of Mash's fighting up when you next meet her. We need her to realize that protecting herself is just as important as protecting others. This can't be a sudden change, since she's ultimately new to fighting. The Servants could also help with that, but unfortunately we lack any Servants who specialize in defense or using shields. We'll just have to take our time with it." The others agreed, but the Doctor could tell that Alena was as uncertain on the decision as he was, but Dio was also right. They didn't have the time or a proper instructor to help Mash change her fighting style for the better. "But as for Ritsuka, now that the medical examination is done, we can get to it. Roman, you're free to start with your own observations."

'

Indeed, it was about time they got to her. The Doctor pulled out his tablet and opened Ritsuka's file, just to make sure he wouldn't forget any possible details. "Yes. First, I doubt it needs much mention, but Ritsuka is very physically fit. From my estimations, she'd rank among the highest of all Master candidates." The rest nodded in agreement. Just from her build it was obvious how athletic she was. "Aside from that, she has a few other qualities that just make it all the more fortunate that she was the sole surviving Master. She's a quick thinker and can arrange effective plans in tight situations. She can acutely grasp the capabilities of Servants with just a quick explanation and efficiently coordinate them in battle. She's a hard worker, yet aware of her limits. And maybe most importantly, she can handle stress extremely well."

'

At the last part, Alena looked at him questioningly. "Are we sure she's really fine? The pressure she's under is just absurd, to the point most people would go insane from it."

'

That was something they all agreed on, and a large portion of Roman's worries stemmed from it. While the checkup had reduced the worry slightly, she was hardly stress free. "She definitely feels stress, at the very least. While she's good at hiding it, there are a few slip ups here and there that reveal it, shaking hands and such." It also helped that she'd confessed to him about it during their meeting. "Even though it's unclear as to what exactly she does, I do know that she spends some time alone every evening, which is most likely the period she uses to really relax. It also seems extremely unlikely that whatever it is would be harmful to her." That the Doctor had been most worried about before all this. He'd been very thorough during the checkup to make sure that there were absolutely no signs of self harm or substance abuse, and thankfully he hadn't found even the slightest hint of either.

'

"That's good at least," she nodded.

'

"It's also quite obvious that she greatly enjoys spending time with Mash as well, which helps with the relaxation," Roman added. "Those two meeting each other on that corridor is truly a gift that keeps on giving."

'

"Definitely," Dio agreed. "But returning to her positive qualities, I'd also like to add that she lacks the usual 'mage douchiness'. It can't be overstated how much that helps her as a Master."

'

That was something none of them could deny. Had she been a common mage, Ritsuka would've almost certainly died back in Fuyuki. And even if she hadn't, their everyday dealings would've been far different. The sole Servant in the room understood it better than the rest of them, given her appreciative smile. "Oh, certainly. She's far closer to a regular person than a mage, which I know for a fact is appreciated by the other Servants. Her treating them as partners instead of weapons makes things go a lot smoother." But Da Vinci's smile faded a tinge as she moved to the Master's main concern. "...Although, the reason for that is almost certainly her ability as a mage, or lack thereof."

'

Those present exchanged awkward looks with each other. The fact that Humanity's Last Master's main weakness was magecraft was... well, ironic was one way to put it. Alena took out a tablet of her own, Ritsuka's profile shining on the screen. "Yes... I looked over her evaluation, and it was... honestly, quite shocking how painfully average she is in that regard. It is a most unfortunate drawback for all of her good qualities," she sighed, turning to the Doctor almost pleadingly. "Roman, you asked about her magecraft capabilities, right? Did she divulge anything useful?"

'

Roman remembered how before said conversation he had hoped that Ritsuka would've at least had some tricks left in her sleeve. Given what she had shown in Fuyuki, it wasn't likely, but he still held a tiny bit of hope in it. But that hope had been crushed in less than a minute into the talk, which was why there was no reason to sugarcoat this. "She lacks any notable magecraft, aside from wind manipulation, basic hypnotic suggestion and relatively strong Reinforcement. While she can use them to help herself in a rough spot, she really has nothing that can be used to support Servants without the Mystic Codes."

'

"That's..." The dentist looked at a loss for words. There was no hiding the disappointment of everyone in the room. "That's just honestly pretty bad. Well, not that she could use anything that powerful with her magical energy capacity."

'

"Tell me about it. As if her od levels weren't already low enough, she also inevitably ends up weakening most of the summoned Servants to some degree," Da Vinci muttered, rubbing her temple. "While it can be nullified in the long run via Ascension, it's still a painful drawback."

'

Thankfully, Dio at least had something positive to add on the matter. "Although, she still has some slight strengths in that regard as well. While most Masters at the start have a rough time handling the constant flow of magical energy through their circuits that come with a Servant contract, no matter how slow it is, she's handling it like a champ. She's clearly used to keeping her circuits open for long periods of time. Wonder what kind of training she's gone through." Yes, that had been another source of worry for the Doctor at the start, and had thankfully been proven unwarranted. The subject of her training was still one that he had yet to touch though. "And then there's her recovery, which was another pleasant surprise."

'

"Recovery?" Alena repeated, clearly confused. ...Crap, he'd totally forgotten to tell her about this. "Could you elaborate? I don't remember reading anything about that in her profile."

'

"Ah, yes. We discovered it during Singularity F, but with everything else going on, it kind of fell into the background," Da Vinci began to explain, while Roman prayed that no one would remember the fact that it would've technically been his job to inform her. "You see, after Mash used her Noble Phantasm for the first time, Ritsuka was drained to the point where she had trouble even standing. But here's the thing; only after about an hour of proper rest, she was back to almost a full tank."

'

The dentist's eyes widened at the revelation in disbelief. "That's... extremely quick. Especially for someone with her od levels."

'

"Indeed," Da Vinci nodded, happy to get back to speaking about something positive. "She recovers od with the speed of someone with over a dozen times her maximum storage. She's a tiny cup, but one that refills quickly, which is another excellent quality for a Master. While long, continuous engagements may prove to be troublesome, she should be able to handle several individual battles in a row as long as there's a moment of rest between each one."

'

"And considering our enemy's unknown levels of strength, guerrilla warfare would be the safest option to start with in basically any singularity," Dio agreed.

'

"Right." Taking a break to stretch his arms, Roman stared at a mostly empty portion of Ritsuka's profile with dissatisfaction. "Although it would be good to figure out Ritsuka's exact physical limits for reference, those types of tests need some time and equipment to set up, and with everything else going on, it might have to wait until after the First Singularity is dealt with."

'

"At this point, time is a more formidable enemy than Lev," Dio chuckled, getting some smiles out of the group before sterning up again. "But seriously, I think that's enough of Ritsuka for now. While all important areas of Chaldea are mostly restored, it's taken a hell of a toll on the crew. The Servants don't really need rest, and I'm just awesome like that, but the normal workers should get some time off at some point." Of course. That was an issue the Doctor had been mulling over for quite some time. The efficiency of the staff had been astounding considering their situation, but they were still human. He already had some plans in place, and suspected the others had done the same. And yet he was caught completely off guard when the Spaniard pointed right towards him accusingly. "Especially you, Roman. You've got to take at least a portion of the day before the Rayshift to rest. Otherwise you'll end up passing out from pure exhaustion."

'

"But-" Before he could go any further, the women directed glares towards him to support Dio, shutting him up. Although Da Vinci looked more amused than anything. Against such an overwhelming disadvantage, Roman was forced to raise his hands in surrender. "...Fine. We can go over these possible time offs while planning the next week's schedule." With a sigh, he closed Ritsuka's profile on the tablet and moved on to the meeting's third topic. "Since the Maintenance crew have been the most vital employees during the restoration, they have worked extra hours almost every day. Given their vitality as workers, we can't afford to let them all take time off at the same time, so I believe we should cut the team in half, with half working and the other half on a break." Much like he had expected, the others nodded in agreement. No doubt Dio also had some sort of plans to help the staff relax, like a celebration of sorts, just waiting for the right time. A grin grew to Roman's face as he got to the next part. This always helped lighten the mood a bit. "It helps that the area around the Catalyst Department is still in complete disarray, with Mrs Argyris still insisting on it not being repaired due to risks, so we can keep putting that off."

'

As laughter echoed through the room, Da Vinci materialized her gauntlet, projecting an image of machinery onto the table. The Doctor could immediately tell what it was, the good news more than welcome. "As far as my affairs are concerned, Dio and I have also been preparing all the necessary equipment for Saint Graph Ascension, and should be ready in a few days."

'

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'

For the last fifteen minutes, Mash had been walking back and forth by the cafeteria entrance, mulling over her possibilities. She had gone over every piece of necessary information regarding the bath, so she could answer properly should any questions arise, so that was good. However, there was still the issue with the teatime. There were just so many different possibilities for flavors and snacks, she didn't know what to choose. Dio had recommended chocolate chip cookies, so that was one, but there should be more than one type of snack to go with the tea. Should she ask someone for instructions? Possibly, but that raised the problem as to who she should ask from. No, maybe the first thing she should do was ask Senpai whether or not she was available for tea. Just showing up unannounced while she was busy would be rude. And then there was the issue that Ritsuka preferred coffee over tea, which just added another layer of-

'

"(Can you hear me, Medusa? Is this working fine?)"

'

Snapped out of her pondering by Ritsuka's sudden voice, Mash's eyes darted over the area to locate her, only to not find even the slightest trace. A look at her Multi-Appliance proved that it wasn't the source, which only served to confuse her further. And hadn't she called Medusa, who was nowhere in sight as well? Unless... An idea popped into the Demi-Servant's head, prompting her to focus on the connection between her and her Master. After locking on to the link, she called out experimentally. "(Senpai? Are you practicing long distance communication again?)"

'

"(Wait. Mash?)" she replied, confusion obvious in her tone. This proved Mash's theory true without a doubt. The whole thing had started a few days ago, when Ritsuka learned that it was possible for Masters to share the senses of their Servants through the flow of magical energy between them, such as looking through their eyes, which was also what made this method of communication possible. Unfortunately, since Ritsuka was contracted to eight Servants at once, it made focusing on just one of them difficult, leading to errors such as this. But, as Mash would've expected of her, she had started honing the skill from that day onward, which had apparently led to only a few problems, this being a first for the Demi-Servant. There was a hint of frustration on the Master's voice as she let out a mental sigh. "(Oh, damn it, I screwed up again with the magical energy pass. Alright, who can hear me? Sound off.)"

'

"(Yes, Senp-)"

'

"(Ahh! Stop! There's like five people talking at once!)" Ritsuka screamed in distress, startling Mash to shut up immediately. A massive feeling of guilt struck her as she realized too late what she had done wrong. Since this was the first time this had happened to her, Mash had replied instinctively, forgetting how Ritsuka had mentioned that multiple Servants speaking to her through this method simultaneously felt extremely disorienting. She would need to stay quiet for now, but apologize immediately once she got the chance. After a few seconds of silence, the Master began to speak again. "(OK, I'm pretty sure I heard Mash and Medusa at least. Whoever is left, once I give the word, pick your position from the Servants by alphabetical order, wait for a second for every person before you, and then speak up. Got it? Alright, go.)" The following seconds felt like forever as Mash waited for her chance to apologize, only keeping quiet to avoid causing any more trouble. "(...So it was Brynhildr, Emiya and Kintoki, got it. I'll try to focus on just one of you, so if any more of you hear me still, use the earlier method to let me know. Now, who should I pick...)"

'

"(Um, Senpai?)" she called out carefully, only continuing after giving the Master a moment to interrupt her. After all, this was the perfect chance to ask her about the teatime. She could even use it as an apology for earlier. "(I would like to ask you something, so you could use it as a chance to practice, if that's fine with you.)"

'

"(Alright, Mash it is. Just give me a second to focus... There, that should do it. Can anyone besides her hear me now?)" Waiting for the following eight seconds, Mash was relieved once Ritsuka continued talking. "(No answers, good. Now, what did you want to ask, Mash?)"

'

Nerves wracking, Mash took a deep breath to calm herself, barely stopping herself from moving on to the tea immediately. First, she had to get something taken care of. "(Oh, well... F-first, I'd like to sincerely apologize for forgetting about the talking earlier. I hope that it didn't cause you too much pain.)"

'

"(Nah, don't worry about it. It doesn't really hurt, my brain just gets really confused,)" Ritsuka confirmed, relieving the Demi-Servant immediately. At least she'd avoided actually harming Senpai. "(Was there something else?)"

'

Taking another breath, Mash braced herself for the question. It was now or never! She could do this! "(W-well, I was just wondering, now that it's afternoon, if you don't mind of course, i-if we could, maybe, possibly... have some tea together?)"

'

"(Tea?)" Ritsuka repeated in surprise. The following silence only lasted a few seconds, yet it felt like hours for Mash as she simultaneously dreaded for a refusal and hoped for an acceptance. But the dread was completely blown away as she could practically hear Ritsuka smiling through her voice. "(That sounds lovely. I'd be happy to, and could honestly use a break.)" Mash did a tiny hop out of pure joy, careful not to let her internal cheering leak into the communication. She said yes! Senpai said yes! "(Should we go to the cafeteria, or do you have some other spot in mind?)"

'

"(As long as you don't mind, I was hoping we could use your room, since it's usually so calm there.)"

'

"(Alright, works for me. Do you need some help getting things?)"

'

"(No, I'm close to the cafeteria, so I can bring the tea and some snacks there. What type would you like?)" Mash asked, only to realize her error afterwards. "(...Oh, but I guess you prefer coffee, don't you? I could bring that too, or...)"

'

"(Actually, for situations like this where I want to relax, I'd prefer to have some tea instead.)" Ritsuka confirmed. "(As for what kind, well... Hmm, I'm not really a tea expert, so if they have some jasmine, I'd like that.)"

'

That? She was quite sure she remembered the Doctor drinking it sometimes, so it should be available. "(Jasmine? Yes, I'm sure they have it. I'll be there after I get everything, so please wait just a moment, Senpai.)"

'

"(I'll see you soon,)" Ritsuka said, only to add a few seconds later: "(And thanks, Mash. This was a nice idea.)"

'

Waiting just a moment longer in case Ritsuka had anything else to say, Mash stood still in the quiet corridor, and when nothing more came, she hopped lightly in the air. She'd done it! She managed to ask Senpai to have tea with her and she accepted! After a few more joyful hops, she moved on to the cafeteria to retrieve the tea and snacks. Given that the staff should be present at this hour, she could ask them for assistance in the matter. While she hadn't really talked to them outside of receiving food, both the employees stationed here seemed like pleasant people, so they would likely help her if asked.

'

Excitement building inside her, Mash skipped to the counter and pressed the bell there to let the staff know she was waiting. A few seconds after the soft ringing, she saw movement through the window in the door and called out as soon as it started to open. "Excuse me? Could I possibly get some..." Mash's thought process came to a complete halt as the door to the kitchen fully opened and a dark skinned man in an apron walked out. Normally that wouldn't have been odd, since the description also matched Preecha, one of the workers she was used to seeing in the cafeteria, but this was someone completely different.

'

"Oh? If it isn't Mash. What do you need?" Emiya asked while leaning on the counter. His usual red clothing was nowhere to be seen, being replaced by an apron and a scarf tied on his forehead. If she didn't know any better, she could have mistaken him for a normal member of the staff.

'

"I... Uh, Emiya?" Her previous excitement had been replaced by bafflement at this completely unexpected turn of events. The most confusing part was that the Archer was acting as if he was used to doing this, to the point where it felt natural even to her. Faced with such a situation, she wasn't even sure where to begin, so she just asked the most obvious question that came to mind. "You... work in the kitchen?"

'

"Yes," he nodded as if it was completely natural, making Mash feel more self aware of her awkwardness.

'

"...Since when?"

'

"Since a bit over an hour ago," the Heroic Spirit working in the kitchen answered, as if this was a common interaction. "So, what did you need?"

'

Mash fell silent once more, unsure how to deal with the situation. Emiya, a Servant, was working in their kitchen. It was just... strange. And yet... Since he seemed so unperturbed by it, why should she question it? Maybe this was one of those times where she just had to 'go with the flow'. She also had a feeling that it would be what Senpai would do if she were in her place. "Ah, yes. Ahem. I'm going to have tea with Senpai, so I came to fetch some things for that."

'

"Tea with Master, huh?" Emiya confirmed, nodding approvingly as a smile grew to his lips. "Well, I hope you two have fun. What did you have in mind?"

'

The approving attitude brought a smile to Mash's face as well. "Thank you. I'm not exactly experienced with these types of things, but I know that we need tea and some light snacks to go with them. Senpai wished for jasmine tea specifically, yet I'm not really sure about the snacks."

'

"Jasmine is a popular choice, so we definitely have it. As for the snacks..." The Archer began inspecting some of the cupboards and shelves behind the counter. "Hmm... Something light is definitely better so that they won't interfere with dinner. How would you like some flavored rice cakes and cookies?"

'

"Like I said, I'm not very experienced in these things, but they do sound tasty." The Doctor had offered her a few different rice cakes in the past, and she didn't dislike any of them, so they should be fine. As for the latter, she... actually received advice for them, now that she thought about it. "Ah, Dio recommended chocolate chips specifically."

'

"I see. Give me a moment as I get everything ready. Feel free to take a seat." And as Mash did as he recommended, Emiya got to work at a shockingly efficient rate. In a flash, he'd switched the kettle on, prepared teacups with matching plates for them, and a small cup of sugar. He really was a natural at this job. She could only look at him wide-eyed as the Archer took a jar from a cupboard, opening it with the slightest frown on his face. "Well, they're not freshly baked, but they're at least made here and didn't come in a bag." In the following minutes, Emiya brewed the tea in a simple, yet beautiful pot with flowers embellished on it, set the cookies on a plate along with the rice cakes, which judging from the packet were apple-cinnamon flavored. Hopefully her Senpai would like them. And finally, after everything was placed on a tray, before the Demi-Servant could even extend her hands to receive it, he pulled a small trolley under the counter and settled the tray on it, presenting it to her. "And here you go. Figured it'd be easier for you to transport them with this."

'

Mash could only stare at the display for a few seconds. She had already respected Emiya as a Servant, but after seeing him set up the tea, she now respected him as an overall skilled person. Had she done all of this herself, she wouldn't have been even sure where to begin. She no longer wondered why he'd gone to work in the kitchen. The man's competence for this type of work was unquestionable. The fragrant scent flowing from the teapot brought a smile to her face. Along with the treats, her Senpai was sure to enjoy their shared time. "These look lovely. Thank you so much, Emiya," she bowed lightly before taking the trolley and heading for the exit.

'

For reasons she couldn't quite guess, the Archer looked noticeably happier than usual as he waved her goodbye. "Don't mention it. Have a good time with Master."

'

"I will!" As Mash headed towards the Masters' living quarters, she did her best to stay calm despite the excitement as to not accidentally spill any of the tea. This was it. Everything was prepared for their teatime. Now she just had to hope that everything would be to Senpai's liking and that she hadn't waited for too long.

'

"Fou!"

'

Hearing the familiar call, Mash slowed down and turned towards the source, finding the white fluffy creature pattering towards her as expected. "Oh, hello Fou. I was just going to have some tea with Senpai." Fou's ears perked up at the words, his tiny eyes locking in on the snacks, not even trying to hide the obvious interest in them. Not that Mash would deny said interest from her animal companion. "Would you like to join us? I could share a few of my treats with you, and I'm sure Senpai would enjoy your company as well." In fact, she was almost certain that Ritsuka would be happier with Fou there, seeing how she enjoyed petting his incredibly soft fur. ...Which was in turn a sight that Mash herself greatly enjoyed, so there were no problems with him joining them.

'

"Kyuu." Barking happily, Fou used her face as a climbing aid before sliding down onto her shoulder in his usual manner, leaving Mash with only the need to adjust her bangs afterwards.

'

"Then, let us be off. Senpai is waiting," she cheered a bit louder than intended before heading towards Ritsuka's room once more, her heartbeat picking up the pace to return to what it had been before the interruption.

'

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'

As soon as Mash came into view, it was obvious just how excited she was. There was a notable pep in her step as she pushed the trolley, and the widest smile on her lips, both details that made Ritsuka extra glad she'd chosen to keep the door open while waiting for her to arrive. "Please come in, Mash."

'

As Ritsuka stepped to the side to let her guest in, the smile on her face somehow managed to turn even sweeter. "Thank you for holding the door, Senpai. I could have opened it myself, but you keeping it open lets us enjoy the tea just a bit sooner." Mash seemed really excited. Well, given that this was her first time having tea with a friend, the redhead couldn't exactly blame her. Plus, it just made her even cuter than usual.

'

"Well, it's the least I could do, since you're the one bringing everything." It was then that Ritsuka finally noticed the fluffball on Mash's shoulder. Had she seriously been so distracted by her cuteness that she'd ignored him? "And it seems we have a little guest. You came to get yourself some snacks, huh Fou?"

'

"Fou." Without a hint of shame, he hopped down from his ride and strutted to the table, clearly waiting for the girls to bring the treats to him. Ritsuka might've almost found it insolent... if he wasn't so cute.

'

"Well, I have no issues with letting you join us, so as long as Mash has no complaints, you're welcome to." She turned to the other girl for confirmation, but she just shook her head with a smile.

'

"Not at all. I already approved, so feel free to join our teatime, Fou."

'

"Fou fou, kyuu!" the critter cheered victoriously, getting the girls to giggle as they got to the table themselves. Once there, Mash was quick to lift the tray off the trolley, prompting Ritsuka to pat the middle of the table.

'

"Just set it down here." And as Mash did, the redhead couldn't have been happier with what she had brought. Upon seeing the contents, Ritsuka's eyes immediately honed in on the chocolate chip cookies. They looked really good, and didn't seem mass produced either. Jackpot! The tea smelled lovely as well, and the rice cakes, cinnamon, guessing by the coloring on them, were a nice change of pace to the sweetness of the chocolate. Ah, she was just unbelievably glad that Mash had suggested this. "Oh, these look great. Thank you for this, Mash. You're so good to me."

'

"N-not at all," she stuttered, blush coloring her cheeks as her lips twitched, as if struggling to decide if she should keep smiling or pout in embarrassment. But in the end, the former won. "Is-isn't this something that friends do?"

'

"I... suppose it is." God, Mash was so cute! Ritsuka had to quickly pick up the teapot to distract herself from the urge to pat her pink haired head. "Here, let me pour the tea for you."

'

"Thank you, Senpai." As her cup was filled, Mash took it close to her face, her expression growing relaxed as she inhaled the steam. "What a lovely scent."

'

"Sure is. This is some good tea. And the treats look nice as well." Ritsuka then finally picked up one of the desired treats, taking an experimental bite from the cookie. And had to straight up stop herself from cooing in joy. The chocolate chip cookies were as great as they looked, their quality obvious with just a single bite. She could tell they were personally baked from their soft texture, melting in her mouth and spreading the rich, sweet flavor all throughout it. Ahh... She was in heaven.

'

"It seems you enjoy them, Senpai," Mash noted with a smile just as wide as Ritsuka's own, knocking the redhead from her sugar induced trance. "I'm glad."

'

The Master silently cursed herself for slipping up. Dammit, she'd totally been caught daydreaming about chocolate. Even as she tried her best to stop the blush, some color managed to escape to her cheeks. "Oh, y-yeah. They're really tasty." Wishing wholeheartedly to distract herself, Ritsuka started preparing her tea, which just meant adding sugar in it, but at least the stirring gave her a good excuse to look away.

'

"Do you like sweets in general?" Mash asked, a sudden eagerness present in her smile, catching Ritsuka off-guard a second time. For a second, she started thinking of an excuse, but... No. There was no reason to lie to her, and even if she tried, nothing would be believable after her reaction. Not to mention, lying straight to Mash's pure, smiling face seemed like a task doomed to fail.

'

"...Yeah. It's embarrassing, but I do admittedly have a sweet tooth," Ritsuka admitted, taking a sip of her tea while avoiding eye contact. While it was unfortunate that their topic had shifted to this, at least the source of the topic itself made her feel better. The redhead happily took another bite of the cookie. Her mouth was so happy right now.

'

Mash just shook her head. "I don't think it's anything to be embarrassed about. Plenty of people enjoy sweets. Just look at the Doctor. He's a man in his thirties, and he loves eating cake and sweet buns. Compared to him, you seem very mature in your enjoyment."

'

A smile grew to Ritsuka's lips as she imagined Romani stuffing his cheeks with cake. Maybe not the best example to use, but it did make her feel a bit better. "Well, I can't really deny that."

'

"Besides, I enjoy learning new things about you, Senpai," Mash noted with a smile bright enough to dazzle a blind person.

'

"O-oh...?" Faced with such a sight, Ritsuka's eyes were forced to focus on her tea once more. Her urge to pat Mash's head was rising dangerously high again. Taking a sip of the drink to further distract herself, the redhead really contemplated the words. She'd had friends, obviously, but never really one that had shown such personal interest in her. Still, Mash's motives were just about the purest imaginable, so she didn't really have a good reason to refuse, unless it was something super personal. "Well, if you're really curious about something, don't hesitate to ask."

'

"Very well," she nodded, obviously satisfied with the answer.

'

"Fou fou!" Ritsuka nearly dropped her tea as a combination of a loud bark and a sudden weight on her lap startled her. Looking down, she was faced with a quite unsatisfied critter. "Kyuu!"

'

Oh damn, she'd totally ignored him throughout the conversation. "Ah, sorry, Fou. We ended up forgetting about you completely," she apologized, offering him a part of her cookie. "Here, have a peace offering."

'

"Foouu," the critter barked, appearing pleased with the offering as he took a bite out of it. His little mouth chewing was just so cute, Ritsuka couldn't help herself and started petting Fou's back.

'

Smiling at the fluffball, Mash reached over the table with a cookie in her hand. "I'm sorry as well, Fou. You can have some of mine as well."

'

"Fou." Seemingly now fully appeased, Fou took a more comfortable position as he settled on Ritsuka's lap, munching on his offering cookies. Ah, the Master's happiness might've just peaked at the moment.

'

For about a minute, neither of the two said anything, just enjoying the treats and the tea. With the redhead getting a bonus in the form of a fluffy critter on her lap, who seemed to enjoy receiving the pets as much as she enjoyed giving them. And then, out of nowhere, Mash dropped another bomb. "By the way, Senpai. Did you know that Emiya works in the kitchen?"

'

"...Huh?" Ritsuka's hand stopped in its tracks, leaving the cookie she had picked up mere centimeters from her mouth. Third time. This was the third time Mash had caught her off-guard within the same conversation. Although, this really was a topic that had come out of nowhere, both figuratively and literally. "What? Since when?"

'

"Since a bit over an hour ago, apparently." Mash herself seemed to hold some disbelief in her answer, making Ritsuka wonder how she'd reacted when learning of it.

'

"Uh... huh. ...So, how was he?"

'

As soon as she heard the question, the uncertainty disappeared from Mash's face, replaced by a smile. "Oh, he was extremely efficient in his job. He was the one who brewed the tea we are currently drinking, and prepared everything very quickly. It was very impressive to watch."

'

Ritsuka blinked in surprise. Sure, Emiya seemed like a helpful, all-rounder guy, but to take it this far. "...I see. Given that he's technically a modern Servant, it isn't that shocking that he knows his way around a modern kitchen, but the fact that he is really good at the job isn't really something I was expecting." On the other hand, she knew that people's true character was hardly ever out in the open, especially her own. "Well, I suppose everyone has a hidden side to them after all," she muttered as she took another sip of her tea, getting a confused look from her friend on the other side of the table.

'

The next ten or so minutes were far more relaxing, as the two talked about this and that, just whatever came to mind. As the tea and snacks were running out, Ritsuka was definitely planning on doing this again sometimes. Their talks in the cafeteria were nice, but there was just something that much cozier in spending teatime with just the two of them in her room. Well, two of them and Fou, but he was a welcome third wheel. There were always at least a few other people in the cafeteria, so just getting to hang out like this, alone together, was a really pleasant experience. Although, there was something that bothered the redhead. For the last minute or so, Mash had fallen quiet, blushing lightly and mumbling to herself inaudibly. Based on experience, Ritsuka guessed that she was about to ask something she considered embarrassing. Well, she was free to take her time, seeing how neither of them were in a hurry. While she believed that Mash should gain more confidence in herself, this bashful side of her was admittedly extremely adorable. "B-by the way, S-Senpai?" the Demi-Servant finally called out. "Are... are you training in the gym tomorrow as well?"

'

Ritsuka raised an eyebrow at the unexpected question. She actually had no idea where this was going. Still, better just answer honestly. "Yes, of course. Can't let myself grow lazy at a time like this," she confirmed. Her private training at the gym was a... somewhat unfortunate necessity. The frustrating part about the Simulator was also its greatest strength. While creating a temporary copy of your body kept it from getting injured, it also meant that any exercise done inside was pointless. Therefore, she needed two separate training sessions daily, one with Servants and one for just herself. Not that she minded too much, since she enjoyed rough exercise anyway, but going for a run in an environment generated by the Simulator was just way more interesting than running in the corridors or on a treadmill. "Why? Did you have something in mind?"

'

Mash's blush intensified and she played with her fingers awkwardly. "Well, y-yes. I thought that we could, o-only if you would like to of course, try... try out the baths that are close to the gym after we both finish our personal training."

'

"The baths?" Now the topic was starting to make some sense. Although, Ritsuka was still uncertain on it as a whole. Up to this point, she'd just used the shower in her room to wash off sweat. The idea had crossed her mind at some points, but she'd dismissed it as a waste of time. Baths were definitely something she enjoyed, but given their situation, she'd wanted to avoid bringing it up to anyone. "That does sound nice, but I'm not sure..."

'

Seeing her hesitation, Mash quickly tried to push a bit harder. "And a-aside from the baths, Chaldea also has a sauna th-"

'

"Wait, there's a what!?" Ritsuka shouted, eyes wide in shock. The Shielder had hooked her target perfectly. "There's seriously a sauna here!?"

'

Caught off guard by the sudden, unexpected enthusiasm, Mash could only nod in confirmation. "Y-yes. It's in the same space as the baths and-"

'

"I accept!" Ritsuka cheered as she practically jumped out of her chair, with Fou quickly evacuating onto her bed. Mash looked in complete astonishment as her Senpai danced across the room, but the redhead was far too elated to notice or care. A sauna! There was a sauna in Chaldea! She didn't even care if it was an electric sauna with non-wooden seating, the fact that there actually was one in Chaldea was a blessing of the highest order. In the blink of an eye, she rushed to Mash and gave her a gigantic bearhug. The Demi-Servant let out a surprised squeal as she was lifted off of her chair, legs dangling in the air as Ritsuka spun her around. "Oh, thank you so much for telling me this, Mash!"

'

Mash practically looked like her brain had shut down at this point, appearing more like a doll than a person as Ritsuka twirled her around. Only after being directly spoken to did she manage to form a reply of any sort, and even that was a struggle. "Y-y-y-y-yooou're v-v-veeeryyy w-w-w-welcooomeee, S-S-Senpaiii." After spending a hazy period of time indeterminable to either of the girls dancing around the room, Mash was finally let down, taking a moment to compose herself until she could properly face her euphoric Master again. "Well... Ahem! I'm, I'm glad that you're so happy, Senpai. This really was a fantastic suggestion."

'

"You bet it was!" Ritsuka grinned. "So, you wanted us to go tomorrow evening after our own training sessions?"

'

"Ah, yes. Though we need to make a reservation and set the bath up beforehand. I'm not entirely sure how the latter is done, but there should be instructions in the bathing area."

'

So, it was somewhat like a public sauna in an apartment complex. Yeah, that made sense. Otherwise, there'd just be people cramming in uninvited. "I can do it. That way, I can also check it out first and make sure the sauna is fine."

'

"Oh..." Mash looked slightly dejected at Ritsuka's offer. It seemed that she'd wanted to do it herself, as it was her offer in the first place. But before the redhead could suggest something else, Mash began smiling again. "Well I suppose it's better that way, since you're the one with experience in this matter. I might miss something obvious while trying to set it up."

'

"I doubt that, given how thorough you usually are, Mash," Ritsuka noted, getting a blush from the complemented girl. "But it's settled then. Tomorrow evening, we're gonna have a nice, relaxing time together after training." Ah, she could hardly wait. Honestly, she wanted to go check it out right away, but it'd be rude to just leave. There were a few things she needed to plan out, like... An important detail popped into the Master's head, one that she couldn't decide on her own. "Oh, it's usually better to drink something cold afterwards, so is there something in particular that you'd like?"

'

Mash just shook her head. "I have no real preference. I'm sure I'll enjoy whatever you choose."

'

Ritsuka withheld a frown. In time, she really wanted to learn Mash's likes and dislikes when it came to edibles, so that she could treat her to something great, but the main obstacle for that seemed to be Mash's own lack of knowledge. "Alright, I'll see if there's some good juice in storage. In Japan, most prefer to drink cold milk after a hot bath, but I've always preferred something fruity afterwards."

'

"That sounds just fine to me," the Shielder nodded, smiling sweetly. "Oh, and if you wish to go right away, I can take the dishes back to the cafeteria."

'

Ritsuka felt a tinge of embarrassment running through her. Mash had totally noticed how eager she was. Granted, this was about a sauna, so she couldn't exactly be blamed. Still, to just leave her taking care of the dishes by herself... "Really, that's fine with you?" she asked, and as expected, got an immediate, confirming nod. Of course Mash would answer like that, no matter how rough of a task she faced. Then again, with the trolley, it wouldn't exactly be a difficult job by any stretch of the imagination, so it should be fine for her to leave. Taking Mash's hands into hers, Ritsuka gave them a grateful shake. "Well, thank you again, Mash. I'll go check the place out and inform you of the details during dinner."

'

The Demi-Servant joyfully returned the gesture. "Yes. I'll see you then at the latest, Senpai."

'

"Alright, bye." Leaving Mash, and Fou who had decided to start a nap on the bed, in her room, Ritsuka practically ran towards the bathing area. It wasn't much of a trek, given that it was within the residential area like the living quarters and cafeteria. In fact, the redhead knew the location well, given that it was literally on the other side of the corridor of the gym that she visited daily. Given how quickly she was moving, it took her less than two minutes to get to the entrance, and brimming with excitement, she walked in.

'

And about five minutes later, Ritsuka walked out of the bathing area, the smile on her face even wider than when Mash had told her of the sauna. It was great! Everything was great! The baths! The sauna! They were fantastic! She could only wonder if either Dio or Da Vinci were behind the construction of the bathing area, because that whole thing was without question the work of a genius. And now, the reservation had been made and she'd learned what she needed to do to set everything up. Oh, she could hardly wait until tomorrow! It would be perfect!

'

"Oh, if it isn't Master."

'

Hearing the familiar voice from behind her, Ritsuka turned around as the resident Rider and Lancer walked towards her through the corridor, with the latter greeting her as well. "Afternoon, Master. You seem to be in a good mood." While it was still occasionally present, Brynhildr had gotten noticeably less awkward after a week in Chaldea. In fact, it wasn't that rare to see her together with Medusa, since the two of them had started getting along surprisingly well. Then again, given the similarities in their pasts, maybe it wasn't that surprising.

'

"Oh, hi Brynhildr and Medusa. And yes, I am feeling pretty great," Ritsuka confirmed, subtly trying to focus more on the Lancer than the Rider. About a week ago, Medusa had apparently gotten special glasses from Dio that sealed her Mystic Eyes and allowed her to see. On one hand, it was great that she could actually see without putting others in danger and speaking to her was somewhat less awkward with that eye cover out of the way. And on the other, while the glasses kept the Rider's eyes from petrifying people, it made them visible to all, which subsequently made her harder to talk to. 'Cause damn did she look good in glasses, with her eyes being just absurdly lovely as well. They had only served to make her more alluring, much to the Master's embarrassment. She had gotten slightly less awkward when it came to interacting with Medusa, yet the issues were still very much there, and she was having trouble figuring out more ways to reduce them. But then, an idea popped into her head. An absolutely fantastic idea, that was linked to her earlier joy. There was definitely room in the bath, so... "Medusa, you liked swimming in the Simulator, right?"

'

"That is indeed one of my hobbies," the Rider confirmed.

'

"Do you like water in general?"

'

Medusa looked at Ritsuka oddly. Yeah, she definitely could've worded that better. "Uh, I'd say so, yes. What is this about?"

'

Putting her awful phrasing aside, Ritsuka pointed at the door she'd just exited through. "Well, I just learned that Chaldea has a really nice bathing area with a sauna, and Mash and I are going there tomorrow evening." At the mention of her plans, the Servants smiled softly, but that soon changed as their Master continued. "So I thought that you two should come too. It'd be a nice chance to relax. Unless you dislike baths, of course."

'

The two simultaneously blinked in surprise, taken aback by the sudden offer presented at them. Their troubled eyes moved between Ritsuka and each other, unsure what to answer. As Brynhildr blushed lightly and started poking her fingers together, the responsibility for a reply fell to Medusa. "I... hardly dislike baths, and thank you for the offer, but I wouldn't want to intrude. ...Besides, you don't need to bother preparing a bath for me."

'

Ritsuka frowned at the absurd reasoning. Just what kind of grand event did the Rider think this was? "What are you talking about? You wouldn't be intruding in the least." Medusa clearly wasn't expecting such a potent reply judging by her widened eyes, but Ritsuka pushed on. "It's a good chance for us to talk about things and get to know each other better. And there wouldn't be any extra preparation, since even the smallest baths are large enough for eight in the first place. There's plenty of room." Plus, it would help Ritsuka get used to Medusa's presence by spending time with her. Continued exposure was the surest way to work up an immunity in this situation! ...Hopefully. "Of course, I won't force you to come if you don't want to, but don't think for even a moment that you being there is a bother of some kind. In fact, I'd be happy if you both showed up."

'

Medusa fell silent, much like Brynhildr, whose blush had intensified even further. For a second, Ritsuka thought that she'd been too forceful in her opinion and considered apologizing, only for that thought to be blown away as the Rider's conflicted expression shifted into a smile. "...I suppose I could participate in that case."

'

The redhead had to really try to keep her face neutral when faced with that smile, especially when it was directed to her specifically. "And you're very welcome to." She then turned to the still troubled Brynhildr, mostly for wanting to encourage her, and slightly as an excuse to look away from Medusa. "Both of you."

'

"Oh, well..." the Lancer mumbled, her eyes shifting between the two. As her gaze stayed on the smiling Rider for a moment, she noticeably calmed down, a bit of an awkward smile growing on her lips as well, until she finally settled on the redhead. "...I see no reason to refuse under the circumstances."

'

Now Ritsuka was really thankful Medusa was here, because she was pretty sure that Brynhildr would have declined otherwise. "Great. You tend to help Mash during her personal training, and we're planning on going tomorrow right after it, so I'll see you there."

'

"Very well."

'

"Until then."

'

As Ritsuka waved goodbye to the two and headed back to her room, she started thinking back on the last ten minutes or so once she had been left alone. She had been a tad forceful when it came to Medusa and Brynhildr, so hopefully she hadn't acted that way towards Mash. Ah, but that couldn't be, considering that Mash was the one who brought up the idea in the first place. So, obviously, she hadn't done anything... rash...

'
Ritsuka felt heat rising to her cheeks as it was finally starting to sink in just what she did to Mash back in her room. Her euphoria over the sauna hadn't allowed her to properly process it at the moment, but now it was all coming back to her like watching a movie. She had no idea just how long they'd spun like that, but any discernible unit of time was far too long! Never before had Ritsuka so dearly wished she possessed the ability to erase the memories of others. Well, more like alter memories of anyone beyond your average person, but the point still stood. Right now, nothing would make her happier than to erase that part of the conversation from both her and Mash's memories for good, but the best she could do was to never mention it again and pray that Mash did the same.

'

'

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'

'

"Haa!" Smashing her shield down on the golem's cracked back, Mash shattered the stone creature to rubble. As the debris faded away, the familiar announcement let her know that the scenario had ended, getting the Demi-Servant to sigh in relief. This training had gone well, to the point where she had finished a few minutes early. Wiping some sweat off her forehead, she turned to her instructors with a satisfied smile. "Thank you for your help."

'

Brynhildr landed down next to her, having observed the fight from the air with her runes. She wore a smile on her face that Mash only seemed to see during their training, which was a shame, since it was extraordinarily beautiful. "No need to thank us. You are doing wonderfully in your own training."

'

"...But I have noticed a drop in your performance whenever Master isn't around," Medusa noted from a nearby tree, making Mash's smile falter a hint. Noticing this, she added with a faint smile of her own. "Though I suppose it makes sense, given that you're a Shielder, a Servant who specializes in protecting others."

'

"Y-yes. I believe that is why as well." While the Shielder had gotten a lot more comfortable with the Rider's presence, there was still a sense of unease whenever she felt her nearby. The worst were the eyes, reminding Mash of the dreadful battle every time she saw them, but at least Medusa wore her cover during battle, which eased their interactions. She seemed to be aware of this anxiety at the very least, given how she acted towards her from time to time.

'

But before she could mull on those thoughts any further, Mash felt a hand placed on her shoulder. Turning around, she was met by Brynhildr's smiling face. "Now, with your training completed for the day, I believe we have somewhere that we need to be."

'

It only took Mash a second to realize what she meant. "Ah, of course!" It was the appointed time for the bath. In fact, since she was a bit early, it was very much possible that Ritsuka had yet to finish her own work-out. Mash felt a rush of excitement rushing through her. "W-well, let's return to Chaldea." Ahead of her, both Brynhildr and Medusa were already fading away, prompting the Demi-Servant to follow.

'

Exiting the Simulator after training was always a strange experience. Even though she had felt tension on her muscles after all the fighting, it all disappeared without a trace once she returned to Chaldea, which was also why Ritsuka had to train on her own at the gym. Well, in the end, that was simply the price to be paid for combat training without the risk of injury or death. Feeling her senses return, Mash looked around the room to confirm that they were all present, and upon spotting the two, she headed straight for the door. "You can already head in while I go fetch Senpai."

'

The Shielder barely had time to process the amused smiles on the two's lips as she ran into the corridor, her destination clear. Since they had used Entrance B to enter the Simulator, which was located at the edge of the residential area, it wouldn't take her even a minute to reach the gym. In fact, thanks to her Servant strength, she reached the hallway that housed the sought after room in under thirty seconds, eyes clued on the entrance.

'

Just then, the door to the gym opened up, getting Mash's hopes up that Ritsuka had finished her training as well. But they were soon dashed as two people exited through it, neither of them appearing even slightly like the one she had hoped to see. First was Huifen, but she wasn't wearing the uniform Mash had always seen on her or glasses, and instead had a pair of shorts and a t-shirt on. The latter was also absolutely drenched in what was more than likely sweat. In fact, the Chinese woman overall looked extremely exhausted, breathing heavily and dripping sweat while the woman beside her helped her walk. Mash might've been concerned for her well-being, if it weren't for two very important details. One: she'd just exited the gym. And two: Huifen wasn't exactly the most... toned individual. Mash could even go as far as to call her physique the exact opposite of Ritsuka's. Whereas the Master had a body fitting of an athlete, the programmer had a body unfit enough to be stereotypically associated with those who spent too much time on the computer. Not obese, since director Olga Marie had made regulations that forced all employees to possess at least a set level of fitness, but she was among the closest to that limit when it came to the remaining staff at Chaldea. The woman beside her, on the other hand, was far closer to Ritsuka in terms of physique, even if she was noticeably shorter as well. Her differences to Huifen were also notable. Putting the physique aside, their bearings were very unlike each other's. Whereas Huifen looked completely exhausted, the other woman seemed perfectly fine, even with some perspiration showing off from her body. And compared to the former's messy ponytail, the latter's hairstyle was a bit similar to Mash's own, albeit shorter, and her naturally black hair had a few neon blue stripes running along the right side. She was much like what one would describe as a 'cool girl'. But that wasn't to say that they were completely unlike each other, since the opposite was closer to the truth. While it was a bit tough to tell with Huifen's exhausted posture, they were the complete same height. Their light brown eyes were indistinguishable from each other, as were their black hair, with the exception of the blue stripes. In fact, aside from the hairstyle, physique and glasses, the two women looked exactly alike. While Mash had never met her before, this other woman was without a doubt Huifen's twin sister, Hualing.

'

Watching the two hobble away, Mash shifted back to her regular clothes and skittered to the door they'd just exited through, entering the gym. And came to a complete halt just a few steps in.

'

Finding Ritsuka wasn't hard, considering that she was the only one inside the gym, and the rhythmic movements of her pull ups made her form distinct all the way from the door. The redhead was wearing a yellow sports bra and shorts, both matching the color of her crunchie. And speaking of, the hair accessory that usually held Ritsuka's sidetail, was now keeping her ponytail tied up, stopping any stray hairs from getting on her face. It was a bit odd seeing her Senpai with her hair all slicked back compared to her usual style... But right now, Mash could barely acknowledge the fact, seeing how her attention was almost completely focused on another detail: Ritsuka's arms and shoulders. Each time she pulled herself up, her muscles bulged, clearly visible through the tight sports bra. As seconds went on and Ritsuka kept pulling herself up, Mash found herself staring at the performance, blush rising to her cheeks, unable to really think about anything else. She couldn't exactly understand what she was feeling at the moment. Admiration? Wonderment? Esteem? Not knowing what it was confused her, but as she kept watching Ritsuka Mash was at least sure of one thing about this feeling: She liked it.

'

'

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'

'

When Ritsuka had first come to Chaldea, she'd been a bit worried whether she could keep her daily workout sessions going as efficiently as back home. She knew that there was a gym in the facility, but she had honestly expected it to be lackluster at best. And wow was she glad to have been wrong. Apparently director Animusphere had made some rules that required the staff to stay in good enough shape, and to enforce it, the gym was effectively state of the art. The equipment was better taken care of than in the one she visited regularly back home, and apparently the automata cleaned them thoroughly every night, making it the cleanest gym Ritsuka had ever seen... or smelled. Not to mention, she had the place for herself nearly every evening, having only come across other people twice... including today.

'

"Come on, Hui! You're almost there! Just one last push!"

'

While Ritsuka was busy on the leg extension machine, she shot a quick glance at the two women on the other side of the gym. One running on a treadmill, while the other stood beside it, cheering her on.

'

"Huff, please Hua-huff, just-cough, just a five-gasp-minute break, ugh." The one running was Huifen, the programmer she had hastily met during the summoning. While she had been the slightest bit disheveled during their initial meeting, her current appearance could be best described as... miserable. Her t-shirt and shorts absolutely drenched in sweat, the Chinese woman was puffing up a storm as she jogged on the treadmill. Although, despite her unmistakable exhaustion, she kept quite a good form, even if her breathing could use some work. It was clear that despite the extra padding, she was hardly slothful. The woman was nowhere close to obese, and Ritsuka could even say that she wore her weight well, but plump was absolutely a fitting description for her. The redhead had to practically force herself to look away, given how the runner's bottom bounced with each step in the confines of her tight shorts. And the t-shirt could only do so much to stop her ample bosom from jiggling, especially when it was drenched in sweat. Honestly, if the Chinese woman lost some mass from the other parts of her body, her proportions would be enviable to basically anyone, not falling too far behind even when compared to some of the Servants in the facility. But, it was ultimately her choice what she did with her body. While there were a lot of people, especially fitness nuts, in the world that would think badly of someone letting themselves go, Ritsuka didn't really care. Who was she to judge how people lived their lives? After all, while she was fit, the redhead couldn't really call her own way of living 'healthy'.

'

In response to the request, the other woman frowned lightly. "Seriously sis, you only have a minute left of your run. Just power on through and you'll be done for the day." 'Hua', as Huifen had called her, was simultaneously very similar and very different to her sister. Their eye and hair colors were identical, with the exception of some added coloring on Hua's, and even their faces were so similar that if it weren't for some chub on Huifen's cheeks, it would have been impossible to tell the two apart. Well, as far as their heads were concerned that is. Looking down, it became quite easy to spot the difference. In comparison to Ritsuka, Hua had a slightly less muscular frame, and two notable differences. One was her height, which was maybe around 20 centimeters shorter. And the other, her... upper torso. Hua's shoulders were noticeably more narrow than Ritsuka's, while her... chest was... fuller. Though she was smaller than her sister, the Chinese woman was quite buxom herself, to the point where Ritsuka was quite sure that their chest circumventions would be roughly the same, despite her broad shoulders. Well, about a week ago the redhead would've been more bothered, but that was before she met Servants. Normal women felt considerably more 'normal' when compared to the likes of Medusa and Brynhildr.

'

"Gasp, gasp, I'll-huff-try," Huifen huffed, wiping some sweat off her forehead. "Wheeze, why am-cough, am I doing-huff-this again?"

'

"Because we both know that with everything going on, if you didn't do this to unwind, you'd start stress eating again," Hua noted dryly. And given the sheepish look on Huifen's face, she knew her sister was right. "I know you don't like doing this, but you also know that this is ultimately better for you." A less observant onlooker might've thought the sister's attitude was inconsiderate, given the way she just stood watching while the other ran, but Ritsuka had been here the whole time and knew better. Hua had already completed her routine a few minutes ago, which had been noticeably more demanding, but had stayed to encourage her sister. While she was the slightest bit rough on her, she clearly cared about her wellbeing. All and all, she seemed like a good sibling to have. "And that's it, you're done!" The words had barely left her sister's mouth as Huifen started shutting off the treadmill, her jog dying into a walk and finally stopping. She leaned on the railing, gasping for breath as Hua handed her a bottle. "Here's some water, how do you feel sis?"

'

Taking slow gulps off her drink while being helped off the exercise equipment onto a nearby bench, Huifen effectively collapsed on her soft bottom. "Li-cough-like my legs are-wheeze-are jelly-gasp."

'

"I mean, your thighs kiiiiinda are," she noted while poking said thigh, her finger sinking a surprising amount in the flesh. The slighted sister frowned at her, prompting Hua to raise her hands defensively with an apologetic grin. "But not for long if you keep this up."

'

Huifen's frown lightened only slightly, likely preferring to pretend that the exchange never happened as she rose and started slowly walking towards the gym's doors. "Huff, I need a shower."

'

"Yeah," Hua grinned, patting her sister on the back. "Come on, I'll help you to your room. Can't have you collapsing on your way back again."

'

Huifen's frown returned, though now accompanied by a blush. "One-huff, one time!"

'

"Still one too many," the slender sister smirked, prompting the other to groan. Watching the two leave, Ritsuka felt a small smile growing on her lips. Seeing people like that always made her wish she had siblings of her own.

'

But, with the little distraction out of the way, she could now fully focus on completing her regime for the day. Finishing her set on the leg extension, Ritsuka stood up and gave her shin a quick slap. Yeah, that was some nice burn. And now, there was only one portion left of her workout. Taking some liquid chalk on her hands and rubbing them together, the redhead walked to the pull up bar and grabbed on.

'

The first six pulls went without much trouble, the burn only starting from that point on. Up, and up, and up, carefully counting each time her head rose over the bar, Ritsuka felt adrenaline really starting to kick in. Oh yeah, this was the good stuff. As she passed ten, her arms were feeling quite rough, but she just kept going. Eleven. This wasn't enough to make her stop. Twelve. She could do better! Thirteen. Push! Push! Fourteen, and her arms were basically on fire, but maybe just one mo-

'

But as she started to pull herself up again, Ritsuka felt a jolt running through her biceps, resulting in her letting go immediately. As her feet hit the gym floor with little to no sound thanks to her practiced landing, she gave both of her biceps a quick rub to confirm what she had just felt. Nope, nope. That was no good. If she tried going any further, she might've actually damaged her arms, so that was definitely enough for today. She'd really wanted to reach fifteen pull ups, but considering that she'd lifted weights earlier, she could accept her limit coming at this point.

'

It was then that Ritsuka noticed something pink in her peripheral, a color that wasn't present in the room until now, and turned towards the entrance, only to find a girl with a matching colored hair staring at her wide-eyed. "Oh, Mash? Didn't notice you were here." Taking a look at the clock on the wall, Ritsuka realized that she was about two minutes late on her schedule. Guess watching the sisters got her to slow down a bit. Walking towards Mash, she gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I didn't make you wait too much, did I?"

'

"N-not at all. I just got here," the girl mumbled absentmindedly. Eyes darting around the space, she eventually locked her sights on the towel and water the redhead had left for herself. "Ah, here you go, Senpai."

'

"Thanks." Taking the offered cloth, Ritsuka wiped the most troublesome area at the moment, her forehead, before moving on to her neck. With that and a gulp of water, the redhead was basically renewed. Ah, she was feeling really good right now, and it was just going to get better after she would get to douse herself. It really was a great evening, to the point where Ritsuka couldn't stop herself from smiling as she turned back to Mash. "Man, the bath and sauna just keep sounding better by the second. Did you want to talk about something, or can we get going?"

'

"N-no, no! W-we can leave r-right away!" Mash stuttered and basically ran to the door, leaving Ritsuka confused.

'

"Alright, if you say so." Did something happen during her training, or maybe she was also excited for the bath? Well, whatever. She could ask about it later. Stretching her shoulders, Ritsuka followed Mash into the corridor and entered the door on the other side of it. From there, they got to the women's locker room, finding two others already there. The Master felt her smile widen at the sight of Brynhildr and Medusa sitting there awkwardly. "Hi there. It's nice that you two decided to come with us."

'

"Yes," Medusa smiled back, seeming the slightest bit embarrassed. "To be honest, the prospect of a bath was quite tempting."

'

"The more the merrier, at least in a situation like this." Much like the gym, the locker room was practically spotless, and from her earlier visit, Ritsuka knew that the rest of the space was the same. Ah, this really was a great place. Opening a locker, she placed her small towel next to a bag she'd used to bring herself a change of clothes before going to the gym. As Mash started to take off her clothes alongside her, Ritsuka couldn't help but to notice how the two still kept sitting on the benches. Were they feeling self conscious or just being polite with the gesture? "You don't really need to change, since you can just dematerialize your clothes, right? You can just head to the showers, and we'll be right behind you."

'

The two Servants exchanged an awkward look. Yeah, it really could be either reason. "Well... if you say so, Master," Brynhildr muttered and, quite literally, just made her clothes vanish in a spray of blue particles as she walked through the door into the showers together with Medusa. Man, that was a handy ability.

'

An ability that Ritsuka, as well as Mash in her human form lacked, leaving them to change manually. But with that out of the way, the redhead grabbed her towel as well as the shampoo she had brought with her and walked after the two that had gone ahead. Opening the door, the girls felt warm, humid air rush past them, heated by the already turned on showers. This had admittedly been part of the reason Ritsuka had told the two to go ahead. Cold washing rooms were just the worst.

'

Leaving her towel in a compartment, Ritsuka went to wash up herself. Still, hot showers weren't exactly the best thing after a workout, so she turned the heat down a bit before turning the shower on. The feeling of cool water flowing across her scalp was just magical, washing both sweat and stress away with it. Ritsuka loved her hair, she really did, but sometimes, it was really frustrating just how dense it was.

'

But as seconds passed, the redhead came aware of another... problem. Whenever she caught a glimpse of either Medusa or Brynhildr, her heartbeat noticeably quickened. She really didn't think this part through, did she? She'd been so enamored with the prospect of a sauna that she'd completely ignored the danger in the situation. She was quite fine with normal women, but these two were literal goddesses.

'

Sure, she kept her eyes to herself mostly, but she couldn't help but catch a subtle glance from time to time, all the while desperately praying that no one noticed. To Ritsuka's admittedly embarrassing jealousy, all three of the women accompanying her were very well endowed. Even Mash, the 'smallest' of the three, had a very healthily developed body, which made her, much to the redhead's shame, the main target of her envy. Sure, the other two were actual goddesses, so their beauty was hardly a surprise, but Mash, despite her Demi-Servant status, was at her core a regular girl like her, even one or two years younger than her, yet she was still so... developed. Of course, being jealous of Mash over something like that just made Ritsuka want to crawl into a hole, but being faced with assets such as these just made her own inferiority in the area all the more glaring. She shuddered as she could practically hear the 'are those pecs or boobs?' comments from back in highschool. At the very least she didn't really fall behind when it came to her lower body, even if her thighs were a bit too muscular for her liking.

'

As she tried to divert her attention by focusing on rinsing her hair, she inevitably became aware of another absurd quality the goddesses had. Which was the hair! It was just ridiculous! At the moment, Medusa was facing directly away from her, but Ritsuka couldn't even see the slightest hints of skin, due to the pink, cascading strands that covered her entire body. And Brynhildr wasn't that far behind her in that regard. How much time, effort and conditioner would it have realistically taken to take care of something like that? She didn't even want to imagine. Actually, she didn't need to, since she had asked Medusa about it one day. And honestly, the answer infuriated her. Not only was she just washing it with water, but the Rider somehow had never even had split ends! Damn goddesses! At least Mash was actually normal in that regard, with her hair, beside the bangs, being a bit shorter than Ritsuka's.

'

"Um, Senpai? What is that scent?"

'

The sudden question brought Ritsuka back to reality, noticing Mash looking at her. Thinking about it, she had been pretty quiet after they got to the locker room, with this being the first time she'd spoken. But what was she talking about? The redhead hadn't noticed any odd scents... Ah! She admittedly felt the tiniest bit dumb for not realizing immediately. Of course, the scent of citrus was very familiar to her, but it would no doubt be strange to Mash, who wasn't used to it. "Oh, I guess you mean my shampoo?"

'

"Huh? You brought your own shampoo, Senpai?" the Demi-Servant blinked in confusion, turning to the large container hanging by her shower. "Is there something wrong with the one already here?"

'

Ritsuka could only chuckle awkwardly. Granted, it was a bit strange to bring her own shampoo to a place like this, but since her room was so close anyway, she'd kind of hoped no one would notice. "Well, no, there's nothing wrong with it, per se. I just prefer the aroma of my own. The ones here in Chaldea have just really... manufactured scents to them."

'

Mash tilted her head, seeming genuinely confused. "But, aren't all shampoos manufactured?"

'

The redhead's mind came to a complete halt. Did... Did Mash really just say that seriously? Maybe it was a joke? ...No. The girl was hardly the type to joke, and the genuine confusion proved her ignorance. So Mash had really lived her whole life here in this facility, and no one had taught her the true importance of hair care? That was just... "Mash," Ritsuka muttered, closing the gap between them and placing her hands on the younger girl's shoulders.

'

Mash's confusion grew rapidly as she stared back at the suddenly serious Finn. "Y-yes, Senpai?"

'

Ritsuka looked her deep in the eyes, more serious than she had been in days. "I'm now going to explain to you just how important it is to have shampoos for more than just basic washing."

'

'

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'

'

As Mash exited the showers with the other three, she couldn't help but to be even more impressed than usual with Ritsuka. The last few minutes had been remarkably educational. She'd had no idea that the world of shampoos was so deep. It was just another reminder of her immaturity as a person. But now, thanks to her Senpai, she'd grown just a bit more knowledgeable. She would certainly be putting these teachings to good use in the future.

'

"To think that something like this would actually be built here..." Brynhildr muttered in amazement as they entered the bathing area and saw it in its full glory. A reaction Medusa and Mash very much shared, while Ritsuka grinned beside them, being the only one to have actually seen the space before.

'

"It certainly is something," Medusa agreed, but even that seemed like a severe understatement. While Mash had read about the bathing area, it was so different from what she had imagined that she couldn't even find the words to properly describe it. The aesthetics were completely different from the rest of Chaldea, to the point where it seemed that they'd walked into a different world. Instead of the usual, metallic walls and floor, the latter was formed of black and white tiles like a chessboard, while the former was beautifully blue stone, creating an illusion of the space being even larger than it truly was. And given that the baths were said to 'comfortably' hold around 150 people at once, it was fairly large in reality. Then there were the baths themselves, which there were roughly a dozen, all in different shapes and sizes. There was a very large one that looked extremely natural with several large stones in it, some where the bath was made of wood, some were made of smooth, white stone. Sure, basically all of them were currently empty, but the sight was still impressive. To think that something like this had been in Chaldea for years and she'd had no idea.

'

"And that something is great!" Ritsuka cheered and started marching towards a white stone pool, the only one with water in it. "Now come on. Here's the one we're getting in."

'

As the three followed after their Master, Medusa crouched by the pool's edge, running her fingers over its surface. "The stonework is quite lovely. It reminds me of my home." The smile on her face was gentler than any Mash had seen to that point, appearing almost longing. Her eyes shared the effect as well, still visible thanks to her glasses. While she'd taken them off during the shower, they apparently didn't fog up due to humidity, allowing her to still wear them in the bath. "To think that they'd put so much effort into individual baths as well."

'

"Yeah, it's really impressive," Ritsuka nodded while tipping a toe in the water. Her smile widened as she properly walked in. "Oh, this is good~" she sighed as she settled down into the bath. A single glance at her smiling face was enough to tell just how comfortable she felt. "Come on in, the water is perfect~" The only other occasion where Mash had seen her so relaxed was during their teatime. It was... really pleasant seeing her like this.

'

"Yes," Mash nodded, descending into the bath as well. But before she could even fully sit down, the warmth radiating from the water halted her completely. The Demi-Servant was genuinely shocked. She'd expected it to feel like any hot water, like when she was washing her hands, but the feeling caressing her skin was simply wonderful, to the point where she couldn't help but smile identically to the girl next to her. Letting out a sigh of her own, Mash sat down next to Ritsuka, "Ahh, this really is as comfortable as it looks."

'

"Oh, my~" Brynhildr hummed as she settled in as well. Her smile had once more lost the hint of sadness usually present in it, making the Lancer appear genuinely content. "I can't even remember the last time I got to enjoy such a comfortable bath."

'

"Neither do I." Having felt the stone enough, Medusa joined the others. "I really must thank you again for inviting us, Master."

'

Ritsuka just waved her hand dismissively as she leaned back. "Don't worry about it, and just relax." A recommendation Mash was afraid of taking a bit too far. The feeling of being embraced by the water was somewhat similar to laying fully covered in a warm bed, making her the slightest bit drowsy. Thankfully she had company with her, or she might've actually fallen asleep. As if on cue, the Demi-Servant's attention was fully captured as one of Ritsuka's legs rose to the surface momentarily, its smooth skin glittering from the dripping water before the redhead brought it back down and started massaging it. "This does some real good for my muscles after a workout. Who was the genius that decided that Chaldea needed something like this? Because I could honestly kiss them." A choice of words that confused Mash. She knew that was a saying, but why? Was getting kissed considered a reward or some-

'

"On that topic, there was something I was curious about, Master," Medusa suddenly spoke out, earning the Demi-Servant's full attention with her words. "As long as you don't mind, of course."

'

Mash's confusion rose to its limit. Why were they suddenly talking about kissing? Eyes wide, she turned back to Ritsuka, who let out a sigh. "I have a feeling I know what this is about, so just go ahead."

'

As Ritsuka gave her permission, Mash's eyes darted back to Medusa, bizarrely eager to hear both the question and the answer. "Very well, then. Frankly, based on your build, you seem more like a warrior than a mage." Oh... She'd meant the workout, not the kiss... Of course she did. Mash suddenly felt very stupid. Hoping to avoid the others noticing the extra flush on her cheeks, she lowered herself enough that everything below her nose was submerged. "Ever since I was summoned, I've found it rather peculiar, so I would be grateful if you could indulge my curiosity."

'

For the next few seconds, only the sound of water permeated the silence that fell over the group. As both Medusa and Brynhildr looked at Ritsuka expectantly, Mash raised herself from the water a bit. Admittedly, she was curious about her Senpai's level of fitness as well. A serious expression on her face, the redhead's lips contorted slightly and... "Pfft!" Any traces of severity were wiped away in an instant as Ritsuka threw her head back, laughter filling the area. The three others exchanged surprised looks at the genuine, heartfelt amusement she was displaying. "Aahahaha! A warrior? That's a joke if I've ever heard one. When it comes to something like that, I lack talent to the same degree as I do as a mage." Mash could only watch as her Senpai covered her mouth, doing her best to stop laughing. Still, her reaction wasn't completely unwarranted. While there existed people that could be called warriors in the world of magecraft, they were exceptionally rare in the current era. Admittedly, Mash did also find it amusing that her gentle Senpai could be suspected of being someone like that. It seemed that Ritsuka had gotten through most of it, letting out a snicker as she managed to finally calm down, shaking her head at the Rider. "No, no. It's nothing that exciting. The real reason for my physique is that I just like strenuous exercise."

'

Medusa and Brynhildr blinked in surprise as Mash rose a bit more out of the water. This was certainly an answer none of them had expected. "You... like it, Master?"

'

"Yeah," she nodded, an awkward smile spreading on her face. "Maybe it's weird, I've definitely been told that it is, but I like things like running until I'm just too tired to keep going. And then, during the next time, the feeling I get when I manage to run further than that last time is just the best. Me liking things like that is mainly the reason for my body being like this. It's not really an exciting story, but it is what it is."

'

Mash was... unsure what to think of this revelation. She'd always equated exhaustion as something unpleasant, which would ultimately be cured by rest. Finding enjoyment in such extreme exercise was just so alien to her. But, maybe she could someday understand if she kept spending time with Ritsuka. "Do you... Do you have any that you enjoy more than others, Senpai?"

'

The redhead tapped her chin, pondering for a second. "I don't really have any super notable favorites, but if we go purely by enjoyment, I'd say skiing and skating are at the top, though I also really like activities that need the entire body to complete, like swimming and rock climbing."

'

"I see." Mash withheld a frown. Of course, those were all activities she hadn't experienced personally, which just made her all the more invested in discovering them together with Ritsuka. While three of them were difficult to accomplish, one was at least a possibility. They couldn't go outside now due to the incineration, but maybe once this was all over, they could at least try skiing a bit right outside of Chaldea. While it wasn't much, there was certainly enough room between the buildings and the cliff face to do it. This was without a question an activity that went straight to Mash's 'Things to try with Senpai' list. Even if it took time, she would do her best to make it happen.

'

For the next few minutes, the four discussed this and that, while occasionally just enjoying the bath in silence. This had all truly turned out better than Mash had ever hoped. Her body felt so comfortable in the water, while her company kept her mind entertained. It was without question that she should invite her Senpai again some time in the future.

'

And speaking of, just then, Ritsuka rose from the water to her full height, stretching her arms and letting out a content sigh. "Ah~ This is great, but we also have a sauna waiting." Taking a step out of the bath, she grinned eagerly while pointing towards a glass door around ten meters away. "Any of you coming?"

'

Mash stood up immediately. There was no way she was missing this experience. "I will, Senpai."

'

"I as well," Brynhildr confirmed as she rose from the water as well. Her long hair swayed mesmerizingly as water dripped off of it.

'

Being the only one left in the pool, Medusa wasted no time following suit. "Perhaps I could as well. I'm admittedly curious as to what a sauna is actually like."

'

"Spoiler, it's amaaaazing~" Ritsuka grinned while leading the group, getting Mash's own smile to widen as well. Seeing her so happy for such a long period of time had by itself made this experience worth it. Close by the door, there was a container holding square, soft pieces of paper, meant to be sat on in the sauna, which each of the four grabbed one for themselves. As she reached the door, the redhead's smile intensified and she pulled the handle, unleashing a temperature completely incomparable to the rest of the area. The moment the door opened, a wave of heat washed over the group, catching Mash completely off guard. Not the heat itself, obviously, since that was only to be expected in a sauna. No, what was so shocking was just how high the temperature inside was, to the point where it stood on a completely different level than the warmth of the bath they'd just exited. But what was even more shocking was how Ritsuka just waltzed in and settled down on a bench, completely ignoring the absurdly high temperature. "Ahhh~ Now that's the good stuff~" she sighed with full contentment while leaning back, making Mash realize just how mistaken she was. She wasn't ignoring the temperature, she was enjoying it.

'

"Um, S-Senpai?" The Shielder called out uncertainly at her completely unperturbed Senpai. Even if she seemed content, the heat was quite extreme, so Mash wanted to make sure there was absolutely no danger. Looking around the space to locate a thermometer, her eyes scanned the wooden benches and walls, until finally noticing it and the hydrometer between the door and the kiuas. "Did you set the temperature too-" But upon seeing the actual level of heat inside, she fell silent from pure disbelief for several seconds, just staring at the thermostat mouth agape, only managing to find her words due to a possible risk to her Senpai. "80 degrees Celsius!? B-but you can cook food at these temperatures!" This was just insane! Of course, the three of them were Servants, so they had no issues with heat of this level, but Ritsuka was a human. "Senpai, are you sure you're feeling fine!?"

'

The redhead stared back at her, clearly confused by the question. "Huh? But this is the temperature where I usually go to sauna."

'

"...Eh?" Mash could only stare at her in disbelief. From the quick research she'd done, it was obvious that the Finns were avid lovers of sauna, but this just seemed excessive. All logic would indicate that spending time in temperatures this high would be unpleasant, yet Ritsuka seemed perfectly fine aside from sweating. The Shielder turned around to inspect the two still standing behind her, but they seemed fairly unperturbed as well. "Are you serious, Senpai?"

'

"...Yeah," she nodded, now starting to look a bit worried herself. "I, uhh... I thought you'd all be fine since you're Servants, even if you're not used to the heat..." Staring back at confused Mash, Ritsuka's expression shifted to guilt. "...Oh damn, did I mess this up?"

'

"N-no, not at all!" Mash quickly shouted, hoping to clear the situation. She'd just been concerned over the heat, and couldn't allow Ritsuka to feel guilty over a misunderstanding of causing her trouble. After all, if Senpai was really fine, there was no trouble whatsoever. "I was just surprised by the heat. It's not a bother in the least, since you're fine."

'

Thankfully Ritsuka seemed to understand her point, a smile returning to her lips. "Well, that's a relief." With the tension removed, the redhead patted the spot next to her invitingly. "Don't just stand there, Mash. Come sit with me."

'

An offer Mash was more than happy to accept. "Y-yes! Then, excuse me, Senpai." Pattering up the steps, she laid down the cover and took a seat by Ritsuka's side. It was then that Mash fully started to acknowledge what she was feeling herself, not just for her Senpai. She could feel the water on her still wet skin starting to evaporate, being replaced by sweat. The hot, yet extremely humid air she felt dancing on her skin and entering her airways with her breathing was a strange sensation, but not unpleasant. More than anything, it was interesting, new. ...And yet, she couldn't help but feel that she was missing something.

'

As Brynhildr and Medusa settled down as well, the former seemed to be enjoying herself quite a bit as she leaned back with her eyes closed, while the latter looked around curiously. "Strange... To think that we'd be feeling the temperature to such a degree." Hearing the words, Mash felt a jolt running through her at the realization. That's right, she was sweating. Like Medusa had said, she was feeling quite hot, which shouldn't be possible as a Servant. Even fighting by the fires in Fuyuki hadn't produced heat of this level, so something strange was definitely going on. "There must be a magecraft of sorts placed in this space to produce this effect."

'

But before the Shielder could speculate any further on the strange situation, Ritsuka just noted nonchalantly: "I'd wager on Da Vinci being behind it. No doubt she'd want to enjoy this as well."

'

"I see. That would certainly explain it," Medusa agreed, and indeed, Mash could definitely see the inventor doing something like that. So much for that mystery. "Still, this heat and humidity are quite an interesting way to relax. While I'm more than familiar with baths, saunas are a new experience to me. I believe they are quite common in your homeland, Master?"

'

Ritsuka immediately perked up at the question. Saunas really seemed like a favorable topic with her. "Oh, yeah. There's about 2.5 million saunas in Finland. It's definitely a lot when there's only a bit over 5 million of us living in the country."

'

Mash and Brynhildr looked at their Master in disbelief. There was seriously one for every two people? The Shielder had completely underestimated the finns' love for saunas. Even Medusa was dumbfounded by the sheer number of the constructions. "That is... Yes, that is certainly a lot."

'

"Well, most homes have a sauna, and basically every apartment building has a community one that can be used with reservation, kind of like this, minus the baths. And just like we have here, the best saunas are made of wood, while a kiuas has to have real stones in it. Oh, and while on that subject..." For the following few minutes Ritsuka kept telling her 'Fun Sauna Facts' to the trio, while the goddesses exchanged gazes from time to time, as if to affirm that their Master was still telling the truth and not making fun of them. Mash on the other hand found all this new information fascinating. To think that there was so much lore behind a room used to relax. From usage in childbirth, to housing Elementals, saunas were truly a marvelous creation, while Ritsuka was a real wellspring of knowledge on them. It was honestly quite inspiring. "And that's why it's good to slap yourself with birch branches during your stay in a sauna."

'

"I see..." Medusa muttered as Ritsuka finished her telling, still in disbelief over the sheer amount of information presented. Turning to her fellow goddess with an awkward smile, she seemed almost desperate to have someone else speak. "What about you, Brynhildr? While separated by time, your homeland wasn't too far from Master's own. Did you have something like this while you were alive?"

'

The Lancer nodded, a smile forming on her lips as she reminiscenced. "Well, they weren't quite the same, nor as comfortable, but we had similar spaces. They were especially important during winters, due to the bitter cold."

'

"I suppose that makes sense. That type of weather was hardly common in Greece, so having hot spaces like these wouldn't be a necessity."

'

"Speaking of, it's not too hot for you, right Mash?" Ritsuka asked, a hint of concern in her eyes.

'

The Shielder shook her head. She was admittedly sweating quite a bit, but not to the point of it being uncomfortable. On the contrary, she was enjoying the experience quite a bit. "Oh, no. While it's hot, it's... strange, but it's somehow pleasant." Her words failing her, Mash could only smile awkwardly while scratching her cheek. "Sorry. I'm not really sure how to explain it."

'

Ritsuka just smiled back, patting her head. "No need to apologize. Not everything you enjoy in life can or needs to be explained." Mash's eyes widened at the words, remembering how Dio had said something similar to her while giving his suggestion. Maybe there really was some logic, or lack thereof, in the expression... The redhead then rose from her seat, stretching her arms high above her head with a satisfied sigh. "But, we've been here for a while already, and after a hot sauna, a nice, cool drink tastes extra refreshing. I got some freshly squeezed orange juice from Emiya before my workout and put it in the locker room's fridge, so let's drink it after we're done here."

'

As Ritsuka offered her hand to help Mash up, she happily took it without hesitation. "Yes. That sounds great, Senpai." This really was a wonderful new experience.

'

'

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'

'

Medusa made her way through the corridors of the residential area, heading back to her room for the rest of the evening. Wearing a bathrobe and sandals lended to her, she was looking forward to getting some reading done after she got there. The juice their Master had insisted on her and Brynhildr trying as well had been quite refreshing after the bath, and the robe was soft and comfortable on her otherwise nude body.

'

All and all, this was quite a pleasant evening.

'

"Oho? Do my eyes spot an indescribably lovely beauty?" Was. It was a pleasant evening.

'

A tired frown forming on her lips, Medusa turned around to face the source of the voice. As she was unfortunately getting used to, Lemminkäinen was leaning on a wall a short distance away from her, a frustratingly beautiful smile on his face. Damn. She could literally see her room's door at this point. "I see that you still haven't learned your lesson."

'

"What's there to learn other than that you're hard to get?" Lemminkäinen shrugged, walking closer as if they were on good terms. "That just makes you all the more attractive."

'

Medusa let out a frustrated sigh at the familiar behavior. Over the course of their first week here, the Saber had approached her every single day, sometimes more than once, the subject same without fail. She actually hadn't seen him since yesterday morning, causing the Rider to hope that he'd finally learned his lesson, but it seems that her hopes were in vain. "Do I really need to-!" But as she started to remove her glasses, a shock ran through her eyes, getting her to quickly place them back on. Confused, the Rider took a proper look at Lemminkäinen standing in front of her, and realized the issue. There was something new about the man's appearance: a bloodred cloth, similar to a scarf, that wrapped around his shoulders and waist, its coloring distinct from his fiery coat. But even with a single glance, she could tell it was no ordinary cloth. Just the simple act of removing her warding glasses and looking in the Saber's general direction was enough to severely irritate her eyes, as if she had gotten sand in them. Had this man seriously...?

'

Realizing she had noticed his new accessory, the man's smile intensified. "Ah, you're wondering about this." Running his hand along the cloth, Lemminkäinen twirled a portion of it in the air. "Silk of Hiisi, crucial in combating against Mystic Eyes. Although it would be most effective to bind your head with it."

'

Medusa was admittedly at a loss for words. This man had seriously prepared something to block her Mystic Eyes, just so he could flirt with her. If nothing else, his persistence was quite impressive. But still, if he was capable enough to acquire something like this on his own, it just made his constant advances towards her all the more confusing. He had to know what she could do. "Why do you insist on spending time with me? I can be quite dangerous."

'

"Oh, you're definitely dangerous, I could sense it the moment we met," Lemminkäinen grinned, as if he had just given her a wonderful compliment. "But, your murderous intent is well contained, and nowhere near as horrid as that of the Hag. And unlike her, your beauty is without question first-rate."

'

Medusa instinctively clenched her fists as her frown deepened. She hardly liked what he had just insinuated right there, so her next course of action would depend on his answer. If 'hag' referred to who she thought it did, she could accept his claim. But if it didn't... "You speak of Louhi, the Witch-Queen of Pohjola?" she asked, getting a confirming nod in return. Letting go of the breath she had held, Medusa relaxed her hands as well. The answer had just spared them from a fight. Normally, the Gorgon would take a claim undermining her enmity as either a joke or the ramblings of a fool who didn't know any better, but here she was willing to take the man for his word. Even from what little she knew through the information she received during materialization, the Witch he spoke of was hardly someone to be taken lightly. Although, like he had mentioned, there was another notable detail about her. "...From the way she's described, she's apparently quite displeasing to the eyes."

'

The Saber visibly cringed, having no doubt just pictured her in his head. "Oh yeah. She's old as dirt and absolutely looks her age." Then his face shifted back to a confident smile impressively quickly, as if the last two sentences had never happened. "But, I'd rather not think about her when I have someone as gorgeous as you in front of my eyes."

'

Oh, but she wasn't letting him go that easily. While she might regret it later, Medusa had decided that she was going to get to the bottom of this man's reasoning. "You still haven't fully answered my question. Why are you so intent on me? I've turned you down so many times that you surely could have spent your time better in wooing some of the human women here in Chaldea."

'

Lemminkäinen chuckled at the question. "Assuming that we're just ignoring the fact that you're way hotter than anyone else here, that's exactly the reason. You keep turning me down." The Rider's mouth fell agape at the ridiculous reasoning, but he didn't let that stop him. "After all, a strong willed woman who knows what she wants is far more attractive than a lass who just lays down and spreads her legs. A lot more fun too," he added with a wink. "I intend on keeping this up until you decide to at least give me a shot. Then we'll see how things go from there."

'

Medusa was admittedly surprised by this revelation. She had just assumed that the man was purely motivated by his sexual drive, and while it was surely forming a large portion of his motivation, there at least seemed to be something more to his desire to spend time with her besides her appearance. Although, now that he'd said all that, another question popped into her mind. "And has that approach ever worked on anyone?" she asked with a cocked brow.

'

"Sure. Worked on my wife while I was still alive," the Saber admitted outrageously. "She was one hell of a spitfire. Probably why we got along so well."

'

Bragging about his wife in a situation like this... Every moment made it harder for Medusa to discern whether this man was brave or just an idiot. More than likely both. But still, returning to what he'd said earlier, it certainly was an interesting approach. Honestly, Lemminkäinen wasn't bad looking by any stretch of the imagination, she'd even go as far as to call him pleasing on the eyes, but his personality was... exhausting for the lack of a better word. If she could just get him to shut that mouth of his, (or put it to better use,) she might even enjoy having him around. And if he ultimately just wanted to sleep with her, fine. After all, she herself was hardly celibate by any stretch of the imagination. "Alright, fine. Follow me," she said, walking past the man towards her room and motioning him to follow. "I'll personally see if you're worth anything." Of all the possible ways to handle this annoyance, this was the one that took the least amount of time and effort. The Saber likely meant what he said, and wouldn't leave her alone unless she actually took him for a ride. In the case where he could live up to his reputation, she was in for a busy night. And if he really was worthless, this experience would at least scare him into bothering someone else.

'

A split-second look of surprise on the man's face was quickly blown away by an excited grin. "Oh, now you're talking!"

'

With a hiss, the door to Medusa's room opened and she turned to face the elated man. "A final warning." Locking eyes with him, the Gorgon's own smile would've scared away basically anyone at this point. "You will not be leaving this room until morning."

'

And like she'd come to expect of him at this point, Lemminkäinen matched her look without hesitation. "Wasn't planning to."

'

'

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'

'

Letting out a yawn, Ritsuka leaned back on her chair and stretched her arms. Her body had felt great throughout the morning. The sauna yesterday really had been awesome. She hadn't even realized how much she'd missed being in one until the moment she set foot inside. And fortunately, it seemed that Mash had really enjoyed herself as well. They would definitely need to go for another round before the first rayshift.

'

It was then that her doorbell rang, much like the redhead had anticipated. The timing was very precise, not even a full minute in advance of what they had agreed on. Placing her book aside, she quickly gave herself one final lookover to make sure she was presentable before calling out. "Come in, it's open!"

'

As the door slid to the side, Brynhildr's lovely presence took its place. Much like usual when they were alone, she was otherwise stoic, yet had a glint of nervousness in her eyes. "Master. I am here, as you requested."

'

"Thank you for coming, Brynhildr," she greeted, motioning towards a chair on the other side of the table. "Please, sit."

'

"...Thank you, Master," the Lancer bowed, doing as she was asked, but once she was seated, she cocked her head at the now smiling redhead. "...What is it?"

'

"Oh, nothing really. I'm just glad that you no longer freak out whenever I use your name."

'

Ritsuka almost immediately regretted her words as Brynhildr's pale face lit up like a wildfire. "I! That's...!" Gripping her arm in a familiar manner, she took deep breaths, trying to calm back down. The redhead was just about to get up to aid the Valkyrie, only to get stopped by a raised hand. After around twenty seconds of breathing, she seemed to be in a condition to continue their conversation, though a faint blush still colored her cheeks. "...Apologies, Master. But to answer your question, I suppose I simply got used to it due to everyone else referring to me as such. I still find it troublesome when it's used by... certain people, but I can at the very least deal with it."

'

"No. I should be the one to apologize," Ritsuka shook her head, withholding herself from bowing. She'd thought something like that would be fine, but apparently such minor affection was still enough to fluster Brynhildr. She had to continue treading carefully around her. "But, that's progress at the very least, so it's good. I..." The Master trailed off as she noticed her guest's eyes were no longer on her. Instead, they were locked on something behind her. "Hm? What are you...? Oh, the book."

'

Indeed, Brynhildr's gaze was currently focused on the book her Master had just laid on the bed. Or to put it more accurately, its title. "That book is about Medusa..." she muttered before turning her eyes back to Ritsuka questioningly. "If you wish to know something from a Servant's life, would it not be easier to just ask that Servant directly?"

'

Now it was the redhead's turn to feel abashed. "Oh, I do intend to do that," she explained, scratching her cheek. Damn this was awkward. Thank God it at least hadn't been a Norse mythology related book. "It's just, there are certain... well, issues when it comes to talking about a Servant's past."

'

The Valkyrie tilted her head. "Issues, Master?"

'

"Yeah. For example, I'm certain that some Servants would be more than happy to leave out some of their less illustrious moments, or alter them to some extent." Certain swordsman in particular. "And the bigger reason is that basically every Servant has moments that they would just be happier not remembering," she added, trying not to look at the woman in front of her with pity.

'

Upon hearing the answer, Brynhildr's confused expression shifted into a grateful smile. "I see..." It was Ritsuka's turn to stop herself from blushing. Damn, that smile was as gorgeous as ever. "You are very kind, as always."

'

"Please stop. That's just normal courtesy," she shook her head. It really wasn't that big of a deal. All one had to do to come to the same conclusion was not be a jackass. "Most people have their dark times they don't want to either talk about or remember." The Master definitely did, even at her age, so she didn't even want to imagine how many some of the Servants had.

'

But even with the reasoning, the Valkyrie's smile didn't lose any of its appreciation. "It is as you say, but that consideration for our feelings even as we're Servants is what makes you so kind, Master." Faced with such gratefulness, Ritsuka had no choice but to move her eyes from directly looking at Brynhildr. In response, the Lancer's own gaze fell to the table, a faint blush returning to her cheeks as silence took over the room. Ritsuka screamed internally. What even was this mood? Finally, after nearly a minute of painful silence, Brynhildr's eyes returned to the redhead as she tapped her fingers together awkwardly. "...Now then. Why exactly did you wish to... see me?"

'

Ritsuka let out a sigh of relief. Oh, thank God she got an out, as well as a chance to clear any misconceptions. Clearing her throat and straightening her posture, she took on the most official appearance she could as she started talking. "Well, it's about a few different things. First off, I want to thank you for helping Mash train. I know that she probably thanks you enough for both of us, but I really do appreciate it."

'

The Lancer's face brightened in an instant, as if the last minute never happened. "Oh, not at all. She's such a sweet, young shieldmaiden. As long as she keeps working as hard as she does now, she's certainly going to be a splendid Servant in the future."

'

An evaluation Ritsuka agreed with 100%, but that wasn't the topic here. Curiously, while Brynhildr seemed very happy when talking about Mash, she didn't show any of her... 'symptoms'. This was exactly what she'd been after. "About that... I've been wondering, do you not feel... anything towards her, like you do towards most others?"

'

"Ah..." The Lancer let out a gasp, clearly not expecting the question. "Um, no, I do not. This is all just very troublesome, how should I explain this...?" As she fell silent pondering over the answer, Ritsuka patiently waited without making a sound. Explaining one's feelings to someone was rarely easy, and urging them would just make it more difficult. After a while, the uncertainty vanished from Brynhildr's face, being replaced by the usual calmness. "Well, while Mash is doing an admirable job in battling despite her own fear of fighting, she simply lacks certain... heroic qualities that I find myself attracted towards." But that soon made way for a fond smile as she added: "In all honesty, she reminds me more of my little sisters than any brave heroes."

'

Ritsuka felt a weight being lifted off her shoulders. It was honestly really relieving to know that while Brynhildr liked Mash, it was in a completely platonic, non-dangerous way. This revelation also came with a bonus in the form of a blessed mental image of Mash with wings dressed in white, soaring across the clouds. "All right. In that case, we can move on, then." Unfortunately, that was the easy subject in their conversation. Putting on the most professional expression she could muster, Ritsuka looked Brynhildr straight in the eyes as she continued. "Brynhildr, if it's not too troublesome for you, I would like you to tell me why you sometimes act... well, kinda strange."

'

"...Strange, Master?" the Lancer repeated nervously, tapping her fingers again. "C-could you please be a bit more precise?"

'

But the redhead didn't fall for it. There was no way around this matter. She had to make absolutely sure that there were no misunderstandings between them. "You know, whenever you blush, grip your arm and mutter to yourself. Things like that."

'

Brynhildr flinched slightly, her gaze falling to the table. "I suppose it's inevitable that you'd notice..." she sighed, forcing Ritsuka to keep herself from rolling her eyes. It was honestly hard not to notice whenever she did that. Not that she still didn't feel bad whenever she looked as vulnerable as she did now. "It's just... Whenever I see heroes, I inevitably end up thinking of him."

'

Yeah, when she said it like that, there really was only one person that could be. "Sigurd."

'

"Yes..." Brynhildr nodded somberly. "...And that man, Emiya, reminds me of him the most out of all the Servants here..."

'

Ritsuka blinked in surprise at the reveal. That was something she hadn't seen coming. "Huh... Not my first guess." Honestly, the modern Servant would've been among the last had she been forced to guess. But, this admittedly roused the Master's curiosity on the matter. "So there are similarities between Emiya and Sigurd?"

'

The Valkyrie's eyes took on a somber, yearning appearance, as if they were looking at something far, far away. "Yes. There are several. The spirit of a hero. The way he seems so sad, yet is so kind. Partially, the color of his hair." Listening to Brynhildr listing the shared qualities, Ritsuka couldn't help but to be moved, even if she didn't fully understand what qualified as 'spirit of a hero'. Admittedly, the last similarity was kind of weird, but it was still pretty touching in a- "And the way he uses swords to fight enemies from a range."

'

Ritsuka's mouth fell agape, completely dumbfounded by the last part. Did... did she really hear that right? "Sigurd... Used swords as arrows...?"

'

Brynhildr began to smile as she shook her head. "Oh, no. Not like that." The amused attitude got Ritsuka to lightly giggle as well, mostly at her own ridiculousness. That had honestly been a pretty stupid question. Using swords to fight people from a range obviously meant that Sigurd threw them like throwing knives. While it seemed kind of crazy, that was the kind of stuff that great heroes di- "He throws them in the air and punches the pommel to propel them forward," the Lancer added, her smile not wavering in the least, and Ritsuka's brain proceeded to shut down. Sigurd...? Threw swords...? In the air...? And then punched the hilts...? To send them flying at his enemies...? She didn't even know where to begin with that. That was so stupid and so cool at the same time. She absolutely had to see that someday!

'

But still, there were more important things to worry about now. Shaking her head to clear her mind, Ritsuka did her best to ignore the last part of their conversation and return to the serious discussion. "Ahem! Alright, anyways. I think I understand your behavior a bit better now, Brynhildr. That's a really rough condition to live with. Is there something I could do to help you with it?"

'

The Lancer's smile faded, her gaze falling back downwards as she shook her head. "...I doubt it. This is an issue at the very core of my being. It is so ingrained in my existence that it's unlikely anyone could do anything about it, except my father, my creator, the great god Odin."

'

Ritsuka clicked her tongue in frustration. That wasn't the answer she had hoped for. She didn't care how smart Dio and Da Vinci were, they weren't jumping to Odin's level, so even if they could modify Brynhildr's Saint Graph, there seemed to be no way of getting rid of this problem. This whole thing could cause some real trouble in the future. If Brynhildr reacted like that towards those who reminded her of him, Ritsuka didn't even want to imagine how she would react upon meeting Sigurd himself. Earlier, she'd been hopeful they might actually summon him, but now... Gaining a powerful Servant might not be worth the infighting he could bring in his wake. "Alright. But if you figure out anything, let me know. At the very least, I try to avoid having you and Emiya fight at the same time."

'

The Valkyrie bowed with a grateful smile on her lips. "Thank you. That is more than enough, Master."

'

"Right..." Ritsuka muttered, wishing that she could do more, but this was something that would be way beyond her level even if she was a first-rate magus. No use mulling on it, so she was better off moving to the next topic. "Now, I also wanted to ask you about Cú Chulainn."

'

Brynhildr's face notably lightened up at the mention of the name, much like Ritsuka had anticipated. "Ah, the great hero of Ireland. What of him?"

'

"Well, it's just that you're treating him differently when compared to the others. You don't seem bothered by him in the least, so I was just wondering about the reason for that."

'

"Oh..." The cheerfulness drained from her face as the Lancer grew troubled once more. "I'm sorry, Master, but I really don't know what to say. He's without a doubt a great hero, yet I am incapable of feeling love towards him the same way I feel towards most of the Servants here..." Though Brynhildr still seemed confused, a faint smile formed on her lips as she kept talking. "I'm really not sure how to describe it. While I look at him, it's like the portion of him where I would normally see my beloved is... hazy or obscured, to the point where I'm unable to discern Sigurd, leaving me only able to see Cú Chulainn himself."

'

"Well that's definitely... weird." Honestly, Ritsuka didn't even know what to think about that. Could it have something to do with Cú being the son of the god of light, Lugh? That was the only possibility that came to mind, but even it seemed far-fetched. But back to things that could be explained, the smile had definitely caught the redhead's attention. "You don't seem that bothered by it, though."

'

"On the contrary, it's actually quite relieving," Brynhildr corrected, seeming genuinely relieved like she had said. "Being able to fight by the side of a hero without being constantly distracted is honestly very... comfortable. Above all, I consider it beneficial for my performance in battle."

'

"That's definitely good," Ritsuka agreed. The more allies Brynhildr could effectively fight alongside with, the better. Although it was another mystery, at least this one was beneficial. "I'll try asking whether Cú Chulainn himself knows anything about it later."

'

"Thank you. I appreciate it," the Lancer bowed again.

'

Taking a quick look at the clock, Ritsuka confirmed that they'd gotten through things faster than expected. She still had a good bit of time before the next training session, and since they were already together... "Now then, to return to a previous topic, I was wondering if I could ask about a few things in regards to your past, just to make some things clear?"

'

Brynhildr blinked in surprise, but was quick to smile at her request. "I would be happy to, Master."

'

'

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'

'

"Here's another one, Fou, you spoiled little thing," Ritsuka cooed while feeding Fou a piece of a rice cake. The fluffball laying on her lap munched down on it, clearly enjoying the belly rub she was simultaneously giving him.

'

"Kyuu!" he cried, rolling slightly to the side to guide her hand to the spot he liked the most. All the while, Mash watched the two with a widest smile on her face. Their shared teatime had quickly become her favorite moment of the day, and not just because of the delicious treats. She was quite sure that when compared to every other time of the day, her Senpai smiled the most during these meetings. Of course, she had never seen Fou as pleased as he was during the teatimes, but the redhead was a different case. Seeing Ritsuka happy like this... It made her happy as well.

'

Knock knock

'

A sudden pounding on the door got all three of them to look towards it. Ritsuka and Mash quickly shared a confused look. Didn't the visitor know about the doorbell? "It's open!" Ritsuka yelled, and the door slid open, revealing a tall man with red hair and a cheerful smile.

'

"Oh, hello Lemminkäinen," Mash greeted as the man walked in. At the same time, Fou hopped off of Ritsuka's lap and settled on her bed, effectively the furthest place in the room from the Saber. ...He really didn't seem to like him.

'

"Hey-" Lemminkäinen began to say, only to be silenced by a glare from Ritsuka. For a second, his eyes scoured the room, trying to find the reason for the sudden aversion, only to notice the two pairs of boots placed on a mat by the door. A smile returned to Mash's lips. Her Senpai was quite insistent on people removing their shoes in her room. Even if Chaldea's halls were anything but dirty, it seemed that the idea was what mattered the most. "Oh, right." Dematerializing his armored boots, the Saber was left with a pair of white, fluffy socks on his feet, which... actually looked very warm and comfortable, to be honest. As the Master's frown disappeared and she took a sip of her tea, he proceeded to walk to the table. "Hey there, Pomo and Mash. You two having a snack?"

'

"Afternoon, and yes, we are," Ritsuka nodded. "Did you need something, Lemminkäinen?"

'

"Yeah, here." Placing a hand in his coat pocket, Lemminkäinen pulled out one of Chaldea's tablets and handed it to the Master. "I met the Doctor while I was coming from the Simulator. He looked real busy and asked if I could give this back to you."

'

Ritsuka's face brightened up immediately, taking the device with a smile. "Oh, sweet. So I got the added memory and my full profile here now. Thanks for bringing it."

'

The Saber just shook his hand in return, grinning merrily. "Nah, no need for thanks. I'm having a pretty great day, so running a dinky little errand like this is nothing."

'

"Oh, did something happen?" Mash inquired, getting a nod from him.

'

"Well, right before I came here, I had a fight with Golden in the Simulator, which was awesome like always. That bastard is so freakishly strong, it's like I'm fighting a beast instead of a man." Ah, indeed. While Mash hadn't fought against Kintoki, she had fought alongside him many times, and his strength, together with his cheerful personality, made him a truly reliable ally. In all honesty, fighting against him sounded quite frightening, but Lemminkäinen seemed to have enjoyed it a great deal, judging by the widening grin on his face. "But of course, the real highlight was the morning and the night before it, when I spent one hell of a ride with a gorgeous-"

'

"FWEET!" But before he could go any further, a sharp, shrill sound suddenly pierced the air, startling Mash with its abruptness. Head snapping to her side to locate the source, she found Ritsuka with two fingers in her mouth, glaring at Lemminkäinen. "Yeah, I'm just gonna stop you right there. I'm pretty sure that neither of us need or want to know of your nightly adventures."

'

"Suit yourself," the Saber shrugged, getting a dry frown from his Master.

'

"I will."

'

Mash's eyes shifted between the two finns, nervously hoping nothing would start between them. Hoping to restore the previously harmonious atmosphere, she quickly tried to think of a new topic of discussion, only to find one in the device laid on the table. "Y-you said you got memory added to your tablet, right Senpai?"

'

"Huh?" Blinking in surprise at the sudden question, Ritsuka's expression brightened noticeably. "Oh, yeah. I've been gathering up info on all the summoned Servants. Aside from their histories and battle capabilities, I like to write down some possible tactics they could use in combination with each other." Mash started smiling alongside the redhead. That was something she'd definitely expect from her Senpai. As Ritsuka scooted next to her after picking up the tablet, she quickly opened the locking, the screen lighting up for them both to see. "Here, I could show you a fe-ah!"

'

As soon as the screen opened up, Ritsuka froze completely upon seeing the contents, while Mash looked at the presented information curiously. "Huh? This is your profile, isn't it?" It was obvious at a single glance, given how it had information like blood type and birthday listed on it. But, Mash's attention was drawn to the very top of the profile, the space where names were displayed. Specifically, to a new name that was placed between two others she was already familiar with. "Ritsuka Lemmikki Repo...? Is that your full name, Senpai?"

'

It was upon asking that question that Mash was faced by a most unexpected sight. Ritsuka, who was frozen in shock just a second ago, blushed furiously as she waved her hands around, as if unable to decide what to do with them. "Ah, no! I mean yes, but it's...!" As the redhead sputtered out words in a mess, Mash could only stare at the scene playing in front of her eyes. She had yet to see her Senpai so absolutely flustered, and it was honestly quite an interesting sight. But, there was a third person in the room, and he had no trouble taking advantage of the Master's disorientation to snatch the tablet from her hands, prompting her to shout in dismay. "Hey! Wait!"

'

Lemminkäinen held the tablet in his hands, out of the reach of his flailing Master, mouth agape in astonishment. "Lemmikki Repo..." the man muttered almost in a trance as he stared at the screen. But, the surprised look was wiped away by the most gleeful grin Mash had ever seen on his face as Lemminkäinen turned to Ritsuka. "Lemmikki Repo?"

'

The Shielder could only watch in disbelief as her Senpai's face grew redder still, glaring at the Saber in a way that made it clear she was genuinely upset. "...Don't you-"

'

"Aaaahhahahahahaa! Seriously!?" Lemminkäinen cackled, slapping his knee as the redhead practically shook from anger. "Oh, this is the best thing ever!"

'

"S-shut up!" she screamed, snatching the tablet back. At this point, the blush on Ritsuka's face practically matched the color of her hair, though whether it was from anger, embarrassment, or both, Mash had no clue. But, it was obvious that she was absolutely irritated by the man howling with laughter in front of her. "Sulje nyt se turpas jo, Lemminkäinen!"

'

After cackling for nearly a minute, the Saber had managed to mostly calm back down, leaning on a wall and wiping a tear from his eye. "Ahh... Now that's a cute ass name if I've ever heard of one." He then turned to face Ritsuka with the same gleeful grin as before and said: "No, kelles sä sitten kuulut?" Afterwards, he began to laugh again while the Master screamed at him in a way Mash couldn't follow. While she had learned a few of the more common modern languages, Finnish wasn't exactly among them, leaving her unable to understand the exact meaning of their words. Though there was one thing she was sure of: Lemminkäinen was without a doubt teasing Ritsuka.

'

"Get out of here!" the redhead finally screamed, pointing at the door while attempting to slap the cackling Saber, until he finally ran out of the room. Only after the door closed did the laughter cut out, leaving Mash, Fou and Ritsuka alone, the Master's outraged breathing the only sound discernible.

'

The Demi-Servant was at a loss for words, trying to comprehend what had just happened. What had Lemminkäinen said that frustrated her Senpai to this degree? She knew that it had something to do with her middle name, but that was it. As Ritsuka drudged back to the table, she collapsed onto her chair, face buried in her hands. Mash still didn't know exactly what to say, so the best thing she could think of was try to understand her grievance. "Um... Senpai? What was that about?"

'

"Ugh, please just forget about it," the redhead groaned, sounding more tired than Mash had ever heard before. "That was just Lemminkäinen being an idiot over my name."

'

"Well, yes, I got that part. I'm just not sure why he did it." At this point, she only had a single theory. "Lemminkäinen... Lemmikki... They are rather similar. Was it due to something like that?"

'

"Huh?" Ritsuka suddenly uncovered her face, looking confused, until a spark of relief ran through her. "Oh, right. You didn't understand what he meant." Appearing genuinely relieved, the redhead straightened her posture and wiped some sweat off her forehead. "No, that has nothing to do with it. They just sound similar, but that's it. They don't share a meaning or anything."

'

"I see..." Mash muttered as her gaze fell to the desk, honestly a bit disappointed. To think that there was something that bothered her Senpai to this degree. She was curious as to what it was, but only so she could avoid any future troubles it might bring. Not understanding the issue just left her vulnerable to repeating it.

'

Seeing the Demi-Servant so discouraged, the redhead let out a sigh. "...Alright, fine. I can see that this is bothering you, so I'm sharing a bit. Just..." While nowhere near as intense as before, some of the earlier blush returned to Ritsuka's cheeks. "Just please don't spread it around too much. It's embarrassing."

'

Mash's face brightened in an instant. She wouldn't let this show of trust go to waste. "Very well. If it makes you uncomfortable, I will keep your secret, Senpai." Even if she tried to hide it, she was admittedly quite excited over this new development. After all, keeping each others' secrets was an act conducted between friends who truly trusted each other. ...At least from what she'd read.

'

Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, Ritsuka leaned over the table in a display that surprised Mash, her eyes wide as she pointed at them. "The reason I was given the second name 'Lemmikki' is because of my eyes. You see, lemmikki is the Finnish name for the flower 'forget-me-not', and the shade of yellow at the very center of the flower perfectly matches the color of my eyes."

'

Mash was... honestly dumbfounded. "That's the reason?" she made sure, getting the final confirmation as Ritsuka nodded, still blushing as she sat back down. "Oh..." She honestly didn't know what to think. Why in the world was her Senpai so embarrassed by this? To her, it was quite a lovely name, and showed the care of Ritsuka's parents in choosing it. Putting on the most reassuring smile she could, Mash reached over the table and laid her hand on top of Ritsuka's. "Well, I think it's a cute name with a lovely reasoning behind it."

'

"Uhh... You sound like my mom," the redhead groaned, pulling her hand away as she covered her face again. "Please, just don't spread it around, alright. It's embarrassing."

'

Mash just kept smiling reassuringly, the thought of letting others know not having even crossed her mind. "I already gave you a promise, Senpai, and I don't plan on breaking it."

'

Looking truly grateful over such a minor thing, Ritsuka let her hands fall to her sides as she leaned back on her chair. "Thank you, Mash. Now let's-ah!" The redhead was startled as Fou, who had been hiding on the other side of the bed, suddenly reappeared as he landed on her shoulder. To make up for it, the little fluffball snuggled against Ritsuka's cheek, getting a giggle out of her. "And thank you too, Fou, for trying to cheer me up. Now, let's forget that ever happened and get back to our teatime."

'

"Yes." As Ritsuka scratched Fou from under his chin, Mash quickly checked the state of their tea to make sure it hadn't gone cold. "Thankfully the pot is still warm, even with that distraction. Let me pour you another cup, Senpai."

'

Offering a cup towards her, Ritsuka smiled slightly tiredly. "Thanks, Mash. I could really use it now. That, and hope that the idiot doesn't spread my full name around too much."

'

'

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'

'

By all definitions, Medusa was having a good day. In fact, starting from the lovely bath last evening, the following night and morning had been shockingly enjoyable, to the point where it was as if she was filled with energy. She had certainly not expected to enjoy the night she spent with Lemminkäinen anywhere close to as much as she actually did. That man had definitely proved himself to be more than just talk in her eyes. If he ever wished to pay her another night visit, she was hardly opposed to the idea. But, even after they parted ways in the morning, the day up to this point had treated her well. She'd just finished her swim in the Simulator, and was now heading towards the library to grab a few new books. As she drew closer, she could feel a distinct presence coming towards her from a few corridors away, her eyes catching the orange hair with a sidetail soon afterwards. And judging from the direction she was walking from and the small bag hanging from her shoulder, they'd unknowingly shared plans. "Afternoon, Master. Did you come from the library?"

'

Ritsuka nodded with a smile. "Yeah. I went to pick up some books on the time period the First Singularity is located in. Good to know where you'll be traveling, you know?"

'

Medusa herself felt her lips curling upwards. Not just the last day, but most of the time she had spent in Chaldea had been quite pleasant, and in no small part to this girl. She really had been fortunate to be summoned by such an amiable Master. She was hardly a traditional mage, but that was a boon in the Rider's mind. "You're working as hard as always."

'

"I'm just trying my best to be as prepared as possible," the girl disagreed, but Medusa knew better at this point. What she lacked in magical aptitude, she made up in effort. Although, at the moment, Ritsuka was looking at her a bit strangely. But before she could question her, the Master spoke out first. "Did something happen, Medusa? Today you seem more... I don't know, sprightly?"

'

"I suppose my mood is better than usual," she admitted. While she hadn't actually tried to hide it, it was quite pleasant that the redhead had taken notice of her body language. "I spent the last night with Lemminkäinen."

'

Ritsuka's jaw practically dropped. "You what?" For nearly ten seconds, all the Master could do was stare, seemingly attempting to find words that were doing their best to avoid her grasp. Medusa had yet to see her this shocked, and it was honestly kind of cute for her composure to crumble to this degree. Well, considering the interactions between the two Servants thus far, basically anyone would be surprised by the news. Finally calm enough to speak, Ritsuka pinched the bridge of her nose as she grumbled: "...So that's what he was so happy about."

'

"I had a surprisingly pleasant time. He is quite tolerable once he stops talking," Medusa chuckled, licking her lips. An act that caused Ritsuka to jolt. "In fact, that mouth of his is quite wonderful if he uses it for something other than talking for once. Just thinking about it makes me want to-"

'

"C-could you please stop!?" Interrupted by the sudden yell, the Rider turned to her Master in surprise. Only for her intrigue to spike upon seeing her blushing face. "This... This really isn't something I need or want to hear."

'

The encounter had taken an unexpected, yet fascinating turn. This was a side of Ritsuka she had yet to see. A mix of embarrassment... and desire. She quite liked it, since it was so fitting of a girl her age. And after seeing her make a face like that, Medusa couldn't help but to tease her a bit. "Your face says otherwise. My, Master. If you're that interested, I could always ask Lemminkäinen to spare some time for you as well~"

'

"Huh?" In an instant, all hints of the previous embarrassment disappeared from Ritsuka's face, being replaced by unmistakable distaste. Even the blush had completely faded as she seemed genuinely insulted. "Don't even joke about that. Why in the world would I want to spend time with him in that manner?"

'

Medusa blinked in confusion at the split second mood shift. "You... You weren't thinking about him at all, then?"

'

Ritsuka gave her the dryest look imaginable. "I'd be willing to pay to block him from my memories sometimes, but otherwise, I don't really care for him too much." There wasn't even a hint of deceit in the Master's voice or body language. She was definitely telling the truth, unless she was the greatest liar ever. "Sure he has a pretty face and is strong, but we're completely incompatible."

'

"I see..." Medusa muttered. So she had been wrong after all. This was a curious development. But, if Ritsuka really held no interest in Lemminkäinen, that meant... A sly smile spread on the Rider's lips as another possibility popped into her head. This was something she had to ascertain right away. "In that case, allow me to apologize, Master. It was wrong of me to imply something like that."

'

"Oh, don't worry about it." Waving her hand dismissively, it seemed that the redhead really wished to forget all about the exchange. "It was just a joke, so we can just move on and forgeeeeeeeh!?" Unfortunately for her, Medusa was not yet ready to drop the subject,

'

In the blink of an eye, she had closed the distance between them and effectively trapped Ritsuka between her and the wall. With one hand pressed against the wall robbing the bewildered girl of yet another escape route, the Rider gently placed the other on Ritsuka's chin, leaning on her lightly. "No, really. You must let me to make it up to you, Ritsuka~"

'

At the sensual mention of her name, the blushing Master's eyes widened. She had clearly not expected such intimate contact. "I-wha, huh!?" The confusion on the girl's face only increased along with depth of her blush as Medusa laid one of her hands on Ritsuka's thigh, rubbing it gently through the fabric. The limb was muscular and strong, yet still held a pleasant feminine softness. It admittedly got the Rider a bit excited. Her theory was basically confirmed at this point. "What are you-!?"

'

Raising the hand from her chin, Medusa instantly silenced Ritsuka by placing a finger over her lips. "It's just that your reaction bothered me a little," she shushed, thoroughly enjoying the maidenly reaction of her usually composed Master. Their faces were so close that their noses were nearly touching at this point, and the rest of their bodies very much were. Medusa pushed her leg forward the slightest bit, her knee separating Ritsuka's legs as she felt her breasts spread out from pressing against the redhead's own. A most fitting description for her at the moment, seeing how the blush had spread all the way to the tips of her ears and neck. "You see, you clearly appeared stimulated a moment ago, yet you were obviously disinterested in Lemminkäinen. For a second, I thought that I might have simply been seeing things, and imagined the look of desire on your face~"

'

Ritsuka stayed quiet, unable to speak while her mouth gaped like that of a fish on dry land. As Medusa pushed even closer, the girl's gaze fell on her squashed breasts, the interest in her eyes obvious even through her embarrassment. "M-Medusa!?"

'

"Unless, of course~" Still stroking the Master's thigh, Medusa leaned fully on her, getting a noticeable twitch as she moved her mouth closer to her ear. "you were thinking..." Her warm breath tickling the blushing, red ear, her tone enticing enough to drive most people mad, she delivered the final words in a beguiling whisper. "...of me~?"

'

Ritsuka's entire face lit up like a bonfire, to the point where her head matched the shade of her hair almost perfectly. It was honestly quite impressive. "A-a-aaaa!" While her mouth still gaped like a fish, at least she was actually making sound at the moment. Medusa pulled back just enough to fully see Ritsuka's face properly. She was quite excited to see how the girl would respond once she managed to compose herself. But her smile quickly made way to confusion as Ritsuka started smiling as well. "A-ahahahaa! S-seriously! I told you to stop joking around like that, Medusa!" With a surprising amount of strength and speed, the Master pushed her back slightly, making just enough space between them to slip out of her grasp, and bolted a few steps away before rubbing her neck and laughing awkwardly. "Well, uh... I've got a bunch of work to do, so I'll just... I, um, will be seeing you... Alright, bye!" And with that, Ritsuka dashed off in a full on sprint, disappearing behind a corner before Medusa could fully grasp what had just happened.

'

"...Hmm. A slippery little rabbit, isn't she?" The smile returning on her lips, the Rider kept her eyes on the corner Ritsuka had disappeared behind. This whole situation had turned out far better than she had hoped. "Well, I suppose she isn't exactly little. That girl is like a strong hare. Fast, tough, but still timid."

'

Of course, she had noticed Ritsuka eyeing her from time to time, but at first, she'd thought it was over caution of her true identity. And yet, over the course of her stay, she'd spotted the Master's gaze on other women as well, ruling out that possibility and giving birth to another, one that she personally suffered from. Seeing how tall Ritsuka was and her muscular build, Medusa had suspected she had desires matching her own: to possess a smaller, daintier body. But even if that was still a possibility, she had now found out the true, main reason for her Master's behavior. And that reason was far more interesting than what she had imagined, to the point where she still couldn't stop smiling even after Ritsuka had run off.

'
Oh, this little revelation had just made Medusa's stay in Chaldea quite a bit more enjoyable.

'

'

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'

'

What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!?

'

Rushing into her room and locking the door behind her, Ritsuka sank on the floor, her breathing and mind both in complete disarray.

'

What the hell just happened!?

'

Medusa had been so close! Way too close! Way too much bodily contact! Way too much... detail! She'd touched her chin, her lips, her thigh! Her warm breath in her ear together with the words had almost driven her crazy! And when they pressed together, even through her clothes, Ritsuka could tell that her breasts were just as soft as they look-

'

Slap!

'

Ritsuka slapped herself so hard that she fell over, the merciless stinging managing to hide the heat from the blush completely. But it was better this way. What the hell had she been thinking!? And again, what the hell just happened!? Medusa had just-What!? She had touched her-What!? She had said-What!?

'

Scampering to her closet on all fours, Ritsuka threw aside everything in her way until she found a paper bag and started breathing into it. She had to calm down and try to block all these thoughts away until she had steadied her breathing. She might honestly pass out if she didn't compose herself.

'

After nearly a minute of hyperventilating, the redhead had finally managed to get her breathing and heartbeat at least somewhat under control, but her mind was still a mess, trying to comprehend the encounter she'd just had. Ever since that time, Ritsuka had done her damndest to steel her heart against any sort of flirtations from beautiful women, so that she could keep her calm even in the most sensuous of situations and not just let them lead her on a leash... But that was only against normal women, not someone like... like her! She was honestly surprised that she hadn't turned into a complete mess, despite how she felt like she was going to have a heart attack. ...Seriously, what was with that woman? She really was a monster, joking about things like that, given how stupidly gorgeous she was.

'

But, as Ritsuka stood up from the floor, another, terrifying idea popped into her head... What if she wasn't joking!? Like, ancient Greeks were pretty cool with stuff like this, right!? And Medusa herself at least seemed interested. So there was a possibility that she actually...

'

"Aaaargh! No, no! Stupid! Stop!" she screamed, falling on her bed and burying her face in the pillow. Why was she even entertaining the thought, since it was obvious that she was just being teased. Why would someone like Medusa, who was just so jaw droppingly gorgeous that she could get basically anyone she wanted, be interested in someone like her? Answer: she wasn't, and she was just playing around, trying to get a reaction out of her. And damn had it worked.

'

Letting out a sigh, Ritsuka sat up and picked her laptop from the desk. It was a bit early, but she could probably take an hour or so to watch some shows before dinner to distract herself from what had just happened. Although, to distract herself from something like this, she'd probably need to watch something completely crazy like parts of Decade.

'

'

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'

'

"Wait, you seriously slept with that Snake woman? Again!?" Cú Chulainn confirmed in disbelief, getting a nod from the man grinning on the other side of the table. The druid let out a sigh while pinching the bridge of his nose. This was getting ridiculous. When the Saber had first told him of the nightly adventure he'd shared with Medusa three days ago, he'd just been surprised. But now, the Caster seriously questioned his sanity. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

'

"What's the problem?" Lemminkäinen asked, still grinning without a hint of hesitation. "She's gorgeous, has incredible curves, and is nicely strong willed..."

'

"And terrifying, and literally a monster," the Caster added with a deadpan. While there was no denying the Rider's looks, in her case, the risks definitely outweighed the reward. Getting involved with goddesses, even ones that had lost effectively all their divinity, was just asking for trouble. And yet, even after going through the experience once, Lemminkäinen had gone for a round two with the Gorgon, and still didn't regret it. Cú had to admit, when it came to this specific subject, the Saber was a braver man than him.

'

As if he hadn't even heard the druid's additions, the grin on the Saber's face intensified, giving him a wink. "And on another hand, I've definitely confirmed that the rank of her Riding is indeed A+."

'

Cú nearly choked on his drink. "Pfft. I'll give you that one, you bastard."

'

"Guys? We've kinda got a game going on here," called the third man on the table, Kintoki, looking somewhat bothered by the current subject. "I don't mind conversation, the game would be pretty damn boring without it, but don't forget to roll the dice once it's your turn."

'

"Oh, right. Sorry about that," the Caster apologized, taking the dice offered to him. "Let's get back to it." Modern day sure had a ton of different kinds of gambling. Just thinking about all the people who'd spent who knows how many years inventing different games and rules was pretty staggering. At least here in Chaldea, they usually stuck to dice or the same cards, so things didn't get too confusing. Games of luck were hardly Cú's forte, but when it came to this group, he didn't have too much trouble. The Berserker had the highest luck of the trio, and even that was C Rank, so the difference hardly mattered. Of course, they also always made sure that the Saber would seal his fortune enhancing Noble Phantasm whenever they played. But, right when he thought that, he ended up rolling the dice for the final time on his turn, ending up with no useful combinations. The Caster clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tch! Nothing."

'

Lemminkäinen looked at the useless row of cubes and shook his head sympathetically. "Not a good day for ya." Usually, Cú would take comments like that with disdain, but he made an exception when it came to this guy, given their similar levels of luck. After all, the Saber had suffered a pretty devastating loss at last night's poker game, and it was hardly the first time.

'

"By the way, I found another one of those magazines that showed off different types of motorcycles," Kintoki noted to Lemminkäinen with an excited grin. "Wanna check it out later?"

'

"Really? Hell yeah! Let's see if we can make some of them in the Simulator later," the Saber cheered, drinking deeply from his bottle. "Ahh! Modern day booze really is great. There's so much variety, and so far, most of them have been pretty damn tasty."

'

"Damn straight," Cú nodded, taking another swig himself. The Servants in Chaldea effectively had a 'refreshment allowance', which meant that they were given a certain amount of snacks and/or drinks of their choice once a week. Something about it being useful in 'keeping up the morale.' Some Servants had been a bit hesitant at first, but given the honestly absurd amounts of food stored in the facility, the higher ups had assured them that there was no trouble in sharing the snacks, so they ended up accepting. And the trio in the room had all put the vast majority of their allowances into alcohol, since it was obviously the best choice. "Ahh... Who'd've thought that when Servants get summoned to stop a world ending crisis, we'd get to live this comfortably?"

'

"Yeah, but I'm itching for some real action already." Giving voice to the desire burning within all three of them, Kintoki rotated his shoulders. "We're supposed to start the actual battle the day after tomorrow, right?"

'

In response, Lemminkäinen raised his bottle towards the middle of the table. "Right! And when that happens, we'll be blowing away any beasties that think humanity would just go down without us Heroic Spirits fighting back!"

'

"Golden!" the Berserker cheered, clinking bottles with him.

'

"Hell yeah!" Joining his own bottle in, Cú took a long swig as he laughed with his new friends. He really was fortunate to find such fun company during this summoning. Had these two lived during the same era as him, they would've gotten along great with the other Knights of the Red Branch.

'

Emptying a bottle, Lemminkäinen handed the dice over to the Caster, the most obnoxious grin on his face. "Now, let's get back to rolling. I've got a game to win." The man had confidence to spare, and in this case it was actually well earned. Each round just made his victory all the more likely. And as Cú proceeded with his rolls and got absolutely nothing of worth, the difference just grew.

'

"Damn it!" Looking at his list of combinations and the added points, the druid frowned. This really wasn't his day. No matter how he twisted the numbers, he wouldn't be able to win after these two miserable last rounds. The gap was simply too large at this point. Letting out a deep sigh, he snapped his fingers and reduced the paper to ash. At the very least he hadn't bet that much on this game... "Alright, I'm out. No way for me to catch up at this point."

'

Locking eyes, or in the Berserker's case sunglasses, the remaining two were getting fired up. The Saber's eyes seemed to practically blaze as he took a hold of the dice, a wild grin splitting his face. "It's just the two of us, then."

'

"A golden duel!" Kintoki nodded, matching the grin of his opponent.

'

"You're on!" The next few minutes all but confirmed the validity of Cú's choice. He would've had to play absolutely perfectly to even catch up to the due, much less beat them. Still, a little heated competition from time to time kept things fresh. Although as Lemminkäinen finished another bottle, the Caster had to wonder if he was using the alcohol to cool himself off or add more fuel to his fire. "Speaking of duels, I managed to finally have one with that Kojirou guy yesterday. He's one hell of a fighter for such a dull guy."

'

Now there was a topic that brought a smile to Cú's lips. While he hadn't been there to witness the duel in person, he'd definitely heard the outcome. The Caster turned to Lemminkäinen with a smirk, fully intent on exploiting this rare chance to take a jab at this mountain of confidence. "Didn't he decapitate you?"

'

"Yeah, but that's just 'cause I wasn't taking him seriously," the Saber nodded shockingly casually. Cú was genuinely surprised that he wasn't fuming for a better excuse, or swearing revenge in a rematch. "Since I could sense barely any magical energy from the guy, I figured he was just another dumbass who thought that having a bigger sword gave him an advantage, but damn was I wrong. Damn near shat myself when he pulled that special move of his. How the hell does someone even do that without magecraft?" A question the Irishman had asked himself more than once. "Next time, I'm going all out from the start. The best way to beat that thing is just not giving him the chance to use it in the first place." In hindsight, hearing the Saber say the same thing he had said in Fuyuki all fired up like that really made Cú reflect on how obvious of an answer it really was.

'

"Damn. This is getting really tight," Kintoki muttered as he finished his turn, marking his points down. The game was just about done, and either of them could win at this point.

'

"And here's the finale!" Grabbing the dice for himself, Lemminkäinen grinned with excitement as he rolled them, landing a pair of 2's, a 3 and a pair of 5's. The Berserker audibly gulped as his opponent bumped his fist in the air. This was one hell of a starting roll. "Oh yeah, come to daddy." By the end of his second roll, he already had a 2, 3, 5 and 6, and with the final roll of his remaining dice, was left with a 4. Kintoki groaned as the Saber raised his hands in victory. "Hah! Large Straight! Good luck beating that one, Golden!"

'

Kintoki took the dice with a serious, yet hopeful look on his face. The odds of him winning were low, but not nonexistent. Shaking the little cubes in his hand for a good ten seconds, he finally let go with a battlecry. "Come on! Golden roll!"

'

Yet unfortunately, his first roll provided nothing that could be used to close the gap between the duo, getting Lemminkäinen even more fired up. "Yes. Yes!" At the end of the second roll, all that the Berserker had going for him were two sixes. His chances of victory were growing slimmer by the moment, and the redhead was enjoying every second of it. "Yes, yes, yes!" Leaving the pair of sixes on the table, Kintoki took a deep breath as he unleashed his final roll, the tension in the room reaching its peak. "Yes, yes, yes, yes-NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" As the dice finally stopped, the Saber's fists collided with the table with enough force to dent it, while his enraged scream shook the room. Cú burst out laughing at the response, not that he could blame the man too much for reacting like that. Sakata Kintoki had just managed to roll the sole combination that allowed him to barely snatch victory in the game, taking home the prize. The dice on the desk all had six dots on top, a Five Of A Kind, or how it was called in this game:

'

"Yahtzee! A real golden victory!" The Berserker's teeth were shining as brightly as his golden accessories as he grinned victoriously. It really had been one hell of a finale.

'

"PERKELE!" Lemminkäinen screamed, fingers digging into his skull as he held his head tightly. "Two points! Two damn points!"

'

Looking at the two opposite responses to the ending, Cú's laughter intensified as he patted the loser on the back. Lemminkäinen really had the best reactions, no matter the outcome of the game. "Hah! Can't win 'em all, pal." However, the Berserker's celebration, the Saber's fuming, and the Caster's laughter came to a quick halt as the screen by the bed gave off a few quick flashes and dinging sound. The trio's eyes were on the device in an instant. "Hm? Doesn't that mean...?"

'

The question was answered as they were greeted by Dio's voice. [How's it going folks? Your resident Spaniard Genius here for an invitation for Ritsuka and all the Servants.] The three's faces were split by identical grins as they exchanged excited glances. There really was only one thing this could be if it involved everyone. [As you all hopefully know, our first Rayshift will be going down in two days, so we'll be holding a mission briefing in exactly two hours from now. Make sure to be in the Main Auditorium by then, unless you want to look like a dumbass during the mission.]

'

As the transmission cut off after the short message, Cú turned back to his two friends. "Seems like we've got plans."

'

"Oh, hell yeah," Lemminkäinen cheered, sharing a high five with Kintoki. "But, we totally got time for a few more games. I've gotta win back what I just lost."

'

Kintoki stopped smiling, looking at the Saber awkwardly. "Oh, dude..." Turning to the side, he pointed at the bottles next to the man. They were completely empty. "Since you drank those, you just bet the last of your booze on the game I won, though." The smile Lemminkäinen wore on his lips was wiped away in an instant at the realization. Gambling with something actually on the line just made the whole thing way more exciting. And, given that alcohol was one of the few things they owned as Servants, it was only natural they'd ended up using bottles and cans as bargaining chips. The Saber had apparently had a 'good feeling' at the start of this game, and had bet basically all of his liquor on it, while drinking the remains during the rolling. Honestly, had the last turn not ended up like it did, Cú would've actually congratulated the man.

'

Without a word, Lemminkäinen got up with a blank look on his face and walked to the door. Only when it hissed open did he turn his head back towards the two. "...I'll see you in two hours." And with that, the Saber left the room. Though right before the door closed, Cú heard him mutter: "At least I still have coffee."

'

'

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'

'

5 minutes early, Ritsuka got to the Main Auditorium, Mash right by her side. From what she could tell, most of the Servants were already inside, which was good. This briefing would be absolutely crucial, so anyone trying to play hooky would be up for a serious scolding.

'

"Here, Senpai, let me," Mash said, pressing the door button as soon as they reached it.

'

"Thank you for your arduous commitment," Ritsuka giggled as she walked in, followed by her now blushing junior. The space itself was quite large, with its descending seats capable of accommodating maybe around three hundred people by her estimation, though only the two lowest rows were currently being used. She could only wonder why they'd decided to hold the briefing here, considering there were only twelve people participating. While Roman, Dio and Da Vinci were setting something up on the stage, the Master was pleased to see that all of her Servants except one were present. Cú, Kintoki and Lemminkäinen were in their usual group in the second row, while Kojirou, Brynhildr and Medusa were seated on the first, the Assassin sitting a short distance from the others. Huh. Surprisingly Emiya was the only one not here yet.

'

As the two descended, some of the Servants turned to look, most notably Medusa. Ritsuka had to do her damndest to keep calm. For the last three days, she'd done her best to avoid interacting with the Rider, and aside from a few quick glances from a distance, it had worked. But how the hell did it come to this? She had been making some progress with getting used to Medusa's presence, but that single interaction had completely undone it all, making it worse than when they'd first met. And as if reading her mind, the Gorgon's lips curled into a playful smile before she unleashed a wink, nearly stopping Ritsuka's heart. She could feel heat seeping into her cheeks as she struggled to control her breathing. Distraction! She needed a distraction! Something to move her thoughts away from Medusa! Literally anything would do at this point!

'

And as if God himself decided to give her a break, Ritsuka's eyes found a target that would distract her even if she wasn't desperately looking for one. As the redhead stopped on the second row, Mash following right behind her also came to a halt. Before she could ask anything, her eyes followed those of her Senpai right to Lemminkäinen, who was busy tinkering with a curved piece of metal and some string. "What are you doing?"

'

The Saber turned to look at them, then glanced at his two friends before turning back, clearly confused. "What's it look like? I'm making a bow."

'

"No, but, why are you making a bow?" Ritsuka deadpanned.

'

Lemminkäinen looked at her as if she were a complete idiot that had just asked the most obvious question imaginable. "To retaliate against enemies attacking from a distance." His eyes shifted between the two girls while Cú and Kintoki chuckled by his side. "Do bows just no longer exist in this era, or what?"

'

"Of course they do, but..." Ritsuka sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She honestly couldn't tell if this man was serious or just screwing with her. "Can't you just use your magecraft in a situation like that? Isn't that your forte?"

'

The Master had expected a pompous confirmation, which is why it came as a surprise that the Saber shook his head. "I won't deny that, but firing an arrow is a lot quicker and easier than using a combat spell over a long range." Even his friends seemed surprised by the straightforward reply. And honestly, Ritsuka couldn't disagree with that logic. In addition to what he'd said, it even used less magical energy, so unless he was facing something really strong, the bow just was a more efficient form of attack. As if to make his point even more solid, Lemminkäinen twirled the incomplete bow in his hand, showing it off. "Plus, you have some real nice materials here in Chaldea. This metal is both strong and light. Good for weapons."

'

"I didn't know you possessed skills even as an archer, Lemminkäinen," Mash wondered, obviously impressed. ...Ritsuka really wished she hadn't said that.

'

And as if it had never left, the Saber's egotism made a comeback, made obvious before he could even reply by his smug grin. "Well, you know me, I can do pretty much anything." The Master would've actually been quite sure that she didn't know, but given that this was Mash, she had probably already done a thorough research on the man during her spare time. "Though while I have the skills needed for the class, I never really had any special bow or arrow, and the rest of my feats just eclipse my accomplishments as a bowman," he added in a way that was clearly made to sound modest, but just further stroked his ego. And yet, it was where he had screwed up.

'

A grin grew on Ritsuka's lips as Lemminkäinen mentioned his archery feats. At this point, she really wanted to knock this man down a peg or seven, and fortunately, he had just provided her with the perfect set-up for it. "Isn't the most famous tale of you using a bow the one where you failed to shoot your quarry because you got your ass kicked?" she asked with a cocked brow, catching the man completely off-guard as he nearly dropped his bow.

'

As his friends looked at him in a combination of curiosity and amusement, the Saber didn't even try to hide his frustration as he shouted at her. "It was a damn sneak attack in the back! It doesn't count as me getting my ass kicked!" But despite the fury they faced, Ritsukam Cú and Kintoki all started to laugh, while Mash's gaze shifted between them, as if trying to figure out what was so funny.

'

But fortunately for Lemminkäinen, a sudden distraction appeared as the door of the auditorium opened, catching the attention of the group. The final attender of the meeting walked in, descending the stairs in his usual red attire. Noticing Ritsuka, Emiya looked at her apologetically. "Sorry for cutting it so close, Master. I had to get some preparations done in the kitchen before coming."

'

In response, she just waved her hand dismissively. "Well, even if you're the last one, you still got here in time, so there's no harm done."

'

"Alright settle down, kids. The class' about to start," Dio announced as he, Da Vinci and Roman all walked to the table at the front of the room and took their seats. In response, Mash and Ritsuka left the still fuming Lemminkäinen behind and took seats on the front row, Emiya following suit. Seeing how everyone was seated, the Spaniard nodded approvingly. "Now, before we begin, does anyone have any questions?" The Master immediately raised her hand, thinking it was better to get the question bugging her out of the way as soon as possible. "Alright, Ritsuka."

'

"Why are we here? I'm pretty sure a conference room would've been large enough for this."

'

Judging from the looks on some of the others, they too had held the same question, but Dio just shook his head and raised two fingers. "Two simple reasons."

'

As if they had expected this, Da Vinci continued immediately. "The size adds a grander feel to it all, and the benches are more comfortable." The inventor's voice was full of confidence, as if the reasoning had been nothing less than the absolute truth. The audience's reactions ranged from amused smiles to eye rolling, the Master being among the latter. "Anything else?"

'

"...I'll just shut up for now," Ritsuka mumbled and crossed her arms in defeat. She really should just stop questioning those two on matters like this.

'

Roman scanned the room with his eyes, seemingly satisfied with the way it had quieted down, before turning to the man on his left. "In that case, we're ready to begin this mission briefing. Dio, if you could?"

'

"On it." With the press of a button, a screen matching in size those present in most movie theaters lit up. Projected on it was a quite detailed map of France, with several locations such as cities and rivers highlighted. "And here's our destination: the First Singularity, located in France, June 1431."

'

Upon the timeframe confirmation, there was some light murmur among the Servant groups, with Ritsuka honing in on the month in particular. That alone gave them a lot of information. "June? So that means..."

'

"Right. This Singularity came into being after Jeanne d'Arc was already dead," Dio confirmed. "Which leaves my guess where 'her closest allies sought retribution for her unjust death and managed to cause a nationwide rebellion' all the more likely." A deduction that most of the Servants seemed to concur with. The Master also agreed, since it seemed like the most logical conclusion given the circumstances. But before anyone could get too convinced, Dio added: "That, or she rose from the grave and started a zombie apocalypse. Honestly, with a Grail in the play, basically anything is possible."

'

"You can say that again," Emiya sighed, getting a confused look from Ritsuka. That had sounded... strangely veteran. Then again, given that he was a Counter Guardian, he'd probably dealt with some unbelievable mayhem. "Hopefully it's that first one. Would make dealing with the mess a whole lot easier."

'

Da Vinci nodded in agreement. "Certainly, if it was something as simple as taking the Grail from a rebellious army, we could handle the situation in a day or two."

'

"But I doubt we're gonna be that lucky. Best to expect at least a few Servants opposing us, likely that overgrown leprechaun too," Dio noted, and unfortunately, his point was the most likely case, and everyone in the room agreed. Seeing the unspoken concurrence then turned to the inventor with a grin. "Besides, one should never underestimate the destruction an angry, overzealous army of christians can cause."

'

The Caster rolled her eyes, her smile growing a hint more playful. "Alright, that's a fair point."

'

Romani just shook his head in amusement. "Indeed. Now, let's move on to our primary objectives and-"

'

"Wait a second." All eyes turned to Emiya as he called out, looking at the trio on the stage skeptically. "Is that it? That's all the information you've got on the Singularity?"

'

The three exchanged self-conscious looks, clearly aware of how much their information was lacking, before Da Vinci started to speak. "Unfortunately, yes. We have no way of getting accurate information from the outside. All we can ascertain is the time the Singularity takes place in, and the Humanity Foundation Value it possesses. For anything more, we need a Master to actually be present in the time period as our anchor to it."

'

A troubled murmur filled the area again, and Ritsuka felt a chill running through her spine. She'd known that there was limited information, but this was very limited. They were basically jumping into uncharted territory, and for all they knew, there could be an enemy army surrounding them the second they landed. Then, Cú Chulainn raised his hand. "So our field commander will also be acting as a scout?" he confirmed, clicking his tongue upon getting a nod from Da Vinci. "Seems pretty damn risky to me."

'

"Absolutely," Dio agreed. "And that's why we originally had 48 Masters instead of just one."

'

"Yes..." Roman mumbled, melancholy taking over his features for a moment before steeling himself again. "But, to get back on track, your primary objectives are, first: Investigation of the Singularity. We need to gain an understanding of how exactly the past has been altered before we can start to repair it." On cue, an image of a grail appeared next to the map. "Second: Locating the Holy Grail. Even if you correct history, leaving the Grail will put us back to square one. You must either secure the Holy Grail, or destroy it, though we recommend the former. Who knows what kind of ripples destroying a Grail could create in an already unstable period of time."

'

"And third: looking for clues on the leprechaun," Dio added, getting troubled looks from those who had actually seen the man. "It's likely that he's also present in at least one of the Singularities, so keeping an eye out for the bastard is highly recommended."

'

"About that..." Ritsuka called out. This was certainly a touchy subject. She'd picked up on it over the past week, but just mentioning Lev's name had become a taboo of a sort among the staff. It was clear that they were all quite frustrated, and for good reason. She'd only met the man on the day everything went down, but the others had known him for years, making his betrayal that much more painful. "Do we still have any clue as to what exactly Lev is? Or that we actually can beat him?" The latter being her primary concern. Brynhildr's reaction to him had been so severe, that Ritsuka really hoped they'd learned at least something about him. Anything that could give them a clue on how to beat him would be welcome, no matter how slight.

'

But those hopes were dashed as Da Vinci shook her head. "No idea, unfortunately. We do know that he's strong at least, to the point where it's extremely difficult for any single Servant to be able to defeat him."

'

Thankfully, Dio was quick to raise the morale back up. "Fortunately, we do have a lot of firepower on our side at the moment, given how many powerful Noble Phantasms the Servants here have, so victory is not exactly impossible." Ritsuka blinked in surprise. That... actually was a fair point. Rudimentary to the point where she hadn't even considered it, but fair nonetheless. No matter how strong Lev was, getting blasted by several of their strongest Noble Phantasms in succession was bound to do something. Although, that didn't mean they should just rush him Noble Phantasms blazing, which was something the Spaniard also quickly added. "But we should still be careful and gather as much intel as possible before trying to confront him."

'

"Exactly," Roman nodded, looking at Mash and Ritsuka with a smile. "But, that's it for the main objectives, so let's move on to some more supplementary tasks that should make your jobs at least somewhat easier. After the Rayshift, you should try and locate a leyline and make a summoning circle. Just like you did in Fuyuki."

'

"For supply transportation, right?" Cú confirmed, getting a thumbs up from the Doctor.

'

"Yes, but that's only a part of the reason." He then turned to look at the two geniuses sitting by his side. "I trust that you two are going to take it from here."

'

"No problem," Dio grinned before turning to the audience. "Now then, let's get some basics out of the way for everyone's convenience. Those of you who've actually read the Rayshift guide present in every room, raise your hand." Ritsuka was quick to raise hers, and as expected, Mash was quick to follow suit. Aside from them, Brynhildr, Medusa, Emiya, and surprisingly Kojirou all raised their hands, which just left... Of course. Soon all eyes were on the trio of friends inhabiting the second row. While they all looked a bit sheepish in response to the stares, only Kintoki seemed genuinely sorry. Ritsuka didn't say anything, just gave them the driest look she could manage. She wasn't surprised, just disappointed, and she wanted them to know that. Frowning at the homework skipping delinquents, Dio let out a sigh and handed... something that looked a lot like a high value bill to now grinning Da Vinci. Wait, did they seriously bet on this or something? "Honestly better than I had expected, but whatever. When someone is Rayshifted, there's a limit to how much stuff can be sent together with them." The Spaniard then proceeded to lift a large backpack from under the table, turning it slowly in his hands so that everyone could get a proper look. Putting the 'homework bet' out of her mind, Ritsuka eyed the baggage, fittingly colored the same as her Mystic Code, mostly white with black straps and a Chadea logo, overall large enough to reach from the back of her head to her lower back. "Specifically, about this much. While certainly enough to hold some gear and foodstuffs, that's all you're getting until you secure a leyline." It wasn't much, but definitely better than nothing. Since they were improved with magecraft, the backpacks should hold at least twice as much material as their physical appearance would suggest, so there shouldn't be much worry when it comes to food and water for at least a few days. "The main reason for securing a leyline is simple: Establishing a fixed, stable anchor in the era. As long as we have that connection, we can siphon mana to Chaldea from it, send magical energy to the Servants more efficiently, and send supplies anywhere in the Singularity as long as there's a summoning circle in place to receive them. Of those three, the second is the most important for us, given how we only have a single Master." Ritsuka could feel all eyes in the room moving to her for a second. Yeah, no pressure or anything. At least it only lasted for a second, as Dio snapping his fingers brought the spotlight back to him. "We discussed this a bit with Cú Chulainn back in Singularity F, but it's helpful if you all know just how you receive your magical energy while in Singularities. Now aside from the obvious, Ritsuka, Chaldea will constantly supply you with a magical energy flow through our connection. The strength of this flow depends on two things."

'

Now it was Da Vinci who raised two fingers as a sign. "One, whether or not we have anchored on a leyline, and two, your distance to Ritsuka." Ritsuka's eyes widened as an animated video of sorts appeared on the screen, depicting an admittedly adorable stickfigure version of herself, Mash and the explaining Caster. There was a visualized stream between the Master and Servants, like a river, flowing faster between her and Mash, who stood closer, and noticeably slower between her and Da Vinci, dwindling even further as the distance increased. They'd really taken 'simple but effective' to heart when making this demonstration. "Unlike in Fuyuki, you should have a clear connection to Chaldea with Ritsuka's coffin, so that you'll have at least some magical energy support at all times, amplified even further with a leyline anchor, meaning you should have no risk of running out of juice unless you stray too far from her and/or do something crazy."

'

Lemminkäinen raised his hand with a grin, prompting Ritsuka to sigh before he even asked the question. "Define crazy." Of course he'd been the one to ask that.

'

"Like Emiya rapidly firing powerful projections, Medusa constantly charging with her pegasus, or Brynhildr amplifying her body with runes and Mana Burst at the same time while using her Noble Phantasm. That crazy," the mage smirked, quieting down any further inquiries. The redhead had to hand it to Dio, he knew how to quickly get a point across when he wanted to. "Now, with the connection the distance obviously matters, so the further away you get from Ritsuka, the slower the flow becomes. And as a reminder, since the path provides you Servants with a steady, constant stream of magical energy, so if you try to draw faster than what it provides, the rest of the energy needs to come from Ritsuka herself. Be careful about that." In the last part, Mash gave Ritsuka an apologetic look, with the redhead giving her an encouraging smile in return. Yeah, the Master didn't really like remembering the incident either, given how out of it she'd been, but considering that without it they would've all died, it had hardly been Mash's fault. "I'd use the example that she's like a router, but since the audience consists mostly of Servants, they wouldn't really get it. That's also why this video was made," Dio finally sighed, getting confused looks from most of the Servants, while Ritsuka had to agree with the analogy's accuracy.

'

"I doubt we'll need to go too crazy, since we've got a whole team of powerhouses here," Lemminkäinen noted, getting a lot of agreeing nods from around the room. "I'd say we could take on even a divine spirit with a lineup like this." Ritsuka could only smile at the Saber's usual confidence. Yet that smile was instantly wiped away as she turned back towards the stage and saw the conflicted and disbelieving expressions of the three presenters. ...This was a bad sign if she'd ever seen one.

'

"Wait, wait, what are you talking about?" Da Vinci called out, gaining back the attention of everyone in the room. Her usual smile was gone now. Yup, definitely a bad sign. "We can't send out all of you at the same time. Who told you that nonsense?"

'

Lemminkäinen blinked in surprise before exchanging looks with his two friends, both equally confused. "Um... Well, no one. It was never really stated how we would fight, so we just kinda assumed..."

'

"First off, never assume. It makes an ass out of u and me," Dio was quick to point out, prompting the inventor next to him to sigh. Yeah, this really wasn't the time. "But damn, you seriously thought you were just going to roll into the singularities with the force of eight Servants?" As the Spaniard's eyes scanned the room following the question, most of the Servants ended up meeting his gaze confirmingly, prompting him to slap himself in the forehead. "Jesucristo... No wonder some of you seemed so confident."

'

Ritsuka turned to look at the Servants seated around the area. While they showed it to varying degrees, they all were thinking of the same thing. And since nobody else had done it, she let out a sigh and spoke out. "I figured. But since it never really came up, how many can I bring with me?" She was honestly dreading the answer a bit, but it needed to be asked.

'

"Well, since Mash has her own coffin, sending her will be easy," Da Vinci informed with her usual smile, yet in this context, it seemed kind of frightening. As anticipation in the audience grew, the Caster gave the awaited answer, still smiling brightly. "So in addition to her, we can send one Servant with you."

'

Ritsuka was pretty sure she could've heard a feather drop with how quiet the auditorium got. The revelation had certainly been something, to the point where about half of the Servants dropped their jaws. And oh boy, was the answer way worse than what she had imagined. She exchanged a quick look with Mash, and the girl looked... scared. Not scared for herself, but the redhead, which was a reaction Ritsuka could hardly fault her for. She'd expected to be able to bring at least two Servants with her, but this? This was just... "What the hell!?" Lemminkäinen yelled out, effectively taking the words right out of the Master's mouth. "So the rest of us are just gonna sit here waiting while Pomo, Mash and one of us are out fighting!?"

'

"Yeah," Da Vinci nodded, still smiling as if she was giving them good news.

'

"Yup," Dio agreed, looking like he really enjoyed the reactions. In stark contrast to the smiling duo, Roman rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Hardly surprising, since most of the Servants were getting quite heated at the revelation, glaring towards the stage with obvious contempt. The two 'geniuses' really could've handled this whole portion a bit better.

'

"What's the point of summoning so many of us then?" Cú called out, looking more confused than anything. "And how come you're only able to send one of us? Even if there's only one Master currently, shouldn't you be able to send like 48 of us Servants to Singularities with our Masters?"

'

Those were actually some good questions, both of which had been on Ritsuka's mind as well. And it seemed that Dio agreed, seeing how he got serious again. "Alright, on your first question, we can recall a Servant from a Singularity and replace them with another one if necessary, so it's hardly a waste to have some of you here as backup." And a good answer for a good question, to the point where the heated Servants actually calmed down a bit. Thinking about it, it would be good to have the ability to switch Servants in case the current one had bad compatibility with an enemy they were fighting. And, obviously, if the Servant with them got injured. "As for the other, it's because of the damn way the Rayshift system is set up. It's been a serious pain in the ass for both Da Vinci and I for the past two weeks."

'

"To reiterate, it's due to a limitation in the system itself," the Caster in question added. "Rayshifting someone into a Singularity and keeping them there without their existence being lost is fairly complicated, and you know it's a remarkable achievement when even I'm impressed by it." Ritsuka withheld a groan as Da Vinci puffed out her chest at the last part. Her ego was certainly something, but the point still held. When something got praised by one of the greatest minds in human history, it had definitely earned it. "Whenever a Master is sent into a Singularity, as long as their Servant is in Spirit Form right by the coffin, they would get pulled in by their contract during the Rayshift, resulting in both of them arriving together. However, there was never supposed to be a Master contracted to multiple Servants, which is where the problem lies. We're trying to make the system do something it wasn't designed to. And with machinery as complicated as this, serious problems start to arise."

'

Well, that cleared things up a bit. While there was still more gray area than anything else, Ritsuka wasn't going to start demanding a more thorough explanation. She couldn't understand even a percentage of the whole process, so she wasn't going to start arguing over it. Hell, even with Da Vinci's explanation, she still wasn't really sure what made it so hard. But thankfully, Dio was there to deliver the final piece. "Think of the whole Rayshift process like weaving a fabric, so with multiple Servants getting transported at once, it's like different types of fabric are getting mixed together, forming knots and making a mess. Or maybe like fishing, and we're ending up with multiple lines getting tangled together, stopping us from reeling the catch in." And with that, Ritsuka effectively got the whole picture. While she'd taken textile craft lessons back in middle school, she was still an amateur when it came to the profession. But even then, she understood the frustration of threads getting knotted well. Judging by the expressions of the Servants, they were much the same, with the fishing metaphor seeming to have been especially effective on a certain trio. But just as the explanation had come to a successful conclusion, the Spaniard let out a deep sigh and frowned. "And sorry about this, but I'm gonna vent a bit, 'cause it's just an absurd pain in the ass! This is what happens when you build shit with hyper-specialized functions! They fail when you need them the most! And it's not even impossible to send multiple Servants with the system, but the way it's set up is just... Aarrgghh!"

'

A few chuckles escaped from the audience, and while she herself stayed quiet, Ritsuka had to agree that Dio's genuine anger at the machinery was quite amusing. The Caster next to him seemed to particularly enjoy the show, but a hint of empathy in her smile showed that she still agreed with his rant. But, not everyone shared the opinion, most notably the girl sitting next to her who raised her hand. "E-excuse me?" As Mash called out nervously, Roman and Da Vinci turned to her while the Spaniard kept his fists clenched and eyes on the table. "If my inclusion is due to the existence of a coffin, I believe it would be beneficial if a Servant more capable than me would use it to accompany Senpai to-"

'

"Won't work." An answer Dio delivered with such firmness that Mash didn't even try to continue. "The coffins are built for organics, and even if you're a Demi-Servant, you still qualify as one. Trying to send a pure spirit made of ether like a Servant with a coffin would just confuse it." Faced with such absolute reasoning, the Demi-Servant lowered her hand back down sheepishly, something that Ritsuka was grateful for. If he hadn't opposed the idea, she would've. "Besides, even if in terms of pure combat performance, you're the weakest Servant here, your Noble Phantasm is extraordinary when it comes to defensive power, which makes it invaluable on a mission like this."

'

"I expect that you have something planned to rectify this flaw?" Emiya spoke out, completely ignoring the exchange that took place while asking the question on everyone's minds. "I'd feel far more assured knowing that Master has more than two bodyguards accompanying her at all times."

'

Dio let out a sigh, letting out the last of his frustration. "Obviously. I have a partition working on it at all times, but with everything going on, it hasn't been a priority job. Between getting the reactor and the Rayshift system itself to work at maximum efficiency, we've had our hands full. We can't just estimate when we'll make a breakthrough on modifying the system, and we really don't have time to waste on uncertainties like that at the moment." The answer seemed to satisfy the Archer, as he gave an acknowledging nod. Ritsuka also had to agree. While Rayshifting multiple Servants was without a question important, it was hardly useful if they couldn't Rayshift in the first place. ...Although, what was that part about a partition? Was it magecraft related? Technology related? It wasn't that relevant at the moment, so she could put it aside, but it might be good to find out at some point.

'

"But with that, we can also move on to the second supplementary task: Locating and recruiting any possible Servants as allies," Da Vinci chimed in, positive as always. "We were lucky enough to have Cú Chulainn assisting us in Fuyuki, so it's entirely possible for the same to happen in France."

'

Now there was something Ritsuka wished to be able to be just as positive about, and much like her, the rest of the crowd was also mixed. From positive Mash by her side, to completely neutral Emiya. "Yes, with a Grail involved, it's not much of a stretch to imagine Servants getting summoned. Having more allies would definitely be reassuring."

'

"Exactly," the genius nodded, though her smile took on a hint of caution. "However, the opposite outcome is also quite likely."

'

"That they'll be enemies," Cú added with a serious look. If anyone knew about that possibility, it was him.

'

As most of the other Servants nodded in agreement, Dio chimed in. "I'd say that depends mostly on the individual, but it's kind of a coinflip case. There are certainly Servants that don't exactly have the strongest moral compass." Thankfully, he didn't look at anyone in particular. Who knows what that might've started.

'

But, that didn't stop Lemminkäinen from making his usual, boisterous reply. "If there's someone stupid enough to try and stop us on a mission like this, we'll put 'em down just like mad dogs should."

'

While the notion wasn't entirely wrong, Ritsuka got the slightest bit worried as the Saber exchanged fistbumps with his two companions. Clapping her hands loudly to get the attention of everyone in the room, the redhead directed her gaze at the trio in particular. This was a case where she had to interject as a Master, before things had even a chance to end up too wild. "While I don't really disagree, let's at least try to talk to them first, even if someone does attack us. History is full of skirmishes that started due to mistaken identities. We could use all the help we can get, and I don't want to lose any just because of a misunderstanding."

'

Faced with Ritsuka's reasoning, Mash smiled at her amiably, while Lemminkäinen just shrugged. "Fine, fine. You're the Master after all." ...She had a feeling she would need to remind him of that rule more than once in the future.

'

At least Emiya gave her an approving nod. "While we can't count on it, more help would always be appreciated." Then, he turned back to the three on stage. "Now then, France is a fairly large country, which means that we have a lot of ground to cover. Where will we begin our search?"

'

With a press on his keyboard, Roman made a dot appear on the northeastern corner of the map. Soon enough, the map zoomed in to better show off the area around it. "We plan on making landfall by the village of Domrémy, in the Lorraine region of France. Specifically, a short distance away from it. Don't want people going full witch hunt on us for appearing out of nowhere." Yeah, getting hunted down by random locals was something Ritsuka very much wanted to avoid. Although, the name of the village sounded somewhat familiar. But where had she heard it...?

'

"Kinda out of the way..." Cú Chulainn mumbled, rubbing his chin. "Why start from that village? Shouldn't we try from somewhere near the middle of the country?" At this point, Ritsuka was really thankful that her Servants knew how to ask important questions.

'

Now Da Vinci pressed something on the keyboard, getting a bunch of images that looked like old paintings to pop up next to the map. "What makes this village so important is that it's where Jeanne d'Arc was born." And that answered that question, while also explaining why the name had sounded familiar. "Given the timeframe, it is extremely likely that Jeanne d'Arc is somehow linked to this Singularity's distortion, whether it be directly or not, so it's also one of the best places to start investigating."

'

"Along with Orléans, which is about 285 kilometers to the west-south west. With that distance, a Servant wouldn't have much trouble reaching it within a few hours," Dio continued, adding another dot on the map. As much as she didn't enjoy being luggage, Ritsuka had to admit that it was the fastest method of travel they had. But if she had to choose between Mash carrying her and some other Servant doing it, she'd most likely choose the latter, depending on the Servant. Their size difference just made it super awkward. "If Jeanne's supporters have rallied, the village is a place they would definitely desire to 'keep safe from the infidels', while Orléans itself is a major river trade port, making it useful for gathering information."

'

"Which is something we're crucially lacking," Emiya nodded, turning to the redhead. "I suppose in that case, the most important task remaining is for Master to choose who accompanies her and Mash on arrival."

'

In the next instant, Ritsuka felt all eyes in the room on her. Why'd Emiya have to put it like that? "...I'll give it some more thought after this briefing is over. I've been going over this in the past week, but there's still a lot to consider." Technically, after much contemplation, her choice had already been narrowed down to three possible Servants, but she wouldn't let anyone know that at this point.

'

"About that, we actually have something that should make the choice a bit easier." Da Vinci's sudden reveal moved all attention back to the stage, something she clearly enjoyed judging by her grin. "We talked about this a little on the evening you returned from Singularity F, and now's the time for a full explanation." Ritsuka's thought process came to a halt, a sudden hopefulness growing inside her. That could only mean.

'

Dio raised a thumb and winked at her, as if reading her mind. "That's right! It's time for a lecture on Saint Graph Ascension!" The map suddenly disappeared while Roman's exasperated sigh was drowned by the suddenly blaring fanfare from speakers all across the auditorium. All lights in the room were turned completely off, leaving only the screen on the stage as a title appeared on it, accompanied by colorful explosions. 'Saint Graph Ascension 4 Dummies'. A charming title to be sure.

'

Ritsuka and Mash shared an amused smile at the spectacle, while the Servants could only look on in confusion. The sole exception being Brynhildr, who had been present during the initial meeting, now appearing the slightest bit enthusiastic herself. As the music finally died out, Cú was the first to speak up. "Wait. There was some talk going around about Chaldea having a way of strengthening us Servants... You telling me it was legit?" A question that roused some excitement among the Servants, surprising Ritsuka. Huh. So there had been at least a rumor going around about the Ascension procedure.

'

"Oh, absolutely," Dio grinned, causing the excitement from the crowd to flare up. "We've been getting all the necessary equipment together for the last few days, and we're finally ready to use them."

'

Da Vinci took point, rising to walking in front of the screen as text appeared on it, accompanied by matching pictures. "Saint Graph Ascension is a reform for Servants to become stronger by coming closer to their 'starting point of conception'. Of course, the more powerful that starting point was, the greater the effect. Aside from the straight up increase in strength, while it mostly depends on the Servant, it's theoretically possible for you to unlock things that would normally be sealed away, like a particular Skill or some equipment." ...Admittedly, everything she said was the very basics Ritsuka had already learned, but given that literally half of the people in the room weren't present during the first time, the recap was basically mandatory.

'

And speaking of, the Servants hearing of this the first time were growing rowdier with basically every word, including the more reserved ones. Even the usually quiet Kojirou seemed intrigued. But without a question, the most stoked for all of this was Cú Chulainn. The man's eyes were practically on fire as he rose from his seat, staring at the speakers eagerly. "You think I might get my spear back?" Yup. Figured it'd come to that.

'

"Honestly, that's really unlikely," Dio noted apologetically, killing the Caster's exhilaration in an instant, to the point where Ritsuka felt a bit bad for him. "If you were a Rider and already had access to it, Ascension might unlock its full potential, but as a Caster who doesn't have it in the first place? The chances are almost nonexistent. It should improve your physical Parameters quite a bit, though."

'

While Cú's hopes had been practically crushed, there were at least some hints of gratitude on his sulking face thanks to the latter part. And they only increased as Da Vinci continued. "For something like that, we'd have to convert you to a Lancer, which is a whole different beast entirely. And impossible, currently." Now there was something that managed to excite everyone even further, including Ritsuka. So even changing classes was a possibility? That could be seriously useful for some other Servants in addition to Cú Chulainn. The druid's hopes were rapidly climbing up towards their previous peak, but in the face of his resurfacing exhilaration, the genius raised her hand haltingly. "Don't get too excited. We might get equipment built to accomplish it in the future, but it's certainly not a priority job when compared to everything else."

'

"Yeah, of course," he murmured, sitting back down with arms crossed over his chest. Still, there was some hope present in Cú's eyes now that he knew the possibility of reclaiming his spear actually existed. If nothing else, it was relieving that the man actually had patience to wait for said possibility, instead of urging them to rush along with the preparations.

'

"But, back on track, the strengthening itself is the part you're most interested in, I assume?" Dio asked, as if it was even needed based on everyone's reactions. "What a shock. Well, the process does more than just increase strength. Ascension increases all of the attributes from endurance, to reflexes, to how much flow your magical circuits can handle, making a Servant a superior version to their previous self in basically every way." Though as the excitement began to rise again, the Spaniard raised a finger, almost as if were scolding them. "But don't overestimate the degree of change. If you were to battle your unaltered self, you would no doubt notice the difference, but even after being Ascended to your limit, you still wouldn't be able to defeat an opponent you previously stood no chance against." The rowdiness died down slightly from his words, but was still very much present. Ritsuka wasn't really affected, considering she'd figured it was limited by something like that. Still, every bit of extra fighting power helped, so she wasn't going to undermine the results.

'

"Now, on to how this all actually works." As Da Vinci moved the screen forward to the next part, along with the text appeared a cute animation of a stickfigure that ate something that looked like jewels before exploding into a muscular version of itself. "First, we prepare a Servant in a suitable environment, then we pump their Saint Graph full of magical energy filled materials until it reaches its absolute peak, and finally, we strengthen it so that the previous peak becomes a natural state. And that's Ascension in a nutshell."

'

"That sounds really simple," Emiya noted skeptically, giving voice to some doubts that had haunted Ritsuka for a while. "It can't be that easy."

'

"Obviously that was a simplification," Da Vinci confirmed with a smirk, hands resting on her hips. "The actual process involves varying procedures for each individual Servant and is overall an extremely precise operation akin to surgery. Of course, we can provide a thorough walkthrough of the process to anyone interested, but it'll take a few hours, so only ask for one if you're genuinely interested." Ritsuka withheld a giggle as Emiya's face shifted to reluctance upon being confronted by such a proposal. Everyone else also suddenly seemed a lot less curious about the specifics of the procedure. Not that the Master could blame them. Putting the boredom aside, she would more than likely be completely lost within the first minute. Accomplishing her desired result without a doubt, the satisfied Caster turned back towards the screen. "And back to the lecture. Saint Graphs can be Ascended up to four times. Trying to do it in fewer times than that might cause something to break."

'

Kintoki raised his hand, looking a bit anxious. "Like... what?"

'

"Alright, example time." Obviously waiting for someone to ask this given his excitement, Dio pulled an empty balloon from his pocket, presenting it to the audience. "Think of this balloon as a Saint Graph. Now watch as I fill it to its current limit." Blowing air into the balloon, he inflated it to the point where it seemed like it could pop with the lightest touch. But instead, blue circuitry ran along the air bag's surface, indicating the use of reinforcement. "And, strengthened. Now, let's take it to its new limit." After repeating the process three times, Dio was left holding a hilariously oversized balloon. At this point, it was large enough for a person to easily fit inside it, and it seemed no worse for wear. "And there we go. Everyone is keeping up, I hope?" The Spaniard's eyes scanned the audience, not continuing until he received a nod from everyone. "Good. Now let's see what happens when I try to push it past its limits in one go without taking breaks to strengthen it." Throwing the hilariously oversized balloon aside, Dio pulled out another one and took a deep breath. As he blew air into the second balloon, he kept at it past the point where he reinforced the first one, resulting in a loud explosion, as well as a few disturbed looks from the audience. "Wow, what a surprise," he gasped before turning to the audience with a deadpan look. "Everyone got the metaphor as to why rushing Ascension is a bad idea?" Once more, only after receiving a confirming nod from each watcher did the Spaniard move back to his earlier position, now smiling with satisfaction. "Great! Let's continue."

'

Smiling at Dio's antics, Da Vinci moved on to the next part. "The first thing Ascension does is repair any shortcomings that were caused by the summoning, raising you to your potential peak condition you could have achieved had you been summoned by the greatest, most compatible Master ever." As she said so, the Caster shot an apologetic look to Ritsuka, but the Master just shook her head. There was no need to apologize, given that what she said was completely true. "I know that some Servants here suffer from parameter reduction due to the summoning, so you should be the ones getting the treatment first."

'

"Hell yeah! Then let's get to it already!" Lemminkäinen cheered as he jumped up from his seat, clearly the most excited among the Servants at this point. Not really a surprise, given how he was a part of the weakened group. "With how much magical energy that reactor of yours is pumping out, there should be no problem with getting us all tuned up!"

'

Before things could get too rowdy, Dio let out a sharp whistle... that honestly stung Ritsuka's ears a bit. "Calm down, kids. As much of a pain in the ass as it is, just pumping in pure magical energy won't get the job done." A revelation that sparked confusion among the audience. But before any questions could be asked, the Spaniard lifted a bag from behind the table and took out a familiar looking orb. "What is needed is something solid. Something that quite literally fills the Saint Graph. That's also why these things you found are such a valuable resource."

'

Ritsuka's eyes widened in recognition. A spherical crystal whose coloration shifted from red, to yellow, and finally white. A remainder of the burning city. "These were held by those weird hand-things in Fuyuki, right?"

'

"I remember them as well," Mash nodded, staring at the orbs curiously. "Did you find out what they were?"

'

Da Vinci shook her head. "No clue on that, unfortunately. But we do know what these crystals are." Picking one of the spheres up, she held it by her face, eyes filled with intrigue. "They are, quite literally, pure crystallized mana."

'

A wave of surprise washed across the crowd, with even Medusa and Brynhildr looking genuinely surprised. Cú let out a whistle as he eyed the orbs. "Seriously? Talk about a handy thing to have." Something Ritsuka wholeheartedly agreed with. While she was no expert on the subject, she knew that gems could be used to store magical energy, but to have these crystals made purely out of mana was just... amazing. To think that those weird hands were holding something so helpful.

'

"Exactly!" Dio grinned, getting excited as well as he whirled one of the orbs on his hand. "These are just absurdly efficient sources of power! They can be used for basically anything!" But, that enthusiasm soon made way for regret. "If only we knew more about the hands that dropped them."

'

Da Vinci patted the man on the shoulder, sharing his discontent. "It's a shame, but given how quickly they were taken down and the way our scanners failed to probe them, we have no solid readings on their workings." Oh, yeah. The whole thing went by really fast, and there were more pressing issues at the time, so Ritsuka hadn't really thought about them. It really was a shame they were unable to learn anything more, given how useful their droppings were. "So due to a lack of data, we've decided to at least temporarily name these creatures as: 'Hands of Dawn'. And while I doubt that it actually needs to be mentioned, I was the one who named them," she quickly added with a smirk, jabbing Dio with an elbow.

'

"Hands of Dawn...?" Ritsuka repeated. The hand part was clear enough, but the dawn... Then, she noticed how the orb on Dio's hand shined against the screen, making the comparison much clearer. "Oh, the gem does kind of look like a rising sun when it's held by one."

'

Da Vinci nodded with a smile, still pleased over her 'naming victory'. "Indeed. And if we're lucky, these mysterious beings might exist in other Singularities, letting us gather some information on them."

'

"As well as a whole bunch of Embers as well," Dio added while pointing at the orbs. "That's what we're calling the crystals by the way."

'

Embers, huh? Well, the hands did shoot balls of fire through them, making the name fitting enough. "So we'll use them for the Ascension, right?" Ritsuka confirmed, getting nods from the two geniuses. That at least made that clear, but looking at the orbs on the table, another problem rose to her mind. And judging by the looks some of the Servants were giving, they had realized it as well. "But there's just six of them. Do we need to pick someone who won't get to undergo the process?"

'

"Oh, no worries. That's not the issue here," Dio assured, shaking his hand with a smile. Ritsuka let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness this hadn't turned into a bigger issue where she had to choose which Servant would be left out. Of course, it only made sense that a pair of geniuses had found a way around that prob- "After all, these six Embers aren't enough to even Ascend a single Servant."

'

Her mouth falling agape, Ritsuka couldn't stop herself from letting out a bewildered: "Huh!?" Mash and most of the Servants shared her reaction, while a few had started to outright laugh at the audacious reveal. As Dio chuckled himself, Da Vinci promptly facepalmed at the manner the information had been revealed. This man had 100% done that on purpose. The Master could barely keep herself calm at this point. "Then what are we going to do?"

'

"Aside from the Embers, we scraped together some materials and managed to gather the rest of the resources needed for a single Servant to undergo Ascension. Now it's just up to you to choose that Servant," Dio answered calmly, as if the situation hadn't just changed absurdly. "I'd recommend the one you're going to pick to accompany you."

'

"You... I..." Ritsuka's urge to kick the man surged, but she withheld herself just enough to stay seated, realizing what he really meant. There was technically nothing wrong with what he was saying, and their situation hadn't changed. This just meant that her choosing a Servant had a bit of an extra step. While it made sense considering that ultimately only one of the Servants besides Mash could accompany her, this was still a brutal way to go about it. Letting out a sigh, she turned her begrudging eyes to Da Vinci for a chance. "...Can I get some time to choose?"

'

Thankfully, the Caster nodded with an apologetic smile. "Of course. But the process does take a few hours, so be sure to choose by tomorrow afternoon."

'

"...Right," she nodded, her brain starting to throb from all this information. A bit less than 24 hours. That's how long she had to choose her accompanying Servant...

'

"Hey, Master?" Lemminkäinen called with a wide grin on his face. "Have I ever told you that-?"

'

"Don't even try to influence my decision!" Ritsuka shouted loud enough that most Servants flinched, but she didn't care. She'd had just about enough pressure for the day. She would absolutely need to use the rest of the evening and tomorrow morning to go over every possibility for her choice. This single decision could very well make the difference between saving and dooming humanity. "I'll make the choice according to my own criteria, and I don't want any complaints once I've done so. Am I understood?"

'

"Yeah, yeah..." Sitting back down, Lemminkäinen still held on to his grin for some reason. Ugh, she didn't have the brain capacity to waste on his nonsense at this point.

'

Likely feeling the need to lighten the tension, Da Vinci moved her attention to Ritsuka, her smile as soothing as ever. "And, I'll just add this, we do plan on ascending the other Servants as well, once we get the necessary materials. We just have to hope that we'll be able to gather anything useful during our rayshift to France." Ritsuka really hoped so as well. "Well, that was fun, but I believe we've gone through all the necessary info for the mission. Isn't that right, Roman?"

'

"That's right," Roman confirmed with a nod before turning to face Mash and Ritsuka. "The Rayshift will take place on the day after tomorrow, so I'd recommend spending tomorrow calmly preparing, so that you'll be well rested for the mission."

'

"Yes, Doctor," the girls answered in sync.

'

"Then I believe that concludes this briefing. If anyone has any further questions, please ask them now."

'

Emiya was prompt to raise his hand, but Ritsuka was only half listening to the question and the following answer, her mind occupied with a more important matter. She only had roughly a day to make her final decision. Granted, it was a choice between three instead of all seven at the moment, but there was still a lot to go through. At this point, she just had to make up her mind and hope that she'd thought of everything.

'

'

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'

On the night before the Rayshift, nearing midnight, a lone figure quietly walked through the mostly dark halls of Chaldea. Of course, the lights never went out fully, only dimming to the point where it was difficult to see over long distances to simulate nighttime, but it was still a novel experience to her, who had never been out at this late an hour. Mash headed towards the cafeteria, currently facing an unusual problem that had led to this peculiar trip: She was hungry. While she had obviously felt hunger before, recently during her fasting, this was a unique case, seeing how she hadn't done anything that special before going to bed as usual. Although she suspected that skipping teatime with Ritsuka today combined with a slightly earlier dinner were to blame. But, there was no harm done, seeing how she was incapable of gaining weight as she currently was, she could enjoy a small midnight snack in peace.

'

Her soft night slippers made effectively no noise as she moved through the corridors, removing even the slightest chance of her disturbing anyone. While common sense would usually keep one from walking around in such footwear anywhere but their living area, Mash was well aware that the halls of Chaldea were clean enough that it ultimately wouldn't matter. As if to prove her point, she had to take a slight detour as she came across a pair of automata cleaning the corridor she was walking along, the electric floor scrubbers in their hands humming quietly. Besides the slippers, she was wearing the pajamas the Doctor had gifted her, only putting one of her hoodies on it out of habit. She wasn't planning on being seen by anyone, so there wasn't really any point to it, but she wasn't turning back to return it at this point.

'

As Mash closed in on the entrance of the cafeteria, the first thing she noticed was a sweet, pleasant scent. That was odd. While smelling food in the cafeteria was hardly unusual, but at this hour, and something this sweet? She didn't remember there being anything resembling a scent like this being served during dinner, so where was it coming from? As she walked further in, a light brighter than the surroundings shone through the round window leading to the kitchen, confirming her suspicions. Someone was in there, cooking at this late hour. For a moment, she wondered if she should just return to her room, leaving no evidence of her nightly visit, but her curiosity got the better of her. She wished to see just who was the one cooking, and admittedly the source of the delicious scent was something she was curious about as well, as evidenced by her quietly rumbling stomach. As Mash tiptoed to the kitchen door and carefully peeked in through the window, she was met with the unfortunate result of being unable to see the mysterious cook. But, at least the sound of utensils told her that the person was somewhere to the right of the entrance. Carefully opening the door just enough to slip in, the girl felt her heart pounding in her chest. While it obviously wasn't the same, perhaps this was somewhat like what Sherlock Holmes felt while tailing a culprit. Sneaking around the worktops with sounds as her guide, Mash knew she would be able to see the cook by peeking around the stove she was hiding behind. Covering her mouth with her hands to eliminate any sound, she took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart, and... peered around the corner.

'

And almost fell over from shock.

'

She recognized the red hair in an instant, even if it was tied to a ponytail instead of the usual sidetail. There was no way she could ever mix up that color. The girl's usual uniform was replaced by a really long t-shirt and sweatpants, covered by an apron. She hummed a tune of some kind while mixing what appeared to be batter in a bowl. Mash was so dumbfounded that she just ended up calling out to the girl without meaning to. "...Senpai?"

'

"Ahhh!?" Ritsuka's voice rose to a pitch higher than Mash had ever heard as she yelled, nearly dropping the bowl as her body snapped around, eyes wide with shock. "M-M-Mash!?"

'

"Yes, um... good night, Senpai," she replied, unsure what else to say in the confusing situation. A painful silence followed, with the two just staring at each other. Ritsuka looked completely petrified, and Mash was simply too confused to think of anything. After nearly half a minute of silence, the Demi-Servant finally broke it by asking the only clear question on her mind. "...What are you doing?"

'

"I-uh, um..." Her frantic eyes shifting between the bowl in her hands and Mash, Ritsuka seemed equally at a loss for words. It was quite obvious that she hadn't expected meeting anyone during her late night task. "So, I'm... I'm just..." Finally giving up on trying to think of an excuse, the Master let out a deep sigh, her cheeks turning red as she locked her guilty eyes on Mash. In fact, she looked a bit like the Doctor whenever he'd get caught slacking. "...I'm making pancakes."

'

"Pancakes?" the Demi-Servant repeated, taking a sniff at the air. Indeed, a sweet scent was drifting around the kitchen. "Well, it does smell quite delicious, so that explains that."

'

Ritsuka blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting the praise. "Oh, well, thanks, I guess..."

'

"But why are you here making pancakes at such a late hour, Senpai?" Mash asked, managing to intensify the blush on the other girl's face.

'

"I, I just... Ugh... This is so embarrassing." Placing the bowl down on the table, Ritsuka covered her face with her hands. After a few seconds of silence, she let out a long sigh, moving her hands to look at Mash again, hints of guilt in her eyes. "To be completely honest, I'm nervous and wanted to eat something sweet to calm down. The pancakes are just... an old favorite of sorts."

'

"Oh..." Mash was admittedly a bit taken aback, having assumed that Ritsuka was here for the same reason as her, but was apparently only partially right. Still, she could at least understand the reasoning. "I see. Yes, that makes sense. I'm also nervous about tomorrow," she admitted, getting a sad nod from Ritsuka. Although, there was one detail that still bothered her. "Honestly, I'm just surprised that you feel like that, Senpai. You seemed so composed throughout the day."

'

While the hint of sadness remained on Ritsuka's face, her lips curled into a soft smile. "I'm human too, you know. Everyone feels scared and nervous sometimes, even if they don't show it. It's just natural."

'

"Indeed..." It was a fact Mash was all too familiar with. And unlike her, Ritsuka wasn't replaceable, so the weight on her shoulders was far more intense. It just went to show how much stronger of a person she was than her. Really, if this helped her Senpai relax, the least Mash could do was let her enjoy it in peace. "I suppose I'll get out of your way in that case," she smiled, beginning to walk towards the fridge on the other side of the kitchen. "Enjoy the pancakes, Sen-"

'

"Wait!" Mash flinched as Ritsuka suddenly yelled out, reaching a hand towards her, resulting in a few seconds of silence between the pair. "Ah..." Realizing how she'd overreacted, a blush returned to the redhead's cheeks as she retracted her hand. "I mean, now that you're already here..." Tapping her fingers together, she motioned towards the bowl of batter awkwardly. "...Would you like some?"

'

"Huh?" Mash's eyes widened as she turned her attention to the bowl. Senpai was offering her food she had personally made? It was an extremely tempting offer, but should she really accept it? After all, Ritsuka had made them for herself, so she'd hate to intrude. "I, are you sure, Senpai?"

'

"Yeah," the redhead nodded with a smile, scratching her cheek awkwardly. "I might've accidentally made a bit too much batter, so I'd actually be really thankful."

'

Mash returned the smile as she nodded. "In that case, I'd be delighted."

'

"Alright, then get yourself a chair. It shouldn't take long for me to finish."

'

"Um... Senpai...?" Mash called out just before Ritsuka could start working on the batter again.

'

"Yes, what is it, Mash?"

'

"If-if it's at all possible, as long as it doesn't inconvenience you..." Now it was Mash's turn to feel embarrassed, her gaze falling on the floor. She knew that this request was born purely to fulfill her own self-indulgence, but this was still an amazing opportunity that she couldn't afford to miss. Raising her head again, Mash locked eyes with the redhead, uttering her request. "Could I... possibly... d-do something... to assist you?"

'

"Oh?" Ritsuka blinked in surprise, but then started to smile, seeming extremely amused. "Of course. How would you like to make some whipped cream for us, Mash?"

'

"R-really!?" Mash's eyes practically glowed as she cheered internally. It might just be preparing a topping, but she was still technically helping her Senpai in cooking. And yet, her smile faltered as she realized a troubling truth: "Although, I'm not exactly sure how to, so I would need for you to instruct me, which would just end up wasting time. Perhaps it really would be faster if you just did it yourself, Senpai..."

'

In response to the worries, Ritsuka gave her an unbelievably dry look. "...Mash. Do you have any idea how easy it is to make whipped cream?"

'

"Um... No, I don't," Mash admitted quietly, unsure why she was getting such a reaction.

'

Ritsuka let out a sigh as she shook her head with a small smile. "Whipped cream is literally just that: cream that has been whipped. There's nothing more complicated in it. Even though we'll be adding some sugar and vanilla for extra flavor, that doesn't exactly make it hard to make."

'

Mash's mouth fell agape at the reveal. That's how whipped cream was made? So the name really was just literal? If that was all there was to it, then surely she could actually handle it by herself. On the other hand, that raised another question she had. "I see. But I'm fairly sure that whipped cream is available in cans. I've seen the Doctor use them sometimes. Wouldn't it be easier to just use one of them instead?"

'

"Easier, yes," Ritsuka nodded, before adding with a wink: "But, personally made is almost always tastier."

'

A smile spread on Mash's lips as well. "Yes, that is certainly important when it comes to meals." A lesson she had learned over the course of the last two weeks by visiting the cafeteria daily.

'

"You bet it is. Come on, I put the cream in the cold when I got here. Let's go get it and I'll tell you how to prepare it." The redhead started walking towards the fridges, motioning the other girl to follow.

'

"Yes, Senpai!"

'

About a minute later, as Ritsuka had started to cook the pancakes, Mash was busy whipping the cream. The whole procedure really was far easier than she had imagined. With the electric mixer humming in her hand, making the topping would only take a few minutes. But, that didn't mean she could slack off. Senpai had told her that there was a difference of only a few seconds between soft whipped cream and over-mixed whipped cream, which meant that she had to frequently check the consistency every now and then. Mash let out a determined huff as she moved the mixer evenly throughout the bowl. 'Not too soft, and not too solid', like Ritsuka had said. She would not allow herself to ruin this occasion of eating pancakes with her Senpai by over-whipping the cream!

'

But once she took a moment to stop the mixer to properly check the consistency, with a quick gaze to her right, Mash noticed Ritsuka looking at her, smiling warmly. Though the smile quickly turned playful as their eyes met, for a reason the Demi-Servant couldn't guess. "What are you smiling about, Senpai?"

'

"Hehehee. Now that you're helping me out, you're my partner in crime," the redhead giggled impishly. "If someone finds out about this, you're in trouble too, young lady."

'

"Senpai..." In response to the 'threat', Mash started to pout playfully. "...You're teasing me."

'

Ritsuka gave her an apologetic wink. "Sorry. I couldn't resist."

'

Returning to the task at hand, Mash carefully mixed the cream as the delicious scent of cooking batter spread throughout the kitchen. She found herself swallowing some saliva. If she hadn't been hungry before, the scent would have definitely changed that at this point. But suddenly, she noticed Ritsuka moving in her peripheral, letting out a laugh. "Well, well, well. Look who's here." Wait. Someone had found out about their midnight snack? Turning to see who had discovered them, Mash let out a surprised gasp. Without a care in the world, Fou pattered into the kitchen, eyes locked on the frying pan held in giggling Ritsuka's hand. "I'm not even surprised. Bet you were led here by the scent of my pancake batter cooking, weren't you?"

'

"Fou!" he barked, confirming the question completely devoid of shame while Ritsuka shook her head.

'

"I bet you'd have been here even sooner if you'd slept in my room again."

'

"Huh?" Now there was a comment that completely caught Mash's attention, turning to the redhead with her eyes wide. "Senpai, you mean to tell me that Fou sleeps in your room?"

'

"Sometimes, yeah," she shrugged, not even slowing down her pancake preparation. "He mostly naps on my bed during the day, but I've found him curled up next to me a few times whenever I wake up."

'

"I see..." Mash couldn't help but feel the slightest tinge of disappointment. While she often saw the critter in Ritsuka's room, she hadn't thought he was even sleeping there. Fou had never slept in her room before. In fact, he'd never even visited there before, despite her being his caretaker. Although, now that she really thought about it, with the way her room was set up to make it easy to observe her at all times, the critter might feel anxious in it. Compared to Ritsuka's, which was just barely more comfortable than a standard room, there really wasn't much to do there.

'

"But I've noticed that he's started doing it a lot more ever since we started having our teatimes there," Ritsuka noted with a mockingly accusing tone aimed at the fluffball. "And I doubt that's a coincidence."

'

"Kyuu," Fou barked and jumped on the counter, sniffing the air eagerly as he approached a stack of pancakes on a plate.

'

"Don't even think about munching on the ones on the plate," Ritsuka said firmly, pulling the dish that had a pile of ready pancakes on it away from him, much to Fou's displeasure. "Don't look at me like. You'll get your own portion, but these are for us."

'

But as Ritsuka raised the plate, Mash took notice of a detail she hadn't thought of until now. "The pancakes are quite thin." She remembered eating pancakes at least once before when the Doctor had brought some for her, but she was quite sure they were thicker than these ones. With a quick glance, she estimated that they were even thinner than her pinky fingers.

'

"Well, there are several ways to make them, so it varies a lot. Thinner are faster to prepare. Hop!" With a flick of her wrist, the redhead sent a pancake flying in the air, where it performed a graceful flip before landing back on the pan. Mash gave a tiny clap at the performance as she thought on the words. Of course, with less volume, the pancakes would cook that much quicker. "And there's also the fact that I, like most people I know, also prefer to eat several thin pancakes over a single thick one."

'

"Yes, I can see that being the case," Mash giggled, the amusing image of her Senpai biting into a pancake as thick as a whole stack coming to her mind. But still, thinner pancakes would certainly be easier to cut and eat, so that was also an advantage to their favor.

'

"How's the whipped cream coming along?" Ritsuka suddenly asked, bringing Mash's full attention back to the task at hand.

'

Moving the mixer around, the consistency appeared to match what her Senpai had described perfectly. Thank goodness she had spoken out the moment she did, or it may have ended up overmixed. "I believe it is done, Senpai."

'

As Mash raised the mixer above the bowl, the whipped cream on it oozed downwards very slowly, until a chunk fell down. Ritsuka nodded approvingly at the demonstration. "Not too soft, and not too solid. Nicely done, Mash."

'

"Hehee..." Mash couldn't help but let out a tiny giggle at the praise she received. Even if it was just a simple topping, this was still food that she had prepared herself, and Senpai had commended her for it.

'

"I'm just about done as well," Ritsuka noted as she placed another ready pancake on the plate before pouring the last of the batter on the frying pan. In a short while the final pastry was cooked, and then placed on a seperate platter. "And here's the last one. This one's for you, Fou."

'

"Foou," the critter barked gratefully as Ritsuka petted his head.

'

"And the whipped cream is right here, Senpai," Mash said, placing the topping next to the pancake platter.

'

"Good. Now all we need are the strawberries, which don't need preparing." Though right after saying it, she turned to Mash cautiously. "Ah, you do like strawberries, don't you, Mash?"

'

"Yes. Yes I do," the Demi-Servant smiled, diffusing the worry Ritsuka held. Strawberries were actually among the treats she'd eaten most often, thanks to Dr Roman and his love for cake.

'

"Oh good. Would've been awkward if we had to go pick up something else at this hour," the redhead sighed in relief, picking up the pancake platter before walking to the fridge and taking out a bowl filled with strawberries. She then started walking to the other side of the kitchen while motioning Mash to follow. "There's a little side room here that the staff use to eat, so let's use it as well."

'

"Yes." Skipping after Ritsuka with the whipped cream in hand and Fou right behind her, Mash entered the small room and set the bowl on the table. Immediately, the redhead fetched the two of them platters and utensils, and shared the pancakes between them. Mash could feel her mouth watering even further as she looked at the pile of treats in front of her. The golden brown, evenly colored surface looked wonderful, and the whipped cream and strawberries brought nice coloration to the treat. "Oh, they look just delicious, Senpai."

'

"Hopefully more than just look," Ritsuka grinned, setting down a third, much smaller portion next to theirs. "And here's a plate for you, Fou."

'

"Fou fou! Kyuu!" the fluffball cheered, hopping on the table to join the two. Without wasting a moment, he started chowing down on the treat.

'

"Come on. You dig in as well, Mash," Ritsuka encouraged, seemingly wanting to see how the Demi-Servant would feel about them before eating herself.

'

More than happy to oblige, Mash gave her a tiny bow. "Yes! Thank you very much for this treat, Senpai." Carefully cutting off a portion of the pancake tower, Mash made sure to get an equal amount of strawberries and whipped cream to go with it as she placed a forkful of the delicacy into her mouth. And immediately felt like she'd been shocked. "Ah..."

'

Seeing Mash's wide-eyed astonishment, concern took over Ritsuka's features. "Is something wrong, Mash? They're not undercooked, right?"

'

Being so taken aback by the flavor, Mash didn't even think to respond before noticing how worried Ritsuka looked. To dispel any misunderstanding of her feelings, she started to smile brightly. "No, no. I was just shocked by the taste. They're wonderful, Senpai." Taking another mouthful to extend the flavor, she cooed in joy, placing a hand on her cheek. It was just as wonderful as the first bite. "The texture is so fluffy, and the whipped cream and strawberries go so splendidly together with it." Taking a third bite, Mash's smile was threatening to let some of the pancake slip back out. Her mouth was experiencing overwhelming joy at the moment. She didn't know if it was because she'd personally watched them being made, or if she had assisted in preparation, but Mash knew one thing for sure: "Your pancakes are delicious!"

'

The smile on Ritsuka's lips grew wider at the praise, eyes shining gratefully. "...Aww, thank you, Mash. I'm so glad that you like them." Finally picking up a fork and knife of her own, she cut off a piece of the pancake pile and brought it to her mouth. "Oh, yeah. These did turn out pretty great."

'

'Pretty great' was a massive understatement as far as Mash was concerned, bringing another large piece to her mouth. As the minutes ticked by, the two alternated between talking and eating, much like they did during their usual tea times, but with a few key differences. First was obviously the fact that they were in a different location in the middle of the night, adding some novelty to the situation. But the far more important one to Mash was that she was eating something prepared by her Senpai personally, making the experience truly one of a kind. The pancakes were far above the usual cookies and rice cakes in terms of deliciousness, and even surpassed the cakes doctor Roman sometimes shared with her. She didn't know if it was due to the sheer freshness of the treats or what, but the flavor was delightful enough that the Demi-Servant was too distracted in her enjoyment of them to notice the solemn glint now present in Ritsuka's eyes. "Well, thank you very much for this midnight snack, Senpai," Mash bowed while lightly patting her stomach. "The slight hunger I felt while coming here has been more than sated."

'

As the cheerful Shielder stood up and started exiting the side room to bring her dishes back to the kitchen, she heard a chair lightly scraping against the floor and a single quiet word from the redhead: "Mash..." And then...

'

"S-Senpai!?" Before she could even think of doing anything, she felt Ritsuka's arms wrap around her and her cheek pressing against her hair as she was hugged. The act effectively short circuited Mash's brain, leaving her unable to say anything, leading to a silence where the only things that could be heard were the humming of machinery and the quiet breathing of the two. Well, quiet for the moment, as the Demi-Servant felt her breathing quicken while her body temperature steadily rose. Thinking was extremely difficult for the moment, but she still did her best to comprehend what was happening. Obviously, she was being hugged by Senpai, but what had brought the sudden action on? Was it something she said? Something she did? But before she could figure any of that out, one of Ritsuka's arms moved, and just as Mash let out a relieved sigh, thinking that the sudden hug was ending, the moved appendage settled on her head, petting her hair gently. And that was the point where Mash's overheating reached a level that allowed her to speak again, even if just barely. "W-w-w-what are-!?"

'

"Thank you."

'

"...Huh?" Ritsuka's voice was so soft, so gratified, that the Demi-Servant managed to calm back down just from hearing it. She was still confused, but the shock of the sudden hug had worn off almost completely, being replaced by curiosity. "I, um... W-what for?"

'

"For being here tonight," the redhead whispered, tightening her embrace just slightly. "I came here in an attempt to relax and calm my nerves, but it was thanks to you that I actually managed to do it. Honestly, now that I think about it, sitting here eating pancakes by myself would've been kinda sad." As soft fingers ran through her hair, Mash could imagine the scene of Ritsuka sitting alone by the table in her mind. Just sitting, by herself, eating a stack of pancakes as large as both of theirs combined. Just imagining it made her so, so... sad for some reason, as well as exceedingly glad that such a scene had been avoided. "...So again, thank you for spending time with me tonight."

'

After spending a while in the redhead's arms, Mash reached out to lay her plate on a counter next to them to free her hands, and returned the embrace. "You're... you're very welcome, Senpai," she whispered, doing her best to match Ritsuka's tone. Then, moving away just enough to see the other girl's face, she flashed her the most endearing smile she could. "After all, isn't that what friends are supposed to do?"

'

Ritsuka blinked in surprise at her words, before a similar smile spread on her lips, warming Mash's heart even further. "I suppose it is." She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but with a final pat on the Demi-Servant's head, they pulled apart. This nightly snack hadn't gone at all like she'd imagined, yet it had been more enjoyable than anything she could've thought of. Now all that was left was cleaning the dirty dishes and they could return to their rooms. But before Mash could pick up her plate, Ritsuka had already done it for her, noting with an enduring smile: "Now then, you can head to bed already, while I take care of the dishes."

'

"Huh? But I ate as well, so it is only fair that I help you in it," she said, confused by the statement, but Ritsuka just shook her head.

'

"You don't need to. Come on, we have a big day tomorrow, so just go get some sleep and-"

'

"I'm afraid that I must refuse, Senpai," Mash interjected sharply enough that Ritsuka flinched in response. But the Shielder didn't let that distract her, putting on the sternest expression she could muster. There was no way she would let Senpai do this alone. "By doing this together, we can finish faster, which means that you get to return to your bed sooner. It's true that tomorrow is a big day, but your part is far more vital than mine, meaning that the amount of time you rest is also more vital than mine."

'

Ritsuka looked like she wanted to say something, getting as far as opening her mouth, only to close it back down with a defeated smile. "...Alright, alright. I can see that I won't be able to persuade you, so I won't waste both of our time trying." Handing Mash her plates back, she walked to the table to pick up the rest. "Help me bring the dishes to the sink and we'll get started."

'

"Yes, Senpai!" she cheered, happy to have avoided an argument.

'

"Fou fou!" It was then that the third member of their midnight snack chimed in, running after the two as they left the side room.

'

"Looks like Fou wants to help as well," Ritsuka smiled playfully, giving Fou a wink. "Could you lick the largest leftover patches of batter and cream from the bowls?"

'

"Fou, kyuu!" the critter barked eagerly, getting on his task with astounding speed.

'

"Our hero," the redhead giggled, with Mash joining in as well.

'

"He's certainly doing his best."

'

Doing the dishes was also a new experience to Mash, and even if it far paled in comparison to actually preparing the whipped cream, she still found some enjoyment in it. In the end, since there weren't too many dishes they got through the task in a few minutes, leaving the kitchen as Ritsuka smiled warmly. "Once again, thank you for tonight. I had a good time."

'

"Me too," Mash returned the smile. She most certainly wouldn't be opposed to doing something like this again some other time. Although, they should probably pick a better time than this. Eating at this hour wasn't very good for the body.

'

"Now, it's finally time for both of us to get some sleep." Ritsuka spread out her arms once more, but this time Mash was ready, and more than eager to return the hug from the beginning. As they embraced, she felt those gentle fingers running through her hair again as a soft voice whispered. "Good night, Mash. I'll be counting on you again tomorrow."

'

Tightening the embrace, the Demi-Servant returned the farewell. "Good night, Senpai. I'll be doing my very best for you again tomorrow."

'

And as they separated, Mash's last clear memory of that night was Ritsuka's beaming smile. "That'll make two of us."

'

'

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'

'

And then, the big day was finally here.

'

Entering the central Command Room alongside Mash, Ritsuka felt her heart pounding like a drum, feeling ready to bounce out of her chest at any moment, but she still didn't let her nervousness show. She had been very careful in applying her charm this morning, since it might have to last for several days. There was no telling what they might face in the Singularity, so she had to be ready for basically anything.

'

As the duo walked further in, they were greeted by rather energetic De Vinci. "Morning. I hope the two of you are rested and ready, because we'll be starting in a few minutes."

'

"Of course!" Mash exclaimed, seeming quite nervous herself, though did her best to hide it with eagerness. "Mash Kyrielight, body functioning at peak performance, ready and waiting for deployment!"

'

"Same here," Ritsuka nodded, sharing a smile with the girl next to her. Their shared midnight snack had really helped her relax last night, and she'd ended up sleeping extremely well. Apparently, it had also done good for Mash, so the event had definitely been worth it. "We're ready as soon as you are."

'

Da Vinci smiled approvingly, before motioning the two to follow as she headed towards the center of the room. "That's some nice energy you've got. Now come on, the Servants are all waiting by the coffins, wanting to see you off."

'

As the three approached Chaldeas, the group of seven under it appeared to also be in high spirits, though how much they showed it varied quite a bit. Looking at them, Ritsuka's thoughts ended up returning to the choice she'd made yesterday: Choosing which of them would accompany her and Mash to the Singularity. Obviously they didn't know what they would face, but Ritsuka had made it a point to expect at least one powerful Servant as their enemy, no matter how unlikely it was. Which ultimately had been a good place to start choosing the escort, even if it was a bit presumptuous.

'

The problem was: that there were just so many things to consider when choosing a Servant to accompany them. It wasn't just about strength, or who had the most powerful Noble Phantasm. What was also needed was versatility in different skills and the ability to adapt to different situations they could face. Unfortunately, this automatically ruled out both Kojirou and Kintoki as options. While the Assassin's skill was out of this world, that was effectively all he had going for him. In terms of brute force, he was the weakest of the Servants in Chaldea, and lacked ways of attacking beside his sword. Kintoki suffered from a similar problem. In a battle without Noble Phantasms, he was most likely the strongest Servant Ritsuka had, but he also severely lacked variety. Aside from close combat, the only thing he could do was throw things as an alternate form of attack. It didn't help that when it came to pure power, his Noble Phantasm was the second weakest, surpassing only Kojirou's. Next was Cú Chulainn, who's main issue was the one he himself always complained about, the fact that he was a Caster. His runes were both powerful and versatile, but the problem was that he had to use them in a fight. As much as he wanted to melee, he'd have to use runes to enhance himself to do so, and even then fell behind the other Servants in that field. And since runes used a lot of magical energy, when it came to long or consecutive fights, simple melee was ultimately more effective. Then there was Emiya, who had a similar problem. While he fared better than Cú in that regard, he'd still need to use his projections in order to match powerful Servants in close combat. Said projections were much like runes, except less versatile and more immediately powerful, and had the exact same issue. The Archer had actually been among the ones she'd considered to accompany them for the longest time, due to his unmatched ranged attacks, but much to Ritsuka's frustration, the ultimate problem lay with her lacking pool of od. But, even if she'd somehow had access to massive amounts of magical energy to power all the Noble Phantasms, Emiya had still warned her not to rely on his projections too much. A point she had to agree with. Relying too much on a single ability or weapon would only spell trouble if it somehow became unusable.

'

And then there were the final three, the ones she'd had the most trouble choosing from. All three of them were both strong and versatile, and each had their own issues which were what ultimately led to her final choice. First was Medusa, who... Ugh, as much as Ritsuka hated to admit it, was partly ruled out due to personal reasons. Over the last two weeks, her personality had revealed itself, with... varying results. It was obviously great that Mash's fear of her had lessened considerably, but it was ungodly embarrassing that the Master inevitably found herself... distracted by the Rider's presence. While she had tried her damndest to ignore the attractiveness the purple haired woman practically oozed, Ritsuka's efforts had been completely crushed by the 'conversation' they'd had a few days ago. Obviously, that wasn't the only reason for the exclusion. There was no way she could afford to be that vain in this situation. The main reason lied in the fact that Medusa was simply better suited to work on her own. At first, Ritsuka had been surprised that the Rider possessed Independent Action, a Skill that was usually exclusive to the Archer-class, but as she learned of her abilities, it started to make sense. Since durability was one of her weak points, Medusa's fighting style involved rapid hit-and-run attacks, made possible by her extraordinary speed and agility, aided further by her chains, which helped both in traversal and restricting her opponent's movements. It worked great in a one-on-one fight, but in a team battle it would require careful, precise coordination to keep her and her partners from getting in each other's way. Then there were her Mystic Eyes. On one hand, they were a trump card that could be used to defeat almost any Servant, as long as they were caught off guard. On the other, they also reinforced her style of fighting alone, seeing how they didn't distinguish friend from foe, petrifying everything caught in her range equally. To use them effectively, Medusa would need to be between their enemy, and Mash and Ritsuka, or they'd all end up stone. There was also the problem of enemies attacking from multiple directions, since she obviously couldn't look everywhere at once. And finally, her Noble Phantasms. Blood Fort Andromeda was tricky, but basically useless in direct combat. Although it would work as an effective trap if set up beforehand, even if it took several days. Then there was the big one: the Pegasus. It was without question among the most powerful attacks the Chaldean Servants had access to, and its use in battle further drove home Medusa's solitary way of fighting. It was best described as a white meteor that blew away everything in its path as it charged with speed almost unbelievable for a living creature. And much like an actual meteor, or her Mystic Eyes, it affected everything within its range equally, making it difficult to use if any enemies were close to allies, or spread out over a large area. There was also the personal issue that it was a pegasus, one of those, as if just to make things more troublesome to Ritsuka. Well, as long as she didn't get too close, she could deal with it.

'

And then there was the runner up, Brynhildr, who Ritsuka honestly wished she could've chosen. She had just been so unbelievably fortunate to summon the famed Valkyrie during her first summoning, but she wasn't without drawbacks either. On the lesser side, there was her infatuation with heroes, which wasn't that difficult to deal with now that the redhead had figured it out. The Lancer could also contain it during battles, which was great. Although Ritsuka was somewhat confused/nervous over the fact that Brynhildr seemingly also held some affection towards her. Still, her combat ability was just about at the top when it came to the Servants present, put together with her skill with the runes, only a step behind Cú Chulainn due to his class, she was almost the perfect choice. But the main issue, the flaw that kept her from being selected, lay in her Noble Phantasm. Certainly, it was powerful under the right circumstances, but said circumstances were limiting to say the least. The fact that her Noble Phantasm could only really be used against heroes was just an enormous drawback. And that drawback was just large enough to rule her out of the selection, leaving only a single candidate left.

'

"And there are the ladies of the hour!" Lemminkäinen grinned as the group got closer. The Saber appeared especially energetic this morning, the reason for which wasn't that hard to guess. "I can't wait to really cut loose in a proper fight. You think the enemies in France'll be strong, Pomo?"

'

Yes, him. As much as Ritsuka hated to admit it, the only real drawback Lemminkäinen had was his 'habit', and since Mash and her were the only women joining him, there was no real issue, since he had actually taken her early threat seriously. Even though he was a Saber and excelled in melee combat, he could effectively fight at any range with his magecraft and that bow he'd made. His skills with dealing with beasts were also a bonus, since it was more likely than not that they would face phantasmals of some kind. While she was quite sure that in a fight between the two, Brynhildr would win, due to a slight edge in parameters, her Primordial Runes trumping his magecraft, and her Noble Phantasm specialized in killing heroes, the Saber had fewer drawbacks in general. Specifically, unlike the other two, Lemminkäinen could unleash his Noble Phantasm at a moment's notice, blowing away anything in front of him without endangering those standing behind him.

'

"Hopefully not too strong," Ritsuka sighed. Having confidence was good, but Lemminkäinen always took it too far. "It's fine to enjoy fighting, but don't you go forgetting how important our mission is."

'

The Saber just flashed her a grin accompanied by a thumbs-up. "No worries on that front. I've got both of those covered." ...How unfortunate that she could no longer switch the escort at this point.

'

Ignoring the mountain of confidence, Da Vinci examined the man sharply as she got closer. "How are you actually, Lemminkäinen? Anything feeling off after the Ascension?"

'

"I feel awesome!" the Saber cheered, flexing his arms to the point where his biceps were visible even through his coat. "The treatment itself felt pretty funky, but from right after it was finished all the way to now, my Spirit Origin has just been burning with power. Once we get to the Singularity, I want to see some action."

'

Given how he usually acted, Ritsuka would've doubted his words, but she could clearly see the effect ascension had had on him with just a glance. It really put into perspective how much having her as his Master had weakened Lemminkäinen. His Strength, Endurance and Mana parameters had all risen a full rank, making him at the moment the strongest Servant in Chaldea, at least when Noble Phantasms were out of the play. "Well, it's good that you're enthusiastic at the very least."

'

"Trust me. This is nothing compared to how hyped he was yesterday," Cú noted from the side with a smirk. "After the procedure, he and Golden clashed for an hour straight. Hell of a good brawl too."

'

Kintoki nodded, grinning widely enough that even his teeth appeared to be made of gold. "Yeah. It was pretty damn golden. Made me excited to get my own saint graph ascended later."

'

"No worries, Golden," Lemminkäinen noted as he patted the taller man's shoulder. "I'll be keeping an eye out for anything that could be used to make it happen."

'

"Thanks, man. That's real golden of you." A promise that the Master was also quite keen on fulfilling. The other Servants had handled this all extremely well. While there was some obvious disappointment over not being chosen, they all still respected her choice as their Master, and kept any possible complaints to themselves. Something Ritsuka was extremely thankful for. If at all possible, she'd like for them all to undergo at least one ascension after this Singularity was dealt with. The main problem was the materials and where to find them, but given that a Holy Grail was in the play, who knew what they would end up finding in France.

'

"And there's the trio of the day," Dio's voice rang out, prompting Ritsuka to turn around to see him and Roman walking towards the group. "In a few minutes, you're about to start a journey unlike any other. How do you feel?"

'

The redhead wondered what to say. Aside from the expected nervousness, she felt fine. Although, there was a question that had been on her mind for the last few minutes, and this really seemed like the optimal time to get it answered. "To be honest, these suits feel kinda weird. How long do we need to wear them?" Both her and Mash were currently covered from neck to toe in orange, form fitting one-pieces that were identical to her Combat Mystic Code when it came to the upper body. Before coming here, Ritsuka had just been told she would need to wear it and not much else. Wearing something like this made her feel a bit... vulnerable. She would especially avoid mentioning how the suit felt quite snug around her posterior.

'

"Only during the Rayshift," Roman confirmed. "We'll project your Mystic Codes onto you during the transition, so you'll be ready to fight immediately."

'

That just made Ritsuka more confused. "Wait, you can do that? In fact, why are we wearing them in the first place? Wouldn't it just be easier for me to wear my Mystic Codes from the get go?" Projecting the clothes onto her honestly sounded extremely complicated, and a bit dangerous.

'

"The Plugsuits make you easier to Rayshift, and that's all the reason we need. We're not taking any chances with this," Dio noted, but continued upon noticing Ritsuka's enduring confusion and questioning looks from some of the Servants. "You know what? Sure, I'll explain a few things while you wait for the Rayshift to start. Better to use the time productively." Taking out a few prisms from his pocket, the mage tossed them into the air, where they proceeded to form a perfect replication of a coffin with all the intricate details. Man, those things were handy. "Aside from the space you lay in, the coffins have space for the projected clothing and the backpacks we talked about earlier, which then get rayshifted with you. When you Rayshift, the Plugsuits help to remember your form during spiritron conversion, just to make sure that nothing gets 'out of place' when you are reformed." That last part in particular gave Ritsuka goosebumps. Yeah, she wouldn't be questioning the need for wearing these suits any more. "They also help us in properly projecting the Mystic Codes onto your body."

'

"...Yeah, I suppose that really is all I need to know." Ritsuka made a mental note to not question these types of things in the future. Knowing more just made them more terrifying.

'

"Oh, Lemminkäinen," Dio called, holding out his hand towards the Saber. "Give your bow and arrows here and we'll pack them with the rest of the stuff. You can't carry them in your spirit form after all."

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"Ah, right." Removing the quiver and bow from his back, Lemminkäinen handed them to the mage gratefully. "Thanks, man. Would've been a real pain in the ass to leave it behind after all the time I spent making it."

'

As Dio moved to a coffin to pack the armaments, Roman turned to Mash and Ritsuka with a serious look. "This is it, you two, our starting line. At this point, we're as prepared as we can be, so all I can say is this: Good luck."

'

"Don't worry, Doc," Ritsuka said with the most confident smile she could muster. "We'll be giving this mission our all."

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Mash nodded in agreement. "Like Senpai said. We will find the Holy Grail disturbing history without fail."

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A relieved smile spread on the Doctor's lips. "Good. We'll do our best to help you from here."

'

"Alright, it's go time, people!" Dio yelled loudly enough that the entire large room could hear, all the while clapping his hands. "Everyone to your stations, and Servants not named Lemminkäinen, clear the immediate area so that you don't cause any disturbances."

'

As the workers that had been positioned all around the space began to move to their designated spots, Ritsuka felt her nervousness rising once again as she turned to her group of Servants. "I guess this is it then."

'

Brynhildr took a step forward, giving her a graceful bow accompanied by a gorgeous smile. "Good luck, Master."

'

"Keep a close eye on the ladies, Lemminkäinen," Cú patted the Saber on the shoulder before smirking. "Not that I need to tell you that."

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Kintoki flashed the group a grin and a thumbs up. "Have a real golden time!"

'

"If you happen to come across a skilled swordsman, do not hesitate to send our friend here back so that I can take them on instead," Kojirou noted, getting a frown from Lemminkäinen Apparently they'd dueled in the Simulator a few days ago, resulting in the Saber quite literally losing his head. She honestly really wished she could've seen that.

'

Emiya didn't say anything, just gave the girls an encouraging smile and a nod, while Medusa kept silent as well, but offered her a smile that made Ritsuka instinctively look away, the faintest hints of a blush covering her cheeks.

'

As the other Servants cleared the area, Da Vinci motioned the trio towards the open coffins. "Get in, girls. And you shift into spirit form and go to your appointed spot, Lemminkäinen."

'

"See you on the other side, Pomo," the Saber smirked as he began to fade away.

'

But right before he fully vanished, Ritsuka shot back. "Just don't get lost or distracted on the way."

'

Assisted by some staff members, Ritsuka settled down on the slightly inclined container as the lid was closed. All sounds from the outside hushened down as the coffin was sealed, with the exception of the Caster's voice coming from a transmitter. "So, how is it? How do you feel getting in the coffin, 'the Spiritron Chassis'?"

'

Ritsuka took a second to think. She was hardly claustrophobic, but the closed off space together with the pressure of the situation definitely got her heart racing. "It's a bit exciting, but nothing I can't handle."

'

"Good. But don't be afraid to let us know if something feels odd. That goes for both of you."

'

Ritsuka felt her lips curl into a smile. It really was relieving to know that their safety was taken into such consideration during all this. Both her's and Mash's. "I won't. Our situation is way too risky for something like that."

'

As seconds ticked by, the machinery started humming to life and the coffins were lifted upwards, accompanied by Dio's voice as he began reporting the process. "Ritsuka Repo, Mash Kyrielight, placement in coffins confirmed. Vitals are all stable. Heroic Spirit Lemminkäinen has been locked on to his Master's coffin. Destination set: Domrémy, Lorraine region of France, 1431 AD. Rayshift preparations complete."

'

"Alright..." Roman's heavy voice entered Ritsuka's ear through the transmitter, and she could practically see the troubled look on his face. But, after a heavy breath, his tone gained some notable confidence and volume, no doubt doing his best to raise the staff's morale. "Well then, everyone. Let us begin."

'

"Unsummon Program, start. Beginning first sequence. Definition of parameters for all subjects completed. Beginning ritual. Beginning 'Chamber' formation." Clear liquid then began filling the coffin, though Ritsuka wouldn't have noticed it if she didn't see it. Her body had gone mostly numb at this point, and she was starting to have some trouble hearing the voices. But she wasn't worried, since she knew this was supposed to happen. It was pretty similar to going into the Simulator. "Chamber formed. Existence changed to 'unknown'." It was then that the strangeness factor hit its peak. Ritsuka was now fully submerged in the liquid. Everything, be it touch, taste, smell, sight, or hearing, felt muddy, unclear, confusing, as if she was on some seriously strong anesthesia, times one hundred. Still, no matter how tough it was getting, the redhead did her best to focus on both the numb feeling of her body, and the fuzzy voices continuing to go through the procedure, just to hold on to her sense of reality. She didn't know if it was still possible for her to 'lose her existence' during the Rayshift with all these repercussions, but she wasn't going to find out just due to her own lack of effort.

'

"Beginning second sequence. Commencing Spiritron Conversion. Ritsuka Repo, Mash Kyrielight, all stages of Rayshift cleared. Correction algorithm stabilizing."

'

"Beginning third sequence!" Roman's nervous voice cut through the silence, helping Ritsuka keep her focus. "Leonardo! How's Chaldeas?"

'

"Calm down. Everything's under control." In contrast, De Vinci's ever calm and confident voice helped soothe the situation. "With my intelligence, with my knowledge, there's nothing that can go wrong."

'

At this point, Ritsuka felt like she was floating in nothingness, her only proof of reality being the hazy voices she heard from somewhere far, far away. "All sequences clear! Commander Archaman, please give the order!"

'

"..." The silence following the request nearly made the redhead panic, thinking that she'd actually ended up lost somewhere, until the Doctor's deep sigh registered to her tired ears. "Ha... This is where it begins. Pseudo Spiritron transfer, start!" In an instant, the darkness surrounding Ritsuka's entire being was replaced with light, and she could feel herself being pulled away, just barely managing to hear four more words before being swallowed by a familiar whirlpool of light. "Commencing mission: Grand Order!"

'
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First Singularity - Humanity Foundation Value C+

AD.1431 Hundred Years' War of the Evil Dragons: Orleans

Holy Maiden of Salvation

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Notes:

Sweet Jesus, I can finally put this out. I honestly thought that this chapter was going to be shorter than the last one, but apparently: Nah. This one is actually slightly longer. But don't worry, the next chapter won't be. I seriously promise. It helps that I've got the actual game script to use for guidance, so there won't be another catastrophe like these two. Remember to look for updates on my profile. I'll be putting out another one on the 1st.

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But yeah, this is effectively a breather chapter with a lot of fluff, with the only major tense moment being Ritsuka's Gay Panic over Medusa. Also, when it comes to Ritsuka's full name, as you can probably guess, there's more to it than she lets on. I can practically feel the second hand embarrassment from the Finnish-speaking readers. Yes, her mother was awful for giving her that second name XD. And to those of you, the majority, who can't speak Finnish, don't even bother using translators to figure the meaning of her name out. They don't get it, because it doesn't really make sense unless you really know Finnish. But don't worry, it'll get revealed during Orleans, so you don't have to wait forever.

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Also, as another note, I'm sure that at least someone has noticed at this point that I'm avoiding writing Lemminkäinen's like I'd catch corona just from just typing it. The reason being: while it looks fine in English, it's completely killing my Finnish side. My soul cried just from writing it that single time. Again, it doesn't make sense to those who don't speak the language, but it's basically a grammar thing.

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Reminder that with this release, I'm also putting out the World Revisions Doc, which contains a (for the moment bare) Servant Profile for Lemminkäinen. It'll get updated over the course of Orleans, as we first get to see said details in the story.

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Next time: [The Great Wyvern Swarming of 1431]