Halloween - The Singing Pumpkin Castle: I

Ritsuka rubbed his eyes as he awoke, swiftly getting out of bed and moving about his usual early morning routine as he did every other day. He was starting to grow accustomed to the lifestyle which Chaldea provided him.

He wasn't entirely sure if that was a good or bad thing yet and he suspected it would take more time for him to find the answer. For right now though, he elected to ignore the deep questioning about his comfort and focused more on what he was going to have for breakfast today.

He had only just gotten out of the shower before he heard a series of knocks at his door, the Master turned to it and raised a lone eyebrow before he called out "Just a moment!"

"Alright, Senpai." Mash's muffled voice answered back in response, prompting a faint smile from the Master. Trust Mash to make sure that he woke up on time every morning, it was one of the routines he was more thankful for than anything else.

Slipping on his work clothes, he opened up the door as he finished drying up his hair, handing the towel around his shoulders. Mash blinked as she noticed the slight dampness in his hair before she sported a look of faint concern "I didn't rush you, did I Senpai?"

"No." Ritsuka dissuaded her concerns "I was almost finished anyway." raising his hand in greeting, he offered the girl a smile "Good morning Mash."

"Good morning, Senpai!" Mash quickly waved back at him before her lips pursed "By the way…You have a letter addressed to you."

That prompted a singular blink from the Master "I have a what?"

"I'm not entirely sure why it was left on my desk…" Romani muttered out as he scratched the back of his neck, staring at the envelope - certainly looking high class - with visible disappointment "I got a little excited for a second."

"You thought someone left you a confession or something?" Kerry blinked at him "Do people even do that anymore?"

"Sometimes?" Ritsuka shrugged "Although more often than not, they just left them in shoe lockers." he paused "Either that or they would call out the person to somewhere more private to make their confession." he looked at the envelope in his hand "...Something tells me this isn't a confession though."

Romani looked slightly more relieved "That's good…I was worried for a moment."

"The thirty year old man without a date, ladies and gentlemen." Kerry snickered, prompting a sputtering from the doctor and a betrayed look aimed her way. "Don't feel too bad, you're just waiting for the right woman is all."

"W-well, there's more to worry about than my love life." The doctor huffed defensively, crossing his arms and looking away. "...Namely, the contents of the letter."

"Only one way to find out." Ritsuka muttered, opening up the envelope and pulling out the contents. The paper had more in common with ancient parchment with much of the writing being very archaic in its design. The Master squinted his eyes at it as he tried to read it "Dear Ritsuka, I am writing to inform you of a splendid Halloween party that is to take place. My little Castle Csejte is now completely remodelled. You'll be swallowed up in classic and draconic décor. I hereby invite you to a dream-like night of elegance and wonder. At the party, you will find splendid pumpkin cuisine from the four corners of the world, as well as a splendid serenade from an adorable idol…"

Ritsuka's expression became strained while everyone else in the room suddenly grimaced.

"A s-sweet serenade from a young girl that will set your heart on fire and a serenade that is sung by an unparalleled diva. It all awaits you. Indeed, it shall be a grand ball that could set any soul alight. It will surely sink its teeth into your heart and savour it as well. Both your mind and body will have a deluxing experience-"

"Pfft." Kerry snickered loudly, covering up the laugh with a cough while Maxwell rolled his eyes at her.

"Won't you come and bask in the spectacular sensation of being…" Ritsuka's brows furrowed as he voice turned more confused "...Spectacular sensation of being mired in a nightmare?" he looked around to see the faces of the others equally baffled, shaking his head he went back to reading "The theme is 'Sweet Blood Machen Torture'. I eagerly await your attendance. Be sure to come, okay?"

"...That is horrible!" Romani blurted out with wide eyes "That doesn't sound like fun, that sounds like a Shakespearean threat."

"The fact she mentions singing three times seems sinister to me." Mash spoke with a worried expression "What shall we do, Senpai?"

"...When she says deluxing, do you think she means relaxing?" Ritsuka asked with a curious hum, looking up from the letter and to those around him "Because this letter is like a rollercoaster of emotions."

"Maybe she wrote it out of excitement and didn't realise what she was actually writing?"

"Like foot in mouth?" Ritsuka suggested.

"This is probably a foot on paper moment." Romani muttered, scratching his chin and looking at Ritsuka "So when is it?"

"Today."

"Today!?" Romani sputtered "Who holds a Halloween party on the seventh of October?"

"She does apparently." Ritsuka shrugged "I suppose we should investigate, given that there's not much else I can do…" he paused "Just to be clear, we all know who sent this right?"

""Oh yeah/Totally/pretty obvious/yep."" Were the answers he received with resigned nods of the head. He couldn't exactly blame them.

"Oh Eliza-"

"Don't speak her name, Fujimaru-kun." Romani hurriedly whispered with a dead serious look in his eyes "To speak her name is to summon her…" his eyes fell on the letter "...I think your plan is sound, spotting a disaster before it arrives doesn't mean you can avoid it." The man rose out of his chair before placing a consoling hand on the Master's shoulder, giving him a supporting smile "...Sometimes rushing headfirst into danger without a second thought is the best option! That philosophy has gotten me through most troubles I've encountered so far!"

Ritsuka stared at him with furrowed brows "...That sounds like Ash's guide to strategy."

"I mean…if a Servant is doing it then it must be worth something, right?"

"Yes…but I'm fairly certain the amount of times he died doing that is in the double digits." Ritsuka morbidly commented before sighing "Then again, I suppose there's little else for it." he smiled back at the doctor "...Thanks for telling the Director where I'm going."

Romani abruptly paused "...Huh?"

"I'm about to charge headfirst into danger without a second though." Ritsuka replied "So someone at least has to tell the director where I am going and considering that is one disaster I have spotted a mile off, I'll leave it in your capable hands."

Romani's expression wavered before his shoulders slumped in defeat "...Damn." he muttered, shaking his head.

Mash gave him a disappointed expression "That is why your advice isn't often good, Doctor."

"Fou…" The small white animal nodded its head in response, appearing from behind Mash's leg and staring at the doctor as if he was a sad animal.

"Come on, Mash!" Ritsuka turned to her, giving an encouraging smile which he felt hid away much of the dread he was otherwise feeling "Let's go investigate a Halloween party!"

"Y-yes, Senpai!" Mash nodded her head "...I have never experienced something like this, so I am a little curious…" she quietly admitted.

Ritsuka gave her a gentle smile "Come on then…" he paused, then smiled "And I know just who can help us."

"Hohohoho!" Siegward boomed as he strode into the room, dressed up in his jack-o-lantern painted armour with a merry voice "To think it would come about this early and that you would call upon me for help!" The Catarinan boomed out as he walked towards Ritsuka and Mash.

The pair sported similar happy expressions only for them to shift into surprise when they noticed Ash trailing along behind the Saber, holding two spears in his hands. The spear in his right hand was easily the length of his body while the spear in his left hand was around half the size.

Ritsuka was the first to show his surprise "Ash?" he called out "What are you doing here?"

"I was near enough Siegward when he received the call for assistance." Ash replied with a shrug "He asked that I accompany him."

"I thought he could do with a jolly good party!" Siegward beamed behind his helmet before tilting his head "Have I overstepped?"

"N-no!" Ritsuka shook his head, gesturing to Ash "Well…it's just he didn't seem all that interested in a celebration so…"

"That was before it came to my attention you were Rayshifting into the area." Ash dutifully replied "It has come to my attention that a Singularity only exists when there is a disruption to time. Such things usually involve dangerous situations, therefore I felt it best to accompany you and ensure your safety."

Ritsuka blinked at him, then exchanged a look with Mash before turning back to the Saber "Are you sure?" he frowned "Because you didn't seem to like the idea of it…"

Ash exhaled "...If you desire to waste time with such pointless endeavours, that is your choice. I do not agree with it but you are my summoner and to abandon you based on my own preferences - and the larger picture - would be both wrong and evil." he paused "Therefore, I will accompany you without partaking."

"...Alright then." Ritsuka's frown deepened slightly before he shook his head and turned to face the command room window "All set?"

"We've got the co-ordinates locked in." Maxwell's voice called through the intercom "The Doctor is off to the Directors office to let her know we're investigating a minute singularity without alluding to what it actually is so that should satisfy her if she asks."

Ash tilted his head "Will she not eventually request some manner of account of the mission?"

"...Let future Ritsuka worry about that." The Master replied as he ran his hand through his hair, turning to the coffins "...Well, no sense in dallying around here then." he moved towards them only to stop after a few steps "Also, what's with the spears?"

"I had recently been practicing spearmanship against Cu." Ash replied, then paused. "He is better at it than me, it has been educational."

Ritsuka frowned "You aren't too badly injured, right?"

"Nothing fatal."

"...See, that means something entirely different to me than it does to you." The Master pointed out with a troubled expression "Considering the last time it was 'nothing fatal' you were practically falling apart." placing his hands on his hips, he squinted at the Saber "So how bad was it?"

"...He skewered me through the collarbone-"

"Damn it Ash!" Ritsuka snapped "What part about don't kill each other-" he cut himself off, palming his face "Don't answer that…I can tell you aren't dead." his hands fell away from his face as he shook his head "Forget it…just be careful, alright?"

Ash merely shrugged in response while Siegward seemingly looked him over.

"So, how close was it?" The Catarinan eventually asked in a low whisper as they approached the coffins, Ash paused as he placed his spears back inside his Bottomless box.

"I believe I was able to evenly match him for a short time with an unusual style but he quickly grew accustomed to it." The Saber replied "It seems we utilise spears in different ways and I am not quite as nimble as he is."

"Well…Neither am I." Siegward joked with a faint chuckle as he stopped just shy of the coffin "Ah, I do so love festivals."

"Why?"

"Well…" Siegward paused, "...I suppose it makes you feel alive."

"Hmph."

The forest was silent as a crypt, not even the chirping of birds or quiet rustling of the leaves in the wind could be heard in the dark of night. The peace was short lasting, soon disturbed by a flash of light followed by the thudding of feet touching the ground.

Ritsuka scanned his surroundings with a raised eyebrow before he turned to Mash "...Any ideas?"

"None, Senpai." Mash responded "We have landed safely although I do not believe we have accurate readings for our time or location." she looked around the forest "I believe we might be somewhere in Europe though, judging by the fauna."

Ritsuka looked around at the trees and bushes and conceded that they did at least look European. Although he wasn't going to call himself an expert in botany.

"How strange…" Mash spoke further as she planted her shield in the ground "It feels both frightening and yet…strangely fun." her brows furrowed "Maybe…exhilaration? Or its nerves?"

"Halloween spirit." Ritsuka replied to her with a smile, patting her on the shoulder as he stared at the forest once again "And yes…it is freighting." he swiftly agreed, being in the forest in the dead of night in October when he was fully aware of the existence of the supernatural was hardly something he enjoyed.

"By the way, Mash?"

"Yes, Senpai?"

"Are ghosts a thing?"

"...Yes, Senpai." Mash nodded her head "Wraiths and ghosts are a phenomena in Magecraft brought about by lingering spirits of the deceased if their residual thoughts are strong enough. However, their strength is usually very weak and easily dealt with by members of the Church or other exorcists."

"...Great."

"I have knowledge of Miracles." Siegward helpfully chimed in, shouldering his greatsword "Would that be of assistance to you?"

Mash raised her hand to reply only to blink and tilt her head "It does count as magecraft belonging to a church and passed down by the divine." she realised "It might have a similar effect to sacraments as a result in some cases?"

"Hmph." Siegward nodded "In truth, I have never fought ghosts before." he muttered "Hmmm. I wonder…are they not meant to be intangible?" he asked, looking around "How would one fight that which they cannot touch?"

"Let's worry about possible ghosts later." Ritsuka decided, pointing further into the forest "I think I can spy a light source over there so it's a start."

"Very well." Ash nodded his head, pulling out the twin spears once again "These will be suitable weapons then." he realised "Considering they are blessed."

"Blessed?" Mash turned to him in surprise "You were able to make Holy weapons?"

"Andre is capable of such things." Ash replied "Although the effectiveness of the blessing is still dependent on the quality of the weapon itself. I primarily utilised these weapons when fighting skeletons due to their undead nature." he paused "It prevented their revival."

"Then we shall have little to fear from skeletons and spirits should we encounter them!" Siegward boasted, wandering off to the front of the group as Ash took up the rear with Mash in the middle next to Ritsuka "Still, this forest feels very strange…an ambient sense of excitement and dread about it."

"Anything to be worried about?" Ritsuka asked with a faint frown, the Saber didn't respond for a few moments, opting to hum instead.

"Hmmm…No, I do not believe we should be concerned as of yet." He replied "However, like all adventures I believe it is wise if we don't get too careless." he chuckled "Who knows when we might lose our head?"

He turned around just in time to find himself staring directly at a pumpkin with a face carved into it hanging from a tree. Siegward abruptly stopped, Ritsuka colliding with his back and bouncing off.

"...That seems like rather poor timing." The Knight responded, idly touching at his neck with his free hand. Ritsuka poked his head around the Knight and stared at the decoration before he looked further down the forest and swiftly noticed a path through it with jack-o-lanterns hanging from the tree's with candles in their mouths lighting the way.

"...I think we've found our path." Ritsuka idly commented, turning down to face his communicator as it flashed into existence and brought with it a rather exasperated looking Romani "Hey, R-man."

"Please call me Roman." The Doctor whined before he shook his head "Anyway, I told the Director you were dealing with a minor singularity and informed her it wasn't all that important so as long as you don't take too long, you're fine."

"Alright, thanks Roman."

"Also, wow!" Romani gaped through the screen "I guess she put a lot of effort into this. Are you in an actual haunted forest?"

"I hope not." Ritsuka shivered, feeling a chilling sensation in the back of his neck "So far all we've seen is Jack-o-lanterns hanging in the trees." he paused, looking at Siegward "For the most part."

Romani snorted "I imagine that might have been rather disturbing for him."

"It was certainly a bizarre surprise." Siegward affirmed with a nod of his head as he scratched the chin of his rounded helm "Although I must say, these pumpkins are frightfully well carved, are they not?"

"They are, aren't they?" Mash commented with a hint of awe in her tone "Do you think she did this all by herself?"

"I think we would have heard about someone carving pumpkins." Ritsuka muttered "Maybe she did it here?"

"It's possible." Romani admitted with a shrug "But it would take a bit of work-scratch that, a lot of work in order to get all these done so quickly. You said she only heard about it on the first?"

"Yeah."

"I guess it's possible if she started immediately afterwards." Romani scratched his cheek with a thoughtful look on his face "But she didn't feel like the sort to have the patience for that type of thing."

"So she had help then?" Ritsuka suggested, "From either someone in Chaldea or someone present here?"

"Possibly." Romani shrugged "Although spawning pumpkins is a really weird ability…" the man then paused, his brows furrowing as he stared at the screen "Wait a moment here…" his eyes then widened "I'm detecting some weak signatures all around you, probably hostile as well seeing as they aren't human."

Ash tightened his grip on his spears "Opposing Servants?"

"Probably not." Romani shook his head "From what I'm seeing here it looks like they could be some manner of wraith?" he tilted his head "Although some of them are looking more than a little stronger than others, so perhaps-"

"Down!" Ash called out, grabbing Ritsuka by the back of his shirt and pulling him downwards around the same time he swung out the shortspear in his left hand. The weapon collided with a transparent crimson greatsword sword and parried the blow away. Ash glared at the newfound opponent, the figure phasing into existence as the greatsword gradually solidified and revealed the owner.

"Darkwraiths!" Ash alerted the others, slamming his boot into the spirit's gut and knocking it to the ground and granting the others a better view of the being as it scrambled back to its feet. Garbed in what looked like rags with metal patched underneath them with a hood covering their head, the figure snarled an ethereal howl at them and swung out again.

Mash blocked the strike with ease, holding the shield up and pushing the spirit away from her. The tall figure growled in response, raising the large sword above their head and clasping it with two hands before swinging down towards her, this time colliding with Stormruler.

The darkened hood snapped towards Siegward and released a hiss before the Catarinan shoved back with all his might, releasing a grunt of exertion before the sword in his hand exploded to life with gale force winds and knocked the spirit into a stumble. The being then released a howl as Ash's shortspear slammed into its shoulder, the Saber having thrown the weapon like a Javelin.

The being hissed, its right hand grasping at the spear and wrenching it free from its body while slashing out with the large greatsword in its left hand in a horizontal swing towards those in front of it. Mash caught the strike in the cross section of the shield and halted it. Siegward rushed forwards and thrust his sword directly through the gut of the spirit, the being releasing a howl in response as Siegward pulled the sword to the side and virtually split the crimson ghost in half.

The two parts falling to the ground and fading away into nothing, leaving behind the spear ash had thrown at it and nothing else.

The four stared at the spot where the spirit had been before Ritsuka let out a loud gasp "W-what the heck was that!?"

"A Darkwraith." Ash grunted, taking the spear off the ground and shouldering it "Although I had not expected to see one here of all places…" he paused "Although perhaps it is foolish not to expect them."

"Ash-san? You know what it was?"

"I suspect." Ash nodded "However, the crimson form it took leaves little to the imagination. Some manner of invader who entered this world via a red-eye orb." his eyes narrowed "Although they were far more…savage?"

"Indeed." Siegward rumbled, frowning behind his helmet and cupping his helm's chin. "Many of the Darkwraiths I fought were much smarter…and did not howl as much." he turned to Ash "Did they not seem as if they were-"

"Hollow?" Ash grunted in response "Yes, I thought so as well."

Ritsuka blinked "That's when you…er…go…" he gestured at his head.

"Insane, yes." Ash bluntly replied "I have never encountered a Hollow invader before." he turned to Siegward "What of you?"

The man shook his head in response "Nor have I…Hmmmm." he chuckled wryly "A most peculiar encounter for a most peculiar event!"

Ash stared at him blankly before he turned and looked down at Ritsuka. "In any event, this is no longer a situation that can be treated as casual." he frowned, looking past the Master and back at the ground "It is rather tenuous."

"World hopping killers?" Romani's voice came back through the radio "How dangerous are they?"

"Depends on how skilled they are." Ash shrugged "It is dependent on the invader, in this case we are fortunate that they were insane. However, it is something to beware of in the future." he paused again "Although, they were noticeably weaker than I was expecting…"

"They seemed to be similar in reading to the shadow Servants from the Singularity in Fuyuki." Romani remarked, scratching his chin "Perhaps that is why they were weaker? They aren't summoned in a traditional sense but are simply shadows brought forth?"

"You would understand the mechanics better than I." Ash grunted in response "What matters now is restoring this place as swiftly as possible."

"I'll stick close, Senpai." Mash remarked as she hovered near the Master "In case more of those spirits invade or if we get approached by-"

A skeletal spirit came flying out of the forest, Ash reacted on pure instinct as he swung the longspear towards it and struck it in the side of the head. The ghost let out a high pitched wail as it exploded into gold light and faded away into nothing.

"...What the hell?" Ritsuka groaned, rubbing his eyes "Let's get out of this forest." he nodded to Mash before gesturing on ahead.

Ash was still staring at his spear in surprise "...It's never done that before." he pondered aloud, raising a surprised eyebrow at the weapon before he looked up at Siegward, the Pumpkin knight merely shrugging at him.

"Hmmmmm." Tilting his head, the Catarinan let out a long curious hum in response "I'm not sure, perhaps this is the effect of blessed weapons on spirits?"

"Maybe…" Ash shrugged, "It seemed simple enough."

"It looked like a basic Spirit, Ash-san." Mash dutifully responded, her expression shifting to a more bored one "Although such a thing is a given for a haunted forest like this place." she gestured to her surroundings "I have not attended one, but I have read that it is a requirement for forests and haunted locations to have pumpkins, ghosts, ghouls and other creatures."

Siegward pointedly looked down at his armour before looking to the spot where the Darkwraith had been before turning back to Mash. "I see…shall we expect more such strange happenings?"

"Probably." Ritsuka nodded his head "...I mean, I'd rather not but there's very little we can do about it for the moment." he turned to Mash "Should we have brought Cu here for the Samhain stuff?"

"That's Fionn, Senpai." Mash corrected before she blinked "And I am not sure!" she exclaimed with an intrigued expression "His legend as leader of the Fianna begins on Samhain, so perhaps he gains a conceptual advantage on such festivals?"

"Food for thought." Romani muttered "Anyway, you should probably get back to investigating if you're going that route. There's still some readings of hostile spirits around you but they look like they're keeping their distance for now. Looks like the sudden spike of holy power surprised them into caution."

"It wasn't that much blessed light." Ash countered, tilting his head.

"I'm not that much of an expert on the behaviour of ghosts." Romani pointed out, shrugging "I'm just guessing here. We know that ghosts and undead creatures are weak to sacraments so I'm just assuming they could sense the faint blessing on your weapon and the ghost dying spooked them?"

"...Very well." Ash shrugged, then nodded to Ritsuka "Let us make haste. If we are fortunate, the worst we will have to deal with the strange spirits who are adverse to divine power. It is preferable to avoid another invasion of Darkwraiths."

"I'll make a note of what to expect in the future." Romani turned away from them, looking as though he was typing something down "I'll put a threat level as variable and make note of the readings in case they show up again." he paused "Should I ask anyone about them?"

"I do not see a need to." Ash dismissed "They are hardly complicated but if that is your wish."

"Come on, Ash." Ritsuka waved to him, earning the Saber's attention "We're going."

Ash gave a single nod of the head and then started to follow after the Master as he trudged through the woods, falling into step beside him and Mash while Siegward walked directly behind them.

As the four wandered further into the woods onto the path illuminated by the jack-o-lanterns, they failed to notice the shape passing behind them and the jovial giggle that accompanied it. The shadowed figure stepped onto the main road, their eyes gleaming as they focused solely on the back of the Master before the figure started to walk forwards. Intent on following the group.

"For how much longer do you suppose this forest goes on?" Siegward asked with a curious hum as he wandered behind the group.

The group had been wandering for around ten minutes at this point, only occasionally assailed by ghosts or skeletons but such things were swiftly dealt with by either Mash, Siegward or Ash. All the while, the forest showed no sign of ending with the path looking as though it was never going to end.

"Honestly? I hope not so far." Ritsuka responded with a wave of his hand, pausing and staring down at his feet with a mild frown. "I mean, I'm not getting tired but the ground is a little uneven and it's a bit chilly out here."

"You're in a forest in the dead of night, Fujimaru-kun." Romani dryly replied "From the looks of things it's translated over into being around October time where you are now so it's going to be a little cold." the man paused "Do you want us to Rayshift you down a coat?"

"It's not that bad." Ritsuka shook his head in response "But I feel like we could do with some alternative clothes in case we do get Rayshifted somewhere cold in the future." the Master paused as he considered another option "Or somewhere hot."

"Like a desert?" Romani blinked "I guess that makes sense. Although Leo is the only one who can actually make clothes in Chaldea right now and she's got her hands full with some other projects right now."

"I can make you a scarf?" Maxwell called out through the communicator, there was a palpable aura of bewilderment at the reveal before the man called out again with confusion "What?"

"Nothing man." Kerry's voice came next "Just…wasn't expecting that is all. You make scarves?"

"And hats and gloves." The man listed off further "But I'd need some wool or something…I like to make my kids something for the winters is all and I spent a lot of time at home with them."

"Huh." Romani blinked, tilting his head "Are you any good?"

"...I mean, I'm not amazing but I can at least make a wool hat." The man grunted in response "...Haven't done it in a while though, what with all…"

"Yeah, yeah." Romani nodded his head in response, cupping his chin "...You thought about getting back into it?"

"What, like right now?"

"No, but something to do when you aren't working." The Doctor explained "Maybe during your off-hours?"

"I mean…we don't have any wool or equipment for me to actually knit anything."

"I can get some." Ritsuka called through the communicator "Shouldn't be too hard to find some at any rate. Find some sort of vendor and buy some? We're due to travel down to one of the mini-singularities to resupply at some point, right?"

"I mean…I don't think it's worth wasting some of our resources on-"

"I'm fine with it." Ritsuka called back "It's probably a good idea to have a hobby you can get into right about now."

"I'd like a wool hat." Kerry chuckled "Can you make mine have a fake beard as well?"

Maxwell gave an audible snort of laughter "Sure, sure. You want a moustache with that as well?"

"Are you offering?"

The man sighed, shaking his head "I'm never gonna dissuade you, am I? Alright then." he gave a defeated noise although didn't sound too distraught about the loss "I won't force you but if you want to do something like that then I won't complain about it."

"Alright then." Ritsuka smiled, looking up "...You ever thought about getting a hobby, Mash?"

"M-me Senpai?" The Shielder blurted out in surprise, her eyes slightly wide "W-what…erm…I…"

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Ritsuka shook his head "But it's just…I'm a little curious as to what you do when you're by yourself?" he tilted his head "You know…when you aren't with me and Ash?"

"W-well…" Mash flushed ever so slightly "I…read books."

"Nice." Ritsuka nodded "What type of books…" he paused "Wait, Roman mentioned Sherlock, right?"

"Yes, Senpai." Mash nodded her head, now looking more passionate about the subject "I do enjoy reading the Sir Conan Arthur Doyle books. They are rather engaging and I enjoy the mystery element to them."

"I'll have to give them a try." Ritsuka muttered, looking back down the road "I've definitely heard a lot about Sherlock but the only media I've ever really touched upon is the TV series." he paused "I think there were some movies as well."

Mash furrowed her brows ever so slightly "I've never seen the TV series." she paused. "Or…any TV series."

"May as well start with something you like." Ritsuka smiled at her, before turning around "...You ever thought about a hobby, Ash?"

"No." The Saber bluntly replied as he wandered next to the boy, his eyes still fixed upon the dark woods on either side of the path.

"...Would you ever get on-"

"No."

"...Alright then." Ritsuka looked away "...Any reason why not?"

"There is no need to." Ash continued on "It is a waste of time that I could better spend honing my talents or serving you." he paused "...Provided I was not asked to engage in inane and pointless acts without serious danger."

"...Oh."

"It is simply not within my required duty to perform such irrelevant tasks, so I see no need to." Ash bluntly explained "I do what is needed of me and that is more than enough."

"...Fair enough." Ritsuka sighed, sniffing as he felt another chilly wind wash over him "I'm really hoping that this forest eventually ends because now its just getting spooky." he turned to face Siegward "How are you doing?"

"I am well enough, thank you for asking." Siegward replied with his usual jovial tone which never failed to bring a smile to Ritsuka's face "I always did enjoy going on long adventures." he chuckled "It made for very amusing stories for my nephew…" he paused "...I haven't told them in so very long." he realised with a distant voice.

"...Do you want to tell us a story, Siegward-san?" Mash asked, the Catarinan jolted in response and turned his helmet to stare at the girl before he looked to see Ritsuka looking equally intrigued. Eventually the Knight gave a gentle chuckle.

"Well…I suppose I can tell you a good tale or two while we walk!" The Knight exclaimed cheerfully "Hmmm. Finding the right one…" he muttered, giving a thoughtful hum as he racked his brain for a tale to tell. "Aha! Let me tell you about that time that Yhorm and I once went fishing for a giant squid."

"What's a squid?" Ash asked, turning around to face the man and tilting his head.

"A large sea creature." Siegward responded "It looks like a manner of tree root with many arms but it's soft although still rather strong." he continued on "Now then, as for what happened itself…"

"Fou?" Siegward paused at the noise, looking up as best he could he heard scraping along the top of his helmet accompanying the sound.

"Fou-san?" Mash exclaimed in surprise, watching the while squirrel creature sit atop Siegwards helm and tilt their head to the side ever so slightly "What are you doing here?"

"How long was he here?" Ash asked, looking around "I did not sense him arrive at all…"

"Yeah, animals are sneaky like that." Ritsuka nodded his head with a knowing expression "There was this cat where I used to live, you could be walking back from wherever and it would just suddenly appear from nowhere." he shook his head, turning to the Saber "I never figured out how…unless it was a magic cat?"

"...Cats?" Siegward asked in a slightly distant voice "Y-you mean…there are cats here?"

"Yes…" Ritsuka nodded his head "Why?"

"...Oh dear."

"Oh! I know this one!" Romani exclaimed "Pharros said that cats are apparently really old or immortal or something like that! At least where they come from."

"They are a great deal more than that." Siegward shivered "They are consumers of souls…even the mightiest beings might fall victim to them some day."

Ritsuka and Mash blinked at the man, turning to stare at each other in puzzlement before they looked towards Ash. The Saber merely shrugged his shoulders in response "I never met a cat nor encountered any of their ilk. I did meet a lycanthrope however and a great many wolves."

"Well…" Siegward grunted, looking left and right before he raised his armoured hand towards Fou and allowed the white animal to jump into his palm before he offered it towards Mash "I for one would be most glad if we avoided any such situation."

"I will adhere to Siegwards advice." Ash replied "He is better traveled than I." he turned around, then found himself drawn to one of the trees. Staring at the lone crow perched on one of the branches. The bird tilted its head at him, Ash felt that familiar shiver he had encountered in the third Singularity as the animal stared at him for what seemed to drag on for an eternity before it silently spread its wings and took off into the sky.

"You see something, Ash?" Ritsuka's voice brought him back into the present and his sight away from the dark bird. The Unkindled turned towards the Master and pursed his lips.

"No…nothing important." He dismissed, continuing on forwards and ignoring the brief flash of puzzlement across the young boy's face before they dismissed it.

After a few more minutes of walking, something in the far distance eventually caught the Saber's eyes. Leaning forwards, squinting in the direction before he called out "...I believe I can see a light up ahead." he stopped, pointing with his right spear towards the distance.

Ritsuka paused as well, leaning forwards as he did so "Really?" the Master asked in surprise and audible relief "Hang on…I see it as well!" He pointed, "Looks like the edge of the forest."

"Or some manner of clearing." Siegward rumbled in curiosity before he shrugged "Either way, we have found ourselves something beyond the woods."

"Should we hurry then, Senpai?" Mash asked, turning to look at the young man, The Master gave a nod of his head before looking at his communicator.

"Roman? How many other ghosts are you detecting?" The boy asked, the Doctor's face soon flashed up with a reassuring expression.

"Still background readings, but they are keeping their distance from you at the moment. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say you might encounter one or two more as you move along but nothing that you can't handle." He paused "Or nothing that you shouldn't be able to handle with the help you have on hand at any rate."

"Well then." Ritsuka rolled his shoulders "Let's go see what she had in store for us then." he gave the group an encouraging smile. Mash gave him a strained smile while Ash stared at him blankly for a few moments before he started to walk onwards.

Ritsuka's smile dropped "Yeah…this is gonna hurt by the end of it, isn't it?"

"Provided we leave before she has the opportunity to sing." Ash called back to the group as he walked forwards "Or stop her from singing. Whichever option comes first."

The four emerged from the forest into the clearing, only to pause at what lay before them. The group blandly stared at the structure in front of them before they all turned and looked at each other.

"This is oddly familiar." Ash bluntly remarked, turning to Siegward "Is it not?"

"A strange, dilapidated castle in the midst of nowhere important and populated entirely by ghosts, spirits and monsters?" Siegward responded back before giving a faint chuckle "It reminds me very much of home!"

"...That's sort of depressing." Romani called through the communicator "Any this castle is really in your face suspicious, isn't it?"

"Yes, Doctor." Mash nodded her head in affirmation "A very suspicious castle which is likely home to the creator of the Singularity." she turned to Ritsuka "It's elementary."

The Master snickered, shaking his head and pointing at the girl as he looked at Romani "Do we have some sort of Sherlock outfit for her?"

Romani snorted, shaking his head "A-afraid not, Fujimaru-kun." the man looked to see Mash blushing furiously "But I would be all for it if it were possible."

"Shame." Ritsuka sighed, giving a saddened look even as Mash stared at him in shock.

"D-don't tease me like that Senpai!" The girl whined before pausing "W-would I be allowed the pipe?"

Romani stared at her, "As long as you don't have any drugs in it, sure." the man shrugged before smiling and leaning back "Are you getting into the Halloween spirit, Mash?"

"Of course I am!" Mash exclaimed before she paused, a light red dusting her cheeks as she looked away "U-uhm…I mean, because it's our jobs, Doctor." she insisted "N-not because I wanted to go to a real theme park or something like that."

Ritsuka and Romani exchanged equally amused glances before they turned back to the young girl.

""Theme park?"" Ash and Siegward parroted at the same time with equal amounts of confusion and in the latter's case, intrigue.

Romani blinked at the pair "Ah…erm…it's a place you go to in order to have fun?" the man offered "Or exhilaration?"

"You…erm…" Ritsuka paused, snapping his fingers "It is surprisingly difficult to describe to someone with absolutely no idea, isn't it?"

"Is it important?" Ash asked, tilting his head. At the wince, he understood the answer was no. "Then I will ignore it."

"Hmmm." Siegward merely hummed in response "I would like to learn more of this park of themes." he responded before he turned back in the direction of the castle and leaned forwards "Look there, Master." he pointed his sword towards the base of the distant structure "I believe there might be a small town at the base of the citadel."

"Huh…so there is." Ritsuka nodded his head "Should we have a look?"

"Let's go, Senpai!" Mash exclaimed with a bright smile before she paused, realising her jovial attitude and swiftly attempting to return to a more serious expression. Although her giddiness was nearly impossible to hide.

Ritsuka started to walk forwards, the others following after him as they started to trek towards the town. The Master paid particularly close attention to the decor and noticed something oddly familiar about it "Mash?"

"Yes, Senpai?"

"Are we in Hungary?"

"Yes, Senpai."

"Thought so." Ritsuka nodded his head, gesturing to the buildings up ahead "Look like the Simulator for that Elizabeth concert." he paused, then tilted his head "Makes me wonder why she didn't out herself as Elizabeth right away?"

"She might have been attempting a surprise!" Siegward excused, nodding his head in affirmation "I believe that might be her intent at any rate…" he trailed off, realising there was one major flaw in her plan "Although she does not appear to be very good, now that I recall the situation we find ourselves in."

"A surprise letter, where she outs everything she likes doing and then invites everyone to her come country and then to her castle inside her home country?" Romani surmised "I'm wondering if she is actually making an effort to hide or if she just forgot to sign her letter at the bottom."

"Honestly, I feel as though it could be either or." Ritsuka admitted "Liz is certainly eccentric but she feels like the type to overlook the really simple things sometimes."

Ash paused, his eyes narrowing before he turned around and stared at the edge of the forest with a suspicious stare. His vision sweeping across the row of trees before they fixed themselves on a specific spot. The action earned the attention of the other three, turning towards him with looks of concern.

"Is something wrong, Ash-san?" Mash asked, turning to stare at the direction he was gazing at with a worried look in her eye "Can you sense something?"

"No…" Ash shook his head, looking down out of the corner of his eye and seeing Fou climb atop the Shielder's head and glare at the woods in suspicion. "But I felt as though we were being watched for a few moments…" shaking his head, he dismissed it "It might also be the crow I saw earlier."

"We were in the woods in the dead of night." Ritsuka pointed out, although he was still giving the woods a wary look "...Probably a good idea to keep your guard up just in case." he went on "Rather not get jumped by more ghosts."

"Hmmmm." Siegward hummed in response, turning back around but not before giving the forest a final look "We shall discover nothing if we dawdle here." he stated "Come, Master! We have a festival to enjoy!"

"Right, right…" Ritsuka nodded his head before turning back towards the direction of the town and walking forwards.

"They really went all out here…" Romani gasped in an awed tone of voice as he stared at the town at the base of the castle. The sentiment was shared by the others who were audience to the display as well.

Pumpkin shaped streamers hung between the different houses, forming a web of decorations above the roads and streets. Dozens of citizens could be seen wandering the streets, all with wide smiles on their faces. Clearly looking rather undisturbed by the overnight change in their town.

…Or the emergence of a castle right behind their town.

"This is certainly impressive." Ritsuka placed his hands on his hips, whistling in amazement and shaking his head "Although I suppose how this might be seen as a singularity…" he waved in the direction of the castle "Considering…you know…that."

"Yes, Senpai." Mash nodded her head "Presumably it will vanish when Elizabeth leaves the Singularity." she explained easily before turning to the street with an excited expression "But Senpai! Look at all the decorations!"

"I'll say so." Ritsuka nodded his head, continuing on before he turned a corner and widened his eyes in surprise "What in the heck?" he got out between giggles, waving the others over "C-come and take a look at this!"

Mash tilted her head before jogging over to him, falling to a halt beside him and promptly gaping in surprise.

Siegward followed behind them before he similarly paused and stared "...This is both intriguing and highly disturbing…" he gestured to himself "Given my current attire."

"Fou…" The white squirrel creature gave a nod of the head in support of the statement.

In the centre of the town, the group found themselves staring at dozens of jack-o-lanterns built up into a pyramid in some manner of display. The group soon looked around to find smaller pyramids dotted around random sections of the town as well before they all looked at each other.

"...This seems like a nice enough place." Ritsuka snickered.

"U-unless you're a pumpkin!" Siegward giggled before he spread his arms wide and shifted his voice into one of exaggerated horror "M-my braves knights of the patch! What tragedy befell thee!?"

"Pffft!" Ritsuka covered his hand with his mouth, holding in his laughter and shaking his head before he noticed something "H-hey, guys?"

"Ye-yes, Senpai?" Mash turned to him, smiling lightly before pausing at his worried expression.

"Where's Ash?"

Mash, Siegward and Fou blinked when they realised the Saber was nowhere to be seen.

Ash stared at the stall merchant with slightly narrowed eyes and a mild frown "...Really?"

"What?" The man raised his hands in surrender, giving a shrug "It's a festive time, isn't it? What's wrong with an honest businessman making a little profit?"

Ash gave him an utterly unimpressed glare.

"Honest, I am!" The man insisted "See? It's the disguises you see." he pleaded "They alter the mind and make someone do something terrible…" he gave a solem shake of the head before he pointed at his face "But see? I am back to my old self again and free of those terrible temptations. Just a perfectly honest businessman."

Tilting his head, Ash raised a lone eyebrow "If I did not believe you the last time that excuse was used…why would I believe you now?"

"Well…I was hoping you would." The man sighed, dropping the expression and giving a mischievous smile "Although it warms my old heart that you're learning bit by bit…although something tells me you're still a bit gullible."

"And why are you here?"

"That is pretty obvious, right?" The man bluntly replied as if the Saber had said something stupid "I'm a merchant. I sell things for an honest price."

"Ash-san!" Mash's voice reached his ears, causing the pair to turn towards the voice as the girl approached "We were worried when we noticed you weren't-" she cut herself off, her eyes going wide before they narrowed and her body shifted into a defensive pose "You again!"

"Charmed, you remember little old me." The man chuckled, looking over her shoulder "And the young man as well!" he waved them over "Come! I did suggest you make use of my services when next we meet!"

"...You have got to be kidding me." Ritsuka's voice called out as he approached, staring at the man with a suspicious expression "What are you even doing here?" he paused, then looked at the sign above the stall and back at the man "Never mind. Okay, why are you here?"

"I'm a merchant." The man responded with a shrug "The rest should be fairly obvious, right?" his expression then turned dumbfounded as the large knight painted up like a pumpkin approached his stall as well. "...I don't have anything to say about that."

"Hello friend!" The Catarinan exclaimed "I am Siegward of Catarina, and might I survey the goods you have for sale at this-"

"You should keep your distance from this one." A cold voice interrupted the group, the stall owner soon found himself with a fan levelled towards his face, the teal haired owner glaring at him with a burning in her eyes and a chill in her voice "Especially you, Master-sama." her eyes narrowed, even as the man's smile seemed to widen ever so slightly "This one is nothing but a liar." she hissed.

"I'm hurt, my good lady." The man recoiled, placing a hand on his chin "I am perhaps the most honest man you will ever meet. Everyone else is lying to themselves." he shrugged "Whether they be big lies-" he looked at Ash "-or little ones-" he looked back at her "-you'll find that everyone has something they don't speak truly of."

"Not Master-sama." She hissed "And he'll stay that way once I get rid of you."

"Dear me." The bald man shook his head "And after all the help I've given you all, is this really how you repay old Patches?"

Ritsuka did a double take when he noticed the girl "Kiyohime? When did you get here?"

"I was always here, Master-sama." The girl replied without taking her eyes off Patches "My wife senses could detect trouble brewing and I rushed to your aid." her lips thinned "It seems that I was unfortunately right."

"See?" Patches pointed at her "Another little lie but its one to yourself." he shrugged "At least I'm honest-"

"Quiet, rodent."

"That aside." Ash pointed up "Patches emporium?"

"Well…" Patches shrugged "That is what I am I promised." he paused before breaking into a wide grin "Although considering the holiday, I've decided to get with the times!" he ducked down underneath the stall before rising up again with a baking tray in his hand with a puff pastry top "Pumpkin pie, anyone?" he looked around "Trust me. It's to die for."