Chapter 2: Intruder
Atsuko knew she had been living on borrowed time from the moment Saori saved her life so many years ago.
She was different from the rest of Arius, or so the Madam claimed. 'Special' blood ran through her veins; blood that the Madam needed for a ritual that would bring 'salvation' not only to her school but to the entirety of Kivotos.
To become a sacrifice for Arius, that was Atsuko's sole purpose; that was her destiny.
However, at that time destiny didn't come. It was Saori who rescued her, pleading loyalty to the Madam in exchange for more time, and she was allowed to live, if only for a little longer.
That little longer became months and then years. Life in Arius was a constant struggle for survival, and there wasn't a single day Atsuko wasn't put through hell in order to turn her and the Squad into 'murderers.' Yet, even so, she continued to live on.
But everything must eventually come to an end. And when she was forcefully brought to the Arius Basilica after a mission, she knew that end had finally come; hung on a strange altar dedicated to an unknown god, she had been held firmly in place by thorny vines that pierced her bare skin deeply enough to draw blood.
"At last, destiny had caught up." That single thought was the last thing on her mind as life began to escape from her body. Her destiny would finally be fulfilled.
Or that should have been the case, but she found herself opening her eyes once more, the coldness of death was inexplicably absent. In its place was an unfamiliar warmness, one that she didn't remember ever feeling. It was wrapped around her body as if to protect her.
It only took her a few seconds to find the source of that new warmth: a pair of strong arms were holding her, one arm under her legs and the other supporting her back in what ironically could be described as a 'princess carry.' Her head was also leaning against that person's chest, she could even hear the sound of a heartbeat right next to her head.
"Who..?" That was the only thing Atsuko could think. It didn't feel as if it was someone from the Squad, their build didn't match any of them.
She slowly opened her eyes, but she could only see darkness. Normally, her mask allowed her an interrupted vision of her surroundings, but the usual HUD was nowhere to be found. Had it been broken during the ritual?
Then she heard it: a piercing scream reached her ears, followed by the sound of a powerful blast being fired. The wave of destruction seemed to rapidly move toward them when the person holding her finally muttered a few words.
"Hold tight."
She didn't have time to process the meaning behind those words or to be surprised by the clear masculine voice she just heard. The man jumped as soon as she wrapped her arms around him. For a few seconds, Atsuko felt as if she was floating in the air. The sudden jump should have felt violent, but instead, she felt at ease. It was like nothing could go wrong as long as she was there, right in his hands.
It wasn't long before they landed.
"Are you okay?" The man spoke again.
Atsuko wanted to answer, but the mask got in the way, and only a muffled sound came out. She fleetingly considered using sign language before opting to remove her mask altogether. That's when she finally saw him.
The black-haired young man looked at her with a worried expression, as if the sole idea of her coming into harm was enough to woe him.
"Yes…" Atsuko finally managed to respond. "I am…fine."
A deep breath escaped his mouth.
"I am glad," he answered with a smile of sincere relief. "I am Fujimaru Ritsuka, Assassin-class Servant. I have responded to your summoning." The same blue eyes that previously looked at her with worry now showed Atsuko a fierce determination. "I promise that as long as I breathe, I shall not allow any harm to come to you, Master."
Atsuko couldn't explain why, but at that very moment, she felt that her destiny could be overturned.
"I had a dream about you last night," Atsuko said offhandedly.
"Is that so…?" Ritsuka's voice suddenly took a somber tone. He knew what those dreams entailed. It was not the first time it happened, and probably would not be the last. "I hope it was a pleasant dream, Master."
"You were in a place I have yet to see in Kivotos. A rural area, with all sorts of crops and corrals with animals inside. The houses were made of stone and wood, and snowy mountains rose on the horizon," Atsuko cited as she walked around the soon-to-be garden, watering can in hand. "It felt like a tranquil place to be. However, you seemed to be in distress."
Atsuko carefully tended the soil, stopping her steps to pour water where she had previously planted each seed.
Ritsuka just observed in silence.
"You frantically wandered around the village as if looking for someone," Atsuko continued. "And after some time, you found her—a young blonde girl wearing a long green dress. The moment she laid her blue eyes on you, a smile appeared on her face, and she quickly ran towards you." Atsuko turned around to look at her Servant. "But before her hands could even reach you, she disappeared. Not only her, but the field, the animals, and the houses; everything disappeared. It was like the entire world had been erased, all except for you, Assassin."
It took a few seconds for Ritsuka to give a response.
"Gerda. Her name was Gerda."
"I see." Atsuko turned to look at the sole flower growing in the soil. "It's curious. I never exchanged words with her or knew what kind of person she was, but as the dreamed ended, I couldn't help but feel a pang in my chest."
"…I am sorry that you had to see something like that, Master."
"Don't be, I am the one intruding in your past."
"Still, these things you saw me do… were you ever scared?"
"I was not." Was her simple answer.
"I am not talking only about the dreams." He clarified. "I am asking if you were ever scared of me, of what I can do." He lowered his gaze towards his bare hands and stared at them as if they had been stained by something invisible.
"I was not." she repeated.
"I would understand if you were, after all, I-"
"Never had I thought of you as someone scary, Assassin." Atsuko walked towards Ritsuka. "In fact, that name, 'Assassin', I don't think it fits you."
"It fits me more than-"
Ritsuka couldn't continue. Atsuko was right there next to him, her hands holding his face and forcing him to look at her.
"I think 'Sensei' fits you a lot more." She said with a small smile.
Before such a gesture, Ritsuka could do nothing but chuckle.
"Yes, you are right. I am a 'Sensei' now." His words carried a certain irony that was lost on Atsuko. "I shouldn't be showing such a gloomy side to my students."
"Who knows, Misaki might prefer you like that over your usual cheery self." Atsuko noted.
"I am definitely not showing this side to Misaki. She has enough problems on her plate as is." Ritsuka deadpanned. "Let's keep this a secret between us, eh, Master?"
"A secret with Assassin… no, a secret with Sensei," Atsuko repeated. She liked how it sounded. "Yes, I'll be sure to keep it, all of them, for myself." She took a glance at her command seals. "Surely that must be my role as your Master."
It was a strange feeling for Ritsuka, the idea that he could not hide anything from her. The simple fact that every one of his memories and experiences were laid bare to this girl without him being unable to do anything to repress them.
All the choices he had taken, all the sacrifices he made and forced others to make, all of it was shown to the girl in front of him. But not once did she judge him or treat him differently.
Truly, of every single being in Kivotos, he was glad it was Atsuko that was the one that became his Master.
"You two." A girl appeared from the house. "If you are done with the garden, come in. I am starving."
She wore a white coat similar to Atsuko's, with a black hoodie and a tattered black pants under it. The halo on top of her head was formed in the shape of red crosses. A bobcut of brown hair fell to her sides, revealing piercings on her ears and cold eyes of the same color as her hair. The punkish girl pulled her black facemask down to speak clearly.
"Speak of the devil." Ritsuka murmured.
"Misaki." Atsuko gave the girl a slight nod.
"Yo, Misaki. You just came back? How was work?" Ritsuka continued.
"Absolutely horrible. I want to quit already." Their exhausted compatriot deadpanned.
"Hahaha, is that so?"
"I am not joking," she replied, her equally tired eyes showing that she was not amused. "Come on, let's eat something. I want to go lay down as soon as possible."
Misaki dragged herself back into the house, followed behind by the pair. The three then found the last member of the squad sitting on the dining table, with the four cup noodles that Ritsuka had brought awaiting for them still packed. The mint-haired girl, however, seemed to be more interested in the magazine in her hands.
"Hehehe, so pretty," she muttered with a smile from ear to ear, her only visible eye devouring the content of the magazine with zealousness.
"Something interesting, Hiyori?" Ritsuka asked as he sat in front of her.
"Ah! Instructor!" She greeted him. She had opted to forgo her usual dark blue cap and white cape in favor of a more comfortable black shirt and a skirt. "Look what I found! I can't believe someone would throw it away, it's only a few months old!" She presented the magazine to Ritsuka as if it were a treasure. "The girls in these fashion magazines are always so pretty and amazing…unlike me."
And just like that, her cheerful tone took a nosedive. Ritsuka knew where that was going.
"Hmm, Hiyori? You are not-"
"Of course, someone like me would never be like them, I could only watch them from afar…" Her previously bright eyes darkened as she lowered her gaze. "Such is the life of a dirty sow like me."
"There, there." Atsuko patted Hiyori's head. "Don't say things like that. I'll prepare a hot bath for you later so you'll feel less dirty."
"Hime-chan!" Hiyori hugged Atsuko, crying a little.
Ritsuka laughed awkwardly.
"You know, the only difference between you and those girls is that they wear expensive clothes, nothing else." Ritsuka added, trying his best to calm her. "If you ask me, you are pretty charming yourself, Hiyori."
"Huh… really?"
"I can't lie. Master's orders." He nodded repeatedly, his arms crossed.
"Be careful, Hiyori. This guy only says what you want to hear." Misaki joined the conversation, bringing a few water bottles with her and sitting next to them on the table. "If you let him be, he'll be all over you before you realize."
She turned to Ritsuka in shock. "Ah!? So what that article said was true!? When a man compliments a woman it's because-!?"
"It's not. Not everything written in magazines is true." Ritsuka turned to Misaki, giving the apathetic girl a glare. "And you, don't go putting weird ideas in her head."
Misaki shrugged.
"You seem lively." Saori was the last to join, bringing a kettle of hot water.
"It's been a while since we ate together like this, after all." Atsuko added, taking her seat next to Ritsuka.
"Not like this guy ever eats." Misaki pointed out, noticing the lack of a fifth cup of noodles. "What a convenient existence you are if you don't need food to survive."
"I do need to eat though, just not as often. Also, my finances took a hit after we started planning the assault on Trinity. So the more money I can save up, the better."
"And then you go and nag me about eating store food when you are not eating at all." Saori shook her head as if disappointed.
Ritsuka could only avert his gaze.
"Fair point."
"Hmmm… Instructor, if you like, I could share some of my noodles with you." Hiyori offered sheepishly.
"It's alright, you can eat them."
"Ah… yes, of course, you wouldn't want them after I touched them, they surely must be tainted by my-"
"Actually, I'm feeling a bit starved. Thank you, Hiyori." Ritsuka quickly backpedaled, sensing the imminent danger. To his side, Atsuko gave him a sneaky thumbs up.
"Nice save." she seemed to whisper with a toothy grin.
"Can we eat now? I am starving," Misaki protested.
"Go ahead. Don't let me stop you."
Misaki opened her cup noodle, and soon was followed by the rest of the squad. A communal 'Thanks for the food' could be heard in the old house. Ritsuka, the only one not eating, could only watch them as they devoured the noodles as if it were their last meal.
A sad smile crept on his face.
"Next time, I am bringing them to a restaurant, no matter how expensive it might be." He thought to himself.
The sun had not yet risen when Ritsuka woke up. He had fallen asleep sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. It was times like these that he was happy about his Servant physique. Surely, he would have terrible neck pain if he had been still human.
Just in front of him was the Arius Squad, peacefully sleeping in futons arranged clumsily on the floor. While it was true that the old house they used as a hideout didn't have enough rooms for all of them, they were already accustomed to sleeping next to each other from their time in Arius. It was safer this way, or so they claimed. It worked just fine for him anyway. It was easier to protect them if they were all in the same place.
Or that would be the case, except one of them was missing.
He stood up and carefully walked, his steps muted with unnatural ease. Once he had exited the room, he only had to follow the sole light still on in the house to find Saori. She stood before an enormous board filled with various photos, and a very detailed map depicting a city in the center. There were various red crosses marked on the map, especially in the peripheral areas. In Saori's hands was another smaller map. It was rough and apparently drawn in a hurry. Her gaze alternated between the two maps.
Most of the photos around the big map depicted students with wings and sometimes holding guns. Three photos stood out among the rest, as they had a name on them.
The first one showed a girl dressed in an outfit resembling nun garments, though the relatively short skirt and high-knee socks tell a different story. Still, despite the fact she was the only one in the group without wings, she gave off a certain holy aura, and the brilliant halo floating on top of her head certainly helped. Besides her were similarly dressed nuns, all of them seemingly praying.
The name on top of the photo was 'Utazumi Sakurako.'
The girl in the second photo was the complete opposite of Sakurako. Her uniform was almost entirely black aside from a few small details, such as a blood-like red stain on her skirt. Her hair was equally black, the same as her long featherless wing. The halo above her head was a simple red ring, which, however, seemed to be dripping in blood. If Sakurako gave off a holy vibe, this girl had a more 'fallen angel' aesthetic.
But contrary to such vicious appearance, the girl in question wore an absentminded expression, as if she distracted in her own little world. The name on top of the photo was 'Kenzaki Tsurugi.'
The last photo, slightly above the others and circled in red marker, was of a girl dressed in a white dress with golden details, her long pink hair done with a side bun that fell long past her white wings. Her halo was a complex formation of a central diamond-like piece alongside various rings orbiting around it, sharing some resemblance to a celestial formation.
Of all the three girls, she was the only one who looked actually happy; her golden eyes seemed to glow with glee, and a gentle smile crept on her face. However, Ritsuka knew that smile was anything but a happy sign.
The name on top of the photo was 'Misono Mika.'
"Did you get any sleep?" Ritsuka asked, walking up to Saori's side.
"A couple of hours, just enough," She answered drily.
He wanted to say that it wasn't enough, but again, he wasn't sleeping that much either.
"Did they draw this by hand? It looks pretty… amateurish." He said, looking at the map on her hands.
"The quality of their work certainly doesn't reflect the price." Saori sighed. "But it's better than nothing. Can't say I am comfortable with those Gehenna rats raising the price every time we meet, though."
"You really shouldn't have signed that contract without reading it first."
"The fact that it's entirely my fault is what enrages me the most." Saori said in a tone mixed with anger and resignation.
"Relax, it's going to be okay." Ritsuka patted her back. "You are going to see them again today, right? Want me to come with you?"
"No, you have your own tasks now, Sensei." She put special emphasis on that last word. "If you hang around too much in the black market, no one is going to believe you are a harmless teacher."
"As you command, Leader." he said jokingly. "Just don't be too hard on them. They are good people, even if their work is not always the most professional out there."
Saori didn't say anything, clearly irritated. To Ritsuka, it was already a miracle that she was able to collaborate with them. It showed that she had managed to let some of her hatred go, at least until the assault on Trinity was over.
"If you are awake then that means you are leaving already?" She changed the subject.
"Yes, Rin wants to meet first thing in the morning. Apparently, there's a lot of paperwork to be done if I want to work for the GSC." Ritsuka grimaced. He wasn't exactly looking forward to it, but he needed to keep a good relationship with Rin if the plan was to be successful.
"Don't leave without saying goodbye again. Last time Hiyori almost had an existential crisis because of it, she thought that you had finally disappeared for good."
"My bad." He said with an apologetic smile. "I'll be sure to properly say goodbye this time."
Ritsuka was about to walk away when Saori spoke again.
"Have you gotten any leads on the Holy Grail?"
Ritsuka stopped on his feet but didn't answer, and a long silence set between them.
"You haven't actually been looking for it, have you?" It was Saori again who broke the silence.
"It's been six months already." Ritsuka sighed. It was clear he wasn't comfortable with the topic. "It's safe to assume the Grail doesn't exist in this world."
Reaching the Holy Grail and getting their wish granted was every summoned Servant's objective, and Ritsuka Fujimaru was no exception. He did have a wish for the Grail. However, his summoning had been unconventional. The Grail had not given him any information about the world he was in, nor could he detect any other Servant and Master pair. As far as he knew, he and Atsuko were the only ones in Kivotos.
"Be sure to tell us if you find anything. We need to prepare if you do disappear." Saori's eyes centered on the maps, as if she didn't care one way or another.
"…I know we talked about my eventual departure, but I won't just go away without telling you, Saori. I am as invested in this operation as all of you, and I want to see it through. There is no way I will disappear before that."
"But you will afterward." She said in a barely audible voice.
"Hmm?"
"It's nothing, forget it."
Ritsuka was a Servant; he could hear a needle falling miles away. So, of course he had perfectly heard what Saori said. But there's a certain decorum to be had when interacting with ladies, young ladies especially at that.
"Alright, then I'll be leaving now." So he chose to say nothing. "See you later, Saori."
It was better for them if they didn't talk about it at that moment, there would be time for goodbyes eventually. Now, they needed to focus on the assault on Trinity.
Once he had finally left the room, Saori released a deep sigh, and her expression darkened. She had been taught her entire life not to expect anything from anyone, and yet she found herself relying on a person who might disappear at any moment. That contradiction deeply confused her.
There was no doubt he had helped them a lot, but she knew that his presence in Kivotos was ephemeral. He would eventually find that Holy Grail, get his wish granted, and disappear from their lives; and everything will return to how it used to be.
She had to be ready for that. For the Squad's sake, they could not allow themselves to grow complacent with the current situation, doing so would be meaningless.
"All of this…is meaningless, isn't it?"
Even if they were no longer under Beatrice, her words still rang true, as an echo in her mind.
'Vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas.'
"I need a signature here and here." Rin pointed out on Ritsuka's work contract. Having gone through it a couple of times just to be sure, he finally wrote his name, officially taking the role of Sensei just as his Master wanted.
"Perfect." Rin took it and nodded with satisfaction. "Before we begin, do you have any questions, Sensei?"
"Just one. What exactly is this?" He asked, looking at the pile of documents she had placed on the desk as soon as she arrived.
"Student requests, complaints, and probably some death threats." Those last words were said with a perfect straight face. It seemed Rin was accustomed to them. "I brought them so you can start your job right away."
"I have to do all this on my first day?" Ritsuka took the topmost document of the pile and read it out loud. There was a seal at the end of the document in the form of a bear and the words 'Red Winter.' "Petition for a custom-made gold statue of our esteemed leader to raise morale? Please be sure to put special emphasis on the mustache? What the…?"
"Of course, you don't have to attend to every single request, or accept them for that matter. Or even humor them." Rin carefully took the document from Ritsuka's hand, and with a perfectly neutral face, crushed it before tossing it to the bin with a particular form of killing intent, never breaking eye contact with him. Ritsuka had seldom seem such tiny paper balls. "Some are outside our scope, and others are straight-up impossible or ridiculous. It is still important to properly take the time to read them and decide what can and can't be done."
"Sure..." Ritsuka made a mental note to be especially careful while reading any request from this 'Red Winter' school.
"This way, we will also gauge what you can do for future reference." Rin adjusted her glasses. "Lastly, I want you to have one more thing. It's something the president left behind for the one that would take the role of Sensei."
She presented him with a tablet-like device. A sidelong crack ran across its black screen.
"A tablet?"
"It's called the Shittim Chest. It may seem like a normal tablet at first glance, but its origins are a mystery. Its manufacturer, OS, system structure, and components are completely unknown to us. The president used it to control the Sanctum Tower, but after her disappearance we've had no luck activating it again. Perhaps you might figure it out, Sensei."
"I am not an expert in this kind of thing, but I can at least try."
"Thank you. That would be a great help."
Fujimaru extended his hand to take the tablet, but the moment his fingers grasped it, a sudden pain assaulted his nerves and forced him to quickly let go.
"Sensei, is something wrong?" Rin asked, confused by the sudden gesture.
"I…" Fujimaru looked at his hand, equally confused. "I think this tablet just shocked me."
"Excuse me?"
He did not explain further and moved his hand towards the tablet again, only to feel the same pain as soon as he touched it.
"No doubt, it's like every time I try to touch it, I get zapped."
"But I am holding it just fine?" Rin was perplexed. She began to inspect the Shittim Chest, looking for anything out of the ordinary. "Nothing like this ever happened, even when we tried to tamper with it."
"Hmmm. For now, can you leave it on my desk? I'll think about something later."
"Are you sure? I wouldn't want you getting hurt."
"Yeah, leave it to me. I have my ways."
"Understood. I shall take my leave so as to not interfere then." She bowed slightly.
The two discussed some more miscellaneous details, before Rin finally left with another bow, once again reminding Ritsuka of some details of his job. Once the dark-haired girl had left the office, Fujimaru's eyes wandered towards the potentially dangerous Shittim Chest.
He walked towards his desk and stood before it, observing its shape carefully. It definitely looked like nothing more than a common tablet he could find in his old world.
"Except for that, clearly." He shook his hand at receiving the painful jolt.
If Rin was to be believed, it was the first time it had acted like that. Could it be that his Servant psyche was triggering some kind of defense system in the artifact? Maybe a built-in magical energy repellant? He wasn't sure, but Fujimaru's curiosity had certainly been piqued.
"I shouldn't be slacking on the very first day, but I won't be able to focus until I know more about this."
Ritsuka raised his hand in the air as if to hold something. He then closed his eyes, and began to intone the next few words:
"O warriors of the past, awake from your slumber. Your battle might be over, and yet still I remain." Waves of magical energy began to gather around him, moving his clothes and hair like the wind. Then Ritsuka opened his eyes again. They had adopted a brilliant green glow. "So raise your weapons once more and show this world your might. That is my Grand Order."
Rikuhachima Aru was, in her own words, an outlaw. A lone wolf that didn't answer to anyone but herself; the fearless leader of Problem Solver 68, the best fixers in Gehenna—no, perhaps in the entirety of Kivotos. She had accomplished many difficult tasks and gotten over many close calls alongside her associates, which naturally made her develop a fierce backbone. No matter the situation she might encounter, Aru was confident in her skills. Hardly anything was capable of unsettling her.
So, of course, the current situation didn't bother her at all. Receiving such a tremendous murderous gaze from one of Trinity's most wanted criminals was just a walk in the park for her. She was totally not trying her best to remain calm and not show any weaknesses. The drops of sweat falling across her temple were just a clever distraction technique.
She was not afraid of her, not at all.
"Hey."
"Y-yes!?" Aru quickly answered.
"Do you have more information or not?" Saori asked, her blue eyes staring daggers at Aru.
"Yes! We got it right h-here!" She took a brown envelope from a drawer on her desk. "Though I am afraid the price had to be raised another 10%." She averted her gaze from Saori. "It's a difficult operation with a lot of people involved. I am sure you can understand-"
She had not finished talking when she noticed how Saori frowned. Even with her mouth mask on, Aru could guess what kind of expression she was making.
'Finish that sentence, and they will never find your body.' That's what her expression said to her.
"B-boss Aru, I have brought tea. W-would you like some?" Fortunately for her, another member of Problem Solver interrupted the tense atmosphere and allowed Aru a moment of respite. The girl, clad in a purple uniform of the same color as her eyes and short hair, brought a tray with a couple of tea cups on top of it.
"A-ah, Haruka, yes please."
"Boss Aru." As she put a cup before her leader, Haruka began to whisper. "The bombs are set and ready." She revealed a detonator hidden under the tray. "Just give me a signal and I will blow her up."
"I can hear you," Saori said, impassive.
"I am pressing the button, Boss!"
"W-wait!" Aru quickly took the detonator from Haruka's hand. "W-we are just having a friendly chat between fixer and contractor. T-there is no need to blow our entire office because of that, hahaha."
Aru was the only one laughing at her pitiful attempt at a joke.
"That's fine by me." A mocking laugh could be heard as a girl with pale hair and pointy ears entered the room after Haruka. "We can just go back to living in the tent, isn't that right, Aru?" The girl, Mutsuki, asked in a cheerful tone.
A shiver ran down Aru's spine.
"No! I refuse to go back there!" She hit the desk with both hands. Only thinking about those nights sleeping in the park was enough to send her into panic. "Going to sleep in the cold…waking up with bugs on our pillows…"
Before Aru could revive more painful memories, her eyes fell on Saori again, who seemed to be growing impatient with the nonsense.
"As I was saying." The boss of Problem Solver cleared her throat, quickly trying to compose herself. "We wouldn't normally raise the price of our services like this, but the circumstances of this operation demanded that we hire extra manpower, and of course, that also means more expenses."
"What she is trying to say is that the goons we hired in Trinity are asking for more money." Mutsuki added happily. "And Aru couldn't just say no~."
"Mutsuki! That's... true." Aru wasn't able to refute her. "Since they are the ones actually doing the work inside Trinity, they think they can ask for an unreasonable amount of money…and we can't do much but comply." She held her forehead in shame.
Saori sighed deeply. An infiltration in Trinity would have been easy for the Arius Squad in the past, but it was impossible in their current situation. The moment they set foot on Trinity was the moment they had to be ready to face the entire school by themselves. Even not taking Misono Mika into account, the Sisterhood and the Justice Task Force were still a threat that could not be ignored, which led them to the current situation.
If someone told her a year ago that she would be relying not only on Gehenna students but on nameless thugs from Trinity, she would have doubted that person's sanity. Alas, Trinity and especially Misono Mika must not know they were behind this.
"We are unable to pay more," Saori stated simply. "There aren't many jobs for wanted criminals like us. Even in the black market, we are paid less than your average worker." Saori stood up from her chair. "If you can't maintain the price then we will have to find someone else that can."
"Wait! We should be able to think of something…" Truthfully Aru could relate to her problem. It wasn't like Problem Solver was that much better off. In fact, the Arius Squad was currently their sole contractor. If Saori decided that they didn't need them anymore, then they would be in the red starting next month. "Ah! I know it." Once again, Aru opened the drawer of her desk, only this time she took a photo and presented it to Saori.
"Who is this?" The photo showed a student from a school she didn't recognize. From the angle it was taken and the blur in the image, Saori deduced it might have been from a security camera.
"A business opportunity." Aru said coolly. "Lately there was a big ruckus in the black market. Apparently a big company is offering a large sum for whoever finds this girl." A wide grin that spelled, 'I am a genius' was drawn on Aru's face. "Naturally, we followed the robot that delivered the message. Imagine our surprise when it returned to a building owned by Kaiser Corporation."
"Kaiser?"
"Following it was too easy. I think they wanted to be found out." Mutsuki shrugged. "Still, it doesn't change the fact that Kaiser must be involved in some way."
"And you want us to look for her? That's impossible. We have our own matters to attend to."
"You don't have to actively look for her. I only ask you to keep your eyes open, and call us if you happen to see someone that looks like her. In exchange, we can shoulder this month's price increase."
"Woah, Aru is actually negotiating like a pro! Too bad that means less food for us." Mutsuki grinned despite her own harsh words.
"Another month sharing a single cup noodle…" In contrast, Haruka's expression was one of dread.
"If we want to triumph we have to take risks!" Their boss exclaimed, full of confidence. "Now, do we have a deal?"
Before answering, Saori took a closer look at the student in the photo. She had grey shoulder-length hair and wolf ears that suggested a connection with Hyakkiyako Academy, though, for some reason, her pupils were of different colors. One was black, and the other was white.
Her uniform was blue in color accompanied by a light-blue scarf. Both looked tattered and dirty, as if they had seen a lot of use. Finally, and despite the quality of the picture, she could notice an expression of distress on the girl's face, as if she was running from something or someone.
An expression that Saori herself knew very well.
"Deal."
"The main body is made from aluminum-steel alloy. No rare metals can be appreciated in its composition." Ritsuka said as he paced around his desk. Inexplicably, he was wearing a pair of glasses despite the fact he never needed them in the past. "Similarly, the frame is common plastic, and the touch screen is made of normal tempered glass. All materials that could be found in my old world."
Mimicking him at the opposite side of the desk was a beautiful woman. No, perhaps calling her a beauty would have still been a disservice. Every single one of her features seemed to have been carefully crafted to be pleasing to the eye, from her perfect nose and soft lips to her shining blue eyes. Kivotos had no shortage of charming girls, but the woman right there exuded a unique mature charm.
"I can't detect any kind of magical tampering or curses on it either." The woman brought a gloved hand to her chin as she observed the Shittim Chest. "If I didn't know otherwise, this could easily pass as a common piece of pan-human history's technology."
"However, I can't see anything past its exterior, not even with your help." Ritsuka adjusted the glasses on his face. "No common doodad should be able to block a Noble Phantasm. On top of that, when I do this…" Ritsuka lightly tapped the Shittim Chest and expectedly received a shock.
"Ho! Interesting." The brunette's eyes shone with the curiosity of someone who could barely keep herself from taking the artifact apart. "An electric discharge of exactly five milliamps, enough to cause pain but not to leave lasting damage in a normal human body. Evidently, this was an intentional design choice, as someone wanted to protect this tablet."
"Apparently, it's the first time it acted like this. Could it be a defensive mechanic against otherworlders?" Ritsuka asked. He knew for a fact he wasn't the only foreign being in Kivotos after all.
"Difficult to say, we need further testing." The woman then gave Ritsuka a knowing stare. "But you are not going to wait, are you, Master?"
"I am afraid I can't entertain your scientific approach, Da Vinci." Ritsuka raised his arm. Glowing green lines had begun to appear on it. "Gaining access to the Sanctum Tower is something I can't just ignore."
The Sanctum Tower was the centerpiece of the General Student Council's authority and the fastest way to gain control over Kivotos. Perhaps it would be a different method than the one his Master asked for, but he would be opening a path towards Trinity nonetheless.
"Just be careful. Whatever is protecting this 'Shittim Chest' is either completely non-magical in nature or it's a mystery in the realm of true magic."
"Oh, you know me, I am always careful." he said in a joking tone. Though his smile quickly became one of nostalgia. "I miss your guidance, Da Vinci-chan. For all the power I gained as a Servant, I sometimes still feel as oblivious as that boy who passed out on Chaldea's doorstep."
"No one has all the answers, Master. Not even a genius like me."
"Then how did you do it? How do I guide them just like how you guided me?"
"You are giving too much credit to me, Master." She brought a hand to Ritsuka's face in a motherly caress. "And too little to yourself." He, however, couldn't feel it. "To guide and to be guided, they are not mutually exclusive roles. We, as Servants, shall only create a path to the future; it is them that should decide to walk it or not." To Ritsuka, her words distilled wisdom. "That's the only thing you should keep at heart: Trust that you can create that path for them, and trust that your students can walk it."
Ritsuka wanted to take Da Vinci's hand on his, but stopped just before doing it.
"Yes, Da Vinci-chan." Ritsuka steeled himself, and walked towards the tablet. "You'll be proud of me, I'll promise."
"I know I will." Da Vinci smiled, a smile that could melt even the coldest heart. "You are my pupil, after all."
"See you on the other side, Leonardo." He then placed his hand on the tablet and, ignoring the electricity suddenly attacking his nerves, closed his eyes and began to imagine the interior of the Shittim Chest.
At first, he imagined various electronic components, a motherboard, capacitors, and a battery, but as his magical energy began to invade the object, all those things began to disappear from his mind. There was nothing like that in that tablet. In fact, it seemed totally empty. The insides of the Shittim Chest were like a void, a perpetual fall in the darkness, a long tunnel that extended to infinity.
Until he heard something he hadn't expected, that is.
First, it was the whistling of the wind, and soon, it was followed by the sound of the waves, quietly dampening the sandy coast. Then an image came to life in his mind, of a dark night by the shore, with a sky devoid of stars, where not even the moon dared show the slightest light, making the firmaments marry with the ocean in an absolute darkness.
However, shrouded in that complete darkness stood someone. Beneath the only source of light, a brilliant but small red halo, was a girl. She was impossible to miss, her long white hair accompanied by an equally white ribbon heavily contrasted with a dark landscape.
She had her back turned, apparently looking at the indistinguishable horizon. But soon, she turned around, and a sole black eye, stared at him, her other eye hidden under her hair.
"You don't belong here." She muttered.
An invisible force pushed Ritsuka away, making the image of that moonless, gloomy beach disappear into complete darkness. Ritsuka woke up on the floor of his office, alone back in the Schale building. Like being rudely awakened up from his sleep, Ritsuka heaved as he stood up.
"What the hell was that?" He grunted as he made his way back to the device.
He didn't have to wait long to get his answer.
The Shittim Chest had suddenly turned on at some point, showing thousands of numbers and nonsensical words, variables, computer functions, and broken computer code on its screen. They blurred, scrolled, appeared, and disappeared in a maelstrom of lines, as if the console was running on overdrive, so fast that not even he could read the instructions with his Servant senses, but soon the code lines were replaced by a few cryptic words.
ERROR WHILE CONFIRMING SENSEI'S IDENTITY.
SWITCHING TO FULL DEFENSIVE MODE.
OPERATING SYSTEM: A.R.O.N.A STARTING.
A powerful blue light burst from the screen and into the room, which made Ritsuka step back. It was clearly with much more power than a simple tablet could ever produce. Mere seconds later, something began to form between the Shittim Chest and him.
At first, it was just a featureless figure, humanoid but devoid of anything to call it properly human. Then it came all at once: The pale skin, the long white hair, the piercing black eyes, and the equally black uniform.
And there she was, the same girl Ritsuka had seen by the seaside had appeared in front of him.
"Shittim Chest OS: A.R.O.N.A," She spoke in a robotic tone, devoid of emotions. "Heroic Spirit Fujimaru Ritsuka, the Shittim Chest has deemed you unfit for the role of Sensei." A tiny red light shone from the girl's eye as she said that. "You shall not be the bearer of this Chest."
END OF CHAPTER 2
Author notes: Hello all, it's been a while, the chapter took some time because the entire team was busy as hell. Hope the wait was worth it.
For those that are new, we have a discord server where I post periodic updates, come and say hi if you want.
discord server: discord. gg / kvRCbruzaT (erase the space obviously)
As always, thank to Arban for the proofreading and Lower Black for the editing.
That's everything for now, see you in the next chapter.
Adios.