Fate: A Volcanic Summer With Alter

by AGeekyWriter

There was a lot Ritsuka had experienced over the last few years trying to save the world. But times to relax were few and far between. In between writing a manuscript with Jeanne Alter's scrapped Doujin ideas, helping her to win the ServFest contest, and BB certainly being a source for more problems, he was starting to worry once again if there would be any time to relax.

10. From Zero With Alter III

Hello once again readers and Jalter enjoyers. I've been toiling away since the last update...eh? Four months ago I think? There was a stretch which allowed me to get decently ahead on the story. As the next update is technically already written, it just needs to be updated. I sort of realized that I have more work finished then I could normally keep up with on editing, so I now have a dedicated editing day per week. It will hopefully allow my original works and my fanfictions a bit more steady of a release...or at least it will feel more steady to me lol.

So this has been a difficult chapter to write, there were tons of continuity errors that occurred in my original draft that have hopefully been edited into oblivion. There was a sort of mental battle with myself as to how graphic I would trend to take a few scenes, (for this update, and the next one). There was also a part of me that's now trying to balance the characters and how they've grown since the start of the story with how they might make decisions now...which has been getting difficult. Hopefully everyone is still reasonably within their character. As we are starting to get to some plot related things I've had in my head since I first started plotting out this fic a few years ago. The issue is making sure it all still works within the core of the characters. I can only hope I achieved that to a reasonable degree.

Since most of the characters are now established, I think after the following update...everything should start to coalesce into a smoother ride to the finish. Though I suppose time will tell on that one lol. These next two chapters are definitely more plot heavy I think over the characters and there are some twists here (hopefully) for those who completed the event. There are plenty of easter eggs I suppose to spot regarding them...if I did my job right.

Anyways that's enough from my rambles lol. As always you can find me on twitter (x), and a fair few other social platforms under AGeekyWriter. I also have a weekly podcast that's youtube CheapSeatCritics where my friends and I review movies to a...thorough degree. And I've got some published short stories on Amazon that you can find on my twitter page. And as for what's coming the quickest after this, update, is a new published short story, and some holiday themed fics regarding my favorite waifu Jalter. I'll see you again (maybe) at the end. As always please feel free to leave comments, praises, constructive criticism, or point out grammatical errors. I'm a one man show with beta reads so...all of it means a lot.

---

###From Zero With Alter III###

Jeanne Alter awoke with a start and a sharp gasp as she was used to. She sat up quickly feeling the cool morning air against her skin. The light was pounding against the tent, indicating the start to the late morning that they'd wanted. She grabbed her hip still feeling the phantom pain of the dream she'd been ripped out of. She winced as she grabbed her forehead too, slumping forward with a groan, as the pounding headache started to form.

The dreams had been half peaceful, and as far as she was concerned that was the best kind of outcome she could have hoped for. Her fingers shook for a moment as she squeezed her hip as if it were helping to work the phantom pain away. Her breaths came slower as she oriented herself in her irregular surroundings.

Beside her Ritsuka was quiet and still in his sleep and his form tugged at her eyes, earning a breath of relief into the quiet morning air.

As her heart started to settle, with her breathing she glanced again at her hand. Her lips twisted a little as she held out her hand in front of her.

A test.

She concentrated and could feel her spirit origin move with her activated mana pulse. Alter smiled, as she realized she was okay. Alter held it for a full ten seconds with no warnings or additions and then let the magic fade away as she'd gathered it. Unused, but stored away in her for later. "Hah-" She covered her lips suppressing the giggle.

The swell of relief was enough to wipe her out almost entirely again as she fell back again with a breath.

Beside her, Ritsuka started to stir and he turned toward her with his brows knitted together, a wince escaping his lips.

Alter smiled a little, flushing once more with rosy cheeks as she saw his face and messy black hair. After all, it was the one thing that, unlike her nightmares, she was still getting used to. At some point in the night they must've gotten a bit closer, she noticed. His hand was only just short of touching her arm when they tried to sleep holding one another's hand.

She stretched out her legs beneath the cover, turning to face him, and waited. She'd kissed him the last couple of days upon waking up. Another thing that she was still getting used to. But last night they hadn't had any shared dream walking so there was really no reason for her to kiss him awake like she had been.

Right?

The nightmares thankfully last night hadn't been so intense that she awoke with a scream like she had on some previous nights. But in those seconds as she stared at him and his lips another realization pierced the morning air.

I want to kiss him.

Quietly she shrunk into her shoulders and that blush continued to rise on her cheeks. It was so stupid and she knew it was so stupid. To get hung up on that little fact that she normally would've brushed off.

But we are official now, right?

It was something that had cleared away yesterday, and he'd off-handedly commented about how she'd been waking him up thanks to the dream getaways. Things that allowed her to sleep better. Something that had probably also contributed to staving off the realization that her mana store had been cut off.

Her lips pressed into a pout and she blew out a quiet breath filled with steam.

No barriers left for me to worry about.

And despite the blush, and the start of that warning bell that always tolled in the back of her mind. She managed to push herself a bit closer so she could feel his breath on her cheeks and she touched his hand on her arm with hers. With the other, she gently brushed the side of his face and now messy hair.

His eyes were slowly lulled to open and before she lost her nerves she quickly closed the last bit of that gap in an instant. His smile, unlike previous times against her lips, had been nearly instant, a sign of how awake he truly was.

Rituska's other hand had emerged from under the covers and tugged at her hip, pulling all of her closer.

She hummed into his mouth and with her other hand she tugged the corners of his cheeks up as she shifted, her hair falling around him. Alter could feel her mana store increasing ever so slightly at the taste of his saliva. Her fingers curled slightly and she tapped him on the shoulder as her cheeks grew red with steam.

He obliged and his grip against her hip loosened, and the tug on her lips came free. Glancing down at him she saw the small smile on his lips. "Morning…"

Alter grinned back and collapsed back down against the floor, nuzzling against his neck and chest. Being sure she didn't get too far. Determined to stick it out as long as she could manage. She hummed again. "Morning…master." She grabbed him against the line of his shirt that he'd worn yesterday. He felt his lips press against the corner of her closed eyes. She smiled again. "Mmm. Sorry to wake you."

He chuckled, "I was already getting there." His arm wrapped around her, making sure to tug her close. She could feel the tension in his hand and she didn't have to open her eyes to hear the concern in his voice. "Are you alright? The mana I mean…you're bouncing between normal and bad shape last night often."

"Much." She hummed out a breath. "I think the lack of fighting or strenuous activity yesterday helped considerably…"

Even though I ruined the end of our date night.

Alter's eyes flicked open, eyelashes brushing against his skin since they were so close. She was happy for a moment, knowing that he couldn't see her darkening expression. All of it racing back to their reasons last night of how abnormal it all was by grail war standards. And how horrible she still felt.

"It doesn't matter Alter."

She could remember his words and it still didn't sit well with her. Alter closed her eyes again and let out a breath against his skin and her fingers curled into his shirt. "Come on, we should get going. The sun is already up…"

He hummed at that, "I can wait a bit longer if you can?"

Alter choked on a laugh and bit her lip. She pressed her forehead against his skin and squeezed her eyes shut. She wasn't willing or wanting to argue that point. She was going to savor it for as long as it lasted. Gently she could feel his fingers brush through her hair, and his thumb resting on her cheek and brushing past her closed eye.

I can stand to wait a bit longer.

Her heart fluttered and she only hummed at him.

###

Medusa arrived at the prescribed hour late in the morning. Her steed Bellaphrone landed in the clearing with a whinie as it folded in its wings. Alter was standing outside of the tent stretching with all the swords strapped to her back, her hands far above her head. She nodded in greeting at them, sparing a glance at the tent.

Master should be out soon enough.

As if expectant of Medusa's arrival, Saber Artoria walked out into the clearing to join them. Ever with the beat of professionalism, she bowed her head in a nod toward Alter before walking up to Bellaphrone and Medusa.

Alter smiled a little.

The tent's entrance parted, and Ritsuka stepped out in his swim trunks and sandals. The other mystic code he brought meant for the summer. He was shirtless and wore nothing to cover his top except for a few bracelets on his wrists. Relics Da Vinchi helped make in order to account for the otherwise lack of typical protection from the mystic code.

She hoped she wasn't blushing as badly as she felt that she was. Alter bit her lip and tore her eyes off his toned chest and muscles to his face.

Bastard.

The late morning sunlight glistened against his skin as he smiled at her. "Shall we pack all this up?"

Stupid idiodic smile.

She blew out a breath, "Lets."

As they packed it all away together, she instructed him on how to properly store the wire supporting that was run through the tent. "Well, at least you can fold the materials without me having to fret too much." She shook her head a little with a smile.

"What no compliment for following your instructions?" He smirked as he threw one back over his shoulder, and she grabbed the other two.

"Not when it's so easy to do…besides. I think my good morning kiss was enough." She folded her arms and feigned a pout, turning her nose up a little at him.

He chuckled, and Alter found she enjoyed the rumbling noise more than she would ever admit. It only helped to soothe her more. "Well, then should I be thanking you for the instruction with a good morning kiss from me?" Ritsuka took a few steps closer.

She nearly jumped, "H-hey! Not in front of others." She folded her arms, bags swaying and looking off a little to the side with a deepening blush. "Idiot." Alter hoped though that he didn't see the smile on her lips. In reprisal, she nudged him in the shoulder, nearly knocking him off balance with the extra weight.

He laughed again.

All worth it.

The two of them neared Medusa and overheard the tail end of at least their current conversation. The Greek heroine was contemplative but nodded a few times. "I see…I suppose that's a good thing then. I'm sorry if my words came across as harsh to you yesterday."

"Think nothing of it Medusa…" Artoria cracked a small smile, something everyone knew to be rare. "Archer and I talked some things over…and while I don't think we are fully comfortable with it yet, we have agreed to discuss…and perhaps explore the current situation further…" She bit her lip a little. "I…guess I can only hope that we remember."

Alter's smile faded at the mention of it. The predicament of her fellow servants around her. Ritsuka grabbed her hand.

The blue saber looked to her and Ritsuka, then back to Medusa. "I…is there any progress on Medea's end? How is she?"

Medusa sighed, "Stubborn witch, refused to sleep and worked all through the night pouring through some of her old tombs. Something I imagine she's…" She glanced at Ritsuka and Alter. "Done before…and she didn't find anything. One thing that arose though, is she is claiming she needs something linked to the singularity. A direct link. She said it would help her work through some of the details and perhaps get something of an understanding to base even a potential counter spell off of."

Artoria hummed, nodding.

Jeanne Alter also felt Ritsuka nod and glanced at him as well. She raised a brow at him even as he just started speaking.

"That makes sense, you need to have magic links to something in order to make magic or spells related to it. I'm assuming ley lines were crossed off the list fairly quickly being written off as diluted or something to that effect?"

Medusa nodded.

Artoria touched her chin in thought. "In my time with Merlin, I recall that forming a direct connection to something often involves its origins in some part." She glanced at Ritsuka and Alter, and then Medusa. "Is there anything about the singularities' origins that could potentially be useful to us?"

Alter was quiet and trying to think. All this stuff was barely taught to her by the grail in a rudimentary format. She knew enough about magecraft to understand most of its terms but it felt like having to process a different language and having to retranslate into one she could understand.

Still useless.

Her lips twisted a little trying to ignore it. She instead focused on the information she found while prepping for the trip as she'd done a fair bit of research of her own accord. "Da Vinci said something about us having to do things undercover…" She glanced up at the group. "If we search for the origins of the singularity…we might tip our hand."

Medusa hummed, "Well in any case she has one more day to figure things out. And failing that, Master, I trust you'll bring it up to us next loop when we reset…"

"I will."

The rider stepped down from the pegasus and helped to start strapping the camping gear back into place.

Artoria meanwhile looked distinctly uncomfortable. "If…you both need any help that Archer and I might provide…don't hesitate to reach out to us."

Alter caught it too and turned to eye the King of Knights. "What is it, Saber?"

Medusa and her master paused to look over at her.

She seemed to blush a little at the attention and waved it off. "It's nothing of concern. I just wanted to make sure we are giving our best."

The purple-haired rider stepped over to her. "Saber, what is it? It's just the three of us and when have we been anything less than trustworthy since our arrival at Chaldea." She glanced at Ritsuka and Alter.

Her master held out a hand toward Alter.

She took it and stepped closer.

"Archer…that is to say Emiya and I worked some things out last night." She hesitated a little before pressing her lips into a line and straightening up to look at them. "I just…don't want it to have been for nothing."

"I understand," Medusa said. "With your permission master, I'd like to bring Artoria and Archer in as direct helpers if they are willing?"

Ritsuka blinked and nodded, his fingers squeezing Alter's hand. "Of course, so long as they are willing I'd be more than happy to agree to it. Archer has quite a bit of knowledge when it comes to magecraft. And not all of us can say we had tutelage under the great Merlin." He smiled at Artoria.

Saber nodded once, smiling pleased with the outcome.

Alter frowned, feeling a headache start to form again. Lighter than all the others she'd had over the past couple of days, but ever present as she could detect the difference in mana flow more strongly than before. She glanced off in the direction of the forest around them, feeling a tug at her heart as she did. Like magic lines and gentle winds and strings were pulling her.

She remained rooted.

And the ground started to shake a little. A small tremor that the others in the group paused.

Artoria hummed. "An earthquake?"

It was then Alter's headache turned searing completely different from what it had been before as something came to her. Like a master and servant bond. It was a communication, a vision, near a signal to her that tore through the air. It seemed to burn into her mind all at once flushed with instant pain.

There he stood before her white hair red mantle draped over him a look of controlled surprise on his features. But the reaction was as instant as the vision had been. The speed had been quicked and the distance to him closed in an instant and in quick blue flashes, the red bowman had brought forth his two short swords.

And then the sight ended.

"Where is Archer?" Alter asked, looking back at Saber.

Saber stared at blinking away her other thoughts, "Right, I already told Medusa. He thought he found tracks and wanted to follow up on them. They looked like that of wild animals that came into contact with the barrier."

Liar.

Alter huffed out a breath, "He's in trouble." The sickening twist of her stomach as she tried to form the right words. She could feel Ritsuka's hand on her shoulder steadying her, sensing in his own way something was horribly wrong. She barely had the time to look at him and Saber, and no time for the words to escape from her mouth.

And an explosion cracked in the distance, and fire erupted into the air.

Ritsuka stiffened. "What the-"

Alter's fingers gripped Master's shoulder digging into his skin, as she might've clung to a mystic code. "We need to go!" She shoved him toward the pegasus and Medusa.

Medusa's eyes went wide.

"No-Shirou!" Artoria in an instant summed her blade and spared them a glance. But she didn't wait for any direction and instead leaped off, a wind blast strong enough to kick up dirt and grass left in her wake as she lunged through the forest and out of sight.

"Shirou?" Ritsuka tensed and his eyes went wide. He huffed and saw the blue saber disappear into the trees.

"Medusa," Alter said. "Get us out of here!" She joined the two of them near the pegasus and started to climb up onto the beast's back.

We need to go.

Why?

We have to leave.

It wasn't a feeling she wanted to linger on. A sickening twist formed in her stomach as she recalled in perfect detail the vision that had slammed into her. Her amber glanced at Medusa and Ritsuka. She could feel the beating in her heart growing more intense and she didn't know fully as to why. They couldn't tell evidently what had happened. Medea might've given her nature as a caster.

Why?

For his safety.

Or yours?

She huffed as she settled herself into her seat as Medusa gestured for her to grab Ritsuka. He seemed to come back into himself the moment she was leaning over to flick him hard in the head. Instead, he grabbed her wrist and she hauled him up with a grunt. "Come on Rider!" Alter hissed it out with gritted teeth.

Medusa swung herself on, long purple hair flowing in the swift movement behind her. "Where to?" She asked.

"The hotel," Alter said.

"The battle," Ritsuka said.

He had settled himself behind her and wrapped his arms around her as he gripped the saddle, tying the straps around his wrists and looking carefully over her shoulder. She could feel his chest against her back his breaths. And his warm air against her neck as he looked at her with surprise.

Alter had turned to look at him, nose brushing his cheek as her eyes met his. "Please." She whispered quietly so that no other could hear.

I don't want to know.

His blue eyes widened but were no less filled with that familiar intensity she saw in them whenever he was a master commanding servants in a battle. With his other hand wrapped around her, he touched her hip gently.

She tensed and her heart danced even more with the touch of his lips quickly at the corner of her mouth.

Medusa took to the air looking back at them looking for confirmation on anything. Her mask hid the expression of her eyes, but her lips twisted together.

"The hotel," Ritsuka said.

And Alter curled her fingers around the wrist he'd tied beside hers. She nudged him with the side of her head laying all at once back into him as the wind blew around them as Bellaprone tore off in the indicated direction. She shivered at the warmth of him squeezing his arms around her. "Thank you." She managed.

A second explosion tore through the air behind them.

It was another thing she added to her mental list about him. That implicit trust he had in her, the care he had in her. She relaxed against him as Bellaphrone picked up speed. Just for a moment longer enjoying the touch of his arms wrapped around her.

"Master!" Medusa's voice was raised over the wind tearing around them. "I'll go back for them once I deposit you two off at the hotel." She risked a glance over her shoulder, her purple hair nearly flying into Alter's face. "I know it might be trouble, but can you stay with Medea until I return!?"

Ritsuka tensed. "Shit, the others, are they already at Servfest!?"

The rider nodded.

Alter nodded, "We slept in!"

"We did!"

She could feel the mana flow from behind her and could feel her master's strain as he tried to focus on a different master and servant bond. He whispered a curse, and she reached back to hold him, the grip she had on his wrist tightening in comfort.

"I understand, withdraw then." It was all she could hear.

Alter spared a glance at the ground beneath them and the air was sucked from her lungs in surprise as she realized she couldn't see the ground below them.

Fog had rolled in what must've been an instant.

That's never happened before.

Bellaphrones wings, blew away the fog around them as they came in for a quick landing. Mordred was at the doorstep waiting to greet them. She was in her armor, helmetless so that they could see her face. On either side of her were two of the bone familiars that Medea was fond of making as fodder.

Her sword was bloodied and she gave them a toothy grin. "There ya are master. Was worried the fog might've got ya." She put a hand on her hip and huffed. "Don't worry about the others and the civies we wrapped 'em all up inside. Confining people to their rooms and such. I left the excuse makin' to Jekal and Hyde ya know?"

The warmth around her left as her Master dropped to the ground. He walked to Mordred quickly and started to get debriefed as well as fill her in.

Alter blew out a breath and glanced at Rider as she unwound her legs from the saddle. She threw the bags over her shoulder. Not that it really mattered, she knew, but Medusa shouldn't bear the extra weight when going into battle. "Don't engage whatever it is at close range."

Medusa hummed, and even with the mask over her eyes, Alter got the distinct impression of someone staring at her. "And are you going to tell either me or master how it is you foresaw the attack?"

"A vision…don't know how or why. Only know what I saw." Alter slid off the horse and looked up at the Grecian heroine. Her brows furrowed and she must've looked intensely worried for a second because even Medusa was taken back. She shook her head for a moment. "I saw…movement quickly closing the distance to Emiya."

The ground seemed to shake again beneath their feet and her lips started to twist.

Another thing that hasn't happened in the loops so far before.

She looked up at Medusa, "I'll tell him…" Alter nodded, "But…that's all that happened." She took a step away from Bellaphrone and tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her gut. That fear that neither of them would believe her.

Medusa reached down and grabbed her arm firmly. "Protect Medea, understand?"

Mordred spoke up for the two of them. "I got you Rider. Nothing is coming in or out without my expressed approval. The other knights of the round took up places inside." She grinned from ear to ear. "Looks like I'm the first line of defense for a change eh?" The rebellious knight gave a firm nod.

The Grecian heroine tensed and her tight grip on Alter's arm loosened. "I see, I would thank you, knight. If Medea can accomplish our goal, it will surely benefit you and the other knights of the Round Table."

The knight grew serious for a second. "Understood Rider, on my honor, nothing shall harm her as long as I draw breath."

Ritsuka touched Mordred's shoulder to say something more. Whatever it was, was lost to Alter's ears as Medusa took to the skies again and bounded off at the full speed allotted by her class, cracking the wind as they went.

Alter huffed and lobbed the bags up the stairs without care.

No point she reminded herself.

"Not to be a stickler Master," Mordred started. "But where did Father go? They were with you and Emiya last right?" And with the sudden look, Alter gave her, the tomboyish grin vanished on her lips, turning more pointedly to look at Ritsuka. "Master?"

He wasn't hiding it, but his brows were furrowed deep in thought and he looked up in surprise when Mordred had stepped back into his vision. "Ah-" He cleared his throat. "All was going well until this morning as you could guess. Emiya went off to scout, and he was…" Alter felt more than saw Ritsuka's eyes flick to her for a second. "...attacked. I think." The King of Knights immediately went off to help…" His throat tightened and they both saw Mordred's expression flicker.

"I see…" She frowned.

She regrets giving her word.

Alter's mouth opened and closed as she walked up the steps to join the two of them. Though she wasn't sure what else she could say. They had abandoned them at her word. It was going to be her fault ultimately if something had happened. She pressed her palm against her forehead, resting her other hand on the hilt of her sword.

Stupid choice.

Your fault.

Her amber eyes flicked to Ritsuka, "I had a vision when Emiya was attacked." It's enough to get them both to stare at her. "I…don't know…how or why…" She trailed off and looked to the side. Ritsuka grabbed her hand, and she curled her fingers around his. Then she started again, going slower and into all the vivid detail from the searing head pain to how she perceived and what exactly she saw.

Mordred was the first to answer. "I…understand. At least they are together…" She blew out a breath and glanced from right to left. The rebellious knight began to grow antsy for a moment. "Guess I got stuck doing the pointless job anyway."

Alter's frown deepened. "It was my choice…" She said quietly. "I'm sorry…I…"

The knight of the round held up a hand. "No sense in fretting over it now, our masters are always our main concern. Goes doubly for you than everyone else I should think." She smiled even though it didn't quite reach her eye. She turned to their master. "I wouldn't suggest going out while this fog has rolled in."

"I understand," Ritsuka said and his lips twisted. "The blood on your armor…"

Mordred blinked and glanced down, "Sea urchin and crab familiars." She lifted a boot and showed a cracked shell sticking to the bottom of it. "The bone familiars are covering a lot of the hotel…but I'm… making sure the main entrance and exit stays open."

Her first thought had been Gilles, and her lips started to twist. All the curses she could think of ran through her head in an instant, and only one escaped her lips. "Bastard…" She trailed off and looked away bitterly.

Ritsuka firmed his hand on hers, the only one who noticed the better part of the distress. "Thanks for the warning Mordred, we'll need to get to Servfest at some point soon. But for now, Alter…" He made sure to wait until she was looking right up at him. "Let's go check in on Medea before we head out to Servfest."

A noise came from the fog, a slimy crunchy noise.

Mordred hefted her sword off her shoulder and put both hands on the hilt of her weapon. "Go, I can deal with this for at least another hour before I switch out."

"Fight conservatively Mordred." Ritsuka urged.

"Yeah yeah."

He pushed open the doors into the lobby. Guests were looking worriedly out the windows. Stranger people looking at a lady knight smashing the next horde of monsters that came into view. There was loud and abrupt discussion, and the pair of them ignored it all. Some had seen the two of them dismount a pegasus. Others were too enthralled and worried over what was happening.

"I'm sorry," Alter whispered. Her lips twisted a little and she looked down. Even when he grabbed her hand again.

"Don't apologize. Emiya and Artoria are tough, they've been through their fair share of scraps." He glanced over at her. "And don't worry about your choice…it was the smarter one…" He guided them towards the elevator.

"How can you be sure?"

"I'm not, but I trust your judgment." Ritsuka sighed, "And Mordred I think put it best. Your decision got the master away from the fight. All my suggestion would have done for me is allow me to put eyes on the problem." He raised a brow at her. "Shadow servant maybe?"

She huffed out a breath. "Maybe…"

So nothing tangible as to his reasoning.

Nor were you helpful.

Her lips twisted and her frown only deepened. Because that voice was right and there was little else she could do about it.

As Mordred had pointed out there were servants scattered around the lobby. Jekyll was at the centered desk to greet people as they walked into the lobby and was currently talking to a crowd of onlookers, bullshitting his way through a bunch of their concerns as it were. The knights of the Round Table had also taken up residency. Spreading themselves accordingly out near the side entrances and off towards the outdoor pool.

That maid is probably patrolling the interior grounds.

Ritsuka and Alter stepped into the elevator and it was only in the privacy of the elevator doors, Alter felt his hand touch her chin. She tensed and her fingers wrapped around his wrist to hold him there as he tilted her head upright. He didn't step toward her and press her against the cold metal of the elevator walls.

However, she had to admit that there was that stupid part of her that was screaming and begging in contrast to the alarm bell that was going off in the back of her head. She blushed and she tried to smile when she saw the concern in his expression. "I'm okay…I promise.."

To her surprise he hummed, "And here I thought we promised to be honest with one another?"

She bit her lip and sucked in a breath as he ran some fingers through her hair. He was content to gently pin her near the edge of the elevator and stare at her with those caring eyes that made her heart skip a beat.

"I…am fine…but…" The admission came unbidden and she felt her nostrils flare in anger when she wasn't able to keep it buried back down.

He smiled.

Stupid, idiotic smile.

"But?" He asked

She hesitated uncertain of where and how she should even begin. So much had gone wrong in such a short amount of time. Her nerves already felt shot and it was still her fault. "The vision…" She muttered, "Why am I the only one who got it?" Her lips twisted and fingers held onto the wrist of his hand cupping her cheek. "And…it's my fault we were out there in the first place…" Alter bit down on her lip.

"Jeanne, you have to stop doubting yourself." His fingers gently tugged her to look up at him again.

"Easier said than done," she muttered. She pushed his hand away slowly. "The only good thing that's come out of my worthless existence…has been you. How could I ever trust myself knowing that truth?" Alter looked away and she shook her head. "Master…how could I ever compare-" She cut herself off and hissed out a breath.

Now wasn't the time.

She touched her forehead. "I know I'm not supposed to…but I can't stand it Master…if I'm not useful…I'm worthless." Alter straightened up. "That's all my existence was, and it was all that defined me. I was a tool used and discarded first by Gilles…to be even trying the opposite of it now…"

Ritsuka huffed and smiled, "It's been a long week hasn't it?" He scratched the back of his neck as he stepped away. "I mean…just look how far you've come in a week."

Jeanne paused to stare at him, "Fuckin feels like two years." She grinned a little and nodded once, shaking her head from all the dark thoughts, her doubts, and her insecurities. "I suppose it's better that I'm open…I just…need to not be worthless." She grabbed his other hand and looked at him with amber eyes. "Order me…give me a task." Her lips firmed and her hands balled into fists. "Please."

###Ritsuka Fujimaru###

Her skin was soft to the touch, this was something he'd already known from the previous night when they were kissing one another. Alter was working up the courage to get over that fear that was ever-present. The one that prevented her from being intimate for so long that had only worsened as the week had gone on.

We are fast getting to that stage in our relationship, and it's brought back unpleasant memories for her.

Ritsuka was patient enough he knew. He trusted himself to not cross any lines without her full consent. Still, it was difficult for him in its own way. He wanted to help her and not be useless. Too many old memories of the clock tower still haunted him. The reprimands had been constant whenever they reached out a helping hand.

If not for his mother or father, he doubted he would have ever been so stubborn.

"Please." She asked him again.

His features softened and he looked down giving a nod. He tried to factor in a simple task for her, one that would for the moment keep her within the confines of the hotel and safer from whatever she was trying to hide away from.

Trust her.

He took a breath, "Jeanne, I need a headcount of all the servants here at the hotel. Knights of the Round, staff, people staying in the rooms. If the fog is bringing monsters…there is a chance bigger ones might start coming.."

The fear and trepidation in her amber eyes left a little and she nodded once. Straightening up. "Leave it to me, master." Then she glanced off to the side for a second. "Keep me apprised of the meeting with Medea. I'll meet you back in the lobby…when you're finished." The two separated and she tapped a button on the elevator. The door slid open when they reached the next floor. "I'll start with Jekyll, he probably has a listing…"

Ritsuka nodded and a small guilty smile formed. "One other thing, we are going to need transportation to Servfest, and since all the riders I know of here are boat-oriented… we'll need someone other than Medusa just in case."

Jeanne frowned, "Sounds like you already have someone in mind?"

"I do…" He sighed. "And you aren't going to be a fan."

###

Ritsuka threw on his Hawaiian shirt mystic code. Between that, the bracelets to go with the swim trunks he was already wearing. He figured it should give him the flexibility he needed should it come down to a battle. With closed eyes and concentrating on mana, he deduced the level of fighting he would be up for. And made a mental list of spells that might help him succeed when it comes to fights. The codes were meant to amplify them a bit, taking the load off of his meager magic circuits.

Then he opened his eyes looking around the room, noting that it was neatly packed away, and empty of the constant life that was often within the small space. He touched his temple with his fingers and concentrated on the Master-Servant bond. "Ushi? Mash?"

It was almost garbled, he noticed. Strained perhaps by the presence of the unusual and most definitely magical-oriented fog that had enveloped the island.

"Senpai!" Mash greeted. "Don't risk going outside on your own, it's dangerous. Did Medusa manage to get to you?!"

"She did." He smiled a bit to himself, happy to know that the Servfest part of their group was already more than aware of what was going on. Knowing his sister, she was formulating the best way of defense. He nodded to himself, "Alter and I are at the hotel. I've got a question for my sister. Does she need anything from the hotel while I'm here? Alter and I will be using a Rider to get to you soon."

There was a bit of silence, "She says she wants her mystic code from her and Edmond's room." Mash hummed. "The flower shirt one." He heard the silence and hesitancy in Mash's next question. "How are you going to bring it?"

Ritsuka smirked, "Easy, I'm going to go outside with help to manage the dangers and make my way toward Servfest in a spectacularly explosive fashion, slaying monsters and whatever else gets in my way as we go." The silence at the other end was palpable and he sighed. "Mash, we'll try to stay out of trouble, but I get the sneaking suspicion that something out there will find us. Be on standby."

He could hear her say something affirming before the connection broke itself off. He blew out a breath and left the room to its own devices.

With his sister's mystic code in hand, he made his way at last over to Medea's room. He could see bone familiars crawling up and down the hallways parting for him as he went along. He knocked once before trying the handle and found the door unlocked.

Not that a monster would try the door.

Medea's cowl was up, the curtains were closed and the lights were out. She huffed out a breath as the candles glowed brighter for her to observe him. "Master." She greeted. "I'm sorry to report I don't have much for you in the way of last-minute miracles." The caster's cloak billowed out with a gust of air that pushed her to her feet.

He nodded, "Any chance the fog can be used to partial for the singularity? It's never happened in any loop prior."

"Really?" Medea's brows narrowed. "Well, I suppose I can run that experiment on the side of what I'm currently doing." She hummed and with a wave of her hand the mana in the air started to shift.

Ritsuka, even with his meager sense of magic, could detect the shift in her workshop. A few of the glowing inscribed runes moved around. As Medea made the apparent changes. He watched even if he couldn't fully understand.

"Where is Medusa? She should have been back by now?"

He blinked, "We were attacked, she went back to grab Emiya and Artoria." He glanced down at the floor and bit his lip.

"Hotel….please."

"I'll send her up your way once she returns…" Ritsuka put a hand on his hip and considered. "Is there anything else you might need?"

Medea glanced at him and he could see her eyes underneath the cowl as she turned up a little to look at him. "I don't think so, master." Her lips compressed briefly, "I think just limit the interruptions and distractions…and I'll try to work this out. Seeing as I can mimic true magic within certain spaces…I'm trying to run tests of small pockets with time-dilation things. It…can be…quite taxing."

Ritsuka bowed his head, "Our hope rests in you Medea."

"I'll endeavor to not disappoint you, master."

###Jeanne Alter###

Her master was right, she did hate the idea. But begrudgingly it was the best even she could come up with. There was no guarantee of any other riders being present. Kantoki was probably already at Servfest.

Idiot.

She huffed, as she tried to shake the negative thoughts away as she approached her. Jekyll had directed her towards the pool. The hallway was filled with one of the service closets with fresh sheets and towels for much of the first few floors. Though Alter imagined there were several spread throughout the hotel.

Artoria Alter was there with a bloodied mop, and a bloodied sword blowing gum from between her lips. Bloodied only further from what Jeanne Alter had imagined they had been more familiars trying and failing to work their way inside.

Jeanne Alter found her voice first, closing her fingers into tight fists. "Hey, maid. I need to borrow your ride."

Lazily Artoria hefted the bloodied mop and sword crosswise over her shoulders and the bubble of her gum popped. Those amber eyes glared at her coldly for a moment in silence unimpressed and giving nothing away as to what she thought of the request. Her amber eyes narrowed a little as the silence stretched. "You're fucking with me right?"

"I wish it was. I wish I was." Jeanne folded her arms. "But by some fluke of nature, our Master thinks going to you is a good idea." She would've shoved her hands in her pockets but once again she found herself wishing her jacket was a size bigger and she hadn't made the most impractical berserker spirit origin known to all of the throne's history. She grit her teeth. "We need a ride…and Master thinks we should go with you."

The saber-turned-rider snorted with derision. "Maybe if you asked nicely, I would consider it a bit more?" She smirked a little, smiling pointedly at her.

Her nostrils flared and Jeanne's amber eyes narrowed with a glow. This was fast becoming one of those times she wanted to punt the other Alter as hard as she could and lacerate her with all the fire she normally attributed to her skill sets.

Jeanne slowly took a long breath, "You don't have to come with us, we just need to borrow your bike."

She grinned, almost evilly and shook her head again, "As if I'd ever let you borrow the likes of that again. I remember the last time I even let you look at her in the streets of Shinjuku." She scoffed and moved to sit down on one of the chairs she'd dragged into the hallway. "It came back with scratches and you could barely drive."

The nerve.

She was more than well aware of Jeanne Alter's attempt to better learn what she didn't remember after that incident. And she found herself quickly losing that patience with a headache forming. "Firstly, it's a part of your spirit origin, isn't it? You know meant to fucking run over bad guys, ram them, and come out intact?" She still tried to hide her desperately growing annoyance. "The same thing that every other rider can do." Her lips twisted a bit further. "I wanted to ask any other rider-"

"This is a fucking joke," Artoria said.

"Putain de pute," Jeanne muttered under her breath, and her eyes narrowed. The woman was infuriating in almost every aspect and she would've grown her teeth out a little more when a thought occurred to her.

Was she the one there with that version of me in Shinjuku?

The thought had never crossed her mind before, but now after experiencing hazy memories of a time she knew she had no part in. The stupid curiosity was there and while Artoria alter flipped her off, Jeanne just grimaced and stared bitterly toward her.

It was at that moment that EMIYA walked through the side door, but it was not the EMIYA that had been fighting for his life when she'd last seen him. He had blood on his arm and walked upright as if it had not bothered him at all. It dripped off of his black leather jacket. His golden eyes landed on her curious as to why Jalter was there to begin with, at all. Then she watched his eyes move away as if her being there meant nothing to his goal.

Jeanne would've released some snark at him too, wanting to vent a bit, but Artoria Alter stood up abruptly.

"You're late, I was getting worried." She took a few steps towards him and stopped short.

"I'm fine, but the fog is very dangerous if you're caught unsuspecting. The market was hit, I'm not sure the other servants there were able to make it out. Nor am I sure about the humans that were there." He spoke matter of factly and his lips were pressed into a line. "But I suppose anything is possible."

Slowly, she reached up and tentatively touched his arm. "Are you hurt?" She asked carefully.

He shook his head, "It's not fatal. I'll speak to the healers we have here." He moved to push past her but only tugged on his arm to stop him.

Artoria Alter pouted up at him as she brought her other hand to his face still looking into his eyes. "You aren't allowed to die."

"...I understand." He said slowly.

Jeanne was only familiar with Artoria Alter's shit-eating grins. The few scant hints of something genuine from her had been rare as far as she'd experienced. Though she saw a small smile form on the Alter's lips. And she felt a pang of jealousy at how easy it looked for her to reach up and kiss him, standing on the tips of her toes.

She forced herself to let out a slow breath and looked away.

Not my place.

Not enough.

EMIYA alter had returned the hug and kiss lifting the other alter off the ground for a moment before setting her back down. "I need to report to Masters."

Jeanne nodded once, finding a place in the conversation at last to ease herself back into the conversation. "I'll pass it along." She could imagine Ritsuka's reaction to the market area either being destroyed or overrun as the third Alter of the group mentioned.

He hummed and then nodded, still speaking plainly as he always does. "Why are you here Avenger?"

She huffed out a breath and looked at Artoria and a small smirk came across her lips for a second. Jeanne Alter reveled in the fact that she could see Artoria Alter shiver a bit at the stare she'd been given. But as well, she also winced at the realization of just exactly what Jeanne Alter had intended to do.

"I was asking your dear girlfriend if Master and I might borrow her motorcycle for transportation." Jeanne placed a hand on her hip and did little to hide the mirth on her expression as she approached it in the most pragmatic, mission-oriented way she could possible. "Right now, we lack riders here at the hotel; all others are out and scattered throughout the city. My master needs to return to his sister Gudako so they can formulate a plan and we are in desperate need of a ride."

EMIYA raised a brow that hummed for a moment. "We should take them with us?"

Artoria Alter groaned. "Seriously, now you want to care about something?" She backed away a few steps, her frown only deepening as the seconds went by. She seemed to mutter under her breath.

Her boyfriend of course didn't understand, "I know we wanted to spend time together. But the mission comes first. Our masters need to be kept safe, the best way we can do that is if they are both secured in the same location. And since we were planning on going out that way anyway, there is little reason we can't all tag along."

Jeanne Alter was grinning but she didn't miss the point of EMIYA's reasoning. "You are going together? We can't all fit on that stupid bike of hers."

EMIYA snorted, "I assumed you would ride with me in my car." He tilted his head suddenly and then glanced over at them.

He has a car?!

Artoria hissed out another curse, "No, EMIYA you will ride with me. If we are going together, the two of them can take the damn car." For once the alter servant was blushing a little at the protest.

EMIYA didn't miss a beat, "Even if you want me to hug you as we go through the town it's better to split us up."

Of course, that's her reasoning.

Jeanne's lips twitched as she once again fought down a pang of jealousy. A motorcycle she could ride, this was something that wouldn't be difficult furthermore it was an already existing phantasm. Normally whenever a servant of three knights' classes was summoned, they were given the ability to alter their choices of modern transportation into their own pseudo-noble phantasms using a surplus of mana. She was able to pull off the trick as an avenger before certainly.

But she was not an avenger as long as she was stuck in this place. And, as she noted with disdain, forming a frown, she didn't have the mana to make or maintain a pseudo-noble phantasm.

Artoria Alter sighed again. "And…you can't affect your ride can you Jeanne?" This time the malice was gone, replaced by something Jeanne was unsure of how to place. It wasn't accusatory, but a statement of simple fact.

Her lips twisted at that and she wrapped her fingers around her elbow and started to press her lips shut for a fleeting moment.

Useless.

"I can't." She agreed. "Perhaps if it was a strongly established, or existing noble phantasm it would be different. Like Astolfo's hippogriff or Medusa's pegasus…" Jeanne Alter shook her head and looked at the two of them. "Even then…I'm not a knight class or an Avenger while I'm here. I don't even know if I could from the start…" Her breath hitched and she could twist and turn in her stomach.

Useless.

Jeanne breathed out, "Please. Master and I need your help."

Artoria Alter stood abruptly and put a hand on her hip. With quick motion, she flicked the bloodied mop, with a force that shunted all the blood off. She stared hard at the summer berserker while debating her answer.

She didn't want to beg, and it had almost slipped out between her lips. Damn her own stupid pride. She knew her master would've tossed all of his to the wind in an instant if he thought it would help anyone. Alter knew she wasn't special in that regard either, but she was slowly starting to get an impression of what he was willing to do for her.

Jeanne's lips parted again.

Artoria held up her hand. "EMIYA, go to the garage and see to the preparations. And speak to a caster about your wounds." She twirled her mop once as she stepped back a bit further.

Her boyfriend nodded simply, first at her and then at Jeanne as he marched passed.

"Wait," Jeanne said. "Just for the both of you. Be conservative with how you fight. Something about this place is…affecting connections with Chaldea." She didn't miss the way Artoria Alter's stare seemed to intensify as she spoke. "The mana you have may end up being all of you have…"

EMIYA hummed. "I see, in that case, thanks for the warning." He turned away and finished walking down the hall toward the hotel's lobby.

"You are disconnected, how?" Artoria stated, her own amber eyes narrowing.

Jeanne shook her head, "I'm not. I just…it's odd." She touched her forehead and decided she hated being honest especially since it was this particular bitch. "It's infrequent times of being cut off and then also just as suddenly I have a normal mana flow." She wished she could better describe it.

Artoria stared at her. "How are you still here?"

"I…stayed under a leyline last night. With some of Medea's help as a caster. And our Master wanted to stay with me…I've…mostly normalized." She glanced at her gloved fingers and could feel the flow of mana. The levels she was operating at were just short of normal. And given all that had happened it was the best she could expect.

The other Alter accepted her answer. "Then go, you have your ride. We will not leave without you." Something was crawling around out there. It quickly drew her attention and she looked over at Jeanne. "Go get another servant to hold the corridor." With the flourish of her sword and mop, she jogged towards the commotion.

And Alter saw one of Medea's skeletal familiars leap into the fog. There were moving silhouettes that she couldn't quite see. But Artoria Alter waited for any trouble that would slip into the hallway.

Jeanne blew out a breath.

One more problem down.

###Emiya###

The first thing Archer Emiya had become aware of was a soothing sensation near the wind ringing in his ears.

Rider.

That much was an easy deduction. The same that had come to get their master and Jeanne in the morning must've come back for him and Saber.

It was the thought of the blonde that made him coil up in pain. The intensity and ferocity of it, and the soothing sensation slowly taking its effect. He could feel his wounds slowly lacing themselves back together. Magic threads were tying wounds splurging out the blood into normal skin that was merely blood-stained.

Avalon.

He breathed out slowly.

Saber.

As his senses grew sharper and clearer he glanced up to see his wrists tied to Rider's saddle. He glanced up to see the purple hair flowing out behind her as they sped through buildings and trees at very close range. There was a sharp but determined look in her eye as she spared them a glance as if it were nothing, the pegasus diving and swerving between the trees. She had blood on her arms and brow, a long gash to mark she also hadn't escaped unscathed.

He was vaguely aware of something pressed up against him. And the warm bloodied metal of an armored gauntlet holding onto his hands. He wrapped his fingers around the armored gauntlet. And squeezed gently.

It prompted a stir from Saber who turned out to be what was pressed up against him. Another glance told him that she too was tied to the saddle of the pegasus. With a wince and blood running down from her temple, she looked up at his face and relief swelled. "Archer," She breathed out and she even managed a smile. "I was…worried…"

He blinked and finally came to his senses. "Damn, you really came after me?"

"Of course I did…I paid the price for it I think too." She glanced down at her bloodied armor and her missing appendage. "Forgive me…I can't see all that well right now…" Her breath hitched and it sounded like she was choking on air.

Emiya saw the missing arm and the holes in her armor.

My scouting mission was more than I bargained for, wasn't it?

"I was defeated wasn't I?"

"Shirou? I…can't see…are you there?"

Emiya breathed out and started to pull himself up. He hadn't really had the chance to use much of his mana. The fight had been as quick and one-sided as he could remember. The shadows that had sprung from the earth. The monster from Gilles's basement was as horrid as he'd imagined it to be.

With the strain on his wrists, he pulled himself up. Trying to right himself up as he huffed out his next breath. He untied one of his hands and wrapped the other around Saber's waist to pull her up with him.

After all, it was no dignity for a king to be splayed out in such a manner even if grievously wounded.

Medusa huffed, "How in the hell are you still moving Archer?"

Avalon.

"Luck." It was a lie, but he really didn't know how to explain it. He breathed out and could feel another wave of soothing magic pass over him, the glow of its light now having mended most of the fatal wounds that had been inflicted. He glanced down as he tried to settle Saber a bit more comfortably.

Artoria gave him what he could only describe as a knowing grin. After all, she knew full well why he was healing. And unfortunately why she wasn't.

"Good." She breathed out and she pressed her forehead against his blacked chest armor. "Sorry…I don't think I'll be able to remember our chat…" She huffed and looked down. "I don't even know if we'll reset with a premature death."

Emiya tensed. How on Earth was he supposed to respond to that? His lips twisted as he settled her in his lap glancing at Medusa.

"Tight turn up ahead! Hang on!" The rider screamed.

The red archer felt the loose grip on his hand tighten against the binds that were tying the two of them together in the saddle on the back of the oversized magical horse. Bellaphrone appeared unaffected by their added weight. It was then he became aware of something pursuing them with a loud crash.

Artoria's head rolled into his chest and she winced with pain.

"Stay with us, Saber." He whispered.

She huffed, "It was really good to see you again Shirou. Really…I only wished we had spoken our hearts' intent earlier." Artoria smiled at him.

And even though most of his wounds had been mended he could feel the process stop with the minor nicks and cuts. Emiya's lips opened and nothing came out. He saw the golden lights he ascribed to a servant disappearing starting to form at her armored boots.

"Be truthful archer, if you manage to remember, would you tell me of this?" Artoria tried to smile looking up in his direction. Though it was more like she was looking through him. "When Da Vinci's device brings me back…"

Archer could feel the wind in his ears as he grew quiet once more uncertain of what exactly to say. "I will. I will talk to you a bit more this next time." he felt her fingers tighten over his hand.

She hummed a smile. "Good…that's very good."

And as they flew through the wind, the light was gone along with her. Emiya frowned at himself, his grip tightening against the saddle. he explained. He righted himself on the back of the Pegasus. He could feel an old childish anger starting to course through him and his lips twisted a little.

"I'm sorry." Medusa managed. "I…tried but…" She trailed off.

"It's funny…even after all this time." He blew out a breath. "I still seem to be unable to save her." Emiya wasn't angry with her. Having spent enough time with her here during Chaldea, he knew the rider truly meant it that she had given it her best. "It concealed its true form until it sprung on the attack." His lips twisted a little knowing it was all his fault. "It waited until it got one of us alone…" He blinked and glanced at her. "How did you manage to get us out?

Medusa shook her head. "Luck, as you say." She glanced back at him and he noticed her mask was down, "My mystic eyes slowed the shadow just enough for me to retrieve the both of you."

Emiya hummed and glanced around at the fog that seemed to envelop the whole of the forest during their low flying. "Is this fog everywhere?"

"Yes."

In his mind, he could see the makings of tactical decisions that would be smart to make. "We can't lead it back to the hotel…" He muttered. Saber's sacrifice might've been for nothing he knew. He could stall it enough for Medusa to escape.

"No need." The rider muttered. "I'm only going at about a quarter of my speed. Otherwise, the pair of you would've just dangled until the bonds snapped…but now that you're awake archer."

"You didn't have a plan to get out?" Archer blinked.

"Didn't think I'd need one." Her lips twisted. "It's fast." She adjusted and twisted the reins of Bellaphrone, her grip tightening. "Hold on to me, Archer." Medusa had a glint in her eye, one of daring. One of prowess, the mark of a Rider who rarely gets the chance to utilize the fullest ability of their class.

He tied both hands and grabbed onto her as she instructed, she leaned them both forward on the pegasus. Emiya could almost sense the rippling of excitement coming from her as the wind started to shift.

A whisper in Greek could be heard only from him.

And then it was like they were weightless, a flash of dust in the air. And they reappeared with a sonic boom miles from where they were, near the other side of the island. As trees were ripped up from the ground as the pegasus outstretched their wings again. He could his whole body being pushed to the limit just with that.

Rider had extended her protections to him only enough to keep him from dying in an instant. The rest of it was on him. They bounced three more times before they at last arrived at the front of the hotel, the fog blasting away in a clear wide space. The windows and glass doors of the front cracked.

Medusa's hair was frizzed and the reins of Bellaphrone smoked as the winged horse landed gracefully as if nothing had happened at all.

Emiya let go and fell off unceremoniously, "Ow." There, the blood-stained red archer remained, finally able to get air back into his lungs. He remained flat on his back with the concrete beneath him, the level of soreness only growing with each passing second.

Wish I had Avalon for that…sorry saber.

"FUCKING CHRIST RIDER!" A familiar indignant voice went. Mordred was standing there sword bloodied with her aqua eyes wide. "What the shit? Give a knight a warning would you?" She jogged down the steps with the sword at the ready. The magic air dissipated as she approached. For just a brief moment she had a clear view of the whole lot in front of the hotel halfway to the water.

Even still the fog began to move back in. And he could see a dozen sea urchins and crabs out there suddenly starting to come toward them.

Medusa smirked only a little as she gracefully dismounted, and Bellaprhone was dismissed into particles of light. Her voice returned to its usual monotone. "Archer?" She asked after him.

"Alive." He said promptly, wincing as he curled his chest to force himself to sit upright. The whiplash nearly knocked him out. He quickly and promptly smacked his forehead trying to alleviate that nauseating feeling.

Fuck.

Medusa offered him a hand. "I need to go check on Medea."

The Archer gratefully accepted and was hauled to his feet by the gorgon rider. "Go…" He grabbed his chest and rubbed sucking air as much as he could again.

"Where's dad?" Mordred asked. She turned to stare at them, her fingers curling, sword in one hand and a balled fist in the other. "Master said she was with you?" She looked pointedly at Archer. He could sense the hesitation in her voice. She glanced around at the apparent lack of Artoria's presence.

Medusa hesitated to go inside and looked at the archer.

He sighed pulling up old and stubborn memories as he did. Emiya could see in his mind how Mordred might react. The second problem he was then faced with was how best to deliver the news. Somehow his blunt nature didn't suit him here and the idea of it gave a pang in his heart.

The Archer blew out a breath."We were soundly beaten." Emiya started and his lips twisted a little with a bit of hesitation. His grey eyes seemed to soften a little looking at Mordred then. She was just some kid at the end of the day.

Even with that, Mordred pressed her lips into a line. The harsh glare in hairs intensified tenfold even if all that ire wasn't directly aimed at him. However, before she could form the words he continued.

Archer's voice turned gentle. "Sorry kid…Medusa succeeded in saving both of us…but she died on the way here thanks to her wounds."

Mordred spared a glance at Medusa, then her eyes went back to Emiya. "I…see. Where is it then?"

A lie as easy as breath escaped his lips before he could stop himself. "No idea, I came too during the escape. After that, we were here."

Mordred instantly turned her ire toward Medusa.

Truthfully, Emiya was grateful for her wordless support in her presence. But now they both regretted that she had stayed. While Archer had tried to be gentle, Medusa had quickly lost her patience with how the day was progressing.

The tall rider tilted her head a little at Mordred, her eyes staring at the saber servant a familiar glint in them almost. Though no magic slipped out that could turn onlookers into stone. "No." She said simply. "You are not permitted to abandon your post. You swore to me that you would protect this entrance."

"Screw off Grecian harlot!" Mordred stepped forward. "Rebellious knight remember? No one trusts me with anything because I'm a traitor and a monster with a king's face." She grinned a little, almost sadistic. She took another step forward. "It's my choice to avenge my father, not yours."

Emiya's lips twitched.

Medusa hummed, "Just as it's my choice, refrain from telling you because you are doing your job here at the hotel. Don't try to fool us with that front of yours, young lady. I don't appreciate you lying to me in any form."

Mordred scoffed, "Fuck you." She stuck up her middle finger.

In the fog Emiya could hear movement, more of those sea familiars that had roamed the area. "Mordred that's enough." He drew his bow and looked to Medusa. "Go," He closed the rest of the steps and for once used his height to intimidate the shorter saber and flicked her hard in the forehead.

"Ow, what was-?!"

Emiya grabbed her hand wrist and glared down at her. "You're a knight of the round table and you swore an oath to Rider here that you would guard this hotel for so long as you draw breath. Your father took oaths seriously. Are you truly going to throw that fact away just so you can take your anger out on something that will kill you?!"

Mordred stared up at him wide-eyed.

After all, archer Emiya had only ever gently spoken to her. This was new and it was bitter. He'd always been there in place of Artoria even though she'd hate to admit it. One of the few outside of her master who only referred to her with positivity.

Emiya loathed to know that the effect of raising his voice worked, the sharp edge of it. It was a very purposeful demeanor change that served its purpose. One changing the natural way they act or interact with someone could catch them off guard. And it worked. Mordred's mouth had fallen up as she looked up at him.

In the corner of his eye, she noticed even Medusa's wide eyes on him.

The rebellious knight was still at a loss for words and she stumbled over the first few. Only to be interrupted again.

Emiya's eyes narrowed a little, tracing his bow and aiming into the mist the first of a dozen creatures that came clambering towards them.

Attracted to negativity.

The shot rang out and the arrow struck through as the wind contorted around the arrow the creature was impaled to an already broken car in the street.

Emiya grabbed Mordred by the elbow and started to pull her along behind him up the steps toward the hotel. Medusa had made a quick choice to go inside and the movement of dragging Mordred seemed to snap her out of her shock.

She planted her feet. "Hey HEY, no need for that. I'm good." She wrenched her arm free and raised her sword, took three steps to the side, and slammed the blade through two of the sea-borne creatures in the air. Her helmet took form over her face for a moment and she stared at Emiya through her visor.

He nocked another arrow and shot it off into the distance. He projected Konshu in his other hand at the ready, holding it against his palm with his pinky and ring finger as he fired yet another shot. Then he too lashed out with his blade to slice a fourth that nearly got to him.

Mordred carved through another five. A growl of frustration escaped her lips when at last a momentary reprieve came to them. That's when she turned her attention back to the red archer and closed the gap to him. This time she threw a punch landing right in the center of the archer's stomach. "Asshole,"

Archer tried not to wince, but even though the rebel knight had held back, it was still a solid hit. His face contorted into a different expression.

"I don't need or want your help!" Mordred had a full range of emotions. "Father wouldn't have cared about it anyway. Probably would've ordered me to go fight it in his place or something too!"

He sighed. "Mordred, that's enough. Negativity seems to attract them." He let Konshu fade into blue particles of light. His bow however remained in hand, at the ready to strike should the need arise once more.

"Tch." She cursed under her breath. "Why do you care so much? Father would probably like you more if you didn't."

"Mordred-"

"And mother my mother would probably hate you just as I do." She stuck up a middle finger at him. The saber apparently was content to keep drilling until she'd gotten under his skin again. He hated to admit that it was working.

Emiya's lips twisted. "If you weren't being such a brat, I probably wouldn't feel the need to look out for you." He pressed a hand against his forehead and glared at her for a moment.

"Don't think I'm strong enough then?! Is that it?" Mordred made another gesture waving to him.

"That isn't your problem, Mordred." Emiya's lip twitched. "Your problem is you have a hard time accepting things as they are. Speaking of things you don't fully understand seems to be your go-to thing when you're angry as it stands." He huffed out his breath. "I doubt you even know your father's feelings toward you."

Mordred grit her teeth, "Stupid," She muttered.

Emiya sighed again. Privately he cited his E-rank luck that Mordred was choosing to be bratty in response to him not telling her where she should go to help her father. It is easy enough to imagine that in response, Mordred might complain to the Nightingale, and he would find himself in a far worse predicament.

However, her being a brat to him was better than the alternative.

Moreover, she was still a kid.

She was still looking bitterly angry at him. And she looked to have another barb ready to throw at him, if not that, then swing her sword at him.

This time though, their conversation was interrupted as the other knights of the round table exited the front doors of the hotel. Leading the way was Galahad who spotted the two of them on the steps of the hotel entrance.

"Ah wonderful, Mordred you're here." He came to a stop, as the other knights headed immediately out to the left behind him. The knight spared them a glance then turned his full attention to her. "Our master ordered us to head to the market. We are going to look for survivors."

Emiya winced internally.

Mordred however, saw her chance. It would be a chance to get a step closer to her objective, and somewhere along the way, she would find an excuse to leave. She hefted her sword up over her shoulder and smirked a grin at the archer. "Well, duty calls then Archer." She turned and headed toward Gallahad meaning to go with them.

Only the knight held up a hand, "No Mordred you are staying. We just wanted to inform you that a fair few of the monsters might follow us instead." The knight, Sir Galahad really had no idea what he'd stepped into.

The red archer suppressed another wince.

Mordred stopped and glared. "What? Why? What the hell?" Her eyes narrowed toward the elder knight. "I am a good fighter, I'd be invaluable."

"That's why you're needed at the Hotel Mordred." Galahad grew firm, "Guard the hotel, and the people inside, we'll be back soon."

"But-"

"Guard the hotel Mordred." He looked pointedly at her and then he looked to the red archer standing behind her. His lips twisted a little as he took in the blood-stained archer's look. Emiya was standing behind Mordred, his bow still in his hand. "Emiya…our king…are they?"

"Gone." He said quietly. "I'm sorry, we did all we could."

Galahad swallowed and nodded once. That's when he saw more clearly the anger and disdain in Mordred's eyes. He cleared his throat a little. "Is it really so bad in this fog archer?"

Quietly, he gave a single nod. "Not all of it…just…be on your guard. That's how it nearly got the two of us."

The knight seemed to straighten and once again he glanced at Mordred. "Don't do anything reckless. This is the most important job you can be given." His lips twisted further. "We'll be back soon."

"Buzz off." Mordred muttered with a huff as her heavy armor footsteps took her away from her fellow knight and she waited with a huff, planting her sword again in the ground, not unlike her father usually did. However Mordred was more casual about it, one hand resting over the pommel, the other on her hip. "Happy?" She muttered at him.

Emiya sighed again, "Galahad is right Mordred." He straightened himself up to the fingers on his bow tightening. "You have the most important duty."

She bit her lip. "Or it's an excuse to leave the rebellious knight alone and with a job that carries the least amount of responsibility." Mordred's frown deepened a little and she waited a few feet away from him. "You can stop pretending,"

At that, the red Archer huffed. "They aren't wrong. There is no way they could have come to the correct conclusion as they did. However, they indirectly stumbled on the correct answer." His lips twisted a little. "Medea is our only hope for now. There is no lie in that, and why Medusa will hold you to your oath."

Mordred was quiet again, "It's easy for you to say. You don't have an oath or knights that express their dislike for you regularly. Father was fond of you, so they are fond of you." Her eyes went to the fog around them, eyes peeled for dangers at hand.

"It's true, I don't have an oath to swear." Emiya agreed. He took a breath and drew an arrow, knocking it onto a string waiting.

She saw the movement and raised a brow.

"But I've made my choice." Emiya loosed an arrow and made no move from his spot five feet away from her standing on bloodied stone steps. His brows furrowed with concentration as he too peered into the fog. "And I won't leave you to guard your post alone."

Mordred didn't quite blush but a tint of red touched her cheeks. Perhaps it was the realization that she would have company or the fact that at least someone didn't leave her behind. Or maybe she realized the fact he was staying despite his oaths, that they were doing something very important.

"Tch." She made a noise as she clicked her teeth. "Must've been really bad for you to want to stay out here with a knight like me."

Emiya hummed but nodded all the same. "Yes," He tightened his grip on his bow, another arrow forming, as he nocked it onto his string, waiting for his next target to form in his mind. "It was very bad." His lips twisted a little and he turned to eye her. He could see her expression grow a tad more sober and somber as he looked at her.

The knight looked away and huffed. "I suppose it must've been if my father died whomever."

"To it." The archer thought 'it' was probably a good description of it. It felt like a bad dream to ascribe it to anything else. To imply anything human about it seemed an insult. He let out a breath and his lips twisted. "Whatever's the cause of this singularity, it is getting more powerful and seems to have let loose one of its own twisted experiments."

Modred blinked, "You sound as if you're familiar?"

"Partially," Emiya admitted and his brows furrowed. "My memory of it is hazy. A shadow with flags that can turn heroic spirits onto themselves." His brow furrowed a little. "Like servants but no individuality left of them. Like Shadow servants, but with all the perks of their full abilities and worse."

A second of silence passed between them and Mordred straightened up. "I see…"

She looked as if she might have wanted to say something more, but movement in the fog drew their attention, another wave of familiars at last coming, deciding to come for the two of them, intent on killing them, and breaking into the hotel.

###Jeanne Alter###

EMIYA was there, with a hand on his hip glaring at Artoria Alter. "If you want us to ride together, we are going to have to do it in the car. If it makes you feel any better I'll even let you drive."

Artoria Alter groaned, "Ugh, that's beside the point."

Jeanne Alter was waiting there with her arms folded. Her lips twisted a little as she looked at the two of them. She'd since informed her master of the situation. He was now left talking with a few other servants at the front desk. He'd ordered her to go oversee the preparations for their transportation.

Her lips twisted.

Dismissal.

Gods, you never give up, do you?

She closed her eyes and forced down a sigh.

"Jeanne Alter already said she knows how to drive your bike. It doesn't make sense for us to force the two of them to drive the car. I don't even know if Master Ritsuka even learned how to drive." EMIYA Alter scratched the back of his head for a moment. "The alternative is we split up. You take the bike, I take the car."

Once again Artoria Alter was just quiet and frustrated at the prospect of nothing going the way she wanted.

On that, Jeanne Alter would admit that she could feel a degree of sympathy for her. Nothing had gone as planned for her for the past sixteen hours either. She included the previous night and her date where Ritsuka had been the only thing that seemed to be okay with it all and did his best to make her feel better about it too.

Then the mana thing happened.

The door to the garage opened and Ritsuka was there, a bag slung over her shoulder. "EMIYA," He greeted with a wave of his hand. He walked until he was beside Jeanne and she felt him nudge her a little, a gentle touch to her bicep. A silent question amidst his glance of sharp concern.

The corners of her mouth twitched upwards a little. It wasn't relief she felt, but it made her heart swell a little at that look of his. "I'm okay," She repeated, she took hold of his hand. "Good enough to get through a scrap or two…but after that, we-" She huffed a small laugh, and a blush formed on her lips. "We might have to go camp under a leyline again."

Alter wondered if she would ever get used to someone worrying over her like he did. It was something so drastically different from the way she normally thought of herself. She let out a breath relaxing her tense muscles.

We'll be okay.

Ritsuka smiled and nodded once, "If anything changes-"

She nodded, "You'll be the first to know."

He turned his attention away from them, to the other two Alter servants in the room. "Thank you, Jeanne mentioned there was a bit of confusion as to who might be riding with whom?" Ritsuka's blue eyes quirked up in question.

Artoria Alter made a noise, "No, no not anymore. We've cleared it up. But I suppose it depends on what ride you choose?" She hid her frown well and EMIYA folded his arms, staring at her with a blank expression. "Our seating depends on that."

Ritsuka looked a bit confused then his blue eyes flicked to the two pseudo-noble phantasms in question. Then he glanced at Alter and she could feel her heart drop just a little, as he was realizing the only one of the two she could probably drive. "The motorcycle if you would then." It had been after all the goal for the two of them to begin with.

Only now we have an escort.

Jeanne hesitated because she imagined all the things Artoria Alter had been saying. The way she wanted him to hold onto her if they took the bike.

Personal reasons.

"Master…" She spoke slowly, "It might be better if you took the car instead. More protection should we run into trouble." She looked at Artoria Alter. "I can ride with Rider instead if that turns out to be the best course of action."

He raised a brow at her, he could probably detect her discomfort and the fact that it wasn't fully something she wanted. It wasn't a difficult thing to deduce, because she really did want to ride the motorcycle with him. But now that the others were coming, it would be the safer and more reasonable choice to-.

Artoria Alter huffed, "Fuck that. EMIYA and I can do double work if we are working together anyway." She took a step toward them. "Right now you are strained by mana Jeanne, the two of us aren't. If we are both focused on driving, and you are our only capability of offense, then that would make us vulnerable in a different way." She smiled a little. "I'll ride with EMIYA in the car, and I'll keep the little bastards off of us."

Jeanne stared at her, her lips twisting a little but she turned to Ritsuka.

He tilted his head a little, nodding at her. "She's got a fair point too. We need to be able to do more than just run." Ritsuka grabbed her hand with a smile. "I still trust you to protect me if something goes wrong."

Makes…

One of us.

She nodded slowly and tried to smile and his fingers squeezed her hand to let her know that he didn't by her forced smile. "You know I'm worried…" Jeanne said pointedly.

"I know, and so am I. But I trust you more than anyone else." Ritsuka nodded at her. "We can talk more about it when we get to Servfest okay?" Just then something was flung across the room, and he moved. He caught one of the helmets as Artoria Alter tossed one over to him.

The saber-turned Rider nodded at them. "Strap your bag here, so it doesn't get lost."

Jeanne smiled a little at him again when he saw his flabbergasted expression. He gave Jeanne a nervous smile as he stepped forward to lead the way. Scratching the back of his head as he went. She didn't linger either and allowed herself to be pulled along behind him. To where Artoria Alter was waiting.

A second helmet came much faster. Jeanne caught it and her eyes narrowed a bit as she felt the force dissipate up her arms. The both of them noted that Artoria Alter had thrown it with a smirk."Hey, asshole!" Miffed, she followed after the rider as she headed towards the car that the other two would be taking.

Artoria Alter's amber eyes narrowed into a sharpened glare.

She felt herself hesitate, and she bit her lip. There was a blush that started to form on her cheeks and her lips twisted a little. "I'm…" Jeanne blew out a breath. "I'm sorry for ruining your date…"

There was a beat of silence that passed. For a moment the other alter servant's glare was held. Under it, Alter refused to bend or break, wanting to implore its genuine intention. Then, Artoria's glare slowly started to relax away, "I see." Artoria huffed and gave a nod. "It's not your fault anyhow…"

"...And…thanks." Jeanne glanced away for a second. "For the help…I mean…and for…" she trailed off, and the thought of her master's hands around her was near enough to make her blush again. "Thanks," she repeated. Jeanne turned her amber eyes back to her. "I appreciate it."

The rider was quiet, but then she nodded with a smirk. "Our pleasure Jeanne."

Ritsuka meanwhile was settling himself on the back of the bike, having strapped his bags. He glanced down at the bike helmet tucked between his arm and his hip. She could see the way his features furrowed in thought.

She smiled a little as she approached leaning into his vision, snapping him back out of whatever his thoughts had been. "Ready to go?" Alter asked. She could feel that the smile almost reached her eyes. Excitement in her started to build, as well did that alarm bell. It was the only thing that had probably stained her expression. Her words were a bit more awkward and nervous too, far from what she'd envisioned.

He smiled, "Ready." He adjusted, leaning back and letting her have the room.

She took a breath.

A hand touched her shoulder holding her in place, amber eyes flicked back up to his blue ones.

"Are you sure you're okay with this? I'm…not exactly going to be able to hold onto anything else." Ritsuka had a small blush on his cheeks, and she thought it was beautiful and she dared to hope that it was something she could remember for the rest of her days.

But she also caught the real question he meant. "I…don't really have a choice…I think…the rush and excitement will be enough to counteract it…" Alter's fingers curled.

"You're guessing."

"Yes, I am guessing, but there isn't much choice left to us…this is the best shot we have of getting you there safely." She glanced over her shoulders as the two other servants fixed themselves in their seats. Then she leaned a little toward Ritsuka. "I…trust you…I really do…Just keep the movement of your hands to a minimum…and…I'll…warn you if it's getting to be too much…"

A frown formed on her lips.

Useless.

"Sorry," She whispered again. "Perhaps the distractions will be long enough for me to avoid feeling too warm." Alter could feel her heart begin to dance again with anticipation, almost sickening in her stomach as well. She blew out a slow breath, and her fingers twitched in their balled fists.

He brushed a hand through her hair and pressed her forehead against his. Their noses brushed as she looked him in the eyes up close. "You got this. I believe in you." She could see the corners of his mouth twitch.

She moved forward first and kissed him quickly on the lips. It was shorter than the both of them wanted. But she pulled away, biting her lip. "Thanks," She nodded at him. "I'm at your service Master."

He nodded and leaned away too.

With a breath, she swung herself onto the bike and began to tie back her long locks of hair. She heard Ritsuka more than saw him place the helmet over his head. And once she was done, she glanced down at the controls of the bike beneath her. She touched everything there for her: the nitro, brake handles. Her legs felt the kickstand still holding it upright, brushing against Ritsuka behind her.

It was like reacquainting herself with a long-repressed skill. She blew out a breath and could only hope that it would start out slow. Then with the engine coming alight all bets for her were off, the vibration hum settled between her legs, and she tried not to squeeze her thighs into the metal. She let out a breath.

Alter kicked the stand up and drove slowly, stopping at the garage's entrance and waiting. Ritsuka's arms wrapped around her abdomen, and she tried to ignore the way his fingers grabbed firmly onto her.

The pair of them glanced back until the car pulled up alongside them. It was with that final glance at them Alter slid the helmet on, knowing that it could do nothing to contain her long white hair. She stared through the visor at them.

EMIYA was at the wheel, and Artoria Alter was in the front passenger seat and rolled down the window. "We'll head out first. Move around as needed, we'll take care of the rest." She glanced back at the alter Archer.

He nodded, "Just stay upright and keep moving."

She nodded, and felt Ritsuka nod too, helmet bumping into her back. Jeanne nodded again, "I'll try to put you guys in between the things that try to attack us." She revved the engine as if it were an old friend. Her grin was hidden, but it was there. She gave them a final nod to say that she was ready.

Ritsuka spoke up, "It's a thirty-five-minute walk to the convention center. I suspect we are going to be ignoring speed limits. But even though we are going to get there quickly, the fog limits our visibility, so we are on the lookout for abandoned cars, crashes, rubble, or anything. It's very quiet out there beyond the hotel. I don't like it and I don't trust it. It could be hiding things from us purposefully, dampening noises."

EMIYA hummed, "Astute observations master."

Alter felt his fingers tighten over her abdomen, her Master continued. "Be safe, and give callouts to the best of your ability."

A round of final nods were given, and Alter lifted her feet off the asphalt and led the way out. Into the fog, the motorcycle slid down the small decline of the entrance ramp and made a sharp left turn. Vaguely she could hear the car following just behind them. She let out a breath and focused on the road.

They passed a wrecked car on the left.

And that's when she started to hear the noises. The urchin and crab familiars grinding across the asphalt. Movements in the fog around them.

She let out a breath. She could sense them coming, and she started to accelerate, just as EMIYA's gun cracked through the air behind them.

###Gudako Fujimaru###

"Of course, he'd be that dramatic." Gudako huffed out a breath and tied her orange hair up behind her in a ponytail. "Ushi, Robin, get me a headcount of all the servants that are normally here. You two would know better than I, given your doujin-making club." Having tied her hair back she spared a glance.

Her eyes didn't once move as she glared out of the glass sliding doors into the fog on the street that had moved in. She stood far enough away that they wouldn't open automatically. She touched her thumb to her lip and her brows furrowed in concentration.

If the people here are just projections and manifestations of the singularity…

Her lips twisted a little, and she felt the sickening emotion settle into her stomach at the obvious course of action a prestigious mage would've taken.

No one would've bothered to try.

Ophelia would've put up a fight about it trying to explain how useless it was.

Gudako shook her head vigorously at the thought of just the imagined argument that had propped up into her head.

So long as we aren't certain, then we will treat them all as people to protect.

Footsteps came up behind her and came to a stop beside her. That had been enough for her to spare a glance.

Edmond was there, still in his summer's spiritron dress. His cloak over his shoulders and bare-chested as he matched her expression looking out into the fog. "No luck I'm afraid. Medb nor her braves ever checked into the Servfest registry this morning." He crossed his arms and his eyes narrowed. "Think it's her?"

She put a hand on her hip, "I don't know. I get the feeling though that if it is her fault, we'll find out soon enough. Medb isn't one to hide away in the shadows for long." Gudako turned away from the door. "She likes attention, remember."

Ibaraki and Mash were several feet behind the two of them, and Gudako closed the gap.

"Mash, bring Moriarty and Fran to the front entrance." She touched her lip again in thought.

"Right away master." Mash summoned her shield and jogged off.

Gudako's frown deepened for a moment. "We're going to need some extra bodies up on the roof due to all the open sky lighting. And rooftop entrances." She trailed off for a moment as she watched Mash jog away.

"Archers would be good." Edmond put in.

Ibaraki nodded, "I saw Atalante earlier. If she goes up to the rooftop with some cover, she could probably cover a wide range."

She nodded again.

That'll wait until the others finish their headcount.

Just as Gudako turned away to pace once more away from the fog. The ground began to shudder again. Her eyes narrowed as all the other people who seemed to share her worry. No one quite screamed, but there seemed to be a heavy tension that settled over the room. Her brows furrowed and she glanced at Edmond. "Did we ever have quakes before?"

He shook his head, his eyes narrowed too. "If we did, I can't remember. This is new to me." He spun himself around. "Something underground maybe?"

Gudako huffed, hissing out a curse between her teeth. "More likely, our dormant volcano is hiding something. It's the only place large enough to house something that can shake the standing island." Her brows knitted together. "Do we know anyone with monstrous noble phantasms?"

Edmond huffed, "Even have to ask?" He stared at her pointedly.

She looked at him blankly for a long moment and then she leaned forward. "Gilles?"

"Certainly his caster variant."

The orange-haired Chaldean master huffed out a breath and pressed a palm into her forehead. "Then we made a mistake earlier. Assuming that Medb was still limited in the noble phantasms she had access to. If it's him, that is indeed causing the tremors." She stood up a little straighter and walked with her arms at her sides as she saw Moriarty and Fran returning with Mash just behind them from one of the rows of stands. "In any case…we can't be certain until we check it out."

Edmond raised a brow at her but said nothing. He'd known her long enough to know what she was planning to do.

Ibaraki cut into the silence, her spear summoning. "Incoming," She turned and sprinted for the doors.

"Don't stray far. We need to keep everyone safe and close down as many other entrances as possible."

Mash summoned her shield. Gudako held up a hand toward her, preventing her from joining in the fight. Fran however didn't stop to even ask her and instead growled as her mace came alight with sparks, sprinting through the doors just behind Ibaraki.

Moriarty however, did come to a stop. "Master,"

She nodded at him, "Hold the door, make sure those two don't stray far. I don't want people wandering off into the fog."

"I understand." Moriarty straightened the hem of his glove and readied his weapon. "I can formulate a defensive strategy if you wish?"

"I'm on it already." Gudako offered the only man a sly grin. "Besides I'm not sure I could trust whatever plan you came up with." She straightened up and gave a nod for him to follow the others through the door.

Moriarty touched a hand over his heart, "Lady master you wound me." He then bowed a little forward as a sign of respect. Then he cracked an eye open and smiled at her. "I think this old man might actually be proud of you." He gave one last nod, his coffin gun forming in the air behind him from golden dust. "I never doubted you for a second." Then he turned and followed the others.

Ibaraki already sent out a blast of fire.

"Master?" Mash asked.

Gudako shook her head, "I need you to go upstairs and make sure that it's clear. Make sure all the civilians are here on the ground floor. There are a lot of doors to this place, and we need to funnel our enemies as best as we can.

She gave a nod, the pink-haired shielder firmed her lips. "Understood master."

Edmond, thankfully waited until she was gone. "I always did like you for your brains." He grinned.

Gudako sighed but still blushed. There were still a few loose orange strands of hair that she pushed out of her face. She blew out a breath and glanced over at the summer avenger servant. Rather irritatingly, she found that bare chest of his giving her a different idea from what she forced from her lips. "Ed, come we'll walk the perimeter. The others will find us."

"Understood," He smiled at her but gave her a nod.

Business first.

Gudako tried not to think that her brother was going to make the journey to the convention center. Though she had a suspicion that it was going to be via some measure of force. The first door they arrived at was barricaded. The civilians were doing that on their own.

However, if Alter and Ritsuka are right, they can morph through walls. Or at least the urchins can.

Thankfully, there were about as many servants here at the convention center as the hotel. So there wasn't a shortage of servants and help that she or Edmond could call upon. The issue was coordinating them all. While most of them retained their ability to fight, despite having lost the awareness of them being a singularity, she needed to get them organized properly.

In her mind, she figured out a basic strategy. To keep the monsters away, and those in the convention center safe. Archers like Atalante will take to the roof or the second floor looking down at the main auditorium as a start.

"Edmond, where do you want to be posted?"

The pair of them paused at the next door, this one half barricaded, with Fergus standing in front of it. He smirked and gave the pair of them a thumbs up.

Ed sighed, "Truthfully? I want to go investigate the volcano. If you're right about Gilles's noble phantasm having taken root, there is a chance we could deal with it before it becomes a bigger problem." He tapped his boots, and his brows furrowed. "I'd…like some help in that regard though."

Gudako rolled up her sleeve testing the mana and readied one of her simpler attack spells. She gave a nod to Fergus, to let him know that he was doing well. "We wait for my brother before we organize an expedition." She turned to face Ed and tilted her head a little. "How's that sound?"

In the meantime, Edmond's fists coat themselves in that familiar ethereal blue fire. His grin widened as his eyes narrowed toward a few of the shadows heading toward Fergus. "That sounds good to me ma'am."

###Ritsuka Fujimaru###

The motorcycle thudded and didn't stop, though he could feel the urchin as if it had been a speed bump. He huffed out his breath, feeling the hilt of one of Alter's Katanas pressing into his abdomen as he squeezed himself closer with a grunt. He saw her sword rise into the air again, and slice through one of the urchins in the air.

Ritsuka admitted something very private to himself. That his nerves were raddled as the seconds ticked by. His grip on Alter's waist tightened as she shifted their weight, the vehicle turning as well, swerving out of the way of what he saw as rubble. As it sped past he saw the destroyed car for what it was, a large mess with claw prints.

He risked in that moment a chance to look back at the car keeping up just behind him. A few more of the gunshots went off. A part of him wished he didn't, as he saw more than twenty of the sea familiars of all types crowding around the car. Like rival packs of wolves hunting a large animal together. Urchins and crabs sprawled out across the street. They clawed at each other and attacked one another while they tried to get to the car.

Artoria Alter, meanwhile, was leaning out the window, her hair flapping in the wind, as she fired the water gun as its noble phantasm. Blasting away enemies and switching to its sword form whenever one got close enough.

EMIYA meanwhile was driving with one arm out the window, aiming his weapon at the sea familiars clawing at the back of their motorcycle. All the while he kept pace, following behind them, matching their maneuvers.

Which at last took him to one that was starting to get really close. He could see it narrowly dodging one of EMIYA's shots. One of its brethren instead took the hit.

His hold on Alter tightened briefly, hoping to convey the warning over the sound of the wind and the engine in their ears. He felt her shift in his arms for a second looking back too, hopefully catching wind of the target. Her grip on the bars grew tighter, and her sword dragged sparks into the asphalt, as she swerved back to the left side of the road.

The urchin missed as it leapt through the air.

Alter's sword however was on the wrong side.

Ritsuka swallowed.

Get over it.

He breathed and glanced ahead trying to see ahead, making sure that Jeanne wasn't going to be performing any sharp maneuvers. The fog only impeded that effort and with a frown, he realized that it wouldn't matter what he did. He wouldn't be able to tell in time. With that realization, he swallowed, knowing that his best opportunity was right that second, and the next. Any one of them could bring disaster. Then he twisted himself, wrapping his left arm all the way around her torso, pressing his shoulder down the center of her back, and found his fingers just short of being able to touch his bicep, where he liked to place it to fire a Gandr.

He felt Jeanne twist in the unintentional iron grip he'd had around her abdomen knowing she was trying to look at him wondering what the hell he was trying to do.

I'll have to explain later.

But now he was facing the enemy at least, and Gandr would hurt him a little more despite the mystic code, but he could still fire it. The sea familiar jumped at them again, he saw its pointed teeth angling in a way that it could hit either one of them. With one last breath he emptied his lungs, and he blinked away his fear and fired.

The bolt of red Gandr shot from his fingertips the surge of mana making his biceps warm. The ever-present reminder of how limited his mana supply was. Worse yet with both the wind and his inability to hook his arm around Jeanne's abdomen, he couldn't steady the shot. He thought it was going to whiff. But the Gandr shot instead landed as a scrape, he hissed at the fact of how off his aim was.

However, it was more than enough to send the Urchin sprawling in a different direction, ahead and away from them.

But Jeanne saw the opportunity, she swerved the bike again into the right lane. Ritsuka's arm grew rigid again, he held himself against her through the motion seeing the street beneath his feet.

He looked up just in time to see her bringing her sword to bear, cutting through the remains of it as she did. Her helmet bumped him into his as the bike straightened back out. Ritsuka smiled even though he knew she couldn't see it. Though he could imagine either a smirk or a look of fresh embarrassment on her expression.

He was careful not to lose his grip on her as he tried to adjust himself back to how he'd been. He resettled his legs on either side of the bike as they straightened out. Though he didn't have the time to linger or recover. More shots rang out and pulled at his attention.

The next two thankfully had been dealt with by EMIYA watching their back. Another glance told him how Artoria Alter was doing. She was now standing through the sunroof in the center of the car. With a wicked grin on her face.

Suddenly a hand pressed up against this arm, Jeanne. Her sword had faded into particles of light, the one as she'd told him was the only one she could dematerialize and rematerialize at will. He was reminded of that when he felt her other sword hilts pressing up against his hip again. Her fingers squeezed his hand.

Ritsuka didn't have to imagine the shakiness that he felt. She was probably approaching her limit and he tried to loosen his grip a little around. Instead leaning forward and his arms hung loosely and started to interlock themselves in front of her. He could catch the faint glow of her amber eyes through the helmet's visor as she was peering at him.

Only he realized the shaking hadn't stopped. He blinked and looked down as he realized the whole bike was reacting to something. His lip twisted a little as he looked at the ground around them. His frown deepened.

Another tremor?

The fog hampered his ability enough that he could barely see the silhouettes of buildings on his right. It was the same on the other side of the streets, only like shapes and shadows. It lasted for only a few seconds more and he breathed out slowly trying to force the tension away from his muscles.

A hand tapped his fingers. He looked ahead at Alter's visor peering at him, once again he could just barely make out those amber eyes. She tugged at his arms, pulling them closer so he was hugging her again.

A few more shots rang out from behind them, quieter than before. He looked to see the car had fallen a bit behind, but they were making up ground. The bumper of the car was bloodied now. And his heart swelled at the simple fact that there seemed to be no more monsters around them. He could see Artoria still standing through the sunroof.

They swerved between more rubble and more destroyed car wrecks as they went along. The car slowly closed the distance with them again as they picked up speed. For just a moment there was nothing but the sound of wind flowing past them.

Ritsuka might've considered it relaxing if not for the ever-present dangers. He didn't realize how much fun being on the back of a motorcycle could be. It helped that he had to admit that it gave him the perfect excuse to hug Jeanne almost indefinitely for the duration of their trip. He could feel her diaphragm expand and contract in his arms with each breath she took.

He smiled once more to himself.

Reality, however, was always quick to remind him of that ever-present danger. Once more a pair of gunshots came from the car behind them. He didn't turn to see them right away, he focused instead on the swerve as Jeanne avoided another crash with a destroyed truck.

What did, however, pull his attention back, was the sound of a very loud crash and more gunshots.

His head whipped around and felt keenly that Alter had done much the same. Only she couldn't look back long enough as she avoided another road obstruction. Ritsuka's eyes went to the car and he could see Artoria Alter shooting into the fog on the other side of the road. That's when he saw the second crash.

Something had slammed into one of the destroyed wrecks on the other side of the road, and he could see the wreck airborne in the sky. Just the silhouette of it was high enough that whatever had hit had rammed it with enough force to send it airborne.

He clenched his teeth and he could feel his heart pick up its pace. Worse, he could feel something cold, almost dagger-like like go up his spine with a prickliness that spoke to him something terrible with mana.

A servant?

Over the wind, he hoped his voice carried to her. "SPEED UP!" He looked back, eyes squinting into the fog on the other side of the road. Following EMIYA's gunshots as if they were tracers highlighting the other side of the road.

He heard the engine rev again, and he knew it was Jeanne acknowledging that she'd heard him.

Trouble.

And his heart stopped as for just the briefest of seconds he thought he could see the makings of an old car silhouette fading back into the fog. With the shots missing just in front of it as it slowed down and vanished from his sight.

An old car silhouette?

The wind started to pick up as the motorcycle picked up speed, Ritsuka gestured the car with his hand, hopefully getting across to them that they needed to pick up the pace too. All the while running what he saw in his head. No one he knew had an old car silhouette. Those sort of square-topped means of transportation.

The closest he could think of was a carriage in terms of its shape.

And Ritsuka caught his breath, his eyes widening. His fingers around Jeanne must've tightened because he could feel her almost visibly react to the tension in his arm. Her helmet bumped into him as she tried to eye him again through her visor.

Shit.

He shook his head and pointed ahead of them hoping to convey that she needed to focus on getting them to the convention. His arms still around her, he started to focus on their bond as master and servant. The strain was a little worse than usual, not being able to place his fingers at his temple which helped him with that sort of small magic. But the message was simple enough. One word to echo to her.

"Medb."

He felt her breath hitch and saw those amber eyes wide on him as she looked at him. One of the hands grabbed him and he could feel the twitch. For what brief time he could, he grabbed her fingers and squeezed. It was short-lived, as another crash boomed from behind them and she once more put both hands on the handles of the bike.

Mentally he tallied how long they'd been on the road. Must've been over halfway there now. Less than five minutes, and even less with the speed they were going. He glanced ahead, he could imagine the convention center in the fog. It was easy to spot usually by now.

We are so close, we only need to evade her long enough.

Jeanne leaned forward Ritsuka pressing himself against her, as they tried to make themselves flatter against the top of the motorcycle. They sped up more. He could have some of Jeanne's prana leaking out to power the pseudo-noble phantasm. Something he recognized would probably come to bite them later if they weren't careful.

Ritsuka looked.

Just in time to see the carriage cross over from the other side of the road and slam into the car the other Alters were driving.

Artoria was heaved, over at the motion, still on the sunroof. She looked less annoyed now and more angry. She aimed along with EMIYA at the carriage, another round of shots going off as they were stuck side by side.

He didn't quite see what had happened next. It was a bit of a blur, but a crab had come out of the fog slamming into the side of the car from the other side. Both Alter servants were too focused on the ever-present problem of Medb. A claw struck Artoria Alter. An Urchin meanwhile had attacked the crab.

Artoria shrugged both off.

The carriage once more disappeared into the fog.

But Ritsuka could hear the thundering of phantasmal horses in the fog now as the things settled and he could hear it growing closer. He tensed against Alter, and his eyes peered into the fog. He could hear the car engine revving from behind them and saw that EMIYA was trying to get closer.

He looked left, noting there was an island now between them and the other side of the street. He could see no moving shapes or silhouettes. On the right, it was far more open as they were back to passing sand on the beach side of things.

And then the carriage was there again, this time directly to their right. Meaning to slam into them. He didn't let out a panic as Jeanne reacted too, pulling on the break just enough to let the carriage serve past in front of them.

Then she sped up again as fast as the phantasm could take.

EMIYA and Artoria passed them, getting to their left now, to take the brunt of whatever fight came next.

Less than a minute.

It made him all the more tense as they continued to race down the city street. Normally he and the others were content to make the thirty-minute walk to the convention center. It was quite the abnormality in itself to even be taking a ride.

He breathed out tensely as he could hear the carriage again. The noise-muffling fog seemed to close in a little. And his eyes scanned to the side where EMIYA and Artoria Alter had placed themselves.

Jeanne leaned them away, letting a wreckage pass between them and the others in the car. Trying to give herself some distance for when the inevitable follow-up attack came. It was a good precaution because even as they finished getting into their new placement. The carriage came flying out of the fog, all at once the silhouette came into view, and then every detail of its infamous regality.

It slammed into the car, with enough force to push it back towards them. Ritsuka's eyes were wide, seeing that ever-increasing brush of death that came with his life at Chaldea. There was no way he'd survive the impact at the speed they were going normally. Maybe his mystic code and helmet would help mitigate that damage.

Maybe Jeanne would've caught him.

He could feel Jeanne twist themselves, forcing the bike off the road onto the sidewalk, as they were pushed off the street.

EMIYA's car ground against the curb. Artoria Alter took aim once again first. Ritsuka could hear the shots ring out behind them. As well as the sound of metal grinding away. That's when he saw one of Medb's braves seemingly materialize on the roof of the carriage.

It was the same one he thought from the previous loop. The one that they'd fought at the convention center. It's lance easy to note as it came to pick a fight on behalf of their queen.

They jumped onto the car, and Artoria Alter rose to meet them.

Never would have made it on our own.

Jeanne got ahead of them slightly and turned them back onto the road out in front of the carriage. The last turn coming up ahead. The pair of them both glanced back to see. The brave plucked Artoria out of the sunroof, nearly throwing them off. However, Artoria Alter had prepared herself quickly, managing to find enough footing to push them off, avoiding the shadow's spear.

Only that familiar riding crop seemed to lash out from the carriage and snagged Artoria in the leg, and she fell to a knee.

Ritsuka would have to thank the evil king for her grit later.

She wasn't one to be bullied without fighting back, and she crossed her gun blade over her head blocking the spear. All the while angling her gun at the carriage, squeezing the trigger, huffing in defiance.

The alter followed the motion of her weapon's recoil, twisting with it in the air, over the brave's lance, and slammed the heel of her boot into the brave, knocking them clear off the roof of their car.

She landed back onto her feet gracefully cold amber eyes glaring at the offending carriage, she blocked the next attack from an extended riding crop but took a second blow to her shoulder. She fired her gun again this time at the carriage's wheel. Medb's rider dodged the blast and slammed into the car again.

Artoria Alter nearly lost her footing but remained upright.

But it was the shadow that had gotten the last laugh, the spear flew past having been thrown. Arching overhead, past the car.

Ritsuka's eyes widened. "ALTER!"

Jeanne caught on and swerved them deeper in road. Dodging the hit, but Ritsuka realized that it would've missed them anyway.

And the spear landed right in front of the car's path.

EMIYA was the only one who could react, as his carriage had locked his car against the side of the road. He broke out of his front window, rolling upright firing both guns at the carriage as he got to Artoria Alter.

Ritsuka caught sight of the off-ramps ahead and huffed out a breath. Another glance back and he couldn't see their expressions any longer, but whatever had happened in the seconds prior he saw only Artoria Alter flying through the air, hand outstretched behind her.

Out toward the off-ramps.

The car slammed into the spear and the explosion was instant as both the car and the brave's pseudo-noble phantasm collided with one another. Ritsuka winced in his mind.

Too cocky. Too brash. Too bold.

He let out a breath.

Too worthless of a mage.

Your fault.

He could see only EMIYA's silhouette in the middle of the road, and the carriage roaring down at him.

Before the fog enveloped them both.

Jeanne turned them up the final turn and up the ramp. Ritsuka pushed the doubt from his mind. His gut sank into his stomach and his lips twisted. He reached out a hand toward Artoria Alter flying through the air.

She managed to twist herself around and extend her hand out in turn.

Ritsuka made the catch, and Jeanne with her extra strength, managed to haul her onto the motorcycle. Artoria Alter, bloodied and haggard, had a wound on her leg, and shoulder, now stuck between them. Jeanne scooted as far forward as she could.

"He promised he wouldn't…" Artoria Alter huffed out a breath, her expression turning sour before softening again. "EMIYA…" She whispered into the wind. Her blonde hair waved messily, obscuring her expression. She tried to adjust herself, but they were all squished together, the three of them. And there was nothing she could do.

The last thirty seconds of the trip were held in silence with only the wind between them. The convention center drew closer, details forming in the silhouette of the fog as it at last came into view.

###Jeanne Alter###

Three servants were at the front of the convention center. Frankenstein hefted her bloodied mace looking around for more to fight. Though she seemed to relax her stance upon seeing them and pointed. The grunt was imagined, but Jeanne Alter was sure of the noise, enough to imagine it clearly.

Ibaraki was there too, twirling her staff upright and planting the end of it into the asphalt with a hard crack. The banana oni, as Robin liked to affectionately refer to her, was the clearest sign that the people they were looking for were here. Jeanne Alter blew out a breath she realized she'd been holding since the fight.

The motorcycle came to a stop in front of Moriarty who was waiting near the entrance, eyes scanning the fog as they drew near. "Master," He greeted politely. His eyes flicked over him as he dismounted the bike first.

Amber eyes followed Ritsuka's back as she leaned back upright from what had been an uncomfortable position. Moriarty's eyes had fallen to her and while he didn't say anything, he bowed his head toward her. She felt bristled almost at the gesture and she returned the nod. She felt more than saw, Arotria adjusting herself behind her.

The summer maid sat up, no longer being pressed against her back. "Get off," Was the quick command. The tone was harsh and it was near enough to startle Jeanne from her watching Ritsuka's back.

She looked back over her shoulder, and she could meet that familiar glare.

Not a good idea.

The summer berserker shook her head. "Not yet, masters might have a task for us."

"For you, my job here is done. Off my bike." Artoria Alter's nostrils flared. In her amber eyes was the dare. The dare and audacity that Jeanne would do anything to try and stop her.

Jeanne's fingers twitched under those glaring amber eyes. There was hesitancy in what she wanted to say, the first words dying in her throat. Jeanne knew full well she couldn't issue any commands that Artoria Alter would listen to. She also knew that she couldn't do anything to stop her even if she tried.

"Get off." She insisted again.

Jeanne looked at Ritsuka, who was conversing with Moriarity and she blew out a breath, realizing she was on her own for this conversation. She didn't even know how to begin still processing the brief encounter. How close it actually had come to taking the life of her master as it had one of his servants.

She knew too, that EMIYA would likely be back next loop none the wiser. Life would go on as if nothing at all had happened.

Right?

She bit her lip.

But how do you explain that to someone who is grieving?

"I am sorry," Jeanne whispered. In that second she dropped the usual impassive walls she'd had in place when it came to Artoria Alter. They bickered, they fought, and they argued a lot. She winced visibly and shook her head. "I'm so sorry…is there…anything I can do?" She tried to filter the hesitation from her voice as she looked back at her.

Artoria Alter stared at her for a moment seeming to slump down. She hissed out a few breaths, and the grief finally seemed to reach her. She didn't cry, but Jeanne could see the water forming in her eyes. "Please," she said less harshly than before.

Jeanne Alter decided she didn't like hearing her beg. It seemed different from what she knew.

"Please get off the bike…" She whispered again. "I need…to get him."

Your fault.

My fault.

She hissed at that and touched her forehead with her gloved hand. If she had been smarter at the start. If she hadn't needed to preserve her mana. If she hadn't tried ruining her spirit origin with this stupid idea in the first place.

Jeanne grabbed Artoria's hand and resisted the urge to remind her that EMIYA had probably dematerialized. "We are going to need you…"

Artoria's face started to twist.

Ritsuka cleared his throat, pulling their attention. However, when Jeanne saw the look in his eye, she felt her heart start to pinch. Like Artoria he didn't cry but she could see the hurt in them. There was a red tint to his eye that hadn't been there before. The grief had been pushed aside for their current task.

Gudako and Ritsuka got along well with all the Emiyas. EMIYA Alter needed some extra time to figure out when compared to the others. But eventually, even he opened up considerably as well.

Your fault.

He swallowed, "My sister's inside, she's organized a defensive effort." Ritsuka looked at Artoria, and while he hesitated it wasn't for long. "Can I count on you to circle the facility in any cast to see if you can spot weak points in the defenses she's mounted?"

Jeanne heard her swallow and she winced, unsure of what she should do to help placate her. She was barely getting used to learning her own master's habits. Understanding his smaller expressions in detail. Artoria was different in that regard, she had a much harder time trying to understand her.

Her lips pursed together, and those eyes formed a glare towards Jeanne again. This time though, they lacked the sting they'd had only moments earlier. She nodded at her once again, a silent request this time, for Jeanne to get off of her bike.

She still hesitated and sent a glance at Ritsuka.

This time he caught on and started coming over.

It was only then she stood up slowly adjusting the swords on her back, and Ritsuka grabbed for the bag with his sister's other mystic code.

Artoria Alter leaned forward on her bike and her hands fell to the handlebars. This time Ritsuka caught her hand over the bar. It prompted her to look up at him; it was clear she'd buried her protests among other things. The glare had lessened even more as those blue eyes looked down at her.

Jeanne snagged Ritsuka's hand and squeezed it.

"Stay safe Artoria.." He said quietly. He glanced at Jeanne Alter for a second before looking back down at her. "He'll be back. I'll do what I can to help, but he will come back on his own."

Artoria huffed out a single chuckle. Then nodded wordlessly. It was all she could do Jeanne noticed. She was holding on by the barest of threads.

Ritsuka let her go and tugged at Jeanne's hand as the pair backed away.

Jeanne squeezed her eyes shut too forcing aside all those negative feelings, and formed personal grievances. She took a long breath even as the motorcycle started to rear up once again. It had almost worked to comfort her nerves. Only she heard a sharp intake of breath, and she could feel Ritsuka tense through their intertwined fingers.

Her amber eyes opened.

And the fog was gone.

The cityscape was clear as day and all the noise and muffled sound came with its absence. Smoking wrecks. Fires in the distance. Alter inhaled sharply as if the fresh scent of incumbent death permeated the air, wrinkling her nose. It reminded her, she thought, of those battlefields in France from the war.

Moriarty hummed. "That's peculiar."

Artoria kicked her legs up and drove off without another word, turning the corner around the convention center, not bothering with road rules, and sliding up onto the sidewalks

Ritsuka looked at Moriarty. "If anything changes."

He nodded, "You or your sister will be the first to know." He had free range of the place and he was an archer. The elderly dignified man aimed his coffin gun toward something Jeanne couldn't even see. And he fired, ending whatever urchin was trying to crawl back out of its hole in the ground.

Her master led the way, and she followed just behind him, letting him hold onto her hand as she jogged a few quick steps to keep pace with him as the front doors parted for them.

The doors of the convention center parted for them, and it was easy to see the chaos that had taken place. A bunch of the booths were run down and trampled over. Doujins and other things forgotten. There was broken glass and dried blood from monsters that had managed to get inside through other exits.

At a glance, Jeanne could see a few archers nearer the center, on elevated divers between the rows, keeping sharp balance. Others lingered near staircases. And another archer, poking their head through the glass sun roofing.

"Good job sis."

Alter had barely caught it, but it had made her smile. Now with all the context of his memories that she'd been shown, she understood even more how deeply the pair of them loved one another. That sense of pride almost felt as if it was swelling up in her.

Two.

She corrected her mental tally.

I know two of the greatest mages in the world.

Her amber eyes flicked back at him, watching the way his eyes scanned the room. That training he had to go through just to be the seeming novice the both of them were. A small smile came to her lips, the sort she kept to herself. Though she could thank her berserker-like madness for the quick change of thought, Ritsuka had been right about it; making things awkward in conversation sometimes.

Jeanne took a slow breath and sighed, turning her eyes away from him and wrecking the inner convention center. She could see a collection of Medb's braves, but they were just normal people now without the mad queen's presence. She recognized them from her snapping at Medb during the waning hours of the previous loop.

"Well, at least they aren't a problem," Ritsuka said.

"For now." Alter agreed.

No telling what will happen when Medb returns. Though…if she did so now, the servants here might just be able to overwhelm her.

Edmond was the easier one to spot. He was taller and always emanated an aura of rage or brooding. He was there with his black hat leaning against one of the columns watching a crowd of people. Ritsuka, still tugging her along by their intertwined hand, led the way over to the summer avenger.

As he shifted his stance he spotted the two of them approaching and stood up. He waved to someone in the crowd and turned his attention to the two of them. "I thought you were half kidding about making the short trip."

Ritsuka smiled a little. "I never boast about something I won't do." Then the smile faded into business. "The fog is gone. Vanished in the instant it had come."

Along with Medb.

As Alter strained her ears, she could hear the thumbs of arrow strings from archers wiping out, with distant precision, the familiars that occupied the city.

And without their cover, they are sitting exposed. Easy targets.

Jeanne touched her chin in thought. Just as another tremor rocked the building. It wasn't something that would knock things over. But it was a slow and steady shake, something that would've been easily mistaken for a small earthquake. "What the hell is that?" She wondered aloud.

Edmond nodded to her, "Gudako and I have a working theory."

Ritsuka raised a brow. "Go on?"

"Remember that small event in Fuyuki? Something had gone wrong with the fourth holy grail war. Archer Emiya and your servant-infused professor went to the timeline to fix it?" Ed waited until Ritsuka nodded before continuing.

Alter caught his glance toward her.

Before my time I suppose.

"Gilles had a noble phantasm, something that was more or less a kaiju? He used it in the large river entrance, meaning to go through the bridge and make landfall in the city. I also read the report for France as well." He turned to Jeanne Alter. "Gilles used it after you were defeated."

She tried not to wince.

"We think Medb might've found it and cast it." Edmond glanced to the right and held up a hand to halt their conversation.

Gudako appeared through the crowd coming toward them. "What have we got?"

Alter felt Ritsuka stiffen a little, but she saw the small change. "In the city? Exactly what should be expected. All the familiars moved into the city and wreaked havoc for the past twenty minutes. A fair bit of it now is smoldering ruins." He glanced at Alter. "EMIYA Alter is gone, the fog can muffle screams and noises beyond a certain range, and for the moment the civilians here are the only other ones I've seen from the hotel."

She nodded, taking it all in. "The familiars, the usual crabs and urchins I presume?"

"And a shadow for certain, and Medb. Don't know how many more." Ritsuka said.

Alter took a breath to add on. "We were ambushed en route. Medb I think was waiting for us. Without the escort, I don't think we would've made it here." She felt her throat tighten with the way Gudako seemed to peer at her.

Did I say something wrong?

She seemed perturbed or angry, though Alter could guess it was probably at Medb. Somehow under that gaze, she felt unsure.

Can't trust you to protect him.

Her lips twisted a little as she looked away from her. "I was driving and EMIYA Alter and Artoria Alter were running escort. Took the brunt of the fighting." Jeanne trailed off a little realizing she was going to ramble and make herself sound even worse.

Useless.

Useless.

Ritsuka still was holding onto her hand; she could feel his finger squeeze against her palm. "We dealt with whatever came through. I'm having Artoria scout the rest of the convention center's exterior."

His sister nodded, "Good." She blew out breath and nodded at them. Finally, a small smile came to her lips. "Happy you both made it safe and sound." She turned to Edmond. "You were bringing them up to speed, I take it?"

"With the prospect of a Kaiju noble phantasm in the hands of Medb? Yes. And they also mentioned that the fog is gone now. Vanishing as instantly as it had come." Edmond folded his arms and waited.

At that, Gudako did react. She blinked and her eyes immediately went to the skylights in the ceiling. She could see the blue sky above them, the kind one would expect to see on a fairly clear morning on a summer's day meant for the beach. She paused and touched her chin in thought. "That's very peculiar."

Jeanne hummed, "Moriarty said the same thing." She allowed herself to relax just a tad bit more and glance off to the right observing some of the other servants near one of the side entrances.

"Why would Medb bring the fog in and not keep it in?" Gudako asked.

Edmond shrugged. "Might be a temporary power or skill she acquired." His brows narrowed a little with thought.

Ritsuka straightened up, "What if it was to conceal the movement of the Kaiju? It would be a difficult thing to hide from us otherwise."

Alter blinked and stiffened, a distant memory coming from France. One of her less traumatic ones, was when they were around a war table. Her lips twisted a little at the thought of it. "Gilles had come up with something similar in France, to conceal our fire drakes from the armies of France." She glanced at Ritsuka. "The fog he could summon allowed us to redeploy our army quickly before attacking whatever French fort it had been for the day."

"So it was in Gilles's tombe then?" Edmond raised a brow.

"It is." She affirmed.

Ritsuka nodded at her, and he squeezed her hand for a second. "The fog is perfect to conceal the movement. In which case…" His brows furrowed a little trying to think.

Gudako smiled at him, "The volcano is the prime place to hide something of that size."

He blinked and glanced at his sister, a small smile came to his lips. "That, or it's moving about the island's ocean, and the tremors are from it brushing the island." Then he shook his head almost as soon as he'd said. "No, I think that would be detectable…maybe in the hills or mountains if not in the volcano."

She nodded. Alter then saw something pass between Gudako and Edmond. A glance and she tilted her head a little wondering what it was about. Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long.

"Edmond?" Gudako shifted her stance.

He sighed and nodded. "I want to head out there with a couple of servants. Now that we can see through the fog, we'll be able to more easily avoid the familiars out there ravaging the city. The fewer of us the better. We'll want to avoid fighting as much as possible." Edmond glanced at Ritsuka. "We need to get eyes up there. Plus with that vantage point, we might be able to see the whole island proper."

If the plan is to avoid fighting…

You'd still be useless.

Jeanne's lip twisted a little.

Ritsuka nodded, "That could work. We can hold down the fort here. With the fog gone as well, it might be easier to return to the hotel…" He blinked and looked around. "And maybe we can get things more under control here." Even as he spoke, he could feel the familiar thwacks of powerful arrows tearing through the air. An archer servant on the roof of the building.

Coward.

Alter nodded once, slowly. Her frown was present as she walked through the possibilities.

I'm stabilized as of last night, and even the mana I expended on getting here is still very much minimal. I have enough to move about quickly and perhaps sustain a few short skirmishes. Nothing more than that.

She spared a glance at Edmond who furrowed his brow. He was thinking about who to name as his partner for the mission.

I'm the only one who knows about Gilles's monster in detail.

But you won't do anything.

Ritsuka tilted his head at Edmond. "Who did you have in mind?"

"Well, firstly an archer. We could use the eyes. Robin, I think, would be the best choice given his familiarity with the singularity." His lips twisted a little. "As for the other… unfortunately it's someone you would not approve of." Edmond turned his glance to Alter.

Of course, he knows the advantages of it too. He's probably been thinking about the volcano since the first tremor.

She swallowed.

"Edmond…" Ritsuka started.

Just the start of it was enough to endear her just a bit. She pushed away the nerves that were fraying away at her. Alter firmed her grip on Ritsuka's hand and after a few seconds she forced herself to nod. "I should be the one to go." She blew out a breath and tried to look away. "I…am the one with the most Gilles monster experience after all…" Her lips twisted.

Those blue eyes had fixed themselves to her, and his frown deepened. She fought down the wince and the immediate protest that she could feel rising to her throat to try and placate him. Though she wasn't sure she could refuse him if he outright asked for her not to go. It was only with partial relief that what he said next wasn't a refusal.

"Are you certain you want to?" He asked more quietly for the two of them. The others could still hear, but they could take the hint.

"No," She admitted. "But I'm your servant, and you're my master. This could gain us a potential advantage in the war."

I have to be there to be certain of things. I can't do it from here.

He ran his thumb over her knuckles, quietly still contemplating. "If Robin is going we might be able to speak through our bond. I can relay questions and information for you if that's all you think you'll need."

Jeanne blushed but shook her head. She appreciated that of him. His willingness to give her a way out. To want to protect her. "If they are attacked my on-hand knowledge or experience might save us. It would take too long to relay that information to get to you, for you to relay it to me, for me to tell you, and then lastly for you to tell them." She squeezed his fingers for a moment, her lips twisting. "Thanks." She whispered.

She also of course his, and his sister's style of open consultation when it comes to planning, as they were always willing to receive and implement feedback as often as they were willing to give it. Ritsuka didn't quite let her go yet.

Alter glanced at Edmond. "We are going to avoid fighting right?"

"As much as possible." He nodded, "I want you to be there as advisor…but in any case, you should let me and Robin do the bulk of the fighting." Edmond turned to look at Gudako quickly and then Ritsuka.. "I'll do my best."

He nodded slowly.

"I'll avoid fighting as much as possible. And I won't let them walk over me either." She firmed her touch on his hand.

I can do at least this.

"Okay." Ritsuka agreed and gave her a nod. Then he spoke to include Edmond as well. "I have two command spells left before the reset." He held his wrist up to them, and there was a distinct red glow. "One is reserved for an experiment at the end of the loop. Which means the other is what I will use to get Jeanne back here."

Gudako showed hers off as well. All three of them were thankfully still in place. "I'll bring back the others," She gave a nod. "Maintain constant communication. And if things get dire, we will pull you back without hesitation." She spared her brother a look and then tilted her head. "You bring my other mystic code by chance?" She asked.

Alter watched him smile, and toss the back off his shoulder at her. "Right here."

Though his hand never quite left her side even as the conversation continued. She didn't mind for the moment. Instead, she intertwined their arms again, linking them almost at the hip. Alter would enjoy it for as long as they were together.

Gudako had thrown her flower-covered shirt over her swimming suit. The two mystic codes surprisingly worked well together. The extra boost in mana from both was certain to provide them both the extra help that they would need. She left orders for someone to bring Mash to them and started leading them into the back room.

Was it that time of day in the week?

Alter felt her brow furrow a little and she then shook her head, mentally correcting herself. It was an off-schedule call they intended to attempt to make to Roman. Her amber eyes flicked up to Ritsuka beside her.

"You're right, we should at least try it once."

Edmond's hand was snagged by Gudako and she led the way, meaning to lead them to one of the bathrooms of the convention hall.

Ritsuka tugged her along too.

Her eyes went wide at that.

Normally it was often just the two masters and Mash whenever they talked directly with Chaldea. It's not that having other servants speak with them didn't happen, but the occurrence was sparse enough that Alter was still surprised that both of them had wordlessly decided to want to include them.

More likely it's just extra dangerous right now.

It won't work.

She bit her lip and mouthed a silent curse that Ritsuka didn't hear.

You still need to shut up.

The convention center had squared off a section of the building to be changing rooms. Jeanne Alter admittedly had never been back there. She could see outfits on racks and a mess from the mass exodus of people that had filed out.

Her amber eyes stilled on a skimpy outfit that left nothing to the imagination on the floor as they stepped over it. She blew out a breath and ignored the heat rising at her cheeks as she snuck a glance at him from the side.

Ritsuka was looking at the mess for sure, but he seemed more focused on the broadness of it. Like he was imagining the room full of the performers that might normally come out onto the stage and sing.

"Is this common in the modern world?" Alter asked before she could stop. She rarely if ever asked questions about the modern world the twins came from. Jeanne knew immediately that he would remember it specifically because it was an odd question. The last thing she wanted was for him to know just how interested she really was in his life now.

She grit her teeth.

Stupid.

She had let her guard down.

He hummed, "Events and conventions?" Ritsuka nodded a few times. "More common than it used to be. My parents were never really much into it, but Gudako and I had friends that we used to tag along with." Ritsuka scratched the back of his head a couple of times. There was a sheepishness there that she was unfamiliar with.

Jeanne Alter eyed him. "You've been into changing rooms?"

Ritsuka nodded, "We got backstage passes for the idol group that was performing. We didn't go see anybody change their clothes, mind you, but we met, talked, and got a few autographs…" He trailed off again. "I'm…just…not used to it being so…"

"Empty?" She offered.

"Lifeless." He said.

Her amber eyes peered at him; they grew with a little intensity. She bit down on her lip to prevent the next stupid question from coming out of her mouth. But he'd taken notice and it was she who suddenly felt sheepish. She couldn't meet his eyes for a moment as she looked away and felt a heat rise to his cheeks.

Stupid idiot.

Though his chuckle was warm and it made her heart flutter. He explained his answer to her unasked obvious question. "It's always bustling and busy back here…very…chaotic from what I remember. Like it is out there…when we are selling our doujins…" He tilted his head from side to side. "Though I guess back here it's like…more ordered I suppose."

Jeanne Alter nodded a couple of times trying to picture it. It wasn't difficult given the mess her lips pressed into a line and glanced at the changing rooms and even more scattered clothes of all varieties along the wall and floor. Showing the place had emptied in a quick uncontrollable panic.

She wondered what it would be like to go to one. Not like the one she was stuck repeatedly going to in this singularity, but one in which she was going with Ritsuka for simple fun. The thought of them walking back through here with backstage tickets for some event or someone that he might've wanted to meet in person.

Alter quiet, considered it in detail. Then she blew out a breath and pushed it out of her mind, touching her forehead with slight frustration. That was a dream she knew she shouldn't have as a servant. It built up her frustration just at the thought of doing something like that with him. Knowing a normal life wasn't meant for her. Nor, she realized, was it for him either. Her amber eyes quietly returned to him.

"Mash should be here in a moment," Gudako said, pushing away a cart full of costumes to the side and clearing some space in the center of the floor. "H-here…" Her brows furrowed a little as she looked up for a moment and then to Edmond.

"Yeah, it feels like the best spot under the leyline." He agreed.

Ritsuka didn't say anything, but Jeanne Alter could detect his thoughts. The pair of mages struggled sometimes with finding the correct spots under leylines. There was little else to do other than stand around and wait.

She did her best to avoid daydreaming about that stupid frivolous and needless fantasy that she'd incidentally planted into her own mind. Jeanne Alter after releasing Ritsuka's hand decided to have a look around. Her lips twisted as went to the nearest desk.

There was a mirror there sitting on top and she got to look at herself for what had seemed the first time since her date from last night. There was some color to her pale skin and she looked as flawless as a servant could be. Her lips twisted a little and her amber eyes narrowed.

It's all you are worth…and it isn't much.

With a huff, she knocked the mirror over and it broke on the ground. Then she started going through everything else. The papers, the makeup tools that she'd had no need or never heard of. Even the grail hadn't seen fit to deem it necessary information. Lotions, eyeliners, bottles she didn't understand the purpose for.

She eventually just ripped the whole drawer out and threw it carelessly lopsided behind her.

What am I even doing?

With a frown, she continued to pass the time in her way. She could feel Ritsuka's eyes on her and the occasional glance from Gudako and Edmond whenever she did something a bit too loud for their tastes.

Jeanne Alter tore up three of the same stations. She had no idea what she was looking for, but she had a gut feeling about it. She only hoped she might find it either before her master stopped to ask her, or Mash arrived and business continued as usual. She spared him a glance behind her knowing he was following her a little.

He was curious, but he politely kept the questions to himself. She liked that about him too.

And it made her all the more frustrated. She flipped over the third desk in its entirety with everything inside. "This stuff smells disgusting," She tossed the perfume bottle away.

Ritsuka to her surprise just chuckled somewhere behind her.

She grinned just a little. "I don't know," She bit out.

"Okay," Was all he said in response. And he still made no moves to stop her. "Though I wish you luck, whatever it is."

She scoffed. "Right," Jeanne Alter didn't quite wince at the exchange, but it put her volunteering to go out in some perspective. Somehow it felt wrong to be so short with him about whatever she was up to.

Her lips curled a bit more.

Not that I understand it either.

Eventually, at the fifth desk and the final one she accepted, as she spotted that tall dark shield and pink hair from around the corner. Alter paused however as her fingers dug through the far most right drawer in the desk. Again not bothering with things she spilled or threw away until she found something flat, but filled with paper. Alter blinked, feeling the spine edge of a book. In an instant, she plucked it free from the drawer and stared. She found a journal. Her eyes narrowed a bit at the cover. It was a classic composition book. Nothing fancy, decorated in that ugly green design that she'd seen on them before when they were first getting supplies for the storyboard and realized how horrible the paper book they got was.

She flipped it open and found a laminated flower. Which was something she definitely didn't expect to see. Her amber eyes widened, as it nearly slipped and fell out. She managed to snag it at the edge of her fingertips. And it was with that, she realized all her small, frivolous, and pointless frustrations were gone.

Distractions from my volunteering.

It must've been obvious to her Master how much she didn't want to go. Just as it had hurt her to argue that she should go. It all fell way to the wayside for a moment as she placed the laminated flower back into the book. Tracing the edge of it to the first words on the title page of the old notebook.

Her eyes read the first words.

It was marked Journal with a slash mark through it, with Diary in print right beside it. Her lips twisted just a bit further. The name wasn't someone she recognized. Though it was neatly written and judging by the frays of the cover, the composition book was certainly on the older side. The colors had faded and it was torn in places. The white paper had yellowed slightly.

She glanced at Ritsuka.

He took her queue and after sparing Mash and Gudako a glance, he came over to join her. "Inspiration hunting?" She appreciated the gentle tone in which he asked the question more than he would ever know.

It relaxed her just a bit further from her talk of having to help with Gilles's monsters and from not knowing what a real life with him might ever be like. "Partially," She said ...then she tilted her head trying not to look guilty. Her amber eyes softened as they flicked to him. "I…was just frustrated…I suppose."

"Want to share?" He offered.

Alter stared a little at him considering if she even should bother at a time like this. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Mash set her shield on the ground, readying an attempt to make a scheduled contact with Chaldea. Her lips twisted at the reminder of them potentially being cut off.

Or at least herself being cut off. She looked down at her gloved fingers just above the journal, turning it over as if she were inspecting it. Channeling just enough of it to gauge where she was in terms of her battle readiness. She wasn't at a hundred percent, but she had plenty to spare now since they stayed under the leyline the previous night.

Ritsuka, despite that, caught on and touched her shoulder. "Are you holding up okay?"

She huffed, nodding. "One of the many things I am…frustrated about." Alter flexed her fingers and held up the book. She flipped to the most recent entry, the person was talking about a romantic interest at work. Someone who was their assistant it looked like, helped them with makeup, and kept their life orderly and on schedule.

Such small nothings.

Jeanne Alter felt cold in the warm summer air. Her lips twisted a little as she handed the book off to Ritsuka. "Hold on to this…"

He frowned a little at her.

"Just hold onto it," She pleaded.

Then quietly Ritsuka nodded his agreement.

Jeanne Alter put a hand on her hip trailing off for a moment, before Ritsuka interlinked their arms like they usually did when walking around.

"Let's start heading back." He commented. Then he raised those eyebrows at her half expectant and curious. She didn't blame him for that either, given the vagueness regarding all her frustrations.

How was she supposed to tell him that she resented the fact she might not ever get to have a normal experience with him? Not going to conventions, not going to the movies or other strange things that normal people might do. They had a date for sure, they had walks to the hotel at night, and they had unplanned meetings out on park benches for writing. It's not that they didn't have such times together- Alter grit her teeth in frustration again trying to force the issue away.

But none of them are normal.

She thought again about having volunteered for the mission. It would just be her and two others running through enemy territory. Something she wouldn't have scoffed or been afraid of before coming to this particular singularity.

So why does it bother me now?

You're a coward who just doesn't want to own up to the fact that you are afraid to go on the mission without him.

Alter winced a little and she tried to bury her way past that emotion again. However, she had to admit she had no idea what might happen. Her mouth opened and closed and his eyes were on her still through the movement.

Her voice died without ever leaving her throat.

His fingers wrapped tightly around her knuckles. "I can speak to them again if you really don't want to go."

She firmly shook her head, "I can't do that…" She breathed out nostrils flaring. "I can't use that as an excuse. We both know he was right…I'm the best servant for the job." Jeanne Alter huffed and an awkward laugh. "The vengeful French girl, with far too much experience with ugly monsters that it's useful."

Ritsuka hummed but didn't let her go. "And the rest of your frustrations?"

"Stupid and pointless." She huffed out, "Especially in the grand scheme of things." Jeanne waved it off and took a few steps ahead. Though she could feel his grip tighten and he came to a stop. She hesitated on meeting his eyes, watching the ground off to the right with a sort of sheepishness.

"Will you tell me later then?"

Alter breathed out slowly and tried to stop the forming pout. It was both simultaneously endearing how much he cared and was willing to listen, just as it could be annoying that he wouldn't let some small frivolous things go. "They are stupid and pointless."

Just unrealistic dreams.

She felt his hand firm around her fingers and she was tugged in a bit closer as he wrapped his arm around her snuggly hugging her to his side. She blushed but didn't say anything in protest instead her pouting expression only grew.

He nodded, "Perhaps to you, but what's bothering you won't ever be that for me." He nodded to her again this time he pressed his lips into her white hair. "Will you tell me later?"

She bit her lip hesitating, but damn she knew she was unable to refuse him when he was doing stupid things like making her heart flutter. Her amber eyes trailed off a little. "Fine…later."

Ritsuka hummed at her acceptance. Then he loosened his arm around her and went back to just gently tugging on her hand. He waved the small worn and torn diary out between them. "And why do you want me to keep this?"

She blew out a breath, "I don't know. Maybe inspiration…I guess." She mumbled out half the truth. There was something present in the back of her mind. "It's hard to write for…real people sometimes…I mean we still keep using other servants to inspire our stories and stuff you know?" She looked at it. "I saw that…and thought…how…normal."

He raised a brow at her.

Jeanne Alter just sighed, "I appreciate the question master…I do…but I don't know how to explain it…not really anyway."

"Okay," He said, tucking the worn book under his arm. "I'll hold onto it just like you asked. I'll add that to our conversation for later too." He grinned a little at her. "Don't think you can worm your way out of it."

She huffed, and turned her nose up, feigning indignance. "Fine, it's your time to waste."

Ritsuka snorted, "I'm not sure any moment with you is a waste of time."

"Idiot!" She hissed out, now beat red. "Don't just start spouting things like that! I won't be able to concentrate!" Jeanne Alter reached over and smacked the back of his head gently and playfully.

He laughed at her blush like he always did. She pressed her lips into a line and tried to look annoyed.

And then, they were there. The other three are standing around Mash's shield already, and Gudako melding her mystic code to make the call. She smiled up at the two of them as they finally joined the group.

Edmond smirked, "Have fun desk tipping?"

"I did as a matter of fact." Jeanne folded her arms and came to a stop with a huff.

Ritsuka had let her hand go but was still only a foot away to her right. He was quiet as he considered something. "Gudako?"

"The connection's established…" She trailed off for a moment. "...far as I can tell. It just seems to have a lot more interference than we might normally expect on a day like today." She turned to Mash expectant.

"I don't know what to tell you Senpai, I haven't done anything wrong." Mash didn't look sheepish, but she seemed to be adjusting a few runes along the circle at the outside of the shield, her brow narrowing in concentration.

"That wasn't what I was suggesting," Gudako said.

Beside her, she felt Ritsuka nod again.

You could all just be cut off and now waiting to die?

Alter felt her lip twitch at the thought, and tried to ignore it. As the seconds went by, she came closer and closer in trying to tell them that reasoning. Eventually, a few minutes later. She sighed, "I hate to point out something obvious, but is there a chance that whatever's been cutting off my mana, is also interfering with our calls to Chaldea?"

Gudako looked at Edmond. "Has it happened before?"

"Not that I remember." He admitted and he removed his hat moving to help Mash with the sigils. It was just as he finished kneeling down to help that static and white noise came through from the usual com signal.

The hologram of Doctor Romani Archamani appeared, through far more static than usual, but it was there to probably the relief and surprise of everyone else that was present. He smiled a little now that everything was working. "Good, we managed to get through!" He huffed a few chuckles despite the clear look of frustration. "We've been getting some crazy readings the past few days from the singularity here. What the hell is going on over there?"

Ritsuka spoke up from beside her first. "To tell you the truth, director? It's been very hectic. We've discovered that we are repeating loops at a rate that none of us remember all that well." He gestured to Edmond.

"Yes, we compared notes and there is a discrepancy in the amount of loops we began repeating."

Roman started taking notes somewhere off-screen.

Jeanne Alter stared and her brow furrowed a little, lips twisting. She wasn't needed, but she quietly observed as the two last masters of humanity explained the situation. Mash and Edmond jumped in with key information here and there also corroborating the stories and experiences shared.

All the while Roman responded with the usual stressed concern.

Soon enough they started to share some details of what was currently happening and the plan in place to attempt to gather more information and find places to hold out against the ransacked island inhabitants of other deadly familiars.

It had done little to dissuade the sinking feeling in her stomach.

It's a good thing that we have made successful contact.

She blew out a breath.

It means we haven't lost our connection to Chaldea completely.

Jeanne Alter flicked her eyes to Ritsuka who was thinking deeply about something. Then he seemed to catch her staring. She looked away, slightly sheepish. That sort of thing always made her damn stupid heart flutter. But all he did was grin a big smile at her before turning his attention back to the hologram.

"Director before we part ways again, what's the status of the Servants and their connection to Chaldea? We've been having some mana supply problems."

The director was quiet for a moment, likely having relayed the question to another staff member offscreen. He was handed a tablet and started scrolling down. Even as he opened his mouth to speak, words were static, and the hologram flickered sharply.

"Director?" Gudako asked.

Roman continued as if not noticing. "-ere…ms….o…em." Static filled the space between words and there was a look of belated confusion as the hologram started to disappear as he tried to shout something. Either at them or for someone to try and help.

Liar.

Alter tried to ignore the way her hair shot up with goosebumps along her neck. Her eyes trailed away from the space the hologram used to occupy, wanting to curse her terrible rotten luck.

Pretender.

Her mouth twisted and she looked off to the side with her hand on her hip. She opened her mouth and then her eyes quietly narrowed.

Pretender?

That wasn't quite the word she expected to hear from herself regarding Doctor Roman. She had opinions of the man, sure…but "pretender" didn't quite seem to fit what she was thinking about him right now. As if peering into the void of her consciousness she found that the voice had already taken leave as quickly as it had come.

He is an acting director.

Ritsuka touched her arm again. "Sorry, I should have asked sooner."

She shook her head, "I'm not as important as the whole operation…you know that…I know that…" Jeanne Alter blew out a breath deflating a little. "I…do appreciate that you asked at all though." She grit her teeth. "Kuh, just my fucking luck." She stepped away, her fingers balled into tight fists.

He wrapped his hand around her outstretched arm. Gently wrapping his hand over her balled fist. His fingers trying to pry at the webings of her hand. Eventually, she relented a little, and the tension evaporated, allowing his fingers to slip around hers, touching her palm.

She blew out a slow breath and looked down white hair falling over her dower expression. Her breaths came out shakey for only a few seconds. Uneven.

Alone.

She bit her lip.

Gudako watched for a moment in silence and cleared her throat. "Mash, why don't you and Edmond see if you can locate Robin." The rest of her sentence was unsaid, but she could hear the movement behind her, their Kohai, picking up their shield and two pairs of feet marching towards the entrance.

There was a second touch at her shoulder.

She turned to see Gudako gently prying her. "I'm sure the question got through." Then she stepped away, giving the two of them a bit more space.

Ritsuka nodded, "It'll be enough for them to research it on their own."

Jeanne Alter nodded.

His sister stepped away and meant to follow the other servants out the same way they came in. "I'm going to head to the front for the moment. If I see you there, great! If not I'm gonna head to the roof and speak to Atalante." Then her expression softened as her golden eyes met Alter's yellow ones. "Take your time Alter."

She then strode off.

Jeanne Alter grabbed the fabric of Ritsuka's mystic code intent on keeping him near her. He was content to let her.

"We'll tell him when we try to get a hold of them at the beginning of the next loop." He assured her. "Won't be much reporting then either."

She nodded once. "Thanks," She said again.

There was a beat of silence as for a second the two of them stood there until finally, she turned to face him, both her arms now against his chest. She pressed herself closer for a moment to listen to his heartbeat.

His arms wrapped around her shoulders, and he gently swayed her from side to side for a few moments longer.

Too warm.

She breathed out a reflexive hiss that Ritsuka didn't see. Jeanne Alter enjoyed his embrace of comfort for as long as it would last. The few minutes that she knew she could have before they returned to work.

###Ritsuka Fujimaru###

Robin was already waiting with Edmond when they arrived at the front of the convention center. Gudako was off to the side, chatting with a couple of other servants. Mash encountered Ritsuka and Jeanne Alter on their way out. So she followed just beside them. Her shield projected in anticipation of other surprises.

"Are you sure?" He brought himself to ask one more time.

She can do it. Trust her.

He blew out a breath.

That nagging worry is still there.

Alter nodded as she turned to face him. "As sure as I can be given the situation." Her face twisted a little, crestfallen. "I won't hesitate to ask for you to call me back with a command seal. But if you need anything relayed to me, try and speak to Robin." She pushed some of the loose locks of her white hair back behind her ear.

"Better for conserving your mana." He agreed. Ritsuka didn't like it, and he hoped he could only hide it well enough. He still agreed despite how easy it was for him to be honest about why he seemed to be nagging. "I'm still worried," He admitted.

"So am I," She offered him an awkward smile.

Rituska nodded and kissed her gloved knuckles. "Be smart and stay safe."

She smiled at him, "Right back at you." Then Alter took a breath and stepped away from him untangling their hands. Her amber eyes flicked to Edmond and Robin who were also saying goodbye to their respective partners. Then they flicked once more back at Master. "Medb is after one of us…keep other servants you trust near you."

That was something he'd considered as well. He was the obvious target of the track in the fog. It was frightening how far Medb was willing to go. "I will, I'll either remain here or head back to the hotel. Without the fog, travel might be easier and faster. We can more easily avoid trouble." He tilted his head, "I hope."

Trust her, trust yourself.

He blew out a breath.

I'm not the best mage in the world. But I can damn well be a smart one.

Jeanne Alter stepped away and huffed out a breath. "Oi les baiseurs! Let's go already! We're wasting daylight." She took a second to adjust the straps of her other swords around her waist as she walked over.

Robin was ready, throwing his usual green cloak over his shirtless swimsuit spiritron dress. He gave Ibaraki a smirk when she blushed. And she gave Alter a nod that he was ready to go.

Edmond took a few seconds longer.

Atalante called above from the roof, crouched on a knee. "Head west first, down the main road for three blocks, and turn right." She pulled back the string of her bow and the arrows formed. "I'll clear a path for you there. Fewer enemies make my job easier." Her feline ears twitched. "My range should cover about half the city from here depending on a target's location. If you need something specific, holler at our masters, and I'll figure something out."

Robin smiled up at her. "You're the best A."

Edmond kissed Gudako and stepped away. "Thanks," he called up to her. "Is Main Street that crowded?"

"Crowded and counting. A skirmish has broken out between those crabs and urchins. But a lot of bodies are attracting more of them. I think there might've been a mall somewhere along the way with none of us there to watch over it." There was a booming thwack in the air as the green arrow hurled into the distance.

Ritsuka nodded, touching his chin, forcing himself not to follow right after Alter. He decided he would wait as he watched the three of them get together before they headed off. Gudako meanwhile had shifted to stand beside her brother, also, like him, trying to think of what the hell else they were going to do.

Alter turned to give him one last wave before the three of them set off in a steady prana-filled jog. The movement was quick and the ground burst beneath them as they moved from the city streets to the rooftop builds in an instant.

Gudako huffed, "It's strange. All of those singularities where we have so much less than we do now at our disposal. And here, I somehow feel as if our hands are tied." Her lips twisted a little for a second before turning to eye him.

"I get it." He watched the three servants disappear into the distance over the rooftops, and he heard Atalante lose another batch of arrows with a thwack. It was apparent that some of the latent servants had at least remembered their duty. Ritsuka blamed it on the extremes of the city being enveloped in fog. Most of the servants who may not have known it was a singularity still might be unaware, but for now, at least they were all in the fight.

If Medb was using the fog to move a monster out there, she would have to consider it was worth the price.

His lips twisted a little, and his fingers twitched.

Useless mages that we are, we definitely didn't notice.

Even as the bitter thought came to mind, he was pleased and perhaps surprised to hear the familiar memory now attributed to his status as a mage. It accompanied it right after the consideration of their standing as mages. Jeanne Alter's opinion of him was higher than he would've ever given himself.

"You're the best mage in the world."

Ritsuka's lip twitched nearly into a smile. He really could only hope the things he'd been saying to her were enough to affirm his feelings toward her. In turn, he hoped that was enough for her to get enough confidence in herself. His heart swelled a little at the thought of it and then he shook his head free of the thought.

Gudako must've caught the smile. "What's got you chipper all of a sudden?"She smiled too, in that way, despite their nerves and worries, they're feelings often infected one another.

He huffed, "Nothing, I just think Jeanne Alter loves me." Ritsuka scratched the back of his head and looked sheepish as a small red tint came to his cheeks. He grinned at the look his sister was giving him.

"I hope you aren't only just realizing this now genius. Or I'm going to have to apologize for my brother's lack of brain cells." She smirked at him.

He huffed, "Oi, I never said I was just realizing it now. I just think…" Ritsuka tilted his head from side to side. "I think I'm just realizing the extent of it maybe." He nodded in the direction that the two of them had watched the group go. "I think it's just starting to sink in…like properly is all."

She snorted. "That's actually quite cute. I think Ed and I had a sort of similar way of realizing."

Nope.

Ritsuka blinked. "No, no, I don't want to know."

She chuckled and tilted her head. "Don't worry, nothing so raunchy as you're thinking it might've been. I was trying to help him and he tried to help me in turn." She tilted her head a little and nodded at him. "Doesn't that sound a bit familiar to you?"

He smiled, putting a hand on his hip, and chuckled.

It sure does.

Ritsuka tilted his head a little at her. "What is it you said? Damaged and baggage ridden attracts damaged and baggage ridden?"

Gudako nodded once. "Rings more true than ever if you ask me."

At that, he could only nod. His eyes flicked up when he felt the mana in the air shift as Atalante formed her next barrage of arrows. "I'm inclined to agree," he said, trailing off as he watched the Grecian heroine fire again. Then he nodded once, pushing the comforting subject of their loved ones away from his mind. "Come, we should figure out what we're going to do." He raised a brow at her. "Did you want to stay out here with Atalante for extra fire directions?"

Gudako nodded, "I'll head to the roof." She glanced around and Ritsuka followed her gaze to the others of their usual group since they'd arrived. She spotted Ushiwakamaru and Mash with Ibaraki. Artoria Alter had joined them. Frankenstien was standing near the door upright and stiff waiting for the next bout.

Moriarty in the meanwhile was standing stiffly alone sitting down on one of the benches. His weapon was the only thing of him that was blooded, otherwise, he looked as dignified as ever. Though Ritsuka was sure he could see the man thinking and planning.

Perhaps it would be best if we spoke to him.

He blew out a breath.

I'd be curious to hear his thoughts on our speculation and theory crafting anyhow.

Ritsuka nodded at his sister. "Go, I'll be out here until you're ready to take over again. Just be sure to tell Ed that you'll be the first one to be in contact. That way if it's an emergency they aren't trying to contact me and I'm somewhere inside the convention center." He grinned a little. "Besides I think Ed would much rather hear your voice constantly nagging him."

She snorted, "Yes, on that, you might be right." She turned away and jogged over to the other group of servants out at the front.

Ritsuka meanwhile, turned and walked to Moriarty.

The poised criminal mastermind noticed his approach and shifted a little only to acknowledge that Ritsuka was approaching. One of the reasons the twins were comfortable with the infamous villain allying himself, was that he quite enjoyed talking to them. Something that had been true even during the Shinjuku singularity, when he actually was evil.

"Master." He greeted politely, and his bloodied coffin weapon disappeared into particles of light sitting up straighter. "It was a very brave thing you did coming here. But I'm not so sure if that was the best move in theory…" Moriarty touched his chin in thought. "Reasons for delivering your sister's mystic code or not."

Having almost died on the way here, I can only agree with that.

"I might've waited for the fog to disappear if I'd known it was temporary." Ritsuka openly conceded. He turned and leaned against the wall beside the man sitting on the bench. "For now though it might be best that the two of us are in one place." His lips twisted, "We can better formulate our next steps."

He hummed, "Compartmentalization is my concern, young master." The elder man's lip twisted. "But, I will get to that." He touched his fingers together in thought and glanced at him. "What do you make of this mess?"

"About the fog? Or the suddenly escalated situation?" Ritsuka tilted his head.

"Both if you'll indulge me." Morarity had that slightly challenging look on his face once more, seeming to test the twins in the same lane as Sherlock often did. They wanted to make sure they were always carefully considering as much as battle relied on quick instincts.

Plus a criminal mastermind's perspective is always helpful when anticipating the movements of our enemies.

Ritsuka nodded once, "We think the fog, temporary as it was, lasted long enough for something of considerable size to move across the island. We think it was used for the concealment of Gilles' noble phantasm that we encountered in the small, other, Fuyuki singularity. The one of the fourth holy grail war."

Moriarty raised a brow, "An assumption?"

"Best we can make. Presumably, Medb has access to all of Gilles's tombe, and the noble phantasms that can be wielded out of it." Ritsuka touched his chin in thought. "It has its holes of course. Medb coming after Jeanne Alter and me specifically poses a slight problem to that theory. Though it could've been to distract us further."

Before the conversation continued, another boom thundered through the air as Atalante sniped into the distance.

Ushiwakamaru grabbed hold of Gudako and with a single prana jump landed on the rooftop above, his sister now in hand, and in place to do her part.

"You believe his Kaiju noble phantasm is the reason for all the tremors?" The criminal mastermind seemed to consider that for a moment. "I suppose it is a reasonable assumption given the information you have on hand." His lips twisted, "Now, the escalated situation."

"Where are you leading me, Moriarty?" Ritsuka raised a brow.

"Indulge me, Master." He grinned a little, "After all, I don't believe this old man could find it in his heart to be the villain when the world was at stake?"

He huffed, "Your other question was about the mess, I assume then you're referring to the island's irregularities broadly?"

He wasn't aware this place was a singularity earlier.

Ritsuka worded his question carefully.

"Correct." He touched his finger to his lips. "I've of course figured out some of the puzzle pieces myself. I've had plenty of time to think on it while Frankenstein was working on her doujin over the last couple of days. Under Babbage…" His eyes sparkled a little. "Speaking of which, what makes you think it was Medb, and not Babbage responsible for the fog? I believe the reports of the London singularity would have pointed your experience to think otherwise."

He frowned a little and thought about it. "Medb…is the one with the standing grudge toward us at the moment…but I suppose that it isn't an impossibility that Babbage has slipped...away." Ritsuka's brow furrowed and his eyes flicked back up to Moriarty. "Are you willing to disclose his location?"

The old man smiled wryly. "Would that I could, I'm afraid Babbage has been missing since the previous night."

Ritsuka blinked and his eyes intensified. "That would…be…suspicious given the activities I've had to deal with this morning." His lips twisted, "However, Babbage wouldn't immediately go for the enveloping fog and stream unless something had gone horribly wrong."

"Indeed, terribly wrong," Moriarty said.

He found himself staring for a moment at him. There was just something about the way Moriarty had said that, implying that he already knew. Or at least suspected. Ritsuka blew out a breath and paced a few steps away.

Why would Babbage accidentally summon an enveloping fog?

He touched his temple and considered.

The obvious reason is a survival mechanism. Babbage was in danger.

Ritsuka hummed and decided to hedge his thoughts with a question at Moriarty, wanting to be sure. "And Babbage made no mention to you of where he might be going?"

Moriarty shook his head, "I'm afraid not Master." The old man leaned forward a bit, hunching over his knees. His eyes never really left Ritsuka, indicating he was still expecting his master to ask the right questions.

It was another minute of silence as Ritsuka contemplated. Whether it helped or it didn't he stared at the older man.

He knows it was Babbage, but doesn't know where he has gone.

He nodded once to himself, "Alright, how do you know it was Babbage?" Ritsuka blinked, realizing his mistake in the question. "I mean why do you suspect the fog was his rather than it being Medb's?"

Moriarty smiled at him. "The smell my dear boy."

His confusion must've been obvious because Moriarty chuckled at him and leaned back against the bench.

"I've read the reports from your London singularity, call it a tinge of homesickness. I've also fought Babbage a few times in the training simulators at Chaldea." Moriarty nodded at him once. "It's where my personal experience comes in for me to feel so strongly about this." He held up his hand and a single finger. "First point, fog created using a noble phantasm is a rare skill. Jack the Ripper even struggles with their version. Gilles needs the tombe to use it. But there is a skill more common when we talk of heroes from the age of the Industrial Revolution. Babbage can create something like fog…but really it's-"

"Steam." Ritsuka's eyes went wide.

How did I miss that?

His eyebrows knitted together.

Right distracted by a beautiful pretty girl.

He sighed and smacked his forehead.

Morarity chuckled again. "No, don't beat yourself up about it Master. No one else seems to have noticed either. Servants had to have direct personal experience with Babbage to know it. The steam can also act as a bit of a debuff to opposing enemies, but that's beside the point. Now, given the smell..."

"The smell of burning coal." Ritsuka nodded.

His elder nodded again. "It's what gave it away. While given reports with the fog Gilles can bring, I hear it's formless, tasteless, and brings only small debuffs that wouldn't be felt unless one were under its effect for hours."

Ritsuka considered. "So…was it only bad luck we were attacked by Medb en route then? Or was she meaning to do that with or without the steam that enveloped the city?" His frown deepened as he ran the last hour over his head again and again. His lip started to twist. "She might've been destroyed otherwise."

"It is possible she did just seize an opportunity." Moriarty pointed out. "You said it again that she must've been waiting for you to leave in order to strike."

"The tremors?" Ritsuka asked.

Once more the older man shook his head. "I'm afraid that's one thing I'm still lost on. There is a chance of course that it was simply other things out there taking advantage of the fog. And of course, this puts your theory of Medb using the fog to hide Gilles's Kaiju on a bit of a backfoot."

If the fog wasn't hers…then what was moving out there?

He tensed a bit and he looked off toward the Volcano. To where Robin, Edmond, and Jeanne Alter were headed.

"In any case Master, it appears some more of our guests have arrived." Moriarty stood back up. And Ritsuka turned to see the crabs coming their way. At least a dozen of the larger ones spread amongst the fodder.

There was another thwack from Atalante's bow.

Ushi, Mash, and Ibaraki joined up with Fran and took up something of a defensive formation.

"Food for thought master," He said with a slight smirk, knowing he'd stolen one of Sherlock's favorite tropes. Then he opened fire on the incoming crab familiars, eliminating some of them long before they came into close combat range for the other servants. Then, Moriarty moved to join them with a quick sprint.

Ritsuka meanwhile was left to think. The floodgates of possibility had once more been ripped open for him to consider. Their theory work was decent, but Moriarty had done his part to poke holes in them so that they might do their jobs better as masters. As Mash bashed with her shield one of the crabs away, into Ibaraki's lance, he decided he would wait for her to finish.

Another pair of arrows from Atalante arched across the sky.

When the Shielder's current fight was done, he decided that both he and Mash should confer with Gudako. The three of them putting their heads together would have to be enough about something. Even as his lips twisted and his mouth furled into a frown, his mind brought him back to the same question that stood out above the rest. Even above the suspicions of the current mission being undertaken by Jeanne Alter, Edmond, and Robin.

Medb's attack in the steam fog that had rolled in.

Just what the hell are you up to?

Even as the question burrowed deeper into his mind. He found it frustrating. All because whatever happened in this loop, he still had to follow through with his plan of trying to find out more about Medb. Prevent all the disastrous turns she'd taken in this loop, and see if he could figure out ways to dampen her impact when he wasn't spending time with her.

No matter what happens and what she does this loop.

Ritsuka swallowed and pressed his hand up against his forehead, the frustration burrowing just a little deeper. Even then, he needed more information to consider. Theory work meant nothing without evidence. Evidence that he could collect while the others were off to collect evidence at the Volcano.

Medb's out there if she is responsible. With her new Kaiju pet.

Then in his quiet contemplation, Ritsuka at last came to one more conclusion. That there was only one servant who could possibly give him an answer. The skirmish raged out before him as he touched his temple. He focused his prana, something he really would start having to save for the coming hours ahead. Especially if Gudako was burning through hers just to keep in contact with Edmond.

He blew out his breath and mouthed the words in silence as his blue eyes began to glow slightly. "Cuchulainn, where are you?"

###Jeanne Alter###

Jeanne Alter had several times before, butted heads with Atalante. Alter admitted that she could probably describe herself as someone who cared little for censoring the words out of her mouth. And while the past week has been nothing but opening revelations concerning how she processes her emotions, she could quite clearly remember cursing in front of Chaldea's nursery. Openly.

Atalante had not taken that very well as she recalled. And the two would have nearly come to blows if not for Jeanne D'Arc and Achilles. Ritsuka and Gudako had arrived a bit later to help de-escalate the situation further. But it was the first of several times where they had nearly come to blows.

Jeanne Alter felt ashamed as she couldn't quite remember what had set her off that particular time. Knowing she cared little for censoring her curses around the younger servants, it was easy to assume that was one time she could squarely remember it being her fault.

You were probably at fault for all of them.

Her lip twitched as he ran along just behind Edmond keeping up with him as he kicked off the corner of the building leaving cracks in the wall with force he accelerated himself down to the end of the alleyway.

She did the same motion taking care to pause once she'd landed back on her feet to make sure Robin was still just behind them.

As if on cue, another hail of green arrows slammed ahead of them coating nearly a hundred yards with arrows in the ground, impaling through crab shells and urchins alike. The noises of squelching, squishing, and writhing as their flesh tore only lasted for a brief second.

It was enough to make her smile. Just a little. A sadistic grin came to her lips as she imagined all of Gilles's familiars dying in such a manner. That he died in such a manner, writhing in pain in his last seconds before he faded away. The sound of that flesh tearing and that squelching of disgust that followed.

She slid to partially slow herself, sparks coming from her spirit origin's heels, as she brandished her sword. One of the few survivors leaped from the shadows around them. One from a half-broken trash bin, two arrows still lodged in its largest muscle barnacle tentacle. This one had been the closest to her, and she'd had her sword at the ready.

As it drew closer, she realized with some dismay it wasn't an urchin, but rather one of the wild and roaming crab familiars. Only its shell had been dislodged, and its claw had been torn from arrow fire.

She caught it mid-air with her sword and spun around again not stopping, her movement all in a swift motion. Her thighs brushed the arrow tails along the ground as she straightened back up from her crouch and continued running.

Another hail of arrow fire soared overhead.

And despite herself, Jeanne Alter found that she was having to re-evaluate her position and opinion of Atalante once more. Right now she was being a tremendous alley and better yet, what was even more clear, her Archery skills were amazing. The arrows plunged down ahead of them clearing a hundred yards of their next turn.

She could name only a few other bowmen probably in all of history that she might be able to compare the accuracy, precision, and raw force of the famed huntress's attacks. She had little doubt that in this berserker form, Atalante would fare far better if the two of them had come to blows.

If my spirit origin was that of an Avenger, she might still prove a handful to deal with.

Edmond had lost some of his lead a little, but he'd caught one of the urchins in the grip of his right hand. As he was running along, he slammed the mass of barnacle tentacle muscle into the ground beside him, drawing them along the asphalt, until blood ooze and guts were smeared for nearly twenty feet and the beast itself was in pieces.

Jeanne Alter thought she caught a sadistic grin on his lips as he tossed the thinned remains away as if it were nothing, only a bloodied slop missing two-thirds of its mass.

She skidded to a stop just behind him and looked back.

Robin had his arm up and fired an arrow from his wrist at point-blank range into a broken-shelled oversized crab. She caught his eyes when they flicked ahead back to where she was standing just behind Edmond.

"Ed?" She asked. None of them had broken out in a sweat yet. But he could see the slight glow of his own amber eyes.

Tentatively he held up a hand toward her, indicating he was receiving information and instructions.

Jeanne pushed her lips together to stop herself from accidentally saying anything more. Though with adrenaline now coursing through her, she found that a particular voice in her head had for the moment at least chosen to be quiet.

Can't call me useless when I'm doing useful things right?

She grinned a little as movement caught her eyes, shadows in an alleyway heading out back toward the main road. Her fingers twitched and she flicked the sword in her hand again ready to bring it to bear. Even with that one warning bell going off in the back of her mind, reminding her she had to conserve her mana.

Her lip twitched.

Thankfully Robin skidded to a stop in front of her, in a crouch, his bow already aiming in the right direction. Three thwacks filled the air for three arrows slammed into the different creatures in their unarmored parts, making the monsters go limp.

Alter blew out a breath. "Thanks," She forced her sword hand to loosen.

Robin hummed, he was still in his summer spirit origin, but his green cloak still fell over his chest. He tipped his hood a little at her. "Don't mention it." He grinned, "It's why I'm here after all."

Friends.

Jeanne Alter blew out a breath. It was a strange thing to admit that it was something she had now. Easily as strange as what her master claimed to see in her. She even risked a small smile despite her damnedest to stop it. "I never will again." She said with a smirk.

Robin huffed but smiled back. "Glad to see you've bounced back from last night."

She hummed, "Now I can only hope, it lasts." Alter flexed her fingers and tested her mana supply. It was still stable for the moment. That was all she could ask for. "My mana supply can be cut off intermittently. Or it's falling off intermittently."

The green archer chuckled again, "While that's wonderful, that isn't exactly what I was referring to Alter." He tilted his head.

Her lips twisted and her eyes narrowed. "Ugh," She made an effort to sound disgusted. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She looked away and put a hand on her hip.

Edmond's black cloak flowed around him. As he spun to include them in the conversation. "There are a few more back street alleys we can take, and Atalante says she's got a road that we can take a few blocks on. However, she recommends we find some lower buildings and work by rooftops. We're going to be hitting the limit of her range soon enough if we keep moving at his pace."

Jeanne Alter firmed her lips and gave a nod.

Edmond led the way once more, rounding them through three turns between ever taller growing buildings. Jeanne noted that Atalante couldn't arc her arrows at some angles when the buildings were taller.

Though if she felt so inclined she could easily level a building in her way.

Her lips twitched a little as she glanced back at Robin making sure that he was still following close behind.

Robin grinned at her.

She turned her attention back to the next corner they rounded, a back alley with dumpsters, fire escapes, and dead urchins and crabs. She kicked one of the corpses for good measure as Edmond held up a hand, nearing the main road.

She slowed to a stop just behind him and leaned out to peer into the road. It wasn't as crowded as she thought it might be. But she could still make out fires and destroyed cars. In some cases, what worried her was the half-eaten corpses.

Never have the magic-infused familiars ever gone this berserk.

Her lips twisted a little as she glanced up toward the rooftops. A shadow was there. Even as felt her blood turn to ice, she grabbed Edmond by the collar and hauled him back into the alleyway out of sight.

Edmond grunted with surprise.

Jeanne put a quiet gesture over her lips. "Shadow," she whispered. "Don't know what class. We're lucky they didn't spot you."

The avenger's lips twisted a little and nodded quietly. "What roof?"

"Aged white building, four stories, near the right edge, further away from us."

"A, can you see them?" He asked quietly into the air.

Robin came to a stop behind them, taking the thing that they weren't going right out into the road. "A shadow?"

"Not sure of the class," Jeanne repeated. Her fingers twitched and the weight of her summoned sword felt nervous in her grasp.

Means I'm in big trouble if I'm not careful.

Robin grinned up at her. "Don't worry, we'll manage. We made a promise to the Master after all."

Her lip twitched. "It still feels weird, you know. Given our whole purpose as Servants and all that." She leaned back against the building, the cool brick against her back. She let out a breath. "Ed?"

"A's spotted them. She's checking alternate routes." Edmond hummed. Jeanne then saw him stiffen a little. "Gudako, that's not a good idea."

Jeanne blinked and now her eyes narrowed.

"It's not…" He trailed off and sighed. "Fine your call to make. Give us a warning before you fire then." He glanced at the two of them just behind her. "Atalante's volunteered to fire at the servant. When her arrows strike, we go. At worst it'll be a hell of a distraction for the Shadow." His lips twisted. "At best, it means that they'll be drawn off completely to the convention center.

Jeanne frowned a little and hedged some of the reasoning behind supporting it. "There…are multiple servants there with our Masters." What was clear, is that she was just as uncomfortable with it as Edmond appeared to be.

Trust your master.

She forced herself to take a breath.

Edmond nodded, "Which is why I've ultimately agreed." He tilted his head looking at Robin making sure he'd gotten all of the important bits of information.

The green archer nodded. "On your mark then."

Ritsuka is smart enough to avoid an incoming shadow.

But there was that small part of her that reminded her of why she'd respected him long before she'd started falling for him. The fact that he was willing to put himself in danger to accomplish whatever goals that Chaldea had set out.

It would be hypocritical of her if she'd told him not to do that. The only argument going in favor was that she was a servant. And he was not. She blew out a breath and leaned a bit closer to the edge of the alleyway again.

Edmond grabbed her shoulder. "Hold on, let's not risk getting spotted again." A quick beat of silence passed. "A's taking aim again." And he pointed, "She suggested we take to the rooftops as soon as the shadow is heading towards the convention center."

Jeanne Alter hummed an acknowledgment and flexed her fingers around the grip of her sword again. She spared a glance at Robin.

Robin, having now been satisfied that nothing was following them, sent her another grin. He joined them, the third in line along the wall.

The sky changed color as arrows bright as flares flew across the sky, and slammed into the buildings with a huge consecutive pummeling explosion. Flattening the rooftop onto the rest of the building, going nearly to the ground floor. At that moment, a sword was brandished in the shadow and deflecting arrows aside, explosions happening farther out from the shadow servant, a sign of further trouble.

"Now," Edmond said, but really it was for nothing. The others behind him had taken their cue and followed in mana burst across the street. The gust of wind burst behind them as they were taking to the shadow servant's side of the street.

It had gone just as planned, the shadow saber now too busy and preoccupied with the Atalante's arrows to think of anything else. They pushed off the destroyed crumbling building with such speed that the three of them might have missed it if they hadn't been looking out for it.

It charged across the city deflecting arrows in the air and jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

And Atalante's arrows followed it.

Edmond sighed, "We're on our own now without cover." His lips twisted a little and he glanced back at Jeanne.

She straightened up a little.

"If we are about to get overwhelmed, contact Ritsuka. You have to get away first. I will only contact Gudako once you're gone." Before she could even ask why, she just saw him grin. "You're our monster expert for the moment."

She huffed a little. "Fine, but no delays or heroics from either of you."

Robin scoffed, "What me? Heroic? Nonsense." He knocked a few more arrows into his wrist bow forming from blue particles of light. He nodded toward the buildings and leaned out from their new hiding spot. "I can see a path up to the roofs. Using rubble? Or we can use a fire escape."

Jeanne hummed, "Fire escape, better we minimize our mana use that way."

I need to be able to fight minimally.

Just before they set out again, both she and Edmond leaned out to join Robin's spying. They wanted to see if they could spot the route for themselves.

Alter caught her breath and caught Edmond's shoulder again just before he was about to leave. "Rubble," She changed her mind.

The others looked at her.

Jeanne cleared her mind of all the cascading thoughts with a quick shake of her head. She hoped that the extent of her worry remained hidden."The fire escape has broken windows and furniture stacked to make it look like it has a messy exterior or that people were barring up their rooms." Her lips started to twist a little. "But I just saw one of those couches move…" Jeanne blew out a breath. "That whole building is just a death trap."

If Gilles could get his monsters to disguise themselves…

She flexed her wrist, ignoring the phantom feeling of hard tentacle barnacles digging into her skin when she'd stayed with him. Her amber eyes narrowed and her lips firmed, "We can't trust it."

Maybe Medb could too.

"Are there people inside?" Edmond asked, looking at Robin.

Jeanne Alter hesitated, knowing Gilles had tricked her that way too once before. However, disguising monsters as people was a much harder spell to create. She could only hope that Medb wasn't so advanced as to have figured that particular set of skills out. Her fingers twitched a little. "It won't matter," She muttered before Robin could answer. "They'll be used as bait for the likes of us."

Or worse.

Her lips twisted and she took a breath.

"I can't tell from here anyhow," Robin said, his finger playing with the string of his bow. "We go up the rubble then. Cross over the roof of that building."

Jeanne released Edmond's shoulder. "And no matter what happens, we don't look back." She looked at them to make sure that point sunk in. "If monsters can disguise themselves there will undoubtedly be things that are triggered by even our minimal interaction with the place." She blew out a breath and looked down the street. Then she grinned, "The crabs in the street, wait until they wander closer."

The others nodded.

In the distance, they could hear the thunderous crash of Atalante's bow against a shadow servant still charging toward the convention center.

And then they ran, this time with Robin leading the way. He leaped up onto an open floor a few stories up and then jumped again to an open part of the side building.

Jeanne followed just behind him and huffed out her breath, not nearly as graceful, her footing giving way as caught herself with a hand to throw herself up to the next platform. Reaching the roof just behind Robin.

Edmond was a split second behind her, and already they could sense a shift of mana in the air as they leaped from the wrecked building to the infested one.

Jeanne's eyes flicked right as she saw one of the massive building air conditioners start to shift. Though she needed to shout no warning as Robin's own bow shot three arrows in quick succession.

The streaks of blue slammed into the urchin just as it had finished forming, two of them were kill shots while the other pinned it to the metal. And then Robin was already in the air, jumping for the next roof.

She heard Edmond's boots just behind her pushing off with enough force to crack in the ground as he soared ahead of the pair of them. Jeanne once more drew her sword as the building filled with monsters behind them, seeming to come alive.

Robin skidded along the ground, slowing himself, sparking under his armored boots as he took aim over Alter's shoulder, and sent a few arrows behind her. It was a task he continued to do until she'd sprinted past him.

That's when Jeanne risked a look back, two more urchins had been plucked from the air with the arrows flying back into the building. Moreover, the street residents in the crabs had reacted too. And once more, like she'd seen earlier during her ride toward the convention center, she saw the two different familiar groups attack one another.

Edmond shouted back at her. "We'll be at the edge of the city limits soon enough!" Already making the jump to the next building. "When that happens, we'll have to be more careful! Don't know what's out there beyond the bounds of the city."

We'll also lose the advantage of having higher ground enough to see.

A green flash caught her eyes.

More green streaks flew across the cityscape in the distance, landing much closer to where she knew the convention center to be. Indicating just how close the shadow saber servant was starting to get.

Then she focused ahead, as Edmond grabbed a familiar and slammed them back out the ground immolating them with his burning fist.

Other stragglers started to come for them.

She let out a breath and firmed her loops, relaxing her tense muscles. It was an easier skirmish she reminded herself. Nothing that would be so draining on her reserves. Ahead of them, at the edge of the city, the dormant volcano loomed in the distance, the land curving upward where the largest buildings started to give way to trees and houses.

And the ground started to shake again.

###Ritsuka Fujimaru###

He held his arms out to steady himself from falling over. Ritsuka's eyes narrowed and he looked off toward the dormant volcano at the end of the cityscape. The movement of Atalante's green hail of arrows slamming into a very close building drew his more immediate attention.

Mash grabbed his shoulder lips pressed into a determined line. She hummed and nodded.

It was enough for him to pull him back to what was most important. "Once you block it's first strike. Ushi and Ibaraki will take over." He glanced past the shielder again. Ritsuka frowned a bit and saw Artoria Alter parking her bike near the doors.

She gave him a nod.

He returned it.

"Master?" Mash asked. "What did you have in mind for me?" She had expected to be on the front line with the other servants even if it was only temporary. "If not to help the others?"

Ritsuka forced himself to nod. "I got a message from the knights of the Round Table. They'll be here shortly since we are closer to the open market that got attacked. Francis Drake will need cover. Anne Bonny and Mary Reed are down. Not dead but they're wounded and need help. The Knights of the Round Table lost Tristan. But they're in trouble all the same."

He pointed down the road that they could expect them to be coming from. "Don't stray far, and get Moriarty to cover you."

Mash firmed her lips again, "Okay."

Gudako had been quiet, her hand on Atalante's shoulder. The rooftop they were standing on was buzzing with the activity of a few other servants. With that, she at last turned to the pair of them speaking up. "One more thing, see if they know where Thatch is." Her lips twisted. "If we're wrong and that Volcano really is about to blow…" Her lips twisted. "We'll need the ships to head out to sea."

Ritsuka nodded once.

"Got it," Mash said. "I'll go greet the incoming saber first." With her shield manifested she then jogged to the edge of the rooftop and waited. Ready to pounce and block the initial attacks that would come.

There were a few more seconds as Atalante took time to aim another hail of arrows.

Ritsuka spoke up, "A, got a better view now?"

"I do." The Greek huntress confirmed. She tugged back the strings of her bow and aimed once more. She blew out a breath. "They're good for a shadow. Not like the fodder we're used to." Her lips twisted a little as she adjusted her aim a few fractions. "Troublesome armor. Might have protection from arrows, or they're just really skilled."

Achilles chuckled from behind them, spear stretched over his shoulders. "Don't worry so much nee san." His grin grew a bit wicked and he flexed his hands. "If it somehow gets through our shielder girl and the others, I'll finish it before it becomes too much of a problem."

Atalanta made a huff of annoyance. "Fine, I'll hold you to your oath." She loosed another hail of arrows. "Fifteen seconds." She commented.

Perhaps the unorthodox loop brought them all out of it?

Gudako turned away. "Ushi! Ibaraki!"

A nonfodder shadow servant? Something with power and strength to move?

The experience wasn't quite new, as either sibling would describe it. They could remember quite clearly the different shadow servants they'd encountered during their tenure from going to singularity to singularity. But Ritsuka knew such powerful shadows to be rare. Even as he considered what it could mean, the only thing it brought him was worry.

Atalante gasped.

Ritsuka looked up and the wind contorted the space beside him.

Shit, it's faster than we thought!

And Mash leaped into the air roof cracking beneath her feet and she slammed her shield into the saber, deflecting them off with force enough to send them careening towards one of the other buildings.

Mash was forced back too, thrown back into the roof, landing and rolling on her side, before spinning to her feet and he sensed the danger more so than he saw it. She huffed out a breath.

Atalante redirected her fire in an instant.

Ushi and Ibaraki charged forward toward the building now exploding just adjacent to the convention center.

Achilles ran to the edge of the roof to cover the rear in case the saber got past them.

The shadow saber reacted to the quick smackdowns fast. Ritsuka could barely keep up with it as it shot forth on the ground level of the building. Ibaraki adjusted first slamming down with her lance in front of them, forcing the saber to dodge and react to her.

The saber swung their sword to the side, catching the edge of Ibaraki's lance, as she dodged away, a wicked grin coming to the blonde oni's face.

Ibaraki danced away from the second strike and kicked her lance up, nearly cutting the Saber's shadow-ichored face.

Just as the saber backed away, Ushiwakamaru entered the fray, her sword and fan drawn, nearly a perfect ambush for the assassin.

Only Atalante was right, the shadow saber was very good. Its form placed them at about average height and lean, even if all the details couldn't be seen or absorbed. They had either the intuition or the skill to block Ushi's sword, sparking off from behind. And they let their armor take the brunt of Ushi's fan.

It was still enough force to send them sliding back, their metal boots grinding against the asphalt. They brought their sword up at first to strike back.

Only Ibaraki hadn't idled while Ushi got her first sneak attack in.

The oni slammed her lance against the sword, spinning it with a force that the spear's dull end came up and nearly slammed into the saber.

The shadow's footing was off, their sword pushed aside, and they used their armor to snag the dull end of the lance. Unfortunately, it was exactly what Ibaraki had wanted, and they underestimated the strength almost inherent in a demonic being like Ibaraki.

The oni's grin widened, and the force of her feet slammed into the saber's stomach with enough force to send out shock waves of wind, tearing the ground asunder with the blow. Chunks of blackened armor fell away in blue particles indicating the force of the blow.

The Saber was sent flying towards Ushiwakamaru who was only just finishing repositioning and brought her weapons to bare, slamming her fan and sword into the shadow's armored gut.

Wind and air once more contorted with force as both weapons pierced right through to their targets, cutting free the shadow's sword armor, and weakening their armor even more.

The shadow was sent into the air above the street in the open.

Only before it could even contemplate what had happened. Atalante's next hail of arrows caught it mid-air, slamming into them, and brutally finished the job. A burning corpse of a shadow fell from the air and landed in the middle of the road before finally fading away into blue particles of magic light.

Ritsuka let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Mash?"

"I'm alright." The pink-haired shielder grabbed her shoulder, planning her large shield into the rooftop for a moment as she flexed that part of her arm. "Hit harder than I expected," She explained.

Irisviel was there and hummed something amused. "I'll take a look at the shielder. A top-off wouldn't hurt."

Gudako tapped Atalante's shoulder. "Well done."

She gave a grim but silent nod.

Achilles still waited at the edge of the rooftop. "Tsk, damn. The whole place has gone to a mess hasn't it?"

"Just about," Atalante said. "In a way, it reminds me of the warring city-states…"

It was only a brief second as Rituska was just about to turn away to a new conversation when Achilles held up a hand for him. "Oi, was it you guys who wrote that doujin about me and Atalante in a space race?"

He froze a little at that. "We did, did you read it?"

"Skimmed it, unfortunately, I'll have to check it out tomorrow! It looked like a great deal of fun to make and fun to imagine." He grinned at him.

And Ritsuka felt a pang in his heart.

Tomorrow the loop will be reset

Atalante hummed, "You wrote about us racing?" She seemed to smile with a bit of bemusement the longer she thought about it.

"You probably wouldn't like it," Both Achilles and Ritsuka said at the same time.

The two of them stared at each other for a brief second, both caught off guard.

Then Achilles elaborated, scratching the back of his head, deciding to quickly take the lead on it. "Well, what I mean is that it doesn't seem like your kind of story sis. Not much else happens besides the racing. You know?"

The eyes of the great huntress seemed to narrow a bit toward Achilles at that. The two of them answering at the same time is more than enough to arouse some suspicions. "You said it was fun," she said flatly. "I like fun sometimes, Achilles."

"Yeah, but it's kinda rare for you know?" He closed an eye, almost winking at her as he thought. "I do admire your work ethic."

"...Thanks," Atalante said quietly.

Ritsuka slowly bowed out of the conversation. Not wanting to accidentally dig himself a hole that he didn't have time to crawl out of. He left the two of them to banter and reminisce, meaning to join his sister who was making her way over to Mash.

Only he could feel a servant trying to reach out to him slowly. Their bond flickering to life enough for him to know. He touched his ear. "Cu?"

"Aye, I made it to the hotel. The place is a mess, glad you called. But no sign of Medb outside. Trust me I triple-checked." He could imagine the lancer bouncing between a smirk and an expression of frustration. "I gotta say master, I'm still not all that sure it was Medb who's responsible for all of this. She and I certainly don't get along, but this seems too strange for her. While she can be problematic…I don't think she'd go to these lengths."

Ritsuka sighed, "I only know that if it wasn't her, it was very convenient timing for it all." His lips pressed into a line. He knew that Cuchulainn would always do as he was asked by his two masters. Find someone you can trust and see if you can't find out where she is." He glanced over at Gudako coming over to him.

"Understood master. Just stay safe out there ya here?" There was a moment of silence. "Say, it'd probably be safer still if you chose to stay where you are."

At that Ritsuka could only agree. He nodded to himself. "There is already one master here at the convention center. We should split back up now that the fog has disappeared." His lips twisted a little. "I delivered what I had to, and we got to come up with a few ideas. Given the variable unknowns it's smarter for us to work separately in the two places most occupied with servants…meaning I'll make the journey back."

Once more he was met with a hesitant silence. "Understood master. I just have a bad feeling."

He snorted. "Trust me I share it. Find your partner Cu. And if you see fit to head out before I get there, just leave a note with EMIYA, Medea, or somebody at the front desk." Ritsuka removed his hand from his temple and sighed.

Mash rolled her shoulder and hummed. "Good to go, Senpais." She smiled and nodded at Irisviel. Her eyes flicked to Ritsuka. "Your orders still stand?"

A hum escaped his lips. "So long as you are in top condition?" He raised a brow to the dress of heaven.

"I've given the green light to the master." Irisviel bowed.

Good.

Mash nodded and looked to Atalante. "How much longer?"

The green huntress shrugged, "Should be coming around the corner any minute now." She aimed her bow up, eyes narrowing as the mana pulsed, her next barrage at the ready. "They'll be needing some medical attention too once you bring them in. Some of the bigger urchins are harassing them." She glanced over her shoulder. "I also don't see Tristan."

Mash's lip twitched.

"Damn," Gudako muttered. "Go Mash, coordinate with the others."

The shielder nodded and jumped down from the roof heading towards Fran and Moriarty.

Ushiwakmaru and Ibaraki in the meantime had been standing over the disappearing shadow. They both looked to the roof and started heading back.

It was only then that Rituska had a sudden thought. "A, you said the urchins were bigger than normal?"

She hummed, "Yes if I'm comparing them to the ones that I've mostly been tasked to shoot thus far."

He was quiet for a moment.

Gudako noticed, "Something you remembered?"

Ritsuka strained a little, his brows furrowing. An image came to his head, almost fuzzy but filled with uncertainty. "Something like that." His lips twisted a little. "Achilles be on standby to help with the others."

The rider gave him a salute crouching at the edge of the roof at the ready. Spear still resting over his shoulders, his hands tapping along the pole arm with anticipation.

"Go on?" Gudako said.

He half shook his head, "Something that Jalter said to me about Gilles's monsters."

###Jeanne Alter###

"They're poison." She whispered to them. She was crouched on a knee behind the large tree. The dirt was cooler than the warm summer air around them. She pointed at the Urchin up ahead in the dirt path through some of the foliage. This one was three times the size of its normal compatriots, and its barnacle-like arms seemed more uniform and sharpened. Mass of tentacles and muscles with the circular mouth of sharpened teeth. There was an ooze coming off it that Jeanne Alter was pointing to.

"Hell," Edmond commented.

Robin's nose wrinkled, "Yeah, I can see the poison. But it's strange…" He tilted his head a little. "It's not the kind I think that would kill us though..."

"Gilles was always better at disguising it." Alter pointed out with a huff. "But you're right, that poison is not meant to kill us. The only purpose of it is to amplify the pain center of your brain to a sharp decree." Her lips twisted a little. "Avoid its teeth, take a bite from it and you'll have only five minutes before it hits. Even more, if you're fighting and forced to move around."

"How bad is the pain?" Edmond asked, reading some mana to take the beast out quickly.

Jeanne Alter frowned and tried to think of the best way to describe that sort of pain. "It feels like everything underneath the skin is on fire." Her lips twisted. "Even walking will be difficult, and laying down will cause you pain as something is pressing up against your skin." She leaned back behind the tree. "I've never tried it before, but I've personally theorized that the best way to deal with it until the poison's finished running its course is one of those cold liquid suspension chambers."

Edmond hummed. "I see, so the best way to kill it is to do it quickly."

And avoid its teeth.

Her lips twisted a little. "They're usually in packs when they are summoned." her eyes flicked to the dead crab underneath the tentacle mass, the shell cracked and broken beneath the weight of the blow. She knew the others of its pack were still out there, she just wasn't sure as to where. Out of reflex, she glanced over her shoulder. Alter's lips twisted a little, "Robin should be the one to kill it and see if it lures the others out." They both turned to the green archer.

Robin rubbed his chin examining the creature for a moment longer. "Alright," He agreed and thumbed the string of his wrist bow. His lip twisted, "Ed, wait to swoop in for when the others gather. If they do." He tilted his head, "On second thought, wait until they rush us, I might have more than one opportunity."

"I'll do my best,"

The archer took aim, and in quick succession, three blue arrows shot through the trees, each one of them angling sharply and distinctly. The air contorted around the darts as they fueled with mana in the air.

The first thunked into the upper mass of the sea monster and it writhed all at once unnaturally, raising its tentacles in alarm. The second cut through the mass of tentacles forming as it tried to protect itself.

The third struck deep enough to kill it.

The mass of thick tentacles fell over, splattering across the forest floor beside the crab familiar that it had only just been crushing beneath its mass. It writhed more and as unnatural twitches took hold and it undulated, rolling on the ground.

Jeanne Alter's lip twitched, and she slowly drew a second sword from one of the sheaths strapped behind her back.

As she'd promised, three more were quick to appear, one of them almost from thin air. Another however burst from one of the fresh crab corpses. Another from the bark of a tree the leaves and branches cracking and snapping as it landed with a thunk onto the forest floor.

Edmond hummed, and he looked at her.

Then they both looked at Robin.

He winked at them, "Wait for them to get closer." Robin likewise was patient before firing his next barrage of arrows. He only tugged back on the string when three sea monsters were above the freshly made corpse.

It was then, he fired at the largest mass of the three. A fourth arrow this time to follow after this time, aimed at another. Even as the largest one was ripped apart from the arrows, the last two turned and sprinted toward them at full blinding speed.

Edmond jumped out first to the front fists alight with blue fire as slammed into the first one, the magic fire evidently powerful enough to nearly immolate the beast on contact. Jeanne Alter suspected that their insides were flammable by design.

The injured one had been left for her. She dodged the first attack, mostly, dragging her second sword down the length of its tentacle mass.

As the creature adjusted to turn toward her, she was already beside it, slicing it in two with her main sword. And not willing to risk any last-ditch attempts while dying to attack her. She slammed her heeled sandal into its center and kicked it away.

The body fell into three pieces as it rolled and fell away crashing into trees.

She huffed and straightened up, flicking both swords free of the oozing ugly color of their abnormal blood. She swore she could hear it sizzling on the ground from their remains, and her expression slowly became a scowl.

"Good call," Edmond said to her. The creature is burning and writhing. Edmond looked down and saw the unnatural color of their blood on his hands, and turned to wipe them along a tree. "Any wounds?"

Alter shook her head.

Robin came out from the back an arrow still nocked in his wrist bow. "I think that was the whole pack. I'm not hearing or seeing anything."

"Hopefully," Alter added. "There'll be more monsters as we get closer to the volcano top." Her eyes narrowed a bit. "At this rate anyway…" She angled her hip to sheath her second sword again now that it was no longer needed.

Whatever the hell this is about.

Edmond hummed and straightened the brim of his hat. "Then I suggest we keep moving. The last thing we need is to linger out here longer than we should without support." He rolled his shoulders and took the lead again.

"Good call," Robin repeated to her. "Keep us informed of any others we might see or come across." He hesitated for only a second. "You said that there were a variety of different kinds right?"

She nodded once. "Yes…some from the book, others he created in experiments…and added in notes." With her remaining sword, she did a simple flourish and set off after Edmond. Her eyes flicked back to only ensure Robin was close at hand behind. She forced herself to breathe out slowly.

Her free hand balled into a tight fist, hoping that she was the only one who noticed the fact that it was trembling.

Upwards the volcanic mountainside they went, the first major obstacle of two. The second one seemed a series of hills between them and their destination. They move faster, Robin's arrows picking off any familiars taking a particular interest.

With gritted teeth Jeanne Alter caught one of the grabs with her hand and slammed it hard enough against the wood of the tree to knock it off its trunk, the familiar crunching into a smear of blood as she barely broke stride. Ducking as one of Robin's arrows flew overhead slamming into one of the creatures near Edmond.

Alter huffed again and sliced clean through the crab shell of another applying a mana pulse to her limbs as she shot forward toward Edmon's back, spinning as she neared him, almost slamming into his back as she turned to deal with the two coming at him from behind.

The forest and its wildlife had been disturbed. The singularity they were stuck in was merely reacting to their presence.

Onwards for the crest, they ran skirmishing and fighting as they went. It was in sight now, she could see it. Their first destination within easy sight.

Edmond got their first, burning out the underside of the massed tentacle sea monster as they fell down to half-size still writhing. Ed then swatted it with a backhanded slap sending it tumbling down toward them.

Alter cut it in half.

Robin simply avoided it.

Almost…

She glanced down at her hand and watched her fingers twitching. She cursed at herself. The mana store was starting to slip once again. Her lips twitched.

The forest is taking its toll.

A bead of sweat slipped down her temple as she looked over her shoulder at the bodies they'd left in their wake. Then she jogged the last few steps to be at Edmond's side and grimaced at the march they still had ahead.

Dark clouds had started to form over the volcano, small with no sign of a larger storm. The path marked into the landscape with trees knocked asunder. The ground was imprinted under the weight of something fierce and disturbed.

Alter's fingers twitched.

Edmond pointed at those dark clouds as Robin joined them on the other side of Jeanne. "Those are new. Storm clouds?" He looked to the green archer.

He hummed, "Possibly. Something unnatural is going on there." His mouth started to twist as his eyes followed the landscape that separated them from the volcano ahead. Following the same path as her own did. Perhaps the same as Edmond's had before her. The trees knocked asunder marking a path.

Robin grimaced and looked behind him. "I can cover you from here." He blew out a breath and adjusted his green cloak taking a stance. He nocked an arrow into his bow and it came alright. "Should I alert our masters that we are here?"

Edmond waved it off and touched his temple. "Hon? Can you hear me? We're at the crest of the first mountain. We see the path to the volcano over the hills. Clearly marked…" His lips twisted as he looked down at the footsteps marring the dirt path before them. "And clearly used."

Jeanne Alter took a deep breath and wiped the bead of sweat away from her forehead. She could feel the makings of a headache start to form and she pressed her palm into her forehead. Her lips twisted, her frown starting to deepen. At last, she looked at Edmond pointedly waiting for him to stop listening to whatever his master was saying.

He clearly picked up on her intent and raised a brow at her, inviting.

She looked ashamed as she looked down. "Tell Ritsuka that I don't think I'll be able to make the journey back." Her fingers twitched, and she kept her free hand stiff at her side as best as she could manage.

Evidently, it was not enough explanation and Edmond's eyes flicked to her hand's twitching movement at her side. His eyes were harsh, but not cold. He knew as well from the beginning, the risk that they'd taken. Then his expression softened. "Understood," He said not speaking to her, but Gudako at the other end. "One more thing hon, Jeanne Alter says she won't be able to make the journey back."

She glanced at Robin.

The archer only smiled at her, "You've been invaluable either way Alter."

It was kind of him she knew, she only wished that it was enough for her. Her lips twisted and her brow contorted and she dug her palm into her forehead.

Edmond hummed, "Alter, can you still go on?"

She huffed, "For now." She pointed to the volcano's peak. "I can make it there in any case. I'll need a command seal though in order to make it back." Alter bit down on her lips. "I…don't think…there is much fight left in me…movement however, I think I should be able to keep…I can keep up until we get there." Alter hoped she sounded certain enough.

Edmond nodded at her and relayed the gist of what she'd said.

Now she waited and tried not to think about it. She could picture his face contorted with worry in a way that made her heart beat faster, and blood rush to her cheeks. It was the only half-positive that she could think of. That worry on his face.

Robin shifted and looked at the forest behind them, green cloak flowing in the wind. He grabbed the collar around his neck and pulled it down to straighten it out. "I can stay and provide overwatch to make sure that you get there."

Jeanne stared at him. "No, when I'm gone you and Edmond will need to be together." Her lips twisted. "There is no one to watch your back for you archer, and these things are dangerous enough to kill servants."

He shook his head, "I'll just be here when it resets. You can fill me in. The important thing is that we get eyes on the problem." He seemed to chuckle at her expression. "What's with that look, Alter? We have a job to do as servants first, remember?"

Her glare had sharpened. "Idiot, what I'm saying is Edmond will need you once I'm gone!" She put her hand on her chest. "If the two of you are separated then your chances will be lower! I can't let you stay because you have to be there to help each other get back." Even as she spoke she could picture those piercing golden eyes from Gudako.

She didn't want to imagine getting on her bad side, nor how Ritsuka would react to such information of Edmond having been put in danger. Even if it was true that they would be back, it was the others who would be affected by it.

Alter thought of Ibaraki too at the thought of Robin staying behind. That girl was unpredictable without him around.

Robin seemed to take in a breath to shoot her back down.

"Quiet!" Edmond said, clearly reaching his limit with the two of them bickering while he was trying to talk to his master.

Alter turned to glare at him but said nothing.

He glared right back at her. Then his eyes softened as he looked away from her. "Understood ma'am. Watch yourself out there dear." Then he removed his hand from his temple and hissed out a breath. "Fuck,"

Robin sighed, "That's the sound of ever-present good news."

Edmond shook his head. "Ritsuka will bring you back Alter when you're ready." His eyes narrowed toward her, "Now are you certain you can make it crest?"

She firmed her lips and her eyes sharpened. "Yes, I can." Jeanne Alter took a breath and relaxed her shaking muscles as best as she could. "I can keep up, and I can still fight. I just need to limit myself even more."

Long enough.

Edmond nodded to himself once. "We'll take it a bit slower." He made a noise as she clicked his teeth together. He stepped off the crest and downward toward the next trail to take them to the mountain peak. Then he looked back. "You've been invaluable thus far Alter. I'll have you with us as long as you can manage."

She blew out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Her amber eyes seemed to be downcast at that. Though a small smile managed to form."Heh, at least I'm useful for something, right?"

Robin smacked her on the back of her head.

"Ow!" Alter rubbed the back of her head and grit her teeth.

The green archer continued hand on his hip. "Sheesh, if I live through the day I need to ask my master to kiss that nonsense out of you."

Her lips parted but no words came out as a blush rushed back to her cheeks.

Bastard.

Edmond snorted. "Careful Robin, she is the only one of us that advocated for your safety." He huffed, "I'd hate for that to flip suddenly."

The archer still smiled, "Oh I know."

Jeanne Alter huffed and strutted on ahead a few paces. "At this point, I'll end up killing both of you myself." Her lips twisted. "Come on, we need to get moving, daylight is wasting, and our masters are trying to save a city." Her amber eyes flicked over her shoulder. "And I'd rather we be back by dinner time so that we're all together when the loop resets."

The summer avenger smirked slamming his fists together. He gave a nod at Robin and slid down ahead of Alter to take the lead. Not at a servant's speed but rather a brisk sprint. "As you say, onwards we go."

Robin thumbed the string on his bow and nodded watching the two of them take the lead for a second. "Right, onward we go." He had an amused look on his face that Alter could spot as he took up his usual spot behind them.

She huffed and looked away hoping her cheeks weren't still red. Robin could be annoying and pestering sometimes. But that was no reason for her to want him to throw his life away. It's not like it was a big deal or anything anyhow. It was a practical choice to keep Robin with them. Her lips twisted into a frown.

Would I have made that choice before?

She frowned and her brows furrowed, at last, she shook her head free of those cascading thoughts. Alter knew she needed to focus and that there were still dangers. Her eyes flicked to the forests and trees on either side of them.

With no immediate sign of attack, the three of them followed the trail, dipping downwards as the first mountainous hill receded upwards behind them. Ahead of them, the dip would come to an end at about ten minutes at this normal jogging pace they were keeping. From there, their ascent up the mountainside would continue once again.

###Ritsuka Fujimaru###

Ritsuka rubbed his hands over one another. He caught himself mid-gesture and frowned a little at it. He looked at the two command seals remaining on the back of his hand. "At least she's being honest with me." His mutterings were quiet, as he kept them to himself. At last, he looked up from his hands to the knights of the round table and the servants they'd rescued.

Anne Bonny and Mary Reed were down for the count. They hadn't disappeared, but they'd been wounded enough to be put out of action. Francis Drake, who was also present at the market was wounded too. But she was the one who remained up and about. If it hadn't been for her, all of them would've been lost by the time the round table had gotten there.

Of the knights, only Tristan was wounded mortally. Ritsuka knew instantly from the moment his eyes were on him, that he didn't have long.

"I don't think it's a good idea brother."

"I know," He agreed. "Mash can reach me though at your behest." Ritsuka straightened up a little and stood up to join her.

Gudako had a grimace on her expression, lips a bit puckered briefly as the range of emotions went through her. "Splitting up isn't a good idea."

He nodded once, "Once more, I agree. Had the fog still been in place I would have stayed here at the convention center." Ritsuka nodded toward her mystic code. "But I was here first to deliver that. And make sure that we had a full grasp of the situation. It would've been a waste to talk to you through one of our servants."

Now that the fog is gone, it would be prudent to have a master in both places.

Ritsuka sighed. "Besides, I think you can handle things on this front. The hotel will need one of us. Especially if we are going to coordinate as best as we can."

Gudako had her hands behind her back and the pair of them paced towards the knights of the round table. Tristan was being treated by Irisviel, who was doing their best to counteract the poisons that had entered the servant.

He'd made it this far.

She hummed and shook her head a bit. "I suppose," She agreed, brow furrowing. "I'll try to manage my part of the city, and you manage your own." Gudako touched her chin and started to think.

He could tell though, that she was searching for a way to stop him from going. Ritsuka could hardly begrudge her that. During times of crisis, the two of them were often better working as a team. Something that had been honed into him since days long before the clock tower. He folded his arms but risked a smile, "Try not to screw it up."

"Ass." She sighed, "Speaking of our grand strategy…if something goes wrong?"

"We evacuate." he nodded to Francis Drake. "We also have Blackbeard. Two ships we can use. Not sure if Anne Bonny and Mary Reed can summon theirs anymore." He touched his chin a little. "The airport is where we normally have our resets…but I think the harbor and piers might be the best places for an evacuation."

"Going out to sea will only be temporary." She pointed, "But I suppose when nighttime comes this city will be crawling with monsters in enough force to destroy us…and that's if we don't reset at sundown like normal." Her lips twisted a little. "We just have to make it to the turn of the loop."

Ritsuka nodded, "To the turn of the loop." His lip twisted and he glanced at the back of his hand at those two red marks remaining once more.

Gudako shifted to face him a little. "I'll have the bigger ships to carry us, meaning we'll offload at the pier and head to the harbor for you since that's closer." Her lips twisted a little. "The Convention Center is a bit closer to the mountain anyway…we'll be the first to get in trouble anyhow."

Ritsuka nodded once agreed. Then he hesitated. "I'll need Artoria Alter for the ride back…it would also be prudent if I get someone else…Achilles or Iskander maybe."

"Iskander it is. The Chariot will be able to keep up with the motorcycle." Gudako glanced over at Achilles chatting up Atalante. "I think Achilles might be better used here. He can cover the archers up here by himself practically.

He is more than enough for that job I suppose.

He nodded, accepting the reasoning. A beat of quiet passed between them and his lips started to twist. "If anything happens, you'll tell me so I can get her out of there…please."

Gudako nodded at him once. "I'll tell you first before I pull Robin and Edmond back." She smiled and grabbed his shoulder. "Don't worry…she's in good hands." Her head tilted from side to side. "Best that we can manage with the only hands we've got."

He blew out a breath and nodded once. "I'll let you know when I've made it to the hotel, keep Mash close at hand."

"Understood." She nodded, "Stay safe."

"I'll certainly give it my damnedest." Ritsuka made himself chuckle and smile. "Don't kill all the beasts until we've gotten our fair share too alright?"

"No promises little brother." She dusted off her shoulder with a smirk and walked away. Leaving Ritsuka at last by himself with his thoughts.

He ran a hand through his hair and decided first he should find Iskander, who was about to be somewhere around the first floor. Their bond as master and servant wasn't the best, but the young king was loyal if not determined in battle. It took him a few seconds to try their bond before he finally landed on him.

"Master?"

"I need to borrow you. Can you meet me at the front of the Convention Center in five minutes?" He glanced towards the front doors.

"Aye, hold on, I'll turn my duties over." Iskander, or young Alexander as they'd taken to calling him paled in comparison to the other form that his professor lord Elmelloi had once described. This one apparently was more accurate to the historical books than whichever one his professor had summoned during his grail war.

The connection was short and strained, as Ritsuka noticed it always was when it was a servant he rarely had the time to interact with. He blew out a breath and headed for the front door passing through Fran and Ibaraki.

Artoria Alter had her arms folded leaning up against a stone pillar as if she'd been waiting for him to come out the whole time. There was blood that stained her boot and her brows narrowed as she peered out into the buildings and city streets as if waiting for the next wave of their enemies to slink out of the concrete work.

Her bike was right beside her, sitting for the moment unused.

She blinked and saw his approach. "Master," She greeted.

Ritsuka blew out a breath, "I can use your help again."

Her eyes hardened, and he imagined that her feelings on the matter of Emiya Alter dying hadn't suddenly vanished in the couple hours since. She was clearly frustrated by it, "I am listening." She offered.

The afternoon was starting to turn late and he imagined it would be evening before long.

He nodded, "I need to go back to the hotel…" Ritsuka didn't know what to do with his hands as he tried to stick them in his pocket and found that to be more awkward. Instead, he steeled his resolve. "I need an escort and there are few I trust."

She hummed and tilted her head. "I'm your servant master, order me as you wish." Her words were clipped and filled with a harshness he hadn't been on the receiving end of in a long while.

Ritsuka nodded once more taking that in stride. He was his master too. Therefore he shared the responsibility regardless of all that had happened. His loss was on his shoulders even if the loop was going to reset at the end of the day. "I'm asking Cuchulainn to find someone else to go after Medb. If we get there, you can join him before he sets off to try and find her."

Now that did grab her attention, she straightened up and her amber eyes were plastered onto him in an instant. She tried not to show the excitement in features but her fingers twitched at her side, the same one that often would summon the sword into her hands for combat. "You'd allow me that?"

He smiled, "Of course. You were the first person I thought of when it came to trying to put a group of servants together to hunt Medb." Ritsuka shook his head. "But that part can come later, right now I need your help to get back." He glanced at her bike. "They'll probably be trouble along the way."

"Trouble I can handle." Artoria Alter's lips twisted a little, "But I'll be limited on what I can do if I'm driving, fighting, and protecting you."

"Alexander will join us. The two of you should be more than equal to the task of getting back." His eyes narrowed a little, "There is no fog cover for them to sneak up on us this time."

She nodded, "For the moment."

For the moment. And with a bit of luck, I can find others at the hotel.

In his head, he would better assign protection duties like he and his sister had for the Convention Center, turning it into a temporary safe haven as they tried to last until the reset of sundown.

As well, the more protection Medea has, the better.

"I see," Artoria said, looking off to the side. "Understood master, when do you wish to depart?"

"A few more minutes." He glanced off to the side and saw Ushiwakamaru and Ibaraki coming outside to chat with him. Then he tilted his head toward them. I need to wrap up a few more things while I'm here." Ritsuka offered her a smile.

While Artoria Alter didn't smile, he could see her fight the instincts of one. That was more than enough for him to declare his small victory. To know that somewhere in there he was still helping her out. Even if it was his choice that had gotten her Emiya killed.

His face fell a little.

Her face returned to something a bit more neutral, "Master?"

Ritsuka nodded once and met her eye. "Rider, if the worst should happen and you are put in a position of not…being able to help me. I need you to go to the Hotel. Find Medusa, and EMIYA before you set off with Cu." He folded his hands.

"Don't say such things, master." She shook her head. "It's bad luck. And that lady of yours will burn the whole world if she can't find you." Artoria stuck a hand in her pocket and the wind blew through her bright yellow ashen hair. "Besides I doubt that-"

"Rider," Ritsuka stepped in close. "Promise me you'll find them and tell them."

She stooped and her amber eyes grew wide. "Master?" Artoria Alter wasn't quite stunned, but the words never quite came in the way she wanted. "What is it? What do you suspect?"

"A trap." He said simply. "I don't know the form it will take…I don't know how bad it will get…" His lips started to twist and he looked up at the sun starting to arch further downward. "We have until the evening I think before whatever's out there springs the trap. As dark gets closer, the monsters will grow more active."

She hummed. "I see, but that's still hours away."

He shrugged, "But opportunists rarely miss their chance." His fingers shook and he could feel his heart start to dance. Pounding in his chest and his eyes went wide. It was too easy for him to imagine Jeanne or Gudako in Emiya Alter's place. It might've nearly been either him or her if things hadn't gone their way.

He balled his fingers into a fist and hoped that it was enough to stifle the tremors that he could feel.

Fear can be useful.

Artoria Alter was awkward. "What should I tell them?" Something in her voice clued him in that she wasn't talking about the servants.

"Something they already know…" He trailed off, realizing that the servant could probably detect him wanting to say the usual array of cliches. "As for EMIYA and Medusa…they have my full permission to act as they see fit. I suspect EMIYA's already put something of a plan together. If you don't go with Cu, go with them." He grimaced a little. "They'll probably need all the help they can get."

"Understood…master." She trailed off.

It was then that Ushiwakamaru entered the conversation, coming forward and wrapping an arm around Ritsuka. "Here you're off to the hotel big dummy." She looked at him pointedly. "Ibaraki and I would like to volunteer."

His eyes narrowed. "For?"

"To get you back to the hotel." Ushi bounced a couple of times. "I mean, Iskander has room on that esteemed chariot of his for Banana Oni.

"Ugh," Ibaraki wrinkled her nose. Evidently, she disliked the nonchalant use of that nickname diminishing her demonic status.

"As for me…I can keep up." Ushi smiled, confident as she always was. "I'm a rider first remember, I didn't suddenly lose that when my class switched to assassin for the summer festival."

Ritsuka raised a brow at Artoria Alter, knowing playing well with others wasn't know the be her strongest suit. Iskander was probably already pushing it.

But she'll get a chance at going after Medb.

The Alter servant met his glance and nodded firmly. He suspected it also had to do with the unsavory topic they'd concluded with. "Fine with me, we can use all the help we can get." Artoria Alter moved to her back and mounted along the back of it. "I'll do one more round about the Convention Center."

"Right," Ritsuka said and his fear was gone. He turned to Ushiawakamaru, a servant who had been his hero many times in recent months. And now she was there to back him up once more. "Thanks, Ushi,"

"Of course master, we are here to serve." She grinned at him, "I'll tell your sister we're tagging along." She bounced on her sandal boots again. A small smile touched her lips, "I think it might set her worries at ease."

Ritsuka nodded. "That, they might."

###

Gudako was busy directing Atalante to aim at a different part of the city when she'd been given the news by Mash that Ritsuka had added others to his small journey back to the hotel. She leaned over the roof of the building to see him standing in the middle of the road. From where he was standing, he could see some of that relief palpable on her features. She waved at him and quietly wished him luck.

Ritsuka took a breath and waved back.

"Are you ready master?" Artoria Alter spoke up.

The engine of the motorcycle hummed behind him and he tucked the helmet under his arm, ready for use. "Ready," He strapped it on over his head and got onto the bike behind her. He looked over at Ushi who was still on her feet.

And then Iskander in his chariot with Ibaraki beside him.

He cleared his throat. "Stay close, monsters will attack us as we move out. They're attracted to negative energy in general. And as for us, we act like beacons anyway given you're servants and I'm a master."

With that, he straightened up, "Worse yet, I have reason to believe either Jalter or I am being hunted. So keep an eye out for shadow servants." He grabbed Artoria Alter's shoulder and made a silent request for her that he was going to add more. "Alexander, you lead. Ushi, you follow. Ibaraki, you are free to act as you see fit, just stay close."

They all nodded.

"I know the master," Artoria said quietly. "If she comes out I'll get you to the hotel first."

He nodded at that. Then he looked to Iskander and gestured.

The young Alexander grinned and he snapped the reins of his Gordius wheel and thus set off down the street, his chariot sparking as he went.

Artoria revved the engine, and they tore off after in hot pursuit. Ritsuka had nearly stumbled back as the speed of the bike picked up quickly. Over the wind in his helmet, he swore he could hear the alter servant snicker.

Are all of them so reckless?

They wound toward the road quickly where Medb had gotten her last attack in against them earlier, winding back down the ramp onto the lower city street.

Ritsuka looked back only to make sure Ushi was keeping pace. He smiled as he saw the wind breaking around her, one of her skills he assumed. Her sandal boots sparked across the ground as she picked up the pace, leaping off the ground into the air in long jumps from one place to the next. With a thrust of her fan, she was just behind them again.

And for a few seconds, she was close enough to give him a sharp grin.

Confident now in her pace, Ritsuka turned forward, just in time to see a crab getting skewered by Ibaraki's spear. The oni tossed the lumbering carcass off the side opposite to where she'd been standing.

The Gordius wheel rammed through others, splattering blood across the pavement as they went along.

Ritsuka felt himself tense up, eyes sweeping the road from one side to the other. And he could see them coming. Those barnacle-covered walking tentacle masses, and those crabs slaughtering each other in the road and along the buildings. The fog as he suspected had hid the worst of it. He could see the carnage now for what it really was.

Death littered the sides of buildings and cars. The sidewalk normally filled to the brim with tourists was emptied. Only body parts remained torn sinews connecting them bone and muscle fragments splayed along the side of the road.

He swallowed hard.

It was a level of carnage he'd not seen in what had felt like a long while. The disparity of what had caused the destruction around them.

Ritsuka almost shuddered.

"Hang tight," Artoria Alter commanded.

It was instinct as he wrapped his arms around her quickly as the bike bobbed to the right of the road, as Ushi stepped into the space that they had just been occupying. Cutting through several attackers.

Artoria with her free hand, snatched up her transitioned gun form of Excalibur Morgan. The water blasts that shot out from it were so pressurized that they might have been misconstrued as bullets. He'd seen it rip up stone before and his eyes widened, as half of the nearest tentacle mass was obliterated in an instant splaying out behind the spray of water.

Ahead Ibaraki was hanging off the chariot now, her eyes wide with a sharp grin as the chariot swerved to avoid a destroyed wreck of a car. With a one-armed spin of her spear, she took a few more of the vile creatures down. Then she hauled herself back up and moved to Alexander's other side.

The young conqueror had his sword drawn but hadn't yet found the use of it. With the reins, he turned them back toward the center of the road. Artoria followed just behind them staying with them.

Ushi skidded next to the motorcycle and sliced another crab coming through the line.

Ritsuka for a moment almost dared to believe that this return journey might be easier than the one crossing over as he simply had more servants at his disposal. That feeling however was instantly wiped away as something sharp and cold reached up his spine.

Artoria Alter must've felt the tension and peered back at him.

It was just over to their left that Ritsuka could see it enveloping buildings at near-blinding speed. Completely unlike what had happened earlier. Like a wave washing over them growing closer and closer.

Fog raced past the buildings at a speed faster than theirs. Perceivable only due to the fact it hadn't blanketed them in an instant. But eventually, it crashed over them like a wave too, the air thick with fog.

His heart started to pick up its pace and her could feel that cold sharp growing like ice along his back. "Trouble," He whispered quietly more so to himself. In a matter of seconds, it had raced past to cover the chariot ahead of them. Ibaraki's expression was one of worry as she looked back at them.

Alexander had been distracted just long enough for his chariot to crash into the debris of a giant truck. He hissed as he swerved the chariot back under his control, skidding them to a stop. He held up his hand, closing his fist.

Artoria Alter slowed up behind them, sticking her legs out to keep them upright. It allowed Ushi a few seconds to catch up.

The latter heaved out a breath. "Sheesh, this is much harder without my rider class spirit origin." She grinned, "I think I'll need to try and recoup some mana when I get back to the hotel." With a quick flourish, she dispelled the blood from her sword.

"Sorry, everyone. Just reorienting myself." The young conqueror grinned in a way to try and diffuse the tension. It was obvious he was only partially successful. "Master?" Alexander asked.

Ritsuka inhaled the air and nodded to himself. Trusting that even now, Mash's poison resistance would help him if it turned out to be anything else. He was too focused to fully digest Alexander's light-hearted comment. "Not steam, Morairty was right about earlier." He shifted. "I don't think we should stay here."

"Agreed." Alexander said, "He turned the Chariot around a little angling it back down the road toward the hotel. "Though I feel it would be prudent to point out that the Convention Center is still closer."

He nodded once considering it.

"It isn't a dampening noise either," Ibaraki added. Now that they were all aware, they continued to share some minor observations of the world around them. "The fog I mean. I can hear the monsters out there beyond our visual range.

Ushiwakamaru nodded and huffed out a breath. "Means whatever is out here is going to have quite a hard time trying to sneak up on us at any rate." She hummed and tapped her fans against her thigh.

All the while Artoria Alter was quiet, her fingers danced along her motorcycle's handlebars as she scanned the fog around them, looking for signs of trouble. She didn't have anything to add in the way of observations like the others. After a moment she only added on what she considered to be the most important sentiment already expressed. "I concur we can't stay here. Master, we should make for the hotel or back to the convention center."

Ritsuka nodded.

Still the plan. I hope.

He let his fingers shake for a moment letting that fear wash over him with a cold fright of a shiver. And then he breathed out.

We've come this far right?

And just like that the fear had subsided enough for him to get a clear enough head to make a decision. He found that had always been the hardest trick to learn since he and Gudako had joined Chaldea. Allowing the fear to pass through them so that they could focus. "Okay, okay. Hotel it is." He nodded to Alexander. "Stay in tighter formation, and slow it down a little more to keep Ushi close at hand."

The summer assassin nodded. "Though if the trouble becomes too much, I suggest you all pick it up even more. I'll make my own way, and failing that. I don't want to be the cause of us losing our most valuable piece." She gestured to Ritsuka.

His lip twitched, "Let's get going."

"Aye, I can hear more of those tentacle Urchins coming our way." He shifted his head toward the beach, and there were several more of them coming out of the house. He flourished his short sword and nodded to Ibaraki. "I'll put'em on your left."

Then they sped off quickly along the ground, the Gordius wheel sparking across the street as they went along. Ibaraki had taken Alexander's suggestion and switched sides.

Ushi glanced at Artoria and himself adjusting himself once more on the bike of their back to get going.

With a huff Artoria set off just behind them, the bike churning and gaining speed behind the Gordius wheel. Up ahead they could see Ibaraki starting to take swings at some of the familiars coming for him.

It was then however his hair stood up on the back of his neck like it had that morning. His instinct was to look directly behind them again. His eyes scanning the fog for any sign of that damned carriage.

Only something strange seemed to happen. The fog had vanished, and there was a brief few seconds of daylight around them. Just before it all started to fill in again. Ritsuka's brows furrowed as he smelled the air again.

This time, it was the steam. The faint smell of burning coal and sulfur filled the air as he could ascribe it to Babbage. He made eye contact with Ushi behind him, and he could see that she detected the change too.

What the hell is going on?

It was then two things happened, he saw not the outline of a carriage that was the hallmark of Medb's transportation, he saw a silhouette of a horse…with a shape on its back. His brows knitted together in confusion.

Not Medb.

The second thing he noticed was the horse's glowing red eyes looking right at him.

His heart started to quicken its pace. "Alter!" He shouted over the wind. Her head whipped around to see the silhouette too as it started to gain speed ahead of them.

Something was still off about the shape on the horse's back. Like it was incomplete somehow…his eyes shifted back and forth to try and follow it. But it was like the mist from the morning. All the city sounds had faded away beyond their visibility.

His eyes flicked as Ushi was catching up, using her fans to dash forward with a spiral of wind now reappearing beside them. With a huff, she shouted. "What the hell is that? It looks like some shadow servant?!"

"Medb's new toy perhaps?" Artoria looked over her shoulder at Ritsuka.

Their master desperately tried to wrack his brain and even as he felt as if he was close to an answer. It all seemed to slip away in an instant however as the far more pressing concern took hold.

It then appeared in its full glory, no longer a silhouette, armor blackened with the glinting steel of a brandished longsword. The horse surged forth and slammed into the side of the Gordius wheel knocking the chariot into a spin. Alexander gripped the reins with a shout as he fought to get control back.

Ibaraki meanwhile had flipped into the air, bringing the front of her spear downward, clashing off its sword.

But Ritsuka's eyes fixated on the beast as he could make out the details of the odd shape on its back. All at once he understood why. It was headless and its sword serrated meant for gruesome maiming. The eyes of the horse however seemed to fixate once more on him as it shrugged Ibaraki's attack off with a crack rippling through the air.

And they were heading right for it.

Artoria was smart and swerved as far as she could away without losing her momentum and speed. She leaned the bike as low as he could manage without tipping them onto the side, to the right. Her hand wrapped around his leaning them forward and to the side as the horse's hooves that had meant to kick them went right over his head.

He bit down on his tongue, eyes wide.

Oh shit.

When they were straightening out, it was on them almost in an instant. He could feel Artoria Alter tense with surprise at its speed. Nearly that of a full-blown rider of its own class.

Thankfully, however, Alexander brought the wheel around in time enough to go on the attack and a few bolts of lightning seemed to ignite off the chariot. Slamming the monstrous thing off course just enough that their sword missed the bike.

Ritsuka took a breath and eyed it, wracking his brain as much as he could for details about the sort of servant it was. He was familiar with history and legends of course. He'd started to do a lot of reading when he and Gudako first got assigned to Chaldea. Until finally he settled upon the most likely answer.

A headless horseman attacking in place of their Celtic queen.

He shouted it hoping the others might hear even if they already knew, or were still searching for the answers like himself. "It's the Dullahan!" He took a breath and looked ahead of them only for a second. The smell of sulfur seemingly much stronger. With the summer heat now trapped under the fog layer, he could feel the sweat gathering on his brow.

Another quick glance back, and he saw those glowing eyes of the horse still directly on him.

It's here for me.

He felt his prana surge up his arm as he aimed a bit wildly as the beast threw a car toward them. Artoria swerved out of the way. And his shot went wide. But it thundered off in pursuit of them in quick order.

Ushi took a swing at them only she shrugged off the attack and her momentum carrying her toward the beach. And while she skidded to a stop in the sand, he could see her start picking up speed again. Her momentum had been lost.

And she disappeared into the fog out of sight.

He pushed it from his mind, knowing she was fast enough to get back…she knew very well where they were headed.

Ibaraki and Alexander however were in hot pursuit of the Dullahan the former readying her spearheading to the side of the chariot to lash out at the creature. A servant seemingly coated with black fog like a shadow.

Only as they clashed again behind them did Ritsuka truly appreciate the size of the beast. The horse seemed twice the size of any he'd seen by any servant. He guessed that it was because the headless knight was affixed to it. The monstrousness aspect of it had taken over the legend.

He didn't want to stick around to find out all it could do.

But what happened next, he wasn't quite sure.

There was a large crash behind them, the second he turned away. Ibaraki was nowhere to be seen, and Alexander had shoved his gladius into the side of the beast. Ritsuka almost smiled at the hit.

Only it was then The Dullahan changed up its tactics and slammed its sword into the wheel of the chariot and the noble flashed bright. Alexander might've gotten the first hit in, but the Dullahan grounded the Gordius wheel as it shattered and the seat of it was sent up right at an odd angle.

Alexander just desperately tried to hang on to the movement, ripping him and his short sword free as he hung to the edge of the airborne chariot, and pieces flew through the sky.

And to his surprise, the Dullahan threw its long sword right at them. It's immediate threat apparently having been dealt with satisfactorily enough. He barely had time to shout his warning.

Damn it!

Artoria made to dodge, but the sword still snagged her back wheel and they too were sent airborne. Ritsuka curled himself expecting the worst of it, wanting to protect his hands and neck as he would no doubt skid along the ground. He could hear only his heart for the second he was in the air as his body half tensed for the impact.

Artoria Alter's hand grabbed him out of the air and adjusted so she was the one taking them back to the ground, her armored boots skidding as she carried him and her bike flew off wildly and damaged into one of the buildings on the side of the road.

With a huff, the Alter servant eyed him and set him on his feet.

He was still too stunned and wasn't given the time to shake it off.

It bore down on them at full speed unimpressed and unimpeded. Artoria Alter surged forward to meet the beast, at her best speed, and their weapons sparked off one another. The strength of the corrupted king showed as she brought the beast's charge to a halt even as she was flung back again.

Ritsuka half-stepped away to avoid getting hit.

Run.

Instincts screamed at him as he half-turned toward the nearest buildings.

Ushi arrived in the nick of time just as the Dullahan adjusted to go after him. She swung her fans down onto Dullahan's sword as it defended itself. Another resounding crash sounded through the fog-riddled street, the asphalt cracking under the blow the hooves of the Dullahan's horse adjusting and pushing off.

Allowing Ritsuka just the second to get to a full sprint. "MASTER!"

He'd heard the shout glancing over his shoulder at Ushi. She had a look of horror on her expression; it wasn't one he'd quite seen before. The cry of warning that pierced the air seemed obvious to him. Ritsuka took it as a sign to keep moving and as he took his next step. His eyes flicked away.

He tried to pick up his pace, already straining his meager magic circuits with a mana pulse, the lines drawing up his legs, all of it happening in only a matter of seconds.

Ritsuka hadn't even been given the register the new sound barrelling towards him now. The hooves and wheels of a carriage. She didn't even have the seconds to tell him. Nor did he have the time to adjust.

The new sound of beating hooves and wooden carriage wheels drew his eyes and he'd barely turned his head to see the carriage less than a second away from him. Even as the adrenaline rushed through him, and the mana of his legs pushed him off the ground. He knew it was over even before he'd left the ground.

Something cold had gripped his heart as he desperately tried to ignore the resigned feeling that coursed through him. Even as the carriage reached him he felt embraced. He closed his eyes and squeezed them shut as if trying to drown out the noise in focus. "By my command spell, I order y-"

The flood of the mana stopped and froze, like a chokehold as a vice grip of pain shot up through his arm, searing like he'd not felt since he'd been in the hands of Shuten in a singularity. He could remember the way his guts had felt, spilled over him, even as they healed. The panic shot right through to the center of his mind.

Even his scream was muffled as it came out voiceless.

Above it, as the carriage ripped him from the air and the pain drove him right into unconsciousness, the black edges of his vision started to grow over his sight. And like his vision had started to tunnel, he focused singularly and as quickly as he could. But like the command spell earlier…he hadn't the time to finish.

"Damn, I really am such an idiot…"

The battle continued even as another explosion ripped out from somewhere around him, and fading into nothing as he was whisked away into the fog.

###

---

So for all of my Artoria x Emiya Archer shippers out there. Rip. I did the short side story for them and then I did the start of this story to them. Stay with me, I promise I did it for a point lol.

This chapter was a little over a hundred-fifty pages of an update that was about 350 pages long...so...look forward to that lol, as I said it's already written. The goal is now just to edit it after all my December month projects are done. Wish me luck I can get it done with school picking up again in January for me. Wonderful life getting in the way lol.

As for particular story beats I feel the need to talk about...I think it was trying to find a banacing act for the main characters so that none of them overshadow the other, and each conclusion and choice they made was both in character and didn't compromise the plot with a bunch of holes...I'm still not fully sure I've succeeded on that front. But I hope it wokred out well.

On a side note I really love writing Edmond and Gudako's dynamic, and I love Ushi's blatant helpful personality. Emiya as a pov was sort of a surprise for me? I love his character a lot, but I haven't given myself many opportunities to write with him.

My one regret, is not writing an outtake for Atalante reading the Doujinshi that Jalter, Ritsuka and the gang made of her and Achilles...