Chapter 5: No Rest for the Wicked
Kiyohime folded and unfolded her fan repeatedly out of nervous habit as she sat in the Docking Bay. Today, Ritsuka would return from resolving the Chinese Lostbelt, and Kiyohime wanted to personally welcome her husband back home. She was not alone of course; her daughter Jack waited for Ritsuka alongside her, as did her in-laws.
Eventually, a siren sounded to signal the return of Humanity's Last Master. The Nautilus rose out of the water and a bridge extended for its passengers to disembark. Leonardo, Goredolf, Holmes, Mash, Mordred, Nezha, Meuniere, Fou and of course Ritsuka all crossed the bridge onto solid ground. Everyone who departed from the Nautilus had a sombre look on their faces, which Gudako was quick to pick up on.
"Wasn't there another person with them?" Gudako asked as she studied the group further. Kiyohime sighed sadly.
"There must have been a casualty on this mission." Kiyohime deduced. She already knew that Ritsuka must have been beating himself up over this loss.
"Does this happen often?" Aki asked. Kiyohime looked downwards with melancholy.
"Yes, unfortunately. Losing our comrades is inevitable in Chaldea." Kiyohime answered grimly. "As their commander in the field, each death weighs heavily on Ritsuka's conscience." She added. Servants who were killed in the line of duty could be brought back with a Summoning Ritual, which required the expenditure of valuable Saint Quartz. However this method was unreliable because more often than not, a Summoning Ritual would simply result in a bowl of Extremely Spicy Mapo Tofu (for some reason). Even if a Servant was successfully re-Summoned, there was no guarantee that they would remember their previous experiences at Chaldea, so for all intents and purposes that Servant was dead.
In addition, Saint Quartz spent trying to replenish losses was Saint Quartz that could have been spent Summoning new Servants who could expand Chaldea's tactical capabilities. It was for these reasons and more that Ritsuka strove to ensure that as many of his Servants as possible made it back from each mission alive. This blend of practicality and sentimental concern for their lives had earned Ritsuka the loyalty and respect of many of his Servants. Kiyohime then forced herself to smile as she waved to Ritsuka, who had just stepped off of the Nautilus.
As soon as Ritsuka saw Kiyohime and Jack, he instantly came over and enveloped them both in a tight hug, shaking as he did so. Kiyohime understood the toll that erasing a Lostbelt took on her husband, so she would perform her duty as his wife comfort him to the best of her ability. Jack was just happy to have her father back. Ritsuka turned to face his parents and sister, but then he immediately averted his gaze.
"I'm sorry. This mission took a lot out of me. I... Need some time." Ritsuka managed to say to his parents and little sister. The shame and guilt was overwhelming: he could not even look his family in the eye. Gudako had never seen her brother like this before. Aki could not believe that her son could look this empty. Kentaro was unchanging, as usual.
"We understand. You can go back to your room now." Kentaro answered for his family before anyone else could respond. He knew that Ritsuka would talk to them when he was ready. Ritsuka silently thanked his father with a sigh of relief and walked away with his wife and daughter.
"Why did you let him go?" Aki asked her husband as she watched her son leave. Kentaro turned stiffly to face his wife.
"I recognised the look in Ritsuka's eyes." Kentaro explained with an expression that was serious, even for someone as stoic as him. "It's the same look that my grandfather always had." Aki inhaled sharply, because she knew exactly what her husband was referring to.
"What do you mean?" Gudako asked, since Kentaro rarely spoke about his side of the family. It might have been a trick of the light, but her father actually looked slightly sad as he spoke his next words: a stark contrast from his usual blank stare.
"My grandfather was a war veteran, and he had been haunted by his experiencese for decades." Kentaro recounted with a slightly sad tone. While Kentaro fondly remembered his grandfather for doing his best to try and stay positive for the family's sake, Kentaro always knew that the old man suffered on the inside. "It was something I had hoped neither of you would ever have to experience for yourselves. But right now, Ritsuka is going through that same trauma." Kentaro said as his voice now returned to its usual monotonous drone. Aki thought back to her previous conversation with Irisviel.
"That's why we have to be there for him." Aki said resolutely. "Ritsuka's risking his life every day to protect us, so we need to show our support." She added. Her words picked up Gudako's spirit.
"Yeah! That's what family's for." Gudako agreed. Kentaro only nodded slightly at his wife's and daughter's determination.
In a certain room, Ritsuka, Kiyohime and Jack had returned home. Ritsuka numbly walked over to the dinner table and collapsed into his chair, staring blankly ahead of himself. Jack sat down next to her father and rested her elbows on the table. Kiyohime stood at her husband's opposite side and placed her hand on Ritsuka's shoulder to reassure him.
"You may talk to us when you are good and ready, Honoured Husband. Take as much time as you need." Kiyohime said gently to Ritsuka. While Kiyohime was glad to have her husband back home safe and sound, it still pained her to see him in such despair. Kiyohime knew that best way for her to help Ritsuka at the moment was to give him time to grieve for the dead; for both allies and enemies. "Neither of us are going anywhere." She added resolutely. Ritsuka continued to stare straight ahead.
"Thank you." Ritsuka said appreciatively to his wife, although his pained expression did not change. Kiyohime smiled at her husband and left to fetch the tea set from the kitchen. When Kiyohime returned, she poured a cup for everyone and then sat down. For the next few minutes, the family just sat at the table in silence while occasionally taking sips of tea. Some peace and quiet was sure to help calm Ritsuka's mind-
"Fujimaru Ritsuka, please report to the Command Room" Leonardo's voice suddenly announced over the intercom. Humanity's Last Master did not even have the energy to sigh at this point. Ritsuka forced himself to look up from his tea as he prepared to stand up.
"Duty call-" Ritsuka started to say. However just as Ritsuka had accepted his fate, Kiyohime slammed her hands against the table and stood up from the table with her face contorted in anger.
"RITSUKA! Stay right where you are!" Kiyohime yelled her husband as blue flames of rage sputtered out from her mouth. "Day after day after day after day, the Director keeps sending you out to fight with barely any rest." Kiyohime ranted as her hair began to turn white and her eyes gained a red glow. "Enough is enough!" Kiyohime declared before stomped over to the closet as her transformation continued.
"Kiyohime, what are you doing?!" Ritsuka asked his wife in a panic. To his horror, Kiyohime had pulled her Naginata out of the closet. The green blade rarely saw much use these days, but the Yamato Nadeshiko was still fully trained in its use. A blue flame ignited around the blade, as if the polearm shared its wielder's rage.
"I'm going to give the Director a piece of my mind! He's about to learn why angering a dragon is a VERY bad idea!" Kiyohime shouted in explanation. By now her horns had become completely black, signifying the end of her transformation. This was no longer the Kiyohime the devoted housewife but instead Kiyohime the raging dragon: the same woman who had burned the monk Anchin to death within a bell. Ritsuka did not like where this was going.
"Kiyohime, I can't let you do that." Ritsuka said firmly. "I am your Master-"
"-And I am your WIFE!" Kiyohime interrupted her husband. There would be no negotiation with Kiyohime in her current state. "JACK! Make sure your father doesn't leave this room!" She ordered her daughter. Jack suddenly jumped up from her chair.
"Yes Also Mommy!" Jack squeaked out in fear. Ritsuka may have been her Master, but Jack was not going to defy Kiyohime when she was this angry. "Sorry Mommy." Jack apologised before she hugged Ritsuka from behind tightly. This was not enough to hurt Ritsuka of course, but he would not be able to leave his chair unless Jack let go of him. Ritsuka needed to get this situation under control. Fast.
"Kiyohime, stop this right now before I use a Command Spell." Ritsuka threatened as he held up his right hand out of habit. Kiyohime did not even slow her pace as she made her way to the door.
"What Command Spell?" Kiyohime spat venomously. "Have you become so overworked that you haven't realised that all of your Command Seals are now gone?" It was true. In his exhausted and unhinged state, Ritsuka had completely forgotten that he had used up all three of his Command Spells in the Chinese Lostbelt. Not enough time had passed for even one of them to recharge. "Now wait right there while I have a 'chat'with the Director." Kiyohime ordered her husband. Before Ritsuka could think of a retort, Kiyohime had already left. Ritsuka feared for Goredolf's life.
Kiyohime stomped down the corridors of Novum Chaldea with her Naginata in hand and a trail of blue fire following in her footsteps. Anyone who saw Kiyohime in this state, whether they were one of the staff or a Servant, knew better than to get in the Dragon Woman's way. Soon enough, Kiyohime had reached the door of the Command Room. She stabbed her Naginata into the door's control panel and the heat from her blade caused the circuitry to melt. The door to the Command Room then opened for the Dragon Woman. This noise caused Goredolf to look over from his seat.
"What the- What are you doing here?" Goredolf asked in panicked confusion as he saw Kiyohime stand in the doorway with her Naginata in hand. This was not part of his plan: Goredolf specifically asked for Ritsuka. Kiyohime pointed her Naginata at Goredolf.
"You. Stay." Kiyohime ordered the Director of Chaldea as she began to slowly walk into the Command Room with her Naginata still aimed at Goredolf. "The rest of you. Out." She added without even sparing a glance at the staff who worked in the Command Room. The staff collectively rose to their feet and scrambled out of the door. Goredolf looked over to Leonardo.
"Da Vinci! Remove her from the Command Room immediately!" Goredolf cried out to the Genius, however Leonardo had already absconded on her roller skates. As the old saying went, there were only three things all wise men fear; a moonless night, a stormy sea and the rage of a gentle woman. Kiyohime paid the fleeing Renaissance Girl no mind as she continued her advance at a steady pace.
"Director. We need to talk." Kiyohime growled as once she stood in front of Goredolf. Kiyohime held the tip of her Naginata less than a centimetre from Goredolf's throat. The Director's stubble began to singe from the heat that came from the blade as beads of sweat poured down his face.
"Out with it then!" Goredolf barked. If he was going to die here today then he wanted to at least know why Ritsuka's wife wanted his head so badly. Kiyohime's face remained contorted in rage as she explained herself.
"It is about Ritsuka, and how you keep working him to the bone." Kiyohime began with an even tone that did not match her furious expression. "Do you have any idea how much stress my husband is going through right now? Do you know what kind of effect this is having on my in-laws? On my DAUGHTER?" She continued as she vented entire months' worth of stress and frustration."I have been with Ritsuka since the First Singularity, and while he has had his moments of weakness, Ritsuka has always risen above adversity and emerged stronger for it." Kiyohime's explained as her voice became more erratic.
"Then you came along and put him through the wringer. He doesn't even get to stay here for more than three days before you send him out to fight! He hasn't even gotten a break when his own parents and sister arrived!" Kiyohime vented. Any semblance that Kiyohime had of composure was lost as she began to yell, with her fiery breath almost scorching the Director's face. "Ritsuka's gotten more scars in the six months than he'd gotten in the last EIGHT YEARS! These days Ritsuka acts like a walking corpse! At this rate, it's only a matter of time before Ritsuka suffers from a total mental breakdown! Do you have ANYTHING to say for yourself?!" Kiyohime shouted at the Director of Chaldea. Goredolf sweated heavily at both the intense heat from Kiyohime's flames and out of fear for his own life.
"Of course I know all about that!" Goredolf cried out, much to Kiyohime's surprise. "That's why I called Ritsuka up here: to tell him that I'm giving him a vacation." Goredolf revealed with desperation in his voice. "He can even bring the rest of his family along. Give him some time to spend with them for once." Goredolf added in an attempt to save his life. Kiyohime continued to glare at Goredolf as she scrutinised him.
Kiyohime detected no lies from the Director: he was completely honest with his intentions. The flames of Kiyohime's Naginata extinguished themselves as her hair began to revert to its normal shade of green.
"Oh. My mistake then." Kiyohime dismissed with a smile as her demeanour completely switched around. With her hair, eyes and horns now back to normal, she calmly trotted over to the intercom and spoke into it. "Ritsuka, please come to the Command Room. This was all one big misunderstanding." Kiyohime requested cheerfully. She then sat down on a nearby chair with a serene smile on her face. Kiyohime rested her Naginata against her shoulder while she waited for her husband to arrive. The image of an enraged Kiyohime would haunt Goredolf's dreams for months to come.
After Ritsuka was informed of the Director's true intentions, a relieved Ritsuka made his way down to the Summoning Chamber to spend some Saint Quartz on the way back home. The thrill of trying to Summon a specific Servant would help soothe his guilt-ridden mind... Or it would plunge him into further despair upon failure. With the way his Summoning Rituals were going currently, it leaned more towards the latter.
"Go on, Senpai. I believe in you!" Mash called out encouragingly from nearby. The main reason for Mash's presence in the Summoning Chamber was to retrieve the bowls of Extremely Spicy Mapo Tofu that Ritsuka would inevitably Summon. Said Chinese dishes currently sat on a small table next to Mash. Ritsuka gave her an appreciative smile.
'Alright, six bowls of Extremely Spicy Mapo Tofu in a row so far, but I've got a good feeling about this next Summoning Ritual.' Ritsuka thought to himself in a desperate attempt to keep his Gambler's Fallacy in check. He pulled out three Saint Quartz crystals and began another Summoning Ritual.
"Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer my summoning." Ritsuka chanted as his Saint Quartz shattered and imbued his Magic Circuits with a vast quantity of Mana. "I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world, that I shall defeat all evil in the world. Seventh-heaven clad and the great words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of Scales!" Ritsuka finished as per his usual routine when performing a Summoning Ritual. The blinding light subsided to reveal a green eyed woman who wore a light grey skin tight outfit.
"Servant, Lancer. My name is Qin Liangyu." The Ming General introduced herself as she stood at attention. "Master, I hope you take good care of me!" Liangyu finished with a friendly smile. Ritsuka returned the smile, quite pleased with the chance to have a much more cordial relationship with Liangyu. He reached over to the table and grabbed a bowl.
"Welcome aboard. Here is your complementary bowl of Mapo Tofu. Enjoy it while I continue Summoning." Ritsuka said as he handed the bowl to Liangyu. He might as well let someone enjoy the infernal dish if it kept showing up to his Summoning Rituals uninvited. Liangyu was pleasantly surprised by Ritsuka's hospitality.
"Thank you Master, I will savour this dish." Liangyu replied cheerfully as she graciously received her meal. She stood next to Mash as she enjoyed her first meal in Chaldea. Ritsuka then turned his attention back to the Summoning Circle and pulled out three more Saint Quartz crystals.
Ritsuka began his Summoning Ritual again, and when once his spell was completed he saw a familiar old man in a dark grey outfit.
"My name is Li Shuwen. I am merely an old man who holds no spear. But I alone should be enough to protect Master. I'll be under your care Master." Old Li Shuwen announced to his new Master as he stood still stoically. Ritsuka scratched the back of his own head sheepishly.
"This is gonna be awkward to say, but we kind of already have a Li Shuwen here." Ritsuka informed his latest Assassin. "He's Lancer, by the way." He added to help make a distinction between the two Li Shuwens. Old Li raised an eyebrow at this new information.
"Truly?" The Bajiquan Master replied in surprise. While Old Li had expected to encounter other Servants, he never expected that he would meet another version of himself, let alone one who served under the same Master.
"Yep. If you suddenly feel the urge to kill your younger self out of some sort of misplaced sense of self-loathing, make sure you tell me about it first." Ritsuka said with a small grin. "I wanna see which of you two is better at Bajiquan." Ritsuka said jokingly before he reached out to the table next to him. "In the meantime, you can eat this." He held out a bowl of Extremely Spicy Mapo Tofu to Old Li.
"Understood." Old Li replied as he accepted his Master's offering. He moved over to stand next to Liangyu and the two ate in silence as they watched their Master work his Magecraft.
"And more Mapo Tofu. Maybe I accidentally invented a spell that creates Mapo Tofu?" Ritsuka muttered to himself in response to his latest botched spell. Mash, being the diligent Kouhai that she was, immediately picked up the bowl from the Summoning Circle and placed with the others that had been Summoned that day. Ritsuka held the remaining three Saint Quartz crystals in his possession and crushed them to fuel one final Summoning Ritual. For the last time that night, mystic blue light filled the Summoning Chamber. When the light died down, Ritsuka's eyes widened with surprise once he saw who he had Summoned. In the middle of the Summoning Circle was none other than a recently deceased bespectacled Crypter with a distaste for humanity.
"You really have the gall. Of all people, you had to Summon me. Seriously, what were thinking?!" Yu Mei-Ren cried out with indignation. "Hmph. Whatever. There's no denying that fate played some kind of part." She huffed out in resignation. "Servant, Assassin. I'll accept your contract." Yu Mei-Ren introduced herself, even though she and Humanity's Last Master already knew each other. Ritsuka smiled.
"Heeeeeey Paisen!" Ritsuka greeted with an unnerving amount of glee. Yu Mei-Ren did not like her new Master's tone of voice. "We are going to have so much fun together!" Then his grin grew wider and an almost manic look over his face. Yu Mei-Ren actually started to backpedal in fear when Ritsuka suddenly grabbed a bowl off of the table and strutted over to her. "Here's some delicious Mapo Tofu to celebrate our reunion, courtesy of your dear Kouhai." Ritsuka ranted as he forced the bowl into Yu Mei-Ren's hands.
"Ugh.. I'd like to go back to being dead, please." Yu Mei-Ren muttered as she stared down at the infernal brew. Ritsuka laughed for the first time since he left for the Chinese Lostbelt and turned around to address Liangyu and Old Li.
"Anyway, I'll show you three around the base." Ritsuka said to his newest Servants as he strode out of the Summoning Chamber with Old Li, Liangyu and Yu Mei-Ren in tow. "Mash, get rid of those for me." Ritsuka commanded over his shoulder before he disappeared from the Shielder's view.
"Yes Senpai!" Mash responded resolutely. Ritsuka reflected on his most recent Summoning Rituals as he guided the new Servants around the base.
"Three Servants and seven bowls of Mapo Tofu. That's better than how these usually go, all things considered." Ritsuka thought to himself. His face darkened as he thought about those chilli sauce slathered bean curds. Ritsuka's hatred for Mapo Tofu so great that it could unmake the Lostbelts if there was a way to harness said hatred.
Aki, Kentaro and Gudako had all met in the Cafeteria for lunch. Ironically enough, the three of them had each ordered Mapo Tofu, the very same bowls which Mash had just delivered to the Cafeteria earlier. They each dug into their meals with enthusiasm, appreciating the intense heat and flavour.
"I don't get why Ritsuka hates Mapo Tofu so much. This stuff tastes great!" Gudako said in between mouthfuls of Extremely Spicy Mapo Tofu. She loved it; the tofu was so soft that it melted in one's mouth, the minced pork gave the dish a distinctly savoury taste, the spring onions gave each bite a satisfying texture and the secret blend of spices gave it an invigorating heat that made one feel alive. It was unfathomable to the Fujimaru Family why Ritsuka disliked such a delicious dish. The family's enjoyment of their lunch was interrupted by the arrival of a certain Dragon Woman.
"Good day everyone." Kiyohime greeted with a curt bow. Her in-laws ceased their feast and turned their attention to Ritsuka's wife.
"Kiyohime?" Aki said in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon." She added. Aki thought that events would play out similarly to when Ritsuka had left for the Chinese Lostbelt: with Kiyohime mostly keeping to herself (and to Jack) while Aki and the others interacted with more of Chaldea's colourful cast of characters. "So what can we do for you?" She asked. Kiyohime gave her mother-in-law a beaming smile.
"I have come here to tell you that the Director has seen it fit to reward Ritsuka's recent performance out in the field with some well deserved rest." Kiyohime explained in a happy tone that one would expect from someone like Irisviel or Astolfo. "You are all invited to join us on a retreat to a hot spring." Kiyohime said as her smile grew even wider. Her words made Aki and Gudako light up with joy and excitement (Kentaro remained the same, however).
"Yay! Vacation!" Gudako cried out in delight. Truth be told, she was getting rather bored with her usual routine at Chaldea (despite only having been there for less than a month), so any change of pace was welcomed. Aki held a similar sentiment to her daughter.
"So, where exactly are we going?" Aki asked out of curiosity. With the outside world currently Bleached, it hardly seemed like there would be many options for vacation spots available. Kiyohime seemed to stiffen.
"I am afraid that is classified information." Kiyohime stated in a serious tone. Aki, Gudako and Kentaro all silently agreed to not prod the Dragon Woman any further. By now, rumours of what Kiyohime had done in the Command Room had already circulated around Chaldea, and while the Fujimaru Family wanted to give Kiyohime the benefit of the doubt, they also had no intention of finding out whether or not there was any truth to those rumours. "Regardless, we will depart by Rayshift tomorrow." She said, which piqued Kentaro's interest.
"Is it safe for the three of us to Rayshift?" Kentaro asked. He did not understand the process behind Rayshifting, so his family's safety was his number one concern. Kiyohime nodded.
"Indeed it is. Leonardo has already tested your blood samples from Nurse Nightingale. The three of you should be able to Rayshift with no issues." Kiyohime said to reassure her in-laws. "Ritsuka actually brought up the same concern for your safety, however he relented when I suggested that the three of you could enjoy a peaceful rest as well." She said as her smile returned. While Ritsuka may have been overprotective of his loved ones, Kiyohime could not help but admire that part of her husband who always put his family's well-being first. Her words made Aki give out a sigh of relief.
"How is he doing, by the way? We haven't seen at all Ritsuka since he came back." Aki asked out of concern. Ever since Aki arrived in Chaldea, she barely had any opportunities to see her own son. Additionally, every time she saw Ritsuka he seemed to be in more and more emotional torment (not to mention the state of his body). Kiyohime looked down sadly.
"My husband has been... Dealing... With his experiences in his own way." Kiyohime revealed in a dark tone, before her face suddenly lit up once more. "Anyway, when you are finished with your respective duties for the day, please pack your belongings for our vacation tomorrow. Report to the Rayshift Chamber no later than 0900." Kiyohime ordered in a tone that made none of her in-laws want to disobey her. "Goodbye, for now." She said with another curt bow before she turned on her heel and walked out of the Cafeteria.
"Should be simple enough, considering the only things we have left are these Chaldea uniforms..." Gudako remarked with a sarcastic smile. With that out of the way, she picked up her spoon and resumed eating her bowl of Extremely Spicy Mapo Tofu. Delicious.
The following morning, Aki, Kentaro and Gudako had arrived outside of the Rayshift Chamber. Obviously, they each packed lightly: carrying only spare sets of clothes and toiletries in suitcases provided by Leonardo. Already waiting at the entrance were Ritsuka, Kiyohime and Jack. Kiyohime sat down serenely on a bench next to the doorway and gently stroked Jack's hair as the Wraith Child rested her sleepy head on her mother's lap. Ritsuka stood next to the entryway of the Rayshift Chamber, wearing his New Years Mystic Code and resting Remnant From 1999 on his shoulder. He seemed to be lost in thought as he stared blankly ahead of himself, paying no heed to his parents' and sister's arrival.
"Good morning everyone." Aki greeted her son and his family. Ritsuka looked up upon hearing his mother's voice, however he quickly averted his eyes from his parents and sister: he still could not meet their gaze. Also gathered at the Rayshift Chamber were a collection of Servants, some of whom Ritsuka's family recognised.
"I didn't know that other people would be joining us." Gudako remarked. There were no fewer than seven other people who awaited the arrival of the Fujimaru Family;
A fox-eared woman in a skimpy blue kimono inspected her nails on another bench. Aki recognised her as Tamamo.
A silver haired woman carrying a bow stood at attention across from Ritsuka. Gudako recognised her as Tomoe.
A purple haired young woman who carried a massive shield knelt down to pet Fou. Aki, Gudako and Kentaro remembered that her name was Mash.
A smiling man with long blond hair leaned against a wall. Next to him stood a shirtless black haired man with a distinctive mole on his cheek. A bespectacled woman in a pink hood sat down on the floor and played a video game on her tablet. Neither Aki, Kentaro nor Gudako recognised any of them
The last person who waited outside of the Rayshift Chamber was none other than the Director himself, Goredolf Musik. Ritsuka then took it upon himself to explain the presence of the others to his family.
"Fionn and Diarmuid will be our bodyguards during our leave." Ritsuka announced as he gestured to the Celts, who curtly nodded to their Master's family. "Mash, Tamamo, Tomoe and Osakabehime will also act as support." Ritsuka said as he pointed to each Servant respectively. Mash smiled, Tamamo waved at the people she intended to make into her in-laws, Tomoe bowed politely and Osakabehime barely glanced up from her tablet. Their presence made Aki feel uneasy.
"Do we really need this many bodyguards?" Aki asked her son. Surely a trip to the hot springs did not warrant such a large entourage? Ritsuka nodded with a grim expression on his face.
"I'm not taking any chances on this outing." Ritsuka replied in a serious tone. He was not going to put his family in any more danger than they already would be during a Rayshift. A mirthful chuckle caught the family's attention.
"Well said, Ritsuka." Goredolf agreed. "I feel quite confident in your selection of Servants." He said, under the assumption that Ritsuka had brought so many Servants along to keep Goredolf himself safe rather than his family. "Now that your family is here and brought up to speed, let's not delay our departure anymore." The Director of Chaldea ordered Humanity's Last Master. Kentaro raised an eyebrow at the implication.
"Our departure?'' Kentaro asked. He wondered if his son's boss was really going to accompany them on their vacation. Ritsuka picked up his suitcase before he spoke.
"The Director will be coming with us. Come on" He said before he pressed a few buttons on a control panel next to the door to open it. In front of the Fujimaru family was a large open chamber. In the centre of the chamber was a large blue hologram of the Earth that slowly rotated. Beneath the hologram were several upright pod-like devices.
"So this is the time machine." Gudako remarked upon seeing the pinnacle of Chaldea's research. She quickly followed behind her brother, as he did not pause at her words.
"Rayshift Chamber." Ritsuka corrected his little sister. He moved over to three Coffins and pressed a button on each of them to open their doors. "Just step into the Coffin, and the boys and girls in the Control Room will handle the rest." Ritsuka informed his relatives before he left to enter his own Coffin. Once everyone entered their respective Coffin, the Coffins' doors closed in unison and their occupants were engulfed in darkness.
At an undisclosed location in the Japanese countryside, at an undisclosed point of time, all was quiet. The quiet peace of the forest was ruined by a flash of light followed by a feminine scream.
"GAAAAH!" Gudako screamed as she tried to get her bearings. The first thing Gudako saw was her older brother staring down at her with an amused smirk. She looked around herself and found that her parents were in a similar state of disorientation. Kiyohime and Jack in contrast had quickly found their bearings and silently stood near Ritsuka, awaiting his instructions. Ritsuka's other Servants surrounded the group; Tomoe had her bow out, Tamamo's mirror floated around her, Mash hefted her large shield and Osakabehime cradled a gaudily painted bullpup rifle in her hands. Ritsuka held out a hand to his younger sister.
"How was your first Rayshift?" Ritsuka asked his sister, still smirking at her discomfort. Gudako frowned but accepted her brother's hand nonetheless.
"I felt like all of my organs were twisted into a pretzel and then squeezed dry!" Gudako yelled in distress as Ritsuka pulled her up to her feet. Ritsuka then gave Gudako a mirthless chuckle.
"Feels great, doesn't it?" Ritsuka said sarcastically. His smile quickly disappeared and was replaced with a serious look that that his parents and sister had rarely ever seen him wear. "Okkie, Tomoe, Mash, secure our perimeter. Tamamo, set up a Bounded Field." Ritsuka commanded his Servants before he activated his communicator. "Leonardo, do you copy?" Ritsuka asked as his Servants carried out their orders. A hologram of the Renaissance Girl was then projected from the device on Ritsuka's wrist, the sight of which amazed Gudako and their parents.
"Loud and clear!" Leonardo answered with her usual cheer. "You're off target, but how are things on your end anyway?" She asked, eagerly awaiting an update on this latest 'mission.'
"Everyone's Rayshifted safely." Ritsuka replied as he gave a quick look around. "Except for the Director, Fionn and Diarmuid. Can't seem to find them anywhere." He added with a concerned look on his face. He sincerely hoped that the Director of Chaldea and the Knights of Fianna did not die trying to get the Fujimaru Family to their vacation spot. Leonardo's face instantly became serious upon hearing Ritsuka's report.
"Scanning for their location now." Leonardo announced as she operated the terminal over on her end. After a few moments she looked back to Ritsuka over the communicator. "Oh look. All three of them just a few kilometres from your position. Patching you through to Goredolf now." She informed Humanity's Last Master before the hologram switched over to reveal an irate Goredolf.
"RITSUKA! Where are you?!" Goredolf demanded angrily. "When I arrived at the LZ you and your family were nowhere to be seen!" He explained frantically. This was supposed to be a vacation: not a matter of life and death.
"..We're in a forest." Ritsuka replied unhelpfully. "Apparently we missed the target location, somehow." He said with a sigh. It was depressingly common for Ritsuka to completely miss the designated Rayshift location during missions, usually because of some kind of external interference His words did not reassure the Director.
"Well move it over to my location so we can go back on course." Goredolf ordered. Ritsuka contemplated the Director's orders for a moment before he replied.
"Can't do it. It's too risky to move over to your position with non-combatants following me. Do you want us to hold position wait for you to reach us?" Ritsuka suggested. "I'd rather have Fionn and Diarmuid backing me up before I attempt to move out with my family." He added. Leonardo then took this opportunity to chime in.
"I wouldn't bother. Ritsuka's closer to the hot springs anyway. Just keep moving up ahead and wait for Goredolf when you arrive." Leonardo suggested to Humanity's Last Master. The Director thought about this for a short while.
"Hmm. Sounds like a plan." Goredolf agreed before his face turned stern. "Alright you lot, move out!" He shouted at Diarmuid and Fionn before his communication channel was cut off.
"Alright, everybody hear what we're doing?" Ritsuka asked his Servants, to which they all nodded. "Now, about our luggage." He muttered before he whistled sharply to Summon Xanthos. The Divine Steed formed out of golden particles and stood next to Ritsuka, to the wonderment of his family. Ritsuka took this opportunity to introduce them to Xanthos. "This is Xanthos. He is my h-" However Ritsuka's introduction was cut short by a feminine squeal of delight.
"HORSE!" Gudako exclaimed in joy once her mind had finished processing what she had seen. "I wanna pet him! I wanna ride him! I WANNA FEED HIM CARROTS!" She ranted as she stumbled over to the Divine Steed and reached out to stroke his coat. Xanthos, being himself, did not recoil in shock at the intrusion of his personal space but rather enjoyed the attention of his Master's sister. Gudako was not the only one pleased with Xanthos' arrival.
"Yay! Mister Horsey!" Jack cried out in delight as she joined her aunt in petting her father's horse. Ritsuka stared at his sister and daughter's antics for a moment before he turned to his parents with a blank look on his face.
"...He is my horse." Ritsuka introduced the Divine Steed to his parents, who both had a similar look to their son in response to Gudako's behaviour. "Xanthos is invaluable on missions whenever I need to cross long distances." Ritsuka added before he picked up everyone's suitcases and loaded them onto Xanthos' back. If Xanthos was bothered by the extra weight, then he did not show it on his equine face. Once the luggage was secure, Ritsuka cleared his throat to address all those who were present.
"Tamamo, Okkie, you're with me. Tomoe, take point. Mash, watch our six. Jack, stay close to your mother. Everyone else, move out!" Ritsuka ordered firmly, and even his parents and sister felt compelled to obey his words. Everyone began to walk forward, with Tomoe at the front, Ritsuka right behind her and everyone else following Humanity's Last Master. Ritsuka kept a firm grip on his forked spear and his opposite hand twitched towards his holstered gun whenever he noticed something move in the forest. Kiyohime noticed her husband's tension.
"Honoured Husband, we came here so that you could get away from work. Mash, Tomoe, Tama and Okkie are more than capable of protecting us. Relax." Kiyohime chided her husband. Ritsuka did not even face his wife.
"Can't let my guard down. Not even for a second." Ritsuka replied as he continued to scan the surroundings for any possible threats to his family. Kiyohime sighed sadly and continued to lead Jack by the hand. Aki observed their interaction and decided to speak up.
"Is he always like this when he's working?" Aki asked Tamamo. Neither Aki, her husband nor her daughter had ever seen Ritsuka so paranoid. They all thought that Ritsuka would benefit the most from this hot springs retreat. Tamamo looked over her shoulder to address Aki.
"More or less." Tamamo admitted. "It's actually quite admirable, if I do say so myself." She added before she returned to gazing longingly at Ritsuka's back. The rest of the trek was continued in relative silence.
After nearly an hour of walking, the Chaldeans had come across a sight that was a stark contrast to the natural forests: a multi-level traditional Japanese styled building that stood across a wooden bridge. This clearly must have been the hot springs inn that they were searching for. However, as the group drew closer, the more they began to notice that the building was rather run down; many of the windows were boarded up or broken, and several sections of the roof had outright collapsed.
However, the state of the building was not enough to deter the Chaldeans now that they have come this far. They crossed the bridge and made their way through the front door (which was surprisingly still intact into what seemed to be the reception room. The front desk however was not attended.
"Hello! Anyone here?!" Ritsuka called out. He soon heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway into the reception room.
"Welcome to Enma-Tei, Honoured Guests!" A child-like voice called out. Kiyohime, Tamamo, Osakabehime and Tomoe all froze in terror as soon as they heard the newcomer's voice. Stepping into the reception room was what looked like a small red haired child who wore a maroon kimono with a white apron. Kiyohime's, Osakabehime's, Tamamo's and Tomoe's eyes all widened with horror and recognition.
"B-b-b-b-b-" Osakabehime stuttered.
"Be-be-be-be-" Tamamo stammered.
"Beni-Beni-Beni-" Tomoe tried to say.
"BENIENMA!" Kiyohime shouted in terror.
"Oh. It is you four." Benienma 'greeted' with a disdainful frown once she noticed the four women. Kiyohime huddled behind Ritsuka and shuddered with fear.
"Honoured Husband..." Kiyohime whispered to her husband. "...Help me." She pleaded in a rare display of vulnerability. Ritsuka immediately stepped between his wife and Benienma.
"Hello. I'm Fujimaru Ritsuka, Kiyohime's husband. We'd like to stay at your inn for a few nights." Ritsuka introduced himself to hopefully diffuse any tension. Benienma raised an eyebrow.
"Is that so? Well, congratulations on your marriage, Kiyohime. You actually managed to do something with your life." Benienma replied sincerely before she resumed her frown. "Unfortunately, it seems that I cannot say the same for my other students." She muttered with disappointment before she straightened up her posture and cleared her throat. "Please allow me to introduce myself, Honoured Guest. I am Benienma: proprietress of Enma-Tei, and the woman who trained your wife." Benienma introduced herself to her newest guests."And as Kiyohime's former teacher, I must gauge her current proficiency with her Naginata." Benienma declared as her right hand rested on the hilt of her katana that was strapped to her side. Ritsuka's Magic Circuits flared up as he prepared to protect his wife.
"I am not letting you attack my wife." Ritsuka declared with a glare directed towards at the Tongue-Cut Sparrow. Surprisingly, it was Kiyohime who stopped Ritsuka from acting.
"It is quite alright, Honoured Husband. This is something I have to do." Kiyohime dismissed as she put on a brave front. "Think of it as no different from all of time that Lady Scathach threw her Gae Bolg Alternative at you in the hallway to test your mettle." Kiyohime explained as she recalled the countless times that the Queen of Shadows would cordially greet Humanity's Last Master only to suddenly throw her spear at his throat. Scathach claimed that it was necessary to keep Ritsuka at the top of his game. Still, without Scathach's tutelage/torture Ritsuka would not be alive today.
"That's... Different..." Ritsuka tried to explain, but to no avail.
"You may fight by your wife's side, if you desire. I would also like to test the bond between the two of you, while we are here." Benienma stated, as she was quite curious about the man whom the normally psychotic Kiyohime had settled down with. "Once we are done, we shall arrange your rooms for the night." Benienma added. Ritsuka did not like the sound of this.
"So we have to fight the owner before I can even ask for a room? Truly, a five star resort." Ritsuka muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Alright. Let's get this over with." He said with a sigh of resignation before his expression hardened once more. "Tomoe, fetch Kiyohime's Naginata." Ritsuka commanded firmly, to which the Archer of Inferno stood at attention.
"Right away, Master!" Tomoe stated obediently. She then turned on her heel and left to carry out her Master's orders. Aki meanwhile had had enough.
"You can't be serious?" Aki spoke up. "This is insane!" She cried out. None of this made any sense to her. Tamamo merely shrugged.
"This is how things usually goes whenever Ritsuka goes anywhere. He may not be looking for a fight, but fights always seem to be looking for him." Tamamo informed the woman who she intended to make her mother-in-law. Realisation then struck Osakabehime
"By the way, won't this be the first time that you see Ritsuka and Kiyohime fight together?" Osakabehime asked Aki, Kentaro and Gudako. "Enjoy the show!" She said with an enthusiastic grin. Jack shared the Shut-In's sentiment.
"No one can beat Mommy and Also Mommy! Mommy and Also Mommy are the strongest!" Jack cried out excitedly.
"This fight will last until either first blood is drawn or until one side yields." Mash declared, as she had volunteered to mediate Ritsuka's and Kiyohime's match against Benienma.
"I would prefer it if you yield before one of us is cut, if possible. Blood is most annoying to scrub out of clothing." Benienma interjected. She drew her katana just as Ritsuka and Kiyohime took up their stances with their spear and Naginata respectively.
"Begin!" Mash announced. Kiyohime immediately dashed forward and thrust her Naginata at Benienma's torso. Benienma, having deduced that her student would most likely initiate the clash, swiftly brought up her katana to block the strike. However, just as Kiyohime's Naginata made contact with Benienma's katana, Ritsuka suddenly appeared behind the Tongue-Cut Sparrow and thrust his forked spear at her back. In mere split-seconds, Benienma broke away from Kiyohime and dove out of the way of Ritsuka's attack. Benienma did not have time to catch her breath, as Ritsuka continued his assault with a series of quick thrusts, each aimed at different parts of her body.
In a reversal of before, Benienma's focus on defending herself from Ritsuka's attacks left her back exposed to Kiyohime, who swung her Naginata at the back of Benienma's knees in a wide, low sweep. This forced Benienma to jump up over Ritsuka to avoid the blow, however Humanity's Last Master took advantage of this desperate manoeuvre and thrust at the Tongue-Cut Sparrow while she was still in the air. Benienma twisted her body to avoid Remnant's forked blade by mere millimetres before she landed on the ground and resumed the fight. The onlookers of the fight could not help but be mesmerised by the efforts of Ritsuka and his wife.
Ritsuka and Kiyohime moved in perfect unison. It looked as if the two were gracefully dancing with each other rather than fighting. Whenever Benienma tried to focus her attention on one of the pair, the other would swiftly move to attack her flank. It was impossible for Benienma to tell when one of them was genuinely going to strike at her or if it was simply a feint to leave her vulnerable to the other's blade. Thus, Benienma was stuck on the defensive: desperately hoping for some kind of opening that was not a trap. Throughout it all, neither Master nor Servant said a word to each other: their bond was so deep that they simply did not need to. Kiyohime was the Servant who Ritsuka understood the most, as well as the Servant who understood him the most. As wonderful as the spectacle was from an outside perspective, Benienma herself was already at her wit's end.
Then the unthinkable happened: Kiyohime landed actually a blow to the back of Benienma's right knee, which forced her to kneel. Benienma's shocked lapse of concentration gave Ritsuka an opening. He thrust Remnant at the Tongue-Cut Sparrow and stopped just short of her throat.
"Yield." Ritsuka commanded with an authoritative voice and a stern face. Benienma broke out of her shock and looked up at Humanity's Last Master. To her surprise, Benienma felt her cheeks heat up at Ritsuka's intense stare.
"He has beautiful eyes." Benienma thought to herself as she met Ritsuka's piercing gaze. She quickly buried that thought and focused on the present. " I yield." Benienma said simply. With that, Ritsuka and Kiyohime both breathed a sigh of relief. Ritsuka cast a healing spell on Benienma with a snap of his fingers to treat her knee. He then held a hand out to help her stand up, which the Tongue-Cut Sparrow graciously accepted. Kiyohime smiled at her and her husband's accomplishment.
"That was a good workout." Kiyohime said cheerfully as she caught her breath. "I haven't worked up a sweat like that since before we had our daughter." She mentioned as she walked back to rejoin her family. Benienma actually gave her student a smile at that last statement
"It is good to see that motherhood has not dulled your skills, Kiyohime." Benienma remarked as she sheathed her sword. Ritsuka's family took this opportunity to voice their opinions on what they had just witnessed.
"Holy shit..." Gudako muttered in awe. It was as if her brother had just stepped out of a Shounen Battle Anime, although Gudako believed that her brother had more in common with a Harem Anime protagonist.
"I... I had no idea Ritsuka was capable of that." Aki said in disbelief. Whatever doubts she had about her son's combat abilities were crushed once she saw firsthand what a Mage who trained under the Queen of Shadows could do.
"I feel much safer knowing that Ritsuka is here to protect us." Kentaro stated in his usual monotone. He was confident that his son would never abuse his strength nor his Magecraft, and that Ritsuka would only ever fight to protect his loved ones.
"We told you! Mommy and Also Mommy are the best!" Jack called out happily before she ran to give her father a hug. Ritsuka gave his daughter a headpat before he looked towards Benienma.
"Now that that is out of the way, we'd like to rent some available rooms." Ritsuka said in reference to his family's actual purpose in coming here. Benienma straightened up and immediately walked over to the front desk to conduct business.
"Certainly, Honoured Guests. How many nights would you like to stay-" Benienma began to negotiate before she was interrupted.
"Proprietress! Proprietress! Something terrible has happened!" A high pitched voice called out. Everyone turned to the source of the noise and saw what looked like a group of pudgy sparrows who each wore different coloured aprons. They gathered around Benienma, hopping and chirping in distress.
"Calm down, calm down. Tell me everything." Benienma said gently to her employees. The small sparrows ceased their frantic hops and looked up towards Benienma.
"Three ruffians stole the offerings! There's nothing left to repay the debt!" One of the sparrows cried out in distress with ruffled feathers. The blood drained from the Tongue-Cut Sparrow's face at this revelation.
"That is... Not good." Benienma said slowly with widened eyes, unable to process this sudden bad news. Ritsuka felt a nagging suspicion in the back of his head, so he decided to kneel down and speak to the sparrows directly.
"Excuse me." Ritsuka interjected, which caught the attention of Benienma and her sparrows. "Their names wouldn't happen to be Goredolf, Fionn and Diarmuid, by any chance?" Ritsuka asked. Most of the sparrows shrugged, although one looked up in contemplation.
"Yes, that's what I think they called themselves." A sparrow replied. In response, Ritsuka gave out a sigh that was far heavier than what his mortal lungs should have been capable of. It seemed as if the universe itself had conspired to rob Ritsuka of any peace of mind lately.
Fionn and Diarmuid had, in layman's terms, completely FUBAR-ed this situation. The Knights of Fianna not only mistook the food offerings in Enma-Tei's shrine for a feast, they had also opened the offerings box that Enma-Tei needed to pay off their debt to Moneyed Monkey. Whatever involvement Goredolf had in this incident was ignored by virtue of him being the Director of Chaldea. Currently, Fionn and Diarmuid sat down in a private room in Enma-Tei, awaiting their Master's judgement. Ritsuka stared down at his Servants impassively as he paced back and forth in front of them.
"Master-" Fionn began to say, but Humanity's Last Master would not hear any excuses.
"Don't say another word. Don't move at all. Don't even breathe unless I order you to." Ritsuka ordered with barely contained fury. "As your Master, your actions reflect on me. I have to take responsibility for your poor judgement. This was supposed to be vacation for my family and a relaxing retreat to help me with my mental health, but instead I now have more work to do. Even worse, you blatantly ignored the Director, who is my boss, when he tried to stop you." He said before he gave his Servants a mocking smile. "But enough about me: let's talk about you." Ritsuka said as he turned his attention to Fionn.
"Fionn. For someone with access to the Salmon of Wisdom, you certainly make a habit of not using that brain of yours." Ritsuka spat out venomously. "In what world does stealing offerings to the divine result in anything other than disaster?" He asked rhetorically, although Fionn did not dare answer his infuriated Master. It was then Diarmuid's turn to be scolded.
"Diarmuid. I seem to recall that your dearest wish was to loyally serve a lord with honour. Right now, you've dragged my good name into the mud. Is this your way of saying that you don't consider me to be an honourable Master?" Ritsuka asked contemptuously. Unlike with Fionn, Diarmuid impulsively decided to speak out in his own defence.
"Master, it was never my intention to slight you-" Diarmuid tried to plead before he was interrupted by his Master.
"If this was just about me, then I wouldn't be this angry. I'd have had both of you be honest so that we can work through whatever problems you have with me." Ritsuka replied before his anger was replaced with worry and concern. "However, I'm not the true victim of your stupidity. Benienma, the proprietress of Enma-Tei, is the woman who'll suffer the most because of your idiocy. Without those offerings, Benienma has no way to pay off her debts, and Sparrow Inn will have to close its doors. Benienma and all of her staff will lose their livelihoods because of you two." He reminded his Servants before he walked away from them. "So much for chivalry among the Knights of Fianna." Ritsuka's final statement cut both Celts deeper than a blade ever could. With that, Ritsuka left the Celts to contemplate their selfish actions and opened the door to reveal Benienma, who had been listening in on Ritsuka.
"I take it that you have decided on a suitable punishment for your subordinates, then?" Benienma asked. Despite their misgivings, Benienma was still willing to allow Ritsuka and his companions to stay at Enma-Tei (if only for the QP that new guests would bring to Enma-Tei). Ritsuka sighed in disappointment.
"What's done is done. The only thing left to do is help you repay your debt. I'll work for you until then." Ritsuka stated before he turned around to glare at Fionn and Diarmuid. "And you two idiots are going to help me!" He growled at the Celts, which caused the two Servants to shrink back in fear. Benienma however had a much different reaction.
Benienma was moved. Although Benienma prided herself as a diligent proprietress, always ready to serve her guests to the utmost of her ability, the number of times anyone ever bothered to actually help her could be counted on one hand. Here, Humanity's Last Master defended Benienma's honour and offered to aid her in paying off her debts. Benienma felt her heartbeat quicken at Ritsuka's compassion. "He's such a gentleman." She thought to herself with a blush.
"Please come this way. I will show you and your companions to your rooms." Benienma announced as she turned around to lead her new guests.
After the temporary work contract between Ritsuka and Benienma sorted out, Benienma was free to lead her Chaldean guests to their respective rooms. Aki, Kentaro, Gudako and Jack all shared a room together, while Tamamo, Osakabehime, Tomoe and Mash shared another. Goredolf shared his room with Diarmuid and Fionn (ostensibly for his own protection). Ritsuka and Kiyohime meanwhile were given the couple's suite. After everyone's luggage had been unpacked, it was decided that a dip in Enma-Tei's hot springs would be the next item on the agenda.
"Fuuuuck, that feels good!" Gudako moaned out in pleasure as she sank into the hot water of Enma-Tei's hot spring. As pleasant as Novum Chaldea's showers were (especially after surviving for months without running water), nothing beat bathing in a natural hot spring. Gudako's sudden expletive was not appreciated by a certain Dragon Woman.
"Language!" Kiyohime scolded her sister-in-law from the edge of the bath as she rinsed the shampoo out of Jack's hair. Aki leaned back and relaxed further into the hot water.
"Gudako's choice of words aside, I agree. This is wonderful." Aki said as she worked out some kinks in her shoulders.
"I am quite pleased that you are enjoying yourself, my Mother-in-law." Tamamo said to Aki as she stretched her arms above her head. "I should take Ritsuka here for our Honeymoon when we finally get marri-EEEEEEE!" She cried out as she felt a certain someone suddenly grab her tail.
"Aw. Fox Lady's tail isn't fluffy anymore." Jack said in disappointment as she hugged Tamamo's waterlogged appendage. The Fox Miko immediately turned around to confront Jack, however her irritation melted into adoration once she laid eyes on her Master's daughter.
"Oh Jack, you cute little rascal!" Tamamo cried out playfully as she reached out to engulf the Wraith Child in a hug. Aki observed the Fox Miko closely as she continued to play with Jack in the water.
"So, those ears and tail are real then." Aki remarked to start a conversation. She wondered if Tamamo was Supernatural being, similar to how Kiyohime was a Dragon. Tamamo stopped giggling with Jack to address Aki.
"Yes indeed!" Tamamo confirmed with pride. "I'm a fox spirit, after all." She said as she settled Jack in her lap and hugged the Wraith Child from behind. "Would you like to feel them once I dry off? Ritsuka loves how fluffy they are." The Fox Miko suggested with a wide smile. Ritsuka had indeed found that petting Tamamo's fluffy tail helped relieve a great amount of his stress.
"Perhaps." Aki replied before she leaned back and focused on relaxing her body in the tepid water of the hot spring. The disorientation of Rayshifting aside, this vacation was quickly proving to be the most enjoyable experience Aki has had since the world was Bleached.
"I'm a fox spirit too..." Osakabehime muttered nearby, although no one heard her.
Over in the men's bath, things were far less hectic. Each person kept their distance from each other and barely spoke a word, mostly because no one wanted to cause another migraine for the already stressed out Ritsuka. Instead, everyone opted to simply sit straight in the bath after they scrubbed themselves clean.
Ritsuka silently sat in the bath: the hot water did little to ease his guilt-ridden mind. A respite such as Enma-Tei was beyond scarce between Ritsuka's frequent missions, however the weight of his actions as Humanity's Last Master prevented Ritsuka from gaining much pleasure from this activity. He saw the faces of his victims on the inside of his eyelids, and the warmth of the water reminded him of their freshly spilled blood. In fact, the knowledge the rest of his family were enjoying themselves provided more comfort for Ritsuka more than the warm waters around him.
If Kentaro felt any enjoyment from the hot water then he did not show it on his face, as usual. As entertaining as the many personalities of Chaldea's Servants were, Kentaro appreciated the peace and quiet that currently went on in the bath.
Fionn and Diarmuid had not spoken a word at all since their Master had chewed them out over their most recent mistake. They sat with such apprehension that even Goredolf took notice of the tension between the Servants and their Master.
Goredolf meanwhile secretly felt a bit intimidated at how everyone else looked to be in better physical shape than him.
"This is nice." Fionn suddenly said to break the silence. Ritsuka turned his head to his Servant, which made the Celt flinch a bit.
"Enjoy it while this lasts, because tomorrow we're working from dawn 'till dusk." Ritsuka warned before he closed his eyes and tried to follow his own advice.
When bath time was over, everyone had decided to give Ritsuka and Kiyohime some time alone and retreat to their own rooms for the night. The guest rooms at Enma-Tei were just as one would expect from a traditional Japanese inn; tatami mats, soft futons, wooden screen doors and a small kotatsu set up in the middle of the room. Upon entering the room, Kentaro immediately lay down on one of the futons and quickly fell asleep. Gudako rummaged through her luggage to find something to occupy her mind. Tamamo had elected to accompany the family back to their room to continue playing with the Wraith Child as Aki watched on.
"Fluffy fluffy Fox Lady tail." Jack muttered to herself as she snuggled her face into Tamamo's soft and bushy tail. Both Tamamo and Aki giggled in response to Jack.
"Aww. Jack, you're adorable in that little yukata." Aki cooed upon seeing her granddaughter's antics. Not even Ritsuka and Gudako were this cute when they were Jack's age. "Jack, you must really like Tamamo's tail, then?" Aki asked the Wraith Child. Jack pulled her face out of Tamamo's tail to speak.
"Yep. Nothing is fluffier than Fox Lady's tail." Jack replied before she resumed her nuzzling. This caused Tamamo to giggle once more, as Jack always managed to find the ticklish spots on the Fox Miko's fluffy tail.
"She can't keep her hands off of my tail whenever Kiyohi asks me to babysit her." Tamamo mentioned to Aki once she had gotten used to Jack's ministrations. Kiyohime did not often get selected to accompany Ritsuka on missions, but whenever she did Kiyohime was always sure to get Tamamo to watch over her daughter. Aki smiled gently at the Fox Miko.
"That sounds adorable." Aki remarked as she imagined Jack curling up on her bed while holding Tamamo's tail. The thought warmed her heart, however something still bothered her. "But I'm surprised that Kiyohime trusts you so much with Jack" She brought up, a bit concerned that Tamamo may actually be a homewrecker. 'Especially since you're trying to steal her husband.' Aki added in her own mind. Tamamo dismissed Aki's concern with a wave of her hand.
"Why wouldn't she? We're best friends after all." Tamamo dismissed. While she and Kiyohime might have had disagreements in the past, nothing would get between their friendship: not even Kiyohime's marriage to Humanity's Last Master. "She and I knew each other before we joined Chaldea, and we even studied together under Benienma, along with Okkie and Tomoe." Tamamo added with a slight shudder as she tried not to remember the trauma of working under the Tongue-Cut Sparrow. Tamamo's statement continued to feed into Aki's misunderstanding of the situation: as Tamamo had not outright stated that she was a Servant, Aki simply assumed that the Fox Miko was just a Fox Spirit who happened to be friends with her Dragon daughter-in-law.
"Okay then. If Kiyohime is fine with it then I am too." Aki said, although she was fully prepared to give Tamamo a piece of her mind should the Fox Miko do anything to betray her daughter-in-law's trust. Tamamo gave out a sigh of relieve at having gained Aki's trust.
"Now then Mother, I'd like to ask you to pass over Jack's blanket and pillow." Tamamo requested in a hushed tone as she pointed a finger behind herself. At some point during their conversation, Jack had laid down behind Tamamo and actually drifted off to sleep while nuzzling into the tail as if it were a pillow or stuffed toy. Aki nodded silently and gently lifted the Wraith Child's head to slide her pillow underneath before she covered Jack in a blanket. Gudako decided to leave at that point.
"I'm gonna go hang out with Tomoe and Okkie." Gudako said quietly as she made her way to the door.
"Anyone got ideas for what we can do for the rest of the night?" Gudako asked immediately when she entered the room where the Servants stayed. Osakabehime instantly jumped over to her suitcase in response.
"I got you covered." Osakabehime said with a wide grin as she opened her luggage. She pulled out one of her favourite gaming consoles: the Ninstation 64. The '64' in the title was a reference to the console's sixty-four bit processor, which was quite the step up from the previous Super Ninstation's sixteen bit processor. Games released on the Ninstation 64 often had the number '64' somewhere in the title (regardless of numerical entry in their respective series), just to hammer in the point. "How about a few rounds of Super Italian Kart 64?" She asked with her grin still on her face.
Super Italian Kart was a racing spin-off of the Super Italian Brothers series. Players would race each other in carts driven by a Super Italian Brothers character. To help keep the races interesting, race courses had items that players could pick up and use for varying effects; such as a mushroom that rapidly sped up one's cart or a green shell that would be thrown to make another player momentarily spin out. Gudako could not think of a better way to spend the night.
"Yeah!" Gudako agreed with enthusiasm. "We can do some races first and then try Battle Mode." Gudako suggested. Osakabehime nodded and began to set up the video game console, using her personal tablet as a screen.
"Mash, you want in?" Gudako asked while she waited for Osakabehime to finish. Mash jumped at the chance to make a new friend.
"Okay, Miss Gudako." Mash replied as she sat down next to her Senpai's sister. Gudako was amused by how earnest the Shielder was.
"You don't have to add the 'Miss' part: just Gudako is fine." Gudako said. Mash nodded at her Master's sister.
"That's nice of you to say, Miss Gudako." Mash said with such sincerity that Gudako ignored the fact that Mash just disregarded Gudako's wishes. Gudako gave out an amused chuckle.
"Heh, you remind me of a friend back from high school." Gudako muttered as she remembered her good friend Tachie, to whom Mash held a peculiar resemblance. "She was always following behind Ritsuka, calling out for her 'Senpai.'" Gudako recalled fondly.
By this point, Osakabehime had finished setting up the Ninstation 64 and turned it on with the cartridge for Super Italian Kart inserted. Everyone picked up a controller and selected their player character; Osakabehime chose King Turtle, Gudako picked Dinosauro, Tomoe selected Fratellone and Mash played as Princess Mushroom. The remaining four racers would be controlled by the computer for each race.
The first race would be on Fratellino's Raceway: a rather straightforward circuit with two wide left turns that were perfect for drifting. While there were no environmental hazards to throw in some chaos into the mix, neither were there any shortcuts: this was a race track where a player's skill (and items) were the deciding factor. The race started with a bit of awkwardness as Mash had never played this game before, but after Gudako gave a quick explanation of the controls Mash quickly got the hang of things.
By the third lap, Osakabehime dominated the race with Tomoe following closely behind. Mash was in fifth place, which was surprising this was her first time ever playing Italian Kart. Despite Gudako's experience with Italian Kart, she had actually ended up in last place due to somehow running over every dropped banana peel and getting hit by every ricocheted green shell. However, Gudako's luck would take a momentary change for the better.
"Come on, something good." Gudako begged as she watched her roulette settle on an item that would decide the outcome of the race. "Hehehe. Blue Shell time." Gudako muttered deviously. The Blue Shell was a powerful item that could only be picked up by the player in last place. When used, it would target the racer in first place and hit any other racer along the way. With enough skill, the Blue Shell could give a player the chance to completely turn around the outcome of a race and reach first place.
"Umm, Miss Gudako, what does the Ghost item do?" Mash asked suddenly. Gudako held off on using the Blue Shell to give a brief answer to Mash.
"Oh, that lets you steal another player's item." Gudako explained calmly before she realised that she had just ensured her own downfall. "OH SHIT!" She cried out in alarm once Mash used her Ghost item to steal Gudako's own Blue Shell.
"Hmm. What does this Blue Shell do?" Mash asked before she launched the projectile. The Blue Shell sped ahead of Mash's kart, knocking over any other racer it encountered until it reached Tomoe and Osakabehime's karts at the front. As Tomoe's kart was directly behind Osakabehime's kart, both players were hit by the projectile and spun out just short of the finish line.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Gudako, Tomoe and Osakabehime all cried out in unison as Mash just dashed all of their hopes of reaching first place in the race. Mash's kart then came up from fifth place all the way to first and won the race.
"That was fun. Next race?" Mash asked innocently after her victory, completely unaware of the three sets of eyes that glared daggers at her.
Super Italian Kart was a video game that ruined many friendships.
Ritsuka and Kiyohime had retired for the night and lay down together in the futon. Between the stress of his recent mission in the Chinese Lostbelt and having to deal with the drama around Enma-Tei, Ritsuka just wanted to get some rest while he still could. Currently, Humanity's Last Master had his face buried in his wife's chest while the Dragon Woman gently stroked his hair.
"Ugh. I know my Servants mean well, but sometimes I just wanna punch some sense into them. At this rate, I'm going to get grey hair before I turn thirty from all of this stress." Ritsuka ranted in exasperation. 'So much for a vacation.' He thought to himself bitterly. For now, Ritsuka would have to bury his trauma until his contract with Benienma was finished. Kiyohime smiled and gently tilted Ritsuka's face to look at her in the eyes.
"Honoured Husband, while I cannot do anything about how your Servants have acted, I can do something about your stress." Kiyohime stated with a coy smile. "How long has it been since we last had a Mana Transfer?" Kiyohime asked slyly.
Ritsuka's demeanour instantly changed as he swiftly moved up to kiss his wife, which Kiyohime eagerly returned. They both stroked their hands up and down each other's bodies during their make-out session. The couple continued to kiss as Ritsuka reached down to untie the sash that held Kiyohime's kimono together. With Kiyohime's kimono now open, she lay on her back and excitedly awaited the next part. As Ritsuka had been out for over a week in the Chinese Lostbelt, both he and Kiyohime had become rather pent up, and they were more than eager to make up for lost time.
Benienma's rest was interrupted when she suddenly felt the usage of Magecraft in her inn. As the proprietress of Enma-Tei, it was her duty to investigate any possible anomalies or potential threats to her guests. Benienma left her private quarters and made her way through the halls of Enma-Tei towards the source of the disturbance. She silently crept towards the couple's suite and gently slid the door open just enough to peer inside. Benienma's eyes widened in shock at the sight.
Benienma saw Ritsuka and Kiyohime together on the futon. Kiyohime laid down on her back while Ritsuka moved back and forth on top of her, with neither husband nor wife wearing any clothing. It was obvious to Benienma that the two were engaged in the intimacy that married couples were wont to do. Despite the blatant violation of her guests' privacy, Benienma could not tear her eyes away from the spectacle.
The moonlight poured in from the open window to illuminate the entire scene. The thin sheen of sweat that spread across Ritsuka's immaculately sculpted form made his skin appear to shine. Benienma was surprised: Ritsuka's New Years Mystic Code did a good job of hiding his muscled physique. His piercing eyes glowed softly in the low lighting of the room as he maintained his Noise Cancelling Spell. Suddenly, Ritsuka stopped his movements and shuddered. Kiyohime writhed in pleasure beneath Ritsuka as he Transferred Mana into her Saint Graph. It was fortunate that Ritsuka had cast a Noise Cancelling spell over the room, otherwise the entirety Enma-Tei would have been woken up by Kiyohime's cries of ecstasy. Embarrassed, Benienma silently closed the door and swiftly made her way back to her room.
Benienma tried to go to sleep for the night, however her mind had other ideas. She was no stranger to sexual intercourse, but she had not slept with a man since her previous life as a mortal prostitute. She could not stop thinking about Humanity's Last Master. Benienma replayed what she had seen in her mind, only this time Benienma imagined herself underneath Ritsuka instead of Kiyohime. Benienma's heart beat faster as she envisioned what a night in bed with Humanity's Last Master would be like. Running an inn almost entirely by herself had left Benienma with little time for social interaction, so she was starved for affection and intimacy.
"Kiyohime is a lucky woman." Benienma thought to herself with a bit of jealousy as sleep finally claimed her.
The following morning, Enma-Tei's newest guests had gathered in the Dining Room for breakfast. Benienma had provided each person with a plate of grilled salmon seasoned with sugar and soy sauce and served with rice, miso soup and a small salad on the side. It was a strange sensation for Ritsuka and Jack: this breakfast tasted so similar to what Kiyohime would normally make for them, but it tasted just differently enough for them to notice. Kiyohime meanwhile was smiling so brightly that she practicality glowing. Gudako suspected something happened between the couple last night, however the proprietress of Enma-Tei spoke up before Gudako could look into the matter any further.
"Come Ritsuka, it is time for us to go to work." Benienma said with a slight blush as she remembered what she had seen Humanity's Last Master and the Dragon Woman do together last night. Ritsuka nodded and finished off the last of his breakfast.
"Right." Ritsuka said after swallowing his food. "Goodbye everyone, see you all tonight." He said to everyone before he glared at Fionn and Diarmuid. "And you two are coming with me!" Ritsuka growled at his Servants. The two straightened up out of fear.
"Yes Master!" Fionn and Diarmuid cried out in unison. Kiyohime giggled at her husband's antics, the sound of which made Ritsuka soften his expression a tiny bit.
"I'll be going now." Ritsuka said as he turned to face his wife. Kiyohime leaned in and gave her husband a goodbye kiss.
"Have a safe trip." Kiyohime replied. With that, Ritsuka stood up and left the Dining Room to help restore Enma-Tei to its former glory. Fionn and Diarmuid followed their Master outside to do their part.
"Yeah, Ritsuka and Kiyohime definitely fucked last night." Gudako concluded in her mind as she saw Ritsuka and Kiyohime's interaction. She immediately crushed that thought within her mind: her brother's sex life was none of her business and Gudako did not have a Brother Complex.
Benienma had lead Ritsuka, Fionn and Diarmuid out of the dining hall and through Enma-Tei's corridors. The Chaldeans noticed a gradual change in their surroundings as they followed the Tongue-Cut Sparrow. The floors eventually became dusty, paper began to peel from the screen door frames and even the air itself began to smell stale. Ritsuka noticed that every door in the hallway had a hand-written 'Do Not Enter' tags attached to them. Eventually after many turns and the occasional climb up some stairs, Benienma stopped in the middle of a hallway.
"So what exactly do you need us to do?" Ritsuka asked Benienma. The Tongue-Cut Sparrow pulled the 'Do Not Enter' tag off of the nearest door and opened up the room.
"We will have to bring the decommissioned parts of Enma-Tei back to working order to bring in more guests. Seeing as you are all clearly capable warriors, I would also ask you to patrol the grounds and drive off Phantasmal Beasts to keep our guests safe." Benienma explained. "Of course, this will all have to be done in addition to the usual chores of maintaining the inn, such as cleaning and cooking." She added.
"Alright, what should we do first?" Ritsuka asked without any hesitation. The sooner he started, the sooner he would be finished.
"For now, I want you to replace the floorboards of our extra guest bedrooms. They have almost completely rotted away, and the extra income from these bedrooms will help fund further repairs." "There should be enough wood in storage to repair this room, however you will need to go out into the forest to gather more lumber to repair the other rooms. In the meantime, I shall tend to your family, Ritsuka." She added, which caused Ritsuka to smile. His smile quickly vanished as he turned to address his Servants.
"You two heard the Proprietress: get to it." Ritsuka commanded the Knights of Fianna. Ritsuka wasted no time to begin repairs as he immediately grabbed a nearby crowbar and began to remove the old and rotted floorboards.
"He's a hard worker." Benienma thought to herself as she walked away from Humanity's Last Master.
A pair of pleasured moans echoed through the halls of Enma-Tei. This was accompanied by the loud slapping sounds of flesh upon flesh, growing ever faster and louder. Slowly, the voices built up in volume until the both gave out a cry of ecstasy that shook dust off of the old wooden beams of the inn. This climax was followed by two sets of heavy breathing, although the rhythmic slaps did not stop at all.
"Who would have thought that sparrows were so good at massages?" Kiyohime remarked as she lay face down on the massage table. One of the sparrows that worked in Enma-Tei hopped on the Dragon Woman's back vigorously. Despite the sparrows appearance, the pudgy bird had enough weight to work out the knots that had built up in Kiyohime's muscles. Kiyohime was not alone in the massage parlour, as a certain Fox Miko had taken up her friend's offer for a relaxing day at the spa.
"Yes indeed! I hadn't realised how many knots I had in my back from gathering Embers." Tamamo agreed. She too had a sparrow on her bare back who worked his magic to relieve the Fox Miko's tension.
"Chirp. Chirp. You are too kind. This is nothing special, Honoured Guests." One of the sparrows replied as the two continued to hop rhythmically on their guest's respective backs with precision. Kiyohime and Tamamo moaned.
The forests around Enma-Tei were the picturesque vision of the Japanese countryside: a verdant woodland where the natural beauty was untouched by man. It was a thriving ecosystem that Enma-Tei used for resources; full of wild fruits and vegetables as well as plentiful game and fish. So long as Enma-Tei remained the sole outlet of civilisation in the area (and so long as its guests were mindful of their impact on the environment), these forests would remain pristine. The serenity however was ruined by an angry shout that caused all animals (and Phantasmals) who heard it to flee in terror.
"GET OVER HERE!" Ritsuka yelled as he grabbed the giant rooster by the neck and forced the bird to the ground. He then proceeded to repeatedly stomp on the rooster's head until its skull was reduced to a bloody pulp. Ritsuka's team had been accosted by the avian of unusual size while they were out in the forest collecting wood for the next day's repairs. Ritsuka took the opportunity to vent some of his stress. Diarmuid stared stiffly as his Master grunted angrily with each stomp.
"I hope that the Master isn't imagining that the giant roosters is one of us." Diarmuid muttered nervously as he watched his Master's brutal execution of the local wildlife.
"...I think I'll go try catching fish in the river." Fionn said as his self-preservation instincts kicked in.
Osakabehime had decided not to partake in one of Enma-Tei's various recreational activities, and instead she chose to stay holed up in her room and await Ritsuka's orders. In order to pass the time, the Shut-In decided to play video games. Her leisure time however was cut short when the door to her room suddenly opened to reveal none other than Jack the Ripper and her aunt Gudako.
"Hey Origami Lady, We wanna learn how to make origami!" Jack requested excitedly. Osakabehime instantly caved in to the Wraith Child's request.
"Aww." Osakabehime cooed at Jack. "I'd love to teach you." She agreed before she put away her tablet and pulled out a small stack of coloured paper squares from her suitcase. Gudako noticed that Osakabehime had also packed an assortment of guns in her luggage.
"So what do you want to learn how to make first, Jack?" Gudako asked as she eyed the Shut-In's guns warily. While she was fully aware of how dangerous firearms were, she could not help but be fixated on the gaudy pink colour scheme that Osakabehime had decorated her guns with. Jack did not care for guns: only knives.
"Hmm. We wanna know how to make a puppy." Jack requested after some deliberation. Gudako chose not to participate but instead enjoy the sight of her niece having a good time. Osakabehime nodded in affirmation.
"Alright: one lesson on origami dogs coming right up." Osakabehime announced as she grabbed a square of green paper for herself and gave a pink sheet to Jack. "First, we fold it in half, unfold it, then fold in half again the other way..." She informed Jack as she demonstrated how to fold the paper. Jack followed along as best she could, and Osakabehime was happy to give the Wraith Child aid whenever a fold was too difficult for a beginner. In no time at all, the lesson had come to a close.
"Okay, now fold that corner in to make the tail and you have a puppy!" Osakabehime finished before she stood her latest Origami Familiar up on its four paper legs. Jack imitated Osakabehime's instructions and stood her own origami dog up.
"Yay!" Jack exclaimed as she held up her new paper crafted pet, which was much more crumpled than the example that Osakabehime made. Gudako smiled as Jack began to play with the origami dog.
"So, do you just carry all of that origami paper to pass the time?" Gudako asked out of curiosity while Jack was busy. Instead of answering right away, Osakabehime willed her other Origami Familiars to come out into the open and form a circle around the three, much to Gudako's shock and wonderment.
"They're not just ordinary origami: they're my Familiars. Everyone ready?" Osakabehime asked as she pointed her index fingers upwards. With a wave of her fingers, the Origami creations came to life and performed a small parade that danced around the three.
"Wow!" Jack cried out in amazement. Gudako had a similarly awed expression, as the 'magic' of Magecraft had yet to wear off on her. Osakabehime was proud that her little party trick managed to impress her Master's sister and daughter.
"I've been working on a way to get my Origami Familiars to use my extra guns. It hurts my brain to control that many at once, but I'm close to figuring it out." Osakabehime stated with pride. She had envisioned a new technique where she and all of her Origami Familiars would charge into the enemy with guns blazing. Osakabehime had even thought of a name for it: Thousand Origami of Hakuro, Milli-Milli Night Fever.
"Yeah, I noticed you have a lot of them." Gudako said as she took another glance at Osakabehime's collection of firearms in her suitcase. Osakabehime was overjoyed to have the chance to talk about one of her hobbies with a new friend.
"Yep! Painted them myself." Osakabehime said with pride. "I got pistols, bullpups, sniper rifles and even a rocket launcher." She listed off, raising a finger for each type of gun that she owned. "Yeah, getting sent off into the unknown with my guns, my life is a Battle Royale Game." She boasted with folded arms and a smug smile. Gudako saw the perfect opportunity arise.
"That fits, 'cuz Ritsuka's life is a Gacha Game whenever he Summons." Gudako joked. Osakabehime, being a fellow fan of Gacha Games, instantly understood what Gudako meant with her comment.
"Pshhhh Gahaahahahahahahahah!" Osakabehime burst out into laughter at Gudako's observation. "You're right! You're so right! He is just rolling on the Gacha each time he tries to Summon a Servant!" Osakabehime cried out with laughter. Once she got herself under control, she dismissed her Origami Familiars. 'With so many other amazing Servants around Macchan, I'd definitely be just a One-Star Servant in the Gacha.' Osakabehime thought to herself with melancholy, feeling less than confident in her value as one of Ritsuka's Servants. "Anyway, what do you want to learn next, Jack?" Osakabehime asked the Wraith Child.
After Ritsuka, Diarmuid and Fionn had gathered enough tree trunks, their next task was to prepare the lumber for the next day's repairs. A rectangular pit was dug out in the ground of the lumber yard. A log, cut from one of the trees from Enma-Tei's surrounding forest, was suspended over the pit lengthwise. Without the benefit of modern machinery to saw the logs, the lumber needed to be prepared manually. That meant that two people had to use a long saw to cut out planks from the log one at a time. Naturally, Ritsuka and Diarmuid would be the two manual labourers who would do the job.
"Diarmuid, I need you to tell me if we're sawing straight." Ritsuka called out from the top of log pit as he pushed and pulled his end of the saw. Several lines had been drawn down the length of the log to mark which sections would be cut into planks. Ritsuka and Diarmuid needed to coordinate their efforts closely in order to ensure that each wooden board was uniform in shape. Diarmuid looked up from the saw.
"I'm trying not to get sawdust in my eyes." Diarmuid replied from the bottom of the pit. He tried his best to handle his own end of the saw, however the steady shower of sawdust made checking the cut nearly impossible. It did not help that puddles of water had accumulated in the pit, as did mosquitoes that had decided to breed there. Still, Diarmuid would carry out his Master's orders to the best of his ability, no matter how hazardous they may be.
Fionn meanwhile was a short distance away from the other two at a workbench. He focused his attention on sanding down his own plank to a smooth finish. As only two people were required to saw the logs, Fionn was assigned the duty of ensuring that the planks created by Ritsuka and Diarmuid were up to a presentable standard. Fionn was quite pleased with his assigned task, since who was better than a king to judge quality?
In Enma-Tei's kitchen, Mash and Tomoe attended a cooking class hosted by none other than Enma-Tei's own proprietress, Benienma. Today's lesson was on how to cook Karaage. Mash and Tomoe had just finished frying their chicken pieces and they were ready for Benienma to pass judgement.
Benienma picked up one of Mash's karaage pieces with her chopsticks and bit into it. She gave the chicken a few chews, judging the crispiness of the batter and how tender the meat was before she swallowed. Benienma then gave a nod of approval.
"While there is still room for improvement, I would consider this a success." Benienma said, mindful to be subdued in her praises, lest Mash become overconfident in her skills. Mash let out the breath that the was holding in anticipation.
"That's a relief. This whole time, I was worried that I used the wrong mix for the batter, or that I didn't cook the chicken for long enough." Mash confessed as she tried to get her heart rate under control.
"Mash, why did you decide to take this class, may I ask?" Benienma asked. It would help Benienma structure future lessons if she understood Mash's motivations a bit more. The Shielder fidgeted under the Tongue-Cut Sparrow's gaze.
"Umm...There's someone I want to cook for..." Mash muttered with a blush. Benienma gave her an amused smile.
"Affection is one of the most important spices in cooking." Benienma stated, which caused Mash to blush even more. It was not hard for Benienma to deduce that the object of the Shielder's affection was none other than Humanity's Last Master. 'How naughty of you, Mash, to desire the husband of a married woman. Although, it is not like I am much better.' Benienma thought to herself. "Tomoe, it is your turn." She declared once that little distraction was over.
"Yes! I am certain that you will be impressed with my Karaage." Tomoe stated confidently. Benienma did not believe the Archer of Inferno for a second, but she decided to follow through with her taste test regardless.
"Hmm." Benienma hummed as she placed the chicken in her mouth and chewed. She gave a smile to Tomoe before she suddenly dashed out of the room. Mash and Tomoe could hear the Tongue-Cut Sparrow vomiting out Tomoe's dish. Benienma stomped back into her kitchen with an furious look on her face as she confronted Tomoe.
"I do not even have a tongue, and the taste of your cooking made me vomit! How is that even possible?!" Benienma shouted at the Archer of Inferno. Tomoe could only stare at her Karaage in confusion with her confidence shaken.
"I do not understand. I was certain that turning up the heat would help it cook faster." Tomoe muttered to herself as she stared at the meat, which was still raw in the middle despite the golden brown (bordering on burnt upon closer inspection) batter on the outside. Benienma pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation.
"I think that is enough cooking lessons for one day." Benienma said, as she did not want any more stress. "Mash, you may leave. Tomoe, clean up that mess." Benienma ordered with a glare. "I better not have gotten salmonella poisoning because of you." She warned before she left the kitchen to check up on how repairs to Enma-Tei were coming along.
Benienma was impressed with today's results. At the rate Ritsuka and the Celts were currently going, Benienma estimated that Enma-Tei would be back to full functionality in about two weeks. She met up with Ritsuka in the Reception Room while Fionn and Diarmuid had gone ahead to wash off in the bath.
"Good job today, Ritsuka. You may rest." Benienma informed Humanity's Last Master, who was still covered in giant rooster blood and sawdust. Ritsuka nodded, but before he could move to wash himself off something on the front counter caught his attention.
"What's in that box?" Ritsuka asked as he pointed to a small wooden box that was set on one end of the counter.
"Just some junk left behind by previous guests. You may take them if you wish." Benienma said in a dismissive tone before she left to resume her usual duties as proprietress. Ritsuka decided to take the Tongue-Cut Sparrow up on her offer and he began to rummage through the box. It did not take long for Ritsuka to find something that interested him.
"Is that what I think it is?" Ritsuka asked himself in surprise as he reached into the Lost-and-Found box to take the object in question. 'Jack is going to like this.' He thought to himself with satisfaction before he went out to give his gift to his daughter.
As befitting of a supreme chef such as Benienma, Enma-Tei had an exceptional selection of dishes on the menu. Each of the guests took full advantage of this opportunity to eat dishes that surpassed even Emiya's quality of cooking. Goredolf for example had ordered the most expensive item on the menu: the Sashimi Platter. However, for all of the high class food available, Aki had ordered a simple bowl of Teriyaki Chicken Don for dinner.
"So tasty!" Aki cried out in delight as she savoured the grilled chicken slices marinaded in teriyaki sauce. "Thank you for the meal!" She said appreciatively to her sparrow server.
"You are most welcome, Honoured Guest." The sparrow replied politely, quite pleased to have a satisfied guest.
"Please, you have to tell me how you got the meat to taste so good." Aki begged. The sparrow server looked around to ensure that Benienma was not nearby before he replied.
"The secret is in the meat itself. That meat came from the giant roosters that infest the surrounding woods." The sparrow revealed in a hushed tone. "One was freshly slaughtered by your son earlier today, by the way." He added.
"Oh wow." Aki said in response. She tried not to think about how a sparrow talking about eating chicken sounded like cannibalism.
Ritsuka had spent a good while wandering through Enma-Tei in search of his daughter. When he finally found Jack, whatever irritation that might have built up during the day instantly melted away at the sight of the smiling Wraith Child.
"Hi Mommy!" Jack greeted her father in one of Enma-Tei's hallways. Ritsuka returned her smile as the Wraith Child ran up to him and gave him a hug.
"Hello Jack. How was your day?" Ritsuka asked his daughter as he gave her a headpat. Jack beamed at the question.
"It was fun! Origami Lady showed us how to make Origami animals. We made a doggy!" Jack said with pride as she held up her arts and crafts project.
"Wow! You did a great job, Jack." Ritsuka said with pride. He always made sure to nurture Jack's artistic abilities whenever possible. "By the way, I have something for you." He said as he held out the object that he took from the Lost-and-Found Box. "This is a Kendama." Ritsuka revealed. Jack accepted the new gift from her father.
"Thank you Mommy." Jack said politely like a good little girl. While she would have liked another knife, she was thankful to spend more time with her father nonetheless.
"You swing it around and try to catch the ball on either one of the cups or on the spike." Ritsuka explained. "Try it." He encouraged. Jack nodded and focused on her new toy. She swung the Kendama to launch the ball into the air. To her credit, Jack actually managed to get the ball to hit one of the cups, although its momentum caused it to bounce off, much to her disappointment. Ritsuka gave an amused smirk and decided to help the Wraith Child out.
"Try bending your knees like this to get the ball up." Ritsuka suggested with a demonstration.
I find that using only your arms just makes you lose control of the ball." He added. Jack follwoed her father's example by bending her knees down and suddenly straightening up, the momentum of which launched the ball upwards. This time, Jack was able to easily catch the ball in one of the Kendama's cups.
"Yay!" Jack cried out in delight as she felt accomplishment. Ritsuka smiled and gave his daughter another headpat for her efforts.
"The ball has a hole in the middle, so you can also try to catch the ball by stabbing it." Ritsuka informed Jack. Jack's eyes lit up at the mention of 'stabbing,' and she wasted no time to try out the Kendama's alternative function. Once more, Jack bent her knees and rapidly straightened up to bring up the ball. Jack's Servant enhanced senses enabled her to easily judge when and how to stab the Kendama forward to slip the spike into the ball, which she caught on the first try.
"Thank you Mommy! We love it!" Jack exclaimed, thoroughly enjoying her newest toy. Ritsuka smiled: he knew that Jack would love anything that involved stabbing.
"You're welcome." Ritsuka said. "This can help you pass the time while you're waiting for me to finish work." He said, which actually brought Jack's mood down.
"We wish Mommy didn't have to work for Sparrow Lady..." Jack muttered morosely. Ritsuka could not help but agree with his daughter.
"I do too. However, when you're a leader, you need to take responsibility for those under you." Ritsuka stated firmly. His words did not improve Jack's mood, so he decided to keep talking. "I know that we won't be able to spend as much time with each other as we'd like on this trip, but I'm going to make the most of my time with you between work." Ritsuka said as he pulled Jack into another hug, which she returned.
"Thank you, Mommy." Jack said sincerely. She knew that her father was trying his best to be there for her. After a short while of hugging and a few more headpats, Ritsuka broke out of the embrace.
"Anyway, I need to wash this gunk off." Ritsuka said, as he was still covered in blood, sweat and sawdust.
"Aww. We like it when Mommy's covered in blood." Jack whined playfully "Good night, Mommy." She said before she resumed her focus on her new toy.
"Good night, Jack" Ritsuka replied to his daughter before he walked off to the bath. Unknown to either father nor daughter, someone else had been watching them from the shadows.
"He's a good father." Benienma thought to herself as she saw Ritsuka bond with his daughter. It warmed Benienma's heart to see Ritsuka take the time to spend time with his daughter and try to make her happy despite his exhaustion from working all day. It made Ritsuka all the more desirable in the Tongue-Cut Sparrow's eyes.
After Kentaro had finished his bath, he stepped out into the Rec Room for a drink of warm milk. The Rec Room was surprisingly modernised in comparison to the rest of Enma-Tei. There were leather massage chairs, a small drink bar, a pool table, a table tennis set. However, before he could order some milk from a nearby sparrow, a voice caught his attention.
"How about a round of table tennis, Mister Fujimaru?" Goredolf offered with a paddle already in his hand. Kentaro stared at his son's boss for a few seconds.
"Alright." Kentaro agreed tersely. He made his way over to the table and picked up a paddle for himself and the ball. "I'll serve." Kentaro stated before he did exactly that. The two took turns hitting the ball back and forth between them until Goredolf actually missed one of his swings.
"Well played!" Goredolf congratulated, not about to let something as insignificant as a loss at table tennis get him down. "However, this phoenix is about to rise from the ashes." He declared before he served the ball back to Kentaro. Goredolf's boast would have had more impact if Kentaro actually knew that the Director's moniker back in the Clocktower was 'Goredolf the Phoenix.'
Benienma had just one more duty left to do before she could turn in for the night: clean the baths. However, when she entered the men's bath with her cleaning supplies in hand she saw something that made her immediately exit the bath in embarrassment.
"Ah! Ritsuka!" Benienma cried out in shock. "My apologies! I did not realise that you were still using the bath." She called from outside of the bath's entrance. Inside the men's bath was none other than Humanity's Last Master, who had finally gotten around to cleaning himself off after a long day's work.
"It's alright. No harm done." Ritsuka said nonchalantly as he continued to scrub the grime off of his body. Against her better judgement, Benienma looked back into the bath. She finally got a good look at Ritsuka's muscled body.
"Would you like me to wash your back?" Benienma asked without thinking. She immediately covered her mouth in embarrassment as Ritsuka raised an eyebrow at the Tongue-Cut Sparrow.
"Do you want to join me?" Ritsuka asked. He figured that Benienma herself had yet to clean herself off as well, considering how much work needed to be done around Enma-Tei on a daily basis. Benienma's face flushed red at the offer.
"I-i-i-it would be most inappropriate for me to e-e-enter the bath with you." Benienma stuttered, although she could not tear her eyes away from Ritsuka's naked back.
"It's alright. There's nothing on you that I haven't already seen on my wife or my daughter." Ritsuka dismissed. He was not the protagonist of some raunchy anime of the early-to-mid 2000s who would become a flustered mess with a bleeding nose at the sight of a naked woman. Besides, Ritsuka had no intention of starting an illicit affair when he was already in a committed relationship with his loving wife. Benienma swallowed in anticipation.
"I... Accept." Benienma stated before she started to strip off her clothing. She then sat down behind Ritsuka, picked up a bar of soap and began to lather his back. Benienma sweated with excitement at her close contact with Humanity's Last Master. She felt the rough texture of Ritsuka's scars, the presence of which made her heart ache in sympathy. She wondered if he felt great pain whenever he gained a new scar, and she imagined herself tending to Ritsuka's wounds. Benienma further fantasised about welcoming Ritsuka back home after he returned from battle, and offering any comfort she could provide him.
"Time for a dip." Ritsuka announced, breaking Benienma out of her fantasies. She had been so caught up in her daydream that she did not even notice that Ritsuka was completely clean by now. He stood up and walked over to the hot spring.
"Aaah." Ritsuka sighed in pleasure once he sat in the hot water. Benienma quickly cleaned herself off and joined him in the bath.
'He has such a nice body.' Benienma thought to herself as she tried not to stare at Ritsuka's naked form in the hot water.
With tiredness settling into his bones, Ritsuka wasted no time in returning to the Couple's Suite for a good night's rest. However, there was just one last thing that he needed to do tonight. He opened the door to see that his wife Kiyohime was already waiting for him on the futon.
"Ah, good evening, Honoured Husba-mmph!" Kiyohime's greeting was interrupted when Ritsuka suddenly grabbed his wife by the shoulders and forced his mouth over hers. Kiyohime's cry of surprise was muffled by her husband's mouth and was soon replaced by a pleasured moan as some of Ritsuka's Mana began to enter her Spirit Origin. That was enough to get Kiyohime in the mood for a Mana Transfer.
So began the new routine for Enma-Tei's most recent guests. Ritsuka, Fionn and Diarmuid would labour under Benienma while the rest of the Chaldeans enjoyed a relaxing hot springs vacation. At least Ritsuka was thankful to be able to Transfer Mana to Kiyohime on a nightly basis.
During his time as temporary employee of Enma-Tei, Ritsuka uncovered the truth behind Benienma's debt to Moneyed Monkey: it was all a scam to steal Enma-Tei from Benienma. With his plans foiled, Moneyed Monkey revealed his true identity as Nue and attempted to take Enma-Tei from Benienma by force. Naturally, Ritsuka would not allow such a thing to happen. He jumped to Benienma's defence against Nue in the Shrine alongside Kiyohime, Jack and Osakabehime.
This fight was not going in Ritsuka's favour: despite appearances, Nue was a formidable combatant. The creature seemed to anticipate each of Ritsuka's moves and easily shrug off attacks. More worryingly, Nue was intelligent enough to cover his vulnerable neck. Humanity's Last Master simply did not have the means to defeat Nue with his current line up of Servants.
"Jack, stay out of his reach! Okkie, get the others!" Ritsuka commanded with Remnant in hand before he went in for another thrust, which was done more to keep the creature occupied than to actually kill him. Osakabehime wasted no time to turn around and rush to bring back reinforcements.
Even as a Servant, Osakabehime was hardly the model of physical fitness. Her lungs and legs ached as she ran from room to room, desperately searching for any signs of her fellow Servants. Her persistence paid off however, as she eventually found Tomoe, Tamamo and Mash in the dining room together.
"Hey everyone! Ritsuka needs backup in the shrine!" Osakabehime called out worriedly. The other three Servants all stood up and rushed to follow the Shut-In and aid their Master. Unknown to the Servants, three uninvited guests had decided to follow them.
"Reinforcements have arrived!" Osakabehime called out as she entered the Offering Room with Tomoe, Tamamo and Mash in tow. Her timing was impeccable, as Nue had just snatched up Benienma in one of his claws. However while the Tongue-Cut Sparrow was in mortal peril, Nue was unable to effectively attack anyone else, since his opposite hand was preoccupied with protecting his throat. Ritsuka turned back to give his Servants their orders.
"Alright! Okkie, move to flank- WHO BROUGHT MY FAMILY HERE?!" Ritsuka yelled in alarm once he noticed that his parents and sister had also arrived on the scene. "Mash, Okkie, protect them!" He ordered just in time to dodge a stomp from Nue's leg. Mash slammed her shield into the ground in front of the Fujimaru Family to provide cover while Osakabehime released her origami familiars to guard their flanks. Ritsuka decided to gamble his victory on a single attack: he just needed to create an opening. "Tomoe, target the face! Tamamo, back me up!" Ritsuka commanded. Ritsuka needed to finish this fight fast before Nue decided to target his family.
Tomoe then shot a flaming arrow at Nue's face, which temporarily blinded the creature. This action provided an opening for Ritsuka and Kiyohime to stab Nue in the back of each knee, which caused the monster to fall to his knees and let go of the Tongue-Cut Sparrow. With his speed enhanced by Tamamo's Magecraft, Ritsuka dashed forward to catch Benienma.
"I got you!" Ritsuka cried out as he caught Benienma in his arms. "Jack! Finish him off!" He ordered. Ritsuka swiftly dashed a short distance away from Nue and set Benienma on her feet as the two watched Jack carry out her orders.
"He smells nice." Benienma thought to herself with a blush after Ritsuka let go of her. With Nue blinded and on his knees, the creature was finally vulnerable to a killing blow. The shrine was then filled with a supernatural fog, to the point that not even Nue's inhuman senses could detect anything around himself. Suddenly, two baleful eyes glowed through the mist
"Hell starts here. We are the fire, the rain, the power. Let the Slaughter begin." Jack recited as she suddenly appeared in front of Nue. "MARIA THE RIPPER!" Jack yelled as she slashed away at Nue's throat and abdomen like a maniac, showering herself in monstrous gore before the creature could react. Nue collapsed forward just as the fog lifted. "All done Mommy!" Jack called out cheerfully, in stark contrast to her bloodied visage. Ritsuka clapped his hands.
"Alright, great work everybody. You can all go back to what you were doing." Ritsuka announced. With that, everyone put away their respective weapons and calmly went on with their day. Kiyohime gently grabbed Jack's hand.
"Come along Jack, let's get you cleaned up." Kiyohime said to her daughter as she ushered the Wraith Child to the hot spring.
"Aww. We liked being covered in blood." Jack whined, although she still kept pace with her mother. Ritsuka gave a small chuckle at his daughter's adorable bloodlust. His amusement quickly vanished once he laid eyes on his parents and sister.
Aki, Kentaro and Gudako did not move a single step from the entrance of the shrine. All three of them stared at Nue's corpse in apprehension as they took a moment to process what they had just seen. Gudako was the first to speak up.
"Fuck. So Jack is an unstoppable killing machine." Gudako remarked in astonishment (and terror) after she saw her niece disembowel a supernatural monster. She doubted that she would get much sleep that night after seeing so much blood. Kentaro remained stoic as usual.
"Hmm. Makes sense, considering who her parents are." Kentaro pointed out. He sincerely hoped that Jack was taught how to fight solely for her own protection and not so that Chaldea could use his granddaughter as a child soldier. Aki gave an anxious chuckle.
"Thank goodness she's such a well behaved little girl." Aki remarked nervously. Her preconception of Jack as an innocent (if odd) little girl had been completely shattered under a shower of monster gore. By now, Ritsuka had walked up to his parents and sister with a disapproving look on his face.
"You three mind explaining what you were doing here?" Ritsuka asked with a scowl. He was not happy with his parents and sister.
"Okkie said you needed help, and we wanted wanted to show you our support." Gudako answered, to which her parents nodded in agreement. Ritsuka stared at his family, dumbfounded at their reasoning.
"...Do you have any idea of how much danger you were in?" Ritsuka asked his family. "A stray bullet or spell might have killed you, or Nue might have turned his attention to you. What if Nue managed to overwhelm me and Kiyohime because I ordered Mash and Okkie to protect you?" He continued as the full weight of what just went on began to sink into their minds. Aki began to fidget nervously.
"Well, when you put it that way-" Aki began to say before her son interrupted her.
"You hear that I'm fighting a deadly monster and your first thought is 'let's go put ourselves in danger! I'm sure nothing bad will happen!'" Ritsuka ranted sarcastically. "I brought you three to Chaldea to keep you safe, and this is what you decide to do?" He asked rhetorically, which caused the three of them to feel guilty over how they made Ritsuka worry.
"We're sorry." Kentaro said, but Ritsuka would hear none of it.
"Don't be sorry!" Ritsuka suddenly shouted. He took a few deep breaths to compose himself. "Just...Go back to your vacation while I clean up this mess." Ritsuka said in a more even tone before he turned around and left without even hearing their reply. Aki, Kentaro and Gudako all looked down in guilt before they too turned around and left Enma-Tei's shrine.
Ritsuka decided to search Nue's corpse any usable Materials before he cleaned up. During his inspection, he was approached by none other than Benienma.
"I sincerely thank you for your help, Humanity's Last Master." Benienma said with a bow. "As there is no more need to repay our debt to Moneyed Monkey, your services are no longer required. With this incident behind us, Enma-Tei can finally expand its business and turn in a profit for once. As thanks, when you die you are welcome to spend your afterlife here in Enma-Tei." Benienma stated with a wide smile. "With me." She added in her mind. Like so many other women before her, the Tongue-Cut Sparrow had fallen for Humanity's Last Master.
Benienma was a patient woman: Ritsuka was still mortal, so all that she had to do was wait for his life to end, and then the two of them could spend eternity together. It felt so naughty to covet the husband of one of her students, but Benienma could not stop herself: she was certain that Ritsuka was her soulmate. Besides, it was not like there were any other representatives of the afterlife who also wanted to claim Ritsuka or anything...
"You didn't have to do this." Ritsuka said to the Director as he sat in the dining hall's long table with Kiyohime at his right side and Jack on his left. The Chaldeans and the Enma-Tei staff had all assembled to congratulate Ritsuka's victory over Nue with a celebratory feast, courtesy of Benienma's top class cooking. The table was covered in a wide array of food platters, snacks and of course bottles of sake. Goredolf, who sat opposite Ritsuka, laughed heartily.
"Nonsense! The whole reason we came here in the first place was to get you to relax, so have some fun. That's an order." Goredolf said before he opened a bottle of sake, provided by Benienma. "A toast to Ritsuka's victory. Cheers!" He called out as he raised his bottle.
"Cheers!" Everyone else in the room repeated cheerfully before they each took a sip of their respective drinks. Neither Ritsuka nor Jack drank any sake however, as he was unaffected by alcohol and Jack was a child. Ritsuka's sister however held no such reservation.
"Party time!" Gudako yelled excitedly. She then eagerly drank her share of sake and let out a satisfied sigh.
The party picked up quickly after that. Everyone dug into their respective meals, drank and chatted among themselves. Jack and Kiyohime ate Karaage. Tamamo had Kitsune Udon. Aki and Gudako ate Oyakodon. Kentaro ate Mapo Tofu. Diarmuid and Fionn tried out the grilled salmon (that Fionn himself caught). Tomoe had the salt and pepper squid. Osakabehime appropriately had a big bowl of beef ramen. Mash tried out Unagidon for the first time. Goredolf once again had the Sashimi Platter. Even if he did not drink, Ritsuka enjoyed his bowl of pork curry. Eventually, Jack had her fill of the festivities.
"Mommy. We're tired..." Jack said to her father after she finished eating her plate of Karaage. Ritsuka understood and stood up from the dining table.
"Alright. I'll take you to your room." Ritsuka replied to his daughter as he lead her back to her room by the hand. When they reached the room that Jack shared with her grandparents and aunt, Ritsuka tucked his daughter into one of the futons.
"Good night Mommy." Jack said sleepily as she made herself more comfortable. Ritsuka gave his daughter one last headpat for the night.
"Good night, Jack." Ritsuka replied to the Wraith Child before he stood up and exited silently. By the time Ritsuka returned to the dining hall, everyone had drank their fill of alcohol and finished all of the food. Fionn and Diarmuid drunkenly tried to sing an off-key Celtic drinking song. Goredolf had actually passed out. Kentaro sat still. Kiyohime, Tamamo, Osakabehime and Gudako drank more sake as they conversed among themselves. Tomoe and Aki drank in silence. Ritsuka awkwardly sat back down next to his wife.
"Honourrrred Husbaaaannd..." Kiyohime slurred out, already intoxicated. "Why aren't you drinking with me?" The Dragon Woman asked as she leaned heavily against her husband's shoulder. Ritsuka turned his face away from the bottle that Kiyohime tried to force into his mouth.
"You already know that booze doesn't affect me." Ritsuka tried to tell his drunk wife as he pushed her hand away. "Ugh, I've never seen you this drunk before." Ritsuka muttered just before Kiyohime suddenly wrapped her arms around Ritsuka.
"Come on, Honoured Husband. Let's give Jack a little brother." Kiyohime begged her husband as she tightened her embrace. She buried her face into Ritsuka's shoulder and rubbed her body against his, much to Ritsuka's embarrassment. The Dragon Woman's antics made Gudako laugh.
"Go for it Ritsuka!" Gudako encouraged after she finished her third bottle. "The Fujimaru bloodline must continue!" She cheered. Gudako's slurred speech caught her mother's attention.
"Grandkids. More grandkids. Must have more grandkids..." Aki muttered drunkenly as she imagined Ritsuka and his wife giving her more precious grandchildren to adore and cherish. Were she in a more coherent state of mind, she would have been shocked at hearing her daughter-in-law's shameless proposition. Aki and Gudako were not the only one who noticed Kiyohime's drunken antics.
"Ritsuka, you should take your wife back to your room before she does something that she'll regret." Kentaro stated, seemingly completely unaffected by the nine empty bottles of sake that he had neatly lined up in front of himself. Ritsuka decided that his was as good of an excuse as any to escape this awkward atmosphere.
"Yeah. Good idea." Ritsuka agreed as he stood up. "Come on, let's get you to bed." Ritsuka said as he tried to get a member of his family to bed for the second time that evening. However, Kiyohime's alcohol and Madness Enhancement-induced mind completely misinterpreted Ritsuka's intentions.
"Oh my! You're so surly, Honoured Husband. Come, let's Transfer Mana without delay!" Kiyohime cried out with enthusiasm as Ritsuka lifted her up in a bridal carry. "Tama and Okkie can join in too if they want!" Kiyohime blurted out, much to Ritsuka's discomfort. Tamamo's vulpine ears perked up at her friend's declaration.
"Yes! I can give Jack a little brother!" Tamamo cried out as she clumsily rose to her feet, just as drunk as her friend. The Fox Miko then jumped onto Ritsuka's back and clung to him. Ritsuka stumbled a bit at the extra weight, but he continued to carry his wife along with an additional guest. Osakabehime was far less successful in her attempt to join her Master.
"Hey! Let me in on that Macchan action too..." Osakabehime drawled as she tried to crawl over to Ritsuka, only to fall face first on the tatami floor and lose consciousness. Ritsuka just left the Shut-In sprawled out on the floor as he left the dining hall. Gudako chuckled at her brother's annoyance.
"Heh. Always knew Ritsuka would get a harem eventually." Gudako said snidely before she emptied her fifth bottle and passed out. Kentaro then realised something.
"...Did Kiyohime just imply that she was fine with Ritsuka having multiple lovers?" Kentaro asked aloud, although everyone else was either too drunk or too unconscious to confirm his suspicions. Not that Kentaro would have been able to hear the answer to his question, as he too joined his daughter in alcohol induced slumber shortly after he spoke.
At some point during Ritsuka's journey to get his drunk wife into bed, Tamamo had lost her grip and fallen off of Ritsuka's back. She would remain unconscious on the floor of Enma-Tei's hallway until morning.
The following day the Fujimaru family, the accompanying Servants and Goredolf returned to Novum Chaldea, as all good things must come to an end. No one would forget their vacation in Enma-Tei anytime soon. Jack was the first to speak up after the Coffins in the Rayshift Chamber had been opened.
"That was fun. We had fun." Jack stated tersely. Kentaro wondered if personality was rubbing off on the Wraith Child.
"Hmm." Kentaro grunted in agreement with his granddaughter. His face was set in its usual blank stare despite the dizzying effect of Rayshifting (compounded with his hangover). His wife however was much more vocal about her satisfaction once she got her bearings.
"Ahh, so much good food, and that bath was to die for." Aki recounted fondly. She had enjoyed her time in Enma-Tei so much that the memory of her time there would be a source of strength for her for years to come. Kiyohime nodded in agreement.
"It certainly was nice to leave Novum Chaldea without having to worry about enemy ambushes or the end of the world." Kiyohime remarked before realisation hit her. "That last fight with Nue, notwithstanding." She added in an attempt to save face. Ritsuka had something he needed to say.
"Well, thank you again Director for the trip." Ritsuka said sincerely to his boss upon hearing his family's satisfaction. While Ritsuka himself did not actually get a chance to actually relax during this vacation, he took comfort in knowing that his family enjoyed themselves at least.
"You are quite welcome. As one of the finest agents under my command, I'm happy to show you my appreciation." Goredolf said with mirth in his voice. Kentaro suddenly looked around himself.
"Ritsuka. Where's Gudako?" Kentaro asked once he noticed that his redheaded daughter was not present. Ritsuka wasted no time to act.
"Kiyohime: track down Gudako with your Stalking Skill!" Ritsuka immediately ordered his wife. Stalking (with a capital 'S') was a skill that allowed Kiyohime to simply 'know' where her loved ones were located at all times. Stalking was a handy skill, but there was one main limitation: Kiyohime could only sense someone if they were in the same plane of existence and time period as herself. If Ritsuka needed to make use of Stalking during during a mission then Kiyohime would need to be deployed (which Ritsuka was hesitant to do). Ritsuka however was the sole exception to this rule: her Bond with Ritsuka was so strong that no matter which Singularity, Lostbelt or Parallel World Ritsuka was in, Kiyohime would always know the whereabouts of her husband. Kiyohime closed her eyes for a moment to focus.
"I...I cannot feel her anywhere." Kiyohime confessed with increasing apprehension. Before any further action could be taken, a certain Renaissance girl had something to say.
"Fujimaru Ritsuka, please report to the Command Room." Leonardo suddenly announced over the intercom. Ritsuka took deep breath as he looked at his wife, to which Kiyohime nodded.
"We're going to bring Gudako back." Ritsuka declared to his parents before he and Kiyohime ran to the Command Room for their mission briefing.
Author's Notes
Well, this certainly took a while to finish as my job gets busy towards the end of the year. Future chapters probably won't have as many words as this one. I hope that readers don't find the story's structure repetitive or trite by this point. Anyway, the next few chapters will be something that I've been looking forward to writing since this story's inception.
Please feel free to leave a review, and thank you for reading.