Nearl didn't push the issue after dinner.

The walk back to prison was a quiet one. Nearl ambled ahead of Shirou, she was visibly relaxed after a day outside of the prison. Who wouldn't? The Kuranta had been locked in her cell for nearly two weeks. Walking out and about would've felt nice.

That reminded him…

"I know you have the entire city and all…so could we stop by a building?" Shirou asked one of the guards.

Their eyes narrowed at him.

"It's not for me. Her cell smells so I need her to take a bath. She hasn't been outside ever since the Reunion captured Chernobog." Not that he was any better. Shirou's last bath was the night before the Reunion's invasion. He was just lucky that FrostNova froze him a few days earlier. He basically took a bath when they melted him out of the ice.

Not that she smelled bad, but Shirou wasn't going to point that out.

He'd be called a creep if he mentioned anything about Nearl's scent.

Shirou decided to stop that line of thought dead in the water.

"You guys wouldn't mind if I ask for a bucket of water too?"

The guards looked at each other.

"I'll trade for food…?" Shirou offered.

"..."

"..."

"..."

These guys weren't falling for itl. Seems like Shirou wasn't going to change their mi-

"On one condition."

…nevermind.

"Please have The Radiant Knight sign these."

Radiant Knight?

A few of the Reunion members pulled out possessions to Shirou's confusion.

"What Radiant Knight?" He voiced his confusion.

Shirou noticed the small correlation between the Reunion members who took out some of their belongings.

They were all Kuranta.

"You don't know?"

"...no?"

"You've never heard of the Kazimierz Major?"

"Didn't really check it out…" Shirou had skipped over most of the entertainment side of things while he was browsing through information about Terra back when they were dropped into the world. He was more interested in ongoing events and major powers.

A few of the Kuranta glared at him.

"You don't know who she is, don't you?"

"...I don't." Shirou conceded. "She's someone famous isn't she?"

If they could, their glares would've melted him on the spot.

"She's The Radiant Knight. Two time champion of the Kazimierz Major before her exile."

"Ahh, I see."

Nearl did mention about her being exiled from her homeland for her own protection earlier. So maybe there was some truth in their words.

"You don't know how important the Kazimierz Major is, don't you?"

No he didn't.

"It was a combat tournament. The biggest in Kazimierz." Shirou guessed.

Thankfully, their glares lightened.

"Not just the biggest in Kazimierz. It is the biggest in Terra. No other nation comes close to hosting a tournament as big and as widespread as the Major."

Shirou thought about their request.

"...you know, she might be in a good enough mood to sign if she gets a bath. It's been two weeks or so after all."

Shirou had never seen the guards leap to do something so eagerly.

"What's going on? What's all that for?"

Nearl had noticed a short while back when the guards and Shirou trailed further back. A few of the Reunion broke off and returned with soap, some shampoo, and a bucket of water. There was one who even brought a towel.

"Nearl." Shirou stopped walking. "It's for you."

For her? What- oh.

Nearl's face darkened when she realized what he meant.

"I'm not that dir-"

"Nearl, you can't keep ignoring the smell forever. You've been sweating so much in your cell."

Shirou's blunt words stabbed Nearl in the back like daggers. Yes, Nearl knew that working out in the cell to pass the time wasn't the best for hygiene…

but did Shirou really have to say that straight to her face like that?

Sure it was probably made with good intentions, but couldn't Shirou have worded it any other way?

Nearl's mouth twitched.

"...is that so?" She smiled.

For some reason, the smile didn't look right to him. Nah, surely he was just seeing things.

"Nearl, it's for your own good." Shirou dug his hole deeper.

"...and pray tell me where I will take a bath?"

"There's a building behind you. It should have a bathroom."

"To take a bath, I'd have to be alone. You know that's impossible. They'd never risk us escaping." Nearl's eyes slid to the guards behind Shirou.

Sure enough, more than a few tails were wagging eagerly.

Perverts.

The whole lot of them.

Shirou glanced at where Nearl was looking at behind him.

"You're not helping." He warned.

The Kuranta stopped wagging their tails.

Shirou sighed. "The girls can keep guard. The rest of us will wait out here."

Nearl narrowed her eyes.

"How did you get them to agree with your request? This isn't how I was treated before."

Crap. Good deduction.

"Food is a powerful tool."

One of Shirou's best.

Nearl's eyes narrowed further.

"What are you really getting at?"

"Nearl, your cell stinks." Shirou was going to lie for her own good. "You really need a bath."

When in doubt, attack. Or something along those words anyway.

Nearl glared. She stomped past him and grabbed the stuff away from the guards. Two female Kuranta scurried after her to make sure she didn't escape.

Wait, why did one of them seem excited?

His words rang true.

When Nearl came out, her mood seemed brighter than before.

She handed the objects back over to the Kuranta guards and thanked them. They did little to hide the excitement. Shirou guessed that they would've probably glowed if possible.

"M-Miss Nearl! Please sign this!" One of the fans brought out a marker. The avalanche was unleashed and the Kuranta tripped over themselves to have Nearl sign for them. She smoothly reacted to all the attention like it was a normal thing for her.

Huh, I didn't know she was that popular…

Shirou could also see that Nearl was clearly trained in PR.

Once the Kuranta were all settled and happy, Nearl trudged over with a smile.

Unlike the smile before, this was one picture-perfect. Too perfect.

"What a weird surprise, don't you think, Shirou?" She said after they resumed being marched back to prison.

For some reason, Shirou felt the same dreadful atmosphere when he did something wrong in Rin and Sakura's eyes.

"How weird." Shirou nearly coughed.

"Indeed."

The feeling grew heavier in contrast to the smile on Nearl's face.

Right, Nearl hadn't actually told him that she was apparently a famous champion. All he was supposed to know was that she was exiled from Kazimierz.

The next morning, the second-in-command of the Reunion came.

Shirou watched as the humongous frame of the famed Ursus general appeared inside the prison.

The Yeti Squadron guards were all ordered away. It seemed that the commander wanted privacy.

Shirou and Nearl watched the silent giant as he studied the two of them through the prison bars.

"..."

"..."

"..."

The mood was tense between the three.

"Your access to the kitchens have been revoked. The prisoners will no longer receive your treatment either." Patriot announced.

Shirou sighed.

"We did nothing that harmed the Reunion."

"Even so, you would understand the breach of command within our ranks. Especially when they're so willing to break the rules for your food." His deep voice thrummed.

Nearl had known it was too good to be true. Prisoners as important as them shouldn't even be allowed outside their cells. Shirou was only being brought out because he was treating Oripathy.

"But-"

Nearl perked up.

"-your assistance to the civilians has been noted."

She watched the large Wendigo face Shirou. Nearl froze when the Reunion commander opened Shirou's prison cell.

"Let's walk. We have much to talk about." He murmured.

Shirou followed Patriot as they walked through the Reunion controlled city.

The two were silent as they regarded both the prison and rebel camps.

Shirou watched as an infected rebel shared his food with another, equally sick if not in a worse state judging from their Oripathy. These were some of the people that he had not treated yet, not when there were so many others in worse states.

"Doctor Emiya…if I may call you that?" The general asked.

"That's fine." It would've been weird to have an enemy call him by his name alone.

"Have you heard of me?"

"Patriot. Former warrior from Kazdel and a famed Ursus general." Shirou summarized.

"Quite easy to find out in comparison to you, wouldn't you agree?" Patriot replied. "Shirou Emiya, Fuyuki Clinic doctor who treats Oripathy. Something not even the Gaulish Empire at the height of its power could do."

Gaul, the Terran superpower that tried to expand into Victoria, Ursus, and Leithanien. The downfall of the Liberian empire began with the combined coalition of the three nations. It resulted in the emergence of Victoria and Ursus as Terran superpowers after the Battle of the Four Emperors. At the time, Gaul had the strongest military, the best tech, and the largest territory.

All of that was gone. The former empire absorbed by the three victors.

"But we're not here to talk about our past." Patriot continued.

Not that Shirou had much to talk about. He wasn't going to tell a stranger about the Fuyuki Trio's true circumstances.

"We're here to talk about the infected."

Patriot stopped walking and Shirou slowed down behind him.

"I have heard reports from many- both Reunion and civilian- about your resolve to help the infected." Patriot faced the 27-year-old. "Ever since your appearance months ago, many have shared about you. Combined with your…surrender to allow Rhodes Island a safe retreat, why?"

Talulah was the one to break her own terms. Shirou's surrender for Rhodes Island's retreat. The Draco tried to capitalize once she had all the pieces, but Shirou's efforts allowed Rhodes Island to escape largely intact.

Except for one stranded Kuranta.

"You think there's a reason behind why I help the infected." Shirou guessed.

"Nobody helps the infected. Not to this degree. Not without ulterior motives."

That, Shirou could believe. This world looked extremely dreary in comparison to his own. It was darker, and the infected were left to fend for themselves while the nations waged war for their own interests. Only the non-infected were cared for.

It didn't look good for him, did it? A doctor without history appearing out of nowhere, helping the infected out of the goodness of his own heart? Patriot wouldn't take that answer.

"What if I don't have an answer? Not one that would make sense."

"I trust FrostNova enough to know who can be trusted. You are not a bad man."

What kind of doctor would stay in Chernobog to slow down the Reunion's advance. Even after losing men to him, Patriot knew that rarely would people put themselves in harm's way to help buy time for the people to escape. Not to mention that Patriot continued to keep an eye on the doctor's continued efforts to treat all infected- including civilians- despite being a prisoner to treat the Reunion.

"Even if the reason is a pathetic one?" Shirou asked.

"No reason is pathetic enough." Patriot answered.

"...I did it for an old dream. One I still pay homage to. One that I had to abandon." Shirou couldn't save everyone. Rin and Sakura had taught him that much. Instead, they allowed him to help people within reasonable measure.

Treating the infected used to be within that reasonable measure…but not one they could keep doing. To continue would be to attract too much attention from larger powers.

Shirou's wistful expression resonated an old emotion within Patriot.

"It was not my dream…but I still did it in his- and her- memory."

Shirou may not have followed in his dream to become a hero, but he still believed in doing whatever little good he could- a small attempt in comparison to the way Kiritsugu and Arturia did everything in their power to change the world.

You and I are not so different.

Patriot thought.

Patriot fought for the Reunion in the memory of his son, who fought for the infected. But he failed to save him in time, executed for insurrection against the empire of Ursus.

That was the reason Patriot abandoned them. The reason why he roamed the wilderness with the soldiers who remained loyal to him.

The reason why he now fought with FrostNova. To protect the infected.

"It's never easy." Patriot sighed.

"No."

The two settled on silence as they continued to watch the Reunion continue about its morning. From their view, the rebels didn't look all that different from normal people. They went about their day just like civilians- minus the weapons being carried around. They did the jobs that the rebel movement needed them to do. Gathering resources from abandoned ruins, moving crates around, and other normal activities.

"These people…they're just lost. They just want to find a home. Away from the countries that drive them away. It wasn't like this before…not since that day."

"What day?" Shirou didn't hide his curiosity.

"It was after some of the Reunion deserted us. They lost hope in our goal." Patriot remained silent for a moment before he continued. "Talulah lost her friend when some became angered at her inaction…followed by a disaster at the nearby village where they torched all the infected."

Patriot released a deep sigh, one that came from the depths of his soul.

"It…it was the tipping point. The Reunion…changed along with her. Most of them wanted revenge. Wanted a reason to unleash their vengeance. Talulah's change helped them grow the festering anger…until the Reunion became what it was today."

"...why are you telling me all this?" Shirou asked. There must've been a reason behind all of it. It made no sense for someone to share something so private with their prisoner.

"Because…we can't do it."

"Do what?"

Patriot looked him in the eye. The tired expression on his face reminded Shirou of the face his father carried after each failed attempt at saving his daughter from the clutches of the Einzbern family.

"We aren't enough. I have tried. FrostNova has tried. The Yeti Squadron is but a smaller faction within the whole." Patriot waved his arm in the direction of the rebel movement. "The best we can do is keep the Reunion together. To keep everyone on the same page, working together to survive. Because in the end, this is the only place many of them have left. Even if Talulah ushers them to attack the cities, they still would, because they fear being abandoned again."

"...because this is the only place they believe they can live in."

Patriot returned his gaze to Shirou.

"...a place your presence has changed. Even a little. Just a little to help ease their suffering."

"You're asking me to continue helping."

"Yes."

"I can't. Not when the Reunion seeks to harm everyone in their hunt for vengeance."

"Then help us. Help us change the way they think. If they understand that everything doesn't have to be this way…then we can stop them from pursuing this path of self-destruction."

"...I'm just a doctor. You can't be serious." Shirou asked incredulously. "I'm a prisoner. I killed your people to defend Chernobog."

"Do many see it that way? Many see you as a blessing. A sign that the Reunion has the means to save them. Even if it means forcing you and threatening the non-infected to keep you in line. They will do everything possible to keep you."

"You want me to help change the Reunion."

Patriot grunted. "You don't know just how much power you hold. How much word of you has spread. Not just to us, but to the infected around."

Shirou's eyes widened.

"You…"

"Yes."

"You're using me to draw more infected to join the Reunion."

"If it means gaining the support of newcomers to my cause, then I will continue to do so. I need to try and stop Talulah from killing us all."

"Stop Talulah?"

"From within. With your help, I can make a push to change how the Reunion lives. Away from this constant demand for vengeance."

Change the Reunion from within.

Something which Shirou had been aiming towards. His original goal was to find a weakness for his and Nearl's escape, but abandoned that in favor of creating a weakness in their ranks for him to capitalize on.

This…

This was an opportunity.

And it was one being offered to him by a commander of all things. Not a chance to find a weakness in the Reunion to escape, but to change the Reunion from causing more trouble for everyone else.

"I'll leave you to think about it. Have the guards call me once you have made your choice."

The two stayed for a few moments longer to watch the small slice of peace the Reunion fought for. Patriot then escorted Shirou back to his cell.

Something happened.

Nearl didn't know what or why, but Shirou's demeanor was different throughout the entire day. The Yeti Squadron guards didn't return to their posts either. For the first time in two weeks, the prison was empty save for the two prisoners.

It was late at night after dinner when Shirou spoke again.

"Nearl."

She perked up from her position on her cell's bed.

"Yes?"

"You asked me once why I didn't try to change the world."

"…" Nearl remained silent.

"Would you really like to know why?" Shirou fixed his seating position to face the Kuranta.

"Not anymore. I overstepped my boundaries yesterday. Everyone has things they don't wish to talk about." Nearl shifted to face away from him. "I'm sorry. I understand that everyone deserves privacy."

For some reason, Shirou felt that he needed to talk it out. To help settle his thoughts on the matter.

"Is it alright if I ask you the same question? What makes you think the world needs to change?" Shirou had grown up from his old naïve past. His time travelling the world thought him that not everything can be saved. He had changed, for better or for worse.

Nearl…went the other way.

After her exile from Kazimierz, the blonde pegasi had seen the true reality of the world away from the honorable façade that her nation created.

The nation of Kazimierz was known for their chivalrous knights.

Where were those chivalrous knights now?

Recent upheavals changed everything. Now, it was considered honorable to fight for glory and status not in the defense and protection of the country and its citizens. No. It was now honorable to fight for glory and status in an arena under the blinding lights and cameras to gain fame and fortune in front of the people.

They weren't knights. They had become gladiators for sport.

The last of the chivalrous knight houses were also forced to bend the knee under the shifting tides. House Nearl, turned into a fragment of its old self. Glory and honor were not competed for. They were earned through deeds, through actions.

In the last few decades, only House Nearl and House Russell could claim to have earned honor through chivalrous deeds. The legendary "Daybreak over the Golden Prairie" wherein the war hero, Margaret Nearl's grandfather, Kirill Nearl, and 7 knights under him charged into the Ursus armies to rescue the legendary Silverlance Pegasi- the strongest and most powerful knights of Kazimierz. Of the 7, only Kirill Nearl and Ioleta Russell survived. They rescued 30 Silverlance Pegasi, which turned the tide of the war back in their favor. Since then, the Silverlance Pegasi have regarded House Nearl as honorable allies.

Not that you would know that today.

Ever since the rise of Kazimierz's General Chamber of Commerce, the Silverlance Pegasi have been forbidden from entering Kawalerieki- the capital of Kazimierz. They have been ordered to guard the borders of Kazimierz, unable to come close to their nation's capital.

Now that Margaret Nearl was out in the world, she had seen what the Silverlance Pegasi had to deal with on a daily basis.

The people who were uninfected could live in the safety of the cities under the protection of the nation, while the infected were forced to survive on their own out in the wilderness.

The same infected people who still believed Kazimierz their home, even when the nation did not accept them. The same people which the Silverlance Pegasi continue to protect, because no one else would.

Margaret Nearl…wanted to change that.

She wanted to change Kazimierz.

She wanted to change the world.

"Why do I think the world needs to change…?" Nearl murmured. "Because…because nobody deserves to be abandoned…to be left alone."

"Because they believe that there is nowhere else they can go."

Her words…they were just like Patriot's.

Two sides of the same coin. Fighting for the same goal, but still on different sides.

…and here Shirou was, sitting on the fence.

In front of him are people that needed saving…yet Shirou continued to hold back.

He'd only do the minimum. Only what he believed was within reason. Only what he, Rin, and Sakura believed was enough.

To go further was to put them in danger.

But hadn't he already stepped past that line?

Shirou defended Chernobog. He put himself in the firing line to let Rhodes Island escape.

He…had already shown his willingness to jump back in. To go beyond what Rin and Sakura wanted him to do.

"They may be infected, but they're still people." Nearl finished.

Still people.

Shirou sighed.

Rin and Sakura were going to kill him for this.

…and probably Nearl too.

He made up his mind.


"Kal'tsit is splitting off from the rest if Rhodes Island." Sakura informed her sister.

"Why?"

"She's heading for the walls."

"What for?"

"From what I heard, Kal'tsit has a counter for the leader of the Reunion when she assaults the walls."

Rin would guess that it was the unusual lifeform that was trailing around the feline leader of Rhodes Island.

"Where are the rest going?"

"Rhodes Island plans to assist Lungmen by tackling the Reunion in the slums."

"Tsk."

This complicated things. With Rhodes Island split in two, Rin and Sakura had to pick which side to run to. Kal'tsit was the de facto leader that was respected by Lungmen, but she was alone. Amiya was the de jure and she had the rest of their operators with her, but she was less likely to be taken seriously by the city.

They could choose to head for the Rhodes Island majority and ask for protection, but Lungmen could still overwhelm them.

Which left only one choice.

"We have to go for Kal'tsit." Rin decided.

Sakura nodded after a short assessment of their situation. She also came to the same conclusion. Only Kal'tsit could protect them against Lungmen.

But how?

The only way they could avoid Lungmen was to…

"Rin."

"What?"

"Write up a contract enlisting our services to Rhodes Island."

"What?"

Mish's surprised squeak drew Sakura's attention.

"Lungmen can't do anything to us if we are operating under Rhodes Island. All three of us." Sakura explained.

Misha's eyes widened as they hurried through the Lungmen morning rush along with the other citizens. Rin and Sakura chose to stick close to where the masses flocked to. This way they can cover as much of their tracks, so long as they manage to avoid cameras.

"Y-you want us to work as contractors to Rhodes Island?!" She whispered as they bundled into the train.

"Makes sense. We can have Misha as our assistant." Rin pulled out some parchment out of a storage artifact. A few people saw the act, but assumed it was simply a common deception disguised as a magic trick.

Thankfully, Rin and Sakura casted spells to stop people from hearing the three of them.

"Sakura, prepare a bird."

The younger of the two sisters called on a few of her familiars to follow their train. One would pick up the contract Rin would send to Kal'tsit the moment they reached their stop.


"Are the commanders ready?"

Faust stood with his own company-sized regiment of the Reunion. They were hidden far out in the wilderness with the communications tower.

"Ready as we'll ever be~" Mephisto sang from his end.

The men under Mephisto were particularly ferocious. Just like him, they were very eager to attack the city. Lungmen would become the punching bag for them to unleash their anger and hatred on.

"...ready." Skullshatterer's quiet reply came. Just like Mephisto, his forces were eager to jump into the attack.

Faust's forces were docile in comparison to the other two. With the exemption of the Phantom Crossbowmen, the rest were composed of the new and less-than-eager rebels who joined the Reunion out of desperation, not vengeance. This way, they wouldn't hinder the rest of the forces attacking Lungmen.

"Once I start the assault, we cut the communications system network. We cannot allow Lungmen to hack our equipment." Their leader, Talulah repeated.

Talulah and the division under her were going to assault one of Lungmen's fortified gates. They would draw the LGD's attention and then launch the rest of the assault from the scattered slums all around Lungmen.

Their goal? Make chaos in the city. Once the businesses are unsettled, then the LGD would be placed under pressure. Wei Yenwu would have no choice but to order some form of retaliation on the rebel movement.

Out in the wilderness and Chernobog, the advantage was theirs.

"I shall start the assault now. Tell all the captains under you that the network relay will be shut down in a few minutes. Remind them that if they aren't out of the city by nightfall, then we cannot help them."

As per the plan, the assault was going to be a one-day operation. It wasn't a full-fledged invasion unlike the one on Chernobog. Lungmen was too fortified and well-prepared for them to capture the city as it was.

Faust switched his channel over to the network defense division. They were a smaller force than Talulah's gate assault division and the infiltration divisions under Skullshatterer and Mephisto. To protect the communication equipment, they were spread widely at the rear behind Talulah's assault. That way, one of the angles of counterattack would be closed.

"Talulah is beginning the assault. The relay network will be turned off soon." He ended the message before turning to the engineers handling the network. "Start the countdown."

The captains will have 15 minutes to alert their forces before the communications are disabled.

.

.

.

"Heh, what a surprise to see you in my group." Mephisto smirked at the large captain.

"Right. It is rare for us to be on the same flank." Came the deep reply from the large Sarkaz warrior. "I am looking forward to it."

The leader of the Mudrock squad was a relatively renowned figure in the Reunion. A bulky figure, combined with powerful earth Arts, allowed for complete battlefield control within a short vicinity. Any opposing force without an equally powerful Arts user would instantly be wiped out.

Mephisto was already looking forward to how much damage Mudrock would do in the city.

"Everyone, follow the plan." Mudrock ordered the squad. The team split into two groups and began heading in different directions. "I'll see you after the attack, Mephisto."

"Aww- not staying with me? The two of us together could make some real impact on Lungmen!" The younger commander grinned manically.

"We are better spread out and you know that."

"Sheesh. Fine, have it your way." Mephisto wanted to see Mudrock in action when the LGD finally faced them. Those earth arts of hers were quite the show from what he's heard. Guess he would just have to distract himself with other things instead.

Things like warping the surviving LGD officers into monsters instead.

"Hehe…finally some fun!"

.

.

.

"Whatever happens, make sure to secure our target if you find her."

Skullshatterer ordered the captains under him.

"But sir, are we still aiming to capture even during the assault?"

"Only if you find her. She is a valuable objective."

"Yes, sir."

The last few captains turned off their radios and Skullshatterer was left alone before he followed suit.

"...Misha, where are you?" He whispered while looking at the skyscrapers that dotted the Lungmen skyline.

They'd been scouring the entire slums ever since they've infiltrated the city. The only other place she would've most likely been was within the LGD's hands.

"If they have you…then just wait for me."

He was going to find his lost sister. One way or another.

.

.

.

Talulah began walking in the direction of the large city in front of her. No doubt the defenses would be shored up in preparation for the assault. The Reunion weren't exactly silent when they assembled outside the city walls. Lungmen's city guard would've spotted them long ago.

But that was exactly the plan.

Talulah wanted the city to focus on her. She would besiege the walls and draw their attention. At the same time, the Reunion forces in the city would unleash destruction and mayhem. A select group of elites will assault the walls from the rear and open them while the LGD was too busy defending from her and the external forces.

Talulah stopped a kilometer away from the walls and raised her hand. Lungmen didn't have any ranged defenses capable of reaching her this far away. In this world, cannons and guns were rare. Only a few groups could employ them. Laterano- whose guns relied on arts only taught to Sankta, and Black Steel Worldwide- a Terran private military corporation that supplies modern weaponry only to themselves. The rest of the world had to make do with arts or basic bows and arrows jacked up to insane degrees. Even then, the heavy crossbow ballista on top of Lungmen's defensive towers didn't have enough range to reach her.

A small flame blazed into existence above her. It grew into a blazing inferno as the fireball kept growing into a humongous size. The heat grew unbearable as Talulah kept pumping more power into the attack before hurling the house-sized fireball in the direction of the wall.

Only for it to be met halfway through the air by a crimson slash.

Talulah smiled.

"Hello…dear sister."


Author's Note

We get a little fluff piece along with Nearl somehow learning she has fans amongst the Reunion. Patriot finally shows his cards, using Shirou as his chip. Nearl and Shirou have a short talk that may or may not have just pressed the proverbial doomsday button. And a little of Reunion politics, with Patriot's faction doing some not-so-innocent moves in the background.

I actually wanted to add a Penguin Logistics and Laterano teamwork pov here, but I'll just move that over to the next chapter.

Aaand of course, what the Arknights fandom has been looking on towards for- THE OTHER SISTER REUNION YEAHHHH!

Special thanks to Dabbins and Dovar. I rotated the update schedule to put this one ahead of Honkai Star Rail just for you guys. This is actually way ahead of my one chapter per week schedule which I'm trying to maintain.

Each little donation helps me out and motivates me to finish chapters earlier, so it would mean a lot to me to have your support!

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