By the Bonfire: To Forge Bonds

Few times did Ritsuka really feel as though he had some free moments where he could just go and do his own thing.

It wasn't anything against anyone else, he understood there was a lot of work to be done around Chaldea and he was one of the more vital people for it. Yet all the same, it still felt as though he was just being pulled in too many places without enough time to settle.

Which bothered him a little because he wasn't getting very many chances to actually sit down and speak with the Servants that were actually being summoned or had already been summoned.

It was something he was hoping to correct.

His fingers wrapped against the door for a moment, he waited until he heard the call from inside before he pressed his hand on the button and stepped into the room. Already he could feel the slight change in heat, this room being far more humid than others, but it wasn't that big of a surprise.

Sweeping his eyes across the room, they quickly landed on the tall bearded man as he turned towards Ritsuka and inclined a brow.

"Hey." Raising a hand, he stepped towards the taller man in greeting and pulled a small smile onto his lips. "Sorry if this seems a little abrupt, but we haven't really had the chance to properly introduce ourselves to one another since everything sort of kicked off…and it did bother me a little so I was just coming to say hello."

Torin watched him for a moment, then nodded his head. "You need not explain to me. I know well the duties that come with being a chief, and the times you are pulled far from your allies even if you wish to spend your hours with them. It is a burden that all those in leadership face when the time calls."

Ritsuka blinked and then nodded his head, glancing towards what Torin had been gazing at before turning his eyes to the Servant once more. "I heard that you came around the old botany department sometimes, but I heard that it didn't have all that much power left…"

Which didn't quite explain why the room was like this.

Torin gave an understanding hum. "I am a Caster, I merely expanded a claim to this patch of land and took it upon myself to act as caretaker for the greenery here. Most exotic compared to what I am used to, I shall freely admit."

"You were part of a forest tribe, right?"

He hoped that didn't come off as insensitive.

"I was, yes." Thankfully the Caster didn't take offence to his words, stepping towards what appeared to be a small tree with some brightly coloured petals flowering from the ends of its branches. In his opinion, it looked a little bit like a bonsai tree, but he couldn't quite be sure.

Torin leaned forwards, resting his hands against the table and humming.

"It was our people who served as caretakers of the forest and guardians of the spirit tree, living in union with the natural world around us. A simple but rewarding life…Though I have no forest, I felt as though my duties remained as such. Leaving these plants to wilt and perish was not something that I could allow once I learned of their plight."

Ritsuka smiled and nodded his head. "No, I get it. Thanks for stepping up and helping, it would probably be a shame if all the plants here up and died because we couldn't take care of them…and you're probably a lot more qualified than me for that sort of thing anyway."

"Do you think so?" Torin hummed, a flicker of amusement before he grunted. "In truth, I am doing only as much as my gifted powers can allow me to do. I could raise trees from the earth well enough, forage for berries and mushrooms for remedies or cures…but the likes of these plants are quite beyond me. The forests were not as bountiful, as I said."

Rituska shrugged. "I once somehow managed to kill a cactus."

He got a blank stare.

"It's a plant that's supposed to manage to survive in a desert and I somehow ended up killing it." Pulling his lips inwards, he grimaced at the reminder of it and frowned. He hadn't gotten a potted plant since that time because he'd been a bit bad at taking care of it. "Not like I meant to go and do it, mind you, but…yeah…"

Stepping further into the room, he waved a hand towards some of the hanging baskets that had some sort of vines. "If I was put in control of this…it probably wouldn't turn out so great."

Torin shook his head. "Not all are born with the talent for growth. It - like the harvest it spawns - must be cultivated. Some are admittedly more skilled than others, but none can claim to understand all the workings of the world with a mere glance…though that might not be true of the Spirits, but they are another matter entirely."

Ritsuka inclined his head at the mention of them. "Spirit tree…I did meet one of those guys, or something like that."

That earned him the attention of the Caster almost immediately, the brows of the older man shot up and he stepped away from the table he had been leaning over. "You met with one of the great woodland spirits? A blessed encounter indeed…Ah, yes. I believe some mentioned an encounter with a…Fairy?"

Ritsuka could guess they didn't call them that. "Yeah, that's what some of them are called around here. Like Sulyvahn and Quella would be called Fae…though apparently the difference between the two of those guys is like the difference between a Demi-God and an actual God."

"An apt comparison, I suppose." Torin admitted with a shrug, his posture loosening. "As I understand it, that man is merely a half-spirit. Child of man and nature, whereas the other would be a spirit that has taken on the form of man. It would explain the greater mercy of one over the other as well…the nature of man corrupted Sulyvahn from his otherwise peaceful nature."

Ritsuka raised a brow. "Peaceful…I guess Quella was pretty neutral but-"

"That is…" Torin made a face for a moment and sighed. "The Spirits do not often involve themselves in the world of men, but they lack a malicious nature about them. Those who do intervene do not do so on the side of cruelty or injustice…but that is not to say they cannot be corrupted with such. The nature of man is one that can spread and poison."

"Seems a little harsh."

"For the Spirits who can see the truth behind every sentence, to be surrounded by those who lie to themselves, to be one who can lie…it is a wicked thing." Came the explanation, a wave of the hand from Torin. "Not that it banishes all guilt from Sulyvahn for his ways, but those who belong to neither camp can find home in none. He is what he is from his own choices…but his choices were not easily made."

That sounded…he supposed it sounded fair and balanced.

"So what about the tree spirit that you guys worked under…or worshipped?"

Torin frowned, though not at him. "It was not what you would call worship, not like that which is bestowed upon the Gods. We made offerings to the Tree Spirit as one would have made offerings to a friend or ally for a bountiful harvest. The tree took us under its branches and we treated it with the respect it deserved."

He felt like he was sort of getting a picture now. Leaning to the side and resting himself against one of the nearby benches for support, Ritsuka folded his arms and nodded his head up and down. "So…a bit like a parent and a child? Where like a kid gives their parent a drawing they did at school…or…wait, that sounds-"

Torin cut him off with a light snort, a flicker of amusement as the man shook his head from side to side. "Nothing quite so juvenile, but you are much less insulting about it than others have been in the past. It was not akin to a parent, the tree did not grant us wisdom nor did it teach us the ways of the world…but the presence it bestowed upon us was enough. We were provided sanctuary and through that, we found the path to building our commune. It was a peaceful life."

He brought his hand up and pointed to himself. "In that grove, we found our place in the world. We took only what we needed and gave back as we needed. All contributed to the care of the forest and the forest cared for us as well. It was a celebration of the cycle of life and our part within it. Nothing more…"

Ritsuka slowly nodded his head up and down. "It does sound like it would be a lot simpler than most other things…did you ever think about what it would be like to live somewhere else?"

Torin remained silent for a while.

He turned away and ran a large hand through his beard. "I gave little thought to the outside world. Our grove was our home and then were never cause for abandonment. Rather, it would be impossible for us to move on, I should think…our life was in dedication to that forest and that peace…We understood just how important we were, just as all other life was important."

He pulled his hand away and raised a finger. "We were part of that balance in the world. To remove even a single thing - even the smallest of bugs - would throw that balance into chaos. Perhaps some could have left if they so wished, but for the good of the forest, we remained there for generations."

That…sounded like a long time.

Ritsuka hummed and wet his lips. "So what was it like there?"

"Hmmm?"

"I mean…you lived in balance, but what did you do when you weren't hunting or gathering or pruning?" He inquired, feeling much more curious about all of this now. "Like…what did you guys do for fun?"

Torin chuckled. "Ever the rush of youth, so eager to leap into the excitement that you cannot stop and wait…but we did have tasks we did for enjoyment. Or perhaps it was a case of we enjoyed what came naturally."

The old man turned. "There would come a day when a boy would reach the right age and he would go into the forest to hunt game and become a man. He would cement himself as a protector of the forest and a true guardian of the land. It showed that he would take his duties seriously."

"What about the women?"

"Healers for the most part." Came the swift explanation, then he shrugged. "Some would care for the children, sometimes they would take on the role of the hunters and gatherers. We were not so rigid in what they decided to become. Those best suited for it would become the hunters, whereas those of weaker health would aid the forest in less direct ways. Planting or pruning."

That made a bit of sense.

He paused as he recalled something of the earlier conversation. "Didn't you say you knew how to make remedies? Were you a healer?"

"For a time, yes." Torin admitted. "I studied the art under the care of Elder Elke. She was one of the greatest healers of her generation and saw no harm in letting me study under her. I was hardly the only one who opted to learn the ways of healing and hunting. Many did the same as I."

Ritsuka snapped his fingers as the earlier words came back. "Right, not so rigid."

"Exactly." Torin nodded. "Many could learn more than one art, but it was merely that it was simpler to become a master of one rather than an amateur of two. Trees do not grow apples and pears on the same branch, after all. I learned my fair share from all the elders across the camp and was met with…better success in some rather than others. In the end, it was my words which seemed the greatest to cultivate."

He could imagine that being the case. "Sounds like a lot of hard work, to be honest."

"Hardly easy, but survival never is." Torin remarked with a shrug of the shoulders, indicating just how little he thought of it. "There is no wolf that grows fat from the efforts of others, for the pack to survive, all must work together. I lended my aid and expertise where I could to those who struggled. They surpassed my skill in time, but that was not something that concerned me."

"Because you could see all the good they were going to do with those skills?"

Torin smiled and nodded. "You learn swiftly. That is indeed what brought me comfort as I watched them excel."

That sounded rather pleasant to him. "How hard was it to learn how to make remedies?"

A raised brow from the man. "That depended on the fortitude of the student. Some found it more challenging than others, but so long as they persevered, they would come to understand the value of the craft in time and see results. Though there was little shame in those who tried and failed."

A forlorn look. "Sometimes…even our best is not quite enough."

Ritsuka wet his lips before he stepped forwards "Do…do you think I could learn that sort of thing?"

That seemingly shook the man from his gaze, turning his eyes back to Ritsuka and widening slightly. "You wish to attempt the art of healing? I assumed that with your…blessed clothes, such a thing would be trivial."

The healing of the mystic code did make it seem trivial, but that being said. "Well…that only works as a magic thing, right? And really, it's about the only sort of thing I'd be able to use in Chaldea. But if the mystic code got damaged or I was wearing a different one without it's effects…it just seems a bit sensible to have something else that I can do."

"Even if it could be accomplished by those skilled in the healing arts with a mere wave of the hand?"

There was nothing judgemental about the tone of Torin, it was merely curious.

"You understand that even at your height, you would never be considered an equal to those who summon the ancient Miracles. Or those of the dedicated craft of healers. My cures are not magical remedies, they are born of the natural world. They are not rooted in some mystic ailment."

He nodded his head up and down. "I get that…but all the same, it feels like it would be something worth knowing and not needing, than to need it and not know it. If that makes sense to you? Suppose I'm out on a trip when I'm no longer in Chaldea and scrape my knee and want to avoid getting infected."

The Caster remained silent after his words, then glanced back to the room for a moment, as if scanning the contents.

A response came a moment later. "These plants would be worthless to such a cause. If you are in the art of natural cures, then we shall need to find those that can be cultivated in your own world. Nothing more and nothing less shall be acceptable."

Torin stepped forwards, then raised a single finger. "That shall be your trial to determine whether you take this matter seriously. Forage your tomes for those that speak of the flowers and plants for healing. If you can find those that can be discovered in your own home…then we shall see if you can learn the simple cures of nature."

Ritsuka nodded his head, then stepped away from the table and smiled at the Caster. "I'll get on that then…thanks in advance though. I'll try not to let you down."

Torin shook his head. "This is not a case of whether you disappoint me or not. I am content either way. Some have better success than others, that is all there is to it. It is me who should pass along those warnings to you. If you find you cannot understand or come to terms with what I ask, there is no shame in turning your head. For all the time a bear spends in the water hunting fish…it cannot follow them into the ocean, no matter how much it swims."

"...You really like those types of analogies, don't you?"

The man didn't even so much as blink.

Ritsuka chuckled and turned away. "I'll leave you to the plants then, but I will see if there is anything that we can do to bring down here…that is, if you're alright with helping to keep them alive for the time being."

"I have offered my services as a caretaker of nature." Torin replied with a chuckle and a shake of the head. "If you did not make use of those skills, then it would be nothing more than having me sharpen my axe. Carry the message to your chieftain that for the time being, your greenery is in good hands. It will allow me to contribute in a way that I know to be fruitful."

"...As long as you're alright with it." Was what he replied with, making for the door and waving over one shoulder with his hand. The other messed with his collar as he could already feel the sweat starting to build on his forehead. It was something else being in that room, he had to say.

Like a greenhouse.

And Torin was still walking around in plate armour and furs?

That guy was just built differently…or it was Servant related.

From one sweltering heat to another.

Though around here, he didn't feel all that bad about just walking around with his shirt on, the white overshirt tied around his waist as he ran his hand through the furred head of Sif. The wolf let out a low rumble that was rather pleased, indicating that they wanted him to keep doing what he was doing.

Ritsuka was content with that.

Sif was really soft.

"So how long have you been a blacksmith anyway?"

The hammering continued for a few moments, then paused for a brief time as the silver haired man let out a thoughtful grunt, turning his head and regarding Ritsuka for a second or two before he shrugged and returned to his work.

"Longer than you've been breathin'." It was a curt answer, but it wasn't all that rude. Just a little bit blunt. Andre hammered away at the sword for another few moments before he placed it back into the forge and glanced in his direction for a bit. "Never been much else, bein' honest."

Ritsuka could have guessed that was the answer just from looking at him. "Fair enough…Is it only ever weapons you've made?"

Andre paused once more, then raised a brow. "Made armour couple o' times."

Ritsuka got the feeling that given Andre was one of the older people in Chaldea, a 'couple of times' by his words was probably an awful lot. But he neglected to comment on that part, instead he waved a hand as if to dismiss the point entirely and specified himself.

"No, I mean have you ever done regular old blacksmith work. Like making nails or something? Broaches? That sort of thing."

Andre chortled. "Jewels and buildin' works? Done the latter few times, I reckon. Former? Not so much. Ain't got the hands for that sorta thing."

Ritsuka hummed in response, then thought about it for a moment. "Did you ever try or were you just not all that fussed about it?"

"Never thought about it before." Was the swift response, Andre reached back into the forge and brought out the white hot metal. Such was the heat that he could feel it radiate from the metal even from the distance away from the man. Laying it flat upon the anvil and bringing his hammer to bear as he slammed away at the glowing metal design. Looking to be a sword.

"Would you ever?" Ritsuka shouted over the smiths blows, the man grunted and then shook his head in a negative. "Alright!"

"Why do y' ask?" Turning, the white haired man raised an inquisitive brow. "Not looking for a wedding band, are y'?"

Ritsuka made a strangled noise as he thought about that, shooting a quick look over his shoulder and then letting out an internal sigh when Kiyohime didn't spontaneously materialise over his shoulder. He turned back to the man and exhaled. "Don't joke about that…besides, I'm only seventeen. I've never even had a girlfriend before."

"You never been friends with women?" Andre looked rather perturbed. "You one of them folks who-"

He let out a breath and cut the man short. "No, not that sort of…girlfriend is what you call someone you're dating. Girlfriend and boyfriend kind of thing. So you're not married but you're romantically involved with them."

"Ah, I see." With a sage nod, the smith went back to his work for a brief moment, then he paused and turned his eye. "What, never had a girl catch your eye before did ya'?"

"I-it wasn't like that." Ritsuka hastily shot back. "There were some girls that I did get on well with but I never…It wasn't like I thought they liked me back in that sort of way. We were friends and I was happy being their friend…I actually helped play wingman for one of them and got her a boyfriend."

"Matchmaker, were ya? Arrangin' marriages." The smith chuckled. "Don't strike me as the sort for that type a'thing."

"No, it wasn't like that either! I wasn't making a union between families for the sake of-"

He cut his explanation short when he noticed the look on the smiths face. The slight twitch of the lip and the fact they were focused completely on their work.

Ritsuka dropped his shoulders and hung his head low. "You're just messing with me, aren't you?"

"Hm." Andre neither confirmed nor denied. "So, y'were asking about makin' jewels? Different type of smith, like I said. Always had a better eye for swords than anythin' else."

He was a bit relieved the conversation had changed. "I guess…"

Silence - or rather, a lack of talking as opposed to a lack of noise - fell upon the forge as the pair of them did little. Ritsuka continued to pet the head of the sleeping wolf while Andre worked away at the sword he was making.

Idly, Ritsuka glanced towards the already completed works which were resting upon the hastily constructed wooden racks. Rows of swords, spears and a few axes had already been constructed by the Blacksmith. Scratching his chin, Ritsuka hummed to himself before he spoke up again.

"So how come you keep making weapons?"

"Hmmm?"

Ritsuka turned back to the smith. "I mean…the chances are that not many are going to end up using them. So are you doing it to make sure you don't get rusty?"

"Rusty, eh?" Andre muttered, then brought a gloved hand to his scraggly beard and scratched at it. "...Just doin' what I've always been doin'. Got skills, might as well put 'em to use and hope that someone needs the right sword at the right time. Seen plenty of them powerful blades though…that little lasses blade. The one that's all dark and nasty."

"Excalibur?"

It was the only one he could think of.

"Hmmm. That's a sword worth makin'. My old teacher used to talk about his forgin' of Artorias blade. Though it weren't all that different from the rest of the weapons he made. Always believed that it was the man that made the sword special, not the other way about. Just makin' blades and spears until they find their way into the right hands. Nothin' more to it than that."

Ritsuka scratched the underside of his chin for a few moments. "...What if they didn't end up in the right hands?"

Andre shrugged. "People are gonna kill one another. Maybe a sword o'mine makes it simpler, but that's life."

"Sounds a little cynical."

"Young brat." Andre chided him with a shake of the head. "Just life, like I said. If you're determined to kill someone, they die. No ifs or buts about it. Bein' in arms reach of a sword won't change that. I'm a smith. I make blades. Blades always been used to kill and someone is gonna be right and someone's gonna be wrong…not my place to say which is which. I just make the tools."

His hand stopped moving through Sif's fur, he hummed in response and shrugged. "...Don't think I'll be able to see it that way. Don't think I'd really want to either, if I'm being honest with you."

"Makin' swords is an art where y'know what y'er in for." Andre pointed to him. "Not for the faint of heart. Gotta accept y'er makin' somethin' that will kill. All ye can do is hope it won't be used wrong, but that's it. Y'er just the smith and y' just made the sword. Falls to whomever swung it to carry that burden."

That turned a little more heavy than he was expecting.

"...I'd probably stick to making jewels if I had the talent, to be honest."

Andre barked a small laugh. "Most would, if they could. But I am a smith, such is my purpose in life."

"That seems to be a running theme with people from your timeline." Ritsuka muttered to himself, always finding it came down to what a person's purpose of duty was in life. He could attribute it to both cultural differences and just the person at the end of the day. Really, it wasn't as though he was that bothered by what Andre was doing.

Well, maybe he was more bothered at the apathy?

Then again, if someone was worried about their creations being used for evil, then they'd probably never make anything.

Like Andre said, it was less down to the creation and more down to the person behind it.

"...So what's the weirdest weapon you've ever made?"

No sense in not asking.

Ritsuka scratched the side of his head as he listened to the words of the Rider.

Then he sniffed and nodded once. "Okay."

Astolfo grinned, then pumped his fist. "Yes!"

Jeanne watched the Rider cheer, then sent Ritsuka a small look that was almost exasperated, but a little fond. She stepped away from the pink haired Servant and towards him, dropping her voice into a low whisper. "You are not obligated to do this, you know?"

Ritsuka raised a brow at her and said nothing. "You mean you don't want to give it a go?"

"...I didn't say that." Was the slow reply of the Saint, the tips of her lip twitched for a moment before she exhaled. "I am merely suggesting that when he does get like this, it would be very difficult to stop him from getting carried away. I am just saying that this is likely the one chance you might get."

He understood that she was just looking out for him, but all the same.

"Jeanne." He replied in a voice of utmost seriousness. "This is something that cannot be denied. I have been called out and I must answer…regardless of the foe."

A flat look. "...I do not believe the Grail translated over the importance of this specific duel to me, or if it did, I am afraid it was rather lost."

"That's alright, you can come along and join in. Though we'd probably need a few more people as well, all things considered. Make it a team event…probably a three vs three if that makes any sense? But I'm sure that there's bound to be someone people who would be willing to step up and lend a hand…and I can think of a good few already."

Ritsuka could sense this was going to be a lot of fun.

"Why is he here?" It was all he could ask as he pointed across the simulator towards the trio that came in…or rather the trio that had been visibly dragged in. Both slung under the arms of the person who carried them into the room.

Chyrsaor didn't even so much as twitch at his question or give any indication she heard him in the least. Instead she just marched forward and in the direction of the group before she slowly lowered the sleeping Hanleth to the ground, who sort of just coiled up like a cat and resumed snoring.

Ritsuka didn't even know what happened there.

He was rather certain the Goddess didn't even know she had been removed from her room, let alone what was going on.

But that wasn't what concerned him at the moment.

No, instead it was the rather desperate look that Romani was shooting him as he was bundled under the other arm of the Servant. Chrysaor had pointedly kept him under her arm and it was apparent that if she let him go, the doctor would have bolted. Which Ritsuka was perfectly understandable towards.

Chrysaor slowly turned her eyes. "You were making a show of dominance. This is my pack."

Ritsuka stared at her with pinched brows, then pointed to the doctor. "Did you just abduct him from the infirmary?"

"I literally just walked out of the room." Romani answered in a rather muted way, the quiet manner in which he spoke indicated that it had been a rather sudden thing that he still had yet to recover from. "I just step outside and she's right behind me…what the heck?"

He frowned a bit deeper and looked at the Saber. "Go and-"

"No."

His face hardened a little at the Saber. "Chrysaor, go and put him back now."

The answer remained the same, judging by the face that the Saber was currently showing him.

Ritsuka opened his mouth to speak again-

"Fujimaru-kun! It's fine-!" The doctor hastily blurted out, shuffling in the arms of the Saber and waving them from side to side. Drawing his eyes to the man as he sent out a rather nervous look. "She didn't really treat me all that roughly and-wait…is this a bowling alley? Why are we in a bowling alley?"

Ritsuka maintained his eye contact with Chrysaor as he responded to the doctor. "Because we are going bowling…Apparently someone seems to have heard about it and decided that she would go and abduct someone for it."

Romani craned his head up and stared at the Saber. "You kidnapped me for bowling?"

Admittedly, when said aloud, it sounded rather preposterous and very non-threatening.

"Yes." Came the swift reply from Chrysaor, holding up Hanleth ever so slightly. "She would not have been enough. But I don't expect you to be all that useful, Archie."

Romani didn't even respond to the insult.

Ritsuka, however, caught onto something completely different and shot a look towards the man slung under the arms of the Saber. His brows climbed up his forehead as he parroted the words allowed. "Archie?"

With a scoff, the purple haired woman replied. "His name is too long. So he is now Archie."

…Fair enough.

"Roman-"

"I mean…if it's a bowling game I…" Romani muttered to himself, no longer looking as though he was actually paying attention to what was happening.

At the very least, he was clearly in no immediate danger and seemed to be contemplating actually sticking around.

Chrysoar glanced down at the doctor for a moment or two, visibly debating the point that Ritsuka had made. Then she just shrugged her shoulders and looked back up. "I was going to do most of the work anyway. Hanleth isn't that useful. They are just padding for my strength, nothing more."

"...Why Roman?"

She just blinked, then gave a slow answer. "...I tolerate him."

Ritsuka supposed that was the closest she was going to say that she liked him.

He glanced down at the doctor. "...We're doing competitive bowling, by the way."

Romani blinked, then made a face of understanding and relaxed. "Oh, right. I figured it out but she didn't really explain anything…she just grabbed me from behind and started running before I could do anything."

Nodding to the doctor, he pointed towards the other group. "Originally it was Astolfo's idea and it just sort of grew from that point…Though you don't have to participate if you don't want to."

Romani remained silent, then he just slumped. "...I get the feeling Leo would give me hell if I didn't do anything…Though don't expect much from me."

It took him a second to realise the doctor was speaking to Chrysaor.

"I wasn't."

Came the swift but blunt reply.

Ritsuka turned to his own group and stepped towards them, folding his arms and narrowing his eyes. "Alright guys, even if they have Romani in their team-"

"Why do you say that like it's a handicap?"

"-that doesn't mean we can underestimate them."

Neither Mash nor Ash said anything, just content to stare at him.

Then Mash raised a hand. "Senpai. I regret to report that I have never played bowling in my life."

He snapped his fingers and pointed to her. "Understandable. Try your best and everything will be fine. We're just in it for fun, nothing more."

Ash's eyes lingered on him, then flickered past and nodded towards someone behind him. "She doesn't look like she's in it for fun."

Ritsuka followed the gaze of the Avenger and promptly felt his confidence shrivel and die.

Artoria Alter was sizing him up like he was a slab of meat.

Not at all helped by the Berserker stood behind her who was just staring at the simulation of the bowling alley with a blank expression. The blonde dragon Servant just scratched the side of his neck before he turned to the third and final teammate.

That being Caster Cu.

The blue haired man just smirked at them in much the same way he would have done if he was about to start a fight. Ritsuka would know, given that was the same sort of look that his Lancer version would have given before doing the exact same thing.

Ritsuka felt his smile blank out, then he turned to Ash and Mash. "...Alright, new plan. We're going to try and survive. At the very least, we should be able to beat Astolfo's team."

He pointed to the group in question.

Which consisted of the Paladin, Jeanne and Martha.

He turned back to his teammates, then blinked and dropped his arm.

He stared at the spot where Ash had been not even moments prior before he whipped his head left and right in a search for the Avenger. It was something that Mash noticed not even seconds later and picked up on his sudden panic.

"Wu-hahahahaha!"

Ritsuka stilled at the laughter, then whipped his head around and narrowed his eyes. "Hey! That's my teammate!"

"Wrong, Master!" Shouted back Oda Nobunaga as she slung Ash behind her, standing in front of the bewildered looking blonde and folding her arms, shooting him a challenging smirk. "I believe what you mean to say is that he's my Retainer. As such, there is no battlefield he enters where he is not by my side…provided that I am also present."

Ritsuka just squinted and frowned. "When did you even get here? And you only have one Teammate if you include Ash!"

Oda Nobunaga just smirked and then snapped her fingers as if summoning something.

Ritsuka once more felt his confidence dry up.

Altera manifested beside the Archer with a placid look on her face, then she turned and glanced at Ash. He looked back at her, the both of them wearing utterly blank expressions before looking away.

Damn.

"Right…uh…" He stepped back, then whispered to Mash. "I got nothing for that…"

"Didn't you give up too easily, Senpai?" She whispered back to him.

Probably, but he didn't really mind who was on whose team.

The problem was that he and Mash were a little outgunned.

Nobunaga, Ash and Altera.

Chrysaor, Romani and Hanleth.

Astolfo, Martha and Jeanne.

Artoria Alter, Kalameet and Cu Caster.

Then there was himself and Mash.

…Where were they going to find another person who could bowl things-

"Hello there!"

A chipper voice called out, the way Romani's face sort of soured told him all he needed to know.

Ritsuka turned to the voice and grinned, waving his hand and beckoning the new arrival over. "David! Good of you to happen by!"

The green haired Archer raised a brow and gave a rather light smile as he approached. "Is that so? I heard about some sort of commotion and something about someone being kidnapped and thought to see what all the fuss was about. Though if my arrival is what you desire, then who am I to stray from sheep in need of a shepherd?"

Ritsuka didn't pay that much attention to the analogy. "Well, we do need some help. We need a third person to complete our bowling team and we're a man down. Are you interested?"

David blinked twice. "Well, I can't say that is what I was expecting to be honest with you…but if that is the aid you need, then I shall certainly offer my skills as you require them. After all, I do have some skill in the art of throwing rocks at things, after all."

Romani voiced out. "Throwing rocks at living things, not stationary targets…and you're not supposed to throw a bowling ball in the first place."

David merely waved a hand and chuckled. "That is just semantics. The large ball leaves your hand and strikes a target, the difference isn't all that important at the end of the day."

Ritsuka turned to Romani and smiled. "See? The difference isn't all that important."

Romani gaped at him, then exhaled."Fujimaru-kun…really? Don't encourage him."

"...By the way, why does the Simulator even have something like this?"

The doctor put on a thoughtful face for a second, then cupped his chin. "Weirdly enough, it was in the list of programmes which Kirschtaria Wodime had designated necessary for Team A…though the only explanation I can come up with is if there was a mix up. Because I really don't see why they would need a simulation of a bowling alley."

He couldn't?

Ritsuka could see the reason for one.

They were sort of going through it right now.

Just for fun.

Martha was seriously dangerous at this sport.

How many strikes in a row had she gotten now?

Ritsuka leaned back into the chair and watched the purple haired woman return to her own teammates, her face remarkably stoic even as Astolfo all but sang her praises. Though at the mention of the strength of her bowling arm and how she got so strong, Ritsuka did notice the saint twitch a little.

Weird.

But that was beside the point.

He leaned towards his allies and dropped his voice into a whisper. "Okay, team huddle. We're getting pasted out there."

David raised a finger and then smiled wryly. "Let us examine the silver lining. It is not just our team that is falling victim to the strength of the Saints. But also the others as well…or did you not see the way in which the charming girl with the white veil threw her bowling ball clean through the ceiling?"

Ritsuka glanced towards the round hole that was still there.

No one had really addressed it and the simulator didn't seem to be all that damaged.

Though he would have thought Ash would have been the one to do something like that.

Ritsuka shook his head and turned to the Archer once more. "Yeah, but saying at least we're all getting beat up doesn't really inspire me with all that much confidence. Just saying."

David smiled and shook his head. "You misunderstand. As a professional underdog, I can say with absolute certainty that our moment is coming. It is only when we are at our lowest point that we can truly start to rise to the occasion. As they say, adversity brings out the best in people."

Mash looked a touch puzzled. "Who said that?"

"Me, just now." David replied without a hint of shame. He smiled as he stood up, then moved towards their lane as he reached for the bowling ball. "Trust me, Master. I shall have this sorted out in a giffy."

Ritsuka wasn't sure why.

But something about the unbroken confidence of David was inspiring.

The man clasped the bowling ball and jogged forwards, then swung his arm forwards and loosened it.

It got halfway down the lane before it veered off into the gutter.

Ritsuka slapped a hand over his face.

"Senpai…I'm confused." Mash whispered to him. "Isn't David-san supposed to be an Archer? Shouldn't be be…skilled at aiming?"

"...I'm just going to assume being skilled with projectile weapons is optional for the Archer class at this point…because apparently you can just throw something and qualify for it."

He spied down the end to see how the others were doing.

"Excali-bowl Morgan!" The loud shout of Artoria Alter was accompanied by the clatter of pins and the crunch of wood. Ritsuka jolted in his seat and whipped his head to see what the noise was about. Then he felt his brows shoot up his forehead as he stared at the hole in the very end of the lane…and the splintered remains of the pins that littered it.

"...There is no way that counts as a strike." Ritsuka couldn't help but comment. "No way."

"Strike!"

The electronic voice above them shouted out.

Ritsuka sputtered and glared at the intercom in betrayal.

"Ah, Senpai. Doctor Romani is going again." Mash's arm pointed up and towards the doctor in question, he focused as the man jogged forwards and then loosened his own bowl with a bit of a clunky arm.

…It at least managed to hit the pins and take out half of them.

The doctor looked rather pleased with himself as he walked back towards the starting position and waited for the bowling ball to return. Rolling back and forth on his heels and folding his arms. The moment it returned, he scooped it into his hands and then went back to the lane.

Another short bowl.

…It veered into the gutter with a clang.

Romani flinched and dropped his arm down, then slunk back to where he was originally sitting, throwing himself into the chair next to Hanleth…who was still somehow fast asleep, a small blanket thrown over her and showing no signs of actually waking up in the first place.

The doctor looked up and met their eyes.

Ritsuka waved to him and gave him a thumbs up.

Romani returned a weak but genuine smile as he mirrored the gesture.

"He's doing alright, isn't he?"

Ritsuka turned to the voice, David slumped into the chair next to him and continued to smile as though he hadn't just missed his last two shots. Ritsuka raised a brow at him before he shrugged and turned back to glance at the direction of the doctor. Even as Mash moved around him and went for her turn.

"Yeah, though I'd hate to think he's just forcing himself."

David, for some reason, found that funny.

Ritsuka sent him an odd look.

"It's nothing to do with that." The Archer waved his hand. "Trust me, if he wanted to leave, he'd have already found some sort of excuse. I've met the type of people before and he's here right now because he wants to be…which probably doesn't have anything to do with my presence at all."

There it was again.

The weird thing between Romani and David.

Ritsuka squinted. "What is up with you two anyway?"

The look on David's face was odd, as though there was something he wanted to say but held himself back from saying. Instead he just gave Ritsuka a rather curious smile before he shrugged his shoulders. "Who can say? But perhaps I am merely guiding another sheep as set out to me by the Lord…also I like him. He's quite a funny man, all things considered."

"Strike!"

Ritsuka and David snapped their heads towards Mash, who looked back at them with a rather frozen expression as if she couldn't quite believe what she had done.

Then Ritsuka shot to his feet and pumped his fist. "Yes, Mash! Get in there!"

He approached her, palm raised. "High five!"

Mash looked a little bewildered then, rather awkwardly, she raised her hand and slapped her palm against his own, a faint little smile bubbled on her face as she did so.

"Excellent."

Ritsuka glanced at David as the man gave a sage nod of the head. "See? What did I tell you? As a professional underdog, I have an eye for these sorts of things."

He stared at the Archer for ten full seconds in silence. "...Half of your shots ended up in the gutter, David."

The man grinned back. "I never claimed that I would be the one to lead us to victory!"

"This is great, isn't it?" Astolfo beamed as he looked around at his teammates, judging by their own pleased expressions, they were also getting into the swing of things as well.

Bringing up his hands, he clicked finger guns towards Martha.

"You especially, I mean, I had no idea you were that strong so I'm seriously impressed. Like, I am convinced you could bench press me with no problems whatsoever and - I'm not gonna lie - that both intimidates and…what was I saying again?"

Martha looked at him and then twitched her brow for a moment.

Weird.

Had he said something usual?

"Anyway!" He turned towards Jeanne. "You're doing great as well!"

Jeanne jerked and looked at him. "Sorry? Ah…I wasn't paying attention."

Astolfo furrowed his brows.

Weird.

She did that every time there was someone striking down pins, it was like she was suddenly enraptured by the loud crashing noises or something. Did she like the loud noises? That would have been odd.

Oh well.

"Anyway, the real threat are definitely the guys over there!"

He pointed towards the direction of the threat, narrowing his eyes towards them and catching the attention of their leader.

The corrupted version of King Arthur turned a cold eye towards them, he could feel the way her gaze focused on him alone. Suddenly pointing at her felt like a really bad idea, he quickly lowered his arm and averted his gaze from the King and leaned towards Jeanne, dropping his voice into a whisper.

"Yikes. She's even scarier than Mordred."

"Astolfo." Jeanne sighed and looked at him. "Perhaps calling her scary in the open is not the best place to start. Besides, this is nothing more than a harmless competition set up by Master…"

Even as she said that, the Saint craned her head over her shoulder and watched intently as Cu Chulainn stepped onto the lane and swung the bowling ball forwards, sending it skidding along the ground and crashing into the pins with an echoing cry.

Astolfo watched Jeanne for a moment and noticed the rather small smile on her face when the noise echoed out.

He then stepped towards Martha and whispered. "Hey…do you think she likes loud banging noises? Does that mean she would enjoy a death metal concert?"

He side-eyed Martha.

She looked at him with a face of stone. "...It is your turn to bowl, by the way."

It was?

He turned around and looked to the screen. "Hey, it is! Wooohooo! I'm gonna do it guys! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike!"

"The fool keeps chanting, but his overconfidence will spell his end."

Sister was looking rather invigorated.

Though Kalameet personally had no idea what was going on or what he was supposed to do, all he was told by Sister was to throw the ball at the lane. But apparently he was doing it wrong.

Glancing either side of him revealed that the humans were actually rolling the ball on the ground instead.

He should probably try that.

Sister turned around, then pointed towards him. "Next time use your strength to score a strike. Obliterate everything."

"Or, you know, don't do that." Chulainn spoke up, raising his hand and stepping around Sister with a raised brow. "Because if this guy throws anything at the wall, then we're going to lose the wall. I don't think that the little lass is going to be all that thrilled if something happens to the wall."

"...I don't want to make Olga upset."

"Would you rather face her wrath, or mine?" Sister remarked with a cold command, releasing a flair of her mana as she did so.

Kalameet found himself torn between the two of them.

On the one hand, it was clear his sister wanted to win and he really wanted to support her, but on the other hand, if he messed up his next attack he could cause problems for Olga as well.

Maybe a little bit of his power?

He stepped forwards and took the ball into his fingers, then glanced either side of him and watched them roll it. Taking a deep breath, he moved forwards two steps and swung his arm low, pulling his fingers from the ball in the second before it hit the ground and sending it shooting across the lane.

With…a bit more speed than was probably acceptable.

It wiped out half the pins the moment it struck.

He blinked, then stepped back and stared.

"Hmph." Sister grunted behind him. "...Acceptable."

Kalameet smiled, placing his fists on his hips.

He was happy to contribute.

Romani had no idea what he was to expect when he was roped into this.

But bowling against David was certainly not one of those things.

But watching Fujimaru and Mash play, seeing them laugh and joke around with one another as if they were just regular teenagers…

…He was a bit happy to be kidnapped if it meant he could see this.

A snort from beside him had him turn his gaze, Hanleth shifted and then opened her eyes, a brief look of shock entered her face as her head whipped around left and right, then settled on him. She leaned back and stared at him like a deer would look into the headlights of a car.

"...Wut?"

Romani gave a nervous smile and a small wave. "Hey…we both got kidnapped."

"Oh…" Hanleth seemed to relax a bit, then winced at the noise and looked around again with a more thoughtful expression. "Oh, Chris. That makes sense…oh, there's a lot of relaxation going on around here. That's good…wait…is that good? I didn't even do anything yet? Oh, wait…that means I don't need to work, do I?"

She smacked her lips a few times and then shuffled back into her seat, drawing the blanket fully over her once more.

"Night."

She was snoring before he could even reply.

He blinked a few times, then turned his head away from her.

That was really strange.

"Your spawn is strong. You should be proud."

He jerked and looked up, Chrysaor's shadow loomed over him, her head pointed towards the direction of Mash's group.

He followed her gaze and rolled his lips. "I'm not her…yeah…I am proud of her…but she doesn't need to do anything for me to be proud of her."

"...She's stronger than you."

"Yeah." Romani bobbed his head up and down.

She really was.

"She and Fujimaru-kun both…can't have one without the other."

Chrysaor said nothing for a moment, then she replied. "Well…he is a parasite."

Exa-

…

"He's a what now?"

Nobunaga sniffed next to him. "You know, I saw this going better."

Ash just shrugged his shoulders as he swung the bowling ball down the lane. "I didn't."

He watched the ball roll down the centre lane, then wobble for a moment and shift to the right, gliding into and taking out a third of the pins with a rather loud echo. He grunted and folded his arms.

"Well, whatever." Nobunaga just dismissed. "It can't be helped if we lose. Just so long as we don't come last."

Ash spared the woman a glance, then shrugged his shoulders once again. "If you say so."

He grabbed the bowl and moved to roll it again, this time he took out another third.

Nobunaga grumbled something at him, then turned to Altera. "Okay, you're up. Remember-"

"Aim dead ahead." Altera parroted the earlier words, then stepped forwards and readied herself for the next throw.

He stepped out of the way for the Saber.

Altera moved forwards.

Then threw the ball right down the centre of the line.

In an identical fashion to the Altered Artoria, the bowling ball punched clean through the pins and the shockwaves sent the splinters flying off to all corners of the simulation, some darted past his head, ruffling his hair a little in the process. He glanced to Altera as she turned around and nodded her head.

He nodded back. "Good. The pins have been eliminated"

"Along with half our lane." Nobunaga added on in a strained voice. "This is what I get for using muscle…"

Ash didn't see the problem.

The pins were all gone.

He glanced at Altera, she wore a similar look of confusion as him.

…This game confused him.