Chapter 143: The Stranger's hand
Ritsuka glanced out of the corner of his eye as he stood next to Mash, awaiting the call that they could enter the Coffins. He could already see Ash glaring at Sulyvahn.
Even if he didn't, the blonde Saber was making his hatred rather noticeable to the point where it would have been impossible not to realise that Ash was actively glaring at Sulyvahn. Despite what he said in terms of team work, he was already having second thoughts about this sort of thing.
"Are you alright, Senpai?" Mash asked, clearly noticing his slight discomfort. The boy flashed her a somewhat strained smile in an effort to provide some reassurance to her. The fact that her face remained unchanging for a second and then seemed to worsen was proof enough that it hadn't worked in the least.
The same vanished from Ritsuka's face, replaced by an exhausted frown. "I won't say I'm feeling particularly confident about this line up." He replied to the Shielder with a jerk of his head behind them. "Especially considering who we're actually bringing along with us."
Mash glanced over Ritsuka's shoulder, quickly taking notice of Ash's heated glare and Sulyvahn's oblivious nature to it. Or he wasn't oblivious and didn't actually care in the least, Mash wasn't personally all that sure. She hadn't engaged in enough conversations with Sulyvahn to actually get an understanding of what he was like.
What little she did know, at the very least, told her that he valued his own opinions above that of everyone else. So it might have been that he was just ignoring Ash entirely. In truth, she could already start to see the issues that might arise with an extended expedition with the group.
Jeanne had already brought the topic up and Ritsuka had addressed it as neutrally as he could, Mash herself wasn't going to question his decision on that front. It was hardly as though she could say it didn't make sense to have more Servants used to working with one another. However, bringing enemies together on the same team?
That was something Mash couldn't quite wrap her head around, they might have the same goal in helping Chaldea undo the incineration but at the same time the two couldn't stand one another. She paused for a moment, a thoughtful frown coming upon her face as she considered something.
She already knew how Ash felt about Sulyvahn - he hadn't bothered to make it a secret and advocated his distrust on every single opportunity that arose - but Sulyvahn hadn't made his own opinion about Ash all that public beyond the occasional insult. It wasn't like whenever Sulyvahn talked about Gwyndolin, it was more as though…
The words to describe it didn't quite emerge in her mouth.
"Mash?" The girl jolted, noticing Ritsuka giving her a curious look "You okay?"
"Fine, Senpai." Mash nodded her head up and down "I was just thinking about something, is all." she paused, tilting her head slightly and furrowing her brows "Do you think that Ash-san and Sulyvahn-san will be able to work as a team?"
Ritsuka's brows rose up slightly "...Well, I mean…" he coughed slightly, moving his right hand to scratch the back of his neck. "It would be ideal but I'm not entirely sure that's going to happen anytime soon."
The blunt admittance had the girl start with a surprise, her eyes widening as she stared at Ritsuka "Eh? But…"
"Some people just have differences Mash, but can still work well together." Ritsuka pointed out, raising a single finger. "Like Captain Drake and Ash." His lip twitched upwards "Pretty much everyone knew how much Ash hated her but in the end they still worked together because they had a common goal. I mean." he gestured to himself "I'm not expecting to wind up as Havel's best friend or something." his words descended into an amused laughter towards the end of his sentence "But we still work together."
Mash opened her mouth before she closed it "I see." a nod "Then it is more a professional relationship you are trying to make than a personal one?" she inquired, earning a nod of the head from the Master.
"Way I see it, we're going to be working with all sorts of people in the coming weeks and months." He explained "So it wouldn't make much sense to travel down with the exact same set of people each time. Servants all have different skills that are suited to different conditions. Like in Okeanos when we brought down Verndari to help set up traps for Heracles."
Mash made a noise of understanding "Ah! I get it." she gave a single nod of the head "Some Servants might be required for different tasks, so you're trying to get them to work with each other to complete those tasks. Right?"
"Pretty much, yes." Ritsuka confirmed "It's more trying to get everyone under the mentality of 'we're all here for the same job, so let's make sure it gets done correctly' sort of deal."
"Hmph." The pair of them turned to the floating purple robe of Medea, the Caster hovering slightly to the right of them and coming away from inspecting the opened Coffin. "As ideal as that would be, there are some that you would find it difficult to even have with one another in a professional environment." she looked to Ritsuka "Do you not have a Servant who despises Mages present?"
Ritsuka nodded his head in a wince "Y-yeah…Havel."
"And I am a Witch." Medea bluntly pointed out, her lips remaining in a thin line "How long do you imagine it would be before he made clear his hatred of myself?"
Ritsuka and Mash shared a glance with one another before they returned their attention back to Medea.
"That is…" Mash raised her hand, then slowly lowered it "But Havel-san is working with Senpai!" she hastily added on "And he dislikes dragons. Kiyohime-san hasn't reported a problem yet and Havel-san worked with Senpai!"
"Is the former not because the Berserker has made an avoid the dragon girl at all costs?" Medea raised an eyebrow behind her hood, her tone of voice already making it apparent she knew the answer to that.
Ritsuka frowned slightly but didn't say anything.
"Still. Far be it from me to diminish the power of blind optimism." She curtly dismissed it with a twitch of her lip. "If you intend to see the best in all you encounter, then that is your own choice."
The intercom buzzed over their heads, Romani's voice echoing out above them.
"Coordinates are all set, Fujimaru-kun. Climb into the coffin when you're ready."
Ritsuka and Mash glanced up before the former returned his attention to Medea, staring at her for a moment before he chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
"I mean, I'm not going to say that I believe everyone can be friends or something." He admitted as he walked around the Caster and towards his Coffin, the container hissed as the lid jutted forth and then swung open. The boy stopped just shy of stepping into it, looking over his shoulder at Medea. "But I'd like to give everyone the chance to show they can work together."
He stepped into the Coffin, turning himself around and looking to her "Considering that you all came for the exact same reason, I'd like to think that you all want to see us succeed. So giving you the chance to do that is the least I can do." he paused for a moment, then hummed as he leaned back "Besides, trying to work together and failing is a little better than never trying in the first place. At least that's what I think."
Medea stared at him in silence for a brief moment "As I said. Far be it from me to dismiss the power of blind optimism. I'm sure experience will rob you of that notion soon enough." Despite her words, Ritsuka noticed the slight inclination of her lip upwards. "Although for the time being, I suppose faith in the best qualities of mankind is hardly something to scoff at."
"Considering what we're all fighting for, I'd like to think so." Ritsuka responded with a wry tone as the Coffin door started to close.
"Starting Unsummon Programme." The automated voice boomed above their heads, the group of Servants shifted their gaze upwards and stared at the glowing lights above them as their surroundings slowly shifted, their bodies being engulfed in a bright light. "Initiating Spiritron Conversion. Rayshift commencing in three…two…one."
As with most Rayshifts before, Ritsuka had been expecting a brief shunt before he would find himself standing in whatever location he was being sent to. At least preferably, sometimes - with disturbing frequency, he would note - he would find himself falling through the air towards the ground.
By intention or design or perhaps just a fault, Ritsuka was slowly starting to get the idea that gravity was going to become one of his natural enemies.
However, there was something about the shuddering jolt that went through his body moments before the Rayshift activated that left him feeling a sense of dread. Something more than the notion that Ash and Sulyvahn might start a fight with one another.
Then his coffin flashed with life and he was away to the era.
The first thing Ritsuka felt the moment he made landfall, was a deep biting cold which spread across his entire body in an instant, he ragdolled down as he lost his footing and fell face first into the ground, a gentle crunch beneath his feet and a burning sensation swept across his exposed skin in an instant.
His face went numb from whatever he was currently lying in, for him the very act of rushing back to his feet was something that took all his effort. Of course, the moment he managed to get up he was very nearly blown down once more as a rush of wind slammed into his body, the Master taking a single step backwards and letting out a startled gasp as he foot sunk into the ground.
Ritsuka couldn't think straight, between the burning across his body and the lack of vision he was running through every single possibility of what was happening to him before he lost the sense of touch in his hands. Despite that, he could still raise his arms and hold them out in front of him to cover his face, his eyelids slammed shut as the same burning sensation that currently assaulted he body rushed into his exposed orbs.
It was only when he parted his arms slightly and cracked an eye open that he managed to get some semblance of understanding as to where he was actually located and what was likely going on. Shifting his head downwards, he found his vision consumed with white a rushing white haze, as though he was stepping through a fast flowing river with all the specs surging past his body.
Even his black trousers barely stood out amongst the backdrop, his feet vanishing below into whatever he was stood upon. In his pain addled haze, he could barely string more than two thoughts together as he became aware of the lack of sensation. For a brief terrifying moment, he was reminded of the coldness of the Dark Sign branded on his body, it had only been for a few minutes but he remembered it well.
The complete lack of sensation in his own body, as if moving your limb and being surprised when it did so. As though he was going through the motions.
This wasn't that, he could take comfort in the fact he was still feeling pain. Something a small part of him was grateful for as it meant that he was still alive. A larger part of him wanted to stop feeling it altogether.
A howling noise split the air, for a brief moment Ritsuka believed it to be an animal. His head darted up and found himself unable to see anything in front of him either. Unsurprisingly, if he couldn't see his legs then seeing anything in front of his face wasn't going to be something he was capable of either. A rather obvious thought with the benefit of hindsight but in his own defence, he was hardly thinking straight.
The howling grew louder before Ritsuka felt his entire body shoved backwards by an invisible force, as though he'd been struck by a transparent car. The howl rushed over his head as the Master was knocked down into the floor, his body sinking into the white crunchy substance beneath him.
"Ah…snow…" Ritsuka muttered to himself, willing his body to move once more to pull himself out but ultimately failing to muster so much as an ounce of his strength. He'd been Rayshifted directly into a blizzard.
A rather nasty one as well, Ritsuka stared towards what he presumed was the sky but in truth he couldn't see anything. He was just vacantly looking as his body lay in the chilled grip of the snow around him. Every breath he attempted to take was ripped right from his lungs, his mouth half frozen shut as the moisture on his skin started to crystallise.
It must have been quite cold for that to happen.
He wondered if Mash was alright, she was a Demi-Servant so her endurance was better than his but at the same time she was still alive. Would she be feeling the same sort of horrible stuff that he was right now? He didn't want that.
What would happen to her if he died?
No…He couldn't think about that.
He wouldn't let that happen!
He couldn't die now, not with so many people counting on him.
Pulling as much strength as he could gather from every ounce of his body, Ritsuka heaved himself up with all the power he could. His adrenaline burned his body through and through, swinging his body to the side and sweeping his arm out, slamming it into the snow and using it to brace himself as he further twisted his body. He ignored his hands protesting and his fingers feeling as though they were going to drop off.
Hissing out a breath, spitting onto the snow, he brought his left hand out from underneath him and pressed it down. Shoving his body up in a press up before giving a single grunt of exertion as he propelled himself up, pushing the ground away and rocking on his knees.
He couldn't die yet…
He didn't want to die yet.
Whatever energy had let him climb to his knees was starting to leave him at this point, no. Rather it was as though his body had drained itself of any further power. His muscles went slack and his arms fell to his side, his eyelids struggled and fluttered as Ritsuka found himself increasingly unable to keep them open.
His back to the wind, it was subject to the howling gale and fast moving shards of ice. The Master was quite certain that he could feel sections of his clothing getting shredded, given that he actually felt warmth spreading through his back for a brief moment before it too started to depart.
The muscles which kept his head upright failed, Ritsuka slumped forwards once more into a kneeling position.
Intrusive thoughts flooded his mind, if he'd been dropped here of all places then perhaps it was the world's way of telling him that it was best to give up. In fact, he couldn't remember why he had been struggling so hard in the first place.
The entire planet had been incinerated in a second by someone who was apparently the best mage to ever exist. What hope did he actually have in the first place?
None.
He was just some kid who was brought in to fill the empty seats, he wasn't like Mash who held the power of a Servant nor was he like Ash who had apparently saved his world already. He was a literal nobody amongst a sea of brilliance. Would it really make that big a difference if he just sat here and let the cold claim him?
Initially he had been thrust into the role because there was no one else but the Director had come back and she had been able to go to the Roman Singularity with them. So he wasn't actually the only one available. In that case, did it really matter all that much?
The Director was an actual mage, she was definitely going to be a lot better at this stuff than him so he was sure it would work out in the end. They didn't need him.
He could just sit here and let the cold claim him.
Besides, he could feel himself getting used to it. The biting winds had fallen down into a pleasant chill, his body didn't feel like it was going to crumble away at any moment but at the same time he didn't feel the compulsion to move anywhere. Sitting here and taking a short nap in the snow wouldn't be such a bad thing, would it?
…
Like Hell.
What was he thinking at a time like that?
His eyes snapped open once more, a growl left his lips as he pulled his legs out of their kneeling position and into a crouch. As if in response to his sudden burst of determination, the freezing winds intensified, the howling around him heralding the approach of another gale force impact. Not that Ritsuka was going to be deterred now.
Sitting down in the snow and just leaving everyone like that?
What was he even doing considering that in the first place?
Mash still had to see the sky!
"Tsk!" Ritsuka sucked air into his lungs, his throat burned as though he'd swallowed an ice cube, a splitting pain lanced straight through his skull and into his brain as he felt his head throb. He wasn't cowed by it, instead he responded by practically jumping up onto his feet, throwing himself into shambling steps.
His feet came in and out of the snow, each movement felt as though he was ripping his leg out of the ground itself before nailing it back down. The snow seemed determined to take hold of his limbs and never release them. Ritsuka rebelled against that grip with each step he took, driving his feet down into the snow like a nail and yanking them free with a grunt.
Ritsuka didn't care how many steps he had managed, in an ironic twist they each had been so full of effort that they blended together. All that really mattered to him was that he was moving in the first place.
Another howl split the sky, the boy didn't turn around. He felt it though, even before the wind struck he could tell this was going to be the most powerful blast yet. The rumbling around him and the fact he saw the icy debris around him start to rush away from him as fast as they could. The boy didn't care.
He just kept moving, all that mattered was that he kept moving forwards.
The howl was like a thundering roar now, as if raging against his resistance.
Taking a final step forwards, Ritsuka turned his body around to face it. He could see the cloud of white rushing towards him like a tidal way, watching in slow motion as the upper layers of snow were ripped away from the ground and into the oncoming wall. He didn't let his fear show, instead he just stared at the icy tsunami in silence as it approached, ready to knock him down and bury him.
He angled his body forwards, bracing himself and raising his arms. He wouldn't give up that easily, until the last moment. He wasn't going to give up his will to survive. Not for anything.
"Perfect sentiments."
The gentle whisper was louder than the storms, as if it had been spoken directly into his ear.
As if to accompany the words, the oncoming wall of ice split down the centre, rushing around the Master and along either side of him without slowing down in the least. As though it had been physically repulsed by the mere idea of touching the boy, it continued on its rampage and left the bubble around him untouched.
Ritsuka made a small noise - as best he could with his lips frozen together - and looked around in surprise. His body twisting from side to side and then his head looking up to confirm that what had happened, had in fact happened.
The boy wasn't sure how long the haze of snow surrounded him, it might well have been a few seconds but to him it felt as though he was in that bubble for an eternity. Somehow, it was oddly peaceful. As though he'd been plucked right out of danger without moving from his spot, watching the world rush past him without the slightest ounce of being in danger.
When the millennium long seconds ended, the rushing wall of snow diminished into the pale haze of the earlier blizzard. the boy felt his strength leave him, his body teetered forwards and very nearly found himself back onto the snow.
Or would have, had he not fallen into something which stopped him completely. Ritsuka could barely make out the bar which had seemingly sprung out from thin air in front of him and blocked his fall, keeping him standing on his feet. It stretched out across his torso, around the same thickness of his arm.
He stared at the silhouette in front of him for a few moments, then traced his eyes along the rest of it in the direction it came from. Quickly coming to the conclusion that it had been an arm, considering the fact he was now staring at a shoulder and soon after that, a featureless head. Well, to him it was featureless. This blizzard still obscured so much that Ritsuka was sure that he appeared to be little more than a moving shadow to his rescuer.
"It will not do for you to fall so quickly after making such a proud declaration to defeat the inevitable death that would have awaited you." The whisper had risen into a voice, the words cut clear through the rushing winds around them. "Rest for now, I shall take you to safety where we might speak further. I have little doubt that a partnership will serve to benefit both parties."
Ritsuka would have responded if he was able to, but the moment the man had told him to rest it was as though his body lost the energy to carry on. His muscles went slack and his eyelids fell down.
Darkness consumed him as he passed into a peaceful slumber.
The door burst open, the lock shattered with the shove and sent splinters of wood clattering to the ground. A snow covered figure was tossed inside, letting out a sharp gasp as they hit the floor but didn't seem to be complaining about the rough treatment they had endured.
A second figure stomped in, equally covered in frozen water before they turned around and grabbed ahold of the door. Grunting to themselves as they fought back against the gale outside and shoved it closed before holding it there. The head of the figure turned around to look for something, quickly spotting it next to the door.
Keeping their right hand pressed firmly upon the entrance, their left hand reached out and took hold of the back of the wooden chair. Wood cried out as the furniture was dragged along the floorboards and towards the door, the tall figure stepped back and pushed the chair forwards, propping it up underneath the door handle and moving back to admire their handiwork.
The door rattled as the winds battered against it but remained unmoved, the figure snapped their head to the window to the side of the door. Moving towards it and taking hold of the dark curtains and drawing them across. The moment the hands clenched around them, the top layer of fabric shattered like glass as the ice encrusted atop them was disturbed. The man paid no heed to them as he drew them shut and the room fell into darkness.
All that could be heard was the rattling of the door and the unending whistle of the winds from outside the building. The figure thrown onto the floor let out a shuddering gasp, their hands flew to their mouth and cupped over it as they breathed in and out repeatedly to get warmth back into their fingers.
They shot a glance towards the man still standing by the door, their vague outline raised their left hand once more and spread their palm wide. Light burst from their hand, a flickering bright orange flame floated up and illuminated the room.
Decorations were sparse, a single cupboard at the side of the room with a few books upon it, a square oak table with another chair on the opposite side. Creaky wooden floorboards and an open doorway leading into another room, presumably the kitchen. The walls of the main room they resided in were plastered up with pale yellow wallpaper, although the cold had already gotten to it with parts peeling away.
"Don't suppose you can start a fire, right?" Nobunaga asked from the floor, breathing in and out repeatedly, their breaths visible from the coldness that permeated around them. Even here, there was little escape from the everpresent chill.
"In a room full of wood?" Ash replied with a dry tone of voice, turning on the smaller woman and frowning. "The cold affects you so greatly?"
"It shouldn't." Nobunaga responded back with gritted teeth, pulling her hands away from her mouth in order to speak. "We're both Servants, the weather shouldn't affect us in the least. Sure, I would get wet if I fell in water but getting hypothermia from being outside?" she scowled heavily, glaring at the rays of light through the curtains. "...Tch. Magic storm."
Ash nodded his head in assent "I discerned as much." he paused for a moment, glancing at the curtains briefly "Did you catch sight of anyone else?"
Nobunaga was silent before she shook her head "Just you before you slung me under your arm and went bounding for the nearest building." there was a pause before she cracked a smile "Quick reactions, by the way."
"It was prudent to get both of us out of the blizzard as quickly as possible." Ash responded back to her with a clear tension in his words. The apprehension from the Saber gave pause to the Archer, the woman inclining her head and raising an eyebrow as she resumed breathing on her reddened fingers. "As an unkindled, my senses are muted to the point of being non-existent save for such things as pain. As you said, the weather should have no effect on me…"
Nobunaga could see where this was going already. "This did?"
Ash hummed and nodded once, turning to face her once more while keeping the flames near his head. "The only other land I have ever been in which the cold affected me this greatly was the frozen painting of Ariandel."
"...Painting?"
"A world trapped inside a painting."
"Neat." Was all Nobunaga had to say in response to that, glancing around the room before she spotted something in the far corner. "Aha!" She cried out, rushing to her feet and moving towards it with sudden vigour that caught the Saber momentarily by surprise. He watched as she crouched down directly in front of a cage built into the wall, grabbing the iron bars and pulling them aside and staring into the blackened out gap.
"Looks like this was a fireplace." She explained to Ash, turning around and looking about the room. "I don't see any occupants so we're free to smash up the furniture."
"...If you say so." Ash grunted back, moving forwards and pausing for a moment as he considered something. "If the cold is so effective to either of us, then what of Ritsuka?"
Nobunaga was silent for a moment before she responded "Neither of us have been desummoned yet and only I have independent action." her voice shifted to be more serious that her usual amused tone of voice. "If Master was dead, then you would have most likely vanished by now. Not to mention we would both be aware if he perished."
The woman turned and looked to the Saber directly, her face in a more stern expression. "We can therefore assume that he remains alive, however we cannot confirm his safety nor do we have the means of doing so at this time. The blizzard outside is dangerous to even Servants such as ourselves, therefore wandering around it in the vain hope that we might stumble upon Master is a fool's errand."
Ash frowned "You suggest we remain here then?"
"You say that as though we have another option available to us." Nobunaga countered as she returned her attention to the fireplace, moving her hand into the midst of it and sweeping aside the cold embers. "For the moment, our first course of action should be establishing our own safety before we can worry about our Masters. That might seem counterintuitive at the moment, but it serves us better in the long run."
She jerked a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the curtains "If we go out there, we'd probably last about an hour before we died. Maybe less if we get caught in another rush like the one we last experienced. We have no way of knowing where our allies are located and even if we did, we have no real means of contacting them."
Ash blinked "What of the mental-"
"I was trying that while you had me slung under your arm." Nobunaga replied in a strained tone of voice, standing back up and turning to face the Saber full, her lips curled into a frown. "No response from anyone. That can be for one of two reasons, they are already dead or there is some sort of interference that blocks out mental communication magic or along those lines."
"...I see."
Nobunaga placed her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow at the Saber "Did you not pay attention during the briefing of the Singularity? The entire region was blanketed in some sort of interference to stop them getting an accurate lay of the land before we arrived. It's hardly presumptuous to believe this would extend to more than just simple observation."
Ash hadn't considered that, with the benefit of hindsight it did make a certain amount of sense to him.
His understanding must have been obvious on his face by the way Nobunaga sighed to herself and shook her head from side to side.
"See? This is why you're a munitions retainer." She explained, pointing to herself "Leave the tactics to the actual general." she lowered her arm "Now, help me smash up the house owner's property so we can set fire to it."
The woman looked around. "We can think of our next plan after we get warm, I'm also going to raid their food cupboards for supplies. An army cannot march on an empty stomach after all."
"I do not need to eat."
"Yeah, but Master does." Nobunaga bluntly responded "And if he's getting dragged through a frozen wasteland like this, I would say that keeping his energy up is a must. The last thing we need is him getting lethargic and droopy." another pause "Your limitless box can store anything, right?"
"It can-"
"Good. We're gonna strip this place down of everything we can get." She bluntly remarked as she walked over to the chair sitting next to the table. Taking it in both hands, she snapped the head rest off it and dropped it to the ground with a thud. "Blankets, candles - if they have any - and anything else you can think might come in handy. Probably some more wood for kindling."
Ash tilted his head, though before he nodded he opened his mouth and asked "What of the owners?"
Nobunaga stopped as she went to break off one of the chair legs, ruby red eyes flickered onto emerald green with incredulity. "We were hardly quiet as we came inside and I'm now smashing up their furniture. Considering how cold it is, I'd wager they're already dead. Probably the same as everyone else in this street." she paused for a moment, then frowned "Though that would make our situation worse if the entire population of London was dead…"
She muttered to herself, then tossed the chair towards Ash.
The Saber blinked as he cut out of his flames and then caught the remains of the chair in his hands.
"I'm going to look around the rest of the house. You keep smashing up furniture. Smaller bits that gradually get larger."
Ash nodded once before he paused to consider something "Before you leave." He called out to the Archer, the woman paused before turning to face him. The Saber flicked open his Bottomless Box and held his hand just above it, particulates rushed up and formed a shape in his hands.
The room brightened up considerably as a lit torch manifested itself in his grasp, the Saber twisted his wrist to hold it upright before extending his arm in the direction of his fellow Servant.
Nobunaga stared at the burning wood for a few moments in silence before she looked at the Servant "...You can keep actual fire in that thing?"
"Yes."
"...That gets more and more useful each time I see it." She bluntly responded as she took the torch in her hand and held it up, turning her body and moving to the far corner of the room where there was a staircase moving up to the next floor. The wood creaked with each step the Archer took. "I gotta get me one of those things."
"I believe Da Vinci was working on one." Ash provided as helpfully as he could as he took a hold of the chair and ripped it apart with a spray of sawdust and splinters.
Nobunaga called back to him "She better hurry up then!" her footsteps receding as she climbed higher and higher up the stairs.
Gripping the wooden leg of the chair with both hands, Ash brought it down over his knee and shattered it once more, splitting it apart before it was tossed onto the growing pile with a thud. As he worked, the Saber called out through the house.
"Do you believe our allies were able to find cover as well?"
"A safe bet." Nobunaga's voice echoed throughout the silent house. "One of them has enough magic resistance that she could walk through this storm without batting an eye." a scoff "EX ranked…That's just ridiculous. Regardless, if we were able to move with enough speed to find shelter then it is guaranteed they would be able to as well."
Ash broke the seat itself.
"Not that we would be able to tell." Nobunaga continued on "Seeing more than a foot in front of your face is impossible out there. We'll likely need to wait for the blizzard to die down, if it ever does, before we could think of going out there again." a pause "Either that or wait until Master actually summons us with his command spells. Those things recharge or something, right?"
"I have been told as much, yes." Ash replied back with a grunt, stamping down on the chair once more and breaking it into smaller chunks of wood. He stepped back to admire his handiwork, the remains of the chair thoroughly broken up into assorted fragments of wood of varying sizes. From around the length of his finger to nearing half his forearm. "I have witnessed as much. Ritsuka once used one on me when I fell into the ocean."
He heard a clatter from upstairs, turning his head directly up and staring at the ceiling.
"...You fell into the ocean?" Nobunaga asked back with a clear note of surprise, soon followed by a loud hum. "I can see how that would be a problem. You're wearing thick steel armour after all. That does not tend to float all that well."
"It does not." The Servant agreed, returning his attention to the pile and taking hold of it in his arms, marching towards the fireplace with heavy footsteps and dropping down in front of it. Even in the darkness, his eyes had adjusted somewhat to the lack of lighting. Though he quickly remedied the need for adjustment by bringing out his pyromancy flame once more and illuminating the room around him.
"I take it you can't swim either?"
"I cannot." Ash confirmed, reaching down and taking some of the smaller pieces of wood in his right hand and tossing them into the ash covered hole. "I never learned how, even if the chance had provided itself I have little doubt there would be creatures in the water that would kill and eat me. I cannot fight in the water."
An amused laughter rippled through the house "You would be hard pressed to find a Servant who ca-" the voice cut off. Ash halted his movements as silenced descended through the house. His head tilted slightly as he gradually rose to his feet once more, turning his attention to the staircase directly adjacent to him.
"Nobunaga?" He called out to his ally, already creeping his hand towards his Bottomless Box to draw forth a weapon.
"Homeowners won't be a problem." His hand stopped when her voice echoed out once more, accompanied by an apathetic sigh. "Like I said, cold got to them."
"...Unfortunate." Ash responded with, moving his hand back to his side and returning to his crouched position. "Though unsurprising."
Nobunaga grunted back at the Saber's voice "I did say it was the most likely outcome." she called back through the house, keeping her attention on the three individuals in front of her.
A man with dark brown hair, a middle aged looking woman and a small child, perhaps around five or six, were huddled just next to the open window. The odd thing the Archer noted was that the blizzard was making no effort to sweep into the room and drown it in ice. Rather, it seemed content to just cloak the windowsill in frost and little else.
Her lip curled down. Further evidence that there was something off about this weather. Then again, when dealing with a Holy Grail they could be quite fearsome when weaponised. She was something of an expert on the matter. Moving forwards, she reached out to the windows and moved them across, the frames cracked as the layers of ice upon them shattered.
With a silent grunt, the Archer slammed the window shut, reaching up and drawing the curtains across to further keep out the cold. Then took a single step backwards and looked down at the trio once more, all of them having a thin coating of frost covering their bodies, keeping them locked in their frozen embrace.
There was nothing else to be done here.
There were implications to consider though and this was quite a mixed bag. On the one hand, they didn't need to put up with complaints as they raided this home for much needed supplies. It was always troublesome when that happened because in all likelihood she'd probably have to kill or cripple them because they were making such a fuss.
Of course that would work its way back to Master somehow and she knew he was the sort not to approve of that sort of thing. Not that she couldn't see the problem in that.
It was counterproductive to kill the people you were supposed to be saving, the goal was to undo the damage to history and not make it infinitely worse.
Turning around, she moved back towards the door and continued onwards, holding the torch up to keep light around the room.
"Huuuuuuu…."
Her legs locked up, her body frozen in the movements as she heard it. Almost like a gentle whistle of wind but that wasn't it. It was the unmistakable noise of a breath being exhaled. She whirled around in an instant, her eyes snapping towards the trio once more and glaring at them, almost daring for any one of them to make a sudden movement or so much as twitch their nose.
Another puff of cold air escaped the nostril of the man.
Her brows creased. It had to be at least minus eighty degree's Celsius outside and these people had been next to an open window. They shouldn't be alive in any sense of the word.
"Hey, retainer!" Nobunaga called back through the house "I'm revising my earlier statement. Homeowners aren't dead!"
There was a pause before she got a response back.
"Truly?" Ash was clearly as surprised as he was "But the conditions…Unless…" Nobunaga tilted her head as she heard the sound of wood dropping to the ground, a second later the heavy footfalls of the Saber drummed out as he marched up the stairs towards her, moving along the small walkway and towards the room where she was present.
Nobunaga turned to watch him enter the room, the blonde man frowned as he caught sight of the trio. Green eyes narrowed slightly before he marched towards them, dropping down onto one knee and extending his right hand out to grasp the cheeks of the man and tilt his head upwards.
She could tell what an examination was when she saw one. "You have a cause you suspect?"
"The storm is eerily familiar and these people…They are alive." Ash bluntly responded "The cold should have killed them and yet…Hmmm." he released the man's head, watching as it dropped back down and remained there. "Was there anything off about the room?"
"The window was open." Nobunaga remarked, jerking her arm in the direction of the now drawn curtains. Ash looked towards them and frowned. She quickly picked up on what he meant. "The room isn't covered in ice. I noticed that as well."
"It is not. The storm is indeed magical in nature and these people…" Ash's voice shifted, sounding somewhat distant as though his mind was elsewhere. "I have encountered this before, or something close enough to this that they can be considered the same."
"Ariandel?"
"Yes." He confirmed with a curt tone of voice, rising up to his feet once more "They will not be moving from here anytime soon." he bluntly stated, turning around and facing the Archer with a scowl. "They will not move at all until this storm is lifted, for all intents and purposes they should be considered dead…" he glanced back at them.
"So, what's wrong with them?"
"They have lost everything, or have become listless enough to lose the will to continue onwards." Ash responded with, then his expression shifted. "Or the storm has caused them to think as such? I cannot be sure but I will not rule out the possibility just yet…It is preferable to consider this as merely a created hopelessness rather than a genuine one."
"Well, yes." Nobunaga pointed at them "They sort of need to be alive for history's sake." She lowered her arm. "So they aren't in any danger?"
Ash shook his head "The world of Ariandel was cold and unforgiving, but to its inhabitants it was a welcome place." He walked past her and towards the hall once more "My revulsion of the world aside, it would not kill its denizens so quickly." his footsteps jerked to a halt in the doorway "Though perhaps this is little more than a guess on my part. I cannot be certain we are in a replica of Ariandel…"
"Well, evidence points towards it or you wouldn't have brought it up, would you?"
"...No." Ash admitted with a shrug. "Though Ariandel was home to more than just listless humans. Stepping into the storm might be considerably more dangerous than I first considered."
"Some rituals use sacrifices." Nobunaga offered, causing the Saber to turn around and face her. "I have little intricate knowledge of Magecraft, however I am aware of the richness that sacrifices offer for a ritual. They do not need to even be dead so much as drained of life." she jerked the torch towards the trio "They could have been put in a coma because this storm drains their lifeforce or something. Hence why it can affect us."
Ash frowned as he considered it, then made a small noise of understanding. "A more preferable outcome to consider rather than believing Ariandel has returned. The storm will drain our magical energy the longer we remain?"
"I'd assume so." Nobunaga shrugged, "As I said before, I am no expert."
"Neither of us are." Ash muttered back, reaching up and cupping his chin before his lip worked its way into a scowl. "We will learn nothing with guesswork. There are only two individuals who would be able to discern the true nature of this storm…"
"The Casters we came with." The Archer nodded in agreement "But we don't know where either of them are. Even if we did, it's not like knowing a direction means much out there." she tapped her foot on the ground for a moment. "Alright, you continue with creating the fireplace while I resume looking for supplies." jerking her head towards the trio behind them, she continued on "They don't seem to be in any immediate danger so we can ignore them for now. I'll think of a strategy in the meantime or until we get contacted."
Ash looked to her for a moment before he gave a single nod of assent. "Very well. You have more experience in these matters, though I will offer my insight on navigating storms such as these. They were common in Ariandel."
"I'd expect you to." Nobunaga replied without hesitation. "I shall concoct a plan within the hour, if we are not contacted within that frame of time then we shall take that as a go ahead for my own strategy." she paused for a moment, then shooed her hand at him "Get going. You have chairs to burn."
Ash raised an eyebrow before he grunted "As you say." turning on his heel, he walked through the hallway back the way he had come. His footfalls receded as he marched down the stairs with as much grace as he had marched up them. That was to say, none at all.
Despite what the Archer had said, she was privately concerned about the complete lack of communication. She knew that her Master was at the very least alive but that didn't mean anything when she now considered the comatose people behind her. The woman turned around, glancing down at them with a critical eye.
If Master had been caught in the storm, there might well be a chance he ended up like that. Drained enough that he would drop down and not move but not enough that he would die. Then again, their magical energy would be hampered if that was the case and she didn't feel any weaker than she usually did.
At any rate, the Shielder girl stuck around him like Nobukatsu did to her in the early years so she'd be more than a little surprised if something had happened to the Master in the first place.
The shattering sound of wood reminded her of their situation, shaking her head, she moved around the room while raising the torch upwards. Looking to see if there was anything that could be made into a useful tool.
Not like she would have to deal with any complaints for thievery.
He awakened with a jerk, his leg cracked against the desk with a thud that reverberated around his entire body. His head whirled around in all directions.
"What in the-!?" The words flowed from his mouth in a rush, sounding more akin to a garbled mess of letters rather than any coherent sentence. Blue eyes flickered from side to side as he examined his location. Then directed his attention downwards.
He was in a room and dressed in a plain black t-shirt with matching coloured trousers.
"Uhm…" Ritsuka let out a small noise of confusion as he stared down at his clothes, then raised his head once more and glanced at his surroundings. The bleached white walls, the singular potted plant in the corner of the room and the sleek metal bed were all familiar enough to him.
He was in his bedroom in Chaldea, the boy blinked once as he opened and closed his mouth.
"How did-what-?" He muttered to himself, turning about fact and directing his attention to the plain white metal desk he was currently seated in front of. Oddly enough, he didn't feel any pain from where he had bashed his knee. Something that struck him as a little peculiar as he would usually have started hissing from clipping himself on the underside of a desk like that.
His hands came up, his right reached towards his left before he stopped moving them and took notice of something. The back of his right hand was blank, his skin bereft of any of the trademark red of the Command Seals. Strangely enough, he didn't feel the same degree of panic that he figured he should have felt in such a situation.
There was a sense of weightlessness about his body. As though his surroundings weren't quite right but not in a malicious way. Much in the same way as he could determine whether or not he was dreaming-
"Ah." Ritsuka made a noise, his hand dropping down onto the table with a thud, the complete lack of sensation all but confirmed his suspicions. Though he still moved his left hand and pinched his cheek as hard as he could between his fingers to confirm it.
Just to be safe, he pulled his collar forwards and glanced down at the skin around his heart. The lack of the brand over his heart dissuaded him of the alternative, not that it was going to be likely in Chaldea of all places. The loose black shirt flicked back onto his body.
"Okay then…I'm in a dream." Ritsuka muttered to himself, turning in his chair and slowly rising up from his seated position. Then glanced down at his feet. "And I have no shoes." He paused to consider it for a moment before he shrugged. "Alright, at least I'm just missing my shoes and socks."
He looked up, then stared at the door which led to the hallways. Or at least, it was supposed to. Whether or not it still did was an entirely different matter, Ritsuka might not have been an expert on dreams - considering he tended to forget them - but he knew enough to understand that dreams could be really wacky when they wanted to be. A single step could wind up flinging him hundreds of metres into the air, falling over could somehow leave him spinning in the sky.
That sort of thing.
Though this dream already felt more grounded in lucidity, considering he was still more or less aware. Recollecting his previous actions wasn't filled with the same haze as other dreams he'd experienced.
Taking in a breath, he felt no oxygen enter his mouth, he walked towards the door and reached for the button. Pressing his index finger on the exit and watching as the door silently slid to the side. Ritsuka stuck his head through the entrance, his neck shifting from side to side as he scanned the new room.
"...Yep, that tracks." He stated in a hushed voice as he stepped through, the door closing behind him without making a sound once again. Considering he had gone from his room to the command room, Ritsuka would say that it was safe to state that the normal layout of Chaldea had been altered in his mind.
Though quite why he was here, he couldn't say.
Last he recalled was the blizzard, he'd nearly been knocked down and then the next thing he knew he was here of all places and that was that.
No, that wasn't quite it.
There had been someone else there, Ritsuka was sure about that. Though he hadn't gotten a look at their face, he was certain that there had been another person in the storm with him at the time. He hadn't recognised the voice at all but he was sure that whoever they were, they had saved him.
It didn't explain why he was now here though.
He moved through the command room, walking closer to the front desk and peaking over the blue screens. Despite them being active, there was little in the way of writing upon them. Though there were pictures displayed on them. Some he recognised.
"Wait a second…" He muttered out, walking closer to the desk where Romani would usually situate himself and then staring at the glowing blue screen with sudden intensity, his hands pressing against the desktop.
He recognised these pictures, each one that would flash across without any rhyme or reason to them. Ritsuka knew them, it was difficult not to, considering he had experienced them. These were cut out pictures of his memories. That time just before Elizabeth started singing in Rome and the immediate aftermath of all their expressions warped in pain and anguish.
That time they were in Rome and Ash came barrelling out of that house to set it on fire while screaming at the top of his lungs.
"What the…" Ritsuka reached out towards the screen, then stopped his fingers just shy of touching the latest image.
The peaceful expression of Mash filled the monitor, contradicted by the rubble currently burying her beneath it. His hand wrapped firmly around her own.
Ritsuka's brows creased as he took a single step backwards.
"Ah, so you made it here then." The voice was familiar, eerily so and spoke with an intellectual capacity he didn't recognise.
Ritsuka whirled around, facing the direction of the voice and moving himself back far enough that he was pressed against the desk. His expression shifted through varying emotions before it landed on pensive.
"I seem to have caught you somewhat unprepared." The voice continued on, the figure moving forwards with their hands behind their back. The pace of their movements were slow and methodical, as if they were making a show out of walking but not in the extravagant sense. Rather, as though they were emphasising each step as being one of importance. "Though, that is hardly a surprise."
They stood at Ritsuka's exact height.
Pale white hair clashed with Ritsuka's dark black, golden eyes clashed with his bright blue orbs. Despite the physical appearance, their clothing was an exact match to Ritsuka's own. A simple black t-shirt and trousers.
The face was the strangest part of it though.
Considering it was his own, though, the expression looked virtually alien.
The lips pulled into a thin line, the attentiveness of the eyes and the straightened out posture. His mirror match stopped walking as they came upon his right side, then twisted their body to face him completely.
Ritsuka moved back once more, putting some distance between himself and his doppelganger.
"I assure you, my intentions are not violent." His mirror match responded to him, the eyes flickered away from him and towards the screens. Ritsuka felt a little exposed with how this person was just glancing at his memories, leaning forwards to focus on one in particular. "Even if they were, there is little hope you could escape me in this place. Even if you are the owner."
"That's not all that comforting." Ritsuka snarked back as he glanced around, sure enough the walls were completely bereft of anything that could be considered an escape route. Even the window to observe CHALDEAS had been removed and replaced with a metal barrier.
"I spoke merely the facts of the situation." The other Ritsuka responded back without shifting his attention in the least. The voice lacked any sort of warmth, it was cold and calculating but at the same time there was something about the words which struck a chord with Ritsuka. It was the same sort of tone that a teacher would use with a student, the whole 'I know better than you' vibe that the other Ritsuka was giving off was akin to a signal flare.
"You should be comforted in the fact that I have instead approached you with the objective of speaking rather than resorting to such…barbaric tactics." The tinge in the words emphasised how little the other him cared for the idea. Leaning back and uncrossing his arms from behind his back, turning on his heel he faced Ritsuka."Is approaching you with an open hand for dialogue not something you should be thankful for?"
"...Yeah…" Ritsuka mumbled back after a moment, glancing around the room and then back to himself(?). "And you are?"
The white haired youth raised an eyebrow at him, though his expression remained unchanged. "Is it not customary to introduce yourself before you demand the name of another? Despite your common heritage, I doubt you were raised without manners."
Ritsuka made a face "Given that you're currently walking around looking like me-" he pointed at the screen "-and you're staring at my memories like it's a straight to video movie, I'd assume you already know who I am." the Master composed himself slightly, shifting on his feeting and bringing himself up. "...But if you insist, I'm Ritsuka Fujimaru."
"Was that so difficult?" The white haired copy responded with "Though your suspicion is rather surprising, given that I did just save your life from certain doom." for the first time, a frown worked it's way onto the boy's face. "Does that not entitle me to some level of trust?"
"I'm thankful for you saving me." Ritsuka bowed his head respectfully, his words genuine "Really, I am. But walking around with my face and looking through my private moments isn't something I'd let someone do after meeting them once. Saving my life or not."
The lip of his copy twitched upwards "Yes, I believe that would be a considerable strain upon a show of good faith." then flattened itself out once more. "Though I suppose I should introduce myself to you." he raised his hand up, gesturing to his chest "I am Caster. As for why I am speaking with you…I am here to offer a deal."
Singularity 4: Church of the Frozen Embrace
AN: And London starts off with a bang!
Already out of the gate with wild theories, cabin fever groups and odd mysteries!
I hope you're ready for a wild, wild ride!