By the Bonfire: Rude Awakenings.

He wasn't sure how much rest he had actually managed to net himself, it didn't feel as though he had managed to get a lot of it, all he knew was that he was being woken up at one point and having something explained to him that he didn't quite get, most of the specifics were lost over the course of the conversation that he didn't end up having.

He was aware of raised voices around him as he rubbed his eyes, the world blinking in and out of focus as strength returned to his body once more. A yawn was pulled from his throat, bringing his hand up to cover his mouth before he lowered it again. Dragging his body up, he pulled until he felt something stiff pop, the hand which covered his mouth moved up and rubbed his eyes for a few seconds.

"-eeds proper rest." That was Romani's voice, Ritsuka blinked towards the direction of it and squinted as he caught sight of the doctor in a rather animated discussion with. He countered the blurs as they faded into existence, landing solely on the purple one that the doctor seemed to be in the discussion with while the others were just sort of standing around them.

With another few blinks, he found himself staring at Romani of all people in what looked to be an argument with Scathach; he certainly had to give credit to the doctor if he wasn't currently in a state of sleep deprived hallucinations. Though the ache he felt in his head solidified the fact he wasn't in a dream.

"His needs are immaterial at the moment." Scathach's words were delivered bluntly, he turned his eyes onto the Lancer and watched her expression as her features were pulled tight. "There has been an undocumented Goddess living within Chaldea for a number of days now, one that has been concealed by another Servant and has direct ties with multiple other Servants within this facility. It is not something that can be ignored and merely killing them on the spot will end with more bloodshed."

That got his attention.

Swinging his feet over the side of the bed, Ritsuka forced himself into a standing position instantly, though it wasn't very good as he felt himself sway rather heavily the moment he stood. "Woah…" The slurry gasp of exclamation as she stumbled around managed to draw the attention of the room onto himself.

"Senpai!" That was Mash's voice, a moment later he felt something take hold of his left arm and keep him upright to avoid falling. His right arm moved and his hand clamped down around whatever was keeping him standing, ensuring he was supported. He nodded once to the side where he could tell where Mash was, giving a faint smile as his vision cleared up and the blackness was blinked from his eyes.

"Thanks." He muttered to the younger girl, flashing her what he hoped was a grateful smile but he was still rather out of it, all things considered. Shaking his head, bringing his hand up to nurse his forehead, he allowed Mash to pull him up into a standing position and fix the group with a more focused look, his eyes doing a full sweep.

He felt himself chuckle "Weird place for a staff meeting, isn't it?"

His attempt at humour landed as well as an upside down pizza, unfortunately, and it wasn't quite the reception he hoped for. At least no one openly groaned at him, and he was really searching for anything to make the atmosphere less tense. Pursing his lips, his eyes went from Romani, to the Director, to Da Vinci, to Scathach and then finally to Arkon who was stood not far from everyone else, rather stiffly straight up and actively refusing to look towards him.

The headache returned in force, aided by whatever he could tell this was going to be.

"Fujimaru-kun-" Romani began, though he was cut off when Ritsuka held up the flat of his hand towards the direction of the voice, thankfully it worked and he was granted a little bit of time to get his thoughts in order.

"Hoo…alright." Smacking his lips, he looked towards Scathach "Alright so…what is the problem?"

Scathach glanced towards Romani for a brief moment and for a second, Ritsuka could have sworn he saw a glimmer of victory in her eyes before she returned her focus towards him and thinned her lips. "It would seem that Chaldea has been host to more Servants than you are currently aware of and their hidden nature has been aided by others within your own ranks."

Ritsuka blinked once. "...You what?"

Da Vinci stepped forwards, drawing Ritsuka's attention to her as she held a rather complicated expression, hands placed on her hips. "I would like to inform you that I have only been aware of this recently, right around the same time that Scathach came bursting in here to speak with you." she jerked her head to the Lancer as she spoke, rolling her jaw and pausing. "And there is little sense in dancing around the bush now. It would seem as though Gwynevere has been hiding in Arkon's room for some days."

He wasn't even sure how he was supposed to respond to that. Taking a moment to collect his thoughts and allow the sentence to replay in his mind, he still found himself unable to fully comprehend it before he gradually furrowed his brow. He opened his mouth, only to find the question die on the tip of his tongue. Clenching his jaw shut and moving his attention towards Arkon, the Saber Servant didn't so much as look at him, purposefully turning his helmet to avoid meeting his eyes.

There were a dozen questions that he wanted to ask and each of them was practically stumbling over the other to be the first out of his mouth. Rolling his jaw from side to side, Ritsuka heard it pop, exhaling from his nose and then finally speaking. "How did she get here?"

Da Vinci frowned. "We're not quite sure at the moment, but that is mainly because we haven't had the chance to ask her. If I was to hazard a guess, I would say in much the same way that Artemis was able to enter Chaldea, which means it was either some manner of skill or a Noble Phantasm of some sort…the latter seems rather unique but the powers of Gods and Goddesses differ wildly from one another." she paused for a moment, an odd look flashing through her eyes for a moment before she spoke again, at a moderately slower pace than last time. "Again…I haven't spoken with her but because she doesn't have a Master, or so I have been told, it is likely a unique skill…unless someone was feeding her their own blood to boost her magical energy."

Arkon twitched for the first time, he turned his head towards the Caster and Ritsuka could practically feel the burning glare and it wasn't even being aimed towards him. It lasted for barely a moment before the Saber spoke, clearly through gritted teeth. "Her Grace is no bloodsucker…and I resent the accusation."

"Covering every base here." Da Vinci offered with raised hands in a slightly placating manner, though it only lasted until she lowered her hands and fixed the Saber with a rather hefty frown. "And I would think very carefully before you start getting angry, given this little stunt of yours."

"Let's…" Ritsuka brought his hand up, waving it from side to side and dragging the focus back onto himself. "Let's put a pin in that for a moment. So she's here, she's been here for a few days, and no one knew until just now…how did that happen?"

From the sounds of things, Arkon had been able to somehow conceal her presence from everyone for days and if she was camped in the Sabers room, then there weren't a lot of reasons for someone to actually enter it in the first place. So unless Gwynevere decided to go for a walk, it meant that either Arkon had come forwards and admitted the Goddess was with him or someone else had found and or detected her. If she didn't have a Master…

He rubbed his head, it was way too early for him to be thinking too heavily about this.

"I have taken upon the duty of guarding the room of the undead since his return." Scathach replied to his question, he brought his hand down and looked towards her as she continued onwards. "Earlier, he left the room and allowed me to accompany him purely to avoid raising alarms if he was to suddenly leave. How he was aware of the presence of the Goddess, I do not know, but he travelled directly to the room of the Saber and confronted the Goddess…whereupon he left after doing so."

That seemed as though she was skipping out on some very important details there, but even without that it still sounded as though there was something else there. Ritsuka felt his brows pinch together as he stared at the Lancer, the confusion found itself upon his face rather quickly, unable to keep the next question to himself. "Wait, was that it? He just walked in, spoke with her, and then walked right back out?"

"He did not speak with her…" Scathach shook her head from side to side "He did meet with her but he did not speak with her. I believe he went there with the intention of ending her life and then became disheartened when he was incapable of doing so." she frowned, a perturbed look crossing her features for a moment. "It was a rather…unfortunate scene to behold. Once I returned him to his room, I travelled until I found Arkon and dragged him here to explain himself to you."

Ritsuka nodded his head up and down, then turned to stare at the Saber in question. Though he didn't speak with them immediately. "I take it you'd rather it waited until I got a couple more hours of sleep?"

That was directed towards Romani and the others, the doctor nodded his head up and down.

"Hmmm."

"It would have been better to wait until we could properly contain the situation." Olga interjected with a shake of her head and a look aimed towards the Saber for a moment, her lips pulled into a deep frown for a second before they turned to Ritsuka. "Though it would seem there was little choice in the matter and it could not wait…the fact remains that Arkon similarly insisted, though where he had the audacity to make demands was beyond me."

Arkon said nothing, though to Ritsuka it felt as though a thousand piece puzzle had just fallen perfectly into place, it was obvious enough that even his sleep-addled mind could make sense of it. Reaching up and rubbing his brows. "If Gwynevere is summoned, will she be safe, huh?"

The Saber said nothing, Ritsuka lowered his hand and watched the Silver Knight intently, they did turn their head to face him once more.

"...I assume you were going to come up with some way of breaking this news to me. You'd have to." It felt strange but he could sort of understand the position of the Saber, all things considered. Then again, there was a small part of him that felt a little put off that Arkon couldn't actually trust that Chaldea wouldn't try to kill her or something or that he was protecting her from them. It made him wonder how Chaldea actually appeared to the Silver Knight in the first place.

"She appeared in my room shortly before you returned." Arkon spoke in a slow tone of voice, sounding rather exhausted. "She was wounded and…I reacted. She asked for me to conceal her presence from you and I did not even question it. I told you earlier, I will not place our brief contract over the loyalty of a family I have served for centuries."

"Not asking you to do that." Ritsuka exhaled, shaking his head from side to side "Just…alright, she asked you to keep her secret while she healed herself. Then you were waiting for me to wake up, I take it?"

Arkon nodded his head "At first I had every intention of speaking with the others, but when Sulyvahn started spreading his…opinions around Chaldea and came with them the news of the unkindled's actions…I explained such to you earlier, I put stock in waiting until you were awake and could act as a buffer for those who might seek to cause harm to the Goddess. She was in a vulnerable state."

Ritsuka thinned his lips, then nodded his head up and down. "...Alright then."

Olga double taked at him, opening her mouth "What? This is the sort of thing that-"

"Director." Gently cutting her off, he turned and looked her dead in the eye. "I'm not going to chastise him for putting more faith in someone he's known for years over me." he gestured to them. "It wouldn't be weird if Gareth put more faith in King Arthur, would it?"

That got the Director to close her mouth, rolling her jaw from side to side and then sharply looking away from him. She clearly didn't disagree with him on the principle of the matter, then again he wasn't exactly going to start asking people if they were comfortable with fighting their friends or family members. Not if there was any other choice in the matter, that sort of thing just didn't sit right with him.

"Alright…" He paused, glancing towards where Mash was still holding him by the arm, keeping his eyes on her grip for a moment before he brought his eyes up towards her face, she caught his silent meaning and released him with only a token amount of hesitation as she did so. With a grateful nod, he spun back around to face the others. "Someone find me a shirt and some trousers. I'll go and speak with her now, then I'll go and speak with Ash."

He paused for a moment before he snorted "Unless there are any other Servants hiding in Chaldea I don't know about?"

It was meant to be a jest.

Yet he watched the way that the expressions of the Director and Romani cracked ever so slightly, he felt the mirth vanish from him instantly, sparing a glance to the side and seeing that Mash was similarly looking anywhere but towards him. His lips pulled themselves into a tight line, his head bobbed up and down as the weight of the realisation fell upon him. "I was just joking but alright…who else is in Chaldea that I didn't know about?"

The Director brought her hand up, rubbing her forehead and exhaling with no small degree of exhaustion. Ritsuka found himself grimacing lightly at the reaction, one that didn't inspire a lot of confidence in who else was currently in Chaldea but he liked to think there was a good enough reason they hadn't told him yet.

"Her name is Velka…and she was the architect of the London Singularity." Da Vinci supplied him, his eyes landing on the brunette as she folded her arms over her chest, keeping her expression set in a mask.

Velka, he knew the name and a face came to mind instantly. The warning of Haku or Seath freshly cropped up in his head in regards to the danger of the Goddess. Though he had not attributed her to being the mastermind of the Singularity as a whole. In fact, if she had been the one behind the Singularity, why was she even here in the first place and why did she help them?

Groaning to himself, he brought his hands up and rubbed his eyes. "...Alright…one thing at a time." he mumbled to himself, dragging his hands down his face and understanding that this was going to be a very long morning.

The walk to Arkon's room was carried out in relative silence, the Silver Knight marched in step with Ritsuka and Scathach, though he had insisted that the knight accompany them. While Arkon had indeed kept a secret from them, it wasn't as though Ritsuka was going to blame him for that. The relationship between Arkon and Gwynevere was wholly different to his own and he wasn't going to hold it against the Silver Knight.

Not when the guy genuinely thought that revealing her presence was going to get her killed. In his own way, he was just protecting her as best he could until he was certain that she was in no danger. As things stood, Ritsuka wasn't in the mood to preside over any more deaths that didn't need to happen and Gwynevere most certainly fell into that category. In spite of his own feelings towards her, he didn't want her dead.

Finally arriving at the door, he could immediately sense the influence of the Goddess on the world, that soothing sensation that reminded him of coming home. It was inviting to the point that he couldn't wait to open the door, however the reminder of just what it could be used for quickly flashed into his mind, souring his opinion of the feeling ever so slightly, a mild frown crossed his features for a brief second before flattening out.

He pressed the button and then paused, turning to Arkon and nodding once to the knight "I won't be long, alright? Just need to speak with her alone…" he paused for a moment, then turned to Scathach and offered a tense smile. "And…don't suppose you can offer me any mental protection against Godly charms, right?"

The Lancer regarded him silently, then nodded her head once, bringing up her left hand and carving symbols in the air in front of him. The lettering drew a sharp breath from Arkon, something that sounded almost as though he'd seen a ghost, though it was gone before he could even respond to it. The runes floated through the air towards him, then landed onto the front of him, wrapping around the circumference of his head like a crown and then fading from existence.

Glancing up, he pursed his lips and gave the Lancer another thankful nod of the head as he turned back around. Stepping into the room and then glancing towards the only other individual present, the door closing itself behind him once he was inside. Just the two of them, he didn't need anyone else involved in this sort of thing at the moment and the Director had volunteered to sit this one out because of bias.

He believed her too.

Ritsuka thinned his lips, then stepped forwards and clapped his hands together, he'd given thought to what he was supposed to say when he entered but now that he was here, he could honestly say that he wasn't entirely sure what was supposed to happen now. It was as though every thought and sentence opener vanished from his mind. Blowing air out between his teeth, his eyes wandered away from the Goddess as she sat on the foot of the bed with her legs crossed and hands resting on her lap.

Dropping his hands to his side, his eyes moved back towards her, golden orbs staring right towards him with a touch of apprehension visible to them. If it was an act to appear vulnerable, then she was doing a good job of it. But that was an exceedingly cynical thought for him to hold, this was basically her last chance and she was in deep with the rest of them now. Not a lot was probably going to sway her over to Gwyn's side once again after he made it painfully clear how he viewed her.

Jerking his head towards her, he said the first thing that popped into his mind. "You look better."

That earned an immediate response, she flinched and glanced away from him briefly, he internally cringed at how passive aggressive it might have sounded. Closing his eyes and shaking his head from side to side. Waving his right hand "I didn't mean it like that just…last time I saw you, I thought you'd died or something. You've been here like…five days now without a Master and you've healed yourself back up."

"Healed…is that the choice of words you would use?" Gwynevere whispered just loud enough for him to hear, he opened his eyes and turned towards her, watching as the chestnut haired woman rolled her jaw, lips pulling themselves into a smile that was almost empty and yet still so dazzling to behold. Not blinding as he imagined it would have been without the protection of Scathach, but noticeable. "But if you imply I have lessened the extent of my injuries physically, then you would be correct…I am presentable to the world once more…in principle, at least."

"Yeah." He nodded his head up and down. "For what it's worth…I'm sorry-"

"Are you?" Gwynevere's comment brought him up short, his words died as she looked back at him with pinched together brows and narrowed eyes. Almost accusingly disbelieving towards him. "Who would have killed me for the crime of righting the wrongs I had done? Who would have stood helpless and watched as my son butchered your allies while I had the strength to act and was rebuked for it? I think you find some perverse thrill in watching me subject to the same acts as him…don't you?"

Ritsuka clenched his jaw. "No…" he fought back the growl that threatened to build up in the back of his throat as he turned to bodily face the Goddess, bringing his left hand up and pressing his index finger into himself. "Because I'm not petty enough for something like that. Aside from the fact that taking joy in the pain of others would be downright disgusting for me…Fine. Yes. I wasn't really in the right mind when Ash was…"

He waved his hand silently, not speaking the words aloud. "But…you did that to him-"

"For his own good."

Ritsuka scoffed, turning away from her and pacing away "His own good, huh? He was…he was practically begging for help and you just zapped him into dust!" he whirled around, pointing towards her. "That's not for his own good! He let you get close enough, he placed his trust in you and then you just…With me, he was going to try and force a fight to the death but with you, suddenly dialogue is an option and you use that to kill him!"

"He was suffering!" Gwynevere snapped back at him, spinning her legs around and placing the soles of her feet flat against the floor. "He's still suffering right now and you're letting him! He's lost an-and confused and he's in pain! Everyone is just sitting around and waiting for you to awaken before they decide what to do with him and all the while he sits and wallows in his own misery!"

Ritsuka snorted loudly "Really picking and choosing your moments to act like the caring mother aren't you." he threw his hands up and stepped backwards, letting his back fall against the wall. "Sorry if I'm not as eager to indulge in euthanasia."

Gwynevere briefly paused, confusion flickering through her eyes for a moment before shaking her head, the fire entered her vision once more as she pointed to herself. "He came here to kill me! I saw it in his eyes when he had his sword against my throat! Me!"

He pointedly looked her up and down.

The Goddess made a face at him for a moment before shaking her head, letting out a noise as she stood up, rising to her full height and easily towering over him as she did so. "You…you do not understand the significance of that. He was going to kill me and barely stopped himself from doing so. My child, who should have been so enamoured with my presence, that the mere thought of bringing harm to me should have been impossible to possess was going to kill me…" she paused for a moment, then looked at him "Would the thought of your arm own attempting to slit your throat flicker through your mind?"

Ritsuka exhaled. "That's not even remotely the same. He's his own person. He has his own thoughts and his own feelings and you…you twisted him from birth so that he could kill himself and be glad to do it." he folded his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes. "Did…did you actually think that when he came back, he was really going to be alright with that? That he was going to just let bygones be bygones?"

Gwynevere rolled her lips inwards, falling silent and turning her head away from him. Pacing away with enough force in her steps to send reverberations through the flooring. Ritsuka kept his eye on her every movement as she did so, pacing back and forth across the room. "...What would you have preferred be done?"

He raised an eyebrow, silently willing for her to go on.

"There had been no rising champion. Not a single one had been worthy of the flame and time was running short." Gwynevere turned to face him, a frown crossing her features. "The Flame was fading, it was coming closer than it had ever come before but there was…there was still so much left to do. Waiting for a Champion was no longer possible so I instead had to birth one myself…the fate of all the world lay in the palm of my hands." she brought forth her arms and showed her empty hands to him as if to punctuate the sentence.

He stared at her in silence.

Her lips thinned and she lowered the hands back to her side, glancing from him once more. "So yes. I did set events in motion to birth Gawyn…Gundyr was not planned but I…" an almost maidenly smile crossed her features. "I had taken a liking to Llew, there was a gentleness deep beneath his rough exterior. I indulged myself in him more than I needed to and that brought about Gundyr."

Ritsuka felt his lips pull into a brief frown for a moment at her description of the man, it felt less as though she was talking about a person and more as though she was speaking about some sort of cake. Like she was going back for second helpings sneakily.

"I had never raised one of my children from birth, not as I did with Gawyn and Gundyr but then…then I had never sent one of my children to die of my own volition." Her shoulders moved upwards. "Thus I raised them as I knew was only proper to be raised, as Lord Gwyn raised me. With total belief in one's duty and purpose from the moment of birth, I never doubted my reason and my being, thus I could extend that feeling to my own children and when the time came, they would not lament their lives but would instead be exuberant."

Bringing her right hand up, she pressed it against her chest and smiled gently. "I knew I was doing them a kindness with this endeavour. Yes, my children would die but in death they would find a true peace that many mortals would never experience in even a hundred lifetimes. The peace known only to the Gods…" lowering the hand, a frown crossed her features. "...Watching as that peace is twisted into anguish is more agonising for me than you can possibly comprehend."

She might as well have been talking to herself, if that wasn't what she was doing in the first place, for all the attention that Ritsuka was actually giving her. Instead his mind lingered on the words that she had spoken just before. Being raised as was only proper to be raised, the true way of being brought up or so she claimed. Suddenly everything made perfect sense why she was raising them as she did so and why she didn't think of it as problematic. Or if she did see a problem, it was only in the end result.

Dawning comprehension came upon him as he looked her up and down, learned behaviours indeed. He was brought out of his musings when he realised she was still speaking, focusing back onto her words as she walked around the room, still on the verge of ranting to herself as she provided reason after reason for what she was doing.

"-ou might think of it as cruel but it was kindness." She turned around, pointing squarely towards him. "His devotion to duty ensured that when the time came for him to die, he would do so with an honest smile upon his face. Better than for his final moments to be one of terror or misery as he laments the friends he shall not see again or the family he will never return to."

Ritsuka brought his hands up to nurse his head, hearing about her justifying ritual suicide because it made Ash happy made him feel like he was going to throw up. If only because she still gave birth to him with the intention of killing himself, she was just 'nice' enough to make sure he wouldn't feel bad when the deed came to be done. Whether that was for his own benefit or because she just didn't want to think about it was something he wasn't comfortable with asking right now. If only because it wasn't the time for that sort of thing and perhaps he was worried about the answer he would receive.

"Why him…why did it have to be him?" That was the sole question that came to his mind as he shrugged his shoulders, his voice came out a lot blander than he really expected it to but at the same time, how else was he supposed to ask something like this. He watched Gwynevere's expression cycle through surprise before it twisted into resignation. "Arkon, he was telling me about…he told me about Prisicilla. How you begged-"

"That was not his story to tell."

"You should be happy he told it at all, my opinion of you was a whole lot worse before he said it." The words flowed easily and their effect was instant, Gwynevere froze and then retreated backwards as though he'd just shouted at her. Fighting back the cringe that threatened to appear on his face, he kept his eyes on her before closing them and letting out a breath. "Just…I've met Caffrey. She's your daughter and I've never…was she raised the same as Ash?"

"Not identically, yet the principles remained the same." Gwynevere frowned at him as though she was personally offended by the insult, interlocking her hands together over her waist and pursuing her lips. With a shake of the head, she made an indignant noise towards him. "She was taught the duties expected of her and I love her all the same. But had I the same influence in her life as I had with Gawyn, she would have collapsed when I departed. Gods were raised that way, so that the mistake of the unspoken-"

"Faraam."

She froze on the spot, golden eyes widened before they swung onto him with a piercing intensity that he knew was hiding the burning question in her mind, her mouth opened and he answered before she had a chance to say the words. "I've met him. Couple of times now…helped us out the first time we did."

He was treated to the sight of Gwynevere opening and closing her mouth several times before she slowly worked her jaw closed. Then thinned her lips and released a breath from her mouth. "...I assume that Gwyndolin did not react well to the news of his being?"

"He didn't exactly mention you in a positive light either." The comment was delivered with a bland look aimed towards her, though this time it prompted a befuddled frown rather than the previous reactions, as though she couldn't quite make sense of why Gwyndolin might dislike her. Then again, given that the God made little secret of her 'abandonment' of him, he supposed that perhaps that was a failure on her part but Gwyndolin probably made his own choice to remain. Unless he didn't get a choice in the matter.

"So that is true…" She murmured to herself, then shook her head and her eyes fell upon him once more. "But that is not the purpose of this visit. Unless you truly came here to taunt me with my failures and my now…shamed exile on par with my treacherous brother." she scowled out the words as she did so, then exhaled once more, her shoulders dropping. "Just…do not think poorly of Sir Arkon. He did only as I bid him to."

Ritsuka felt his arms fall to his side. "Is that…is that really how you view me?"

She blinked at him, then opened her mouth to respond, not that he gave her the chance to.

"I'm…I'm serious here, is that really what you think I came here to do?" He felt his lips pull themselves into a disturbed frown. "That I came all the way down here to-to laugh at you? To point and jeer and then…just take revenge or something? I'm…I'm not here to kill you. I'm not here to torture or to-to mock or anything like that."

Gwynevere did not respond, instead staring at him in silence.

"Right…we're all in trouble. Gwyn got away, Seath helped him and…" He swallowed thickly, looking away from her and clenching his eyes. "...He killed Prisiclla before he left. Just killed her and took the Grail and Gwyn so…" he looked back towards the Goddess. "So we're in a tight spot right now and…and I would like to think you're helpful. You raised Kingdoms or something like that so…so I assume that means you're at least helpful with management or with healing magics or whatever just…hell, even information would be good just…something."

He waved his hand around the room. "Given you're here and not dead, I assume you have an interest in living the same as me. If Gwyn and Solomon and whoever else is out there run free then we all die." he pointed back and forth between them. "You and me. Everyone. I don't want that. You probably don't want that either, right?"

Thankfully, her head shook from side to side.

"Good…so if you stay here. We are going to fight Gwyn. Are you comfortable with that?"

Gwynevere did not respond, then looked at him as though he was an idiot. "You ask such foolish questions. He remains my father, the light who makes even the Gods feel his might and you ask me if I can find comfort in seeking his death?" her eyes narrowed. "As though the mere thought of spilling his lifeblood does not…send my body into twists and knots? I have little interest in death, but that shall not mean I will champion the perishment of my father."

"Even if he's trying to kill you?"

She frowned, closing her eyes. "You do not understand. You…you have seen his fury but you never saw his majesty. The brilliance of his existence that cannot be put into words. The sheer warmth when he gazes upon you and you understand that you…you are a part of his power." her eyes opened and she looked down at him, frown deepening. "Would you be so readily capable of killing your own parent?"

He glanced down towards the ground, unwilling to meet her eyes because he knew what the answer would have been. There was no way he would ever be comfortable with doing something like that. Perhaps because it just wasn't in his nature to be vengeful but at the same time he just couldn't picture himself doing something like that. Maybe it was just because of him or because of what recently happened.

"I'll phrase it better…can you accept that we're probably going to have to fight and kill him?"

This time, Gwynevere's expression became slightly more complicated, she opened her mouth to reply, then closed it again and turned away from him. Pacing away from his direction and to the other side of the room. If Ritsuka was being honest, he doubted that she would have had an answer in the first place.

"...Sorry." Her head twitched towards him, she didn't respond immediately which gave him a chance to elaborate. "We're probably not going to see eye to eye on this and I doubt we'll properly like one another in the future but all the same. I'm sorry about what happened to you, even if you don't think I am."

"...You're a remarkably honest young boy, aren't you?" The Goddess turned around and faced him, her lips pulled thin and an almost gentle expression on her face, although it was gentle in the sense that there wasn't much of an effort in keeping an expression going. More like her face lost every ounce of tension within it. "...You have my condolences for being a victim to Seath."

He froze.

"Even if it was lifetimes ago for me, there was still a time when we shared one another's company." She didn't sound particularly wistful about that either, stating it as though she was talking about the weather. The bland look on her face didn't really deliver very many emotions either, positive or negative. "His was always a presence I was familiar with, therefore I should have noticed the signs of his perversion before he had the chance to bring harm upon you. It is not a fate that any deserve, to be party to one of his perversions."

"...Well…what's done is done."

"Did…" Gwynevere stepped forwards, extending her hand for a moment and then pausing, a flicker of hesitation crossing her features as she stared at him, soon biting her lower lip as she glanced away. Taking in a deep breath, her expression turned to ice as she faced him once more, almost an imposing sight as the golden eyes bore into him. "Did Priscilla suffer long at his hands?"

Ritsuka swallowed the bile in the back of his throat as the memory returned to him, the thick oily texture clung to his hands and he felt the resistance before his hand clenched shut. He turned from her, bringing his hand to cover his mouth and unleashing a shuddering breath into the palm of his hand, his eyes clenched shut and he fought back the memories that threatened to surge forth.

He wasn't sure how long he stood there, perhaps it was a few seconds or perhaps it was minutes, time seemed to mean little to him as he pressed his weight against the wall and managed to fight back his focus from the nightmares, banishing them back to the far corner of his mind and then turning to face the Goddess once more. His face pulled into a grimace as the pair looked at one another. "It…it was quick."

Ritsuka wasn't sure what the news was supposed to do, he wasn't even sure she cared about her children, not really. Though there was a brief pang of something shooting through her eyes for a second before she nodded her head once, humming quietly to herself and turning away from him. "I see."

Clearing his throat, he pushed himself away from the wall and took a small step towards her, pausing for a moment as he clenched his fists open and closed several times, breathing in and out and then facing the Goddess fully. "We're…we're going to need to establish a contract if you're going to remain here."

Gwynevere turned her head to him for a second, then nodded once, her left hand moved outwards until it was pointed directly towards him. Her fingers aimed downwards and displayed her knuckles to him.

Ritsuka stared at the back of her hand for a few seconds in bafflement, he knew what the gesture meant but at the same time there was no earthly way she was being serious about it. His eyes lingered on the hand, then traced back up to the owner and noticed that she was still standing there with that confident expression on her face, the one that seemed to bring back some of her royalty to her or something along those lines. Just a general feeling of superiority.

His jaw very nearly dropped when he realised that she was being serious about it. She really did expect him to kiss the back of her hand after everything they had just gone through and after everything he had just said to her. She really thought he was going to kiss the back of her hand just like that?

His eye twitched ever so slightly.

With as innocent a smile as he could manage, his swung his own hand out from underneath and clasped her hand in his, drawing a strangled gasp from the Goddess, her head whipped around to him with a rather dumbfounded expression, only growing when he twisted their hands upright and proceeded to shake her hand up and down, feeling the contract get established between the two of them, all the while he kept smiling at her. "Welcome to Chaldea. I'm sure you'll fit in…eventually."

Gwynevere offered him a tiny smile.

He went to withdraw his hand.

It was still held tightly in hers, he felt his smile falter a little bit as the expression on the Goddess facer got a touch more genial, but it was one of those smiles that was a little too wide to be considered friendly, it got much worse when she closed her eyes and inclined her head to the side ever so slightly. The grip on his hand not tight enough to cause pain, but very much unwilling to let him go.

When he opened his mouth to speak, what instead emerged was a short gasp as he was suddenly yanked forwards, stumbling several steps before he found his movements halted by a hand being placed on his shoulder. Gwynevere having pulled him closer to her while turning to face him, her right hand now resting next to his head and keeping him still.

It was only when he was close enough that he realised quite what the height difference between the two of them was, her larger body casting a shadow over him as she blocked over the overhead lights, her head leaned down and her eyelids parted just enough to let the glow of her eyes shine through, combined with the smile she was giving him, it was actually starting to make him feel a little bit nervous. Then again, he was rather confident she wasn't going to try anything.

His eyes darted to his left as her right hand started to move along his shoulder, her fingers virtually dancing up the side of his neck and then sliding onto his cheek before they climbed even higher, taking a lock of his hair in between her fingers and rubbing her thumb through it. The smile on her face started to fade as she pulled her hand back and out of his hair. "I shall leave that little attitude of yours aside. You are no follower of mine and given our interactions thus far, I shall not expect reverence from you any time soon."

She released him and took a single step backwards, he remained stock still, his eyes remaining on hers and the lack of anything resembling amusement on her face, at the same time there wasn't anything overtly hostile either. Just a complete absence of emotion. "That being said, it would be wise if you adhered to the proper decorum shown to the Gods in situations such as these. I am unaware of how the Gods of your world might respond to such blatant displays, but in the lands I know, I would be well within my rights to take off your arm for that act of hubris."

His jaw clenched, she shrugged. "Not that I intend to do anything about it. Just consider this a friendly reminder to keep your emotions in check." she turned from him, though not before pausing and inclining an eyebrow at him. "Others might not be so understanding in the future. Consider this to be a reminder…for future reference."

Keeping his eyes on her, he took several steps backwards and then turned around. "I'll keep that in mind." Was the response he eventually mustered up the ability to speak, though it was barely conscious on his part. Something more in line with a reflex reaction.

It was as he approached the door and opened it that Gwynevere spoke out again, this time halting his movements entirely.

"I am more than Gawyn's failure."

"..."

He didn't even respond to that, stepping out into the hallway and closing the door behind him. Releasing a breath he didn't even know he had been holding and then bringing his hands up to cover his face, dragging his palms over his features and then exhaling through his nose in a long hiss.

"...She's staying with us for the time being." He spoke aloud, turning his eyes onto Arkon and watching as the Knight let out a relieved breath, turning away from him and placing a hand over his chest where his heart was, his other arm was brought up and placed on the wall, propping himself up as his audible breathing continued.

When the knight did speak, it was with gratitude he hadn't expected. "A weight less upon my shoulders. Thank you for this, lord Fujimaru."

"Right, right…you're welcome." A shaky smile and a nod of the head was all the reply he could give towards Arkon at the moment, mainly because he wasn't exactly sure this was something he was supposed to feel that relieved about. Not least of all because of who he was going to visit next. Sparing Scathach a glance, he quickly found himself a little puzzled by the oddly impressed look she was sending him. "...Did I miss something?"

"Merely that you walked out of that room with your feelings unchanged." Scathach replied coolly, casting her eyes to the closed door for a brief moment, then back to him. Taking several steps forwards, she paused for a moment when she was right next to him, then spoke in a rather conversational manner. "She was rather beautiful, wasn't she?"

He shrugged his shoulders "Beauty or not…she's something else." he mumbled under his breath, shaking his head and hearing the Lancer give a muffled chuckle, either behind her lips or behind her hand, he didn't care to find out which. Not when he had something more important to focus on.

Neither one of them said anything, not when he entered the room and not when he sat down opposite them, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his knees.

He was rewarded with a blank stare and he offered only a blank stare in response.

They would speak when they were ready, not before and there was a lot that needed saying.

"You met with mother then." Ritsuka hummed in response to the question posed to him by Ash, the blonde not looking as though he cared much. Yet that was half of the problem, Ash's expression was devoid of so much emotion that it looked more like a fake mask someone printed off the internet. A thoroughly wooden expression.

"I did, yes." He didn't deny it either, no sense in doing something like that. Bringing his hand up, he jerked it over his shoulder and continued on. "I met her just before coming to see you. We spoke for a little while, and learned a little more about her. We forged a contract with one another." pausing, he watched Ash's expression carefully, not even being rewarded with so much as a twitch of emotion from the Saber. "Are you alright with that?"

Ash's expression remained vacant, then it suddenly changed into an expression of mild surprise, as though the suggestion hadn't even occurred to him before Ritsuka asked him about it. The blonde hummed to himself, then shrugged his shoulders. "Whether or not it is something I take issue with, it would be a personal matter. Besides, I do not think my own words should hold much sway over what you decide. My opinions don't matter."

"They matter to me."

"And if I told you to head back to her room and slit her throat open?" Ash raised an eyebrow, the beginnings of a savage smirk pulling on the corner of his lips as his eyes started to glow with fury. "To prize open her ribs and spill her intestines onto the floor? To rip the still beating heart from her chest and crush it underfoot…would you do that?"

"..."

"...I apologise for that outburst." Ash closed his eyes and shook his head from side to side. "That was not something I should have allowed to surface."

Ritsuka rolled his jaw. "How long has that been a thing?"

Ash shrugged "Can't say, sorting through my memories to get a better span of time is difficult. Some of them are mine and some of them aren't. It…it's been getting easier to make sense of everything." pausing, his eyes swept around the room. "One of the few benefits of isolation. Keeps me focused on my own thoughts, making sense of everything. Though I get flashes. Bits and pieces now and again of people I don't know. Sometimes I see my reflection and all that stares back is a stranger. It doesn't last long, perhaps barely a second, but that feeling just sits with me."

Adjusting himself, Ritsuka frowned openly at Ash. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say in regards to that. Though there was something that he was curious about, if only a little based on the last comment. "Why didn't you kill Gwynevere?"

"I wanted to." Ash replied without even hesitating. "The thought was very appealing for a few short seconds. Then it was disgusting." pursing his lips, he grunted. "I…I still love her. It's hard to explain but…but that is what has kept me surfaced. Memories of Gawyn, of when she would come around and see him every morning. When she would look at him, speak with him…" he let out a shuddering breath as he closed his eyes. "The feeling of her warmth when she rested a hand on his head and praised him."

"...You still love her, then."

"I hate her too." Like that, the moment of euphoria was gone, wiped clean off his face and replaced by a twisted grimace. "I hate how much I love her smile. I despise how much she makes me focused. I hate how much I depended on her love. I hate everything about that…and I hate the fact I despise her. I hate her because I love her and I love her because I hate her." tilting his head to the side, he shrugged his shoulders once more. "I just went there to see if I could kill her."

Ritsuka inhaled, then exhaled. "Would it have made you feel better if you did?"

"...No. I probably would have killed myself if I hurt her." He confessed with a monotone voice, bringing up his hand and waving it from side to side. "You know, when I struck her…I actually clenched my thumb against my fingers so tightly that I shattered the bones in my finger. I didn't even realise I'd done it until after I used Galvatyne. Probably an instinctive punishment for trying to hurt her. I think that planted the seed but…but Sulyvahn cemented the idea."

Not even trying to hide his distaste, he could already feel his irritation build up within him. "What did Sulyvahn say?"

"Nothing that wasn't true." Ash defended with an idle tone of voice. "He said that I was trapped within my status as her tool. That I would never grow out of my desire to impress her, to live up to her every whim. He's right. It all stems from that belief in making her proud, making her…believe in me."

He pointed squarely to Ritsuka. "That's why I kept you alive. I wanted you to tell me I was right. That I was doing a good job, even if it was something that came from you. I think it was what I was after." he lowered his hand onto his lap. "I didn't get it though, obviously. Though…I'm grateful for that in a strange sense. Not in a way I can describe but I think it's just being glad that normal humans look at me and see me as wrong." he smiled bitterly. "Because I don't want to be right. Because that would make her right. It would make them all right."

Ritsuka didn't need to be told who she was, he felt his expression fall as he stared at the Saber, now looking so small when compared to the time they first met. Something that seemed so long ago now.

"...You remember how we first met?"

"...Vaguely." Ash replied, furrowing his brows in thought "Stood upon a shield in a city of fire."

"Yeah." Ritsuka chuckled, the memory of Ash standing on that shield and then looking down, the fact that even then, he could probably imagine the look of confusion on the man's face was rather hilarious. Bringing his left hand up, he cupped his chin as the faint smile remained on his lips. "Seems like years ago now but…I still remember it, clear as day. Goodness…that was just out of this world. Mash…Mash is something else, let me tell you. I was frozen when I stared at her for the first time as a Servant. Just swinging this shield left and right and…and this was some girl I met in the hallway an hour earlier."

"You were slumbering in the hall, as the story goes." Ash replied, Ritsuka nodded his head up and down, a small noise of mirth rippling in his throat as he did so. "Inadvisable. Siegward would say as much, speaking from experience."

Snorting to himself, he let out a breath at the Saber and regarded him with a flat look. "I wasn't looking to start the day by passing out in the middle of the hallway and hope someone just stumbled upon me…" waving his hand he let silence fill the room between the two of them for a moment, shuffling himself on the floor and dropping his hands back on his knees. "But yeah…first time I saw you, I was pretty blown away."

Ash's brows furrowed for a brief instant, a spark of something passed through his eyes before it faded away, returning to the previous dull nature, though Ritsuka could see that the Servant was now partially interested.

"Yeah, you hear about all these stories about western knights and stuff." He pointed to himself "I mean yeah, I knew about Camelot and a little bit of other history stuff as well but at the end of the day, I never expected anything like that. You just show up, plate armour and all, swinging around a magic sword and setting things on fire. Ashen One of Lothric. Warrior of Sunlight."

The unkindled shuffled on his spot, pulling his lips into a faint grimace with an expression that was almost abashed, the blonde closed his eyes and let out a breath. "I'm…I believe I made for a rather poor warrior of sunlight by the end. Hearing you speak so openly of your praise for my efforts in those first hours is…uncomfortable."

"Sorry but it's the truth." Ritsuka shrugged his shoulders, sporting a tiny smile on his face "Big knight, that fight with Havel and then with King Arthur…you just showed up and then you were acting as though this was all perfectly normal. I think…I think that helped. Probably did, just the feeling that there was someone who knew what they were doing. Aside from Caster, that is."

"I was merely improvising." Ash rebuked with a dismissive shake of his head. "Using my past experiences, I'd never fought properly sane foes before in such great numbers. In truth, I was just as alarmed as you were in that situation." he paused, a conflicted look passed across his face. "At least…I think I was. Flickers of emotions from that time are…muddled. I can remember flashes of panic, moments of pain and then…All I truly remember is grabbing Olga before she could approach the Demon."

Ritsuka hummed "Yeah…saved her life."

"Prolonged her…nevermind." It sounded as though Ash was going to say something for a moment before he corrected himself, letting out a tired breath and rubbing his brows with his left hand. The blonde really did look just tired at this point, there was nothing else that could really describe Ash beyond looking and sounding exhausted. "She's alive. That wasn't my intention but she's still alive."

"Hmmm."

"...Is there a point to this?"

"Not really." None that he could really see, if he was being honest. He just wanted to come in and speak with Ash about something else. Fact of the matter was, perhaps he was putting off the issue for as long as he could but at the same time, that was half of the problem. Too many times he had just put it aside or gone with 'different world, different customs' as an excuse to explain away the quirks he had. "I don't think I ever asked, how come you were so friendly when we first met?"

Ash blinked at him, then inclined an eyebrow. "Friendly?"

Ritsuka nodded his head, a thoughtful frown slowly forming on his face as his mind drifted back to what he remembered of the earliest interactions Ash had with some of the people around Chaldea. Certainly not nearly as uptight as his later ones, that was for sure.

Bringing his arms up, Ash folded them over his chest and pursed his lips. "My first encounter with Siegward stuck with me. Perhaps because he was the first one who showed me genuine kindness. I…I merely assumed that was the manner in which all new acquaintances should greet one another."

A shrug.

"It was something I continued on at times." He explained further "The firekeeper said she found it pleasant when I smiled so when I was around her, I smiled. When I was around Greirat, I was cordial. When I was summoned…I remembered the novelty of a friendly encounter and assumed that one in dire need would find more value in an expression of kindness as opposed to another grim face."

That made sense to him, but at the same time there was something else that stuck out to him about all of it. Waving his hand to the Saber, he gave voice to the slightly cynical thoughts that had been birthed in his mind. "So it was…mostly just something you did to make us feel better?"

He didn't get an immediate response from the Saber, Ash's lips thinned and his eyes moved down until they were focused on his lap. His hands turning over and curling his fingers, seemingly examining his gauntlets a few times before he made a small noise and gave a faint jerk of the head to the side. "Perhaps. I'm not sure. There wasn't a reason to do it and there wasn't a reason not to do it. It pleased the firekeeper when I made the attempt so I continued it."

"...Why stop?"

"...I got tired." Ash mumbled under his breath "I got very tired of all of it. I'd never tried it for that long, my face felt stiff. I could only act the part for so long and eventually…I just didn't see a reason to continue to do so." he looked back up. "Combined with everything I was seeing around me. I just…didn't feel the need to bother and realised I was giving off the wrong impression. You were all becoming too attached to me."

"I think that's just natural." Ritsuka argued with a shake of his head. "We're all in a tight spot together, the longer people talk and the more time they spend together. The more likely it is they're going to make friends. That's…well…that's just how things are."

"It did not seem natural to me." Ash frowned deeply, shaking his head from side to side. "I recalled my…emotions when I discovered the corpse of Greirat. The loss of a friend and my vow to never take one again." he turned his head, staring off towards the distance with a complicated look on his face. "We would eventually part ways and would never see one another again. Or I would die in the process of this task and…I did not wish for you to experience that level of pain. So I deferred to my basic personality, I dropped the mask."

He grimaced. "Though…it would seem I was much too slow."

Ritsuka hummed, nodding his head up and down, the changing in personality made a lot of sense to him now. He just didn't want people to be sad when he was gone. He looked up towards the Saber once more, searching his expression and noticing how strained it was, perhaps burdened with regret as well. Much too slow indeed, he'd seen the way Ash interacted with Nobunaga.

If that wasn't friendship, he didn't know what was.

"I don't think I was a very good Master for you so far." He admitted, drawing a shocked look from the Saber, Ash opened his mouth to probably rebuke him - he knew if Mash was here, she would have done the same thing - and raised the flat of his hand, stopping the Saber before he could get a word out. "It's true. I noticed you acting different from everyone, I even knew a bit about you from talking with Cecilia and how you sort of…act out all your emotions except for anger. I knew all that and every time you did something a bit strange I would just go…'well, he's from a different world, so it makes sense.' and just leave it at that. Just…quietly ignoring the problem, I guess because…I just figured that you were a bit more business orientated was all. Job first type of person."

Ash shook his head from side to side. "The fault lies with me. Me and my arrogance in believing my way of life is correct. I should have noticed the overabundance of humans who did not conform to my way of thinking." he shrugged "I cannot fault you for remaining ignorant to the problem, even if you did know, it is not one that can be solved."

"...I don't believe that."

"Optimism such as that will only reward you with failure." Ash gave him an empty smile that lasted barely a second before it vanished from his face. "I cannot change, not truly. The foundation of my person…the bedrock of my mind made from the love for my mother cannot change. I might aim it in a different direction, but I become just as dedicated to it. As I told you before…I cannot step away from that now because her love won't let me."

"Is that…is that really what you want?"

"What I want is immaterial." The words were delivered coldly, blunt as a hammer. "It has never mattered what I want. What matters is what is. We cannot avoid the issue much longer. I have betrayed the purpose of my birth and I have betrayed my reason for living and most of all, I have betrayed you. There can be only one consequence for this."

Ritsuka knew where he was going with this. "No."

"I am insane. I can recognise that but I cannot change it." The blonde clenched his hands into fists, frustration dripping from his words. "I am forced to exist as an insane being who believes that his perverse way of living is correct while being completely aware of how wrong it is." scoffing, he pushed himself up off the ground and turned away from him. Pacing towards his bed. "I can see the path in front of me, I know how wrong and twisted it is but my legs won't stop walking because if I stop walking then…then I am wrong."

He whirled around "It is only a matter of time before I start walking again and when I do, it will inevitably end with your death because even now, even in spite of everything!" he snarled, sweeping his arms wide and glaring down at him. "Everything that I have spoken of! The realisation of what I am and what I have done…even knowing just how ugly and wrong it is…there is still the part of me that begs me to crush your skull with my bare hands for your own good."

Taking in a deep breath, he composed himself, lowering his arms to his side and dropping the anger from his face. "Thousands of years of history, showing me both pain and joy. Achievement and failure. All of that weighed against my sad devotion to my mothers affections?" He raised an eyebrow and clicked his tongue. "It is barely even a choice worth making. This…" gesturing to himself, his face turned disgusted. "This is not life. This is…sickness."

Keeping his expression blank in the face of all of this was rather tough, watching as Ash virtually asked him to help with suicide was virtually the last straw. Closing his eyes, he looked down at the floor for a few moments in complete silence. Eventually, he placed his hands flat either side of him and pushed upwards, turning his head to face Ash once he stood up. The Saber still pointed at himself, though the arm slowly lowered and the disgust gradually faded.

The pair of them stared at one another in silence for a few moments before Ritsuka spoke. "I'm not going to help you kill yourself. I'm not going to leave you here to wallow in misery as you think of yourself as a mistake. After everything we went through, after you were there to save our lives against Gwyn even after you tried - and I use that word in the loosest possible term - to kill us. I'm not going to let you do it."

Grimacing at him, Ash opened his mouth, only for Ritsuka to cut him off. "So I'm not going to hear more about it. I'm not going to entertain your ideas for suicide as a means of repenting or something along those lines." shrugging, he kept his face blank. "You're right, humans can be pretty greedy and right now, I'm going to be selfish and say that I don't want you to die. Simple as that."

"It isn't that simple-"

"It is. You want to die and I'm telling you I don't want you to." He didn't even let Ash finish his sentence before he cut him off with a shake of his head. "I'm not a complicated person, Ash. Never have been, probably never will be. So I'm being honest when I tell you that it really is just a case of me not wanting you to die. Worse, letting you die like this. It's…it's wrong."

"..."

"You don't…after everything you've gone through in your life, you deserve to have something you can look at and say 'I enjoyed that' or 'man, that was a great time.'" He pointed at the Saber "You…you don't deserve what happened to you but life isn't always about what people deserve. I doubt humanity did anything to deserve omnicide but here we are and leaving you like this, where you can't even enjoy life because it's not bound in duty or something is…it's bullshit. Just straight up bullshit."

Regarding him with a blank expression, Ash offered nothing, neither in words nor in actions.

"So yeah, Gwyn got away and we do need your help." Ritsuka gestured to him "Because you came here. So you still want to do something to make amends…well, this is it." spreading his arms wide, he shrugged his shoulders. "You're not allowed to die. Not until I help you. Not until you get help. Certainly not until humanity is saved."

Thinning his lips, Ash looked him up and down. "It is a fool's errand, Ritsuka."

"Guess I'm a fool then." He blandly responded with an uncaring shrug of his shoulders. "You say what you want doesn't matter? Humour me then…do you want to stay like this forever? Is this the sort of life you want to remain living for the rest of your life, the life that you actively know is wrong? Do you not want to at least try and live differently?"

"...I don't know how."

"No one knows how." Ritsuka offered a wry smile at the befuddled expression that the Saber gave him. "That's the secret, no one knows how life is going to pan out for them. We just take the days as they come, surprise after surprise. Might not make sense to you but that's life…" taking a single step forwards, Ritsuka extended his hand to the Servant. "...And I want you to understand that. I want you…to look at the world like a normal person looks at it. I don't want you to be a tool or anything else I want you…to be my friend."

Ash stared at the outstretched hand in silence, his eyes moved back up the length of the arm before landing on Ritsuka's face. Eventually, the green orbs narrowed ever so slightly and his lips pulled down into a frown. "...I can make amends in killing Gwyn, I acted as the ark which brought him here but…you should not so carelessly speak such things. Friends are not so easily made and very easily lost."

Ritsuka shrugged "All the same."

"...Servant, Avenger." Ash grunted in response with an exasperated shake of the head, looking more as though he'd been badgered into an agreement rather than actually believing in it. "It seems I am to remain in your service for the time being." reaching out, the…Avenger? Placed his hand on top of Ritsuka's and slowly pushed it down to his side, virtually rejecting the handshake but still forging the contract between the two of them.

Ritsuka, meanwhile, felt his brows furrow at the introduction. "...Avenger?"

"...Yes."

"Huh…alright then." Turning away from the Avenger, he paused for a moment and then gestured to the doors. "You want to-"

"I…think it best that I remain here for the time being." He grimaced and shook his head from side to side, then pointed towards it. "My mind still needs focusing and piecing it together will take…time."

"Take as much time as you need then." That was all that they could really say for all of them. "Just…Gwynevere is going to be here and I need to know if there is going to be a problem. Just for your sake because I don't want you to have to-"

Ash just grunted his shoulders and shrugged. "Maybe I was angry before but now? I don't care. No…" he frowned, narrowing his eyes. "Maybe I do care too much? I do still love her but there is something hideous about it. Both my love for her and my hatred for her. I don't know if either is genuine or not." his head tilted to the side. "Perhaps it is better I didn't kill her, maybe because I don't care about her deep down. Before I knew about Gawyn, I didn't give mother even a second thought."

A look of confusion flickered across his face. "Cecilia treated me in exactly the same way as mother. Yet I don't hate her…hmm."

Ritsuka opened his mouth to respond, probably to defend the woman, then recalled that she all but admitted to treating Ash as expendable and grooming him in much the same way. He slowly felt the wods leave him for a brief moment, then he shook his head. "Cecilia wasn't your mother and she didn't hide what she was doing. You were both aware of it. She didn't twist you from the moment you were born or something like that. You…you had a choice. The fact you didn't link the flame proves that."

He made a small face. "...Maybe. Do you think I should hate her?"

"...That's your choice, Ash." Ritsuka thinned his lips "I'm not her biggest fan, but I'm not going to start spreading hate because of personal problems with someone whom I've only seen the worst side of so far." he shrugged his shoulders. "But…I wouldn't blame you if you did hate her."

"...Is that why you won't let me die now? Because you've only seen my worst side?"

"Yeah." He didn't even deny it. "I've seen your worst side and I want you to see your own best side as well. Sorry if it feels like I'm taking control of your life but…I just don't want you to die. I've…I've had enough of people I know and like dying." he clenched his jaw. "And I'm not going to be responsible for anyone else being killed. Not if I can help it." bringing up his right hand, he pointed it squarely at the Saber. "And this…this I can help and I will."

"...My grandmother is waiting." Ritsuka felt himself blink at the deflection. "You shouldn't keep her long."

"Why?"

"Because there was little choice in the matter."

Ritsuka grimaced at the dark haired woman sitting opposite him, he was getting very tired of people constantly saying that sort of thing to him. He doubted they were actually understanding what it meant because there was a choice. She could have chosen to not do what she did and then they wouldn't be in this situation. "I'm going to need something more convincing than that."

Velka, for her part, didn't look all that concerned as she adjusted herself in her seat. It felt more like they were stuck in an interrogation room, a dim light overhead and a single steel table between the two of them. Though, this was an interrogation of sorts. Especially since she was the one behind that entire nightmare in the first place.

The Goddess offered him a thin smile. "The world is presented to me far differently than-"

"Please do not give me this big picture stuff right now…" Ritsuka tiredly replied, cutting her off and dragging his hands over his eyes. Listening to people talk about the big picture as a means of justifying doing some pretty nasty small picture stuff was another thing he was starting to get tired of listening to. He wasn't a big picture type of person, he was a small picture person. He liked those little pictures. He was one of them. "Just…just tell me why?"

Velka let out a faint chuckle under her breath as she leaned forwards, propping her chin up underneath her hands as she rested her elbows on the table. "Hmmmhm. You're angry."

He glowered at her.

"I'm not speaking of it to be insulting or mocking, it's good that you can show such anger towards sin." Her tone shifted to be much more approving, her amber coloured eyes twinkling with approval as she spoke. "Much like the white haired girl…oh ho ho ho…she has quite a strike to her, doesn't she?"

He unconsciously rubbed the side of his face where he remembered being slapped by the Director during their first encounter, quickly realising what he had done when the smile on the face of the Goddess turned a lot more amused, dragging her head back and straightening out her posture. Remaining silent, he watched as she hummed and dragged her fingers along the surface of the desk, black fingernails just wrapping against the steel and producing a rather painful sound.

His head convulsed at the sound, which was thankfully stopped before it could go on for too long. Velka pulled her fingers away and showed that she had gouged out a small roll of steel from the table itself, flicking it away to the far corner of the room with a ting sound.

"I operate within the frame of the 'big picture' as you so eloquently put." She replied after a moment of silence, lips flattening. "So long as sin exists in the world, I shall be there to indict and forgive. It is my domain." her eyes flickered away from her fingers and towards him. "From the moment I was summoned into this world at the behest of my Master, I was pointed towards the direction of my grandson and…oh, there was such sin about him. He was made of it."

Ritsuka raised an eyebrow "Made of it?"

"An expression but…oh…he cared too much to see what he was threatening to do." She cooed with a shake of the head, black lips pulling themselves into a not quite kind smile. Just a touch of mischief there to put him on edge with the fact she wasn't being quite so altruistic. "Leaving him was no longer an option so I watched him. I watched him through your little adventures and learned all I could of his view…then I waited until the perfect moment and was sent here. I had the means of solving the problem of my grandson."

His eyes narrowed. "By torturing him."

"Encouraging confession." Velka corrected, although she didn't sound very serious about it, an uncaring shrug of the shoulders was proof enough of that. "The Singularity was made as a dark reflection of his mind. I created a world that he would find so disgusting, so unbearable…that it would bring his true self to the light." her eyes locked onto his own. "And when that happened, when all was revealed…then the process of forgiveness could be done."

"Forgiveness for what?" Ritsuka clenched his own hands into fists and crossed them over his chest. "He hadn't done anything-"

"To you." She cut him off with a shake of her head "I spoke of himself. Forgiveness that he did not know he needed. You understand the hatred he bears for his own life, the disgust he holds within his soul…a belief that he is worthless outside of duty. I sought to correct that."

"You picked a funny way of doing it."

"I picked the only way of doing it." She defended "Or the only path that I could see at least, unlike others I was not gifted with foresight. I concocted this plan to the best of my abilities. He would break, you would struggle against one another and then…" she paused for a moment, humming as she shrugged her shoulders. "Then I would show him the error of his ways. Reveal to him the flaw of his logic, and I did precisely that."

"...Your Noble Phantasm. You woke up all the souls inside him."

"Very good~" Velka praised with a smile "I did. I awoke those souls and I brought their pain to his eyes. Those who suffered from the life he extolled as right and proper. Evidence that he could not ignore." turning herself to face him fully, she leaned across the table. "I confronted him with the results of his own sin."

"...And Gwyn?"

"Why do you think I summoned Percival?" Velka raised an eyebrow at him, the admission felt like someone had just punched him in the gut. She just admitted that she knew Gwyn was going to be there, all the Director had told him was that she was the mastermind behind the Singularity. The Goddess raised her brow at him, looking somewhat puzzled for a moment before understanding slipped onto her features. "Don't tell me your allies kept secrets from you…tut tut…it's quite a sin to deceive one's friends, isn't it?"

He pointed at her warningly for a moment, then leaned back as something else drifted through his mind. "...Seath…"

She froze for a moment, then her face twisted uncomfortably as she leaned back into her chair, a look that seemed regretful formed on her for a brief moment. "That was outside of my design. The…insane form of the Lothric King Oceiros was summoned to the land, freakish and draconic, I subtly pushed Priscilla towards him and she slew him deftly." she grimaced. "But…it would seem as though he was merely a host, the true danger slipped between the cracks and it was not until I realised you had been catapulted far from your allies that I knew something was amiss. After that…scrying your location proved difficult and I could only do so much and avoid being discovered by Priscilla."

"...You miscalculated." He commented with a dead tone of voice. "...And now Gwyn and Seath escaped."

"And Priscilla was killed and you…" She fell silent as she looked him dead in the eyes, her expression shifting. "That was never my intention to make you suffer."

"No, it was just to make Ash suffer."

"Come, come Ritsuka." She shook her head "You are no fool, you understand how entrenched his mind is. How perfect he believed his world view to be when compared with your own. Whether it came by my hand or anothers, he would have discarded his mask and unveiled the beast beneath sooner or later." pointing to herself, she continued on. "I merely caused such a release in a controlled environment…though the intervention of Solomon was outside of my design as well. His interest was unexpected."

He really wanted to call her out on her dumb logic. He really, truly did.

Then he remembered that Ash's initial response to finding out about human history had been to try and decapitate him on the spot, so perhaps there might have been some truth in her words. Maybe.

"...I don't subscribe to the belief that you have to mentally break someone in order to help them." Ritsuka replied after a few moments of silence, shrugging his shoulders and giving the Goddess an unblinking stare. "Ash has problems. Goodness knows he's got problems…but what he didn't need was psychic torture to get him to admit those. There had to have been a number of different options out there-"

"Having been informed by my Master the result if I did not intervene, I opted to take action."

"And who is your Master anyway?" Ritsuka shrugged his shoulders and looked around the room "He nearby anywhere?" his exaggerated swings of the head must have been amusing, combined with his sarcastic tone of voice, given that Velka let out a pleasant chortle, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

"He's Clairvoyant, if that should answer your question." Velka answered as her mirth started to fade away, the admission of her Masters future sight brought Ritsuka's attention back onto her with surprise flashing through his mind. "He merely told me there was one path to help my grandson and that I was best suited for that path."

Ritsuka grimaced "So that's it then…mental torture or nothing?"

Velka gave a helpless shrug of her shoulders.

"Nope, still not convinced." He dismissed with a shake of his head, once again earning an amused look from the Goddess as though he had said something hilarious.

"I always love how you humans can be so determined to ignore the statements made by those with a greater understanding of the world." She looked him up and down before offering a nod of the head "It's rather novel. Though we shall simply agree to disagree."

"...Fine." Ritsuka exhaled, seeing as he wasn't going to get anywhere like this. "So…suppose your plan went perfectly. What were you going to do?"

"Oh? I was going to offer myself up for your judgement."

He blinked "Huh?"

Playfully clicking her tongue, she looked at him up and down "Don't look so surprised. I am not so arrogant as to believe that just because I hold domain over Sin it means I am exempt of it's judgement." she waved a hand to him "As you said, I tortured my own grandson using my granddaughter who would have perished anyway. I turned brother against sister and used him to facilitate justice upon Gwyn, the justice he escaped so very long ago…Even with success, I would have wronged you and thus, I would have come seeking proper punishment."

Wetting his lips, he cleared his throat and adjusted himself in his chair "That seems…oddly considerate of you." he mumbled, he didn't quite believe her but at the same time, there wasn't really a reason to doubt her either. Especially because she had followed them back and was currently sitting in this dingy room with several Servants standing outside with orders to kill her if she tried to do anything. "But…alright…what sort of judgement were you expecting?"

"Community service."

"..."

"..."

"...You're joking."

"I'm afraid not." She gestured to herself "I am a Servant with a vast knowledge of the world and the closest to Gwyn for eons. I am here to offer the knowledge to you freely as a Servant with no demands of any sort, you won't even need to use those command seals of yours." she waved to his hand. "For as long as Gwyn and Seath roam this world, I am willing to offer my knowledge and skills…and let us be honest? Can you truly afford to reject this?"

"Goodness sake…" Ritsuka grumbled to himself as he brought his hands up and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He didn't need to look at the Goddess to know that she was smiling at him. This was really turning out to be the worst sort of morning for him.

AN: Welcome Back Ash.

Which means we get to update his stats and his dialogue.

Ash

Servant: Avenger

Strength: B+

Endurance: A+

Agility: B+

Mana: A+

Luck: A

He escaped the pruned world, the planet that should never have existed.

Noble Phantasm: A++/EX

Claíomh bás solais; 'O'Sword, slice down the tree of the world.': EX (Anti-World/Anti-Divine) Max Target: ?, Max Range: 1-99

It is a 'Sword' to represent the end of the Age of Fire. More than this, it is a weapon designed to cull everything that suffers in his eyes.

It is his one true Noble Phantasm and his singular ability as a Beast built upon mercy. A continuous attack which will spread and kill all before him without exception.

Their lives are suffering, so it is better to end their struggle.

His Mercy upon the world. The weapon attacks the very texture of the planet, in effect it could be seen as a similar existence to the weapon of Surtr, however rather than incinerating life it brings about its natural end. The complete destruction of existence and a return to nothing. A sword fitting to cut away the last remnants of the world, completely and utterly removing all trace of their existence

To call it something like a Divine Construct is false, it was not forged by the hands of a God and is solely a weapon that exists as Ash's Authority. That said, the scale of this weapon falls into the same category as weapons forged by the planet itself. The singular purpose of this weapon is an attack upon creation itself, a natural end to the world.

Memories of Times Long Past - The Echoes of the World Once upon a Time: EX (Anti-Unit) Max Target: 1, Max Range: 0

An application of his Reality Marble, utilising the strengths of the souls within his body.

Utilising this will grant him the abilities of one of the many individuals within his body, granting him a number of skills, insights or perhaps powers that he would not have otherwise. It is the most basic use of taking one's strength for yourself.

As a result of using this Noble Phantasm, he will undergo a temporary 'Class Change' depending on the skill set he had opted to utilise for himself, though it is a brief change and not one he can use often.

The most powerful abilities are ones that come with the greatest costs in terms of magical energy, though they are naturally greater in scope as a result. Some of these abilities are Noble Phantasms in their own right. Another application of this Noble Phantasm is the creation of Shades based upon the souls he harbours within himself, one might just as easily call them 'Shadow Servants' dependent on the creatures and beings he killed with his own two hands.

They are legion and they come to him at will, though this application is one he does not use. At least, not for humans.

Memories of Warriors - Their Power Becomes Mine: E-B (Anti-Unit) Max Target: 1, Max Range:-

Unkindled - more so than any other undead - are beings of memory. As such, they can call upon the memories of the skill of weapons.

Only a fraction of what it was but more than enough to give them an inkling of how to wield the weapon itself. More than this, it allows Ash to take the weapons of opponents he has slain provided it meets two criteria.

1) He must have personally slain them.

2) The weapon cannot exceed the Rank of B

However, it is simply the weapon itself. Any NP that accompanies the weapon is not applicable to him, as they were not earned by him.

Passive abilities remain active however.

Bottomless Box: E-EX (Collection) Target:-, Max Range: 0

A store of treasures and weapons from his many adventures through Lothric and perhaps beyond at this point, there is no limit to what he might store there.

His bottomless box has now been integrated into his existence. Though he can still call upon it in a physical sense - at much less cost - he can call upon the weapons and items directly. However, doing so in this rapid fire manner is more costly for his magical energy as he does not summon the box from existence and instead pulls from the plane where it resides outside of combat. For most reasons, he will call upon the box directly. It is also a Noble Phantasm that would work with other Servants if he so chooses to.

Class Skills:

Independent Manifestation: D

Manifestation in the world by means of one's own strength. Ash is granted an existence that is incapable of harm by means of temporal attacks or paradoxes. Yet, he does not possess a resistance to instant death, for an odd reason… And his resistance to charms is critically low...almost as though it was designed to be that way.

Avenger: E

There is precious little for him to avenge, hatred and pain directed towards him does nothing. All he can do is direct loathing inwards but little else. He gained this skill purely through manifesting in the Avenger Class.

Self-Replenishment (Mana):-

He has no need for this skill, due to the presence of his undead nature.

Oblivion Correction: EX

The Class Skill of an Avenger, but Ash never forgets. Rather, he can't.

He can forget nothing. The hatreds and pains of humanity. He remembers them all.

Because he is humanity. He forgets nothing, even if others are to forget. He won't.

He hates nothing, but the souls inside him have great hatred. For everything that befell them. Duty did not save them, so he carries this warning inside him at all times.

His method does not work.

Magic Resistance: B

Essence of the world: D

This has been savagely reduced since Gwyn absconded with a majority of his Saint Graph. Though Ash was able to save but a few, numbering around a hundred million or there abouts. The number seems high, but he was once the ark for billions. Those from the beginning of the world to the very end. This figure that he is left with is a paltry sum made up of all walks of life, not just humans. As such, his magical energy has also been reduced, now on the same scale as that of a high level Divine Spirit. A far cry from his prime.

Nega-Soul: D

The Negation of strength against him, Servants who are more powerful than him in any one of their stats are dealt increased damage. The more parameters they exceed, the greater the harm he deals. This applies to blessings of strength that might give an advantage over him due to his nature. Conceptual advantages are weakened, though they still remain and those with high Saint Graphs equal to or above his own are subject to this.

Scorched Divinity: E-

Functionally human, there is not an ounce of divine blood left in his body despite being born to the Goddess Gwynevere. He is a Demi-God in name only, having unconsciously used his Reality Marble to strip the divine aspects from his soul. He has rendered himself human, this skill exists only to alert those that he might once have been a Demi-God but is no longer.

Personal Skills:

Ashen One Eternal: EX

Despite having previously fallen into the category of Noble Phantasm, this has been degraded to a personal skill. The function remains the same, but the rank has dropped considerably. A sufficiently powerful attack would be more than enough to ensure he remained dead permanently. Else he will be able to reform his body with amble magical energy. His Master becomes his Bonfire, with Independent Manifestation, it becomes quite the powerful ability even in its regulated state.

Like with the previous times, there is no limit to the number of times he dies and the more he does so, the greater his understanding of his enemy becomes. But the rate of this progress has slowed quite considerably, an effect of his Self-Seal. He cannot remove this from his existence due to his undead nature, but he can curtail it enough.

Dorchadas gan deireadh: A

The ultimate in skills and an accumulation of his life. An end goal that applies a true dark upon the land. Once this skill is activated, Darkness shall sweep the land and blot out all other light from the world. Beyond this, the basic parameters of Ash are improved, as well as granting him a considerable advantage to slay those who are inhuman. With his Container limited, this effect has been weakened somewhat. He can only activate it in its full effect for a short time, else its passive skill is similar enough to Mystic Slayer of Rank A and little else.

Consumer of Souls: B

Gains magical energy from whatever he kills, the amount he gains differs from the strength of what he has slain and the quality of its existence. Being with high mystery yield more gains for him. If allowed to do so, he could perpetually fuel his own existence through the act of killing.

Mana Burst (Dark): A

He has massive amounts of magical energy that his body cannot truly handle, a result of his excess power from slaying countless foes. He can channel massive amounts of magical energy into his body or his weapon and release bursts of that power to increase his physical stats or unleash bursts from his weapon. Given its status as 'Dark' the mana burst is exceptionally effective when used against Divine Beings.

Self-Seal: C+++

Applied onto himself to maintain his current level. With enough time, he would doubtless return to his former strength. This method ensures that he does not rise past his current Ranking in Saint Graph.

Dialogue 1

"...You still spend much of your time chasing such fleeting dreams but you smile so brightly when they end...Hmmm."

Dialogue 2

"I'm not well versed in human understanding but if I am mistaken, do not hesitate to correct me. I would prefer the truth to a compelling lie."

Dialogue 3

"Master and Servant...we are bound to one another. My value is your commands, that cannot change regardless of all the wishes in the world."

Dialogue 4 (If you have Enkidu)

"Turning from duty and towards the ephemeral, I am envious...they did not even hesitate once they saw the beauty, did they? Even the knowledge of mankind and they still walk alongside them. That confidence is...Nevermind. Jealousy won't change anything."

Dialogue 5 (If you have Siegward)

"I'm surprised he even speaks to me, acting as though nothing has happened. Perhaps that is the way of Catarinans but...How can he maintain such a bright aura when he came from the same bleak world as me? I am not criticising but...nevermind."

Dialogue 6 (If you have Artoria Pendragon)

"King Arthur, you sacrificed much for your Kingdom and you were met with betrayal and death. But if nothing else, know this. Your path was not wrong. That is something I firmly believe in, belief in duty or not...you were a good King."

Dialogue 7 (If you have Aldrich)

"He is insane and each time he speaks it is dripped with madness. His path to heaven is for one and one alone. Himself. He cares for humanity, true. Though he views himself as the only human in the world, or the only human who will remain in the world once his heaven has been achieved. Therein lies the problem."

Dialogue 8 (If you have The Chosen Undead)

"He protected the state of the world, the cycle of death and rebirth. He knows what happened but he looks to me and says that 'the joy they experienced in their travels was worth it' and I cannot understand this motive. He did not even have a duty to light the flame and he quested for it all the same. How can he justify it with such simple words?"

Dialogue 9 (If you have Solaire)

"A Warrior of Sunlight. Those who are called upon to bring aid to the suffering and light to the lightless, they will answer the call as surely as the sun rises. I am no warrior of sunlight...nor do I deserve to be counted among their ranks."

Dialogue 10 (If you have Pontiff Sulyvahn)

"Our motives were so different, yet we saw the flame as the same problem. I can't criticise him for his actions, though. I'm a killer spurred on by my own arrogance, just as he is. In the end, we're probably both more wrong than we are right."

Dialogue 11 (If you have Slave Knight Gael)

"...A long and painful road he walked, one he did not have to but did all the same. A testament to how far a duty can take a person but…perhaps that was the problem. I think even with him, there wasn't the freedom to say no but I think he did believe in his goal. Truly believe in it. I…I envy him for that."

Dialogue 12 (If you have Fire Keeper)

"Cecilia. Yes…I know why I was so quick to become attached to her and why she became my surrogate mother. It was because she used me as a tool. A fact of life I was raised with…no wonder we bonded so well. I do not resent her for it, she was…there was something worthwhile in our time together and she did make me care for humans as a whole. Even if the end result was…not the greatest. I owe her a debt for that."

Dialogue 13 (If you have Gilgamesh [Archer or Caster])

"The arrogant King who ended the era of the Gods. He had the sense to see mankind better off as separate from them but there is something else. He stepped away from the world and watched from afar, understood by none and keeping it that way. He looks to me and scowls but there is no hatred there."

Dialogue 14 (If you have Cu Chulainn [Caster or Lancer])

"Cu Chulainn, Ireland's Child of Light. Battle and death are so common that he considers them a rite of passage amongst friends. Be they on the same side or opposites."

Dialogue 15 (If you have Patches)

"Patches. I know he is here and there is a good reason for it, though perhaps that is not for me to know. He did care for those he interacted with in his own way, he appreciates honesty even if he speaks in half truths. How strange that he found peace with his way of life, one who takes only what he needs and distributes what he does not to the masses. I wonder…is Lapp truly who he is behind the mask of deceit and spun tales?"

Dialogue 16 (If you have Scathach)

"Undead slaying…if there ever comes a point where I slip…I would like for you to kill me…if you can. It is not a challenge, it is merely that…I cannot do so myself."

Dialogue 18 (If you have Gawain)

"...He shares not just my face, but my Father as well? How cracked a mirror shows. We both devote ourselves so completely as to ignore our desires. Yet he is...no. It is nothing. We both made our...well, his was a choice at least. I can respect that. He finds the peace in death that he could not in life."

Dialogue 19 (Gwynevere)

"...I do not believe there will ever come a time where I truly hate her. No matter how deeply I wish to. My life, my soul, was robbed from me at birth. My duty is all that remains and she did that to me. And I cannot hate her for it...Even now, I am trapped by her words. I am what I am...because of her."

Dialogue 20 (Gundyr)

"...My younger brother. So that is how it looked from the outside. How...empty. No wonder I could not light the flame."

Dialogue 21 (Oda Nobunaga)

"The fleeting life of a human who achieves much, truly nought but an illusion to those in the heavens...It cannot be helped. They are my friend."

Dialogue 22 (Greirat)

"...Sorry...sorry, sorry...just...I'm sorry."

Dialogue 23 (Completing Anastasia)

"...To destroy worlds that suffer greatly. It would seem that it is a fate I cannot escape. I can see how greatly this affects you, so...I'll take care of it. You don't need to force yourself into these acts. Killing worlds is...what I am good at."

Dialogue 24 (If you have Arjuna Alter)

"Cutting away at that which makes one human until all suffering has been removed...I would have done the exact same in his position if I had his power. Yet...perhaps there truly was something amiss in it. Suffering with or without duty..."

Dialogue 25 (If you have Kama)

"...You truly despise your duty that much? But you are a God who cannot escape their role...it seems we're both trapped with something we despise...at least you understand that which you sought to destroy. I doubt either one of us can take solace from the fact another is experiencing a similar misery. Though, I wonder…you might yet learn to enjoy some aspect of your role, if only fleeting. I am made only to kill. That is not an invitation for you to wield your authority upon me, just because I understand you does not mean I agree with you."

Dialogue 26 (If you have Kiara)

"Demanding love and granting peace to those who she demands love from. Yet it is a lie. There are no similarities between herself and my mother because my mother encouraged growth in those around her while she remained stagnant, this fool brings all down to her level with a sickly smile on her face. Yet, how sad. Is there truly a life worth living if it will never be content with existence? Perhaps she is what I dislike about humanity…the need for something to make existence bearable for them."

Likes

"What I like? I...I don't consider anything as likes. I never had likes before but...music brings me peace now. I can enjoy that at least."

Hates

"...I don't like suffering. I don't like looking at it and I don't like those who cause it. But to suffer is to be human, isn't it?"

Wish for the Holy Grail

"A wish...I wonder what I would have been like had I been born to a normal family. I...wish I had been just a normal human. But...that is not for me."

Bond Level 1

"The road ahead is long and full of trials. If you have the will to see them through, all the better. For you shall need every ounce of it."

Bond Level 2

"I can see that all you experience affects you. Both good and bad but...you don't lose that shine in your eyes. You're doing better than I."

Bond Level 3

"You have good allies, Master. More than that, you have a strong will. Do not forget either, for they shall pull you through the toughest of times."

Bond Level 4

"Your kindness to me thus far has been...welcome, but you need not force yourself-...so you mean every word? 'Friends' you call us...I see."

Bond Level 5

"You called me friend...you fought by my side this far and...Hmmm. You are exceptional. No...you're ordinary, aren't you? The sort of person I set out to save...but you didn't need my salvation, if it could be called that...You're as strong as I-No, you're stronger. I do this because I can't imagine a life outside. You can...If only for a little while, I would ask you to indulge my selfish request and remain by your side a little while longer."

Birthday

"A...Birthday? I suppose this is a time for celebration. I wish you...well, you'll be happy regardless."

During an Event

"Duty commands me to respond to your wishes...if you wish to investigate...I would have no complaints."

1st Ascension

"You know what I am, yes? It would be wiser to keep me as weak as possible."

2nd Ascension

"So you'll grant me more strength? Even with the knowledge of what I am? You're...something else."

3rd Ascension

"I see. So you care only for me and not what my class is. You're doing well enough, Master."

4th Ascension

"So...this is where it leads. I can perform my duty to the best of my ability-...Hell with it...I'm...happy you trust me this much."

Velka, Goddess of Sin

Servant: Ruler

Strength: D

Endurance: E

Agility: C

Mana: EX

Luck: A

Noble Phantasm: A+

O' Sinner, Let me absolve you: A+ (Anti-Army/Anti-Heart) Max Target: 50, Max Range: 20

The ultimate in guilt and illusions. A power that puts even Shakespeare's Noble Phantasm to shame in its scope and personal horror. The sin is brought forth and replayed to the targets. However, it goes much deeper. The victim believes they are experiencing the sin as if it is the first time it has ever occurred, blurring the lines between reality and illusion to the point where they are unaware they are being affected by a NP.

Class Skills:

Magic Resistance: (A)

Riding: C

Item Construction: C

Can imbue weapons and armour to protect or attack those of evil alignment.

Territory Creation: C

Divine Core of a Sinful Goddess: EX

True Name Discernment: A

Personal Skills:

Book of the Guilty: A++

Massive advantage against those of Evil Alignment

Increases the damage she deals to them.

Truth of Sin: EX

No lie, nor sin, no matter how small, escapes her. She can never be deceived nor betrayed. As a Goddess of Sin, the act of betrayal or evil perpetrated against her is unthinkable.

Sinful Magic: B++

The Sorceries and Miracles of Velka are powerful indeed and can even nullify the power of Magecraft for a short time below the Rank of A. Can also bolster magic resistance thanks to trade with Havel.

Murder of Crows: B

Summons a variety of different familiars to act at her behest. Either a flock of crows, a singular giant crow. Or Corvian Knights, before their fall to the Rot.

Indictment: C

Application of Evil alignment to those of Good or neutral alignment. Can be resisted through equal level magic resistance. The elements of a person they hide down are brought forth, allowing them to be briefly represented by their enemies' ideas of them.

Summoning

"Ruler Class Servant, I am Velka, Goddess of Sin and…Oh, oh my. Aren't you the curious one? Oh, don't think too deeply on my words. When it comes to punishing sinners, you will find that I am always willing to help though…be careful not to sin around me but I am always willing to forgive as well."

Dialogue 1

"Come to confess your sins? Fufufu, a harmless little joke. I know all about those little wrongs of yours, both big and small. Whenever you're ready for forgiveness, I shall be there."

Dialogue 2 (If you have Gwyndolin)

"I did wonder where all of my intellect went, though I did not imagine it would have gone to Gwyndolin of all my children. I'm surprised but it would seem that all those smarts were wasted due to his blind devotion to his father. Honestly…such a disappointment."

Dialogue 3 (If you have Gwynevere)

"Ah, my eldest daughter. So devoted to Gwyn and yet she had the sense to abandon his legacy once the rot started to set in. A pity she was not able to fully abandon it, ironic that she did not realise the greatest of growths comes when everything old has been swept aside. For a gardener, it's ironic she did not master the art of weeding."

Dialogue 4 (If you have Filianore)

"So joyous and so bright, how very much like your older brother you are…perhaps that was why your father sent you away. He could not bear to look at your face."

Dialogue 5 (If you have Nameless King)

"...My first son. My eldest. Oh…oh how deeply your sins travel, not just in betrayal of the race but betrayal of the heart. Oh, Gwyn had such plans for you…and then you drove a knife through his chest and shattered his dreams then and there. It's truly terrifying what a father wracked with grief will do, isn't it? Fufufu…Though if you ever wish to confess and seek forgiveness for leaving us, I would hear you out."

Dialogue 6 (If you have Amakusa)

"A world free of sin through the elevation of the soul, how tragic. To be human is to be aware of both good and evil. To accept that you can commit both, it is to truly live in a world. What he would seek would indeed end pain, but would also end humans themselves. A world free of sin is not a world that any should live in."

Dialogue 7 (If you have Priscilla)

"Ah, my darling granddaughter. At least some good came from that cursed union between my daughter and that skinless wyrm. A choice made entirely from my husband, of course, but what was done was done and I certainly couldn't complain in public. He trapped me with that and in the end, he forced the child to be tossed aside. Though I cared for her as though she was my own."

Dialogue 8 (If you have Arjuna Alter)

"To destroy all of that which is evil and wrong. Yet who is it that decides what is evil and wrong? There is nothing in the universe, in all of creation, that is wholly evil. Evil cannot be a proven existence, it is only something forced upon others at the arrogance of one. In the end, you are the evil that you would seek to destroy. A grand irony but…from evil, there can come forgiveness and redemption."

Dialogue 9 (After completing Anastasia)

"It would seem as though we are to be bound in union for greater sins. If it should please you, forgiveness lies at the end of your journey…that is, if you are strong enough to ask for forgiveness. This is the path of deep sin we now tread, I can walk it with you should you so wish but understand…I will be watching and counting the sins you pile up. Just for…a receipt."

Dialogue 10 (If you have Evil Aligned Servants)

"Well, it seems as though there are quite an abundance of sinners here. Some greater than others but so very many. I'm rather pleased at this abundance, both for what they represent and for what they might inspire. What do I mean? They are examples for what sin is truly capable of. The greatest of sins breeds the strongest of minds but also…also they are so very narrow. Those who know only evil are just as incapable of living as those who know only good. I'll watch them…perhaps one will confess their sins to me."

Likes

"What do I like? I enjoy the finery of sin and the results of it. From sin there can come both great good and great evil. From sin there comes such a thing as justice, order, love and compassion. In which case…why would I not encourage sin?"

Hates

"Those who reject the importance of sin reject the very nature of being alive. To go your entire life without committing a single wrong is to never commit a single good deed. For it is only when you truly embrace the nature of sin that you can understand the value of doing good. Else you are simply mimicking the actions of those better than you."

Wish for the Holy Grail

"It is a beacon of sin, that which is claimed with sacrifice. Using the strengths of others for your own ends. I have no interest in using such a thing, but those who would compete for it would certainly be worthy of my attention."

Bond Level 1

"Well, well, well. It seems as though you have quite the talent for punishing sinners, don't you? Have you ever considered becoming a confessor? Fufufufu~ Just a little joke, I don't truly expect something like that from you."

Bond Level 2

"A talent for violence lies with you, yet it is not a talent you embrace. I do not doubt you are ignorant of your skill in the art of commanding others to kill in your name but…aha, would you prefer I not phrase it so bluntly? Would you ask that I cloak my words with greater nuance rather than describe you as a mere killer? I could…but we both know what the meaning would be, so why not speak of them clearly."

Bond Level 3

"I've noticed you've been silent lately, do my words still weigh upon you? I call you a killer for that is what you are, but that does not make you an inherent evil. So long as you understand the wrongs of your actions then you have the chance to be completely aware of your actions and seek forgiveness in the future. For as long as you remain aware of your true nature, I shall be idle."

Bond Level 4

"My confession is costly? Fufufu, true. I do indeed 'charge' for confession but it is little more than a…what do you humans call them, a Placebo? Yes, the cost is nothing more than the tangible evidence that they have sought out forgiveness for their crimes. So they might rest easy with the belief they have been forgiven. Some are satisfied with the price extracted, but the truly regretful…they will offer more than mere currency. Those who truly believe sin can be washed away with such a finite act are deluding themselves but…whatever helps them sleep at night with their sins."

Bond Level 5

"Would you like to hear a secret? You are my favourite human. It is true, you who is aware of good and yet will accept evil, who understands the value of justice but will use the methods of chaos. Though with a preference for the right side of all things, you know both good and evil in your soul. For that is what human beings are, creatures of order and chaos, right and wrong, good and evil. I feel as though you exemplify this most of all…take pride in that. You're a beacon to your people."

Birthday

"It is your birthday? Did you not trust me enough to tell me or did you merely forget? Well…I suppose I might grant you the benefit of the doubt this time. I can offer you well wishes for this day but it is up to you if you truly make it a happy occasion."

During an Event

"Do you intend to take an interest in this event? Whatever you decide, you may call upon me."

1st Ascension

"So, you have an interest in punishing sinners and seek my power for that? Very well, let us continue on in this quest."

2nd Ascension

"You must be strong in the belief we will face great sinners if you intend to raise my power thusly, but I can reciprocate this feeling."

3rd Ascension

"Careful now, at the rate this is going I might just believe you are trying to show me some favouritism. That would be rather scandalous, wouldn't it?"

4th Ascension

"Well…it seems as though this might be the limit of my abilities but that is neither here nor there. After being given your undivided attention so far, I feel as though there can only be one true way of repaying this debt…shall we?"