Making Memories

July 20th, 2015

"I….I did it!" Ritsuka shouted. "I cleared Sen's Fortress!"

"Hell yeah!" Tatsuko shouted. The two Masters high fived each other in celebration. The past month in Chaldea has been relatively peaceful, aside from some minor singularities and training exercises. Today was thankfully one of their days off, and so Ritsuka decided to capitalize on it by trying to beat the level that frustrated him the most, with Tatsuko coming to watch.

"Oh oh, put the controller down and don't move!" Tatsuko said. "I'll be back with some more people."

"Why?" Ritsuka asked.

"There's been a few people mentioning that they want to see you clear the next area with their own eyes." Tatsuko answered.

Ritsuka shrugged. "Sure, I guess that would be interesting."

Tatsuko then proceeded to run off, leaving Ritsuka by himself. A few minutes passed and the male Master decided to get up and stretch and get some water before Tatsuko came back with a crowd. He was going to call it a day and continue tomorrow, but if Tatsuko wanted him to wait and continue, who was he to refuse. Just as he got his water, Tatsuko returned with Eric, Astolfo, Davinci, Waver, Nobunaga, Mashu, and someone that Ritsuka did not expect.

"Artoria? You wanted to see this too?" Ritsuka asked.

"I did not know of this event until just a few minutes ago." Artoria answered. "However, I decided to come because I was curious."

"I was the first that wanted to see this." Eric said. "I've beaten this game countless times already, so I wanted to see the newbie's reaction."

"Thanks for the vote in confidence." Ritsuka said. The male Master turned to Mashu and smiled. "So, have you used your new camera yet?"

Mashu nodded. "The first picture I took was of Fou sleeping under the sakura tree in Animusphere City."

"Oh I was there to see that!" Astolfo said. "It was cute!"

"I have to admit, I'm impressed that Kiyohime was able to find such a camera of such great quality." Davinci said. "She's got a good eye."

"Well she definitely had to have a good eye in order to replace the camera she broke." Nobunaga said.

"It was an accident." Mashu said. "She and I weren't paying attention when we bumped into each other, and my old camera fell and broke."

"Yeah, I saw Kiyohime a little later and she felt really bad about that." Ritsuka said.

"Okay, let's not get into who did what." Eric said. "We came here to see Ritsuka beat the next area, so let's get this show on the road!"

Everyone nodded, and Ritsuka proceeded to sit down and picked up his controller. The male Master made his way to the ring that stood near the edge of the fortress, only for everyone but Tatsuko and Eric to gasp in shock as Bat Wing Demons picked up Ritsuka's player character, and flew into the air.

"What the hell are those things?!" Ritsuka shouted.

"Just wait for it." Tatsuko said. "You're about to be blown away."

Not long afterwards, everyone went silent as the Bat Wing Demons took Ritsuka's character to a beautiful city, the sun setting on a giant cathedral looking building. The group simply watched in awe, but Mashu took it a step further, and raised her new camera to take a picture of the scenery.

Click!

"It's beautiful." Ritsuka said as the demons dropped his character at the top of some stairs. After gaining control again, Ritsuka ran past a giant sentinel, and opened the door on his left.

"Oh wow, a bonfire right at the start!" Ritsuka said.

The male Master proceeded to activate it and rest at the bonfire. Artoria raised an eyebrow and stared at the armor Ritsuka's character was wearing. "Say Ritsuka, what class did you start as?"

"Oh, I went with the knight." Ritsuka answered. "It was a little hard at first, but I got the hang of it."

"That's because you became a nutcase the moment you learned pyromancy!" Tatsuko shouted.

"I didn't become a nutcase." Ritsuka said. "I just liked using fire…"

"Well to be fair it looks good with that Elite Knight set you have." Eric said. "And is that the Black Knight Sword you're wielding? Wow, that's some insane luck right there."

"You should see how many times he gets weapons and armor from his enemies." Tatsuko said. "He has EX rank Luck on item drops."

"You may be onto something there." Artoria said. "When it comes to battle, Ritsuka does seem to have some incredible luck."

"Maybe his family Magecraft has to deal in one's luck?" Mashu asked.

Everyone simply shrugged at the notion, and prepared themselves for the next few male Master left the bonfire and proceeded to make his way through the area until he walked down a spiral staircase, only to freeze in fear as he saw a familiar foe. "Oh no…..not another gargoyle….."

"You must proceed." Artoria said. "Do not give into fear."

Ritsuka gulped and confronted the gargoyle. Ritsuka managed to have his player character dodge a few strikes, but the gargoyle managed to hit him after a poorly timed swing, killing him in just a few hits. The male Master sighed as Tatsuko put a hand on his shoulder.

"Welcome to Anor Lando."

(A couple of hours later)

After defeating the gargoyle on his second attempt, Ritsuka made his way through Anor Lando without much fuss, easily defeating the Painting Guardians and another gargoyle to access the next bonfire. After a few minutes of grinding, he went through a painting, fought some enemies, and met Crossbreed Priscilla, and returned from the painting. Not a second later, Ritsuka found the corpse of Black Iron Tarkus, and looted it for his armor, sword and shield. The male Master decided to not equip the greatsword, nor the shield, and opted to remain faithful to the Black Knight sword.

"You're making quite the risky gamble with that armor." Eric said.

"Why?" Astolfo asked.

"That armor will be making him do fat rolls." Eric answered. "It will decrease his mobility pretty harshly."

"That is not how armor works." Artoria replied. "Yes, it does have weight to it, but it does not hinder your mobility."

"Really?"

Artoria nodded. "Armor was made to protect you, but it was also made to not restrict your movements."

"Well in the game, that particular set of armor is one of the heaviest." Eric countered. "He won't be able to evade enemy blows with it on."

"Oh I wouldn't be too sure of that." Tatsuko said.

Eric raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

Tatsuko grinned. "Okay, Ritsuka, show them your Endurance stat."

"With pleasure." Ritsuka said. The male Master proceeded to return to the bonfire, and opened up the level up screen, shocking everyone at the Endurance stat.

"Holy shit man!" Eric shouted. "Why is it so damned high?!"

"Sen's Fortress. That is my answer." Ritsuka answered.

"Perhaps you should give us a demonstration." Waver said.

Ritsuka nodded and exited out of the bonfire. The moment he did so he pressed the button on his controller, making his player character perform an average roll.

"I can't believe this." Eric said. "I never thought that you'd be able to do it."

"And with that, I think it is time for you to march on and keep adventuring!" Davinci chimed.

Ritsuka nodded as he left the bonfire and continued his trek. Everyone watched with interest as the male Master made his way to the cathedral, avoiding the sentinels, then found himself battling three Bat Wing Demons.

"You know I just realized that these things look like Tatsuko when she wakes up in the morning." Davinci said.

Tatsuko glared at the Caster. "I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself for not coming up with that one on my own."

Eric shushed them and subtly eyed the screen. Everyone watched as Ritsuka stopped before a narrow platform, and saw two Silver Knights, one on opposite sides on far away ledges with large bows.

"Welcome to the most frustrating part of Anor Lando. The Silver Knight Archers!" Eric shouted.

"This is going to suck….." Ritsuka muttered. The male Master then madea run for it, only to get shot off the platform. Everyone winced at the quickness of it, but Ritsuka took a deep breath, and continued to play. After twenty more deaths, Ritsuka decided enough was enough, and equipped the Black Iron Greatshield, and charged at the Silver Knight on the left. The male Master fought the Knight with absolute focus, knocking it down off the ledge, and obtained one of their helmets. Ritsuka then proceeded to face the one on the right, also knocking it off the ledge, and obtaining the chest piece.

(OC: Take that you silver knight bastards! Rot in hell!)

Everyone continued to chat and joke together as Ritsuka made his way through the rest of Anor Lando, killing more Silver Knights and always getting their item drops immediately afterwards, meeting Siegmeyer of Catarina, and the Giant Blacksmith. After battling through the rest of the area, everyone went silent as Ritsuka finally reached the fog gate. Ritsuka took a deep breath, and walked through the gate, and saw a large, rotund warrior with a large warhammer.

"Okay, this might not be so bad." Ritsuka said.

Eric and Tatsuko chuckled evilly.

"What's so funny?" Ritsuka asked.

"So remember when I said a couple months back that the Gargoyles weren't going to be the last time a dual boss was featured?"

Ritsuka's face went blank. "Oh no….."

Not a second later, a slimmer man with a lion themed armor set and a spear appeared on a balcony, and leapt to the larger man's side.

"Oh that's bullshit!" Astolfo cried.

Ritsuka started to frantically dodge and fight the dual boss of Ornstien and Smough, with some of the spectators panicking. Eric, Tatsuko and Davinci watched in amusement as Astolfo, Nobunaga and Mashu tried to speak words of encouragement to the male Master while Waver and Artoria tried to give him advice.

Unfortunately they could not do anything as Smough smashed Ritsuka's character with his giant hammer, killing him. Everyone fell silent as Mashu put a hand on Ritsuka's shoulder.

"Do not worry Senpai, you will get them next time."

"I know, Mashu. Thanks." Ritsuka said.

"Well, what did you think of the fight?" Eric asked.

"Well, I like that armor on the spear guy." Ritsuka said.

"You do?" Artoria asked.

"Yes." Ritsuka answered. "I want that!"

"You want to know how to get it?" Eric asked.

"Yes, I really do." Ritsuka answered.

"Kill Smough first. He's the one with the big hammer."

Ritsuka looked back at the analyst with widened eyes. "So all I have to do is beat that hammer guy, and it's mine?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Tatsuko answered.

Ritsuka closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Everyone watched in curiosity as the male Master opened his eyes with a steely gaze, and proceeded back to the Boss room.

"You know if you want to make it easier, you can just summon Solaire." Tatsuko suggested.

"No, let me solo them." Ritsuka said, his voice husky and low. Everyone stared at him in surprise, while Mashu simply blushed and took a picture. She didn't know why, but for some reason, she couldn't help but think how sexy he was at that moment. The moment he went through the fog gate, Ritsuka glared at Smough and took a deep breath.

"Okay fatso, let's dance."

Everyone's faces went blank at that statement. Not a moment later, Ritsuka wasted no time in dodging all of Smough's and Ornstein's attacks. Everyone stared on in shock as Ritsuka used hit and run tactics to continuously hit Smough, ignoring Ornstein. But for Eric and Tatsuko, they could not help but be in awe.

Not once did Smough or Ornstein hit him.

Ritsuka was dodging all of their attacks. Ritsuka then landed the final blow on Smough, killing the hammer wielding warrior. The moment Ornstein grew and began the second phase, Ritsuka did not hesitate. To everyone watching, Ritsuka became a man of focus, commitment, and sheer will.

The male Master simply dodged, rolled, and evaded as many times as he could while trading hits with Ornstein, but he did get hit a couple of times, but Ritsuka simply used his estus flasks to mitigate it. The black haired teen then managed to get behind the knight, and attacked him from behind for a bit, bringing the enemy's health down a bit before Ornstein decided to do a sweeping attack. Ritsuka dodged at the last possible second, taking some damage, but used his last estus flask to heal himself. The male Master squared up with Ornstein and charged at the knight. Everyone watched as the spearman lunged at Ritsuka's character, with the male Master dodging, then attacking the knight right after. Ornstein tried to crush Ritsuka, but the black haired teen rolled out of the way, cutting Ornstein with his Black Knight sword. With one last hit, Ritsuka swung the blade into Ornstein, killing the dragon-slayer knight, and gained his soul, and a few items.

"That was perhaps the greatest fight against them I have ever seen." Eric said.

"I just wanted the armor." Ritsuka admitted. "So how do I get it?"

"Go back to the Depths." Tatsuko answered.

"Oh so the merchant there sells it? Okay, I'll do that after resting for a bit." Ritsuka said.

"Then I believe it is time we all take our leave." Artoria said. "Bask in your victory, and I'll see you for practice tomorrow."

Ritsuka nodded as everyone started to leave. The male Master took a sip of water, only to notice Mashu was still in the room. "Is there something I can help with?"

Mashu shook her head. "Nothing like that. I was just thinking about how I got to see another side of you during that fight. It was quite fun."

"Did you get any good pictures of the fight?"

Mashu nodded. "Yes. In fact I even have the picture of the final blow you dealt. It is a shame I do not have anything to keep them in…"

"You don't really need to put those into an album." Ritsuka said.

"Perhaps you are correct." Mashu said. "But the problem remains that I have nothing to preserve some of my other pictures….."

"Wh-"

"I am sorry, Senpai." Mashu said. "I will not trouble you further. Enjoy your rest."

And with that, Mashu left the room, and closed the door. Ritsuka looked at the door for a few moments before deciding to get another glass of water. As he did so, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. The male Master put his glass down and found a large leather folder. It was worn down from time, with everything starting to fray. He had this folder since leaving Fuyuki, and yet he never thought of what to use it for. The male Master looked back at the doorway, a small smile formed upon his lips.

July 22nd, 2015

"Doctor Roman, can we talk?" Mashu asked.

"Come on in."

The door to the medbay opened. Mashu walked towards Roman's desk and sat down across from him. The lilac haired girl looked at the acting director with a slightly scared expression.

"I have had that nightmare again…"

Roman's face became one of concern. "Are you sure it's the same one?"

Mashu nodded. "You know everything there is to know about that nightmare, so you should know it would be the same."

"Are you going to be okay?" Roman asked.

Mashu shivered for a moment before calming down. "I will be okay, in fact, this nightmare made me realize why I love doing photography so much aside from it being fun and soothing."

"Really?" Roman asked. "I'd love to hear it."

Mashu nodded and took a deep breath. "Three years ago when….that man came into my room and said certain things to me, one of those things he said was that I would never be able to make any happy memories at all."

"So he said those things to you as well…." Roman muttered.

"Yes. And I aim to prove him wrong."

Roman's eyes widened as Mashu smiled.

"I will make happy memories, and cherish them for the rest of my life." She continued.

Roman smiled. "You definitely will prove him wrong. I know you're going to make lots of great memories, especially with your friends."

"Thank you for believing in me." Mashu said. The Shielder widened her eyes and gasped. "Oh, I should be going now, Nero wanted me to take some pictures of her near the castle in Animusphere City!"

"A photoshoot eh? And with an emperor as your subject." Roman said. "You're definitely moving up in the world."

Mashu giggled. "It would seem so. Thank you for listening, Doctor Roman, I will be sure to show you how much I have progressed!"

And with that, Mashu left with a wave and left the med bay. The lilac haired girl turned to the left to find the elevator next to the med bay, and took it down to Animusphere City. The Shielder hummed to herself as Fou came out of her hoodie and rested upon her shoulder, with the lilac haired girl rubbing his chin. The moment the elevator doors opened, Mashu took a deep breath and took in the sight of the underground city. No matter how many times she saw it, it was always breathtaking.

The walk to the castle would take some time, but Mashu hoped she wouldn't be late. The Shielder decided to get one of the taxis to take her there to speed things along, and arrived in just a few minutes. The moment she thanked the Mini-Nobu driver and gave it some QP, she turned to see Nero already standing by the castle.

"Did I keep you waiting?" Mashu asked.

Nero shook her head. "No, I actually just arrived a couple of minutes before you did."

"Fou, Fou!"

"Ah, so Fou has decided to join us!" Nero said. "Umu, he will be a fine addition to this little party!"

Mashu giggled. "Yes, Fou just loves coming along with me."

"Umu, perhaps he would like to join in a bit." Nero said.

"Perhaps after a few solo pictures." Mashu suggested. "Speaking of, what kinds of pictures were you hoping I would take?"

"Umu, me of course!"

"Then choosing the castle was a wise decision." Mashu said. "It will make for an excellent backdrop."

"Umu, I have a knack for choosing great scenery." Nero said. "Are you ready to begin?"

Mashu nodded. "I just need to figure out where we should start…ah, let us start closer to the side over here."

Nero looked to the side and saw a small, yet beautiful flower patch near one of the castle walls. Nero smiled and walked towards the flower patch, laid herself down on it and struck a seductive pose. "I'm all set."

Mashu blushed slightly, before shaking her head and regaining her composure. "I just need a moment and I will be ready."

Mashu took out her camera, and looked around for a good spot for taking the picture. The lilac haired woman furrowed her eyes for a second, only to decide to loom it over Nero. Mashu then smiled in relief, the lightning at this angle would be perfect. All she had to do now was place her hand in front of the lens to get the proper white balance. Mashu then took her hand away and smiled in satisfaction. The Shielder looked through the lens of her camera and stood completely still.

Click! Click! Click!

After she was done, Nero got up to check on the photos, with Mashu tilting the camera to show the blonde Caster. Nero smiled brightly as she saw the pictures. "Umu, you are extremely talented. You are an expert in your craft!"

"T-thank you." Mashu said with a blush.

"Okay, I know where we should take this next picture." Nero said. "Let us do it at the gates!"

Mashu nodded and the two of them made their way towards the front of the castle. Mashu set up her tripod for extra stability while Nero summoned her sword, and struck a pose. Mashu checked the lighting and white balance for the most ideal sweet spot, and aimed her camera when she found a good angle.

Click! Click! Click!

A couple of hours passed and the two of them took as many pictures of the castle exterior with Nero as they could. Though they had many beautiful pictures of Nero already, Mashu made the suggestion they take some photos of the blonde Caster inside the castle, namely the throne room, to wrap up their photoshoot. The moment they entered the throne room, they could not help but feel awe at the interior.

It was all regal shades of red and gold. The tapestries were all void so as to save space for recording more of their adventures, but still complimented the room. The throne itself was the same as the rest of the room, the chair itself a regal red with golden highlights.

"How about you sit on the throne with Fou." Mashu suggested.

"Umu, a fine proposition!" Nero said. "But there is something we can do to make it even more beautiful."

"What would that be?" Mashu asked. Nero simply smiled as she sat on the throne, while Fou made his way to the Caster's shoulder. Nero then clapped, causing Mr. Mittens and Linus to materialize and run to her side. The two lions sat upon opposite sides of the throne proudly.

"This actually makes it look much better." Mashu said. "Please sit still while I get everything ready."

Nero waited patiently as Mashu set up the camera and tripod, and checked the lighting and white balance. Once all that was done, the Shielder gave a thumbs up, and readied herself for the photoshoot.

Click! Click! Click!

"Okay, I think I am done."

Nero got up from the throne and walked towards Mashu. The moment she saw the picture from the camera, the Caster smiled brightly. "It is beautiful!"

Mashu shook her head. "It was you who improved upon it."

"Well we are both geniuses then!" Nero exclaimed.

Mashu blushed. Nero yawned as Fou left her shoulder and returned to Mashu. "Well, this was a wonderful session. I hope we can do this again."

Before Mashu could say anything, Nero left the throne room riding upon Mr. Mittens. Mashu was now all alone with Fou and her thoughts. The Shielder sighed as she looked through the pictures. Even with what she told Roman earlier, she could not help but doubt herself. Even though she has all these wonderful pictures, she had no place to put them safely before giving them to Nero. She was also facing the same problem with the pictures she took of France and Rome as well, with so many pictures, she did not know where to put them or anything to preserve them. The Shielder sighed as she walked out of the castle to return to her room.

Maybe she should just give up and accept that she didn't have the means to save all of her pictures afterall.

July 25th, 2015

Mashu sighed as she continued to sit in her chair. Today was her birthday, yet everyone seemed busy doing something, including Ritsuka. Even though she didn't think her birthday was worth anything to celebrate, she could not help but feel a little lonely. Then again, she still had Fou, who was currently licking her cheek, an action that worked to some small degree.

"Hi Mashu, it's me."

"Senpai?"

"Yes." Ritsuka answered. "Tatsuko and I were about to have some dinner, and we were hoping you would join us."

"That would be lovely." Mashu said.

"Perfect!" Ritsuka said. "Tatsuko is already saving us some seats in the cafeteria, so let's head on over."

Mashu nodded and opened the door, only to see a bag in his hands, but more importantly, his hands were all bandaged up. "What happened to your hands?"

"Oh, I was working on something important the last few days." Ritsuka answered. "Roman had to wrap them up for me."

"How long will it take for them to heal?" Mashu asked.

"Oh, not long at all. My hands will be good to go in a couple of days."

"That does not make me feel better….." Mashu muttered.

"I know you're concerned about me, Mashu. But I'm a medic, I know how much time this will take." Ritsuka said. "However, if it takes much longer, then I will go to you first for help."

Mashu smiled. "That does make me feel a little better."

"Okay, then let's get some dinner." Ritsuka said. "Being cooped up in one's room isn't good for one's health."

"Did you not do that five days ago when we all came to watch you clear Anor Lando?"

"To be perfectly honest I was going to take a break and step out for a bit after clearing Sen's Fortress." Ritsuka said. "But then Tatsuko brought all of you in so I was kind of backed into a corner."

"It was still fun." Mashu countered. Ritsuka chuckled weakly as he gestured to Mashu to follow him to the cafeteria. The lilac haired girl followed him before walking side by side with the male Master, chatting away with him until they reached the cafeteria. The Shielder raised an eyebrow in confusion as she noticed the lights were off. The two of them were standing at the entrance when Mashu felt something was familiar about this when the lights came on, causing her to gasp when she saw a group of people pop out from the tables and shouted in unison.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MASHU!"

Mashu stared at everyone in the room in shock. "I…I….how long did everyone plan on this?"

"I'd say it was about a week." Roman answered.

Mashu turned to Ritsuka with a curious gaze. "Did you plan this all out, Senpai?"

"I didn't." Ritsuka answered. "Doctor Roman did."

Mashu turned back to Roman and smiled. "Thank you, doctor Roman."

"You can say that stuff later." Nobunaga said. "Right now, it's time to party!"

"Nobu is right, so let's get this party started!" Davinci shouted.

Mashu giggled as the music started to play and walked into the cafeteria. Even though she didn't think her birthday was anything special, a small part of her was happy that they put in the effort for her.

(Two Hours Later)

The party started to calm down after Mashu opened most of her presents. Everyone broke off either talking to the birthday girl, or each other. Currently, Mashu spoke to Saint George, Marie and Altera about Nero's most recent photoshoot.

"Nero spoke highly of your skills." Altera said.

Mashu blushed. "I-I-I do not think my skills are that worthy of praise."

"You are being far too modest." Saint Georgios said. "I have seen how many photos you have taken, and they are all wonderful."

"He's right!" Marie exclaimed. "You put so much passion into your craft, so don't put yourself down."

"Low self-esteem is bad civilization." Altera replied. "You should be more confident in your work."

Mashu could not find the words to say to the Saber. The moment she opened her mouth, everyone cheered as Emiya, Boudicca, Medusa and Mata Hari brought out a very large chocolate cake with sixteen candles. The four Servants slowly brought it towards Mashu while everyone watched in silence. The cake was at the lilac haired girl's eye level, and Mashu read the writing with a small smile on her face.

"Happy Sweet 16, Mashu!"

"Make a wish." Medusa said.

Mashu smiled, and blew out the candles, with the partygoers cheering in their own way. Mashu turned to everyone and took a deep breath.

"Thank you all for such a wonderful birthday." Mashu said. "I shall treasure your gifts forever."

Ritsuka chuckled. "Now hang on, you didn't open mine yet."

Everyone turned to look at him in confusion, only to realize he was right. They never saw what his gift was.

"Where is it?" Davinci asked.

"Hold on, I'll go get it." Ritsuka said. The male Master walked to the table with the remaining unopened presents, and brought it back to Mashu. The lilac haired girl raised an eyebrow at what he brought.

It was the same bag he had in his hands when he came to bring her here.

Everyone watched as the male Master took out what was inside the bag, and noticed the intricate wrapping of his gift. "This was something that belonged to me for years, but I never used it. I found it after beating Ornstein and Smough, and it was collecting dust, and it was also starting to show wear and tear, so I decided to restore it to its original form."

"Wait, so this is what caused the cuts on your hands?" Roman asked.

Ritsuka nodded. "Yeah, I thought about getting help for this, but then I felt that if I did that, then the gift itself would feel a little hollow and shallow."

Medusa grinned mischievously. "Well aren't you the charmer?"

Ritsuka blushed at the comment, but ignored it and cleared his throat as he handed Mashu his gift. The male Master smiled as he looked at her. "Happy birthday Mashu."

Mashu nodded in thanks as she gently took the gift from his hands. She looked at it with curiosity and wonder, trying to figure out what it was.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Tatsuko asked.

Mashu gasped. "R-right!"

Mashu gently opened the packaging, not wanting to ruin the wrappers. The moment she pulled away the wrap, her eyes widened at what she saw.

It was a book, and it was in pristine condition too. She looked through the pages and noted they were completely empty, confusing her until she looked back to see the title.

"Chaldean Chronicles."

"Senpai, I do not understand." Mashu said. "Why is this book blank? There should be things written here, right?"

Ritsuka shook his head. "No, that part is something you have to do."

"Me? But I am not an author." Mashu countered. "I would not know what to write in this."

Ritsuka chuckled. "You are an author in a way. But this is a book that is to be written in. It's meant to hold some very special memories. Something only you can do."

Everyone raised an eyebrow at the statement. Mashu tilted her head to the side until she looked within the book again. The Shielder rummaged through the blank pages while trying to ponder what the male Master told her. She then looked at the title once more, and widened her eyes.

This wasn't just any book, it was meant to be a photo album!

Mashu stared at Ritsuka in absolute shock. The male master stared back at her with a slightly guilty expression. "Sorry, this is actually the first time I've given someone a gift before, so I don't know if it's a good one. I know that you liked photography, but I also thought about how bummed you were about not having anything to preserve your pictures, that I'd-."

The black haired teen didn't have time to react. His eyes widened slightly in shock as Mashu ran up to him, and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you so much, Senpai!" She said. "I love it!"

Ritsuka blushed lightly as he turned to the others with a confused expression.

"Hug her back you goof!" Tatsuko whispered.

Ritsuka did as Tatsuko said, and wrapped his arms around Mashu to return her hug. Davinci turned to Roman with an amused grin.

"I think we found the winner for best gift, don't you think?" She asked playfully.

Roman nodded. "Yeah, I don't think any of us could top that."

Mashu and Ritsuka ended their hug the moment Roman cleared his throat. "Why didn't you tell me this was the reason your hands were hurt?"

"Sorry doctor Roman." Ritsuka said with a hint of guilt. "But you look like the kind of person who can't keep a secret."

Davinci couldn't help but roar in laughter. "He's got you there Roman! I had to make sure you didn't blab about the construction of Animusphere City until it was done!"

Roman sighed at the comment while Tatsuko walked up to Ritsuka with a devious grin.

"I must admit you have talent." Tatsuko said.

"Talent in what?" Ritsuka asked.

"Being good with the ladies of course!" Tatsuko answered mischievously.

Ritsuka blushed heavily. "H-H-how could you say that to a virgin like me?!"

A faint giggle rang in Ritsuka's ears. "Tatsuko does have a point. But you just don't realize it yet, Anchin."

Ritsuka turned around and saw Kiyohime standing behind him with a warm smile. "But please do not go overboard. Otherwise there will be problems."

The Chaldean Trio watched as Kiyohime walked away humming to herself. Ritsuka couldn't help but chuckle weakly.

"And people wonder why I want a monogamous relationship…"

Tatsuko cocked her head to the side. "Did you say something?"

Ritsuka shook his head. "Nothing. Just thinking to myself."

Mashu looked at the male Master blankly. She knew what he said, and remembered what he told Tatsuko just a few moments earlier. She would not say anything, for it wasn't her place to make the situation worse. The Shielder then looked at all the partygoers and smiled. Being with all these people was a true blessing. Mashu then looked down at her new photo album, and a small smile formed on her face.

"Senpai, Tatsuko, I have a small request."

The two Masters looked at the Shielder and smiled as the lilac haired girl brought out her camera. "I would like to take the first picture that would go into this album."

"Should we get Saint Georgios to take it?" Ritsuka asked.

Mashu shook her head. "This camera has a timer setting. I can simply place it down and set up the timer and we will be okay."

"Okay, let's find a good spot to find the camera, and we'll start." Tatsuko said. Mashu wasted no time in finding the perfect spot to take the picture. After checking the white balance and the lighting, the lilac haired girl set the timer and ran back to the two Masters. The two teens made room for Mashu to get between them and stand in the center, with Fou standing proudly on Mashu's shoulder. The Chaldean Trio then turned their gazes upon the camera, and flashed soft, yet warm smiles as the flash went off.

Click!

OC: Okay, be honest, who else got diabetes from that last scene?

CV: It was very adorable lol.

OC: Honestly I don't know what I like more, the fact that Ritsuka immediately thought of a great gift for Mashu, or the fact that we're passed 40K views! I know that had a glitch recently where we couldn't see our viewer count rise or fall, but they are trying to fix it, and given how many views that each chapter usually brings, we made an educated guess on this.

CV: Considering the number we were before the error happened, it's accurate to say we're over 40K.

OC: Let's hope the issue is fixed soon. But enough on that and let's focus on the chapter. And first on the list is Ritsuka's adventures in Anor Lando. How cool was that?

CV: He reached the halfway point of the game, where everything goes from great to Bed of Chaos.

OC: Ouch, that hurts. Though a fun fact from me. I never completed the first Dark Souls. I made it to Anor Lando, but in the end I stopped playing because I could never get past those Silver Knight Archers. So having Ritsuka die to them numerous times but managing to get past them was incredibly cathartic for this broken soul.

CV: I only played it once and didn't even make it to the Capra Demon.

OC: I remember getting stuck on the gargoyles. And don't even speak to me about Sen's Fortress! But in the end, I found it funny how Ritsuka just beat Ornstein and Smough on his second try. I know that it might not be that easy, but we just wanted to make a funny moment in that he only did so because he REALLY liked Ornstein's armor and spear, and wanted them. And yes, we DID make an Unlimited Blade Works Abridged reference!

CV: It just works in almost every scenario lol.

OC: You know after writing that scene, heck, this whole chapter even, I think it's high time that I go back to Dark Souls and give it another crack. I had that game, the second and third entries, and also Bloodborne for years by this point, but I never completed them. Elden Ring was actually the first SoulsBorne game I actually beat, and while it got easier in my second playthrough, it was still harder than those games by a mile. So if I can beat that, then maybe it's time I get some closure and give Dark Souls another shot until the Elden Ring expansion comes out.

CV: Imagine if it's already done and they drop it at midnight.

OC: I would eat my words then….But enough about that and back to the chapter. While Scene One could be about Ritsuka, it was also just as much about Mashu as it was about him. And we decided to make it apparent in Scene Two with her conversation with Roman and her photoshoot with Nero. For the conversation between Roman and Mashu, she revealed that not only is she taking up photography because she finds it soothing and relaxing, but to prove someone wrong. And I think we all know who she was mentioning at that moment.

CV: Exactly, and I think it's fitting that we're setting that up since Lostbelt 6 is supposedly dropping early in NA, and a certain someone will take center stage.

OC: I am both looking forward to that particular Lostbelt, but also not at the same time.

CV: Same here bud. But speaking of other stuff, Nero and Mashu, having a scene together! The photoshoot was a fun idea not gonna lie.

OC: Yeah it was. And that entire idea was yours. Seeing Mashu do all the preparations like checking the lighting and white balance made me feel nostalgic from my days of recording videos and taking photos for college projects, so it was really nice to let me get back into that mindset.

CV: And of course, the poses that Nero made for her shots, all of them made to show her royal and pompous side.

OC: That may be true, but as narcissistic as she is, she also acknowledges the talent in others and their beauty. It was really nice to see her being so complimentary to Mashu and even letting her make some creative decisions throughout that photoshoot.

CV: Show that they're building a friendship, starting with Nero's respect for Mashu.

OC: And that brings us to perhaps one of my favorite scenes in recent memory. Mashu's birthday party! That one was pretty fun to write due to how we discussed different scenarios months and weeks before until we finally settled on the one we have now.

CV: And then we have the gift that Ritsuka gave to Mashu, an album where she can put all her photos, aptly named Chaldean Chronicles.

OC: It was certainly fitting. In fact, that title for that album was a very last minute addition to that moment. For those that don't know, part of that scene, from Mashu thanking everyone for the presents, to where Roman and Davinci said that Ritsuka's gift was the winner, was actually one of my rough draft scenes. And the best part is I literally wrote that on July 25th, 2022. On Mashu's birthday. We had to alter some of the dialogue and what not for the final draft, but it was easily worth it.

CV: Sure was, it was a pretty cute scene, especially seeing Mashu's joy at her party.

OC: Considering everything in her life, it would definitely be a nice moment for her.

CV: And her newfound joy has just begun… Until the Lostbelts but hey, that's further down the line.

OC: Yeah, definitely. Though it definitely took a hilarious turn when Ritsuka blurted out he was a virgin, and his desire for a monogamous relationship.

CV: Yeah, he nearly got caught by everyone lol. Well, one person did hear.

OC: I wonder what was going through her mind when that happened. Eh, probably nothing important.

CV: Not yet at least.

OC: Who knows. Maybe, maybe not. Oh would you look at the time, thank you all for tuning in to this week's chapter of Chaldean Chronicles. Please come back next week for a very special announcement!