Returning Welsh Dragon Hero

by Silver W. King

What does the hero do after the end of the story? Through complete unexpected and miraculous circumstances, Issei in some manner ended up in the World Line of Chaldea. He fought with them, laughed with them, cried with them, and celebrated their victories with them. And then the journey ended. Goetia was beaten. Issei is back home. What is he suppose to do now?

11. Ritsuka Interlude 1

Ritsuka Interlude 1: Land of (False) Titsania & The Earnest (Pervy) Prince

It was finally over.

As I rested my head back on my bed, I couldn't help but sigh and cuddle with my blanket, trying to get cozy.

Halloween was over.

Honestly I had not expected Elizabeth to just do all that. Create a Singularity, even if it's a "mini" one, whatever that means. Or somehow coerce other Servants to help her, some that really wouldn't normally work for her like Carmilla or Uncle Vlad. Or randomly find a grail.

Seriously Eli, how?

Still, all's well that ends well, and the party and food at the end were pretty cool. Thank fuck Eli didn't manage to sing.

And thank god they cleaned up my room and didn't leave me with the decorations.

Now, that October 31st was over, I can just relax and sleep. I hope to get a nice break till the next Singularity.

---

"Society tends to have a lot of rules on how people should conduct themselves. On how one should act. Yet at times these social rules seem to go against one's natural desires. In a way, one could say that politeness isn't just a lie, but are chains, stifling the true expression of our emotions."

A voice spoke to me. A haze figure appeared in my mind. I couldn't see them.

"But there's a reason why people hide behind the shield known as 'politeness'. Even more so behind the one called 'etiquette'. What's the point of them? To appear formal. To seem untouchable. In a way, don't you think formality is just a way for people to act self-important so they can't get critiqued?"

Long fluffy like hair. White robes.

Was that a staff?

Am I being visited by Gandalf in my dreams to be told 'we live in a society'?

"...Okay. I suppose that's not a bad comparison, wrong on the angle origin part though. I especially love the part of him facing the Balrog alone, thus getting the entire EXP of the encounter to himself."

Okay, whatever mystique you were going for, it's completely dead now.

"Ahem, To henceforth continue what I was saying." Coughed the "wise, mysterious", figure. "No need to put it between quotation marks. Honestly, you're this harsh when we only just met. You should liven up a little. Throw away convention for a bit. Although being brutally honest like you were, was pretty good. It will help save that poor boy."

Who?

"Well, wizards like me can't help but put our noses where we don't belong. Honestly, this sequence of events is completely unexpected, but it's one you can't just ignore now that you notice it, you know."

So you're just a busybody.

"I like to think of it more as a friendly helper, that sprinkles a little magic in other people's lives."

Ah. A busybody that thinks he's helping. Who's the poor victim? Is it me?

"Well, you definitely need a lot of help given your current lot in life."

Ouch. Low blow, Gandalf.

"Hahahaha... But that's how you should face the boy. That attitude is correct. There's nothing wrong with honesty, even if it's annoying or embarrassing. Especially if it's hurtful. Hell a lot better then denial or repression. Destroying things on the inside is far worse than destroying one's image. Reputation can be rebuild. Image can be rebranded.

"But the core of who you are? If that's broken completely..." An unexpected sadness emanated from the mysterious wizard.

But don't people change?

"Not really. People transform themselves into different versions of themselves, or different sides of themselves become more prominent. The core 'You'? You can twist it. Hide it. Reshape it. But if you broke it? There would be no 'you' anymore."

Okay, that sounds really serious. Almost sad.

But seriously, can you just straight forward tell me what's happening?

The cryptic wizard gave me a mysterious smile and nothing else.

---

"Fair maiden." A cautiously cute voice was calling out to me. "Fair maiden, I know not how you came here, but you need to awaken from thy slumber. Danger's afoot." The voice sounded stifled. Almost like someone was pushing down their natural cheerful tone for a more formal voice.

I opened my eyes to see... a theater kid?

"Um..." I sat up, the teenage-looking Servant—from how many she interacted with, she could just kinda tell at this point—quickly stood back up, giving her space. "Where I am?" I asked the Servant.

The teenage Servant seemed to dress like a prince, or maybe an adventurer? I say 'seemed to dress like' because the clothes just looked... not authentic in a way. Somehow.

Then there was the boy's features. He looked Japanese, so that really threw in another point of the cosplay angle. A Servant cosplaying as who though?

Looking around, I saw we were in a city of sorts. The building was made of stone, but nothing that looked to be made of modern materials or aesthetics. I could see walls encircling the city, and the horizon felt closer than it looked.

Yep. I'm in another Mini-Singularity. I wonder if this is something like Orion's Singularity, or Elizabeth's Halloween. Seriously? Another... what to call them, "Event" right after the last one?

"Fair maiden, are thy well? How did thy arrive in Titsania? Thou had picked a dangerous time to visit these lands." The teen Servant said, looking at her warily.

"Ah, I'm okay, thanks to you." I said, grinning and thanking the Servant. I could have been in danger after all, so having someone helping me out right away is always good, and lucky. "My name is Fujimaru Ritsuka, and I... have no clue where this is."

"A-Ah, um, you're welcome, Miss Ritsuka." The teen Servant said, blushing fiercely all of a sudden while rubbing the back of his head. Is he that weak to compliments? Also did he just lose the 'medieval' knight way to talking? "A-hem, I mean," he quickly coughs and regains his composure, forcing himself to stand up straighter, and give a wider smile, than the small bashful but more sincere one he had before. "It's only right for one of royalty to act with nobility, Lady Fujimaru." Oh? So he's a prince not a knight. "Mine name is to be, Prince Hydro, and I'm fortune to have met thee today." He says with a bow.

And he stayed bowing. It went on for a few moments too long, before it hit me.

I curtsied in turn, feeling like that's how he expected me to act, while I'm now doing my part in a play, rather than this being a normal greeting.

Also 'Prince Hydro'? I can't think of any historic or mythical figure by that name. Maybe he's someone related to water somehow?

He coughed as he quickly stood back up, as if there was no awkward moment before. It's actually kinda cute.

"Lady Fujimaru, am I to presume that thou has no idea where you are, or what situation you landed yourself in?" Prince Hydro asked curiously.

"Um, aye!" Was that the correct reply? I feel like I didn't go medievally right and went straight into pirate accent.

"Hmm, I see." Prince Hydro looked conflicted for a moment, looking aside, frowning a bit, before looking back at me with a neutral look, that almost seemed resigned. "Then allow me to regal you of the tale of this unfortunate land." He said with a cheerful smile that felt fake. As if he was using cheer to drown out any worry or anxiety. "This..." He gestured with his arm behind and around him. "Is the land of Titsania," he sighed. "Once a land of luscious, peaceful lands, yet sadly it has been taken over by darkness born of the excessive desires of people's hearts."

"Oh, standard RPG story. Neat." I muttered and nodded.

Did Prince Hydro just stumble mid-exposition?

"T-That darkness coalesced and overtook the seven guardian maidens, who were meant to rule this land fairly." He quickly recomposed himself, continued his explanation. He placed a hand over his heart, looking regretful. "When I was young and foolish, I squandered mine blessing of being prince of this place, and thus was exiled from it, but after hearing of the tragedy that had befallen my home, I returned to purge it of the darkness that had taken hold of it, once and for all, so it would become a land free of evil and sin, only one of purity and goodness." He said sincerely.

...Is it me, or it he going in and out of his princely manner of speaking?

Also someone using "purge" and "purity" when describing their goal, gives major villain vibes. I couldn't help but think. Looking at Hydro's adorably proud look at having given his exposition, I put the thought aside for later.

"However," Prince Hydro looked at me concerned after finishing his explanation. "You are not someone affected by the darkness even though you should have already."

Did he just glance at my boobs? I blinked at that, but looking at Hydro's face, he was just calmly meeting my gaze. Maybe he was just giving me a once over due to my clothing.

"You do not look like one of Titsania's citizens, I can only assume from your attire and looks that you're a foreigner. But why would you come to this land when it's overrun by darkness, and those monstrous dark angels?" He asked.

"Truthfully, I have no idea how I got here." I grinned good-naturedly. "I was just sleeping back at Chaldea when all of a sudden I woke up here. I think I must have Rayshifted in my sleep or something." I chuckled.

"'Chaldea'? 'Rayshift'?" Hydro looked at me confused.

"Ah, you see—" Before I could explain to the perplexed Hydro, the sound of flapping wings and the evening sky turning black.

"They're here!" Hydro looked behind him in panic. "I need to hide." He said before quickly looking at me, as if he had forgotten me for a second. "No, we need to hide. Lady Fujimaru, the emissaries of darkness are coming, those who were over taken by the evil now wielded by the corrupted seven maiden, and lost to sin. We need to run."

Huh, we're not fighting? That's usually how these things go. For some reason it still felt like he was giving exposition, even while panicking.

"Gotcha." I gave him a thumbs up and nodded. "Alright, Prince Hydro, lead the way."

He looked surprised, as if he expected that I was going to oppose him.

"R-Right, then we need to hurry to the theater house, where the first maiden is. The quicker we defeat and purify the maidens the faster we can cure the land, and get rid of the darkness and the countless dark angels." Hydro said and we began to move, but before we could run the sound of multiple women laughing could be heard. Their voice holding an odd distorted echo. "Dammit, some of them reached us."

The enemies sudden flew straight down from the sky, their wings not really moving to help with their flying. I guess they were flying by magic. Sorry, Magecraft.

There were three of them. Their faces were concealed by black scarfs, they held red glowing energy spears in their hands. They continued their weird echoed laugh, which... now that I really focus on it, just sounds goofy. Like someone trying to be haughty, evil and intimidating, rather than actually being those things.

And their outfits...

"Holy crap, they're flying strippers!" I cried out.

"Pffffftt-!" Hydro laughed, before quickly covering his mouth.

But seriously, they were dressed in leather bikinis and leather thigh-high boots. Their black wings extending from their backs to show them being "angels". Although according to Da Vinci, that's likely not what angels would actually look like. Probably. The Christen Servants I met or had, like Jeanne d'Arc or Saint Martha, didn't confirm things one way or another.

Hydro's involuntary laugh seemed to piss off the dark angels as they stopped laughing. Hydro paled, and took out his sword, but stumbled in drawing it as almost had it fly out of his hand, before fumbling and then finally grabbing it, pointing the blade at the enemies.

...He does know how to fight, right?

"Halt you evil harlots that were overtaken by darkness." He shouted, trying to sound commanding, but... I could see his knees shaking.

I opened up my Magic Circuits, gathered up my Od ready to support the teen Servant. I already had the image of what Servant to call on their Shadow version in mind.

I blinked as I registered what he just said.

I mean sure, "harlot" isn't really a swear word, but first time I met a Servant straight up call someone a whore. I bit back a snort.

"HAAAAAAAAAA!" Hydro shouted heroically slashing forward.

...And completely missed the first dark angel.

After that it was just... sad.

The dark angels actually looked flabbergasted for a while at Hydro's flailing attacks. Then they grinned maliciously at one snorted, then they began their echo-y laughs again.

The dark angels began to move in.

"Okay yeah, no." I said and drew on my Od to call on the echo of one of my Servants.

It's a good thing that the dark angels seem to only focus on Hydro. Although admittedly it's odd how they don't even seem to register me as an enemy.

"Time to change that, Saber!" I called out.

From my shining Command Seals, a red light shot out in a line, and a few feet from me materialized a dark silhouette in the form of magical energy that took the form of Servant Saber, Artoria Pendragon.

Shadow Servants were a copy of the actual Servants I was contracted to that could fight in a limited capacity. It was a summoning method developed by Da Vinci to save up on energy costs of Chaldea, as well as to give me a way to protect myself in case of an emergency of landing in a hostile location without Mash or one of my Servants with me.

As Shadow Saber shot forward, I started to calculated what to do next. The surprise attack should startle the dark angels enough for me to run in, grab Hydro and run away. After that as they are chasing us, I could summon Shadow Arash to shoot them down and-

With a single slash Shadow Saber cut down two of the dark angels. The third one only then slowly began to react, as turned to look at Shadow Saber, perplexed by her existence. In the next instance Shadow Saber lopped off the dark angel's neck.

Thankfully there was no blood or gore, the dark angels just broke down into shadowy wisps and dispersed into magical energy. Okay, they were constructs and not people transformed. Neat.

"H-Huh? What?" Hydro looked at Saber in surprise, not sure if she was an enemy or not.

But before he could assess what happened Shadow Saber dispersed into magical energy absorbed by my Command Seals once more. Huh, I usually don't recover this much magical energy from using a Shadow Servant. This really was hell of an easy fight.

Although I could have sworn the dark angels were faster and stronger when facing Issei, but then when Shadow Saber appeared it's like they couldn't comprehend her existence.

"L-Lady Fujimaru, was that your doing?" Hydro asked both in awe and wariness.

"Yep!" I pushed through his suspicion that I might be secretly evil or something, but a thumbs up and a good attitude wide grin. "I guess you could say you're not the only one on a journey to save their world."

Hydro's unease was pushed away, as he looked at me with excitement and near child-like wonder. He tried to contain himself, to act as he usually did.

"Wait, for real?!" He wasn't succeeding. Cute~. "I-I meant, forsooth?" He coughed in his fist, trying to act casual.

"Yeah," I rubbed the back of my head. "It's kinda of a crazy situation that I just found myself in."

"Um," Hydro looked around for a moment, as the evening sky returned once more. "We shouldn't stick to open spaces like this, given that the dark angels found us once. We must find shelter, but... could you regal me with your tale, Lady Fujimaru?"

"On one condition," I held up a finger. Hydro paled and took a step back. Odd. "Call me Ritsuka." I said.

"Ah! I could never be so improper-"

"'Ritsuka' or no story." I huffed, pouting childishly—Yeah I know, I didn't care—and crossed my arms.

Hmm? Why does Hydro look like he's really struggling right now? It's just a name usage, not a big deal.

Wait... Is crossing my arms emphasizing my boobs? I bit back a smirk. Is that... bothering him?

Of course I stopped once I noticed that. I totally didn't push up my chest or trying to walk with a bounce a few times, just to see Hydro squawk as he took a moment to answer my last inquire.

---

"A-Awesome! To think that Lady Fuji-"

"A-hem!"

"L-Lady Ritsuka..."

"Acceptable."

"Haha, to think you'd have such burden weighing on you, and have carried it valiantly thus far. You're truly amazing, Lady Ritsuka." Hydro said with a small smile, as he looked at me.

"Not really." I shook my head. "I'm just lucky that I had so many people helping me out. Truthfully if it hadn't been for my cute kouhai, I wouldn't know what to do." I smiled at remembering my Mashmellow. "But since they believe in me so much, I can't afford to give anything less than my best." I grinned widely with a guts pose.

"I'm truly inspired by your tale, Lady Ritsuka." Hydro said, as he gazed at our destination with a determined look. "That's why I will also do my best here as well."

---

We had reached the theater house. I wondered if I were going to meet Phantom of the Opera here. It would be nice to have a familiar face.

No, wait, he'd likely be summoned as an enemy, right? Or maybe we'll meet completely different Servants here.

We actually fought some dark angels on the way here. Hydro even managed to take down two all on his own. Welp, guess he's getting better.

Odd thing I noticed, his sword swings are stronger for some reason when he uses his left hand. Which I noticed had the only article of clothing that didn't match the rest of his outfit. A long red glove, that reached up to his elbow.

Weird, but if there's an explanation it will likely turn up later at some point.

We entered the theater house to see dozens of dark angels, yet unlike when they usually zoom in on Hydro upon him entering some kind of radius, they were all busy, or maybe better to say, frozen in ballet dancing.

And on the stage was an Assassin Servant alright, one that was familiar, yet I didn't expect.

"There she is, Mata Red Shoes. Once she was a high noblewoman known for her elegance, now she had become corrupted to dance and hypnotize the citizens into being drawn into her eternal dancing whimsy." Hydro explained.

"Sounds like a parody version of the Red Shoes fairy tale." I couldn't help but note.

"Huh?" Hydro looked at me confused.

"Don't worry about it," I waved him off. "Let's focus on the Evil Princess." I said.

"Corrupted Maiden." Hydro corrected.

"Yes, that."

"My, my, aren't you two so serious?" Fairy Tale Mata Hari spoke up, addressing us directly, yet never ceasing her dancing. It seemed like the Assassin Servant was acting out an assigned role. At the very least, she's not using actual Mata Hari's Noble Phantasm. This was a nice substitute though. "So chained by duty and rules of conduct that you can't ever act out on your desires?"

"You were once a steadfast lady. Now you have been corrupted to do nothing but indulge in sin. Do you not regret what you have become, Mata Red Shoes!?" Hydro cried out.

"Oh? And what about you? Have you become so ashamed of your heart's want, as to bury it many times over and cage it in a mask of duty?" Mata Red Shoes asked back.

Huh? I blinked at that.

Okay, at first she had an airy tone to her voice, like an absent minded or ethereal tone as one would expect of a fairy tale character. Suddenly at the end she sounded very serious and threatening once she address Prince Hydro directly.

Okay, the RPG isn't so straightforward. There's a mystery element to it.

"I have no more words for you. Lady Ritsuka, this woman had let herself be drowned in her indulgence of her desire. Let us free her from the sin and darkness that corrupted her!" Hydro declared dramatically.

I focused on my Command Seals called upon the echo of one of my trusty Caster Servants. A mage who also excels in battle. A druid that can heal and harm in one breathe.

"Come forth, Caster Cu Chulainn!" I shouted, and from my red shining Command Seals appeared the Caster Shadow Servant of Ireland's Child of Light.

Hydro and Shadow Caster launched forward as Mata Red Shoes laughed and danced. The battle hand begun.

---

After a grueling battle, with a final slash, Hydro cuts down Mata Red Shoes.

Finally as her strings were cut, she stops, and her magical energy begin to leave her.

Mata Red Shoes holds a hand to her chest, almost looking regretful.

"We did it." Hydro panted in relief. "The darkness's connection was cut. She's free now."

From Mata Red Shoes' chest a ball of... not darkness. There definitely was some darkness to it, but there was also a swirling violet light of some sort, something that wasn't just malice or glee, but drive was expunged from her chest floating upward.

Then the ball of energy shattered.

I blinked at Mata Red Shoe's body changed.

"Wha..."

"There. One of the dark concentrations was destroyed." Hydro said proudly, sounding a bit more winded all of a sudden, but I wasn't focused on that.

"Aww, I wanted to dance some more." Mata Red Shoes said.

"What the fuck!?" I cried out. "Her boobs just shrunk!" This is outrageous.

"L-Lady Ritsuka, what are you saying? Why would you focus on something so l-l-lewd in this moment of triumph?" Hydro cried out, red-faced.

"Hahaha," the Assassin Servant giggled. She began to disperse into motes of magical energy. "Maybe you being around is a good thing," she said as she glanced at me, then she just looked at Hydro with a gentle smile. "The thing about desire is, acting on it can lead to getting hurt, but burying it can lead to a hurt that perpetuates. One can only lie to themselves for so long."

"Is that why you abandoned everything just for your desire to dance?" Hydro asked, almost accusingly with a disapproving frown, yet he sounded a bit regretful.

Mata Red Shoes laughed again.

"What can I say, even if I ended up getting hurt," she smiled. "Wasn't this more fun?"

She was dispersed, desummoned from this Mini-Singularity.

Things were quiet for a moment. There was a sound of a distant rumbling, like a gate being opened. Maybe we can now go to the next area.

However I had one thing on my mind, as I turned to face Prince Hydro.

"We managed it this time. We still have a long path, but," Hydro said with a smile, more confidence present in his stride. "If we keep out momentum, we can make! Shall we continue, Lady Ritsuka?"

I had a very important question.

"Is the whole 'purifying them from darkness' thing, just so that you can make their boobs smaller!?" I demanded. "What? Are you so active about being from the Itty Bitty Titty Committee that you'd declare war on the world?"

Because if so, then this prince just got himself a mortal enemy!

"Why are you focused on that part?!" Hydro shouted, mortified. "And that statement!? So lewd! Lady Ritsuka, that's improper!"

---

Our next destination was a cabin in the woods.

Except it wasn't a cabin but a mansion made of wood in the woods.

Our actual destination was suppose to be some church after the woods.

"But why would there be a mansion here..." Hydro began to ask, before a familiar terribly narcissistic singing to come out of the mansion. "Ah, Snow Red Nero. That makes sense." He deadpanned.

I don't even know what the lore of this story event was, but I can already more or less put it together.

"Let me guess, she used to be a humble," snort, "person, before the darkness corrupted her into being prideful?"

"No actually, she was always like that, she was just competent in her governance job. The moment I heard about the darkness sweeping Titsania I already knew she was a lost cause. I was just surprised we didn't meet her sooner." He said in a dry, matter-of-fact tone.

I snorted out loud and let out a laugh.

"Lady Ritsuka!" Hydro cried out scandalized. "A lady shouldn't snort... even if it's warranted."

I laughed. I wasn't sure if he did that on purpose at first, till I saw the small smile he had.

Then he quickly scowled, and shook his head, pushing away his amusement, as if in self-admonishment.

"Hey, it's okay to laugh when something funny happens you know. You need to find the good parts in a bad situation." I said, so he doesn't feel guilty at finding this situation funny.

"There's no bright side to this matter." Hydro said pointedly as he marched to the mansion without waiting for my reply.

---

"La la la la LAAAAAA !" In the middle of the mansion with groups of dark angels chained to rows of chairs and forced to listen to Snow Red Nero's singing, was the aforementioned guardian maidens dancing, and mainly singing.

The dark angels look like they were in pain, but forced to keep smiling, and clapping whenever Snow Red Nero stopped singing.

"Ah. So this Nero is like the Nero I know. Neat." I deadpanned.

Prince Hydro shuddered. "Brrr, two Neros..." Then he was quiet for a moment. I looked at him to see him blush a little.

"What? Imagining twins?" I raised an eyebrow as a sly smile came to me.

"Wha?!" Hydro gawked, looking shocked. "Of course not, Lady Ritsuka. That is not something a gentleman would think about, about... something sinful like that."

Hydro's expression turned firm, almost a little scary. Like someone that's about to do something horrible out of self-formed duty or something. Usually something they wouldn't regret.

"What are you talking about?" So of course I teased him. "I meant imagine two Neros singing and forcing people to listen to her." My sly grin widened. "What did you think I meant?"

Hydro blinked a few times, before he coughed, losing his hardened expression. "Right, right, of course."

"Hmm?" I hummed.

"Nothing. I obviously meant the same thing. Double the vanity is still sinful." Hydro quickly said, making me snicker.

Our talk quickly ended as the "maiden" finally paid attention to us.

"Ah, Prince Hydro~! And a wonderfully pretty guest too, umu~." Snow Red Nero said toward us, almost singing. "So my ardent prince, have you stopped concealing your heart? Or will you continue with this foolishness?" She said holding a hand to her chest, looking regretful, yet adding a touch of drama by closing her eyes and resting the back of her hand to her forehead. "Ah~ to see such passion forcibly caged and shackled, an artist that doesn't appreciate art, is there anything more tragic, umu!?"

Snow Red Nero then looked at us, or rather Hydro with her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest with a challenging proud smile.

"To speak and act with callousness is to go against what a gentleman, a noble as well as what a knight would do!" Hydro declared.

Okay, Mata Hari's thing was about "follow your desire" and Nero is saying to "be honest". I'm sensing a pattern here. I mentally noted. Also I feel he's adding too many descriptors to himself.

"Ah~," Snow Red Nero put a hand on her chest, and sighed in disappointment. "It seems you insist on caging your heart in lies." She spread her arms as she grinned challengingly. "Very well, then. I will show you, your Highness," Nero's iconic red sword descended form the ceiling and stabbed the earth next to her, easily letting her pick it up. "How one can live with an open heart, shouting out loud their true passion, umu!"

"One who simply lives without the concept of restraint is no different from an animal!" Hydro cried out as the battle with the second maiden started.

"I'm counting on you, Servant Archer, Arash!" I summoned my Shadow Servant and together with Hydro they dashed forward meeting Snow Red Nero in combat.

---

Once more the battle concluded in our victory.

"Thanks, Arash." I waved at the Shadow Servant as it disappeared, its role done. I think he tried to wave back but didn't have time to. Heh, even if it's a copy of the Servant, they still have imitations of the original's personality.

I watched as what happened with Mata Hari happened again. A ball of darkness surrounded by swirling light rose out of Fairy Tale Nero's chest and shattered.

And then Nero's chest shrunk a few cups.

Hold it. Hold it! Hold in the pain and don't cry at this tragedy. It's just a theme of this Mini-Singularity. You can rage out after going home. I thought, holding a trembling fist close ot my heart so I don't scream.

For Nero's boobs to be made smaller, I'm almost shaking with anger at this injustice.

rumble.

"Huh?" I blink as I look around. Was it me or did the ground shake a little just now?

"Good," Hydro sighed in relief as the battle ended. "With this, the second maiden is purified."

I focused back on the action to see Hydro letting out a sigh in relief and... Okay, he's definitely pale and not looking good. I don't care if he's smiling. Also is it me or... was he always that height? Maybe I'm just seeing things because I'm tired from the fight.

"Umu, it seems like this is my loss." Snow Red Nero cross her arms under her chest, before pouting that she wasn't holding much up. Ugh, the pain is real. "Yet I will say this!" The Fairy Tale Nero's body began to break down into magic motes. "Never forget, boobs hold the dreams of men!"

Huh? What did she say? Snow Red Nero dispersed but I could have sworn she said something at the end. Boo?

"Now, Lady Ritsuka, errr, why are you saluting? And, umm, why are you crying?" Hydro looked at me confused.

"I dunno. But it felt like I must." I said with sincerity.

Hydro don't look at me like you have anime sweatdrops over your head.

---

And so, after resting a bit, traveling and fighting more dark angels along the way, we reached the third maiden.

In a wide giant garden we found Sleeping Martha.

Who was... literally sleeping. On a chair in the middle of the garden.

"Zzzzzzz." The third maiden snorted.

"Ah, the ever vigilant beauty Martha, what happened to that dedicated governess? To think she would forsake duty to fall into sloth?" Hydro said in anguish, holding a fist to his chest.

"Zzzzzz."

"Should... should we wake her up?" I asked.

"Zzzzzz."

"I... Yes. We shouldn't take advantage of her like that. The Sleeping Martha deserves more respect than that. We will not act like cowardly reprobates who would sneak attack an vulnerable maiden." Hydro stepped up and took in a deep breath. "Lady Martha! I know you always wished to rest but were busy with your obligation! But you must wake up! Wake up! Your duty calls you!" He shouted.

"...don't..."

"Huh,? Lady Martha, did you speak? Are you awakening?" Hydro said hopefully.

"Don't..."

"'Don't'?" Hydro tilted his head in confusion as he kept moving closer to the napping Servant.

"Um, Prince Hydro, I kinda have a bad feeling about this." I said, as I really did have that premonition before disaster rolling in my guts.

"Maybe, maybe she's waking up! She's fighting the darkness." Hydro with excitement in his voice. "Lady Martha, wake up! We believe in you! Beat the darkness with your steadfastness, you can do it!"

"Don't!" Martha's bloodshot eyes snapped open. "BREAK. MY. NAP! TARASQUE!"

From behind Sleeping Martha the ground exploded as her iconic dragon burst out, flying into the sky already spinning.

"DAMMIT, I KNEW IT WAS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!" I shouted as I summoned Shadow Assassin Servants.

Given that Assassin Servants tended to cost significantly less in magical energy consumption, I went to the Shadow Sasaki Kojiro to delay the turtle dragon, and Shadow Cursed Arms Hassan to strike at Sleeping Martha, who still didn't move from where she sat. I held some energy in reserve to summon a Berserker to tank a blow from Tarasque when needed to to deliver a decisive blow.

"GOVERNESS MARTHA, NO! REMEMBER HOW VALIANTLY YOU CARRIED YOUR DUTY WITH DILIGENCE!" Hydro cried out in panic as he jumped around, engaging with the turtle dragon with surprisingly more agility and strength than before.

"FUCK DILIGENCE, I WANT TO SLEEP!" The clearly overworked Fairy Tale Servant shouted, and in response her dragon roared in agreement.

---

Hydro and I were kneeling on the ground panting, as the third maiden was defeated, and the usual animated sequence of a ball of darkness and swirling light left her chest, shrinking it in the process, happened.

"Why..." Hydro panted, sweat falling down his face. "Was this battle more difficult than the other ones, when..." He stopped to take his breath.

"She didn't even get off her chair!" I shouted, finishing his train of thought for him. "Fuck, I thought with Martha, literally, sitting this out Tarasque would be calmer and more easy to manage. Why was he more motivated!?"

"L-Language." Hydro said.

"Screw off, you're as tired as I am!" I said as I looked at him.

"Hehe," Hydro chuckled with a satisfied grin.

That bastard. How dare he look cute when I want to be mad at him?

"Hmm? Where?" Sleeping Martha looked around, injured body and all, almost like she didn't recognize where she was for a moment. "Ah, right I remember. I was working as usual, when I started to feel so," she yawned. "Tired." She let out a sigh. "Usually I would push through that, but this time the exhaustion was too much. I guess working out ten alliances, along with multiple 7 year long plans on how to look after the kingdom, through all conceivable possibilities, via a month long sleepless desk work, might have been a slightly bit more than I can handle."

"LADY! YOU'RE CLEARLY OVERWORKED! WHY DON'T YOU HAVE ASSISTANTS! SECRETARIES! FUCKING DELEGATE, DAMMIT! YOU NEED REST!" I shouted at the sheer hell she was putting herself through.

Holy crap, I think I'm gonna help out Romani with his paperwork better, or get other people or Servants to do it more efficiently from now on.

"Lady Ritsuka, we literally just had our most difficult battle because of her 'rest'." Hydro protested.

"There's a difference between being a lazy slop at all cost, and a workaholic that all black companies strive to have their employees be as their ideal! You don't go from one extreme to it's polar opposite, and call that okay or sane!" I shouted back.

Hydro's eyes widened. He flinched, almost looking like was hit by the words themselves.

"That's..."

"Hahaha, sorry to cause you so much trouble." Sleeping Martha chuckle. "Exiled Prince Hydro, I have not foreseen that I would see you again. I hoped it was under better circumstances, at least then I could have planned a full 10 days celebration schedule to welcome you back, along with the needed festivities."

"Errr, no, no thanks. That's too much." Hydro quickly said, looking concerned. "May, maybe Lady Ritsuka is right and you should ease up slightly."

"Ah, I knew I shouldn't have went from working three weeks straight without sleep, to a full month. To think I was so weak in spirit to fall in my diligence." Fairy Tale Martha sighed.

"Governess, please look after your health from now on!" Hydro cried out, already regretting harping so much on duty.

"Heh, yes, I suppose I should have found a balanced medium between being diligent and relaxing. Through rest we heal our fatigue and regain our power, but it's through diligence that we can walk forward to our goals." The Servant began to break down into magical motes. "I wish you luck in finding that balance, my prince. Although first, one must recognize their inner disharmony." Fairy Tale Martha closed her eyes, and she was desummoned.

Rumble.

"Okay, did anyone feel that this time? There was definitely a small earthquake." I said looking around, and thus away from Hydro who held a hand to his stomach.

We all stood up afterwards, Hydro looking at me, while I looked generally at where Fairy Tale Martha was, with a complicated expression.

"A... a little bit, I think." Hydro said. "But it's likely the darkness that's being purged from the land causing this, as it's sweep deep within the earth." He nodded to himself, becoming more assured. "Yeah, that's right. The faster we defeat the maidens, the faster the land is purified, and all harm and sin would be gone from it." He said with a more determined expression.

However, I couldn't help but think that all the Fairy Tale-analogued Servants were trying to tell us, to tell Prince Hydro something different.

---

The fourth maiden was in a tower. It looked like a stereotypical mage's tower outside and inside.

After finally reaching the top, having defeated a final wave of dark angels, climbing up the stairs and different floors, we entered a large chamber to find Fairy Tale Medea.

"Yo!" Fairy Tale Medea gave us a two finger salute.

My brain halted. I could literally hear myself making a record scratch sound in my mind with perfect clarity.

"Did... did Medea just say 'yo'? I didn't imagine that, did I?" I asked Hydro since I wasn't sure if I was going insane or not.

"Lady Purple Hood, we are here to free you from the darkness that overtook you!" Hydro declared in what he thought was a valiant voice and pose.

Also, yeah, I am now definitely sure he is also getting smaller, younger every time we defeat one of guardian maidens. Before we were the same height, now he was a few inches shorter—And what did he call her!?

"Lady what?" I cried out in incredulity.

"Yo, yo~! You are in the house of Big Purple Magic Hood Medea. You dared to intrude and you dared to interrupt, now prepare for-"

CRASH!

Suddenly one of the giant windows of the highest room we were in, was crashed through by a figure. A knight in silver and red thick armor burst from outside, throwing their sword, that whizzed and rippled the air, as it slammed right into the center of Big Purple Magic Hood Medea.

The knight had dash right after throwing their blade, thus the instant it stabbed Big Purple Magic Hood Medea, they were also there, hand on the hilt, slashing through the Fairy Tale Servant body, slaying her on the spot.

"NOOOOOO!" I cried out.

"Lady Ritsuka!" Hydro blinked, before looking at me in worry.

"Ha! Got here just in time." The knight said, as their helmet broke apart and retracted, showing a face very similar to Artoria, but I really don't care about the Saberface phenomena right now!

"Do you know what you've done!?" I cried out in despair.

"Yeah, I slayed the witch before she got her magic going. You always have to take out these sneaky wizard-types from the get go, before they cause more problems. You're welcome by the way." The Delinquent-looking Saberface Servant said with a cocky smile.

I wanted to punch the smirk off her face.

"YOU MADE ME LOSE THE CHANCE TO SEE MEDEA RAPPING! I NEVER EVEN KNEW I WANTED THAT, AND YOU TOOK IT AWAY, YOU BASTARD!" I screamed, with tears in my eyes, for the dream I never knew I wanted, for it was gone before I could reach it.

"Huuuuh!" The Saberface's face crunch in a thug's look of discontent. Wow, that is the thuggiest looking Saber I've met this far. I don't think she another Artoria. Regardless I'm too mad to be intimidated. "Bitch, you wanna fight? Is this how you say thanks?"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Hydro cried out as he got between me and the dream-killer-Saberface. "Prince Mordred, I get that you're angry, but Lady Ritsuka is just surprised, and you as a prince should be more forgiving to a distressed lady. Although I'm surprised to see you well and whole, uncursed-"

Rumble.

Okay, this time the quaking was obvious to me and everyone present. The height of the tower made it feel more potent.

"Oookay, that happened again." I said at the repeat earthquake. "So those definitely happen every time we defeat a maiden, are we actually fixing things?" I couldn't help but think out loud.

"Who cares?" Said Prince Mordred in a brash tone.

"It simply means more of the land is being purified, that's good!" Hydro insisted.

Mordred. Mordred. I feel like I know that name... Wait. Isn't that Artoria's incest baby?

"More importantly, Prince Hydro, who the hell is dream killer over there?" I jerked a thumb pointing at Thug Saberface, who was cleaning his ears.

"Who's she talking about?" Prince Mordred asked, looking around.

"I, um, think she means you Prince Mordred, since you've slain Lady Purple Hood before she could start her musical performance—Lady Ritsuka!?" Hydro cried out in concern.

Me? I was on my hands and knees staring at the ground in despair.

"It was gonna be a musical performaaaaaaaaance!" I scream in anguish.

First it's boobs getting reduced. Now it was Rapping Witches that I never got to see.

I have discovered the truth of this fantasy world. It's a world where all it's beauty was being pruned away into boring mundanity!

---

"Hey, is she gonna be this whiny the whole way?" Prince Mordred asked with a thumb jerked in my direction.

I didn't care. I was so dejected, staring at the ground listlessly, as we headed to the next target.

"Um, Lady Ritsuka," Hydro began, stumbling and trying to find a way to cheer me up. But there was nothing he can do, the world is too hard and cold. "How about we get something to eat!" He said excitedly. "Something warm should cheer you up!"

Tiddies are soft and warm. The thought came to me, and I immediately snorted, feeling sadness from before clearing away. Missed the chance to see Medea rap? Oh well, who knows what the future will bring.

"Okay! Sounds good!" I cried out, hands on my hips and a wide grin greeting the world.

"...She cheered up way too fast at the mention of food. Is she a pet?" Hydro muttered. I looked at him thinking he was addressing me. "Err, nothing yeah, let's go! It's actually on our way to the next maiden." He quickly said.

"Right," I nodded, and now it was time to address something I was putting off. "So what's her deal?" I pointed at 'Prince' Mordred. Because if she was Artoria's child, I have a feeling it's gonna be the same story as her about hiding her sex.

"Huh? My 'deal'? What do I look like? An item at a bazaar?" Prince Mordred scowled.

"Prince Mordred is one of the Red Queen's sons. He's been trained as a knight from an early age, and is known very much for his bravery. However from what I've heard once the darkness had overtaken the land, he had been cursed into being a frog. At least that's what I've heard. I'm glad to see that you are well, your Highness." Hydro explained with a content smile.

Although isn't how he's talking to Mordred too... unfamiliar? Like they are strangers?

"'Cursed this', 'cursed that'. I swear, you were a frog onesie one time and suddenly people mistake you for a monster, and before you know it, you're the Cursed Frog Prince." Prince Mordred shook his head. "Also I'm a woman. I'm a prince because before I'm a woman, I'm Prince Knight."

"Huh?" Hydro looked confused.

"What? Got a problem?" Prince Mordred glared.

"Ah, no, no! Of course not, your Highness." Hydro quickly said.

"Wait, what?" I couldn't help the smile that half-came to my face. The image of Mordred in a frog onesie now firmly stuck in my mind. "Do you still have it? The frog onesie?" I said, hiding my excited amusement.

"Pfft, no." Mordred looked aside, but that was the face of someone trying to hide something they're embarrassed about.

"Wait, so the 'curse' was just that?" Hydro said, perplexed.

"Are you disappointed?" That you couldn't purify Mordred? Well, not that there's much to 'purify'. I thought. Mordred's chest was nice, but not that to look at.

"Wha! No of course not! I'm glad Prince Mordred is not cursed." Hydro quickly said. "Although I was sure you were struck by the darkness too." He asked Mordred this time.

"Ah, that." Mordred held thoughtful scowl. "Yeah, it was annoying, but Sabers are naturally strong against magic effects, you know."

"Ooooh!" Hydro nodded in admiration of Mordred's 'strength'.

"...Say," I injected, as this was bothering me for a while now. "Is this the first time you two met or something? It's just that you two don't act like siblings, but aren't you both princes?"

"Ah," Hydro stood straighter. "While Prince Mordred and I do share a father, the Red Queen, we are of different mothers. I'm afraid due to circumstances, we haven't had the chance to interact much."

"Yeah... I forgot about you, until I heard about the Corrupted Maidens being defeated." Mordred said bluntly. "Thought if a wimp like you was managing to go out and fight them, then I should too."

Hydro look like he was stuck in the heart from those brutal words.

"But!" Mordred then grinned happily and smacked Hydro's back.

"OOF!" Hydro fought not to fall on his face.

"You actually came back, even with the punishment for facing exile still in effect. That takes balls. You're alright in my book, kid."

"Haha... Th-Thanks, your Highness." Hydro gave a weak self-deprecating chuckle.

"Wait, what's that about 'punishment'?" I asked breaking the bro moment because I felt that was too big of a deal to ignore.

"Oh, that. You needn't not worry about such trial, Lady Ritsuka—" Hydro began.

"Nope, I'm gonna worry. So out with it, what is it?" I demanded. These bleeding heart "I must carry all burdens on my shoulders alone" types need to be confronted head on, or they'll stubbornly stay silent.

"Hah, you got some guts." Mordred chuckled.

"It's really nothing to worry about, Lady Ritsuka. I promise you." Hydro tried to placate me, but I wasn't buying it.

"It's a confrontation then a duel with the Red Queen." Mordred just blurt it out, making Hydro front but quietly nod in agreement.

"So... basically what we were going to do anyways?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Magically enforced, but outcome's essentially the same." Mordred nodded.

"That's why I said not to worry about it." Hydro said with a sheepish smile.

"Then stop being overdramatic about it!"

---

We kept traveling till we eventually were passing through this meadow. We found a farmhouse along the road. The house had a sign on it that said "Bella Inn".

"So is this the place?" I asked.

"It should be?" Hydro tilted his head, looking unsure. "I believe the Grandma Inn was on this path. I guess they rebranded?"

"I believe we passed where it should have been. It should have been closer to Purple Hood Medea's tower." Mordred clarified. "This seems like a new place. Let's check them out." She said with a brash grin and walked toward the house.

"W-Wait! Prince Mordred, this meadow should be where the Cursed Princess is. We need to be careful!" Hyrdo urged.

"Bah! 'Cursed this', 'cursed that'. I swear anyone that looks weird is now 'cursed'." Mordred huffed and waved Hydro off.

"She was turned by a fairy in disguise into a beast for cruelly denying her shelter." Hydro clarified.

"Ah, we're dealing with Beauty and the Beast." I nodded to myself. "But isn't that the responsible thing to do. You don't let strangers into your house without your parent's permission."

"Exactly!" Mordred exclaimed, agreeing with me. "I said that too, but noo~, 'she was being cruel' they said. So what if she drop kicked that old lady? The old hag was being pushy, creepy and turned out to be perverted lolicon fairy disguising herself in the end."

"...I stand corrected. That girl was totally in the right." I nodded firmly.

"Lady Ritsuka!" Hydro said scandalized. "A lady still shouldn't have acted so savagely like that."

"Yeah, she should have called the guard to drag the creepy weirdo away." I nodded in agreement.

"I, um..." Hydro looked conflicted yet couldn't find an argument to defend that fairy tale, and even looked to be agreeing with me, but still felt he should object.

"Hahaha, you're alright, whiny girl." Mordred laughed out loud.

"Oi." I protested the name.

We knocked and entered the building to find a cozy home with with a large dinner table covered with a feast.

"Oh! Travelers!" The hostess came up to us, wearing kimono with an apron on top, with a head scarf to keep her hair back.

Wait, what? Kimono? Isn't this suppose to be western fairy tales?

"Welcome to the Bella Inn, I'm Bella Mae. Would you like dinner, a bath or me—I mean, what would you like from my humble abode?" The hostess coughed mid-speech and changed what she was going to say, but...

"Did you just say you want us to have you?" Hydro asked scandalized.

"Why would we have dinner, it's the middle of the day?" I asked.

"Why would we bath?" Mordred asked.

Everyone slowly turned to Mordred with a disturbed look of suspicion.

"What? We're on a journey, we don't have time to rest beyond a quick bite." She said.

"Err, Prince Mordred, bathing is—" Hydro started to say diplomatically.

"I BATHE YOU DUMBASS! I bathed this morning. I'm saying we do that later after we finish our quest!" Mordred cried out, red faced.

"Okay, thank god." Hydro let out a sigh of relief.

I took a step away from the prince knight, who noticed and let out a growl at me.

"Okay, not that one." I heard someone say, and looked to the voice to see the hostess, who quickly gave me a smile, looking like the perfect picture of an innocent homely innkeeper.

"Sooo... about what you said?" I restarted the questioning.

"Forget about that! Look, there's food, you're all tired. Go eat and rest!" Bella Mae more or less ordered us, while pushing us along.

Mordred wasn't really fighting her. Neither was I, although she felt way stronger than she looked.

"M-Ma'am, please! It's uncouth for a unwed maiden to manhandle a gentleman!" Hydro looked flustered while being pushed around.

So, she's definitely the next boss fight, isn't she?

After we were seated, Hydro was still semi-arguing with the lady, who was fussing over him, thus killing any protest he had. Mordred just dug into the food.

"Awww, aren't you a chivalrous guy? Really worrying about little old me being taken advantage of? Please, I'm strong—I mean, more capable than I look." Bella Mae said.

"Ma'am, I'm not disparaging you, but please be careful about being t-t-too close to a man's body. It would be bad!" Hydro cried out red-faced.

"Oh? Well, if it's any stranger then I guess so. Maybe someone should make me into an honest woman, so I don't have to fear such outcome." Bella Mae chuckled while serving rice and meat to Hydro's plate.

"...!?" Hydro seemed overwhelmed I could imagine his brain overloading and letting out steam.

Looking at Mordred, she seemed fine eating without a care.

Well, she's not dropping dead. Guess the food's not poisoned.

I shrugged and ate as well.

The food... tasted really good. It was filling, but it made me hungrier, in that I wanted to have more of it, even when I felt my stomach fill up quickly.

"Ah... Aaaa? Lady Bella, you shouldn't use such humor. It's unbecoming of a kind lady like you!" Prince Hydro squeaked out before quickly digging into the food so he doesn't have to talk.

"Hehe, that shyness is cute." Bella Mae said and Hydro looked like he might self-combust. "Oh well, eat your fill then~." Bella Mae said with an... odd tone. Then her eyes narrowed in sinister light as she smiled. "Eat and eat and eat~. Till you can't even move anymore and let me take care of you."

Uh oh! Evil smile! Evil smile alert!

"Sooo~? Is this how you spend you days, Miss Bella Mae?" I asked to divert her attention from Hydro.

Bella Mae blinked as if she just remembered me.

"Ah, yes! As a humble innkeeper I help any wary traveler that comes my way, so they can rest and recharge their energy. Being someone people can depend on and help ease their burden is my vocation, you know. And finally land a husband." She said with a smile, before looking away and whispering that last sentence conspiratorially.

"Err,r, what are that last part?" Hydro asked, between eating.

"I said, I'm glad you guys seemed to land on your feet. Everyone else who passed by my inn seemed to be having a hard time, what's with how tough things seem to be in the kingdom nowadays." Bella Mae said with a sorrowful sigh.

"Ah... you really are a kind soul, Lady Bella. To work so hard even in these trying times. You're an example of how the citizen of this our land should be at their best, in these trying times." Hydro said proudly.

"Yeah, you're a damn good cook." Mordred said as she finished the section of food in front of her, before starting to pull plates from my area. "Kinda sad that you're still single, but I rooting for you."

""Hey!"" I found myself crying out with the hostess, although for different reasons.

"It's a compliment!" Mordred replied in protest.

"Not that, don't take my food!" I said back.

"You still have plenty, you're fine." Mordred argued back.

"Honestly, so rude, and that's a prince?" Bella Mae said under her breath, before looking at Issei and smiling. "Then again, not all princes are the same."

"Eh?" Hydro blinked, as he blushed again.

I was looking at Bella Mae's direction at the time when she spoke and...

"Hmm? I think I need to check on the kitchen. When you're all done, please be sure to enjoy the open bath, and your room will be ready for you." She said quickly and left before we could object.

Did the top of her head under the scarf just twitch?

We ate for a while longer, till we were all stuffed, and even with food left over, we couldn't eat a bite more. Except for Mordred who finished of two thirds of the feast.

"Aaah~, that hit the spot." Mordred sighed then burped.

"Prince Mordred, th-the royal decorum." Hydro weakly protested as he couldn't move either.

"Eh, relax~. Even royalty have to stop holding in their stomachs all the time. Besides, we're not in a formal setting, why act stiff and distant with everyone around you? It makes you look like someone with a stick up their ass." Mordred said. "Trust me, knights like that are annoying bastards." She scowled.

"A-Ah, I see." Hydro looked thrown off, but nodded all the same, accepting this piece of wisdom.

"Sooo... bath?" I asked.

The two princes looked at each other, and could tell neither was going on any journey any time soon. We all needed to digest our food first.

""Bath."" They both ended up nodding.

---

"Aaaaa~." I let out a sigh as I relaxed in the hot spring that was here for some reason. "Really not fitting that western aesthetic. Meh, who cares." I chuckled as the warm water felt great.

"KYYAAAA!" A girly scream came from the other side of the fence separating the men and women side of the hot spring. "P-P-Prince Mordred! What are you doing here!?"

Ah. It was Hydro screaming like a girl.

"What'd ya crying about? We're both princes and brothers. What's the big deal?" Mordred's voice sounded from the other side.

Oh. Oh dear... she's an idiot. I thought. Welp, good luck, Hydro. I'd help, but I feel too lazy.

"I-I-It's unbecoming. It's bad, it's sinful. Men and women, seeing each other naked!? Kyyaaaaaa!" Hydro cried out.

"Hahahahahaha, holy shit, you're a riot. Hahahahahahaha!" Hyrdo's cries were dwarfed by Mordred's laughter.

The two kept arguing, so I just rested my head against the stone, and relaxed.

"Oh? So you're the only one here? I thought the two women would be together, and the one alone would be the prince."

I opened my eyes in the voice's direction to see Bella Mae entering the bath, a towel wrapped around her body and another around her hair.

"Yeah, Mordred decided to bond with her brother." I replied. "Were you hoping for some kind of steamy encounter?"

"Ah, I see so that happened. Well it can't be helped, the plans of mice and men and all of that." Bella Mae said with a sigh, as she entered the water, and sat opposite of me. "And rude, of course I wasn't planning anything. Just anticipating."

"I didn't say anything." I smirked back.

Bella Mae huffed then smiled.

We sat quiet for a moment, just enjoying the atmosphere.

"You know, this isn't that bad." She said. Kinda weird that she's complimenting her own hot springs, but okay. "I have been wanting to ask you something for a while now." Bella Mae said, bringing my attention to her.

"Sure, shoot." I shrugged.

"Why are you trying to 'save' this world?" She suddenly asked with a serious tone. The way she said the word 'save' felt odd.

"What do you mean, why wouldn't I help?" I blinked at the question.

"Prince Hydro is trying to free land from the supposed darkness, and Prince Mordred is going with him following her duty. They both are connected to this, but you? You just stumbled here. Why go along with this. If it's about supporting the prince, then he now has a capable fighter, so why keep yourself in danger with them?" Bella Mae asked, in a way that really didn't fit her stereotype as some humble Christmas cake innkeeper. "I feel like you just thought something bad about me."

"None at all." I easily lied, already starting to get used to Servants' intuitions. "I'm with him because I'm his friend and I want to help."

Bella Mae blinked at my answer, surprised for some reason. "...That's it?"

"Yeah, I don't really need more of a reason than that to help out people I care about it." I shrugged.

"I see," Bella Mae had a complicated look in her eyes while she smiled, almost like she wasn't looking at me. "Then it might be better if you don't finish this journey. Better yet, if you never reach the castle, then Prince Hydro doesn't have to suffer."

"What are you talking about?" I blinked at the abrupt change in her speech. "Is this about the exile punishment thing?" I ventured a guess.

"Yes." Bella Mae nodded with a sad smile. "Reaching the castle, the heart of this land, would be the most arduous thing Prince Hydro would ever have to endure."

"What do you mean—?" I began to ask.

"Welp, that's it for me enjoying the water. Time to go back to work~!" Bella Mae cheered.

"Huh? Wait a minute—"

Boom.

A sound of explosion and water blowing up rang out from the other side of the hot spring.

"Hydro, you damn bastard! How dare you grab my breasts?" Mordred shouted.

"Y-Y-Your Highness, you were jumping around too much and were falling on me." Hydro tried to shout.

"Then why did you squeeze multiple times, and go 'Oh, she really was a woman all along'. Damn, shitty prince, how dare you look down on my knightly self, just because I'm a woman!" Mordred shouted and there were sparks of red electricity arching out into the sky.

"I'm not! It's just, your character is so manly, I'm surprised that underneath the armor you really were a woman!" Hydro cried out.

"Now you're saying I'm not a real woman! You're fricking dead!"

"Why is that making you angry too!?"

Explosions and ground shaking continued for a while.

I decided to just head back to my room and relax.

No, wait, I actually need to plan things out, since it seems there's more to this Singularity than meets the eye.

---

"Hey, I know this is comfortable and all, but you need to get going, you know."

I blinked as I found myself waking up from a very comfortable bed.

Hmm, that's weird. I could have sworn an oddly familiar, yet annoying wizardly voice spoke.

Where am I?

Ah, right.

After Hydro and Mordred's shenanigans, the baths were made out of order and we had some dessert and went to bed.

Each of us got our own room.

Mordred took one room all on his own without waiting for us to decide.

Hydro refused to room with a woman, as it's improper for a man to sleep in the same room as a woman who isn't his wife. Very traditions.

And I took the left over free room.

Nothing much happened after that.

I just slept, I woke up, the three of us were entertained by Bella Mae's "activity for the day", whether it was playing sports (like baseball or soccer, or volleyball), or reading, or watching theater play (the actors were those dark angels), or even bummer car racing.

Then a feast, then bath (Mordred in my side this time), then dessert then sleep. We each slept in our own room, out of habit at this point. Two days pasted so quickly.

"Hmm..." I looked at the window and it was still dark out. "I'm feeling thirsty." I mumbled and got out of bed.

I walked around for a while trying to make my way to the kitchen and...

I blinked a few times at the scene I witnessed within the kitchen.

CRACK! CRACK!

It was a sight of hell.

"Faster! Faster! Breakfast is only five hours away, those rice balls aren't going to make themselves. You! Number 53, when are you going to get that sauce ready? And you, start making those noodles. String by fucking string. Lunch is only 14 hours away. You think you have time! And where's the god damn broth for the miso soup!?"

It was Bella Mae standing on a platform, whip in hand as she directed the dark angels to work on making the food.

Sometimes she's whip them to correct them, sometimes she did it to punish them, and sometimes she seemed to do it for fun.

Ooookay now. Slowly back away.

Slowly, slowly.

"Hehehe, my dear prince and friends going to enjoy another perfect day in the Bella Inn. Over~ and over~ I'll look after them till they never wanna leave. Hehehehe~." A dark aura covered Bella Mae as she laughed manically.

Also she had three tails sprouting from behind her, and atop her head were fox ears.

"Fatten them up, fatten them up, until~ hehehehe, I would be all they can depend on!"

Ah. Yep, she was evil all along.

Slowly, slowly, go find Hydro and Mordred so we can run the fuck away!

My body hits someone as I'm backing away.

"Ah."

"Ah."

It was a dark angel. It seems like she was coming back from another job. Maybe cleaning the baths? Or maybe she was slacking off?

"Who's there? Is someone out there?" Bella Mae suddenly spoke from behind the kitchen door. Me and the dark angel froze stiff. "Was there a worker missing? ...Is someone slacking off out there?" She said threateningly.

Me and the dark angel looked at each other.

"...Every woman for herself!" I grabbed the surprised dark angel and threw her at the door.

It opens inward.

"Ah, it's you."

I didn't look back to see if Bella Mae was saying that to the dark angel or to me.

I bolted to the guest rooms.

"Mordred! Mordred wake up!" I banged on the door and tried the handle, but it turns out she locks her bedroom. For crying out loud.

I went to Hydro's door and slammed into it. Turns out there was no need to as Hydro didn't lock his door.

"Huh? What? What's happening?" Hydro woke up dazed with the sleepy cap on his head.

Cute but not the time.

"Get up, Bella Mae is evil and wants to keep us here forever by giving us food and entertainment as distractions." I summarized the situation. "Also she has tails and animal ears. She's likely a fox of some kind."

"I knew it!" Hydro shouted as he tried to get up, still half-asleep, tangled in his sheet and fell down from the bed.

"Yep. That's the hero prince alright." I said to myself, trying not to laugh.

"Right," Hydro untangled himself, finally winning against the bed sheets and got up. "We have to go confront her. She was the Corrupt Maiden all along. I knew it was odd that she always wore baggy clothes."

"So it is the breasts size that determines the whole 'infected with darkness' thing!" A-ha! I knew it! I pointed accusingly at Hydro.

"L-Lady Ritsuka, please stop saying lewd things! I meant that her clothes likely had some magic restraining power to hide her aura!" He cried out red faced. "Now, can you please go outside so I could change?"

"We don't have time, just do the Servant thing and magic your clothes on!" I said back.

"I... don't know what you're talking about or how to do that. Please, it's inappropriate for a man and a woman unengaged to be alone in a room together for so long." Hydro started to rant.

"Oh for the love of—" I facepalmed.

"That's right." The words were like a death gavel that took the sound and our breath from the room.

"Oh shit." I whispered.

In the door way, her body blocking the exit and being shadowed by the light outside, was the hostess. Her silhouette acting like some kind of foreboding harbinger.

"It is improper for a young lady to be alone with a man, when she's not his wife. Why? It could even be called scandalous." Bella Mae smiled. Menacingly.

"W-W-Wife?" Hydro stuttered.

"I made you food. Entertained you. Made you a comfortable bed and ensured you have a home. What is that but being married. Only thing left is," Bella Mae licked her lips. "The married night life~." She narrowed her eyes at me. "Just need to make sure the guest don't overstep the boundaries of married couples."

I stepped away from Hydro.

He stepped near me, almost behind me, and hand on my forearm.

"Please don't leave." He muttered.

"I dunno, she seems like she only wants you. I could go beat the evil king while you enjoy the married life." I joked.

"One, that's my quest and responsibility. Two, I don't know what she'll do to me." Hydro hissed.

"Oh my~" Bella Mae had heard him given how her fox ears twitched. "An unexperienced young man? Guess I'll have a lot of teaching to do~."

Bella Mae's shadow then seemed to grow and extend into the shape of a giant fox.

"Welp, it's outta my hand." I threw my hands in the air, while mentally preparing to summon a Shadow Servant.

All the food I've been eating for the past few days had me over brimming with magical energy.

"Rituska, please help me!" Hydro whined.

Well, shit. He didn't add "Lady", and his eyes were comedically watery.

"BERSERKER!" I shouted.

My command seals shined and the Shadow Berseker Servant form of Heracles appeared.

With a roar dashed at the surprised Bella Mae, shaking the ground with every step he made.

I jumped into Hydro arms, who while shocked reflexively caught me.

"Window! Jump now!"

"Wait, but—"

"RUN NOW!"

Hydro dashed and jumped, flying kick first through the window, shattering it, and we landed outside into the courtyard, where the hostess once used to make a play for us.

Ah, there's the worker dark angels constructing the theater stage again, after the last one.

They all paused as they looked at us with confusion.

Hydro put me down, now transformed into his princely outfit. Did he not realize he did that?

He drew his sword and stood in front of me against the dark angels.

"Go, Lady Ritsuka! I'll hold them off—"

"No! We both need to run."

The dark angels began to look at us with hostility.

Welp, time to improvise.

"The hostess says you better finish that stage in the next hour, or it's double whip time!" I shouted.

The dark angels paled and quickly rushed to finish the stage. The sound of hammer and nails on wood intensifying.

"That worked!?" Hydro cried out.

"Come on, let's go!" I took his hand and ran.

"H-Hey!" Hydro weakly protested but didn't pull away from my hand.

---

We ran through the farmhouse, which now that I think about, it actually much bigger on the inside than I thought.

We kept going, left, and right, right and left, till we made it to the lobby and then to the next.

I abruptly stopped, letting go of Hydro's hand.

"Okay, we got out. Now we have to regroup and—" Hydro began.

"Mordred is still inside." I said quickly.

"Ah... We're gonna have to go back in, don't we?" Hydro sighed. "And just when we managed to get away too."

"Get away?" The ground began to shake. We looked back and the farmhouse began to break apart and remake itself into a giant wooden kaiju. "You think I'm going to let you get away?"

"What the fuck is this fairy tale? Is the writer high!?" I shouted.

"You're not going anywhere." Bella Mae appeared, standing on top of the giant house beast head. "You're going to stay here. We will live happily, and have fun and depend on me and YOU ARE GOING TO LET ME LOVE YOU!"

Her shout was so strong, I felt the wind push me away. It knocked Hydro on his ass.

"I see now!" Hydro exclaimed as he got up. "You're not Bella Mae! That's not your real identity. You're Beast Mae! The Cursed Princess who was transformed into a monster by a fairy in disguise."

Oh! Bella Mae, Beast Mae. Neat twist reveal. For kids.

"I'm not that shitty little brat!" Beast Mae shouted, throwing us off.

"Huh?" Hydro cried out in confusion.

"That stupid brat and her enchanted onesie. She kept calling me ugly and saying I smelled weird. I was disguised as an old person, all old people smell like that!" Beast Mae shouted.

"That's a stereotype." I said, but she ignored me.

"So I cast a spell on her, but her stupid onesie reflected it back at me, now I have these stupid jackal ears and fox tails, and everyone calling me a 'Beast'. I'm a 'Beauty' in her prime." She cried out. "I even made this house where travelers get to come rest and east my cooking, while I'm looking for a husband. It's not my fault that they indulge too much and I love serving them too much that they got too fat and died of heart issues. People then say I eat them after fattening them up. What the hell? No! Of course I don't do that!"

"Okay, seriously, Beauty and the Beast or Hansen and Gretel. Stick to one!" I shouted back.

"Now that I found my husband. I'm not letting you go ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever! Just so you can destroy your own—"

"CLARENT! BLOOD! ARTHUR!"

A giant red lightning beam blasted out of the back of the house kaiju, then moved like a knife cutting down the constructed monster in half and hitting Beast Mae in the process.

And just like that the menacing aura of that boss fight was gone.

The wood clacked and it feel down from the sky in pieces.

And then after a moment's pause, Bella Mae slammed down into the wood pile with the thud.

"What the hell was that whole commotion about?"

Hydro and I look to the side to see Mordred appear from behind where the house monster was with her sword resting on her shoulder.

She was wearing a frog onesie.

Heh.

Hehehe.

I'm never forgetting this sight.

"Seriously I was sleeping soundly and then the whole room started jumping around!" Mordred shouted.

"It seems like Bella Mae was actually the Sixth Corrupted Maiden, Beast Mae!" Hydro exclaimed then went onto explain what happen.

"So that's why your room was locked and you didn't want anyone to share your room too?" I couldn't help but ask.

Mordred and Hydro blinked at my words, before Hydro looked and actually noticed what she was wearing.

"..."

"..."

Hydro coughed into his fist and looked away.

"...Not one fricking word of this. In fact, that's a royal order." Mordred grunted.

"Right of course." Hydro nodded rapidly.

"Totally, your Frogness." I nodded as well.

"Oi!" Mordred gave me the stink eye.

"Aaaaargh." A moan from the defeated maiden took our attention away from the joking. "It seems I lost."

"Lady Mae." Hydro spoke, his voice a bit more firm now. Although he tried not to seem harsh for the downed enemy. "It's over now, the darkness that infested you should be released."

"Ah, yeah, I can feel it." Bella Mae uttered as the energy ball of swirling violet light lifted from her chest and shattered.

Then said chest then shrunk.

"I swear I get justice for all these collateral boobs, if not in this life then in the next." I swore, holding up a shaking fist, almost in near tears.

"Lady Ritsuka!" Hydro cried scandalized.

"Pfft, hahaha—Ow, ow, it hurts to laugh." Bella Mae coughed.

"Lady Mae." Hydro went to her side, as did I and Mordred, just to make sure nothing else happened.

"It's a shame." Bella Mae. "I really did want to care for you and love you, Prince Hydro. I can tell now, my desire to love and care were twisted by the darkness. However," she looked at Hydro. "I really do wish to keep you safe. That's why I implore you, don't go to the castle." Her body began to disperse into magical motes. "All that awaits you there... is pain."

Bella Mae vanished.

RUMBLE.

The ground shook with a very noticeable earthquake this time. Mordred and I struggled to stay standing.

As I noticed some trees in the forest nearby falling over. I could see smoke rising from the towns we passed by.

Soon the earthquake stopped and the smoke didn't seem to get larger, so either it was debris from a building collapsing or the fire was snuffed out quickly.

"Okay, guys, seriously! I really think it's bad news that every time we take out one of those Corrupt Maiden, these quakes seem to get stronger—HYDRO!" I cried out and ran to my friend's side.

"Ah," Hydro was pale, he seemed to breath heavily for a moment. "I'm fine." His voice was much more boyish now. "It seems the quest is just taking it's toil on me.

What was once an teenage prince on the verge of being a young man, had shrunk down to a boy on the verge of adolescence.

"Hydro! You got shotafied!"

"I don't know what that means, but I feel disturbed and insulted."

---

"Hiiiyyaaa!" Hydro cried out as he dash between two dark angels, leaving them bisected in his wake.

Hydro seemed to have a much easier time with the dark angels as we traveled now. Although maybe it's me, but I feel they seem a bit slower.

With Mordred and my Shadow Servants added in, it felt like we were easily able to make our way to the castle.

Our next to last stop was the barracks where the army was usually stationed, but it had become abandoned as the Captain Commander Carmilla Duckling has supposed went mad.

The Captain Commander was known to always wear a mask, supposedly due to having been scarred when she was young, and was seen as ugly, and ridiculed until she showed her skills as a knight.

Apparently her story inspired Mordred to become a Prince Knight rather than just a knight.

I'm guessing her fairy tale is based on the Ugly Duckling? At least I hope so, and it's not two fairy tales mashed up together like, who I'm pretty sure was, Tamamo no Mae.

The fox tails really made it obvious in hindsight.

The trip to our next destination had the usual waves of enemies of this Singularity. During this Hydro was in top form, he was moving more and more with the speed and strength expected of a Servant, with his fighting skills seemingly improving a bit.

Yet there was something a bit concerning about all this change.

"Hydro, maybe we should rest up for a bit." I told him.

His face was paler than usual, I was sure of it now. Him sheen of sweat constantly on his face, even when they were just walking was worrying.

Thinking back to when I first met him, I'm pretty sure Hydro looked much healthier and more alive than he does now. Even if he was weaker then I first met him.

"I'm fine, Lady Ritsuka," his young voice is gonna take a while to get used to. "I feel like my potential had finally awakened. I could fight all die, my physical state is inconsequential, it doesn't mirror my internal status."

"But... You look like you've been seven rounds with Heracles, and we almost at the next Corrupt Maiden. Are you sure, you're good to fight?" I asked, frowning a bit.

"Lady Ritsuka..." Hydro smiled. "I appreciate it but there's no need. ...Also, as we're entering the Titsania's royal castle proper, I ask that you address me as Prince Hydro. I'm afraid the time of informality has passed, for we're about to face the Red Queen soon enough."

I raised an eyebrow at that and tilted my head.

That... sounded like bullshit. It feels like he's trying to create some distance between us for some reason.

"Who cares?" Mordred spoke up.

"E-eh?" Hydro blinked in confusion.

"We're going to fight and slay the king. You think that pageantry bullshit matters right now." Mordred looked at the confused Hydro with a raised eyebrow.

"B-But, we're royal nobles? We're suppose to act to etiquette to reflect our higher standing and—"

"Hydro, I have no idea who taught you how to act like a prince, but all that pish-posh polite sounding words crap is just for official ceremony, or when your in front of rivals and need to look better than them, or for an audience. No one royal talks like that all the time." Mordred smiled in amusement. "We're human like anyone else, we cuss like other people too. In fact, being educated means you know more words to insult someone in ten different ways while sounding as stuck up as possible. So seriously, relax." Mordred said with finality and walked ahead.

"I... I see." Hydro looked down, embarrassed, awkward and uncomfortable.

Our march was silence. I didn't want Hydro to face the next opponent with his head not in the game, so I went to cheer him up.

"Hey," he flinched as I got near him and whispered. Almost like he expected me to condemn or mock him or something. "Whenever you want, I can call you 'My Prince', Hydro~." I said playfully.

Hydro stood and looked like he had heart attack.

But in a good way disturbingly good way.

For one, he was no longer sickly pale, but flush with lively red cheeks.

I smiled and went ahead, feeling his eyes on me. In fact, it might have been on my skirt hiding my bottom, and legs.

"Your Highness~, are you coming?"

"N-NO! I mean, yes? I mean, I'm following!" I heard his footsteps rushing from behind as he ran ahead to be in front of even Mordred, so he wasn't looking at either of us.

And now I was the one struggling not to laugh. I shouldn't tease like that, it might build a bad habit.

Seriously, no wonder the older sister-types like to tease the shota-types. This shit is too tempting and addicting.

Also, seriously Hydro, for someone who hates lewd stuff, you sure have a very pervy mind.

---

We entered the large area between the castle's outer and inner gates.

A large gated wall stopped us that would lead to the castle building proper.

On top of it was our pre-final opponent.

Captain Commander Carmilla Duckling.

Rather she was Carmilla alright, but...

She was wearing a large blueish-gray fedora with a black band.

Dark blue mask which went over her eyes.

Dark blue coat with four shiny golden buttons on her torso, and two on each arm.

A black turtleneck sweater under her coat.

And a dark red silk cape, with a dark orange on the inside of the cape.

That is familiar. Was the thought that instantly struck my mind.

The colors were different, so its taking my brain a while to recall, but I could swear I've seen that costume somewhere before.

"Captain Commander Carmilla Duckling, you are charged with corruption of your official office to make your subordinates carry out unruly and unjust commands, dereliction of your duty to upon the peace of this kingdom, and finally engaging in wanton vigilantism to satisfy you sadist fancies! Today you will be brought to justice for your crimes! What say you, Captain Commander?" Hydro shouted out with a firm, "heroic" voice.

It sounded like he practiced it. Good job, Hydro.

I didn't clap of course, that would have made him look bad.

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

"Wow, it's like your balls finally dropped. That was pretty inspiring." Mordred clapped and nodded, looking impressed.

I held back a chuckle.

"Mordred! This is serious." Hydro cried out.

"What? I'm serious too, that was pretty good." Mordred said before she drew her sword, like Hydro did and faced the Corrupted Maiden standing on top of the castle walls. "So, aren't you gonna say anything" Mordred said with a cocky tone.

Now, I would like to say, that there was nothing, absolutely nothing, 1000% nothing that could have prepared of for what she said.

"I AM THE TERROR THAT FLAPS IN THE NIGHT!" Shouted the Ugly Duck Fairy Tale Maiden.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Someone was laughing. Also I was looking at the ground for some reason.

Oh.

I'm laughing.

"I AM THE SPICY TACO BELL YOU NEVER PREPARED FOR!"

It took a moment to realize my stomach hurts because I'm laughing too much.

I had to kneel down. I can't stand.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Really it was either laughing or standing and I can't do both.

I definitely can't stop laughing.

"I'M THE CHARGING PHONE THAT YOU NEVER REALIZE YOU DIDN'T PUT IN A SOCKET!"

It's over. We lost.

I don't think I can fight right now. Forget summoning or commanding Shadow Servants

Good bye. Thank you forever.

"I AM! DUCKWING MILLA!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Even Mordred can't stop chuckling at this scene.

Da Vinci.

Da Vinci, when I make it back to Chaldea you better use whatever magic gadget you have to copy this Event trip straight from my mind.

And the image resolution better be 1080p or whatever super magic quality image you can make!

"Is that it? You forgone your role as the Captain Commander to just take justice into your own hands! Why would you forgo your honor captain!?"

Hydro? Bravo, Hydro. He's the only one somehow still taking this shit seriously.

"BECAUSE IT'S NOT FAIR! BECAUSE FAR TOO MANY ASSHOLES JUST GET AWAY WITH THINGS BY CHEATING THE LAW, OR BUYING THEIR WAY AROUND IT, OR, OR..."

The hair at the back of my neck tingled. Something's wrong.

"RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHH!"

The laughter in me quietened down as it felt like she went from an Assassin to a Berserker.

"Medea!" I jumped up, my Command Seals shining. Mordred also had a more serious look now at the feel of her magical energy surging upward. "Mozart! Cu Chulainn!"

I called up my Caster Servant line up and got ready for battle.

"Prepare yourself!" Hydro grabbed his sword with both hands, as it shined with emerald magical energy. "I'll free you from the darkness once and for all!"

He shouted. We all charged.

---

Okay. I panted in exhaustion.

The fight was over, but it turned out way tougher than I expected.

Usually there is a kind of rule of thumb on how to deal with Servants based on their Classes. A sort of modus operandi when dealing with unknown enemy Servants. Or with known Servants that have some odd variable added.

Basically a way to test the waters. Not an actual Servant battle operating method.

Sabers against Lancers, Lancers against Archers, and Archers against Sabers.

Riders, Caster and Assassins in that same cycle order sequence as the previous example.

Berserkers are best deal with Berserkers or by those that can give the most concentrated damage the quickest. Or her trusty Shielder.

Carmilla was a known Servant, but she was acting like a Berserker so I had a Caster team as a first wave to test things out.

Fairy Tale Carmilla was much stronger, much quicker, and way more acrobatic than her normal self.

Halfway through the fight I had to change up my team to a more specialized on. I dismissed Shadow Gilles de Rais, Shadow Mozart and Shadow Cu Chulainn.

Instead I brought out Shadow Heracles, Shadow Sanson and Shadow Leonidas.

Leonidas to keep—Snicker—Duckwing Milla on him and tank her attacks. Sanson for his Anti-Evil attacks, and Heracles for big damage dealing.

That almost wasn't enough to take her down. I called in Shadow St. Martha on top of everything to do a holy prayer ward off and weaken Fairy Tale Carmilla.

Then Shadow St. Martha went and acted on automatic like normal Martha would do, and left and right hooked Duckwing Milla in the face a few times before her magical energy ran out.

Amazing work as always Martha. Very saintly.

"Ah..." Carmilla Duckling blinked as she woke up and recognition and sanity returned to her eyes. She didn't move, or get up from the crater in the ground everyone punched her into. Thank god there's no round two. "What happened?"

"Lady... Duckling." Hydro spoke after getting his breath again. "Have you returned to your senses?"

"Prince Hydro?" She took a moment to recognize where she was and who was around her. "Ah, I see what happened. It seems I was overtaken by the darkness while in line of duty. I'm sorry you had to return from your exile to handle this mess your highness."

"There is nothing to apologize for, it is my duty, Captain Commander." Hydro nodded solemnly.

Shouldn't be Commander Captain? The random thought came to my mind now that the adrenaline high of the battle went away.

I shook my head and just focused on the scene playing out, and bracing myself for the next earthquake.

"Yes, duty. I lost that." Carmilla Duckling looked up at the sky with a wistful expression. "I saw far too many people just scheme, cheat and lie yet be able to get away with their crimes, all while I was powerless to do anything while following the rules."

"We can't just discard the law and due to our wants and take it into our own hands." Hydro said back.

"I thought so too, thus I kept toeing the line. Yet when the darkness entered me I couldn't help but think, 'why do I allow that injustice?', 'why is that no effort I put forth to stop crime actually works?', 'Why... was I murdered?'"

"...Huh?" I blinked at hearing that. Wait, what she did she just say? Did I hear that right?

"Yet I wasn't given any answer, only for once I felt free to let go of any restraints. To finally... be angry. It was liberating."

"Captain Commander..." Hydro seems lost for words.

The energy ball flew up from her chest and shattered.

"It seems my time is at an end." Carmilla Duckling's body began to glow as the magical energy making her up began to disperse. "A final advice, Exiled Prince Hydro." The Fairy Tale Servant continued with a wistful mystique tone. "No matter what, you must not slay Red Queen Lancer Alter. To do so would invite your own doom."

"But I must!" Hydro said back heatedly.

"No. The king is the anchor of this kingdom and above that... Leaving this kingdom was a choice." Suddenly, Carmilla had an oddly aware look in her eyes. "But coming back here and destroying everything is not the answer."

"That was collateral, it's temporary." Hydro shook his head.

"...This is gonna take a while to fix." Mordred spoke.

I looked up at hearing her words. Looking around, there seems to be more damage to the castle at least from the outside, and the surrounding areas, than our battle should have reached.

"Upon this quest of yours, how much damage have you caused?" Carmilla spoke again, her tone firm and commanding, even as her body was dispersing. "The battle for the heart of this land can only be won thought peace, not war. The fighting must end. Put down, the sword."

It felt surreal, hearing these words coming from Carmilla, even a parody Fairy Tale version of her. It felt so real, like she was no longer playing a role.

"No... No! I can't stop, I've come to far! The Red Queen will—"

Carmilla Duckling vanished.

RUMBLE!

This time the earthquake was something else.

I had to summoned Shadow Medusa to hold me while everything was shaking.

Fissures went through the earth, cracks formed on the building, the walls... they sky.

"What the fuck...?" I uttered.

My eyes widened as I saw actual cracks in the world of this Mini-Singularity, showing swirling lights of magical energy that made up this realm, and held it together.

"Hydro, something is wrong...!" I turned to tell him, only to find Hydro kneeling on the ground, steam rising from him, and obscuring him. He was crying out in agony for a while.

Mordred had stabbed her sword into the ground and fought to keep her footing.

The rumbling slowly stopped.

And when it was done the damage was left behind.

This world looked... not complete broken but definitely scarred.

I had Medusa set me down, and jump up to take a look at the towns and places we passed by. Seeing through my Shadow Servant's eyes, I saw just how much damage the earthquake did this time. How many cracks and fissure were in the land now.

"Holy shit, it was crazy this time." Mordred commented.

I dismissed Shadow Medusa to conserve energy, and went to my friends', for this Singularity's, side.

"Mordred, something is wrong with all of this. Hydro, are you O...kay?" I said to Mordred, before pivoting to check on Hydro.

But... looking at him now...

"Yeah, Ritsuka," Hydro spoke. His voice now completely child-like. Because he looked child-like. Ten years old? Younger? He looked about the same age as... Alexander? The Gorgon Sisters?

No, younger. Like Anderson, just without any of the natural maturity in his eyes or posture.

"Everything is fine. This is the best I've ever felt."

The maturity in his eyes and frame on his child-like body looked unnatural. Almost disturbing. In his eyes there was focus—No, zealotry.

More than that though, he looked sickly, almost on death's door. Yet he also looked satisfied. At peace even.

"We have but one enemy left to slay, and Titsania will finally be free of darkness and sin." The more he spoke, the more worried I felt. "The lust that has overtaken the maidens and others innocents of this land that were befallen will be no more. This world will be remade into one of purity and nobility in body and spirit. People will finally be their best selves."

...I have to stop him. Why did that thought suddenly appear in my mind? He's hurting himself. That feeling appear in my heart.

"Come friends!" Prince Hydro raise his sword, pointing at the castle whose doors were now open, and the walls and giant gate that once blocked it were broken down in the last earthquake. "Our destined fight with the Red Queen Lancer Alter awaits."

---

Thankfully we didn't actually head on to fight the final boss right away.

"Again, I'm sorry Lady Ritsuka, for not taking into account your fatigue after our most recent arduous battle." Prince Hydro said to me, with that seemingly every permanent calm smile he now had.

"It's fine, Hydro. Last fight just too a bit outta me." I said from where I was sitting on the floor, leaning against a wall in the hallways entrance of the castle. "We're near the end. Just give me a little time and we can go for the last stretch."

"You sure you can keep going for one more fight?" Mordred asked. "I'd say it's better to stay here. You helped enough but this doesn't really concern you." She said with her hands resting behind her head.

"Awww, Prince Mordred, are you worried about me?" I teased with a smirk.

"How noble, your Highness." Hydro added with a noble.

"Wha? No." Mordred clicked her mouth and pouted. "Tsk. Do whatever you want." She said while looking away, a slight blush on her face.

As I took a moment to gather my breath and recharge my od and wait for my magic circuits to cool down—Because I really did need a minute there—I though about what to do next.

Everything in this Singularity more or less kept pointing that Hydro shouldn't go through with his journey. Each Corrupt Maiden, with some exceptions, was trying tell him that, or give him some advice I don't have the context for.

So now the question is, what to do?

Hydro clearly is being hurt in some manner by "purifying" the maidens. The world itself get damaged when we defeat one of the Fairy Tale Servants.

Right now the only good thing we have is that Mordred is around as insurance. Hydro doesn't seem her as one of his quest's targets. Maybe Mordred wasn't integrated into this Singularity correctly? Or would Hydro turn on her after the final boss is beaten?

I closed my eyes and took a moment to breathe.

No.

I won't let it get to that point.

The only thing I can do now is face forward and keep going. See this through to the end and act when needed, while gaining better information.

"Alright!" I said after a long while, standing up.

I was ready for one more fight.

"You are well, Lady Ritsuka?" Hydro asked with actual concern, making me smile.

"Yep! Let's go meet the king."

---

"Oooookaaay. This is not what to what I was expecting." I said as we walked down a very long hall to the throne room.

"Yeah they're portraits of past queens, past concubines, or some girl the king was interested in for a season." Mordred said nonchalantly.

"A sign of the darkness and sin that infested this kingdom. I should have noticed back then." Hydro said solemnly.

We were walking through a long hallway with portraits lining up both sides of the hall. There were many pictures of beautiful, exotic and sexy women, some even with none human features, like like cat ears or angel wings.

Wait, that one kinda looks like Belldandy from Ah! My Goddess!. The heck?

The portraits were odd. Are these really queens, like people that existed in this Singularity's history, or just pictures of pretty women the king wanted made?

"Hey, that one's kinda off, isn't it?" I stopped and went near the wall to kneel down in front of a small picture hanged up close to the ground.

Unlike the other portraits that were as tall as I was, or as giant as the ones who can find in a museum, this one was the kind of small frame you can hang up above the nightstand next to your bed.

The picture was of who I'm sure was Konata from Lucky Star.

"I told you, must have been a girl the king fancied for a season." Mordred said in a bored tone.

"I think that one was an advisor he liked, rather than an actual concubine. ...Although the Red Queen also likely partook in her." Hydro said with a thoughtful look that turned into a frown.

I found my eyes narrowing in thought, and me unconsciously biting my lip. Something is off with this Singularity.

Like, the pieces are there, but I can't fit them together, something important that connects everything was missing.

I sighed and stopped up.

"Okay, it's just, this whole thing is... weird...?"

I looked back to see Mordred just giving me a neutral look, her stance is to the side, ready to move on.

Hydro however, was looking up at the ceiling in fascination with a strawberry red face. I glanced up, there was nothing interesting.

Also, he looked better again. His facing having more life and not deathly pale anymore.

"Where you looking at my butt?" I grinned.

"M-M-Miss—LADY RITSUKA! I'm offended that you'd think so lowly of—" Hydro sputtered.

"Meh, it's fine." Mordred shrugged.

"Prince Mordred!" Hydro squawked.

Honestly doing things like this is probably good for his health. He can't fight the final boss looking half dead.

These dirty jokes are strategic. Honest.

"Actually, why don't I count as a 'Corrupted Maiden'? Are my breasts considered too small?" I squeezed my own boobs in annoyance to confirm.

"Yes." Mordred nodded.

"No—I mean, Lady Ritsuka, that's inappropriate conversation, it's lewd and please stop touching yourself! Why are you making me say these words!?" Hydro screeched in embarrassment.

I stopped because now I was laughing with Mordred joining me.

"I'm surrounded my degenerates! Seriously, Lady Ritsuka, how are you this lewd and not infected with darkness!?" Hydro actually looked confused and concerned.

I looked him dead in the eyes, smirked and grabbed boobs again.

"Beep beep."

"Lady Ritsuka!"

---

"This is it," Hydro said with trepidation visible in his voice.

We arrived at a large door, that went up all the way to the ceiling. The door to the throne room, to the room of Red Queen Lancer Alter.

The tension present seemed to physical weigh down on all three of us.

"Alright, let's kick the king's ass!" And Mordred cut right through all that tension with the finesse of a bull in a china shop.

She donkey kicked the doors open, making them swing and slam against the walls of the throne room.

A beat.

A wave of heat, wind and power washed over us.

It took the three of us a moment to orient ourselves to be able to bear standing against this pressure.

For a moment I wondered if I was up against another Demon God. The pressure was...

No. This is harsher. Demon Gods' presence is heavy. But this is ferocious.

The wave of power rolling off this being as naturally as breathing. A being who's might is instinctively feared and revered.

I had faced this kind of strength before.

A Dragon.

But even Fafnir, I can't help but feel this is more dangerous. I thought.

I finally got a good look at our final boss.

She looked like Artoria Alter, albeit older, more mature and filled out, and absolutely terrifying.

Her armor wasn't black, like her normal counterpart, but the crimson blood red color was so dark it might as well be. It seemed more like a dress on top of her black leotard, than actual armor. Almost like she didn't need armor.

She had a crown of red dragon scales that seem to grow out of her head.

An aura of fire and emerald energy swirled around her, with eyes shining green like the energy she expelled.

Red Queen Lancer Alter was sitting on iron throne seemingly made of weapons carved into it. She herself didn't hold a weapon, but I don't think we felt brave to attack regardless. Doing so carelessly felt downright suicidal.

We marched forward, our steps heavy, almost like we were fighting against her pressure to advance.

We came to a stop in the middle of the room. Hydro gulped as he gathered his wits to confront the last Corrupted Maiden.

Her fairy tale role was obvious from the name, the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland. A mad queen, who was temperamental as she was illogical, cutting off the head of anyone who annoyed her.

This Red Queen however, seemed far too controlled in her rage as she observed us.

Hydro finally gathered his courage to speak.

"R-Red Queen Lancer Alter," Hydro breathed, his expression slowly but surely getting firm as his resolve built. "I am the Exiled Prince Hydro! I am here to end the curse you brought upon this land. To purge it of the darkness that—"

"When will you be done with this farce?"

"Corrupted... what?" Hydro blinked as he lost his momentum.

The question almost seemed to cut through the whole scene we were in.

"I'm asking for how long are you going to continue with this pathetic play, Hyoudou Issei?"

...What?

What's she talking about?

Looking at Mordred I saw confusion veiled with anger, and Hydro... panic.

He was frozen stiff. Sheer fear and dread that he couldn't understand held him place.

"Who's..." My mouth moved. "Who's 'Hyoudou Issei'?"

The name was clearly Japanese. Yet who could Fairy Tale Lancer Artoria Alter be talking...

No. It was obvious, isn't it?

The only person here who doesn't here right now, that fit this "western fairy tale" aesthetic besides me.

"Gander a guess, savior-to-be of another world." The Red Queen addressed me for the first time before turning back to Hydro. Her voice holding annoyance and a hint of dryness at asking such a simple question, that could easily be answered by mere observation.

"No, what... what bizarre lies are you spewing, Red Queen?" Hydro said with clenched fists. Fists that were shaking. His expression didn't match his words. Eyes wide like he was shell shocked. "You think some, some weird attempt at deception and tricking us is gonna work? Or, or that we will be dissuade from our path—"

"I really don't have patience for your delusions, boy." Red Queen spoke once again. Her mere irritation seem to shake the room. "I'm not some clichéd evil villain at the end of a story, one placed here so you can have your self-gratified mock-battle were you overcome evil by being all noble and shit." The more Red Queen spoke, the more Hydro seem to lose his composure. As if the logic of the world was breaking for him. "I am—"

"Enooooough!" The last person I expected shouted. Mordred just drew her sword and charged at the seated king. "This isn't a fucking philosophy session. We're here to kick your—" Mordred jumped and raised her blade up high and slashed down.

The Red Queen swung her arm, slamming it into Mordred and her sword and bashing them away.

CRASH!

Mordred crashed into the wall, making as visible dent in it.

"As I was saying." Red Queen Lancer Alter continued as if she didn't take out our strongest fighter without even trying. "You boy, are Hyoudou Issei. A Human born in that island at the East now called Japan." She said bluntly. "And out of pure random luck, you were one of the few humans fated for an unordinary life. For you were born 'gifted', if it could be called that, with one of God's Artifacts—"

"Father!" Mordred burst out of his hole in the wall, rushing at Red Queen, whoever she is, with red lightning arching all over all.

CRASH!

Once more Red Queen disposed of Mordred with a swung of her gauntlet arm. In the same hole she had crashed Mordred into last time.

"A power made by the God of the Bible and granted to humanity, in the hope of defend it against the dangers of the Supernatural world. What a hope that turned out to be." She rolled her eyes. "The artifact you hold, hosts the greatest power of our world, it. Hosts. Me.

"I, am the Red Dragon Emperor. I, am the Dragon of Domination. I am Y Ddraig Goch."

The moment the name was spoken, the world was on fire.

Rather it appeared so from the wave of energy that seemed to cement the claim, made by the dragon in a Servant's body.

"And this world? It's not real." Red Queen—Ddraig plainly said, with all the subtly of a meteor. "These lands, the people in it, the 'Corrupted Maidens', the story and quest you're on? None of it is real. All of it merely—"

"Round three, Father!" Mordred got up and was back at it again.

CRASH!

Once more Ddraig swung her arm and slammed Mordred away. This time at the opposite wall for variety.

"An illusion. A living one in a sense. A reflection of your soul, with the details and the story made by your mind to make sense of your emotions and experiences."

"I'm not done yet, Father!"

CRASH!

This time Mordred was punched into the ceiling.

"N-No. That's... that's not true. I'm, I'm..." Hydro looked at the ground lost, then he looked at me teary eyed, almost begging me to do something.

I didn't know what to do.

"B-but wait, if this world is basically a reflection of Hydro... Hydro... He-yoou-doou." Sounding out the name slowly and trying to say it in a different way. It can... Hydro, kinda can be cut up from Hyoudou if you push it. I shook my head. "Point is, why is everything here following western themes if he's Japanese? Huh!"

What if he's a westaboo? My mind immediately said.

"Y-Yeah, that doesn't make sense! Shouldn't the world here follow a Japanese aesthetic and not western fairy tales?" Hydro added.

But immediately I couldn't help but ask, how do you know what the terms? "Japanese"? "Western fairy tales"? Why are you easily arguing for this world to follow a story theme, rather than being a "real" place?

"Dissociation. This world and its structure is as far removed from any medium you are familiar with, yet would allow you to subconsciously explore your emotions on this self-deprecating journey in a way you can understand." Ddraig explained, her lips curled in disgust. "All of this, is so you can go on your self-destructive suicide without waking up. Well tough shit, I'm the alarm bell. Wake. Up. Hyoudou Issei."

"N-No! I'm... Shut up!" Hydro screamed grabbing his head in pain.

I wanted to move, but I didn't know what to do, or how to help.

"You're going down, old man!" Mordred returned!

BANG!

Mordred is gone! She's flying and... she's shot outta the throne room.

"So are you going to keep playing dumb? Keep closing your eyes? Wake up before you destroy yourself, you idiotic fool." Ddraig continued.

"You keep saying that! What does that mean?" I cried out, digging further for answer.

Ddraig eyed me for a moment, contemplative, then answered once again.

"This world, Singularity you called it, is a reflection of his soul, thus the things you found in it, are representations of core aspects of Hyoudou Issei's self. You must have suspected it, didn't you? Each Corrupt Maiden you defeated seems to offer some off advice to Issei over here, as they 'died'."

Dread started to fill me as the dragon explained.

"Mata Hari represented indulging in one's passion even to excess. Nero represented loud honesty about one's passion regardless of the reaction of anyone else. Martha represented industriousness to the extreme in follow that passion. Medea, even if you didn't have time to find out, represented the length he'd go to experience or see that passion. Tamamo no Mae isn't about passion, but about the length he'd go for those he loves and care for. And Carmilla? Well," an amused smile came to Ddraig's Saberface. "That was rage."

"Rage?" I looked toward Hydro, who wasn't meeting Ddraig's eyes while muttering 'shut up' and 'I don't want to hear this'.

I walked forward. Pushing against all aura and pressure of this dragon and this room and hugged Hydro. Issei. Whatever his name is. I hugged my friend.

His shivering stopped as he looked at me with surprise.

"But they're all twisted. Like Martha." I said.

"You needed something to defeat." Ddraig smirked. "And besides, none of those Servants were the ones to attack first."

My eyes widened at that revelation. I thought back to all the battle we went through... and she was right.

I held the dragon's gaze with my glare. She looked amused back at me.

"Then what about me? What's Mordred?"

"You child, weren't suppose to be here." Ddraig replied. "I can feel some odd connection, linking to... me? Maybe that's why you were summoned here. Yet I can't help but feel that, that link shouldn't have been strong enough to pull you here. No, something, or someone meddled." She grunted. "As for Mordred, due to the Servant Class, Saber, her embedment in the role and aspect she's suppose to represent wasn't a complete integration. That Class Skill, Magic Resistance muddled things up. Her being related to me, somehow, messed things up even further. She still plays the aspect of Issei's psyche, but she doesn't play the role of 'the Cursed Frog Prince' at all."

"And what aspect is that?"

"Determina—"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Mordred lunged herself into the room, having entered mid-jump high in an arch as to seem flying. "Rebellion Against My Beautiful Father!" She screamed, blade engulfed in red lightning, raised high to the sky. "CLARENT BLOOD ARTHUR!"

Mordred swung her Noble Phantasm, a beam of crimson electric pillar falls upon the seated king directly.

"Boost."

Ddraig spoke one word and suddenly her power overwhelmed the castle. Mordred's Noble Phantasm, her aura, her magical energy and destructive ray, all of it was washed away by the might by the Red Dragon Servant.

Ddraig was suddenly standing. I couldn't see when she did that.

Only that she was now standing and having caught the red energy blast of Mordred's attack.

Mordred tried to push and bare down her strike.

All it did was get her closer to Ddraig.

Her eyes met.

In that single moment, Ddraig grinned, showing teeth.

Mordred barely had time to mouth, "Oh shit—"

Ddraig crushed the lightning beam.

She thrust her other hand and grabbed Mordred by the face.

SMASH!

And buried Mordred into the ground.

Mordred coughed, the air knocked out of her.

Ddraig walked back to the throne, grabbed it by the backseat and...

CRACK.

She ripped throne off the ground it was embedded into.

"I'm tired of being interrupted."

Ddraig went back to the hole she slammed Mordred in, raised the throne with one hand and...

"I'm, not, done yet—"

BAM!

Ddraig bashed the iron throne onto Mordred.

"Fuck!"

BAM!

And bashed it again.

"Shit!"

BAM!

And bashed it again.

"Ah hah hah haa—ooooooww! Bitch! That hit my kidney!"

BAM!

And finally slammed the throne down on top of Mordred, left it there, walked around it and sat on it, facing us to continue our discussion.

"Now, as I was saying—" Ddraig continued nonchalantly with Mordred's feet kicking under her.

"Mordred is dying!" I exclaimed.

"This isn't about her." She waved me off. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes. The Cursed Frog Prince Mordred represented determination for Issei to seek his passion and follow his goals." Ddraig gave a nod to the still kicking Mordred with muffled screams. "And finally I suppose there should be me, the 'Red Queen Lancer Alter'. The supposed perfect villain to end this tale, representing love and that passion Issei cares about most."

"And what is that?" I asked.

"STOP!" Hydro... Issei suddenly screamed in my arms.

"Boobs." Ddraig deadpanned.

I blinked a few times at that.

A snort wanting to leave my mouth, but held back. Looking at Ddraig then at Issei, it was like looking at a bizarre juxtaposition of comedy and tragedy.

One treating this whole situation nonchalantly, and one treating it with complete severity.

"Wh... What?" I ended up saying, even if the dots are starting to connect now. The symbology, but defeating the Corrupt Maidens' chests shrinking every time they are defeated—

Oh shit, he really was killing parts of himself. Even if they were all connected to boobs somehow. Which, I mean, respect, boobs are awesome, but kinda weird they were intertwined so deeply with everything that made up his sense of self.

"Yes. It is as simple as it is stupid." Ddraig huffed, looking as if she noticed by sudden understanding. "It's the core focus of himself. All because when he was a whelp his friend moved away, he destroyed some treasured sentimental family item and with a feeling of loss, of how he will never be loved again only scorned, he happened to meet some idiot spouting about the 'glory of breasts', 'dreams of men' or some equally dumb shit."

"...Okay." This has not been like any of the Mini-Singularities I've been on so far. "We have established... a lot." Oh boy this has been some fucked up roller coaster. "So why all this? This Singularity? How did it happen and... Why would..."

I looked down toward the boy I was holding. He was no longer shaking. He was quietly looking down. A deceptive calm before misfortune.

"Because I died." Issei spoke simply.

No played up tone, no accent, no persona.

Just a little boy, force to confront reality.

Hyoudou Issei had woken up.

"Hydro..." I said, not sure which name he wanted to use.

"It's Issei." He said despondently and walked away from me, in the opposite direction of Ddraig, putting us behind him. He didn't want to face us. "I am... Hyoudou Issei. Some idiot... who just died for no reason." His shoulders were shaking. "Me and Irina... when we would talk about our favorite stories, he would talk about manga with European themes. I'd talk about Japanese ones. We would even argue about which ones were better, Super Sentai or Power Rangers." He sobbed, through a laugh.

"Issei..." I went to comfort him, place a hand on his shoulder.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" He swung around and jumped away, as I flinched my hand back.

"Issei, it's me." I tried to say.

"Don't lie to me! You don't care about me. Just stay away from me, leave me alone!" He shouted, while crying and gripping his hair, as if wanting to rip it out but not having the strength to.

"Issei, it's me, Ritsuka? Why would I lie to you? You know me, we're traveled together, just talk to me."

"Shut up. Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" A golden glow shined from his chest, and the final piece of the puzzle clicked in place.

A Holy Grail.

Somehow it ended up in Issei's hand as he was dying and his wish resulted in this world.

"You don't know me. You don't know anything about me. Heck, I don't know you! Why should I have trusted anything you say? You're on a quest to save your world through time travel? Haha, why the hell should I believe any of that? Or worse, if that's true, why the fuck should you care about a piece of shit like me!?" He screamed, the grail shined in response to his desire, and the castle started shaking. "You're using me. Just admit it. You want the power I have, that God's Artifact or whatever the fuck it is Yuuma killed me for. Just admit it, and leave me alone!"

"And there it is, the pity party. What this whole shit show had actually been this entire time." Ddraig said, rolling her eyes.

"Shut up! If you were there my whole life, then where the hell were you!?" Issei shouted.

"Sleeping. it's not like my wielders always have enough strength to jolt me awake when they use the Boosted Gear for the first time. You were just unlucky to get killed before you ever activated it." Ddraig again bluntly answered.

Issei threw his head back and laughed. It was a deranged sound. Coming from someone who was in a child's body, it was even more disturbing.

"So I literally died for something I didn't know I had, that I might not have ever found out I had! Hahahaha, how funny. So funny! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" His laughed transitioned into a scream and made me wince in pain and sympathy for him.

"You're not dead." Ddraig stated.

"What?" I asked. Issei was staring wide eyed. One shock after another just shutting him down.

"That thing your soul pick up, that wish-granting device overflowing with magical energy. Once it got stuck into you, the overflow went back to your body. You're still connected to it. Just need to wish to heal yourself and you're good." I blinked at few times, and found myself smiling in relief. "We go back to your world and the lass goes back to her. I think." Ddraig said, glancing at me.

"Yeah, I'll awake up back home once things are settled here. This isn't the first time this happened to me." I waved her off, which made Ddragi raise and eyebrow in intrigue and maybe interest. "Do you hear that, Issei? You're alive, you can go back home."

I went to him extending a hand.

It was time for this Singularity to end.

"No."

I didn't realize when things began to be in motion.

Issei met my gaze, his eyes regretful but determined.

I was pulled back by something.

The castle exploded in a shockwave of fore ad broke to pieces.

---

I opened my eyes feeling my body dangling from somewhere.

"Hey, girl." I was held up by the scarf of my clothes by Ddraig with one hand, who was still sitting on her throne.

A throne that was floating on a small patch of ground, while around up the Singularity was breaking to piece with Issei floating in the center.

His clothes shifted to some kind of fantasy knight armor, but one made for a kid and a magic red gauntlet of sorts was on his left arm.

The dark angels gathered, flying around Issei in a helix formation, all under his command.

Also Mordred was still stuck under the iron throne.

"Wha?" I sputtered.

"In your world saving adventures, did you encounter stuff like this? How do you usually fix it?" She asked, although it sounded like an order.

"Well..." I looked up to the flying Issei in the middle of all this chaos. "We beat them till they listen."

"Heh. Good strategy, I'm on board." Ddraig smirked and let go of me.

I easily dropped to the ground standing.

Ddraig got up and threw the throne away.

"You heard all our talk. You will help us." Ddraig said to Mordred who pushed against the ground and got up, dusting off debris off of her.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll help my idiot brother stop being a whiny bitch." Mordred said with a gruff. "And don't order me around. You're not father."

"I got a glimpse of the history of each Servant that ended up here. I know of your father. I am the Red Dragon and I am in the body of a version of your father. For all intents and purposes, right here and now at this moment, I am your father. Don't make me take you over my knees, brat." Ddraig growled.

"Eeek! Yes, Father!" Mordred jumped back, flinching, before quickly semi-composing herself. "Y-Yeah whatever. I'm just doing what I planned to do anyways." She said, sword in hand ready to step forward.

"Mordred, if you were listening to everything then you know the truth, right?" I asked to conform.

"Yeah," Mordred shrugged. "Don't care. That bozo is my little bro. Thinking about it from the memories of Mordred the Heroic Spirit, I never had a little brother. Heh." She chuckled before gaining a serious look. "But even if the memories are fake, I now have one, I'd be a shit older sister if I didn't at least try to save him." She looked at Issei with a determined look.

"Let me try and talk to him first." I said making the Dragon and Fairy Tale Servant look at me. "Get ready, but just give me a chance."

"Well be quick, I'm not sure how long this constructed world can handle this temper tantrum." Ddraig said.

"I'll cover you." Mordred nodded.

"Issei!" I went close to the edge of the platform we were on. "You have to stop! What's the point of doing any of this?"

"I can't go back!" Issei answered. His voice amplified by magic so I could hear him all across this mini-world. "I won't! There's no point to going back to live as 'Hyoudou Issei'! In fact there is not a single soul that would be sad or care that I was gone. No, this lives would actually be better without me in it."

My eyes narrowed as I was starting to get pissed as his pity party. How can he dismiss himself like that? His parents, his friends, someone would be affected by his absence.

I would!

Yet before I could say those words, his next sentence struck me with dread and sorrow.

"That's why I'll change myself. This world is a reflection of my soul? The things that happen in it happen to my soul? Great!" He said with a manic smile. "Then I'll purge it! I'll recreate it into a world of someone who's good! Someone who's noble. A Hero. Someone that can't be harmed and can't be tempted by anything again. Boobs betrayed me, so fuck it, I'll erase any love for them, any love for the girls attached to them!

"I'll make a world were nothing, were nobody, were love will never be hurt again!" He grinned through the tears running down his face.

"Oh for fuck's sake. You're just doing all this, so you'd never feel rejected or hurt again." Ddraig huffed.

Working it through the logic of his seemingly intense love for boobs, that means in order for "love to never be hurt again", that means he'll cut off his own capacity to love another person. He'll make himself unable to connect or care for people again.

All so he himself won't ever be hurt.

"Then what about me?" I said, looking straight in the eyes.

The chaos around us in the Mini-Singularity slowed for a moment. Issei flinched as he looked into my eyes.

"Boobs betrayed me." He repeated. "You're a girl. There is no conceivable way you won't be disgusted by me." He said with finality. "But... thank you for the illusion of friendship. At the very least, once I'm done, I'll make sure you return home to your world safe and sound."

My eyes widened, an ugly expression on my face, and Issei paled suddenly.

Oh, that. Is. It!

"Issei." I yelled out loud. "As the only other human in this world, thus currently your only friend, I'm kicking your fucking ass!"

I raised a fist and my Command Seals shined with dawning light.

"Come forth! Carmilla!" I commanded.

My Shadow Servant materialized.

"Attack!" Issei shouted, his eyes wide at seeing a Servant that represented his rage to him.

The army of dark angels burst forth toward us.

Mordred burst forward like a red comet from behind me, meeting the flying horde head on.

Her Noble Phantasm blazing forward like a red laser cutting through everything. The she pointed it to the side and sent another laser beam to act as a propellant to head to another floating piece of land and jumped forward to fight another group of dark angels.

Sometime those Noble Phantasm blasts would be aimed so as to hit Issei who was far behind a group of dark angels. It did nothing to him.

Ddraig jumped forward and fire burst from her back, launching her straight at Issei.

Issei held his hand forward and a swirl of light appeared and when it was one a single dark angel was made.

This was one different. Her features even under the veil more defined. She seemed to have more color, look more real than the other dark angels. Also she had six black wings.

A Dark Archangel.

Ddraig and the Dark Archangel met in the middle with an epic clash that range out throughout the Singularity.

"Don't bother fighting. This Dark Seraph is meant to overcome anyone in this world. In fact anything with boobs will find their strength erased in front of her. And any men that fight her will be killed by the smallest hits." Issei said with a smirk.

I gonna punch off that smirk off his tiny little shota face.

Rather than be pushed back however, Ddraig caused the Dark Seraph to be stuck in place with a punch against her energy spear.

Issei was the master and ruler of this miniature world.

Mordred's red lightning beams did nothing to Issei, now that he acknowledged himself as the ruler of this realm, and the Servants here as his creations.

Thus Ddraig actually managing to withstand Issei's empowered creation and hold her in place was really hell of a testament to Ddraig's strength. Even the laws of this world won't stop her from challenging its ruler.

As for me? Even if the land was broken to piece, there were still many of them around with enough form and stability to use as a path. Most even close enough to jump from one to the other.

I ran.

There were seven large patches of land between me and Issei.

I jumped.

"Ritsuka!" Issei suddenly cried with concern, only for me to land on the island I aimed for and continue gunning for him.

He saw I was fine, and calmed down. Oh? Were you worried about your fake friend? 'Fake friendship' my ass!

He saw the look in my eyes and his worry returned.

"A-Attack!" He stutter and wave his arm. Another group of dark angels flew to intercept me.

However Shadow Carmilla was running behind me, and she had message to all women she fought.

An giant iron maiden appeared from above the dark angels, it clamped down on five of them, making their blood rain on the battle field. With a chain in Shadow Carmilla's connected to iron maiden, she swung the giant torture contraption and smashed it into the rest of the dark angel squad.

Her with duty done and magical energy spent, Shadow Carmilla dispersed.

I reach the end of this land mass, and jumped to the next.

"Medea!" I shouted.

Shadow Medea in front of me at the next wave of dark angels. She waved her staff and lightning descended on the whole ground of dark angels, frying them.

Her job done the Shadow Servant witch dispersed.

"Enough! Just stop already, Ritsuka!" Issei shouted.

Issei summoned a sword of light. It looked tacky as fuck. An exaggeration of what people think a Sword of Light would look like.

He raised the blade up, firing a beam of light skyward. A meteor of light descended from the sky and crashed into the next patch of land.

"MARTHA!" I roared. My Command Seals shined once more.

The Shadow Servant appear next to me.

A wave of her staff and Tarasque appear before us. Without even stopping to think, I jumped and climbed on the turtle dragon's back, the area between the back and neck spikes for foothold and to grab the spike to hold still.

"FIRE US!"

Tarasque let out a roar, or was it a whine?

Shadow Martha pulled her staff back like a baseball bat and slammed it into Tarasque's behind in such a way as to launch us without making him spin.

"YOU FUCKING CRAZY WOMAN!" Issei screamed in shock while holding his head in worry and disbelief.

Airship Tarasque was launched successfully with great speed reaching not the next island but the one after it.

As Tarasque descended I ordered Martha to dismiss him and desummon, her role down.

Tarasque dispersed into magic motes just as we landed and I rolled into the momentum as I landed on the ground.

I was scrapped and bruised even while landed perfect, but adrenaline, momentum and sheer pissed off will had me jump up to running and I was back at it again.

"You don't have unlimited energy! You can't win!" Issei cried out. The rest of the dark angels between us came down on the island I was one.

"A veteran with all skills, can beat and noob even with all cheats!" I shouted back. "Mata Hari!"

Shadow Mata Hari appeared, jumped into the middle of the army of dark angels... and danced.

The dark angels were confused. They were transfixed.

Looking at where Ddraig and the Dark Seraph were fighting, and it seemed like Ddraig kept track of me the entire time.

"Nero!" I summoned a second Shadow Servant, while the first one confounded the enemies.

Nero carried me in bridal carry, dashing through and over the whole dark angels' numbers.

I felt my magic circuits start to strain, heating up a bit over the limit.

"Ddraig!" I shouted and dismissed shadow Mata Hari.

Issei realized my plan to have Ddraig destroy this island with the dark angels while he gets to the next.

Thus multiple light meteors fell and took out all the islands left between us.

With nothing to distract them, the dark angel threw off their stupor and focused on us agsin. I had Shadow Nero let me down and face them in a final stand.

Army of dark angel behind me with only a single Shadow Servant. Vast empty space in front of me to my goal.

"What now, Ritsuka! See! You're done! You lost! So just stop putting so much effort into something worthless." Issei shouted, his arms spread wide, as if to mock me.

I growled back, showing clenched teeth.

"Our bond. Is. Not. Worthless!" I bellowed back.

"Eeek!" Issei jumped back, even if he was far away from me.

"DDRAIG! ATTACK AT MY ISLAND!" I shouted.

"What the hell are you saying!?" Issei shouted in panic.

"Hahahahaha! Holy shit, this has to be the first time a human had the balls to order me." Ddraig said, now gauntlet-to-spear locked with the grimacing Dark Seraph. "Very well then, Fujimaru Ritsuka, let's see if your gamble will be your salvation or your doom."

Shadow Nero with all her strength and grace held the dark angels back.

I ran forward and jumped.

"RITSUKA NO!" Issei cried.

"Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!" Ddraig power exploded, suddenly rushing and over powering the Dark Seraph, and they fell down like a meteor toward the island behind me.

Ddraig held one arm back, gathered her energy into her fist and at the moment she and the Dark Seraph slammed into the ground and mass of dark angels, making a shockwave from the impact, she punched down.

"Red Impact!" She called out as she punched and released all the energy in her fist.

The energy exploded outward, incinerating the Dark Seraph, even if it shouldn't be possible by the laws of this world now, along with all the dark angels.

"Tamamo no Mae!" I shouted while in the air.

My Command Seals shined.

"Eh!? What? But I'm not even summoned and contracted yet! I mean right here the connection was there from that copy of me, and the kid has that Blessing from Amaterasu. Eeeh, screw it, good enough. You're so luck to have someone as accommodating as me, Master. You better treat me well when you do actually meet me."

It felt like someone was whining for a moment.

Then Shadow Tamamo no Mae appeared next to me, protecting me from the heat and shockwave of the dragon's blast with a magic barrier made from talismans flying around us, while also using the shockwave to fly us forward.

"D-D-Don't come closer!" Issei shouted as I traversed the distance towar him. "Ritsuka!" He shouted and raised his Sword of Light, pointing it at me.

"MORDRED!" I commanded.

Issei's eyes widened as he forgot about that last Fairy Tale Servant.

"CLARENT!" Mordred appear up above us, and dived down in a blaze and she brought her sword upon Issei's shining blade.

CRACK!

The fantasy blade broke against the Noble Phantasm.

An explosion erupted between them, blasting Mordred and Issei away from each other.

I made it to Issei's island and ran forward into the smoke, cause by their sword clash.

"Issei!" I shouted, grabbed my uniform top and threw it off.

"Ritsuka!" Issei shouted back, ready to fight me.

I lunged out of the smoke. I saw Issei with his arm pulled back hand ready into punch.

He saw me in my bra and froze.

The distraction and hesitation cost him.

I reach him before he could react...

"Hurgh!" He cried out, flinching. "Boobies?"

And hugged him.

Issei froze once more.

"Enough, Issei." I said, holding him against me. "Stop this, please. I have so few friends as it is. I don't even know how long we have left to live. So right now I don't want to lose anyone if I can help it. Even if they are friends in another world."

"No... no, no no." I felt him shake against me, and my chest getting wet with his tears. "You're suppose to hate me, be disgusted by me. Not, not..." Issei raise his arm, touching my arms, almost as if wanting to hug me, but afraid to touch me. "Please, don't be kind to me... or I'll start to believe you."

"Issei," I let go of him and kneeled to face him, eye to eye.

The world was quiet now. No earthquake, no rumbling, no enemies, no chaos.

"Finally, it's over." Mordred said to herslef.

"Hmm." Ddraig grunted.

I felt Mordred and Ddraig land behind us, but keep their distance to let us have our talk.

"I don't know your story, I don't know what your world is like, or what life you lived there. But I do know this, you're a lot stronger than you think." Before he could interrupt and reject what I'm saying I continued.

"I—"

"No coward would make were the primary enemy is the person they fear most and then continuously fight them over and over again." Issei's eyes widened at my words. "Yeah, I figured it out. The Dark Angels? Yeah, they're modeled after the evil bitch who tried to kill. Yet, even if I wasn't here, you'd have kept facing them."

"I would have fail if you were there." Issei said, looking down not meeting my eyes. He was just zoning out, then realized his line of sight was my breasts, and had an amazed look on his perverted face, before looking away.

"I don't know," I laughed. His perverted face was hilarious. "If Mordred represents your determination, I think you'd have managed it."

"Damn straight!" Mordred hollered.

"Shush." Ddraig dope slapped her, yet the force was too much and ended up with Mordred's face slammed in the ground.

"Ow!" Mordred let out a muffled cry.

"But most of all, after everything we've been through, because regardless of it being your subconscious, or you acting the role of a prince, badly mind you."

"Heh." He let out a weak chuckle.

"I still got to hang out with you, to know you, and see a little bit of the real you." I said. "If you were gone, I'd miss the chance to know more about you. And I'd miss you."

Issei met my eyes. His were wide and tears stream down his cheeks once more. But for the first time now, there weren't tears of sadness.

"You are... the worst girl I've ever met." Issei started wiping his eyes, to not meet my gaze. "Your boobs are above average, but don't cross the line to 'big'. They're a teasing disappointment."

"Oi! My boobs are awesome, thank you very much! Even my cinnamon roll kouhai got drawn in by them once!" I protested.

"You're the only girl that ever made me cry, while not being sad," he chuckled and continued. "And the only girl that kept believing insanely in me like this. I'll never meet anyone like you again." He said. "No... when this dream is over, I'll never meet you again." Tears began to drip down Issei's chin, while his eyes were hidden. "To have a friend like you, yet never see them again. You are, the most unfair girl in the world, Fujimaru Ritsuka."

"Yeah." I said with a solemn smile, feeling relief that this Event was over, yet happiness that Hyoudou Issei—my friend, the Pervy Fake Prince—was now better. "Sorry, I'm an idiot that can't help but care."

Issei laughed for a while, before letting out a sigh of relief. As if the wound in his heart finally finally stopped hurting.

Thus the adventure of the Land of (False) Titsania came to a close.

---

All things must end.

All meeting inherently have a "good bye" embedded in them.

After giving her his Holy Grail, Hyoudou Issei watched as Fujimaru Ritsuka waved him good bye, close her eyes and disappear in a motes of light.

With the grail gone, Fairy Tale Mordred dispersed too.

And Ddraig's body of Lancer Artoira Alter began to break into motes of magical energy.

"Ddriag."

"Yeah?"

"She's in danger, isn't she? Her world... the things that she has faced, they're gonna get much worst, won't they?"

"Someone managed to erase Human History there, no shit she's gonna face hell before she succeeds. Whoever managed that level of destruction would have some insane back-up plans, and she's have to face them all and overcome them to have a chance to win."

"...I have to help her."

"The life she's living now? Not a single person back in our world can understand or comprehend it. There's no equivalent experience to compare it to. Her world already ended, she's fighting against the tide."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying no matter what life we live back home, no matter how chaotic or turbulent, it still won't compare to hers. Are you sure you want to jump into that hell?"

"Yes."

"Heh. We'll it's a good thing I learned a thing or two from watch her summoning spell. I, as the Red Dragon, still have a connection to her world through her Servants. Might as well step in myself to show them how it's done."

"Wow, that's hell of an ego. Guess that's dragons for you."

"HA! Damn straight."

"Wait for me, Ritsuka. I'm coming to fight with you."

And thus a new light will shine the next time the Chaldea's FATE Summoning System is in use.

---

AN: Fucking. Finally. The end of the First Ritsuka Interlude. Holy shit this took a while. Enjoy. Regular chapter continuing soon-ish.

—

Duckwing Milla lines that didn't make it into the final cut:

"I AM THE DIARRHEA FROM A TACO BELL FOOD COMPETITION!"

"I AM THE WASABI YOUR FRIENDS DARED YOU TO SNORT!"

"I AM UNTOUCHED HOT LEATHER SEAT OF YOUR CAR IN A SUMMER NOON!"

"I AM THE LAST TIME A NEW MEME IS USED BY OLD PEOPLE BEFORE IT BECAME CRINGE TO THE YOUNG FOLK!"

"I AM THE DRINK YOU CHOKED ON FROM AN UNEXPECTED JOKE!"