Something Lost, Something Found

by Avenger013

This is a story of a new beginning and a growing bond...and it all started with a chin scratch. Advance Warning: There will be spoilers for Fairy Round Table Realm: Avalon Le Fae in this story. If you'd rather not be spoilt then refrain from reading.

11. Test Run: Part 3

Chapter 11: Test Run, Part 3

Hi everyone, author here. Just thought I'd update you all on the outcome of a little informal poll I ran in the comments.

I asked whether you all wanted to keep the chapters long or whether I should split them up into shorter chapters for quicker reading.

The voting's long since stopped and the results are in.

Ultimately, keeping chapters long won out by a couple of votes, since people seem to like binge reading the longer chapters all in one go. There were also a few comments asking that the "Interlude" chapters be kept short, so I came up with a sort of compromise.

I'll keep the "Main Story" chapters long, while the "Interlude" chapters will be shorter. Hopefully everyone's okay with that.

Now that that's over, thanks for your patience in waiting for this to come out.

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: (Better late than never) I don't own any characters or settings in this work. They're all property of Type-MOON.

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Morgan jolted upright, eyes flying open.

Breath came shakily and quickly as the Berserker reached up to tap at her forehead, feeling a damp sheen covering her skin.

I…I cannot recall the last time I've sweat.

Well, in her defence, how could she not be sweating, after what had just happened?

She'd just encountered two beings the likes of which she'd never seen before. Had never even dreamed of encountering before. Creatures so far beyond anything she'd ever experienced that she was getting the shivers just thinking about that confrontation.

She remembered her first time learning about the Beasts of Humanity, the seven great evils of the world, born from the sins of mankind and, fuelled by a twisted sense of love, destined to try and destroy it.

She'd obviously found the concept more than a little disturbing once it was explained to her, especially since the closest comparison she'd been able to draw, especially when it came to the Second Beast, was to Cernunnos' situation. A protective, forgiving and caring deity turned against the beings they'd once loved by betrayal and butchery.

She remembered how thankful she'd been, at least in part, once she'd realised that Cernunnos had just been a mindless corpse by the time he'd become a threat. From what she'd been told by Chaldea of their struggle against the Beast God, it had taken a nigh-colossal effort to put even that horror to rest.

She'd already been nervous at the prospect of battling an undead abomination of a God. The prospect of having to fight a still-living Cernunnos…

Suffice to say, that particular worry had persisted for far longer than she'd hoped and resulted in one of her first restless nights at Chaldea. But still, that worry was now a meagre trifle in comparison to the dread she felt right now, in the aftermath of that horrifying encounter.

Of course, I'd always suspected that there were dimensions that ran parallel to our own. That life existed outside of the reality I was so familiar with. The Reverse Side Of The World and the land of Avalon are proof enough of that, really.

I suppose it was a little naive in hindsight, to expect that all otherworldly beings would be of roughly the same strength scale as our world's. But still, even though it was my first contact with such creatures, I've never sensed such power…much less been rendered helpless by it.

A small part of her suspected that Apep could, if she so chose and with enough effort, live up to her word and grant Morgan, or indeed others, the power to fulfil their desires in a heartbeat. But given who she'd shown herself to be when the chips were down…there was no way that was going to happen, was there?

Her words were false. Her promises were empty. Just lies upon lies to mislead her victims into taking until it was too late. Until they'd already been trapped by one of her deals.

And she'd fallen for it, hadn't she?

Why hadn't I been more suspicious? What sort of "simple refugee" decides to play around with illusions before introducing themselves and offering an accord? Even if she did want to give me a "taste" of her power and ability, why not do so AFTER introducing herself?

Why didn't I see that visual distortion for what it was!? No trick of the light persists for that long!

That offer of hers really had been too good to be true, in the end.

Thank goodness she'd realised that before it was truly too late.

…well, not truly too late. I've merely exchanged one overlord for another…at least he's let me keep my freedom.

All that's left to do is wait for my vessel to contact me…whomever that may be.

And, I suppose, wait for everyone else to return.

Actually, where ARE they all?

Blinking and rubbing at her eyes to wipe away the residual moisture, her heart rate finally calming down, Morgan began looking around and inspecting her surroundings.

…she didn't recognise any of where she was. Actually, was she on a bed right now?

The softness beneath her certainly felt like a mattress…and now that she checked properly, yes, this was a bed she was lying on. It was no match for the one she'd owned in Camelot, yes, but it was certainly sufficient.

Looking around, she saw that she seemed to be in an entire building full of beds. If the implanted memories from her summoning served, this was…one of those stores that sold pre-built beds, wasn't it?

When did I get here? I suppose my fellow Servants must have brought me here…but where are they now? And where is Master?

She needed to warn him and Chaldea what might be coming…who might be coming.

I can't be sure at this precise moment, but…

"Kill this form, it won't mean anything. My ritual is too far along to be stopped now."

And then there'd been that strange cultist who'd been able to summon that monstrosity to the battlefield. The 'priest' who'd kept prattling on about the "Great One" being at their backs.

If there is even a chance that there's a relation between them, then we can't afford to hesitate.

She hadn't when it had come to Cernunnos, after all, and from both the personal experience she'd just escaped from and word of mouth these Outer Gods were a far more terrifying threat than his corpse could ever be…perhaps greater even than Cernunnos in his lifetime could be.

Sitting up properly and pushing herself off the bed, Morgan's gaze was drawn by a bright flash from beneath her feet. Looking down, she noticed the fading silhouettes of several Runes that had been placed around the bed she'd been laying on.

Though a quick glance was all she could manage before they vanished, Morgan identified at least two protection Runes and one observation Rune. Someone had been watching out for her during her slumber, it seemed, most likely one of her fellow Chaldeans.

Blinking and turning around, Morgan summoned her staff and began making her way out of the store. This was most likely safe ground, but one could never be too careful.

I'll need to find one of them. Someone. Even that disgusting bug will do right now.

She blew out a sharp breath, her mood taking a downturn at her remembrance of the Pretender.

You worthless, filthy maggot! It's YOUR fault I had to suffer through that nightmare! When I get my hands on you, there'll be nothing left but mulch!

…then again, if you hadn't put me to sleep I never would have encountered Apep, and right now, most likely, we would be stumbling blind into a threat we aren't prepared to take on.

Still, that was the very definition of a "happy" accident. Had you done that at any OTHER time…

Perhaps just a maiming. Yes, a small maiming. And I will ask Master to punish you in some way, he will surely understand that what you did was far beyond acceptable.

But that is for later, for now-

Finally reaching the entrance to the clothing store, Morgan stepped outside…

And found herself in the middle of a veritable maze of similar shops.

They were everywhere!

Shops offering shoes. Shops offering books. Shops with furniture. Shops with savoury food. Shops with sweet food. Dedicated restaurants every 10 shops or so…and that was just what she could see from right where she was!

It was like nothing Morgan had ever seen before! Not even her 'other self' had stepped foot in a place like this, if the transplanted memories she had were truly as up-to-date as they could be.

D-did they have some sort of contest to see how many shops could be packed into a certain area, or something? Does humanity truly need this many in one place?

Hold on, my summoning granted me memories of the modern day, yes? Let me think back…

So this is supposed to be a "shopping centre" is it? Fascinating. All these products, supplies and services, all in one place. I can see why it's so large.

Assuming a member of the expedition team IS still in here, it will take me quite some time to search every store. If only I had some manner of-

Ah.

Sighing to herself and rubbing her eyes, Morgan manifested her Runes and activated a mana tracing spell.

Even with what just happened, that's no excuse for being so forgetful.

Flipping and poking at the runes in her hand to narrow down the type of magic she wanted to trace, the ex-Lostbelt Ruler deliberated for a moment before settling on divine-type magic.

After all, why leave her here unless this was a temporary base of some variety? And who better to leave behind to fortify a potential base than a Divine Spirit with command over ice and Primordial Runes?

Almost instantly, a bright flash from the detection Rune, coinciding with a similar flash from outside the building itself, signalled that there was a Bounded Field present. Fiddling with the Rune to ignore the field, Morgan set it to follow the smaller 'signal' it was picking up and began walking.

Following the trace of magic her Rune was picking up, Morgan made her way up the nearest staircase and began walking down the hallway, past the rows upon rows of shops…which all seemed strangely deserted.

I would have expected to see a few more Shinjuku citizens hiding away here, especially if the other Servants and Master have designated this place a temporary base and fortified it against attack. Not to mention we were protecting that crowd of citizens from being sacrificed when I fell unconscious.

So where is everyone?

Hopefully she'd find answers with Skadi. Or Sitonai. Whomever it was she was picking up.

After a minute or two of walking, and of the magical trace Rune in her hand glowing brighter and brighter, Morgan finally stumbled upon her.

Skadi was sitting alone at a table, in the middle of what Morgan realised was a 'food court' from all the restaurants and cafes jammed into one place, with a large filled plate in front of her and several boxes surrounding her feet, all of them half-immersed in thick crystals of purple ice.

What was she…? Was that ice cream?

Meanwhile, about two dozen or so of the surrounding tables had used cutlery and empty plates and bowls littering them, while there were faint residual cooking smells wafting over from a nearby restaurant's kitchen.

Did my allies perhaps have a meal while I was unconscious? But there are so many plates and bowls here…perhaps they worked up quite the appetite?

Regardless, she kept on moving closer, hoping for some answers…and perhaps some of that sweet treat to help calm her own lingering nerves. It did smell good, even from here.

"Ah, you're here already, Lady Morgan." Morgan flinched, just a little, at Skadi speaking up so suddenly, the Caster turning to look at her with a friendly smile as she pulled out a nearby seat. "Please, sit if you wish."

"Thank you." Recovering quickly, Morgan slid into the seat and dematerialized her staff. "I take it you were the one behind the runes I saw by my bedside?"

"Yes, I couldn't just leave you unguarded while I was fortifying the entrances to this little impromptu stronghold of ours. With how…fanatical these cult members have shown themselves to be, I wouldn't put it past some of them to try and sneak in and attack you while you were helpless, even with my protections in place."

"Well, my thanks for that once again. Is there no one else here with you to help secure this place?"

Shadi chuckled softly, spooning some more ice cream into her mouth.

"Master worried about that too, but I assured him that he could leave the security of our ad-hoc stronghold all to me. I thought the others were better off elsewhere than hanging around here watching me work."

"Right…so where are they all, then?" Morgan asked.

"Most of the team, Master included, opted to escort the civilians we rescued to safety. We initially wanted to keep them safe here until the Singularity was resolved, but after we were harassed and attacked by cultist patrols all the way here, Master, Emperor Napoleon and Lord Sigurd suggested that the civilians be taken to more permanent safety. Them staying with us would just put them in more danger, is what they said.

"Fortunately, a little Rune scrying and scouting uncovered military checkpoints a few miles outside the Singularity, it seems the local human defenders have been responding to the chaos within Shinjuku, so it was decided that we should take the civilians outside the city limits and do our best to direct them within range of the military's blockade."

"And what if the cult decides to pursue them? They seemed very intent on reclaiming the civilians for their ritual." Morgan pointed out.

"From what we've observed, they seem to be limiting themselves to the city limits, especially since the military checkpoints have proven quite capable at killing even their Demonic Beasts and wyverns. We have faith that the human defenders will be able to protect the civilians in our stead."

"I see. So where is everyone else right now?" Morgan asked, indicating the empty space.

"The Valkyrie sisters and your knight Melusine were sent off to scout for the cult's main stronghold. It was decided that since they can all fly one way or another they could cover more ground and remain out of sight better than Servants scouting on foot. Everyone else, as I said, went with the civilian refugees, while I remained behind to fortify our stronghold in the meantime." Skadi explained.

"I see…and what about those?" Morgan gestured to the various plates, bowls and pieces of cutlery littering the other tables. "Did you all get hungry while I was unconscious?"

"The citizens were rather upset and stressed, quite understandably so, so Master decided that they needed a chance to rest and eat if they wanted to. He thought it would calm their nerves, and we didn't see the harm in allowing it."

"All right."

"Speaking of hunger, would you care for something to eat?" Skadi asked, pushing what Morgan recognised as an 'ice lolly' towards her. "You weren't asleep for too long, but still…besides, there's not too much else to do right now until the others return."

"Well I won't turn down a dessert, but I would prefer something warmer, if you have anything of that sort."

"A-ah, of course, there should be some still left over." Skadi said, indicating the pile beside her seat.

Morgan didn't miss the slight wobble in her voice as she spoke, but got up and began rooting around in the stored boxes and packets anyway. Most of them were just more ice lollies and ice cream cones, with a half-open box of vanilla ice cream sitting at the very top.

Well, I suppose that explains the bowl. Morgan mused, eyeing the Caster's food of choice as she took another spoonful.

After another half-minute of searching, Morgan managed to fish out a slightly scuffed container with a reasonably intact dessert called "apple pie", along with a carton of something called "custard". She'd never tried them before when Chaldea's cafeteria had provided them, and they'd certainly never been available anywhere in Fairy Britain, but the Servants that had sampled Chaldea's variation of the dessert had seemed to enjoy it.

I suppose there's no harm in giving it a go, is there? It isn't as if Heroic Spirits need to worry about cavities…right?

Taking one of the spare, still-clean bowls from the nearby countertop, along with a spoon, Morgan brought her chosen treats back to Skadi's table and set them down. Unboxing the apple pie and sliding it into the bowl, while leaving the custard inside the carton for the moment, Morgan summoned some heat Runes underneath both of them.

She didn't want to eat a still-frozen dessert after all, and most of the Servants who'd had it back in Chaldea had opted to have their custard at least warm, if not outright piping hot. She'd just stick with it warm for now.

Out of the corner of her eye, Morgan noticed Skadi giving them an odd look for a second or two.

With her near-unparalleled Runecraft expertise, it only took mere moments for the apple pie to be thawed and the custard heated to the perfect temperatures. Pouring the custard over the other dessert, Morgan daintily chopped off a small piece with her spoon and took a tentative bite.

Mmmm…how interesting.

What a surprisingly tasty blend of flavours.

Her next bites were more enthused, a satisfied sigh slipping through the Berserker's lips as she tucked into her treat in earnest.

I should definitely try the cafeteria's offering next time it's available, what a lovely combination…..mmm?

Her treat had started cooling already.

Well, that's no bother, just a quick heat Rune and-

Ah.

Skadi's gaze had shifted to her again, just for a moment, as she'd manifested the Rune.

Does she perhaps have a problem with-?

…hmmm, I see.

Thinking back, Morgan recalled the Caster's earlier behaviour during their initial probing of the Singularity. She'd definitely been on edge around all those burning wrecks, hadn't she? Something to do with bad memories of her Lostbelt, if she recalled right.

Perhaps…that might be a point of contact for us?

After all, I have told Baobhan Sith that more friends will be good for her, and I'm sure that Master won't mind more of his Servants getting along well.

"Are you perhaps…thinking back to the events of your Lostbelt?" She asked.

Skadi's gaze shifted to her for a few moments, before looking down to her dessert with a sad smile and sigh.

"Forgive me, lady Morgan. It's…I try not to think back on it too much, but sometimes…sometimes my surroundings are just-"

"Similar enough that you begin to remember?" Morgan commented, offering what she hoped was a sympathetic smile.

Skadi looked up in surprise, before her expression shifted to understanding.

"...has it happened to you often, then?"

"As long as I avoid…certain subjects, then my days are fairly uneventful. As long as I am sufficiently worn down, my nights are much the same. I have Baobhan Sith and Emperor Ivan to thank for that." Morgan admitted, scooping another spoonful of apple pie into her mouth. "I would ask about you, but I believe I already know what it is that upsets you."

"You and everyone else on this Rayshift." Skadi mumbled, the corners of her mouth turned down as the Caster slumped in her seat.

"Even with all their encouragement…I should still be past this already. The others have moved on just fine, after all. It-...a Goddess shouldn't be bothered about this sort of thing. It's all done with, anyway."

"And yet it still does, doesn't it?" Morgan gave a knowing look.

Skadi said nothing, simply taking a slow spoonful of ice cream.

"But I don't think that's wrong to not have moved on yet, or a sign of weakness. As a…a new friend of mine told me, what matters is that you can deal with your issues in a healthy way, still having them is perfectly understandable, especially after what I can infer happened to you."

"You…is that so?" Skadi asked softly, now gazing curiously at her fellow ex-Lostbelt Ruler.

"Yes. That way of thinking certainly helped me, and I think it can help you too."

Skadi hummed contemplatively, circling her spoon around the edge of her bowl as she thought.

Mmmmm, perhaps I should try to go a step further?

"A-and, if you think it would help, perhaps you would like to…talk about what happened? Again, it helped me a great deal. We could even…share stories, if that would be more comfortable for you?" Morgan suggested, somewhat apprehensively.

This was, after all, rather outside her areas of experience to be offering up her own tale unprompted like this.

The Caster blew out a soft breath, twirled her spoon around for a few moments before setting it and her bowl aside. Lacing her fingers on the table, she stared at Morgan searchingly before speaking up.

"Well, if you're offering, then perhaps…perhaps it is time to be a little more open." She mumbled, almost to herself.

"So, what should we talk about first?"

"I think, in this case, perhaps it would be best to start at the end. To start with the ends of our worlds…if that would be fine with you?" Skadi asked.

"...well, we would have had to come to it at some point, I suppose." Morgan conceded. "So, who will go first?"

"If it isn't too much trouble, would you mind?"

"All right then, just…give me a moment."

"Of course." Reaching for her bowl again, Skadi began tucking into her ice cream as Morgan collected herself.

All right, what to begin with?

Images of claws and fists bearing down on her…memories of pain scourging her body…

"Kill her! Kill the tyrant!"

"We'll finally be free!"

Her whole body tensed up while her fists clenched tight, veins popping out in her neck and across her forehead as her teeth began to grind.

Those selfish, traitorous, suicidally stupid SC-

…calm down. Calm down.

It took a few moments of careful breathing for her blood to stop boiling in her veins and her muscles to unclench. Skadi, for her part, waited patiently for her fellow to calm down.

Best to begin with that, then. Get it out of the way.

Yes. That sounds best.

"I suppose I should start with my death." She said.

"...how did it happen?" Skadi asked, quietly.

…

"I was betrayed. Betrayed by my court. By my own people."

Even after calming herself, bitterness and bile still seeped into her voice. Even the apple pie and custard tasted sickening in her mouth when she took her next bite, which had her pushing it aside, her face scrunching up in distaste at the soured flavour.

"It did not matter the path I took. Whether I was a peaceful uniter or a wrathful tyrant, it ended the same way…with my supporters dying at the hands of my world's citizens. With everything I'd tried to build brought to ruin.

"Acting as a tyrant helped my world last, far longer than it had ever done when I arrived as a saviour. But in the end, they still rebelled against me. They still ruined everything I'd tried to accomplish…all of my efforts to try and ensure the world survived.

"All because they didn't want to be ruled. Because they valued their freedom above all else…even their very lives."

Across the table, Skadi's expression had already morphed into one of shock and disbelief.

"I see from your reaction that you didn't have to deal with those sorts of subjects in your world, mmm?" Morgan raised an eyebrow, already feeling a sense of tiredness washing over her at thinking back on her past.

To her surprise, though, Skadi shook her head.

"I…well, as a matter of fact, there were…the Jotunn in my Lostbelt. As long as he still existed, I could not pacify them without the masks. I…I suppose you can say that I too had to…for my world to continue on. I tried to find another way, I tried so hard. But in the end, it was necessary." She mumbled, shame blossoming on her face.

I see. If they needed to be pacified like the Fae did, then perhaps…

"Might I assume the masks were not the only method needed to keep your Lostbelt stable?" She asked.

Skadi visibly winced to herself, reaching up with one hand to wipe at her eyes as she did. Morgan cursed inwardly, feeling that she might have touched too sensitive a nerve.

"My apologies, I did not mean to- '' Morgan started to apologise, only for Skadi to gently hold up her other hand.

"No. No. You're…I'm afraid you're quite right. Even with the masks, the Jotunn were still aggressive. In the end, all I could do to calm them was…feeding them humans. At the appointed times, anyone over the age of 25 was to be rounded up by the Valkyries and fed to them…15, if they hadn't managed to produce children yet."

…so her 'Jotunn' needed a steady supply of humans to keep them calm? They are starting to sound more and more like the Fae by the minute. And 15? Awfully young to be sacrificing them like that.

"It was all his doing. The Jotunn's aggression. The flames that scorched half the land. The lack of resources…it was all his doing." Skadi tensed up, clutching the spoon in her hand tight enough that it began to war, her breath coming in hot puffs.

"Whose doing was it?" Morgan asked.

"Surtr's." Skadi practically spat the name out, with far more audible anger than Morgan had ever heard her muster. "All of it was his doing."

"He diverted your Lostbelt from the original history, then?"

"Yes. He was originally supposed to burn away the Norse Age of Gods, to purge the World Texture and move our land into the Age of Man, but he…grew dissatisfied with his role.

"Originally, he was supposed to die by the time Ragnarok was over. After all, his purpose was over, so there would be no need for him to continue living…and he decided that, if his only reward for all his effort was death, then why should he go along with what destiny had in mind for him?

"Why should he fight to fulfil his purpose and create a new world, a world without Gods, when he wouldn't be able to live in that world afterwards? Why not…why not burn down everything instead, and rule over the ashes?" Skadi explained, throwing away her now-broken spoon and lacing her fingers together in front of her, the knuckles turning white from how hard she was clenching them.

This sounds a little too familiar. Maybe…

"I…I can relate." Morgan spoke up, softly. "After all, I did the same thing."

"Oh?"

"In my world, I was…chosen. Created, in fact, to atone for the sins of the original founders of my world's new Britain. To succeed in the task that they chose to put off until it was too late, and forge the Holy Sword the planet needed to protect itself. That was my task…and it would have cost me everything.

"My memories. My experiences. My feelings. My…my life. All of it would be used as fuel for the Holy Sword in the end. That was to be my fate after my journey was done. All of my efforts and my sacrifices to reach that end, just to be fuel for a weapon. What sort of destiny is that?

"So I thought to myself, would it really be so bad to ignore my duty? To try and find a different path? To try and make everyone as happy as I was as a child? Would that really be such a bad thing? To usher in an era of peace over the end that was waiting for us?"

Looking down, Morgan clenched her hands into fists, blowing out a hot breath as her body shook.

"What a fool I was, for holding onto that childish fantasy. Even after they…"

Skadi took a moment to process what she'd just been told.

"How many times did you try?"

"Three times. Just three. I tried to be nice…but Faeries just don't understand kindness, you see. It doesn't matter how much you've done for them, how much you've sacrificed for them. It doesn't matter just how much you've broken and bled yourself dry protecting them from Calamities. Giving them safety and direction. The moment you're even the slightest inconvenience, it's time for you to just disappear.

"The moment you try to impose any sort of structure and order onto their chaos, they rebel. They lash out. They don't like being ruled, you see. They despise having to follow order, despise being told to care about problems they don't see as their own, loathe being made to care by a proper superior. It doesn't matter if lack of that leadership and order drives them to extinction, they just. Don't. Care.

"Being a tyrant just delayed the inevitable, in the end…but at least I was ready for the scum when they finally took up arms and marched on Camelot. At least I could have won if not for that worm stooping so low as to-!"

She managed to choke down her boiling anger just enough to hit the table gently with her palm, rather than full force smash it with her first.

"I should have seen the side effects sooner. I should have put a stop to Baobhan Sith's studies with that wretch. Should have banned her from practising that filthy Witch magic. That worm would never have gotten to her otherwise." She muttered under her breath, her voice a very low hiss.

Skadi, who had been listening silently, let out a heavy sigh and gave a sympathetic smile.

"I take it you too had a lot of opposition?"

"Oh yes. I most certainly did. The people were against me. The outsiders were against me. The very land beneath my feet was against me. Destiny and fate itself turned on me by the end, but I still kept going…still kept trying. And I was so close, so very close to…, everything was in place…everything was finally prepared, but those selfish worms just wouldn't leave well enough alone.

"Even at the end, with enemies on all sides and another Great Calamity on the rise, I could have won. I could have beaten them all back, until that spineless Earth Clan runt barged into the throne room with…with the one thing I valued more than my throne as a bargaining chip.

"Just like that, it was over. Two-thousands plus years of preparation and planning, resolved to that…and I'd do it again, if need be."

Her vision misting up again, Morgan paused to swallow the lump in her throat and blink back the few tears that threatened to break loose.

"I never realised your world was quite so hostile to you…even I had my Valkyries, and Lord Odin's blessings, to aid me." Skadi mumbled, looking lost in thought herself.

"I had aid of my own, plenty of it in fact. I had Grimm's teachings. I had the memories and experience of my Panhuman History self. I even had my Fae Knights and armies…it's just that none of it was enough to stave off the inevitable. None of it could match our land's overwhelming desire for self-destruction via the Calamities."

"Grimm? Could that be-?" Skadi whispered, just barely loud enough for Morgan to hear. Before she could question her fellow ruler, though, the Caster spoke up again.

"Your talk of inevitability, of fate, that too reminds me of the King of Muspelheim…his return, in hindsight, seemed just as certain."

"How so?"

Skadi's eyes were glassy and unfocused as she answered.

"He was…all but unstoppable during Ragnarok. Having consumed the great wolf Fenrir and absorbed his power, the entire Norse Pantheon was no match for him. The only reason my world survived was by the valour of Lord Odin giving his life to seal Surtr away…but the prison was far from perfect.

"Even without his body, his rage and destructive desires still scourged the land, inciting my Jotunn to madness. His flames kept burning, trying to scorch the world, and it was only my snow that held them at bay.

"Every year, his seal weakened. Even with all the power I devoted to reinforcing it, his prison still degraded. Sooner or later, he would have broken free…especially when he latched on to that poor girl like a parasite."

This is sounding far too much like the Beast God and his curses upon the Fae for my liking. To think our worlds could be so similar…

"Girl? One of your Lostbelt residents?"

The Caster's eyes misted over as she swallowed hard, suddenly finding her throat rather clogged.

This is definitely a sore spot for her, isn't it? Well, perhaps it will do her good to finally talk about it.

"We don't have to talk about her, if you don't feel up to it…but I think it would help. Finally getting a chance to talk was very helpful for me." Morgan offered, flashing as sympathetic a smile as she could muster.

"No, no, it's…this was going to come up eventually, and I-, I just-"

You were prepared, but didn't know how to bring it up, mayhaps?

"There's been a part of you that wants to talk about her?"

"...yes. Master, Sigurd, Brynhild and Mashu were there at the end, and they know quite a bit of it, but…I would like to tell at least some more of her story." Skadi admitted.

"I think…consider it my way of commemorating her."

"I see. Well then, tell me about her. Take your time, should you need it."

Taking a couple of fortifying breaths, Skadi waited for a moment before she spoke again.

"Her name was Ophelia, and she was the Crypter assigned to my Lostbelt.

"I could tell that she was carrying around a great burden from the moment we met…and I could see in her eyes that the poor child was horribly deprived in her old life, deprived of affection and care…only having expectations to look up to. She was so hesitant and unsure, so afraid to commit her heart fully to anything. Especially when it came to love, pining after that leader of hers from afar…

"That eye of hers, it caused so many problems for her. A Jewel Eye, it was, 'given' to her oh-so kindly by her family's experiments. It let her manipulate probability to her favour, but because it showed her so many possibilities to choose from, she had such a hard time choosing anything. She never did anything on the Sundays I saw her, and she said the same of her days in Proper Human History, simply because she wasn't expected to do anything."

If I could have had an eye like that, instead of my Fae Eyes…the things I could have accomplished…

"I tried to help her, I honestly tried. She was not of my world…but she was my child, one that needed me far more than most. With my power and knowledge, I was certain that I could relieve her burdens. That I could help her finally find the love she was looking for. I was even willing to support a union with that loud French Emperor. Despite his eccentricities, he would have treated her well, no doubt.

"She was so elated to get the chance to summon a Servant to help her, especially if it happened to be the Norse idol she admired. She told me she'd grown to want to meet Sigurd. Naturally, I offered my expertise to ensure she could summon the Great Hero."

Skadi smiled briefly, before her expression collapsed into an almost crushed frown.

"And that was when the wretched giant made his move."

Skadi's expression soured, her brows drawing together and her hands gripping the edge of the table very tightly indeed. Morgan was only half-surprised to hear a low screeching noise as the metal bent and buckled under the Divine Spirit's strength.

"He had already forged a connection to dear Ophelia, after she'd offered sympathy to him and before I could ward her against his influence. Wormed his way into her mind and whispered in her ear, before stealing the place of her Servant at the moment he was summoned.

"I could barely stand to watch Surtr parade about in the dragon slayer's form, staying so close to Ophelia all the time…acting out his sick obsession with her. But I couldn't kill him, not without risking the seal on his prison before I was ready to take him on…though thinking back on it now, perhaps I would have been better off releasing him ahead of time.

"Yes. I should have been better prepared, should have been ready to fight the moment he emerged…before he could fully restore his powers, before maintaining his prison bled me near dry of my power. I should…should have…"

Though the Caster had lowered her head towards the table to try and hide her eyes, the telltale pitter patter of her tears hitting the metal still reached Morgan's ears.

"I sh-...should have…"

As did her choked up sobs.

"I'm sorry, dear child, so sorry…you shouldn't have needed to die to mend my mistake."

Morgan waited patiently for Skadi to try and compose herself, listening to the steady stream of self-deprecation and apologies.

I've certainly been down that path before, as well. The benefit of hindsight brings so many new possibilities, doesn't it?

"M-my apologies." Skadi mumbled, finally recovering enough composure to dry her eyes and address her companion, though her eyes were still visibly red. "To lose my composure like this…it's not fitting for a Goddess."

"Perhaps not, but I think it's an understandable reaction indeed for a ruler who lost their kingdom and their people." Morgan said.

"As a friend of mine once told me, it's alright to be sad, it's even alright to be angry, as long as those feelings are dealt with in a healthy and positive manner. Should you need to cry on a shoulder, then find someone you trust and let the tears fall. Should you need to vent any fury, the simulator is there for you to let your anger free.

"And should you ever need someone to talk to, well…I see that you and I are more alike than I thought, so…perhaps we could…confide in one another, if need be?"

Skadi looked surprised at her fellow ex-ruler's words, considering them for a few moments with an intrigued and pensive hum. Finally, she looked up and smiled slightly.

"Yes. I think that would be quite nice to talk to someone who understands…though perhaps I should confess this now, I am a little envious of you."

"Of me? How so?"

"That daughter of yours, Baobhan Sith, is here in Chaldea with you, isn't she? You're free to dote on or discipline her as you please, and keep your relationship strong…but where are my children?"

The sparkle in her eyes dimmed once more.

"I couldn't save them, and now I have nothing left except my memories. Even sweet Ophelia…with all of the healing Runes I had at my disposal, all I could do was buy her a few moments to say goodbye.

"You'd best look after your own daughter, while you have the chance...the chance that was denied to me."

"Believe me, I am not wasting this opportunity. Though I…I certainly have quite a long way to go to become the kind of parent I believe Baobhan Sith needs, I do intend to try and make her stay here the most pleasant I can…and make up for all that lost time." Morgan insisted.

"Good. There are too many subpar parents in this world already…poor Ophelia's simply treated her like a tool to advance their family's magic, and a receptacle for their expectations." Skadi muttered, clenching her fists bitterly.

I'd suspected that she was dead already, otherwise I surely would have run into her or heard her spoken about around Chaldea by now, either as a prisoner of war or a turned ally, but how did she…?

Off of Morgan's questioning look, Skadi sighed lightly.

"She had to sever her connection to Surtr to weaken him enough for us to kill him, which meant destroying her Mystic Eye and crippling her Magic Circuits. It was what he was using to manifest, after all. Then she sealed her fate further by empowering Sigurd with that Sirius Light of hers, to make sure he could last enough to help defeat the giant. There was no saving her after that…no matter how hard I tried."

"I see. Then, if this 'Surtr' was dealt with before your Lostbelt ended…I assume it was Chaldea that felled you?" Morgan asked.

"...I could have stopped them. I really could have. Even with all the extra energy I'd spent, healing the damage from Surtr's rampage, I still had my Runes…still had the Death Rune. But I-...I just-" Skadi mumbled, eyes downcast and staring at nothing.

You couldn't help but love them as well, is that right?

"You cared too much, didn't you?"

"The Jotunn needed to be pacified, and what resources there were could only sustain so many young ones, but…I was left with all that blood on my hands because of it. I…I didn't want any more. Even if they were supposed to be my enemies, it…" Skadi swallowed hard, searching for words.

"It's a part of your nature you just can't part with. A line that you won't cross. A sacrifice that you can't bring yourself to make, no matter how necessary you tell yourself it is."

"You speak like you have experience in this field."

It was Morgan's turn to cast her gaze downward, eyes glossing over as she thought back.

"...I knew, in my heart, that that backstabbing scum would never honour his word. Baobhan Sith's injuries…they were so severe already. Stepping down wouldn't save her, it wouldn't protect me, and it would render everything I'd accomplished utterly worthless. There was no reason to do what he said, none at all, especially when I could have crushed him and his rabble perfectly easily otherwise. But-"

"She is your child, and what is there of themselves that a good parent wouldn't sacrifice for their child's sake?"

Morgan merely nodded slowly to herself.

I am sorry to have neglected you so much, Baobhan Sith. But now, I will have more time for you…you don't have to be what that wretched world needed you to be any longer.

Skadi chuckled sadly.

"Strange, even though I valued my people and you didn't…we made exactly the same mistake in the end, you and I." She muttered.

"Oh?"

"We both allowed ourselves to love, perhaps a little too much, didn't we?"

A melancholic smile flitted across Morgan's face.

"...yes, I suppose we did."

"And we'd do it again."

"I would indeed."

Both lapsed into silence, taking the opportunity to take back their previously-abandoned desserts and tuck into them again. They tasted…much better than they had before.

"Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to take him up on that offer after all."

Skadi's low musing had been meant only as food for her own thought, but Morgan overheard it and decided to speak up again.

"Whose offer?"

Skadi jumped a little in surprise at being overheard, before recomposing herself.

"A-ah, I meant that Emperor, Napoleon. He…well, he's made a few offers of a friendly ear for me to talk to, after he noticed me…lost in thought, so to speak."

"And you've not taken him up on it before now, then?"

"No. In fact, I made efforts to avoid him. H-he…I know that he means well, and he is a very kind human, but I-...sometimes, merely looking at him just brings the memories back. Especially when it comes to dear Ophelia."

"And why is that?" Morgan asked, curious.

"He told me, after we were both summoned, why he'd shown up in my Lostbelt. It was to answer Ophelia's prayer for help. He was there to try and save her…and possibly to try and woo her as well, if his behaviour towards her was any indication.

"I…I must confess, I felt a little insulted. I was doing almost everything I could to help her before, and even towards the end, I felt I was prepared enough to protect her from Surtr and his manipulations. To realise that, despite all of that, Ophelia still felt the need to cry out for help…and to have that man answer her prayers and do as much as he did to help her-"

"It was a blow to your pride?" Morgan guessed.

Skadi nodded, fresh tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"It was such a selfish thing to think, I know, and it was just a small part of me that thought that way…but it was still what I thought! A part of me was still putting my personal pride and honour ahead of the wellbeing of my dear child…and every time I look at him, I can't help but remember that! Remember my moment of weakness. Even if it was only in hindsight…it's still so shameful.

"And I…I know he did it to help her, but still…because he was the one who convinced her to rebel against Surtr's control, and that led to h-...there's a part of me that just…just wanted someone else to blame, not only Surtr."

"And you cast it on him, did you?"

"Yes. But perhaps…perhaps I've carried this grudge around for too long."

If only my own grudges, and the slights behind them, were so easy to forgive, how lucky you are…

"If you're prepared, and you believe it is for the best to help you move on, then I say you bury the hatchet with him." Morgan advised.

"...yes, I'll certainly consider it."

With that, the two continued eating in silence, their shoulders feeling a good deal lighter than before.

---

About a half hour or so later, the flash of a Rune on Morgan's left arm told them that they had a perimeter breach.

She was glad she'd taken the time earlier to place some Bounded Fields of her own outside of Skadi's protections, just to give them a bit more of an advance warning in case the cultists showed back up with their beasts.

Skadi had offered to come with her, concerned that her fellow Lostbelt ruler wasn't quite recovered yet from the sluggishness of her slumber, but Morgan had waved her off as politely as possible, both insisting that she was recovered enough to handle a small walk and (potentially) a bit of combat and assuring Skadi that she could use the exercise anyway, best to stretch her legs a little bit after being immobile for so long.

And so she walked, making her way to the entrance the magical signature was to enter through. Fortunately, there was only one of them, so there would be no problem for her if it actually did come to a fight. These cultists hadn't been able to stand up to her before, why should they be able to now?

But then again…

If Apep truly is behind this cult, and the ritual really is as close to completion as she says, then perhaps this one cultist is all she believes necessary to eliminate a threat to her plan?

The thought sent shivers up her spine, with Morgan blowing out a shaky breath through her nose.

No. No. If she were able to influence our world already, my allies and I would surely have encountered cultists blessed by her…or been subject to her powers ourselves.

Still, it was a prospect she could not discount.

Well, she'd stay on guard anyways and keep her best spells and curses at the ready. It was the best she could do under the circumstances.

They're very close now, I can sense them.

Hold on, isn't this magical signature too potent to be a human of any sort? In fact, it feels more like a-

So engrossed was she in her thoughts that, when she rounded a corner and saw an object barrelling straight for her, she didn't manage to move aside in time or activate her barriers before it crashed headlong into her.

The air was knocked from her lungs and pain erupted in her chest as Morgan was sent sprawling, with a loud clatter and a high-pitched yelp of surprise coming from the other person.

"Ack!"

"Gyah!"

Pushing herself up, Morgan levelled her spear in the interloper's direction, preparing an additional barrage of curses with her free hand.

"Stop where you are. Identify your-" She began, intending to force their surrender and interrogate them. After all, they'd need to assault the cult's HQ at some point, better to get as much information as possible as to the defences they'd need to deal with.

Only to stop once she realised just who it was she'd bumped into.

"Ow…" Habetrot mumbled, rubbing at her head and looking over her fallen zeppelin.

"Habetrot?"

Jumping at the sound of her name, the Rider wheeled around to face her fellow Servant. As soon as she saw who it was she'd bumped into, her face lit up.

"Nyah, you're up! You're up!"

Before Morgan could stop her, Habetrot jumped up to hug her on the torso, forcing the ex-queen to wrap her free arm around her to keep her friend from falling to the floor. They stayed that way for a few moments, all of Morgan's previous adrenaline and caution steadily draining away as Habetrot nuzzled happily into her stomach. Dispelling her spear, she reached down with her free hand to pet the Rider on the head and ruffle her hair, a gentle smile appearing on her face.

Fu fu, even now, you're able to set me at ease, my friend.

"I'm so glad to see you're all right! We were all really worried when you collapsed!" Habetrot said, finally pulling away from Morgan and, at her urging, getting set down so she could inspect her zeppelin for any damage.

"Yes, it was quite a shock to me, too, but I'm back up now…no thanks to that worthless bug." Morgan growled.

"Eh?"

"That Pretender worm! HE was the one that made me pass out, I'm sure of it!"

"Ooohh, really? Well don't worry, ol' Habenyan's gonna give him a stern talking to if that's the case!" Habetrot assured her, still moving around and inspecting her zeppelin. "Mmmm, yep! All seems a-okay here!"

"Oh don't worry about that, dear Habetrot, I can handle disciplining him myself. I'm sure a good flaying will convince him not to repeat that little stunt with me ever again. Yes, just one limb should get my message across nicely, or perhaps even two if he decides to give me any lip."

"Ah, I don't think Master would like that, actually." Habetrot mumbled, chuckling nervously.

"Well, then I do hope he'll be willing to administer an appropriate punishment. After all, that fool endangered the mission for his own petty entertainment, did he not?" Morgan insisted.

"Yeah, I guess so. Don't worry, though, I'm sure he'll get his just desserts! The important thing is that you're up and at 'em again!" Habetrot chirped, righting and climbing onto her zeppelin before kick-starting it. Once she'd floated up to Morgan's eye level, Habetrot fixed her with a mildly concerned look. "You are up and at 'em, right?"

It was a perfectly simple question to ask…if only the answer were just as easy to give.

Physically, she was fine. Well-rested, alert, magically recovered and ready.

Mentally? That was quite the different story.

"My ritual is too far along to be stopped now."

Those words, and the implications they carried, still weighed heavily on her. Her talk with Skadi hadn't exactly helped matters, either. She didn't want to burden Habetrot with her worries, not on mere unfounded suspicions.

After all you've done for me, my friend, how could I do that to you in turn?

"...yes. Don't…don't you worry about me, dear Habetrot. I'm perfectly fine." Morgan assured her as best she could, petting the Rider on the head and offering what she hoped was a gentle smile. "But thank you. Your concern is very much appreciated."

Well, that's not a lie now, is it? I am fine…at least on the outside.

Habetrot stared at her for a moment, what looked like suspicion flashing in her eyes for a brief moment, before bursting into a happy smile and saluting playfully.

"Daaaww, don't think anything of it. It's just who I am!" Habetrot insisted, puffing her chest out. "After all, I've got to take good care of all my brides so they can get their happy endings!"

"...so it's not because you and I are friends, then? What am I, a mere project to you?" Morgan asked, deciding to have a little fun by faking a look of hurt.

"'Course we're friends, silly! That's why I gotta take extra care to make sure that your wedding's one of the bestest I ever planned out!" Habetrot saw right through it, winking cheekily at her. "After all, Master was really worried about you, you know~."

"...was he, indeed?"

"Oh yep, yep, absolutely! You should've seen him, fretting over you and getting everyone to make sure you were okay before we all split up and headed out! He was almost tempted to stay by your bedside, you knoooow~? It was so romantic, eeeeeee!" The Rider practically squealed.

"Did he…really? H-how nice of him…" Morgan mumbled, feeling a sudden heat in her cheeks and a smile slowly creeping onto her face.

"Mmmm hmmm! It was a real fairytale moment! The handsome prince watching over his princess in distress, helping nurse her back to health and whispering sweet encouragement into her ears…aaaahh, I almost wanted to just get you two married on the spot!"

"R-r-r-really?" She hated how wobbly her voice sounded, even her cheeks got hotter and she shrank in on herself a little. "Th-th-that all sounds-...

"Hold on a moment."

The tremors in her voice faded as the ex-queen realised something rather important.

"I thought you said Master didn't stay with me in the end, hmmmm? Then how come you said he watched over me just now?" She asked, rounding on the Rider.

Only to be met with a completely unrepentant cheshire cat-like grin from Habetrot.

"Habetrot." Morgan warned, narrowing her eyes as threateningly as she could…while the continuing blush on her cheeks did its absolute best to undermine whatever intimidation factor she might have been able to muster up. "I…I will punish you, if you keep up this pointless teasing."

Couldn't you have at least spared me this until we left the Singularity?

"You were bluuuushiiiiing~" The small fairy sang, utterly ignoring the quarter-hearted-at-best threat.

"I could restrict your access to cats in the simulator."

"Like a nervous young bride on her wedding daaaaay, getting married to the man of her dreeeeaaaams~" Her grin got even wider, her eyes practically sparkling.

"I could curse you to speak gibberish, you know."

"I bet that man is Maaaasteeeer, riiiiight?"

"Sh-should I wish it, you would never touch that spinning wheel of yours again."

Why am I letting myself get so riled up?

Her blush was getting worse again…and so was her voice.

…you've always been able to get past my defences, haven't you, Habetrot?

"Fufufufu, you'll have to catch me first, you know. And this Habenyan's not so easily caught!"

As if to demonstrate, she hovered high into the air, almost reaching the second floor of the shopping centre. Spending a few moments zipping about and even throwing in some cartwheels, just to show off a little, the Rider floated back down so that she was once more at Morgan's eye level…though also, she noticed, JUST out of easy reach.

Those eyebrows of hers bounced up and down, as if daring her friend to try and prove her boast wrong.

"You've had your fun. I'm afraid I won't indulge you any further." Morgan insisted, folding her arms and staring sternly.

Habetrot just rubbed her hands together, grinning.

"No. No. Whatever it is, I won't fall for it."

"Oh, then I suppose you don't mind if I tell Master that you were toooootally asking after him the second you woke up, riiiiiight?"

"Hmph, as if he would be so easily swayed. He knows I'm not like that."

"...do you reeeeeaaaally wanna take that chance?" Habetrot teased.

One second passed. Followed by a few more.

Then the sounds of laughter, mixed with the ferocious clacking of heels, began echoing down the hallways of the deserted building.

Had anyone been around to observe, they would have had the dubious honour of witnessing one of the most skilled and powerful magic users to currently walk the earth…futilely chasing after a small zeppelin and its rider, arms flailing about in an attempt to catch her.

"Get back here!"

"Run, run, as fast as you can! You'll never catch me, Habenyan!"

"You are acting like a child! Stop that!"

"Come and get me! Come and get me! Nyahahahahah!"

They must have done at least a few loops of the building, with it feeling as if Habetrot had made it her mission to lead Morgan up and down every flight of stairs and escalator there was, before the chase finally came to an end.

Had the ex-queen been clear-headed enough to think of using one of her many, many binding or movement restricting spells in her arsenal, the chase would have ended far sooner. As it was, what she actually decided on was a more…physical approach to the issue at hand.

Even with her lungs burning and her leg muscles practically screaming at her from the continuous running, Morgan managed one last lunge, tackling both zeppelin and linen spinner to the ground.

"Kyaaah!"

They fell in a heap, with the zeppelin clattering to a halt almost immediately while Rider and Berserker alike continued rolling for a couple more seconds, before finally coming to a halt as twin heaps on the floor.

Habetrot was the first to recover. Pushing herself up, she wiped at her brow and her clothes to dust off any detritus and muck from the floor. Giggling to herself, the linen spinner began moving to check on her zeppelin again…until a shadow loomed over her and a pair of hands snatched her up, bringing the fairy face-to-face with the displeased frown, narrowed eyes and flushed face of her friend.

Nevertheless, Habetrot composed herself and stared right back.

"Would you…would you care to explain…why exactly you tried to…make a fool of me?" Morgan asked, between her huffs and gasps to try and get her breath back.

"Because I thought you needed to calm down a bit." She said, "And what better way to do that than with some nice exercise, eh?"

"And…why would you think I need that? As I said earlier, I'm quite fine."

"You're not fine."

Jolting a little at the sudden statement, Morgan found that Habetrot's expression had hardened, the linen spinner practically glaring back at her as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Whatever do you-"

"Don't you try to play dumb here, missy." Habetrot insisted, pointing a firm finger in Morgan's direction. "I said you're not fine, not on the inside. I know that look in your eyes…you're really worried about something, aren't you?"

…I should have known better than to try and hide something from you, my friend.

Seeing the troubled expression on the ex-queen's face, Habetrot reached out and patted her left wrist with her hand.

"Hey, c'mon. What happened when you were out to get you so worked up like this? Did you have a bad nightmare?"

If only that were all it was. A simple bad dream.

"No. No…it was far too real to be called a nightmare, dear Habetrot." Morgan admitted.

Sighing, Morgan sat herself down cross-legged with the Rider still in her hands. Turning the small fairy around, she squeezed Habetrot softly into her lap and held her like a sort of stuffed toy, trying to calm the lingering shivers shooting up her spine and down her limbs at the memory of her torment at Apep's hands.

For her part, Habetrot simply let her and didn't mind, patting at her hands and arms gently to try and reassure her.

"So, what was it then?" She eventually asked, after a minute.

Taking a deep breath, Morgan began to explain.

"It was…during my slumber, I encountered a being from beyond this plane. I believe Chaldea calls creatures of their kind "Outer Gods", and a few of their chosen avatars are present in their ranks already."

Habetrot blinked up at her with wide eyes, processing what she'd just been told.

"So, I'm guessing she didn't try to meet you for some tea and cookies, eh?" She chuckled, albeit faintly and nervously, in some small attempt to lighten the mood.

Morgan let loose a small couple of mirthless chuckles herself, giving Habetrot another soft squeeze.

"No. No, she did not. In fact, she was there to make me an offer. To propose a mutual alliance…and I must admit, I almost accepted."

"Eh?! Really? Why?"

"Because she showed me a vision.

"My kingdom stood tall in a land that was finally free from curses. My knights and all my friends were back, even…even the ones I'd long since put to rest in my old life. They were all back and right there…cheering for me.

"Everyone was cheering for me. Everyone was congratulating me. Everyone was praising and supporting me. I was…I was finally getting the recognition I-...even the bug was gone too! I-I know I should have seen through it all sooner, seen through just how convenient it all was, but everything was just-"

"Like a picture perfect wedding day?" The Rider suggested.

"...yes. Yes, I suppose you could say it was." Morgan smiled sadly, eyes misting over as she gave Habetrot another small squeeze.

"I was such a fool to be taken in by it all. To have let the justifications and explanations fool me for so long. To have nearly…nearly betrayed myself."

"Hey, come on now, don't be like that. You know how many brides I've come across that get so wrapped up in their fantasies of their special days that they just can't see the reality? Not every bride I've helped has had a good spouse, you know, and even fewer of them actually took my advice to find a better one, because they wanted that perfect wedding day they'd planned so badly."

Reaching up, Habetrot pet Morgan on the arm again.

"Besides, you got out of it in the end and you realised you were making a mistake. That's the important part. With how you had it, I can't really blame you for wanting something to go right for a change and getting all wrapped up in an ideal day. So come on now, don't put yourself down like that."

"...why is it that you always seem to know what to say in times like this?" Morgan mumbled, patting her friend right back.

"Hehe, I've had to help a lot of nervous brides who get last-minute nerves. When they'd worked themselves into a real worry, I'd be there to pick 'em up, set their heads on straight and get them to face their big day with a bright smile and a heart full of hope and confidence for the future."

Gently wriggling her way out of the Berserker's grip, Habetrot turned around and reached up to pat Morgan on her cheek, smiling kindly.

"That's why, if there's anything that's bothering you, you can always tell me what you're worried about if you don't want to tell anyone else. Habenyan'll listen, whatever it is. Don't just bottle it all up inside until it all spills out. That's doomed a lot of my past brides when they had doubts about their weddings, and I'd hate to see you go down that path as well, 'kay?"

"...I didn't want to trouble you with my worries, that was all." Morgan mumbled, her vision clouding over again.

"Well I want to be troubled by them, that way you're not bearing the burden alone…that's what friends are for, aren't they?" Habetrot smiled.

"Y-yes…yes…that is what they're for, aren't they?" The ex-queen whispered, swallowing to try and force the lump in her throat back down.

How long has it been since I…had a friend to confide in? Not since…those happier days.

As if understanding what she wanted to say, the Rider petted her cheek and smiled again.

"It's been a long time, but you've got one now."

I-I do…don't I?

This time, Habetrot was practically ready for Morgan to lean forward to sweep her up into a hug, merely wrapping her small arms as far around her neck as her reach allowed before gently rubbing her with her hands.

"There there, it's all right. Habenyan's here for you."

"...thank you, thank you very much."

After a whole few minutes of just sitting like that, the pair eventually released each other and backed off, a weight seemingly lifting from Morgan's shoulders as she did so.

"Feeling better now?" Habetrot asked.

"Yes. Much better. Thank you…for always being there to pick me back up."

"Don't worry about it, it's what friends do. Now come on then, let's get back. Miss Skadi should still be here." Habetrot smiled, walking over to her zeppelin and beginning to restart the engine.

"Indeed I am."

The sudden voice had both of them jumping in surprise, causing Morgan to ready a spell and Habetrot to swing her zeppelin's cannon around…until they saw it was Skadi standing there, a soft smile on her face.

"My apologies, it's just that I heard such a commotion echoing up and down the walls that I couldn't help but investigate…imagine my surprise when I saw my fellow queen chasing this cute little fairy around so clumsily." Skadi giggled.

A steady heat began to crawl up her neck and cheeks, the spell vanishing in her hand as Morgan hurriedly averted her eyes and instead focused very hard on a particularly fascinating piece of floor to her right.

"...I was merely responding to her provocations. My magic would be too destructive, and I am no stranger to physical exertion, so I decided to take a more…precise solution to the problem." She said, stiffly.

"Oh? And what provocations were these?" Skadi raised an eyebrow, smile still in place.

"They were…I was getting irritated by them."

"It was because I was teasing her!" Habetrot called shamelessly. When Morgan's glare fell on her, wide-eyed with shrunken pupils and thin lips, the Rider simply smiled innocently back at her.

…one of these days I really should back up all this bark with some proper bite. Just a little bit of it. A tiny little bit, yes. That way perhaps she'd stop being so…so infuriatingly blase about this teasing and playing me for a fool!

Ah, but then she would look rather sad, wouldn't she? I would have to see that face of hers knowing that I made her sad. That…upset face of hers that's bad for my heart…

Rrrrrggghh! What do I do!?

"Oh, how interesting…I never imagined you would have such a weak point." Skadi said, cheerfully oblivious to Morgan's internal debate.

"Mmm hmm, me neither! But you know, underneath that queenly crown and everything else that she's carrying around, there's still some of that pure girl who dreams about love left! If you stick around long enough, you can see some of it for yourself!" Habetrot winked cheekily.

"Well, now I'm certainly curious, and we do still have some time…perhaps you can tell me more about the pure and cute side of this queen here?" Skadi tittered, playing along with the Rider.

"...do you get some sort of enjoyment constantly teasing me like this, Habetrot?" Morgan mumbled, shuffling about and glueing her eyes to the floor, hands rubbing at her spear as the heat rose in her cheeks again.

"Ufufu, unfortunately it's just a part of having friends that you've got to put up with." Habetrot giggled, slowly floating over to her in her now-airborne zeppelin. "Besides, it worked in getting you to loosen up, yeah? In that case, I might just consider doing it again if you start getting all worked up."

"Just one more similarity between you and her…" Morgan mumbled in her breath.

"Buuuut if it ever starts really bothering you, then I'll stop. Ol' Habenyan's not so oblivious that I won't notice when I'm going too far." Habetrot assured her, patting her on the shoulder gently.

There was that blush again, accompanied by just a little smidgen of guilt.

Why am I feeling guilty? She is the teaser here, not me!

But I suppose…it isn't that bad to be teased about being "cute", is it? A-And I can always tease her back, if I put my mind to it.

"It…it's q-quite alright. Just…perhaps don't do it quite so often in future." Morgan couldn't quite look her in the eye still.

"No worries, Habenyan'll tone it down and keep it away from Master's ears in the future! You got it!" The Rider snapped a comical salute of affirmation.

Wait a moment-!

Hipping her head around to glare at Habetrot yet again, Morgan was met once more with that cheeky smile and slitted eyes of hers.

"I don't recall mentioning anything about our Master, dear Habetrot." She said, teeth clenching and eyes narrowing.

"Juuuust kidding on that part." The fairy winked and stuck her tongue out for a moment, before floating off to join Skadi.

"If you're both ready, we can head back. Come, there are still plenty of supplies and refreshments if you're in need of a rest." The Caster offered, taking the lead as she began the walk back to the food court.

"Ooooh, I'm certainly up for something!" With that, the two vanished up the nearest escalator, leaving Morgan behind to glare at nothing for at least the next minute or two, struggling to process just how blatant Habetrot had gotten with having fun at her expense.

Is all of this just part of a normal 'friendship'? Mmmmmm…

Her confused frown slowly curled upwards.

I…I suppose I can learn to live with it. Habetrot knows when to stop, after all.

With a slight spring in her step, her shoulders feeling lighter, Morgan turned and began making her own way back to the food court.

By the time she'd actually gotten there, Habetrot and Skadi were already seated, with the Caster tucking into a fresh bowl of ice cream while the Rider had secured herself a small portion of as-yet-untouched fish and chips.

Seeing her approach, they both gestured to the remaining free seat. She slid in smoothly and, seeing Habetrot eyeing her cold food mournfully, summoned a heat Rune to warm up the meal, to Habetrot's delight.

"Care for something else?" Skadi offered, gesturing over to the various neat stacks of boxes, cartons and cans containing quite the array of foodstuffs, ingredients and even whole meals ready to eat, most likely acquired by the other Chaldean Servants when they first got here with the civilian group.

"I'm fine for the moment." Morgan said, holding up her hand.

"Welp, more for me, then! I'm famished!" Habetrot cheered, slathering her fish and chips with a generous helping of vinegar and tucking in.

"You might want to eat quickly if you're that hungry. You never know when the others will arrive and we'll need to head out again." Skadi said.

"Speaking of which, did the others give any indication of when they'd be getting back?" Morgan asked.

"Well, there were a lot more of those creepy demon-like creatures roaming around when we were trying to take the civilians to safety. We could barely walk down a street without more of them ambushing us! We were on the way back when I was told to go on ahead though, so uh…I don't know, it might take them two or three hours more, maybe?" Habetrot guessed.

"Well then, I suppose we've still got some time to pass. How about we talk in the meantime?" Skadi suggested, spooning a large scoop of ice cream into her mouth.

"Sounds great! Time always flies faster when you're having fun with friends! So, any ideas?"

Lifting a finger to her lips, Morgan considered possible topics.

Nothing involving her, certainly. Not after what had just happened. She didn't think could take another round of teasing and ribbing from Habetrot right now. She needed time to fortify herself before taking that sort of treatment again.

But perhaps there might be something…

Barghest mentioned Habetrot fleeing from her before. Now would be as good a time as any for some answers.

"I have an idea, in fact."

"Oooh! Let's hear it!"

"Yes, let's."

All right then. Let's approach this a little delicately.

"It's a problem that's facing one of my knights. They're…having a little trouble striking up conversation with someone they'd like to talk to." She explained.

"Oh, well from what I've seen of your knights they don't seem to have any problems communicating on a mission. Is she perhaps not the social type outside of combat?" Skadi asked.

"Nothing like that, she's a perfectly capable conversationalist. It's just that here, with this person in particular, it seems the topic she'd like to discuss is considered…problematic for some reason, enough for the person in question to, well, flee from her. It seems the repeated failures have been wearing on her quite a bit, to the point that she came to me for help and advice on how to proceed.

"While I did promise her I would try to help, I…regular everyday conversation is not one of my talents, I must admit. Hence why I'm bringing this up to you two. Perhaps you could offer advice that I could relay to my knight, to solve this problem?"

As Morgan talked, comprehension began to dawn in Habetrot's eyes. As her friend finished her explanation, the Rider cleared her throat and spoke up.

"Mmmm…hey, Morgan?"

"Yes?"

"This…this knight of yours…it's Barghest, isn't it?" She mumbled.

"Yes, it is, and her problem does unfortunately involve you." Morgan said. "She said that every time she's tried to talk to you about a possible bridal dress commission, you've fled from her."

"Oh my, did you two perhaps get off on the wrong foot on your first meeting?" Skad asked.

"N-no. Nothing like that…" Habetrot sighed, rubbing at her neck and wincing.

"Does it, maybe, have something to do with her 'bridal power' rating?"

Habetrot winced again, physically cringing as her face scrunched up in frustration, her hands even curled into fists after a few moments.

"It's just…it's just…I don't get her at all!" She cried out, throwing up her hands, with both Caster and Berserker leaning back at her outburst, though Morgan managed to contain her reaction better than Skadi.

"...and why is that?" Morgan asked.

"She's…she's doing it all right, okay?! I've seen her! I've seen what she does! Her cooking has lots of passion and care put into it, she's loyal, she's kind and courteous, she's got this super cute side of her that comes out whenever she gets praised by Master, she's really caring and concerned when it comes to Master's health and wellbeing too!"

Morgan swallowed rather hard at Habetrot's description and let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, her chest feeling rather tight.

"...I assume there is a "but" coming at this point, yes?"

"But she doesn't have any bridal power!" Habetrot practically shrieked, wringing her hands in frustration.

"No no no, it's actually worse than that! NO power I can handle, I've turned plenty of romantically-illiterate girls into top-class brides before, but hers is NEGATIVE! I don't get it at all! How can someone so eager and well suited to being a wife have negative bridal power!?

"You know what that means!? It means the relationship isn't just likely to end in tragedy, it's practically doomed to! And with how low hers is, all predictions are leading to a violent divorce! It doesn't make any sense!

"And telling her that will just…it'll crush the poor girl real bad. She's got a really delicate maiden's heart underneath that tough armour, I can tell, and she won't take what I say well at all. So I…I avoided her, just kept running and dodging her whenever she tried approaching me. I thought it was kinder than telling her the truth, but I guess it's just tearing her up inside anyway wondering why I'm refusing to talk to her. Haaahh…"

Her rant finished and energy spent, Habetrot slumped down and planted her face squarely on the table with a loud, wet smack. Before Morgan, ever-so-mildly concerned at how still she was, could reach over and poke at her friend, the Rider began lazily reaching over and plucking chips from the bag to munch on.

"Moooouuuu…I just don't get iiiiit…" She whined despondently.

"It's certainly quite the curious case." Skadi agreed, rubbing at her chin and taking another spoonful of ice cream for herself.

"Surely she'd have a high compatibility as a bride, with how hard she's working to prepare herself? To have such a low rating on this 'bridal power' system of yours…either she's extremely unlucky when it comes to all of her romances, which is incredibly unlikely. More likely, perhaps she's cursed to fail at finding love?"

Morgan sighed and rubbed at the bridge of her nose.

"You're quite right on that point, at least in part, I'm afraid."

"Eh? No way! Really?!" Habetrot gasped.

"Truly? What sort of curse is it?" Skadi asked. "Perhaps we can help her combat it. I know quite a few cleansing and protection Runes that might help."

"I'm afraid it isn't quite so simple as that. It's less a curse she's afflicted with, and more a part of her very nature that she struggles against." Morgan began.

"In our home, Barghest was one of the Great Calamities prophesied to destroy Britain, destined from birth, as a matter of fact, to be the Beast Calamity as the Black Dog. It was a punishment imposed on her Clan by the King of Mors, in the form of a curse he laid on them in his death throes, in vengeance for the Clan providing the most aid in defeating him on my behalf in the Mors Wars.

"Her destiny was clear from the very beginning, and her purpose reflected that, driving her to consume strong beings to bolster her own strength in preparation for the Black Dog's emergence. Even in her early years, she preyed on the Fae of Manchester semi-regularly. She tried to hide what she was doing, it was very shameful for her after all, but eventually confessed what she'd been driven to do to me in private after her knighting. It was actually why I knighted her and gave her the name of Sir Gawain in the first place, I thought that perhaps grafting a Pan-Human Spirit Origin and True Name to her would suppress the Black Dog and help her control her instincts better."

"So how does this relate to her romances being doomed and her having all that negative bridal energy?" Habetrot asked.

"Barghest tried to break her curse on her own, taking those she deemed 'weak' as her lovers, primarily humans. Since her purpose was to devour the strong, she thought that loving someone weak wouldn't trigger her instincts."

"I take it that solution did not work for long." Skadi cut in.

"Not long at all. Unfortunately, Barghest could not change her fate so easily…it's likely that her purpose simply changed to devouring her lovers instead of the strong, to keep her gathering strength. She tried to resist, kept telling me that her new focus was working, but every so often she came to me, asking that some of the freshly grown humans be redirected to Manchester instead of their allotted cities. She said it was attrition thanks to conflicts with stray Mors, but…well, with sight like mine…

"So, there we are. She is cursed by nature to devour her romantic partners."

"Aaaaahh! NOW it makes sense!" Habetrot breathed a sigh of relief. "No wonder her bridal energy's so low! She'll be a terrible bride if that marriage ends with her eating her husband!"

"Yes, quite. I thought this was at the heart of the matter."

"And now for the other problem: How to tell this to the poor woman. If she's been struggling with this cursed nature all this time, then hearing that it's still getting in the way of her desires, even here, will surely crush her heart all over again." Skadi said.

"See, this is the part I was afraid of! I can't just crush an aspiring bride's dreams like this, especially not when she's been working so hard!"

It would be difficult for her to hear that, wouldn't it? Is there a way to cushion the metaphorical blow? Perhaps if there's a way out presented to her as well…

"Hmmm…I believe the first question to answer before we debate how to tell her is this: Is Barghest's situation salvageable or not? After all, I'm sure she'll take the truth much easier if it's accompanied by an assurance that her situation can improve."

"Eeehhh…mmmmm…m-maybe! Maybe! Her bridal energy's a real problem right now, but! But! If she can stop it from getting any lower, then maybe she'll have a chance!" Habetrot stressed, stabbing her fingers towards Skadi and Morgan to punctuate her point. "And that's gonna involve her getting over that cursed nature of hers, right? So that's a very tall order!"

"Hmmm…not necessarily." Skadi said.

"Eh, why's that?"

"Well, as much as this curse might be a part of her nature, from what Queen Morgan has told us her curse is specifically related to tearing apart her homeland as one of these 'Great Calamities'. Now that-," taking a wary look at Morgan for a moment, who simply nodded back, Skadi continued.

"Now that her homeland has already been destroyed, I feel that her curse won't be quite so impossible to fight against. After all, her duty is done, so there's simply no reason for this 'Black Dog' side of her to emerge in force again. I think, with enough effort on her part, that side of her can be suppressed."

"...yes, I think that might work." Morgan agreed. "Though, of course, it will not be easy for her. But I think that Barghest will be up to the task. She has never faltered before in carrying out my will…or following her own dreams. However, should she need help in becoming a better bride, would you be willing to lend a hand, Habetrot?"

"...well, as long as she keeps that bridal energy from getting any lower, then I'll take her on as a student. BUT! If she REALLY wants to be a proper, good bride, then I'm going to train her hard! After all, she's the most hopeless bride I've ever met in terms of bride power, so I'm going to go all-in on it! She better be ready to learn from the wisdom of Habetrot!" Habetrot declared, smacking her hand onto the table with eyes blazing.

"...you've gotten quite enthused by this all of a sudden." Morgan noted, a small smile on her face. It had been a very long time indeed since she'd seen her friend show so much passion.

The last time was…when you talked about your wedding plans for Uther and I.

Ah, no…that wasn't quite you. But still, you two are still so alike in that way that I can't help but think...

"Yep! You know what, yep! You're damn right I'm enthused about this! Before, I was driving myself crazy with that contradiction in her because I didn't know what the problem was. With a lady like that, the idea of me turning them into a good bride seemed absolutely impossible, you know?

"But now that I know what's wrong, I can see a way forward! And with that, this just became a new challenge, perhaps my biggest, baddest challenge yet! Of course I'm gonna get excited about that! Just imagining her walking down the aisle, with a beautiful dress, a bright smile and a very compatible groom, all excited and happy for her big day and a loving marriage…kyaaaahh, just thinking about that ending is making me happy!

"In fact, I'm already getting ideas! Ooooh, so many ideas! Yep, this is gonna be a doozy all right!"

Before either of the others could say anything, Habetrot hopped off her seat, fished some paper and a pencil out of a compartment in her zeppelin and began frantically drawing and scribbling all over them right before the duo's eyes.

"Well, how nice that we've found a solution to this problem." Skadi smiled, unboxing a fresh carton of ice cream as a celebration. "I'm sure your knight will be most pleased."

"Yes, I'm sure she will be, Habetrot does a very thorough job…especially when she's all fired up and throwing herself fully into a new bridal project like this." Morgan said.

"Mmmmm…thorough with brides, you say?"

Morgan noted Skadi's thoughtful expression.

"Thinking of securing her talent for yourself, perhaps?"

"Well, I-I was considering it. After all, I was a very desirable Goddess back in my homeland. Why, there were some days where the line of suitors for my hand stretched across the very horizon itself. Someone like that, not to mention a Goddess and queen, should have the best quality dress available for her eventual wedding day, no?" Skadi boasted, placing her hands on her hips and smiling.

"Well, I can't deny that sort of logic…however, you might need to wait a while." Morgan indicated Habetrot, whose gaze and attention was so thoroughly glued to her developing sketches and notes that she'd not seemed to have heard a word the two ex-rulers had said.

As if to demonstrate, Morgan leant towards her.

If you're anything like Totorot was in this situation…

"Habetrot. Habetrot." She called softly.

No reply, the Rider's focus remained solely on her work.

Morgan wafted her hand lazily back and forth across her field of vision, and still nothing.

Even when she clamped a hand firmly over Habetrot's eyes, the fairy simply kept on drawing without pause.

Off Skadi's amused look and raised eyebrow, Morgan just shrugged back at her.

"Let's just say she's had a great deal of practice drawing in all sorts of environments, especially low light. Why, I'd say sketching is as second nature to her as breathing at this point. Best to leave her be for now, she's not going anywhere or doing anything else until she has a proper design in mind."

Skadi sighed, but still smiled back.

"Well then, would you care for something while we wait?"

"Yes, I do believe I would. All of that exercise has gotten me a little peckish."

---

An hour or so later, the perimeter warning sigils began flashing again….this time denoting an entire group of trespassers. Fortunately, a little magical probing determined that they were almost all Servants, what with the magical energy signatures they were giving off.

Marshalling themselves and gathering up Habetrot, with Morgan needing to flat-out drag the linen-spinner away from her sketches and notes (though making sure to place them all back into her zeppelin's storage compartment before they set off) to get her moving along with them, the trio hurried to the nearest entrance.

It wasn't more than a minute before the two groups ran into each other.

"Ah…it's good…to see you up. Especially now."

"Quite the timely recovery indeed, beloved. I'm sure we'll need her strength in the battle to come."

"Your majesty, how are you feeling?"

"See, Shirou, I said she'd be alright!"

"You're up!"

Ritsuka hurried on over, eyes shining with relief, followed quickly by his accompanying Servants.

"How are you feeling? Were you up long? Ah, sorry for not being here, we were just taking those civilians we rescued to-" Ritsuka's hurried explanation was cut off as Morgan calmly held up her hand.

"It's quite alright, Master, Queen Skadi and Habetrot have already explained everything to me. As for me, I'm feeling alright." She insisted, though she still glared at Oberon-Vortigern for a split second, who merely sneered back at her.

"Well, it's good that you're ready to go so quickly!" Napoleon smiled. "There's a lot of work still ahead of us, after all!"

"Are you sure? You didn't see anything strange before you blacked out? Anything that might've made you fall unconscious?" Ritsuka asked, concern still on his face.

"No, nothing of that nature, but-" glancing at Habetrot, who nodded encouragingly, Morgan took a short breath before starting again "-I did have an…encounter while I was unconscious."

"An encounter?" Ritsuka looked confused, and a little wary. "What sort of encounter?"

"An encounter in a dream…with a being that called itself an Outer God."

The atmosphere, formerly friendly and welcoming, turned cold.

Ritsuka shuffled back from her, just a half-step, his eyes widening as he sucked in a sharp breath through his nose.

Napoleon, Sigurd and Brynhild all slipped into a combat stance.

Oberon-Vortigern outright sneered victoriously, readying dark energy in his insect hand.

Shirou growled and Sitonai narrowed her eyes, her hands sinking into her mount's fur.

Barghest's hand closed around Galatine.

"Waitwaitwaitwaitwait!" Habetrot cried, rushing forward with hands outstretched.

"I know how you think this sounds, but she's not a thrall or anything!"

"Be at ease. I can vouch for Queen Morgan, as well." Skadi assured them, raising her hands and smiling peacefully.

"I've not sensed any abnormal magic lingering around her, nor has she acted any different from usual. Whatever happened in this encounter, she did not wind up influenced by or connected to the being that approached her. Besides, do you think she would so readily admit to this happening if she was under its thrall?"

The rest of the Servants glanced at each other, still a little wary, deciding among themselves whether or not to stand down.

"Well, why take the risk, eh?" Oberon-Vortigern grinned smugly, forming his scythe from Mors mud, "You can always resummon her again, right Master?"

"Get any closer and you'll be choking on those wings of yours, filthy insect." Morgan levelled her spear in his face, glaring.

"Hahaha, you're threatening other Servants now, hag?! That just makes you look worse!"

"You were the one who made the first threat. If anyone's image is being damaged here, it is yours."

"I'm not the one who's been in contact with a horror from beyond our world, yeah? That's far worse than just a threat if you ask me."

"Alright, both of you stop." Ritsuka ordered, getting between them and holding his hands out.

"Ah come on-" Oberon-Vortigern made to step forward, only to find Sigurd and Barghest arms had snapped up to bar his path, with both Sabers giving him very strong glares. Sighing, he dissolved the scythe and stepped back, holding up his hands.

"Tch, fine. Don't blame me when the hag goes nuts and starts killing you all."

"If Habetrot and Skadi both vouch for you, then I believe them. Skadi's right, no reason revealing you've contacted an Outer God if you're actually a puppet of theirs. And besides, most of the traitorous Servants I've met before have lied and hid their intentions behind friendly faces anyway." Ritsuka said, turning to Morgan.

"Anything else you can tell us about this Outer God?"

"Her name is Apep. Or at least, that was the name she used when contacting me. She seems to have power over dreams and the ability to project illusions, powerful enough to construct whole realms within the mind and fool even my Fairy Eyes. Do not trust anything you see and hear if she gets involved.

"She may also be able to peer into your mind directly, even your subconscious, since the offer she made to me was very…specifically tailored, as was the story she spun to try and endear herself to me. She presented herself as a refugee from her homeland, fleeing because her peers rejected her for a special quality that made her unique. She may attempt to do the same with all of you should she manage to contact you."

The other Servants all glanced around at each other, before Sigurd spoke up.

"Lady Morgan, if I may ask, how specific can we expect these attempted manipulations to be? What might this 'Apep' try to use to gain leverage over us?"

"Your desires and your goals for the future. She will offer her power to bring whatever you desire into reality and crush anything that stands in your path. For me, it…it was an offer of assistance with defeating the Foreign God and recreating life on Earth. A second chance at the Fairy Kingdom, but this time as I wanted it."

The group looked rather worried, sharing a second round of glances.

"Then we must be on guard all the more, now." Sigurd said, taking a deep and fortifying breath.

"Dear…I'll be here…with you." Brynhild squeezed his shoulder in support.

"Yes, we'll be able to get through this together. As long as we have one another right here, there is nothing this Outer God can tempt us with." He smiled back at her.

"I wonder if I- could it be them…?" Barghest muttered, almost to herself.

Skadi in particular seemed to shrink in on herself, frowning as she thought about the implications.

"A second chance at a kingdom, you say…?"

Ritsuka nodded to himself, scratching at his chin in contemplation.

"Alright, so she likes playing mind games and spinning stories to make herself look good, then offers to give you what you want if you do her a favour, got it."

"There shouldn't be anything to worry about, Maitre! These Outer Gods need a vessel to affect the world, and it looks like Mademoiselle Morgan here avoided becoming one for this 'Apep'. There shouldn't be anything she can do to us!" Napoleon smiled, clapping a hand on Ritsuka's shoulder reassuringly.

"Yeah, you're right there. But still…best to stay alert just in case, right?" Ritsuka shrugged.

"We'll be alright, right Shirou?" Sitonai asked, gripping the fur of her mount nervously. "Ah, but perhaps there's that to consider…"

"I will prepare some Runic protection, just in case." Skadi offered.

"As will I." Morgan said. "If nothing else, we can stop her from probing our minds quite so easily, should she somehow intrude into this plane."

"Alright then, that's good to hear. Thanks guys." Ritsuka smiled.

As the other Servants glanced around and nodded to themselves, Habetrot glanced at Morgan and began gesturing towards Ritsuka with her eyes. She could almost hear what her friend was trying to say.

Yes, you're right. Even if it is just a suspicion, we cannot ignore the possibility, and extra preparation is never a bad thing…especially with so much potentially at stake.

"Mas-" Morgan began.

"Master, we're back!" Another voice cut in.

Turning, the group found Melusine and the Valkyries speeding towards them, coming to a halt just a ways away.

"Welcome back…sisters." Brynhild smiled.

"Ah, great timing you guys!" Ritsuka smiled. "What did you find out? Did you find where the cult's operating from?"

"We did, they're operating out of the Shinjuku Theatre Moliere. The streets around them were swarming with cultists, wyverns and strange monsters. I've never seen anything like them before. They felt…wrong." Melusine reported.

Sigurd narrowed his eyes, bringing a finger to his chin.

"It sounds like we're in for quite the siege! What about stationary defences, what fortifications have they prepared?" Napoleon asked

"None detected." Thrud replied.

"However, there were powerful magical emissions coming from various symbols and Runes inscribed on the building. When we attempted to move in closer, the Runes began to light up and flash, creating a barrier around the theatre, alerting the cultists and summoning more of those strange creatures to engage us. We tried to evade them, but there were too many of them to avoid eventually, so we were forced to retreat."

"If I may ask, these creatures…did they resemble a mass of blue tendrils, with eyes and mouths in places that should not have them?" Sigurd asked.

"Yeah, they did." Hildr said.

"And you felt afraid when facing them?"

"Y…Yes." The Valkyries mumbled, looking down at the ground.

"Don't feel ashamed, the same happened to me as I faced one of these creatures, when we first rescued that group of civilians. It seems the cult has more of those demons on hand than I thought, and if they have rituals in place to summon them at will…"

"We're in for a tough fight indeed." Barghest said. "However, I'm certain that we can manage."

"Unless we can shut down the sigils that summon them, then our assault on the theatre will become a war of attrition on our enemy's terms." Napoleon said.

"That will not be a problem, I'm sure that Queen Morgan and I will be more than capable of dispelling their protections." Skadi said.

"I'm sure you can, but that's not the problem. You're going to need to get in close to get rid of the Runes, right?" Ritsuka asked.

Both ex-rulers nodded.

"And that means breaking through the shield…all while the defences are alerting everyone to exactly where we are and we're getting those demon creatures summoned right on top of us. We'll be getting swarmed by cultists, wyverns, dragons and demonic monsters every second, that's a recipe for disaster eventually."

"Yeah…well, everyone have a think on it for a bit. In the meantime, what about any other rituals? Did you find any other survivors we might be able to help?"

Melusine and the Valkyries' faces all crumpled at that question, as they shook their heads slowly.

"We found a lot of other ritual sites, but…the cult had finished their work there." Ortlinde reported, her typically level voice trembling just slightly.

"There is no one else left to save, Master." Thrud said.

Rituska let out a heavy sigh, clenching a fist and gritting his teeth. The Servants around him all let out heavy breaths and shook their heads.

"...I expected as much, by this point. At least we saved some of them."

"And we can still save anyone outside of Shinjuku as long as we defeat the cult, Master." Barghest assured him.

"And also find out what it is that's driven all of them to form this cult. If we destroy the source of the madness, then at least no one else will be twisted into joining these 'Followers'." Sigurd said.

"Yeah. Those sound like plans. Skadi, Morgan, think you can scan for any foreign magic? I'd like to know if the cult's keeping whatever it is that drove them mad in their headquarters or somewhere else. If it's in the theatre, then we can deal with two problems at the same time." Ritsuka explained.

"And if not, then I propose we take a detour and deal with that problem first, that way these 'Followers' can't bolster their numbers any more. I think it'd be best to cut off the possibility of any reinforcements before laying siege to their headquarters." Napoleon suggested.

"I agree. Otherwise we might get blindsided and hemmed in during the siege. The cultists and beasts, we can handle, but those demon creatures…they'll certainly be a problem, especially if they're summoned in large numbers." Sigurd nodded.

"Leave it to me."

"Of course, just a moment."

Summoning their Runes, both Goddess and Fairy Queen stretched their hands to the sky, steadily extending their probing all around, searching for any magic that did not belong. Further and further, until it reached the Shinjuku theatre…

There.

Yes, this is definitely-

Morgan's fingers began shivering as a chill crept into them. Glancing over, she saw that Skadi didn't seem to be affected.

"Do you feel that?"

"Yes. This power is cold, alien and…impossibly ancient. From a source that predates even the Primordial Runes."

Narrowing her eyes, Morgan intensified the scan, homing in on the theatre.

The chill began working its way up her arm, accompanied by a seeming pressure on the limb, as if it was being submerged in freezing and deep water.

Closer. Closer. Into the central gallery.

Her fingers were starting to go numb, but she still persisted.

She'd almost found the source! Almost…

There they are.

There were two dense sources of eldritch magic. One small and rectangular, the other…far larger, and much stronger.

Her entire arm felt like it was being crushed by now, despite the spreading numbness.

Is that…a book? Yes, that's it.

But what about the other one?

It seems like…a-

"Why, hello again…my dear."

Morgan pulled her arm back and cut off the scanning spell immediately, jolts of shock rippling up her spine and her blood running deathly cold.

Was that- !?

"Hey, you okay?" Habetrot asked, patting Morgan on the leg. "Didya find what we need to get?"

"Yes…yes. The sources of the cult's madness and power are in their headquarters."

"Sources? More than one?"

"Yes. There is a smaller one, possibly on the leader's person, and a larger one. I'm afraid I can't quite tell what that one is. But still, the items are definitely inside the theatre. We can take the cult's leadership and primary sources of power out all in one strike." Skadi said.

"Hahaha! Wonderful! Our victory will be that much simpler!" Napoleon exclaimed, banging his cannon on the ground. "Of course, that does complicate things as well."

"Yes. If everything of value they have is in one location, then logically the majority of their strength will be concentrated there as well." Sigurd said.

"So, we really will be in for a tough assault, then. They'll be fighting tooth and nail to defend their stronghold, especially with how far along they might be with whatever ritual they're trying to get through."

"All while we're trying to get through the shield. Mmmm…perhaps we should-"

As the more tactic-minded Servants continued to talk, Morgan felt another pat to her leg. Looking down, she saw Habetrot angling her head towards Ritsuka again, giving her a firm stare.

Yes, it was about time she told him, wasn't it?

Nodding, she made her way over and tapped Ritsuka on the shoulder.

"Master, might I have a moment?"

"Eh? Sure." He turned his head to everyone else. "We'll be back in a minute, everyone."

Heading away from the corridor with Ritsuka following behind her, Morgan made her way into the nearest empty store she could find, a deserted and partially ransacked electronics store.

"My ritual is too far along to be stopped now."

…not if I have anything to say about that, monstrosity.

"So, what's going on?" Ritsuka asked, looking concerned. "Something up?"

"I…yes, there is. Now, I would like to say that this is just speculation on my part, and you aren't obligated to take this as complete truth, but…I have a concern about this cult." Morgan tried assuring him, only for Ritsuka to hold up a hand and smile slightly.

"It doesn't matter if it's just speculation, if you're worried about something then of course I'll take it seriously."

"You…you will?"

"Well, you kept a whole kingdom running for more than two thousand years, even with your subjects…being who they are." Ritsuka's expression darkened for a moment, before he continued on. "You couldn't really do that without good instincts and experience for knowing what might be a threat, right?"

"W-Well of course. It was simply something I needed to learn to survive and keep my kingdom secure. There was a potential threat around almost every corner." Morgan said, trying to push down the light heat in her cheeks.

"Exactly. So if you think something's wrong, then something's probably wrong. So what is it that's got you worried?" Ritsuka asked.

All right then. Best to just come out and say it.

"I'm concerned that Apep and these 'Followers' might be in league with one another, and that their ritual involves creating a bridge that will allow her to cross over to our plane."

Almost immediately, the teen's expression froze in a stunned grimace, his whole body stiffened and his eyes shrunk in panic. Though to his credit, Ritsuka still kept himself composed, only pausing to blow out a heavy breath through his nose.

"And…what makes you think that?" He asked, this time very quietly.

"Before Apep and I…parted ways, she boasted that her victory was all but assured, saying that "My ritual is too far along to be stopped now" before she left. The only ritual that's going on at present is the ritual the Followers cult seems to be enacting right now. They've already sacrificed a great many innocents, which lends weight to her words that her ritual has advanced far along indeed." Morgan explained.

"And besides, when Apep was making her offer to me, she said that the price for the ritual she needed my help with would be blood. Whether the blood of the guilty or innocent, it did not matter, all that mattered was that there was enough. I can only theorise that she approached the cult's leader and made them a similar offer.

"If I'm right, then the stakes of our mission are far higher than we first assumed and every moment counts, we absolutely cannot allow the Followers to finish their ritual and it would be wise to gather as much strength as we can before our assault, as well as request reinforcement from Chaldea if that is at all possible. I…if the cult truly is supported by Apep, then we will surely need many more Servants than we currently have."

Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Rituska lurched forward and clamped his hands on her shoulders, startling her, while staring very firmly into her eyes.

"Are you sure?" His voice was low and his entire body was stiff with tension.

It was perhaps the first time Morgan had seen him look quite so…intense and serious.

"As…as sure as I can be. I even heard her voice in my head when Queen Skadi and I were looking for the cult's sources of power."

"I see." Ritsuka muttered, stepping back and releasing her shoulders, looking down at the ground and clenching a fist.

"We can't afford to take any chances here, can we? Let's get some help."

Turning away, the teen raised his wrist and began tapping at a device on his wrist. Soon enough, the screen lit up and shone a bright blue light upward, projecting a larger, hard-light screen into the air. Though it was filled with static, Ritsuka spoke up regardless.

"Da Vinci, can you hear me?"

"Fuj-...th- yo-? Hol-...le-"

The transmission crackled and spat static for a few moments before the image began to clear up, before resolving into the image of the child genius.

"Ah, sorry about that! There was some interference on our end, but it should be all fixed up now. Listen, you picked a good time to call, we were just about to contact you. Something's changed about SHEBA'S prediction for Shinjuku, it's not in lifeless ruins anymore. It looks like the whole city's turned into an insane asylum! Almost like-"

"-a cult's taken control?" Ritsuka finished for her.

"Yeah. I'm guessing this has something to do with that cult you've been fighting with?"

"Yeah, and that's why I'm calling you. The Singularity's a far larger threat than we thought."

Da Vinci's expression sobered instantly, settling into a firm and resolute frown.

"How big are we talking?"

"Threat level Salem."

Even over the screen, Morgan could see the colour drain from Da Vinci's face and her eyes shrink in panic.

"...are you sure?"

"Yeah. The cult's enacting a ritual to summon an Outer God. She's already tried to convince one of my Servants to work for her, and based on how many sacrifices that've happened already…they're getting close to finishing the ritual. They're holed up in the Shinjuku Theatre Moliere and we're about to storm it, but we need reinforcements." Ritsuka explained.

Da Vinci nodded slowly, taking a breath.

"I knew there was a reason for the Foreigners acting oddly…okay then, who do you want first?"

"Send the Anti-World team in first, then the Foreigners. If that's not enough, then send the Alter-Egos. If they aren't enough, start sending everyone and anyone else until the ritual's stopped."

"We'll get the Rayshift equipment ready and start gathering the teams now. Where do you want us to aim for?"

"Right on my position, if you can. I'll be there with everyone else, so best to send any back up Servants right into the theatre, we can't afford to waste time waiting for them to show up from another landing zone."

"Okay." Da Vinci nodded. "We'll-"

Before she could go on, the Rider was rather violently cut off by what looked to be a small black and purple blob ramming itself into her face, sending her falling away from the screen and making Ritsuka and Morgan flinch from surprise.

"Gyah!"

Seconds later, another voice spoke up.

"-ey! Hey! Toto-sama, slow down! I ain't…I ain't used to runnin' this fast!"

As Da Vinci managed to push herself up and back into frame, pulling the blob from her face, Oei came running into view, panting slightly.

"There…there y'are! I'm sorry, miss Da Vinci, I dunno what's gotten into him! He just woke up from his nap an' started tearing through the corridors!" The Foreigner explained, bowing profusely as she took the blob, now revealed to be the octopus form of old man Hokusai, back.

"Alright Toto-sama, you've got some explaining to do! Why're you in such a rush, huh? And what's this you wanted me to draw?!" She demanded, holding up a sheet of paper and shoving it in her father's face indignantly.

Hokusai, however, completely ignored her question, instead stabbing his tentacles towards the screen.

"Eh? What're you on about now?"

Undeterred, Hokusai kept on pointing, struggling in Oei's grip and trying to pull her closer to the screen.

"Alright, alright! I get it, I'll bring ya closer, nutty old coot…"

As Oei brought him right up to the comms screen, Hokusai extended another tentacle, pointing two of them at the piece of paper in Oei's free hand…and the other one towards Morgan.

"Eh? Her? What's she got to do with this, Toto-sama?"

Ritsuka's eyebrows knit together, while Morgan began to feel a chill up her spine.

Why does this feel foreboding?

Hokusai then straightened one of his tentacles out, wrapped another around it, and started tracing around the paper that Oei was holding for a few moments before moving it over to Oei's hand and replicating the motion. Understanding lit up in Oei's eyes.

"Ah, 'scuse me lady! Uh…I think Toto-sama drew this for you!" She said, pointing at Morgan. "He wants you to, uh…put it on your hand?"

Hokusai nodded as Oei flipped the paper around to show it to the screen, revealing the image of what looked to be a sigil or symbol of some sort. Though the picture was not in colour, there was no mistaking that it looked to be eight tentacles surrounding a pair of eyes.

Everyone else just looked confused, but for Morgan, everything was placed into very stark clarity.

Well, he did tell me to wait…

And that she would serve his whims. How better to do that than by making the connection official?

"Uh, miss? You gonna do it? I think Toto-sama's gonna explode if you keep him waiting any longer." Oei mumbled, as Hokusai himself kept on pointing and gesturing between the paper and Morgan. "Hey, simmer down there! C'mon, what's with you!?"

"Y…Yes. Of course."

Taking a deep and fortifying breath, Morgan gathered her magic and began gradually tracing the image onto the back of her left hand. As a precaution, she made sure to add sealing Runes at every step, as many as she could fit around the mark.

There was no way she was going to just connect herself directly to an Outer God's power, after all. Not after what Apep had tried to do to her and what she'd seen her rival do.

Her heart was thundering in her ears as she connected the last few lines, completing the mark.

For a few merciful moments, nothing.

Then…

The sigil flashed, just for a second.

All at once, Morgan's entire arm felt like it was being both submerged in water and crushed by an intense pressure, while her surroundings fell away into a deep, dark nothingness…all except for a pair of colossal, burning red eyes that bore into Morgan, driving the breath from her and sending panicked shivers up her spine.

"Do not disappoint me." The rumbling voice drilled into her ears, hard enough that she winced and grit her teeth for the pain, and rattled her very bones.

I…I-

Before she could reply, the environment began to shift again, the cold darkness slowly bleeding away into the bright colours of the electronics store. Looking down at her hand, Morgan saw the sealing Runes around the mark had begun to light up as the mark itself grew dim.

"Futile…"

In the blink of an eye, she was back in the store, breathing shaky and heart thumping like a drum in her chest.

Blinking a few times, just to make sure she was where she thought she was, Morgan looked up to find concerned looks coming her way.

"Uh…you okay there?" Oei asked.

"You looked like you spaced out for a moment. Something the matter?" Ritsuka asked.

"I…will be alright. Don't worry about me, we should focus on preparing for the upcoming assault."

None of the others looked wholly convinced, giving Morgan a couple of side-eye glances, but all nodded anyway.

"Okay then, we'll start getting ready at this end. Good luck, Fujimaru-kun." Da Vinci said, turning to the Hokusai duo.

"Now that you're here, you can make yourselves useful! Go and get any other Foreigner you can find and bring them here, quick quick quick! And someone else, get me the director! He needs to-"

Without waiting for her to finish, Ritsuka cut the connection, sighing heavily.

"We should get back to the others. They must surely have come up with a strategy by now." Morgan said, moving to exit the store.

Only for an arm around her wrist to stop her.

"Mmm, what is it Mas-" Looking back, Morgan saw Ritsuka staring back at her with a very firm stare, his face set in a stoney frown.

"Would you mind telling me why a Foreigner is giving you that?" He asked, quietly but firmly, indicating the brand on her hand. "And why you decided to put so many sealing Runes on it?"

I should have known this was coming.

"...of course. Of course." Morgan said, taking a breath and turning back to face him properly.

"The truth is that I did not free myself from Apep's prison, I was rescued…by one of her kin. From what she said, they are opposed to one another."

Ritsuka merely raised an eyebrow and nodded to himself.

"So, the other one give you anything?"

"All he said was that I would serve him, and instructed me to wait for his vessel…I suppose now I know why." Morgan sighed, holding up her left hand and staring glumly at the mark on it.

"If you wish to remove me from the team, or send me back to Chaldea as a precaution, then I understand. This mark…even with all of these seals, there is no guarantee that I won't be overtaken by my new 'patron' should he so desire."

"No. That won't be necessary." Ritsuka said.

"...are you certain? It is an awful risk to take." Morgan insisted.

"Yeah. We can't really afford to pass up on anyone right now, not with the danger we're facing and especially with someone as powerful and skilled as you. We'll be needing your power to get past all the theatre's protections. Besides, I've got faith that you can handle it, you're cautious enough." Ritsuka smiled, giving Morgan a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

Badump. Badump.

…

"A-Are you sure I can help, Uther? My magic….it's not all that strong yet, a-and I've not tested it in battle that often before! So-"

"It'll be fine, Tonelico. I know you're nervous and panicked right now, but I've seen you in a fight before. You've been focused and reliable when the chips are down before, so why would I not put my faith in you again? Just stay as calm as you can and follow me, I promise I'll protect you, and I know that you'll protect me too."

…

"Thank you…U- Master, that is…very reassuring to hear. I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations." Morgan promised, letting out a shaky breath at his closeness while fighting the heat blossoming in her cheeks.

I-It's just one compliment. Control yourself!

"Come on, let's get back to the others."

Releasing her wrist, Ritsuka turned and began walking out of the store, with Morgan following along after him.

As they drew closer to the group, she instinctively pressed the back of her free hand against her thigh, trying to hide the mark it now bore.

"Ah, you've returned!" Napoleon was the first to notice their return, looking up and waving at them.

"The hag didn't trouble you too much?" Oberon-Vortigern sneered.

Morgan just glared at him, though Ritsuka didn't react himself, simply waving half-heartedly back to Napoleon.

"We're back, and we've got some news."

"I take from your expression that the news isn't good?" Sigurd asked.

"Yeah. Very bad news, in fact."

The Servants all shared glances with one another, expressions shifting into worried frowns before they looked back at their Master.

"How bad is it?" Barghest asked.

"SHEBA's prediction for the Singularity has changed…it turns out there's an Outer God supporting the cult we've been fighting, and they're attempting to summon it to this plane."

Everyone visibly sucked in a breath and stiffened in place. Habetrot wrung her hands together and let out a nervous breath. The two Fae Knights, Valkyries, Sigurd and Brynhild instinctively felt for their weapons, with the last two clasping hands and squeezing them for reassurance. Skadi shot a firm glance at Morgan, who decided to speak up.

"It's Apep, the same one who attempted to solicit my help." Morgan said. "So keep my advice in mind even more than ever now. It's almost inevitable that we'll encounter her influence at some point in our assault on the theatre, with how close the Followers appear to be to completing the ritual."

A chorus of affirmatives rose from the team.

"So, does this change our plan, Master?" Napoleon asked.

"No. We're still attacking the theatre. If anything, we need to take it and stop the ritual as soon as possible." Ritsuka said.

"Chaldea will be supplying us with reinforcement teams as soon as we get within range of the theatre, starting with the Anti-World team. Whatever they've got in store in the theatre, the other teams will be able to deal with it, all we need to concern ourselves with is dismantling the ritual apparatus as fast as possible. Everyone got it?"

Another round of affirmatives.

"Okay then, any plans of attack that you've come up with?"

"We thought it best to once more divide our forces, to split the defenders' strength as well." Sigurd spoke up.

"We had the idea for Lady Brynhild, Lady Melusine and the three Valkyries to attack from the skies to draw off the cult's dragons and wyverns, as well as whatever cultists and any of those creatures that leave their fortifications to support them. That way, the rest of us should have a clearer path through the theatre's defences. So should the incoming Servants reinforcements, when they arrive." Napoleon took over the explanation from there.

"A sensible idea in theory, Queen Morgan and I should be able to dismantle the Runes fuelling the summoning and alarm systems more safely that way." Skadi said, scratching at her chin before continuing on.

"However, with more than half of our fighters otherwise occupied, it will surely take us quite some time to break through the shield around the theatre. I made sure to analyse it once we started discussing our options, and the magic fueling it is very potent indeed with no obvious sources of power to cut off, so brute force seems to be our only option for bringing it down."

"Ah, is that so? Forgive me, I'd not taken that into account. I'd assumed that the shield would be powered by Runes, just as the rest of the theatre's protections are." Sigurd frowned.

"No, the fault is mine, for not sharing this new knowledge with all of you before…I was distracted in trying to find out the source of the barrier, myself." Skadi admitted, holding up a hand and shaking her head.

"Perhaps…we should…revise our plan?" Brynhild suggested.

"But we're running out of time as it is, aren't we? Can we really afford to take this extra time?!" Habetrot asked, nerves audible in her voice.

"Yes, but if we go into this fight with a flawed battle strategy, then we may waste even more time trying to breach the cult's defences." Barghest pointed out. "I say we take the time to revise our approach."

Mmmm…caution would be the better route in as high a stakes scenario as this, and we'll surely be delayed either way. Curse that barrier! If only there was a way to bypass-

Ah, of course.

Well, even if I do have that spell…can I use it? The last time I tried, I couldn't charge it all the way.

However…

Reaching up with her free hand, making sure to angle the mark on it away from view, Morgan poked at her upper chest, feeling the faint but steady heat from her newly fused Dragon Core.

I didn't have my new upgrade last time. With the power it provides, perhaps I can surpass this Saint Graph's constraints. Besides, I DID volunteer for this mission as a test of my new power limits, didn't I?

And if it helps us breach the theatre swiftly, then I'm sure Master will be impressed. That, and now that tainted Artoria can no longer taunt me about being so weak!

Yes. It's worth a try.

Clearing her throat, Morgan spoke up.

"If I may. I might have a solution to bypass the barrier."

"Eh, really?" Ritsuka asked.

"Pray tell, what is it?" Skadi asked.

"My Water Mirror spell. It's original purpose was sending things back in time, but I've discovered that a few tweaks to the Runes and magics involved allow it to function across space as well. It can become an unfettered teleportation spell with enough power, all I need is an anchor of some sort to lock it on to. I'm quite confident that I can teleport us inside the cult's shield, so we can get to work dismantling the defences immediately."

"Well, that certainly sounds like a wonderful solution to our problem!" Napoleon smiled.

"As expected of your majesty. There's almost no problem you can't solve." Barghest nodded.

"Eh, are you sure you're okay to try that? I mean…" Habetrot asked, clearly concerned.

"How do we know you won't screw it up again?" Oberon-Vortigern snarked, folding his arms. Off of Morgan's fierce and enraged glare, he simply shrugged and smirked. "That dark King of Knights told me you could barely stand after trying it. She even had to carry you almost all the rest of the way…gotta say, doesn't inspire much confidence, does it?"

"Thank you for your concern, insect, but rest assured, I'm sure it's now within my ability." Morgan hissed, gripping her spear tight. "Or perhaps you'd care to waste more time standing around learning the spell so that you can perform it in my place, hmmm?"

"Tch, blaming me for being cautious, are you? Typical." The Pretender rolled his eyes.

"Alright you two, just stop. You've both got parts to play here, so just stop arguing and listen, please." Ritsuka practically growled, swinging his hand down to get between the duo, who'd once again stalked up to each other and were almost nose-to-nose, directing his gaze at Morgan first.

"Are you sure you do it?"

This is a gamble, but I was very close without the core. I'm sure that I can-

"Yes. Quite certain." She replied.

"Now then, you-" Ritsuka stared at Oberon-Vortigern next, "-won't be joining in the assault. I've got something else in mind for you."

"Oh COME ON! Are you really gonna make me sit this out just because the hag and I don't get on!?" He protested; eye twitching as he saw Morgan smirk smugly at him.

"It's not about that."

All of the hot air was let out of the man's sails, however, as he noticed just how deadly serious his Master looked. How heavy…or rather, how burdened his gaze was.

"I'm listening."

"I need one of you-" Ritsuka indicated in the direction of the flight capable Servants, who'd arrayed themselves to one side of the discussion circle the team had formed, with their ground-bound counterparts on the other side "-to carry him up to the highest vantage point you can find, as close to the theatre as you can get without him being detected by any patrols. Skadi, Morgan, either of you have any Runes that can track someone's vital signs?"

"A simple monitoring Rune branded on someone should suffice. What do you have in mind?" Skadi asked.

"Put one on me, anywhere's fine, and then put the receiving Rune on Oberon's arm."

"All right."

"What's this got to do with me, then?" Oberon-Vortigern asked, as Skadi flitted between him and Ritsuka to apply the necessary Runes.

"If you see this Rune stop transmitting, then assume we've failed to contain the threat…and use your Noble Phantasm to destroy the theatre and everything around it."

The whole group went stiff, expressions morphing into varying degrees of shock.

"Mon Dieu…" Napoleon whispered.

"H-Hey Master-san, do we really need to go that far?"

"Is that...really needed?"

"Master, are you sure that's what you want to do?"

Even Oberon-Vortigern himself, far from crowing and rejoicing at the chance to finally unleash his trump card, went still, eyes widening just a little as he sucked in a breath.

"...how big d'you want the worm?"

"As large as it can get with the power you've got. I don't want to take any chances."

"...you know that's the same as kissing this whole city and a massive part of the surrounding land goodbye, right? Crazies and whatever normals are left both...hundreds of thousands of 'em at least." He muttered, voice low and firm, levelling a steady gaze at his Master.

"Yeah, I know. But if that's what it takes to stop an Outer God from manifesting on Earth…then that's what it takes." Ritsuka's return glare was just as steely, if not more so, and the resolve in his voice was absolute. "Understood?"

Oberon nodded quietly, his usual brashness and disinterest gone.

"Yeah. Understood." He affirmed.

"Worry not, Master. We will not fail." Barghest insisted.

"I know you'll all do your best, but just in case…" Ritsuka sighed. For the briefest of moments looked more tired and worn down than any of them had ever seen him. Soon enough, however, he gathered himself again.

"The world was hanging by a thread in Salem and that was just a Foreigner vessel. This is with an actual, bona-fide Outer God incursion we're dealing with. After everything I've seen and everyone I've fought, I think that they're far worse than almost anything Pan Human History or the Lostbelts have thrown at us so far.

"I know how that sounds, I do, but the Beasts and the Gods, monsters and Servants from the Lostbelts…at least almost all of them gave us a chance to fight back. They overlooked something, or made a mistake somewhere, o-or they didn't come after us right away for one reason or another. In Salem, we didn't get any of that.

"The moment Abby gave into Yog-Sothoth, he started trying to torture the whole world. The Mages Association, the Church Knights, the Assembly of the 8th Sacrament and the Atlas Institute Alchemists…none of them could stop him once he went on the offensive. Even Sheba and Circe could only buy us a few minutes. If one Outer God can act like that, then I have to assume all the others might do as well and I don't know about you, but I'd rather not risk finding that out what this one's willing to do.

"There's just too much at stake here to hold back any option we've got. We…I'd never consider this under any other circumstances, I promise."

"We know, Master-san, don't worry." Sitonai assured him, making her way over to pat him on the back.

"It won't come to that." Sigurd said.

"With all our strength, of course we won't let it!" Melusine declared.

"Thanks, guys." Ritsuka mumbled, flashing a small smile.

"As much as I hate to interrupt Maitre, the clock we're on is ticking forward already. If we could perhaps move on to the last part of our plan of attack?" Napoleon asked, the Archer looking significantly more reserved and subdued as he spoke.

"Yeah, no problem. I was thinking that the flight team would get into position first. When they start their attack, one of them would tell me and I'd signal Morgan to start her spell, that should be enough time for the defenders protecting the theatre to start chasing the flight team. Hopefully that'll mean less pressure for the rest of us to deal with when we teleport in and start breaching the defences, especially when Chaldea starts sending in their backup teams." The teen explained.

"Everyone okay with that?" He asked, clapping his hands together.

"Yes, Master." The Servants chorused back at him.

"Well, let's get going…unless there's anything else anyone wants to say?" Ritsuka looked around the two groups.

"There is just one more preparation I must make." Morgan said, stepping forward and directing her gaze at the team of flight-capable Servants.

"I require a volunteer for a quick mind scan. You all saw the theatre during your scouting mission, and I need a proper image of the exit location in mind for my Water Mirror to function if it isn't anchored to another person. Since all of you will be taking to the skies in your attack…relying on any of you as the spell's anchor would be unwise."

"I'll do it, your majesty!" Melusine stepped forward without hesitation.

"Thank you. This will only take a moment." She assured her knight, summoning some scanning Runes onto the palm of her free hand and reaching for Melusine's forehead, careful to angle her hand to try and keep the Outer God's mark as out-of-view as possible.

As her palm touched the Fairy Knight's skin, Morgan closed her eyes and began channelling some power into the Runes. Though it took a while for the relevant memories to be found, eventually images of the shielded theatre and surrounding area began to flash through her mind.

That is indeed quite the expansive shield. It looks to be extending into the surrounding roads as well as covering the plaza outside, and with how many separate layers I can see just from here…yes, it would have taken far too long to breach conventionally.

Withdrawing her hand, cutting the connection and dispelling the Runes, Morgan nodded to the others.

"I have what I need."

"All right then. Everyone ready?"

"This one stands ready."

"My blade is yours, Master!"

"I'm ready for anything!"

"Of course…"

"We're ready, Master-san!"

"Valkyries confirmed ready."

"I am ready to fight, my Master."

"As am I."

"Yeah, ready to do what needs to be done."

Ritsuka nodded and rubbed his hands together.

"Okay then. Flight team and Oberon, get going. The rest of you, get ready for combat the second Morgan's spell finishes." He instructed.

"...so, who's it gonna be?" Oberon-Vortigern asked, holding up his arms and looking around at the group expectantly, even as they all took to the air and filed towards the nearest exit to the shopping centre.

Only to let out a yelp as he was unceremoniously swept off his feet by Melusine, who held him bridal style.

"Hold on tight, there's no time to waste so I'll go as fast as I can." She instructed.

"No, no, NO! Not like this! Carry me another way! Oi, oi brat!" He growled, even as Melusine began to fly towards the exit herself.

"If you keep complaining, I'll drop you from as high up as I can get."

"No way in hell you'd-"

The argument was cut off by them flying out of earshot, leaving the remaining Servants and Ritsuka alone.

As the others began checking their weapons one last time, Morgan's gaze was drawn once more to the mark on her hand. Even with the suppression Runes active, there was still an oh-so faint glow coming from it.

I wonder…would these measures be enough, if you decide that I would serve better as a vessel than a servant?

Would my mind be re-written to enjoy serving you? Would I simply be pushed deep down and forced to watch you steer my body like a puppet?

A sudden tug on her boot snapped the ex-queen out of her thoughts.

Looking down, she saw that Habetrot had wandered over to her and was motioning off to the side, so she excused herself as politely as possible and followed the Rider away from the group.

"Is something the matter, Habetrot?" She asked, once they were reasonably out of earshot.

"Yeah, something's the matter with you. Something's up with your hand, right? You keep hiding it." The Rider said, hands on hips and levelling a stern stare at her friend.

"I know this might be a bit pushy, but we need everyone at their best right now, which means we can't afford to have anybody distracted. So come on missy, whatever it is, out with it please!"

Smiling tiredly, Morgan simply offered her free hand to Habetrot.

"Eh, what's that?" She asked, noticing the mark immediately.

"This is the mark of an Outer God. The same one that rescued me from Apep and forced me into his service." Morgan said bluntly, blowing out a heavy breath as a shiver of helplessness and anger shot up her spine.

Being treated like some sort of slave to a higher power, and with almost no foreseable way out…

Perhaps this is why that 'Round Table Army' was driven to full-on rebellion. It isn't as if there was any other way for them to escape the Fae's predations.

"E-Eh?! So you're…!" Habetrot swallowed hard, unable to finish her sentence.

"Thus far, my 'patron' seems content to let me act autonomously, and I've sealed it as best as I can." Morgan indicated the Runes surrounding the eldritch mark. "However, if he does decide to exert his influence…"

"You're worried about being a liability to the team?"

"Not to this team specifically, my patron seems to have a vendetta against Apep and I'm confident that he won't do anything to impede our efforts against him, but against Chaldea in general. After all, suppose he decides to make further use of me after we deal with Apep? How could I stop him, especially if I try to tamper with or remove it?" Morgan explained, eyeing the eldritch mark sourly.

"Ah, yeah. That's no small worry, huh?" Habetrot frowned, rubbing her hands together and looking down.

"That is quite the understatement, but yes. I believe that, should the worst come to pass and my 'benefactor' decide to take a firmer hand, the best option would be to terminate my contract. Better that than allowing my knowledge and powers to fall into his clutches."

"Let's just make that 'Plan B', alright?" Habetrot insisted, holding out her hands. "There's plenty of really skilled and experienced magic users at Chaldea, I'm sure they can help you out! A-And if not them, then what about all those 'Foreigners' with a connection like you've got? It's worth a try at least!"

"That is why I said "should the worst come to pass". I am aware that there are other options available, it's simply that the realm of these 'Outer Gods' is new territory for me. I…have no reference for dealing with situations involving them, not even my other's memories have anything for me to draw on. However, you're right, I should focus on the task at hand first. We can deal with this-" another wary glance at her mark "-at a later time."

"There's the spirit." Habetrot smiled, petting her on the leg and setting off back to the group. "One step at a time."

"Yes. One step at a time." Morgan replied, patting her friend on the head in exchange as she strode after her.

"-ready as we'll ever be." Ritsuka was saying, before noticing the duo returning and greeting them with a short wave. "Hey, you two okay?"

"We simply needed to…clear up some lingering doubts. Rest assured, we are both prepared."

"Good. Now we just need to-" Ritsuka halted in place for a few moments, his eyes narrowing as his attention was drawn inward. When he refocused, there was a new layer of tension to his posture and focus in his eyes.

"Melusine just contacted me. The other team has started their attack. It's time."

Morgan nodded and tightened her grip on her spear, while the other Servants stood to attention.

"Understood. Everyone, please form as tight a grouping as you can." She instructed, beginning to summon the necessary Runes in the air in front of her and on the floor around the group. Once her preparations were completed, Morgan moved to stand with them, finding herself in between Ritsuka and Sitonai.

Holding up her hand and channelling her magic, she began the chant.

"Sacred Mirror, come forth."

The Runes within the circle began to light up, one by one. Even now, the energy flow was beginning to wear on her as her hand began to shake.

"Show me the world reflected within that renders distance meaningless."

The Rune circle's glow intensified as it received more and more magical power. Despite the strain of channelling so much power through her weakened form, Morgan grit her teeth and persisted.

Come on…Master is relying on you, don't falter now.

"Now, part the air before you and open the gate!"

The air within the Rune circle began filling with blue glowing cracks and splinters, as water droplets began to fall to the ground from the circle's edges.

"Come forth, Water Mirror!"

The cracks and splinters expanded and warped, forming into a blurry and flickering image. However, even as it tried to expand into a proper portal, Morgan could already see the telltale signs of transparency at the edges. It needed more power…just a bit more than she could give.

Come on, just one last effort!

Her internal plea was answered moments later by a fresh wave of mana, accompanied by a sudden surge of heat from her chest that nearly broke her focus, until she realised what it was.

…so this is what it feels like to have a dragon's heart, is it? I can understand why Merlin and Uther wanted Artoria to have one as well.

A small smile of triumph crossed her face as the portal stabilised completely, the blurry image clearing into a clear view of the Shinjuku theatre: defensive shield, cultists,dragons, demons and all.

Hmph, let's see you attempt to belittle me now, tainted Artoria.

Moving her hand upwards, Morgan directed the portal through the air to hover directly above the group's heads. As it moved into position, the Runes surrounding the Servant group began to light, sending out bright beams of energy to join together.

Once the portal was in place, a combination of water and light poured down from its edges to the Runes on the ground, surrounding the entire team in a solid orb. As the Servants looked around, they saw that the image of the theatre was now reflected everywhere, even beneath them.

"Is everyone ready?" Morgan asked.

One last muted chorus of affirmatives reached her ears.

"Very well then." She said, snapping her fingers.

The watery orb shone bright for a few seconds, then collapsed in on itself with a loud pop.

---

Everything was proceeding as planned. It wouldn't be long now.

As he surveyed the interior of their most sacred ground, the high priest saw that another group of sinners, one of the last needed, were being prepared to offer their blood in glorious sacrifice.

They were protesting, of course, they always did. It wouldn't save them.

Why should it? Why should scum like them be spared, when they could finally give their lives meaning, and become a stepping stone for the return of a genuine, true-blooded Saint?

"-et my children go!"

"-y babies! Please, I have a family-!"

"-re you doing this to us!?"

What?

The high priest's eyes narrowed as he tilted his head in confusion, staring again at the sinners being led away. For just the briefest of moments, despite how blurry his vision was getting, he thought they looked like…

A throbbing pain in his head distracted him, had him setting down his sword to clutch at his forehead and rub at his eyes for a few moments. Blinking for a bit, he nodded to himself as he looked again, the blurry images resolving into exactly the sight he expected to see.

Thieves, con men, murderers, rapists. The unclean and sinful of society. The scum of the Earth that needed to be cleansed in preparation for Her return. After all, it was only fair that, after being tormented and held prisoner at the hands of the Almighty Tyrant for so long, the world She returned to was as pure and righteous as She was.

Yes, it would be an Eden, just for Her. Some would have called this a delusion of the highest order, but his new ally would make that a reality. Just as she had shown him the truth of God's cruel plans…how apathetic and callous He truly was about His most devoted children.

I should never have allowed you to go that day, I should have fought harder to free you. But today…I'll do now what I should have done back then!

Just a few more sacrifices, a little more blood, and he and the faithful could bring the Great Angel over. They would storm the Tyrant's rotten heaven together, and make Him pay for his trespasses and abuses against them.

His fingers clenched tight around the book in his left hand and the blade in his right.

Yes. Don't worry, Jeanne. You'll be free soon.

That thought alone brought a smile to the face of Gilles de Rais, high priest of the Followers.

It won't be long, now.

"Oh Gilles…Gilles. May I have a moment?"

It was her!

Clearing his throat, Gilles addressed the nearest group of initiates, priests and their lead confessor.

"I will be retiring for a moment. Continue gathering offerings for the ritual."

"Yes, high priest!" They all chanted back at him, immediately rushing off to heed his command.

Turning on his heel, Gilles pushed aside the stage curtain and moved to the back of the theatre. To the inner sanctum.

The warded doors opened the moment his hand touched them, the mark on his hand, a blessing from the Great Angel, lighting up for a brief moment and allowing him inside. Looking around, he found that the Runes and glyphs carved on the walls and floor had begun to glow and pulse faintly with power. He could practically smell the magic permeating the room.

The ritual was almost finished.

"Gilles." A soft, faint voice called out from above.

Looking up, he found the beautiful visage of his angelic benefactor displayed on the surface of the great mirror on the ceiling, that kindly and reassuring smile on her face setting him at ease. It always did.

It was a pity that she always looked so…blurry and smudged. That he could not behold her full glory from here.

Well, that was about to change.

"Ah, Great Angel!" He cried, dropping to one knee. "What might I do for you?"

"Please stand, dear Gilles. I've told you, there's no need to prostrate yourself like that. You and I are equals in this struggle, aren't we? You can just use my name."

"A-Ah, m-my apologies." The Saber mumbled, picking himself up. "I-It's just that I'm so grateful for all that you're doing."

"And I too am grateful for everything you're doing for me. It was ever so lonely before you heard my voice and lent me your ear."

"Don't worry about that any more, Apep. You'll be free soon. We've almost gathered enough fuel for the ritual."

"Wonderful, truly wonderful." Apep clapped her hands together happily. "You won't regret this, my dear. Dear Jeanne will be free of her prison and reunited with you soon enough."

"Ah…wonderful." Gilles muttered, looking around the room.

At the rivers of blood that flowed around the trenches the Followers had dug throughout the theatre, to carry the gathered blood to the ritual sigils.

You'll have to see this, won't you Jeanne?

They were the scum of the Earth! The dregs of society! I…I did it all for You! For the sake of freeing You from that cold and uncaring God!

…no. It doesn't matter who they were. You'll surely pray for their souls all the same. Mourn their loss. That is who you are.

"Is something the matter, dear Gilles? You seem troubled. Would you like to tell me about it?" Apep smiled down at him, offering her counsel.

"I…Jeanne would never approve of this. Never approve of me for doing this." Gilles admitted, shoulders slumping. "She will surely be disappointed. To know that I'm the cause of that…I-I don't know if I could stand to face Her."

"Might I offer you my perspective on all of this?"

"Y-Yes! Please do! I always value your counsel!"

"I don't doubt that dear Jeanne would never approve of what we're doing here. Even if our goals are righteous, our methods will certainly seem repulsive to her. No matter who it is whose blood we are forced to gather, no matter that it was part of God's final curse upon me that forced us to pay this price, she will still disapprove."

A heavy sigh rattled up from Gilles' throat.

Ah…I had always known-

"However, that is precisely why I believe you are so noble for doing as you are."

"I…truly? You consider all of this noble?"

"Not the blood sacrifices, dear Gilles, but your willingness to give of yourself to help save a righteous soul. To offer her a second chance at the expense of your standing with her. After all, I think you knew, deep in your heart, that she would never agree to doing all of this. That she would be disappointed in you for resorting to these means in exchange for saving her and overthrowing the tyrant that has toyed with us both.

"However, that hasn't stopped you, has it? And here we are now, on the precipice of success. All because you were willing to sacrifice your standing with dear Jeanne to bring her back. To give her a world that will cherish and appreciate her, not callously throw her and her kindness away.

"As long as she has the second chance she deserves, in the world that she deserves, then I'm sure you can bear any disappointment from her. Because at least she will be alive to be disappointed in you, no? And that, more than anything else, is the essence of a truly heroic martyr, I think.

"And that is who you will be, dear Gilles, as long as you are willing to take these last few steps with me. As long as you make this one last effort…what do you say?"

Could that…could that really be?

I-

Yes! I see now.

It'll all be worth it, as long as Jeanne is free and alive.

"Yes. I…I will. I'm ready."

"Wonderful. Now then, I should be able to give you something to help you directly by now. Hold up your sword, please."

Mmmm? What was she going to give to-

Gilles' train of thought was interrupted, and his gaze forced away, as the single shard of glass that Apep had sent down touched his blade, sending bright light throughout the room.

Ah, what sort of-?

Oh…

How beautiful his sword was now that it was blessed by the Great Angel, with gorgeous flowing lines along the blade and her winged sigil on the hilt.

"When the time comes, use that blade to make the final sacrifice and complete the ritual. That will guarantee I'll have the strength I need to break open the prison I once called Heaven."

"I understand." Gilles nodded. "I-"

Gah!

The sigils on his left wrist had lit up. Very brightly.

But that meant-

"High priest!" The shout was accompanied by a frantic hammering on the doors of his inner sanctum. "We're under attack!"

"Oh my…they're here already."

"I will be right there. Send the remaining wyverns, dragons and demonic beasts to shore up the primary entrance, recall all of our human members into the theatre and begin summoning reinforcements at once!" Gilles barked as he strode through the doors and scattered the initiates that had crowded round it, hand gripping his blade tightly.

He felt just a tad bit sick as he wanted the various priests and confessors begin tearing open portals with the marks on their hands, from which emerged tentacled, barbed, multi-eyed horrors.

To rely on such eldritch creatures to protect them…a detestable practice, and how Apep had acquired the knowledge of summoning such horrors he would never know, but they needed every advantage they could get.

Bile rose in his throat as his gaze fell on the book in his free hand.

Well…not every advantage. Not yet.

We're so close. We won't fail now.

I promise, Jeanne. This time…I won't fail.