We meet again, people! It took me more than I expected, but here is the next chapter of this story. The reason for the delay might very well be the ton of dialogue this chapter contains, so yeah, this is a light-hearted chapter filled with foreshadowing and bonding moments.
On the bright side, the action will start right in the next chapter. A ton of it actually.
Now, without further ado, let the chapter begin!
Disclaimer: I don't own any right over Type-Moon or the Fate franchise.
"WHAT!?"
Everyone's combined scream threatened to shatter Archer and Okita's eardrums. The latter's confidence was starting to wane quickly after finding herself being the target of all the eyes in the room.
"Another Saber face!? A Japanese one at that! X-chan was right! This is an inva-" Ritsuka put his hand over his sister's mouth to stop her from blurting things that could be mistaken.
"Sooo, who are these people, Archer-dono?" Okita decided to ask the nameless Archer, still standing between him and the suspicious servant wearing a weird bridal gown. This one was looking at them with dead eyes, and the Fox lady looked at her back worried.
"I presume they are the Chaldeans we've been waiting for, so I wouldn't antagonize them, Souji. And well..."
The nameless hero eyed them once again. Aside from Nero, Arturia, and the other Archer, who made his eyebrow twitch, he couldn't recognize the other ones. If having Goldie as his master wasn't enough, now he had to work with that cynical bastard.
Well, the blonde maiden with the purple robes under her silver armor caused a feeling that he couldn't pinpoint...
"Judging by their reaction, they must have met another me during their journey, but sadly, I don't have any recollection of that encounter."
"I see..."
"Well, with that sorted out, we should start the introductions." Ushiwakamaru decided to step into the scene accompanied by Benkei and Leonidas.
"You..." But someone interrupted her. "I won't accept this..."
Nero's dead expression turned into a furious one as she summoned her Aestus Estus, her teary eyes settling on the Shinsengumi captain.
"You Cat Burglar! You seduced my darling Finn due to your resemblance to me!"
Before everyone's surprised eyes, the empress swung her sword at the Shinsengumi captain, who had to pull out her katana to block the attack.
"What are you saying!?" Okita shout back with a blushed face. "I haven't seduced anyone! You're the one trying to seduce Archer-dono with that weird costume!"
"What did you say!?"
The two started to struggle with their swords, and Okita was being forced back quickly. Her E-rank strength stood no chance against Nero's B-rank strength.
"Arturia-chan, restrain her!"
"Huh!?"
But before the situation escalated further, the King of Knights slept her arms under Nero's and immobilized her with an iron grip.
"Stop this at once, empress of roses! You're disgracing yourself and Chaldea's image!"
"B-but I can't let that counterfeit fool my Darling!"
"That's something I can agree with! I won't let you suspicious woman get to Archer-dono!" Okita at the same time was being restrained by Leonidas.
"Oi, don't stay idly! This is your mess-" EMIYA was already yelling at Archer, but he stopped after seeing him completely stiff.
His eyes were fixed on a point in the space, and if EMIYA had to guess, that's where Nero's sword had been a moment ago.
"No way..." Archer was starting to sweet his ass off as he processed the story in that sword, his cheeks getting really flustered, a sight to behold for everyone present.
He then shot a piercing stare at Merling, who was rolling in the ground trying to contain his laugher by this point.
"That damn lazy ass was actually telling the truth!"
That sounded more like he was having a crisis of identity. Having been summoned as the nameless entity who represents the accomplished ideal of that man whose name was forgotten, having all those memories of that alternative timeline stuffed into his mind was quite shocking.
Basically, it was like suddenly telling a virgin that his alternate self managed to save someone important to him, fell in love with her, and even married her.
Naturally, it came with a huge headache, which coupled with all his fatigue accumulated during the day made him feel really dizzy.
"Ugh..." He caressed her temple in an attempt to get a hold of himself.
He then felt something sticky rubbing his cheek. Fou was licking him with a clear intention of helping Archer, but his presence didn't help in the matter.
Even if he was in this cute state, Archer knew first hand what is the Beast IV in all its splendor. Keeping his cool in front of it wasn't that easy bearing that in mind.
"Ahem!" Doctor Roman's cough took all the attention. "It is clear the servant you have in front of you isn't the same living hero we met in the Second Singularity, so even if those memories might arise eventually, you should start your relationship with him from scratch. That also applies to you, Your Highness Nero."
"Mu..."
The empress deflated visibly, and surprisingly, Tamamo patted her in a show of support.
With the issue already settled down, the Chaldeans finished summoning their supplies and finally introduced themselves to the servants summoned by King Gilgamesh.
As it would seem, they didn't need to use their own rations as Uruk citizens provided them with food by way of thanks, so they started eating right away. They were a little tight though, having 15 people cramped in a single table.
"So you've been reincarnated by the King's power, and therefore you need to live like a regular human, huh?"
"That's the gist of it." Ushiwakamaru answered Mash's question without losing the pace.
"Even the mighty King of Heroes can't sustain several heroic spirits. I didn't think he would go overboard and summon an entire pack of seven servants after mentioning the Holy Grail War."
"Wait, seven servants? Excluding you and Ana, there are only five servants here. Where are the other two? Don't tell me... they perished in battle!?"
"About that, Shirou-dono and Kotarou-dono disappeared after they went to explore the mysterious jungle at the south... We can only assume they encountered a powerful foe or even the Goddess herself."
"I see..." Benkei's answer didn't do well for the morale of the three teenagers. Another sign that this Singularity was the most dangerous they've faced so far.
"Well, well, not all are bad news. Archer here managed to defeat the commander of the demonic beasts with his reality marble."
At Merlin's attempt to lighten the mood, Archer hmphed. "I don't think that's something to celebrate. After I took out the son of Tiamat, that annoying fake Enkidu appeared to complicate things further."
"Oh, so you guys already fought them, too..."
"Oh, right!" Nero hit her hand with her other fist after remembering something. "That impostor seemed to know Darling. If you're all fine, that's because you managed to repel him. Umu! As expected of Darling and his allies."
Archer still twitched hearing her calling him "Darling" and clinging to him, but didn't complain. "If you call clinging to life until that thing got bored of spamming clay weapons, then yes, we repelled him. Honestly, they're even more troublesome than the Goddesses themselves."
"If he already put us in trouble, I figured you would be the same..." Arturia shot a glare at her mentor. "I assume you were nowhere near the fight."
"Of course not. My duty is to seek that damn tablet with Ana as my assistant, not to fight the beasts."
"Pour Ana..."
Said servant, who was happily devouring her food at the other side of the table, between Archer and Okita, suddenly sent a murderous glare at the Magus of Flowers.
"That was the last time I go with you, pervert. From now on I'll stay here with Okita and Archer."
To make her point clear, she hugged the samurai by her side. This one in turn gave Merlin a mischievous grin. Okita's great victory indeed. Saying that Merlin was a really bad influence for her, or anyone for that matter, was a huge understatement.
On the other hand, Merlin struggled to keep his easy-going attitude. He had been already banned from all the brothels of the city, so seeing that pair acting almost like a family with his assistant didn't sit well with him.
"Wait, that means King Gilgamesh knows about the Fake Enkidu, too. How did he react?"
"Actually, that's the more lackluster reaction even seen in my long life as a half-incubus. Seriously, he just said: "Oh... I guess something like that can happen..." It is good he kept his cool, but not even batting an eye at the news of his long-dead friend becoming his enemy..."
Arturia decided to leave her mentor alone there and focus on the food in front of her. "Emiya, take note of this food. It's really delicious."
"Right... I'll have to ask the locals how they have achieved this variety of flavors without using spices..."
"Heh, it seems your position as Chaldea's head chef is in danger." Alter poked him with a cheeky smile.
"Says the one that asks Boudica-san for lessons in secret. Who are you trying to impress?" The fox pupil of the white-haired chef counter-attacked with another jab.
"That's none of your business!"
"Really? Well, I would start worrying about your Onee-chan instead of Emiya."
"Don't play along with her nonsense damn it! Besides, why should I-" The Dragon Witch stopped talking after turning to her other side to look at Jeanne.
"Aaaahhh... those boys in the front line never hear me! Hic! I always tell them that fighting until death is stupid! If you feel that you need a rest, then fall back to rest! Hic! That's the basic strategy for a survivor! Based on my experience, 2 hours of fighting is equivalent to 15 minutes of sleep! Hic! But then they took it to an absurd level and fall asleep in the middle of the battle until a Demonic Beast approaches them! You understand me, right, Lady Jeanne!? Hic!"
"Ahaha... yeah, Leonidas..." The Saint of Orleans could just put on her best smile, even if the corner of her mouth was constantly twitching, and pretend to listen to him.
"Oi! Who poured ale in Leonidas-taichou's cup!?"
Ushiwakamaru then looked aside and started to whistle, as if that wasn't making her stand out.
"So, what were you telling me about the me in Chaldea, Ai-sama?"
"Oh, right! I was telling you about her weird fetish of bringing us decapitated heads. I would appreciate more if she brought hearts or bones."
"And why not! Bringing the head of the enemy to their lord is the duty of every samurai!"
"Hey! Don't go playing dumb on me! Now Leonidas-taichou is giving Jeanne-san a lecture on how to do push-ups!"
"Don't sweat it, Okita-san. That man hasn't been resting properly latter recently despite all the lectures he's giving. It will do him well."
"Now that explains why there was ale in my cup, too." Archer spoke with his cheeks a little bit flustered.
"You too!? Well, you haven't slept more than a single hour per day lately, but still..."
"Ushiwakamaru-sama you shouldn't go pouring alley in everyone's cup." Benkei decided to intervene. "And you should control the amount you drink, too. You are the one that handles liquor the worst. You don't want to embarrass yourself again as you did on the bridge of Uruk yesterday, don't you? You tried to reenact your famous Eight-Boat Leap, but you felt quite short and crashed face first in the middle of the bridge, splitting it in two, hahahaha!"
"That's it, Benkei." The Rider servant stood up, giving off a murderous aura. "Look that way and kneel. I'll help you to commit seppuku!"
With a peerless quick draw, Ushiwakamaru's katana came to chop the monk's head, but this one dodged it by retracting his head inside his body.
"And that's my technique to hide my head like a turtle!"
"Tch! You have the weirdest techniques, but I shall allow you to live after such demonstration."
The Chaldeans could just sweatdrop at their antics.
"Err... I don't know if they are reliable allies, but they sure are hilarious."
"And that's why I stay here instead of the royal chambers. Just as Uruk's citizens, this is their way to avoid being serious all day. Being in a gloomy mood all day isn't good for their mental health."
"Are you sure it is not because you've been labeled as persona non grata even in the ziggurat?"
Merlin clicked his tongue. Having Arturia here was backfiring instead of bringing more amusement.
"At any rate." Archer stood up, the sound of his chair catching everyone's attention. "We should go to get some sleep already. I would say tomorrow is going to be a long day, but every day here is a long day."
"Yeah, let's go to the bed, Ana-chan." The Sakura Saber carried in her arms the little girl, who was already asleep and followed Archer to the upper floors. The other three servants summoned by the king followed them, although Leonidas had to be dragged by Benkei.
"Oh, right. They need to sleep, too... We should get going as well, Ritsuka-senpai, Ai-senpai."
The two masters followed their kohai to the bedrooms, Fou going with them, and leaving the Chaldean servants and Merlin alone.
"Well, I have matters to attend, so I'll be out for a while. It's up to you guys if you want to get some sleep or just stay here." Leaving those words behind, the Magus of Flowers disappeared in a storm of petals.
They took the second option, as they didn't spend that much energy on their journey. But just ten minutes after that, after making sure her master was asleep, a mischievous smile appeared on Nero's face. Her emerald eyes scanned all the other people in the room.
Arturia seemed content with devouring any leftovers on the table and making small talks with EMIYA. Jeanne had dragged her "little sister" into an awkward conversation.
But then, her eyes met the yellow ones of a certain Fox Girl, who was doing the same.
"I bet you're thinking the same, burglar fox."
"Not exactly. I'm not that desperate for attention, child emperor."
"Heh, then you won't mind if I go ahead, will you?"
"In your dreams!"
Before anyone could say something about it, the two threw themselves into a mad dash towards the room they could feel Archer was in, their former plan of sneaking in thrown out the window.
""Darling/Archer, I here to help you get a pleasant rest!""
"..."
The two barged into the room shouting, but there was no answer. Something that got a raised eyebrow from the two of them.
They got close to the bed and met with an endearing image. Archer was sound asleep, his usual serious expression nowhere to be seen, replaced with a peaceful one. He showed no reaction even when Nero pocked his cheek. They got the sensation that only a direct attack of one of the Goddesses themselves would force him to wake up.
"Even I haven't got to see Darling like this during all our time married."
"I cannot imagine how tired he was... He must have lost consciousness the moment he hit the bed."
"Well, of course. Life in the Absolute Demonic Front isn't easy, Ladies."
"...!?" The two women turned to look at the incubus that wasn't supposed to be there.
"What are you doing here, Merlin?" He was welcomed with frowns.
"Now, now, you don't have to be on guard around me, Ladies. If I've learned something in the past is that going for married women never ends well. I was already imprisoned when everything went south, though."
The sadness in his face despite talking about it with a touch of humor was convincing enough. It wasn't hard to guess what historical fact was he talking about.
"So..."
"Well, you see, as a creature that prays upon dreams, finally having the person that was actually able to make a dream come true here dreaming caught my attention. But then I found something more interesting. I see you two can't dismiss those feelings for him, unlike the other maiden. But I must say, despite being the one that spent the less time with him, here you are challenging his wife from an alternate timeline, Lady Tamamo."
The empress looked at the kitsune squinting, and this one looked away a little bit flustered.
"That's something I've been asking myself all this time. For someone who introduced herself as master's future wife, you discarded it pretty quickly. Are you perhaps just trying to meddle in the relationship between me and Darling as part of your nature as an evil fox?"
"How many times I have to tell you I'm not inherently evil, child emperor? It's the same as the Nero of the original timeline who was labeled as a tyrant because her people couldn't understand her. About master... well..."
She brought her hand to her heart. Honestly, she was as confused as her rival. She couldn't tell if she pursued Finn, or Archer currently, just to compete with this woman, or if she actually had feelings for him.
One thing was for sure. Trying to fill the role of Ritsuka's wife... she could no longer see herself pursuing it. Not only he saw her just as a reliable ally, like all the other servants, but seeing how his relationship with Mash developed in earnest through all their adventures together across the singularities, she couldn't bring herself to interfere with it.
He already had his hands tied with Kiyohime, Serenity, and that Raiko that thought of him as her son.
That thought in on itself was hypocritical. She was forsaking her dream of serving the master that summoned her due to him being in another relationship, just to pursue another master that had a previous relationship.
But that moment in which he told her that he wouldn't reject her even if she was a monster, and he would even fight to protect her... she would be lying if that didn't touch her.
As if the half-incubus could read her mind, he spoke with a smile. "It seems you'll have to figure that out in this journey. In fact, now that the one you've met is the nameless hero, you two now are on equal ground. The only other competitors you have are the holy maiden still hesitating, the two tsunderes, and maybe Lady Okita."
"Hmph. You're just avoiding the issue of your original intention of sucking Archer's dreams." At that, Merlin just looked away and whistled. "But I'll overlook it and instead ask this. Haven't you had an opportunity to do it during these five months?"
"Lady Okita already gave you the answer to that question not that long ago. This is the first time he's really resting. All the other times, well, calling it quick naps would be generous. You see, being the servant that has the superior firepower among them, his assistance is often required in the front and all the operations in infested locations. And the little free time he has, he spends it helping around the town. It would seem he needs to be told that exhaustion is the enemy."
"Huh!?" Even Nero widened her eyes at that. "I know Darling is prone to go overboard when it comes to helping people, but that's excessive even for him. Is the situation really that bad?"
"If the situation wasn't that bad, King Gilgamesh wouldn't have shed his warrior to become a magus that leads the front. And that's also the other reason. Seeing his natural enemy, the tyrant King of Heroes who used to indulge in the pleasures o life without caring about anything else, working his ass off to protect and lead his people, he can't help but work even harder. Their usual hostilities have become a rivalry of shorts, with either of them refusing to let the other surpass them. It is beneficial, in the sense that they inspire the other servants and even the citizens, but it won't take long until one of them finally collapses."
At that moment, the two girls exchanged looks. The King had already made it clear, they would have to work their way up to fight in the front. So even if they couldn't support him in the front, if they helped in the city, they would be able to alleviate his burden.
Seeing their determination fire up, Merlin sighed inwardly. Having them fight like cats won't accomplish anything, and the man in question sucked at handling situations like this, so the duty of pointing them in the right direction fell on him.
However, he wasn't running a charity, so he was going to take his compensation right now.
Using all his being to repress the shadiest smile from appearing on his face, Merlin opened his mouth to speak.
"If you Ladies want to alleviate his burden, I know the best way to start..."
"Mmm..." Archer grumbled as he opened his grey eyes slowly.
He could tell he hadn't slept the average seven hours required for a functional person, but now that he slept soundly, he definitely needed this rest. His head wasn't spinning as all the times he woke up from a nap, and he could feel that standing up wouldn't be a challenge this time.
Moreover, Archer could feel that his arms won't feel heavy every time he raises his black bow... at least for the moment.
That could also have something to do with the really comfortable pillows he got to lean his arms while he was sleeping...
Wait... pillows?
That couldn't be right. He couldn't remember well how he actually reached the bed, a prove of how tired he was, but he could tell that he didn't have such luxury.
Archer slowly turned his head to see to his right and was met by a beautiful face. His grey eyes stared for a moment right at the emerald ones of the blonde beauty, her slightly flustered cheeks, and her pink lips curved upwards in a smile.
Without uttering a word, the nameless hero turned to look at the ceiling light by the first rays of the morning sun.
It would seem the ale he ingested before going to bed was still affecting him...
He then checked his other side, and again, he was met with a beautiful smiling face. This time, it had yellow eyes and a pair of fluffy fox ears.
Starting to doubt his mental health, he turned to look at the ceiling again and brought one hand to pinch the bridge of his nouse.
"Damn Ushiwakamaru... She poured more than just ale in my cup... Where did she find a psychotropic this strong..."
But before he could walk out of his bed, a hand landed on his cheek and forced him to look again at the blonde beauty by his side.
"No, this is absolutely real, Darling~"
Now that he was in a sitting position, he could see the full body of the empress of roses. She wasn't wearing that weird bridal gown, but a white tunic with golden ornaments which was even more revealing if anything.
And the "pillow" enveloping his arm was actually her chest.
If that wasn't enough to make him blush really hard, another hand made him turn to look at his other side, where a Tamamo wearing a blue swimsuit and giving him a seductive smile.
And it went without saying what was the "pillow" enveloping his other arm.
"It would seem you had a satisfactory rest, Archer~"
"Aahh..."
It took a moment for Archer to actually process the situation, finally succeeding at it after suffering several critical errors...
And then...
"Wha... wha... wh-wh-what the hell are you two doing here!?"
To answer him, Nero got into a sitting position and took his hand between hers. The fire in those eyes staring at him was something he never saw in his timeline's Nero.
"I know you aren't the same Finn I know. But I don't care if you never got close to me or if you don't remember your name. You will always be my darling court magus, and I'm definitely going to win your heart once again! So I'll support you in every way I can, Darling!"
"Huh?"
"Even if I hate to admit it, that was a fine speech..." Now it was Tamamo-no-mae's turn to take his hand. "Even if you don't remember the ephemeral time we spend together, this fox wife is going to serve you with all her might, Archer! Just wait! I'll melt that dense wall around your heart in no time!"
"Huh!?"
What was being melted was his ability to think properly. His pour brain that had never seen a naked woman was now clinging to life after this double confession.
This couldn't possibly be right. Even if this was the result of the actions of another "King of Fakers", it was still incomprehensible for him that someone would show that kind of affection towards someone like him.
He didn't deserve it...
So instead of burning his brain trying to find a logical explanation, he tried to find a culprit. And the image of a certain Magus of Flowers laughing at him immediately crossed his mind.
"That crappy party magus... eh?"
Just as he was cursing, his peripheral vision caught something. He immediately turned to look at the door but saw nothing there...
But he could swear he caught a glimpse of a long blonde hair...
"Anyway..."
He massaged his temple with both hands. His instincts warned him that saying out loud he doesn't deserve their affection would be the worst possible idea, so he decided to put aside this matter for now. There were more important things to deal with.
"I'll be heading to the common area to get a quick breakfast... Feel free to join me..."
The three of them, with Tamamo wearing again her usual caster garments and Nero her bridal gown, descended to the first floor.
There they found the other Chaldean servants, their masters, and Okita and Ana, all of them having a quick meal to get some energy.
"Morning..."
Archer took a seat beside the Sakura Saber, who was feeding a slopy Ana. The little girl had never been able to get used to waking up so early. It was a really endearing view.
"Oh, good morning, Archer-dono. It seems you were able to rest properly. Ushiwakamaru-dono, Benkei-dono, and Leonidas-taichou have already departed, so today we three will be in the city."
That piece of information didn't go unnoticed by the others in the room.
"I'll be... yawn... helping around the flower store..."
"What about you, Archer?"
"I think I'll see what errand brings Siduri... Oh, right..." He turned to look at the kitsune sitting near him. "If you don't mind, I would want to borrow Tamamo for a moment. There's something I would like her to check. It won't take long."
"Oh, sure. I'll gladly lend a hand."
That made Nero pout. "Hey, why it has to be Caster?"
"I need someone who knows their way with curses and authorities, so I thought she was the woman for the job. But I don't mind if you want to come along. I'll just warn you, it won't be a pleasant sight."
That definitely got a raised eyebrow from everyone.
"That would certainly be appreciated." Siduri caught everyone's attention as she entered the room.
"Even if it's not that urgent, it can become a problem later, so having your input would be helpful. You can pay a visit to the temple before going for the task. And about that, today's assignment comes from Mr. Limmat at the ranch. He needs help shearing his sheep."
"Shearing seeps? Isn't that a menial task?"
Siduri shook her head at Ai's question. "It isn't menial. Wool is a really valuable commodity difficult to obtain in recent times. Shearing a seep normally takes around four hours, and Mr. Limmat owns 180 sheep, so it would take him more than a month to shear them all. If you can help him to shorten it to ten days or less, the profit would be considerable."
That didn't convince the two masters as Siduri expected, but a Mash with stars in her eyes intervened.
"I've never seen, let alone touch a sheep. Are they fluffy as they say!?"
"Yes, they are fluffy this time of the year."
That just made the Shielder's face light up even more. "Say no more! You can leave it to us!"
The rest of the Chaldean could just smile seeing her enthusiasm. Ai looked at Fou, who was tense for some reason, and a mischievous grin spread on her face-
"It seems you now have competence for the cute fluffy animal role."
"Fouuu..."
"Here is your referral letter then. And by the way, since the ranch is at Uruk's outskirts, there have been some sightings of demonic beasts roaming near. Please be careful."
With that said, the Chaldeans followed Archer and Okita to the temple. Even if the ominous explanation they received raised some red flags, the sight that received them was still hard to digest.
"Are they..."
The room they entered had people leaning on mantles at both of its sides. It looked like a quarantine room... or a morgue.
"Are they dead?" Arturia finished the question Ritsuka was struggling to let out.
Even if they had overcome six Singularities, seeing around 100 corpses was still hard to swallow.
"It's not that simple actually. It started around a month ago. Some people started to lose consciousness spontaneously and never woke up again. They fell into an eternal slumber, so saying they "fell asleep" would be more accurate."
"Some kind of illness?"
"Not even close. The reason behind this... someone took their soul, in a literal sense."
"Oh, that's true!" Romani spoke for the first time. It seemed he was finally in his post. "Physical death and spiritual death are separate concepts here in the Age of Gods. If the soul is taken away of the body, that means death for a human."
"Well, if we could return the soul to the body, they would wake up. But that would involve traveling to the land of death. At any rate..." His grey eyes landed on Tamamo. "We know the cause, but we aren't sure of the method. Can you please examine them, Lady Tamamo?"
"I'll see what I can do. I can already tell you it wasn't a curse though."
The fox girl leaned beside one of the bodies and closed her eyes in concentration. Death wasn't the domain of the deity that originated her, but she could sense the traces of what took the soul away... and it fell under her expectations.
"This was the work of an evil spirit."
"An evil spirit?" That made Okita and Archer raise an eyebrow. "It isn't something unheard of in the Age of Gods, but why would they suddenly start a massive attack?"
"That's the thing. It felt more like a grim reaper than a regular wraith... In other words, just as you assumed, this is the result of an authority."
That statement made everyone else's blood run cold.
"Wait a moment... Neither Ishtar nor Tiamat has an authority related to death... Maybe the third Goddess?"
Okita took down Romani's ephemeral hope. "No. Even if we have little information about her, a Goddess with an authority that created a jungle doesn't match that profile."
"Then you say we are facing a fourth Goddess... What did Merlin say about this?"
Archer sighed at Arturia's question. "You should already know the answer to that question. He just said this wasn't a matter of concern for the moment and kept things vague. And Goldie seems to share his opinion."
"So we should add to our list of task hunting evil spirits, huh?"
"Wait, you don't seem that surprised about this either." EMIYA locked eyes with the red knight.
"Hmph. Perhaps I should have specified that this incident started in Uruk around a month ago. But several months ago, when I traveled to Kutha, I found that all its citizens had perished by the same cause. There were no survivors. And that city is right above Kur, the land of death, so connecting the dots wasn't that hard. Sorry if this seems like a waste of time, but I wanted to make sure both incidents were connected."
"No, don't worry about this jerk. It's better showing than telling."
"I was just cheeking Merlin's shady customs didn't rub on him, Alter."
"Well, with that settled, you guys should go to your assignment. The faster you end the tasks given to you, the faster you'll join the front."
"Right. Let's get going, everyone."
They left the temple promptly. But just as they walked through the gate, something in the sky caught their attention immediately.
"Eh? Is that a flare?"
"It seems they need fire support... that's the south so that most be the team sent to clear the nest in the route to the observatory."
Ignoring everyone's curious looks, Archer traced his bow and Redeemer.
"Give him some space. The shockwave is pretty intense." Okita gave her warning as she took a step back.
The cursed sword was turned into an arrow and loaded in the bow. The body of the bow acquired a golden shine as he pulled the string, several ancient runes carved on it. Unlike how it usually was, not only the "arrow" irradiated power, but the bow itself too gave off a powerful aura.
With practiced easiness, Archer aimed at the sky and let loose the bowstring.
"Redeemer!"
Just as Okita said, the shockwave produced when the "arrow" was fired shook their bodies and even cracked the concrete. The twisted projectile pierced through the clouds at an absurd speed, breaking the sound barrier several times.
There was an awkward moment of silence as Archer dismissed the bow, taking for granted the arrow hit its mark several miles away.
"Since when were you able to do that, Archer-san!?" Ai voiced the question in everyone's mind.
"Around three months ago. This is the most efficient method Goldie and I came up with to provide support to the squads without having to escort them personally. He upgraded my bow with his runes, so instead of just making it flexible, they increase exponentially its firepower when activated. Of course, it took me a while to get the estimations to hit a target so far without even seeing them. The flare actually has the additional purpose of helping me with that."
"Wait, the King of Heroes actually upgraded your bow? The world is really about to end..."
"Well, the other option isn't any better..."
The image of Merlin adding some weird effects to the bow crossed their minds after hearing Romani.
Yeah, resorting to his natural enemy was the obvious choice here.
"Oh, so you're the elites working under His Majesty Lady Siduri mentioned." The owner of the sheep, Mr. Limmat, welcomed them with a relieved smile. "With this amount of people, we'll get way ahead of the schedule! This way, please! I'll give you a quick demonstration of how it is done."
The man took a pair of shears and lead them to the plains where all the sheep were grazing. The animals were quite docile, so they only needed to be cautious to not hurt or scare the animals.
"So that's the gist of it. Did you guys got it or need another demonstration?"
"It won't be necessary, Sir. You can leave this to us from here."
"Very well."
The farmer made his way to his hut, and the moment he was out of sight, EMIYA projected shears and distributed them for everyone.
"I'll take the first guard." Saying that Archer traced his bow and stepped to the said.
As always, he took the boring task so the others could have fun. Fou followed him. Not only the cute thing enjoyed the nameless hero's company, but being close to the sheep irked him.
"Ooooh! They are really fluffy, senpai!" Mash dragged her two senpais with her, although they had to bring her back to reality as she just caressed the animal instead of getting down to business.
Nero and Tamamo weren't far from them, competing fiercely as always... or as fierce as a competition of sheaving sheep between two girls who were part of the high society could be.
Who didn't have trouble was Arturia. The time she spent as a country girl with her foster father Sir Hector and her brother Sir Kay was still there, even if she buried it the moment she drew the sword in the stone. In fact, she was giving tips to EMIYA by her side, something that usually was the other way around.
The one who was trying to sneak around to get some space was Alter. Being in such a cheerful atmosphere wasn't her thing. In fact, it irked her. That's why she rather spent her time alone in Chaldea. Aside from Gilles de Rais, her fellow Avenger, the Count of Monte Cristo, was the only servant whose presence she tolerated to some extent, and even so, that laugh of his could become annoying sometimes.
But the exception, the one that barged in without caring about being treated coldly, was of course a certain holy maiden. And speaking of the devil...
"Hey, sis! Let's see who can shear a sheep faster!" She came running at her as always, with that smile of hers.
A smile that has become more fake than even the weapons projected by the red knight. As much as Alter hated to admit it, after spending so much time with Jeanne, she could tell when her smiles were genuine or not.
"Hmph!" Alter grunted and sent a cold glare at the holy maiden.
This one dismissed it as Alter's usual tsun side at first, but she could just widen her eyes when the dragon witch spoke.
"Drop the act already, damn it! It's really obvious, worthless saint. Even if this farse about little sisters started as something genuine, it has become an annoying way of looking away from those repressed feelings."
"Bu-but... I can't just..." Her blue eyes drifted to the two beauties having a showdown. "I'll be getting in the way..."
"Tsk!" It took Alter a considerable effort to not start burning things to blow off some steam. "And what if that gal married him in some other timeline!? You even confessed your feelings after that stupid war! Hell, Foxy there is competing with the drama queen even if she barely spent time with him!"
She grabbed the holy maiden by her shoulder and pushed her in Archer's direction.
"So stop messing around and go for him already! If you stay like this, calling you worthless saint will be an understatement!"
Jeanne turned to look at her "little sister" one last time, but seeing those dead-serious eyes, she didn't have any option but to approach the man in question.
"Haaah..." Alter let out an exhausted sigh as she looked at the shears in her hand. "What am I doing with my life... Shearing sheep and acting as a counselor... I'm the embodiment of hatred against humans, damn it... But at least, it's finally quiet..."
She approached one of the animals and started shearing it. To be so docile in front of a servant with such a wicked aura, no doubt they are at the bottom of the food chain. However, it made some memories arise.
Memories that weren't hers, but remnants of the heroic spirit used as a model for her. The time when Jeanne was just a farm girl before she heard the call of "God". They were comfortable to some degree, but at the same time, it reminded her of those annoying feelings she got from the worthless saint...
"Hum~ hum~ hum~" And there goes her quiet moment. "Fum~ shearing a sheep... I never thought I would get to do something so pleasant... Back in the Shinsengumi and here in the front, it has been just killing and killing... I should have brought Ana with us. She would have adored this."
There, a few feet from her was the Sakura Saber, shearing a sheep with a dumb smile on her face. For a genius swordswoman, leader of a group of manslayers, she was acting like a normal girl of her age, all cheerful and happy.
But having to relocate herself now that she had already started shearing the animal would be more bothersome. Girl's talk wasn't her thing either... but if she found a hobby, then he would be a step ahead of the worthless saint. She was also already able to write some complex sentences, so it would be a total victory.
"Heh, you really are bold to treat a divine spirit like a child, sealed or not."
Okita blinked a couple of times surprised. She wasn't expecting the grumpy servant to be the one to strike a conversation.
"She acts like a child most of the time, and I can tell it's not an act. So yes, despite being a divinity, she's just a scared little girl..."
"Scared? From what? She didn't bat an eye when she exterminated demonic beasts on our way here."
"Of course not. Ana is afraid of humans." That got a raised eyebrow from Alter, signaling Okita to explain further. "That cold treatment she gives everyone, it's not that she hates humans. She's afraid of them. Or so Merlin said. Well, she hates Merlin, but that's because he's a pervert. The thing is... it is some kind of past trauma. It took her all these months to start to open herself around us and some of the people in the city."
"And how did that end up resulting in you acting as a family with her being your daughter and Archer being your husband?"
"Eh?" Those blunt words made the Sakura Saber freeze in her spot, her face gradually turning red until it even shone.
"Wh-what!? What made you think that nonsense!? Me a married woman!? And with Archer-dono of all people!? I mean, marriage was something that never crossed my mind during my life... but now in this life, with my illness having been neutralized... should I look for a boyfriend? No... that would be a distraction... defeating the three Goddesses should be the utmost priority..."
Well, it was good to see she had her priorities right, unlike those gals and the worthless Saint. She didn't deny the prospect of going deeper in her relationship with Archer, but she doesn't seem to be so infatuated.
Honestly, it was absurd how that man attracted all those chicks without even putting his mind to it. You could say people with a screw loose attracted each other.
And talking about Jeanne, it took her a couple of minutes, but she finally mustered the courage to approach the man scanning the surroundings constantly as if he were a security camera.
Of course, he noticed her for a while but decided to talk when she was already close.
"Is there something I can help you, Jeanne?"
"Well... I thought you would appreciate some company so the guard didn't feel so lonely..."
The moment that vague excuse left her lips, she knew he was going to refute it saying something like "I have no problem with being lonely. Go there and have a fun time with your friends."
But his answer was the complete opposite of her expectations.
"I have to agree with you on that. Without any threat nearby, this feels kind of dull... If you want to keep me company, then by all means..."
Jeanne had a hard time assimilating this development.
"I... I'll be in your care then... But I must ask..." Her azure eyes pointed right above Archer's head. "Aren't you uncomfortable having Fou there?"
"No, once you get used to it, it's no issue. In fact, he's really fluffy."
"Fou!"
The cute animal nodded pleased by his words, and the holy maiden, in turn, made a soft chuckle, which caused a raised eyebrow.
"Your answer was exactly the same as... well, the you we met in one of the previous Singularities we fixed."
"I see. Now, talking about Fou here..." Archer's face turned really serious for a moment as his eyes drifted to the trio of teenagers. "Ritsuka, Ai and Mash... They don't know what is exactly Fou, do they?"
By the face of "what are you talking about?" Jeanne made, he knew he had chosen the wrong person to bring this issue to the table.
"Huh? Isn't fou just a cute squirrel?"
It seemed only Arturia and Merlin were aware of the truth behind Fou's identity. The Beast IV, the Murderer of Primates, embodying the concept of the true apex predator presiding the food chain... and who killed him in his past life.
Of course, nobody would expect this cute little thing to grow to become that monstrosity. Even in that partially awakened state, as the horns signature of the Evils of Humanity weren't developed, the thing beat the crap out of him even being trapped in his reality marble.
In fact, Fou being so friendly with him surprised him to no end. They basically tried to kill each other the moment they made eye contact in their first encounter, and in the end, the being that was said to be always superior to his opponent was defeated, not by violence, but by witnessing humanity's bright side.
"Yeah... he's just a cute animal..."
Well, he wasn't popping their bubble. It was better if they finish their journey without realizing it, and despite Merlin calling Fou "beast of calamity" in front of everyone, it was obvious he and Arturia intended it to be that way.
The two fell in silence, any of them knowing how to extend the conversation. But it wasn't an awkward silence. They just enjoyed the company of each other.
However, even if in the exterior Jeanne looked fine, she was squishing her brain to think how to put in words the question she wanted to ask.
"I don't know what kind of answer are you expecting, but the other me will definitely give it to you when you finally meet again!"
Finn's words rang through her head.
Even if that version of him diverged so much that he could be considered another aspect of the hero King of Fakers or even a separate entity, they were still the same. If Finn was able to sense her inner turmoil, then the nameless hero definitely can.
And maybe, just maybe, he will be able to remember her.
"I love you, King of Fakers. Even if we part now, no matter how much time passes, I will find you again, and I will keep loving you. I won't let you be alone anymore."
Even if she didn't remember that war, for the most part, that moment in which she professed her feelings, it remained intact. It was such an important moment that it was engraved in the core of heroic spirit Jeanne's record in the Throne of Heroes.
Just thinking about it made her blush. To think she was able to say something so embarrassing...
No, that wasn't the right mindset. If she was able to do it once, then she could do it again. And this time, he wouldn't die before answering.
"Err... Archer-"
"So... Jeanne-"
But just when she finally opened her mouth to ask, Archer did the same. All her momentum died as both stared at each other's eyes.
"Oh. You first, Jeanne."
"No... You first... It isn't that important..."
Archer raised an eyebrow seeing her so deflated, but he spoke anyway. "I've been meaning to ask, but... have we met before?"
It was an absurd question. Jeanne d'Arc lived several centuries after his death. But, he couldn't dismiss this nagging sensation he felt around her as much as he tried. It was some sort of... sense of duty?
It was better to deal with it now before it could become a problem when the inevitable battle against the Goddesses and the fake Enkidu came.
On the other hand, Jeanne's eyes widened for a moment while she processed the question.
BA BUMP!
He didn't remember her confession, but he still remembered her!
"Y-yes! We met in an irregular Holy Grail War!"
She answered a little bit overexcited, but he didn't make any comment on that. Instead, he delved into his fuzzy memories.
A Holy Grail War... he couldn't be referring to the one in which he met the King of Knights, Goldie, and that girl who was summoned to be Ishtar's vessel.
That wasn't a regular Holy Grail War by any means, mostly due to Gilgamesh's presence and the corrupted Grail, but even if he didn't remember the other servants, he could tell there wasn't a Ruler servant there...
Then, it had to be another Holy Grail War... one so irregular that it required the summoning of a Ruler servant...
An irregular war with two fronts of servants instead of the usual battle royale...
The image of a gentle girl sitting in a wheelchair popped into his mind. That must be it...
Just as he was remembering, Jeanne took his hands, almost making him jump.
"Do you remember, Archer? The end of that war?" She asked with a gentle voice, but at the same time, they conveyed excitement and... hope...
As if she was finally reaching a distant dream...
"This dream is not wrong!"
The red knight's twin sword pierced the chest of the fake saint, putting an end to the clumsy fight. The battle was decided the moment the saint didn't defend himself after those swords hit his chest.
He didn't remember the details after that. But one memory remained almost untouched.
The figure of the girl in front of him was replaced by the one of the Jeanne at the end of the war. Her pristine armor was covered by dust and scratches. Her wheat blonde hair was a mess, no longer tied into her classic long braid, and her eyes were bloodshot as if she had cried recently.
But even so, she wore a really beautiful smile. And then, she opened her mouth to say some last words before he vanished...
BA BUMP!
Seeing how Archer's cheeks blushed, Jeanne knew he was finally remembering. Her heart was about to burst out of her chest, and she was sure she was too much flustered, but she swallowed all her insecurities and kept looking at him.
The seconds felt like an eternity, but Archer finally opened his mouth...
"Trace, on."
"Eh?"
Jeanne felt how Archer's magical energy condensed above them, and right after that, she heard a cacophony of explosions and yells of pain and death behind.
When the Ruler servant turned around, she found a mass of lifeless bodies pierced by several swords. Most likely a pack of demonic beasts trying to sneak on them.
"We shouldn't get so distracted. Even the lands behind the Northern Wall are dangerous."
"Oh... yeah..." Jeanne's depressed tone was so disheartening that Archer flinched visibly.
It couldn't be. She knew he was dense, but he couldn't have dismissed her confession as another thing.
Then... he didn't answer so he didn't hurt her feelings? Was he going to reject her?
She could accept it. A country girl like her couldn't hold a candle to Lady Nero and Lady Tamamo. He wouldn't be alone again, and their love would definitely be more passionate than the one of an inexperienced bumpkin...
But even if she tried so desperately to delude herself, she was on the verge of crying.
"Give me some time." Archer's words brought Jeanne out of her spiral of negative thoughts.
"Huh?"
"Give me some time to think of a proper answer... I have too many things to assimilate in a single day..."
After saying that, Archer looked away. But contrary to his expectations, Jeanne's expression lit up.
"Yes, of course!"
She was finally able to see the light at the end of the trail. Waiting a little bit more wouldn't be a problem.
That day passed without any other remarkable event. They got to shear two sheep per person, with Alter and Okita shifting with Archer and Jeanne for the guard.
It was an interesting experience overall, but it still left a sour taste. There had to be other tasks more important than shearing ships, right?
Perhaps this was just a test and Siduri would get them important tasks from now on...
The next morning...
"Wait seriously? We have to investigate an affair?"
The reaction from the two siblings couldn't be more different. While Ritsuka deflated hearing their next assignment would be even more meager, Ai's eyes lit up.
"I'm not that an expert in those issues but... shouldn't it be settled between the two parts and not through a third party?" Mash asked a little bit embarrassed.
"You see, Mr. Kissinamuh is the boss at the armory. He cannot leave his workplace so easily given the current times. However, his suspicion about his wife's behavior is taking a toll on his mind, and it's affecting his work. An early resolution would be ideal. And he needs evidence in case it goes to trial."
Well, that made the errand more meaningful, but still...
"Don't you have another errand, Siduri? I don't think we need everyone here to spy on a person."
The high priestess stroke her chin. "You do have a point. Let's see... If any of you has some knowledge about forging spears and swords, Mr. Kissinamuh's armory could use some help."
Everyone turned to look at EMIYA, who was already stepping ahead.
"I've never worked as a smith, but I have plenty of knowledge about the process of forging weapons."
Siduri didn't doubt him. The King himself explained the relationship between the two fakers after seeing her distress about it, so leaving him that task would be really beneficial.
She then looked at the nameless hero. "Will you accompany him, Archer? If I'm correct, Souji and Ana took the shift to patrol Uruk's outskirts today."
Archer shook his head. "I would prefer not working with him if it isn't strictly necessary. We are like oil and water."
"On that, we agree."
That exchange earned a collective sigh. It wasn't as bad as Archer's relationship with Gilgamesh, but it would take a really harsh situation to make them work together.
"Anyway, aside from that, the cooking time could use a hand, too. With all the people living here now, they had their work cut."
"Leave that to me!" Tamamo raised her voice with excitement. "This is my opportunity to put in practice all my lessons with Emiya-sensei and Boudica-sensei!"
"Very well then. Tomorrow I'll bring you more tasks, but that's all I have for you now. I'll be waiting for your reports in the ziggurat as always."
Siduri walked out of the building, leaving the Chaldeans to finish their breakfast.
"We'll go with you then. That task seems pretty interesting." Ushiwakamaru tagged along, dragging Benkei and Archer.
"Don't we have to patrol the city, Ushiwakamaru-sama?"
"We'll be killing two birds with a stone. Besides, since we already know Uruk like the back of our hands, we can serve as their guide."
The Chaldeans looked at each other considering her offer.
"Well, you do need someone to guide us to where that woman is."
"But won't we stand out like a sore thumb with this many people wearing colorful outfits?"
"Our servants can shift to spiritual form, so that would reduce our numbers to six. Since Archer, Ushiwaka and Benkei are already known around the city, they won't stand out that much. And if someone asks, we are just patrolling."
Ritsuka could just sweatdrop at his sister's sudden enthusiasm.
"It's like we are in a spy movie, Ai-senpai!" Mash playing along wasn't helping.
"Then it is decided! My Polygami Castration Fist doesn't work that well on women, but we can use it with the other cheater!"
Archer and Benkei felt a chill run down their spines even without knowing what was Tamamo talking about. Even EMIYA, who was already on his way to the armory, shuddered.
With all said, the Chaldean servants entered spiritual form, and the trio of teenagers followed the King's servants.
It didn't take them long to find the woman in question. She was working in the inn in which the refugees from other cities were hosted.
The next hours weren't so interesting as Ai expected, as they just watched how the woman worked from the distance. But it was when she was going to desist and accompany Ushiwakamaru in her patrols around the place when they noticed something weird.
It was already lunchtime. Another woman approached the suspect and judging by what Archer caught with his reinforced ears, it was time for the suspect's shift. But, instead of finding a place to rest and have lunch, she went to the suburbs.
"Oh! We finally caught her!" Ai started to run after the suspect with renewed enthusiasm.
"Wait! It's still too early to draw a conclusion."
Well, she might have been more right than everyone expected. The suspect stopped by a shady-looking building located in an alley. After knocking at the door, it was opened slightly to reveal a man on the other side. They exchanged a few words, and then the man opened the door just enough to let the woman enter and closed it immediately.
"Hehehe... We're going to catch them in the act! How exciting!"
Everyone ignored the excited master and looked at the red knight. His frown was already a bad omen, but Ushiwakamaru asked anyway.
"What did they talk about, Archer-dono?"
"I... I don't know."
"What do you mean by 'I don't know'? Did they use any kind of magical way to prevent eavesdropping?"
"No. More exactly, I didn't understand a single word. They weren't talking in Urukian, and I doubt that was even a human language."
His words got everyone tense. All the Chaldean entered physical form alongside them, and they approached the building.
"Let's check it then. Leave this to us, Ritsuka-dono."
The Rider servant knocked at the door. A moment later, the same man opened the door with the same cautiousness.
The moment he saw the three servants, he let out a voice of surprise and hurried to slam the door close, but he wasn't fast enough and Ushiwakamaru put her foot in the way of the door.
"Where are you going in such a hurry, Sir?" The Rider servant gave the man a sweet smile that from his perspective was really disturbing.
The fact that he tried to run away, and most likely warm Kissunamuh's wife and whoever else was in there, pretty much confirmed it. There was something fishy there.
"Wh- what are the King's servants doing here!?"
"Routine inspection. Just checking if your business here is safe and doesn't have something shady."
"Which hasn't, right?"
Unwittingly, Archer and Ushiwakamaru were playing the old classic "good cop, bad cop".
The man was now completely pale. But even so, he still put up some resistance. "There is no need for that. We're just a... err... a group of tailors! Yes, a group of tailors! There isn't any harmful thing here!"
The three servants looked at each other with "Seriously" faces, but Archer still tried to use the pacifist route one last time.
"There have been sightings of evil spirits in the city. We just want to check if there are any traces of them here."
"I can assure you Sir there's no such thing here! You can go to check other business already!"
That was it.
"Look, we are trying to do this peacefully, but if you insist further, we'll have to enter by force and shut down the place."
The guy took a step back by reflex when the Rider servant started to give off killing intention. He was completely cornered.
But all his nervousness turned into anger in an instant, magical energy starting to burst out of his body. "Tch... Then, I'll take care off you right here and-"
Whatever he was saying was interrupted when Ushiwakamaru kicked him in the guts and Benkei punched him in the face, knocking him flat out.
"Hey, wait a minute! Was that necessary!?" Mash asked worriedly seeing how the three servants walked over the guy's body to enter the building like nothing.
"That thing wasn't human and was showing hostility. Don't worry about it, Mash." Arturia and all the other servants rubbed it off as well.
"But now the question is, why did Kissinamuh's wife enter a shady building inhabited by non-human beings?"
"There's only one way to find it out..."
Ai had mixed feelings about this development. They were supposed to be investigating an affair, but it quickly turned into a mystery involving unidentified non-human creatures.
The building was quite small and quite a mess. But the fact that the suspect was nowhere to be seen suggested that there had to be a hidden door or something like that.
It wasn't that hidden either. They noticed the trapdoor under a table pretty much the moment they entered the place. The guy didn't have time to hide it better after the suspect used it.
The trapdoor led to some descending stone stairs. If anything, all was lining up for a cliche conspiracy cult.
After a few minutes of walking through a dark narrow passage, they finally found some light coming from a room. But calling it a room wouldn't be quite accurate.
"What the..."
The place they end up in was more like a huge underground cave, lit up by several lava rivers flowing through the walls and going into the ground. But aside from that...
"What's this!? I detect multiple readings of beings not registered in our database! It could be considered a small army!"
"You don't say, Doc..."
The shortest way to describe the place would be calling it a military compound. There were several tents and a warehouse with plenty of supplies. And the things living there were... some kind of humanoids made out of rock... Like golems, but more lively.
Some of them were even training as a group like a platoon. And in the midst of them, they spotted the suspect, chatting with some of them like if they were some old friends.
"She's one of them, isn't she?" Mash asked with a deadpan face, which was shared by everyone present.
"Pretty much it seems... Now, what do we do about this?"
"That's a good question..."
Before they could do something, the underground people finally noticed their group and ceased all activities to stare at them in surprise. Just a moment later, all their eyes landed on the subject, how was starting to sweat bullets.
The one that towered several heads above all the others approached her and started reprimanding her.
"We've told you not go to de surface so carelessly so many times, Yohimen! All to keep playing with that lowly human! And look what happened now! The servant of the King found us!"
"And I've told you, I'm not fooling him! I really do love him! Why are you so stubborn about invading the surface! Can't we just coexist!? This is the perfect chance to negotiate!"
"Nonsense! Humans and we are incompatible! They already have the surface, but they still enter our domain to steal our resources and gems! War is inevitable!"
"Oooh... she's a faithful wife to the end... even if they were from different races..."
"She couldn't forfeit her love even if that meant selling her people..."
Ignoring Tamamo and Nero's comments, Ai pointed at Yohimen with an enraged expression.
"What is the meaning of this! You were supposed to be cheating on your husband, not be plotting under the city! Where's my scene of catching you in the act with your lover running away nacked and Tamamo-chan using her Polygamy Castration Fist on both of you!"
Her words just confused the underground beings.
"Dear sister, your priorities are completely messed up."
"Honestly, I was expecting that, too..."
"Don't you too, Ushiwaka!"
"Ahem!" The giant who seemed to be their leader coughed to get everyone's attention. "Even if the preparations are yet to be fulfilled, we had no choice but to defeat the King's servants right here and now! This will be the first step to- Ruaaarggh!"
The speech was left unfinished when several swords pierced his body, turning him into a pile of rocks and dust in an instant.
There was a pregnant silence, with all the underground being starting to pale seeing their king completely slaughtered in seconds.
Everyone looked at Archer, who stile had some swords hovering above him.
"What? They are clearly hostile, and we have more pressing matters to attend in the surface."
"But we could have tried to negotiate with them! You're severely outnumbered and in a cave that can fall on us if you use noble phantasms!"
"No. Archer-dono is right. We should purge them quickly and return to the surface."
Ushiwakamaru unsheathed her katana and make a mad dash at them with a really disturbing smile on her face. Benkei followed close, pulling out two spears of her bag of weapons.
Archer readied his twin swords, but just when he was about to jump into the fray, he found himself unable to move. Lowering his gaze, he noticed a certain Bride Saber clinging to him and using her own body to stop him.
"Huh!? What are you doing, Nero!?"
"Please, spare that woman, Darling! I don't want to see that love story end in tragedy!"
"I too implore it to you, Archer! Don't allow that love story to end in such a sad way!" A certain fox girl joined the empress, pinning down the red knight.
"Tch! This isn't the time for jokes, you two!"
"Hehehe... HAHAHAHAHAHA!" A really disturbing laugh interrupted the trio, and the three turned to see Alter, with a twisted smile reducing to ashes the underground beings with her flames of hatred. "This is the perfect way to blow off some steam! Hahahahaha!"
"Uoh! She has finally awakened her witch side! Go for them, Alter-chan! Make them pay for wasting our time!"
"Wait, Ai-senpai! This can't possibly be right!" Seeing that the red-haired master completely ignored her, Mash turned to look at Ritsuka. "Ristuka-senpai, please say something! At this rate, they are going to wipe out the underground beings."
"Err... e-even if you look at me... I would like to talk things through, of course, but that doesn't seem to be an option in this situation."
"Master is right." Arturia leaned one hand on the Shielder's shoulder to ease her. "You've already experienced this many times. Just because they look a lot like humans, that doesn't mean they aren't monsters hostile to mankind. In a sense, they aren't that different from the Three Goddess Alliance."
"I agree. In the fight to protect humanity, we mustn't hesitate to eliminate the threats along the way, regardless of how they look."
With Jeanne supporting Arturia and the two of them rushing to battle, Mash found herself without options. She then looked at the struggling trio. The reason why those two were stopping Archer was quite absurd, but what really surprised the Demi-servant was seeing Archer of all people not hesitating about this.
"Look, you two. I don't know how was the me you met before, but I can't just endanger Uruk just because one of the enemies has a romantic relationship with a citizen. The lives in the city come first then love! "
Those words took Nero and Tamamo's breath away. But when they looked up at his face, what they found was an almost pleading expression.
Of course, he was the one who mostly regretted resorting to this method. So, therefore, he learned to steel himself and shut down his emotions when the time's something they've seen already with Finn, but with Archer, it was on another level.
Besides, if you go to report to Goldie saying you want to negotiate with these underground beings, he'll call you a fool and kick you out of the Ziggurat at best. At worst, he'll kick you out of Uruk..."
However, contrary to their expectations, the two girls just hugged him more tightly.
"That's the more reason to stop this! I'll show you once again how the fire of love can defeat even fate, Darling!"
"Sorry to interrupt you, drama queen, but we're already done here."
Alter's words made them turn to look at... the ruins of the camp covered with blood and corpses. There wasn't a single survivor. Even Kissinamuh's perished in battle. In the end, she too fought for her people and died for them.
A familiar sight for some, and a tragedy for others.
"NOOOOOOO!" A cry filled with sorrow filled the cave.
The sadness didn't last that long. It was most likely the absurdity of the situation which made Nero and Tamamo act like that.
They blocked the entrance to the cave to prevent any other attempt of invasion, and Tamamo's mood lighten up when she went to lend a hand in the kitchen.
Gilgamesh surely was amused while hearing the report. An unexpected event, but it served to prove the Chaldeans' determination nonetheless.
He needed to create a decree regarding interspecies marriages to avoid another tragedy though.
And so, the Chaldean's slowly adapted to their new life in Uruk as days passed by without noticing.
They began to cover several tasks at the same time all around the city, varying from helping local businesses to even help Leonidas train soldiers in the front. In the blink of an eye, a month had already transcurred, with the Chaldean's making a name for themselves in the city.
The strict red blacksmith, the fox wife in the kitchen, the bride who made performances in the streets to lighten the mood, etc...
At times, they tended to forget they were in the apocalypse, but meeting with the King's servants at the night, or the King at the throne overworking himself, made them get their feet back on the ground.
The situation in the front didn't get any better, the jungle in the south continued to grow, and more evil spirits appeared to steal the citizens' souls. Goddess Ishtar didn't increase her attacks though. A small blessing among all the disasters.
It was early in the morning, the Sun barely started to come up on the horizon. Several unnatural shadows roamed through the roofs of the city's buildings, running away from the red knight tailing them.
The pained cries of the evil spirits resounded throughout the place as the keys of providence fell upon them, exorcising them away.
"GUIIXIIII!"
Archer landed beside the last agonizing spirit. Seeing its body dispersing, he dismissed the black keys in his hands and sighed. His eyes turned to look at the Ziggurat towering above all the other buildings.
"Damn Goldie... When are you going to put away your pride and finally accept the Chaldeans' help..."
He could understand why Gilgamesh had been so disappointed after the battle in the throne room. The Chaldean servants could have defeated him easily if they went all out, at least in his current state, but they hesitated in front of a familiar face and went easy on him.
The incident in the cave was proof of that too. If Ushiwakamaru, Benkei, and Archer weren't there, they would have got cold feet and retreated to ask the King if they could negotiate with them, the worst possible decision knowing the King of Heroes' character.
One would assume those masters would have been hardened after their journey up till now, but at the end of the day, they are just regulars kids. They still hesitate when it comes to finishing off an enemy.
That was to be expected. They weren't mentally ill, even though Ai pretended everything was fun stuff like one of those anime as a way to deal with her stress.
However, they couldn't hesitate like that in front of the final enemy they must face. As the last masters of humanity, hesitating was the same as humanity's will to move forward getting stuck.
That's the real reason Gilgamesh scolded them and rejected their help. But it was about damn time to let them help and start being proactive. Uruk wasn't going to last long if they just focused on the defense.
"Hoh... It would seem the veil of naive thoughts has finally fallen from your eyes after all these months, my opposite."
Archer's eyes widened as he turned to look at the old man staring at him from a nearby alley. It was the same decrepit man he met six months ago in Kutha, and he hasn't been able to detect his presence this time either.
"Ziusu-dra, was it? To what do I own this visit?"
"The journey to the abyss is just about to begin. I came to offer counsel one last time. Heed me, my opposite. Three storms will soon sweep over Uruk. Empathize not with the hateful one. Celebrate not with the joyous one... And extol not the pained one. Remember, always. In defiance of your purpose may be, 'tis a fool's task to set man 'gainst god..."
The majority of that went over Archer's head. He supposed it was a clue about the three Goddesses, but the only one he has met in person was Ishtar, and she didn't match any of the descriptions.
Not that he could ask. The old man left like a leaf carried by the wind, just like he arrived.
Leaving that piece of information for later, he set course to the dorms to have a quick breakfast before returning to his patrol...
Unfortunately, what he found was far from that. When he was about to enter the building, he almost stumbled with someone. And they were the last person he was expecting to meet there of all places.
"Goldie? What are you doing here?"
The King grimaced for a second, but he pulled himself together quickly. "Keep it down, Faker. I don't want Siduri to catch wind of this. As for my presence, you could say it's finally the time."
"Oh..."
The two entered the building, and the King's presence surprised even Merlin. Ritsuka immediately walked out of his chair and bowed before Gilgamesh.
"Ki-King Gilgamesh-"
"Tch, why is everyone so noisy this morning... Keep your voice down, Fujimaru Ritsuka! I'm not supposed to be here, so don't start making a fuss."
"Oh, right... To what do we owe you this visit? For Your Majesty to visit our humble barracks is quite unusual..."
"Heh, I figured out it's time to mix up things a little bit. I'm sure you're tired of all those minor tasks, so today I'll give you permission to go out of Uruk and finally spread your wings a little."
That lit up all the Chaldeans' faces. At long last, after one month in the singularity, they were going to get some action!
"Oooooh yeah, baby!"
"Could you give us more details, Your Majesty!?"
Seeing Ai and Mash's enthusiasm, a smile came to Gilgamesh's face. "I came to assign you to two tasks in fact. Some of you will have to travel to the observatory in the Persian Gulf. There, ten days' worth of jars filled with seawater is awaiting you. You'll have to bring them here in exchange for all the jars in the wagon I have prepared. It will be a safe journey as the route there was cleared not long ago, and I myself will support you. However, I only have two travel permits aside from my personal guard. The rest of you will go with Merlin to the other task."
Archer squinted at the Golden King. "Since when was I appointed as your personal guard?"
"Since now. Al the other servants are out, and having you around will make Siduri's scolding less intense."
"And what is the other assignment?"
"It seems it may be the time to move the first pawn..." It was Merlin who answered Ritsuka's question. "Our assignment will be a little rougher. You see, we're going to explore the jungle in the south and check the state of the city of Ur. It is the very place where even two of our servants perished, so I advise you to bring the majority of your servants for this expedition."
Both siblings looked at each other. "How should we do this?"
"I think it would be better to let Ritsuka and Mash go with King Gilgamesh. Ai will then take all the servants with her to accompany Merlin... or perhaps we should leave another servant with Ritsuka and case something unexpected happens..."
Just as Romani finished speaking, Nero and Tamamo raised their hands.
""I'll go with them!""
The two then looked at each other, deep frowns appearing on their beautiful faces.
"What are you saying, burglar fox!? I am going with them!"
"You're just going to be a burthen, child emperor! I can even prepare them a meal when we arrive!"
At their usual discussion, Gilgamesh just facepalmed annoyed. "Shut up already and flip a coin or something, mongrels. I'll allow a spirit to come with us, but stop the racket."
""Rock, paper, scissors!""
They started right immediately. It was the most intense rock-paper-scissors game they saw in their lives.
But aside from that...
"With this, the first real operation of Chaldean in this Singularity begins!"
And that's it for now. A mixture of love affairs, funny moments, and the ever-present seriousness of the seventh Singularity in the background.
Now, about the harem, this chapter showed almost everyone's perspective, and the massive headache it is for Archer. I'm still having second thoughts with Okita, which is why I keep it vague, and the interactions with Ishtar will restart in the next chapter.
And don't ask me why, but apparently, Umu Bride has a strength two ranks above regular Umu's, in exchange for having her mana stat dropped to E-rank.
As always, I would like to hear your thoughts about this chapter, and I hope it entertained you. The next update as you might expect will be Date a Density. That story is reaching its final, and the next chapter is going to be pretty special, so stay tuned.
With this, I say goodbye for now. Hasta la vista!