The Gift
June 10th
"Okay, the chamber is all set to go." Davinci said. "Just put your quartz into the slot and let the games begin!"
"Hell yeah!" Tatsuko shouted. "Time for some summoning!"
"Who wants to go first?" Davinci asked.
Ritsuka smiled. "Well, I've always been told ladies first, so Tatsuko should go first."
"My my, what a gentleman." Tatsuko said playfully. The female Master walked passed Mashu and Fou, and up to the control panel. The orange haired teen put her quartz into the slot, and with a deep breath, pulled the lever. The chamber hummed to life as the familiar orbs appeared in the center. Tatsuko sighed as they only spun around in one ring. The pillar of light erupted, and then dissipated quickly and revealed the objects the female Master obtained.
"Oh, would you look at that…..more black keys…." She muttered.
"Hey, at least Cú said that they can be useful." Ritsuka countered.
"For what?" Tatsuko asked. "How can these things have any use?"
"Apparently certain priests use them to fight." Ritsuka answered.
"How would he know that?" Davinci asked.
Ritsuka shrugged. "He just told me that he knew a priest who used them, and refused to explain why."
"Well, if he doesn't want to talk about it, then I suggest we leave it be." Roman said. "Now, are you going to try again, Tatsuko? Or will Ritsuka go next?"
"I'm letting Twig Boy go now." The orange haired Master answered. "Good luck."
Ritsuka nodded and walked passed Tatsuko as she stepped off the panel, and he stepped forward. The male Master then put his quartz into the slot, and pulled the lever. The orbs then formed, turned gold, and spun around in three rings.
"Okay, looks like I'm just having a bad day….." Tatsuko muttered. Ritsuka said nothing as the rings stopped spinning and formed into the shining pillar. The moment it dissipated, and revealed the Servant in the center, the Chaldean Trio looked on in confusion, the Servant looked familiar, but they couldn't pin down why.
"I am Ushiwakamaru and I have been called upon." The Servant said. "Honoring the full devotion as a Samurai, I will do my utmost best!"
"Wait, I remember you!" Tatsuko shouted. "You were in the Guda Guda Singularity! You were one of the guys that got blown up!"
Ushiwakamaru cocked her head to the side. "I beg your pardon?"
"Please do not worry about it." Mashu said. "We just had a small encounter with another copy of you."
Ushiwakamaru nodded slowly. She didn't know exactly what they were talking about, but she wouldn't bother asking for details. "May I ask who summoned me?"
"I did." Ritsuka answered. "My name is Ritsuka Fujimaru. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Ushiwakamaru gasped and knelt down with a smile. "I hope I can be of service to you my lord!"
Everyone else looked at Ritsuka in curiosity, only to see the confused look on his face. Even he had no idea how to respond to that. The male Master quickly recovered, and cleared his throat. "I look forward to working together with you too. Although before we do, I have one small request."
"Name it my lord!"
"Please just call me Ritsuka. I'm not really comfortable with being called a lord….."
Ushiwakamaru cocked her head to the side before giving a small nod. "I really do not fully understand why, but I will do my best, my lord."
"Um you just…..never mind, I'll let it go." Ritsuka said.
Ushiwakamaru looked around the room, and then raised an eyebrow at Tatsuko's right hand. "Pardon for my rudeness, but why are there two people with Command Seals?"
"Oh, that's Tatsuko. She's a Master of Chaldea like me."
"Hi there!" Tatsuko said with a wave.
Ushiwakamaru stared at the female Master in confusion. "If I may be so bold, why are there two Masters instead of just one?"
"The story is complicated." Mashu answered. "But please do not worry, Senpai and Tatsuko are wonderful Masters."
Ushiwakamaru looked at the Shielder with a smile. "That is good to know. And you are?"
"I am Mashu Kyrielight, their Demi-Servant." Mashu answered.
"Oh, so you're my lord's lady?"
Ritsuka and Mashu blushed as Roman and Davinci tried to stifle their laughter. Tatsuko raised an eyebrow in confusion, then shrugged. "Anyway, how about we give you the tour of Chaldea? You know, so you can meet some of the others you'll be working with."
"I think you three can handle that on your own." Roman said. "Davinci and I have things that need to be taken care of, so we'll see you guys near the end of the tour."
"Okay, we'll see you later then." Ritsuka replied. The acting director and the Caster took this as their cue to walk out the door. Ushiwakamaru then turned to look at the Chaldean Trio with excitement in her eyes.
"I take it that you're ready for the tour?" Ritsuka asked.
The Rider nodded. "Please lead the way my lord!"
The Chaldean Trio took this as a sign of approval, and led her out the door. The moment the door closed, Ritsuka looked at Ushiwakamaru with a knowing smile as he pointed behind him. "Let's go this way to the training hall. I'm pretty confident that you'd like to see that first."
Ushiwakamaru nodded. "I would love that."
"Then please follow us." Mashu said. The Rider nodded and followed the Chaldean Trio in the hallway. As that was happening, Ritsuka couldn't help but feel that someone was stalking them, and he had an idea just who it could be. The male Master merely shrugged, as long as she wasn't going to get upset, then he would not stop her. Instead, he decided to answer any questions that Ushiwakamaru had about Chaldea. The Rider, of course, took advantage of this and asked about what the two Masters knew of the organization. After they answered those questions, Ushiwakamaru looked at Fou with a curious gaze.
"Forgive my rudeness, but what exactly is Fou?" She asked. "He does not look like any creature I know."
"We're still trying to figure that out." Tatsuko said. "For right now, we're just classifying him as a cute and fluffy ass squirrel."
"Fou Fou, Fou kyu!"
"Well he is adorable." Ushiwakamaru said.
"He certainly is." Mashu said. "Oh, here is the training hall."
The group stopped at the doorway. The ground started to rumble, causing some concern in the trio. They immediately opened the doors and sighed at the sight before them. Liz and Carmilla were in the middle of a fight, thankfully using training weapons, and from the looks of it, Liz was winning.
"I guess you are as stupid as I feared." Carmilla said. "You really should just accept defeat now, and give up."
"Oh really now? Because from the looks of it, I'm winning!" Liz countered. The Lancer then took advantage of her situation and disarmed the white haired Assassin. Liz smirked as she pointed her training weapon at Carmilla. "See? How about you just admit that you can't beat me!"
Carmilla glared at the Lancer, before turning her attention to the Chaldean Trio and Ushiwakamaru. "Did you enjoy my humiliating defeat?"
Liz turned around and beamed. "Puppy! Deerlet! Eggplant! You guys saw me?"
"Yes we saw the ending." Ritsuka answered.
Liz smiled at the comment before turning her attention to the Rider standing at his side. "I see we have a new face. And who might you be?"
"I am Ushiwakamaru!" The Rider answered.
"How amusing." Carmilla said. "This Servant has just arrived and she's already excited like a puppy."
The Rider ignored the comment as she looked around the training hall with curiosity. "This place looks perfect to hone my skills."
"Glad you like it." Tatsuko said.
"Yes, now I can make sure to give my lord heads quicker!"
Ritsuka stared at the Rider wide eyed as Tatsuko laughed. Meanwhile, Mashu looked at the female Master in confusion. "Is there something I'm not getting?"
"Tatsuko please don't….." Ritsuka said. The female Master grinned evilly.
"Sorry, but I have too!" The female Master then leaned into Mashu's ear and whispered. When she was done the Shielder blushed crimson.
"That is incredibly inappropriate!" Mashu shouted. "Senpai, please do not let her do it!"
"I have no intention of doing so." Ritsuka countered.
Ushiwakamaru looked at them all sadly. "Does this mean I can't present to you the heads of your enemies?"
"Sorry Ushiwakamaru, but you can't." Tatsuko answered. "How about we continue the tour. At the end of it, we'll show you the reason."
Ushiwakamaru sighed. "Very well, please, lead on."
The Chaldean Trio bid farewell to Carmilla and Liz and left the training hall, leaving the Lancer and Assassin alone in the room. The Lancer raised an eyebrow as she saw a familiar shape quickly rush towards where the group left.
"Do you think puppy knows that Kiyohime is stalking them?" She asked.
"No idea." Carmilla answered. "Though it would be amusing if he did."
Two hours later, and the Chaldean Trio were just about finished with the tour, but they decided to bring Ushiwakamaru to one last place to answer one of her questions. The Rider stared at the plaque with confusion.
"So we are allowed to kill enemy Servants and monsters, but not regular humans, fairies, or even oni?" She asked.
"Yes, that's right." Ritsuka answered. "This was something that was created by the others to…..well let's just say it was something that they decided to make for my sake."
"I see….." She muttered. "Does this mean I can't even give you the head of a dragon?"
"As tempting as that is, I don't think any of us have any space in our rooms for a skull that big." Tatsuko answered.
"Can I at least give you some sort of trophy my lord?"
Ritsuka opened his mouth to speak when the ground started to shake. The lights then flickered on and off for a moment, causing Ushiwakamaru to draw her katana and getting in front of the two Masters. "Stay behind me, I'll protect you!"
Not a moment later, the rumbling stopped, and the lights turned back on. Everyone in the hall stood there in confusion for a moment before the intercom beeped, and Davinci's voice rang in the halls.
"~Sorry for that little disturbance! Things are under control.~ Now, there is a surprise waiting for you all, and in order to help you find your way, the Mini-Nobus will help guide you to the closest checkpoint. We'll see you all soon!"
The Chaldean Trio looked at each other in confusion before Ushiwakamaru gasped. The Rider gripped her blade tightly as Mini-Nobu #1 and 2 came towards them.
"Nobu Nobu!" #1 said.
"Don't come any closer!" Ushiwakamaru said.
"It's okay!" Tatsuko said. "They're friends!"
The Rider looked at her in confusion. "Are you sure?"
Mashu nodded. "These are Mini-Nobus. These are the people Davinci said will guide us to this so-called checkpoint."
The Rider looked at the Mini-Nobus, and then to the trio and put away her sword with a nod. The four then proceeded to follow the two Mini-Nobus to their destination, as a certain blue haired Servant continued to stalk them.
It was only a couple of minutes after the announcement, and Mini-Nobu #1 told the Trio and Ushiwakamaru that it would be a couple of more minutes before they would reach the checkpoint. To pass the time, and to sate the Rider's curiosity, the Chaldean Trio decided to explain the origins of the Mini-Nobus…though they decided to leave the part out of her involvement.
"I see, so that's who they are." Ushiwakamaru said. "But how can you tell any of them apart?"
"Well for some it's pretty easy. Some are metallic, or ride flying saucers, and some wear different outfits." Ritsuka answered.
"But if what you say is true, then there are multiple Mini-Nobus that wear the same outfit." Ushiwakamaru countered. "How can you tell those apart?"
"We just have this gut feeling, and it always turns out to be right." Tatsuko answered. "Isn't that right #1?"
"Nobu Nobu."
"I….what did she say?" Ushiwakamaru asked.
"She was agreeing with Tatsuko." Mashu answered. "Give it a few weeks or so, and you will be able to understand them as well."
"Nobu Nobu Nobu!"
" #342, we're not telling her that." Ritsuka countered.
"Tell me what?" Ushiwakamaru asked.
"Nothing important." Tatsuko answered.
The Rider raised an eyebrow for a moment, before shrugging. If they said it wasn't important, then who was she to disagree? "May I ask why they use numbers? Wouldn't names work much better?"
"Well, we wanted to, but the Mini-Nobus refused." Mashu answered. "They said that it would be troublesome for everyone to remember the names of each one, and they said that giving them numbers is something that they would prefer."
"I honestly feel weird about that." Ritsuka said. "It just feels like we're treating them like objects instead of….ummm….is anyone else seeing this?"
Tatsuko and Mashu nodded slowly as they gazed upon something strange. Large white doors stood at the end of the hallway. And standing together talking was Roman and Davinci. The two stopped their conversation and waved at the group.
"How are you guys doing?" Roman asked.
"We just finished giving Ushiwakamaru the tour of Chaldea." Mashu answered.
"~Are you sure about that?~" Davinci asked.
"We've given the tour to other Servants before." Ritsuka countered. "I'm pretty sure we're done."
"Guess again." Roman said.
"What is going on?" Ushiwakamaru asked. "Are you saying that there was more to the tour than they told me?"
Davinci grinned. "There's one last stop."
"Okay, what's with all this cryptic nonsense?" Tatsuko asked. "Just tell us what's going on already!"
Ding!
The Chaldean Trio's and Ushiwakamaru's eyes widened as the doors opened automatically. No, not just any doors, these were elevator doors. Roman and Davinci then bade them to enter.
"Hop in and find out." Davinci said. The Trio and the Rider did as she asked and stepped into the elevator. Roman and Davinci followed suit alongside Mini-Nobu #1 and #342 entering last. Mini-Nobu #1 pressed a button at the bottom, and the doors closed. The elevator started to go down, and after a few minutes of awkward silence as a little jingle played on the speaker, Davinci looked at the confused members of the group with a warm smile.
"What you're about to see is the reason why Mini-Nobu #1 wanted the Mini-Nobus to unionize." The Caster said. "They've worked pretty hard on it, and still managed to keep it a secret from everyone."
"Except for you and Roman apparently." Tatsuko said.
"Actually Nobunaga knows about it too." Roman countered. "That's why #1 wanted her to step in for you guys a month ago during the negotiations."
"And what was so important that she wanted us to switch with Nobu?" Ritsuka asked.
The elevator stopped, causing the Caster to giggle. "See for yourself."
The doors opened and a ray of light caused the Chaldean Trio and Ushiwakamaru to cover their eyes from the intensity. It only took a minute for their eyes to adjust, so when they lowered their arms, their eyes widened at the scene before them. Buildings of all sizes as far as the eye could see with roads for the flying Mini-Nobus everywhere as they continued to work. The group looked up and saw a bright light illuminating the entire area. No….not just a light….it was an artificial sun and sky! Ritsuka's and Tatsuko's mouths were agape as they saw some familiar roofing on some of the buildings. This wasn't just some fake town, this was a city!
"What do you think, Anchin? Do you like it?"
The Chaldean Trio and Ushiwakamaru turned around to see Kiyohime walking up to them. The Berserker walked closer to them before stopping just a few feet away from Ritsuka.
"Oh shoot, I knew we forgot to bring her in the elevator!" Roman said. "Sorry Kiyohime, we should have held the door for you."
"It is fine, doctor Roman." Kiyohime said reassuringly. "I just opened the doors and hopped onto the top of the elevator as it was going down."
"Wait, you knew about this, Kiyohime?" Tatsuko asked.
Kiyohime nodded. "Nobunaga told me about this in secret a week ago. And Davinci told me to follow you all to make sure the surprise wasn't ruined."
"So was that the only reason you were following us all day?" Ritsuka asked.
Kiyohime giggled. "Of course not Anchin, I am doing what any good wife would do and make sure you were not cheating on me."
Ushiwakamaru cocked her head in confusion. "Wife? I thought Lady Mashu was my lord's lady."
Kiyohime turned to the Shielder and glared at her when no one was looking. It would seem that she might have a rival for the male Master after all…The Berserker cleared her throat and shook those thoughts from her mind. She had to give an answer after all.
"I am Anchin's wife." She answered. "And the only one that can be his wife."
Ushiwakamaru turned to Ritsuka, and saw his face twist in discomfort. He didn't say anything, but it was clear to her that the Berserker was wrong. The male Master wasn't going to correct her so as to not make any unnecessary drama, and to preserve the peace.
Roman could see the tension building, and decided to diffuse it before something happened. He cleared his throat and looked at the blue haired Servant. "Kiyohime, why don't you go take a look around the city for a bit. We'll catch up later."
Kiyohime nodded. "I might need one of the Mini-Nobus to accompany me."
"Oh that's a good idea!" Ritsuka chimed. "They should know the city inside and out by now to act as guides."
Tatsuko grinned and looked at the two Mini-Nobus with them. "Hey #342, can you be Kiyohime's guide?"
"Nobu Nobu."
"Thanks." Ritsuka said. Mini-Nobu #342 walked towards Kiyohime and gestured to her to follow. Kiyohime smiled and nodded at the Mini-Nobu and followed it into the city. She turned around to see Ritsuka waving back at her.
"Have fun sightseeing!" He shouted.
"Thank you, Anchin! I will!" She shouted back. The moment she was out of view, the male Master turned to look at Roman.
"I still can't believe that you managed to keep this a secret for a month." He said.
Roman chuckled. "Well it was pretty easy."
"I have a distinct feeling that means if you said anything, Davinci would have scolded you." Mashu said.
"~That's right!~" Davinci chimed. "But enough about that. We have a city to explore, so let's go!"
The Chaldean Trio smiled excitedly and nodded. They then followed Roman, Davinci and Mini-Nobu #1 into the city leaving Ushiwakamaru to her thoughts. The Rider took in the sights before her, and widened her eyes as she saw something in the distance. A forest of cherry blossom trees could be seen with her Servant eyes, causing her to smile. Chaldea really was full of surprises. It was definitely going to be lively here. The Rider took a deep breath, and followed the others into the city.
It didn't take very long for them to reach the city's entrance. The Chaldean Trio and Ushiwakamaru were in awe as they saw the sights up close now. They never expected anything like this before.
"Well, what are you guys waiting for?" Davinci asked. "Let's go in so we can give you guys the tour."
The four of them nodded and followed the three guides into the city. As they walked, their eyes wandered as they saw the various buildings up close. Various clothing stores, restaurants and strangely enough, hotels.
"Why are there hotels here?" Tatsuko asked. "Everyone has their own rooms, so why would this be necessary?"
"Well if someone decides to just wander around the city, and decides that they'd rather spend the night here due to homesickness, then they can sleep in one of the hotels." Roman said.
"Not to mention that some couples might want some privacy, if you catch my drift." Davinci said with a wink.
"But they would have to pay for a room, right?" Mashu asked. "Given the circumstances, it feels wrong to do that…"
"Oh my god Isaac, there's a hotel!"
The group looked upon a woman, with long brown hair, and tears in her eyes as she gently dragged her husband near the closest hotel. With them were Mata Hari, Marie and Jeanne. The three Servants smiled as Isacc smiled at his wife's enthusiasm.
"I can't believe we can get the chance to wake up to the bustling city again." He said. "Maria, let's see how much one room costs for the night."
Maria nodded and grinned. "Why just one night? We haven't had any…time for ourselves, so why don't we correct that."
Isaac grinned back at his wife. "Then let me help with that."
Issac quickly proceeded to scoop his wife into his arms, and ran inside the hotel, Maria giggling all the while in enthusiasm. Mata Hari and Marie giggled in amusement as Jeanne blushed at the spouses…..enthusiasm.
"Just how much is it to rent a room?" Ritsuka asked.
"Nobu Nobu." Mini-Nobu #1 answered.
"Really? Only two QP?" Ritsuka asked.
"The Mini-Nobus aren't really concerned about money." Roman answered. "Think of this as a way for those who feel homesick to have a bit of home with them. The payments are just a way to make it a more authentic experience."
"Oh hi guys!"
Everyone looked to see Marie, Mata Hari, Jeanne and their Mini-Nobu guide walk up to them. The three women looked at Ushiwakamaru and smiled.
"Oh hi there!" Mata Hari said. "You must be new here."
"I was summoned a few hours ago." Ushiwakamaru said with a nod.
"Well then let me introduce myself. I'm Mata Hari, but my friends call me Margaretha."
"And I am Marie Antoinette." Marie said. "Oh but please just call me Marie."
"And I am Jeanne d'Arc." Jeanne said. "It is an honor to meet you, Lord Yoshitsune."
Mata Hari cocked her head in curiosity. "I'm not really familiar with the name, but they are supposed to be a famous Samurai general, yes?"
Ushiwakamaru stared at the Assassin in slight surprise. "I am surprised I'm even remembered at all."
"Please do not think like that." Mashu said. "Your exploits are well known in your home country."
"Mashu's right, you have lots of people who know who you are." Jeanne said. "In anycase, how is you tour coming along? Did you see anything else yet?"
"Only the hotels and stores on this street." Ushiwakamaru answered. "What about you?"
"We saw lots of beautiful sights!" Marie said excitedly. "There were many large pools for people to swim, a theater, and we even saw a castle!"
"A castle?" Ritsuka asked. "You can't be serious."
"No, she's telling the truth." Jeanne said. "In fact, Artoria, Cú, Emiya, Eric and Henry were going inside to take a look at the interior."
"Maybe we should do the same." Mashu said with a bright smile. "What else did you all see?"
"Well there's a dance studio that caught my eye." Mata Hari said. "In fact, #68 even said I could be a teacher there."
"Are you?" Tatsuko asked.
"I'm considering it." Mata Hari answered. "Though that's not the most interesting thing we saw."
"What else did you see?" Roman asked.
"There were a few empty buildings that caught our attention." Marie answered.
Roman and Davinci looked at each other and shrugged before returning their attention to the Rider.
"Do you have an idea for these empty buildings?" Davinci asked.
Marie shook her head. "I have no concrete idea yet, but I am considering using one of the buildings for something."
"Well the Mini-Nobus would be more than happy to help you when you make your decision." Roman said.
Marie smiled and nodded. "Oh, we should probably get going! There's so much we want to see, after all."
"It was a pleasure meeting you Ushiwakamaru!" Mata Hari said.
The Rider smiled and nodded. "The pleasure was all mine."
The three women walked off with their guide, leaving the Chaldean Trio and Ushiwakamaru with their guides. A sudden growling noise caught the attention of everyone present, and raised their eyebrows as it came from Tatsuko's stomach. The female Master blushed in embarrassment as they stared at her.
"Sorry, I just didn't have enough to eat today…." She said quietly.
"How about we sit down and have something to eat and drink then." Roman suggested.
"Nobu Nobu Nobu Nobu." #1 replied.
"What do you mean by familiar?" Ritsuka asked.
"Nobu Nobu."
"Okay, well then keep it as a surprise then." Tatsuko said. "Lead the way #1."
The Mini-Nobu nodded and walked in front of the others and bade them to follow her to their destination.
While they followed the Mini-Nobu around to their destination, the Chaldean Trio decided to let their eyes wander at the buildings before them. Along the way, they spotted some of the empty buildings that Marie mentioned, but Tatsuko raised an eyebrow at a particular building that some Mini-Nobus went into.
"Is…..is that a church?" She asked.
Roman looked at where she was staring, causing his face to go blank. "I think it is."
Their answer was soon given as they watched a Mini-Nobu dressed in priest robes walk in. Davinci raised an eyebrow at the familiar Mini-Nobu and turned to #1. "Is that #666 in those robes?"
"Nobu Nobu Nobu."
"Wait, so he's the minister of that church?" Ritsuka asked. "How offended were Jeanne and Martha when they learned of this?"
"Nobu Nobu Nobu Nobu."
"So they do not know yet? Maybe it is best if they remain unaware." Mashu said.
"Nobu Nobu….Nobu Nobu….."
Roman's eyes widened in shock. "Wait so Jeanne said she would get Martha to join her in leading it? Oh boy, this is going to be problematic."
"Well it's definitely ironic." Tatsuko said.
"Nobu Nobu Nobu." #1 said while pointing in front of her.
"Oh looks like we're here." Davinci said. The Chaldean Trio looked at where the Mini-Nobu was pointing and widened their eyes at a familiar teashop. And bringing tea to guests was a very familiar Mini-Nobu.
"No way, she's here too?!" Tatsuko asked enthusiastically.
"Nobu Nobu Nobu!" #1 answered.
"Oh so she goes by #76 now." Ritsuka muttered. "Well what are we waiting for, let's go say hi."
The group walked up to the teahouse, causing #76 to turn to face them. The moment she saw the Chaldean Trio and #1, her face lit up and waved at them enthusiastically. "Nobu Nobu Nobu!"
"Nice to see you too." Tatsuko said.
"It seems you three and our guide are familiar with this Mini-Nobu." Ushiwakamaru said. "May I know the story behind it?"
"Pull up a seat and we'll tell you!"
Everyone turned to the source of the voice and saw Nobunaga waving at them. Sitting next to her were Okita, Kojiro, Martha, Saint George, Siegfried, Mozart, and Mini-Nobu #2 as their guide. The group waved back and decided to sit down to talk to them. After introducing Ushiwakamaru to the group, and making their introductions to her, and ordering some tea. After getting their beverages and snacks, Nobunaga then decided to tell the story of how she, Okita, and the Chaldean Trio were captured by the group of tribal Mini-Nobus.
"There is no way that happened." Ushiwakamaru said. "That is just too outlandish."
"It is a true story." Mashu said. "They even put seasonings on Nobunaga."
Nobunaga groaned. "Why would you tell her that?"
"Nobunaga, please just let it go." Martha said. "You can't change the past."
"Besides, it is still funny to imagine." Mozart chimed as he sipped his tea.
"Mozart, please stop." Ritsuka said. "We don't need you to cause trouble."
"I still cannot believe you're all talking about this so casually." Ushiwakamaru said.
Kojiro chuckled. "Then maybe we should tell you about the first Singularity."
Tatsuko groaned. "Please no. I don't even want to remember all of those fucking wyverns."
Ushiwakamaru's eyes widened. "Maybe you could tell me some other time. I'm genuinely curious, but I don't want to make Lady Tatsuko uncomfortable."
"Then what shall we talk about?" Siegfried asked.
"How about we talk more about the sights here." Davinci said. "What did you guys see?"
"Well we saw the church…." Saint George said. The Chaldean Trio and Roman went pale. They turned to Martha, and saw her staring curiously at them.
"What?" She asked.
"So does that mean you know who the priest is…..?" Ritsuka asked.
"Yes, I do." Martha answered. "In fact Mini-Nobu #666 has embraced the Lord, and I have agreed to help around the church with her. I'll also ask Jeanne if she would be interested as well."
"That sounds great." Okita said. "As for me, I saw a park with beautiful sakura trees. The cherry blossoms are already blooming."
"Oh, I saw that before entering the city!" Ushiwakamaru said. "Maybe when all is said and done, I'll head over there and lay down under one."
"That sounds very lovely." Mashu said. "I would like to experience it myself one day."
"Maybe you, me and Ritsuka could try that together." Tatsuko suggested.
"I won't say no to that." Ritsuka said.
"Okay, I think it's high time we go now." Roman said. "I'm pretty sure that you guys want to check out more of this city, so let's get moving."
The group nodded and got up from their seats. Tatsuko reached into her skirt pocket to pay for the tea, when #76 stopped her.
"Nobu Nobu."
"You're still letting us have it for free?" Tatsuko asked.
#76 nodded. "Nobu Nobu Nobu Nobu."
"Well if she won't take no for an answer, then let's just leave it at that." Davinci said.
Tatsuko nodded and waved goodbye to #76 and caught up to the others. "Okay, where to next?"
"I remember Jeanne mentioning a castle was here." Mashu said. "I would like to see the interior."
"I would like to see it as well." Ushiwakamaru said.
"Then that's where we're headed next." Roman said. "Hey #1, do you know how to get there from here?"
"Nobu Nobu."
"That sounds pretty far." Ritsuka said.
"Nobu Nobu Nobu No-bu." #1 countered.
"Wait, if you have cars here?" Tatsuko asked. "How come none of them are out here now?"
"Nobu Nobu Nobu. No Nobu No No Nobu."
"Yeah, I'd say that making sure they didn't clutter the road on the grand opening was the right call." Davinci said. "So how will the car arrive?"
"Nobu Nobu." #1 answered. The Mini-Nobu pressed a button on her watch, and a car drove on autopilot towards them. The group did a double take at the scene before them. Their eyes soon turned to amusement as the car looked just like a Mini-Nobu on wheels. Davinci whistled at the vehicle and stepped inside.
"I must say, you guys sure know how to build." She said. "Maybe some of the Mini-Nobus might be interested in becoming assistants of mine?"
"Nobu Nobu!"
"Excellent!" Davinci chimed. "Okay everyone hop in so #1 can take us to the castle."
Tatsuko nodded and turned to the others. "You heard her, to the Mini-Nobu-Mobile!"
The others nodded and boarded the car. Once they were strapped in, #1 took the wheel and pulled down a mic from the top of the vehicle. "Nobu Nobu. Nobu Nobu Nobu."
Tatsuko, Roman and Davinci had a good chuckle, causing Ushiwakamaru to raise an eyebrow. "What did she say?"
"She said to please keep our hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times." Ritsuka answered.
"I see…." Ushiwakamaru muttered. The moment the car started to move, the passengers looked at the sights more closely. The Rider and the Chaldean Trio couldn't help but feel in awe at the buildings, hotels, restaurants and other stores already opening for people to look at.
A few minutes later, the car stopped in front of the castle. The moment they saw the exterior, the entire group stared at it in awe. A European castle by design, its black walls should have given a hint of intimidation, but instead gave off a feeling of majesty and grace. Mashu slowly walked up with an open smile.
"This is amazing!" She exclaimed. "Oh I must know what the interior looks like now!"
The Shielder ran towards the entrance, surprising everyone. They didn't waste time to ask her to slow down, and instead ran as fast as they could to catch up to the lilac haired teen. The moment they were at the gates, they all decided to catch their breath before heading on inside. When they stepped in, they were a little surprised at what they saw.
Inside were some tapestries of Chaldea's previous adventures. Ushiwakamaru stared in awe as she saw The Chaldean Trio and some Servants fight against dragons, wyverns and an evil woman that looked like Jeanne. The furthest one being their most recent adventure, where they fought against some of their allies, and what looked like Nobunaga shooting another version of herself repeatedly. What caught her attention, however, was the tapestry that the Chaldean Trio stared at in absolute silence. It depicted a burning city, its flames raging around the Chaldean Trio and a woman with silver hair. At the end, it looked like the trio were about to meet their end, when a woman with blonde hair and a sword saved them. But that is not what the Chaldean Trio were staring at at the moment. Instead, it was the panel of the silver haired woman, and her being submerged into a flaming orb, her arm outstretched, her face contorted in pain, agony and fear. The Rider saw the saddened look on their faces, and decided to take a risk.
"Who is she?" She asked.
"That is Olga Marie Animnusphere, the second director of Chaldea."
The group turned around to see Artoria, Cú, Emiya, Medusa and Heracles walk up to them with their guide, Mini-Nobu #10. Ushiwakamaru stared at the blonde haired Saber and back to the tapestry and then back to Artoria with widened eyes.
"You're the one on the tapestry!"
Artoria nodded. "There was a traitor in Chaldea that killed many of the staff, and the second director ended up as one of the casualties. He then proceeded to try to kill those three over there, when I was summoned to stop him."
"I see…" Ushiwakamaru muttered. "I take it you must be Artoria."
Artoria nodded. "I see you are well informed."
"Jeanne said you would be here." Ritsuka said.
"Well that explains it." Cú said. "And who's the new Servant?"
"I am Ushiwakamaru, Rider Class Servant."
"Well well, to have such a famous general such as yourself here will be a welcome addition." Emiya said.
Ushiwakamaru smiled. "Thank you sir. And your name is?"
"Emiya."
Ushiwakamaru gave a respectful bow. "I look forward to working with all of you."
"Likewise." Medusa said. "I would introduce myself, but we really need to get going."
"I understand." Ushiwakamaru said. "If it is food and drink you desire, we went to this wonderful tea shop not too long ago."
"Oh, that sounds lovely right about now." Artoria said. "Thank you for the advice."
"The pleasure is all mine." Ushiwakamaru said. The group waved their goodbyes as the Servants left for the tea house, leaving them alone with the tapestries. Ushiwakamaru returned her gaze back to the tapestry of the burning city and then back to the others.
"If it isn't difficult to talk about, what was the second director like?" Ushiwakamaru asked.
The trio, Roman and Davinci pondered over that a moment before Ritsuka shrugged. "Honestly, Tatsuko and I only knew her for only a few hours."
"Really?"
Ritsuka nodded. Roman cleared his throat and sighed. "When she took over, many people had high expectations for her, and she was having difficulty trying to meet them. She just wanted to live up to her father's legacy, only for everything to come to an end when the Singularity in Fuyuki happened."
Ushiwakamaru nodded and turned to the Chaldean Trio once more. "And what do you three think of her?"
"Well, she was easily stressed out, temperamental, and a harsh taskmaster." Tatsuko said. "But I don't hold that against her. She had a lot on her plate, and from what I saw of her during our lull periods in our only adventure with her, she had a softer side. Essentially she wasn't so bad, but circumstances made her lash out and show her more negative qualities to us."
"I agree with most of what Tatsuko said." Mashu replied. "But despite that, when I felt bad for not being of much use, she promised me that she would figure out what Heroic Spirit I was fused with so I could have a better understanding of who saved me that day. I think deep down, she was a good person."
Ushiwakamaru nodded, and turned to Ritsuka. "My lord, what did you think of her?"
Ritsuka took a deep breath. "I have nothing but respect for her. She managed to keep us on track and gave us a good grasp on how to handle the Singularities. I just can't help but wonder how things would be if she was here now…"
"So it would seem she was your guiding star." Ushiwakamaru muttered.
"You could say that." Roman said. "Oh, maybe we should tour the rest of the castle now. Otherwise we'll be here all day."
"Yes please!" Mashu said excitedly. The rest of the group nodded and followed #1 further into the castle.
(Two hours later).
The group finally left the castle, and made their way back to the car. As #1 drove them back, Roman leaned towards her and smiled. "Is there a way we can call everyone to meet in the center of town?"
"Nobu Nobu!"
"Great then, there's something that we need to discuss and everyone needs to be there."
"Oh? What is it, Roman?" Ushi asked.
"The city might be filled with incredible things, but it's lacking one key detail: A name."
"Any ideas?" Tatsuko asked.
Roman shook his head. "We should wait until everyone's in the center of town. It wouldn't be fair unless some of the others get a say in it."
Tatsuko nodded. "Okay, then we'll wait."
Roman took that as a sign to make his call to everyone to meet at the center of the city. Once he was done, he returned to the others and talked about different subjects to pass the time. A few minutes later, they reached the center, and they were the last to arrive. Everyone gave the group a pathway so they could be front and center for the announcement that Roman wanted to make. The moment they reached it, they turned around, and Roman cleared his throat.
"Thank you all for coming on such short notice." He said. "Now, I know that you're all happy with seeing this city, and it warms my heart having seen some of your reactions to it. You see, this city isn't just for show. This city can be considered your home away from home. So if any of you wish to stay here for a few days and take in the sights, you are more than welcome to."
Everyone clapped, causing him to blush. The acting director cleared his throat again to get their attention. "In any event, we do have one thing to take care of. This city does not have a name yet, and I believe that is something that should be taken care of. So if anyone has any ideas on what to call it, please speak up."
Everyone went silent for a few minutes. They would need to think of a name that would stand out, and roll off the tongue. Siegfried cleared his throat and raised his hand. "How about we name it Chaldea City."
Roman gave a soft apologetic smile. "It's not bad, but it sounds a little too basic."
"Sumanai. I just thought of what came into my head first." The Saber replied.
"Well it's under consideration regardless because it does have a nice ring to it." Roman said. "Okay, any other suggestions?"
"How about Lego City?!" Eric asked.
"Hilarious, but no." Tatsuko answered.
Eric snapped his fingers in defeat. "Worth a shot."
"Next." Davinci said.
"How about Novum Chaldea?"
Roman groaned and facepalmed. "Of course the dumbest thing to have been said today HAD to come from you Gary."
"Next!" Davinci shouted.
"What about Mini-Nobu City?" Okita asked.
Roman put a finger to his chin and bobbed his head from side to side. "It definitely makes sense, they did build this place after all. However, I think we need a few more ideas before we can decide anything."
"Oh, I have one!" Kiyohime shouted. "What about Stargazer City?!"
Ritsuka smiled openly. "That's a good one! I like it."
"Well it certainly rolls off the tongue well." Roman said. "I'd say that's a finalist answer right there."
"If I may say something first?" Ushiwakamaru asked. Roman turned to her in confusion before slowly nodding. The acting director stepped away to the side so the Rider could take the center.
"As some of you may know, I was just summoned here a few hours ago, and after getting to know the history of this place and what its mission is, I already feel honored to be here." She said. "And though I would like to give this city a name, I think that honor should go to some others."
The Rider turned to the Chaldean Trio and smiled. "And who better than the ones who chart our course? It should be our guiding stars, the Chaldean Trio?"
The Chaldean Trio stared at her with shock. The Rider continued to smile at them knowingly. "Lady Mashu, Lady Tatsuko, Lord Ritsuka, please do us the honors."
Ritsuka took a note in Ushiwakamaru's eyes, and widened his own. Ritsuka turned to Mashu and Tatsuko with a knowing gaze. "Group huddle."
The Chaldean Trio leaned close to each other into a huddle and whispered amongst themselves for a few minutes, nodding and whispering to each other before breaking away. The trio then walked up to the center with smiles on their faces, and opened their mouths to speak in unison.
"Animusphere City."
Everyone was silent. The trio noted all of their faces, some of shock, some of grief, and some of respect. It would seem that Olga has truly found acknowledgement after all….
Roman smiled at the trio proudly. "I do believe we have a winner."
The doctor turned to face the rest of Chaldea with a calm visage. "From this day onward, this place shall now be called Animusphere City!"
Everyone clapped in unison at the announcement. "Okay, time to have a big party!"
The crowd cheered as Roman and the others walked to them to celebrate. Ushiwakamaru smiled at the sight in front of her, when a gentle breeze rushed passed her. The Rider looked up for a moment before looking on in slight surprise, as a lone cherry blossom fell to her hand. Ushiwakamaru stared at it for a few moments before her smile returned. She looked back at the crowd celebrating, and walked to join them.
Chaldea has proven to be full of surprises, and she couldn't wait to see what else was in store.
OC: Wow, Ushiwakamaru hasn't been summoned a full day, and she managed to integrate herself so much it felt like she was there since the beginning. That's quite the introduction.
CV: She did a lot in this chapter, indeed. She's getting integrated just nice.
OC: Too bad she won't have a moment to shine for a while. Because there's something else that's coming up. Something I know you are excited for.
CV: Did Boss finally let us have pet crocodiles!?
OC: Ummmmm, that was already a thing alongside pet alligators. Wait, you mean to tell me you don't have one yet?
CV: Really? But then what… OH RIGHT! We're going to announce the new story arc!
OC; Yep, and it's everyone's least favorite in the game, SEPTEM! We all know that Singularity was a hot piece of garbage in the game for multiple reasons. So we've decided to do our own spin on it to hopefully redeem it, and actually make it good. And I am proud to announce that the mastermind for the new premise of this arc is none other than CosmicVlad himself!
CV: I took the liberty of altering the story of Septem a little bit from the base game, and by a little bit I mean that I changed a lot of things in order to make it more bearable, like replacing characters that don't make sense in it and generally trying to improve on what already exists. The name of this new arc is going to be The Triumvirate.
OC: Ooooooohhhh, that sounds menacing. I love it! Now I think that's enough on The Triumvirate otherwise we're going to be here all day gushing over the story. Instead let's get back to talking about the interesting parts of the chapter. What do you say?
CV: The concept of Animusphere City as a whole, a place which is going to house the greatest heroes and villains of history is pretty cool to me.
OC: It definitely is. Now I know someone will be asking WHY we did this, and how this is possible, so allow me to answer these questions. To begin with why we did this, it is kind of simple. You see, as we mentioned before, we both are fans of Fragments of Chaldea, and in the roadmap GhostXavier left, he had plans to make a city for the underground of Chaldea. A friend of mine on reddit and I were discussing this and how interesting it seemed, and how it would end up being kind of necessary because of all the Heroic Spirits that would need a place to stay, but he and I never came up with a name for it because his FanFic was never going to be written. But the idea of the underground city was too good to pass up, so Vlad and I made plans on introducing this city in the Grand Order Saga, and now seemed to be the perfect time. We named it Animusphere City because it was a way to honor Olga, and it just felt right to name it after her. As for how this was possible? Well like Fragments, there are minute Singularities where they get supplies from, otherwise there's no way they'd be able to survive for long on the amount of food they'd have. We won't see many in action so as to not bog down the pacing, but whenever they seem to have so many supplies and materials, that is why. It gives Chaldea some leeway to actually survive and make it realistic.
CV: Most of the downtime of the chapters is going to be spent in Chaldea, and the city, and with the more Servants join Chaldea, the more it will slowly expand.
OC: That it will. And we even have a hint with some of the empty buildings that Marie wanted to use. Those who read Fragments, and what Marie has will DEFINITELY have an idea what we have planned for her ;) .
CV: You may also be free to guess what buildings will be made for other Servants. Like a fun little game, see if you guessed correctly when said Servant eventually joins.
OC: Ohoho, this is going to be really fun. Now another point of interest is Ritsuka's reaction to Kiyohime's advances. Like I said before, we're trying to be neutral as possible when writing her, and I aim to stick to my promise. However I do stick by the notion of showing how unsettling her advances are. Ritsuka is an actual character with his own personality, and it shows here in that even though he doesn't say anything to correct Kiyohime, she still makes him uncomfortable with how she just declares herself his wife without his consent. I understand some people like her, but when someone does that in real life? That should be sending red flags.
CV: Yeah some people may like it but it's not really something that Ritsuka will enjoy in the story.
OC: Though compared to some others, Kiyohime still ends up looking tame. And that is what terrifies me. But enough on that. Some of you may be wondering why there's a castle in the city, well originally that wasn't planned out in the beginning, and was actually a last minute addition we made during this chapter. We needed something to stand out, and give Mashu some excitement, and a castle seemed quite fitting. And the idea of a place where their journeys are recorded in artform is too good to pass up.
CV: And it also ties into Mashu being… Well, y'know.
OC: A cute eggplant who deserves all the love and affection money can buy?
CV: Besides that lmao.
OC: I saw an opportunity and took it. And another interesting thing is this. This is one of the few chapters where we don't have Ritsuka delve into his past. Honestly it's kinda refreshing if you ask me.
CV: Yeah not every chapter needs a deep backstory dive.
OC: And we get to see him actually enjoying himself. That's a big plus in my book.
CV: True. Anyways dear readers, the chapter comes to an end right here, we hope you enjoyed it.
OC: We hope you all tune in next week for the next story arc. OwenChaser and CosmicVlad signing off!