Return to Null Chapter 7:

Chaos of the Mind

Day 6

The sun started to rise at dawn. Kayneth had sent Waver to meet Ritsuka halfway to the landing strip so as to make sure the amusing peasant arrived on time. The blonde Master smiled smugly as he saw the two of them finally arrive, with the younger man staring at him in slight annoyance.

"Pardon for my less than stellar appearance oh mighty Lord Jerk," Ritsuka snarked. "But I had to spend a good chunk of my night comforting a traumatized girl and making sure she had a comfortable bed. And I didn't have my morning tea."

"I am definitely going to miss those barbs of yours." Kayneth replied. "And your silly act of heroism cost us precious time, and yet you managed to stop a heretic from further embarrassing us."

"It wasn't silly." Ritsuka countered. "However, and I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I agree with you on stopping Zouken. With his workshop and manor gone, he can't do any more damage."

"Unfortunately, I do not think we have heard the last of him." Diarmuid said. "I have a feeling he will be tormenting Kariya as we speak."

"Thankfully we have Cú staying with him as of right now." Waver said. "If anything abnormal happens, he'll let us know."

"In any event, let us not waste anymore time." Kayneth said. "Now, Shinkaichi, I do believe it is time for you to tell me your real name."

"Fujimaru Ritsuka."

Kayneth chuckled. "My my, that is indeed a bland and forgettable name!"

Ritsuka rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I had a feeling you would say that."

"Regardless, I will try to remember it." Kayneth said. "Now, stick out your right hand, and we can transfer the contract."

Ritsuka raised his hand out, and Kayneth did the same. A faint red glow shimmered, and Ritsuka felt a surge of mana flowing through them. The sensation was indescribable, as if he couldn't find the words to think of how it felt. It didn't take long for the moment to pass, and the glow died down. The two Magi lowered their arms and stared at each other.

"There, with this, Lancer is now under your watchful eye." Kayneth said. "Try not to get him killed."

"Are you done being so smug now?" Ritsuka asked.

"Now now, I have one last thing for you." Kayneth said. The black haired Master raised an eyebrow as Kayneth reached into his coat and pulled out a small lacquered box. It was ornate and flashy, as expected from such a powerful individual. "As you can see, I have taken the liberty of writing a note for you on this box. I want you to read it the moment I am in the air."

Ritsuka nodded, leaving Kayneth satisfied. The blonde Magus turned around and walked towards his plane.

"Before you go, I have a question." Ritsuka said. "Why did you decide to participate in the Holy Grail War?"

Kayneth chuckled. "Why, just to add it to my list of accomplishments. I thought it would be a good way to pass the time."

Ritsuka chuckled. "You really are an arrogant blowhard to the core, aren't you."

"It's not arrogance when I say I'm better than everyone." Kayneth said in amusement. "It's a fact."

"Farewell, Lord Kayneth." Diarmuid said. "I promise to bring victory."

"See that you do." Kayneth replied. The blonde magus said not another word, and boarded his plane. As soon as it took off, the three men watched until the plane was now out of sight. The moment it was out of view, Ritsuka turned to Diarmuid and smiled.

"Well, now that you know my true name, I guess you have a few questions." Ritsuka said.

"I do." Diarmuid said. "But I think they can wait until we are on the move."

"Fair enough." Ritsuka replied. "In any case, it's a pleasure to be officially working for you Diarmuid."

"Likewise, Mr. Fujimaru." Diarmuid replied with a smile.

"Oh, just call me Ritsuka. I'm not really one for formalities like that."

Diarmuid nodded with slight hesitation. "I-if that is what you would like, then I will do so."

Waver breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the exchange. It would seem with Kayneth out of the picture, Ritsuka is now back to his old self. His caretaker must have really held an influence on his opinion on the Clocktower…..

The Caster then turned to look at the box Kayneth gave to Ritsuka and cleared his throat.

"I think it's time to see what that note says."

Ritsuka nodded and opened the note. The black haired teen read through the note as silently as possible, and as he read further down, his eye started to twitch and his hands started to shake. The two Servants raised an eyebrow as they saw this, and decided to lean over to read the note, only to wince as they read through the whole thing.

"R-Ritsuka, let's not blow a gasket." Waver said.

Ritsuka did not hear him. The black haired Master trembled in anger at the note. Kayneth seemed to get the final word over him, and he could not snark back at the pompous lord. Ritsuka reared his head back and roared in anger, his voice ringing across the airstrip.

Meanwhile, up in the sky and sitting comfortably in his plane, Kayneth simply drank some wine with a devious then put down his wine, and picked up his silverware to eat his filet mignon. As he did so, he could not help but think about that Ritsuka fellow.

The blonde Magus made sure to give that plebian a nice going-away present, but it was perhaps beyond his understanding. However, the boy showed SOME promise, but he would never admit that. The Lord of the Clock Tower sighed in amusement as took another sip of his wine.

He could only hope that the boy would use his gift effectively.

(Two hours later)

Sakura tossed and turned in her sleep. The little girl couldn't get the images of the worms out of her mind, even if they didn't get to her, their wriggling forms burrowed their way into her mind. If those kind people didn't come to rescue her, she'd have been….

The smell of food soon broke her out of her despair. The moment she woke up she groggily saw Mashu sitting by her bedside with a strange, yet cute little creature.

"Oh, good morning Sakura." Mashu said. "Did you sleep well?"

"I-I did." Sakura lied.

"I am glad to hear that." Mashu said. "Oh, breakfast has finished being made by Emiya, so let me get you a bowl and plate."

"No need, I got everything right here." Emiya said as he walked into the hotel room they were staying in. "I got some miso soup, rice, fruit, and some bacon."

Sakura's eyes widened as her mouth started to water. Before she could get up to take her breakfast, Fou sniffed the air, and leapt into the air.

"Fou eat bacon Fou!"

Everyone's eyes widened in absolute shock as the little critter snatched all the bacon from its plate, and ate it bit by bit. Emiya would have scolded Fou for his little stunt if it weren't for the fact that he and the two girls stared at him with mouths agape.

Fou just talked!

"Um….I am sorry for being rude, but what kind of animal is he?" Sakura asked.

"He's a meat eating squirrel if his love of bacon is any indication." Emiya said as he watched Fou nibble on the bacon.

"A meat eating squirrel?"

"Well, no one really knows what Fou is." Mashu explained. "However, we do believe that he IS some sort of squirrel."

The moment Fou was done eating the stolen bacon, he leapt onto the bed close to Sakura, and nuzzled his face into her hand, causing the little girl to giggle. "He tickles."

"Well he's also pretty good with children." Emiya said as he put Sakura's food down on the bed near her lap. "Don't worry, the soup isn't too hot. But blow on it just in case."

Sakura nodded as she took the spoon and dipped it in and blew on it. As soon as she took her first bite of the soup, the door opened, with the others seeing Ritsuka walking in with a less than happy face, followed by Waver and Diarmuid.

"What happened with you, Ritsuka?" Emiya asked.

"Nothin'" Ritsuka said. The male Master had a sweet potato in his hand, and ate it with irritation. At least, until he turned to see Sakura with her breakfast, forcing the black haired teen to calm down and smile after swallowing. "Mornin', looks like you're pretty hungry."

"Well, we DID have bacon." Emiya said. "However, a certain little fluff ball decided to steal it."

Ritsuka's eyes widened as he stared at Fou. "Oh I knew it! You're the one who kept stealin' my bacon every mornin' at breakfast!"

"Fou Fou!" The critter chirped with its tail wagging.

"Oh so ya ain't even denyin' it!" Ritsuka said. "You're a sneaky little bacon thief!"

"Fou Fou!"

Ritsuka and Fou continued this exchange for a few moments, as they did so, Sakura continued to eat while watching in amusement. Mashu did her best not to laugh, while Emiya stifled his laughter. Diarmuid watched the exchange with confusion and bewilderment. Waver, on the other hand, simply pinched the bridge of his nose and silently groaned.

"How are you able to understand what he is saying?" Sakura asked. "Can you talk to animals?"

Ritsuka and the others looked at the little girl in surprise. Ritsuka then looked back at Fou wagging his tail and laughed.

"Holy cow, I can understand him now!" Ritsuka said.

"Fou Fou!"

Mashu gasped. "Oh, I can understand him now too!"

"Ya know what I think?" Ritsuka said with a devious grin. "That Fou here needs to go on a diet."

Mashu gasped again. "No he does not! Fou is merely perfectly plump!"

Ritsuka chuckled. "That means he needs a diet."

Fou scowled at the male Master before Mashu walked over and covered the critter's ears. "Do not listen to Senpai, Fou. You are fine the way you are."

"If you two are quite done, we have some important matters to discuss." Waver said. "We need to find the leylines and disrupt them."

"I know, but we should be thinkin' on who's gonna protect Sakura first before we tackle that." Ritsuka said.

"And as for disrupting them, it would be better to do so at night." Emiya said.

"I know that, Emiya." Waver said. "However, we still need to figure out which one we should go for first."

"As for protecting Lady Sakura, I volunteer to look after her." Diarmuid said.

"Are you sure, Mr. Diarmuid?" Mashu asked.

The Lancer nodded. "After hearing what she went through, I cannot shake the feeling that Zouken will retaliate. As a Knight, it is my duty to protect the innocent."

"You're probably the best person for the job." Waver said. "However, if you sense him coming, do not engage, and just take her and flee."

"Understood." Diarmuid said. "You said there are some places where she would be safe?"

"Yeah, I have the locations on the map here." Ritsuka said. "However, I think it's best if we just stop talkin' about this for now, and just have some breakfast."

"But you already ate on the way here?!" Waver shouted.

"I know, but I'm still hungry…." Ritsuka said.

Emiya chuckled. "Well it's a good thing I made more food to spare. Help yourself to get a few plates."

"Thanks." Ritsuka then left the bedroom area to get some food, leaving the others to discuss better topics to not make Sakura nervous. As the little girl continued to eat, she could feel relieved as Fou cuddled right next to her.

After seeing them take so many precautions for her sake, she knew that they would keep her safe.

The full moon hung brightly in the night sky. As the night life of Fuyuki was bustling on the streets and buildings, three individuals snuck away towards an open hill away from prying eyes. The three Chaldeans had already disrupted a couple of the Leylines already, and made their way to the one on this hill. Waver took a look around and checked thoroughly that they were in the right spot.

"Say, Lord El-Melloi II," Ritsuka said. "I know that Assassin is supposed to still be running around and all, but something doesn't feel right."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, why haven't they tried attacking any of us yet?" Ritsuka asked. "I know we have the numbers, but they should be able to sneak up on us and… you know…."

"It's precisely because we have the numbers here that they haven't made their move." Waver answered. "That is why having two Servants accompanying you is very important, so that way they cannot get to you."

"What about Matou-San?" Ritsuka asked. "Do you think they'd go after him?"

Waver's eyes widened a bit. It is true that Lancelot might be able to protect him, and with Cú there, Kariya has someone to watch for him, but he didn't think of the possibility of Assassin going after him. In his condition, unless the two Servants were fast enough, he'd be easy pickings to take down. The Caster opened up a telepathic link to speak to the blue haired Lancer regarding this.

"Cú, Ritsuka has reason to believe Assassin might go after Berserker's Master. Please keep an eye out for any strange movements."

"Thanks for the heads up!" Cú responded. "I'll be sure to…hang on a moment…"

"What's wrong?" Waver asked. The Caster heard the blue haired Lancer curse to himself in shock.

"Ritsuka was right on the money." Cú said. "I see Assassin, and they're making a move to attack him now!"

"Where are you now?!" Waver asked.

"At the pier." Cú answered. "Kariya's conscious, but I don't think he'll be able to handle a fight with this guy right now."

"Then intercept Assassin and lead them away. But do not kill them." Waver said.

"I'm already on it." Cú replied. "I'll keep in touch soon, just keep doing your thing."

Waver nodded and cut the telepathic link. He then felt a pair of eyes on him, and saw Ritsuka and Mashu staring at him in curiosity.

"Lord El-Melloi II, what was that?" Mashu asked.

"Ritsuka was right to be concerned." Waver said. "It seems Assassin was indeed going to attack Kariya."

"Then it's a good thing Cú is there." Rituska said. "Let's get back to work and disrupt the Leylines."

"Already on it." Waver said. "Though just in case, I suggest you let Emiya know of what happened and to keep an eye out for Gilgamesh."

Ritsuka nodded and proceeded to telepathically communicate with Emiya to keep him updated. As soon as he was done, he looked at Mashu and tried to hide an incoming blush. In the moonlight, she looked even more beautiful than usual….

Ritsuka shook his head and tried to calm himself down. He couldn't help but have these thoughts, but it still made him feel as if he was doing more harm to her with them around. The male Master took a deep breath, and calmed himself down. There wasn't any harm to ask her about herself…right? A simple question about her life or what she likes shouldn't hurt too much…. As long as it wasn't something silly like asking about sparring or something like that…

"So, I heard Boudicca and Leonidas have been arguing over what weapon you should use alongside your shield." Ritsuka said. The male Master screamed internally and cursed at himself mentally. Why would he say that?! Now she'll think he's a weirdo who can't think of a normal conversation!

Mashu blushed in embarrassment. "Yes…they argue about it constantly…. Mr. Leonidas thinks a spear would be best for me, but Boudicca is of the opinion that a thin sword would be better than that."

"Honestly I never thought that Boudicca would be arguing with anyone aside from Nero." Ritsuka muttered.

"You'd be surprised at how heated Boudicca and Leonidas can get." Waver said. "Spartacus or Mata Hari occasionally have to step in out of concern they'd come to blows."

"I do not think it will come to blows." Mashu said. "They get along quite well when they are not training. I just think that their warrior spirits just get….heated sometimes."

"How can you tell?" Ritsuka asked.

"Ever since they both agreed to teach me as joint instructors, I have noticed how they would defer to the other regarding certain stances for my shield, or proper breathing techniques to help enhance my ability to wield it." Mashu answered. "They also seem to enjoy learning from each other too."

"Sounds like there's more going on there…." Waver said quietly.

Ritsuka's communicator beeped, causing the male Master to sigh. "I wonder if I can change the sound on this thing…."

The black haired teen activated the communicator, and saw Roman's concerned face on the screen. "I hate to break this up, but we're getting a Servant reading coming your way!"

"Who is it?" Mashu asked. "And where is Emiya?"

No sooner that she asked the others heard something crash behind them. They all turned in fright and saw Emiya slowly getting up with a groan. Ritsuka and Mashu rushed towards him to check for any potential injuries, only for the Archer to stop them. "We're really in trouble!"

"Why?" Waver asked.

"We have no time!" Emiya said. "Just disrupt that Leyline so we can retreat!"

"Is it Gilgamesh?" Ritsuka asked.

"No it's not him." Emiya said.

"Then who is it?!" Waver asked.

"I found you!"

The four of them looked on in surprise as that familiar voice rang through their ears. They soon saw the woman step through the treeline with her sword in hand, glaring at Emiya as if she were trying to bore his way into his soul.

"Saber, slow down!"

The group then turned to see another woman running out of the treeline. She was a beautiful woman with white hair and red eyes. She wore a white coat and hat, with what looked like a black dress underneath. Emiya's eyes widened as he got a better look at her, and it finally dawned upon him who this was.

This had to be Irisviel Von Einzbern. The resemblance to Illya really was uncanny.

"Master, please stand back." Saber said.

"N-now hang on!" Ritsuka replied. "We just want to-"

"Silence!" Saber shouted. "I do not know how you managed to acquire three Servants under your command, but you are clearly the biggest threat in this Holy Grail War!"

"Please, let us talk!" Mashu said. "We do not want to fight."

"Emiya, what happened to just trying to talk to them?" Ritsuka asked in a quiet whisper.

"I thought she would have listened too." Emiya whispered back. "Unfortunately we probably miscalculated."

Saber raised her blade and leapt at Mashu. The Shielder gasped and summoned her shield to try and block while Emiya rushed to her aid. Only for an immense pressure to force them to stop in their tracks.

"Finally, it is time for me to get some entertainment.'

Everyone looked up and saw a man in golden armor standing atop a ship, staring down at them smugly. He then turned and saw Ritsuka staring at him, causing the golden armored man to raise an eyebrow. He definitely wasn't one of the Masters of this Grail War…..but he could tell he is one now. It did not matter though, as he would fall to him just the same. "Rejoice new mongrel! You may bask in my presence as I entertain myself!"

Ritsuka's eye twitched in irritation. "What did ya just call me, ya damned blonde bastard?!"

The Archer chuckled in amusement. "What's wrong, mongrel? Do you not enjoy your nickname?"

Ritsuka trembled in frustration. So this was Gilgamesh…..

The golden Archer grinned as he continued to stare at the young man. "You know, I have heard of this particular dog breed in this dreadful era, and I do believe it would fit you and that girl with the shield over there. Now be grateful, as I name you both…..Corgis!"

"We are not corgis!" Ritsuka and Mashu shouted in anger, stamping their feet on the ground, their teeth becoming like fangs.

"Great, I trade one blonde prick for another…" Ritsuka growled.

Gilgamesh ignored his comment and turned to Saber with a sinister smile. "Ah Saber, my Master has finally shown wisdom and given an opportunity for us to meet. You are one of the very few worthy of my attention."

Saber stared at him with smoldering eyes. "Begone Archer. I have no words to spare with you."

Ritsuka turned to look at Saber with a calm expression. "Hey, do you want to team up with us and get rid of him?"

"Gate of Babylon."

A sword flew by and hit the ground right in the middle between Saber and Ritsuka, surprising everyone. They all looked up and widened their eyes in shock as the number of portals opened up, revealing more weapons to be aimed at them.

"Well….given how very specific and circumstantial my younger self's victory over this guy was…." Emiya muttered to himself. "And since Gilgamesh is wearing his armor…Lord El-Melloi II, you better be done with disrupting that leyline. Because when you are, we have to get out of here."

Another sword flew by Emiya, hitting the ground right by Waver's feet.

"Do you really think I will be letting any of you mongrels escape tonight?" Gilgamesh asked.

"Oh I don't know." Ritsuka said sarcastically. "You could try."

Gilgamesh stared at Ritsuka in annoyance. "You are now starting to over extend yourself, mongrel."

"I don't care." Ritsuka countered. Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow in curiosity. This boy was showing defiance against him without even flinching. He is indeed mildly interesting at the very least. Perhaps he should spare him at the very least, if only to see if he can amuse him more.

"If you are done talking, perhaps it is time for you to finally fight us, Archer!" Saber shouted.

"Saber wait!" Irisviel shouted. "We don't stand a chance as it is right now!"

"Your Master speaks true." Gilgamesh replied. "None of you can hope to match me!"

"Hate to break it to you, blondie, but we have the numbers!" Ritsuka shouted.

"I commend your boldness." Gilgamesh said. "But numbers mean nothing to me!"

The golden Archer proceeded to fire over a dozen blades at his opponents. Mashu quickly intervened and blocked several swords with her shield to protect Ritsuka, while Emiya and Waver had to dodge those that came after them. Saber blocked each strike with her sword, and Irisviel kept herself safe with multiple barriers. When one would break, she would set up another, but the white haired woman was struggling to protect herself.

As that was happening, Gilgamesh laughed in amusement as he saw the mongrels dance to his tune. Each one struggled against his might, for they could not even move to attack him. They could only struggle to defend themselves, if only barely. The golden Archer watched with interest as Mashu continued to protect Ritsuka despite both of them getting pushed back by his onslaught. She may not be a warrior, but she fought on regardless, making her a possible amusing distraction like that black haired boy if they are left alone on the board.

"That is enough Archer! Come back to me at once!"

Gilgamesh's eyes widened as he felt that compulsion within him. Tokiomi used a Command Spell on him. The blonde Archer gritted his teeth and scowled. That Master of his just ruined his fun….

He deactivated his Noble Phantasm, allowing the mongrels to catch a breather. As soon as they got their bearings and looked up at him, Gilgamesh clicked his tongue and turned away. "Consider yourselves lucky."

Gilgamesh soon flew away, leaving a huge dust cloud behind at the Chaldeans and the others. After they covered their eyes and watched him leave, Ritsuka took several deep breaths to calm himself.

"I don't like that guy." He said.

"Welcome to the club." Emiya replied.

"That was a very impressive defense spell you used to defend yourself." Mashu said to Irisviel.

"I….well, thank you." Irisviel responded. "You all sure did an impressive job in defending yourselves from that man's Noble Phantasm."

"Trust me, we were barely able to defend ourselves here." Waver countered. "If he continued for much longer, we may have lost."

Saber paid the exchange no mind and pointed her blades at Ritsuka. "Now that that cur is out of our hair, we have unfinished business."

Ritsuka stared at her in confusion. "Are you seriously trying to fight us after all that?"

"You're an enemy Master with multiple Servants, and an unknown variable." Saber responded. "I would have to be a fool to trust you."

Ritsuka gulped. He remembered Artoria saying she was a different person during the Fourth Holy Grail War, but to actually see his own teacher in the flesh like this really put things into perspective….

"Our target isn't you or her." Waver replied. "Archer is actually the one we were wanting to fight."

"Then perhaps we should calm down and part ways for now." Irisviel said.

Ritsuka was about to say something, but in the treeline, he saw something flash in the moonlight. He raised an eyebrow and continued to stare at the trees, until he saw the light again. The male Master's eyes widened in realization and rushed at Irisviel.

"Get down!"

Irisviel had no time to react as Ritsuka tackled her to the ground, the sound of a gunshot rang through the area, shocking everyone.

"Shit, we have another one to worry about!" Emiya shouted. The Archer summoned his bow and aimed it at where the shot came from. As soon as he got a good angle, he fired one of his projections at the mystery assailant. But the attacker jumped out of the way and leapt forward out of the tree line. The attacker brought out a pistol and was about to shoot at the two Magi when Emiya intercepted him and swung his swords at the attacker. The mysterious man drew his knife and blocked each strike and kicked the Archer away. Before the man could continue his attack, he had to leap out of the way as Waver shot a burst of flames in his direction, only to be caught in between Mashu and Saber as they lunged at him from opposite directions. The attacker grabbed Mashu and threw her into Saber, knocking both women down to the ground. Ritsuka and Irisviel got up and tried to fire their best spells at the man, but he was too fast for them. The man's knife was inches away from Irisviel's heart when Emiya got in between them, deflecting the knife with his swords. The Archer swung at him again, but the mystery attacker leapt out of the way.

"You should scurry away now." Emiya said. "You're outnumbered and cornered."

"It doesn't matter how many of you get in my way." The man said. "I was tasked with fixing this problem, and I intend to finish my objective."

Emiya's and Waver's eyes widened in shock. They knew that voice…

"Who are you?!" Emiya shouted.

"Does it matter who I am?" The man said. "I am merely a tool to be used. Nothing more."

Before the man could do anything, Saber came up from behind and attacked him. The mysterious attacker barely had enough time to defend himself when his hood was destroyed. He then ducked under another swing of her blade and retreated near the treeline. The moment he was at a distance from the blonde Servant, Emiya and Waver got a good look at the man, and saw his face. It was tanned, and his eyes cold and harsh as stone. His hair was white, but exactly how they remembered it. There was no doubt as to who was standing in front of them.

"Given the situation, I should retreat for now." The man said. He then turned to the Chaldeans and stared at them with cold unfeeling eyes. "Do not interfere next time. Or else I will kill you as well."

Before Saber could attack him again, the man disappeared into the trees and vanished. Everyone remained still as they regained their bearings. Waver cleared his throat and turned his attention to the others. "I finished what we needed to do. So let's get going."

Ritsuka nodded a bit and gently shook Emiya's shoulder. "Let's get going."

Emiya snapped back to reality and nodded. "Yeah….we should just….let's just go…."

"Wait, hang on a minute!" Irisviel shouted. "Just who are you people?"

"It's complicated." Waver answered. "Now let me ask you a question. Have you ever met that man before?"

Irisviel shook her head. "No I haven't. Have you?"

"In a way…." Waver muttered. "He's probably the one who killed Caster's Master. Now, we have to be going now."

Before Irisviel or Saber could stop them, the Chaldeans walked away with their backs turned to them. Saber raised an eyebrow in suspicion at this gesture, for they were exposing themselves to her. She could easily attack their Master now and be done with it, so why…..

"I don't trust them." Saber said. "Something is off about them."

"And yet that boy risked his own life to save mine from that attacker." Irisviel replied. "I want to know why."

"It could be them trying to trick us." Saber countered.

"I'd still like to speak to that boy in the near future." Irisviel answered calmly. "That way I'll know for certain what he's up to."

"If that is what you wish, then I shall be close by in case anything happens." Saber replied.

Irisviel nodded and the two women decided to leave before any more surprises could happen to them.

Meanwhile, as the Chaldeans walked back towards the city, Emiya's mind was a blur. So much happened in such a short time frame that he couldn't process it.

"Shirou…."

Emiya snapped back to reality and saw Ritsuka, Mashu, Waver staring at him, alongside Artoria through the communicator. The Archer shook his head and took a deep breath. "Sorry, I just spaced out for a moment."

"You don't have to hide it." Waver said. "I'm having a hard time believing what I saw as well."

"I hate to admit it, but the moment I saw that pistol, I knew who it was…." Artoria said reluctantly.

"Do you know the identity of that man?" Mashu asked.

"Mashu, I think we both know the answer to who that was…." Ritsuka said. "Am I mistaken, Emiya?"

The Archer shook his head slowly and sighed.

"That was Emiya Kiritsugu…..my father."

In an empty building, Sakura played with Fou while Diarmuid watched on with a smile. While he still would serve Kayneth faithfully by serving these…Chaldeans…..he was happy that they were giving him an opportunity to help like a true knight again. Not a moment later Cú materialized to his side and grinned in amusement.

"You should smile more often." The blue haired Lancer said. "Suits you better than looking all serious all the time."

"I try to keep that to a minimum." Diarmuid responded. "It's easier to keep my opponents wondering my next move if I do that."

Cú chuckled and sat down next to his fellow Lancer. "By the way, I had a bit of a run in with Assassin."

Diarmuid nodded. The Lancer was still having difficulty knowing that the first casualty faked their own death when Ritsuka and Waver caught him up to speed, but after mulling it over for a few hours, it all made sense. "Is her uncle okay?"

"Chased them away before they could even reach him."

"Then I assume Berserker is watching over him now." Diarmuid replied.

Cú nodded. "I wasn't going to risk the idea of Berserker attacking me when his Master was in that state."

"A fair point." Diarmuid said. "Did anything else happen?"

As if on cue, the door to the building opened, and the two Lancers saw the rest of their group walk in with somber expressions. Sakura saw them and got up ran towards them with a beaming smile. "Welcome back!"

The group smiled weakly at her, causing the little girl to stare at them in concern. "Did I say something wrong?"

Emiya shook his head. "No, you did nothing wrong. It's just…..it's been a very rough evening…."

"What happened?" Cú asked. "And why does Emiya look like he's seen a ghost."

"I'll explain later." Waver answered. "And somewhere where Ms. Sakura isn't within earshot."

Sakura looked down as if she were hurt by the statement. Mashu gave a stink eye at Waver before returning her attention to the little girl. The Shielder knelt down and smiled gently. "Did you make sure Fou behaved himself?"

Sakura beamed and nodded. "We played a lot and he scared away some bugs that were scaring me."

"Did you remember what I said about feeding him bacon at midnight?" Mashu asked.

Sakura nodded. "That I wasn't supposed to do it after midnight!"

Mashu giggled and patted the little girl's head. "That is good to hear. You did a great job keeping him company."

Waver cleared his throat and stared at the two girls with a gentle gaze. "I think it is time we brought in our friend from Chaldea now. I'm sure Ms. Sakura is sorely wanting to meet her."

Sakura nodded excitedly. "I do!"

Mashu smiled and nodded before getting up and placing her shield on the ground in the center of the room. The shield immediately glowed and shook as the mana in the air crackled. Soon the room grew brighter and brighter, with Ritsuka and Mashu covering Sakura's eyes while they closed their own. Soon the light grew weaker, and slowly died out, allowing the group to look at a startling sight. Medusa had indeed rayshifted, but she wasn't alone.

Standing with her were Martha and Liz.

"Wait wait wait," Cú said. "Why are you two here? I thought the plan was for just Medusa to come."

"I don't know about Martha," Liz said. "But I'm here to help Medusa in any way I can. And I know that this is hypocritical coming from me, but seeing a little kid go through this is just disgusting…."

"As for me, I just want to do my part to help a lost little lamb." Martha replied.

"Ummm, she's a christian…." Emiya muttered.

Martha giggled. "I know, but she needs the Lord's guidance now more than ever."

Sakura and Medusa ignored everything around them. The purple haired Rider trembled as she saw the child in front of her, and took a deep breath. She was saved from the Crest Worms, and smiling right at her. It was as if fate was finally smiling upon this girl who suffered so much….

The Rider immediately rushed towards the little girl and immediately hugged her closely. Sakura was surprised at first, but hugged the older woman back with an innocent smile. "It's good to finally meet you Ms. pretty lady!"

Medusa chuckled. "My name is Medusa, Sakura."

"Sorry." The little girl said. "It's good to finally meet you Ms. Medusa!"

Everyone else watched with warm smiles on their faces as the two of them slowly broke the embrace. Medusa soon took Sakura's hand into her own and led her back to the group. It was then that Martha gasped and realized something was missing.

"Oh I cannot believe I forgot!" She exclaimed. The Rider reached into her pouch frantically for a few moments, causing Ritsuka and Mashu to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. It took a few moments before Martha found what she was searching for, and held out her hand to Ritsuka. The male Master stared in confusion as Martha dropped a couple of strange objects into his hands.

They were green cubes, smooth to the touch, but something felt off. It was as if they contained some energy within them.

"What are these?" Ritsuka asked.

As if on cue Davinci appeared on the communicator with a proud grin. "They're called Mana Prisms."

"Mana Prisms?" Mashu asked. "Are they for the Servants so we can fight at full power without draining Senpai of his mana?"

"Not quite." Davinci answered. "Yes, it's to make sure Ritsuka doesn't get drained, but it isn't for your use."

"Then whose use is it for?" Waver asked.

"Why, Ritsuka and Tatsuko of course!" Davinci answered. "See, the thing is, I had a feeling they would need an extra boost to perform their spells better. The Mystic Codes are definitely a good starting point, but they have their limits."

"And this is where these Prisms come in?" Cú asked.

"Correct." Davinci answered. "I've been having this thought in my head for some time, and now that we're going against multiple threats at once, now was the best time to finish making them."

"I see…." Ritsuka muttered.

Davinci looked at the male Master apologetically. "I'm sorry if that came out wrong, but I want you to think about it for a second. What if you're all alone, and facing a stronger mage or monster without any of the Servants around, and running isn't an option? You'd need these in order to fight back."

"She's right." Liz said. "Look, I heard from the others on what you said about not needing to rely so much on Magecraft when you have us, and you have some sort of pride about that. But you don't seem to get that that line of thinking has limits too."

"But is it not natural for us to rely on each other?" Mashu asked. "I thought that was the best strength humans had…"

"That means nothing if our Masters get killed because of that reliance." Artoria answered sternly. "They need to have something more than that if we are to succeed."

"I kind of agree with Artoria on this one." Tatsuko said. "It might not be truly our own strength, but it's at least a way to help us in a pinch."

"How long have you been working on this?" Ritsuka asked.

"Ever since you came back from Rome." Davinci answered. "With Tatsuko nearly fainting from that first skirmish with the United Roman Empire, and you getting nearly drained using that blood attack on…well, you know who…. I thought it would be best to try and boost the Mystic Codes and make these just in case."

"Then why didn't you give them out when we dealt with the Third Singularity?" Medusa asked.

"I was having issues working out the kinks." Davinci admitted. "Creating Mana Prisms took much trial and error, and it wasn't until a few days ago that the first batch came out alright."

"If that's the case, then I'll use these only when necessary." Ritsuka answered. "They're limited resources after all."

"Actually that's not the reason you should be careful with their use." Davinci countered. "We can make more, but the issue has to do with how many you can safely use, and how many times you do it in a row."

"How many times?" Ritsuka asked.

"You can only use five per day." Davinci answered. "Otherwise it would probably prove too dangerous to your body. That's why you only have five before you."

Sakura yawned, causing everyone to look at her to see her tired face. "I'm so sleepy…"

"Perhaps we can finish talking about all this tomorrow?" Medusa asked. "And not where Sakura can hear. She'd probably not understand what we're talking about."

"Yeah, I'm getting sleepy too." Ritsuka replied.

"I'm still confused about everything you were discussing." Diarmuid said. "However, if you all wish to rest, then I can-"

"Don't worry, I'll explain everything while everyone else rests." Cú answered.

"Well since that's settled, then I suggest the rest of you get some rest." Roman said. "You all have a busy few days coming up and you'll need all your strength."

Everyone nodded and looked around for suitable places to sleep or keep watch. As that was going on, Cú patted Diarmuid on the shoulder and walked alongside him to explain the truth of the situation away from Sakura's ears. As for the little girl herself, she tugged at Medusa's sleeve with a nervous expression. "Can…..can you stay by my side tonight? I'm a little scared…."

Medusa smiled gently and nodded. "Of course. I'll be there to protect you, even when you sleep."

Sakura smiled as both of them laid down to rest. As soon as the little girl was comfortable, Medusa pulled her in close and held onto her as Sakura closed her eyes. Fatigue and wariness caused the little girl to fall asleep quicker than the rest, but as she snuggled up to Medusa, a deep sigh of relief and bliss rang through the building.

Unlike last night, she would be able to sleep peacefully, and dream happily again.

(OC and Yatsu look at the stage and smile proudly at how the Christmas decorations are placed around the stage, while wearing Santa hats).

OC: I do believe that we got everything as we wanted, wouldn't you say?

Y: I'd say so, things did get a bit hairy more than once due to the pre-Christmas craziness. Though in the end, I'd say it was a good journey

OC: You got that right. Now before we open our presents, I think we have a couple of things to say to our dear audience first! Hello everyone, it's been a hot minute, but happy holidays!

Y: Happy Holidays to all. It's been a long year too, or was it a short year? Kinda feels like both to be honest. But I have a good feeling on this next year.

OC: Yeah, this year has been….okay I'll be honest, this year has been perhaps one of the roughest years I had in recent memory. I had to fight my insurance company to be able to get my insurance not a month later, my dad broke his hip and his legs, and had to go through therapy to be able to walk normally again, and seeing him in that state was…..pretty hard. Then I had to get my car fixed, which nearly cost me an arm and a leg. Being forced to move to a new house a month later didn't help matters much. Then Vlad died a few months later. I practically had a mental break down over all the things that happened one after another. It was like life was trying to kick me while I was already down and trying to make things worse.

And yet here I am. I'm starting to get back up on my feet, and recovering from everything that's happened. Heck, I've even started writing rough drafts for Chaldean Chronicles again for the first time since Vlad died, and I'm getting new ideas as we speak. This year has been terrible, no question, but even after all this, I have hope again for next year, and can't wait for what's in store.

OC's Mini Nobbu: NOBU NOBU!

OC: You're serious?

OC's Mini-Nobu: Nob-Nobu.

(The Mini Nobu points to Vlad's Mini Nobu slowly coming out of it's room. Freshly groomed and shy)

Vlad's Mini-Nobu: Nobu Nobu?

OC: Hey buddy, we've been wondering where you went!

Vlad's Mini-Nobu: Nobu Nobu…..

OC: Don't worry, come over here. Everything's gonna be okay now.

(Vlad's Mini Nobu walks forward alongside OC's Mini-Nobu, both sitting next to his chair waiting for headpats).

OC: Good to have you back buddy, don't worry, I'll take care of you in his absence.

Vlad's Mini-Nobu: Nobu Nobu!

OC: Good to hear. Sorry about that guys, we've been trying to coax that little one out of their room for a while now, so I just got a little excited.

Y: The Minis are smol. For myself, this upcoming year is gonna be a dozy. Close my contract then go back to the university. It'll be a new experience to be sure, but I think it's the right choice.

OC: I agree. After what you told me, its best to move on and not be bogged down with so much negativity. Now with that out of the way, we can truly begin where we usually do. Being commentators! Now for scene one, we finally had Kayneth leave Fuyuki, which was something I've been looking forward too since it means Ritsuka can finally have a sense of peace….for now lol. And as for what the letter said? We'll leave that to your imagination. But the fact that he basically screamed like Anderson did when Alucard revealed what he did to the statue of Big J was icing on the cake.

Y: Yeah, those two definitely bring out the worst in each other, or perhaps maybe the best? Well, it was an amusing scene to be sure, with Kayneth's final troll (from beyond) sealing everything. The way I see it they're now 'weird friends' to quote Arcuied, when referring to her own complicated relationship with Ciel. Well, I think it's good to have relationships built on biting and sarcasm every now and then; interactions aren't always going to be unilaterally positive. Kayneth isn't really 'nice' to anybody except his fiance, so it makes sense this is how he interacts with 'allies'.

OC: That's….an interesting way of putting it. Well we also had Fou stealing bacon, which is always fun to see. But now Ritsuka and Mashu can understand him now! He can't hide behind his cuteness now that his hoomans are onto him hehehehehe.

Y: Stealing bacon…artificial person flavor. Truly he's the devourer of humans. But yeah, writing around Fou's knowledge is gonna be rough though…Wonder if Mash will be aware of his 'analysis' during Valentines…?

OC: Oh boy that's gonna be fun lol. In any case, onto scene 2. That was an incredibly chaotic scene to write, and SO MUCH happened in a few short minutes that its amazing that the Chaldeans were able to keep up. Of course we'd have to begin with the funny start with Ritsuka and Mashu. Ritsuka being a dork and trying to figure out how to talk to his crush is something I think we can all relate to.

Y: Mhmm, it's little human moments like that that stick out in people's lives. There needs to be a stronger emphasis on those human moments, I think Fou would've liked seeing that as well. Also, it's nice to see Ritsuka pursuing someone as well; the games always make him feel passive when it comes to relationships, though I suppose that's the nature of the gacha…

OC: I mean he's still not quite assertive. He's still passive in that he's not pursuing a romance quite yet, but he's at least subconsciously showing an interest, even if he doesn't realize it yet. And in that talk we gave some interesting information about Mashu's training. It's no longer just Leonidas like in the game being her mentor, but also Boudicca. I always thought that Boudicca would be an excellent fit for Mashu as a teacher as well given the lovely woman's wisdom and her own combat style being a slightly more aggressive form of Mashu's, and the fact that Boudicca and Leonidas argue over what other weapon Mashu could use is something we both found too funny to not use.

Y: Mhmm, Mash's training with Leonidas was good, and it'd be nice to see more of that. To become a true fighter on her own merits rather than simply borrowing Galahad's power for everything.

OC: Mhm, and also the fact that other Servants are having an interest in seeing HER grow instead of just focusing on the Masters is always a treat. However for the rest of scene two we had Saber and Irisviel show up, and also Gilgamesh. And we finally have Gilgamesh meet one of the Masters, and it was going to be tricky on how to handle Gil's opinion on Ritsuka due to the Archer's arrogant nature and jerkish personality being something Ritsuka just can't stand due to Kayneth. But we found a way, and Gil thinking of him and Mashu like corgis was cute in a way.

Y: Mhmm, definitely adds a new flavor to his 'mongrel' line. Comparing them to corgis is an apt comparison. He is also indeed an arrogant jerk to the highest degree, as anyone who has played the recent CCC english can see…even when he's on the same side as his erstwhile 'allies'.

OC: And yet he still proves to be more than enough to put all the combatants on their toes. Even Emiya, who is a long range fighter couldn't get an opening. They were only saved by Tokiomi being such a snoozefest again.

Y: Suffering from success in one of the ultimate ways, that Tokiomi. Summoned the strongest Servant bar none…and is basically guaranteed to lose due to said Servant detesting him for being boring. It's basically the exact opposite of Rin in Fate Stay Night…amusing…

OC: Well in doing so he just gave Ritsuka the chance to save Irisviel from the mystery killer. Kiristugu finally revealed himself, and in doing so, threw everyone through a loop, and is now causing some confliction in poor Emiya. His father is now a potential enemy and he has to figure out how to cope with it.

Y: Yep, he probably was thinking about it after hearing it was a Singularity involving the Fourth Fuyuki Holy Grail War, but at least he could entertain simply non-lethally defeating Kiritsugu at worst. He's a Counter Guardian here, so…things have gotten more complicated.

OC: Yup, and he proved to be a dangerous fighter. As for Scene three it was a lot of talking, and the subject was something that Vlad and I were always planning on implementing, but never found the right moment to. Introducing Mana Prisms. In the game they're just another form of currency, but here, they're essentially a jumper cable for Ritsuka's car battery. Or an energy drink to give him more vigor. It just made more sense for something called MANA Prisms to have something to do with mana. And I know it seems like we're forcing it down the throats of many that Ritsuka's and Tatsuko's weakness in Magecraft is supposed to be a bad thing and that they need to get stronger to fight opponents, but that's not what we are trying to convey.

What we are trying to say is that relying on humanity's ability to rely on each other and form bonds is a great starting point, and it should be encouraged, but that alone is not enough. They need to have a bit of an edge because if they're alone with no one to defend them, then they're screwed. It's usually by luck that they survive, so they need to be able to defend themselves in order to truly stand out.

Y: The mana prisms kinda remind me of the memes of burning Servants to get at them…lol. Well, I think they make a bit more sense as a supplementary item seen in other gachas to provide boosts during or before battle. Wish they gave us more opportunities to do that during the game, besides just Mystic Codes on long cooldown and Command Seals.

OC: That would have been fun. However, we also wanted to make sure there are limits to how many times they could be used so as to keep onto the theme of humanity needing to adapt and find their own way, and that was by making it an object that if used too much it could be dangerous, which is typical of Type Moon powers.

Y: Mhmm, as well as making use of all the various resources around oneself. Looking outwards for opportunities, that sort of thing.

OC: Yup yup! But now for the moment I think everyone has been waiting for. Medusa and Sakura finally seeing each other face to face. The big snek gets to be there for Sakura's younger self, and by god she's going to protect her with everything she has. And that hug was exactly what the girl needed.

Y: Snek hugs are nice.

OC: Indeed they are. And with that out of the way, we are done with commentary. Now to open some presents! And I have just the one for Yatsu.

(OC brings out a large present and places it in the middle): Merry Christmas!

Y: Thank you, I appreciate it. I'll give you one as well

(Takes out a big stocking with a bow on it): Merry Christmas!

(Yatsu opens his present and is startled by what was inside)

Yatsu's Mini Nobu: Nobu Nobu!

Y: It would appear I have my own mini-Nobu now. Smol

OC: Yeah I just didn't think it was fair that you didn't get one. You're a part of this now, so you deserve your own Mini-Nobu!

Y: I will feed it the hearts of all my victims, to absorb their courage. Good mini-Nobu

OC: And with that we are out of time. Thank you all for reading this chapter of Chaldean Chronicles. We will now be taking a short break as we spend time with family and friends, but we will be back next year! Have a happy holidays, and may you all get what you wish for! Owen Chaser and Yatsu, signing off for the rest of this year.