Summary: This is a day that never dawned, a night that never came to be. Or is it? Perhaps it's a moment that no one truly wants to remember, just at the cusp of exploring a new dangerous Singularity.

Note: Written in a fit of actual rage spurred on by Kadoc's reintroduction in Section 1 of Lostbelt 6.5: Traum. Because if there's one big difference between the Master Fujimaru Ritsuka and the Master I write for, Vy Duong?

One doesn't offer a hand to welcome him back. Because there's some things that just can't be hand-waved off with an apology.

Spoilers for section 1 of Traum by the way. And content warning for threats of violence and genital mutilation too. Let that be said now.

Hellsing Ultimate Abridged had an influence, and I've been stressed from my first lab friend at my current job basically betraying me in all but saying with her crappy work performance since February of this year (and it's the middle of May now when I post this). The rage at seeing Kadoc again didn't help much, because I've had enough of cleaning up my counterpart's shit with barely any acknowledgement on her part for months.

The theme for this makeshift "Lost Day" is the piano cover of Rage Awakened: the Origin done by Resallin from Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, with alternatives being the original remix version made for 2.5, and That band from Bocchi the Rock. Found them the most fitting.

Here we go. Rage, stressed white hairs, frustrated-sniffle-clogged nose, and all.

Lost Day 7: No Wolf Welcome

"Oh, before I forget. We have one more special guest tagging along this Rayshift~!"

Holmes already knew from Sion's humming that nothing good was being promised. As much as the Atlas mage tried, after the first use of her prized Black Barrel subsequently caused Vy — their only Master, his Master — to nearly lose her life in the process of defeating Demeter in Olympus, none of the Chaldean Servants trusted her anymore. Even Nemo — who was known for being Sion's first Servant through the Atlas-branded version of the FATE Summoning System — wasn't exempt from the mutually shared Chaldean-Servant one-sided disdain once he bonded with Vy. Holmes had to remind himself how it was becoming normal to see him and his Nemo Series all glaring at Sion's back when the mage wasn't looking. After all, the damage reports couldn't be blacked out, no matter how much artificially-made cocaine Holmes sneakingly chewed on when Miss Kyrielight wasn't looking.

Shortened life span, lowered mana reserves, increased fatigue and muscle atrophy—

The five Holy Grails powering his own Spirit Origin past level 90 made it all the more clear how much Vy was pushing herself, even when doing something as simple as standing at the ready at his side for the upcoming Rayshift in her new Decisive Battle Mystic Code. It was why he was honestly caught between awe at her determination and horror at the glimpse of blue Magic Circuits faintly lining the veins of her hands past her gloves, because in the end, one thing was painfully clear.

Vy is still fighting.

Compared to all the Crypters that opposed her, she hadn't given up. The stern look on her face showed she didn't want to give up. Not by a long shot.

Even if it meant her life was forfeit in the process.

It was why seeing Sion's carefree smile was becoming increasingly infuriating, because a mage of her caliber should've been seeing what Holmes could, yet was outright ignoring it. Apparently chalking up Vy's extra effort as "the norm" she could continue to exploit too if it meant the Black Barrel could be used again. If it meant her continued experiments with Chaldean technology could continue to bear fruit. The other Grailed were already chalking her attitude up to "mage callousness," but the cold logic and intellect behind his own Spirit Origin had "insensitivity and apathy" pinned down as a theory instead.

Nonetheless, Sion winked at everyone in the room — a gesture that went unappreciated to everyone present, Servant and single Master included — before waving a hand at the door that was both the Storm Border Command Room's exit and entrance. "For a new and dangerous Singularity, having a backup Master should be reassuring, right?"

"Backup—?" Miss Kyrielight, kind soul as she was, cut herself off once the door opened with a loud whoosh. Because why wouldn't she go quiet when the open doorway ushered in a face Holmes knew his Master and the other Grailed wouldn't like?

Nonetheless, in a new white coat and trousers, Chaldea symbol bright against his fuzzy black coat collar, Kadoc Zemlupus walked through the entrance, the dark circles lining his eyes from his time in Russia a bit lesser compared to his last time awake. Not even Arturia, Achilles, and Robin — the first Grailed, the first to be trusted, and the first to be the most powerful — suddenly manifesting at Vy's side and pulling out their weapons seemed to faze the former Crypter, because he rubbed the back of his neck with a long-suffering sigh. "…Yeah, yeah, I knew I'd get this kind of reaction. Still, I'm here. Former Team A Master, Kadoc Zemlupus, reporting for duty."

"Reporting for duty my ass," Achilles snarled, pointing the business end of his spear near Kadoc's collar, keeping Vy close behind him as Arturia readied Excalibur. "Why the fuck are you the backup Master?"

"Compared to our new yet inexperienced Director," Robin quipped in total deadpan while ignoring Goredolf's muted "Hey!" from the background, he had an arm raised just to pointedly keep Vy close. (And out of Kadoc's direct line of sight too, Holmes noted. Good call.) "This was a horrible surprise." As expected, the Yew Bow's aim was directed at Kadoc's chest pocket, right above where his jacket was concealing his heart. "You have a muddy track record at best, Crypter. So what are you doing here?"

"Um," Da Vinci Lily wrung her hands together while glancing between everyone, just as the taller Da Vinci Caster rested a gentle palm against her smaller shoulder. "That's…"

"I pulled some strings," Sion interrupted, humming yet again while wiggling one pointer finger in the air. Once all attention went to her, her grin widened, looking almost impish with the added dangerous glint in her eyes past her glasses. "And with Sheba calling this Singularity the most dangerous one yet, we need all hands on deck, right? I just threw in some insurance to make sure he cooperates!"

"That doesn't mean calling on a traitor and known attempted murderer to help us," Arturia hissed, a gust of Invisible Air blowing through the room thanks to a minute wave of her hand, promptly messing up Kadoc's already tousled hair and making the Chaldea symbol on his jacket fall crooked against his neck. His apparently collared neck. Oh? "He still is a Crypter who killed the original Chaldea, Sion. You should've known that."

"…Not anymore." Kadoc coughs, interrupting Sion's possible reply and drawing all eyes back to him. He tugs at his jacket zipper, unzipping the fabric to reveal the glowing red collar strapped to his neck with a barely concealed wince. "I'm not exactly a Crypter with everyone else outside of Daybit dead now, so I can't just go back to Olympus. Plus I've investigated too much into the Foreign God for her to even think of taking me back. So," Kadoc shrugs, "surrender was my only option. And if it helps you believe me, Sion put this collar on me. I can't take it off without her saying so."

Vy made a quiet noise, something along the lines of a discontented Guu — the first input she had voiced since Kadoc arrived in fact, and Holmes didn't have to turn his head to know the gears were turning in her brain. Goodness, Holmes didn't have to see the blinking red light on Kadoc's newest accessory to know it was a ticking time bomb. Still, he glanced at Sion in lieu of a direct question and the Atlas mage merely hummed again. "I did say I had insurance~! And that bad boy is a product of all my Atlas teachings — a machine that'll automatically blow out all his Magic Circuits if he even thinks of using unauthorized Magecraft. With," and her eyes twinkled past her glasses as she adjusted her Atlas-branded beret, "an extra side effect of guaranteed death."

"Which," Kadoc sighed, slowly zipping up his collar with careful consideration, "is definitely overkill, but also understandable with everything I've done. I won't expect you to forgive me right off the bat."

"In which we have NOT!" Goredolf screamed before the other Grailed could, his mustache twitching from visible frustration as he wrung out the fabric of his gloves. "And, by the way, Miss Sion, we must talk about this later because if not for the current circumstances, you acted beyond your realm of authority in bringing him in! AGAIN!" He huffed (not liking Sion sticking out her tongue at him as a reply, apparently) before crossing his arms pointedly over his chest. "Nonetheless! In the meantime, as Chaldea's Acting Director, I say you have a lot to answer for, Zemlupus!"

Kadoc sighed again, a longer, more forlorn kind of sound, the stress lines on his cheekbones deepening with his hanging his forehead in one palm. Sion's unrepentant hums weren't helping his apparent growing headache, which was a small relief to observe. Because even the former Crypter was not yielding to her antics, even when agreeing with Goredolf's own sentiments with his steely nod. "…As I've already known. No need to be so loud about it. I'll just work harder to show that you can trust me."

"As you SHOULD!"

In response, the "Big Three" of Vy's Grailed shared uneasy looks with each other. Holmes didn't need his own Grails to know the trio were still unconvinced. And, as much as Holmes knew Vy would say something with his own status as her newly Grailed Ruler, not to mention everything she had fought towards, the last thing he truly expected to hear was a quiet voice of, "…A bomb collar, huh? That's a lot nicer than what I was thinking of doing."

Arturia, Robin, and Achilles all stepped back one pace or so once the words were left hanging in the air, their signature weapons disappearing into mana along the way. Not that Holmes could blame them for doing so. Vy wasn't one to be so vengeful on a daily basis. And, goodness, Holmes knew the words were weighty and dark because hearing them was enough to make both Kadoc and Sion pause, subsequently causing a pregnant pause to reign in the Storm Border for a long while.

"Um…" Da Vinci Lily tried, only to shake her head. "This is just…"

"…Oh? Someone else had ideas?" Sion said to break the tense silence to make up for Lily's sudden bout of uncertainty, the humming flit of her voice fading for nothing but what Holmes could call calculating curiosity. "If I could ask, what were you thinking of for insurance, Vy?"

Vy — his Master, their shared hope — proceeded to step out of Achilles and Robin's shared shadows to huff quietly to herself, shaking her head and crossing her arms over her middle. "…Threat of a no anesthesia-performed castration. With a rusty knife and spoon."

Kadoc and all the other men — the remaining Chaldea staff and Goredolf included — immediately turned pale. Arturia was the only one of the present Grailed to actively smirk in response to Vy's comment, and Holmes could've sworn for a moment, just one, but —

Oh goodness.

They were barely visible, faint and hard to make out, but bright pink lotus petals were starting to swirl around Vy's boots as she stepped forward, her lotus-shaped Command Seals glowing a brilliantly angry red from her gloved left hand. The soft pink shine of the flower of her promise ring from Robin on her middle finger didn't even deter from the sight because the air was starting to become a mix of cold and warm.

How could the air be a mix of such opposing extremes? Was it Kadoc? Or Vy?

"…That's a bit much," Kadoc choked out after a moment, his hands falling to his sides to clench into weak fists. "Now I'm wondering if I should be grateful for the bomb around my neck."

"As you should," Vy said sharply, her normally sweet high pitch dropping a few levels in volume from the implied threat as she faced him. Holmes already could imagine Watson wincing at the scene the entire confrontation was turning out to be because this was painful, and he wasn't even on the receiving end. "Because let it be said, 'Senpai,' I've had plenty of time to mull over everything you threw at me in Russia. And," the smile Vy makes in that moment, in a stark contrast to Sion's reading one, looked nothing but sarcastic and angry as lotus petals brushed through loose strands of her long ponytail, "I was studying to be a medical student before coming to Chaldea, and being a Master has let me see a fair amount of bodies and what they need to live. I think I can come up with better punishments in response to what was just 'another Tuesday' to you."

"That's—!"

"Shut it." Holmes can barely see Kadoc move before Vy suddenly extended the foldable dagger Shiki gave her from her right forearm, threateningly pointing it to his nose in a reverse grip. A single second was all it took when, to crack through the stark quiet of the Command Room, Vy reconsidered by bringing her hand back and outright slapping him hard across his left cheek instead. Kadoc reels back from the impact just as Miss Kyrielight gasps, but Holmes could do nothing but watch. Because of course even a kind soul such as Vy would be furious at seeing a former enemy unrepentantly try to get into her good graces. Previous enemy Servants at least had the binding Master-Servant contract to keep them in line and prove their loyalty. Kadoc just didn't.

Still, as if nothing happened, Vy slowly steps back and shakes her head again, furiously this time, her ponytail draping her shoulders from the whiplash of the motion. "…That kind of slap is nothing compared to the hell you put me and Mash through," she hisses, retracting her foldable knife into her Mystic Code sleeve with a pointed flick of her wrist, "but if you even think of trying to hurt the people close to me again…!"

"O-Oi—!" Kadoc yelps once Vy roughly grabs his jacket collar with both hands to suddenly lift him up a few inches into the air. Without any mana helping her muscles too. For a petite girl such as herself, it was a sight that would've gone on the front of any London newspaper in Holmes' time. Had Scathach been training her alongside Chiron and the other Servants? Or perhaps even some of the Grailed and their own "lieutenants" put in a say in regards to her daily regime?

"Don't you dare run. Let. Me. Make. It. Clear." Vy spells out each word with a clear undertone of venom, absolute disgust lacing her voice. "If you ever try to hurt anyone I love again, and I mean anyone, Servant and human included, I'm calling ông nội Muramasa to make a sword for Shii-chan and Shiki-san. Just. To. Peel. Your. Fucking. Dick. With." It doesn't take long for Vy to put Kadoc down, turning her back and shoving him away from her like he's trash. "Like a banana, or even a ragged potato. Have Anastasia freeze it too if you don't like the no-anesthesia route." Holmes doesn't miss how Kadoc flinches at the sound of the icy Caster's name. "And once they're done, I'll be feeding the skin entrails to Lobo for dinner if you mess up more later on." The stars in Vy's normally bright brown eyes have a strong air of darkness to them past her glasses once she eventually turns her head towards Kadoc from over her shoulder and snarls, "Sounds good?"

"…C-Clear as crystal." Kadoc could've resembled a human-shaped sheet of paper from how white he turned from the shock when shakily regaining his footing and even then — it wouldn't have mattered.

I'll never forgive you. Ever.

The darkened stars of Vy's eyes made it a fact more than a promise.

If Kadoc Zemlupus started the cruel journey of Chaldea's forces becoming killers to save Proper Human History, Vy Duong's steely gaze alone promised his manhood would be part of the chopping block along the way.

"Mia bella…" Da Vinci Caster whispered softly.

Still. Whether it was intentional or not, the turbulent air started to clear once Da Vinci said that nickname.

Kadoc gulped. Vy merely stared at him as he stumbled back from the intensity of her gaze.

"…Alright. Make sure not to forget it, or I'll set you up for a poison drink with Big Robin. Not that I can trust you as far as I can toss you into the Foreign God's black holes." With a long-suffering huff, Vy fully turned on her heels and walked away from him, taking the closest hand towards her — that being Holmes' own, much to his surprise — just to squeeze. "On that note, please excuse me, everyone." The voice that echoes in Holmes' ears doesn't promise any threat towards him, but his deductive mind was already turning gears at the undertone of ice lacing the soft high pitch tone re-emerging into the room. "I'm going to politely ask Holmes for help in drafting a restraining order. Because I refuse to work within a 5 foot radius of the person who adamantly rejected calling my kouhai a human being in favor of a bullshit dick-measuring contest made up of the world's bleached ashes at the beginning of this whole fucking shitstorm of a mess. I'm saying this now — Skadi-san and Morgan will be the executioners once it's drafted."

Not even Goredolf, any of the remaining Chaldean staff, or Meunière (who was standing at one of the nearby Command Room control booths) could stop themselves from shivering at the invoked names of the former Lostbelt Kings. Because as much as Vy had befriended them as much as she did with any other Chaldean Servant, True Names still had power. Former rulers' names, more so — and for Vy to use the names of the ones closest to her meant she was serious. It was why the men left a sizable berth for Kadoc to stand alone as the former Crypter hung his head and stepped back.

Because just like in the Russian Lostbelt with the gunning down of that other Anastasia, Kadoc truly had no one to support him anymore. It was barely unsurprising to hear Sion proceed to whistle once Kadoc stumbled into her from his misplaced momentum over Vy's last statements too. Because of course only Sion could find the finality of the scene interesting. After all, she was the only one who could look at Vy's shortened lifespan and wave it off as a "minor inconvenience" to the job, being the callous Mage of their party.

Despicable.

Still. Once Vy was gently tugging on Holmes' hand, Holmes could do nothing but sigh and gently follow her lead out, giving a quiet nod to the frozen Miss Kyrielight along the way. Because before he was Novum Chaldea's Administrative Advisor, he was Vy's Servant and now her Grailed Ruler. Hers and hers alone. Miss Kyrielight was Vy's Grailed Shielder — she could join them later. Still…

No hell hath a kind woman's scorn, eh, Watson, my good man?

The thought thankfully was a comfort to what could happen in this upcoming mission. Because with Vy making her thoughts clear with the "Big Three" of her Grailed protectively following her out the door of the Storm Border's Command Room, Holmes knew Kadoc was staring shocked holes into their backs. He probably could never stop doing so. Would never stop.

A bomb being a lighter threat to what could've been done. You are quite the ruthless person when your loved ones are in danger, Miss Vy.

It is no wonder that even Anti-Heroes such as my arch-nemesis can flock to you.

Because even with this new Singularity that could promise a possible redemption on the horizon, Holmes did not need to be a detective to know Kadoc Zemlupus and Vy Duong could never stand side by side ever again.

…Not that they ever could to begin with. The Russian Lostbelt was a scandal neither would forget anytime soon.

It was why Holmes gently curled his fingers to squeeze the tinier ones hanging onto his. Because once all prying eyes disappeared behind the Command Room's closing doors, once all lingering ears left their group, Vy's shoulders shook through her Mystic Code and Holmes didn't need the others to tug on him.

A watery sniffle betraying so much more than the previous rage and hurt was then covered up by a multitude of arms, and Holmes leaned into their shared Master in spite of his own misgivings on close touch.

"I hate this… I-I just hate this, a-and I hate him, a-and I hate Sion, and—!"

Compared to a "lone wolf" who tried to aim for fame but got scorn and infamy in his stead, the young woman who kept working hard for barely any kind of reward in return deserved at least one group hug. It would (hopefully) help steady her shaking knees past the skirt of her Mystic Code.

"…It's alright. It will be alright. You did well, Miss Vy," Holmes said quietly above all the others once they gathered around their little Master. "To reinforce your boundaries is admirable and no matter what the others in that room may say in regards to your methodology, I'm still proud of you for being honest."

"We all are, little sparrow," Robin added in time with Arturia and Achilles' own quiet affirmations — just like the Grailed Archer leader he was unofficially becoming in all but spoken name — leaning down to press a soft kiss to Vy's shaking head as stifled sobs began to echo within the circle of their arms. "We all are. You did good. So it'll be okay. We'll make it okay when we've always got you."

"A-Aye… aye…"

It was the least any of them could do once the damning warmth of frustrated tears started dampening the front of Holmes' coat. Because once the inevitable alarms of the next Rayshift alert would start blaring over their heads, Holmes had no inkling as to what could happen.

Even the greatest of detectives would have trouble deducing the heartfelt feelings of a woman close to them, and in spite of the Grails that brought him to level 100, Sherlock Holmes knew with the crying Vy in his arms he was no exception to that rule.