Ch. 103 - Halloween

Elizabeth was unamused.

She was making no progress whatsoever. Practicing solely in her own room had its merits but there was only so much she could do before she hit a dead end. The acoustics were terrible and there wasn't nearly enough room to practice her dance steps as necessary. She needed a studio to practice on both matters – one she didn't have. There were dozens of empty rooms in this facility! They could spare at least three for her to use!

And then there was the fact that absolutely no one was talking about her! In a closed environment, being known was supposed to be a snap! However, everyone seemed more interested in their computers or their work or other Servants, particularly that Avenger. She was supposed to be the sparkling idol sensation, Eli-chan! Why wasn't everyone her name slipping from everyone's lips?! Did she have to kill someone to get some attention around here? It worked for that Avenger, apparently!

To top it all off, her manager was supposed to be helping her with all of that. Instead, that puppy – no, not puppy. Raven – had done nothing of the sort! She wished she could accuse him of laziness but that wasn't the case from what she seen and heard. He had been apparently running around the place like a madman, either talking to Servants or working on some project or other. She could sympathize with a busy schedule considering her own, sure, but this was getting ridiculous!

That left her stomping down the hallway away from the Raven's bedroom. Neither he nor the kitty were even there – they were probably off doing who knows what yet again – and she needed a place to calm down. Maybe back to her room to belt off a few numbers first before going fishing again. Still, it was a stopgap. While she was trying to be patient, it was rapidly running thin, and if this kept up, she would have to take matters into her own hands.

As she fumed, she suddenly tripped over something. Oh for – what did she even trip over?! Can't those robots at least clean properly?! She turned around to glare at the obstacle, ready to vent all her frustration – and her eyes widened. All her rage melted away into awe and shock as she slowly reached over to take it in her hands. Glowing, sparkling, powerful. Perhaps, with this…

She was the great idol Eli-chan. And if an opportunity to remind the world of that was present, then she would simply have to seize it with both claws.


Ren leaned against the wall of his shower as the hot water splashed and flowed over his body. His mind felt even more muddled than usual and while his body wasn't sore, he felt physically fatigued from running around and spamming his personas for Waver's research. As he tiredly went over the list of tasks in his head, he reached out to cup a hand underneath the flow of water, then splashed it against his face.

Despite just waking up, he didn't feel rested at all – probably not helped by his further work and experimentation on the Thieves Den as well as more lessons from Olga and Lavenza. The two had observed Waver connect the dots with his magecraft and were ramping up their lessons so he could further understand his personas. A fascinating subject, but complicated to really learn. He would probably have to add some espresso shots to his coffee today. Sojiro normally frowned on such a practice – aside from too much caffeine, it also threw off the flavor profile of the brew – but there wasn't much of a choice here.

"Are you alright, Ren? You seem pretty tired."

The Phantom Thief glanced over. Morgana was somewhere outside the shower, probably looking concerned. He gave a tired smile, despite his best friend not being able to see it. "Getting back into the swing of things," he replied as he squirted some shampoo into his hand. "The first day back from summer break is always the hardest – and it certainly feels like school just started back up."

"You sure about that?" the catlike being called back skeptically. "I don't recall school ever draining you that much, except maybe during exam week."

The imagery had Ren chuckling. "Well, you're not too off the mark," he remarked with a grin as he washed his hair. "Lots of cramming about stuff you have no idea about, and if you fail it's the end of the world as you know it. I know Ryuji, Ann, and Makoto would've agreed."

Morgana let out a frustrated sigh. "That's not what I mean, Ren, and you know it!" he shot back from his perch on Ren's desk: a tiny spot that wasn't covered in papers, books, and other stationary. If he wasn't in his cat form, he wouldn't have been able to fit. Then a blinking, beeping red light from the room's laptop caught his attention. Reaching over with a paw, he scrolled to the notification and clicked it open, revealing Roman's slightly harried face. "Hey doctor," he called over. "What's going on?"

Roman blinked as he looked around the screen. 'Where's Ren?' he asked. 'I thought he was in his room still. Don't tell me he went for breakfast already!'

"I'm in the shower!" Ren called out, sure his voice was audible despite the sounds of his shower. "What's going on?"

'We have readings of a new singularity that spontaneously formed,' the doctor replied. 'We're still gathering data on it right now. It seems relatively small but not enough that we can dismiss it as something that would resolve by itself. When you're ready, can the both of you meet me in the Command Room? I'll brief you guys and we can go from there.'

Morgana's eyes widened, then he nodded with a serious expression on his face. "Got it," he acknowledged. "We'll be there in a bit." The doctor nodded. As the window winked out, Ren stepped out of the shower, drying his hair. "You caught all that?" he asked.

"I did," Ren confirmed as he reached over for his t-shirt. "We're going to be busy today."

Ten minutes later, they entered the Command Room. Roman was at the main console, staring at the readings, flanked by Da Vinci, Mash, and Ritsuka. "Didn't miss much, I hope?" Ren asked as the two of them approached.

All four of them looked up. "Hey Ren, have you talked to Elizabeth recently?" Ritsuka asked without preamble.

The question caught the Phantom Thief off guard. "Not recently, no," he admitted. "I've been meaning to talk to her, but I've been caught up with other matters. Why?"

Instead of answering, Ritsuka looked back at Roman. The doctor gulped a bit. "So, this new singularity," he began. "It's rather indistinct – we couldn't even get a good reading on the date or location. What's most concerning of all though is we found Elizabeth's signal there. We were hoping you might be able to shed some light on what happened."

"I searched for Elizabeth," Mash supplied. "And confirmed the situation, senpai – she is currently absent from Chaldea. She most likely is in this new singularity."

"Wait, a singularity just… spontaneously popped up?" Morgana questioned. "They can just do that? How many do we have to deal with?"

"Allow me to explain, gatto," Da Vinci answered, smiling as always. "Time is not a linear path as is common conjecture – no, it often branches out into various other paths. What ifs, potential actions, unintended consequences, and more. These can create singularities. Most of the time, they are incredibly weak and tend to vanish by themselves. However, if there is a particularly powerful object or force present, then it may anchor its existence. Those are the ones that need to be dealt with."

Ren quietly listened to the Caster's explanation as he looked over at the readings while a feeling of dread and resignation set in. He knew that Elizabeth was willful to a degree, but he had a feeling this entire situation was his fault. Now it was time to make amends yet again. "Well, we better get it resolved then," he remarked, forcing a smile. He looked over at Ritsuka and Morgana. "You guys have ideas on who to bring?"

"I already asked Artoria to meet us in the Coffin Room," Ritsuka replied. "Better safe than sorry."

"In that case, I'll ask Jeanne," Morgana piped up before sending a mental communication to the Saint.

The Phantom Thief nodded as he decided who to bring along. He considered Loki but considering their entire situation was still fresh, it probably wasn't the wisest idea. Same with Medea, given her reputation both in legend and among the other Servants. He hadn't had a chance to talk with her himself either to get a good gauge of her personality. No, it wouldn't be a good idea to bring her. Perhaps-

"Perhaps I might be of assistance, Masters?"

At the booming voice, all of turned to see Nero sauntering in with a proud smile as always. "Forgive my intrusion, but I could not help overhearing," she explained. "I have some familiarity with Elizabeth Bathory and wished to exchange words with her. Not to mention, I wish to prove my capabilities as a Servant – this would be a fine audition and rehearsal. Will you allow me to take the field?"

The Masters all looked at one another. Granted, they haven't seen Nero's capabilities as a Servant, only as a human and emperor back in the Roman singularity. It would be a good idea to have a better judgement of what to expect from her. "Alright then, Nero," Ren accepted with a grin. "Welcome aboard."

Nero's smile widened as she nodded. "A prompt decision – I approve," she declared. "Now then, make what preparations you need. I shall join you anon in the Coffin Room." With that, she turned and walked away, vanishing into golden dust and leaving everyone in stunned silence.

Da Vinci couldn't help but giggle. "I've seen the recordings," she commented. "But I hadn't expected her to be so lively. Still, you have made good choices. We'll begin preparations for the rayshift, so gather what supplies you need."

The Masters and Mash nodded and left the Command Room. Roman and Da Vinci watched them leave. "You know, it is a wonder that they have not noticed," the latter mused.

"That they have not noticed what?" Roman inquired.

The Uomo Universale raised an eyebrow. Instead of directly answering, she leaned over Roman's terminal and tapped a few keys, opening up the display feed of the Coffin Room – and showing Nero gesticulating excitedly at her peers while both Artoria and Jeanne looked polite if rather unnerved, sharing concerned glances at each other in front of the emperor. "Notice it now?" she asked.

Roman narrowed his eyes, looked between the three women… then gave a very deep sigh. "Can I ask you for a favor, Da Vinci?"

Da Vinci raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" she inquired.

"Can you… man the station here while I go get myself a coffee for five?" he grumbled as he massaged his temples. "I think - no, I know – I'm going to need all of it."

The eternal smile of the Caster widened. "How about we monitor the situation first, then decide if coffee is needed?" she suggested. "If it is, then I shall make it. And if the situation isn't as urgent as we believed, then you can join me for it – it has been a while since our last conversation, has it not?"

The doctor's mouth dropped slightly opened as he tried his best to ignore the pointed, encouraging stares from the other staff. He licked his lips nervously, gulped, then sighed in defeat. "Alright, that's a better idea," he admitted. Turning back, he looked at the surveillance feed as Nero was enthusiastically shaking the hands of both Artoria and Jeanne, the latter two looking rather nonplussed. "I was worried if they'll get along, to be honest," he remarked.

Da Vinci grinned. "I'm sure the Masters would not have chosen them if they didn't," she reassured the doctor. Roman could only sigh in exhaustion and resignation. He just hoped this singularity would prove to be straightforward.

Why did he have a sinking feeling he just jinxed it?


A bright flash, a whirling tunnel of light, and everything faded to darkness. Once it lifted, they were standing in a forest filled with dead trees. It was evening with cloudy skies, coloring the heavens in a dark blue pall. The ground beneath them was barren, with only soil and gravel underneath their feet. The air around them was brisk and cool, though not uncomfortably so. A stiff wind passed through the branches, causing them to creak and groan as they swayed.

The atmosphere was made no better with the sole landmark the Chaldeans found themselves standing at: A large, foreboding castle loomed above them, dark as the descending night. Various windows glowed ominously from within with shadows occasionally passing by. The main gate was open, with both portcullis raised and drawbridge lowered, leading into an ornate hallway. Despite the lavish decorations, they were seemingly alone.

"… well, this isn't creepy at all," Ritsuka couldn't help but snark. "All we need now is a couple werewolves prowling outside and a vampire inviting us in."

"It would seem whoever is the owner of this castle, they are prepared for guests," Nero observed. "While I normally would applaud them welcoming grand personages such as ourselves, this undoubtedly feels like a trap."

"Would Elizabeth even think to set one?" Morgana asked skeptically.

Nero paused in thought, then nodded. "You raise a good point, Master," she acceded. "No, she would be too prideful for such a thing. I believe we can accept it as an invitation for now, though we should still exercise caution."

The catlike being glanced over at the emperor. "How do you know Elizabeth's habits so well, Nero?" he asked out of curiosity.

The emperor smiled enigmatically. "We have crossed paths – and blades – a number of times," she explained. "But that is a story for another time. For now, it is better to accept Elizabeth's actions at face value. She is rarely one for deception or trickery – she would only stoop to that level in direst need."

Artoria, meanwhile, was quietly scanning the woods to make sure they wouldn't be ambushed from behind. "Are you able to contact Chaldea, Amamiya?" she asked without turning.

Ren frowned as he tapped his communicator again, only to have it show more static. "Nothing so far," he replied bemusedly. "First time in a while communication's been this bad. Mash, you got anything?"

The Shielder had also been working on her communicator, fiddling with various frequencies and settings to try and get a picture, before shaking her head sadly. "I'm receiving no communications from Chaldea either, senpai," she reported. "Given our continued existences, however, we are most likely still connected and monitored. They'll likely reestablish communications before long."

"Someone is approaching!" Jeanne suddenly cried.

Everyone immediately whirled to face the open hallway, summoning their weapons. Artoria remained in the rear, still keeping a watch in case something would ambush them from the woods. There was a flurry of motion within. Everyone tensed up, readying themselves for a fight –

Then a side door opened and a line of skeletons marched out, all carrying items. Not weapons or armor; instead, they carried items like cables, speakers, subwoofers, planks of wood, and other miscellaneous items. Their bony feet clattered against the tiled ground, echoing as they marched on by without even turning toward the Chaldeans standing outside who were all just staring at the procession in confusion.

The lead skeleton reached a door on the opposite side of the hallway and began turning the knob – and was crashed into by its peer right behind it. Followed by the next, then the next, then the next. It turned around and started clattering at its companion, its jaw rapidly working up and down as it gestured angrily with a free hand. Its peer began following suit, arguing back in clatters as all the other skeletons started 'yelling' at each other in turn.

The Chaldeans glanced at each other as they slowly lowered their weapons, the tension rapidly draining from the atmosphere. "I must admit, I did not think the undead could be so… lively," Jeanne commented, bewildered. "But admittedly I'm not as well versed in dealing with them. Is this a common occurrence?" She looked at the others for any answers as if to reassure herself she wasn't merely seeing things.

Artoria shook her head. "They are normally not this animated, no," she replied slowly, staring at the skeletons. "Or at least, they shouldn't be. Most likely they're a different form of undead, though what exactly eludes me."

"Aside from the fact that they're skeletons, you mean?" Ritsuka asked, staring at the still-arguing undead.

"Aside from that, yes," the Saber confirmed.

"Oh for – I leave you lot alone for a mere ten seconds and you cannot complete a simple task without being babysat!"

At the frustrated voice, everyone once more turned around and raised their weapons. From the same door out stomped a woman. She was tall and shapely, dressed in a black leather outfit that left incredibly little to the imagination. Attached was a long, red skirt that draped around her legs and reached up to a high collar that frilled up behind her neck, giving it the appearance of a regal evening dress despite its lascivious form.

Marching past the arguing skeletons, she ripped open the door. "Move, you idiots!" she snarled. "The later you are, the shriller that girl's shrieks will be, and I have absolutely no intention of suffering from your incompetence!" The skeletons straightened up – almost in fear – and began marching in double time through the door, carrying their supplies with them without any further prompting. The woman glared at them as they marched through before slamming the door shut behind them, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

Then she looked up and noticed the Chaldeans. The woman was beautiful, regal and cold in demeanor. Her shoulder-length white hair ended in well-done curls as she haughtily scanned them with yellow eyes glinting with barely concealed malice, her otherwise regal beauty marred by her deathly white skin. The power she radiated compared to the skeletons was like that of night and day – it was clear she was a Servant. They stared at one another, sizing each other up-

The woman broke the silence first by breathing an irritated sigh. "And of all the time her guests had to show up, it had to be now," she grumbled. "She could have planned an actually appropriate time to invite them but no, it had to be immediate. Does that little girl think such events grow out of trees?! Oh, what am I saying, of course she does! No sense of planning nor fashion, nor even of taste or decorum! And yet here I am slaving away as she demands! This is beyond vexing!"

And once more, the tension was drained from the air as the woman kept complaining to herself instead of acknowledging them. The Chaldeans once more could only look at each other in confusion. Whatever they expected, this certainly wasn't it. Nor could Ren, Morgana, Artoria, or Jeanne exactly forget about her – the last time they saw her, she was their enemy back in the France singularity and wanted to drain their blood. However, she had made no comment or mention about their last meeting.

"Come now, Carmilla, we must not leave guests waiting and unaddressed."

The woman – Carmilla – turned and glared at the newcomer as a tall man stepped forward from the depths of the hall. Sharply dressed, his longer pale, blonde hair framed his sharp ice-blue eyes. A moustache and goatee, both meticulously trimmed and neat, framed his mouth as he smiled warmly to the Chaldeans. His black coat flared out on the bottom in tatters, revealing the grieves he wore instead of shoes or boots. He was an incredibly lean man, contrasting sharply with Carmilla's shapely figure.

They immediately recognized him too – he had also been one of the enemy Servants back in France, though he had been swiftly cut down both at their first meeting and his cognition in the doppelganger's Palace.

Carmilla scoffed. "They are not my guests, Vlad," she snapped. "I see no reason to welcome them. If anything, I would rather turn such riffraff away – though the women perhaps may be of service." So saying, she eyed the three Servants as well as Ritsuka and Mash with a predatory gaze. Artoria, Nero, Jeanne, and Mash all lifted their weapons as Ren and Morgana both moved protectively in front of Ritsuka, all of them ready to fight at a moment's notice.

"Yet they are guests nevertheless," Vlad firmly admonished with a sharp stare at his cohort. "And our host has made it clear they are not to be harmed, but shown in." The woman huffed and turned away ill-temperedly in response, no longer emanating killing intent. Meanwhile, the man stepped forward. Placing a white gloved hand on his chest, he bowed deeply in greeting. "Welcome," he called out. "To the Castle Csejte. I am Vlad Tepes, a Berserker Servant, and this is Carmilla, Assassin. May I ask whom I have the honor of addressing?"

Vlad Tepes…? Ren knew that name well: an infamously horrific ruler who was known for impaling his victims and leaving them up for display to discourage invaders, all for the safety and security of his kingdom. His cruelty fit his infamous moniker which meant 'Son of the Dragon' in his own language, with 'dragon' being an allegory for the Devil. A name that now resounded in infamy, one way or another. It was-

"V-Vlad Tepes?" Ritsuka gasped. "Dracula?"

Vlad turned slightly to rest his gaze upon the Master. Although his expression hadn't changed, the temperature seemed to have lowered several degrees as Mash, Morgana, and Ren instinctively moved closer to Ritsuka to protect her. "That is what I have been called, yes," he replied calmly. "But I would prefer if you simply referred to me as either Berserker or Vlad. I am nothing more than a Servant and thus, there is little need for honorifics or… titles. I believe that shall be acceptable?"

Ritsuka, who had turned as white as a sheet under the stare of the Berserker's cold blue eyes, nodded hurriedly and silently. The atmosphere relaxed back to normal as Vlad nodded in response. "Now then," he continued. "There is an evening repast currently being prepared. Please, allow me to show you to the dining room."

Again, all of the Chaldeans were left looking at one another. Finally, Nero took the lead, her red greatsword vanishing from her hands. "If that is the case, then it would be an insult not to partake," the emperor declared. "Lead on, Vlad Tepes!"

Artoria sighed as her invisible blade vanished as well. "It is at least significantly easier to enter when invited," she reluctantly agreed. "And I'm not sensing any hostility. Still, it is best to be wary."

"Agreed," Jeanne replied, though her eyes glittered with some amusement as she looked over at the king. "Though are you sure it is not because you also wish to eat as well? I don't believe I ever see you miss a single mealtime in Chaldea."

The king gave the saint a flat stare. "You know as well enough I don't eat that much," she grumbled. "Do take this more seriously, Jeanne."

Jeanne smiled ruefully. "My apologies," she replied. "But I believe we should be fine here – as I recall, Vlad Tepes may have been cruel but he was also honorable. We should have no trouble here."

As the Servants discussed the invitation, Ren looked back at Ritsuka. "You alright, Ritsu?" he asked gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Ritsuka had a hand on her chest, trying to catch her breath from the sheer amount of terror she had just gone through. She nodded as she gave an uneasy smile. "Aside from seeing my entire life flash before my eyes there for a bit, yeah," she answered shakily. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to stabilize herself. "So, don't call Vlad that name, got it," she muttered to herself.

The Phantom Thief smiled sympathetically. "Let's get going, guys," he stated. Everyone nodded and headed in, the Servants keeping a protective cordon around the Masters just in case. As they stepped in, Ren noted that neither the drawbridge nor portcullis raised. It would be a good way to escape if need be, though another exfiltration route wouldn't hurt. If a Phantom Thief never entered through the front door (current circumstances aside), then there was no reason they needed to leave through it either.

The hallway was brightly lit with countless chandeliers and candlestands as they walked through, highlighting the various decorations within: Stands with various busts and pottery, many of the latter modeled on Elizabeth, as well as various paintings. In stark contrast, they were punctuated with bright posters of Elizabeth in various idol poses, with her name emblazoned on them as 'Shining Star Eli-Chan!'. They contrasted sharply to the formal, regal appearance of the hallway. Further down, they saw more skeletons busily putting up even more posters.

"It seems Elizabeth has been busy," Jeanne remarked, staring up at the posters.

"Umu, naturally," Nero declared. "As an aspiring idol who reaches for the very stars and beyond, it is to be expected that she would be occupied. Of course, she does not shine nearly as bright as all of us, especially me, but her effort is more than commendable."

Jeanne could only laugh uneasily at the comment before glancing at Artoria, who met her eyes, and they both shared a sigh. When they first met with Nero, the emperor had been immediately beside herself that her beauty was shared with the infamous King Arthur and Jeanne d'Arc, even declaring the two of them must be her descendants. Meanwhile, both the king and the saint had to reconcile that the infamous Nero was the young woman standing in front of them, bearing a similar appearance to them both. In the end, they could neither make heads nor tails of her, but at least she was more than cordial enough – if a bit exhausting.

"Here is the dining room," Vlad finally stated as they stopped at a pair of large doors. "The staff have been… incredibly excited about their cooking, so please excuse their enthusiasm."

"If they're that excited then it'll probably be tasty as heck," Ritsuka remarked with a bright grin. "I can't wait."

Vlad smirked. "I appreciate your candor," he replied as he reached for the doorknob. "Please enjoy." He opened the door – and suddenly, the entire group was swarmed by skeletons, chattering as their bones collided with one another as their jaws worked. All of them bore some sort of dish or cuisine, offering them up to the group before being pushed aside and replaced with another skeleton with their own plate. It was a miracle in of itself that somehow, nothing was getting spilled.

"I th-think this is beyond enthusiasm!" Jeanne cried out as she tried to stay afloat among the swarm.

"Ack-! One at a time, one at a time!" Ritsuka shouted before she had four different plates shoved in her direction.

"H-hey! Watch it! I'm getting trampled!" Morgana screeched before clambering up Artoria, who was similarly getting mobbed.

Ren, who was more used to such large crowds (Tokyo rushes were almost as bad as this), moved to assist when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "A word, if you would, Ren Amamiya," Vlad's voice murmured in his ear, just loud enough to be heard over the clattering of bones and the startled shouts of the Chaldeans. "I would like to speak with you about Elizabeth."

The Phantom Thief's attention immediately turned toward the Berserker. "Something about her?" he asked warily.

Vlad nodded and gestured to a side door. Weaving their way through the army of skeletons, they slid through and closed it behind them. The door led to a side corridor with a spiral staircase at the end of it. The Berserker turned around to face Ren. "Before I begin, I must ask you," he questioned. "What have you come here for?"

Ren blinked in surprise at the question. "It was to check out the singularity," he replied. "And once we found out the cause, to deal with it. That's the mission we were sent here with."

"And what else?" the Berserker pressed, picking up on the incomplete nature of his answer.

The Phantom Thief raised an eyebrow as he switched personas in his mind, just in case. "You're asking a lot right now when none of us are in the best position for it," he replied, forcing a smirk as he leaned against a wall and stared dispassionately into the man's ice-blue eyes. "Your courtesy is great so far, but at the moment, we have no idea whether you're an enemy or not. With that in mind, why should I answer you?"

The air around them grew colder once again as Vlad's gaze bore down on Ren. "I would take you to task for your insolence," he growled. "Were it not for your role here. If you wish to make me your enemy, then I can very well oblige. However, that is not what was asked of me, nor would Elizabeth approve. What I am doing is divining your intentions and seeing if my intervention is necessary, one way or another. So I ask you again, Ren Amamiya: What have you come here for?"

Ren stared back at Vlad without answering, the muffled sounds of the chaos outside echoing through the corridor. The man's countenance was stern and unyielding but despite his dark appearance, he couldn't sense any malevolence from him. A far cry from when they first encountered each other back in the France singularity.

His words had also caught his attention: Elizabeth wouldn't approve. With how regal someone like Vlad was, something like that wouldn't be said lightly. Whether he answered truthfully or not, he was taking a risk, but that wasn't exactly anything new.

Finally, the Phantom Thief sighed ruefully. "I need to talk to Elizabeth," he replied earnestly. "I made a promise to help her out, but I haven't followed up with her in the slightest. Pretty sure everything going on here is my fault right now."

Vlad nodded as the cold atmosphere around him finally lifted. "As capricious as Elizabeth is, you do bear responsibility for not fulfilling your promise," he agreed firmly before his gaze softened. "That said, I am glad to see you are aware of your failings and what you must do. Still, you played an incredibly risky game, and in front of a Servant no less. Did you believe that necessary?"

Ren smiled. "A bit," he admitted. "I wanted to make sure that you weren't going to harm Elizabeth with anything I tell you."

The Berserker's eyes narrowed. "And why would you believe I would do such a thing?" he asked in curiosity and no small degree of surprise.

"Not sure if you remember," the Phantom Thief elaborated. "But we were enemies in the France singularity, and you were… a bit more sadistic than how you are now." A more accurate term would be 'bloodthirsty', both literally and figuratively, but he had a feeling Vlad wouldn't appreciate the description. "I had to make sure you wouldn't use that knowledge for your own ends to harm Elizabeth, after all. Sorry about that."

Vlad started in surprise. "We have… met before?" he murmured. "And you would believe I would harm Elizabeth?" Regaining himself, he cleared his throat as he regained his composure. "It seems you have met another summon of me, but I have no recollection of this. Nevertheless, I apologize for my discourtesy. And as for harming Elizabeth… while most would find it difficult to believe, that is the furthest thing from my mind."

He looked down at Ren and for once, a genuine smile creased his lips. "But I suspect I do not have to convince you of that," he added.

Ren chuckled in response. "I had a feeling," he simply replied. "Now, you know where Elizabeth is?"

The Berserker nodded and pointed at the spiral staircase. "Head up two floors and take a right," he answered. "You'll know her location when you see it. As for your companions, Carmilla and I shall ensure they are entertained in the meantime."

The Phantom Thief raised an eyebrow. "The others aren't gonna be happy if they notice I'm gone," he pointed out.

Vlad frowned as he looked back at the doorway. "No, they wouldn't," he agreed. Though all of them were powerful Servants, the king and the saintess were of especially great concern. "I suppose we shall grant them a change of venue. Once you believe it time to rejoin them, head outside the castle – I shall arrange matters so you may swiftly rejoin them."

Ren nodded in reply and thanks. "Got it," he acknowledged. "Thanks for your help, Vlad."

The Berserker smiled. "Thank you, Ren Amamiya," he returned. He watched as the Phantom Thief turned and swiftly ascended the stairs. The count had been curious about the man Elizabeth complained so much about, wondering if he was some sort of sluggard or a fool. But no matter what he attempted, Ren had always met his stare without hesitation. And it wasn't idiocy that prompted that, but surety and confidence – and his unyielding defense of Elizabeth. No, it seemed he was a rare breed of man indeed.

As for Ren not fulfilling his word… while the count held oaths and promises sacred, he knew more than most that the demands of the world sometimes rendered them untenable. But the Master had been earnest enough to immediately rush to rectify that as soon as he had the opportunity. This situation may have been his fault, but there could be no mistaking his merits – his bravery, cunning, resourcefulness, and honor. No wonder why his niece was so taken with him, even with all of her complaining.

Turning away, he straightened himself as he reached for the door. That was enough contemplation. Elizabeth would be in good company soon enough.

In the meantime, he had guests to attend to.


"Get those lights over there set up over there and angle it properly!"

"Plug the wires in by the colors! Wha- what do you mean you can't see colors?! … Well, I suppose you're lucky to see at all. Just – set it down there, I'll do it!"

"Hey, who used half-rotten lumber for this corner of the stage!? Do you WANT everything to collapse?!"

Elizabeth wiped sweat off her forehead as she continued turning the bolts. She was in the midst of helping to construct the metal supports for the spotlights above her stage. The audience chamber which was being converted into a stage was filled with the sounds of construction and bones clattering as skeletons bustled about, setting everything up and moving supplies and equipment to and fro. They were serviceable workers but not the most intelligent nor the most competent – so it fell to an idol like her to be their foreman as well. She glanced up and her eyes widened as a sprinting skeleton dashed past, subwoofer in its arms – one that that was rapidly tipping over. "S-slow down, you're going to-!" she screamed.

"Whoa there!"

A blur of white later and Ren appeared out of nowhere, rapidly catching the subwoofer. "I get the rush," he remarked. "But that's when you have to be more careful. I'll take care of this one." The skeleton's jaw dropped – literally – before it saluted and ran off. Meanwhile, Ren looked up at Elizabeth. "Where do you need this?"

"R-raven?!" the idol spluttered in pure shock. He wasn't supposed to be here yet! Then her mind processed the question. "P-put it over there!" she hurriedly answered, pointing to the far side of the stage with her wrench. Ren nodded as he waddled away with a huff. She could only stare as he left, then shook her head and continued securing the metal scaffolding. Finishing a set of bolts, she shoved the wrench to a skeleton that was passing by. "You, finish this," she snapped before she stomped off.

Stalking over to the other side of the stage, she found Ren straightening out the cables behind the subwoofers and speakers, organizing and tidying them up. "What are you doing here?" she demanded. "If you think this is enough to get my forgiveness for putting me off this long, raven, then you are dead wrong! I had been waiting day in, day out for you to talk to me! You have a lot of nerve to keep me, upcoming idol Eli-chan, waiting for so long!"

Ren didn't immediately answer, knowing that the idol wasn't done. He accepted her recriminations – he had been putting off meeting her while he had been busy mending bridges and explaining himself to other Servants, as well as researching his own persona magecraft. This was simply the repercussions and he would accept them.

"And you're supposed to be my manager!" Elizabeth continued, her voice shrill. "You said you'd help me reach the top! But you haven't done anything like that! I've had to do everything by myself – which is what I'm supposed to do, sure, but I need support, and not just from loyal fans! What's the big idea, leaving me high and dry after all your lofty promises?!"

"I've had to establish some connections and grounding first," the Phantom Thief replied. Although many of her recriminations were justified, he wasn't going to take all of it lying down. "With everything that had been happening around Chaldea, you'd get entangled with controversies and scandals. Now, with things getting settled, people can properly pay attention to you as you deserve."

He paused to take a breath. "Still, none of that excuses my negligence," he finished. He bowed contritely. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth, for slacking off," he apologized. "But I'm here now, and I'll work double time to make it up to you. An idol like you only deserves my best, after all."

Elizabeth's mouth hung open slightly as she tried to think of a retort, then closed it as she continued glaring at him. She was still mad, but he was earnest in his desire to make amends. And that grin of his… oh damnit, what was she thinking about at a time like this?! She turned away, feeling an uncomfortable warmth in her cheeks. "Hmph," she snorted. "You've still a lot to make up for, raven. You and the others weren't even supposed to be here so soon, so we need to move our schedule up."

Looking up, she glared at the working skeletons. "Pick up the pace, everyone!" she shouted. "Showtime is in an hour! A minute later and your heads are going to be bowling balls!"

She turned back to Ren as every skeleton's jaws literally hit the floor. "And you, raven," she continued pointedly. "You're supposed to be my manager, are you not? Get to work coordinating the lighting here while I go set up the speakers!"

Ren grinned. "I got a slightly better idea," he replied. He switched masks in his mind, then tore it off once more.

"Macabre!"

With a flash of blue flame, a new persona sprang into being. Thin and lanky, it was a humanoid being wearing a tight black suit emblazoned with a ghostly patten with a frilled collar. Its head was white and featureless like a mannequin, save for a red arcane symbol painted in front. It twisted around and bowed low to Ren before turning to Elizabeth, bowing to her in turn.

"I thought another pair of hands would speed things along," Ren elaborated at Elizabeth's flabbergasted stare. "And since my persona is 'me', you're getting two of me for the price of one. Will that work for you?"

Elizabeth could only stare in shock before finally collecting herself. "I-it's a start," she replied grumpily. It certainly wasn't something she expected but no matter how helpful it was, the idol wasn't about to let Ren off the hook so easily. "Raven, you head to the lights. And… stagehand! Help with getting that stage up! Some idiot used half-rotten timber for the supports!"

Ren nodded. Looking up at the metal scaffolding, he noticed the skeletons 'arguing' about the positioning of the spotlights. That was as good a place to start as any. His eyes turned red as he used his Third Eye to find a secure spot, then fired his grappling hook to latch on to the scaffold. Reeling himself up, he released the hook and easily flipped up to the top, startling the skeletons. "Here, adjust it like this," he directed. "This will give Elizabeth more illumination."

As for the persona, it nodded in acknowledgement. Walking towards a group of skeletons who were stationed near the stage and bowed low in greeting. As the jaws of the skeletons literally fell to the ground in reaction, the sinister-looking being grabbed a set of tools and some lumber before sliding under the stage. Its body contorted and twisted past the supports in an unnerving manner, easily finding the troubled areas. Without any sound or further ado, it got to work, propping up the stage as it replaced the bad support with fresh lumber and securing it in place.

The idol, meanwhile, had been watching the Phantom Thief: From his eyes changing color to the grappling hook to the way he flipped onto the scaffolding. He wasn't even trying to show off – it simply seemed the most efficient way to get up there. And despite having his persona working as well, the raven wasn't half-assing his own duties. He directed the skeletons and observing the stage with each light, observing where each light would go, how it could be maximized, as well as checking on their installation and making sure they're properly secured.

Then she blinked and smacked herself on the cheeks, startling the skeletons around her. "Enough of this," she grumbled to herself. "I can't afford to get distracted – there's no time to!" Looking back up, Elizabeth glared up at Ren. "I better not see you slacking off!" she shouted up at him. "Or I'm REALLY going to let you have it!"

The Phantom Thief looked back down from the scaffolding and smirked. "Weren't you the one staring at me and spacing out just a second ago?" he shot back. "If that's the case, maybe the schedule isn't as tight as you think!"

"Geh-!" Elizabeth had not expected him to see that. She thought he was busy! Feeling the heat bloom in her cheeks from embarrassment, she glared back up at him. "Your eyes are playing tricks on you!" she insisted. "Now get to work! And I better not catch you slacking off!"

"You got it, Shining Star Eli-Chan!" Ren acknowledged with a grin before turning back to the lighting, leaving Elizabeth to stomp off toward the speakers, her blush only deepening with the callout of her idol name from him. Someone like him should not be so mouthy and teasing her, not when this was all his fault. But at least he was helping out and going above and beyond to fix the whole situation. Their timetable was pushed up but perhaps with the raven's help, they might be able to pull through. Just so long as nothing else went wrong-

The wire for the speaker suddenly tore as she pulled too hard. She could only stare at the frayed end while trying to bite back a scream.

Damn that Ren Amamiya!


"I gotta head out, Elizabeth!"

The idol looked down in surprise. She had been floating in the air threading some cabling through the scaffolding. "Head out where?" she demanded. "We're not even halfway done, raven!"

"The others are probably gonna be wondering where I am at this point," Ren answered. "I have to head back before they realize something's wrong and come charging back. Like you said, we're not even halfway done. Don't worry, once I head them off I'll come right back!"

Elizabeth huffed in annoyance but could see the logic of Ren's reasoning. He was the central figure of Chaldea, as much as it annoyed her, and if they noticed he had vanished, then they would all freak out. "Fine, fine," she grumbled. "But I'm going to hold you to that! You better not take your sweet time like you did before!"

Ren grinned in response. "Not that long," he reassured her as Macabre vanished. As much as he wanted to keep the persona here to help her out, he wouldn't be able to maintain it once he left the room. It was one of the things he and Waver had tested with his magecraft. "I'll just be fashionably late at worst."

He ran off with Elizabeth's outraged screeches echoing behind him. While he still felt bad about leaving her in the lurch before and now, he couldn't help but tease her a bit. Racing out the door which was covered in more scaffolding, lights, and posters (Vlad wasn't kidding when he said he'd know it when he'd see it), he quickly descended back to the first floor the way he came from.

Walking through the door, he noticed that it was surprisingly empty and clean – which would be explained by the skeleton currently sweeping the floor. It looked up, raised a hand in greeting, then continued its work. Ren nodded back in acknowledgement before checking the dining room, only to find it deserted. Right, Vlad did say they would have a change of venue, meaning they probably left the castle. The still open drawbridge and portcullis supported that statement.

As he left the castle, he looked down the path. Vlad had said he would handle transportation, didn't he? Just as he began wondering, skeletal rattling caught his attention. Turning around, he watched as a figure emerged from within the castle: A horse. Or rather, a skeleton of one. It gave off an ethereal glow as a core of ghostly flames burned within its ribcage, its bleached bones similarly glowing in turn.

Its head slowly turned to Ren, its teeth bared in a ghastly grin. The Phantom Thief started a bit in surprise as it stepped slowly toward him – then he noticed that there was a bridle and a saddle on its back, made of dark leather. As it reached him, he slowly reached out and gave the side of the skeletal horse's skull a stroke. The horse snorted out ghostly flame as it turned appreciatively towards the touch.

A smile slowly raised the corners of Ren's mouth. "So you're the transportation Vlad sent, huh?" he murmured. "Can't say I've gone horseback riding before, but this is going to be a memorable first experience. You mind if I name you 'Mezuki'?" The skeletal horse snorted again before pawing the ground, seemingly agreeing with the name. "Heh, you like the name? Good to hear," he replied.

Fitting a foot into the stirrup, he easily mounted the horse and grabbed hold of the bridle. The saddle was a bit more uncomfortable than he expected, but it was nothing to complain about. He was mildly concerned about the flames but they didn't burn at all. If anything, they felt cool, almost cold to the touch. It was surprisingly pleasant. "Alright Mezuki," the Phantom Thief declared. "Let's ride!"

Mezuki reared up on its hind legs. Where a horse normally would've whinnied, it instead let out a spout of ghostly flames through its jaws. Landing back down, it took off like the wind. Its hooves churned dust underneath as it galloped down the path, far faster than any living horse, before eventually veering off into the forest. The undead horse galloped far faster than any horse had any right to, the wind howling through his ears and tearing at the Thief's body. Ren was having the time of his life.

"Ow, ow, ow, OW!"

Except he wasn't.

He wasn't sure horseback riding was supposed to be incredibly painful, but it is. Every single impact of hoof against the cobblestone path sent vibrations up Mezuki's bones straight into Ren, agonizingly jarring him. He had to 'stand' on the stirrups to avoid the worst of it and even then, they traveled through the saddle and jarred his legs and feet, rendering them numb at best and agonizing at worst.

It got better when Mezuki got off the path and dove into the forest, the dirt underneath softening the impact of the hooves. Despite its speed, it wove through the trees without any issue, moving past them with a surprising amount of dexterity that wouldn't be found in any regular horse. The flames that lit its body glowed brightly, illuminating the dark trees like a wraith. With the woods came a new danger: Branches going by that could easily poleaxe Ren if he wasn't paying attention. After barely ducking the first one in time, the Phantom Thief learned to keep his head low.

Before long, the horse slowed down, then stopped. They were still in the forest, but through the trees Ren could see a rather brightly illuminated village. "Is that where everyone is, Mezuki?" he grunted out. The skeletal horse let out a snort of affirmation, another stream of ghostly flame shooting out of its nostrils. The Phantom Thief grinned. Reaching over, he patted it on the neck – or rather, the side of its spine where its neck would be. "Thanks, boy," he murmured. "We probably made it in record time." Mezuki trotted happily in place at the compliment, sending more painfully jarring vibrations through Ren's body.

The Phantom Thief carefully dismounted – and would've fallen over if he didn't catch himself with his new friend in time. His legs were utterly sore and numb from the vibrations they had been forced to endure, and his rear wasn't in much better condition either. It felt like he had been paddled with gigantic mallets. While he didn't think riding a horse was as easy as it looked, he certainly hadn't anticipated it to be that extreme – though granted, these were extenuating circumstances.

Mezuki turned to look over at him, and though it couldn't have visible expressions on its skull, it gave another snort that showed its concern. "I'm fine, I'm fine," Ren reassured the horse. "Just… not used to horseback riding, is all." The horse snorted again and turned away, seemingly reassured. Meanwhile, the Phantom Thief switched masks in his mind, wincing as he tried to stand up straight. "Pixie," he called out, tearing off his mask.

The fairy persona appeared once more. With a point of her finger, a green light surrounded Ren. The pain in his legs and rear quickly receded as any structural harm and fatigue was repaired – not thatd it helped much with the numbness or phantom pain. Taking a deep breath, he fully stood up, taking his weight off of Mezuki. Still uncomfortable, though not unbearably so. At least he could walk and run if necessary.

Shambling over, he pat Mezuki on the side of the head. "Thanks a lot, Mezuki," he murmured. "I know you can't head into town with me, but do you think you can hang around until I call you? I think I'm gonna need you a lot more around here before long."

The skeletal horse regarded the Phantom Thief with an unreadable gaze. Then it gently pushed Ren away with its head before suddenly taking off full speed – right into a tree. Ren's eyes widened in shock. As the horse carefully stood back up, one of its ribs had cracked and though it didn't break or shatter, a shard of bone fell to the ground.

As Mezuki gingerly picked it up in its teeth and walked toward Ren, the shard immolated in ghostly flame, then extinguished itself as it was dropped in the Phantom Thief's hand. Instead of a piece of broken bone, what Ren now held was a crude bone whistle. Etched on the sides were symbols and designs he couldn't precisely make out. It was both rough and yet entrancing to look at.

"So I just blow on this to call you, huh?" he murmured. He smiled as he pocketed the whistle. "Thanks, Mezuki. I'll see you when I see you." The skeletal horse lowered its head, pawing the ground, before turning around and galloping away. It wasn't long before it was nothing more than an ethereal light, flashing amongst the trees, before disappearing into the night.

Ren watched his new companion go, then turned toward the village. He took a step – and winced at the uncomfortable sensation through his legs. While he came to like Mezuki, he hoped he wouldn't have to ride the horse anytime soon – he wasn't sure if his legs could take it. He took a second to make sure he could walk properly; he really didn't need Artoria, Jeanne, or Nero to identify he had been riding a horse through his limping.

As he reached the village, his eyes widened. The village looked like a normal medieval village: wooden buildings with plaster and roofs. The roads were lined with stone, leading into a main square. There were a few wooden stands and carts laying about, most likely small storefronts that villagers and townspeople could use. In the distance, the Castle Csejte loomed, visible only by the distant lights twinkling against the darkness of the night. Despite the quiet atmosphere, the rustic environment wasn't what caught Ren's attention.

Rather, it was the fact the entire village was covered from top to bottom in Halloween decorations. Jack-o-lanterns were placed everywhere on the ground, partitions, and even rooftops. Some were even mounted on the various streetlamps scattered around the village. Their eyes and dopey grins glowed, suffusing the entire village with a surprisingly warm, atmospheric light. He even saw some bat decorations as well as fake cobwebs hung all around.

"… Huh," was Ren's first response. It was a bit early for Halloween but given the atmosphere with the skeletons, Mezuki, and now all of this, it seemed unavoidable. As he stepped forward, his foot hit something and it skidded against the ground. Looking down in surprise, he reached down and picked it up. It was some sort of black… plate? Plating? Was it part of some decoration that fell?

Before he could look around for the source of it, a girl's scream tore through the air. Tossing aside the plate, Ren immediately began running toward the source. He winced as his legs protested, but he pushed on regardless. Turning down a corner, he saw a larger house that was flashing with ethereal lights. As he rushed toward it, the front door burst open and out scrambled Ritsuka, looking absolutely harried, while Mash followed behind her with her shield raised against the door. Ghosts immediately began flying out, their low moans echoing as they all scattered into the night.

Ren could only watch, bewildered, as Nero walked out, looking unamused. "Hmph, what nerve," she groused. "I merely wished to repay them for their hospitality with a bit of theater. Surely my talent isn't so incredible that they must flee else their senses are overwhelmed? Well, I suppose it matters little at this point."

Noticing someone nearby, Nero glanced over and beamed as Ren approached. "Ah, Master!" she called out. "I'm glad to see you are well! We had been worried about the absence of our companions!"

"Same to you, Nero," Ren replied, matching her grin. "What happened? Ritsu, you okay? Not a fan of ghosts?"

"N-not the biggest f-fan of them, no," Ritsuka stammered, panting. "Always been a bit jumpy in haunted houses even at the best of times."

Ren nodded understandingly. It certainly reminded him of Makoto. Level-headed, brave to the point of recklessness at times, but she was rather easy to catch off guard. Not to mention, she was easily scared – he still remembered her clinging to his leg that one time they snuck into Sojiro's house during a thunderstorm.

"Umu, I commend her for her courage," Nero remarked. "She maintained her composure and manners until my performance. Doubtless she was overwhelmed by emotion from it. It is understandable."

Ren held up his hands. "Okay, wait," he said. "Start from the beginning – what happened after all those skeletons appeared in the castle?"

Mash and Nero gave a quick account: Rather than stemming the flow, the horde of skeletons then had gotten greater and greater to the point that everyone lost track of one another. They had all been carried off and out of the castle. Ritsuka and Mash had been brought to the mansion and Nero, who had been close by, insisted on going with them. Surprisingly, the skeletons acquiesced without the emperor having to resort to violence. There, they were served dinner by skeletons and the ghosts haunting the mansion – and they learned that Ritsuka was deathly afraid of ghosts.

"You can't punch or kick a ghost," Ritsuka snapped. "While they can do what they want!"

Mash and Nero looked at each other. "We're able to punch ghosts fine enough, Ritsuka-senpai," the Shielder pointed out.

"You two are living impossibilities!" the redhead retorted. "One of many reasons why you're both ridiculously awesome!" Nero laughed heartily while Ren chuckled at the response. Eventually, the skeletons and ghosts had put on a show to entertain them and while it had been rather delightful (Ritsuka's terror aside), the emperor had decided to hop on stage and give an impromptu recital of her own.

"It seems in the throes of excitement I had neglected to restrain myself," Nero lamented. "And it ended up exorcising all the spirits. But if they finally found peace, then I suppose that is some consolation. May the judges grant them compassion and kindness in the underworld."

Ren glanced over at Ritsuka and Mash, and met their incredulous looks in turn. That confirmed it – he still had memories of Nero's… impromptu performance on that night in the Roman singularity. He could put together the rest of the pieces from that context: The ghosts immediately tried to flee, causing Ritsuka to finally lose it and bolt for the front door. Mash followed behind to protect her though that thankfully proved a needless measure. And that led to now.

"Were you able to find anyone else?" Mash asked. "We didn't see any sign of Artoria, Jeanne, or Morgana while we were in there."

The Phantom Thief shook his head. "Nobody so far," he replied. He tried reaching out with his mind to Artoria or Jeanne. 'Hey guys,' he called out. 'Can you hear me?'

There was a moment of silence. 'Ah, Master,' came Artoria's steady voice. 'Are you safe? I cannot contact Ritsuka.'

'I'm fine,' Ren reassured her as he glanced over at Ritsuka, who was steadily getting to her feet after calming down a bit. 'And Ritsuka's… a bit out of it at the moment but she's fine too. I'm with Mash and Nero as well. What about you?'


Artoria looked around them. Stone walls, ceilings, and floors lined this entire corridor. It branched out into other corridors, turning out of view, with the promise of yet more to come. On the walls were torches lined all throughout the area, giving a surprising degree of illumination. The place was remarkably clean as well: there was little to no dust or cobwebs and the architecture was surprisingly pristine – which ironically made things harder for all of them as there were no little landmarks they could use.

The experience was already tedious as it is, but what made it infinitely worse was the music that was constantly blaring out from unseen speakers up above. It seemed to be one of Elizabeth's songs, but the low-quality speakers combined with the echoing from the bare stone corridors made the lyrics completely incomprehensible. On top of it all, there was some sort of high-pitched frequency mixed in that was unbearable, to say the least.

'We appear to be trapped in some sort of labyrinth,' Jeanne replied, shifting her hold so that Morgana rested more comfortably in her grip. 'I'm here with Morgana but he's currently indisposed at the moment.'

'Something happen to him?' the Phantom Thief immediately asked, the concern clear in his tone.

Both women looked over at Morgana. Nestled in the saintess's arms, the catlike being was huddled up, his paws clamped hard over his ears as his eyes were shut tight, looking dangerously close to crying. The music was already bad enough with how obnoxious it was, but the high-pitched frequency bore into his cat ears like drills. Certain humans were already quite sensitive to such a sound, but for him, it was no less than torture.

"ASK REN OR MASH IF THEY HAVE NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES OR EARBUDS FOR CATS." Morgana shouted back in reply. He could hear the communication just fine but couldn't focus enough to respond properly. Shouting his thoughts out was the only way he could drown out the sound properly. "AND MAYBE ASPIRIN!"

'Morgana wishes to know if you have some noise cancelling headphones and earbuds as well as aspirin for cats,' Jeanne faithfully relayed with both an equal amount of amusement and concern for her Master. While admittedly she didn't have the most dealings with him, it pained her to see someone like Morgana suffer in such a cruel manner. They would have destroyed the source of the annoying music if they could, but they couldn't find anything resembling a speaker.

There was a pause – whether it was because of the oddness of the request or they were trying to do something about it was unclear. Meanwhile, the two women continued walking along, trying to find a way out. They had considered the possibility of simply blasting their way out but kept it as a last resort. There was no easy way to tell how deep they were underground and such destruction might cause a cave-in. The two Servants would easily survive such a thing, but Morgana was a different matter entirely.

Suddenly, she stumbled over something. Artoria turned to look at what she had tripped over: a black plate-like object, lying in stark contrast to the polished tiled stone floor like a spot of void. Frowning, she cautiously picked it up – and suddenly a flare of danger rushed through her senses. Something about this plate was setting off her instinct, though she couldn't pin exactly what it was.

"What is it, Artoria?" Jeanne asked, looking over in concern. "What are you holding?"

Artoria glanced back at the saint, her expression grim. "I do not know, but something is amiss," she replied. "We have no more time to waste – we must find the others immediately." Jeanne's eyes widened, then she gave a determined nod. If the Saber believed the situation was serious, then she was more than inclined to trust her judgement on the matter.

They took another step forward – and suddenly, the floor opened up. All three cried in alarm as Jeanne held Morgana closer to her to protect him… and then they landed. The pit they fell in was only a few heads taller than they were. It would be a trivial matter for a regular person, let alone a Servant, to pull themselves out. There wasn't even anything in the pit either. It all amounted to a mild inconvenience at worst.

The two women looked at each other in bewilderment. Before they could even ask what just happened, there was a slight creaking sound above them. They looked up – and their eyes widened as they saw gallons upon gallons of red liquid falling from the ceiling. By the time they could process anything, it was too late…

Meanwhile, Carmilla walked away from the lever she had pulled while taking a sip of tea. While this entire idea was utterly asinine, she had to admit it was amusing in its own right. She could even use her ridiculous other self's songs for her own means. Ah, tormenting others never failed to send a tickle of delight down her spine. But in the meantime, perhaps it's time to switch tracks. It wouldn't do for a victim to become numb to their torture after all – and there were so many delights to visit.

Her elegant lips curled ever so slightly upward. Ah, she had doubted Vlad, but trust him to at least know what would keep her contented for the time being, at least. Perhaps she might even have a nice, delicious bath when this is all over…


'Of all the juvenile pranks one could play-!' Artoria snarled.

The sudden outburst of rage in mental communications startled Ren and caused both Ritsuka and Mash to jump a bit as Nero frowned in surprise. 'What happened,' the Phantom Thief immediately asked. 'Are you guys in trouble?' For a moment, he considered using his command seals to summon both Artoria and Jeanne to him – Roman and Da Vinci have briefed him that his command seals could be used for that purpose – but then that had the possibility of leaving Morgana stranded.

Just the very thought sent cold shivers down his spine. He'd sooner cut off his own arm than let that happen.

'P-pardon us, Master,' Jeanne gasped out. 'It was a pitfall trap. Not deep, thankfully. Just enough to keep us in one place for us to… have red slime dropped on us.'

Ren had to take a moment to contemplate what he just heard. 'Red… slime…?' he asked.

'We thought it was blood at first,' the saintess admitted. 'But no, it was slime. Or rather, strawberry jelly, given the consistency and taste. Artoria seems mollified that it's jelly but… um… Morgana will most likely need a wash after this.'

Ren breathed a small sigh of relief. 'Alright,' he replied. 'Keep us posted.' Cutting off the communication, he looked around. It seemed Artoria, Jeanne, and Morgana were in no immediate danger, and he trusted them to take care of themselves. Now he was left with one problem: How was he going to delay everyone here from heading back up to the castle?

"So," Ritsuka began as she starting stumbling back up and dusting herself off like she hadn't been scared to death a couple moments ago. "What's next on the agenda? Ask Liz or Vlad what in the actual hell is going on? Or should we try to find Artoria, Jeanne, and Morgana first from… whatever funhouse they're stuck in?"

"Communications are still down," Mash reported as she tapped on her communicator. "So Chaldea isn't able to relay their locations to us – or vice versa, for that matter. We won't be able to rendezvous easily until they reach the surface."

"Well, that's not a problem," Ritsuka replied, pointing to Castle Csejte. "Castle's not exactly subtle. We can just rendezvous there and deal with everything. Heck, we should probably make our way over now so we can establish a foothold, just in case. Shall we get going?"

That sent alarm bells ringing in Ren's head. It was a sensible suggestion, one he agreed with – and that was the problem. He needed to figure out a way to buy more time. Last he saw Elizabeth, she was nowhere near ready for her concert, and being the perfectionist she was, she would have much to maintain. "Not a good idea," the Phantom Thief countermanded, drawing the others' surprise. "Hanging out on their doorstep is practically inviting them to spring a trap on us. We're better off reconvening here instead, then making our way to the castle."

"Then how are we going to get the others to rendezvous with us?" Mash asked. "Or indicate our location?" She added flare guns to her mental checklist. At this point, she wasn't sure how much her shield could hold in terms of supplies but she was certainly bringing a lot. Field experience certainly showed what she was lacking, however. It seemed she had much to learn besides fighting as well.

Meanwhile, Ren had long since replenished his flash bombs. They would easily function as a signal, but again, not what he needed. No, what he needed was something loud, bold, and time-consuming – and he had just the woman for the job. "We cause a ruckus of our own," the Phantom Thief replied with a grin. "One loud enough to be heard from all over. The square is mostly empty and just needs a bit of setup. It's perfect for what we need."

"And that would be…?" Ritsuka asked warily.

Ren's grin broadened as he looked over at Nero. "How would you feel about putting on an impromptu performance?" he asked.

Both Ritsuka and Mash blanched while Nero's eyes widened in surprise. "An… impromptu performance?" she echoed. "That is a rather unorthodox plan, Master. Are you sure it's sensible?"

The Phantom Thief beckoned them. He led them to the square: A circular, wide-open space, filled with pumpkins and decorations. A fountain sat in the middle, bone-dry and disused. There was plenty of space to use, and plenty to work with. "With an area like this?" Ren replied, spreading his hands as he spun around to face them. "Your voice would resound far and wide, and the attention you'd garner would more than attract the attention of the others once they appear. It may even prove to be a distraction for Servants like Vlad and Carmilla as well, allowing us to maneuver more easily if necessary."

He offered a hand to Nero. "What do you think?" he finally offered with a smile. "Shall we put on a show for the whole town?"

The emperor could only stare at Ren, completely flabbergasted, then burst out laughing merrily. "You certainly know your way with words and tastes, Ren Amamiya!" she declared. "But who am I to deny someone one of my performances? The arts are for the people after all, young and old, poor and rich, grand and base! Very well! You have convinced me! But how it is currently would make a poor stage. I shall require help setting it all up! With me, Masters and Mash!"

As Nero sprang off to begin preparations, Ritsuka and Mash walked up to Ren. "You sure this is a good idea?" she asked, looking more than bemused. "I love Nero but when it comes to singing and performing, she's… uh… not great, to put it mildly."

Ren grinned. "What's the worst that can happen?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders as he began walking after Nero, leaving the two girls behind staring at him.

Ritsuka could only facepalm as the Shielder comfortingly patted her shoulder. "'May you live in interesting times,' I was told," the former grumbled as she reluctantly followed. "I'm starting to think that person actually hated me." Mash could only smile sheepishly in response before following. At the very least, perhaps she could learn something from Ren-senpai's unorthodox methods.


"Bring more of the pumpkins over, the stage must be illuminated properly! Set them over… there! Yes! Perfect!"

"Umu, this fountain… in lieu of a stage, this can be of use. Masters, see if there is something bright we may use to adorn it! This would be perfect for giving emphasis on the lead!"

"You certainly have an eye for this kind of thing," Ren commented as he hauled a couple more pumpkins in place at her direction.

"But of course," Nero replied as she stepped back, looking over the impromptu stage with a critical eye. "While my own beauty is extravagant in any circumstance, that is hardly enough for a performance. Everything must be radiant to varying degrees – from the sets and extras to the side actors and antagonists. To diminish one aspect is to diminish all of it, a fact I would much rather avoid if it can be helped."

Noticing Ritsuka and Mash approaching, the emperor nodded appreciatively to what they were holding. "Ah, perfect!" she cried. "We can use that to cloak the fountain and then have several of the jack-o-lanterns behind it – a thin layer of it will allow us to make use of background lighting and make for better luminescence!" She pranced forward and gleefully set up the jack-o-lanterns as she described as the two other girls shared a look, shrugged, and set up the fake cobwebs.

Ren was about to step forward to assist when he glimpsed a flutter of motion high above. Glancing up, he saw Vlad quietly standing on the rooftops, observing. At the Phantom Thief's questioning gaze, he simply placed his hands parallel to one another and slowly pulled them apart while mouthing words. Ren nodded in understanding and the Berserker vanished in a shower of golden light, unnoticed by the women. The request from the Servant was clear.

'More time.'

"So Nero, what do you think this play should be about?" Ren asked. "We need to workshop it, don't you think?"

Nero paused for a moment in thought, then nodded. "A good point, Master," she agreed. "My talent will carry the performance far but there is little reason to believe it cannot be honed further. I have a few songs I have composed in my mind while we were working. I would ask that you hear them and see where they can be improved."

Ren gulped. He looked over at Ritsuka and Mash first. "Can you guys go grab some more jack-o-lanterns from the outer edge of the town?" he asked. "We could use more lighting."

Ritsuka hurriedly nodded, dragging away a hesitant Mash by the wrist as she quickly left the scene. The Phantom Thief took a deep breath, then turned back to Nero with a forced smile. "Fire away, Nero."

The emperor grinned, began her recital – and thus begun the Phantom Thief's most grueling trial in the singularity.

About half an hour later, the recital was in full swing. Nero sang merrily as she danced on the edge of the fountain, her discordant tones tearing through the air. It was practically torturous for anyone to listen to. And yet, skeletons flooded out of the nearby houses and began dancing in the town square, parading in circles as their bones clattered against each other and on the cobblestone street. Ghost floated out of the house and whirled around in the air, their moans echoing in the air. Their clamor almost drowned out the emperor, leading her to redouble her efforts in turn.

Meanwhile, Ren, Mash, and Ritsuka had retreated to the far end of the square. While they were at first alarmed by all the undead showing up, they relaxed a bit when they seemed to be celebrating with Nero's performance – or trying to completely drown her out. Most likely both.

"Well, you were right about causing a ruckus," Ritsuka remarked, eyeing the ghosts above warily as she sidled closer to Mash. "Anyone with a pair of eyes or ears would be able to notice this from miles away." She winced as Nero hit a particularly high note. "Though I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing," she added.

Mash smiled sympathetically before looking over to Ren, who was watching the entire scenario. "Do you notice anything, Ren-senpai?" she asked. "Are Vlad and Carmilla on the move?"

Ren shook his head. His Third Eye had already been scanning the area for anything out of the ordinary. Aside from the skeletons and the ghosts – who are all highlighted in blue – he didn't see anything else. Vlad was probably assisting Elizabeth with whatever preparations she needed. He was about to contact Artoria and Jeanne again to check on their status when a faint, unfamiliar stench wafted by. "You guys smell that?" he asked.

Ritsuka and Mash both sniffed, and their faces immediately wrinkled in disgust. "Ugh, the heck is that?" the former spat out. "Did someone forget to clean out their fridge or something? Smells like rotten eggs."

"It is rather distasteful," Mash agreed. "But… why would food be here and left long enough to rot? The undead have long since died if we look at the state of the skeletons and ghosts. We've also confirmed the presences of Vlad, Carmilla, and Elizabeth and even if they don't eat, they don't seem the type to tolerate rotten food. So… what could be the source?"

Neither Ren nor Ritsuka answered as they began pondering. They looked at each other and shared the same thought: Something was going on, and it couldn't be anything good. Ren was about to contact Artoria again when he suddenly heard a thunderous cracking, audible even above the din, some distance behind him. All three whirled about to find the source of the noise as another crack resounded through the air.

A moment later, the buildings and streets exploded in rubble, causing Nero to stop her performance as both ghosts and skeletons scattered and fled. The emperor hopped down from her impromptu stage, her expression serious as she summoned her greatsword, reuniting with her Masters to prepare for a fight-

Only to see Artoria hop out of the newly created hole, her blade also at the ready for any hostiles. Upon seeing the others, she sighed with relief as her sword vanished, looked back down the hole, and nodded. Jeanne then hopped up, her arms tightly wrapped around Morgana. All three of them looked worse for wear: Completely filthy, with smears of red on their clothes and body, and looking incredibly annoyed and exhausted. As Jeanne set down Morgana, they both had to pry themselves away from each other thanks to the jelly.

"Masters, Mash, Nero," Artoria greeted as she walked toward them. She flashed in a burst of light and in the next moment, her appearance was immaculate once more. "It is good to see you are all safe. Have you had any contact with either the enemy or Chaldea?"

Mash shook her head. "We haven't, no," she answered. "So far, we've been given… respectable hospitality? But otherwise, contact with either side has been minimal."

"Besides the ghosts," Ritsuka piped up. "But enough about us – you guys look like you've been through the wringer. Are you guys hurt? What happened down there? And how did you find us?"

Jeanne rubbed the back of her neck ruefully after cleaning herself as well. "We admittedly were getting impatient with the labyrinth, especially after getting covered in jelly," she explained. "But we were also feeling numerous vibrations above us as well and thought it might lead somewhere."

"I came up in spirit form to confirm the situation," the king continued. "Once that was done, we decided to simply carve our way out. We were worried about the possible cave-in harming Morgana, but he agreed to the plan."

Ren, meanwhile, had been checking up on his best friend. "That bad down there?" he asked, looking at the dirty catlike being in concern.

Morgana heaved an incredibly irritated sigh as he gingerly touched his sore ears. "That's an understatement," he growled. "Nothing but non-stop idol music through cruddy speakers, coupled with some ultrasonic frequency is just torture! And this jelly! It's gonna take forever to wash this all off! My poor fur! My beautiful, poor fur!"

The Phantom Thief could only breathe a small sigh of relief as his best friend lamented his state. If he had enough energy to complain at length like this, he was fine. "I'll give you a wash after we get back to Chaldea," he offered. "I know you're not a fan of washes but…"

The catlike being sagged in resignation. "Yeah," he glumly admitted, looking over himself. "No way I can clean myself properly like this. Just… be careful with it?"

Ren nodded with a reassuring smile. "I promise," he earnestly replied.

"Ugh, I didn't think you would be so brutish as to destroy my labyrinth. I suppose this is what my reward for playing with one's lessers."

All of them whirled about to glare at Carmilla, who was staring down at them disdainfully from the roof of a building. "And I had finally found some enjoyment in this entire farce too," she added disdainfully. "Truly, you are uncouth fools, more than fitting for my idiotic younger self."

Artoria scowled at her. "Carmilla," she growled. "You would trap us in a labyrinth to waste our time, torture our Master, and then humiliate us, all for the sake of your own enjoyment? Is that your only purpose here?"

Carmilla glared at them. "Please, this barely even qualifies as such," she spat. "I've been ordered to keep you 'entertained' and not to utilize my usual methods. You should be thankful that I have not been able to utilize my full collection – that labyrinth you had gone through was the most I could do. Childish, I fully agree, but it was at least a mild amusement."

Jeanne frowned. "Be that as it may," she declared as her banner appeared in her hand. "You are clearly far more dangerous and hostile to us than any other inhabitant of this singularity thus far. Plea for clemency and we might resolve this without further conflict. Otherwise, prepare yourself." At her declaration, Artoria, Nero, and Mash also summoned their weapons in preparation.

Ren's eyes rapidly flitted between Carmilla and his friends. The situation was rapidly devolving and if he didn't do something, things would rapidly escalate out of hand. Elizabeth's concert would be ruined. The countess was supposed to be on Elizabeth's side – as much as she kept grumbling and complaining about it – but even he couldn't help thinking that she had gone too far. He needed an excuse to get them to stand down-

"Following the letter of the order means little if you do not follow the spirit of it, Carmilla."

Vlad appeared once more beside Carmilla, looking more than unamused about the whole situation. "Our guests are to be entertained, not tormented to an unacceptable degree," he chided. "A harmless prank is suitable but what you have done was too far."

Carmilla whirled on Vlad. "I have been playing with this farce on both my idiotic self's and your demands," she snarled. "Do you mean to debase me even further?! I am not some jester or fool to dance to their whims! Especially to this uncouth lot!"

"No," Vlad simply replied, his tone cold as ice. "You are a countess, Carmilla. And I expected you to conduct yourself as such to your guests. If you find that too stern a demand, then perhaps I shall find a role better suited to you for the evening's festivities." The countess's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets from sheer, apoplectic rage from being lectured but nevertheless held her tongue. She whirled about, fixing the Chaldeans with a murderous glare, before turning away and vanishing into motes of golden light.

The tension in the air lightened once she vanished. The Berserker simply sighed before hopping down, landing softly and silently on the cobblestone street, and bowed low toward them. "I am sincerely and deeply apologetic for my cohort's conduct," he murmured. "Her conduct was utterly impermissible and I shall see she is appropriately handled."

Artoria frowned. "Speak plainly, Vlad," she called out, her invisible blade still in her grasp. "Are you our enemies or no? Thus far, the situation has been mixed: You show no direct opposition, yet you impede our actions at every step. You have Carmilla detain us and even knowingly torment one of our Masters, yet you have shown up yourself to reprimand her. What is your goal?"

The corner of Vlad's lips lifted slightly. "Nothing more than an evening of festivities," he replied. "There are yet a few more surprises in store. I ask you to come to Castle Csejte – though do be aware that the path might be… a touch more troublesome than when you had first arrived."

He pointed in the castle's direction. The Chaldeans turned to look, and they saw that the skeletons had picked up shields and locked into formations, forming walls. Pits had been dug on the path and large bats fluttered through the night sky, carrying lanterns to help illuminate the area and guide the circuitous path, which led even off the road and into the forest.

"… the heck is this?" Ritsuka spluttered first as everyone else stared in shocked silence. "Are we in some game show now? Where are the cameras, I know someone's holding them!" As if to emphasize her point, she immediately scanning the bats above for any cameras. "Mash, you see any holding cameras?"

The Shielder, caught off guard by the question, also started looking. "Um, why would the bats be holding cameras, Ritsuka-senpai?"

"Oh, right, you don't know about those shows, do you? You see, Mash…"

"Gotta say, this does look pretty fun," Ren commented with a grin as Ritsuka explained the concept to Mash. "You certainly went out of your way for this, Vlad."

The Berserker's smile widened. "Your words honor me, Phantom Thief," he replied gracefully.

The Phantom Thief didn't expect to be called by his moniker but didn't think much of it. He turned to the Servants. "What say we humor him a bit as we get to the bottom of this?" he asked. "He did go out of his way for us here, so we might as well."

Nero nodded in agreement. "Umu, indeed!" she cried. "It would be spitting on one's efforts were we to simply pass up on such arduous preparations! Besides, it has been a good while since I had participated in something resembling an Olympic trial, and the Flower of Olympia will not stand for it! Artoria, Jeanne, come! We must show our splendor for all and sundry!"

"Wait-!" Artoria's words were quickly cut off as the emperor dragged both her and Jeanne, who simply looked amused and resigned to the whole scenario. Ritsuka and Mash had also left toward the obstacle course, with the former still deep in explaining the concept.

Morgana stared up in suspicion – not at Vlad, but at Ren. "Joker, what are you planning," he asked, his eyes narrowing.

Ren smirked and gave a wink. "Just some fun," he replied enigmatically.

The catlike being's eyes narrowed further, then he sighed. "Alright," he accepted tiredly. "But you owe me fatty tuna after this." He walked off with the others as well, leaving the Phantom Thief alone with Vlad.

"Is she going to be much longer?" Ren asked.

"Not for too much," the Berserker answered. "This should be enough time for Elizabeth to finish her preparations. Did you enjoy the gift, perchance?"

The Phantom Thief grinned. "Mezuki? He's amazing," he replied honestly. "A bit rough to ride though. I don't think horse rides are supposed to be so… bumpy."

"Skeletal horses are unorthodox for most equestrians," Vlad admitted with a slight smile. "That being said, it is not too different or difficult from a regular horse. Perhaps you are simply unaccustomed to riding-" Then he realized something and turned fully to Ren. "You named the horse Mezuki?" he asked in slight shock.

Ren blinked, then nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "It's the name of a horse-headed yokai I heard about a while back. I thought it'd fit him. He seemed to like the name."

Vlad could only just stare at the Phantom Thief, then turned away shaking his head as he vanished into golden dust. "What?" Ren spluttered at the Berserker's reaction. "What's wrong with Mezuki? It's a perfectly good name!" His objections only encountered silence and empty air, leaving only the atmosphere of silent disappointment behind.

Grumbling, Ren stomped after his friends. "Mezuki's a good name," he muttered.


They went through the obstacle course, which featured a plethora of trials. Some were simple, such as hopping across a pit filled with yet more red slime (or jam, rather) while skeletons held up shields like they were platforms. Others were more unorthodox such as dodging skeletons that were tied to wheels and rolling about.

"At least there aren't any spikes on them," Morgana grumbled quietly. He still remembered the bonewheel skeletons from that one game he played at Futaba's place. It wasn't an experience he was keen to relive in reality.

Artoria, Jeanne, and Mash crossed each obstacle without any issue thanks to their agility as Servants. They had all been watching the skeletons closely, seeing if they would harm their Masters, but even then, the most the skeletons did was simply point the offender back to the starting point to try again. Nero in particular had been enjoying herself, deliberately slowing herself down to tackle each trial appropriately and succeeding with aplomb. As for their Masters…

"Just a bit further, Ritsu!" Morgana cheered.

"Almost there!" Ren called out.

Ritsuka bit her lip nervously as she hopped on another shield a skeleton was holding up. The skeletons were all sinking at a slow but steady rate, and they were far closer to the slime than she liked. Everyone else was waiting for her just up ahead and like hell she was about to hold them up. Gulping, she hopped on one shield after another – then she overjumped and started slipping on the last shield. As everyone shouted startled cries, the redhead gritted her teeth and pounced forward. She braced herself to eat a face full of dirt-

And found herself landing on something particularly soft. "Oof," Ren grunted. "You alright, Ritsu?"

The redhead froze, looked up, blinked once, then immediately scrambled off – and nearly fell back into the pit if Ren hadn't reached out and grabbed her by the arm. "You made it across just fine – would be a waste to take a dip now," he quipped with a small smirk.

"Er, um," Ritsuka intelligently stammered. As much as she tried to calm down, she had just been caught and saved by the leader of the Phantom Thieves: someone who was incredibly capable, awesome, handsome, and absolutely reckless. While she still did her absolute best not to fangirl over him, he still left her speechless with his cunning, bravery, and wit. Her mind was hopelessly jumbled between the sensation and the sheer realization of what had just happened.

Clearing her throat to regain her composure – and to fight the blush that had risen to her cheeks – she remarked, "How'd you get through so easily? Are you cheating or something?"

Ren smiled ruefully and shrugged as he stood back up, casually brushing off his clothes. "Lots of practice," he replied simply. "It comes from being a Phantom Thief." That being said, he had to wonder which of his friends would be able to do it. He was most skeptical of the unathletic Futaba or the unlucky Ryuji or Yusuke going through this challenge. Maybe he should sign them all up for a game show when he got back – it might be fun.

"Yeah, though there were less traps we had to navigate through than you'd think," Morgana added. "Worst one was probably that bridge in Kamoshida's Palace – the one with the pendulum blades. You remember that one, Joker?"

"Yes, and I still say I could've done it," the Phantom Thief answered confidently.

Morgana sighed exhaustedly. "You probably could," he agreed. "But it was still better to turn off. We don't need to risk everyone's safety if we don't need to, after all."

After that, they continued. The further they went on, the more difficult it became, with slanted platforms and even wall-climbing sections, with the climbing grips ranging from hands to ribs. The hands acted as a safety catch so none of them would risk injury from falling – though it was certainly startling to the Masters and Mash when they reached out to lightly grip them.

Ren partially wished he had brought Loki with them – they could've made a competition out of this – before dismissing the thought. The Avenger may be under their agreement, but the general sentiment was still too new and raw for him to risk bringing them out onto the field for a while.

As he was idly pondering while climbing, a powerful wind gusted out of nowhere. Taking Ren by complete surprise, its sheer force tore his grip from from the wall. Just as he would have started to plummet, a skeletal hand immediately reached out and grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him to safety. He heaved deep breaths as he remained there to calm down, his heartbeat loud in his ears. He had his grappling hook to save himself, sure, but the suddenness of it all nearly sent him into a panic. "Thanks," he murmured to the bone wall. He heard a small clatter in response.

"What the heck was that?!" Morgana roared out from above him. A skeletal hand had caught him by the scruff of the neck before he had been sent flying.

The Phantom Thief frowned and knocked on the climbing wall. It shifted and a skull soon appeared, turning to Ren. "Was that your doing?" he asked. The skull shook its head. "Was it Carmilla, Vlad, or Elizabeth's?" The skull shook his head again.

This was becoming concerning. "Do you have any idea what it was?" he asked. Once more, the skull shook its head. Dread began forming in Ren's stomach. It might be lying but he had a feeling it wasn't. Something was amiss here. He had already bought a lot of time for Elizabeth, so it was probably best to rendezvous with her as soon as possible.

"Are you okay, senpai?" Mash called out from below Ren worriedly.

The Phantom Thief looked back down and grinned easily. "Just catching my breath," he answered easily. Turning back up, he began climbing once more. There was still some ways to go. As they all eventually reached the top, the Masters took a minute to rest for a moment (with Ritsuka sprawled out, unmoving and only groaning weakly when prompted) while the Servants stood guard.

"How the heck did you climb that tower back in the URE capital?" Morgana panted.

Ren held up the grappling hook. "I cheated a bit," he admitted. "And had Jing Ke give me a hand. Still, you gotta admit it's pretty fun."

The catlike being huffed. "It wasn't too bad," he admitted. "If it wasn't for that random hurricane. What the heck was that anyway?"

The Phantom Thief shook his head. "Apparently not something the others had in mind, according to the skeletons," he responded. The two looked over at the bone wall – and in response, a hand popped up, flashed them a thumbs up, and slowly sank back down. "But we should still be okay for now. We'll just ask Elizabeth once we get there."

"If you say so, Joker," Morgana reluctantly accepted. He had a feeling there was more to this story than what his best friend was telling him, but he wasn't about to press for answers. They trusted each other with their lives and there wasn't any reason to stop now. Still, he couldn't help but be curious as to what Ren was planning. "Alright, we should probably get moving."

"Umu!" Nero loudly agreed. "Indeed! We have had plenty of rest and the night continues on! Come, Ritsuka! The trials continue!"

"Uuuuuuugh," Ritsuka moaned out, not moving an inch.

"It seems our Master needs to be roused," Jeanne mused. "A bucket of water would normally do the job, but we don't seem to have water on hand… perhaps the red slime over there would work?" She looked over at a nearby skeleton. "Would you be so kind as to fetch me a bucket?" the saint asked kindly.

The redhead immediately shot up, glaring at the Ruler. "No slime," she growled.

As Ritsuka stomped toward the next obstacle, Artoria glanced over at her friend. "Was that strictly necessary?" she asked, her tone a mix of both admonishment and faint amusement.

Jeanne simply smiled. "It worked well during my time in the French army," she replied innocently. "I was only suggesting a solution."

Artoria had to force back her own mirth as she shook her head. It certainly reminded her a bit of the antics her knights and soldiers got up to from time to time. "If you say so, Jeanne," she replied, unable to hide a small smile of her own. Jeanne giggled as they made their way to the next obstacle.

In front of them was a much longer pit than before, once more filled with red slime. A single beam stretched the length down the middle, thin enough to require balance, though not so thin that the slightest misstep would send one plummeting. But that wasn't the only thing that caught their eye. Rather, it was the skeletons lined up on the sides, armed with bows and arrows, firing across the pit and over the beam. They were shooting straight ahead at gaps on the other side into a wooden wall, where skeletons collected arrows and passed them to an archer skeleton beside them.

"Oh for – arrows now?!" Morgana groaned. "If I didn't know better, I think they were trying to kill us at this point!"

Jeanne narrowed her eyes as she focused on the arrows. "… I would normally agree with you, Master," she slowly noted. "But there are boxing gloves on the ends of the arrows."

"There are what now," the catlike being responded flatly in disbelief.

Ren's eyes, meanwhile, turned red as he looked at the arrows. As the saint described, there were mini-boxing gloves instead of standard arrowheads affixed to them. He had to wonder if they tried regular boxing gloves first before going for the smaller ones. "Well, at least they won't actually hurt us," he commented as his eyes went back to normal. "Still don't want to be hit by them, though."

Ritsuka just stared at the tightrope walk, then the skeleton archers, then at the arrows zipping by. Reaching up, she pinched herself. "Ow," she said, deadpan.

Mash's eyes widened. "Um, are you okay, senpai?" she asked.

"Just making sure I'm not asleep, because this so far this is the weirdest fever dream I've ever had," the redhead answered. "I'll go first and get it over with-"

"Wait."

At Artoria's command, everyone stopped. "There are two archers on either side in the middle," she stated. "They've not fired a single arrow, yet they have arrows nocked on their bows. Thankfully their arrows are blunted as well but still, it seems these are different from the others." The others turned to check and, as she said, there were two skeleton archers impassively staring at them, arrows at the ready. Their sightless sockets facing them with such intensity that Ren couldn't help but admire them slightly.

"For now, Morgana, try to head across first," she commanded. "The regular arrows will pass over your head, allowing you to pay the most attention to the other two archers and how they shall act."

"As long as the others don't adjust their aim to compensate," Morgana grumbled. Nevertheless, he walked up to the beam, giving suspecting glares to the awaiting archers. Before he went, his figure glowed and he reverted to his cat form. The smaller profile would make him harder to hit, and he was a bit faster when he was in this form than when he was on two legs anyway. He took a deep breath – then dashed forward.

As Artoria predicted, the skeleton archers didn't adjust their aim and kept shooting straight ahead, their arrows flying harmlessly far above the catlike being. The two waiting ones, on the other hand, raised their bows, aimed, and fired. However, they grossly underestimated Morgana's speed and didn't lead their shots. Thus, the only thing they accomplished was having the arrows whizz by well behind the catlike being and land in the slime. Easily balancing on the beam, he reached the other side with no issue, transformed back into his Metaverse form, and hopped up waving his arm.

"As I suspected," the Saber mused as the two skeleton archers began clattering at each other like they were arguing. "Those archers are there so we can't be slow crossing the beam. Thankfully, they leave much to be desired in terms of competency. It shouldn't be much trouble so long as we do not hesitate."

Mash frowned slightly. "Then perhaps I should go first with my shield," she suggested. "I can provide cover from them and we would only have to worry about the side archers." As soon as the words left her mouth, the other archers immediately stopped firing and turned to stare at the group. The Servants instinctively moved in front of the Masters protectively and for a moment, neither side said anything or moved.

"… Umu, but of course," Nero realized. "You had gone through some lengths to prepare this for us, yes? Then it would be rude of us to bypass the challenge so cavalierly. It is best we proceed one or two at a time, am I correct?" The skeletons nodded as one, then resumed firing their arrows directly over the beam. Everyone relaxed once they did, the tension in the air draining again. "Well, it seems they take their pageantry quite seriously," the emperor noted. "It is perhaps best to play by their rules to avoid undue alienation."

"Seems so," Ren agreed. "In that case, I'll go next and see how bad it is for a regular person-"

"You're anything but regular," Ritsuka couldn't help but grumble.

The Phantom Thief smirked. "Well, I'm hurt," he replied, a hand over his heart as he stumbled back onto the beam. "I'm just an ordinary guy, after all, who happens to have slightly better reflexes." As he spoke, he 'stumbled' past the first two rows of arrows. "And maybe slightly better observation skills." He stumbled past another row – and two gloved arrows darted past him, landing in the jam below. "But other than that, I'm nothing too special."

"He says, as he's just making his way across while barely even looking," the redhead commented in a flat tone while crossing her arms. Nevertheless, she had a small smile of amusement while Mash watched anxiously beside her. "Fine, fine, you made your point, Mr. 'I'm so regular'. Now stop showing off and get over there already."

Ren limbo'd beneath yet another row of arrows. "I have no idea what you mean," he simply replied with a smirk. Ritsuka could only roll her eyes with a chuckle before turning to pat Mash on the shoulder reassuringly. She could practically feel the Shielder's worry radiating off her, but she knew Ren well enough to know he would be just fine.

Sure enough, the Phantom Thief made it to the other side just fine. "Ha, knew it wouldn't be a challenge for you," Morgana remarked before hopping up for a high five.

"It got a bit dicey at times," Ren admitted with a grin. Regardless, he easily returned the high five before turning back to the others. "Not too bad!" he called over. "Just don't hesitate and keep moving."

Ritsuka looked back down at the pit, then shot another flat look at Ren. "You and I have very different definitions of 'bad'," she retorted. Nevertheless, she lined herself up to the beam and stared straight across, seeing the arrows darting by in her vision. She just needed to keep her balance, time it right, and not take it too slow. Already she could see the gaps in the constant row of arrows.

"Victory is within your grasp, Master," Nero cheered. "Do not hesitate! Ren and Morgana await you on the other side!"

The surety of Nero settled her nerves a little, if only because it was so over the top it ended up being surprisingly encouraging. "Welp, here I go!" she murmured to herself before making her way forward. The beam was surprisingly wider than she expected, allowing her to maintain her balance easily. In her peripheral vision, she could see the skeletons raise their bows.

Right. She couldn't hesitate. Making her way across, she timed the gap between the arrows, then slipped past a row – just as the arrows that were aimed at her flew by. While they were aiming at her body instead of her head, one of the arrows grazed her side. The surprising force and weight behind it caused her to wobble momentarily before she recovered her balance, her heart almost beating out of her chest.

"You can do it, Ritsu!" Morgana cheered.

"Don't falter or hesitate," Artoria counseled. "Find your openings and march forward!"

Ritsuka reached up, smacked her own face to calm down a bit, and kept going forward, her eyes focusing on Ren and Morgana on the other side. She continued moving forward on the beam, trusting it to hold as she dodged arrow after arrow to her objective. As more arrows whistled toward her, the redhead turned to the side and dodged them. Ducking down would prove fruitless: The loss of speed meant the other skeletons would easily hit their mark.

She made her way forward, her heartbeat almost drowned out by the sounds of her friends cheering her on. A mistimed advance resulted in an arrow to the arm that almost knocked her off, and an arrow square in the chest when she hadn't been paying attention knocked her back, only barely recovering her balance in time. But she gritted her teeth and soldiered on. Finally, at the last few feet, two arrows hit square on her back, pitching her forward – and once more into Ren's arms as he caught her.

"I'm starting to think you're doing this on purpose," Ren commented with a wry grin as he helped her stand back up.

"Me? Never," Ritsuka denied, unable to wipe the giddy grin off her face or the blush. It was still unintentional but she was certainly going to accept her good fortune this time. Regaining her composure, she waved to the others back on the other side to let them know she made it safely – then she stumbled to the side of the path on her shaky legs and sat down.

She needed to exercise more.

Nero nodded and beamed at the other Servants. "Our Masters are safely on the other side," she declared. "Now let us join them! It shall be a simple matter – with our might, we shall surmount this trial with ease!"

As if to spite her observations once more, the skeletons picked up new arrows. The arrows now had glowing, sharp arrowheads. The archers began firing again, this time at a far faster pace. Each time an arrow hit the board on the other side, there was a concussive shockwave that radiated out on impact. Across the pit, Morgana winced and covered his ears again began running off, shouting something they couldn't hear to Ren and Ritsuka as he did.

Mash gulped as she observed the changes. "It would seem they have increased the difficulty for Servants," she noted.

The emperor nodded. "Of course!" she cried. "There is no acclaim to be had conquering a trial that is without challenge! Now, let the Flower of Olympia begin!" Easily hopping on the beam, she began running straight across with inhuman agility, dodging each arrow by the narrowest of margins before jumping and twisting in mid-air to avoid the arrows that had been coming straight for her. A second later and she was on the other side.

"Not a stain on my dress either," Nero remarked, looking herself over with a grin. "Umu! Perfect! As expected of me!"

Mash went next. Running across the beam, she swiftly dodged each row of arrows – then her eyes widened seeing the arrows coming straight at her. She crossed her arms in front of her reflexively in defense as they both struck. The concussive waves jarred through her body and sent her sliding back, narrowly stopping next to a row of arrows she had just bypassed.

"You alright, Mash?" Ren called over.

The Shielder opened her mouth to reply, then jumped over an arrow and barely dodged out of the way of a follow-up arrow that had been aimed at the location she had dodged. "I'm fine, senpai!" she reported once she landed back on the beam. "Artoria, Jeanne, the archers are much more accurate and calculating now! Please be careful!"

"Noted," Artoria replied, observing the entire situation. "See to your safety and crossing first though."

Mash nodded before turning back to the others. She began making her way across while the two skeleton archers continued to pressure her. As she had reported, the archers were remarkably more intelligent and accurate now. The two coordinated their shots: at times they fired at the same time to seal off her escape and at others, one fired an arrow first with the second one shooting at the space Mash would dodge into. Nevertheless, the Shielder made it to the other side.

"Good going, Mash," Ren congratulated, grinning.

"Yeah, that looked pretty tough, Mashmallow," Ritsuka noted, glaring at the archers. "But you're awesome as always."

"Thank you," Mash panted smiling at both of them. She looked around. "Where is Morgana?" she asked.

The Phantom Thief pointed down the path, where Morgana hopped up and waved. "He's over there to protect his ears," he answered. "His hearing is still a bit sensitive thanks to the maze, but otherwise he's fine."

Meanwhile, back on the other side, Artoria and Jeanne looked at the beam with consternation. "It seems this challenge becomes more difficult with each Servant challenger," the saint observed.

Artoria nodded. "Then we have reached the same conclusion," she agreed. "In that case, I shall go last. I am the best suited for whatever this absurd course can throw at me. Jeanne, please proceed. I shall see you on the other side."

The Ruler opened her mouth to argue, then thought better of it. They would be arguing for the better part of the day considering how stubborn they could be about matters. Besides, Artoria was aware of her own capabilities. If she believed she could handle this beam, then she could do nothing else but to trust her. With that, she set foot on the beam, eyed the archers aiming for her, then took off. She had already seen some of the strategies the archers used. So long as she kept her guard up and her footing steady, she should be able to get to the other side-

Then she felt her foot being forced upward, knocking her off balance. As she tipped over, everything felt like slow motion. Quickly flipping in midair, she lunged and barely managed to grab on to the beam just in time. She scowled at the cause: A plate on the beam that had shot upward and was now lowering itself to reset.

"Jeanne, watch out!" Ritsuka screamed.

The saint looked over to see the skeleton archers firing at her as she hung on the beam. With a huff, she shimmied a good distance over with a single motion and tucked her legs in, allowing the arrows to soar past underneath her. Once that was done, she quickly pulled herself back up to the beam and began charging again.

This time, she didn't bother with dodging or avoiding the arrows, instead keeping her gauntleted arms crossed in front of her face. Arrows pelted her with concussive force, but she forced herself onward. Plates kept springing underneath her feet, but her center of balance was low enough that, coupled with her momentum, she just ran past them with minimal disturbance. The one or two times they did knock her off course, she simply caught herself on the beam, got back on, and kept charging anyway.

Finally, she reached the other side. "Pixie," Ren called out. The diminutive persona appeared and with a point, a green glow surrounded the saint. Relief spread through her body as the pain from where the arrows struck her rapidly receded. They had left no lasting damage, but they were nevertheless tender until they were healed.

"My thanks, Master," Jeanne said with a grateful smile. "It seems the course is rapidly becoming more difficult than any of us expected. I hope Artoria is prepared for it."

"If you ask me, this almost seems like cheating," Ritsuka grumbled. "Upgrading challenges midway shouldn't be allowed."

"Umu, it is detestable," Nero admitted. "However, it only bespeaks our glory and skill that we are still able to surmount such challenges, does it not? Now we only await the last of us!" She turned to her last compatriot still on the other side "Come, Artoria!" she cried. "This challenge surely is no match for you!"

Artoria huffed slightly as she observed the beam and obstacles. As much as she appreciated the vote of confidence from the high-spirited emperor, she knew she had to be wary. With every Servant that had passed, new or modified obstacles had been added: Concussive arrows, superior archers, and now springing pads that would knock her off balance. She couldn't guess what the next obstacle or difficulty next would be. All she could do was keep on her guard.

She steadied herself on the beam, then sprang forward with inhuman speed. She easily avoided the rows of arrows, then instinctively dodged the arrows aimed at her. Then she started to feel one of the plates beneath her foot starting to raise upward. Perfect. Focusing her weight on that spring, she used it to propel herself upward and over more incoming arrows. She prepared herself to land on the beam-

Only for that section of the beam to retract itself right underneath her foot. Her eyes widened as her foot shot through the gap, causing her to pitch forward. She began reaching forward to grab the beam in front of her – only for a plate on her other foot to suddenly spring up as well. Her balance and equilibrium thrown off, she was catapulted off into the pit and the slime below.

Everyone cried in alarm as they watched Artoria fall – and land on top of the slime. The Saber simply huffed in annoyance as she lay there momentarily. The Blessing of the Lake allowed her to walk on water and apparently, this slime – or rather, jelly – was thankfully enough to qualify. She didn't relish the prospect of a second dip in the stuff. Grumbling, she stood up on top of the jelly and simply began stomping to the other side of the pit where the others were waiting. She had entertained this farce long enough.

As she approached the side, skeletons suddenly began popping up out of the jelly and charging forward. Artoria summoned her blade – only to see they were running past her to the other side of the pit. They rapidly started stacking on each other, forming an impromptu wall to block her from rejoining the others. She noticed they were wearing what appeared to be wooden flippers, which would explain how they could walk on the slime, though the result had them waddling all the same. She could easily break through but the sheer inanity of what she was witnessing caused her to simply pause and stare in sheer disbelief.

Then another skeleton stepped forward, its flippers slapping against the slime, and stopped in front of Artoria. The King of Knights and the skeleton stared at each other for a moment, as if measuring the other's worth. Meanwhile, the Chaldeans were simply staring at the bizarre scene, unable to decide what to do. For a moment, nobody moved.

The impasse was finally broken by the skeleton walking forward until it was face to face with Artoria, who was simply staring at it nonplussed. It reached up and grasped the Saber's shoulders… and started pushing down. The Chaldeans watched as the King of Knights slowly sank into slime by the skeleton's efforts while Artoria's stare simply became more and more empty.

The skeleton kept pushing down, and Artoria kept slowly sinking until the slime was up to her shoulders. It got up, put a hand on its hip and stroked its chin as if contemplating, then reached down and pushed a bit more until the slime was up to her neck. It nodded in satisfaction while clapping its hands as if getting the dust off them, then turned and motioned to its comrades. The skeleton wall disassembled and its 'components' dove back into the slime, disappearing from view.

Morgana peered over the pit, the skeleton archers long since dismissed since everyone had gotten across. "You, uh, you okay there, Artoria?" he nervously asked.

The Saber, who was up to her neck in slime now, didn't deign to look at them. "I had believed," she began. "That we would be able to resolve this peacefully. There was no need to fight and no need for bloodshed, after all. Nothing more than juvenile pranks or small obstacle challenges. And indeed, they were. This is all incredibly juvenile and there was an obstacle course that proved… trickier than I had first expected."

Ritsuka started backing away nervously from the edge of the pit and Ren couldn't blame her: He could practically feel the king's rage from where he was.

"That being said, even as a king, my patience is finite," she continued as power began building up in her body. "And I have tolerated these acts for some time. But I believe it is time we put this farce behind us now and get to the bottom of this matter once and for all. Especially if it means I do not get slimed yet again in this singularity. And I will certainly kindly rebuke Elizabeth, Carmilla, and Vlad for this madness and disgrace."

Suddenly, the slime was blasted away by a burst of raw power, followed by the skeletons who had been curled up on the bottom in case they were needed. The skeletons began all running about in the chaos, their bones and jaws clattering in a panic as they either ran for cover, were flung into the air, or were trying to organize themselves into some semblance of order.

"Ack-! Ar-Artoria, please calm down!" Ritsuka screeched as she shielded her face from the wind and bones.

"Shoot, I'm - I'm slipping!" Morgana cried before yelling as he was blown into the air – only to be caught by Nero by his scarf.

"Umu, I have you, Master!" Nero called out. "Artoria, I understand your rage at this humiliation but I beg you to recompose yourself! This tantrum ill becomes you!"

Meanwhile, Ren looked at the chaos around him, then quickly ducked behind some skeletons and ran. While Vlad did tell him that going through this course would buy Elizabeth enough time, it wouldn't hurt to make sure. Running past crowds of running skeletons and a couple ghosts (which had him wonder if they were for a later challenge), he reached the woods and out of sight of the others.

Fishing the bone whistle out of his pocket, he blew. A ghostly, echoing whistle rang through the air, the sound almost seemingly weaving between the trees. Then a green portal appeared, and through it Mezuki galloped through. It turned around and trotted happily back to Ren. "Hey, Mezuki," he greeted, rubbing the skeletal horse's head affectionately. "Good to see you again, boy." Mezuki leaned into the petting affectionately, pawing the ground.

Ren mounted on Mezuki – and winced as his rear hit the saddle. Right. He had almost forgotten how much riding on the skeletal horse hurt. Still, there was nothing for it, especially if he wanted to get there in a timely manner. "Alright, to Castle Csetje, Mezuki!" he commanded. "Double time!" Mezuki reared on its hind legs, its ghostly flames blazing as its jaw clattered, then it galloped toward the castle.

He just wished riding Mezuki was easier for the sake of his sore rear.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow."

Still, there could be no denying the ghostly steed's speed. It wasn't long before he arrived at the castle. Stumbling off the skeletal horse, he once more summoned Pixie to heal himself and shambled up toward where Elizabeth's stage was. Quickly finding the concert hall, he stepped in – and his eyes widened in surprise.

The concert hall was set. Decorations and lighting were in place, with skeletons quickly manning the various machines and tech. The stage was built and secured. It looked ready for a full-fledged concert that Elizabeth promised. As for the idol herself, she was surveying the stage and set, barking orders to the skeletons.

"Adjust that light there," she snapped, pointing at a light off to the side. "Aim it further up so we can get more brightness in the room here!"

"It might be a bit better to aim that one further down," Ren interjected, causing the idol to jump in surprise. Setting up a stage for Nero back in the town was a rather fruitful experience – one he could put to use here. "Have it aimed at the background here. The ambient glare will create some softer lighting and highlight Liz more without it being too harsh. Aim those upper lights closer to the top instead – that will achieve the brightness that Elizabeth needs."

The skeleton crew stared at Ren, then turned to look at Elizabeth for confirmation. The idol wrestled with her thoughts for a moment at being countermanded, then barked, "Do what the raven says!" As the skeletons immediately went to work, she spun over to Ren. "You're late," she growled.

"Fashionably late," Ren joked with a small smirk. "But yeah, sorry about that – I got a bit tied up keeping everyone else occupied."

"Yes, I heard from Vlad," Elizabeth sighed, relenting on her frustration. "I suppose I'll have to give you credit for that, raven. You bought a lot of time for me to get everything set up. All that needs to be done are the finishing touches – then I can finally begin my concert!"

The Phantom Thief nodded in agreement. "You definitely got a lot done here," he agreed. "Think you need a bit more time or are we good on that front?"

Elizabeth frowned as she looked around. "Everything is set here," she answered. "But I haven't had time to set up a proper entrance for my audience! Raven, can I leave the entrance to you while I finish the last touches here?"

Ren glanced over at her. "Anything specific you want me to do or include?" he asked.

The idol waved him off. "Just make it flashy and memorable," she growled. "I know of your penchant for flair, so I can trust you with that much at least. Just remember that I'm the idol here so don't overdo it!"

The Phantom Thief couldn't help but chuckle at that last point. How often had his friends remarked on something similar whenever he did his own thing during their heists? Some things don't change, it seemed. "Roger that," he acknowledged. "Mind if I borrow some skeletons?"

Elizabeth looked about and saw some skeletons that were fiddling with equipment. "Hey, you lot there!" she called out, pointing at them. The skeletons immediately looked up. "Go with the raven and follow his directions for a grand entrance! And no slacking off! I can see you over there toying with those wires – we don't need those!"

The skeletons immediately stood to attention – whether in respect to Elizabeth or because they had been caught, Ren wasn't sure. Probably both – and nodded. They all ran up to Ren, awaiting instructions. The Phantom Thief grinned at them in turn. "Alright guys," he stated. "We got work to do and not a lot of time. So, here's what I need-"

As the raven began instructing the skeletons, she turned back to the stage, looking it over with a discerning eye – and for the first time, a wide, eager smile broke out. Everything was almost prepared and she would even have an audience. While the raven did delay on fulfilling his promise, he at least did his best to make up for it in spades. It wasn't quite enough to get back into her good books, but it was a start at least.

This would be a concert to remember. She would make sure of it.


"Our Master better have a good reason for all of this," Artoria grumbled as she marched up the path toward the castle. They had finally pushed past the obstacle course with no further difficulties, troubles, or pranks. Now they were on the path to the castle with no further distractions in sight.

"I'm sure he does, Artoria," Jeanne reassured her. The saint had been spending a good bit of her time trying to calm down the king before tempers could be inflamed any further. "He's doesn't strike me the type to entertain games like this simply for its own sake." She paused, then turned uncertainly toward Morgana. "Is he?" she asked.

The catlike being paused at Jeanne's question. He raced to find a way to phrase this at gently as possible to try and soothe Artoria's irritation. "Er, well," he stammered. "Joker… would entertain such games just for their own sake, yes. But I don't think that's the only case here. Something's going on that he's having us just fool around as opposed to just dealing with it directly."

"Umu, that is to be expected," Nero agreed. "Still, minor embarrassments aside, I would say that all this cavorting about has been a most entertaining diversion. Entertaining undead, serviceable hospitality, theatrics, and even delightful trials with harmless punishments. I would say my time here has been quite enjoyable."

Artoria shot the emperor a glare. "You were not the one trapped in a maze with annoying music, then dunked into slime twice while playing along with the charade," she growled. "So what you consider enjoyable here and what I consider enjoyable are vastly different matters."

"That is true," the emperor relented. "I won't deny fortune smiled more kindly on me than for you. We shall take our Master and Elizabeth to task for what has happened here, but I do ask you not to take any personal offense – it is nothing more than simple diversions and pranks. We are not harmed, are we? Nor is the humiliation utterly repugnant."

"That remains to be seen," the king grumbled. Still, Nero had a point. None of them had ultimately been harmed and if being covered in red jelly was the worst of it, then she had been through infinitely worse. She was still more than done with the whole situation, but at least she started calming down somewhat. It wasn't worth being this irritated about it.

Cresting up the top of the path, they reached the Castle Csejte – and found that the drawbridge had been raised. A marked difference compared to before when it was fully open, and one that stymied the Chaldeans. Before they could even begin a discussion on what to do, it slowly started lowering with the creak of chains – followed by the sound of rapid hoofbeats behind it. A sound that was coming closer and closer

Artoria, Jeanne, Nero, and Mash all summoned their weapons in preparation for an enemy encounter – then watched as a skeletal horse, wreathed in ethereal flame and flanked by four ghosts, jumped off the drawbridge. They all ran or flew circles all around them in a dizzying display, disorienting and dazzling them as the Servants all formed a protective cordon around the Masters, ready in case the situation turned ugly.

Then the rider pointed upward, and the ghosts abruptly shot up into the air like fireworks before plummeting onto the drawbridge chains, lighting them on fire. The horse ran back to the drawbridge as a squadron of skeletons ran out, and the rider grinned. "Welcome, one and all!" he cried. "To Elizabeth's concert!" The horse reared and clattered its jaw as the skeletons went on their knees and opened their arms to show them off, jaws opening in macabre grins.

There was a moment of silence, lasting long enough for the atmosphere to become slightly awkward. Then Nero burst out laughing as she began clapping. "Well done, well done, Ren Amamiya!" she declared. "I knew you had a display for theatrics but even I have been taken by surprise! I presume that you had only limited time for preparations else our greeting would've been even more grandiose!"

The Phantom Thief chuckled ruefully. "I only had the few minutes it took you guys to finish the course and come up here," he admitted. "This is all I can arrange in such a short time. I was hoping it would impress, but it seems like it did." As he spoke, he gestured to the skeletons, who got up on their feet and walked back into the castle, chattering with each other like they were conversing. "Anyway, I'm guessing you guys have a lot of questions," he finished.

"I don't even know where to begin!" Ritsuka finally exploded. "There was Vlad and Carmilla and skeletons and ghosts and a labyrinth and that obstacle course and… and…! Gah! I don't even know a tenth of what's going on anymore! And where did you even get that ridiculously cool horse!?"

Ren grinned as he patted the undead horse on the side. "This is Mezuki," he explained. "We met and hit it off pretty well. He's a bit of a rough ride, admittedly, but that's not his fault. Is it boy?" He petted the horse more for emphasis, who simply shook its head happily in response.

"Wait," Morgana interjected. "Did… did you name the horse 'Mezuki'?"

"I did," Ren confirmed.

"As in the horse-headed yokai?" Morgana clarified.

"That's the one," the Phantom Thief confirmed.

Morgana stared. Ritsuka stared. Artoria stared. Jeanne stared. Mash stared. Nero rubbed her chin. "Well, names aside, you have a gallant and loyal steed, Ren Amamiya," she concluded. "That is worthy of praise. Now, in the meantime, let us see to Elizabeth, shall we? She is the reason for this singularity, after all."

"Yes, perhaps that would be our best of action," Jeanne agreed.

"Let's get this over with," Ritsuka grumbled. "I'm taking a nap as soon as we're done here."

Everyone walked past Ren into the castle. "What? Mezuki is a perfectly good name!" the Phantom Thief indignantly remarked. When none of them responded, he looked over at his steed. "You like the name, right?" he asked to make sure. Mezuki huffed in approval, spouting ghostly flames from its nostrils. "I thought so," he muttered as he hopped off – and nearly buckled from his sore legs again.

Grumbling, he summoned Pixie for heal himself yet again. "I'll see you in a bit, Mezuki," he said. The horse snorted again, then ran back off into the woods. Ren watched his ghostly steed leave, then turned around to rejoin the others, wincing a bit at the soreness of his legs and rear. "What the heck is wrong with 'Mezuki'?" he muttered to himself.

They made their way up the castle, with everyone but Ren looking around them dumbfounded by the more and more ostentatious decorations. Eventually, they reached the concert hall, where they found Vlad and Carmilla waiting for them.

"Welcome, dear guests," Vlad greeted, bowing deeply towards them. "I hope tonight's diversions were to your delight?"

"If by 'delight' you mean 'miserable', then yes," Morgana growled. "What the heck was all that about?! The labyrinth, the obstacle course, and… well, just about everything else! I couldn't even have a good bite of dinner, and I know I smelled fatty tuna being offered earlier! What's the big idea?"

"And further humiliations from the juvenile pranks and games you have played on us," Artoria added. Though her tone was far more even than Morgana's, there was a clear edge within that showed the king's fraying temper. "If there is a reason for all of this, I would hear of it now."

Carmilla scowled. "How uncouth," she spat.

Vlad once again shot a warning glance at his compatriot before bowing once more. "We deeply apologize for our poor hospitality," he murmured. "While we were somewhat rushed to set everything up, that is no excuse. Please accept our sincerest apologies. Know that we are now approaching the main event – the 'reason for all of this', as you say." He nodded to Artoria in acknowledgement. "The diversions were created to distract you momentarily so we may prepare accordingly. Ren Amamiya has been of great help on that front, both in preparation and in distraction."

"So this was what you were up to," Ritsuka grumbled. "I should've figured. I really should have."

Ren smiled ruefully and shrugged. "I did promise Elizabeth I'd help her out," he admitted. "Things did get a bit out of control, but at least it's all settled now."

"It was a bit fun, at least," Jeanne admitted, to which Ren smiled gratefully.

Vlad smiled. "That is reassuring to hear," he sincerely commented. "But now, without further ado, let us proceed to the main event!" He gestured to the door, which ponderously opened to a darkened room. Then the stage lights click on, one after another, slowly traveling from the door and illuminating the darkness – and then the whole stage flashed into being, with Elizabeth standing in the center.

"The sun has set and the nights are long," Elizabeth's voice boomed out from loudspeakers. "But that wouldn't scare any of you dragonlings, would it? After all…" She raised a hand and pointed at the sky. "Your one and only shining star Eli-Chan is here!"

The lights then exploded into being and music began playing as Elizabeth began dancing. All around the stage were skeletons waving glowsticks and wearing bandanas on their skulls. None of them were cheering – or even clattering – but it was out of courtesy and responsibility so that Elizabeth could be heard loud and clear.

The reactions of the others were… mixed. Most of the Chaldeans could only observe, flabbergasted by just about everything they were witnessing. Ritsuka was pinching herself multiple times to reassure herself she wasn't dreaming. Mash looked between Elizabeth and the Chaldeans, unsure what to do – so far as she studied, there was no protocol for this kind of situation. Artoria was once again pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation and frustration as Jeanne patted her on the shoulder in sympathy. Morgana had already covered his ears. The concert was far too loud for his liking.

Nero had her arms crossed and was nodding approvingly, silently complimenting her stage presence and the set design. Ren had helped her with the setup, apparently – then she remembered how the Phantom Thief had also set up an impromptu stage for her in the town. Did he plan to learn from her and impart those lessons to assist Elizabeth in turn? No, the Phantom Thief wasn't that calculating. More likely it was a happy coincidence and he simply expanded his breadth of knowledge with his work and brought it to bear.

The realization almost had her laughing, only barely restraining herself out of courtesy for Elizabeth. The sheer cheek of her Master! She could see indeed why her other self in the singularity had fallen for him! If her rival was going to shine even more marvelously, then she would have to push her own performances even further. For now, she would simply admire Elizabeth's work and effort, learn, and see what she could use in turn. What was that saying? 'Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.'

Then the entire castle quaked.

Immediately the Chaldeans were on guard. Ren glanced over at Elizabeth for answers. The idol was still dancing, but her expression looked troubled with her eyes darting about as if to find the cause. Vlad and Carmilla, who were still present, looked similarly alarmed and concerned. Whatever was going on, they weren't the ones responsible.

Another quake rocked through the entire castle, dropping some dust from the ceiling. "Heads up, guys," the Phantom Thief called out as he slipped the Chaldean Arms outside of his jacket in gun form. The other Servants summoned their weapons as well in preparation as they warily checked their surroundings, forming a protective cordon around the Masters. Vlad and Carmilla had summoned their own weaponry as well and even Elizabeth could no longer ignore what was going on, summoning her spear as the skeleton audience looked around them worryingly.

Then the wall behind Elizabeth exploded, completely destroying the stage and equipment while sending Elizabeth and many of the skeletons in the front rows flying. Heat, almost unbearably hot, rushed in through the hole. A gigantic gust of wind blew in, sweeping aside the dust and rubble, allowing them to see what lay beyond the destruction.

Hell.

That was the only way the outside could be described. The woods surrounding the castle had all been set ablaze. Plumes of smoke rose up into the sky, lit up by the flames below as they hungrily gnawed the dead wood, their tongues reaching for the heavens. The roar of the flames and splintering wood echoed, drowning almost everything else out – except for the heavy sound of wingbeats.

But the fire wasn't what caught their attention. Looming past the smoke was a dark shadow, barely visible from the flames below. Before any of them could question what it was, the shadow shifted – and an earth-shattering, primal roar tore through the air, louder and fiercer than almost anything they have ever heard. Mash rushed in front of the Chaldeans and raised her shield – and braced herself as the shockwave of the roar crashed against the front of her shield. Gritting her teeth, she held out against the sheer might of the roar. Meanwhile, Elizabeth was sent crashing into the wall as all the skeletons immediately disintegrated into dust.

Finally, the roar stopped. Mash cautiously lowered her shield while Ren rushed over to Elizabeth, who had just picked herself out of the wall. She was in a rough state after being smashed against the wall from the roar, her wings askew and bleeding from numerous wounds. A simple heal wasn't going to do the trick. He switched masks in his mind.

"Cybele!"

A young woman appeared in a flash of blue flame. Blue skinned with long, black hair that flowed behind her, white stripes curled and looped all around her nubile body. In her hands she wielded forked canes while metal hoops surrounded her. The most prominent feature were the two horns that protruded from the sides of her head. With a devilish smirk, she gestured with one of her canes.

At the Persona's command, a powerful green glow surrounded Elizabeth, followed by a cool, spring breeze that, for the briefest of moments, caused the idol to forget about the inferno and smoke. Her wounds rapidly sealed up and healed while her wings were mended back to their proper positions. Before she knew it, she felt good as new.

"Are you alright, Elizabeth?" Ren panted as Cybele vanished. Using a Diarahan on top of all the minor uses of Persona magecraft was a bit more draining than he expected, but it had to be done.

Elizabeth blinked as she tried to process what was going on, then glared at him in annoyance. "Does it seem like I'm alright?!" she screeched. "My concert, all my practice and preparations, ruined! Who dares to ruin everything I… set… up…!" Her outraged screams faded into abject horror as she saw what it was that lay beyond the hole. The roar had blasted away the smoke, allowing everyone a clear view of the perpetrator.

It was a massive being, the very scale blotting out land and sky. Its scales were as dark as the endless night above and its red eyes were filled with cruel pride and malice. Every beat of its ponderous wings sent gusts of wind that fanned the flames below, stoking them into an inferno. There was absolutely no doubt as to what the creature was.

A dragon.

The creature reared its head up, its maw glowing brightly with its infernal wrath. Mash's eyes widened. "Everyone, behind me!" she cried. While everyone quickly began piling behind her, she focused her magical energy. 'True name, Pseudo Register,' the Shielder intoned as her shield began glowing. 'Releasing all limiters. Unleashing Noble Phantasm.'

'Lord Chaldeas!'

Just as the circles and sigils of light appeared, the dragon fired a white-hot stream of flame straight into the castle. It collided with Mash's Noble Phantasm, the impact causing the masonry underneath her feet to crack from the sheer effort as the Shielder braced herself from the impact. The fire swirled above and around them, blinding them to their surroundings. The temperature was quickly rising as well to the point the Masters quickly broke into a sweat – and it was getting hotter still.

"Jack Frost!"

The snowman persona burst into being. With a hearty cheer of 'Hee-ho!', it began creating ice sculptures on either side of Mash. They quickly melted, misting the air with cooler (though still uncomfortably warm) air, though the rapidly rising temperature forced Ren to keep creating ice sculptures to lower the ambient temperature so they wouldn't suffer from heatstroke. While it might be more energy efficient to use a stronger ice spell, the resulting sculpture wouldn't be protected by Mash and simply be blasted away. No, this was the best he could do for now.

After moments that felt like eons, the flames abated. Mash lowered her shield, panting as she noticed the half-melted lumps of ice on either side of her. Ren winced as he turned to look around. While he was fine with repeatedly using weaker personas, he had to keep Jack Frost out almost constantly using Bufu to keep them cool. He could feel his circuits in his body, uncomfortably warm from so much use.

Still, he fared far better than their surroundings. The masonry was charred and even partially melted from the sheer wrath of the flames. All the posters and decorations Elizabeth had painstakingly set up with now nothing more than cinder, while her stage and equipment lay in ashes. The ruin went down the hallways as far as they could see, indicating the entire interior of the castle might have been scorched by the dragon's ire. The air now smelled of soot and sulfur and felt uncomfortably warm.

"Get to the rooftops!"

Everyone looked in surprise at Ritsuka for her sudden command. "We don't have good visibility or a proper vantage point against the dragon," she quickly explained. "And if we stay here, it can simply keep breathing fire in here until the whole castle is turned into an oven! We need open ground, now!" Proving her first point, the dragon was already gone from sight from the hole it had made, yet they could still hear its wingbeats and distant roars outside.

Elizabeth scowled before raising her spear and pointing to an opening in the hallway, its door burnt off its hinges. "This way!" she ordered. They all began following Elizabeth through her castle – a place she knew like the back of her hand – while the Servants kept their weapons up for protection and both Ren and Morgana had their personas at the ready.

As they ascended the stairways and ran through the halls, the castle kept quaking, dislodging soot and ash on their heads while the dragon's distant roars echoed even through the partially melted stone walls. The scale of the destruction from just that one gout of fire lent credence to Ritsuka's command: The castle interior was an untenable battlefield for the Chaldeans.

Rattling sounds issued from behind them. They turned to look and saw skeletons rushing up. However, these weren't the regular skeletons they had come to know. Their bones were blackened and charred, and in their hands were bows, swords, shields, and spears. Most tellingly of all were their eye sockets: instead of being empty, they were darkened with only glowing red dots in the center. Near imperceptible normally, they shone brightly and malevolently in the gloom of the castle.

"It would appear the dragon has commandeered your stage crew, Elizabeth," Nero remarked as she summoned her greatsword. "Though it pains me to say, I shall be of little assistance against a dragon. I will leave the spotlight to the rest of you."

Carmilla clicked her tongue in irritation as she stepped forward, scepter in hand. "Managing these literal numbskulls has been utterly tedious," she growled. "This shall be cathartic, to say the least.

Elizabeth's eyes widened in rage, and she was about to launch into another tirade about how the dragon seized her stage crew when Ren spoke first. "Appreciate it, you guys," he thanked the two women. "Come on, we better get going." The idol glared at Ren but nevertheless stopped herself from retorting, nodded, and continued to lead the others. Moments later, they heard countless bones shattering behind them.

Ren smirked to himself. They would be just fine.

One last spiral staircase and they were on the rooftop. It was an open affair, with walkways and battlements lining the outside edge. In the middle was a large, slanted rooftop meant for allowing in sunlight while keeping out the elements – though it would do incredibly little against dragon fire. From their vantage point, they could see that the entire castle was surrounded by a near endless sea of flames. The smoke reached up to the sky, blotting out the night and shrouding the heavens in an infernal glow.

But most importantly, they could see the dragon flying in circles high above them, only visible between plumes of smoke or as a flitting black shadow through the dark clouds. It was certainly too far for any of their weaponry, and Ren and Morgana's own weapons would be utterly useless against a dragon of that size.

Ritsuka scowled. Of all the times to not have any Archer Servants with them. She looked back at the others, racking her brain for solutions. "Do we have anything that could bring the dragon down?" she called out.

Jeanne frowned. "I could throw my flag, but it would be difficult to hit something that far and moving that quickly," she offered.

"Same with my Strike Air," Artoria added. "Nor am I sure that it would bear enough power to knock it down. Though perhaps with my Noble Phantasm-"

"Nuh uh, no way!" Elizabeth shot down. "You're not using Excalibur and blasting my castle to bits! It's my stage, after all!" The king frowned in response but didn't argue – it wouldn't be productive to provoke her unnecessarily. Still, it left them with one less option.

Vlad crossed his arms. "It is too far and too mobile," he reported. "If we are able ground it, then I shall ensure it stays there."

The redhead looked about her, trying to put the pieces together. They didn't have any Archer or Caster Servants – or rather, anyone who specialized in long ranged combat. The dragon was strong, no doubt, but in a head-on confrontation, they had more than enough firepower to fight it. How could she make all of this work? Countless plans, borne from desperation, madness, and half-baked ideas rapidly formed then just as quickly dismissed or discarded.

Her lungs felt like they were shrinking. It was getting harder to breathe. Was it the smoke in the air, or maybe the heat? Maybe both? Her vision swam. The face of Astolfo as he lay dying in her arms once more appeared in her mind's eye again. She tried shoving the image out but it reappeared, more vivid than ever. Was she shaking? She couldn't tell anymore, but there wasn't any time to focus on that. Wasn't she supposed to be the captain, like Ren had said? There had to be some sort of plan she could use. But she needed to think. Come on, there had to be something! It's right in front of her! Think, think, think, think think think think think thinkthinkthinkthinkthinkthinkthink

"RITSUKA!"

The loud shout combined with a rough shake of her shoulders startled the Master, and she found herself looking up at the sharp grey eyes of Ren. "We're here with you, Ritsuka," he continued, his tone firm and calm. "Take a deep breath, relax, and focus."

"Consider what is necessary and our objectives, Ritsuka Fujimaru," Artoria added, her eyes never leaving the dragon as it soared through the skies. "If the plan isn't feasible, then find the next best. If that also won't work, then continue down the line." Her grip on her blade tightened as the dragon's roar echoed through the air. "While time is of the essence, panic helps no one. Least of all yourself," she finished.

Ritsuka blinked at the two, took a deep breath, then slapped her cheeks. Damnit, she slipped up. Settling her mind and heart, she looked back up at their surroundings. The dragon had far too much mobility and space to work with, and they didn't have an easy way to restrain that. Not with what they had to work with anyway.

If that was the case, the next best option would be to make its path predictable. If they could either ensure or create a path the dragon would absolutely take, then any attacks would be almost guaranteed to land. That would mean some they laid out some sort of trap and bait that was far too irresistible.

She looked around, trying to see what would work as bait and/or a trap. Maybe a treasure hoard or food? Then her eyes rested on Elizabeth, who was glaring up at the dragon and shouting at it in indignant rage. More specifically, her horns and tail, which looked rather draconic now that she thought of it-

Then an idea slammed into her head. They had the perfect bait and trap. Now for the details. "Ren, Morgana, how far can you project your personas?" she demanded. "And can they stay in midair?"

Ren and Morgana traded looks in question, then the former considered as he looked into the distance, furrowing his eyebrows. "They can appear as far as I can see the location, and floating isn't a problem at all," he answered. "I'm guessing you got an idea."

The redhead nodded. "Yep, and we're probably gonna hate it," she stated bluntly before spinning on her heel to face the idol. "Elizabeth!" she called out.

The draconic Lancer whirled around, directing her wrath at Ritsuka. "What do you want, chipmunk?!" she snarled.

Chipmunk? What kind of nickname- She shoved the thought out of her head. Not the time. Instead, an eager grin that seemed to border on exhilarated madness spread on her lips. This plan would be so stupid – and she couldn't wait to see how it bore fruit.

"How would you like to put on another concert?"


Creating the plan was the easy part. Implementing it was a different matter entirely. The dragon wasn't idle as it kept bombarding the group with fireballs and jet streams of flame, forcing the Masters to hunker down behind Mash and her shield. Ritsuka barked out instructions, focusing on getting everyone into position while keeping an eye for any more variables or advantages she needed to be aware of. Ren and Morgana occasionally chimed in with suggestions, refining the plan and helping with rough spots that rough spots the redhead might have missed.

Before long, everything was set. Elizabeth stood on the edge of her castle, scowling at the dragon. Artoria and Jeanne took positions behind her on either side while Vlad crouched down in the back, hidden. The Masters meanwhile were spread out on the rooftop, behind the Servants. "Right," Ritsuka breathed. It was do or die. "Ren, start us off."

Ren nodded. "Attis!" he called out. The blue-skinned, bandaged persona once more appeared in a flash of blue flame. Whirling the dagger in its hand, it waved his hand – and suddenly, a flash of red, blue, and green lights appeared around everyone. Artoria was familiar with the sensation: A burst of strength, greater resilience, and the world seemed to move a bit slower than before. This was what gave her the edge needed to defeat the maddened Lancelot back in Lyon.

She pressed her lips together before dismissing the memory. They were knights on opposing sides then. Nothing more.

"Alright, Elizabeth!" Ritsuka called over. "It's showtime!"

The idol whirled her spear about her head. "I'm going to let you hear the biggest hit in the Servant world!" she cried. "Time to get pumped up! I will make you cry!" Slamming it into the ground, a castle erupted from underneath her – much smaller than the Castle Csejte but still formidable in size, with multiple structures and buildings replaced by speakers. Despite the seemingly ridiculous appearance, the aura of power that lifted off the structure was unmistakable.

"Bathory Erzebet!" Elizabeth declared. Floating to stand on the top of her spear, she took a deep breath. Then-

"LAAAAAAAAAAAA~!"

The masonry directly underneath Elizabeth cracked from the sound of her Noble Phantasm. The Masters had to cover their ears as it felt like needles being drilled into them, and even Servants like Mash, Artoria, and Jeanne winced in pain. They weren't even the ones being targeted by the Noble Phantasm, yet just the sound of the idol's voice was agonizing. Combined with the enhancement from Ren's Thermopylae, it was even louder and more powerful – and more painful.

But they weren't the intended audience. Everything was set up so Elizabeth's singing would reach one particular target, one who wouldn't ignore something so loud and so defiant. Moments later, the dragon roared angrily in response before diving towards them, its wrath clear in its eyes. Its maw began glowing as dragon fire began building once more. Jeanne quickly raised her standard. "O' Flag, protect my people!" she roared out.

"Luminosite Eternelle!"

A beam of sunlight pierced through the night and smoke, illuminating the entire rooftop as Jeanne's Fleur-de-lis flag fluttered proudly in the air. The flames reached the threshold of the Noble Phantasm – then swirled around it. No flame would pierce through the protection of God, and dragon fire was no exception. Not even the heat reached the others, leaving the area surprisingly serene and cool.

And within, Elizabeth kept singing, her notes and song directed in defiance and rancor at the dragon that dared to ruin her show. The dragon was approaching closer, and closer, its great being and wings blotting out the sky as its black scales seemed to absorb all the light that emanated from the inferno below-

"Raphael!"

"Zorro!"

The angelic being and the masked rogue appeared on the right side of the dragon. Wielding their blades, they charged forward in the air, sinking their blades to the hilt into the wing while simultaneously grappling onto it and pushed. The flame cut off with a startled yelp from the dragon as it began listing to the side, losing control of its trajectory. The dragon beat its one free wing hard, creating a sheer explosion of mana to forestall its crash course. The shockwave passed harmlessly by Jeanne's Noble Phantasm, though the Castle Csejte quaked ominously underneath them. It ruined the dragon's momentum and inertia, leaving it afloat in midair – and a sitting duck.

That caught Ritsuka by surprise. She wanted to divert its flight and have it crash hard into the surrounding countryside, but this worked almost as well. "Jeanne, Artoria!" she yelled as she held up her hand. "Take it down! Jeanne, by my command seal, launch your flag at the dragon!"

The sunlight faded as Jeanne began glowing with power. Meanwhile, Morgana looked over at Artoria. At a mental command, Zorro backed off the dragon's wing and drew a pattern in her direction. Another trio of lights flitted around Artoria, strengthening her further as she raised her blade. The dragon could feel the gathering of power around it and shook the archangel free, spreading its wings to take off-

"Dionysus!"

There was another flash of lights around the dragon, and suddenly it felt weaker. Everything around it seemed slightly faster. Its eyes glared, trying to find the source. It wasn't the infernal screeching of that pathetic excuse of a dragonling. It was something else. As its gaze darted about, it found a strange, glowing, multicolored man standing beside a mortal. Even from here it could feel the faintest glimmer of divinity.

For the first time, it felt a pang of fear deep in its heart. What kind of monsters was it fighting?! And although it managed to spread its wings, it was far too late…

"Strike Air!"

Artoria swung down, unleashing the winds that wrapped around her blade in a hurricane gale. The winds howled as they raced towards the dragon, far faster than it anticipated. As it did so, Jeanne took aim, then threw her flag like a javelin. It sped through the air like a bullet and crashed with a deafening report on its chest, breaking both scales and bones underneath – and wounding its heart. The hurricane caught its wing, wrenched it backwards and, with a sickening crunch, dislocated its joints. With a roar of shock, agony, and apoplectic rage, it pitched forward and crashed against the castle, its mighty claws digging into the rooftop for purchase.

Not what she planned or expected, but she would take it. Now for the follow up. "Vlad!" she called.

The Berserker had already been gathering magical energy in preparation for his role. He raced forward and jumped high into the air. "Covered in blood, I offer up my life," he intoned.

"Kazikli Bey!"

Countless stakes burst out from Vlad's body, swirling around like giant, macabre serpents. Each one slammed into the dragon, pinning its forelimbs and shredding its wings first before converging once more and piercing the dragon's body. The creature roared as the Noble Phantasm bore into its upper back, piercing through its hardened scales into the flesh below. It couldn't pierce through its thick muscles, but it left the dragon sprawling helplessly against the castle.

A glow emanated from the dragon's maw once again and Ritsuka's eyes widened. They were in point blank range of its flames. They would be incinerated if they didn't do something. She raised her hand to use another command seal, Jeanne's name on her lips-

"Hecatoncheires!"

Before she could, a teal multi-armed giant rushed out of nowhere. Charging at the dragon, it opened its arms and wrapped them around the creature's maw, forcing them closed. The dragon's eyes widened in shock. With a muffled roar of rage that caused the entire castle to shudder, it tried to wrestle away from the giant's grip, flames spilling from its sealed jaw. In response, Hecatoncheires punched it hard with one of its arms, knocking it into a daze.

"Everyone, go!" Ren roared, his magic circuits burning within in body.

They needed no further prompting. Artoria rushed in, with her blade now showing its full splendor, and sliced the dragon's throat as if the scales and flesh were nothing more than paper. The creature gave another muffled roar of pain and rage, forestalled by another smash from Hecatoncheires. As flames began roaring from the slashed throat, Mash ran in and blocked them with her shield. Without the dragon being able to properly direct the flames, they were far easier for her to handle. Jeanne and Vlad leaped into the air and landed on the dragon's neck, their respective polearms penetrating the scales and muscles.

Despite all the damage they were doing, it wasn't enough. The dragon's thrashing was getting fiercer as its wings started to mend themselves. Ren turned to Elizabeth and raised his own hand. "Elizabeth, by my command seal!" he roared as the seals shone bright red in the gloom of the night. "Take out the dragon!" One of the seals flashed then faded away as Elizabeth began radiating power.

The idol flew up into the air, her expression etched with indignant rage. "You ruin my castle, my concert, and have the affront to be offended by my singing?!" she snarled. "Know your place, you absolutely poor excuse of a dragon!"

She lifted her spear. Just before she could move in, however, the dragon shook free of Hecatoncheires and roared, its wings slowly spreading. Its claws dug into the masonry as it began lifting itself, glaring in sheer malice and rage at the insects that dared to attack it. Ren's and Elizabeth's eyes widened. There wasn't a good shot for Elizabeth to take. Any wound she'd make would be far too shallow and would only get her hurt. There had to be something-

Then he noticed a glimmer of green just barely visibly above the glare of the inferno on top of one of the nearby towers. It receded for a moment, then flashed into the night sky like a star – and Mezuki shot down like a meteor, bringing its bony hooves down right on the wound from Kazikli Bey, causing it to roar in agony as it collapsed once again onto the castle.

Ren wasted no time, having his persona wrestle the dragon's jaw shut once more and keeping it pinned as Mezuki hopped off the dragon. "Good job, Mezuki!" he cheered. The skeletal horse reared on its hind legs triumphantly while he whirled back to Elizabeth. "GO!" he roared.

The idol nodded in affirmation and charged. As she darted forward, another flash of tri-colored lights – courtesy of Morgana – surrounded her. With a roar of rage and determination, she drove her spear into the dragon's eye. The creature roared and buckled in agony but was kept in place by Hecatoncheires still. Screaming, she pushed the spear deeper and deeper into its eye as the dragon thrashed about to try and escape. Then moments later, it slumped over with a final gurgle and fell still.

And just like that, it was over.

As Hecatoncheires vanished, Ren wiped the sweat off his bow. His body felt uncomfortably warm, both from the blaze below and from using his magic circuits so much. Morgana had collapsed on his rear while Ritsuka shakily sat down on a piece of rubble, exhausted and drained from the battle. Artoria, Jeanne, and Vlad were checking on the dragon, making sure it was dead before anything else.

Ren idly remembered Siegfried's legend about him bathing in dragon blood, then shoved away the thought. Daring as he was, even he wasn't about to risk doing something like that.

The sound of bony hooves on stone drew the Phantom Thief's attention as Mezuki trotted happily to him. "You were beyond awesome, boy," he complimented, patting the horse affectionately. The skeletal horse shook its head delightedly in response.

"Always making great friends wherever you go, huh, Joker," Morgana commented, giving a wry grin as he stared up at the ghostly horse. "I see some things don't change no matter what."

The Phantom Thief chuckled and shrugged. "It's a habit," he replied simply, still petting Mezuki as he did so.

"Umu, well fought indeed!"

Turning, the Phantom Thief saw Nero and Carmilla walking toward them. While the countess looked disgruntled as always, the emperor was beaming as she looked over the corpse of the dragon. "It is no small feat to slay a dragon," she declared. "And I have no doubt you, as well as Ritsuka and Morgana, have contributed greatly. To that, I say excellently done."

Ren grinned wearily. "Thanks, Nero," he replied. Then he glanced over as Artoria walked up to him. "Something up?" he asked.

"How much do you know of dragons, Master?" she asked.

The Phantom Thief considered for a second, looking around Artoria at the great beast that lay there. "Not much more than is explain in myths, games, or movies," he admittedly honestly. There was also Fafnir from the France singularity but they ultimately didn't learn too much about it. "Why do you ask?"

The king nodded as if that was what she expected. "The bodies of a dragon are rich in mana and resources," she elaborated. "Under normal circumstances it would behoove us to try and recover as much of it as possible, but since communication with Chaldea is down, it is best we limit it to the choicest pieces of it."

Ren nodded slowly. That made sense. He recalled Da Vinci fervently asking for him to snag Fafnir's fangs before its corpse disappeared. Thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case with this dragon. "In that case, you mind if I leave it to you and the others?" he asked. "I have something else to take care of at the moment." He had noticed that Elizabeth vanished after the battle and he needed to speak with her.

Artoria nodded in understanding. "Very well," she accepted before turning to Ritsuka and Morgana. "Masters, may I ask for your assistance in this matter?" she asked.

The two Masters looked at each other in surprise, then Ritsuka slowly hauled herself up. "Oof," she grunted. "Sure, but I'm not sure how I can help here."

"Learning organization and inventorying war gains is vital for resource gain," the Saber replied. "It is a fundamental lesson that I believe would prove to be essential in the future. Come, I shall show you."

The redhead looked over at the dragon. "Huh. Guess video games should've taught me to expect this," she muttered. Turning to Nero and Carmilla, she waved over at them. "Hey, can you guys give us a hand?" she called over. "This is a big one we're working with!"

Nero looked up and down the dragon, then beamed. "Umu! Dissecting a dragon is nothing less than opening a treasure trove!" she declared. "I shall gladly be of assistance!"

Carmilla wrinkled her nose and huffed as she shot a glare at the redhead. "Do not presume to order me about," she snapped. "I have gone above and beyond for this entire circus, and I am at my limit. I shall see if there is any vintage left in the cellars, and heaven help you if there is none." With a final glare, she turned around and vanished into golden light.

"Leave her be," Vlad sighed. "The fact she decided to walk away instead of confronting us is probably the best we can ask for at the moment." Turning back to the dragon, he rolled up his sleeves. "Now, let us begin our work," he declared. "It shall be a touch grisly but nothing we have not encountered before. By your leave, Ritsuka Fujimaru."

Morgana looked over at the group who were discussing what parts of the dragon to carve and retain before turning back to Ren. "You gonna be okay, Joker?" he asked concernedly.

Ren smiled back and nodded. "I got this one," he replied simply. "Let me know if you find anything good."

The catlike being nodded. "Will do," he replied. "Good luck." With that, he walked off toward the others. Mezuki meanwhile trotted off to the side and simply stared out at the burning landscape. Despite its supernatural nature, it seemed to be resting and at peace at the moment. It would be just fine here.

With that, the Phantom Thief descended from the rooftop. While he didn't know precisely where Elizabeth went, he had a pretty good guess where she had disappeared to. After all, there was only one other place she could be.

Going down multiple flights of stairs and walking past melted hallways and shards of bones, it wasn't long before he reached the ruined the doors of the concert hall. Stepping over the rubble, he found Elizabeth standing in the middle, staring at the gigantic hole the dragon had made.

"You alright?" Ren called out as he made his way over to her.

The idol whirled about in surprise, then sighed in frustration. "No, I'm not alright," she snapped. "I was gonna have my debut right here! I had everything set up so it was perfect! It was going to be the rise of Shining Star Eli-Chan! But no, some overgrown lizard had to poke its head in and completely ruin everything. All of it for nothing! Just… ARGH!" She reached down, grabbed a small piece of rubble, and threw it out the gap in frustration.

Ren nodded sympathetically as he watched it soar into the open air. "It sucks, yeah," he agreed. Then a thought struck him. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you want to be an idol so much?" he asked. From the countess that infamously coveted the blood of maidens for eternal youth to becoming an idol was certainly a considerable jump. He had an inkling back in the France singularity but it would be better if she told him everything instead of haphazardly connecting the dots.

Elizabeth sighed frustratedly. "Don't know why you wanna ask now, raven," she grumbled as she reached down to pick up some pieces of rubble. "But the reason is simple – you know of my gruesome legend: the horrific countess of blood that captured and tortured girls for their blood. They weren't even true, yet I got locked up in my own castle for the rest of my days because of it. I couldn't talk to or see anyone. I couldn't even step foot outside and only had the barest contact with the outside world."

She remembered those days all too well: The suffocating silence, the all-consuming loneliness, the cold, dispassionate stares of his jailers whenever she pleaded with even one of them to talk to her.

"I was going to go down as a monster at worst or just some footnote in history," she continued as she began tossing the rubble out the giant wall, watching each piece fly through the air before vanishing into the darkness beyond. "I wasn't going to let that happen. Not again. I was going to be a star that everyone could see, an existence that would be worshipped and loved by all. So I was going to be an idol. Everyone would know the brilliance of Eli-chan, instead of the monster they thought of me before. And it would be something I made for myself, by blood, sweat, and tears. Nothing less will do!"

The idol sighed exhaustedly. "Not like it matters right now," she finished as she tossed the last bit of rubble in her hands out the hole, clapping her hands to rid them of the dust. "All my hard work up in smoke. It's going to take forever to find or make another stage – time that we don't have. I suppose it was too good to be true but once – just once – I wanted things to go my way. I suppose it's back to practicing in my room for now until there's another opportunity. This won't be the last the world sees of the Shining Star Eli-Chan, just you wait!"

Ren observed her closely. The light of determination still burned within her eyes. He had to admit, he admired and respected her will to keep going despite the setback. Yet despite that spark, her despondency and frustration were clear to see - understandable, with everything that had happened. All her hard work and resources had nigh-literally gone up in flames. Another chance like this would be difficult to come by.

But…

'Dost thou recognizeth that light, Trickster?'

The familiar, powerful tone of Lucifer whispered into his mind. Observing Elizabeth, he recognized it easily: The determination to shine brighter than ever, to shine brighter than whatever fate had set in store for them, be it in the past or in the future. That said, it was shrouded by the despondency that bordered on despair. He had seen it once before: From a beautiful girl sitting in a church, bent over a shogi board. She had been elegant, kind, and troubled. He still remembered her smile before they parted.

'If there is anything you want to accomplish,' she said. 'I will support you in whatever path you choose.'

The quiet yet confident words of Hifumi echoed in his memories. He could only smile to himself. If that was the case, there was only thing he could do now: See things through.

As an idea started forming in his mind, he looked around the concert hall. His eyes turned red as he observed more closely with this Third Eye, with objects of interest highlighted in a blue glow. A confident smile creased his lips.

There was still something he could do here.

"Hecatoncheires!"

Elizabeth jumped in surprise as the hundred-handed giant appeared once more. She watched as it began picking up pieces of rubble and stacking them before flattening them. "Wha- what are you doing, raven?!" she spluttered in sheer shock.

The Phantom Thief meanwhile had begun walking to one of the points of interest his Third Eye found. "I believe I made a promise I'd help you with your show," he noted. "And I already took my time fulfilling it. Consider this interest." As he spoke, he pulled out a speaker out of the rubble. It was still in decent condition surprisingly, with the wiring intact. He nodded in satisfaction. Just what he needed.

The idol's mouth dropped open as she quickly realized what he was doing. "D-do you think this is possibly enough?!" she screeched. "It's… it's all ruins! This shouldn't…! It can't…!" Her mind was reeling between all sorts of emotions that she couldn't puzzle out: Shock, frustration, rage, suspicion, and… gratefulness. No one had ever been this kind before.

Yet why was he...?

"You have your dream, don't you?" the Phantom Thief asked, grunting as he pulled out a speaker on the other side of the impromptu stage while Hecatoncheires carefully crushed and flattened the rubble. "Then as your manager, it's my job to make sure it's within your reach. At the very least, I'll make this the best damn debut you can have!"

As Elizabeth watched him check on the wiring, his words rang in her ears. As her manager…? No, even she knew any manager would've thrown in the towel and looked for another venue, if not another gig. Yet here he was, utterly determined to make something out of it. But why? Was it for her? Was it for himself? Was it for them both?

Or was it simply because he could?

Once the Phantom Thief placed the speaker in its proper location and considered its positioning, he looked around for a moment with this Third Eye, then turned to the dazed idol. "Can you dig that music player out?" he asked, pointing to a small pile of rubble. "It should still be intact enough to have all your tracks there. Once we get it set up, we'll be in business!"

Elizabeth jolted out of her reverie before turning to the area where Ren was pointing at. "A-and what about l-lighting and th-the set?" she demanded, trying to cover up her embarrassment. She nevertheless flew over to dig out the player at the location the Phantom Thief indicated. To her surprise, as raven had said, it was in good condition. With a bit of work, they would be able to plug it in to the speakers and have them play her tracks. But what could he possibly…?

"I got an idea for that, and I think you'll like it."

She turned to look back at Ren in surprise, a thousand arguments on the tip of her tongue. Yet when she saw that ever so confident grin of his, all of them died on her lips. Despite his cockiness, she could tell that it wasn't an empty boast; that whatever he had in mind would definitely work.

The idol cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. "I-Idols live and die by th-the l-lighting and set direction," she yelled back. "You better be up to snuff, raven!"

"Just leave it to your manager, Shining Star Eli-Chan!" Ren shot back with a grin.

Elizabeth could only huff as she set up the player with the speakers. Despite the raven's boasts, he was going out of his way to make sure everything was set up perfectly, taking care of an entire set that would need an entire crew to create. And despite taking his time, she could tell Ren wasn't the type to take his promises lightly: He would make sure her debut was a success or die trying (though she certainly hoped he wouldn't).

She could feel a certain warmth in her face now – most likely from the blaze outside. Elizabeth glanced up momentarily to confirm her thoughts. Instead, she saw the flames had dimmed, their infernal light yielding once more to the darkness of night. If the warmth wasn't from the flames, then it could only be…

Before she finished the thought, she ducked her head back down and continued with the setup. No, she couldn't afford to get distracted!

And she wouldn't be distracted by that damn raven!


"I could use a break…" Ritsuka groaned. "Or a vacation… or five…"

"You're telling me," Morgana groused. "All the dust and soot got stuck in my fur – which still has strawberry jelly in it! I'm gonna be cleaning all of this for hours!"

The Chaldeans, as well as Vlad, were making their way back toward the concert hall at a sedate pace, mainly for the sake of the utterly exhausted Masters. Carving up such a massive dragon took a long while, slowed by the various Servants showing the Masters as well as Mash various parts of its anatomy. While Mash listened, observed, and worked with rapt attention, both Ritsuka and Morgana were far too exhausted at this point.

"At least we managed to reestablish communications with Chaldea and sent them parts of the dragon," Mash chimed in. "Da Vinci was certainly ecstatic."

"True, but I kinda wished we could've just sent the entire dang thing over," the redhead grumbled. "If only to save ourselves the effort of cutting it up. But more pieces of the dragon would've been good too."

"While I understand both your exhaustion and the wish to hoard your gains," Artoria admonished as she walked ahead of them. All the Servants had already refreshed their clothes to clean off the dragon's viscera. "I reiterate that such a method wouldn't have been feasible. We have managed to salvage the most valuable parts of the dragon. For now, it should suffice. I do hope you found the experience informative?"

"Uh… that's a way to put it," Morgana mumbled. They certainly took a lot of parts from the dragon, with the Servants debating at length over which parts to prioritize. The claws and fangs were obvious ones, as well as the scales. They also carved out the dragon's heart. After that were the flame sacs, some tissue and blood samples, and most surprising of all, a golf ball sized pearl that lay in the dragon's stomach, fitting called a 'dragon pearl'. It had been a rather grisly process, but given all they had seen already, they were numb to it.

"I must admit, I did not expect to be dissecting a dragon when I was summoned here," Vlad mused, looking surprisingly content. "But it was rather fascinating. Perhaps I should try it again when I have the opportunity."

"As I have said, a dragon's body is nothing less than a treasure chest waiting to be opened," Nero replied happily. "My only regret is that I could not join you. It has been a while since I've been on a hunt."

"Well, if these singularities are any indication, we most likely will be fighting creatures of a similar caliber sooner or later," Jeanne pointed out.

The emperor beamed. "Umu, you speak true, Jeanne!" she declared. "There shall be ample of hunts later on, and ample opportunity to prove myself as the Flower of Olympia! I thank you once more for speaking a simple truth I have neglected! Truly, you are a saint renowned for wisdom as well as your beauty!"

"I-I wouldn't go that far," Jeanne stammered in embarrassment, her eyes pleadingly flicking over to Artoria for assistance – only to find the king resolutely facing forward. Even for the King of Knights, there were some hazards she would not brave, and the emperor's enthusiasm was one of them. If a saint had to be the sacrifice to Nero's overwhelming energy, then it was a small price to pay for her peace of mind. She would treat her to some tea later – Marie had recommended a few good blends she had been meaning to sample.

But for now, it was Jeanne's turn to be lauded loudly by the Emperor of Roses. As she listened to the Ruler stutter and meekly parry the numerous compliments, Artoria smiled to herself. There were worse fates.

They reached the concert hall at Ren's behest. The Phantom Thief had sent a mental note to the Servants to meet up with him here after they were done. Just the doors alone were in a sad state: Reduced to splinters and twisted metal, with the scaffolding around the frame completely shattered. Past them, they could see the concert hall within. With all the lights destroyed, it was left in shadow, illuminated only the moonlight streaming in. Standing on the far side was the silhouette of Elizabeth, unmoving.

The group traded wary looks, then stepped into the room. Suddenly, the concert hall lit up, the light shimmering about like a kaleidoscope. They looked up in surprise, and to their amazement found gigantic ice crystals frozen to the ceiling, with flames or electricity coursing within. Each crystal lit up with an element, filling the room with more light, until it reached the far side of the concert hall. Suddenly it burst into splendor, illuminating the stage: Compacted rubble, yet smoothed and cleaned by careful craftsmanship. Elizabeth whirled around, thrusting a hand into the air. "Welcome, everyone!" she cheered. "To the comeback show of the Shining Star Eli-Chan! I hope you all missed me!"

High, upbeat music began playing as the idol began dancing. The sound quality wasn't as good, but the acoustics worked well despite the massive hole right behind her 'stage'. Ritsuka looked around for the source of the music, finding a speaker and following the cables through the dancing lights and shadows – and ending up at a music player that Ren was manning. His magic circuits were glowing as his red eyes kept darting about the concert hall.

As the redhead put the pieces together, her eyes widened. Was he using his personas for all the lighting and stage work here? Turning around, she thought she saw a flicker of Pixie or Cerberus before they vanished. Just how much was Ren doing here?!

"And now, for what you've all been waiting for~!" Elizabeth called out, beaming. "My number one hit in the Servant world: AKOGARE~TION!"

The redhead turned back to look at the idol as a horrific realization sunk into her mind. The sheer agony from Elizabeth's singing on the rooftop was fresh on her mind. If she sung now, then there would be no escape. It would be an unending hell and torment. However, she couldn't in good grace leave this concert, not after what both Elizabeth and Ren had gone through to get everything set up.

Glancing at the others, she only saw grim, resolute faces (aside from Nero who looked absolutely giddy), yet they made no motion to move. Even Morgana stood still, though he already had his paws over his ears in preparation. They had all reached the same conclusion. Ritsuka took a deep breath and braced herself for the inevitable impact-

'Like the sun (always),

I must shine (never changing),

Sadness, eternity, popularity, I want to make sure,

I love? You love? MORE!'

Ritsuka slowly opened her eyes. Elizabeth was singing. And it didn't hurt. She looked over at the others, wondering if she had finally completely lost her sanity, but it seemed the others were just as surprised as she was. Slowly turning back to watch the idol, she reached up and pinched her cheek. "Ow." She pinched her other cheek. "Ow." She pinched both cheeks. "Ow."

"Y-you're not dreaming, Ritsuka-senpai!" Mash hurriedly remarked, grabbing both of Ritsuka's hands and lowering them. "Elizabeth is singing and it… um… sounds genuinely good. I hadn't realized she sang so well."

Nero nodded, her arms crossed as she watched with a beatific smile on her face. "That is to be expected from my rival," she accepted. "To be able to perform from the ashes is a feat very few are able to achieve, yet she has done so with aplomb. My next performance must not disappoint in comparison! Perhaps I should recruit Ren Amamiya for my own setup! He has adapted to my methods well!" Ritsuka and Mash gulped nearby in nervousness at the thought.

Elizabeth meanwhile kept singing and dancing. The choreography she had rehearsed and practiced countless times in front of a mirror, polishing each and every move to her exacting standards. The single she had written, edited, and rewritten again and again before practicing until her vocal cords felt like they were torn to pieces. All her work, all her patience, all her drive was for this very moment.

"More than anything this beautiful place, even if it is what I longed for,

This feeling of guilt pains me,

Those reassuring eyes are hurting my tightened chest,

Shooting through the sky,"

The stage shone even brighter as a set of tri-color lights appeared and spun around the ice crystals. She glanced over at the raven, who was over at the music player, gasping for breath but nevertheless kept summoning his personas for the show. She had just about given up on this venue for lost, but that raven… that raven had pulled everything back together. A stage. Music. Lights and a set. Even an audience. He made sure she had it all – and even now, he was doing everything he possibly could to make sure she would dazzle like the sparkling star she was.

This song just wasn't for herself, not anymore. It was also for the raven- no, it was for her manager, Ren Amamiya. The one who had repaid his promise a hundred times over, making sure she would have her debut. Was everything as exactly perfect as she wanted it? Not in the slightest, what with her being surrounded by rubble and flames and all her preparations being smashed to pieces. But he made sure she would shine and take one more step toward becoming the world-beloved idol. And she would repay his efforts a thousandfold in turn.

"Thank you for coming today!" Elizabeth called out happily as the music continued to play. "Not a big audience, but a shining star is still a star whether there's only a few people witnessing it or many! Let's make more memories and shine!"

Ritsuka cheered loudly, to the surprise of her compatriots. "Go Elizabeth!" she yelled. Maybe it was taboo to cheer during a concert like this, and especially as the only one cheering, but seeing the idol pulling all stops for her concert… she couldn't help but be infected by her enthusiasm. If she could encourage and support someone's dream, then she would. The Master nevertheless was rewarded with a grin and a wink from the idol – something Ren normally would do – and she cheered even louder.

"Like an idol (because I am),

It's okay if it doesn't work out (not alone),

Love, eternity, popularity, I want to make sure,

You love? YOU LOVE!? MORE!

Find you,

Feel you,

I want to hold you."

Before long, the song ended. The lights dimmed as the magical power running through them vanished, and it was over. Ritsuka cheered again while Mash, Vlad, and Nero clapped enthusiastically. Elizabeth beamed and basked in the applause, as limited as it was. "Thank you, everyone, for coming!" she called out yet again, feeling the prickling of tears forming in her eyes. This was what she wanted. Maybe smaller than she expected, but it was a step forward toward her own fate, her own desires.

No longer would she be the Countess of Blood. She would make sure of it - and she had the raven to thank for it all.

Ren breathed a sigh of relief as he sagged against the nearby wall, finally releasing his personas. His body felt incredibly hot and he faintly noticed the glowing lines still burning underneath his skin. It had been a while since he had driven himself this hard using his magecraft, even more than when he fought those two hundred soldiers in the Roman singularity. If the show went on any longer, he might not have been able to fulfill his promise. He needed more practice with his personas – or another method of invoking them. Those lessons would come in handy.

Still, as he looked up and saw Elizabeth beaming at her limited audience, he couldn't help but smile. The first step of her dream had come true. All their efforts had paid off. Seeing her up there, on that impromptu stage, radiant as the shining star she declared herself to be, had been more than worth everything he had gone through. While he wasn't going to do this again anytime soon, he had absolutely no regrets pushing himself this far for her. After all, wasn't that what a manager was supposed to do for an idol?

Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself off the wall and started shambling toward her. As he took one step forward, his knee finally buckled from exhaustion, and the ground rushed up to meet him. The last thing he heard before darkness enveloped him was Elizabeth shouting.

"RAVEN!"


When he came to, the first thing he noticed were sensations. He was lying on something soft, though still a bit too hard for his liking. His head was on a pillow. The air felt cool, dry, and clean. The ever-present scent of soot and ash was absent. Where was he? As his body shifted slightly, he could hear a metallic frame creaking slightly – followed by a searing pain that jolted throughout his body, causing him to wince as he froze on the spot.

Right, he remembered now. He overworked his magic circuits and was paying the price for it now. Not the first time it had happened, but it certainly didn't get any more pleasant.

Ren slowly opened his eyes. He was staring up at a familiar teal ceiling. Out of the corners of his eye he could see the frames of a gurney flanking him. There was a thin, white blanket on top of him, though it was stained now by his filthy Master uniform. He could hear the faint hiss of an air conditioner somewhere in the room.

The pieces quickly assembled themselves in his mind. He was back in Chaldea in the medbay. Most likely the others had reestablished contact with Roman and Da Vinci, then they were all rayshifted back. He wondered if everyone else was alright…

"About time you woke up, raven!

That answered his question. Turning his head as much as he did, he gave a rueful smile up at Elizabeth, who was glaring down at him from his bedside. "Heh, sorry," he rasped out. "Guess I was a bit more tired than I expected. How long have I been asleep?"

The idol scowled. "You've been out a few hours," she snapped. "I'm already done with my concert so I handed the Grail over to the chipmunk and left the singularity with everyone else. What was the big idea passing out like that?! Do you have any idea how you just stole the spotlight yet again just by collapsing?! It was all supposed to be my moment, you stupid manager!"

Ren could only chuckle weakly in apology. "S-sorry about that," he murmured. "I must've been more tired than I thought."

"You better be sorry," Elizabeth growled. "After everything you went through to set everything up so I could shine, you just… you…" She took a deep breath. "You gave me everything I had asked for and then some," she whispered. "When I was this close to starting from nothing all over again. Everything you did, just… you pushed yourself harder than I could ever ask of you. Thank you, raven. Thank you for all you did."

The Phantom Thief looked up in surprise. The idol looked close to crying as she spoke. Her dream truly meant everything to her, didn't it? A small surge of relief went through Ren as he smiled slightly. If that was the case, then pushing himself to the limit like this wasn't all too bad after all. "Had to keep my promise," he murmured. "As your manager and Master. That's only one small step for you, Shining Star Eli-Chan."

Elizabeth's glare renewed. "Yes, yes, it is," she agreed hotly. "And that's why you are forbidden from ever doing something like that EVER again! While I'm thankful you did so much, what if the concert was going to go on longer, or there's a tour to do?! I can't afford to have you constantly collapsing half-dead from overusing your circuits! No, I'm not letting you do that again, got it?! What kind of idol is supposed to take care of their manager's well-being when it's the other way around?! Know your place and your own limits, raven!"

Ren could only smile to himself as the idol kept ranting and raving at him out of both indignant rage and concern for him. She was right, he did push himself. But he didn't have any regrets about it, especially seeing that reignited spark in her eyes once more. There was more work to be done on both ends, but he would make sure her efforts would bear fruit, and though she didn't say it, she would support him too.

As he heard the medbay door hiss open to allow Roman and Mash in, he felt that familiar warmth in his chest once more. A new - or rather a familiar – arcana formed once again: The Star. His smile only widened in amusement and contentment.

How appropriate.