By the Bonfire: The love and the hate.
With the benefit of hindsight, he should have seen this happening the moment she was summoned.
Then again, they did say that hindsight was 20/20.
He was really paying for his lack of foresight now though.
"Director, please! This isn't-!"
"Get her out of those blankets!"
It was probably for the best that it was only just himself, Mash and Romani in the room.
Barring the presence of the Servant in question, at least.
With his arms looped around the waist of the Director, he struggled to pull her away from the freshly summoned ball of linen. Wrapped up in a shape that reminded him more of a woodlouse, and given what they were suffering, the comparison felt very apt.
"Get off me! I'll-I'll-I was dancing and singing like an idiot!"
"It was a very good performance!"
"Rrrraaaa-!"
Ritsuka winced at the screech that echoed through the room, still struggling to pull back the red faced Director as she clawed and pulled her way at the blankets, desperate to crack open the outer shell of blankets to get to whomever was inside. Who had yet to actually say anything.
But then again, what were they supposed to say?
"Get out those blankets! Stahl!"
Ritsuka blanched as the presence washed over him.
Soon followed by the shadow blocking out the lights above his head.
Freezing on the spot, Ritsuka turned his head around and looked up.
The sculpted arrowlike head of Stahl glared right back at him.
"Uhhh…"
The Berserker reached past him, thankfully, and instead clasped the blankets before giving a single powerful tug. Sweeping the blankets clean off the figure and unveiling them, they thudded against the ground with a light grunt which swiftly shifted into a panicked sort of wailing sound as they rolled across the ground in the other direction.
"Wait, wait, wait! Calm down-!" As expected, Hanleth's first words were a terrified mixture of begging and pleading, holding her hands up as her eyes darted between the furious Director and the mountainous suit of armour. Honestly, even Ritsuka was having trouble over which was scarier.
"You-you infernal-! You just-Stay right where you are and don't try to run!"
A hiss of the door behind him was followed by footsteps into the room, he turned about and blinked at the sudden presence of the resident God King.
Flann stepped into the room without a word, featureless gaze staring straight ahead.
"Dad!" A stark comparison between the rather rejoicing tone of Hanleth, like that of a drowning man spotting a boat.
The God King spared her barely a glance, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly before they shifted away and onto the Director and himself. The God remained silent, then placed his hands on his hips.
"I will take care of them. End this farce now before I become insulted."
"Farce!?" The Director hissed, turning on Flann with a snarl. "This-this rapscallion-Do you have any idea what she made me-"
"It is precisely because of what occurred that I am not more insulted over your anger." Flann replied with a strained voice, clenching his jaw and nodding to Hanleth. "I will administer her punishment for her actions. Or will you argue with me on this matter?"
Ritsuka frowned and glanced at the Director, dropping his voice into a whisper. "It's not worth starting a fight in here, Director."
The woman made a rather angered noise in his arms before pulling herself free with a single powerful tug. Swiftly turning around and glaring at him for several seconds before she clicked her tongue, then glared at Hanleth and pointed at her. "If you ever and I mean ever pull a stunt like that…I will drop a black hole on your head."
With nary a more, she turned around and marched right out of the room, swiftly followed by Stahl.
Ritsuka watched her leave, then winced as he turned towards Flann who wore a rather annoyed expression on his face, marching forwards until they stood in front of Hanleth.
"Dad…I-ouch!"
Flann pinched her by the ear, pulling her to her feet and speaking in a slow tone of voice.
"Not a word from you. Not here and not now. Unless you want to make things worse for yourself."
Hanleth made a small whimper and then looked down at the ground with an expression like she was fighting back tears.
Flann turned around and made for the door, dragging his daughter along behind him
They barely reached the door before Romani's voice echoed through the room.
"We've got some more summonings incoming."
Ritsuka could have told them that, watching the pillar of light split through the room and the figure stride forwards out of the light, they paused the moment they caught sight of the situation, turning their eyes first onto him and then onto the figure behind him and by the door.
He caught the moment their eyes narrowed and they marched forwards, not even saying a word to him.
A quick step to the side in order to avoid getting trampled, because he saw no indication that she was going to stop and wait for him to move, and she was right past him and standing in front of Flann.
"Is there something-"
Chrysaor didn't give any warning what she was about to do, and it was only the swift reactions from Flann yanking his arm back that saved him from losing it altogether, the sword of the Servant passed clean through the space where they had been holding Hanleth, their other hand grasped the Goddess by the back of her jumper and yanked her backwards.
Silence passed through the room, Flann caught looking shocked and then immediately insulted by the actions while Hanleth was swiftly mounted on the shoulders of the Saber, who then took a step away from Flann while still keeping their sword firmly grasped in their hand and at the ready.
Chrysaor turned to him, ignoring the flabbergasted look from Flann, and then spoke in an utterly bored tone of voice. "Where is my lair?"
He figured she meant room.
But that wasn't what bothered him.
"You can't just go around swinging your swords at people-!"
"My lair. Where is it?"
"Are you even-"
"Useless." She clicked her tongue, then marched right out of the door with a rather stupefied Hanleth mounted on their shoulders. No one said anything, not him, not Mash and not even Flann who was blinking several times and clearly still trying to comprehend what just happened.
"Well, uh-"
Light spilled through the room once more from behind, Ritsuka managed a halfway turn to see what the source was-
A grinning face filled his vision, tattoo's lining their skin, eyes of red and gold and a raggedy grey hood covering their upper shoulders and pulled over their head.
He froze.
"Yo. Little ant."
Nahr Alma leaned back, then let out a low whistle as his eyes swept through the room, skipping back, placing his hands upon his hips and leaning heavily on one side. A low chuckle escaped them as he spoke once more in a rather mirthful tone of voice.
"Wow. All this for me? I didn't get you anything in return. Did I get it wrong? Are you a little bird making a nest full of shiny things to attract me here?"
Ritsuka felt his expression tighten, Mash immediately readied herself at his side, he could see that she would prepare herself at any moment to go into Servant form, even without the probability of half a dozen Servants waiting to come barreling through the door and kill the previously hostile God in front of him.
Slowly but surely, his lips pulled into a polite smile, the words passed rather slowly from his lips.
"Welcome to Chaldea. Glad to have your help."
They lacked any and all warmth.
It was basic courtesy, nothing more.
With a grin that spelled trouble, Alma righted themselves and preened at the words. "Are you really glad to have my help? You're so honest, little ant. Well, I'm glad that you're not holding a grudge. I'd be a little disappointed if you were, you know? That would have really spoiled our meeting."
Alma's eyes left him and darted to another, their smile shrank just a little and their brow raised itself. "Ah, hey Dad. I didn't see you there for a second…I guess that's always been a problem, you're just surrounded with more interesting people all the time, aren't you? But don't worry. I still think about you from time to time, you kn-grrk!?"
Ritsuka hadn't even seen him move, but he heard the thud of a body slamming into metal.
"Flann!"
The shout of alarm left his lips the second he saw what was happening, namely that Flann had Alma pinned against the wall behind them with a hand around the throat of the Lancer, all while the strangled Servant started to grin.
"I take it you hea-" The grip around Alma's neck tightened, he stopped speaking a second later, grabbing at the arm but not making a concerted effort to remove it from his neck. Instead he just wore a look of utter confidence. "...We both know you won't do it."
"Like you would not?" Flann replied in a tone as cold as ice. "You think I do not know what you did to Hanleth? What you did…It would be exactly what you deserved."
Alma tilted his head. "Maybe…But all the same."
The Lancer's face shifted, turning utterly bored. "We both know you won't."
Ritsuka stepped forwards, moving past an alarmed Mash and stared at the back of the Fire God.
"Flann." He called out to the Caster, the red haired man didn't so much as twitch at the call of his name, but Ritsuka knew he heard them.
His eyes turned down, the arm that kept Alma pinned against the wall started to tremble, the sound of grinding teeth came next. Then a sharp intake of air as Flann wrenched his arm away from the neck of Alma, the Lancer dropped to the ground and stepped forwards, bringing up his left hand and wiping at his neck.
"I think it might bruise." The Lancer commented with a light tone, glancing to his father and reaching across, patting them mockingly on the shoulder twice. "But it was a good try…Now if Mother got her hands on me-"
"Do not." Flann swatted the arm away from him, stepping forwards and using his height advantage to glare down at the smaller God. "Do. Not. Test. Me."
"Or what?" Alma replied rather cooly, matching the stare with his father for a few seconds before smiling and stepping away from them, moving towards Ritsuka. "Well, I'm going to go and have a look around this place, if you don't mind me. Stretch my legs and see what sort of little killers you've assembled. I'm really excited, little ant."
Ritsuka had barely a moment to say anything before they faded into spirit form, only their parting words echoed through the air. "Catch you later!"
It wasn't even a second later before someone else spoke up.
Flann let out an irritated growl and clenched his hands into fists, a sputter of fire crept up his arms for a single moment before it was snuffed out. The God glared hard at the door before they brought their hands up, placing them flat against their face and ejected a long and pained sigh into their palms.
Ritsuka watched them with a hint of wariness before they dragged their hands down.
"...I will handle my children."
That was all they said, then they tiredly dragged themselves out of the door.
Ritsuka kept quiet.
As much as he wanted to let them do that, there was no way he was going to let something like that happen without him having some idea of what was going on.
'Hassan?' He called through the mental link. 'Do me a favour. Go to Okita and the other security officers. Tell them that Nahr Alma was summoned and I want someone to watch over his every move until I'm satisfied he won't try anything.'
'If that is your wish, my lord. I shall look for this Servant immediately…Are we expecting trouble from them?'
'That is what I would like to find out.'
Ash was becoming increasingly concerned about the nature of some of the Servants who were arriving into Chaldea, though he would never voice these concerns aloud, that was not his place to do so and if he had been proven anything, it was that he didn't understand humans all that well.
Though, with that being said, he was sure that he wasn't alone in being utterly repulsed by the idea of Aldrich walking the corridors as though there was nothing the matter with him in the least.
"He's a what?"
The barely restrained hiss from Martha was further proof that he wasn't alone in his troubled thoughts, sparing a glance to the Saint as he wiped up the last of the cups in his hand and set them upon the side.
"A cannibal." Repeating the answer did nothing for her expression, she looked more horrified than before and turned her head towards the individual sitting by her side. Jeanne looked no less pleased by all of it, content to merely stare down at the water in front of her and close her eyes.
"...And he is considered a Saint?" She sounded personally offended by the title, he spared a glance to her hands and briefly noted that they were clenched into fists. Something she clearly realised she was doing, swiftly changing her posture and clearing her throat, making a concerted effort to compose herself and make it appear as though she hadn't been mere seconds from flying across the room to throw a haymaker.
Ash privately wondered what that would have looked like.
He had visions of her punching a dragon.
…She punched very hard, it seemed.
"His worshippers decried him as such." Ash blandly responded with a shrug of the shoulders, it was not something that he would personally have called the man. He was sure that Anri would have had more words for what the monster was than himself, all he ever really thought of at the time was how difficult it would be to kill them.
His hands briefly paused as he wiped at the cup.
Pulling it away, he stared at his reflection.
…He never really expressed sympathy to either Anri or Horace for what they had been through, had he?
He had taken everything they said and just…didn't respond to it in the least, merely understood their desire to kill Aldrich but personally thought nothing of it at the time. No, that wasn't true.
There was no personal motivation involved, he killed Aldrich because it was his duty to do so. No other reason.
"Ash?"
"Hmm?" Turning his head, he met the eyes of Jeanne and noted her slightly bemused look at him.
"Is everything alright?"
"...I'm merely debating how useful Aldrich could actually be." His response earned a slightly worried look from the Ruler, though he was quick to make an addition. "I have no intention of tracking him through the halls and killing him, not unless he presents himself as a danger…though I am more surprised that Gwyndolin is still willing to work with Ritsuka. I would have thought that Uncle would have been more inclined to kill him."
"Yes, well. Their initial meeting was rather-" Martha was only midway through her sentence when she stopped, brows pinched and raising her head back up and meeting his gaze with one of puzzlement. "Did you say Uncle?"
"Mmmmh."
"Oh, I see." She leaned back ever so slightly, looking him up and down with a faint grimace before shaking her head and dismissing whatever else she was going to say. "No, it is none of my business…though I am similarly worried about letting such a figure near Master. His acceptance of them is…concerning for me."
Both he and Jeanne glanced at one another.
It wasn't just concerning what the past of Aldrich was, it was concerning what he was capable of if given the chance. Even if he had been summoned under the class of Ruler, there was no denying that there was something amiss with the dark Saint. Ash would not be so wholly convinced that Aldrich was not still working for their own agenda.
Clearing their throat, Martha straightened herself in their seat and folded her arms, seemingly coming to some manner of conclusion. "Whatever the case might be and whatever reason Master has, it has become clear that the suspect character of Aldrich requires a rather close eye to ensure they attempt nothing."
He was glad that she was speaking sense.
"Do you intend to do that for every suspicious individual who wanders through the halls of Chaldea?"
Ash thinned his lips as the dull voice of Archer rang out behind him, soon followed by the steps of the Servant as they approached the counter.
"Because if that is the case, then I'm curious how useful you will end up being if you spend all your time spying on everyone who does not conform to your standards."
Martha narrowed her eyes. "It is not about conforming to my standards, it is a matter of principle."
"Because he holds the title of Saint and you feel personally offended by that?" Archer asked with a raised brow, though his tone gave little indication that they were truly caring in regards to that. He just exhaled and shook his head from side to side. "We have Elizabeth Bathory here as well, who needs no introduction and if you wish to keep an eye on dangerous individuals…"
Ash heard them trail off, around the same time he noticed the focus of Jeanne and Martha slide towards him, the former with a wince and the latter in light confusion.
When Archer phrased it like that, then he was true.
Ritsuka couldn't well give him a chance to prove himself useful while at the same time denying Aldrich the same opportunity. It would make him appear like a hypocrite and if they tried to argue that it was because he didn't have full control of his emotions at the time…
…They had been down that argument before.
"Archer." Jeanne gave a light warning to the Servant, but stopped when he raised his hand to wave off her words.
"No, Archer is right." Ash exhaled, lowering the limb back down. "Until Aldrich has done anything to draw ire, then doing more than keeping an eye upon them is nothing more than paranoia…but I will not say that it isn't warranted. I have every intention of keeping my eyes upon Aldrich just as you are entitled to view me with the same level of suspicion. I would encourage you to do so."
Archer met his gaze, neither one of them said anything for a few moments.
With a shrug, the tanned man let out a light grunt and started to walk back the way they came. "I wasn't telling you it was a bad idea, merely that with how our Master seems to be the accepting sort…it is quickly going to turn into a rather large problem. They'll likely be more trouble makers than there will be eyes to keep them in check."
A frown came upon his lips as he debated the words of the Archer.
They weren't wrong.
Ritsuka's acceptance of Servants with coloured pasts was something of a concern for him, but that was not his place to comment on. Given that he was among such Servants.
Well, he was sure Ritsuka had some inclining as to what they were doing.
"Why do I get the feeling that he is going to be one such person who enjoys trying to get a rise out of people?"
The dry tone of Martha lingered in the wake of Archers leaving.
Ash shrugged his shoulders and turned back around. "That is just the way that he is. I am not going to say it is right or wrong, but he at least keeps a keen eye on everything that goes on around the kitchens. I value his input."
That clearly wasn't something that either of them had been expecting, Jeanne in particular looked at him in surprise.
"Really?"
Was that really a shock?
Archer didn't seem to care for personal feelings and spoke of things how he saw them, though he would prefer them to be more blunt and less vague with some of their sentences, he figured that was just the way they were.
That and they both valued the same sort of thing, pragmatism.
It was about making something work rather than making it comfortable.
Again…he was rather put off by their wit.
"Really?"
He froze at the voice.
His head turned in the direction of the speaker and his lips dropped into a thin line, the heads of both Jeanne and Martha similarly turned, finding a new individual leaning over the counter with a rather sharp smile on their face, trying and failing to get a good look further into the kitchens, eyes gleaming with manic interest.
"I think you're onto something! Get that guy back here, he looked like a really interesting character. I want to ask him something."
…Of all the people that Ritsuka could have summoned, they brought this one here?
Why?
A beat, they slowly turned their head away from the direction of the retreating Archer and onto the two women who were staring at them with no small amount of bemusement.
"Huh, clerics…how boring." A flat look came upon their face, they stepped away from the counter and placed their hands upon their hips. It was only for a split second that their disappointment lingered, then they cupped their chin and hummed out. "Well…if you ended up here then you must have been good for some sort of blood letting. How many people did you guys kill? Or did you not keep count. I'm fine either way."
"...Excuse me?"
Martha spoke in a rather deathly quiet tone of voice, clearly masking her true feelings on what the man had just asked them. Hardly surprising, given it was tantamount to asking if she was an unthinking killer.
Jeanne just gazed back with narrowed eyes and swiftly turned her head without giving the indication that she registered the question, at least for a couple of seconds.
"Eh? Did you not hear me or something?" Their head turned and met his gaze. "Hey, bro. Are you really friends with these sorts of people? Doesn't that seem a little strange for you, being an undead and all. I mean, I've never seen a lion be friends with a gazelle, you know? Or…hmmm…which of you is which in this situation?"
Ash rolled his jaw from side to side. "Alma."
"Yeeees?" Nahr drawled out, turning on him with a wide smile on his lips. "Ah, you're surprised to see me aren't you? Is it really that big of a surprise? I figure that you would understand why I would come here in the first place."
That was the worst part.
He did understand why they were here.
He just didn't like how they were acting as though they were so familiar with him, it was almost insulting to him.
"Ash." Jeanne spoke up after a second, glancing at him and raising a brow. "I do not suppose you know who this is?"
"...Nahr Alma. My older half-brother." A beat, then he added on. "The God of murderers."
Nahr Alma flattened his face, rolling his eyes and shaking his head from side to side. "That's somewhat slanderous, brother. I am the God of Blood, just as much related to the random little acts of killing as much as I am the God of those who wish to prove their way of living is better…or even territorial disputes for the good of whatever little colony they are a part of."
Ash grunted. "That might well be as you say, but a majority of those in your covenant were unrepentant killers."
"They were honest individuals who accepted what they were in life." Nahr countered rather swiftly, though his tone didn't so much as shift in the least. Sounding as though they were dispensing common knowledge rather than insane drivel. "They decided to see the world through the lens of how it is rather than how others pretend it is. They just didn't want an excuse to kill. I do not see the harm in giving them what they want?"
"Their victims would."
"Then they shouldn't be so easy to kill, should they?" Alma folded his arms, losing his smile and raising a brow. "Really, you wouldn't hold such aggression for me if I was the God of Lions and my patrons went around killing small animals. I suspect that none would so much as bat an eye. Why do you all care? Is it because those in my covenant are just slightly more intelligent?"
No, he wasn't going to be drawn into this conversation with them.
It was utterly pointless.
"I refuse to argue this topic with you. Go and make yourself a nuisance elsewhere and keep in mind that I will be there should you step out of line. If you could not even best Gawyn in a fight, you stand little chance of contending with me."
The grin they gave was rather enthusiastic. "Why brother…you sound almost excited. Are you just waiting for an excuse so that no one cares about it? What if you-"
"Is there something you came for?"
The interruption from Martha cut the conversation short, slowly drawing the eyes of Alma onto the Saint, the woman met the gaze of the blood God without so much as batting an eye towards them, rather it seemed as though she was the one who was determined to win the stare down between them.
"Mmmmmh?~"
Leaning forwards, Alma let out a low hum of mild intrigue, lowering himself until he was at eye level with Martha, neither one of the two blinked during the stare down.
"...I guess maybe you might be a little more interested. Alright then, I'll look forward to seeing what you're capable of in the future…but right now, in response to your question, I am just looking around to see what types of killers we have around here."
Bringing a hand up, they tapped away at their chin while putting on a ponderous frown. "You can really tell a lot about a person by what they are willing to kill for, or rather…what they are willing to use as an excuse to kill for."
"Not everyone is willing to kill for simple reasons and even if they are, the act of killing is not something that one can provide an excuse for." Jeanne shook her head from side to side, clearly no longer willing to remain on the sidelines of the conversation, turning herself towards Alma and keeping her face flat. "There is value in every life, even those that do not conform to what is accepted as right and proper. A person's worth is not measured in what they might kill for. It is what they are willing to live for."
Nothing from Alma, not initially.
The God lowered his hands down and rested them upon his hips, levelling Jeanne with a long look before tilting his head, speaking in an emotionless tone of voice. "Why do people need a reason to live? You don't see animals trying to debate with themselves what it is that they are striving to see tomorrow for. They just carry on…humans are just smart monkeys."
"A gross oversimplification."
"Or is it the true outlook once everything has been stripped away. We're all living beings at the end of the day. You, me, animals and demons. All of us just want to push forwards from one day to the next without worrying about being killed. The real test of character is how much you're willing to do to ensure you see that next day."
"And you believe that only those who kill are the deserving?"
The smile that blossomed on the face of Alma was as small as it was genuine. "Naturally. That is how nature works. I believe humans call it Darwinism? What a pleasing notion, they have a name for it. The strong live and the weak die, that is just how life works…prettying it up with ideals and and societies won't change what it is. You just want to make sure you're the fittest at the end of the day."
Ash narrowed his eyes. "And I suppose your role in this is to just remind everyone about the the law of the jungle?"
"Law of the jungle…?" Alma paused, tasting the words for a moment, bringing a hand up and rubbing away at his chin. "What a funny little phrase. Law of the jungle…you know what? I like that. I'm going to coin that phrase, brother. But you subscribe to it, don't you? The strong decide what life is…that is how you decided what the right path forwards was, right?"
Ash froze.
The smile on the face of Lancer turned softer, they leaned forwards and rested his hands upon the countertop. "Don't worry about it, brother. I'm very proud of how strong you became. If the human who managed to best you is truly the fittest, then I want to see just how far they can get before something stops them."
With a shrug of the shoulders, he stepped away. "I get the feeling he is a rather simple one. Like I said, you can tell a lot about a person based on what they are willing to kill for…and that boy…" Alma trailed off, his eyes gleaming with approval, twisted and sickening as it was. "...I get the feeling there's a lot to like about that boy."
Even if it was only a little, Ash felt the need to speak up. "I sincerely hope that you do not find too much you approve of within them."
"Well, that's between myself and him, isn't it brother?" Turning on his heel, Alma walked away, raising a hand and giving a lazy wave over his shoulder. "Feel free to come by and say hello any time. I'll be sure to do the exact same, until next time!"
Ash rolled his jaw from side to side as he watched them leave, their body fading away back into spirit form, though he could still sense their lingering presence as it retreated from the room.
His eyes turned back to his own hands.
…Ah.
…They were right.
…He really did conform to what they had said was the natural path forwards.
…They really were related.
"Hmph."
A disapproving grunt broke his gaze, his eyes flickered to the owner of the noise as Martha sent a rather scrutinising glare in the direction that Alma had retreated in, lingering on for a few moments before she let out a breath, turning her eyes away and back towards the counter, folding her arms over her chest.
"It seems as though there are quite a few others that are worth keeping an eye on. Especially that one, he seems to be the sort that cares only about their own amusement in things."
No, he got the feeling that it wasn't a case of Alma being amused or not.
It was just a case of them being proven right, so long as they were proved right then they would be content with everything.
"...If you say so." With a quiet word, he turned his head away from the Servants and moved further back into the kitchens.
He was sure that he would be able to set aside the words of Alma if given enough time, but he very much doubted that. Though he did not agree with a single thing that the Servant said, he still very much understood the position they were coming from.
They described the sort of life they saw as right and proper and would argue in favour of that.
…Was that how he looked from an outside perspective?
How disturbing.
"Are you sure that it's a good idea to leave them to walk off all alone, Fujimaru-kun?"
Ritsuka shrugged his shoulders, "Whether they walk off alone now or after the tour, the result would be more or less the same. Besides, it's hardly as though there aren't some who would be able to stop him if he tried something."
As strange as it was to say, he got the feeling that there wasn't anything that Nahr Alma was going to do, at least not at the moment. They seemed to be a very upfront individual but he didn't actually know all that much about them beyond what he had seen.
And what he had seen was a figure who was very much willing to kill his own family without a second thought if it meant he could get what he wanted.
…Perhaps he would need to call them down to establish some ground rules, like he had done so with Aldrich and Sulyvahn. Though his conversation with the Saint hadn't been as much of a strain upon him as he would have expected it to be. At least, not like it had been with Sulyvahn.
"I get that, but even so…" Romani trailed off, the pair continued their stroll through the hallways. With a shake of the head, the doctor lowered his gaze to the ground, placing a hand on his nape and scratching away at it nervously. "Given the timing of everything and the fact they clearly retain their memories. They seem a little chaotic and the type that needs a closer eye."
He agreed with them wholeheartedly.
"I asked Hassan to keep an eye on them after they spirited away, as well as alert Okita and the others." He replied, earning a blink of surprise from the doctor, though it quickly shifted into a look of relief, Rituka felt the need to elaborate. "Hey, I might be willing to accept help but I wasn't going to take everything at face value. Hassan told me he spoke with Ash, Martha and Jeanne and then left."
The Assassin was still explaining the nature of the conversation to him through the mental link, but from the sounds of it, it was just depicting Alma to be the sort of guy who was very much an anarchist. Rejecting modernity and returning to the primal days of caveman stuff or whatever.
"I think at the moment he's just having a wander and getting to know everything. I'm not wholly inclined to be trusting him just yet…" He trailed off, then shrugged his shoulders up and down. "But I'm not going to take any action against them until they do something…But I'm really not going to let my guard down around him, even if I somehow do, then I have Mash to look out for me."
That and he personally doubted that Ash was going to be inclined to ever let their guard down around the Lancer either.
Ritsuka was personally more concerned about the others that had been summoned along with Alma.
"...Do you think I made a mistake, letting it go on for as long as it did?"
Romani stopped walking. "You mean the Singularity…or Ash being turned into a child?"
"Oh, that. Yeah I...Both…I guess they're one in the same now." Ritsuka grumbled, bringing his hands up and running them through his hair. "It's just…I just keep looking for the best in a situation and in people and then…"
The doctor turned about and looked down at him, Ritsuka couldn't make out what sort of face they were making other than it being a conflicted one. Their hands came down to their sides, the man rolled his jaw for a few moments before speaking.
"Do you believe it was a mistake?" Romani simply asked, tilting his head to the side. "I can only really provide some small measure of advice that isn't really that good, really it's the others you should be looking for if you're after a proper answer."
"...I don't want to be the sort of person who just doubts everyone that comes before them." He replied, turning to face the doctor and stepping backwards, leaning against the wall and sighing quietly. "But it seems as though every time I just take things at face value, they turn out to be the very worst. I just wanted…I don't know. I figured that a theme park should have been a perfect place for Ash to relax."
He didn't know if it was the weird brain numbing effect of Hanleth's park or if it was his own choice that ensured Ash wasn't immediately returned to an adult. He couldn't say with absolute certainty either way. Maybe it had been his choice or maybe it had been made for him, but that didn't really change it.
It had been proven when he went back to Hanleth and demanded she tear everything down.
"I don't think that looking at every smile and seeing the worst in people is the sort of life you should be considering living at your age, Fujimaru-kun."
Ritsuka brought his eyes up, meeting the gaze of the doctor.
The man offered a thin smile. "Some people are worse than others, some show themselves to be liars but…if you want to go forwards expecting the best of everyone you see, and somehow managing that even when you meet the less than reputable sorts…then that is your choice."
With a shrug, his smile grew a little larger. "I think that it's a pretty amazing thing for you to do. It's a lot braver than me, that's for sure. I don't think I'd be able to keep up that sort of attitude for very long."
Ritsuka wasn't sure it was an attitude he was really keeping up in the first place.
That was just how he was honestly feeling, but he just wanted to make sure that it was the right thing to do in the first place.
After all, he figured that he should have reacted more strongly in certain situations than he actually ended up doing.
"Not everyone gets things right the first time, and I'm certainly not expecting you to be perfect."
Ritsuka met the eyes of the man, raising a brow ever so slightly at their only marginally backhanded words.
Romani clearly realised this, his smile fading into a grimace. "That wasn't what I meant to come across with…what I meant to say was that life is all about trial and error. Maybe you did make a mistake but the point is that you learned from it and are willing to do it again but better. You might get burned again but…I get the feeling you'll be more careful next time."
A sigh, the man shook his head once more. "This isn't coming out right. What I'm trying to tell you is…well…I don't think being nice to people is something that you should feel guilty about. Nor do I think trying to look out for them is a bad thing." raising his hand, Romani gestured to him. "It might not come out the way you wish it to sometimes, but as long as the intention is there…"
Ritsuka hummed, nodding along with the words of the man.
That was right.
It wasn't that he regretted showing kindness in the first place and if he could do it all over again, then maybe he would have changed some things to make the outcome better, but he wouldn't have changed his words. Those were the one things he didn't regret. Not completely.
That being said, he was still rather unsure of where the matter of Seath was.
That felt more like they had played on his kindness all over again and the worst thing was that he knew they could do it, there was the chance they would do it again. But he didn't want to start being someone who he wasn't just because there was a chance his personality could be used against him.
He didn't want to stop being himself.
"...Thanks, Roman."
The doctor blinked. "Well, I'm not sure if I really said anything you should thank me for. I think I just more or less told you to-"
"Roman?"
"Yes?"
"Just…" Ritsuka felt the smile pull on his lips, shaking his head from side to side and stepping away from the walls. "Just accept the thanks."
The doctor slumped. "Fair enough. I'll do that. Now then…"
Clapping their hands together, the doctor gave a rather wide smile. "I've got some Magi*Mari to catch up on…so please don't tell the Director what I am about to go and do, because otherwise she might get upset with me about it…" a brief pause, the man wet his lips while glancing left and right. "Also Berserker recorded more of her songs and they are actually pretty good. It's weird."
Ritsuka snorted, "...Just checking, you do know Berserker is Kalameet, right?"
Romani raised a brow. "Yeah, I figured that out as soon as they called Leo, 'Vinci'...I'm a little surprised the Director hasn't figured it out yet."
All he could do was shrug at the man. "Well whatever the case, I'm sure he has his reasons and will tell her when the time is right…but seriously, don't let the Director find out you're watching those. I get the feeling she would demand their destruction…so make some copies, just in case because you are right, those were actually pretty good."
"I know, right?" Romani nodded along, a rather bewildered agreement in their eyes.
Especially considering that Nero had been a background singer.
That was frightening.
She was an awful singer.
Every other time she was singing it was just terrible. This was him trying to be internally polite to the Emperor, he would never say it to her face but she was just bad.. Maybe they had managed to convince her to use her Imperial Privilege to make her a good singer or something. That was the only explanation that made sense to him.
"Well, I'll head back off to the cafeteria. Mash went on ahead of me so I'll talk to you later, Romani."
"You as well, Fujimaru-kun." The man waved him a farewell.
Romani watched Fujimaru retreat back through the halls, his arm slowly lowered back to his side as the smile on his face faded ever so slightly.
It was disconcerting that he was needing to tell a seventeen year old boy that it wasn't a bad thing for him to be showing kindness to people. While Romani wouldn't exactly say that being friends with psycho's and cannibals was really what he would do, there was no denying that every Heroic Spirit had a coloured past.
Some were more proud of them than others.
If they started picking straws, then some of the Servants that Fujimaru was close to would be under intense scrutiny before long.
It was just…really exhausting.
"What is your relation with the shield girl?"
Romani jumped at the voice that came from right behind him, whipping around and stumbling for a few feet before catching his balance against the wall, turning his head towards the speaker and staring, hand clutched over his chest to still his rapidly beating heart.
They were right behind him.
He hadn't even heard them arrive.
Chrysaor.
Or Chris, as they were apparently fine with being referred to as well.
They regarded him with a blank stare behind their sunglasses, not even the slightest hint that they felt at all guilty for scaring him in the way that they had. He was sure that they could have announced their presence in such a way that didn't immediately give him an almost heart attack.
No, there was more than that.
They probably waited until Fujimaru was gone.
Romani managed to pull his focus back, keeping his eyes on the Servant as he slowed his heart and stepped away from the wall. Their question registered within his mind as he tried to keep his true feelings from surfacing. Angering the Servant would probably be a very bad idea for him.
"...Why do you ask?"
He didn't get anything from them, they just regarded him with the same blank expression that was awaiting an answer from him.
With a light sigh, he responded to her. "I'm the medical officer in Chaldea. Mash's health falls under my purview."
"...It is more than that though." Chrysaor remarked, taking a slow step forwards and moving on him. He took an instinctive step backwards. "I can see it in your eyes. Your change in posture when I mention her. A…quiet resentment to me."
…She could see that?
No.
"It would be a bit silly for me to bear a grudge over something like that." He replied with a rather slow tone of voice, keeping it clear and non-threatening. "It isn't as though Mash isn't working with others who have fought her in the past. I don't really see you any differently than I saw any of them."
"...You were watching."
"...That is also my job."
"I see."
Chrysaor nodded their head up and down, then took a step away from him and gave some distance between the two of them. "...It is unfortunate that something happened to your spawn that you were unable to do anything about."
Romani stilled. "...Huh?"
"It cannot be helped, you are weak." They continued onwards, clearly no longer caring whether or not he was actually offering anything in way of a response to her. "But you are a healer, not a fighter. I know those like you so…you are strong in your own way. Just make sure she is not hurt beyond your capacity to heal."
…Romani kept his face devoid of emotion.
He doubted she knew just how deeply she had stabbed him there with that single remark.
"You aren't like the other healer I knew. He was better than you." Chrysaor finished, with a thin look, their eyes moving up and down as though sizing him up. Their lip twisted, he couldn't tell what that was supposed to mean, but it was clearly what they were looking for as they stepped away. "But he was the best in his craft. If you are in the same role as he was. Then…there might be some worth in you after all."
"...Thanks?"
"...What is your name?"
"...Romani Archaman."
"...That's too long."
He almost laughed out loud at her words.
"You're Archie."
"Fwuah?" That time, he made a noise, a mixture of a snort and a gasp of shock, namely because she had apparently just given him a name like she had found some sort of pet dog or something.
With a slow hum, Chrysaor nodded her head up and down. "Yes. Archie. It is short. Farewell, Archie."
She walked off, fading into spirit form before he could get another coherent word out.
…He had no idea what happened.
…Maybe it was better when the Servants were just rude to him, at least it didn't feel so patronising.
Chrysaor: Child of the Golden Sword
Servant: Saber
Strength: A+
Endurance: B
Agility: B
Mana: B-
Luck: C
Noble Phantasm: A
Chrysaoros; Golden Sword Born of the Monster: A
Anti-Unit, Max Target: 1, Range: 1
Born of the Gorgon's flesh, Chrysaor gained her name both through her golden scales inherited from her mother, and also her skill with the sword- a weapon she found proficiency with. By being named 'she who has a golden sword', this blade is Chrysaor's greatest offence.
By itself it is a simple armament- in another's hands, it could not do anything of special note. But in Chrysaor's, who channels the blood of the Gorgon and the ability of monsters into it, it becomes a killing edge. Similar to the Harpe of her mother's younger self, it cuts through armour and defences simplistically- by overwhelming them through brute strength. It gains an additional modifier when being used against Humans.
Chrysaor tried to find an answer to her heritage in her travels with the taciturn Argonaut doctor. From saving people to killing people to growing monsters to killing them, she discovered the one truth: as a monster, she is an existence born only to kill humans.
Blood of the Patriarch - The Line that Birthed Monsters: A
Anti-Unit Self, Max Target: 1, Range: 1
In myth, Chrysaor is noted as the creator of many monsters- from Orthrus to Echidna, the mother of all monsters. Though this is an illogical legend it has nonetheless affected Chrysaor's Spirit Origin, gifting her a powerful Noble Phantasm.
By spilling blood, she is able to mold parts of her body into the parts of monsters she is said to have birthed. For example, being able to turn her hand into Orthrus' maw for biting power, or the wings of Geryon. An excessive Self-Modification skill akin to Atalante's pelt, it grants her great power.
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: B
Riding: C
Personal Skills:
Natural Demon: A
A skill that denotes one has been born as a monster, not a hero or a god, and thus possesses that natural strength and endurance.
Born of the Gorgon's remains, Chrysaor was never naturally born as a human would be. This skill is proof of her inhumanity.
Monstrous Strength: C++
An expression of the level of strength one possesses as either a monster or some kind of Demonic Beast.
Not the Gorgon herself, Chrysaor is nonetheless her child. As a side-effect of activating this skill, Chrysaor's body becomes clad in golden armour scales akin to her progenitor's feared appearance.
Monster's Charisma: B
Chrysaor by nature of her relation to the Gorgon, has been recorded as a progenitor of many monsters including Geryon, but in alternative readings told to have been the ancestor of Mylasus the founder of Mylasa.
Through this, Chrysaor undoubtedly possesses a charisma towards those with a monstrous nature. By exerting her words and Authority, it is easy for monsters to fall under her command. As a side-effect, it allows communication with Demonic Beasts.
Summoning
"Servant Saber, Chrysaor. I have no interest in your name, only the enemies you will direct me towards."
Dialogue 1
"A place of murderers and warriors, yet clean of blood… utterly disgusting."
Dialogue 2
"I will not tolerate you, and you will not understand me. So long as you understand that, the partnership will be… fruitful."
Dialogue 3 (If you have Medusa or Gorgon)
"...there was one thing I always wanted, even throughout my life. Something I grew jealous of that others had and didn't appreciate… a mother. I chose this face because it would tie me to her. I couldn't do otherwise."
Dialogue 4 (If you have Stheno/Euryale)
"Mother's sisters… irksome, showing no respect to her in any way. But… they are family, I suppose. So long as they don't speak a bad word about mother, then… I shall tolerate them."
Dialogue 5 (If you have Asclepius)
"Ah… it's been so long, but I could never forget. The sight of him looking down at me over his mask, like a doctor to a patient… I suppose, given he raised me for a time, I could call him 'father'. It feels weird though."
Dialogue 6 (If you have Hanleth)
"The Director… she gave me the opportunity of a lifetime, my dearest wish, and asked for near-nothing in return. For that, I will follow her anywhere."
Dialogue 7 (If you have Nahr Alma)
"We share the same core beliefs and dislikes. Those who pretty up their battles, believing they fight for a higher purpose. Those who give reasons for having to fight or to kill… utter nonsense. History is built on blood and battle, and not ideals."
Dialogue 8: (If you have Sulyvahn)
"Compared to most in Chaldea, his presence is… tolerable. He has no illusions about himself nor what he did. In return, I shall not condemn his actions. In the face of the end of the world, one can't afford to be picky about salvation."
Dialogue 9: (If you have Arkon)
"...this man. Above the others, he irritates me beyond belief. Slavishly devoted to a Goddess, clinging to ideals like a babe to their mother… ignorant of his true self. He is everything I despise in Chaldea - pretending to be kind and just when it is filled with the world's greatest slaughterers."
Dialogue 10: (If you have Asterios)
"I have little to say to this monster, but… we share a kinship. A similarity no others do. I'll leave him to his peace, so long as he leaves me to mine."
Likes
"I have little likes, but I suppose… fighting. Killing. Putting my strength to use and continuing to battle until my enemies are dead. That brings me 'satisfaction'.
Hates
"Those who prattle about ideals and following them… I hate them to my core. For in the end, even those can be tossed away at a moment's convenience."
Wish for the Holy Grail
"There is no wish the Grail can grant, that Hanleth has not already given me."
Bond Level 1
"I am a sword, you my commander. Use me as I must be used. Nothing else."
Bond Level 2
"Cease being foolish, looking at me as if I am a child to be coddled. I told you before. I am a blade, and will seek blood as I see fit. You will direct me. That is all."
Bond Level 3
"...hm. You give off the air of being an idiot, but you walk into war with no weapon other than Servants. Is it courage, or foolhardiness?"
Bond Level 4
"...you are a walking contradiction. Kind to a fault, ruthless when commanding. For the longest time, I have only thought of you as the former and as naive and stupid. And yet… that is not the case… is it?"
Bond Level 5
"I will never approve of you, but I find you slightly more tolerable now. That look in your eyes as numerous people die, as you see fighting is the only option to save the world… yes, I approve of it greatly."
Birthday
"Birth…day? I don't see why it should be important. It is merely the day you were born on, nothing special about it."
During an Event
"Annoying. Keep the noise down, or I will put it down."
1st Ascension
"Changing attire into something more combat-ready seems prudent. I was given these clothes, and I wish not to damage them."
2nd Ascension
"I feel more power coursing up, bubbling in my gut. Yes, this will serve my purposes."
3rd Ascension
"I am growing closer to my origin. These scales, this hunger… I am becoming more like her."
4th Ascension
"...I will go no further than this. I am able to, but if I gain too much power, lose sight of myself, I will lose this form. I will lose this face, the face I chose. I would lose something important, and for that… no further is needed."