Hello everyone and welcome back to the beggining of chapter 42 of the story! Anyone watched the latest livestream on FGO channel or news? Honestly I was pleased to see we are getting new content until the first chapter of Ordeal Call release and not more excrutiating dead weeks. Now that's how you do your job lasengle.
With that said, let's go!
DISCLAIMER: All the Nasuverse characters belong to Nasu and are property of Type-Moon, with the exception of the OC's that belong to me, the author.
The words from Mash's mouth fell like an anvil on Nala's body. She just didn't heard that. She didn't want to believe it.
"C-C'mon Mash. I just woke up." Nala wanted to believe that Mash was just making a prank. "It isn't funny playing with-"
"She is saying the truth kiddo." Drake responded. "Those two were captured."
"Master tried to take Peko out of the net but ended up being caught by Blackbeard servants. We still attempted to rescue them but the chaos of the battle in front of us was such that we weren't able to do it. They instantly sailed off away the moment the servants got aboard with the two." Mash said with pain in her voice, her hands tightning in her lap as she fought the urge to let some tears come out of her eyes. "I-I'm sorry! I tried but was unable to do something to save both master and Peko." Mash blamed herself. She had failed at her duty as a servant to protect her master and friend. That tought hurted heavily on her conscience.
It convinced Nala that she was telling the truth, much to the girl's fear. "I see..." She muttered, turning her head around with a blank expression on her face. Her brain was still processing what she heard while a lot of emotions were emerging inside her body at the same time.
"Fou..." Fou gently patted her on the arm, feeling the negative vibe in the room.
Drake however tried to cheer the girls up. "Hey, for as much as we know they could still be alive. A pirate doesn't kidnapp people to kill them off shortly later. So I'm sure that those two are still breathing."
"I want to think that Drake-san. But I'm not sure if Blackbeard was a man of making people hostages." Mash responded to Drake with some pessimism. "I just hope Dr. Romani contacts us soon to tell us they are alright."
"And he will." Drake said. "If you guys had been through this kind of Singularity stuff already, then I bet Ritsuka and Peko won't die that easily." She put an hand on Mash's shoulder before staring at Nala. "In the meantime we will plan on a strategy to defeat Blackbeard and his servants, alright?"
"..." Nala didn't respond, instead her eyes spotting the Holy Grail attached to Drake's hip.
The pirate woman noticed the lack of response by Nala and decided to try comforting her. "Look, your brot-"
Without warning, Nala quickly got out of the bed and grabbed Drake's grail, taking it for herself as she stormed out of the room much to Mash and Drake's shock.
"FOU!" Even Fou had been caught off guard.
"Nala wait!" Mash yelled in reaction before going after the young girl.
On the ship's damaged deck that was now illuminated by the moon's shine, Bombe who was passing through got immediately slammed by the abrupt opening of the door that Nala had came out from. "What a-!"
Nala ran desperate with the grail in her hands until she reached to the ship's border and gazed at the magical artifact. She only had a wish in mind in that moment. "PLEASE BRING PEKO BACK! BRING RITSUKA BACK! I WANT THEM TO RETURN PLEASE!" She shouted to the Holy Grail in hopes that her order would be fulfilled. After all, its job was to grant people's wishes. "I wish to have my brother and friend back!"
Mash exited out of the room, hearing the supplications of the girl. "Nala..." The shielder felt bad and pity torwards her companion, seeing how turbulent she was acting. "We already tried that, but doctor told us that due to Blackbeard having the other grail, the power of Drake's grail can't affect the area near Blackbeard's one."
As nothing had changed with Peko and Ritsuka not magically appearing on the ship, Nala started to get frustrated and angry, tightening her grip on the Holy Grail. "I said that I wish to have them back! Listen to me dammit!" She yelled again at the object that remained the same. Nala's wishes were not being answered. She lost her patience with it. "Kgh! You stupid and useless piece of golden crap!" Nala said as she raised her arm, ready to threw the grail into the sea.
Thankfully, Drake grabbed Nala's wrist in time before she could do it. "What the hell ya think you're doing?! Stop it right now!"
"No! I won't!" Nala shouted back.
"I'm the damn captain here girl! Give the grail back to me this instant!" Drake yelled rudely and agressively. She was the captain and wouldn't tolerate any stupid or desobedient behaviour from her crew, including Nala. Drake had to set the exemple, specially after the defeat against Blackbeard.
Nala was still defiant.
"Please, stop Nala! Throwing the grail away won't bring Peko and master back! We will find them, but not by doing this!" Mash tried to reason with the girl and calm her down.
Nala clenched her teeth after hearing Mash. She was right. Nala was acting stupid right now. "Fine." She responded, letting the grail go of her, allowing Drake to grab it back. However, that didn't meant Nala hadn't something else in her mind. "Then I'll look for them!" She exclaimed, starting to climb the ship's border.
Being totally against the decision, Drake grabbed her. "No you won't! You'll stay here! As your captain that's an order!"
"Consider this has my resignation!" Nala responded, willing to leave the crew to go after Blackbeard's ship and retrieve Peko and Ritsuka.
Drake tried to push her back. "Ya think you will find them by swimming in the middle of the ocean at night? That is asking to be any sea creature's food!" She warned Nala.
"I don't care! Let me go!" She told Drake, trying to get off of her grip.
Drake ended up sighing, trying to maintain her cool. This had been an hard day for her. "Listen girl. That spunk of yours, it suits you. I like it. Reminds me of my younger years." The pirate woman told Nala. "But right now, that spunk has transformed into foolery. You are not behaving has some courageous and bold girl but instead as a brash and idiotic brat." Drake told the cold truth Nala needed to hear.
"S-Shut up!" Nala responded, trying to break Drake's grip.
"No! You are the one that needs to stay quiet and listen!" Drake said. She wouldn't be letting someone of her crew, specially a kid like Nala, to go away doing something reckless. "As captain of this crew, I promise with my own words that we will take Ritsuka and Peko back! If we could do it right now, we would! But the ship is in no state to go on another fight at the moment."
Mash approached the two. "Also your body has been injured and still needs time to heal. Going after Blackbeard as we are now would be suicide. Specially for you Nala." She said to the girl.
Nala stopped trying to struggle. "They are right. As I stand now I...I can't..." Mary's words echoed on her mind. "I can't do nothing!" Realizing how powerless Nala was in this situation, she just gave up in trying to leave and accepted the current status.
Mash put an hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Nala. We will get them back."
"Your brother may have sacrificed his life to save me." The sound of Euryale's voice appeard as she and Asterios walked into the deck. The big minotaur servant was also healing from his injuries.
"Euryale-san." Mash called the goddess's name, seeing her and Asterios walking torwards them.
Euryale seemed discontent with the situation. "Honestly, what an idiot." She said.
Perhaps it was due how desmissive she sounded and looked or the way she saw Peko's valiant act to save her, Nala's blood definetly boiled as she heard that. "What did you said?" She asked to Euryale, coldly.
"I'm saying that he was an idiot for having saved me" Euryale responded. "I didn't-"
Nala did not hesitated and immediatly grabbed Euryale by the collar, staring pissed at the goddess. "My brother saved you you ungrateful bastard!"
"And I didn't asked for it!" Euryale replied back. "He could have stood in his place and right now he and the other one would still be here! Your stupid brother's act was what made him get caught in the first place!"
Nala swared she was close to start punching Euryale in the face. "You damn-"
Asterios got in the middle of the two girls. "No fight...please..." He said in a tired tone. He wasn't doing this to protect Euryale but more so to prevent the two girls from fighting.
Nala wouldn't have stopped but when she saw the injuries and bandages on Asterios body, she comprehended that more drama and conflict wasn't what they needed at this moment. Slashing at Euryale wouldn't better the things, not even for Nala herself. They were all tired. And so, Nala let go of her grasp on the goddess.
"Hmphm! Idiot..." Euryale whispered to herself as she passed her hand on her clothes, cleaning herself. "Why would he have done such thing?"
"Because Peko is a good person." Mash responded to Euryale stepping up to Nala's side. "He and master are people with good heart. They would save anyone no matter if the person being saved asked for it or not. So please refrain from calling people like them stupid. They are anything but that." She speaked to Euryale in a serious tone, defending both Ritsuka and Peko in their absence. The two were kind people and Mash wouldn't tolerate such slander.
"I see..." Euryale said after hearing Mash's response, deciding to walk away. Inside her own head, Euryale was left thinking on how could such people exist and if there was something wrong with her behaviour. "Humans really are something..."
"Sorry..." Asterios excused to both Mash and Nala, feeling sad for Nala's anger and frustration. "Me...tried...best to...rescue...friends.."
"I know." Mash said with a small smile. "Now go get some rest Asterios-san."
The minotaur servant nodded before walking away with Euryale.
"We will port on the next island we see and get materials from there to repair the ship." Drake said before passing besides the two girls. "You should also get some sleep. It may help a bit."
Mash nodded. "Understood captain."
With the answer given, Drake walked out of the ship's deck, picking up a drunken Bombe along the way.
Now only Mash and Nala were on the deck. Or so that was what Mash tought.
"Fou." Fou walked in, joining the duo.
Mash looked to the creature on the ground. "It was a hard day, wasn't it Fou?"
"Fou fu..." The animal responded.
Mash sighed. "What are we going to do-!"
Completly unexpected, Mash felt a tight hug from Nala as the younger girl pressed her face against the shielder's chest. "N-Nala?"
"I-I want them back..." A soft sobbed crying came from Nala's voice. "Peko...Ritsuka..." Tears fell from the girl eyes, running down on her chin. "M-My parents...I want them all back Mash..." Nala said with a stuttering voice.
Mash's heart felt broken at seeing such thing. Nala was in a sobbing mess. It was unexpected for the shielder to see the girl in such state. She could even fell Nala's tears colliding and soaking her chest. All the crying, despair, anger, frustration and anxiety of Nala's action since she woke up...Mash could understand them. She hugged Nala in reaction.
"And we will Nala." Mash comforted the younger girl. "I'll make sure of that." She said. "Even if it's the last thing I do." Mash declared to herself as she would let Nala continue crying close to her. Mash knew perfectly how Nala felt. She also wanted to yell, punch something and curse in anger. Cry and sob in sadness. Let herself fall into dispair and hopelessness. However, as the grown up of the two, she couldn't do it.
She had to remain calm and composed in situations like these. She trained many years on Chaldea for that. For missions that could go wrong and would require a lot of control under pressure or stress. Even if Ritsuka had lately became a dear person to her as well as Peko, Mash had to keep her cool in the moment for Nala's sake. If both lost their composure now, then this Singularity would get further from being solved.
Just like Peko was worried for his sister back in France, now it was Nala who was worried with her brother. So much that she was now crying in front of Mash for the first time. And so, the demi-servant had to act strong and be there for her, just how Ritsuka and she were also for Peko in the first Singularity.
"Fou..." Fou leaned himself to the girls legs, also showing his compassion and solidarity.
Mash hugged Nala a bit closer as the girl continued crying. "We will find them no matter what." She then looked upwards to the nightsky. "Senpai. Peko. Wherever you are, hang in there! We will save you!"
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 OST- Where We Used To Be
"The moon up close is really something else, don't you think?"
"Is it true that there lives a man in the moon dad?"
Peko asked to the man next to him who sat between Peko and Nala. The three were sitting at the edge of a wodden dock that was attached to a floating piece of land full of grass, a tree of autumn leaves and a red farol at the end of it. The trio stared at the giant white moon in front of them as the small floating island was located in the middle of the clouds, navigating across the dark blue sky.
"Who knows? Also where did you heard that?" The dad asked him.
Nala however responded in her brother's place. "Is it from the same book about some vampire like people living on a red moon?"
"Hey there, you two are still too young to read and comprehend those books." Their dad told them. "You should be studying and reading math books instead."
"But those are so booooring." Nala protested, causing her dad to cackle.
"Please, don't tell me you have been sleeping on the classes."
"O-Of course not! I make sure to take appointments of everything that is on the board!" Nala replied, fumbling a little in her words.
"I sure bet you do." Peko murmured before thinking in something and moving his eyes to look at his dad face. "Hey dad, since you already told us what stars are then what exaclty are constellations?"
Nala also got curious with that. "Oh yeah! What are them dad? I wanna know!"
The man painly rubbed his head and sighed. "Why did I had to have such curious kids who want to know all?" He said in a tiresome tone before thinking in some explanation to give. "Well hum...you see, constellations are a conjuct of stars-"
"We know that." Nala said, interrupting their dad.
"Please allow me to finish." The dad told her. "The constellations are a representation of family. It happens when a star, the symbol of a individual's dreams, joins to other stars, with each specific star in a constellation representing a member of the family."
Both Peko and Nala were intrigued by the explanation and concept.
"Wow, is it true dad?"
Their dad nodded his head with reassurence. "Yep! Flawlessly true."
"That's cool!" Peko said with a smile before turning around and looking at the sky. He tried to find his family's constellation but it was nowhere to be seen. The moon shined so brightly that there was barely any star present. He got dissapointed. "If only we could see it now."
His dad however grabbed his head. "You sure you aren't looking well enough?" He said as he pointed his finger to an area above the moon and behind a cloud curtain that slowly started to move. "There it is, see?" The dad said as he made sure both Peko and Nala were looking at the same place.
With the clouds there moving away, the two kids were able to see a group of four stars together.
"I see!" Peko exclaimed. There it was their constellation with his, Nala's, dad's and mom's stars forming it.
"Pretty nice. Don't you think?" The dad asked them.
"Yeah. It sure is cool." Nala responded.
Just as they were contemplating the constellation, a voice came from the door of the farol. "The dinner is ready! Time to go back inside!" It was the voice of Peko and Nala's mom.
Hearing that, the dad started to get up. "We should go then. Everyone else must be waiting for us." He then looked to his two kids. "Let's go."
"Yes dad." Nala responded as she also got up and started to follow him torwards the farol.
Peko did the same, following right behind his sister as they walked on a dirt path that would lead to the farol's entrance. Along the way, Peko would look at the small garden next to the tree full of flowers with to swings attached to the tree branches. There was also a wodden table with five chairs to the other side of the path. As Peko continued to walk, he looked at something that always caught his attention while passing right next to it.
"What?!"
Peko's eyes widened in shock as he realized what he was looking at. A painting. A painting of a duck.
"I-Is that one from the painter!"
Peko asked to himself as he continue to stare at the canvas.
"But how could it be here-"
"Peko..."
Peko moved his head as he heard the voice of his dad, standing alone at the farol's entrance, with no sign of Nala and his mom around. The boy started to wonder if what he was experiencing was a lost memory or a dream. Perhaps both. The dad reached out his arm to Peko who was still in the same place. A dreadful silence was now with the air alongside an awful and strange quietude.
"D-Dad?" Peko took a step back, doubting now if the man infront of him was his father or not.
The moonlight begun to dissapear and the sky started to turn into deeper tones of black. As for the man that was supposed to be Peko's dad, he stood still and in a distorted and echoed voice, told to the boy:
"Wake up."
Abruptly waking up, Peko's eyes immedialy vizualised the deck of a ship in front of him. However, it wasn't the deck of Drake's ship.
"Where am I?" Peko wondered as he tried to move his body. However, it appeard to be stucked, Looking down, Peko saw that he had been tied to the ship's mast with rope. Then he started to remember what happened. "Crap! I was captured by Blackbeard and his crew!" He recalled pushing Euryale out of the way as a net was about to catch her, being the one getting caught instead. He was then picked up by the Blackbeard's servants as one of them made a hole on Drake's ship and brought to Blackbeard's side. "Shortly after that, I think I passed out..."
Altough dissapointed by having been captured, Peko was also a bit happy for knowing that Blackbeard wasn't able to take Euryale due to his act of heroism. The boy was sure that's how Ritsuka would do in the same situation. He tought what Ritsuka would say to him if Peko hadn't been captured. Well, for his surprise, Peko didn't had to ponder that much as he saw Ritsuka tied to the mast right next to him unconscious.
"R-Ritsuka?!" Peko exclaimed in shock. "He was captured too?!" He tried to wake up his friend. "Ritsuka! Ritsuka wake up!"
Peko was successful as the older boy slowly opened his eyes. "Gngh...P-Peko? Is that you?" Ritsuka moved his head as his vision started clear up, seeing the setting around him.
"Yes it's me." Peko answered. "Are you alright Ritsuka?"
"Hmm, I think I am." He responded, fully awake now. "That explosion caught me off guard-" Ritsuka tried to move his body only to found out he was also tied. "Well, this ain't good."
"Really isn't." Peko said, moving his body a bit to test the ropes. "What pirates normally do to hostages?"
"Humm, if we are talking about ones like Blackbeard...Not pretty stuff." Ritsuka said, causing Peko to gulp.
"Then we better get out of this before he and his crew arrive." Peko said, noticing how there was no one on the deck besides the two.
But Ritsuka found that would still be a problem. "Even if we do, we are in the middle of of the ocean. So there isn't a place were we could run to exactly."
"That's right sadly." Peko said. "How did you end up getting captured?"
"I tried to take you out of the net before one of Blackbeard's servants exploded the ship wich knocked me out." Ritsuka explained. "That must have been when they took me alongside you."
Peko tought about how the last thing he saw was the flames on Drake's ship as the Blackbeard crew was ready to leave before going unconscious. "Hope that they are alive. That Nala, Mash, Drake and the rest are okay."
"They must be." Ritsuka reassured him. "Blackbeard needs Euryale for that plan of his. So I bet he wouldn't have decided to sink Drake's ship with her on board."
"Yeah. That makes sense." Peko told him.
"The fact Euryale wasn't also caught is because of you. You did well saving her Peko." Ritsuka congratulated the boy, making him blush a bit.
"I-It was nothing special really. I acted fast and did what I tought was the best thing to do in that moment." He said, moving his head away a little. "Blackbeard can't have her by any means!"
"True. And we also know he has the grail of this Singularity. So that ends with the speculation of where it might be." Ritsuka said, bringing the fact they now know Blackbeard was the current owner of the second grail and the one they needed to solve this Singularity.
"But that also makes me questions what is the ark then. If it isn't something related with the Holy Grail, then what could it be?" Peko talked about the subject of the ark that was revealed to them Initially by Euryale and that Blackbeard seemed to be after that.
"Hmm, that's a good question. It may be just a pirate treasure-"
"Hey cap'n!" A random pirate that walked into the deck noticed the two boys chatting with each other. "The prisoners have finally woke up!" He shouted while running to a door of a cabine. Not only that but from beneath the deck and doors of the ship's many rooms, several pirates came out, with greedy and nefarious smile as they look at their captives. They all formed a circle around the mast, focusing on Ritsuka and Peko.
"Looks like we are the center of attention now." Ritsuka murmured to Peko.
"And it doesn't seem like a good thing now." Peko replied back.
From the first floor of the ship, one of the cabine door's opened and from it came Blackbeard, looking as happy as ever. "Ahooy my fellow weebs! I tought you guys would never wake up man!"
"D-Did he just called us weebs?" Ritsuka stared confused at Blackbeard, wondering why in the hell he would great his captives like that.
Peko was as confused but for different reasons. "What is a 'weeb' Ritsuka? Is that part of the pirate slang?"
"I think you don't need to know." Ritsuka responded, knowing that it wouldn't be very useful to try and explain something that was completely unknown to Peko.
Blackbeard continued to talk as he walked down the stairs. "And now that ye two landlubbers aren't sleeping anymore, you'll give me what I want." The pirate said that last part menacingly.
"And what do you want from us?" Ritsuka asked him.
"Ohoh. I think I don't need to be any clearer with ye." Blakcbeard approached the two boys, with a hand behind his back. "Do tell everything about the ark, and I spare ye of walking the plank!" He revealed to the duo.
Ritsuka chuckled in return. "Good luck with that man. We don't know where it is."
"Heh. I expected that you two wouldn't give in that easily already." Blackbeard slowly took his hand out of the back. "But, will ye two scallywags refuse to cooperate when you see this?"
"Hm!" Ritsuka prepared for whatever weapon Blackeard was about to pull on him to treathen the master of humanity. His gaze got serious as his and Peko's position was about to be in danger.
Peko could aslo tell that whatever Blackbeard had in his hand, it couldn't be something good. "But we really don't know anything about that ark! It's pointless to-"
"Here!" Blackbeard exclaimed as he revealed the object hidden behind his back.
"...Is that...an anime figure?" Ritsuka was perplexed to what Blackbeard was showing him right in front of his face. What he originally tought it was a knife or something of that type, the pirate captain instead showed them a figure of some random anime girl. "How the hell he got that?"
"Not just any anime figure! This is the limited edition of the character Miko Mina from the SpaceStars MechaV7: A Parallel Universe Series!" Blackbeard said with a proud knowledge of someone who was aware of what they were talking about like some kind of experienced veteran.
Peko just sweated bit, not understanding even a word of what Blackbeard just said. "W-What?"
Ritsuka on the other hand seemed way more intrested. "No way! You saw SpaceStars Mecha!? And they made a SEVENTH version of that?! I only knew five!"
Blackbeard made a goofy smile. "Blimey! I see you are a man of culture my friend!"
Ritsuka's enthusiasm suddenly vanished. "Oh my, he really says these things unironically."
Peko still wasn't getting anything of the conversation. "Um, excuse me, can somebody fill me in on what the heck you're talking about?"
"What is your favourite version?" Blackbeard asked to Ritsuka, totally ignoring Peko's question.
Ritsuka did the same. "The original is very good and still stands very well to this day. But man version three was quite a blast if you ask me. It had everything!"
"Oh?! SpaceStars MechaV3: Belt in the Cosmos Series?!" Blackbeard exclaimed again.
"Yeah that one!" Ritsuka replied. It felt nice talking with someone that had the same likes.
Peko was starting to get a bit annoyed of it. "Can we just-"
"I have to say, that is a close second for me but not my favourite one." Blackbeard continued his talk with Ritsuka.
"They are ghosting me at this point!" Peko exclaimed internaly.
"Oh really? So what's the best one to you?" Ritsuka asked curious.
"It's version five. Magical Journey on the Deity Kingdoms." Blackbeard responded.
Ritsuka got dissapointed with the answer. "It's shit in my opinion. Worst part of the series that made me drop it."
Blackbeard's face was of instant shock and indignation. "How dare you say that?!"
"Look dude, it's just facts. Inferior characters, battles, antagonist, animation and soundtrack overall. It's bad." Ritsuka said, not caring for the poor feelings of Blackbeard.
"T-That is not true! You are another guy who jumped in the hate bandwagon! You say that because the normies in the fandom think it's cool to dislike it!" Blackbeard shouted while crying. "It has the best waifus of the frachise so I won't tolerate any slander of it!"
Peko by this time wished he did not had ears. "Please stop talking you two..."
"Now it makes sense why you say that is your favourite version. You only like it because it has your waifus in there!" Ritsuka called the pirate out. "You probably didn't even cared to how dirty they did the mechas in that version!"
"The studio and creator was trying something new!" Blackbeard tried to justify. "You just hate innovation for god's sake! And I swear that even if you didn't enjoyed version five, the next two are absolute bangers! I promise dude!"
Feeling that he wouldn't be able to convince Blackbeard on changing from opinion, Ritsuka decided to stop arguing. "Look, let's just agree to disagree. Okay?"
"Aye." Blackbeard said, calming down. "Seems fair."
Peko let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god."
"Hey you perverted captain! You should be roughing them up for answers we need. Not discussing whatever bullshit you are into!" A voice came from the second floor of the ship, revealing to be the servant Anne who was next to the other servant Mary.
"Ye don't tell me what likes and hobbies I should have as well as what I should do with MINE hostages!" Blackbeard responded with a mean demeanor.
"Sincerely, you are probably the worst pirate I've ever heard of..." Mary said in painful lament.
Anne looked at someone that was sitting with his back against the ship's border. "And you there! You're just gonna watch your captain acting like an idiot instead?"
The man Anne talked to, was the spearman servant who was just enjoying the situation while peacefully relaxing. "Yep. This old man is a bit tired to do anything else right now. Besides, it his quite the fun show. Don't ya two ladies agree?"
"He really likes to be lazy huh?" Anne said, sad that the spearman decided to just stay on the sidelines here.
"At least his combat skills are great." Mary replied. "It makes up for the rest."
"So the Blackbeard servants are all here." Peko told Ritsuka as the two were able to see the three servants.
However, there was still one missing. And Ritsuka knew it. "Wich means..."
Loud and heavy footsteps made the ground slightly shake as in the middle of the crowd of pirates, Eric the Bloodaxe King approached the mast to look at Ritsuka and Peko. And he didn't looked very friendly.
"I know you and Eric here already know each other." Blackbeard said.
"Y-Yeah. We have a sort of a story by now." Peko said, remembering how the first encounter with this Berserker servant went and how it ended.
"Anyways, that chit chat of yours has had enough." Anne said as she approached the mast alongside Mary. "Now start making the real questions, will ya?" She speaked to Blackbeard.
The captain put on a serious face. "Of course. How could have I let myself forgot about it?"
Anne nodded her head. "Glad to see you at least acknowledge that."
Blackbeard then turned his head to look at Ritsuka and pointed a finger at him. "Hey you..." Blackbeard said coldly.
"Guess he's going to return to the questions about the ark again." Ritsuka said internaly.
"Wasn't he listening us when we told him we know nothing about the ark?" Peko also speaked to his own mind.
Now the two awaited nervously as it was clear that Blackbeard much likely would start doing the real questions. The ones that were worth the time and the reason the crew had decided to make the two boys hostages.
"...what is your favourite type of waifu?" Blackbeard asked.
"Pfffffffffffffffffffffffffff!" Anne couldn't believed on what her captain had just asked.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT KIND OF QUESTION?!"
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT KIND OF QUESTION?!"
It was amazing how Blackbeard would still fool both Ritsuka and Peko without even having the intention of fooling them. He was just that way.
"C'mon dude. I wanna know what's your type." Blackbeard said with a smile to Ritsuka. "Don't be timid. I won't judge. Do you like Mifls? Tsunderes? Yanderes? Kunderes?"
Despite Ritsuka, Peko, Anne and Mary dissapointment and overall shock on Blackbeard, the rest of his crew seemed very supportive.
"That's our cap'n! Always making the important questions!"
"You're such a great man for asking that captain! I'll follow ye to the ends of the earth!"
"There's no one like our captain!"
"This is why we follow you cap'n!"
Mary slapped her face. "Gosh all of them are idiots..."
"Who knew the crew could be so alike with their captain?" Peko said with a sheepish smile. "Now it makes sense how this man has even a crew to start with."
"Wait wait wait! Are you really asking me this now?" Ritsuka asked to Blackbeard, still in disbilief.
"Yeah I am." Blackbeard responded with sincerity.
"Then what if I refuse?" Ritsuka said, trying to see if this question could be skipped.
"Then we have nothing to do but sing 'What Should We Do With A Drunken Sailor' as we consider throwing you two to the sea and become shark food." Blackbeard said normally altough it was clear that what he said was a threat. "So, it's either answering the question or the plank, savvy?"
Anne was behind Blackbeard, doing gestures to Ritsuka. "Please do what he says! His singing his horrible!"
Thinking that Anne much probably was right, Ritsuka gave in. "Alright. I'll answer it."
Blackbeard jumped in happiness. "Hooray! That's the spirit kid! Now tell me, what is your favourite waifu?"
In that moment, not only Blackbeard and his entire crew stared at Ritsuka silently, waiting patiently for his answer. Such eyes looking at him was making Ritsuka a bit nervous however.
"Dammnit! What do I even respond to this?" Ritsuka tought about all the animes and manga he has consumed in his life already before going to Chaldea. "Now how many of those character fit into each stereotype? Hmmm, think Ritsuka think. If I take too long to respond they'll probably kill us!" As Ritsuka's brain worked to reach a conclusion, he found a solution. "Yes! I'll respond with that!"
Meanwhile, Peko was staring at the floor, asking to himself what Milfs, Tsunderes and etc were.
"My favourite type of waifu..." Ritsuka was about to declare his answer, making everyone pay attention. "...is that I don't have a specific one! All are good!"
"Man what a controversial take."
"Did he seriously decided to go with that?"
"That is quite the bold claim."
Despite the muttering of the pirates from the crew, Blackbeard's reaction was a tad different. "Dude..." He said with a straight face to Ritsuka, before some tears started to slowly fall from his eyes. "That was, the most beautiful and based take I've ever heard. Never I tought that such option could be possible." He started to brush his tears aside. "You are truly a young man of great wisdom bwahahaha!"
Ritsuka moved an eyebrow while smiling nervously. "T-Thanks I guess!"
Anne shoved Blackbeard away, standing in the middle of him and the mast. "Now that this is already over, can we finally ask them about that damn ark?"
"Nope!" Blackbeard responded, raising his finger. "The little one has to respond as well." He said, looking at Peko.
"Me?" Peko reacted with shock.
"Hey look, he barely knows anything about what we were just talking." Ritsuka told the pirate. "You would only waste time."
"I agree with him captain." Mary said to Blackbeard, who choosed to ignore.
"Nonsense! At that kid's age I...still wasn't a certified weeb but some start earlier than others!" Blackbeard told them.
"And what should I exaclty respond?" Peko say confused.
"Nothing Peko! Just ignore the guy." Ritsuka said to his friend.
"Ignore and you'll walk the plank!" Blackbeard threatned.
"Jesus dude! Do you care that much about other people's opinion on anime?!" Ritsuka questioned the pirate.
"Yes! I partially do!" Blackbeard responded with honesty. Funny, considering he was a pirate.
"You really should put your priorities straight..." Mary murmured.
Anne however started to think otherwise. "Hmm, but seeing how that boy is quite cute and also has white hair, he'd surely be great for you, don't ya think?" Anne teased her partner.
"Please shut up..." Mary speaked with some annoyance.
Peko was getting nervous as now all the focus of Blackbeard and his crew shifted to him. The boy even looked at Ritsuka for some help. "What should I answer Ritsuka?"
"I don't-"
"Shut it! No helps available!" Blackbeard told Ritsuka, wanting to hear Peko's taste of anime girl without someone else helping him. "Now kid, embrace your inner otaku and tell me your favourite type of waifu."
Peko moved his eyes, looking at everywhere as he tried to think on a reply. "I hummmm...don't know exactly. Someone around my age and height?" He responded, not being very sure if that would be a validate answer.
"Aha!" Blackbeard pointed his finger to Peko, almost like an accusation. "So your favourite type are lolis!"
"What the hell is even a loli!?" Peko shouted, having already enough of hearing such non sense in a short time period.
"Once again Peko, you are better off by not knowing now." Ritsuka sigh.
Anne poked Mary in the arm. "Hehe, looks like you have a chance."
"That's not funny at all y'know?" Mary replied again with bothersome.
"Well, with that out of the way. I guess it's time I ask about the ark." Blackbeard said after clearing his throat.
Both Anne and Mary felt relieved.
"It was about time!" Anne said.
"I agree. We wasted too much time by now." Blackbeard told her.
"You're the one who has been delaying it..." Anne muttered.
Blackbeard looked to Ritsuka and Peko. "So, my fellow mens of culture."
"I wished you stopped saying that." Ritsuka showed his displeasure in being called a 'man of culture'.
"Will you kindly tell to this pirate and the rest of me crew where does the ark reside-"
"We don't know." Peko responded, cutting Blackbeard.
"What?" The pirate captain reacted dumbfounded.
"He's saying the truth." Ritsuka backed up Peko. "We literally only discovered about the ark's existence minutes before you arrived and captured us." Ritsuka told them.
Blackbeard put his hands to his head. "Gaaah! Does this means we captured you and made all this random interrogation for nothing?!"
"We warned you." Peko cooed while looking to the side.
"Good. Now all of this was a waste of time!" Anne slapped Blackbeard. "You really are a captain genius!"
"Hey now woman! Not everything was useless!" Blackbeard said before doing a smile. "I got new friends. And that's the most important treasure of all." He said, before thinking better on the substance of that line. "...Actually that sounds extremely corny. Even more coming from someone like me. Forget that part."
"So what do we do with them now? Kill them?" Mary debated what would be of both their hostages fate now that it was revealed they weren't that useful for them.
"Hmm. That's a possibility." Blackbeard put a finger under his chin. "They don't know the location of the ark just like us."
The spearman decided to speak after a longtime of just watching. "What if it's on that islands we went to some days ago?"
"And go back to face that sea creature thing again!? Are you mad man!?" Blackbeard shouted to the servant.
"Just giving suggestions." The spearman replied calmly. "Also I don't think we should kill them. This old man thinks they do seem fun people to be around with. So let's just spare them." He said with a smile.
"Hmm now that I think, they can have other purposes to us." Anne said. "Some sort of bait for Captain Drake and her crew."
Mary tought otherwise. "We should dispose of them. Having those two hanging around will only make us Drake and her crew chase us wherever we go next."
Anne leaned over to her small friend. "Aww, but what about the white haired boy? Don't you-"
"Please Anne. Shut the hell up with that already." Mary was losing her patience with that sort of teasing.
"Okay okay I'll stop." Anne laughed.
Blackbeard however was now in a dillemma. "Hmmm, on one side, I don't want kill ye. But on the other, I'm not so sure." He said, showing his bracer with a blade. Now that was the sort of thing Ritsuka and Peko were waiting from Blackbeard since the beggining.
Peko saw that this time Blackbeard wasn't kidding anymore. "Ritsuka. Anything in mind?" Peko whispered to his friend.
"Still thinking about something." Ritsuka whispered back. "You?"
"I think I have a plan to keep us alive for now. Do you trust me?" Peko said to Ritsuka.
"I do." Ritsuka responded shortly.
With the confirmation, Peko decided to enact his plan. "Wait! Are you really thinking about killing me? Do you know who I am?"
Blackbeard was a bit surprised by Peko's raise in his voice tone. "Hum, a random white haired kid?"
"I'm more than that you idiot! I'm a prince of a very distant kingdom!" Peko told them, wich by what he knew about himself, wouldn't be exacly a lie. "And this person right next to me is my butler! So you'd be doing a big mistake by killing us!"
Blackbeard was quite intrested in what he had just heard. "Ohoh. A prince you say? But how can we know you are not lying?"
Peko remembered of the magic crest on his back. "I could show you if you freed us from these ropes."
"Good bluff kid. But we won't fall for it." Anne said.
"Yeah. And even if you were royals, there is no nation or piece of land besides the small islands in the ocean." Blackbeard said. "So keeping you would still be useless."
"Crap! They are clever!" Peko tought before looking at Ritsuka who was still thinking about a way to get out of this mess. "I hope you can come up with something better and fast Ritsuka!"
"Anyway, I guess this makes my choice clear, as much as it pains me." Blackbeard sighed, before giving a smile to the tied up duo. "It was fun talking with ye tw-"
"Do you want to see a magic trick?" Ritsuka said, caughting Blackbeard, Peko and everybody else off guard.
"What did you said?" Blackbeard asked him.
"If you wanted to see a magic trick." Ritsuka repeated. "I know quite a few you know?"
Anne just cackled. "Aww that's cute. You honeslty think that we are going to let you out of the ropes just to perform a magic tri-"
"Yeah I wanna see the magic trick." Blackbeard said, signaling to his men to untie Ritsuka and Peko to the mast, much to Anne's shock.
"WHAT THE HELL!?" She screamed. "You really want to give them a chance to escape just to hipothetically watch a damn magic trick?!"
"Jesus woman calm down yourself a little." Blackbeard told her. "Besides, if my fellow weeb's magic trick impresses me, they get to live. Otherwise..." Blackbeard said coldly as all the pirates of his crew took out his weapons. "It won't end pretty for you."
Ritsuka gulped at hearing this, the pressure of his and Peko's life now being felt in his chest and shoulders.
Peko put a hand on Ritsuka's back. "Take it easy. I trust in whatever trick you have Ritsuka."
Ritsuka nodded in response. "Thanks Peko." He then changed his attention to Blackbeard and his crew, showing them both his hands. "Are you seeing my two hands?"
Blackbeard nodded. "Yes we are."
"This is just stupid..." Mary commented.
"Are you seeing the thumb on my left hand?" Ritsuka said.
"Yes."
"Alright then see this." Ritsuka said as he put his right hand in front of his left hand.
Peko was watching, realizing that Ritsuka would try to do the thumb trick. Something he showed him and Nala already back at Chaldea. "Hum, really Ritsuka? I know I said I trusted in you but I doubt a simple trick like that will-"
Ritsuka then performed the magic trick and separated his thumb from the rest of his left hand. "Voilá!"
Blackbeard stood a good five seconds in silence, trying to understand what happen. "...OH MY GOD!" He screamed, alongside his crew.
"It's witchcraft! How was he able to do it?"
"That wasn't normal at all!"
"Just how skilled and powerful is this guy?"
"IT ACTUALLY WORKED!" Peko was amazed and astonished by seeing that Ritsuka's simple trick managed to get Blackbeard and his crew go completly flabbergasted.
"But all that he did was...separate the thumb from his hand..." Anne said, completly defeated by seeing how hopeless not only her captain but crew seemed to be.
The spearman just laughed. "Well guess there's people for everything."
After getting surprised by what it looked like to be such great trick, Blackbeard approached Ritsuka. "I was wrong about you. You aren't a weeb. You are the greatest weeb of them all. The way you pulled that jutsu was just...chef's kiss!"
Ritsuka wasn't sure of what to say to that. "Hehehe y-yeah I know. Glad you liked it. But now, are you going to let us live?" Ritsuka asked him.
"Yes of course! You guys deserve it! Welcome aboard to Queen Anne's Revenge!" Blackbeard said, welcoming them on his ship.
"Thank god! Nice job Ritsuka." Peko said as the two happily made an high five with each other.
"Unbelivable..." Mary said.
"That captain really is as dumb as it goes." Anne added. "We could be better off with those two dead."
The spearman just chuckled a bit. "Why ya two ladies are so worried about it? Even if that pair wanted to fight us, we are still four servants. So it isn't like they will be able to defeat all of us now that they're free. That would be incredibly reckless."
Anne tought about that. "Hmmm. Perhaps you are right. But we still need to keep an eye on them."
Meanwhile, as Blackbeard was giving his welcomes to the duo, an hologram image started to appear in the air. "R...Ritsuka...Pe..ko...Ca..n you two...hear me?" The image said as the word and trasnmission would come out static. But it was still enough for them to recognize the voice.
"Dr Romani!" Peko exclaimed, seein the hologramic image of Romani starting to get stable.
"Glad to see you two are still alive. Due to Blackbeard's grail interfearence it was hard to contact you." Romani informed.
"An enemy!" Blackbeard shouted. "How did you appeard out of nowhere?! Are you also into magic tricks?"
Anne drawn out her gun. "We must eliminate him as fast as possible before he can give information to other pirates!"
Romani saw that he made a miscalculation on contacting Ritsuka and Peko with the whole Blackbeard's crew watching. "Looks like I choose the worst time to do this! Also please put your weapon down! I'm afraid that- hey isn't that an action figure of Miko Mina from the Space Stars Mecha Series!?" Romani said amazed as he caught sight of Blackbeard's anime figure.
"Oh yes it is. Do you know the show?" Blackbeard asked the doctor, putting his guard down.
"Yes. Version five is my favourite." Romani told to the pirate who got incredibly surprised and amused at the same time.
"No way! It's mine too!" Blackbeard responded.
"Please not this again."
"Please not this again."
"Please not this again."
"Pease not this again."
Ritsuka,Peko,Anne and Mary all said collectively.
Romani and Blackbeard then continued their geek talk about the show, talking almost like if they weren't enemies.
"Do you know that they are already planning on doing the eight version?"
"No way! Really?" Romani said in surprise.
"Yep. And it's going to be a movie triology with the first movie scheduled to release next year." Blackbeard revealed to his fellow otaku person.
"Oh my god!" Romani said almost in ecstasy. "Ritsuka, Peko. We have to save the world as quick as possible. I need to see that movie!"
"Are you seriously prioritizing that now?" Ritsuka replied to the doctor.
"Don't talk to this normie idiot doctor!" Blackbeard said. "He told me he hates version five!"
"WHAT!?" Romani yelled in shock. "Ritsuka is that true? How can you?" He said in disgust.
"Look I already explained to Blackbeard why. Now can we leave that subject behind please?" Ritsuka said to the doctor, almost begging him to stop talking about anime stuff. It wasn't like he didn't enjoy it, but this situation wasn't the most proper to talk about it.
Romani however seemed against it. "No! You will explain to me bit by bit how you hate-gah!" Romani screamed in pain as Da Vinci came behind and punched him in the head.
"Have you forgotten about your priorities already?!" The italian inventor yelled at the doctor.
"Y-Yeah right. Sorry Leonardo. I let my otaku side take control over me." Romani apologized.
"Ritsuka. Peko. We are going to try pinpoint your location right now and pass it over the rest of the group." Da Vinci explained short before the image and sound of the hologram started to get static. "We...d..don't have...much time..."
"Tell Nala and Mash we are save for now!" Peko told her, taking the chance before the transmission could be cut.
"Un...understood..." Da Vinci responded.
"W..We will try...co..contact you on...an..another time..." Romani said as he went to type on his keyboard. "S..Stay safe..!" And after he speaked that, the hologram dissapeard, not being able to hold on against the grail's disturbance.
"Crap! Now they will know where we are!" Anne cursed. "We should have disposed of them when we had the chance captain!"
Despite that, Blackbeard didn't seemed very worried. "And lose the chance of having two new otaku friends?" He put his arms over Ritsuka and Peko's shoulders. "No thank you!" "Altough I admit I would have prefered those two girls over them."
"But I don't even know what an otaku is..." Peko said shyly to the pirate.
"No problem my friend!" Blackbeard said. "I'm willing to show you the world of geek culture as a veteran of it." He then stared at Ritsuka. "And you'll help me with it, won't you friend?"
"If we were under normal circumnstances perhaps." Ritsuka said. "Also I'm not exactly your frie-..." Ritsuka detected a smell to burden in the air. "What's this smell?"
Inside Blackbeard's room, flames could be visible as smoke would come out of it.
"Oh noooo! My servers!" Blackbeard shouted. "I forgot to do cable maintanence today!" He immediatly started to run torwards the room.
"Cable maintanence?" Ritsuka said confused. "What do you mean by that?"
"Oh that's right." Blackbeard stopped running for a second. "I forgot to tell you that I'm the owner of various pirate streaming sites of anime, did I?"
"You...own anime pirate sites?" Ritsuka said.
"Yes. Do you tought a pirate like me would only stay by the sea? Foolishness my otaku friend, ahaahaahahahaha!" Blackbeard laughed.
"But how is that even possible?" Ritsuka questioned, thinking that there should be no way of someone from centuries ago to have technology of modern times.
"Heh. I have my secret ways friend." Blackbeard chuckled as he mischievously touched his own beard. "Anyways, excuse me will I go extinguish the fires." The pirate said as he grabbed buckets of water. "Feel free to walk on the ship my friends!"
"He really thinks we are his friends eh?" Peko said. "What a weirdo..."
"At least we get to have more days to live until we find a way out of here or Drake and the rest reach us." Ritsuka replied. "Until then..." Ritsuka looked around to see the countless members of Blackbeard's crew and the servants. "We have to be careful."
Peko nodded. "Understood."
Drake ship had finally reached an island, with Drake herself, Mash, Nala, Euryale and Asterios going to explore the terrain for resources that could repair the Golden Hind.
They divided into two groups. Mash went with Drake while Nala went with Euryale and Asterios, wich only happened because of the goddess insisting in going with the girl, much to Nala's displeasure altough she didn't spoke about it. Now the trio were wandering in the forest with Nala at the front, slashing trees right and left to make way and gather material for the ship, with Asterios helping in carrying the fallen tree logs.
Euryale could tell that since last night Nala was with no disposition to talk. However the goddess wanted to ask her something since their little squabble of yesterday.
"You really are focused on cutting every tree on your way, aren't you?" She asked, noticing how Nala would slash agressively many trees on her way.
The white haired girl in response grunted lowly. "Any problem with that?"
Euryale raised both her hands defensively. "Oh no. I do not have it all. I just want to know what is fuelling all that strenght of yours."
"I think that is pretty obvious." Nala said before cutting another tree down. "Hmm, still not good..." Nala murmured as she looked to her own sword. "I need to do better than this!" She tightened her grip in it.
Euryale observed the other girl from behind. "Your brother is very important to you, isn't he?" She asked to Nala.
"Yes. That's go without a doubt." Nala responded. "Why are you asking me that?"
"Hmm, it's just how your sibling relationship works. That level of care...is reminds me a bit of me and my sisters." Euryale told.
Nala raised her eyebrow in confusion. "Care to elaborate?"
"Well altough it may not be on the same level of care as you and your brother, me and my sisters always loved one another. That concern of yours when you discovered your brother was in danger, it almost like mine when I saw my younger sister slowly develop into a monster." Euryale explained to Nala.
Nala didn't respond, being able to feel that what Euryale was saying was true.
"Me and my older sister may had always mock her from time to time. She was different from us two. The odd one. But we still cared for her." Euryale's mind started tk remember of her life in that island with her sisters. "When she eventually killed us, I could only think of what our life could have been if our younger sister wasn't different from us. Or if I cared more about her than toying with the humans that would come to our island."
"So her younger sister killed them? That must have been screwed up." Nala said to herself, a bit surprised by hearing the goddess and her sisters backstory.
"I may have been seen as a 'perfect idol' by many. But the fact I couldn't help our younger sister to avoid becoming in a monster in the end, made me see that perhaps I'm not so perfect after all and I still lack some concepts of sibling love." Euryale said. "That's why after that night, I couldn't help but feel a bit of empathy for you when you cried for your brother. That was the biggest sign of sibling love that I have ever seen in my life." Euryale looked to the side with sadness on her face. "I wished me and my sisters could have that same type of love before everything collapsed."
"You..." Nala felt touched by the goddess words.
"Meeting Asterios may be my first step to it." She said looking back ath the giant servant. "I think it's the first time I ever had a friend."
Asterios smiled to Euryale. "Glad to be...friend's...first...friend."
"So even if I dislike you, I think we should stop with these squabbles and set our differences aside to look for your brother and your other friend." Euryale reached out her arm for Nala. "What do you say."
Nala ended up giving a smirk alongside a short chuckle. "Seems fine by me." She then shook hands with Euryale. "Nice to be in the same page for once."
"Same." Euryale replied before looking at something behind Nala. "Oh look, I guess a coconnut fell off from the tree you just cut." She pointed at the fruit.
Nala turned around, spotting it in the middle of some bushes. "How did that escaped me?" She walked torwards it in order to grab it. The crew also needed some ration as well after many of it fell to the sea after the battle with Blackbeard. But as Nala picked the fruit and tried to take it our of the bushes, the coconnut seemed to be stuck. Nala made more effort on the pull but the coconnut continued locked on the bushes.
"Goddamn! Why I can't remove this!?" Nala said angrily, pulling the coconnut more agressively. "It can't be attached to something can it?"
"Need Asterios to help?" Euryale said, offering the assistance of the minotaur to Nala.
"No thanks!" Nala responded as she was about to pull the coconnut out of the bushes with all her strenght. "I...can...do it!" Going for a violent pull, Nala was finally able to take the fruit out of the bushes. But the coconnut wasn't the only thing that came out of it.
"Jeez! Alright alright! You can have that stupid fruit damnit!" Yelled a young man lying in the ground. He had short blond hair and green eyes. He was wearing a pretty white cloth with blue lines, a green and yellow tunic as well some golden rings and bracers on his arms and hands.
Nala was surprised by his sudden apparition. "Who the hell are you?"
To be continued...
And that's it for chapter 42! Lenghty chapter. Haven't wrote one like that in a while.
But it happened a lot of stuff and interaction wich explains the lenght of it. It was 50/50 on being angsty/serious and fun/comedic.
Also Ritsuka's favourite type of waifu here is equal to the one in the game. It can be everyone. Wich, stopping to think a bit, can you imagine if Ritsuka had actually a preference on waifus? Like one day he would wake up and say to all the servants in Chaldea. 'My favourite type of waifus are milfs'. All love intrests would start acting like milfs. 'My favourite type of waifus are tsunderes'. All love intrests would start acting like tsunderes. 'My favourite type of waifus are yanderes.' All love intrests would-...they actually do act kinda yanderish in the game already lol.
Or imagine the plot twist (and fanbase outrage) if at the end of everything, Ritsuka said: 'Ah now that the world is save I can go back to my girlfriend that I used to have way before this Chaldea and saving the world bullshit.'. Altough I think it would be funny, the thousands of people that would scream in anger with this would be absurd.
We also have more sneak peeps at Peko and Nala's past. (We have been having quite a lot of it in this Singualrity, haven't we?) And the appearence of everybody's favourite punching bag, Jason.
Anyways, with that said, see you next time on chapter 43! Peace!
P.S:
Seneca: Please Nero, stop acting so rudely and come back to be an emperor. The people need y-
Nero (As Draco in her finally ascension): Shut up geezer! I'm going to be a famous Rockstar now! Screw Rome!
(Seneca sighs): Whatever makes you happy my praetor...
(Romulus-Quirinus magically appears behind him)
Romulus-Quirinus: Then I shall consider all of rock music as Roma!
(Meanwhile Boudica is behind him, making a sign that rock music is no longer allowed in Chaldea)
