Hello everyone and welcome back to the start of chapter 72 of the story!

And it seems FGO decided to start the year heavy on the Samurai Remnant collab. Which makes me wonder how long this event was planned. Pretty sure the devs were already counting on a FGOXFSR event before the game had came out in September to fast forward only four months and already have a collab with FGO. Which is by no means bad. In the contrary, it's quite a great way to expand the popularity and notoriety of the most recent Fate IP as well as making more people wanting to try it out. Type-Moon played it smart here. (Now if only Strange Fake and Prototype could have those collab events as quick too...)

But with that said, on with the chapter!

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

Fate Grand Order OST- A Day of Raining Tears

January, 2004

"B...Butterfly! Butterfly!"

A toddler cheered happily as he watched a blue-winged butterfly lay down in the tree of his backyard.

"It's pretty! Very pretty!"

"Calm down kid. It's your first time seeing it or something?" An old man approached toddler, with a walking stick in hand. He already had an advance age, his sandals hitting the floor alongside the crane. A shaved bald head and wearing a black and yellow kimono.

"But it's pretty!" The toddler exclaimed in joy to the old man. "Pretty isn't it?"

"Yes, I suppose so." The old man responded, rubbing his own face. "Honestly, why do I give myself the poor task of looking after you when my legs can't barely stand on their own anymore?"

"Hehehe. Because you volunteered yourself in the first place." A young mature woman appeared on the small backyard's entrance, holding a wodden tray with food. "Deep down you care for that child." She had long dark hair tied into a side ponytail and blue eyes.

"Or maybe my mind as also deteriorated alongside my body." The old man responded, seeing the woman walk in. "Eitherway, I'm just fulfilling my role as a helpful neighbor. Even at the twilight of my life, I need to occupy my time doing something."

The woman giggled, putting the tray at a small table. "And I'm grateful for that. I don't know what would be of me without you to take care of my kid." She said, staring at her chield chasing after the butterfly that decided to fly from the tree into the flowers.

"I only wished that your boy wouldn't be so energetic." The old man told her, accepting a cup of tea from the woman's gentle act. "Making sure he doesn't get hurt while running around is quite stressful."

"I think there is nothing we can do about that. Which is fine by me." The woman responded, walking torwards her child, who noticed her coming.

"Mommy! Mommy! A butterfly!" Her son pointed at the insect before it flew away, going over the fence.

"Ah, that was a beautiful one my dear. But mommy has a way more amazing thing to show you." She told him, picking up her son, who looked at her with curiosity.

"What is it?"

Moving one of her arms while the other continue to grab on her son, the woman took out a thing from her pocket and show it to the child. It was the origami of a ladybug.

"Woah! An origami!" The kid grabbed it, looking intensely at it, smilling.

"Do you like it dear?" The woman asked him, to which he nodded his head.

"Very!" The child responded, before having is attention placed on an actual ladybug that landed on the origami version of it. "Oh?" The expressional features of the child slightly changed in surprise, with the real ladybug flying from the paper and landing shortly in his nose before flying away.

"Looks like it confused the origami with a relative." The woman joked, laughing alongside her soon.

"Hahaha! What a silly ladybug!" The kid replied.

"Nothing better than spend time with your own son, isn't it?" The old man asked, not being able to hide the small smile on his face.

"Yes. And I am blessed to have him." The woman warmly patted her son's head. "That despite of everything bad in my life, I was capable to have a healthy, happy and beautiful child." She hold him closely to her. "As a mother, I wouldn't ask for anything else."

"I see..." The old man replied.

"So, how about we lunch now? I also made food for you so you can stay here a little longer." The woman offered him an invitation to lunch. One that the old man didn't refused.

"I accept your humbleness." The old man responded, with the two about to walk inside the house while the woman still carried her child. But as they we're on their way to enter...

*THUNDER*

A loud and piercing rumbling sound roared from the skies with strong white flashes that illuminated everything around accompanying it. It only lasted for a brief second. But it was so sudden, so bizarre, so swift and unexpected that it had left them paralyzed in shock, unable to comprehend the strange occurence or what they saw and heard was just an hallucination while crows and other birds flew away from their trees, shakened by the violent sound and flash.

"W-What...what was that?" The woman asked to herself, deeply disturb as well. There was no single thunder clouds on the sky. The day was normal with a sun and blue sky as before. Which made her question: "Where did those thunder noises came from?"

"Ngh...ghng..!"

Turning around, the woman saw the old man leaning against the exit of the backyard. His hand tightly grabbed onto his chest and his face sweating a lot while panting harshly.

" !" The woman went hurridly next to him, extremely worried for the old man's condition. "Are you feeling alright?! I'll grab your meds righ-"

"No." The old man told her. "There is...no need for that." He said, apparently having overcomed the pain on his chest. "It was just a scare. Nothing to worry about. I am fine."

"You shouldn't lie like that ! Not when your heart is at risk!" The woman reprimanded him.

"My heart is good, thank you. You really have to care about the others condition, don't you?" The old man replied.

"As if that is a bad thing. To look out for the people we care about." The woman responded.

"Please, spare me of that." The old man smiled, feeling like he shouldn't need others pity. "What I do wonder is...what exactly happened now? Where did all that noise and flashes came from?" He looked up to the sky.

"I have no idea as well." The woman also looked up.

"Hm, it baffles me how the kid didn't started crying." The old man pointed, staring at the kid's face who was still on his mother's arms. "Quite the contrary, he look to be as inquisitive as us. I wonder how he didn't got scared."

The kid kept looking up to the skies, amazed and confused at the same time. If anything he was more curious rather than frightened, wanting to know where did those flashes and loud bangs came from, and where did they went to once it was fastly over. Probably a memory that could hardly be called that at such early stage of his life, proceeding to grow up with almost no remembrance of this day. If anything, this event would just be a fleeting memory to this kid, letting the imagination fill the hazy gaps.

"Heh, that's because he is a brave and courageous kid that isn't afraid of anything." The mother hugged him closer in affection. "And I wouldn't want him any other way. Someone with a good heart like him will grow up to help many people in the future. Aren't you, Ritsuka?"

.

.

.

"Hmnnm...Hmmnghmm..."

"He's starting to wake up! Nurse Nig-"

"Okay! Don't get to near to the patient! Give him the appropriate space to breath and recover when waking up!"

"M-Mash..."

"I'm here master! I'm here!"

"Fou! Fou!"

"...What...Where...am I..?" With the light slowly invading his vision, Ritsuka's eyes begun to open, hearing the voices of Mash, Fou and of another person near him. Recovering his senses, Ritsuka woke up, feeling his back laying on a bed and seeing his servant and animal staring back at him. The light came from a lamp hanging above. It seemed they were inside a tent. "What happened exactly?"

"A cannonball struck you while we tried to escape from the battlefield. You got unconscious for three days." Mash explained the events that lead to the current situation of Ritsuka.

"Fou Fou!"

"Three days?!" Ritsuka exclaimed surprised, moving his left arm to the side. "That's a lot-...hm?" Feeling that his hand had touched something soft, Ritsuka rubbed his hand on it a bit, proceeding to slightly squish as well. "It's kinda cushy."

"I am glad to see you have made a successful and proceeding recovery." A woman voice sounded next to him, making Ritsuka turn his head to the side.

He saw a woman sitting next to his bed. Red eyes and a short tied soft pink hair. She was wearing an old red military uniform with black skirt and white boots and gloves, as well as a purse whose belt passed between her chest. A chest with boobs that were being accidentaly touched by Ritsuka's hand.

"A-AH! I'M SORRY!" Ritsuka immediatly removed his hand once he saw where it was located, abruptly getting his torso up from the bed. "I didn't know-nngh!" However, that decision and sudden movement made Ritsuka feel a sharp pain going inside his body, putting his hand against the abdomen.

"Don't move so agitatedly senpai!" Mash warned him, concerned. "You will reopen your wonds if you do!"

"Your companion is right! And I, as the Head Nurse of this camp, will do anything within my reach to make sure you follow the orders that are best for you!" The woman said determined, expressing her duty to have Ritsuka back in full health.

The master of humanity was a bit speechless by that. "Humm, thanks. Miss..."

"Nightingale." The woman introduced herself to him. "Florence Nightingale, at your service."

That name ring a bell inside Ritsuka's head. "Nightingale? Where have I heard it before?"

"She's the famous nurse known as the Angel of Crimea during the Crimea war master!" Mash exposed it. "An icon and figure to all the nurses as well as the mother of modern nursing thanks to her new methods and rules at the time."

"There! Thanks for reminding me Mash!" Ritsuka said, having remembered who the woman she was speaking to was. "Then I presume you were the one who treated my wounds while I was blacked out." He said, going back to speak with Nightingale.

"Why thanks. But I did nothing more than my job tasked me to." The nurse responded with composure, remaining serious. "Plus, I also had a little extra help from your friends."

"Good to know. I might could have died if it wasn't for you." Ritsuka thanked Mash and Fou.

"Heh, we are all just happy we didn't lost you in that moment master." Mash replied. "We got lucky in finding this camp and Nightingale at the time we did."

Not replying, Ritsuka instead looked around the tent, trying to find the other two members of the party. "Speaking of which, where is Peko and Nala? They should be here as well right?"

"O-Oh! They...Peko and Nala are outside helping the rest of the people of the camp." Mash responded, altough she seemed reluctant about it first.

"So they don't know I have woke up yet." Ritsuka pondered, about to get up from the bed. "We should tell them! They will certainly be happy about it."

"I-I think that should wait master." Mash responded, opposing it. "You still need to rest a bit."

"Why?" Ritsuka questioned, confused. "It ain't like my body will be doing a huge effort by just walking."

"Stay put!" Nightingale told him coldly, grabbing his wrist, ordering Ritsuka to stay on his bed. "Going outside at this moment can be dangerous as the camp is subject to be under attack at any time. And I don't want to suffer casualty because a person decided to go for a stroll and still not in perfect condition."

Staring at her eyes for a second, Ritsuka tried to convince Nightingale as well as Mash. "Look, I just want to see my two other friends. I understand your concern about my health but I think there is nothing wrong to just say 'hi' and make them see I am no longer unconscious." He said with sincerity.

Both Mash and Nightingale stared into each other, as if their eyes were communicating with one another. As some kind of awkward silence stood in the room for some seconds, the nurse let it go of Ritsuka's wrist. "Fine. You have my permission to exit the tent for now. But me and Miss Mash will be watching and accompanying you in the meantime as a precaution."

"Sweet!" Ritsuka said, getting up from the bed and putting his upper clothes back on, hiding the bandages on his body. He then walked torwards Mash. "Let's go see Peko and Nala now Mash!" Ritsuka said happily, about to head to the tent's exit.

"Hummm...About that, master..." Mash closed her hands together, looking a bit nervous.

"Yes? What is it Mash?" Ritsuka asked her, standing by the tent's exit.

"They are pretty much occupied with helping the camp restoring some buildings or handle supply, so it will be a bit hard to talk with them." Mash said, explaining that since the twins were quite busy right now, they could perhaps ignore Ritsuka.

"Ah, no problem! I am sure they'd still got a minute to spare." Ritsuka told the shielder, not feeling dispirited at all by that before exiting the tent. Coming outside, Ritsuka viewd the camp in front of him.

People working as soldiers, transporting items from left to right or going to a specific area they were assigned to. Some would eat food around a bonfire at the center, others would check out the weapons and ammunitions while some would see how the horses and other equipment were doing. There was also a few soldiers on top of the wodden improvised walls, acting as lookouts for any possible threat outside the camp. In short, it was fully operative.

"People around here seem quit busy." Ritsuka commented.

"War barely gives someone any rest. A cruel thing that the bodies of many have to endure." Nightingale replied, having come out of tent alongside Mash and Fou. "As a nurse, I have to guarantee that their struggle doesn't become too much to bare."

"Such words could only be fitting to come out of Florence Nightingale's mouth." Mash noted, appreciating Nightingale's care for the soldiers.

"Yeah." Ritsuka replied, shortly before spotting a lone soldier carrying a giant piece of cutten wood in front of him, clearly having difficulties in doing it alone.

"Ah, crap!" The soldier cursed, his fatigued arms having let the piece of wood fall to the ground.

"Hey, let me help." Ritsuka approached the soldier, grabbing the piece of wood.

"What?!" Nightingale shouted in indignation.

"But master! Your wounds!" Mash told him.

That didn't bothered Ritsuka however. "On three, okay?" He speaked to the soldier who nodded his head, grabbing the wood alongside Ritsuka. "One. Two. And..." Together, the two were able to rise the giant piece from the ground.

"T-Thank you." The soldier told to Ritsuka.

"Eh! No stress!" Ritsuka smiled to him. A smile that didn't last long as Nightingale immediatly approached him, taking out his hands from the piece of wood.

"What are you doing?!" She scolded Ritsuka while the soldier tried to continue his grip onto the piece, only to end up letting fall on the ground again, much to his dismay. "Do you know how reckless you were being to your body right now?!"

"E-Easy! I was just trying to help!" Ritsuka raised his hands, trying to explain himself to the nurse.

"By putting your patched body through physical work?! Have you lost your mind?" Nightingale protested, closing her face to him.

"It isn't like it would be that bad." Ritsuka told her.

"But I can tell you how bad it would be. Open wounds lead to infection! Infection that leads to disease! And diseases that get a chance to develop can cause huge consequences like the lose of a limb or organ failure! Which can ultimately lead to death!" Nightingale pointed out in her fingers, taking the topic extremely serious while Ritsuka just smiled and chuckled nervously.

"Please go easy on him Nightingale-san. My master can't help but to be like that." Mash approached the two, making the nurse sigh.

"Fine. But I won't allow you to do this a second time." Nightingale told Ritsuka, willing to ignore the imprudent action he just did. "Understood?"

"Crystal clear!" Ritsuka responded. "I have to make sure to not get on her bad side." A question then surged on his mind. "Say, since I've been knocked out for three days, what is actually happening here in America? Like, we are in the United States, aren't we?"

"Some type of war, master." Mash responded. "And as weird as it may sound, it's one between-"

"Enemies! Enemies!" The sudden shout from one of the lookouts got the entire camp's attention. "Enemies are coming to attack us from the south! Get your weapons ready!"

In no time, the area turn into a frenzy, with the soldiers running around to get in their positiong, grab the weapons and put up the defences.

"Hm! Quick Miss Mash!" Nightingale was fast to act. "Come with me to the camp's entrance! We have to protect them from the enemy forces!" She then turned to Ritsuka. "And you have to hide somewhere safe! Don't dare doing something rash!"

"I have to agree with Nightingale-san master! You aren't in good shape to participate in a fight! Let us take care of this!" Mash urged Ritsuka to stay behind as well. "Take Fou alongside you!"

The master of humanity complied, knowing that this would be the wisest decision. "Alright! Good luck Mash!"

Ritsuka sheltered himself on an improvised construction alongside Fou, but from a location where he could still view the location where the battle was about to happen.

"How many do you see approaching?" Nightingale asked to the lookout who had descended from his spot.

"At least a full battalion. I think we can hold them back on our own."

"I see. Still, let's not take any risks. Mr. Rush!" Nightingale called someone, which seconds later was answered by an older man coming in a rush torwards her.

"Yes Miss Nightingale?"

"Gather a group to watch over and protect the injured in the camp. Don't let the enemy dare to come close to them!" Nightingale ordered to the man who nodded to her.

"Understood Miss Nightingale!" replied, ending the conversation with the nurse to call some soldiers to help him.

"She talks like a true war veteran." Mash pointed, paying attention to Nightingale's skill to have her voice heard.

"They're getting closer!"

Nightingale took out the revolver from her holster, checking the bullets. "Miss Mash. Ready to defend the camp?"

Mash immediatly responded. "Ready for it, Nightingale-san!"

With the enemies on their doorstep, Mash and Nightingale charged against them alongside the soldier's of the camp, resisting against the assault of the opponent side. And Ritsuka was witnessing all of it. Mash was doing well for herself, but that he already knew that the Shielder could fight on her own. What surpised more the master of humanity, was how Nightingale fought. She could be a nurse, but had experience of that of a usual fighter, throwing punches and bullets with her revolver.

"It's almost hard to believe she's a nurse." Ritsuka commented to himself.

"Fou fou!"

With the fight going on, slowly but surely, the enemy's numbers were getting smaller, being overpowered by the camp's forces, but mostly to Mash and Nightingale. However, there was something that wasn't sitting quite right for Ritsuka. Something that was troubling him during the entirety of this battle. The more time it would pass, more he would question it.

"Why haven't Peko and Nala appeared to fight yet? They would help the camp as well, so why they aren't present there?" Ritsuka asked to himself, finding weird the complete lack of Peko and Nala from the fight. They weren't the type of people to just ignore a fight and the friends that were envolved in it. So why they were absent? Ritsuka still hadn't saw them today as well.

"Ah!" With a strong jab, Nightingale punched the skull of one of the few enemies remaining, with the rest going into retreat. The camp had succeded on resisting against its attackers. Much of it thanks to the nurse.

"We did it! We drove the enemy away!"

The soldiers laid off and celebrated for a moment, having winned this small battle. But Nightingale didn't do the same. Instead, she went to check on Mash.

"Got anything hurt?" The nurse asked to her.

"No. My body feels fine." Mash reassured to Nightingale who went to change her gaze to the soldiers. Fortunately, no casualities occured. Yet, some men got hurt bad.

"The same can't be said to some others sadly." Nightingale commented. "Soldiers! Well done defending our camp! But this isn't over yet! Go pick up those who are injured and get to have their wounds treated immediatly!" She commanded.

"YES MA'AM!" The soldiers that were in good condition begun aiding to those who were injured, with Nightingale wanting to prevent as much damage as possible.

"Hm? You over there! What are you doing?" The nurse asked to a soldier who was helping another one get back to the camp. "Can't you see you are bleeding from your arm?"

"Ah, this is just a minor cut Miss Nightingale." The soldier told her. "I am totally oka-"

"Do not lie to me!" Nightingale reprimaded him all of a sudden, making the soldier release a short yelp. "Even the most insignificant of injuries can still be prejudicial! Go back to the camp immediatly so that I can treat that already!"

"Y-Yes ma'am!"

Mash stared at Nightingale with a drop of sweat falling from her head. "She's very obsessive about her men's well being, isn't she?"

"Nice job Mash!" Ritsuka went torwards the Shielder, having left his hideout. "You too Nightingale! Those fighting moves were superb!"

"But I doubt this was the last of them. The enemy sending such small numbers seems rather foolished." Nightingale noted, tightening her gaze. "They must be up to something..."

"Speaking about that, those enemies looked unusual in an american scenario. Specially their clothes and weapons." Ritsuka talked about the appearence of the enemy troops that attacked the camp.

"And that fact is connected to the main anomaly of this Singularity master." Mash told him. "This is a war different from the ones in the United States history books."

"An irregular one that never happened eh?" Ritsuka crossed his arms. "Fitting for a Singularity. So, what is this 'war' about and between who?"

"For that, allow me to explain." The hologram of Romani appeared. "It's good to see you back and fine Fujimaru. Surviving a cannonball isn't for everyone."

"As well as it isn't being dropped in the middle of a battlefield." Ritsuka replied.

"Sorry for that mistake. We should have made a more thorough look of the area before having made the Rayshift." Romani apologized, knowing how bad he screwed up on the place for the team's Rayshift. It was lucky that Ritsuka and everyone else survived that. "That aside, let me tell you of this Singularity's situation. You are currently in the late stage of 18th century America. It was at this point that the United States got their independence recently. However, another war started right as the Independence War ended. The very one you are currently in."

"And what is this war about?" Ritsuka asked the doctor.

"As you may have heard before, the United States got a civil war almost a century later from the time period you are now. North versus South. Well, here's the thing. A civil war is happening right now, way before it was meant to happen. And it isn't even North versus South anymore but West versus East this time!" Romani revealed the huge error of this Singularity.

"So you're saying that an entire war got misplaced from its supposed time period and all messed up?" Ritsuka replied surprised.

"And that isn't even the craziest part about it." Romani told him.

Nightingale decided to speak that part to Ritsuka. "The American Civil War that you and I knew was americans against americans. This one, is americans against...celts."

"Say what?!" Ritsuka exclaimed, genuinely shocked. "Wait! Thinking about it, that explains the appearence of the people who attacked the camp. They weren't dressed nor looked like americans from this age at all."

"Indeed master. Nightingale explained to us the whole situation already." Mash told him. "Apparently the celts , which are the East side, have proclaimed themselves as the Celtic Empire, wishing to destroy and replace the entire nation of America, making this land into their new country. As for the West side, its composed of americans and territories that are trying to fight back against the Celtic Empire and guarantee the survival of the United States."

"Geez! That sounds quite like the fever dream." Ritsuka replied, finding the overall situation to be somewhat unreal if it wasn't a Singularity.

"At least we know who to side with here." Romani replied. "According to with what yu told us Miss Nightingale, the current situation of the war isn't to the West's favor right?"

"Yes unfortunately. We've been losing some of our forts and territories as of lste to the East and their strong warriors." Nightingale talked.

"Is it safe to assume those warriors you're referring to are servants?" Ritsuka asked to the nurse.

"Your assumption is correct. Majority of the Celtic Empire strenght comes from their servants that fight for the empire's cause." Nightingale confirmed.

"Then what about the West side? It must have its own servants to help fight back no?" Ritsuka made another question, thinking a war with only servants from one side was unbalanced.

"Yes. The West also have servants. I myself am one." Nightingale responded. "That information was already known by your friends."

"Forgot to tell you about that fact, master. Sorry." Mash said to Ritsuka.

"Meh, with the way she fights, it wouldn't be that hard to figure it out." Ritsuka replied, not letting that bother him. "At least it's a nice thing we already have a servant to help us here."

"And now we aim to also have the help of the other servants from the United Western States." Romani said.

"The what?" Ritsuka reacted confused.

"Oh, the name? That's how the West side calls themselves during the war." Romani explained.

"Since our goal is the same, we have a chance to allie to them and help them defeat the Celtic Empire." Mash speaked. "We already discussed with Nightingale-san about having a meeting with the leader of the West faction."

"Really?" Ritsuka replied.

"The trip to the temporary capital of the West as well as the headquarters of the West's leader takes a full day to reach there. But I suppose any kind of help would be fundamental to us, so I can guide you there to have a metting with him."

"That's quite the nice favour you are doing for us." Ritsuka told to the nurse.

"The stronger we can get, the faster we can end with this war and spare more bloodshed." Nightingale told him. "But we need to rest and treat the wounded first. After that, we can depart to the location."

"You heard her guys. Our objective is to have this West army aservants by our side to help us defeat the Celtic Empire and recover the grail." Romani told them. "I'll get more information about this here in Chaldea. Contact you later!"

"Wait doc-" And the hologram of Romani dissapeard right before Ritsuka could call him.

"Were you going to tell him something master?" Mash asked.

"Yeah." Ritsuka stared at the Shielder. "Say Mash, why haven't Peko and Nala appeared to help you fight? That isn't a thing for them to do." He told her, expressing his concern about the twins ausence.

"Hm?" Was Mash's reply, thinking she heard it wrong.

"Peko and Nala. Even if they were doing something, they should have stopped that the moment they heard the camp was under attack. Then why they didn't appeared?" Ritsuka explained again.

"I...I don't actually know." Mash replied, sounding oblivious. "Now that you mention it, it is indeed weird master."

"They should have-"

"That's because I instructed them with a previous task to defend the injured inside the camp should it be under attack." Nightingale interrupted Ritsuka, giving him the motive why nor Peko nor Nala where present in the battle. "They must have protected them while we were fighting here."

"That's what happened?" Ritsuka asked.

"Oh, sure! I forgot to mention that." Mash said immeidatly, corroborating what the nurse said. "Peko and Nala are surely with the wounded as we speak."

"Then let's meet with them there!" Ritsuka said.

"Wait a moment now." Nightingale told Ritsuka before he could walk away. "The battle has done some damage to the camp's wall. Think you can help the soldiers fix it?"

"Now?" Ritsuka replied, scratching his head, not really feeling like it.

"I think we have enough time to do it master." Mash said, thinking otherwise. "Peko and Nala won't go anywhere in the meantime. We can meet up with them later."

"Maybe..." Ritsuka said, shortlhy before seeing his hand being grabbed by Mash.

"Then let's help them! How about you Nightingale-san?" Mash asked to the nurse.

"Going to check on the wounded. I need to prevent any sickness from spreading here." Nightingale responded walking back into the camp. "I'll see you later."

Mash waved at the nurse. "Alright! See you later Nightingale-san!"

Some minutes passed, with Ritsuka and Mash aiding some soldiers repair the damages on the wall. it was almost fully fixed.

"Phew! Who knew such job could be tiring?" Ritsuka murmured, cleaning the drops of sweat from his forhead.

"Hammering down a nail really becomes kinda repetitive." Mash told him. "But I think it's fun to do other stuff besides fighting enemies."

A soldier approached them. "Hey. We appreciate your help but I think we can take it from here. Go relax somebit."

"You sure about it?" Ritsuka replied.

"Yeah. It's only some minor damages we have to resolve now. No big deal. You guys are dismissed." The soldier responded, giving them a chance to leave the task early.

Ritsuka seemed happy about it. "Sweet! Thank you very much!" He dropped his hammer on the ground, getting up. "We can finally meet up with Peko and Nala! Want to go Mash?"

"H-Hum...Thank you but I'll have to refuse it master." Mash responded. "I'll stay here helping the soldiers repair the rest of the damages."

"Eeeh, okay?" Ritsuka thought it was strange from Mash's part. Sure that unlike him, Mash hadn't been unconscious and unable to see her friends for three days. But still, he found it weird she preferred to continue working than meet up with the rest of the team. "Good luck with the rest of the work then!" He told the Shielder, walking into the camp, not seeing the apprehensive expression on Mash's face.

"..."

Walking around the center, Ritsuka looked around, hoping to spot peko and Nala anywhere, but for some reason he wasn't being able to find them. He even made some questions to some soldiers if they had seen two white haired kids, but to no avail.

"Where they could be?" As Ritsuka was starting to lose some hope, he saw Nightingale in the medical area of the camp, tending to the wounded as she said she would. "Hmm, Nightingale must know where they are." He headed torwards the nurse.

"Here, hold my hand tightly." Nightingale told to a wounded soldier who was lying on an improvsed bed, holding firmly his arm as she applied some disinfectant on his bleeding shoulder, causing some painful grunts.

"Ngh..!"

"Resist. This is just brief. You'll end up getting better." Nightingale told to the soldier as she finished applying the disinfectant on his wound, being there to comfort him. " !" She then called out the doctor next to her, who went to apply some bandage on the other man's arm, with the nurse still holding his hand.

"It's done Miss Nightingale." Mr. Rush told her, with Nightingale letting go of the soldier's hand.

"Let's see the other wounds now." Nightingale instructed to the soldier, carefully pulling down the blankets and slightly pushing his upper clothes away, revealing another source of the bleeding. A cut around the lower abdomen area of his body. Nightingale analyze it. "Hmmm, luckily, the cut isn't too deep or long. Stitching it won't be necessary. Just another apply of disinfectant and bandages."

Ritsuka stood behind her, watching her working.

"Please, go get me some more medicine to diminuish this man pain, will you Mr. Rush?" Nightingale asked to the doctor next with her, who obeyed without question. Meanwhile, she picked up a cloth to give some pressure against the wound zone.

"Ghgr.."

"Take it easy if you will sir." Nightingale told to the soldier. "Say, got any family here?"

"Y-Yeah...Some miles southwest from here." The soldier responded.

"So let's make sure you can get to see them again." Nighitngale told him.

"You really are a pro when it comes to this." Ritsuka said, finally directing some words to the nurse who noticed his presence. "These soldiers seems to trust you with their lives. How long have you been here?"

"Barely a week. Actually, I do not consider myself to be 'oficially' part of the West army. I never even saw the leader in person as well." Nightingale told him.

"Then why are you helping these soldiers if you're saying that?" Ritsuka asked to the nurse, wondering why she would be helping people if she didn't saw herself as part of them.

"Because it's my duty." Nightingale replied. "The cries of suffering and pleads of assistance are what made me be summoned here, right next to the camp. I do not care about who's fighting who. I only care about my patients and saving them. I'll take any side that can lead to the less number of casualties as possible." The nurse then stared to Ritsuka. "And if by following you, this war can end with the least amount of deads as possible, then I'll gladly side with you. But that's something your friends also told me too. About the entire Singularity deal."

"So you're doing this out of sheer goodness." Ritsuka told her.

"That's my role as a nurse. I can't let people die without doing nothing. Until tomorrow, I'll continue to make sure this camp holds itself together." Nightingale responded.

"They'll surely miss you." Ritsuka told her.

"If by joining you prevents their deaths, my consciousness will remain steady." The nurse said.

"Miss Nightingale is such an angel for ours." speaked to Ritsuka, arriving with the items Nightingale asked for. "She's always a moral boost for us here at the camp. Ever since she arrived, we didn't got a single death here. These last days have become more bearable with her around."

"And I sure hope you continue my work after I leave ." Nightingale told him.

"Sure thing. You can trust on me." replied.

"Wait? Are you that okay with her leaving the camp?" Ritsuka asked to the man, questioning his tranquility. "Won't you try to convince her otherwise."

"Nah boy. It's already been decided a few days ago when you group entered here. We can only be grateful for the good things Miss Nightingale did for us and wish her for the best." Mr. Rush responded.

"I see." Ritsuka said, understanding it now.

"Less talking and more action . Please." Nightingale told the man, reminding him of his job.

"Oh, o-of course! Apologies for my disconcentration!" replied, immediatly handing her the items, with Nightingale going back to work on her patient.

As Ritsuka was about to make the question he wanted to do to Nightingale, he spotted two soldiers at the entrance of a small medical tent a bit far away from him, catching some of their conversation.

"Eish! They really got left in a bad state."

"Poor things. It's pure luck that saved them."

"Ah truly. I don even know what was goin' through their heads to have done that alone."

"Kids sometimes don't realize the risk they get themselves into. I wonder how long it will take for them to recover."

"If they'll ever recover from that..."

"!" Ritsuka felt a brief stop of his heartbeat. "They couldn't possible be..." Without thinking, he headed torwards that tent and the two soldiers, his mind fearing the worst. "H-Hey, who's in that tent?" He asked them.

"Injured people. Why?"

"May I see them?" Ritsuka asked.

"I think it's better for you to not see. Their shape is...pretty rough."

"Thank god Miss Nightingale was able to at least prevent their deaths. We should give them some rest."

One of the soldiers took his hand out of the tent's entrance vail, covering it. However, in the only second that there was visible gap to the inside of the tent, Ritsuka's eyes wished they had imagined what they had just seen. A blue ribbon, lying on a table.

Ritsuka's eyes slightly widden in shock. "That's Nala-...!" With a urge of entering inside the tent, Ritsuka tried to force his way in, being held by the two soldiers. "LET ME GO! I HAVE TO SEE WHAT'S INSIDE!"

"Why?! It's only injured people!"

"Yeah! Why do you wanna see them!?"

"I DON'T CARE! UNHAND ME!" Ritsuka shouted, making a fuss to enter the tent, causing to attract the entire camp's attention. Bitting one of the two soldier's hand, Ritsuka was able to get out of one's grip and then of the second one, entering the tent. But like the soldiers warned him, perhaps Ritsuka was better of not seeing the inside of the tent. Because what he witnesses, made his heart drop and shatter.

"A..Ah..."

The tent was small, with only having two beds and a table in front of him. On those two beds, there was two white haired kids lying down on them: a boy and a girl. Both were all bandaged up, from their feet to their heads, leaving only spaces for their mouths and shutten eyes, wearing a simple light green pajamas. They seemed unconscious and their bodies completely unmovable, such where the injuries sustained in their bodies that the bandages covered.

Ritsuka fell to his knees, distraught at the view he was having of Peko and Nala's state.

"Master! Why were you yel-HMM!" Mash gulped into silence the moment she dashed through the entrance. A single drop of sweat falling from her head.

"Hey, Mash. Can you tell me..." Ritsuka speaked, heartbroken and serious, still standing paralyzed and glazing at Peko and Nala "Can you tell me what happened to them?"

To be continued...

And that was it for chapter 72!

And oh my, some shit went down for Peko and Nala to have gotten like that in the end of the chapter. Funny thing is that I was thinking of starting writting a joke scenario in this chapter where Ritsuka dreamed up the entire existence of Peko and Nala due to their lack of appearence. Per exemple, Ritsuka wakes up from his coma and then says "Wow Mash! I had a dream were there was two small white haired twins with us throghout all this time until now. Names and everything!"

And then Mash would be like. "Wow, senpai, that cannonball really hit you hard." And then the story would proceed just like in the original FGO! Oh yeah, the biggest plot twist of them all: Peko and Nala were just Ritsuka's imagination. (Which certainly wouldn't get me in trouble with my readers asking for my head. Like, clearly EVERYONE loves the good ol' 'it was all a dream' cliche)

Nightingale finally makes her debut as the top tier nurse waifu that she is. I'd say she is proabbly one of the strongest points of the Fifth Singularity and I see her as a charatcer wich motivations and Berserk traits can lead her such to a comic side as well to a serious one. A fine character in my opinion.

Also, a peek to Ritsuka's childhood at the beggining? With his mom above all else?!

And oh well, this was quite a short chapter compared to the previous ones. I barely remember of the last time I wrote one under 8K words.

But anyways, that's all I wanted to say, and see you next time on chapter 73! Peace!

P.S:

Ritsuka: Oi Seneca! I see you and Nero are back from your Santa Claus mission trip. So, how was it?

Seneca: Well...

Flashback

Police: NYPD! STOP YOUR VEHICLE IMMEDIATLY! THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!

Nero (at the back of the sleigh): Padoru Padoru! Padoru Padoru! Padoru Padoru! Padoru Padoru!

Seneca: What have I done...