The lights in her room turned on all at once, making the tired director groan from irritation. She lay still for a moment, staring at the ornate ceiling of her room in Chaldea. 'I really need to change the timer on that…' The events of the previous day weighed heavily on her mind, her outburst at the meeting replaying itself over and over again.

Slowly, she pushed herself up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, feeling the coolness of the floor beneath her feet. She rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep, and made her way to the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her—pale, with dark circles under her eyes. She sighed and began her morning routine, hoping the familiarity of it would calm her racing thoughts.

But ss she brushed her hair, she couldn't help but think about the conversation that had unfolded.

"I SAID THAT I ENJOYED BEING OMA ZI-O!"

The memory of that emotional outburst made her wince. She splashed cold water on her face, trying to wash away the remnants of that moment. She had exposed an ugly part of herself that she had kept hidden for so long—the part that she knew would grow into Oma Zi-O if not kept in check. But it was necessary. They needed to know the truth.

She moved to her closet, choosing her attire with care. As she dressed, her thoughts continued to churn. She had laid bare her deepest fears and darkest desires to her team. They knew her now, truly knew her. There was no turning back.

As Olga finished dressing and adjusted her jacket, she looked at her reflection once more. There was a determination in her eyes that hadn't been there before. She took a deep breath, trying to bolster her resolve.

"Can I really do this? Can I lead them after all I've failed to do before? They deserve better than what I've given them," she whispered to her reflection, her voice tinged with doubt. "But I have to stay strong. For them. For myself."

She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she fought against the surge of anxiety. "I can't let my past define me. I won't let it. They believe in me... Ritsuka, Woz, everyone... they all believe in me. I have to live up to that faith. I have to be the leader they need, even if I'm still figuring out how to be that person."

With a final, resolute breath, she moved until she was in front of her door room. Today was a new day for a new future, and she would face it head-on. For her friends, for her team, and for herself.

Steeling herself with her newfound resolve, Olga opened the door…

…To reveal one Sylvia Buhr, mid-door knock.

Sylvia, startled, quickly straightened up and gave Olga a quick, respectful nod. "Director Animusphere, good morning. I was just about to check on you."

Olga blinked, surprised by the unexpected visit. "Sylvia? Is everything alright?"

Sylvia offered a small, reassuring smile. "Yes, everything is fine. I just wanted to see how you were doing after yesterday's meeting. Word around has it that things got... intense."

Olga sighed, leaning against the door frame. "Intense is one way to put it. I've had better days."

"Understandable," Sylvia replied, her tone gentle, if a tad awkward, before motioning her body down the hall, "Walk with me?"

Olga nodded slowly, stepping out of her quarters and closing the door behind her. As they began to walk, she noticed Sylvia glancing several times, concern evident in her eyes. Unable to take the silence much longer, Olga spoke up, "What exactly did you hear, if I may ask?"

"That you had an outburst during that private meeting you all had. Meuniere heard it as he was passing by the room," Sylvia explained with a hint of guilt in her eyes for gossiping. "Then after that, the new guy… Wiz, was it? He made sure all of us knew the good word about 'the glory' of 'the demon queen, Oma Zi-O.' So to speak." There was the tiniest bit of amusement in her voice as she caught Olga up with what happened after she went to bed.

Meanwhile, Olga could only groan from exasperation at her herald's antics but couldn't help but also grin at the accidental misnaming. "It's Woz. Leave it up to him to spread the word of his liege's greatness," she chuckled with some underlying sarcasm and fondness. "I appreciate him but he can go a bit too far at times."

"That's putting it lightly," retorted Sylvia with a grin. Olga figured he must have gone to lengths to catch everyone up seeing as basically nobody knew anything about her other life. A moment later, however, a small frown appeared on Sylvia's face. "I've… been meaning to ask. Are you doing alright?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"Woz was… let's say flippant about the things he said. I couldn't keep up but he talked a lot about you being a demon queen and… that sort of title doesn't really spark joy in anyone's heart," Sylvia said, clearly trying to choose her words carefully, making Olga groan again.

"It's… complicated. Very complicated. I want to say I got it out of my system last night but I don't know…" The Field Director sighed, putting her hand to her face. "Ask me again later and we'll see what I say then."

"I can't tell you how much that's good to hear. Looks like they really were right about you." At the questioning look from the younger woman, the blonde elaborated, "Two of the other staff members told me about the conversation they had with you shortly after the Cyphers invaded the building."

"Oh. Oh!" Olga did a quick snap of her fingers as she recalled the conversation, "Right! That small talk they had where they apologized about how they talked behind my back and stuff. Wait… Is this the reason why you were knocking on my door? To apologize too?"

Sylvia hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, it is. I was one of those who doubted you, who talked behind your back, and outright insulted you when we all thought you were dead and gone. I cannot apologize enough for that. You've proven yourself to be a true leader, and I regret not seeing it sooner."

Olga's expression softened at the shameful tone her voice had taken, placing a reassuring hand on Sylvia's shoulder, making both of them stop in place. "Thank you, Sylvia. Your words mean a lot to me. I've made mistakes, plenty of them, but I'm trying to be better… Even if I'm not too sure how I am doing on that front."

"But you're doing your best, aren't you?" Olga's eyes widened slightly as Sylvia gave her a sympathetic look, her eyes glistening with gratitude and certainty.

Olga's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected support. "I… I am. But sometimes it feels like it's not enough. I worry about the future, about whether I can really lead Chaldea without repeating my past mistakes. I failed as a director before, and I don't want to let everyone down again."

Sylvia squeezed Olga's shoulder gently. "We all have doubts, Olga. But the fact that you're worried about failing shows how much you care. That means much more than you can ever know to us, especially with how the people at Clock Tower treated us. You know about that right? How those old heads were so ready to have us hanged and quartered after saving the world from Beast I, right?"

The white-haired magus nodded, clinching her lowered fist in rage, "I wouldn't have accepted that if I was there. I would have clawed, scratched, and screamed for you all even if it meant getting killed for it, damn tradition or rules."

Sylvia's eyes softened. "And that's exactly why we believe in you, Olga. The person you are now, not who you were before or who you will be after. I know for a fact that I speak for all of us over on the support team when I say we are going to be with you until the very end, come hell or high water."

"Sylvia…"

For so long in both of her lives, she had felt unwanted and unseen in the world. Her father's cold dismissal, the sneers and whispers behind her back at the Clock Tower, the feeling of being an outsider by the people who dismissed her dream to be queen as nothing but a foolish fantasy—it had all taken a toll on her in ways she didn't allow others to see in either of her lives as a magus or as a Kamen Rider.

But now, here she was, surrounded by people who genuinely cared for her. People who saw her for who she was, not just her failures or the threats she represented to others.

Olga's heart swelled with a mixture of gratitude and disbelief. She had spent so many years isolated, doubting her worth, feeling like an imposter in her own life. The support and compassion she received now were almost foreign but reassuring,

Sylvia's clear faith in who she was now was something she had longed for. This was what true support felt like—an unyielding belief in her capabilities, a shared commitment to face whatever challenges lay ahead. It was a stark reminder that she was not alone in her journey. Not anymore.

"…You have no idea how much it means to hear that," Olga said softly. "To know that I have your support, that I'm not facing this alone… thank you."

Sylvia nodded, her smile warm and reassuring. "And you never will have to face it alone again, Olga. We're here for you, every step of the way."

Olga took a deep breath, feeling a renewed sense of determination. The shadows of her past seemed a little less daunting now. With her friends by her side, she already felt stronger, ready to confront the future head-on.

Today was a new day, and she would face it with the strength and support of those who believed in her. For her friends, for her team, and for herself.


There were many places to simply lounge around in Chaldea as fitting as a place where great heroes of history gathered— the training room, cafeteria, several lounges, even a gaming room —but Woz found himself observing the two Da Vincis in their workshop. The two geniuses were currently hard at work fixing a little issue; namely, trying to restore the Demi-Servant's powers as much as possible through artificial means.

Currently, they were putting on the finishing touches on the massive shield while Mash Kyrielight sat next to the herald. The latter occasionally looked up from his chronicles to see how they were progressing before resuming his reading.

Learning about how different this world's version of his lady was… interesting, to say the least. The nature of how the multiple timelines worked naturally meant that alternate versions of Olga Animusphere existed somewhere else. Woz never really gave the topic much thought as he would rather focus on his timeline's Olga but now that he was here where another her existed that was still somehow the one he swore his life to by the will of the demon queen of time; turning what was a small, fleeting possibility into a reality that was one with the past, present, and future of the true Proper Human History.

The power of Oma Zi-O was truly unmatched in any time, wasn't it?

With the newfound knowledge granted to him by his ever-reliable book, the herald couldn't help but satisfy his newfound curiosity. Learning about the life of the young Olga, how she was raised as a mage, her eventual rise as Chaldea's director, and her ultimate fate at the hands of Lev Lainur Flauros was an interesting experience.

'And it was thanks to that loathsome creature we find ourselves here… If he was not already dead, I would have to thank him for setting her on her destined path,' Woz mentally mused. Well, he would have thanked him after making him suffer for his transgressions against Olga.

"…Um, Woz?" The polite voice of the Demi-Servant tried to get his attention. "May I ask you something?"

His response was a brief and curt "Yes?" with a short glance at her.

"Why… What did Oma Zi-O do to gain your loyalty?" She hesitantly asked. "I don't mean to offend you but… from how you and Olga described her—"

"I believe in her. That is all," Woz interrupted her without any aggression in his voice. "My liege was able to persevere and fulfill her dream. Why wouldn't I admire someone like that?"

"That's— I understand what you mean, but—"

"Let me ask you in turn, why do you insist on fighting?" The herald finally put down his book and stared straight at her. "You don't need to; your skills could now be best used elsewhere and, from what those two were talking about, this… Ortenaus won't be able to draw out your full power. Yet you still want to fight alongside those on the frontlines."

Mash was silent at first as if trying to construct the best response she could. "…Because I want to. That's it. I want to fight alongside and protect Senpai."

"Then you understand completely. We're doing what we want such as what all humans do. There's no need to question anything beyond that." His response managed to make Mash fall into a contemplative silence. However, he was not done with his questioning. "What I want to know is how far you are willing to go to stay by Ritsuka Fujimaru's side through all of this. Considering what you will eventually have to do to save your world, can you muster the strength to follow him into the sea of blood? Will you still continue to follow him even if he becomes a devil to save your world?"

"…I will. I believe I can." Mash answered with full conviction. "Chaldea's mission is to safeguard humanity's future. If erasing the Lostbelts is what we need to do… then we have to do it."

"If that's what you say, then I expect you to go through with it," Woz replied with an impressed smile. "No one likes someone who goes back on their word." With that, he returned to his reading of this world's past while Mash returned to watching the geniuses working.

After some more time of waiting, one of them finally cried out in excitement. "Alright! Mash, time for final testing!" The Demi-Servant was quick to get up and join the Da Vincis before going into a side room to change into her new uniform as it was with the younger one. That left Woz alone with the original Da Vinci, who approached and sat down next to him.

"Phew, nothing feels better than completing a project," she sighed in relief as a way to start a conversation with Woz. "Well, not completely done yet; we need to make sure Miss Kyrielight can actually use the armor."

"…Just be out with it. What do you wish to know?" Woz scoffed, having easily seen through her intentions.

"Was it that obvious? The Caster-class Servant let out a small amused chuckle before asking, "How exactly does your book work? How can it suddenly gain knowledge of everything that's happened? That sort of thing is something every mage would be killing each other for."

"It was given to me by my overlord. That's all you need to know," Woz simply stated.

Da Vinci clicked her tongue in annoyance but didn't press the issue. "Then can you tell me what happened in the Russian Lostbelt's past? That knowledge is within your book, I assume. Seeing as we will be returning there in the future, I'd like to prepare just in case."

"That is correct." Woz briefly considered his options but eventually decided to tell Da Vinci. It might prove useful. "It started in 1570, during the reign of Tsar Ivan IV Vasilyevich…"


The darker and more feral counterpart of Atalanta sat on a chair in the nearby corner of Chaldea's breakroom, taking a large sip of her energy drink before wiping the sweat pouring off of her forehead.

'This new Master of mine is quite the slave driver.' She mused to herself, her keen, striking yellow eyes observing as Ritsuka was passionately explaining the new stratagem to an exhausted Izo and Nezha, the former who had his head flat on the table and what seemed to be steam emanating from his very person, while the latter was rapidly fanning herself as she was practically slumped over her seat.

Then again, seeing as they were currently the only four Servants left with Chaldea's mana generator still being repaired, the task of farming materials for everyone fell on them. Still, it was reassuring to see the Master of Chaldea take recent events so seriously and take it upon himself to improve the capabilities of his team of Servants. While he was handling it well enough, Another Zi-O's takeover of the Russian Lostbelt shook him as badly as the rest of them did and was going to do his best to make sure it didn't happen under his watch again.

And thus, that was how she, Izo, Nehza, and Mordred found themselves undergoing intense training in preparation for the next Lostbelt they'd be entering.

As she was resting, however, her mind wandered back to that person— the traitor. 'Why… why did you betray us?' Atalanta could still feel the pain from when Finis revealed their true identity and slaughtered their… her compatriots. That agonizing memory, along with the joyful ones from before, replayed in her mind every since she came to Chaldea. Just… Why did Finis betray them?

As she was deep in thought, she heard someone sitting down next to her and let out a long tired sigh. "He's really pulled out the whip this time," Mordred joked under her breath before laughing to herself.

Atalanta didn't say something as she deliberated on whether to ask what she wanted to. Eventually, she decided to just be out with it; she needed to know. "Knight of Treachery, Mordred…"

"…The Chaste Huntress, Atalanta?" The Saber-Class Servant replied with confusion at Atalata calling her by her title. "Why did you call me that?"

"…What went through your mind when you betrayed King Arthur?" Atalanta bluntly asked with an unreadable expression. She expected Mordred to be offended at the rather callous way she was asking but to her surprise, the knight laughed it off.

"What? You want to know what that Finis bastard was thinking when they turned traitor on us?" Mordred asked in return with a mix of a grin and a scowl. "Hate to break it to you, but I can't answer that for you. I wasn't there but from what Master and Izo told me, Finis was never on our side and was using us the entire time."

Mordred's straightforward assessment of events made Atalanta fall silent and regret asking in the first place. However, the knight continued, "Look, I truly did admire Arthur until the end. I believed in my father until I rebeled against him and his kingdom. That Finis though… I don't know if I can say the same thing."

"…When I asked them if it was all a lie Finis told me it is if I want it to be," Atalanta shared after a few moments of continued silence. "If they had just said none of it was real…"

"That bastard is just one confusing person, huh?" Scoffed Mordred. "But if you ask me, just because they betrayed you, it doesn't mean they didn't care. After all, they actually bothered with answering you in the first place. If they didn't, they'd just leave you without any answers."

Atalanta let that way of thinking sink into her mind for a while, trying to see if it truly was possible for Finis to care about her and the resistance. Eventually… "Then that just leaves the question of why in the first place." Why did Finis actively work with her? It couldn't be only for their "king", judging by the way the traitor refered to him. It was just… confusing.


It unsettled and worried him to no end. Without any warning, communications to the Russian Lostbelt were cut off and they couldn't even enter it. Wodime couldn't even focus on the report Koyanskaya was giving him about her investigations into Chaldea's whereabouts.

"—as if they don't exist at all! I mean, that's what we planned to do but this isn't the way I envisioned it going," the foxy woman let out a quite obviously fake sigh of exhaustion. "The only explanation, especially considering what that armored warrior called herself, is that Chaldea is utilizing some form of temporal magecraft in order to hide themselves. Something that's quite above my paygrade."

"I think all of us already knew that, Koyanskaya," The Crypter of the Scandanavian Lostbelt, Ophelia, replied.

"Hmph, there's no need to sound so dismissive. I'd like to see you do better," The mercenary bit back with only a little venom in her voice. "Why don't you use that eye of yours to locate them then?"

"I—"

"Enough. Arguing like this won't do us any good," Wodime calmly interrupted before things could escalate. "Chaldea is still missing, that's what we do know. Right now, we have a slightly bigger problem." His eyes darted over to the only missing seat in their holographic meeting— the one belonging to Kadoc Zemlupus. "What is the current state of the Russian Lostbelt? Why can't we contact Kadoc?"

The first person to answer him was Beryl, who didn't actually answer him. "Don't worry, boss. I'm sure lil' Lupus is doing fine." The rather carefree response irritated Wodime slightly but he didn't show it.

The next person, to his relief, to speak up was Peperoncino who was just as worried as him. "It isn't like him to just ignore our calls. Considering what you said about even Caenis being locked out of the Russian Lostbelt, it's clear that something is going on in there."

"Could it be Chaldea?" Ophelia hummed under her breath before quickly dismissing it. "No, it's doubtful they have the capabilities of doing so."

"But we don't really know what they're capable of now, dear Ophelia," Pepe reminded her with a small friendly smile. "Chaldea was always going to be a threat to our ambitions, it wouldn't do well if we underestimated them. You agree, don't you Kirschtaria?"

The leader of the Crypters only gave a small nod at the question. With their new, unknown ally, there was no telling what Chaldea was able to do now. It was then that someone else joined their meeting; as she always did, the Foreign Priestess appeared in thin air next to Wodime. While Pepe cheerfully greeted "U-chan!", he wondered why she was here this time. "Is there a problem?"

Instead of answering, as the strange being loved to stay quiet, she raised her hands to reveal… a pocketwatch? It wasn't anything Wodime was familiar with but it evidently was to a certain fox. "Where did you get that?" Koyanskaya asked perhaps a bit too fast. She quickly cleared her throat before more calmly saying, "I recognize that watch. That demon queen had several on her wrists when we fought."

"Really? Do you think it's from her, then?" Beryl leaned in as the Alien Priestess, with a strange look in his eye, "She's certainly got some guts, I'll give her that."

Before anyone could give a proper reply, the watch began to glow with a strange before projecting a holographic image that all in the room had their eyes glued on; a young man in odd black robes and a silver crown on his head.

"Greeting the so-called masters of the Lostbelts that call themselves the Cyphers. I am Hiryu Kakogawa and this is my declaration of war upon you all."

"He sure doesn't waste time, does he?" Pepe leaned over to whisper to Ophelia, who harshly shushed him.

"By now, you are all wondering about the fate of one of your members, Kadoc Zemlupus, the former master of the Lostbelt of Russia." The man calling himself Hiryu stated before opening his arms wide and declaring, "I killed him with my own two hands after taking over the body of his Servant before going on to defeat the Lostbelt King, Ivan the Terrible, and claiming it as my dominion."

The shocked silence at this claim was swiftly broken by Beryl saying outloud what they were all thinking: "Well, shit."

"And now, the next target of my rightful conquest shall be the Scandanavian Lostbelt, and then I shall work my way up to the next one branched by the Fantasy Tree and the next until all of what is yours shall be mine. One. By. One." The man smirked before turning his back on everyone, "Go ahead and struggle, fight, and try and defy the inevitable. In the end, only one domain shall rise and cover this world: MINE."

The light of the strange watch died out, cutting out the message.

"...Well, that certainly explains a lot." Koyanskaya stated simply with some amusement, "Say what you will about the man though, he certainly knows what he wants."

"Unfortunately for him, his ambitions are too high as for all wannabe conquerors." Despite being explicitly stated to be the next target, Ophelia didn't sound all too bothered by the declaration of war. Instead, she glanced at Wodime to gauge his reaction to the news of Kadoc's fate. "Kirschtaria?"

"…It seems we now have an Icarus trying to weasel his way into our plans," The Crypters' leader finally said. "I'll be sending Caenis to your Lostbelt, Ophelia. My Servant will assist you should this… Kakogawa go through with his threat."

"Thank you." A thankful smile briefly flickered on Ophelia's face… before Koyanskaya spoke up again.

"I'll lend a hand too~ I want to see what this wannabe king plans to do." A large smirk spread across the mercenary's face upon seeing the smile fall off the Crypter's. "Although, that boy was rather foolish. Who announces their plans instead of keeping the element of surprise?"

"Agreed."

"A clear idiot."

"And I thought Kadoc was dum— Ow! Hey?!"

"Be respectful, Beryl!"


"Was sending that message really necessary?"

From his throne of ice taken from the previous Lostbelt King of Russia, Hiryu opened his eyes and looked down upon the questioning look of his faithful servant, Finis.

A smug smile curled on his lips as he leaned back, exuding confidence. "Absolutely. What's the fun in conquest without a little drama?"

Finis narrowed their eyes, their skepticism evident. "You've given up the element of surprise. Is that wise?"

Hiryu slowly rose from his throne, each movement deliberate and menacing. He descended the icy steps with a regal grace, his eyes never leaving Finis. As he closed the distance, the temperature seemed to drop further, a chilling reminder of his power. He stopped just inches away from them, the coldness in his eyes matching the ice of his throne.

"Let me remind you," he said, his voice a low, dangerous whisper, "your place is to follow my will, not to question it. You are my tool, Finis, a means to an end. And I will use you however I see fit without any hesitation, understand?"

Finis maintained their composure, their expression unflinching and responded with, "With all due respect, my lord, you have been defeated before. We must be extra cautious if we are to avoid another failure, should we not?"

Hiryu's eyes narrowed, a flash of anger crossing his face at her words. He took a step closer, towering over them, but Finis stood their ground, showing not a hint of fear.

Before Hiryu could react to what he perceived as insolence, the doors to the throne room creaked open, the sound echoing through the icy chamber. Both turned their attention to the entrance, their momentary confrontation interrupted by the arrival of an unexpected visitor.

"Let me go you monsters! What the hell have you brought me here for?!"

In came Another Geiz, dragging along the floor with it a beaten but still clearly defiant Patxi.

Stopping just before the other two occupants in the room, Another Geiz threw Patxi onto the floor, who almost immediately tried to get back up but to no avail.

"Good work." With an acknowledging nod, Finis took out Another Ridewatch before walking over and bending down towards the wolfman, who had a look of shock when he saw who was right in front of him."

"W-Wait…aren't you also from the resistance?" But why? What is going on?!"

"Something that you wouldn't understand." Finis answered almost too casually before raising the watch in front of her former ally and tapping the button on its top, "But don't worry…"

"Agito!"

"...We still have some work to do together."


And wow, was that a lot to pack in! Hope you guys enjoyed yourselves this time around as well!

Given recent events, it only made sense to jump around a bit and go over everyone's state of mind on things. Hopefully we pulled it off well enough!

FB: And another chapter done and dusted. I think we did a good enough job here too. Now to get back to my current brainrot…

Until next time all!