Journey To Castle Csejte Chapter 4:

The Search Continues

The air grew colder as Carmilla waited near the edge of the village with her retinue. She burned the image of the town in her mind, looking for any anomalies that stood out of the ordinary before Iris and Gunnhild came to their destination. The two women's faces were grim and dark, making the Assassin curious. "Did you find something?"

Gunnhild nodded. "We figured out why our healing spells had no effect on the townsfolk."

"We'll discuss this later, so Ritsuka has a few moments to gather his thoughts." Iris replied.

"A wise decision," Carmilla said. "Otherwise he would do something truly foolish and put this whole mission in jeopardy."

"And here I thought you didn't care about his health." Liz snarked coldly.

"I don't," Carmilla said quickly. "But he is the one in charge, and therefore our mission requires that he keeps a cool head."

"I sense a lie," Kiyohime said with a small scowl, hiding her face behind her fan. With a flick of her tongue and a small hiss, she turned her attention to the white haired Assassin. "As this was not addressed to me, I shall let this lie slide for now….."

It was faint, but Gunnhild and Iris could have sworn that a faint blush appeared on the woman's cheeks. "T-that girl is simply delusional."

"Who's delusional?" A woman's voice rang out. Everyone turned to see that Mata Hari and Ritsuka were walking alongside each other. The male Master's eyes were slightly red and puffy, but other than that, he seemed like he was back to normal.

"Sorry for leaving like that," he said. "I….just needed to clear my head a bit."

"No one's blaming you," Iris said. "What happened down there…..honestly it's still making my stomach churn."

Ritsuka nodded and turned to Kiyohime. "How far can your flames reach?"

"I can burn this whole village down without any problem." Kiyohime said.

"Good, then burn the village down."

Kiyohime's eyes widened a bit. "A-Anchin…..are you sure?"

"We can't let this plague spread," Ritsuka replied. "Besides, everyone's dead anyways….."

Kiyohime stared at the black haired Master for a few moments, her eyes becoming saddened and pained. She hated seeing him like this, even though he definitely recovered somewhat, it was clear that the pain and hurt did not leave entirely. But she knew that he was also right, and that burning this town and the dead within was perhaps the best course of action. With a deep breath, she turned her attention towards the town and gently swung her ignited fan towards the plague ridden village. The houses soon were alight, flames dancing around the rooftops before cascading down towards the ground. The heat of the Berserker's flames weren't too intense for everyone, but the smoke stinging their eyes did force some of them to cover them to protect from the smoke. Mashu turned to stare at Ritsuka, who simply observed the destruction with muted silence. The Shielder noted how his expression softened as he looked at the village, and the burning corpses, and how he seemed to be contemplating what had happened. She wanted to reach out to him, but she didn't know whether to do so, or leave him to his thoughts. However, her desire to help won out, and she placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, earning a scowl from Kiyohime. Mashu noticed, and gave a stern look of her own to the Berserker, not letting the blue haired girl intimidate her in the slightest. A loud cough would bring everyone back to attention as Eric Bloodaxe cricked his neck. "What's our next move?"

"Our goal hasn't changed," Ritsuka said. "We find Fou, get the Grail, and the Singularity will solve itself."

"Where's the next town?" Gunnhild asked.

"To the east of here," Carmilla answered. "It's a two day's journey on foot."

"Then we better get moving," Iris said. "Perhaps we'll get lucky and encounter some horses or a caravan along the way."

"I hope so," Liz replied. "I don't want my shoes to get ruined…"

"Have some tact, you overgrown lizard!" Kiyohime shouted. "People are dead and all you can worry about are your shoes?!"

"They're dead anyway!" Liz countered. "If they were alive, it'd be a different thing, but we have to move on!"

"Unbelievable…" Kiyohime muttered. "Anchin, what do you think?"

"Yeah, let's get the puppy's opinion!"

"Both of you just stop!"

Everyone turned to stare at Mashu in shock. They couldn't believe that she would snap like that, but the look in her eyes gave another story. She was not putting up with their squabble now, and was going to end it herself. "If you want to settle this, then do it between the two of you and leave Senpai out of this! You two are acting like such children!"

Everyone stared at the Shielder blankly, and with a hint of fear. They've seen her upset before, but this was the first time she actually got aggressive during a fight between two bickering Servants, and they did not know how to wrap their heads around it. Ritsuka decided to take advantage of the confusion and cleared his throat. "L-let's just get moving to the next town. With any luck, Fou should be there."

With a curt nod, everyone decided to fall into line and marched away from the village. However, Iris and Gunnhild hung back, making sure they weren't heard by the others. What they wanted to talk about was for them, and them alone.

"When should we tell him?" Gunnhild asked.

"In a couple of days," Iris answered. The green haired woman clenched her fist tightly, and her grip on her cane could have broken it in two if she applied any more pressure. "I have to keep my own anger in check over the situation. The moment I can get a handle on it, then we tell him."

"Then it better not be too long," Gunnhild replied. "Keeping secrets like this will only make things worse."

"Speaking from experience?"

"More like I've been around courtroom politics enough that stuff like this comes second nature," Gunnhild countered. "Lies and hiding things only get you so far before you're found out."

"In that case, we should wait until the time is right." Iris whispered.

"I think getting to the next town would be the best time," Gunnhild replied. "Two days to cool off, and get our heads on straight to see if we're actually correct."

"Fair enough."

"In any case, let's just change the subject," Gunnhild said. "We can throw suspicion off with this and to just get our minds off it."

"Well in that case, I do have some questions regarding you and your husband." Iris said.

"Oh? What did you have in mind?"

"Well I heard you were exiled to Orkney at some point after Eric's death…."

Gunnhild groaned. "What do you want to know?"

"...How was the weather over there?"

Gunnhild stared at the green haired woman with a raised eyebrow for a few moments before chuckling in amusement. "Pretty wet if you can believe it."

Iris breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like she dodged a bullet before collecting her thoughts. "Well can't say I'm surprised, it's always been wet over there."

"Why the sudden interest in my life and Eric's?" Gunnhild asked.

Iris blushed slightly. "Well, my mother's family was from Orkney. She moved to the grove to marry my father to strengthen ties between the two Druids groves and…"

"She told you stories about us then?"

"Aye, she did," Iris answered. "Nothing fancy, just bits and pieces so as to give me an idea of what her home was like."

"I see, well I can't say much because I didn't stay there for long," Gunnhild answered. "By that point I was more content with having a quiet life while my remaining sons raided and waged wars."

"Sounds like you had no regrets."

Gunnhild laughed. "Regrets? If I had the chance to do it all over again, I'd have done the same things I did back then. For the glory of my gods and for a glorious fight!"

"Damn, you're just as battle crazed as your husband!"

"How else do you think we fell in love?"

The two women continued to converse, and as they finally were off in the distance, the embers of the village finally stopped. Nothing of it remained but ash, and the spirits of the dead could finally rest.

Day 3

After finding a good spot to camp for the night, the group spent the night in near silence to have some peace with their thoughts. The next day everyone got up without issue and continued their journey to the next town. Kiyohime saw Ritsuka talking to Eric Bloodaxe and Iris over something regarding possible ideas of fighting Lu Bu, should he make his presence known to them. The blue haired Berserker noted Ritsuka's face and posture again, and her heart sank. He hid it well, but it was clear what happened yesterday still affected him quite a bit. And Mashu soothing him made it all the worse for her. That was to be her soothing Anchin, not that lilac haired trollop!

"I'm sorry, but did you just look at Mashu and call her a trollop? Your insults are so cringey."

Kiyohime nearly yelped in shock as Liz came up from behind her, her blue eyes stone cold. "You really shouldn't treat her as an enemy. She's very important to Ritsuka's emotional state, even someone as weird as you should understand that by now."

"That still doesn't give her the right to try and claim something that isn't hers," Kiyohime said sternly, hiding her face behind her fan. "Personally I am shocked that you're caring about someone other than yourself!"

Liz groaned in disgust. "You're just delusional. Ritsuka already made his choice, even if he doesn't realize it yet, and you can't accept that."

Kiyohime gasped. "Does that mean you too are after my beloved Anchin?"

Liz nearly doubled over and almost tripped on herself. The Lancer blushed as her tail curled up. "D-don't be ridiculous! An idol such as myself cannot be in a relationship! He's not my type, and my fans would be sad if I'm off the market!"

Kiyohime stared at the Lancer with suspicion for a few moments before smiling. Liz was telling the truth on all accounts, so she had no reason to see her as a rival now. "Perhaps, but it doesn't change the fact that Mashu might be a problem for me later."

"Ugh…You're impossible," Liz muttered. "Mashu will be having a difficult road with you being so stubborn…."

"In time she too will recognize that Anchin's heart belongs to me," Kiyohime said. "She can marry some other man, maybe one with the head of a lion!"

(OC aims a sniper rifle at Kiyohime's head for that insult and just how vile that person is: Just hold still you blue haired mana prism. You really crossed the line this time.)

"That's a terrible thing to say, you overgrown snake!" Liz said, trying to keep the conversation quiet enough so that they don't alert the Shielder.

"What's a terrible thing to say?" Ritsuka asked calmly, yet unnervingly. The two girls nearly jumped out of their skin as they realized he stopped his conversation with Iris and the red haired Berserker, and had made his way to them.

"Ummm, Kiyohime said that idols are nothing more than props for lonely men, and that snakes are superior!" Liz lied. "Yeah, that's what she said. She has the gall to think she's superior to an idol like me!"

Kiyohime stared at the Lancer in shock. She just lied to Ritsuka over something as trivial as their conversation. She was about to speak up when Liz shot her a look telling her to keep her mouth shut.

"Well that's not a very nice thing to say, Kiyohime," Ritsuka said. "Idols have to deal with a lot of stressful situations and have to act a certain way for years. You should apologize to Liz for trying to put her down."

Kiyohime went silent for a few moments. She couldn't believe it, but Liz's lie actually worked. Anchin, her own Anchin bought it, and is siding with that delusional lizard over her. The blue haired Berserker felt cornered, and knew she had no other choice but to play along, loathe as she was to keep up with a lie. "I'm…sorry, Liz. I shouldn't have said those things…."

"Apology accepted!" Liz said with a devious smirk. "So, who is your favorite Idol?"

"Well, I don't really have a-"

"Oh who am I kidding, its obviously me!" Liz said, cutting Ritsuka off entirely.

The black haired boy sighed, but a faint smile appeared on his face. "Sure, let's go with that, you're my favorite."

"Of course I am!" Liz replied.

Kiyohime thought to herself for a few moments. Liz was probably the only idol Ritsuka knew, so of course he'd say she's his favorite by default. "Perhaps I should become an idol as well?"

"Sorry Kiyohime, but I don't think your singing voice would help…." Ritsuka said gently. "In fact, I think it'd probably make people feel uncomfortable."

Kiyohime sulked. "So my singing voice is no good?"

"Sorry, but I did promise never to lie to you," Ritsuka said apologetically. "However, I can see you being a professional dancer. Margaretha and I have seen you dance, and you move so gracefully it puts some others to shame!"

"He's right you know!" Mata Hari said from her place beside Mashu and Gunnhild. "You're a fantastic dancer!"

The blue haired girl smiled softly, swaying in place slightly as she recalled her dancing moves.

"Ahh, it was a long time ago. I remember the time my parents danced during the Obon festival; it was such a beautiful moment, I wanted to share that with my Anchin…" explained Kiyohime, her feet shuffling in delight.

Lessons in dancing were one of several skills taught to her from a young age; Kiyohime remembered several such as tea brewing, poetry, and cooking, but she had a particular fondness for dancing.

"Traditional Japanese dancing is too old school though!" interjected Liz, "If you have to go Asian, try something more pop-inspired!"

The Lancer twirled about, using her long and heavy tail as a counterweight to support her moment despite pivoting on her tall heels, and then finished with a V-sign on her fingers next to her left eye. Despite her almost-cute and clumsy attacks with her large spear, Elizabeth was graceful on her feet when dancing; Mashu wondered if having a tail would aid her in dancing, but decided against asking Elizabeth.

"I can do that as well!" countered Kiyohime, attempting to pivot in the same manner as Liz.

Sadly, Kiyohime could not fully replicate it, the longer hem of her kimono not permitting her legs the same range of motion that Liz's poofy skirt afforded her. She still copied the V-sign with her fingers, hoping she could exuberate more charm and charisma to make up for her lack of movement.

"O-hohohoho!" laughed Liz, holding the back of her hand to her mouth to emphasize her pedigree, "Don't feel bad. I'm sure your parents got you the best trainers they could afford, but you can only do so much with the material you've got."

Liz gave another twirl, running her fingers through her long, pink, hair before pointing at Kiyohime.

"I am the world's most beautiful woman, so it's only natural a little girl like yourself would have trouble keeping up!"

Kiyohime let out a sigh of consternation, sensing an alternate venue of attack. She took out her paper fan from within the folds of her kimono, opening it to fan herself in an arrogant manner.

"I suppose I was lacking in training, I was focused so much on Anchin after all. Clearly a much older woman such as yourself would have more experience pleasing men than myself." muttered Kiyohime, her voice seemingly nonchalant.

Her arrogant smile, however, belied a hint that she was intentionally aggravating Elizabeth.

"WHAT?!" shouted Liz, a reverberating boom echoing through the area from the force of her voice, "Don't try to act so smug, you brat! Clearly, I'm at the prime of my life! It's not like I can get younger without blood baths anyway…"

"I can think of a few parts of your body that are below prime, if Carmilla is a sign of how much growing you still require." replied Kiyohime, drawing attention to the mature woman.

Everybody present briefly wondered if Liz current appearance, dragon traits notwithstanding, is what Carmilla looked like when she was younger. If so…puberty was inordinately kind to the girl…

"Are you two squabbling again?" asked Carmilla, drawn by the loud boom from Liz earlier, "If you're arguing beauty, then it's clear I'm at the top!"

Despite her appearance as a cool, possessed, and in control lady…Carmilla was indeed still Liz at her core. If there was a speech about looks, she must arrive and assert herself.

"Now now, girls, I think each one of you is gorgeous!" brought up Mata Hari, attempting to prevent any conflict from spilling out.

She brought both Kiyohime and Liz in for a hug, trying to restore camaraderie between the two. "How about you two focus on helping each other instead of tearing down? I'm pretty sure you two would make good friends!"

Mata Hari wished to clear the air between the two younger girls, and indeed she did…though perhaps not in the way she intended. From their position within the dancer's arms, they could see her generous breasts and cleavage. It was an insult to their pride as women, and thus they mentally communicated a temporary truce. While dogs may fight amongst each other, they are one against those of large breasts…

"In any case, how much do you sing in your free time, Carmilla?" Ritsuka asked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh that's a good question," Iris said from her spot next to Eric Bloodaxe. "Your voice might be different from Liz's, but I bet you're a fantastic singer."

"Why is this important?" The white haired Assassin asked in annoyance.

"We're just curious," Mata Hari replied, still holding Kiyohime and Liz next to her voluptuous bosoms. "Care to sing for us while on the road, captain?"

"I will not do that!" Carmilla said sharply. "Now cease this nonsense."

"Fine, fine, we'll stop," Iris said. "Makes me wonder something though ... .Oi, Ritsuka, care to answer something about Doctor Williams?"

"Ummm, sure, what is it?"

"Given how much you go on about her talents, how good of a singer is she?"

Ritsuka stopped in his tracks, making everyone pause. It took them a few moments to wonder why he did so, but Carmilla was the first to notice the boy shaking and shivering. Mata Hari and Mashu noticed that his eyes widened, not out of shock or happiness, but out of fear. It was at that moment, everyone could practically hear him screaming mentally in his own mind.

"That bad?" Gunnhild asked finally.

Ritsuka took a few deep breaths to bring himself back under control. "Doc was many things, a talented Mage, a good doctor, and a surprisingly good cook, but she was an absolutely awful singer…"

"How bad are we talking?" Iris asked.

"It was akin to torture!" Ritsuka answered, his body shaking again. "And she knew how bad she was too. So if I ever misbehaved, she'd threaten to sing to me as a punishment….."

Iris walked over to the boy and patted him on the back gently. Liz turned to look at Kiyohime, thinking she would scowl at the green haired woman. However, the Berserker did no such thing, and instead stared at the two of them calmly and sympathetically in the male Master's case. It would seem Kiyohime did not see Iris as a threat, perhaps because she was a woman in her thirties instead of around Ritsuka's age…..

"Tortuous singing eh?" Carmilla muttered. The white haired Assassin grinned and let out a low chuckle. "I'd like to see her sing for someone then…."

"How could you be so evil?" Ritsuka asked, his skin turning pale at the thought.

"Don't worry, I'll teach her how to sing properly," Liz said. "When I'm done with her, she'll be be having men wrapped around her fingers!"

"No, she's a lost cause," Ritsuka said. "Mai is one of the best singers I know and she tried teaching her. It did not work."

"Anyway, what is the next town like?" Iris asked.

"It is a much bigger town than the last two," Carmilla answered. "In fact, it is a huge trading town, with many fine quality goods."

"Really? What kinds of goods?" Eric asked.

"Silks, jewelry, food, you name it." Liz answered. The lancer giggled and rubbed her hands together. "I think it'll be the perfect place to start my concert."

"I don't think so," Ritsuka said. "Wouldn't you rather have such a…..momentous occasion near your old castle? You know, for ambiance."

"Oh that's a good point!" Liz exclaimed. "My castle would make for the best backdrop."

"Don't encourage her…." Carmilla grumbled.

"I agree with Ms. Carmilla," Kiyohime said. "She's already got a head full of herself, she doesn't need you to encourage her more, Anchin."

"Well would you rather she do it when we're trying to gather information?" Mata Hari countered. "Besides, a castle would really bring spice to it!"

Carmilla grumbled to herself, clutching her staff in annoyance as Kiyohime hid her face behind her fan. Mashu noted their disappointment and was confused about the situation. Those two never teamed up before, so to see it first hand like this was an odd feeling. Liz, on the other hand, ignored their comments and stares. The fact that her castle was even mentioned made her feel giddy. Her tail started to wag and flutter lightly, she felt a spring in her step as she hummed to herself. She hoped to see it again, and in the process, be able to see her loyal fans (or rather her subjects…..) and how they fared without their wonderful idol.

Day 4

After two days of travel, the group finally reached the next town. Ritsuka and Mashu stared at it with mouths agape while Iris whistled out of respect for what she saw. When Carmilla said that the town was a trading hub, she was not exaggerating. The town was quite large, and even from their vantage point they could see traders and merchants selling their goods and the common folk bustling and going about their day. Carmilla simply smirked out of pride, knowing now that she had them impressed.

"Oh this place is absolutely stunning!" Kiyohime said excitedly. "I hope we can do some shopping while we are here."

"I don't think we have any money to spend…." Eric countered.

"Damn, such a shame," Iris replied. "Well we can at least window shop, right?"

"I don't see why not," Ritsuka answered. "But we should keep an eye out for Fou regardless."

"Then I suggest we split up!" Liz said. "That way we can cover more ground."

"I think it would be best if we all stick together again," Mata Hari replied. "That way we don't get distracted, okay?"

"Oh fine…." Liz muttered in disappointment. Without uttering any other words, the group headed down to the town, with their cover story being that they were part of Carmilla's and Gunnhild's entourage, again, much to Liz's chagrin. The moment they reached the gates, Ritsuka, Mashu and Iris stared in awe alongside Kiyohime, being amazed by the architecture and how lively the town was. However, they soon regained their composure, and resumed their search for Fou. At certain points, Mashu took some bacon and bacon bits out of her shield, trying to see if that would get any results. All it did was bring stray and hungry dogs to their location, not that Ritsuka or Mashu or Iris were complaining, as they petted the hungry animals and fed them some food to make them happy. The next area in town did not produce any results either, they tried again, but to no avail. After some time, they decided to take a small break and Mata Hari suggested that they take a break and get some food to eat in order to gather their thoughts. As they found a place to eat their snacks, Ritsuka noticed Gunnhild and Iris staring at each other in uncertainty. They were clearly hiding something, or rather, unsure about their topic, and he suspected as to what it was…..

"Are you two talking about what we found two days ago?"

The two women stared at him in slight surprise, unaware that he noticed them conversing. The rest of the group went silent as Gunnhild and Iris stared at each other for a few moments before nodding together.

"Aye, we were…." Iris answered finally.

Eric stared at Gunnhild for a few moments, noting her posture and the look in her eyes. He knew when his wife was mulling over something serious, and this was one of those times. "You figured something out, didn't you…"

"Yes, dear," Gunnhild replied. "When everyone started dying, Iris and I figured something was off, so when the boy went off on his own, she and I did some investigating…"

"What did you find?" Carmilla asked. "Do not spare any details."

"When Ritsuka, Gunnhild and I applied our healing spells, that should have at least stalled the plague within the villagers in order to find a more stable cure." Iris answered.

"And yet all that happened was they died like flies," Gunnhild chimed. "Naturally we got suspicious, and in the end, we came to one conclusion…The plague was magical in nature."

The group continued to stare at them in silence, Mashu and Mata Hari widened their eyes in slight shock and disbelief. Liz stared at them in slight bewilderment and confusion, Eric remained calm while Kiyohime almost gasped in surprise. The Caster and the druid then turned to Ritsuka, and were surprised to see his calm, yet stoney and stern face.

"You're taking this well." Iris said.

"Oh no…." Ritsuka said while clenching his fists, trying his best to not scowl. "I am very displeased. That plague was magical in nature right? Then that means whoever did this either did it deliberately, or was stupid enough to activate it where innocent bystanders were minding their own business. Whoever did this, will face justice."

"Now hang on a second," Gunnhild replied. "We don't even know if this was deliberate. For all we know, the person who created it died centuries ago and the villagers activated it by accident."

"I do not know…." Mashu muttered. "If it was a spell, then it was oddly specific and timed…."

"Oh? Can you elaborate?" Mata Hari asked.

Mashu blushed at being put on the spot for a few moments before regaining her composure, and tried to gather her thoughts. "W-well, the fact that everyone died all at the same time, one after another was very suspect. Some people should have died before we arrived, but if Eric and Kiyohime are right, then everyone was still alive, albeit barely, before they could bring them to the healers."

"Oh that is a good point," Mata Hari replied. "I've traveled the world, and seen many sick people during my travels. Plagues would never kill that conveniently."

"That doesn't help with the issue whether this was deliberate or not." Eric countered.

"I was thinking that initially as well," Mashu said. "But there is another thing that also stands out. And that is Lu Bu. His attacks were targeted at a specific area, right?"

"Yeah, so what?" Gunnhild asked.

"I…I think that Lu Bu was not attacking the Caravans out of malice. If he were, then he would have given chase and killed everyone," Mashu answered. "Then there was the fact that he spared our lives, when he easily could have killed me and Senpai."

Gunnhild widened her eyes for a moment and clicked her tongue. "Shit…that wasn't a coincidence."

Mashu shook her head. "He was there to scare them away from the village."

"Then this was planned," Ritsuka muttered sternly. "Now the real question is why scare them off instead of letting them carry the plague?"

"It might be because this little plague isn't contagious," Iris answered. "I can't think of any other excuse aside from it being a testing ground."

"I will not lie, whoever did this is quite the clever fox," Carmilla said. "They clearly planned it all out."

"How about we change the subject to…..oh wow, what a cute ass!" Mata Hari exclaimed. Everyone was about to criticize her for swearing, they turned to see a large donkey walking up to them, snorting and wagging its tail.

"Damn, look at that ass!" Iris said.

"I've never seen an ass that huge…" Eric muttered.

"I cannot take my eyes off of it…." Mashu said. "It is oddly mesmerizing."

Gunnhild chuckled. "That ass can really strut its stuff."

"We should take it with us!" Liz said.

"Hang on, let's see if that ass belongs to someone." Iris said. The green haired woman and Ritsuka managed to get close to the donkey, with the animal standing between them calmly and nudging its head into Iris's hand. It brayed and neighed at the Druid, making the woman chuckle.

"Hah, looks like it's a talking ass too," Iris said. "Well, this ass is a stray, and doesn't belong to anyone."

"You sure?" Eric asked.

"Aye, apparently our friend here just wandered into the town because it was lost," Iris answered. "He's agreed to come with us for a while."

Ritsuka looked at the donkey for a whole minute before chuckling. Mashu tilted her head in confusion. "Senpai, what is wrong?"

"Sorry, but I think I found Kayneth's twin brother."

Iris tried to stifle her laughter but failed, beginning to cackle. "Okay that was pretty funny."

Mashu added her own giggle to the mix, surprising some of the group, and caused Mata Hari to grin in amusement.

"I think we had a long enough time out," Carmilla replied. "It is time to resume our search."

"It's a shame we can't do any shopping….." Liz muttered.

"Oh that reminds me," Mashu said. The Shielder rummaged through her shield and after a few moments brought out a huge bag of coins. "Apparently I had some money on me the entire time….."

"Okay then how about I take Liz and Kiyohime shopping, and the rest of you can look for Fou!" Mata Hari replied. "Oh and we'll take this ass with us too."

Everyone nodded and got up to resume their search for Fou, or to shop. As Mashu walked side by side with Ritsuka, she looked at the bag of bacon jerky in her hands, and thought back to the plagued village, and to Fou. She was glad to know that the plague was not contagious, but she can't help but wonder if that was the only one unfortunate to meet such a horrible fate. She could only hope Fou was not caught up in it, she did not know what she would do if he were hurt or worse…..

(OC finishes putting up the Christmas decorations with his Mini-Nobu and Vlad's Mini-Nobu)

OC: Wow, that looks great guys!

Mini-Nobu OC: Nobu Nobu!

Mini-Nobu V: No-Nobu!

OC: Ah, hello everyone, it's been a while since our last chapter. It's been a busy few weeks, and it's only going to get busier. Right, Yatsu?

(OC points to Yatsu's chair, where a cardboard cutout of Yatsu has been placed, with a smiley face drawn onto it. Mini-Nobu Y stands by the chair sadly, hugging the chair.)

Mini- Nobu Y: Nobu Nobu…

OC: I know bud, I miss him too. But don't worry, he's going to be okay. And until he comes back, I'll be taking care of you, so you can have all the souls you can consume. Does that make you feel better?

Mini-Nobu Y: Nobu Nobu!

OC: That's more like it buddy. Anyway, for those who are wondering, Yatsu is indeed fine, and I have been in contact with him. He just won't be able to make it for a while until he's all clear. In fact, he helped finish this chapter but I had to write it all out on my own due to his limitations. Just know that he is doing well, and I know he is looking forward to making a return one day.

Mini-Nobu OC: Nobu Nobu!

OC: Same here. In any case I also finished Dragon Age The Veilguard a few days ago as well, and all I have to say is, screw the haters and the nay sayers! That game is an enjoyable experience, and it did what no other video game ever did. It made me actually cry! So with that I easily give it a 7.5- 8 out of 10. It's not everyone's cup of tea, I know, but I thoroughly enjoyed it despite its flaws.

Mini-Nobu OC: Nobu Nobu!

OC: I agree, next time if I do play it I should play as a rogue lol. Now onto the breakdown of the chapter. So for Scene 1 we had it pick up right after the last chapter, and it was an interesting part due to Mashu and Kiyohime having some…..tension. And most importantly, we had Mashu raise her voice towards Liz and Kiyohime. Yatsu and I decided to do that because we felt that with what is happening with Mashu right now, having her get angry at their bickering would be appropriate, and show that she can put her foot down when needed.

Mini Nobu V: Nobu Nobu No. (Special Translation: Who'd have thought that the eggplant had it in her.)

OC: She just needed something to bring that side of her out. And this was an interesting time to do so. Now as for Scene 2…I know that what Kiyohime said regarding Mashu and what she wanted was a little out of line. I talked to Yatsu about it before he left and he thought it would be for the best though, even though we both thought it would be a very controversial thing to do.

However it also gave us the dance battle between Kiyohime and Liz. That was the last thing Yatsu wrote for the chapter before he left, and I absolutely loved it. And we reveal a traumatizing fact about Ritsuka's childhood. Hannah being a terrible singer lol. We went on so much about her talents that we decided to finally reveal one of her more comedic flaws.

Mini-Nobu OC: Nobu! (Special Translation: No lullabies to put him to sleep that's for sure!)

OC: Hey, I was going to say that!

Mini-Nobu OC: Nobu Nobu! (Special Translation: I know.)

OC: Wow, way to bite the hand that feeds ya…. Anyway, that particular flaw was one that had been around since the days when Vlad was still with us and writing this series alongside me, so that should tell you all how long we had that one planned out. Now as for Scene 3, this was very difficult as we have plans for the later part of this arc, but we also don't want to drag out this arc longer than necessary like we did the collab of Fate Zero. So we just settled on revealing one of the bigger plot points here. The plague encountered in the last chapter was made by Magecraft, and was used deliberately.

Mini Nobu Y: Nobu Nobu Nobu. (Special Translation: Hooray for war crimes!)

OC: I see Yatsu has taught you well. In any case, we had that one planned since….a couple of chapters before the last one I think…. Yeah, yeah it had to have been that.

Mini Nobu V: Nobu Nobu.

OC: Shhh! They don't need to know that! In any case, things will be going back to comedic stuff for a bit, and we started off really well with dat ass! Seriously, that ass was huge!

Mini Nobu Y: Nobu Nobu! (Special Translation: I wanted to touch that big ass!)

OC: Hah! Okay okay, I think the crowd gets it. In any case I just wanted to thank everyone for stopping by and I have an announcement. This chapter will be the last chapter of THIS year, and we will resume writing next year when we have the time. It's the holiday season, and my work will be very very busy next week so I won't be having much time writing the story until I get a break in between. And with that, it is time we-

(A voice mumbles behind the walls): Hashire Sori Yo….

OC: No way, this year too?

Kaze No You Ni….

OC: Hehehehe, I guess some things never change.

Tsukimihara Wo…..

OC: Okay here we go!

(The wall breaks apart revealing Chibi Nero in santa clothes once more)

Nero and OC: PADORU PADORU!

All three Mini-Nobus: Nobu Nobu Nobu!

(Special Translation: Thank you all for putting up with all our shenanigans, and for all the support for this series. We hope to see you all next time for the next chapter. Everyone have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.)