Vengeful Demons wail at the Prison Tower: V
It was an immediate sense of danger.
Fighting Fergus was starkly different from fighting Kalameet and that became clear within the first few seconds.
As the man raised his drill sword high and then plunged it straight down, the world shifted and was torn up, the ground displaced and split open. Ritsuka's footing slipped and he fell backwards with a gasp only to find himself flung backwards as Avenger all but tackled him into the air and away from the ground he had been stood up.
His first thought, as he watched the stone tear itself apart from the impact, was how close he had come to being caught in that.
The second thought was of Mercedes and Shizuko.
Wide eyed, he turned towards the direction they were in the short moment that he was in the air. Time slowed for him as his eyes fell upon them, and they looked back at him with faces of shock and alarm. Except none of the damage actually reached them at all. They still stood firmly upright without a single crack forming around them.
Then there was the impact, he grunted as Avenger let him go and he crashed into the floor, rolling hard on his shoulder and catching his hands against stone, he pushed himself up and snapped his eyes to where Avenger was, mouth open to complain about the rough treatment.
Only then did he stop and widen his eyes as the shadow of Fergus fell above them both, sword raised high and swinging right towards Avenger.
The next few seconds were a blur of shouting, crashing and bursts of flames.
Ritsuka was blasted off his feet once more, spiralling back and crashing into the ground in a rough heep. Fighting the immediate urge to curl up into a ball and lay there, he flung himself upwards and was on his feet and looking for any sign of the two servants in amongst the haze of dust and flame.
Eyes squinted, they caught onto a sudden blur of movement as the dust storm abruptly opened up.
Avenger with burning hands raised caught the sword - or rather, his flames caught the sword - as it was brought down towards his head. But he caught the second in which Fergus would yank backwards and raise his leg for a kick.
Ritsuka tossed his hand up and flickered a code, Avenger vanished in a sudden burst of light as the kick passed through nothing. Appearing a few feet away and then quickly launching himself into the air, slinging his hands forth and setting loose a dozen bolts of charged blue streams of light one after another.
Fergus pivoted with such force he heard the stone crunch under his feet, then the man was spinning the sword like some sort of propeller. Ritsuka raised his arms in front of himself, feeling the force of the wind slamming against him as he stepped back and caught his balance.
With a scary sense of skill, the Saber batted aside very nearly every stream of flame which was hurled his way, advancing rapidly after the first few and launching himself towards Avenger. The distance between the two vanished in a heartbeat, Fergus was right in front of them and thrusting the sword forwards.
Then a curtain of fire burst up between them, Avenger catapulted backwards as Fergus stumbled through the flames - looking only slightly singed - with the former skipping backwards across the ground to give himself some more distance, working his way back towards Ritsuka and sliding across the ground.
Ritsuka put something together as he spared a glance towards the direction of Mercedes and Shizuko, jaw rolling as it clicked into place, eyes dancing back to Fergus just in time to see his head swing about and land on himself and Avenger. It all made a lot of sense to him at that moment.
Fergus was aiming to kill them.
But while that was true…he wasn't aiming to hurt Mercedes and Shizuko, which made an awful lot of sense to him now. Especially with what the man had been talking about, so that meant the safest place for the two of them at the moment would be…
"Master!"
Avenger's shout of alarm broke his thoughts, suddenly he was being scooped off the ground and into the air with not even a moment later, there being a large slab or rock smashing into the wall just behind them and breaking into shards. Ritsuka shook his head and glanced down at Fergus as the man took off after them, eyes narrowing at the Servant he gave the Servant a small tap to indicate a new plan.
Hands around him loosened and then he was dropping back down, this time hitting the ground at a better angle and catching himself into a roll, he turned about and sent the plan through their link.
Avenger whirled around and let out another curtain of fire between them and Fergus, the flames stretched high and wide, reaching the tallest reach of the chamber they stood within and illuminating the shadows above their head.
The emergency enhancement came next, power flooded Avenger as he drew his arms back, the crackle of flames and light spread over his fingers as he raised his arms above his head and pulled his entire body back.
In the instant a shadow appeared and the flames parted, Avenger let the attack loose.
Right into the raised sword of Fergus, the stream was cut clean in two and looping around either side of the Saber. Though his steps slowed to a point where even Ritsuka could track his movements, it was still very little to displace the Servant in the least.
With a bellow, Fergus thrust the sword down and planted it in the ground once more, giving a single earth shuddering twist of the blade and unleashing a blast. The flames were snuffed quickly and Ritsuka was very nearly knocked back off his feet, the rattle of chains and the thunderclap of wind drowned out all other noises.
But Ritsuka could see something more.
The displaced earth and the loose rubble.
It could be made to work for them, if only to distract Fergus long enough to land a solid blow on him.
Ritsuka took off in a sprint, loosening his jacket from his body and ducking down, scooping up all the rocks he could in sight and throwing them into the makeshift back, one after another. None that were too large to take up more space, he needed something that was at least manageable for a cloud.
His eyes snapped up and his eyes fell upon Avenger.
His mystic code was in his hands and not on him, so he had to use something else.
The command seals burned bright as he raised his right hand and clenched his fist, the command shot through his mind.
'Strengthen your arms.'
And like that, Avenger released a sudden and boisterous laugh the same one that spilled with confidence as with before. Then suddenly he was striking the drill sword with a backhand that knocked it off course from running him through and slamming a burning fist into Fergus jaw.
The sound of the punch landing was like a gun going off, a brief tilt of the head.
But then Fergus righted back quickly and knocked the outstretched hand away, throwing up his sword into the air.
Ritsuka did not see much beyond a few blurred movements, the arms of the Saber vanished completely and in the next movement Avenger had been folded and hurled across the room with a series of bone shuddering claps signalling the trading of punches, Fergus caught his sword as it dropped back down and twirled it about, his lips spreading into a sharp and almost bloodthirsty smirk.
A smirk that looked decidedly familiar to him.
"Great. He smiles like Cu."
Ritsuka moaned to himself, but then Fergus whipped around and looked at him rather sharply for a couple of seconds, head tilted.
It was only for a moment, but it was enough of a distraction - for whatever reason that it existed - that allowed Avenger to practically appear behind the Saber. They clearly sensed something as he turned around and was in the process of raising his arm to block.
Fergus was launched across the room with a kick, slowing down and revealing the arm which had been raised to block. The metal singed and smoking from where it had been struck, the Saber lowered it and gave it a small shake.
Avenger landed and looked up rather sharply.
"What is the matter? For a warrior to so swiftly turn their head in battle at no more than the tweet of a wild bird? Surely you are one with more sense than that! It is all but begging for you to lose your head in the heat of the moment, o'devil of purgatory!"
"Hah!" Fergus grinned savagely. "You've still got a mouth on you! That's good! I'd be disappointed if you didn't have some bark to make up for your lacking bite. You and that boy seem far too green to me, but at least try and make me work for it."
Raising a meaty fist, he slammed it into his chest like the beat of a drum.
"Nothing gets the blood pumping like a good fight and then nothing like a woman to calm you down after it all!"
Ritsuka replied on instinct.
"Guess you're gonna be disappointed!"
Fergus laughed. "If you say so, brat!"
Even without the name, the man was without a doubt a Celt.
Only they could sound so jovial and friendly when fighting to the death.
Well, except Alma.
But that was a different kind of battle-crazy.
Short reprieve that it was, it ended when Fergus stomped down and launched himself right towards Ritsuka, laughing all the while. It was the split second in which everything slowed down for him, falling backwards as Fergus was suddenly right in his face, all while Avenger was lunging towards him with blazing hands.
He dropped down to the ground as head and light rolled over him, a collision happened somewhere above him which nearly sent him sprawling, but quickly snatching his hand out around his makeshift bag of rubble and dragging it back up, charging forwards and then sliding to a halt as he stared at Mercedes standing not all that far from him, her own red coat held in her hands with some loose rubble caught in it.
Ritsuka blinked and opened his mouth, she looked more frazzled and confused.
"You need it, R-right?"
He stopped for a moment, then quickly nodded his head and smiled at her.
"Thank you."
And with that, he gently took the bagged up coat from her - filled with rubble - and turned about and ran across the room towards the fighting Servants. Eyes narrowed as he grew closer and closer, he heaved up with loosened his grip around the jackets just enough to let loose the shards of stone and brick.
It was more like a clumsy buckshot than an actual attack.
But then a second command seal burned.
'Let your flames burn hot!'
Avenger ducked down and lashed out with a roundhouse kick, trailing fire behind his heel and then throwing himself aside.
The loose shrapnel that Ritsuka had flung out fell right into the path of the sudden wall of fire and then launched right through it, coated in flames and turned to a molten sludge.
"Wha-?"
Fergus sounded suddenly alarmed as he was promptly bathed in glowing blue lava.
All while that was happening, Ritsuka threw the red coat back to Mercedes and slipped his own jacket back on, ignoring the slight stabs against his skin where some of the rubble was still hiding in the sleeves, he tightened it up and activated another two mystic codes in rapid succession.
Avenger was healed and promptly empowered further.
"If it is my bite you wish to endure-!"
Avenger raced forwards and slammed a fist into Fergus gut, folding the man over the arm.
"-then endure it you shall!"
The punch exploded and Fergus was sent crashing into the furthest most wall away from them, Ritsuka's eyes jumped up to the chains and narrowed just a touch, Avenger caught his intention as Ritsuka pointed to them once more, the Servant leaned and caught a couple in his hands and yanked down, tearing them free of wherever they had been held in place.
Naturally when Fergus emerged, he looked quite a bit worse for wear, more so than last time.
Rather awful looking burns were present over his skin and there was a large bruise forming on his gut, in amongst that was the burnt indentation of Avenger's knuckles. It was the rattle of chains as Avenger lashed out with the weapons in his hand and thrust them towards the Saber, looping one around the arm holding the sword and another around his legs.
Fergus, dazed from the attack, staggered into it as Avenger yanked and tripped him forwards, the sword slipped from his hands and clattered to the floor.
Another chance had opened up.
And this time, Avenger needed no further prompting from him.
With a loud laugh spilling from his lips, he raced forwards and flipped upwards through the air, yanking the chains and pulling Fergus upwards and dropping down in the same moment, the pair vanished in a cloud of dust as Avenger fell upon him with his heel falling down like an axe.
Ritsuka was sure he could barely catch the moment the foot was driven into Fergus nose and was certain that the sound - which was very much like a branch snapping - was the signal of the nose breaking under the attack.
Another burst of flames followed, far brighter than all those who came before and then all went silent rather abruptly.
Ritsuka waited for a moment, then called out into the haze.
"Avenger? You alright?"
There was no response for a couple moments.
Then he saw a flicker of movement, the distinct shadow of the Servant staggered out of the dust and towards them, limping rather clearly.
Ritsuka raced forwards and towards Avenger as he appeared, with a rather clear bruise forming over his right side and his nose bent at a rather crooked angle.
Just as he started to topple, Ritsuka was at his side and keeping his hands on the shoulder of the Servant, keeping them upright.
"Whoa, how bad?"
Avenger made a small noise which was akin to a laugh, jerking his head towards the cloud.
"Though my injuries are indeed unpleasant, they are no worse than his, for he burns brightly as befitting a sin in Hell."
Ritsuka spared a glance and the smell hit him, his nose curled and he very nearly gagged at it but managed to hold it in, only by souring his expression instead. It was a burnt patch on the ground, in amongst a pile of something that had once been a person, he was most certain that Fergus was dead.
"Are you distraught with his death as well?"
The comment from Avenger brought a scowl to his face.
"I wish it hadn't come to that, does that satisfy you?"
"A comforting answer to give." Avenger pulled their weight away from him and turned just enough that they could show him their smile. "Does it feel like a warm blanket over your shoulders when you give it, Master?"
"Yeah. It does." With stiff words, Ritsuka walked Avenger back towards the direction of the doorway and glanced across to see if he could spot where Mercedes and Shizuko were, though he was not long in finding them as the pair came all but sprinting over towards him.
Rather, it was Mercedes carrying the latter which came sprinting.
"Are you alright?" The words tumbled out of her mouth rather quickly, eyes already roaming over him in a frantic search for injuries.
With a thin smile, he nodded back. "I'm alive, at least."
Which was, at the moment, the thing he was trying to be most concerned about.
It was a thought that was easy enough to find some comfort in.
He was alive and the person who had tried to kill him was dead.
…He wasn't going to apologise for surviving.
It was what he told himself once again and just as before, he meant it.
"Come on." Setting the thoughts aside for the time being, he nodded his head to the doors. "We'll head back."
Avenger breathed a laugh. "Do you intend to carry me the rest of the way? Your generosity is most surprising, Master. Or perhaps you wish to let me languish with my wounds for just a bit longer as a penance of sorts?"
At that, he stopped and took in a breath.
Laying his hand flat on Avenger's side, he let out the mystic code to the best of his ability and then drew it back.
"I do get tired, you know." Ritsuka replied to him as he resumed walking, still with the weight of the Servant over his shoulder, but lesser than before. "And I wasn't doing this to you because I hate you or something."
"I have done little to place myself within your good graces, Master." Avenger said. "Many would not be surprised if you held strong feelings of dislike."
"Yeah, well."
He shrugged at that.
Apparently he was good at not living up to the expectations of people.
Sue him.
Right now though, goodness, was he starting to miss that cell. Something that might have been a bad sign but at least he didn't have to go out and start doing some fighting when he was back in there.
And he could do with a long rest.
"'These black men.' said the landlord lowering his voice 'They're looking for Baggins, and if they mean well, then I'm a hobbit. It was on Monday, and all the dogs were yammering and the geese screaming."
Mash took a pause in speaking, raising her eyes from the book and turning towards the door as it opened up once again.
It was hard not to see Kalameet suddenly pout at the interruption, he had been leaning forwards during her reading session with greater and greater interest.
Through the door came a number of Servants she hadn't expected to appear as one group.
"Hello, everyone." Greeting politely, she smiled at them and nodded in welcoming.
It got her a couple smiles and some waves of the hand from both of Cu's, though Scathach spared her a short but meaningful glance as she inclined her head in a similar bow, but it was that and that alone. Soon it was Senpai who they were all turned to look down upon, the warrior Queen being the first to approach and fold her arms.
"Mmmmh. I see." Her foot tapped on the ground a few times. "So you were rather perceptive in this instance, Setanta."
It was a question clearly aimed for Caster Cu, given he was the one who let out an indignant huff and rolled his eyes.
"I am a Caster, you know? It would be a little embarrassing if I couldn't do more than swing around a staff and chuck a couple fireballs."
Scathach hummed. "I recall someone having to be dragged to their lessons, or perhaps I merely imagined such things? Then again, this was a certain someone who never claimed to see the value in runes until they were set upon by several dozen of them at once."
Both Cu's shuddered at those words, Mash felt a slight hint of cold creep up her own spine as well for some reason.
And it was not even for a comment aimed at her.
"Still…" With a wave of the hand, there were symbols cast into the air and flowing across the room, settling onto Senpai's chest and glowing rather brightly before dimming completely. It was a short but impressive display, but it was met by a frowning face as Scathach placed her hands firmly upon her hips.
Mash leaned forwards. "Scathach-san?"
"...They reject even the strength of runes…unless…" The woman suddenly looked down at her hands and narrowed her eyes, rubbing her fingers together a few times before dropping her arm down and saying nothing else.
"...Perhaps not." There was no further elaboration.
Both Cu's snorted at that, then the Lancer version turned to her and shook his head.
"Pay it no mind, lass." He jerked his head to Scathach. "She does this sort of thing a lot."
She did?
Once more, the door opened.
"I see that there has been something of a gathering?"
"Are well wishers not expected beside the bed of such a person?"
In came both Nudd and Flann respectively.
Nudd approached her rather swiftly with a comforting smile. "How are you feeling, young lass?"
Mash could only shrug. "I'm worried."
"Good." Nudd nodded his head, then smiled. "Worrying means that things can get better."
Was that how it worked?
Thinking about his words for a short moment, she figured that he might have actually been right. Because she was still worried, that meant she hadn't gotten sad or started despairing just yet, so it meant that things could get better.
Did that mean as long as she was only worried, it meant it was a good sign?
"The hell kind of wisdom is that?" Lancer Cu interrupted her thoughts rather abruptly, brows pinched together.
Nudd shrugged. "Can you tell me I am wrong? If you are only worried, then it can yet be beaten."
His words brought the room into silence, apparently everyone was thinking about that now, all with varying expressions of thought.
"...Your words are strange as always." Flann broke the silence, advancing on the bed. "But there is some element of sense, though I find myself puzzled as to what good my presence would do anything. I am no spell slinger nor am I one for the healing arts."
"No, I thought your fiery personality would really ignite the room."
There was the distinct sound of someone snorting, Mash looked about in search of the noise.
Strange.
It looked like it had come from the Director…
She squinted a little bit harder, the woman caught her stare and quickly turned her eyes to the ceiling.
…Did the director laugh?
Did that mean the Director appreciated puns?
…She would tell Senpai about this when he woke up, so all she had to do was keep worrying.
…That felt wrong to think but it also felt right when Nudd described it as he did.
"You never cease, do you?" Flann sighed, dragging a hand over his face.
Nudd chuckled. "Between the two of us, someone has to lighten up the room."
"..."
"I am not going to apologise."
Flann gave a long shake of the head.
The two Cu's glanced at one another and shrugged.
Scathach turned to Nudd directly. "I suppose you have come here to dispense more than jokes?"
Nudd looked back. "Why should that not be the extent of my purpose? It can be ever so dreary when at the bedside of a friend in pain, what better time is there than under a cloud to appreciate the rays of the sun?"
"...Is that another fire joke?"
"It was not intended to be, but here we are."
Mash appreciated what he was doing at least.
Even if everyone else seemed to be caught between annoyed and exasperated.
"So then." Nudd's eyes fell to her and looked down. "So I see. Reading him some stories, are you?"
"Gwynevere-san said it might help if I did that."
Flann shifted just a bit at the mention of the Goddess, but not a lot.
"She would think that." He said. "And perhaps she would be right, often she would read tales of old Anor Londo to our children, speaking to them of the glory of the early days and of the majesty of it's denizens…she was certainly inspirational enough with her words that I could see most of them take them to heart."
Folding his arms, he looked at the book.
"Yet I doubt that is of the same sort."
Mash slowly nodded her head, comparing the two felt a bit strange but she could at least explain.
"Senpai sometimes makes references so…when he wakes up, I wanted to surprise him by making one that he would understand."
Flann made a small sound.
Was it approving?
It sounded approving.
"If you have all come here and done what you wished to do, then if you could please leave." The Director said from somewhere behind her. "This is not a theatre and there are no performances to be seen here."
Kalameet looked across. "But I thought Mash was reading-"
"Be quiet."
"Alright."
Scathach slowly raised a brow as she looked first towards the silenced Kalameet, and then towards the Director.
Her eyes sharpened just a little and there was a twitch of a smile on her lip.
"Scathach. No."
Nudd spoke up rather suddenly. "Do not."
The Lancer gave an unconvincing hum and then slowly turned and strode back out of the room leaving behind the two Cu's and the pair of Gods.
Rather abruptly, Nudd and both the Cu's let out equal sighs of exasperation.
"That is definitely gonna backfire." Lancer Cu remarked.
"Yep." Caster Cu agreed.
"We should probably do something," Nudd finished.
""All yours."" The two Cu's said.
"She is your teacher."
"Hey, you fought Balor!" Lancer Cu pointed out, gesturing to him. "I bet you can deal with Shishou."
Nudd dropped his hands to his hips. "I think what you meant to say was that I was killed by Balor…because I was. He cut off my head after glaring at me for a solid ten seconds. Do you have any idea how painful that was?"
Caster Cu offered a flat expression. "Yeah. I doubt Shishou compares to that."
"...Probably not." Nudd admitted. "But she could still decapitate me."
That seemed rather grizzly.
"Please don't speak like that, Nudd-san." Raising her voice and drawing his eyes, she shook her head as she spoke. "Scathach-san would not do something like that."
Her words had a very strange effect, the trio of Servants in front of her shared a glance with one another which seemed to hold an entire conversation before they turned back to her as one.
No one said anything else on the matter further.
It left her a bit puzzled.
"...Is Mash going to keep reading?" Kalameet asked, she found herself nodding her head and smiling ever so slightly at his polite request.
She hoped that Senpai was somehow benefiting from this as well, but it was nice enough to believe that he was.
"Mash loves detective stories. Loves them."
Mercedes expression showed she was a little puzzled. "Are those books that explain something?"
Ritsuka nodded at that. "Pretty much, yeah. A lot of it is set up so that sometimes you know who did it and sometimes you don't? I think it depends on the author a lot but I just mostly know about that type of thing from a lot of the other genres of it. Plays and shows, that type of thing."
The woman smiled at that, her confusion melting away. "I see. Do you read these books with her?"
"...To be honest? I've never gotten around to that." He leaned back. "Reading isn't something I did a lot of."
Well, that was not strictly true.
"Not the type of books that she reads a lot of, I mean. Mine are mostly action manga-ah. Uhm. Picture books…Sometimes natural history."
"Oh." The way she said that probably meant she had a different idea of what he was referring to, likely the more traditional sort of picture books meant for children. At least her smile did not dim and she did not look that judgemental. "I see. As long as you enjoy them, it is fine."
Setting his back a bit further to the wall, he drummed his fingers upon his legs.
"I think when I get back, I should swap some books with Mash. Give her stuff a try and she can see what I read? I know about it but I've never really gone and read it and that…well, it seems a little strange? Like…she knows about it from the original and I've only seen the adaptations."
He didn't know if that made a lot of sense.
"Whether it comes from paper or by word," Avenger drew his attention. "that you know of it should be more than enough. The message remains the same, even if the medium changes. If you fail to grasp it in the form that suits you best, then you will forever remain unable to fully understand the meaning of the work in its earliest iteration."
"That just sounds like you're telling me not to bother."
"Perhaps I am." Avenger shrugged, then turned his head and looked on with a knowing smirk. "Shall you take that advice, or have my harsh words only pushed you further into the path of literacy?"
Folding his arms, he huffed back at the Servant.
"You know what? I am going to read those books when I get back to Chaldea. I am going to read them back to front, even if I don't actually understand half of what is on the page for there to read."
"To spite me?" Avenger furrowed his brows, looking curious. "Would you truly go to such lengths? Would your friend approve of their entertainment being used in such a malicious way?"
He could not believe this.
Really.
He was having a hard time with this.
Only able to shake his head in disbelief before eventually finding the words. "You are just able to find the cloud in every sky, aren't you?"
"It is why I avoid getting wet."
"For a guy who likes to say wait and hope a lot, you're seriously cynical."
Avenger stared back, then shrugged. "What use would hope be to an optimist?"
…Damn, that actually made sense.
Hmmm.
"Well, that aside." Changing the topic back to the original point, he waved a hand across the room. "I would not do it just to spite you, that would be a bit more petty…it's just so that I can understand Mash a bit more. She loves those books and maybe I would be able to share in that just a bit…or at least appreciate something that she does enjoy, even if I don't understand it."
"And that is a wonderful gesture." Mercedes raised her voice before Avenger could offer up a rebuttal to that.
Something that was easy to tell they were building up to, especially with that glint in their eyes.
Ritsuka could just see the negative comment on the verge of spilling out, but apparently that was being delayed for a while. It would still arrive, he did not doubt that, but for just a bit they were spared the sadness.
"Sometimes it might just be enough to share in the joy of strangers, even if the context of it all is lost upon you."
Avenger rumbled a laughter, turning on her and giving a pointed stare. "I am unsurprised you think as such, given your situation and how lost your face shows you to be. Very much like a flower adrift in the currents of the river. You can do no more but surrender to the current and hope for the best."
Ritsuka leaned forwards just a little bit.
A flower adrift in the currents of a river?
"Are you a poet?"
That earned him a sudden blink of surprise and then a glare, "What?"
Ritsuka raised his hands. "I'm not mocking you or anything, but you have this really intricate? Yeah, an intricate way of speaking that reminds me a lot of poetry."
"I was under the impression you were not so well read."
He scoffed at that. "It's poetry, everyone learns about that sort of thing in school. Like…Shizuko? You know about poetry, right?"
Nodding her head up and down, she turned slowly in the direction of Avenger and then tilted her head, smiling all the while.
Pointing to her, he continued. "See? She thinks so as well. So, were you a poet or was it just a hobby that you picked up?"
"Is it vital for you to know?"
Ritsuka debated how to answer it.
"Come now." Mercedes leaned forwards, now she was smiling at him too. "It is not something to be ashamed of. I have thought so as well, you can say such horrible things but they are delivered in a way that one cannot help but marvel at…I think you would write some nice poems."
"Yeah! Do some poems."
Avenger looked over them all with an expression torn between irritation and bewilderment, then he huffed and shook his head.
"To think that you would all find yourselves focusing on such minor details as my speech, there are matters of far more dire importance than my words."
They said that like it was somehow a new thing.
Ritsuka rolled his eyes at that, shaking his head.
"Avenger? There's always something of dire importance that happens in my life recently, doesn't mean you can't stop to smell the roses."
"And yet if you remain idle among the roses for too long, you might find yourself pricked by their thorns."
They did not even need to stop and think about that one, it was right off the cuff.
"See?" turning instead to Mercedes, he gestured at Avenger. "He's good at this, right?"
Nodding her head in support, she was smiling a bit more openly now. "Oh, yes. Very much so. A talent for that sort of thing…I cannot recall the last time that I have ever heard a poem before…"
Shizuko nodded her head a bit more eagerly.
"Enough." Avenger snapped, but it was a voice lacking the same heat as if he were truly angry with them. Rather, it was as though he sounded more exasperated than anything else, "Consider this matter dropped. Marvel at my language all you wish, but I do not speak my words for you to ignore their meaning and praise only their aesthetics."
Mmmmh.
"Alright." Ritsuka decided, nodding his head up and down. "If you say so."
If Avenger did not want to be a poet, then he couldn't force them to do it.
Simple as that.
But it was a shame, he would be far more willing to listen to poems than half of what Avenger said any other time of day.
Mercedes looked a little downcast at the refusal, then glanced back his way and leaned forwards.
"Mayhaps you could tell me more of this Chaldea? It sounds as though you have a great many friends there."
Huh.
"...I guess I do." He realised and it was not that he'd never had friends before, but it was that he'd never had quite so many at any given time. "...It's certainly one of a kind, that much is for sure and there's never a quiet day."
"Sounds excitable."
Ritsuka barked out a laugh, throwing back his head and slapping his knee.
Excitable?
"You do not know the half of it." He exclaimed, bringing down his laughter. Just finding one story to tell them would be difficult enough, it was as if there was not a single week that passed by without something happening.
"They all like to keep busy," Pointing to himself, "keep me on my toes as well."
Shizuko was leaning forwards, he could guess what it was she was after.
"You guys want a couple stories then?"
Nodding their heads, he cupped his chin.
"...Well…first one that springs to mind for me…That would have been during a festival of the moon. That was when someone broke in and stole most of our food and then scattered it all across the countryside. We got out and had to go chasing all of it down and met a lot of people out there."
Snorting, he folded his arms.
Of all their ventures of someone breaking into Chaldea, that had been one of the least chaotic.
Unless you were Gwyndolin.
The God still wasn't talking about what happened.
"That sounds rather tragic." Mercedes commented with a frown. "To be the victim of theft."
"Well, she didn't think of it as theft at the time." He added, shaking his head. "She was seeing it more as collecting tribute? Well, it was a festival for the moon and she did have some close ties with it so…I guess it just made sense in her mind? Really, most of the trouble came from another guy who was there."
Their first meeting with Patches.
Speaking of, he had not seen them in quite a while.
He wondered what happened to them?
Well, they might show up again in the future.
"Guy was pretty much a master scam artist who could disguise himself. Guess he made a living off preying on greedy people, at least that's what I was told from the people who knew him…went by the name of Patches."
Mercedes shifted. "Did this man con you then?"
Ritsuka stopped and thought about it. "Well. I'm sure he would have tried to. He did trap us in a pit and then go off somewhere else…but then when we met him again he was perfectly willing to trade with us as though nothing happened?"
"You would barter with those who do you wrongs?" Avenger predictably spoke up. "You are indeed quick to forgive, or perhaps you are quick to forget?"
Looking over his shoulder, he titled his head. "It wasn't like there was any real harm done to me or anyone else, so getting angry with him would have been a bit of an overreaction. It turned out to be a good move anyway because he sold us some pretty good stuff when we saw him."
It was not enough to satisfy Avenger, and when they spoke next it cut to the heart of the matter.
"But such a thing did not occur to you at the time, did it?"
"No?" He was not sure why it would have. "I just didn't feel that strongly about it? Well, I was a bit annoyed at the time but then we found what we were looking for because of it so I just…sort of didn't have anything to be annoyed about anymore? It seemed weird to hold only it."
"And if harm had been caused?"
Ritsuka sighed. "Well, that would be a different case...Can I get back to telling the story now?"
Avenger grunted, giving him permission to continue.
He looked back at the audience.
"Though it turned out that the place he had trapped us also had most of the food that had gone missing as well…but there was a tiny little problem."
Pinching his fingers together for effect, he let the silence hang before he resumed.
"They were being guarded by some monsters."
Before he knew it, he was chuckling at the memory.
"And then Ash…he was one of the guys down there with me, he just stares down at them and then he goes 'I am going to deal with this the same way I always do. By walking up to it.'."
Throwing up his hands, he let his chuckles die down enough to speak clearer.
"Next thing any of us know, he's just walked right off the edge of the little ridge we were on and is marching right up to these lion creatures. Well, they had the bodies of lions but also had an extra head and a snake for a tail."
Mercedes looked a bit struck by that, opening and closing her mouth several times before tilting her head.
"I…I beg your pardon?"
Ritsuka only nodded. "Yep. Called Chimera. Big lion monsters with different animal parts attached to them…Ash just walks right up to them and then starts throwing around fireballs talking about how simple plans work the best."
"H-he did?" Mercedes cupped her mouth. "G-goodness…I do not believe I could ever do such a thing…"
"Well, that's just Ash." Ritsuka excused. "He's always been a bit like that. Really, I've not seen too many situations that he won't just walk right up to even if they look pretty bad."
…It was a little inspiring, if he was being honest.
He knew that Ash didn't mean it in that way, but it was hard not to appreciate the stoic nature of his second Servant and how they didn't really shy away from anything that involved getting their hands dirty.
Even if it did sometimes lead them all into a spot of trouble.
"Well, Ash was strong so it wasn't like the Chimera were a problem." Ritsuka continued on, for the benefit of the both of them. "And we had a warrior of sunlight by the name of Solaire with us as well. He was definitely a jolly guy…I've met him a couple times when I've been out on missions."
They were a good guy.
Ritsuka looked forward to when they would join Chaldea.
Well, if they would join Chaldea.
But with Solaire, his gut feelings told him that it was just closer to a when than an if.
"It sounds like you were very lucky to have them with you." Mercedes let out a breath, then bit her lip. "...I would have been a bit scared to be there…Watching you fight that man earlier I was just…"
Ritsuka snorted. "Oh, no. I was probably terrified out of my head. I normally am when I run into these types of things…I just trust that the people around me are going to do their best so I have to do my best for them as well. Simple as that."
"And when that trust is not enough?" Avenger asked. "What do you do then? I doubt you surrender to fear…"
He fell silent.
"...Well…"
…He had done that already.
Turning his head, he looked towards Avenger and stared at them.
Avenger must have caught it in his face, because their posture shifted rather abruptly and they fell back against the wall, crossing his arms and staring back at Ritsuka with an unblinking gaze.
"I see." Avenger rumbled. "And yet you remain here…surrendered and then escaped, is that it?"
Ritsuka huffed. "...It would be hard not to be scared at that…"
…At Gwyn.
Because they were scary.
…It was probably the most terrified he had ever been because it had just…
Well, for those few moments he had been with nothing but his fear.
"Oh, turn back to the joyful stories." Mercedes begged, her voice strained. "Listening to that is making me feel the shivers."
"Well…"
Ritsuka looked back and smiled.
"...There was the time we set up a musical performance."
Was that the best example?
…It was sort of fun, he supposed, until the singing started.
But the set up and teamwork made it almost worth it at the end.
Or, at least, he would have gotten around to explaining it.
Until he heard a rather deep crunch echo out from somewhere all around them, it was enough that he stopped speaking and then turned his head towards the direction of Avenger to see if he heard it as well.
Both Shizuko and Mercedes had stiffened up at the noise, but Avenger pushed off the wall and turned his head, Ritsuka could see the beginnings of a frown upon his face.
With a glance to the two women, he waved his hand to indicate for them to stay where they were, then shifted himself off the bed as quietly as possible and tip-toed across the cell to be beside the Servant.
"...What was that?"
Avenger gave no reply.
Which probably meant that they did not know either.
He frowned at that, not for the lack of an answer, but for the implication. There were a couple things he could guess it being, either another ghost or Forlorn spirit wandering the halls, but this cell had been somewhat safe for a while now, if it turned out to be just as viable a target as any other…
No, thinking about it now did not change matters.
"Which way did it come from?" He asked next, hoping that he would get an answer.
"To the right." Avenger answered slowly, eyes narrowing. "...It's presence grows stronger still, akin to the rumble of storm clouds. There is no rain to be seen, but it remains there all the same, yet to fall upon us."
This guy really did have the makings of a poet.
"...Do they feel like a Servant?" He asked next, because that was a thought that occurred to him.
Yet another heavy crunch - this time with the distinct echo of a metallic thud - answered him before Avenger could even open his mouth. It was such a reverberating sound that Ritsuka felt his body twitch against his will, the humming of metal lingered until long after the sound had dissipated.
It was hard to place what it was.
Except then came another, just like before but far louder and closer.
Ritsuka and Avenger traded a silent stare with one another, then he looked over his shoulder to the pair, smiling more for their sake and waving his hand down.
"Just gonna take a look outside?"
Mercedes looked at him fearfully. "Are you sure? It sounds–"
Another crash cut her short and she flinched rather violently, Shizuko laid a hand upon her shoulder to steady her, then looked to him and tilted her head.
It seemed as though she was asking if it was truly necessary.
"Don't worry." Ritsuka thumbed his chest. "I'm actually very careful."
Avenger did not help matters by snorting rather loudly.
Ritsuka eyed him with a dry stare for a brief second, shaking his head and turning back towards the row of bars which led down the hallway.
There was a new sound that followed, much louder than before and much more consistent.
One after another it was a steady drum of metallic beats.
"Footsteps." Whispering as the word came to him, he looked at the Avenger and then nodded his head to them.
Someone was closing in on them and they sounded rather big.
But whether they were friend or foe…that was something he didn't know.
With how this place was shaping up to be, he was thinking it would be more likely to be the latter, rather than the former, but he could hold out hope for a familiar face. Or at least someone who wasn't out for his head.
That would make a nice change.
The steps halted.
Ritsuka held his breath and waited for them to start again.
Except that didn't happen, he started breathing but slower than before as the silence fell upon them, an ominous lack of sound for how one so lacking in stealth before was leaving behind some worrying thoughts.
Namely that they knew someone was listening out for their steps.
If it was a Servant, they could have converted to spirit form.
"Can you still sense them?"
"Yes." Avenger was quick to reply, "What shall we do? Wait or seek?"
Now that was a question.
Ritsuka pinched his lips and drummed his hands on his thigh.
Well, meeting them out there would get them away from both Mercedes and Shizuko if it came to a fight, so it wasn't much of a choice at all in the first place.
"Let's go." He said, then nodded to the other two. "Back soon."
He stepped out after that and into the darkness, eyes narrowed as he peered down the direction the sounds had been coming from. There was only silence that greeted him now, but he could feel as though there was something out there watching him. Even if he could not see them.
Avenger came up beside him and then moved forwards a few steps.
"Cold feet?"
He huffed.
It was possible they were being lured away just so that someone could get into the more vulnerable targets. It seemed a bit more advanced than what the ghosts had been capable of, but the Forlorn were a different matter entirely.
Someone making as much noise as possible seemed to be the type of person looking to invite visitors.
Especially in a place like this.
Ritsuka started walking forwards with Avenger by his side.
Nothing else for it, he supposed.
Several steps forwards and then there was an almighty crash from the far end of the hallway.
The ground under him shuddered and buckled, Ritsuka stumbled backwards in a mixture of surprise and alarm, quickly finding his balance and tensing himself as he could just about make out the sudden burst of dust and rubble from far ahead, as if something had just smashed into - or out of - one of the cells ahead of them.
Further crunches of metal, shadows were banished aside by a flash of blinding lights and a deep growl like a truck.
Then a final thud and an explosion, Ritsuka closed his eyes and stepped backwards, shielding his gaze from the light before it could do so much damage to him.
It was only a few seconds before he lowered his eyes again, but by the time he did that there was already Avenger standing in front of him and arms at the ready.
Deep ground shaking footsteps came again, faster than before and Ritsuka could see the movement down the corridor.
Not just one or two things either, but it looked as though there was an entire crowd of wraiths charging towards them.
"Aven-"
He didn't get the chance to finish, nor did Avenger get the chance to attack.
The blinding golden light filled the hallway once again, streaking out like a whip and lashing against the spirits, except it was followed by a blur and a deep crash, the walls fell inwards as something slammed the wraiths into them, one after another they vanished as the cloud of encroaching dust opened up just long enough for something to lash out and strike them before it was consumed by the wall of debris once again.
Whatever it was, it was attacking the wraiths.
They were running as well.
Not fast enough it seemed.
A final crash, something rose up above and then dropped down like a guillotine upon the final spirit, their body was crushed under the weight of the strike. A shockwave tore down the narrow hallway and rolled over him.
Though it was more like slapped him as he could just about make it out in the few seconds before it hit him, leaving a dull ringing in his ears.
But it did serve to wipe the dust cloud away and showed off the owner of the attack.
…What?
Ritsuka blinked, halfway between raising his hands to cover his ears and keeping them by his side as he stared at the person who was now staring towards them.
That plate armour that looked like welded scales, the helmet with bramble like plume out the back and the twin horns which jutted out and curved back either side.
Then there was the two handled axe, still crackling with lightning.
It was, most definitely, Stahl.
…Except he remembered them being…well…
Taller.
Stahl(?) jerked their head upwards, going upright as they landed their gaze upon him.
Though they might have looked like Stahl, Ritsuka wasn't quite so convinced they were friendly just yet. Or at all.
For one thing, they could have been someone who just wore the same armour as the Berserker.
For another thing, it was probably impossible for them to be here in the first-
"Finally!"
He blinked at the voice.
Rather, he was blinking in surprise that there was a voice in the first place.
"...Uhm…what?" Whether he was speaking to himself or to the Stahl lookalike was anyone's guess, but it just felt like something he had to say.
Then the person was mounting the axe on their shoulders and marching forwards, he could just about make out the shield slotted out on their back. Within moments, they were marching forwards.
Avenger was ready to start throwing hands, Ritsuka stepped forwards and raised his own arm in the way of them, furrowing his brows at the Servant and then raising his voice.
"If you could stay over there please, I would appreciate it."
"Excuse me?" There was an indignant huff as they stopped walking, then stabbed a finger towards him. "This is the way you show gratitude? I come all the way down here to come and find you and you treat me with suspicion and hostility? I was expecting some words of thanks. In fact, you should be grateful that I came here to save you."
Midway through the rant, they had puffed out their chest and their voice took on a rather imperious tone.
Ritsuka just felt more confused.
He glanced at Avenger and saw only suspicion on their face.
So they didn't know anything about this either then?
"...Right, so before I start showing gratitude to you," Ritsuka changed his words and started again. "could you just tell me who you are in the first place? Because I'm a little confused right now."
Stahl stiffened, then looked down so sharply and with such intensity that he was certain they were glaring at him.
"Wha-!? What is that supposed to mean?" Stepping forwards, or rather stomping forwards, they leaned forth and dropped a hand onto their hip. "Is this really the time for you to be making these sorts of careless jokes? You're in serious danger at the moment and you think you can get away with this stupidity?"
Well, he knew he was in danger.
He just didn't know whether there was also danger in front of him right now.
"Right, sorry." Ritsuka said. "I just…you're shorter than I thought."
"...what?"
"Did that come out wrong? I mean…uhm…I know someone who looks like you but is taller."
He raised his hand above his head just for reference.
"Like…way taller."
Stahl(?) just continued to stare at him in silence.
"...How long have you been here to-wait a moment, who even is this?" Suddenly they were pointing at Avenger and their voice changed into one of suspicion and hostility. More so when they swung a hand back onto him. "Have you been contracting with weird Servants again? I thought you were going to stop that!"
…Why did this feel like being scolded by the Director?
"I didn't mean to!"
"You never do! What is the matter with you? Do you just attract weirdos?"
He was attracting one right now.
"Speak and cease this prattle." Avenger interrupted, setting his hands ablaze. "Your bluster is grating-"
"What do you think you're doing near one of my squires and speaking with such aggression towards me? In fact, you should be on your hands and knees begging to have the privilege of being able to contract with someone I have command over."
Ritsuka was feeling really confused now.
"I think you have the wrong guy?"
"Have you lost your memories or something?" Stahl pointed to themselves and spoke with an audible frown. "Or are you trying to make bad jokes again? Don't do that, this is serious."
Ritsuka threw up his hands. "Can you just take the helmet off then?"
"Fine!" Stahl snapped back at him, whipping up a hand and clasping the helmet, then tearing it free with one swift movement.
The moment it was off, his hands dropped down to his side.
The hair was a long flowing mixture of white and velvet red.
Like toothpaste, was where his head went.
Then he looked at the face.
Despite the bright blue eyes, there was no denying who the face belonged to.
"...What?"
"Oh, so now you understand." With a look that was a cross between smug and exhausted, the person that was definitely not Stahl puffed out their chest and nodded once. "Now we can actually do something."
"...Director?"
It was definitely the face of the Director.
Without a doubt.
But this?
This was just…what?
Her nose wrinkled. "Director? What are you talking about? It's Ser Stolgina to you."
Stol-what?
…
Ritsuka looked at Avenger.
Avenger looked back at him.
Something became abundantly clear to the pair of them.
…Neither knew anything about this.
Something else is here now.
He knows it.
Can sense it.
Something new.
Something old.
At the tip of his mind and yet…so far…