Ch. 109 - Artemis
High Security Storage Unit 1-H was a specialized containment unit. Originally, it was designated as storage for items of incredibly high mystery or magical energy recovered from campaigns in singularities. Aside from storage, within were various tools and equipment designed not only for analyses but also to siphon power either to run experiments or in an emergency, utilize them as impromptu power sources. It was functional both as storage and as a laboratory, and required high-ranking permissions in order to even enter, let alone handle anything within.
These days, the storage unit served much the same purpose though more specialized: It held the Grails collected from the singularities. Each one was kept in a separate compartment within the unit, with sensors and bounded fields designed to monitor their status and partitions designed to prevent any instability and interactions. The storage housed the three Grails Chaldea had collected thus far: France, Rome, and the odd singularity that Elizabeth had created.
And in Artemis's hands was a Grail.
"May I ask as to what we owe the pleasure, Lady Artemis?" Medea asked coolly. Despite her courtesy, the arcane circles she had conjured still glowed ominously while Artoria's blade hadn't lowered in the slightest. The Caster knew all the Greek gods by sight and even if she hadn't seen Artemis in this form, she bore a certain air that to her was unmistakable. It was a part of her education from Hecate – especially if it pertained to the authority of the gods.
The woman's – Artemis's – eyes widened in surprise before bursting into a grin. "Oh, I didn't realize there would be a person who knew me here!" she chirped. "My apologies though, I'm afraid I don't recognize you. I don't believe you're one of my hunters." She glanced over at the little teddy bear. "What about you, darling?" she asked. "Do you recognize her?"
The teddy bear perched up on her shoulder, squinting his eyes. "Hm, it's hard to tell with that hood on," he answered bluntly. "And I don't recognize that companion of hers either. They're very fine-looking ladies though, from what little I'm seeing."
"Darling?" Artemis asked, a very dangerous edge to her tone. Despite her tone, neither Medea nor Artoria felt threatened by it – rather, they simply looked over to the bear who, despite being made of cloth, somehow seemed to start sweating.
"J-just an observation, my dear," he quickly reassured Artemis nervously. He cleared his throat to regain his composure. "Mind if you lower your hood so I can get a good look at you?" he asked. "Your face might jog my memory."
Medea's gloved hand clenched her hand tighter around her staff. "That will not be necessary," she replied quietly. "For I don't believe we have ever met in life. However, I believe I might have an inkling of who you might be."
"Oh?" he asked, smirking. "Did tales of my charm reach even your ears too-grk!"
Before the teddy bear could continue flirting, Artemis had grabbed it by the throat and was outright throttling it. "You have a lot of nerve flirting with other women in front of me, Darling," she snarled. "I thought we had discussed about your philandering ways."
"Gack-! W-we did, we did!" it yelled in a panic. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please let me go!"
Once more, the two Servants could only bemusedly glance at each other. This was getting nowhere fast. Before they could continue their questioning, rapid footsteps echoed outside the hallway, and soon a large contingent of Servants, combined with Ren, Morgana, Ritsuka, Mash, and Roman arrived. They all had their weapons or tools at the ready for whoever the infiltrator was-
And stared at the young woman who was strangling a teddy bear while grasping the Grail in her free hand. Ritsuka was first to break the silence, clearing the throat. "So, uh," she stammered. "Mind telling us what the heck is going on here?!"
"So… you were trying to steal our moon dumplings." Roman repeated slowly.
"We were!" Artemis confirmed cheerfully.
"But instead, you missed our pantry and ended up in this high security storage unit," said Ritsuka.
"Yep," the teddy bear – Orion, apparently – grumbled.
"And you decided to help yourself to our Grails because… they were right there," Ren continued.
"And that's about the sum of it!" the goddess said with a beaming smile. "Any questions?"
"Yes, just one," Morgana replied, his eye twitching. "How does any of this make any sense at all?!"
Artemis shrugged with a light smile. "I'm a goddess," she replied airily. "What is beyond most mortals is not beyond me."
Several people turned to look suspiciously at Loki, who raised an eyebrow. "Don't ask me, my authorities are different from hers," they replied flatly. "And for that matter, for infiltration, I basically cheat. You of all people should know, Ren. Morgana."
Orion buried his face in a paw. "Look, we don't know how we got here either," he grumbled. "We wanted moon dumplings and got here instead. That's really all we can tell you."
Roman sighed in exhaustion. "Well, it's a bit early in the season but we can probably share some," he grumbled. "Just… give us back our Grails and we can show you around Chaldea."
The goddess's smile widened. "Nope!"
The cheery yet blunt refusal caught everyone off guard. "Wh-what do you mean 'nope'?!" Ritsuka demanded.
"The reason why I was going for those moon dumplings in the first place was because you were going to celebrate without me, weren't you?" she huffed, pouting. "I wanted to take those to teach you all a lesson. But now I have these Grails instead, and since they're shiny, I'm keeping them! I now have three of them too, which works for me!"
The atmosphere became decidedly frostier at her declaration. Unbeknownst to the goddess, Jing Ke was already standing behind Artemis at Ritsuka's orders, her blade at the ready. Ren stepped forward with a disarming smile. "Alright, you got us," he easily admitted. "We're sorry we didn't consider you when having a moon celebration – that's our bad. However, we really do need those Grails back for a lot of reasons."
"So what say we compromise?" he asked. "We'll do something to venerate you and yours, and if it's to your satisfaction, you'll give them back to us. It's the best I can offer at the moment."
'Master, I could just capture her right here and now,' Jing Ke pointed out.
'I know you can,' Ren reassured her. 'The problem is that there's two Grails missing, and she's only holding one. If she can slip in and out that easily, then who knows where she's put it? No, we'll have to try negotiating peacefully for now – though be on the ready.'
'Offer one hand, arm the other,' Jing Ke recited with a chuckle. 'Fair enough. I'll wait for your signal.' Both Ritsuka and Morgana silently glanced over at Ren, but decided to let him proceed for now. They trusted him enough for this.
Artemis in turn grinned. "Oh, I knew we would find a reasonable one here!" she cheered. "Don't worry, it's nothing too much. Merely a celebration of one of my domains: Hunting! I think you'll all even have a lot of fun with it!"
"Ugh, I hope so," Orion grumbled. "They're all glaring at us something fierce. I can't even ogle in peace here. We're lucky they're not just attacking us off the bat."
The goddess giggled. "Oh, they could try, darling," she cooed, throwing a casual glance back at the assembled Servants – and immediately everyone could feel a cold chill as her pale blue eyes bore into them. Mash moved closer to the Masters, her shield at the ready to protect them as necessary. "But then that wouldn't be any fun at all. No, no, we only need the festivities."
Beaming, she reached out and two more Grails appeared in midair. Before any of them could do anything, they shone brightly and vanished. Suddenly, Roman heard a pinging through his earpiece. "Yes?" he called.
'Director, three new mini-singularities just appeared on the radar!' came the report. 'We managed to get a lock on them. They're small, but they're stable. I think they're being sustained.'
The interim director sighed aridly. "Yep, they probably are," he agreed to the staff's confusion. "Thanks for letting me know." Cutting off the communication, he looked back up at Artemis. "Three new singularities just appeared," he explained to all the inquiring stares. "But our readings showed you only took two Grails."
"I did," she confirmed. "I had one already which is how I arrived here in the first place. After the hunts and celebration, I won't need it anymore – so it's all yours! That and whatever you hunt up!" Her grin widened. "Consider it the generosity of the goddess of the moon and the hunt even after ignoring her! You're all very welcome!"
"Yeah, uh," Orion grumbled. "Most people wouldn't be too chuffed about having something stolen from them then returned after jumping through hoops, even if extra is added." He could still see the glares and feel the hostility from all around them. He didn't dare ogle the ladies; right now, they'd turn him into a pincushion faster than Artemis would herself. That was a scary thought.
Finally, Ren sighed. "Welp, if those are the rules," he replied as he forced his smile up. "I don't suppose you could at least tell us what we're hunting?"
Artemis grinned brightly. "I'm glad you asked!" she cheerfully replied. "But first, do you have a place where we could discuss this more openly? It's a bit stuffy in here for further explanations." Indeed, despite not even reaching over ten occupants (with everyone else on guard outside), the storage unit was cramped with everyone stuffed within.
Da Vinci smiled as she always did. The slight twitch underneath her eye was the only yet telling indication of her frustration and irritation at the entire situation. Already she planned to discuss with both Tamamo and Medea further security measures to prevent something as ridiculous as this from happening again. "There is a conference room not too far from here. We may talk about the upcoming hunts there."
The goddess smiled happily. "In that case, lead the way~" she chirped. They followed the genius out of the storage room, seemingly oblivious – or at the very least ignoring – the glowering Servants that surrounded her. Orion, meanwhile, was perched on her shoulder, eyeing all of them nervously and mouthing desperate apologies, which did very little to mollify their irritation.
"… so, question for you, Ren and Morgana," Ritsuka began.
"What's up, Ritsu?" Morgana asked, his glare still glued to the goddess of the hunt.
"You guys have had more dealings with gods and those similar than I have," she prefaced. "Are they… all like this?"
Ren and Morgana looked at each other. There was Yaldabaoth, who had infiltrated the Velvet Room and took Igor's place. And then there were the numerous personas and shadows who had taken the forms of various divinities, such as Dionysus, Koryuu, and Kali.
In the end, the former could only give a rueful chuckle. "Kinda, yeah," he admitted. "You just… learn to go with it. At the very least, they do tend to pay off."
"How are you so sure of that, senpai?" Mash asked curiously.
The Phantom Thief smiled. "Artemis seemed flighty but she didn't seem like the type to break her promises," he explained. "And if what she said is true, then we might end up coming out of this with a whole lot more than we expect – we still have a large stockpile of parts from that dragon, remember? Da Vinci's eyes were practically glowing when we got back to Chaldea."
Ritsuka wasn't as convinced, fixing him a flat stare. "You're just going along with it because it might be fun, aren't you," she asked bluntly.
Ren's eyes widened slightly at the statement in surprise, then laughed and walked off.
"Answer the question, Ren!" Ritsuka shouted after him, to which Ren only laughed some more before disappearing around a corner after the goddess and the contingent of guarding Servants. The redhead could only stare as he vanished, then looked over at Morgana. "It is, isn't it," she asked glumly.
The long-suffering sigh from Morgana said more than a thousand words.
The conference room was packed. Artemis was beaming at the front while Artoria and Archer stood near her, relaxed and yet more than ready to act if necessary. Jing Ke continued to shadow the goddess, a fact only the Masters and select Servants were aware of. Many of Chaldea's Servants lined the walls of the room while the others either patrolled the halls or double checked the facility's security measures.
"Wow, that's quite the collection here," Artemis commented as she looked over at everyone. The Masters, as well as Roman and Da Vinci, were sitting at the table. "This will make the hunt all the more spectacular, don't you think, Darling?"
"Ooh yeah, this is quite the collection indeed," Orion replied, proverbial drool running down his mouth as he ogled openly at the exposed assets of Tamamo, Nero, and Boudica.
"Darling?" the goddess snarled out warningly, her blue eyes almost glowing in sheer rage.
"B-but not as good as yours, my dearest!" the teddy bear quickly corrected, desperate to avoid another throttling.
Medea cleared her throat. "Lady Artemis, what might be these hunts you are suggesting?" she asked. Though the goddess of the hunt wasn't her patron goddess, she was still more than aware of her proclivities – so the fact that she was so… lackadaisical while doting over her 'darling', the hunter Orion, had caught her off guard. It was certainly far different from the strictly virgin goddess who shunned the company of men and romance that she knew of in her lifetime, to the point she wasn't sure how to deal with it.
Still, a goddess was a goddess. Even at the best of times they were mercurial in their moods, favors, and punishments. A single gesture of their power could ruin a mortal's life with ease, and possibly cause a domino effect that dragged many others down with them. In fact, Artemis being different was all the more reason she couldn't let her guard down. It made her unpredictable. One wrong move and Chaldea could very well suffer the same fate.
It happened with Colchis and Aphrodite… and with her. She would not allow it to happen here.
But before long, Artemis began explaining the hunts while Da Vinci manned the computer to display information as necessary. Each singularity held one powerful monster that they would hunt. There may be other beasts within the vicinity but they were, at worst, factors to consider and, at most, bonuses. They certainly wouldn't be nearly as powerful or threatening as the main targets themselves. And as for the targets themselves…
The first one was a Bake-Kujira. A Japanese Yokai, it was created from the grudges and anguish of the whales who had been hunted down and devoured by fishermen. The picture shown was that of a gigantic skeletal whale, flying high above the waters as it swam through the air as easily as it did through the ocean. It made the sea its haunting grounds, necessitating a different approach than a regular hunt. "There will be a boat provided here, of course," Artemis cheerfully added.
The second one was a Greek Chimera, which Morgana immediately perked up in surprise. His suspicions were confirmed as Artemis described its home territory: An isolated island that used to be inhabited by one of the Gorgon sisters. Medusa shifted slightly but otherwise didn't react. The beast had been dwelling underground for some time, but after a particular encounter with Servants, had chosen to surface. Fighting off and killing any rivals or threats, it claimed the island for itself as the undisputed apex monster there.
"Wait, how did you know about the chimera there?!" Morgana demanded.
"I keep an eye on all potential hunts," Artemis smugly replied. "It is my prerogative as the goddess of the hunt, after all."
"It's one of the tasks Artemis takes completely seriously, and one she always does a bang-up job in," Orion supplied, earning an affectionate nuzzle from the goddess.
"Oh, you sweet talker, you," she cooed. Almost everyone else resisted the urge to roll their eyes or gag.
The third one was a gigantic bat that had made its home in the jungle – more specifically, a large Mayan temple that had long since been abandoned and overgrown. While it was dedicated primarily to Camazotz, it had also venerated many other deities in its time. Unlike the Chimera, it rarely ever came out to the surface even during the night, meaning they would have to track it down in its own lair; a prospect that made even the most seasoned hunters hesitate.
At the end of the presentation, there was a moment of silence as they all digested the information. "Any particular rules you want us to abide by here?" Ren asked.
Artemis shook her head with a smile. "None," she replied cheerfully. "This is a hunt, after all. Bring whatever tools, hunters, or plans as necessary. A word of caution however." Her smile widened dangerously as everyone's attention renewed. "It is a beast's nature to isolate and hunt down the weakest first," she explained. "So Masters, be especially wary – more numbers may simply mean more prey."
Ren raised an eyebrow but nevertheless smiled. "Good to know," he replied. "Thanks for the warning." He turned to the others and nodded. "Let's get to work."
Preparations proceeded apace. Roman and Da Vinci went back to the control room to analyze the singularities while the Masters prepared any supplies they would need for the hunt, as well as discuss what Servants they were bringing with them. Joan had popped into the library with Medusa to research any information on the monsters and see if there was something they could find that might give them an edge.
And that was when complications began arising. "These singularities are incredibly unstable," Roman commented, checking on the readings with a concerned frown. "Moreso than even that singularity Elizabeth created. It's too risky to send all the Masters at once, and we can only send four Servants per singularity at a time. Any more and we risk temporal anomalies."
"But there is some good news," Da Vinci added. "I have managed to triage our power supplies for the rayshift. While it will put some strain on our systems, we should be able to send a team out to each singularity simultaneously. That way, we will be able to complete them in the least amount of time, rather than wait around and twiddle our thumbs to finish each hunt." That news was accepted with more aplomb. The more time they had to work with, the better.
Then came the hard part. "I'll be taking on the Bake-Kujira," Ren declared. "I'll admit I've always been a bit more curious about yokai than most. And I haven't heard much about this one, so it should be fun."
"We kinda figured after you named that skeleton horse 'Mezuki'," Ritsuka pointed out.
"It's a good name," the Phantom Thief grumbled again, to the amusement of everyone else. Now he had to consider who to take with him. He was honestly spoiled for choice – between the legendary Artoria to the seasoned hunter Cu Chulainn to the dragonslayer Siegfried, there were quite a few to choose from. Maybe either Jeanne or Martha – it was a vengeful spirit, and their holy powers would help in exorcising it.
As his eyes scanned over the Servants, they landed on Loki, who was currently leaning up against the wall, looking bored with the situation as they always did. Ever since they made that deal, he hadn't had a chance to deal with the trickster god. And they had been rather behaved since. Aside from some comments or remarks, they had been keeping themselves rather low-profile, all things considered. What their plans or thoughts were, he couldn't guess. But they did deserve a small outing – and so he could keep an eye on them.
The last thing he needed was a bucket of water falling on his head when he got back to the facility.
"Loki will be coming with me. They've been hanging around here for too long and I'm the only one that can keep control of them. Besides." He looked over his shoulder at the Avenger who was leaning against the wall with sardonic grin. "I get the feeling they'll find this particularly fun," he remarked.
Loki chuckled. "Hunting an undead ghost whale that's an amalgamation of grudges and anger?" they replied. "I suppose there's worse ways to spend a weekday. And the irony of going whaling for a creature made from such an act is… I must admit, hilariously ironic."
"I'll take that as a yes, then," Ren concluded, to which Loki flashed another grin and went back to checking their nails, albeit with a faint smirk.
"Are you sure about this, Master?" Nero asked, frowning at the Avenger. The memories of what Loki had pulled off during the Roman singularity flashed in her mind – and the enormous amount of collateral damage it caused. "They're rather unpredictable, especially when acting on their own initiative." Loki looked up, their smirk widening, but otherwise said nothing. That only made the emperor even more irritated and paranoid.
"I understand your concern, Nero," Ren replied. "But Loki isn't one to break deals like this, be it in letter or spirit. They'll make sure the hunt is a success. Right, Loki?"
The trickster god grinned. "So long as you make it amusing," they answered – and grinned even more widely as the glares and groans redoubled. Ren himself only shook his head in mild exasperation and amusement. They really did like riling up everyone if they had the opportunity.
"Master, I wish to come with," Tamamo spoke up, catching the Phantom Thief's attention. "It is a vengeful spirit, yes? Then you will need my expertise to properly exorcise and deal with it accordingly." The Caster had been wishing to speak with and engage with Ren a lot more closely, and this was the golden opportunity she had been waiting for. It felt like everything had lined up perfectly just for her. Of course she would do her utmost to help quell the yokai, but that was the secondary objective to what she was planning.
Besides, she still didn't trust Loki. Not after everything they had done in the Roman singularity.
For Ren, he was mildly surprised the Caster had volunteered so quickly for the hunt. While he had been considering Jeanne and Martha, she was right that a yokai was more her area of expertise. He nodded gratefully. "I'll welcome any expertise you have, Tamamo," he earnestly replied. "Thanks for your help."
A twitch of her ears and tail was the only break in composure as the miko grinned. "It is of no trouble, my Master," she replied graciously.
"Oh for- then I'm coming too."
Everyone spun around as Joan marched into the room, scowling. "That's pretty sudden of you, Joan," the Phantom Thief commented. "Any particular reason why?"
The former doppelganger scoffed. "I trust Loki about as far as I can throw them," she bluntly stated, glaring at the trickster god who merely shrugged with a smirk. "And you still owe me. Like hell I'm allowing you to rush off by yourself." And she needed to scrub the taint of her earlier actions in Chaldea. As much as she hated it, Ren always seemed to be at the place where he could do the most good. Following him was a matter of pragmatism in that sense.
Da Vinci raised her eyebrows. "This is quite a group you have, ragazzo," she couldn't help but remark. "You can bring along one more Servant with you, if you wish?"
The Phantom Thief looked about in a mix of mild consternation and amusement as he considered who was currently joining him. Loki, Tamamo, and Joan. Even among his old friends where they had their own flare-ups and disagreements (primarily between Morgana and Ryuji), this was just taking the cake. And as confident as he was dealing with people, he had to admit this might be beyond just him. He considered carefully who he wanted to bring along…
'Marie?' he called over mentally. She was one of the Servants who had not attended the meeting for the hunt, instead choosing to patrol Chaldea's halls in case any other infiltrators besides Artemis had entered.
'Monsieur Ren?' the queen called back in surprise. 'I thought the situation was still on-going. Has it been resolved that quickly?'
'Heh, it's gonna take a bit longer,' he admitted ruefully. 'I was wondering if you could join me for this hunt.'
He could sense Marie almost trip over her own feet in surprise through their mental connection. 'Pardon?' she asked incredulously. 'Me, participate in a hunt? I can't say I'm not excited at the prospect, but surely there are more fitting Servants who could assist you? Siegfried or dear Jeanne, perhaps?'
'We can only bring four Servants along, and only one Master can go for a hunt,' Ren elaborated as the Rider had completely missed out on the briefing and explanations. 'And it seems Joan, Tamamo, and Loki are coming along already for my hunt, so…'
'… Ah,' Marie replied quietly, quickly putting together the pieces when she heard who was coming with. 'I certainly see the issue now, monsieur. If that is the case, I shall be glad to come along. You will have to brief me on the hunt, however – I was not privy to the details due to accepting another responsibility. But I'm sure you're aware of that.'
'I am,' Ren confirmed. 'Don't worry, I'll fill you in. In fact, I think you'll have a rather fun time here.'
The queen giggled. 'I do not doubt it,' she agreed. 'A capable man like you certainly would know how to show a girl a good time, Monsieur Ren. I look forward to it.'
The Phantom Thief grinned as their mental connection withdrew – and he noticed everyone staring curiously at him. "Marie will be coming with me for the hunt," he explained shortly. "Any objections from you guys?"
Loki uttered a bark of amused laughter while Tamamo and Joan simply stared at him with irritated shock. "Ah, so even you need an assistant to babysit the three of us!" they cried. "And you chose Marie, of all people! Quite the play, Ren Amamiya – but I look forward to seeing how it all plays out!"
Ren smiled back at Loki's amusement, then looked over to Mash and Ritsuka. "Mash, you'll be joining Ritsu again," he said.
Ritsuka gave a cheerful grin and waved her hand. "Yep, got it," she accepted easily. She already knew this was coming – after all, she didn't have persona powers like Ren or Morgana did, or any combat capability whatsoever. She needed Mash's protection more than anyone. And while she understood, she couldn't help but feel a bit bitter about that even though she loved Mash's company regardless.
She turned toward the Shielder. "Looks like we're working together again," she remarked happily.
Mash smiled back in turn and nodded. "Yes, we are," she agreed. "Please take care of me, senpai." She knew that was the most logical division of labor. After all, Ritsuka was the one who needed her protection the most. However, she secretly hoped to show off the fruits of her training to Ren-senpai. There would certainly be another time for it, but she was nevertheless still disappointed.
"Hm, then I shall join you as well," Leonidas called out, catching everyone's attention. "It will be a pleasure to the progress you have made, Mash Kyrielight."
The Shielder's eyes widened in surprise, then she smiled brightly and nodded. "Of course," she agreed enthusiastically. "I won't disappoint you, Leonidas!"
The Spartan king chuckled. "I do not doubt that in the slightest," he replied.
"Well then, guess I'm coming with," Cu commented with a lazy grin. "A beast hunt sounds like my specialty, and hunting with a good drinking partner? Sounds like a blast to me."
Leonidas looked over with a grin. "You speak truly, my friend!" he boomed. "There are few greater pleasures in life than battle or a hunt with a trusted companion by one's side! I shall be glad of your company!"
"And it'll make the drinks taste all the better!" Cu retorted, and both men laughed heartily.
Rituska and Mash couldn't help but smile at their infectious enthusiasm. "Boys will be boys," the former muttered with a grin.
"Hey, you better not be leaving me out of this."
Looking up in surprise, the redhead found Elizabeth looming over her (impressive, considering her shorter stature), glaring. "I'm coming too," she declared.
"Er, can I ask why at least?" Ritsuka asked. "Like, no offense but a hunt doesn't seem like your style."
The idol's eyes narrowed. "I need different experiences to expand my repertoire," she explained, shooting a look at Ren who simply shrugged. "Something different like this fits the bill perfectly. You don't need to worry, Master – whether it's a concert or a hunt, an idol never half-heartedly takes on a task!" The redhead considered her words. Elizabeth was eager and while the Master didn't doubt her dedication, there were better choices like Siegfried or Martha…
"She'll pull her weight, Master," Cu Chulainn piped up. "I've seen the girl in action for a lot of stuff. If she says it's for her being an idol, then she's gonna take it seriously. Hell, she even took up fishing because of it. Never expected that."
"Hmph, of course," Elizabeth snorted haughtily. "If I wish to be an idol, then holding back at all is detrimental!" Still, she gave the Irish Lancer a quick glance of gratefulness, who simply grinned back easily in kind. She was always prepared to claw up her path on her own two hands if need be, no matter the hardship. To have genuine support still caught her off guard, but it was still deeply appreciated. It only encouraged her to redouble her efforts – and it would be the same here.
Ritsuka blinked then nodded. "Well, alright then," she accepted. If Cu vouched for Elizabeth, then she had nothing else to say. She considered her team: Mash, Leonidas, Cu Chulainn, and Elizabeth. It's a pretty defensive team overall, but one she could make work. It didn't change that all four were solid, powerful Servants that got along relatively well with each other, even factoring in the idol-to-be. She felt surprisingly confident about this, all things considered.
"So who do you wish to hunt, Ritsuka-senpai?" Mash asked. "We can choose between the chimera and the bat."
Ritsuka pursed her lips as she considered. She was more familiar with a chimera from myths: Large, looked like someone smushed together a lion, a goat, and a snake, and could breathe fire. It had no capability for flight nor swimming, as far as she knew. The bat on the other hand could fly, and with its echolocation could easily navigate in darkness where none of them could see too well. Considering her own team lacked many ranged capabilities or a way to see in darkness…
"Hey Morgana," she called over. "I'm gonna take the Chimera. Is that okay with you?"
The catlike being blinked a few times. "Yeah, that's fine!" he accepted. "Mind if I go over how our battle went in more detail so you know what you're dealing with?" He had planned to go for the Chimera due to more familiarity and having something of a score to settle, but he was fine with yielding to Ritsuka for this. At least he could offer his knowledge and go from there.
"That would be great," Ritsuka accepted gratefully. "Thank you so much."
Morgana nodded in acceptance. "Guess that leaves me with the giant bat," he murmured. When he thought about a bat, three things came to mind: Darkness, flight, and sound. He would need someone who could help light up the darkness spectacularly, perhaps enough to blind it. Someone who could shoot down the bat would be good too, and lastly a method to remove sounds – or alternatively, be so loud that it would be rendered helpless.
Well, let's start with light first. "Artoria," he called over. "You mind coming with me for this one?"
The King of Knights nodded. "Of course," she immediately agreed. "You have my sword as always, Master."
The catlike being nodded before turning around. "Archer, can I count on you?" he asked. Up to this point they hadn't summoned any other Archer classes. As it stood, the red-mantled hero was still their only true ranged specialist. Dealing with something that can fly without one was a complete pain, and he wasn't about to repeat that if he could help it. They certainly could use more Archers.
The Servant smirked. "I was wondering if I was taking to the field again," he replied. "I look forward to working with you once more, Master."
Morgana grinned. "Ditto, Archer," he responded gratefully. Of course, flight also meant more mobility. He had no doubt the Servants would be able to keep up, but himself? That would be troublesome. Plus a bit more speed for maneuvering anybody on command would be incredibly handy. And for that, the only obvious choice was…
"Boudica?" he asked, looking over at the redheaded Rider.
Boudica raised an eyebrow. "While I'm no stranger to hunts myself, I'll fully admit a gigantic bat is certainly new quarry for me," she replied. "I'm uncertain how much I'll be able to contribute to the hunt."
"Hey, don't worry too much about it," Morgana replied, waving it off. "I don't think Artoria and Archer have hunted a giant bat before either. No, your chariot and mobility would be very useful in matching the speed of an airborne target. It'd definitely come in handy if we need to maneuver quickly, whether it's me or another Servant. So, can I count on your help for that?"
The Rider's eyes widened in surprise, then she smiled warmly. "If you believe my abilities are that necessary, then it would hardly be fitting of me to refuse," she relented. She turned to Artoria and Archer. "I look forward to fighting with a fellow countryman, Artoria," Boudica remarked. "And it seems we can't avoid each other for long, Archer."
Artoria smiled in return. "Indeed," she agreed. "I have heard tales of your valor from the Roman singularity. I am looking forward to fighting alongside you."
Meanwhile, Archer chuckled. "So it seems," he replied. "But as I've said before, a reliable comrade – both in the kitchen and on the battlefield – is hard to find. It's good to work alongside you once again."
Morgana nodded in agreement. The team was fairly straightforward, all things considered, able to deal with most issues without trouble. But now came the issue of sound. The bat would most likely be able to track them via sound if their surroundings were dark enough, and just Archer trying to shoot down the bat might not be enough. They needed one more person for general utility, versatility, and range, which meant he needed a Caster. And of the Casters available, the one most fitting was…
"Hey Medea," Morgana called out, to everyone's surprise. "Looks like you're up."
Medea froze at the catlike being's call, her eyes flicking over to the incredibly unamused Artoria and Archer. She cleared her throat. "Permit me to object, Master," she murmured. "I do not believe I am a good choice for this hunt for various reasons. I ask that you reconsider – surely there is someone more fitting to the task?"
The catlike being scowled. "I'm not happy this is gonna be your first outing either," he admitted. "But there's no choice: I need someone who can back up Archer's firepower, can manipulate the amount of noise we make, and all around fill in the gaps that we're missing. I know that you've history with Artoria and Archer, but that needs to be set aside so we can get this mission done."
He looked up at Medea. "That's why, again, I'm putting my trust in you," he finished bluntly. "That you'll help see this through despite whatever personal hang ups you might have. I'll step in if necessary and try to smooth things along, but otherwise, it's gonna be on all of you to keep it civil and work together regardless."
The Caster frowned, glancing back up again at the Servants. She knew the catlike Master was the most temperamental of the three, but she hadn't expected it came with such naivete and foolishness. Though neither Artoria nor Archer voiced any disagreement, it was clear that they were unamused by this situation as well. Boudica was looking between them all, clearly recognizing the bad blood but not yet involving herself.
Still, they were her Master's commands, and she couldn't deny her skills would be incredibly useful against such a target. "As you wish, Master," she relented. "I will fulfill my duties."
Morgana nodded, though he could already feel a headache coming on. He definitely had his work cut out for him. "Alright, guess that's settled," he stated. "Let's get to work on preparations and then move out."
Everyone nodded. "In that case," Artemis interjected. "Where can I set up the celebration of the hunt?"
That caught everyone by surprise. "What do you mean by the celebration?" Roman asked cautiously.
"Grand hunts such as these must be celebrated!" the goddess declared. "Even more so if they are successfully completed! There needs to be a place where we can hold the festivities! And we can even enjoy the moon dumplings, for I am also claim the moon as my dominion! And what better location to feast upon the targets as well?"
"I'm sorry, did you say feast?" Morgana spluttered.
Artemis beamed. "Indeed I did!" she confirmed cheerfully. "What better than to taste the fruits of your own hunt? Such carousing, drinking, and delicacies, all to honor me! It shall not be a night forget, I shall assure you!"
Ren stared at the goddess for a moment, then slowly turned to Archer and Boudica. "Do either of you know how to cook up a giant bat?" he asked. "Or whale bones? Or chimera?"
Archer crossed his arms with a frown of contemplation while Boudica scratched her cheek. "I will have to experiment a bit in order to figure it out," the former admitted. "While I had less than orthodox meals before, cooking something like this will take some work."
Boudica nodded in agreement. "I've also cooked my fair share of game," she added. "But mythical creatures like this… well, I have a few ideas already but as Archer said, we'll have to experiment a bit with them first."
The Phantom Thief nodded. Even Sojiro would be hard-pressed to make a good dish out of such… exotic ingredients, to put it mildly. He wondered if any of his friends would even try them – even Ryuji, a die-hard meat lover, would be reluctant to eat anything. Well, probably Haru and Yusuke would be the first ones to dig in, followed by Sumire. Futaba would be convinced if he phrased things correctly. And after that…
His musings were interrupted as Roman spoke. "I think only the simulator has the room to accommodate such a celebration," he answered, his brows furrowed. He looked over to Da Vinci. "Is there a way to have anything rayshifted out from the singularity into the simulator directly?" he asked.
Da Vinci looked upward at the ceiling as she thought. Normally when things were sent from the singularities back to Chaldea, there was a designated receiving bay where she or the staff could easily retrieve and inventory the items as necessary. However, considering the size and scale of the quarry, the bay would be far too small. Not to mention the power draw necessary to get it to work.
Already, the pieces were quickly aligning in her mind how to get it to work. Resetting the coordinates for a reverse rayshift was an easy matter of adjusting the coordinates and calculations, then making sure the algorithms were set for it. A quick adjustment for her was all that was necessary, as well as making sure the simulator was an environment suitable for receiving such large targets.
As for the power draw, they would need a bit of extra juice on top of what was needed to send in three separate teams to three singularities – another challenge in its own right – but she already had permission to use the Grails. Their systems would definitely feel the strain, but they had been stress tested and besides, this would be the perfect opportunity to install a few backup systems she had half a mind to implement in the first place…
Her ever-present smile grew as she considered all the possibilities and answers to the riddles presented. She truly was a genius. "Oh, not to worry, my dear Roman," she purred. "I think things are well in hand. But there is much to do and little time to do it. Shall we get to it?"
The doctor's eyes widened a bit in surprise, then he nodded as well. "Right," he agreed. "I'll see if I can at least get the geography and weather readings, as well as whatever data is relevant."
"Ah, excellent," Artemis cheered. "This already feels like a hunt! But yes, the celebrations! I will need help setting it up! Is there anyone I can ask to assist me?"
"Permit me to assist then, Diana!"
The goddess turned to see Nero strutting up, grinning confidently. "Umu! When it comes to throwing grand celebrations, be it of the hunt or of the theatre, I have no equal," she declared. "And thus it befits me, as the incarnation of Venus herself, to lend you my aid! Allow me to join you in this endeavor and, as you have declared, we shall make a night none shall forget!"
Artemis's eyes glittered. "Such enthusiasm!" she beamed. "And you are… Roman, correct? No one else calls me Diana or uses the name Venus. If that is the case, I shall be more than happy to receive your aid!"
"Yeah, you're more than welcome to join us any time," Orion agreed enthusiastically, unsubtly leering at the emperor's exposed assets.
And that was the last straw. The goddess of the hunt grabbed the teddy bear by the head, flung him into the air, and summoned her bow to the shock of all present. A mere second later, the stuffed animal was completely riddled with arrows of glowing light. Now a pincushion, it collapsed on the table in an unceremonious heap, issuing only faint gurgles of pain.
"W-will Orion be okay?" Mash asked, staring at the bear in concern.
Artemis snorted. "He should have suffered worse for his infidelity," she snapped. "If anything, I am being merciful. Now, onward! Let us begin the preparations!" With that, she happily strode out of the room, barely even giving her darling a second glance while he weakly tried reaching out for her, tears of agony running down his eyes.
Everyone looked at each other, nonplused, before Ren cleared his throat. "Nero, I don't think Artemis knows where the simulator is," he pointed out. "Mind showing her the way?"
"Of course, Master," Nero immediately agreed. "Between the goddess and I, we shall make sure the celebrations shall be sung about for time immemorial!" An involuntary shudder ran up Ren's spine as unbidden memories crawled into his mind. "But for now, I wish you the best on your hunt, Masters! We await your victory!" Getting up, she walked out to follow after Artemis.
As she left, Ren sent a mental communication to Nero. 'And while I'd ask you to keep an eye on Artemis, that's not really necessary, is it?'
The emperor chuckled back in turn. 'I thought that goes without saying, Master,' she replied, amused. 'You need not worry – I shall be vigilant.'
The Phantom Thief smiled in relief. 'Thanks, Nero,' he replied gratefully. Turning back to the others, he grinned. "Alright," he declared. "Let's get to work."
Preparations moved quickly. Roman and the Chaldean staff quickly retrieved the geography, weather, and other data of the singularities and forwarded the data to the Masters and their attendant Servants. Morgana gave Ritsuka and her group the rundown on his fight with the chimera, including its poison breath – something the redhead had no clue about – and the wounds it suffered in their fight. Whether the latter information was relevant or not was debatable, but it was better safe than sorry.
With that consideration, Mash had packed along some extra supplies: Gas masks, antidotes, burn pads, healing scrolls, and other such items. They were more for Ritsuka's benefit than hers; she and the other Servants would be fine regardless of conditions. Roman's data had indicated that weather conditions were going to be clear, but she brought along rain gear as well as the usual camping supplies just in case. One never knew.
The Shielder sighed quietly as she inventoried everything in her head. Shifting around, her elbow bumped into the sheathed sword at her waist. She anxiously grasped hold to steady it, then thumbed the pommel nervously. The scabbard was made of lightweight carbon fiber, inlaid with stainless steel patterns. Engraved at the base of the blade was the emblem of Chaldea.
As soon as Da Vinci had laid eyes on the sword, she immediately made a scabbard fitting of it, and her eyes practically glowed when she heard it was a gift from Ren. It easily secured to the belt in her Servant form, keeping it there with ease. She hadn't trained with it as much as she liked and even now, she was debating on whether to bring it with her or not. However, her senpai had said it was hers to use as she pleased. So perhaps she could use it here?
She thumbed the pommel again. Or was it too soon? What did she want to do? If she simply used the sword 'just' for her mission, then it wouldn't be behind the spirit of what Ren wanted her to do with the blade. Would it? Did she even have a right to use such a beautiful blade when she felt like she had done nothing to earn it? She hadn't even properly trained much with it. The thought gnawed at her gut, toying with the idea of just leaving it behind in her bedroom until a more suitable time arrived. But when would that be?
Mash gulped. What was she supposed to do here? Whenever she had questions, there was always some way to get an answer. Research or consulting with her peers. But right now, she was at a loss. Consulting with Ren-senpai would be contradictory to what he told her, but she didn't know where to begin.
Her musings were interrupted as she heard the door to the supply depot hiss open. "Sorry, I'm almost done!" she called over.
"No rush at all, Mash."
The voice had her look over in surprise to see Roman approaching. "Roman!" she greeted in surprise. "I thought you would be busy, with everything going on."
"I was," he confirmed with a rueful smile. "Until Da Vinci kicked me off the console – again. Didn't feel like sitting around watching Magi*Mari so I thought I'd check up on you. We haven't had much of a chance to chat, recently."
Mash frowned slightly. "Is now the best time for it?" she asked flatly.
The doctor chuckled. "Is there a better time?" he retorted.
The Shielder opened her mouth to answer, then closed it as she thought about it. Lately, they both had been so busy that the only times they talked were during their briefings and even then, it was fairly work focused. It felt like a while since they both had some time to simply sit down and talk. "No, there isn't," she admitted as she continued to pack supplies. "We have been rather busy, haven't we?"
"Yeah," the doctor agreed tiredly. "Being an interim director is hard work, especially with all the paperwork and bureaucracy that comes with it. I don't know how Olga ever balanced all of this. I knew my real work would start after the missions began, but not like this."
"As I recall, you were hoping to spend most of your time glued to a monitor watching Magi*Mari and slacking off, weren't you?" the Shielder asked pointedly.
Roman winced. "Well, I just," he stammered. "I mean, th-that's somewhat true, yes, but I still have paperwork to deal with and, and people coming down with fevers or flus as well as dealing with inoculations so the rest of the staff don't get sick, especially with you in particular Mash! And I-I-"
He continued spouting off excuses while Mash slowly turned to look at him with an unamused expression. The doctor petered off as he finally noticed and sighed. "I'm starting to think Ren is being a bad influence on you," he grumbled.
"I would very much disagree with that, doctor," Mash replied in a clipped tone. "Ren-senpai has been a fantastic influence. Even… even if he can be somewhat bewildering and confusing at times."
The doctor looked up. "Oh? How so?" he asked. While he was more than aware Ren was far from ordinary, the way Mash said it had intrigued him. Was there something he wasn't aware of? Everyone was entitled to their own privacy, of course, but he couldn't help but be curious.
The Shielder hesitated for a moment, then set down some rations she had picked up back on the shelf. Reaching down, she slowly unsheathed her new sword. Once again, the blade glimmered coldly in the bright light of Chaldea, as beautiful as it was dangerous. Roman's eyes widened as he laid his eyes on it. While the sword wasn't exactly a huge secret, she hadn't openly showed it to anyone except Da Vinci yet.
"Ren-senpai created this sword for me," she explained quietly. "He said my shield was meant for protecting others, but it wasn't something I would use for myself. The sword, on the other hand, was something I could use for my own goals and desires, whatever they may be." Her grip on the sword trembled slightly. "That is… if I knew or even knew what they are. Chaldea is my life, doctor. Past, present… and future. That should be it, but…"
Mash stared back down at the blade, her own distorted reflection staring sadly back up at her. "I don't know," she whispered. "Lately, I feel like… that's not enough. I can't put it into words how or why, just a feeling that I want more. Senpai said there was a huge, wide world out there once everything's back and he's right. It's just… I don't know what it is I want, and senpai told me he can't help me. That I needed to find out what that was myself."
As the Shielder spoke, Roman frowned slightly as he listened closely. Ren had created a sword for her, to be used specifically for her own goals and desires? That was… quite the gift. One that even he felt the magnitude of, despite its seeming simplicity. What would she use the blade for in the end? What kind of goals or dreams would she set for herself? What would she cut through, figuratively or literally, to achieve them? He couldn't help but be curious as to what her future would be like.
Even if her future was already…
She looked plaintively back up at Roman. "Do you have any ideas, doctor?"
Roman opened his mouth, then closed it again. Now that he thought about it, his situation wasn't much different from Mash's, was it? He was always told what to do, how to act, and given the powers and abilities necessary for it. No more, no less. Whether in the last life or in this one, he was always given some sort of direction, a goalpost someone else had set up for him. All he simply did was walk that path to the end without question.
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. Such a path would take lifetimes, if not eons, to explore. To delve into, to uncover new possibilities, to become something far greater than they were. And yet human life was nothing more than a flickering flame, all too easily snuffed out.
Mash didn't even have that, not by a long shot. It felt like some sort of sick joke. There was no way Ren could have known, yet in a way what he had done for her was possibly the cruelest act possible. If he ever received something similar, he would've found it almost a mockery if not for the good intentions behind it. What was the point of burning brightly, only to be extinguished in the end?
What should he say? What could he say?
"I…" he stammered, his mouth suddenly feeling dry. He gulped. "I don't know, Mash. If Ren intended for that to be your question, then it wouldn't be right for me to try and give you an answer, would it?" Besides, he of all people had no right to say or suggest anything in this regard.
The Shielder looked back down in disappointment. "That… is true, I suppose," she agreed reluctantly, slowly sheathing her blade.
"But just because I don't know doesn't mean someone else wouldn't," he quickly blurted out, to Mash's and his own surprise. What was he doing? "There's plenty of people in Chaldea, and plenty of Servants with their own perspectives. Maybe you could try asking or talking to them? I'm sure they'll have ideas or suggestions! Better than mine, at least." He couldn't believe the words spilling out from his mouth. It was just automatic for him – and on top of it, it felt right. What was this?
Mash stared at the doctor with wide eyes, slowly considering his words. "… yes, you're right," she agreed quietly. "There are others I can talk to, and even other things I can research about. Maybe I could ask Ren for… well, not an answer. But at least advice or stories and see what I can find out from there." She nodded confidently. It wasn't what she was looking for, but it was progress. And that was just as important. "Thank you so much, doctor, for the insight. I needed it."
Roman just blinked in surprise before hurriedly nodding along. "O-oh yeah, of course," he quickly replied with a nervous grin. "I'm always happy to help. Speaking of which, has Ren been teaching you how to make coffee as well? If he has, I don't suppose you could share some tips? I can never get it right no matter what I do."
As they fell into more relaxed chatting, the doctor could only think about the words he inadvertently said. Words he never thought he would think about, let alone hear himself speak. Things were different now. Changing. For the better or for the worse, he still wasn't sure yet. But at least he confirmed one thing for certain.
'You really are a terrible influence, Ren,' he thought to himself with a chuckle. Maybe he should make some coffee for Ren as thanks for that.
No way was he about to suffer this alone.
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