Vengeful Demons wail at the Prison Tower: X

It was a name he placed in an instant.

"Edmond Dantes."

A name he had seen, that he knew.

"The count of Monte Cristo."

Romani did not react much to the statement of the name beyond a nod of the head. "So you've heard of him then? That's good."

"I know much of Edmond Dantes." Ash replied, his mind trailing back as the details surfaced one after another. "Especially in regard to his execution of Michael Roa Valdamjong."

That, oddly enough, earned a more bemused expression.

"Who?"

Did Romani not know of that?

Ash frowned at the lack of a response before he considered that it might not be public knowledge even within Chaldea. Perhaps Olga would have known more on the subject, or perhaps it did not even relate to her.

As he understood from his memories - and the visions of Solomon - it was a matter that would have been more in line with a member of the Church. Not to mention it occurred over one hundred years ago at this point and in a rather obscure location. Or perhaps it was the name which had surprised him?

"He went by the alias of Tarantella at the time of his death."

Romani remained bemused even with that information.

Hmph.

Ultimately irrelevant then.

"He slew an immortal being."

That produced a more visible reaction, rapid blinking of the eyes and jerking back in shock. "He-what? He killed-that's crazy! How the heck did he even do something like that?"

"Some manner of fire based-"

Ash went silent.

Ah.

Hmph.

"...I believe I may have discerned the identity of the Avenger who fought us at the tower in singularity."

Romani hummed. "I sort of figured he might have been involved."

Though for the looks of things, it was still apparent that the doctor was more curious about the information he had let slip about Roa. Perhaps it could be discussed at another time, but he was more curious about where this had apparently come from.

"Regardless, that was the name that Ritsuka used?"

"Precisely." Romani nodded, then stepped towards the bed and pointed down at his unconscious Master. "Clear as day…I knew the name was familiar so I went and had a look and it is the Count of Monte Cristo. A guy pretty famous for revenge and all of that…but I can't understand the reasons for…well, actually."

Ash raised a brow. "Is the reason not self-explanatory? Ritsuka fought him and disrupted his plans and then Edmond Dantes sought him out for revenge."

…Except that did not feel as though it would be the correct answer.

Not even as Ash said it and Romani nodded his head in agreement, the doctor had settled with the answer as the right one.

But was it the right one?

Avenger had shown less interest in working with Solomon and more in the creation of his eternal Hell where souls would be remembered for their anger. But even if Ritsuka fought and defeated him, Avenger had ultimately been the one to withdraw entirely.

His eyes narrowed.

Was Avenger that sort of human to throw themselves totally into vengeance?

The title of the class would seem as answer enough, but then Ash was an Avenger as well.

Perhaps they were different?

Romani continued to look at him in silence.

"My mind was elsewhere," Ash explained "continue."

"Well, that's actually about it."

Oh.

"Then we have a name and little else."

"...Yeah." Romani rubbed the back of his neck, eyes darting away to the side and shrugging his shoulders nervously. "It really doesn't seem as though we have a lot, do we?"

Well, they had more than they did previously.

At the very least they had discerned the nature of Avenger's identity with some levels of certainty. It was a convenient answer indeed but quite how it came about to begin with was rather strange. Or perhaps it could be explained away as the sort of illogical coincidence that Ritsuka could somehow generate?

No, his mind was returning to the personality of Avenger.

"...There is little to indicate that he would ever have the power necessary to remove Ritsuka's soul in the first place."

He peered down at the young man, then glanced at Romani.

"His flames could harm me and were capable of destroying Roa, who had achieved perfected reincarnation."

"That…sounds rather…I'm sorry, you're saying that he killed him?"

"Yes." Ash confirmed with a nod, stepping around towards the bed and moving past a sleeping Mash as he did so.

"This is not the style of Avenger either. His previous effort was open for intervention and lured Servants from both Chaldea and from the Throne to his tower where they would remain. To directly enter and abscond with Ritsuka seems…strange."

Though Ash could not quite explain the motivation.

It seemed wholly illogical to do something such as this, especially as Avenger was against the goals of Solomon to begin with.

If Ritsuka perished, then Solomon would very likely be left almost unopposed.

"Beyond that, Ritsuka was not the sole individual who was present. Myself, Mash and others entered the Singularity and disrupted it as well. Not even as those present in the Singularity, it was Chaldea as a whole that contributed."

He raised his head and looked at the doctor.

"You as well."

"Gee, thanks."

Romani looked uncomfortable.

"So you're saying I've got a target on my back?"

"If we assume you are correct and he is seeking vengeance, then the answer would be yes. Rather, it would be Chaldea as a whole who he would be seeking vengeance against. There would be none of us that would be safe from his efforts of revenge…and yet…"

He frowned.

That was something he knew would be difficult to accept.

"He disregarded the wishes of Solomon and rebelled against him. Should he succeed - in the slim chance it exists - of destroying Chaldea, then it would leave Solomon unopposed and his victory would turn to defeat as the King of Mages erased history entirely."

Romani squinted at him, then cupped his chin. "...Alright, but what if he tried his trick again but without us there to stop him?"

Yes, there was that as well.

Perhaps that could also be his plan, to remove the opposition.

Except…

"...I do not believe Solomon would tolerate the existence of such a place."

Furrowed brows formed on the face of the doctor. "...You sound rather certain of that."

"Perhaps it is merely my own perception of events, but given that Solomon spoke with me directly to inform me of Avenger's betrayal, I believe he was merely directing us to remove the mess without indicating that he cared."

Yes, that felt an appropriate answer.

Solomon did not care for the disgusting nature of humanity and, by that metric, the goals of Avenger would have been directly flaunting of those traits.

It was a place that Ash did not find himself tolerating much either.

…Even if it was pain that was remembered, that did not mean it should exist in anything but memory.

"So he just told us to get rid of the problem without actually telling us to get rid of the problem and if Avenger tried it again, then the King of Mages would probably just…go and do it himself this time?"

"No, I believe Solomon would merely direct one of his Demon Gods to deal with the issue at hand rather than directly intervening, but you are not incorrect."

He looked down.

"Though speculating on the motivations are strange. We have already assumed that King Solomon is the one who has separated Ritsuka's soul from his body, and yet we are now aware there is the possible presence of Edmond Dantes."

Ash thinned his lips, then considered another option.

"...Unless Avenger is present to thwart the efforts of Solomon once more?"

Romani did not seem to understand, at least not for a few moments.

Then his eyes widened and his head snapped up, comprehension blanketing his features with naked shock.

Was it truly so surprising?

Ash did not think it was such a leap.

"Are-are you suggesting that Avenger is there to help?" The words were spoken with palpable incredulity. As if Romani himself was having a hard time even believing he was uttering the sentence.

Nodding his head, "He has already usurped the efforts of Solomon once before. If this is the work of the King of Mages, then he might well be doing much the same again. Avenger does not wish Solomon to succeed and neither do we. His own efforts were thwarted while ours continue."

Cocking his head, he stared at the doctor.

"Is it not logical to render assistance to us at this point, if he should wish the King of Mages to be stopped?"

"Ash, that's crazy."

Was it?

"How?"

"H-how? What?" Romani threw up his hands and gaped at him. "You're suggesting that the guy, barely even a week after losing to us and nearly dying, decided that he was now going to show up and help us just because he doesn't like the King of Mages? A guy who, if this is the Count of Monte Cristo, is pretty famous for taking revenge on people who wronged him."

Well, when phrased in that manner, he did understand how it could be seen as something of a wild speculation.

But at the same time, it was the answer Ash was sure was most logical.

"I do not believe Avenger can enact his own efforts anymore, which means his best chance for history - and by extension, the memories of injustice - to remain is to see us succeed. Keeping Ritsuka alive and returning him to us is the best chance of that."

Sighing loudly, Romani pinched his brows and dropped his head.

Ash frowned at the movement but said nothing further, he had made his reasons rather clear.

"...What if you're wrong?"

"If I am wrong, then it changes very little about the current situation."

That was the truth of the matter as he saw it.

"Whether I am correct or incorrect, we can do little more than stand here and stare at him in the assumption that he will eventually awaken and then our speculations will either be confirmed or denied."

Dropping the hand down, Romani cocked his head and raised a brow. "So basically you're saying that you just made this answer up and you're going to run with it for the time being until you get told otherwise?"

That choice of wording was rather frustrating.

He did not pluck this thought from the air.

"...I did not make it up, as you say."

Romani tiredly waved a hand. "Alright, but you're just guessing, right? Why would you even think Avenger would behave like that in the first place?"

Why?

That seemed rather obvious to answer.

"That is what I did."

At that, the doctor went silent and dropped his hand back down to his side, expression hard to read.

"Ash…" Romani began, speaking delicately. "...I know you're both Avengers but that doesn't mean that you will think the same way."

"Why not?"

It made enough sense to him.

"We have both met the criteria for the class, whatever they might be."

"Yes, alright." Hands waving down, the man bit his lower lip and sighed. "But no two Berserkers are the same either. Kiyohime is certainly a far flung difference from Lancelot when it comes to personality and choices, so how can you say that you and Avenger - Edmond - would even be the same in terms of choices?"

Ash did not know.

He had not given it much thought.

Instead he looked down and stared at Ritsuka.

Why was it that he thought such a thing to begin with?

Yes, the answer was easy to construct, but he did not…

Hmmm.

"...Because I understood his goals."

Ash replied.

"Because he saw value in the anger of humanity and did not want it to disappear."

Raising his eyes to meet Romani's once again, this time he did so with an unblinking gaze.

"...I think that we have the same intention in wanting them to be remembered."

That was the answer that made sense to him, the reason why Avenger had constructed that tower was the same reason why he had been absorbing the memories of the spirits he slew and ensuring that something of them remained.

Because there was a value in their existence and in their anger.

Maybe Edmond understood it better than him, but he did not think they were different.

"Even if that much is true…having only that much in common is…"

Romani still sounded hesitant to believe him, but that was fine.

It was what he expected nonetheless.

But he would remain with that belief that Avenger was making an effort to help in his own capacity, even if it was misunderstood.

"Your worries are well placed, Romani Archaman."

A voice from behind them both.

Ash turned around and took in the sight of Jeanne as she stepped through the door, face grave.

"Though I do not understand it myself, I am also certain that this figure is present with our Master at the moment."

Her steps were slow, measured.

Very nearly stalking as she drew closer and closer, though her gaze never strayed from Ritsuka himself.

"I am certain that he is, perhaps, one of the most dangerous individuals."

Romani himself was not long in responding. "Is this…some sort of Revelation?"

Jeanne thinned her lips, looking more unsure than she had moments prior. "I cannot say…all I know is that the name strikes a chord with me. A sense of familiarity as though I know who and what they are…an Avenger."

Then her eyes were on him.

"...A class that should not exist and yet does."

"Whether it should exist or not-"

"Edmond Dantes is an Avenger." Jeanne cut in sharply. "He is someone who has surrendered himself to rage and hatred, one whose soul shall never know peace regardless of how many years pass him by."

Sharply, her eyes turned back down to Ritsuka.

"I know he is involved for certain, just as you both say. I know he is with Master at this time and whether he is an ally or not…I fear that there will all too soon come a time when he becomes an enemy instead."

It would not be the first time for that either, Ash understood.

He glanced down and stared for some small moments at the face of Ritsuka, then back to the Saint.

"Even if that is the case, I do not see how it changes my words. Until they become enemies, as you suggest, he will still be likely to aid Ritsuka."

Jeanne did not reject his words, rather she looked more worried. "Perhaps that is what troubles me so…or it could well be nightmares which plague my thoughts to spur me here. Regardless of the truth of it, I know somewhere deep in my heart that they are both in a terrible place…"

Resting her hand over her chest, it clenched into a fist as her eyes sharpened.

"A place of shadow where not even the light of the Lord can reach without difficulty."

A place where Solomon might well have sent him.

His eyes narrowed a fraction in thought.

Edmond Dantes might well indeed become an enemy, but what would occur for him after he was defeated?

Perhaps the better question would be when he was defeated?

"...I do not believe that Ritsuka will allow something like that to stop him."

He did, after all, desire to live.

Knowing the place or the company he kept changed nothing about his trust in that simple truth alone.

Jeanne smiled at him warmly. "Yes, that much would indeed be true and yet…"

Her smile dimmed.

"And yet…I fear for what lies in wait for him…already I am struck by the most terrible of nightmares as though something has already befallen them…"

"It would not be the first time."

Jeanne looked at him oddly for a few moments, "I am surprised by your confidence."

"Do you not share it?"

"I did not say that. I thought you to be more cynical."

Cynical?

Ash pursed his lips.

"I am merely stating the facts. Ritsuka has been through troubling situations before and has returned from those. He did, after all, survive an encounter with Seath…and myself. If he could endure such things, then I am confident in his capacity to endure Edmond Dantes."

Romani rubbed the back of his neck and stared at him, looking rather surprised.

Were his words that much of a shock?

He was sure that such sentiments had been shared by Mash as well.

"But speculation changes nothing." Asserting that once more, he glanced at the still silent form of Stahl and then down to the Master, not before sweeping his gaze over the room of slumbering people. "And perhaps keeping such thoughts to ourselves while they are without proof would be wise."

Glancing back, he elaborated.

"To avoid undue panic or concern."

Romani nodded slowly. "Well, what we know for certain is that Avenger was Edmond Dantes and he might be close with Fujimaru-kun right now. Anything else is just guesswork at the moment so…"

So there was no need for them to needlessly drum up worries where none needed to exist.

Watching their faces twist with concern would be far below his wishes at this time.

But all of it meant nothing.

They could stand here and achieve little.

The power rested solely with Ritsuka and with Edmond.

Ash did not know whether it was strange that he felt no concern over the Avenger Servant, or perhaps if it was a bias towards an individual of his own class.

He would never have assumed himself to be swayed by his emotions in that capacity, the logical assumption would be that Avenger remained an enemy with even more motivation to stand against them after stopping his plans.

But he did not even consider the notion.

It was strange.

"I will remain here and offer prayers for Master."

Jeanne said silently as she moved to the side of the bed and then crouched down, clasping her hands and closing her eyes.

"Did you not say it was a place where the power of your God would not reach?"

Jeanne responded without even opening her eyes. "Not without difficulty, I believe were my words…and I am afraid I can be quite stubborn when I want to be."

Hmph.

"It's all to do with bite force."

Ritsuka gestured with his hands.

"T-Rex had the bigger bite because of the muscular head. It was designed to crush bones and pretty much end the fight the second it got its teeth into something. So when it grabbed the spinosaurus around the neck that would have pretty much ended the fight then and there."

He'd no idea how they even got into the topic in the first place.

One thing had led to another.

Perhaps they had asked about a hobby of his and he just started talking about dinosaurs.

He loved Dinosaurs, so it couldn't be helped.

Western films were a lot more prominent with them.

"And then when it snaps the neck…well the density of the muscle is so thick and the arms of the spinosaurus literally aren't strong enough to do that, even with the added jaw for leverage."

He felt as though he had been ruined a little because of his hobby.

Well, it was a movie.

And it wasn't all that accurate to begin with, but damn did it make him sound like he was nitpicking.

"It's a cool fight and all but at the same time it's just going to nag me a little…you know?"

There was a strange silence, he turned ever so slightly towards the group.

Mixed responses to say the least.

Mercedes looked a touch strained as she managed to get out a reply. "I…understand you are passionate about this."

That was the safe response to a person who just ranted like a crazy man.

Ritsuka slumped his shoulders back and felt his brows drop.

"Uhm…right…I mean…"

Something pinched and tugged at his sleeve, he turned ever so slightly as he saw Shizuko looking up with her head tilted and a little encouraging smile on her lips.

At least she didn't seem put off by any of it, so that was a relief.

"Alright so…what was I talking about before all that?"

He…didn't know how they ended up on the discussion of Jurassic Park beyond Dinosaurs as a whole.

It just felt like he went on a side tangent.

"It began as a discussion on the large dinosaurs…with the feet?" Stolgina ventured out, Ritsuka snapped and pointed to her.

Ah, yes.

That was what he was talking about.

"Theropods, yeah. We don't get too many of those in Japan but I was surprised that there was a reasonably large species at one point. It's called a Fukuiraptor and was about four metres long. Early Cretaceous about…ninety-nine million years ago? Yeah, that one. It had distinct teeth which made it seem like a cross between carcahradontasaurids and tyrannosaurids. More to do with slashing and gripping and tearing but still with grooves near the serrated edges of the teeth."

He stopped.

Yikes, he just threw all of that out there without stopping for a breath, didn't he?

Had he ever even discussed this before?

It had…been a while, now that he realised.

Leaning back against the wall, he pursed his lips.

"You're rather knowledgeable for a mere hobbyist."

Stolgina's comment sounded strange, like approval.

He blinked and turned towards her, and though there was no smile on her face, there was something warm in her eyes.

That felt a little good to see.

He shrugged. "I liked dinosaurs and just kept on reading…I might not know a lot about human history but…well…they are giant reptiles, for the most part. What was there to not love about them?"

It sounded crazy to him to even consider not finding dinosaurs cool.

"What about bringing this up with Mash?"

He blinked, turning to Mercedes at the suggestion.

She fidgeted and then tilted her head, still sounding unsure but growing more confident.

"Well, you told me before how she enjoyed reading books? It sounds as though this would be something you could enjoy doing together…"

He'd never even considered.

Well, that wasn't strictly true.

"I'd rather not make her think like she has to sit through a long lecture on dinosaurs-"

"Has to?"

Stolgina frowned at him.

"I doubt you believe such nonsense as her being forced to attend. If she held no interest, then she would at least make the case known to you beforehand."

Alright, that was fair.

Scratching the side of his head, he frowned.

Maybe it was just…

"...Yeah but what if she just isn't as interested as I am?"

Shizuko pulled at his sleeve again, head tilted and frowning.

It was hard to read her expression, but her thoughts almost conveyed a sense of confusion.

Sitting back with her hands on her lap, the blinded girl stared at him for some long seconds before eventually shaking her head and turning away, waving a hand between all of them before pointing back, then nodding.

Oh.

Hmmm.

Was she saying that they all sat around and listened to him because they were interested?

"Well…it's not like you guys can go anywhere…talk about a captive audience."

Shizuko frowned again and shook her head.

Maybe he was just being too negative if he was being disagreed with so vehemently.

"Well, I guess it would be fair at the end of the day. So…alright, sure. I'll see if there's anyone else around who would want to sit down and listen to, like, an hour long lecture on dinosaurs."

Stolgina made a small huffing sound and turned her head away, but he could still hear her comment.

"Only an hour? Were you planning on giving the layman's explanation?"

He flushed a little and ducked his head.

So what?

He liked dinosaurs.

"Yes, yes."

He stopped for a second, then looked up.

"I'm surprised you stuck around though, Avenger."

In the far corner of the cell, the Servant perked his head ever so slightly at being called out, eyes turning in the darkness and fixing upon him.

"You spoke and I remained, that is not proof I heeded your words."

Ritsuka shrugged and smirked. "I think after however long I was talking about dinosaurs, you'd have probably heeded something I said, right?"

Avenger gave a rather flat expression, then sighed loudly and turned his head. "Your passions are yours and yours alone. Though perhaps more can be said for your resolve that you recall them so clearly…"

The eyes flicked back to him.

"That is indeed good news, Master. It means that so long as you can scrap past whatever joy you can, then there is reason for you to continue."

That sounded oddly endearing.

In a runabout way, maybe?

But he was going to take it as encouragement to keep on talking about dinosaurs.

Although he was a little curious about something.

"What of you, Avenger?"

But he was not the one to ask.

Rather surprisingly, Mercedes has been the one to turn around and ask him the question, a fleeting smile on her lips.

"Have you found passions to keep yourself joyful? I rarely see you without a smile."

Avenger frowned.

"I would have thought you smarter than to ask foolish questions, woman. Surely I have made my joy clear by now in a manner you-"

Mercedes only shook her head.

"Surely you had passions before this…I do not believe you to have always found such terrible sources for joy."

Avenger remained silent.

But Ritsuka saw that as an admission that her words were pretty close.

He only smiled at the woman and then sent a pointed look towards

Looked like someone was feeling rather aggressive today.

"I'm curious as well."

Ritsuka leaned forwards, hands on his knees.

"I joked about the poetry, but what did you do in the past Avenger?"

He was not going to ask about the name Jeanne had said, because that would probably be rather rude.

The response had been clear enough for him to understand Avenger was distancing himself from that name.

But even if he did that, there had to have been something that made him happy.

Avenger looked between him and Mercedes, then spoke with a deep frown but in a voice devoid of emotion.

"Whatever sweet things kept me sane are of the past, there is only Cheateu d'if now. The darkness of this place…it would be better to think of the man who might have found joy as a figure long gone."

That sounded…

"You speak such sad things, Avenger."

Mercedes whispered.

He scoffed and turned his head sharply, putting his back to them all.

"And you should not place your kindness where it does not belong, woman. You shall find no such bright words or charming smiles here. I am he who exists in this place and who shall laugh at your struggles and grin at your despair. To think of me as who I was before you raised your expectations."

There was another silence, this one heavier.

When Avenger spoke next, it was almost somber.

"Think of this as the one kindness I shall do unto you. Forget notions of the man of the past, see only who stands before you. If there should come a time when blood is to be spilled, you shall at least hold no despair in your heart."

Ritsuka stared at the back of the man for a few moments.

To him, that sounded as though he was already aware of how this would end.

Maybe Ritsuka was as well.

But at the same time…

"I'd still like to know something."

Avenger turned his head just enough that he could see the pale yellow eye, the narrowing orb which looked on with a rising frustration.

"After sitting through my lecture on dinosaurs, it seems fair to at least let me hear one of your old interests…or perhaps the interests of the man you used to be."

He leaned back and folded his arms, offering a faint smile.

"I think at this point I've shown that I won't like the past distract me from the future."

Avenger looked on in silent judgement.

Then he turned back and resumed his gaze beyond the cell.

Shame, but it was Avenger's choice-

"There was such a man who once looked beyond the horizon and saw a bright future, who stood at the bow of a ship and felt joy at the caress of the wind on his skin…the open ocean that beckoned him and promised bounty in the future."

Avenger spoke without emotion.

"Such a man knew nothing of the future that awaited him."

That was that.

But Ritsuka was still happy to know something.

"Did this guy sail anywhere memorable?"

Avenger grunted. "Should it matter?"

He thought it did.

"I would like to hear some stories of this sailor." Mercedes raised her voice once again, a hint of lightness in her tone. "Even if it should be thought of as no more than fiction, I would still very much like to hear some tales of him…He sounds an interesting young man."

"To think of otherwise would be foolish."

Avenger sounded almost indignant.

"The ocean is the road by which the world is travelled, the gateway to the lands beyond imagining and where one might find themselves upon either riches or ruin. Often both…A romanticism of the dire conditions of sailing."

He turned.

"That young man lost his captain to illness."

That was rather sad.

Ritsuka thinned his lips and found himself nodding along.

"I guess I didn't really do enough sailing for that to be a problem but…well…like I said, Francis Drake tried to kill me so I think that balanced it out…also there were the argonauts as well who were trying to kill me. That wasn't great…Bleackbeard as well."

Avenger rumbled with mocking laughter. "To find yourself under the ire of the most well-known captains of the open ocean, it might be interpreted as a warning for you to avoid the seas, Master. They clearly do not want you."

"Hah!" Snorting, he shook his head from side to side. "I got jumped by an Indian Demi-god as well at one point, so that's probably a good enough point."

Stolgina, from across the room, shot him a rather irritable glare. "And you should think of that encounter with some more concern. Picking a fight with Karna, of all the Servants, was far from the wisest course of action."

Who was picking a fight with who?

He was just minding his own business before he was sucked into more family drama.

It was like everywhere he went, people were determined to drag him into near fatal encounters with family members.

"You certainly do not do things by half-measures."

There was some twinkle of mirth in Avengers eyes as he made the comment.

Yeah, now he figured he was being made fun of somehow.

"Laugh it up."

None of this was his fault and he refused to be blamed for it.

Probably?

…Well, maybe there could be an argument to be made somewhere but whatever.

"I would, had I been there to see what would have doubtless been a pathetic display."

Hmph.

"Though you stand here in spite of such things. Tell me, Master, did you make allies such foes of the past?"

Ritsuka nodded. "Oddly enough? Yeah, I did. Edward Teach and his angel friend are in Chaldea at the moment."

The mention of an Angel brought about a raised brow from Avenger.

Though that was expected, the sudden fact of Shizuko snapping her head towards him was something of a surprise. Or perhaps it had to do with her wings as well? Although Sammy was definitely a lot different from her on that front.

Also they had four arms.

"How did this come to pass?"

Ritsuka shrugged at the question from the Avenger. "Not much of a clue, I figure he just summoned him to his crew when he had a Holy Grail of his own and then just bonded with them. Sammy was pretty loyal to them throughout the time we fought and even went and disappeared at the same time…since then they just appeared one after another."

"And your impression of his Angel?"

His impression?

Well, that was a bit difficult to answer.

"...He sort of keeps to himself for the most part. I don't think I've ever really seen them away from the side of Blackbeard and I've not really had a chance to really interact with them properly…"

But if he was to be asked an honest impression?

"I think…that Sammy is a loyal guy."

Yeah, that was it.

"Pretty much everything I've seen so far tells me that once he's found someone to befriend, then he'll stick with them through it all and never leave their side."

"A true guardian Angel?" Avenger chortled as though he'd heard a joke. "And by the side of a blaggard such as Edward Teach? Truly, there could be no more amusing a jest of the world than such a Servant of God being the friend of a sinner."

…Alright, when he put it like that then Ritsuka could see that there was sort of a funny side to it.

Or perhaps ironic?

"Well."

Ritsuka didn't have much to say that.

Except one thing.

"I'm glad he has a friend."

Avenger didn't say anything after that.

He never slept as much as the others did.

Or rather, it was Stolgina and Mercedes that slept while he remained awake.

Avenger too, but he was somewhere in the hallway once again.

It left only him and Shizuko, sitting beside one another.

The silence was comfortable, he found himself more engrossed in it than usual. Whether because of exposure or through the comfort of another person, Ritsuka was sure this cell was starting to grow on him.

He did not find it comfortable, but it was familiar.

"I never asked." He whispered to the girl beside him, "but do you have any hobbies?"

A single tap on top of the back of his hand was the answer.

Once for yes and two for no.

Anything else took longer.

But he smiled at the answer, he was glad to hear it.

"That's good."

Another tap on his hand, his eyes glanced across as she raised her own hands up and then started to show off numbers.

He watched, mentally counting through them one after another.

Then she stopped and he hummed.

Playing music, she said.

"What sort of instrument?"

Once more using her hands to cycle through numbers, he waited patiently for her to finish.

"A piano, huh?" Something about that made him smile. "There's someone in Chaldea that's rather famous for playing that sort of music…Mozart. He's a pretty famous musician."

Her head tilted and she stared.

Once more the hands were raised and lowered.

Ritsuka thinned his lips. "Once or twice. He's very good. Maybe I'll get to hear you play the piano as well."

Or maybe he wouldn't.

His eyes unconsciously fell upon her own for a moment and he considered whether it would be even possible for her to do anything like that again. He wanted to believe there was some way for her to do it…maybe someone could whip up some magical device for her if she came to Chaldea.

Shizuko started to hum.

It was a soft noise, gentle even.

But it was almost hypnotic by the way she did it, a sound barely loud enough to be heard and yet impossible to ignore once it reached his ears.

So he listened.

Her head lolled from side to side as she continued to hum.

Then she stopped.

Was it over already?

"...You're really good at that, aren't you?"

He remembered her humming him to sleep not long ago, he'd thought it was a beautiful noise then just as much as he found it pleasant to listen to now.

There was a touch of red on her pale cheeks as she turned her head, drawing up her knees and hugging them close to her body.

Was she trying to hide away a little smile there?

Ritsuka muffled a laugh and turned away, feeling her send him a pouty glare.

Then she was waving her hands again, glancing down and mentally counting the numbers but she didn't get as far this time. She didn't need to after the last him, he just smiled and shook his head from side to side.

Then remembered she was blind.

"No, I don't have a sister."

But he did remember some of his juniors from school.

Or some of the younger brothers and sisters that his friends had.

"Don't have a brother either. Only child."

He leaned back, extending his legs out and letting them lay on the ground, his hands resting on his lap.

"I never thought about that before coming to Chaldea. Well, maybe I did but it just wasn't something that occurred to me."

She cycled through her hands again.

"You think I'd made a good brother, huh?"

Ritsuka shrugged his shoulders.

"I think it's something that…well, I don't spend as much time with them as their actual families do. Perhaps I'm only as good as I am because I deal with them in contained dosages and then don't see them."

Shizuko shook her head from side to side.

"...I think I'd be more suited to a younger sibling to be honest. That way I don't have a lot of expectations on me to act really mature and sensible."

With a silent giggle, she poked him in the cheek and gave a wry smile.

Oh, she saw through that then, did she?

Yes.

He would be a terrible influence for maturity.

That might have been why he was so good with the younger siblings of his friends as well, because he was something of a menace.

"I had someone complain to me about not having siblings."

Shizuko raised a brow.

"I think she was just a little annoyed that I wasn't there to say I understood what she was talking about and, to be honest, I don't think that if I had a brother they would be nearly as much trouble as him."

Her face tightened.

"He's a simple enough guy."

Ritsuka could say that much for Nahr Alma.

"But he's not all that easy to get along with."

Or maybe it was that Ritsuka knew he would be easy to get along with but just didn't want to be the sort of person who won that type of approval?

"Well, we're sort off stuck together now."

Frowning, he looked up.

"...And there's been a lot of problems nearby me with siblings lately. I know that my friends used to complain about them but I just never thought it could be nearly as bad as this."

Eyebrows furrowed just a touch.

"I guess it just…"

He sighed.

"...Seeing families get pulled apart like that just makes me feel a little sad."

That just wasn't what he associated with family.

It was like they were supposed to be the one group of people you could count on.

"Hey."

He turned to Shizuko.

"...What's your family like?"

Her head tilted just a bit, her lips pulled thin.

Then she started to wave her hands ever so slightly.

His brows shot up.

"Five brothers? Wow."

More gestures.

"That you know of? Big family, I take it."

His eyes slid towards the direction of her plucked wings before his smile dimmed a little, a thought occurred to him as he looked to and from but didn't really want to ask the question out of fear of what the answer would be.

Though he wasn't so distracted as to not notice when her face dropped and she looked saddened.

Her gestures grew slower.

"You didn't know them that well?"

She nodded slowly, hands dropping down.

Then she turned her head just a bit and pulled her legs closer to herself once again, this time her wings folded down and hugged her body.

"...You didn't get along with them, did you?"

Her head shake was almost tragically predictable.

"Sorry to hear that."

Another one, was it?

"Did you want to?"

Her nod was a bit quicker this time, then she stopped and raised her hands again. Cycling through the numbers as he counted them up.

"I think that if you're willing to try, then that's what matters."

She turned ever so slightly.

"You can't force them to get along with you because…well…then it probably wouldn't feel all that good. Maybe binding people together and saying 'we need to be on good terms because we're family' is impossible…almost imprisoning."

He sighed.

"My friends have been hurt by their family…Maybe it isn't the same with you but what I mean to say is…"

His hand came to rest on top of her head.

"You shouldn't blame yourself if they don't want to get along with you. I'm not saying don't love them but you shouldn't force yourself if it hurts."

The idea of forcing Gwyndolin to get along with his family when he despised them was troubling.

Or maybe the problem was that a part of Gwyndolin still loved them so much.

Until he knew for certain, then he wouldn't tell them to make any sort of decision regarding what to do.

Whether they approached them or left them alone.

He would support their choice.

Much the same with Ash.

He blinked, then removed his hand from the top of Shizuko's head and pulled it back.

"Sorry, moved on instinct there."

Shizuko looked at him, head tilted, then smiled ever so slightly.

Well, at least she didn't look mad.

Her fingers moved again and he sighed.

"Again. I am an immature menace."

And he wasn't the best role model beyond that.

He'd probably worry about not being good enough for his younger siblings, especially with all the bad examples he had seen so far.

People doing what they thought was right only for it to have awful ramifications.

Ritsuka worried about that.

…His penchant for getting along with people who were objectively terrible but he just could not help himself.

It was incorrigible, in a way.

She was signing out numbers again, then he cringed and rolled his eyes.

"Please do not start calling me that."

She did it again, much slower this time and leaning forwards to hold the fingers right in his face to make sure he knew she was spelling out the letters.

With a playful shove, he knocked her hands away.

"Oi."

Then she was poking and prodding him in the cheeks, a little humming laugh in the back of her throat.

"I was being serious, you know."

A softer smile made its way onto his lips.

"If you're going to pick someone, you should at least pick someone who is reliable."

Even as he said the words, it was easy to imagine the disapproving stare that Mash would fix him with if she heard such things.

Shizuko nudged him.

Apparently even without Mash here, there was someone to say something.

"No, it's…it's right."

It was something he couldn't deny.

"I'm not really what people seem to think I am. I've had them rely on me before and it just didn't work out. Not when it mattered."

He looked around the cell.

The guilt could not be ignored.

"I don't think I'm like you or Mercedes. Bad things happened because of me."

Because he let them happen.

The pulling on his sleeve turned sharpener, he glanced down and saw the clear disapproval on the silent girl.

No amount of disapproval would change it though.

"It's not that I'm going to quit, don't worry about that."

The last thing he wanted to do was give off that impression.

"I'm going to see this through until the end but at the same time…Do you think it makes you a bad person if you make a choice that everyone disagrees with because you think it's the right one?"

A question he held for so long.

"Because I made a choice like that."

A question he'd not wanted to ask.

"...And the worst thing is that I don't know if I regret making that choice or not because…"

Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and folded his arms.

This was unfair of him.

Unloading all of this onto Shizuko when she could hardly give him the proper response. He wasn't supposed to be making other people fret over him now. Nor could he afford to start doubting himself.

Pulling on his sleeve drew his eyes open once again.

Shizuko raised her fingers slowly and went through them one after another.

"The right choice, huh?"

Wasn't that the question.

"Everyone warned me against it. I just ignored them and did it anyway…do you think that makes me a bad person?"

Shizuko was still for a few moments, her lips drawn thin and head cocked to the side.

Then slowly but surely, her head shook from side to side.

Her hands raised, the numbers flew from her fingers and he pieced together the letters one after another.

It was a slow coming answer.

"You did as well, did you?"

That was a bit surprising for him to hear.

"Is that what drove you and your brothers apart?"

Her expression was strained, like she didn't know how to answer the question.

Then she shrugged and looked away.

"Sorry if that was rude."

Another shake of the head and a comforting smile.

Her hands moved again, he raised a brow at her next word.

"Faith, huh?"

Leaning back, he rested his head against the wall.

"He wasn't all that nice. Actually he was a real jerk at times and had this habit of talking down to you."

That was the thing he remembered most.

"He could get angry really easily and acted recklessly when that happened."

When it first happened.

What should have really been the trigger warning to not trust them as much.

"And honestly, I can get why he wasn't all that popular when I explained it to them. Really, I was the one who spent time with him and I just…I never really thought he was actually a nice guy. I think it was something of a convenience. We both just wanted to live."

But that was it.

"So I think…I just…"

What did he think?

"...I understood him really quickly."

Oh.

Yes.

That was it.

"I think it was that…I understood him instantly."

Ritsuka found himself shrugging.

"I just wanted to think that we could work together because of that. I don't know if he felt the same way at the time but he…"

His lips were thin and his throat was dry.

But he didn't have any tears left to shed.

The confession came out rather easily.

Almost like he was over it.

"He used my body to kill people. People who trusted me."

But he wasn't over it.

His eyes could sometimes still see it happen when he went to sleep, sometimes feel that splatter of warmth on his fingers and the sticky sensation when he washed his hands.

Like there was something coating them that just wouldn't come off.

"I trusted him…and then he made me kill people."

He looked down at Shizuko.

"Does that make me a bad person…for trusting someone who is a bad guy against the advice of all the people who were just…really good? They all knew what they were talking about."

Shizuko stared at him.

Even with a blind on, it felt like she was looking into his eyes.

Then she shook her head.

Leaning forwards, her body rested against his own with a faith hum emanating from her.

The plucked wing moved up and folded around, it wasn't all that comfortable to feel sliding against his nape, but he wasn't going to shake it off either.

Shizuko raised her hands and went through them one at a time.

He counted it all in silence.

"Being an honest person isn't a sin."

That was what she said.

In what way was he honest?

Did she mean the confession or the way he approached things?

Because he was pretty sure that it was just stupid and he had been told enough that it was reckless.

No, he didn't need to be told it was reckless anymore.

He knew that.

All he wanted to know left was…

…If he was a bad person because of it.

He felt like he should have been.

There was only so much that an excuse such as his would have taken him.

Maybe he was thinking of this all because of that last avatar of judgement or perhaps it had all been born because of this place itself.

This prison where sinners lived.

Maybe he was a sinner as well and that was why he had been drawn here in the first place, not just because of the King of Mages.

The hold on his right hand was tight, he looked down as Shizuko's fingers curled around his own in a tight grasp.

Not painful, but it would be one not easily removed.

Almost comforting.

Hmmm.

Was he just getting lost in his own head again?

It sounded pretty strange for him to want to have this answered but he didn't know if the answer was the right one or not.

"What's this?"

His eyes snapped up and across.

Avenger stood at the entrance.

"I thought I heard the sound of lamentation, but to think that it was you who would be wailing as such, Master. Surely this is not a prelude to your abandonment, is it?"

Ritsuka pushed himself up to his feet, separating his hand from Shizuko's.

"This and that are two separate things."

Avenger looked unconvinced.

"Are they truly? Or are you compelled forth by such things? A desire to live indeed has carried you forth, but for what purpose would that be?"

Head tilted, his eyes narrowed.

"Guilt, perhaps?"

Avenger said that so mockingly that it annoyed him a little.

Ritsuka frowned. "Are you saying I shouldn't feel guilt?"

"Not at all."

The Servant frowned.

"You are their Master, their deaths fall squarely upon your own as a result of your actions, yet that is no more different than a captain being responsible for the crew of their ship. There is fault with you just as there could be fault with another."

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Make no mistake, I shall not suffer the presence of those who abscond with guilt, Master. Injustice is something that I shall not overlook in any capacity."

Somehow that was an answer that didn't surprise him in the least.

But that was not all that he figured Avenger came to talk about.

Folding his arms, he thinned his lips.

"Are you here to say there's another Judgement hall to clear then?"

"Were we not speaking of guilt mere moments ago? I am surprised you would so quickly which to discard a topic. Unless you are of the opinion that my words would be of little interest on the matter?"

Ritsuka did not answer for a couple seconds.

Did he actually want to hear what Avenger had to say?

…Could it hurt?

"...Alright then."

Maybe it couldn't hurt all that much more than what he already thought.

"This is a guilt which has long since remained, even for a temporary Master it is unsightly for me."

Ritsuka twitched.

Well.

He was very sorry that Avenger thought his guilt was unsightly.

"All while you lament, I sense that the one responsible still walks free, else you would not have been feeling such things. Do you not recall our conversation from the Hall of that vile woman? To shout is natural, to scream is normal and to rage is expected."

With a flourish of movement, Avenger stepped back.

"Questions of guilt? Such nonsense indeed. This is a hall of sinners by which none can escape. All who come here have sinned in some capacity or another, it is without a doubt. Yet is it not a sin of God to also kill? Have you not done that in abundance?"

"Phrasing it like that is misleading." Ritsuka snapped quickly. "I'm not some crazed killer."

Avenger raised a brow. "I recall making no such statement that you were. Though even should it be blood shed with your hands, it is merely a tool if the mind is not at work. All those you have slain as you walk here, they are all of your own choosing, are they not?"

His own choosing.

"Not much of a choice." Grunting back, he rolled his jaw.

Avenger inclined his head. "Yet a choice all the same. To act is to sin. To choose is to sin. If there has been no choice, then there has been no sin."

That sounded like a riddle.

"I made a choice and then bad things happened."

Now they wore an expression of exhaustion.

"Then your sin was the choice, but not what befell after. To claim otherwise is the height of arrogance and makes you look quite the fool, temporary Master."

Ritsuka thinned his lips.

It sounded almost like an attempt at comfort.

But he did not think Avenger would do that.

"Why-"

"Because it is unsightly." Avenger scowled. "For these reasons did I abandon the King of Mages. To act without anger and to see guilt without cause. There is no true born sin within you to warrant such despair."

The King of Mages?

"What do you-"

"I am no Abbe Faria to soothe your soul."

That response came rather quickly and somewhat heated.

"I would merely see you suffer for your own sins, not for others. It would be vile to see something otherwise."

That…hmmm.

Ritsuka just folded his arms and stared.

He did not know what answer to give to that.

"...Now then."

Avenger turned on his heel for the gate of the cell.

"There comes another hall. Remain true to yourself and perhaps you might live."

That desire for life.

That will to continue.

He knows it.

He knows it well.

He feels the same.

But he knows one other who feels it.

The one who brought his mind from the brink.

They are here too.